The Delve Duet

by Jacob Chance

  My eyes drift shut when he runs his nose along the side of mine and then slides his lips across my cheek to whisper in my ear. “Our moment will be much bigger than this one. When our lips meet, life as you know it will cease to exist. Let me know when you’re ready.” His husky seductive words send a shiver down my spine. I’m ready now.

  Instead of telling him I’m ready, I grip his jacket in my hand and whisper, “Are you going to tell me what’s so special about your kiss?”

  The tiny hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end when his warm breath fans across my ear. “No,” he murmurs.

  “No?” People move around us and I don’t care. Instinctively, I lean into his touch. “It’s a secret, huh? I don’t like secrets.”

  He chuckles softly and his lips brush my neck below my ear.

  “Soon there will be no secrets between us.”

  Want more of Derek?

  Read on for the Extended Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Derek

  I’ve never loved anyone with my whole heart except for my wife, Kenna. Our road wasn’t an easy one, it took us a long time to get together. There were so many obstacles in our way that kept us apart. Some seemed insurmountable at the time. Looking back, I wish I’d fought harder for us; sooner. We wasted a lot of years worrying about what others would think and in the end those concerns were all for nothing. But they say everything happens for a reason and maybe that’s true because today is the best day of my life. At nine o’clock on the dot this morning, we became the proud parents of Derek Santiago Jr.

  Glancing down, I stare at my son with wonder. Our perfect little creation, he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever set my eyes on and that’s saying something because his mother is fucking gorgeous.

  I touch his miniature fingers, studying them closely. Long and slender for a newborn, they’re capped by tiny fingernails. Already he curls them around mine and holds on, instinctively trusting me. Does he sense I’m his daddy? I could cry just thinking about the possibility that on some level he already recognizes me. I hope I make him feel safe. He’ll never know the same worries I had growing up. I’ll make sure of it.

  “Hey little guy,” I croon. “I guess you’re not so little though, are you? Are you going to be big and strong like your daddy?” I press a kiss to the downy black fuzz on his head and breathe in his sweet baby smell. If happiness had a scent it would smell like D.J. “I love you so much, son and I’m going to show you every day. You’ll never feel unloved for a single moment.”

  D.J.’s birth weight was a whopping nine pounds and seven ounces and he’s twenty-two inches long. It’s no surprise to me that he’s a big boy, but I know poor Kenna was hoping he’d be smaller. Fortunately, his birth went off without a hitch and they’re both doing great.

  “Hmm, what are you two up to?” Kenna asks in a sleepy tone as she shifts from her back to her side, facing us. Slowly her eyelids creep open revealing their captivating golden color.

  “We’re just getting to know one another.” I beam a smile at her. “I’m so fucking happy. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you and now, D.J.” I lean forward in the chair I’m seated in beside her bed. “Thank you for making me the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m so goddamn blessed.” My voice cracks as overwhelming emotion fills every part of me. Cradling D.J. in one arm, I reach over and caress my fingers down her pale cheek. Tired from the long labor, she still looks flawless to me.

  Instantly Kenna’s eyes well with tears. “We did this together, Derek. We created this little angel and there’s no one else on this world I’d rather be taking this journey with than you.”

  Catching her hand in mine, I raise it to my lips and press a kiss in the center of her palm. “God, I love you, Leoncita.”

  Derek

  THREE YEARS LATER

  “Daddy, I want to hold Thomas. Can I pleeease?” D.J. questions leaning over my arm while I cradle his newborn brother against my chest. My eyes leave the tiny bundle in my arms and move to my oldest son, taking in his black hair and dark eyes so similar to mine. He’s the spitting image of me at his age. I hope he’s inherited some of my street smarts, because he’s already inherited my fiery temper when something or someone stands in his way. I have a feeling he’ll be needing them, although, I hope I’m wrong.

  “Son, you know the rules, right?”

  He nods, sitting down next to me on the leather couch. If he wants to hold Thomas he has to be with Kenna or myself.

  Shifting the bundle of sweet-smelling baby in my hold, I place him carefully in the cradle of D.J.’s arms and remind him how to support his neck.

  “Prop some pillows under his arm,” Kenna mentions as she sits across from us in the recliner.

  “I was just about to do that Leoncita, but you didn’t give me a chance.”

  Smiling sheepishly, she shrugs. “It’s my motherly instincts, can’t help them.”

  I quirk my brow at her. “Well, I have fatherly ones too.”

  “Excuse me,” she quips widening her eyes. “Besides, Thomas has your big head and it gets heavy quick,” she giggles.

  “You love my big head.” I wiggle my brows at her lecherously. My eyes drink her in as she sits there her cheeks glowing a healthy pink shade, before gliding down to take in the full tits my hands are aching to caress. It’s hard to believe she gave birth to Thomas only a week ago.

  She tips her chin toward D.J. “Eyes over there, buddy,” she mentions reminding me I’m neglecting my duties.

  I smile. “I can’t seem to help myself. You get more beautiful each day, Leoncita.”

  “And you get sweeter. What happened to my big, bad, alpha husband? Are you turning into a softie now?”

  “He’s still in here. I promise to give you a demonstration in five weeks,” I reply, mentioning the date we can resume lovemaking. My dick and I will be counting down the seemingly endless days between now and then.

  Turning my attention back to my two sons… two sons. God, I can’t believe I’m a father to these boys. I’m not sure what I did to deserve them. I swear too much, I’m impatient at times, and I have no tolerance for assholes. But there’s no father on this planet who could love them more than I do.

  Derek Jr.

  Fifteen years later

  My hands shove against his chest rocketing him back two steps. “You better watch what you say asshole before I watch it for you.”

  Paul holds up his hands in front of him. “Dude, calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. You disrespected Andi. Apologize to her, now.” I grit out the final word with my teeth clenched. If he can’t tell he’s one second away from getting his ass kicked, he’s as dumb as I know he is.

  “Derek, it’s okay.” Andi’s soothing voice comes from behind me. I won’t turn around to see where she is. I’m not taking my eyes from this asshole. He’s the type who’d hit me when my back is turned. That’s how much of a punk he is.

  Narrowing my eyes at Paul, I send a final message to him. Apologize now or I’m going to fuck you up.

  “Andi, I’m sorry I disrespected you. It was wrong of me.”

  I guess he received my message after all.

  “I won’t do it again and if I do, I know that D.J. will make me regret it,” I coach him.

  “I won’t disrespect you again and if I do, I know D.J. will make me regret it,” Paul continues, repeating my words almost verbatim.

  I step forward until my chest almost bumps his. “You can go now. But if I hear one whisper from anyone about you treating Andi poorly, I’m coming for you.”

  He gives a sharp nod before stepping backward two steps. His eyes sweep to Andi before he turns and walks away.

  “D.J.” Andi’s small hand briefly lands on my arm as she stops beside me. “Why did you do that?”

  My eyes follow Paul across the school parking lot until he’s out of sight and then I turn to her. “Why did I do that? He was being a dick to you. Do you like it when your boyfr
iend treats you like shit?”

  She shakes her head. “No. Of course not.”

  “Then why do you allow it?”

  She rolls her berry colored lips inward, rubbing them together and shifts her hold on the books in her arms. “I don’t know. I care about him and I don’t want him to break up with me.”

  I exhale sharply from my nose and rake my hair back with my fingers. “If he really cared about you, he would treat you better. He would protect you and make you feel like the most important girl in the world. He would want to spend time with you and he’d be grateful for every moment you spend with him.”

  “He does all those things,” she says the words without conviction because deep down she knows she’s lying to both of us.

  “Oh really? Because I’m pretty sure he just told you to go the fuck home and he might call you later if you’re lucky. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s grateful to have you as his girlfriend.” Just repeating what he said makes my blood boil all over again. I’m sorry I didn’t kick his pussy ass while I had the opportunity. If I catch him being a shit to her again, I won’t give him another chance.

  Andi scowls. “D.J. I appreciate that you were defending me, but next time stay out of my business. You know nothing about what Paul and my relationship is like. And you don’t need to.”

  “I’m not blind. I can see what it’s like.”

  “You’re the guy who won’t commit to any girl and yet you want me to take relationship advice from you?” She arches an elegant eyebrow. “Pfft, that’s rich.”

  What I won’t say, what I can’t say is the only girl I want to commit to I can’t have. Andi’s my best friend, Gage’s little sister, and she thinks of me as another older brother. The three of us have grown up next door to each other and spent more time together than I can remember. I favorably remember long summer days spent splashing in the pool or playing manhunt with the other neighborhood kids at night. What started out as simple infatuation for her has grown deeper over the years until it’s developed into a painful unrequited love. Just looking at her hurts my heart, but not seeing her at all would be much more devastating.

  I’m coming up to the end of my senior year in high school and I can’t imagine going off to college in the fall without her. She’s two years younger than Gage and I. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to survive without being around her every day. She’s the brightest part of my life and she has no idea. No one does. Not even my younger brother, Thomas, and certainly not Gage. If he knew I was in love with Andi, he’d beat my ass up, down, and all around our neighborhood and then never speak to me again.

  “Andi, we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about Paul and the lack of respect he shows you.”

  “Of course, we’re not talking about your love life. Whatever would we talk about? Hmm, let’s see,” she pauses and taps her lips with her fingertip. “Should we talk about which Johnson twin you fucked last week? Because some say it was Darla and others think it was Dora.”

  Shit. My chest tightens that she knows I was with one of them. I don’t flaunt my sex life in her face, but I’m not going to apologize for it either. She’s had boyfriends and I don’t hold that against her. I don’t know what she’s done with them. She and Paul could be screwing for all I know. I hope the fuck not, but it’s out of my hands.

  It’s unsettling to think about what she might be doing because I want to be the only guy in her life, but it’s never going to happen. Which is another reason why I take what I can get from girls and make no promises.

  “I don’t have a love life, I have a sex life. And if you want to know who I fucked, you should just ask me.”

  Andi curls her upper lip in repugnance. “That’s the thing, I don’t want to know.” She tosses her long hair over her shoulder and stalks away.

  Goddammit. I didn’t mean to say that to her. I was angry thinking about her possibly being with other guys and I let my mouth get ahead of me.

  “What’s going on, man?” Gage questions as he stops beside me.

  “I had to put the fear of God in Paul. He was being his typical asshole self, but this time it was Andi.”

  Gage scowls. “You took care of it?”

  “I did. I wish I would’ve put my hands on him, but I didn’t have to.”

  “Hey, there’s always next time,” Gage offers.

  “That’s what I’m banking on.”

  Until next time.

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  About the Author

  Jacob Chance grew up in New England and still lives there today. He’s a martial artist, a football fan, a practical joker and junk food lover.

  All his books are available on Amazon

  THE QUAKE SERIES

  QUAKE | QUIVER | DELVE | TIED | DELUDE | QUAKE DUET

  THE BOSTON TERRIERS SERIES

  PENALTY | DRIVE | COACH | TACKLE | JOCK | SCORE

  STANDALONES

  PUNCHED | CANVAS | TUSSLE | EDGE OF RETRIBUTION

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  Acknowledgments

  I have the best PA, Diane Hamilton. She makes me look good. Without her I’d be missing takeovers and deadlines. I can’t really thank her enough for all she does daily. She is one of the most giving people I’ve ever met.

  Thank you, Viv Freeman, for reading, editing and proofing for me. When you don’t like something, you don’t bullshit; you tell me straight up and you work with me to make it better. You have a unique and annoying habit of always knowing what’s needed.

  Thank you, Laura Martinez, for being my Hawkeyes and finding all my errors. Just when I think I have them all I get another email from you pointing out ten more. I know it’s only a matter of time before you’re buried with proofreading jobs for other authors.

  Thank you, Jessica Hildreth for doing another great cover.

  Thank you to all the people who’ve supported me, whether you purchased my books, shared my teasers or even just liked my post, I appreciate you all.