Epic Love Stories--Complete Box Set

by Kelly Moore

  “It’s two in the morning.” His lips are on the back of my neck, and I rest my head on him. “Do you want to get some sleep?” His voice is sexy, and I know that’s not what he’s really asking me.

  “Sleep is the last thing I’m thinking about.”

  “Good.” His hands weave behind me, and I feel the pull of my zipper between my shoulder blades. “I love this dress on you, but I think it would look much better on the floor.” His lips skim down my shoulder.

  “Mmm…that feels good.”

  “I’ve only just started.” He pushes my dress down my hips, and I step out of it. I’m left in my lacy panties and my black heels. I lean down to slide my finger behind the strap. “Leave them on.” His voice is so silky.

  I turn in his arms, and his gaze locks on my breasts. “I like your birthday suit much better.” He bends down and picks me up in his arms. I drape my arm around his neck and toy with his thick brown hair. “Which way to the bedroom?”

  I hesitate, thinking it’s Silas’s bed.

  He seems to read my mind. “Or we can stay down here.” He walks me to the couch. He goes to lay me down, but I stop him.

  “No. Upstairs, second door on the right.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” I nuzzle and nip at his ear as he heads toward the stairs. His steps become quicker with each soft kiss I trail down his jawline.

  He sets me on my feet by the bed, and I reach for the button on his jeans. I undo it and then slip my hands under his army green T-shirt, and I feel his muscles tighten as I lift his shirt. There is not an ounce of fat on his body. I kiss the middle of his chest, and he rips his shirt off over his head. His blue eyes are now the color of a storm.

  “You’re even more beautiful than I dreamt of.” His gaze is glued to me.

  “You dreamt of me?” I bite my bottom lip.

  “Baby, I’ve been dreaming of you since New Zealand.”

  “What did we do in your dreams?” I want him to show me.

  His hands fly to my lacy panties, and he yanks them off me. “This for a start.”

  I inhale at the sensations running through me. “What else?” I realize I might be playing a dangerous game with him. I have no idea what he likes.

  He pushes me down on the bed, and I fall back, raising one leg. My shoes rest on the edge of the bed, and I lift my head to look at him. He tugs out of his jeans and boxers, and I lick my lips at the sight of him. He has this perfect V shape at his waist and a dark trail of hair that leads downward.

  He grabs his hard cock. “You’re looking like you want to devour me,” he groans. Before I can respond, he takes his other hand and places his palm on my knee and spreads my leg further out. He presses his teeth into his lower lip as his gaze falls to my core.

  “Now who’s wanting to devour whom?” I rasp.

  He gets on his knees and pushes my other leg on the bed, spreading me wide open for him. He buries his face between my legs and inserts his tongue inside me. I arch up with every swipe of his tongue. I’m already on the edge, and he senses it and pulls back. His chin is wet, and I find it sexy as hell.

  His hand leaves my knee and grazes down my skin to my breast, squeezing softly at first. His head dips again, and a vibration low in my belly starts to take over.

  The hand on my breast tweaks my nipple as his other hand travels between my legs. He presses a thumb right below where he’s sucking, and I start pulsating, on the edge of my orgasm, then he stops again.

  “Clay!” I yell his name, and he looks up at me and smiles. “I’m making my dream come true, baby.” He dips his head one more time, and this time there is no stopping. I explode into his mouth, but it doesn’t slow him down. He doesn’t stop until I have nothing left to give him.

  He gets up and starts to crawl up my body, but I stop him with my hands on his firm chest. “My turn.”

  He grins and rolls off me and raises his arms over his head, locking his hands behind him. “I’m all yours.”

  I start at his neck and work my way to his chest, then decide I want a better look at him. I get up and straddle his thighs.

  “You’re playing with fire,” he groans.

  I give him a lopsided grin and trace my hands over his chest. His cock is bouncing off my stomach. It’s hard and tempting, but I want to explore his body. I lean over and kiss the middle of his smooth chest. His cock tucks in between my breasts, and I feel him lift his hips. He unlocks his hands and places them on my shoulder blades, applying a small amount of pressure.

  “You feel so good.” I watch as his eyes roll back.

  I scoot my hips further back and trail my kisses downward. He lifts his head when I grasp his cock. There’s dew on the tip. I dip down and lick it off.

  “Fuck!” he yells.

  He watches me suck him into my mouth, and he hisses. I start shallow and work him in deeper. His hands are tugging at my hair. “You have to stop,” he moans.

  I raise up and look at him. “Was this not part of your dream?”

  “This is better than any dream, but I want to be buried inside you when I come.”

  I lift my hips and move up his body. I get on my knees and rise above him, placing him at my entrance. Then I slowly glide down on him, giving my body time to accommodate to his girth. When I’m fully seated on him, he rises up and in one move, rolls me underneath him. He leans up and moves one of my legs further out and adjusts his hips, so one of his knees is digging into the bed, allowing him to rock his hips. His mouth goes to my taut nipple, trapping it between his teeth.

  I claw at his back as he thrusts deeper inside me. I can feel sweat forming on his back with every move of his hips, pushing his cock to that spot I know will send me spiraling again.

  “Yes!” I scream, and I don’t know how he did it, but he thrusts even deeper.

  “Come for me, baby.” His words are in my ear. I have no control, he does, and I clamp down around him and come so fiercely I think I go blind. Everything goes dark as all my other senses take over. My skin feels like it’s on fire, and I hear him say my name as he loses his control and pumps harder, releasing inside me.

  The light starts to seep back into my vision as he’s kissing my nose. “Are you okay?”

  “Mmmm,” is all I can manage.

  “Better. Than. My. Dream.” He kisses me between each word.

  I have to lick my lips to get moisture back in my mouth. “That was amazing.”

  “Do you want to do it again?” He rocks his hips into me, and I feel him growing hard again.

  I place my hands on either side of his face to look into his eyes. “Yes.”

  We make love several times before we finally fall asleep exhausted in each other’s arms.

  When I wake midmorning with him wrapped around me, I realize not once did I think of Silas while he was making love to me. It was one hundred percent Clay in my mind and touching me. I carefully unwrap from him, so not to wake him and head to the bathroom. I pee, then brush my teeth and hair and slip on the robe hanging on the back of the door.

  When I open the door, Clay has his jeans on, and he’s sitting on the side of the bed, running his hand over the scruff on his chin. He stands when he sees me. “Good morning.” He tucks his hands in his pockets, and it’s the first time I’ve seen him look unsure of himself.

  I walk over and take his hand. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I, um…didn’t know when we came in here last night that there were pictures of Silas on the walls. I should have assumed.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry about. It just made me feel like I cheated on my friend with his wife.”

  I sit on the edge of the bed, and he joins me. “We didn’t cheat. Silas is gone, but he’ll always be a part of my life, and I’m sure over time, I’ll take some of the pictures down.”

  “You don’t have to take any of them down. It just threw me off guard when I woke up and saw them.”

  I run my hand through his
messy mop of hair. “Are you hungry?”

  He pushes me back on the bed and hovers over me. “Starved. You wore me out last night.”

  I giggle. “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to walk. My legs feel like noodles, and I’m a little sore.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not.” He grins.

  “I’m not sorry at all.” I push his chest, and he rolls off me. “How about you get a shower, and I fix breakfast?”

  “How about I eat you for breakfast while I’m in the shower?” He raises his eyebrows.

  “I’m thinking I could really get into that idea.”

  He hops off the bed and grabs my outer thighs and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder. “I’m not giving you another chance to think about it,” he growls and carries me into the shower.

  Chapter 17

  “I can’t believe you’ve been here a week.” I lean against the porch railing, sipping my coffee.

  “Me either.” He does the same.

  He looks so sexy with his damp hair and sunglasses. “How long will you be in Scotland?”

  “I’m scheduled to be there for the next three months.” He puts his coffee on the ledge. “You could come with me.”

  “We both agreed this isn’t how this works. We both have our own lives, and we meet up when we can.” This is what my head is telling me, and I’m trying to ignore what my heart wants. “The only thing I ask is there not be any other women.”

  He moves in front of me and traps me in his arms, with his hands resting on the railing behind me. “That’s one thing you will never have to worry about.” He runs his nose along my neck. “But what about you? You’re a beautiful woman traveling by herself. You’re bound to have men hit on you.”

  I laugh. “I can only handle one man at a time, and I have a hard time keeping up with you.”

  “Speaking of hard.” He presses his hips into me. “This is what you do to me.”

  “You have the stamina of a teenager. We’ve already had sex twice this morning.”

  “Are you complaining?” He nips at my ear.

  “No, but I’m going to need some fuel to keep up with you.”

  “I think you more than keep up.” He steps back and adjusts himself in his jeans. “Unfortunately, if we go back upstairs, I’m going to miss my plane.”

  “I wish you would let me drive you.”

  “I don’t want to say goodbye at the airport.”

  I step up and kiss him. “Call me when you can.”

  “I may just show up on your doorstep.”

  “I would love that.”

  His jaw flexes as he runs his hand through my hair. “I’ve never said this to another woman.” His eyes search mine for a moment. “I love you.”

  I know in that moment, without a doubt, that I feel the same. “I love you, too.”

  “I didn’t say it for you to say it back to me.”

  “I know that. I loved Silas, but he made room for me to love another, and that person is you.” I take his hand and place it over my heart. “Just promise you will come back to me. I don’t think I would survive losing another person I love.”

  “I’m beginning to think that Silas was a way smarter man than me. He would never leave you alone.”

  “Part of me loving you is loving what you do.”

  I hear the taxi out front blowing the horn.

  “It’s time, babe,” he says and kisses me.

  He grabs his bag, and I walk him to the cab. “I’ll call you when I land.”

  “Be safe, Clay.” He kisses me one last time and gets in the back of the cab. I wave at him as it drives off.

  “He’s really going?” Noah walks in my direction.

  “Yes, and I’m okay with it.”

  “I like him. He seems to be a good guy.”

  “I know he’ll never replace Silas for you, but I’m hoping the two of you can become good friends.”

  He wraps his arm around my shoulder. “I’m sure we will. Charlie is making breakfast. How about you join us?”

  “I’d love that. How is she feeling?”

  “I think she’s moved into the cranky phase rather than being horny all the time.” He chuckles.

  “Ah. That’s why you want me to come over—to provide you some relief from her crankiness.”

  “I knew you were a smart woman.” He kisses the side of my head.

  We walk into his house, and there is a feast on the table. “I’m guessing her appetite hasn’t changed.” I laugh and sit down.

  “Is he gone?” Charlie asks, munching on a piece of bacon.

  “Yes.”

  Tears well up in her eyes.

  Noah leans down and whispers in my ear, “I forgot to mention that she’s emotional too.”

  “Thanks for the warning.”

  The twins bound down the stairs and sit at the table. I enjoy the noise while we eat breakfast. The boys talk as much as Charlie does. Brody looks like Charlie, and Brady is the spitting image of Noah. They’re a beautiful family, and I can’t wait to see who Silas will look like.

  “These two are going to be heartbreakers,” I say.

  “They are never leaving their mother.” Charlie sniffs.

  “I can hardly wait three more months until this baby is born.” Noah laughs.

  “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “When is Clay coming back?” Charlie chimes in.

  “He’ll be in Scotland for three months, and then he’ll either come here, or I’ll meet him somewhere.”

  “But that’s when the baby is due.” She looks worried.

  “Then he’ll meet me here. I’m not going to miss the birth of Silas.”

  “When is your next trip?”

  “I’m headed to New York in two months. My romance book is being published, and I have a big promotion set up for it. I’m going to be interviewed on the Today Show.”

  “That’s awesome, Liv. Congratulations.” Noah is genuinely excited for me.

  “I have Silas to thank. If it wasn’t for him, I’d never have written the story. I’m having his song put to music, and my publisher is creating a soundtrack for the book. I only wish he was here to hear it.”

  Charlie raises her glass of orange juice in the air. “Here’s to Silas.”

  Everyone at the table raises their glasses to cheer him.

  Chapter 18

  Two months later…

  * * *

  My phone rings as soon as my interview on the Today Show is done, and it’s Noah. I pick it up thinking he’s watched the show and he’s calling to congratulate me.

  “That was so much fun,” I say, answering the phone.

  “Liv, you have to get back here.” He sounds terrified.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Charlie.” I hear him swallow hard. “She fell down the stairs.”

  My hand covers my mouth. “How is she…is the baby okay?”

  “She’s in a coma. The fall sent her into labor, and the doctors did a C-section.”

  “It’s too soon,” I sob.

  “The baby is fine, but Charlie isn’t waking up.”

  “I’ll be on the next plane out of here. Where are the boys?”

  “My brother and his wife are with them at the house. They are taking care of Murphy too.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I don’t even bother changing clothes. I call for a cab, go to the hotel, and throw my things in my bag. I call the airlines and get the quickest flight I can.

  When I make it to the airport and through security, I try the only number I have for Clay. I know he won’t answer, but I have to try. He called me two weeks ago when he made it into a small town on the tour that had service. His voicemail picks up. I leave a message telling him about Charlie and then type an email to him, just in case he can’t listen to his messages.

  I board the airplane quickly, but the flight home is agonizing. My mind races with terrible thoughts. I can’t bear to lose Charlie, and Noah a
nd the boys would be lost without her, and god, the baby. I cry quietly. He has to know his beautiful mother.

  When the plane lands, I grab my bag and run through the airport. I wave down a cab, slide in the back seat, and call Noah’s phone.

  “Are you here?” His voice cracks.

  “I just landed, and I’m on my way. Any changes?”

  “No,” he cries into the phone. “The doctors are saying it doesn’t look good. She hit her head really hard.”

  “She’s going to be okay, Noah. She has to be. I’ll be there soon.”

  I hang up. “You need to get me to the hospital as quickly as you can,” I tell the cab driver.

  He does just that. He weaves in and out of traffic and gets me to the visitor’s entrance in no time. I grab my bag and run inside, stopping at the desk to find out where Charlie is. I don’t bother with the elevator to the third floor. I run up the stairs, and I don’t stop until I’m buzzing to get into the ICU. They let me in and direct me to her room, where Noah is sitting in a chair next to her, holding her hand. The hospital basinet is beside him. He lets go of her hand when he sees me. I drop my bag on the floor and run into his arms.

  “Thank god you’re here.” His warm tears fall on my shoulder. “I can’t do this without her,” he cries.

  “Don’t think like that. She’s a strong young woman, and she’ll pull through this.”

  “Silas was strong and young too, and he’s gone.”

  I pull away from his hug. “That was completely different, Noah. Silas was sick. Charlie is not.”

  “I don’t even know how it happened.” He presses the heel of his hands to his temple. “I was running late. When I went downstairs to fix a cup of coffee, she was lying at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of her own blood. I should have been down there earlier to find her, and maybe she would never have fallen.”

  “You can’t think like that, Noah. I’m sure you did all you could.” I look over at Charlie, whose head is wrapped in gauze, and she looks like she’s sleeping peacefully. The baby stirs, and I walk over and pick him up. “He’s beautiful, Noah.” I kiss the top of his little head and then unwrap him to look at him.