“I hate that I’m scared I’ll turn into my mother and I won’t love my kids enough” fell quietly, mortifyingly, from her lips, bringing a rush of tears. She knew she and Justin weren’t at the talking-about-kids point in their relationship yet, but she’d known the moment she’d seen him with Joey and with Hadley that he was meant to be a father, and he deserved to know her fears.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Justin said sadly, gathering her in his arms. “That’s why you looked scared when the girls made those comments at breakfast about having babies.”
She nodded. “I want kids,” she choked out, swiping at what felt like endless tears. “I really do. But I’m scared.”
“I get it, and it makes total sense for you to be scared. But you need to know, to truly believe, that you could never be her. The proof is in your past, baby. Even as a little girl you had better maternal instincts than your mother. You raised Serena, and you did it with love and respect. You are the one who taught her to be strong. You made sure she went to school and took care of all the things that helped her become the successful, smart, kind person she is. She wouldn’t be all those things if not for you, Chloe.”
He brushed away her tears with the pads of his thumbs and said, “And you, my beautiful, strong girl, are even more amazing than your sister. You care so much, you hollered about Shadow and the other dogs. That should tell you something about your ability to love.”
She pressed her face to his chest, smiling as gratitude swelled inside her. She dried her eyes and gazed up at him, asking, “How do you know just what to say to make me feel better?”
“It takes no thought, babe. It’s the truth. I know all too well how hard it is to look in the mirror and see the person we’ve become and not the one we’ve spent our lives trying to outrun.”
“That’s exactly it.” She drew in a few cleansing breaths, feeling less ravaged and stronger with each one. “Getting it out helped, too. Thank you. I’m sorry my mother ruined our one-month anniversary.”
His lips quirked up and he said, “One month, huh?”
She hooked her finger around his belt loop, feeling a little silly, and said, “I was making you something, but I’ll never get it done in time to give it to you tonight.”
“Then it becomes our two-month anniversary gift, or one-year, or six-year…” He pressed his lips to hers and said, “This right here? You and me on the same page, helping each other be the best we can be? That’s all I need.”
“I don’t know why you chose me when I kept denying us, but I’m so glad you did.”
“It wasn’t a choice, Chloe. When I saw you, all other women failed to exist.”
He kissed her again, longer this time, healing the fissures in her heart. “We’re meant to be, babe,” he whispered, and came back for more.
When their lips finally parted, she felt better, rejuvenated and freer. She was sure her nose was pink from crying and her hair had probably gone flat and lifeless, but she didn’t care because her heart was full, and she wanted to remember this moment forever.
“Will you take a selfie with me?” she asked.
“Always,” he said.
As she took pictures, he kissed her cheek, her lips, and her neck, making her giggle.
“You’ve got to get pictures of all of the good stuff. Mind if I take a few?” He reached for her phone, turning the camera on her.
“Justin.” She turned away, embarrassed.
“Hey, I want pictures of you.”
“We took some of us already.”
“Of us. I want some of you, Chloe.” He stepped in front of her and said, “Every moment is a new chance to move forward. We’ll never get this moment back, and I want to remember it exactly as it is.”
“I’m a mess. I’ve cried more today than I have in ages. When we’re both in the picture, you don’t notice me as much. It’s better that way.”
He put his arm around her, drawing her against him as he said, “I love your face, baby. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got makeup on or you’re fresh out of the shower, if you’re teary eyed or sweaty from making love or hiking. Yours is the face I see when I close my eyes at night and the one I carry with me during the day.” He gazed deeply into her eyes and said, “I love you, Chloe,” just above a whisper. “All of you. All of your moods and all of your moments. Please let me capture this moment, your moment, in a picture.”
Tears slid down her cheeks again. “Justin…?” Had she heard him right?
“I mean it, baby. I started falling for you the second your first snarky comment hit my ears, and I knew that was it for me. You were it for me. I love being with you, hearing your voice, holding your hand. I love the way you scowl at me when I’m being a pain and how you look at me like I’m your entire world when we’re making love.”
“You are my world. I love you, too, Justin,” she said breathily. “Everything about you.”
His mouth came lovingly down over hers and salty tears slipped between their lips.
“I’m yours, baby. Only yours.” He rubbed his nose over her cheek, so sweet and intimate, it brought more tears.
Overflowing with love and hope, and everything in between, she said, “God I love you,” and went up on her toes, kissing him with all she had.
LATER THAT EVENING, Justin and Chloe snuggled beneath blankets in the back of his truck, waiting for the fireworks to start. Justin kissed her temple, thinking about when they’d arrived home after their hike. Chloe had shown him the gift she was making for him. She’d framed a metal grate with distressed wood, and in the upper-left corner of the grate she’d hung glittery stars from black ribbons. Below them she’d clipped a picture of the two of them slow dancing that Serena had taken of them at the Salty Hog. They were gazing into each other’s eyes, their emotions seeping off the image. Chloe had burned the edges of two pretty pale-yellow pieces of paper, and on them she’d written some of the lyrics to “Heartbeat” and “Uptown Girl.” In the upper middle of the grate, not yet attached, she’d set out pictures of Shadow in Justin’s lap, licking his face, and a selfie of the two of them with the adorable one-eyed pooch. Chloe had made a tiny wooden doghouse and printed SHADOW over the door. A ribbon dangled from the peak of the roof with ONE DAY written across it. The rest of the items weren’t yet in position on the grate, but she’d shown him charms and embellishments of miniature sculpting tools and a motorcycle and truck that looked like his. She had pictures of him working in his studio. There was a tiny bottle with sand and shells in it, and a card from the Salty Hog to remind them of their long talk on the beach the night that had changed everything between them. She’d saved a napkin from the Taproom in Harborside and had laid out pictures from their rides. There was a selfie of them in bed taken last Saturday. In the picture, their hair was tousled, he was shirtless, and she was wearing one of his T-shirts. He was holding her from behind, kissing her neck, and she was making a funny face. They’d taken dozens of silly pictures that morning. But of all the moments she’d captured, of all the feelings she’d portrayed, there was one that had stolen his breath—a picture of their intertwined hands, his mother’s leather necklace resting on his wrist. Beside it was a picture of Reba’s hand in his, and a paper heart that had I want to hold your hand printed in Chloe’s handwriting.
She’d done him in. She saw the truth in his heart, and instead of running from his past, which represented all that she feared, she’d embraced it. He imagined years of memories seen through Chloe’s eyes hanging on their walls, framed on their bookshelves, and rooted in his heart.
He kissed her temple and said, “I love you,” for what was probably the hundredth time. He’d probably say it a hundred more before the night was through, and it still wouldn’t be enough to convey how much he adored her.
She snuggled deeper into his side and said, “I can’t stop thinking about Shadow and Sampson.”
“Me, either,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll be all right.”
They’d wanted to stop by the rescue be
fore the fireworks, but after admiring Chloe’s artwork, they’d had just enough time to shower and get to the beach before all the good parking spots were taken. They’d called Gunner to check on the dogs, and he’d said that he, Steph, and Sidney were staying with the animals in case the noise from the fireworks scared them. The shelter was located around the corner from one of the firework celebrations.
“I keep thinking about Shadow having been chained outdoors during fireworks in the past, and now he’s locked inside. I know Dwayne, Steph, and Sid are there, but there are so many animals, and they can’t be everywhere. You have such a calming effect on Shadow, and I know Sampson is older and low key, but we don’t know how he’ll react. Would you be bummed if we went to be with them instead of watching the fireworks?”
“Man, Chloe. We really are meant for each other. I think that’s a great idea.” He kissed her and said, “I’ll make it up to you.”
“There’s nothing to make up for. We’ll still be together, and that’s all that matters.”
They packed their things, and twenty minutes later they were sitting on blankets in the visiting room of the rescue with Shadow lying between them. They’d checked on Sampson, and he’d been fine when the fireworks had started. Gunner was keeping an eye on him, and he’d texted to say Sampson was sleeping soundly. Fireworks rang out, muffled by the thick walls of the building and the soothing sounds of waves from the sound machine Justin had given Chloe the night he’d brought the beach to her back porch. On the way over, they’d stopped at the cottage to pick it up.
Chloe kissed Shadow’s head, and he rolled onto his side for belly pets. “We made the right decision,” she said as she loved him up. “Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you, hot stuff. Not many women would give up a front-row seat to fireworks to spend the evening with a dog.”
“A very special dog and his ruggedly handsome friend.”
Justin scooted closer and put his arm around her, leaving just enough room between them for Shadow. “Is it possible that I love you more now than I did half an hour ago?”
“Mm-hm,” she said with a sexy smile. “And in ten minutes, you’ll love me even more.”
Shadow made a whimpering sound and inched forward on his belly. He rolled onto his side again and put his left front and back paws on Chloe’s leg.
“Dude, really?” Justin said. “Scamming on my girl? That’s not cool.”
Chloe scratched Shadow’s belly. “Don’t pay him any mind, Shadow. He’s just jealous.”
They stayed with Shadow until well after the fireworks were over. When they returned to the truck, Chloe sat tucked beneath Justin’s arm.
As he drove away, Justin said, “Seems to me we’ve been here before, beautiful. You cuddled up to me, your hand on my thigh. I believe I ended up buried deep inside you on a back road with the truck still running.”
She lifted her face with a seductive glimmer in her eyes and slid her hand between his legs, stroking him through his jeans. A thrum of heat spread through his core, and a greedy sound rumbled up his chest.
“You’re playing with fire, baby.”
“That sounds promising,” she said coyly. “Do you have a desk in your office?”
Just the thought of bending her over the desk made his cock throb. “Fuck, Chloe, you know I do.”
“Since we missed the fireworks, I thought we could make our own.”
Best. Idea. Ever.
Ten minutes later they stumbled into his private office at Cape Stone in a tangle of greedy gropes and hungry kisses. Their shirts sailed through the air, and with a quick flick of his fingers, Chloe’s bra fell to the floor. Their kisses were messy and wild as he unzipped her shorts and pushed his hand between her legs, sinking his fingers into her tight heat. He was hard as stone, and she was wet and ready. She rode his hand, moaning into his mouth.
“Christ, baby,” he said between kisses. “I want to feast on you.”
She kicked off her sandals and wiggled out of her clothes as he swept everything off his desk with one hand, sending papers and pens flying across the room. Chloe laughed as he lifted her onto the desk and spread her legs. He dropped to his knees and lowered his mouth to her sweet center, turning her giggles to moans of pleasure. She threw her head back, locking her legs around his head, grinding against his mouth, making the most sinful noises he’d ever heard.
He guided her hand between her legs and said, “Touch yourself, baby. Touch yourself while I devour you.”
And devour he did, using teeth and tongue as she teased that sensitive bundle of nerves. She gasped and moaned, whimpered and begged. He licked over her fingers and she moved her hand away, giving him better access as he pushed two fingers into her slick heat.
“Yes,” she panted out. “Lick me while you do that.”
She’d gotten bolder lately, and he fucking loved it. He licked and devoured as she rode his fingers. When he reached up, groping her breast, and squeezed her nipple, she cried out, bucking and writhing against his mouth. He stayed with her until her climax engulfed her. As she came down from the peak, he pulled her up to a sitting position, his fingers still buried deep, and crushed his mouth to hers. She didn’t pull away from the taste of her arousal on his tongue, and that intensified his pleasure as he sent her soaring again. He swallowed her sounds of ecstasy, and when she collapsed against him, he brought her mouth back to his, kissing her lighter, more tenderly.
He guided her hand back to her center and said, “Keep touching yourself.” Holding her gaze, he stripped bare. Her eyes dropped to his cock, and she licked her lips. He put his hand to her mouth and said, “Lick this, baby. Get my hand nice and wet.”
She licked up and down his palm, and he fisted his cock, giving it a few slow strokes. Her eyes were riveted to his actions.
“You like that, dirty girl?”
“I love watching you do that,” she said breathlessly.
“How about this?” He took her fingers from between her legs and licked up one side of them and down the other, then sucked them into his mouth and swirled his tongue over and between them.
She panted out, “Sooo hot.”
He guided her hand to his balls and said, “Touch me.”
She touched and teased as he took her in a fierce and possessive kiss. He pushed his fingers into her tight heat again. He was lost in her touch, in the taste of her mouth, and in the desire raging between them.
“That’s it, baby,” he ground out, focusing on that magical spot that made her breathing hitch. She made high-pitched, needy noises, and he said, “Now stroke me, baby, nice and tight, all the way to the head while I take you to the edge.”
She fisted his cock, brushing her thumb over the bead of wetness at the tip, stroking him so perfectly, he nearly lost it. He worked her with his fingers, using his thumb on that taut bundle of nerves, and lowered his mouth to her breast, sucking and grazing his teeth over the peak. She made more pleading noises, rocking her hips to the rhythm of his efforts, and he knew she was close.
“That’s it, baby,” he growled. “Now guide my cock into you, and I’ll make you come.”
She widened her legs, and he pushed the broad head of his shaft inside her. He’d learned that she was super sensitive near her entrance, so he moved in and out of her slowly, using only a few inches.
She grabbed his arms. “Don’tstopdon’tstopdon’tstop!”
He drove in deeper, withdrawing slowly, then pushed in deep again, withdrawing slowly once more, and continued the maddening rhythm that had him clenching his teeth to keep from coming. She squeezed her legs tight around his hips, and he slanted his mouth over hers, thrusting faster, harder. Her hips bucked and her fingernails dug into his flesh, her inner muscles clenching tight and heavenly around his cock. It took all of his concentration to stave off his orgasm. When she came down from the peak and tore her mouth away to rest her forehead on his shoulder, her body jerked with aftershocks.
He kissed her neck and said
, “Still with me, baby?”
“Yes,” she said in one long breath.
“Do you want more?”
She lifted her head and said, “I want everything.”
His heart thundered at the love and lust swimming in her eyes. “Can you stand? I want to see your beautiful ass as I take you from behind.”
She slipped off the desk, still trembling, and held on to him.
“Lie on the couch, sweetheart. You’re too shaky. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Her brows knitted, and in pure Chloe fashion, she lifted her chin and straightened her spine, setting a challenging glare on him. “Don’t tell me what I can handle, Mr. Wicked, or I’ll have to punish you.”
Well, fuck him sideways, she was on fire.
She turned toward the desk, spread her legs, and bent at the waist, glancing over her shoulder at him. Her hair fell over one eye, sexier than all his fantasies, as she said, “Think you can handle this?”
“There’s nothing I can’t handle, you gorgeous thing.” He licked between her legs, kissed the soft globes of her ass, and sank his teeth into one just hard enough to hear her cry out. Then he kissed the tender spot and said, “The question is, can you handle me?”
Her eyes hit his with the force of a cyclone. “I like your mouth on me, no matter how you use it.”
“Good to know, baby, because I plan to use it on every inch of you.”
He ran his hands down her back, over her ass, and down her legs, taking his time as he kissed his way north, up her legs from ankle to ass. He teased her sex with his fingers, then used his mouth on her sweet center, caressing her ass as he took his fill. He rose to his feet and ran his hands up her torso, kissing along her spine.
“Justin, please,” she pleaded. “I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Soon,” he promised. “Legs together, sweetness.”
He thrust his cock between her thighs without entering her, sliding along her wetness. Her fingers curled around the other side of the desk as he showered her back and shoulder blades with kisses, fondling her breasts. His hips pressed against her ass, and he said, “Up on your toes, baby.”
A Little Bit Wicked (The Wickeds Page 33