by Levine, Nina
I tighten my hold on her. “Yeah.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be that quick this time.”
The way she says this makes me chuckle. She sounds pained about it. “What’s running through that mind of yours?”
She lifts her head and looks at me. “Honestly, don’t you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck and it’s going to take a year to recover?”
“I didn’t just give birth to a baby.”
“No, but you’ve been doing all the hard yards for days while I’ve been sleeping. I mean, I’ve had a lot of sleep and I still feel like I could have another straight year of it.”
“And you want me to go back to work tomorrow.”
She pulls a face. “Right. Totally shot myself in the foot there, didn’t I?”
I press a kiss to her forehead. “Go to sleep.”
She doesn’t put her head back down. Instead, she reaches out and traces the lines around my eye. “I love you so much that sometimes it feels overwhelming. Thank you for loving me like you do.”
I move so I can kiss her. When I’m finished with her lips, I say, “Fuck, I’ve missed that.”
She presses her hand to my face. “Me too. Promise me you’ll do that every day, more than once. Even if I take a year to have sex with you because I’m sleeping.”
“You worry too fuckin’ much about this shit. If you take a year to have sex, you take a fuckin’ year. I’ll be here waiting.”
“And that is why I love you so much. I’m actually not worried, though. You’ve told me this enough, so now I believe you. I just need you to know you might be in for a dry spell.”
“I can handle a dry spell.” I kiss her again. “Now stop fuckin’ talking and go to sleep. We’re running out of time here.”
She finally puts her head down on my shoulder and snuggles in close. The last thing I think about before sleep claims me is how much I love her. I’d stick out a long fucking dry spell for her, so long as she kept loving me through it, because Harlow’s love is all I need in life to get me through.
9
Gunnar & Chelsea
Gunnar
This is a bonus scene that takes place a year after their book.
* * *
“Stop looking at me like that or we’re not going to make it through this game,” Chelsea says. We’re in the middle of a game of Monopoly and she’s right; we’re not gonna fucking make it through.
“If you’d stop fucking wearing dresses that barely cover your ass, we’d have half a fucking chance at finishing a game.”
“I can go change.”
“Don’t you fucking dare.”
“Well I’m going to if you don’t drag your eyes to the board and have your go.”
I give her what she wants. For now. In ten minutes it might be another fucking story.
I land on Fleet Street, and since Chelsea owns it, I hand over what I owe.
“Stop looking like you’ve already fucking won,” I say.
She grins. “We both know I’m gonna win.”
She’s sitting on the couch next to me, and I can’t fucking help myself; I twist and move over her, taking her down onto her back as I go. Grinding my dick against her, I growl, “If we both fucking know that, we may as well fucking stop playing now.”
Her hands come to my neck as heat flares in her eyes. “What would we do all night, though?”
My lips graze hers. “Innocence doesn’t fucking suit you, Mayfair.”
She wraps her legs around me and presses herself against me, driving my dick fucking wild. “It really doesn’t. Not when I have a husband who’s so fucking filthy.”
“Fuck,” I rasp, kissing her. “We need to ban that word from your mouth. It gets me hard.”
“What? Fucking?”
“No. Husband.”
“We’ve been married for a year, Mason,” she says, like she doesn’t believe me.
“It wouldn’t matter if it’s a year or if it’s ten. It’ll still turn me the fuck on.”
She smiles and then unwraps her legs from me and lets go of my neck. “We need to finish this game.”
“We need to do a lot of things. Finishing this game isn’t one of them.”
Pushing me away as I try to kiss her, she says, “We’re finishing it.”
Fuck. When Chelsea wants to play Monopoly, nothing stops her. We’ve been playing it since we were kids and she loves it. Me? I like it, but I know now that while I thought I loved playing it when we were growing up, I just loved being with her. These days, I’d rather get my hands on her body instead.
I move off her and lift my chin. “We need to hurry this the fuck up.”
She rolls the dice. “You’re so grumbly today.”
I move her dog to Pall Mall, which she owns, and then I roll the dice. We play for another fifteen minutes, until I land on Chance. I pick up the card from the Chance stack and read it.
* * *
You’ve just learned you’re having a baby.
Collect $200.
You’re going to need it. Kids are expensive.
* * *
Congratulations, baby, you’re going to be a father.
And I’m going to add another favourite favourite to my list.
Seeing you with our child.
* * *
My head jerks up and I find Chelsea’s eyes. My fucking heart is thumping in my chest while I madly process what she’s just told me. When she smiles and reaches for my hand, I say, “We’re having a baby.”
“Yeah, we’re having a baby,” she says, her voice soft and full of so much fucking love it slams into me.
“Come the fuck here,” I say, pulling her into my lap. “When?”
Straddling me, she places her hands to my chest. “We’re almost four weeks along, so late November.”
I place my hands on her hips. “Fuck me.” My lips brush over hers. “You are going to make the best mother.”
Her smile grows. “And you are going to make the best father.”
“I’m gonna do my fucking best.”
Pressing her body to mine, she says, “You don’t even have to try, Mason. Loving and protecting your family are two things you were born to do, and no one does them as well as you. I’m the luckiest girl in the world because I get to be a parent with you.”
“When you say shit like that, there’s no fucking chance of us finishing a Monopoly game.” I take hold of her ass and say, “Hold the fuck on” while I stand, taking her with me.
She clings to me as I carry her into our bedroom. “I was going to win that game anyway.”
I grin. “One of these days I’m gonna stop letting you win.”
“You don’t let me win.” She gives me that look of hers that screams disbelief.
Placing her on the bed, I say, “You wanna make a bet?” I move over her, dropping my mouth to her collarbone and trailing kisses along it.
Taking hold of my face, she drags my eyes back to hers. “We need a re-match.”
“Not fucking tonight, we don’t.” When she opens her mouth to argue with me, I silence her with a kiss, and I dedicate my time to it so that when I finally let her lips go, she’s forgotten about the fucking Monopoly game. So that the only fucking thing she’s thinking about is my dick and how fucking much she wants it.
I remove her dress and her bra before kissing my way down her body. When I get to her stomach, I stop there, placing my hands on her. On the place where our baby will grow.
“I’ve changed my mind,” I say as I kiss her stomach.
She threads her fingers in my hair. “About what?”
I look up and meet her gaze. “I want five kids now.”
Her eyes widen. “You said two.”
“That was before I knew how fucking good it feels to know we’re having a child. Five minimum.”
“Wait, when you say minimum, does that mean you’ll maybe change your mind again and want more?”
“Yeah, baby, it does.”
“Hmm, well I’m out for
five, so it looks like you’re gonna have to get yourself a new wife at some point. I think I can stretch to three. After that, you’re on your own.”
“I’m never getting myself a new wife.”
“That was a smart answer, Mr Blaise.”
“I’m a smart man. I married you.”
“You can stop sweet talking me now. I’m not changing my mind.”
I drop another kiss to her stomach and grin. “You know me too fucking well, Mayfair.”
“Yeah, I fucking do.”
I finish with her stomach and make my way down to her pussy. Spreading her legs, I tongue her clit and push two fingers inside her. She arches her back and moans. It’s the sweetest fucking sound in the world to me.
“This isn’t going to take long,” I say, unzipping my jeans and removing them. Knowing she’s mine for life and is going to be the mother of my children has me so fucking hot for her it isn’t funny.
“We’ve got all night,” she says, hooking her legs around me as I move over her again.
I kiss her before saying, “We’ve got all fucking weekend. I’m not letting you leave this house until Monday.”
A sexy smile slides across her face as she grips my neck. “Are you going to lock me up so I can’t escape?”
“If I fucking have to.” I stare down at her. “You have no fucking idea what this news has done to me, do you?”
Her fingers tighten around my neck. “I think I do, because it’s done the same thing to me.”
Searching her eyes, I demand, “Tell me what it’s done to you.”
“It’s like my skin can’t contain the love I have for you anymore. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and like nothing I can truly explain.” Her arms and legs cling to me harder. “It’s a feeling I’d do anything to know forever.”
“Yeah, baby, it is.” I kiss her, long and lazily. I’m torn between wanting inside her right fucking now and wanting to stay in this moment with her for a long fucking time.
“Okay, you need to get that dick of yours inside me now,” she says, her filthy mouth taking over. “Otherwise I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.”
“Fuck I love it when you talk dirty to me.” I thrust inside her.
“Oh God, yes.” Her fingers dig into me.
I pull out and slam in again before finding the rhythm we both love.
I was right. This was always gonna go down as one of our fastest fucks.
We come together and after she cleans up in the bathroom, I pull her into my arms and hold her there, thinking about the child she’s carrying.
“I’m gonna teach him how to fish,” I murmur against her ear.
She rolls to face me. “How do you know we’re having a boy? She might be a girl.”
“Yeah, she might be, and I’ll teach her how to fish if that’s the case.”
“What else will you teach her?”
I run my hand over her hip and around to her ass. “That she has the best fucking mother in the world and that she just needs to learn everything about being a woman from you.”
“You’re getting sappy in your old age.”
I grin. “Well, it sounded better than telling you I’m gonna teach her all the ways to knock a guy flat on his ass if he fucking touches her when he shouldn’t.”
Her smile lights every inch of her face up. “Now that’s more like the man I love. I wouldn’t expect anything less. Tell me what else you’ll teach our son.”
“I’m gonna teach him every-fucking-thing a man needs to know, but mostly how to love and protect his sister and his woman.”
Chelsea moves like the wind, crawling on top of me and bringing her mouth to mine. After she takes her time kissing the fuck out of me, she says, “I love you, Mason, and I’m pretty sure that you could sweet talk your way into five kids with me if you tried hard enough.”
“Baby, I could fucking sweet talk my way into ten kids with you if I wanted. We both know that. But I think you’re right. I think three’s the limit.”
“What made you come to your senses?”
I stare up into the blue eyes I love, fucking lost in them. “I realised I’d be exchanging time with you for more kids, and that isn’t something I’m willing to do. Not fucking ever.”
She smiles down at me and I lose myself some more. After she kisses me again, she says, “Okay, enough talking. I’m ready to practise getting pregnant again.”
I chuckle. “Only you would fucking practise getting pregnant when you’re already pregnant.”
“I was taught by the best man I know.”
“Yeah, you fucking were,” I growl as I flip her onto her back so I can get the job done. I fucking love this woman with my whole damn heart and then some. If she wants to practise getting pregnant, we’re gonna fucking practise getting pregnant. I will always fucking give her what she wants.
10
Tatum & Nitro
Tatum
This is a super short flash fiction chapter I wrote for Tatum & Nitro. I often write these flash fiction pieces while I’m warming up for writing.
* * *
He reaches for me, his grip demanding and urgent.
It’s been two days since he’s had me, and two days is too long for Nitro.
His mouth finds mine. “Where have you been, Vegas?” The gravel in his voice excites me while the darkness sends a thrill straight to my core. “You said you’d be home by nine. I’ve been waiting for you.”
I claw at his shirt, desperately ripping it off. Just as urgently as he tears my clothes off. “Billy had stuff for me to take care of.” He won’t like that answer, but it’s the only honest one I have for him.
A growl comes from deep within him as he pushes me back against the wall, trapping me in his embrace. Those dark eyes of his bore into mine. “I’ll be having words with Billy. Your office hours don’t fucking extend this late.”
I wrap my hands around his biceps. “No, you won’t be having words, Nitro. This is my work, and you know it’s important to me.”
His shoulders tense as his jaw clenches. Billy is almost always the reason for our arguments. Nothing else comes between us the way he does. “Tatum,” he says in a low rumble, the kind he uses that signals a warning to me that he’s not happy.
I place a finger to his lips, silencing him. “Let’s not do this tonight.”
“When, then? Because I’m sure as fuck tired of going over this, and I’d like it settled once and for all.”
The tone he takes angers me, and I push against his chest to separate us. When he refuses to budge, I glare at him. “Can you please move back so we can discuss this without you crowding me in?”
Instead of moving back, he moves even closer, his body pressing hard against mine, his eyes flashing with determination. When his lips claim mine a moment later, he’s rough. Dominant. Exactly the way he is when he wants to lay down his law. And fuck if it doesn’t turn me on. But he knows it will. It always does.
I kiss him back, my hands going to his jeans. Frantically, I pull them down. I need his cock. God how I fucking need his cock.
He growls again as I take hold of him, and spins me around to face the wall. His movements are so damn forceful that by the time he thrusts inside me, the side of my face is pressed hard against the wall, and I’m struggling to breathe. Exactly how I like it.
It’s the fastest sex we’ve ever had, and is over way too soon. But if I know my man, he’s just getting warmed up.
He’s also just getting warmed up with the argument we’re going to have over Billy.
First, he’ll try to fuck my agreement out of me.
When that fails, he’ll fuck me some more to let me know he’s pissed.
But by morning, he’ll be spent and I’ll still not have buckled.
And he’ll continue to love me even though I can’t give him this one thing he wants.
11
Fury & Zara Christmas Scene
Zara
This scene
takes place during the Christmas I wrote about in my book Christmas Hearts.
* * *
Me: Grace misses you. You should come home soon.
Fury: What about my fiancé? She doesn’t miss me?
Me: Maybe a little. I mean, she’s pretty engrossed in her new puppy, so maybe not too much.
Fury: Clearly I need to come home and remind her why I’m her favourite.
Me: Not a bad idea. Especially since it’s her birthday and the gift at the top of her list is your cock.
* * *
I watch as the dots go up and down while Fury taps out a reply but they stop and never start again. After a couple of minutes of no reply, I drop the phone on my bed and go back to patting Grace.
I left the Christmas barbecue an hour ago, leaving Fury there to go over club stuff with King. After some long months of them still not being completely good with each other, they’re finally getting their shit together. It’s a relief to both Mum and me because the tension between them has affected our family. Not badly, but it’s nice to be able to enjoy a family dinner without that strain.
Grace captures all my attention and I lose track of time. When I hear the garage door open, I smile at my baby and kiss her before saying, “Daddy’s home.”
I don’t know if my excitement carries over to her or if it’s the noise coming from the garage, but her tail wags enthusiastically and she jumps off the bed. I smile as she scampers out of the room. Grace is going to bring so much joy to our lives; I just know it.
Following her down the hallway, I scoop her into my arms when we reach the garage door. Opening it, I take her into the garage with me. We find Fury sitting in his car, head down, engrossed in something. As I draw closer, I see it’s a text message that has his full attention. By the look on his face, he’s not impressed with whatever he’s reading.