Coming Home: The Damaged Series - Book Three

by Shayne McClendon

  Her first climax surprised them both within just a few minutes and her thighs tightened on his shoulders. Gasping, she gripped his hair in a fist.

  Since he was twenty, he’d masturbated to thoughts of eating Rowan’s pussy. The fantasies originally filled him with shame since she was only sixteen at the time, but they’d continued to strengthen and gain detail over the passing years.

  The reality was so much more than anything he’d imagined. She was slick and hot, with a musk unique to her. The lips that framed her pussy were full and soft. Her clit was swollen, dark pink, and throbbing.

  Moving lower, he pushed his tongue inside her and she gave voice to a low moan. Leaning back, he slicked his fingers with her release and slowly pushed them inside her. He watched them disappear and the skin on his neck felt too tight as he imagined his cock following the same path.

  Shaking himself from an almost fugue state, he rubbed the ribbed walls of her pussy, focusing on the area behind her clit as he went back to sucking it.

  She tried to scream but it strangled in her throat as the second orgasm stole her breath.

  Refusing to relinquish something he’d dreamed about for a decade, he growled against her flesh and kept going. He wanted her to feel everything she deserved without a ticking clock in the back of her mind.

  Half an hour later, her third climax left her wrecked, limp against the mattress. Her skin was slick with sweat, flushed, and trembling.

  “Please…” She said the word so quietly that he almost didn’t hear her. He reacted instantly to it. When he reached for his jeans to get the condom he’d only started carrying again since Rowan returned to Daingerfield, he stilled when she muttered, “No.” Eyes closed, she said in a stronger voice, “No condom.”

  Gage stood and lifted her into the center of her bed, rolling her carefully to her side. Stretching out behind her, he tilted her face enough to kiss her lips as he lifted Rowan’s leg over his thigh.

  Positioning the head of his cock at her pussy, he wrapped his arms around her, and sealed his chest to her back.

  Her face rested on the inside of his arm that was against the bed and she put her hand over his where he cupped her breast.

  There had never been a time in his life when Gage was so careful with a sexual partner. He took his time pressing his hips closer, entering her pussy slowly.

  When he was fully seated in the closest thing to heaven he’d ever experienced, he released her breast and stroked his way to her clit. Making small circles, he started to thrust.

  Her hand closest to the bed held his and her other was over his wrist, caressing him as he moved on and inside her. Gage watched her profile as he made love to her and fought for control that had never been so hard to keep.

  As he moved, her breasts bounced gently, her tightly furled nipples stabbing at the air. Then she started meeting his movements, finding the rhythm.

  The only sound in the sun-filled room was their breathing, her soft sighs, and their skin meeting with every thrust.

  Gage kept moving, pushing her through another climax. He loved her with everything he had, every skill he’d ever learned, and held back his own pleasure to give Rowan what she needed, what she deserved.

  “I-I needed this, needed you,” she said softly. He knew she was talking to her dead husband and focused on pleasing her as she said what she needed to say. “I hurt so bad when I lost you, missed you when you were gone, and wanted to go back and change it...but I couldn’t. I couldn’t change anything no matter how bad I wished it. It made me feel powerless, useless. And then I met Bennett.”

  Gage stumbled in his rhythm.

  “He knew I’d made a vow not to love anyone else. I never wanted to feel pain like that again. I ended up loving him anyway. From the start, he knew about you. He called me on my bullshit when I tried to pretend, to lie, about what you meant to me...what you still mean to me.” He felt her tears fall to the skin of his inner arm.

  His own slipped into her hair.

  “He said my heart was big enough to love two men and he wouldn’t change anything...because it opened to him, welcomed him, and changed the end of his life.” Looking at him over her shoulder, she whispered, “My love for you lived side by side with my love for Bennett and he understood that. I hope you will, too.”

  Struggling to swallow past the lump in his throat, Gage nodded. “I will, Rowan. I swear it.” He kissed her, their tears mingling, as he came high and hot inside her.

  It was the single most powerful experience of his life.

  Until Rowan’s water broke.

  Chapter Twenty

  They were still and silent for several seconds when Rowan whispered, “Gage…?”

  “Sweetheart, you’re in labor.”

  “Amazingly, this is the most embarrassed I’ve ever been. That’s saying a lot, Gage. Like, a lot.” She started to cry from a culmination of stress, humiliation, and overwhelming emotion.

  He tightened his arms around her. “Breathe. It’s gonna be okay. Let me help.”

  “I-I…”

  “Rowan. Let me help.”

  He kissed her hair and carefully pulled from her body. Keeping her with him, he backed to the edge of the bed. Standing, he lifted her smoothly to her feet. She swayed and he steadied her.

  “It’s so g-gross…”

  “Nah. It’s just part of life, sweetheart.”

  “Well, it’s overwhelming, Gage. The first time I had sex, there was a death. The second, a birth. I told you I was never going to be n-normal!”

  He hugged her and murmured at her ear, “Ssh. It’s okay. We’re gonna get cleaned up and I’ll take you to the hospital. In a few hours, your son will be here.” Leaning back, he gave her a big grin that went a long way to soothing her frayed nerves. “Isn’t that amazin’ to think about?”

  Smiling slowly, she nodded. “Yeah. It really is.”

  He took her hand and walked to the bathroom, getting in the stall with her to wash her hair and body. After quickly washing his own, he wrapped her in a towel. She dressed in fresh clothes while he pulled on the ones he’d worn to her house.

  For a moment, she zoned out on the rumpled comforter, her mind a bit confused over the events of the last couple of hours.

  “Are you alright, Rowan?” Gage’s voice was low, gentle.

  “I think...I will be. I loved Bennett and there will always be a part of my heart that belongs to him. Just as there was always a part of my heart that belonged to you while I was with him.” She took a deep breath. “I feel better than I have in a long time.” Meeting his eyes, she said, “Thank you.”

  He took her face in his hands. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. In your life, you’ve already dealt with a lot. Startin’ over again and again because of circumstances out of your control.” Shaking his head, he said, “I know how hard you loved Bennett, Rowan. How it feels to be loved by you. He chose to leave his life in your arms - feeling that love to his last breath. It would be my choice if I had it.”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks and he wiped them away with his thumbs. “I’m glad you had Bennett to show you what you were worth. I was too young to love you right, to treat you how you deserved to be treated. He gave me an example to follow and I’m damn grateful for it.”

  He lowered one hand to her belly. “This is Bennett’s son but - if you give me the chance - I’m gonna love him like he was mine, Rowan. He’ll never doubt my love for him. As long as I live, I’ll never let you regret givin’ me another chance to be the man you needed me to be.”

  Then he held her close and kissed her deeply, gently...and Rowan could feel his love for her.

  As he broke it, he said, “If we don’t get you to the hospital, I’m gonna pass out from stress.” She smiled as he led her from the bedroom. On the first floor, he tapped on James’ door and yelled, “Wrap it up! Rowan’s in labor.”

  There was frantic scrambling inside and when James opened the door shirtless and looking panicked, he asked,
“Do I, uh, we have three minutes?” Rowan nodded and chuckled as he slammed the door with a mumbled, “Sorry!”

  Mary-Margaret practically slid into the hall. “I’m sorry. What did you say, Gage?” She looked at her watch with a frown. “You must be mistaken. Rowan isn’t due for another thirteen days.”

  Gage grinned. “The boy in her belly don’t give a damn about schedules. Her water broke.”

  All the color drained from her assistant’s face. “Oh, dear.”

  Rowan assured her, “I’m okay, Mary-Margaret. Everyone can meet me at the hospital…”

  “I’m not letting you out of my sight! Are you out of your mind?” She put her phone to her ear and barked, “We have a code red. Mrs. Jefferson is in labor. Everyone scramble and be ready to transport to the hospital in one minute.” Then she shrieked, “James!”

  The bodyguard threw open his door - fully dressed this time - and took Rowan’s shoulders. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine...well, well.” She grinned at Nina behind him, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Her tank top was tangled and her jeans weren’t buttoned. “Hey, girl.”

  “Shut it and get in the fucking car, Rowan.”

  Laughing, Rowan turned for the door as her first contraction hit. She doubled over with a gasp and Gage picked her up.

  James passed them at a run to open the door. He had the bag the hospital recommended Rowan keep on hand clenched in his fist. “Faster or give her to me,” he barked.

  Looking down, Gage winked. “This is gonna be fun.”

  “You’re a sadist.”

  He snorted as he tucked her into the backseat of the limo and climbed in beside her. Nina sat on her other side and held her hand. James and Mary-Margaret sat across from them.

  To the driver, her bodyguard yelled, “Floor it. We’ll deal with tickets when we have medical personnel on hand.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nina and James shared a long look and Rowan wanted to ask questions but another contraction made her bend, clutching her stomach.

  Mary-Margaret whispered frantically, “That was less than two minutes.” Turning in her seat, she ordered, “Drive faster.”

  Rowan giggled despite the pain and Gage rubbed her back. After a moment, she murmured, “Miss Jeffries…”

  “Taken care of,” Mary-Margaret said sharply. “No more thinking about the details, Rowan.”

  Riding the cramping through her lower back and abdomen, she managed, “Mm hmm.”

  By the time they pulled into the emergency room entrance of the little hospital that served the region, Rowan couldn’t walk. Gage carried her through the doors as James ran ahead.

  She gasped, “P-pressure. I-I think...I need someone now.” Clenching her eyes tightly shut, she focused on breathing. “Gage, I think the baby is coming. There’s no time...”

  Without waiting at the front desk, Gage walked to the swinging doors that led to the emergency room. One of the nurses tried to stop him and he said, “Becky, stay outta my way. Rowan is havin’ this baby right now. Get somebody while I lay her down.”

  Gage placed her on a gurney and grabbed a light blanket to cover her with. “Breathe for me, sweetheart.” He stroked his palm over her head. “I’m gonna take off your sandals and panties. Let me see what’s happenin’.”

  “Wh-what?”

  “I’ve delivered a hundred calves. I want to make sure the baby’s not crownin’.” He moved quickly as her staff appeared with Nina.

  James’ eyes were huge. “What are you doing?”

  Gage’s voice was sharp as he asked, “You see a doctor in here yet?” The bodyguard’s eyes were huge. “I can see the baby’s head so do you think I should wait?”

  “Oh, my sweet lord,” Nina swayed on her feet before snapping out of it. “Help her, Gage.”

  He gently spread Rowan’s knees. “Hold her hands. Help her sit up. I’m gonna need you to push for me, sweetheart.”

  The nurse entered the room and rambled words Rowan couldn’t hear. All she knew was that if she didn’t push, she was going to start screaming.

  She stared at Gage’s face as she bore down. James and Nina stood on either side of her, holding her hands and bracing her back. Mary-Margaret stood beside Gage with her eyes huge in her face.

  The pressure was terrifying.

  “Come on, Rowan. Push again. You got this.” He smiled. “That’s it. One more for me. Here he comes.”

  Horrific pain, a little more...then it stopped.

  “Gage…?”

  “Your son is here, sweetheart. Good-lookin’ just like his parents.” He looked over his shoulder at the nurse. “Gonna need some professionals to take over, Becky. I’ve never handled a human baby at this point.”

  The woman stepped close with blankets and nodded. “Good gravy, Gage. Never thought I’d see you handle a delivery! Doc is on his way.”

  There was a soft sound from her baby and Rowan started crying. Meeting Gage’s eyes, she whispered, “Thank you.”

  “Sure thing. Didn’t think this was how things were gonna go. He didn’t waste any time.”

  Several people entered the room as James and Nina lowered her back to the gurney.

  Her friend cried silently. “You’re a mom, Rowan.”

  James moved enough for Gage to lean over her. “Congratulations, honey.” He kissed her temple and murmured at her ear, “You told me to never call you honey again but...this time, I couldn’t help myself.”

  Rowan laughed. She cried. She accepted the love and relief from her friends. Then the nurse placed her baby in her arms.

  “Bennett Benjamin Jefferson the third,” she whispered. “Benji, I’ve been waiting to meet you. Hello, darling.” She kissed his head and knew it was impossible to love anything or anyone more. “I wish your father could have been here to see you, at least once. However, you just arrived in the company of the people I love most. You’ll meet Miss Jeffries soon but the rest of your family is right here.”

  A doctor and several nurses bustled around the room but Rowan didn’t talk to them. She talked to her little boy.

  “James is your uncle and he’s going to keep you safe all your life. He pretends to be stoic but don’t fall for that. He’s a big softy and he’s going to love you to distraction.” She smoothed her hand over his dark hair. “Mary-Margaret is going to tag team the grandmother position. She’s too sassy to be a normal grandma but she’s going to keep your life running as flawlessly as mine while she spoils you rotten, too.”

  Bringing him closer, she kissed his soft cheek. “Nina is your gorgeous aunt. Far more sophisticated than your mother and the one who’s going to tell you how the world really works when you don’t buy my rainbow-colored version. I think you’ll go to her for the hard questions about girls.”

  Tears fell to his little blanket. “Then there’s Gage. He’s going to show you a life of growing things and being a strong member of a family, a community. I don’t know much about those things but he’s been an expert since he was born. He made sure you got to me safe and sound - like one of his baby calves. We can depend on him, darling.”

  Nina wiped Rowan’s face.

  “One day, I’ll tell you about your father. He was a good man and you won’t believe all the things he did in his incredible lifetime.” Adjusting him, she explained, “We’re not alone though, Benji. We don’t have your dad but we have the best family anyone could ask for. You’ll see that for yourself.”

  Holding him close, she said softly, “I love you. I’m going to give you a life filled with connections and experiences that can’t be bought. Forget all about your inheritance and focus on living and loving, Benji. That’s what matters most. Your dad knew that better than anyone.”

  Miss Jeffries entered holding the arm of one of James’ men and said, “Well, honey...you always were fast.”

  It made everyone laugh.

  Eventually, Rowan was cleaned up and transferred to a private room. Benji was placed in a nursery crib beside t
he bed. Rowan stared at him and the peace she felt lulled her into a sort of hypnotic state. It had been a day filled with emotions and life-changing events.

  For just a moment, in the glare of the afternoon sun through the blinds, she thought she saw Bennett leaning over his son before winking at her and disappearing.

  Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and she whispered, “Bennett…?” Blinking, she tried to bring herself back to reality. “Thank you for Benji. Thank you for everything you did - before and after I lost you. I’m going to be okay now. The people we love will make sure. I love you, Bennett. I wish you could be here.”

  Miss Jeffries smoothed Rowan’s hair. “Your Bennett wanted you happy, child. Maybe he stopped by to make sure. You can’t disappoint him, you hear?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Rest and I’ll watch your little man. You did good, honey. You sure did. Gonna chat with the Lord a minute and thank him for keepin’ Gage’s mind and hands steady, too. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

  Watching her son, Rowan drifted to sleep.

  She was a mother with all the confusion and worry it entailed.

  She couldn’t wait to get started.

  Epilogue

  At six days old, Benji was examined by the best pediatric cardiologist in the world to determine if he’d inherited spongiform cardiomyopathy from his father.

  It had remained undetected in Bennett for more than fifty years. The wear and tear on already damaged tissue had been too far gone once it was diagnosed to save him.

  A brilliant female specialist was flown in from Europe and received temporary hospital privileges in Austin. After hours of tests and breaks for Rowan to feed Benji, the doctor came into the exam room and nodded with a smile.

  In heavily accented English, she said, “Your baby’s heart is strong and healthy, Mrs. Jefferson.”

  James murmured, “He got his mother’s heart.”

  The doctor nodded. “I will return in a year to check growth and do more tests. I have run every test possible at his age. I do not believe you have any reason to worry but I will follow up for my own peace of mind, yes?”