“I don’t believe that for a second.”
She spread her hands out. “I forget to eat.”
“You take excellent care of me,” he countered.
“Huh?” She blinked at him.
“You take excellent care of me.” He stood and walked to her so she was looking up at him.
She narrowed her eyes and asked, “How?”
“Babe, you schedule everything for me. I know what to do and when to do it because you make sure I know. I wouldn’t be able to accomplish half of what I do if you didn’t prep me for it and clear most of the obstacles before I even know they’re there.” He placed his hands on her waist.
“But that’s work. That makes sense to me.” She dropped her hands. “I don’t know how to take care of a baby.” She dropped her eyes and whispered, “But I want to hold our child in my arms.”
Zane blinked at the honest, raw emotion. He tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes. “There are classes, all kinds of classes, and books where you can get information. Your mother raised eight children; she wouldn’t let you fail. Tori lives on the other side of town, Faith is even closer. Sweetheart, you will be a fantastic mother, but there is help if we need it.”
She dropped her eyes and nodded. He could imagine the gears in her mind making a shift to accept the additional information. “What are you thinking about?”
She shook herself slightly. “Ahh… we’ll go to the classes and read the books. When I have enough information and I understand more, maybe then we can try to have a baby?”
“Absolutely. But for now, how about we just practice?”
Jewell flashed a fabulous smile at him. “We want a perfect baby, right?”
Zane slapped a serious expression on his face. “Of course. Absolutely perfect.”
“Then we must practice.” Jewell placed her hands on his shoulders and jumped up.
He caught her legs and bounced her higher, grabbing her under her ass. He strode into the bathroom and dropped her in the middle of the double vanity. Their kiss lasted until they were both breathless. Recovery comprised the time it took to open the shower door and turn on the water. Turning back to her, he unwrapped the layers of clothing from his woman. Somewhere under the hoodie, the sweater, t-shirt, leggings, and two pair of socks was the sexy body he wanted to touch. “How in the hell aren’t you sweating buckets?” He pulled off the last sock and glanced at the pile of clothing she’d wrapped herself up with.
She shrugged. “I don’t like being cold.” She leaned forward and looked at him. “Take yours off.” She reached behind her and unfastened her bra. He stayed kneeling in front of her, waiting for that piece of fabric to find the mound of castoff material, but she smiled and then laughed. “Not until I see some flesh.”
He stood and moved between her legs, stripping out of his t-shirt as he rose. Her hands released her clasp, and she shrugged off the lace. The only thing that barred his way to a very naked wife was a wisp of fabric. He smiled at her and grabbed the material at both hips and––
“Damn it, Zane! They were a matched set.” She groaned and picked at the fabric that no longer circled her waist.
“I’ll buy you more.” He shucked his sweats and grabbed her off the vanity.
“You always say that.”
“I do, don’t I?” He stepped into the shower and walked them directly under the water. “I’ll be saying it when I’m ninety.”
“I’ll be a wrinkled old woman.”
“You will always be sexy to me. Always.” He shut the shower door behind them and let her legs slide down his. Her mind was a thing of beauty, her body was sexy beyond belief, but it was her heart that won him over. He’d seen it bleed for so many people for so long, there was no doubt in his mind that she would make a fantastic mother.
Chapter 8
Drake carried Jillian’s suitcase and stowed it in Gracie’s underbelly. The old girl was going to get a flying workout in the next couple days, but she was a solid aircraft and they’d just had her overhauled last year.
Jillian waited for him at the stairs to the aircraft. “You know they are going to be late, right?”
Drake grabbed his wife’s hand, and they boarded together. “Who? Keelee and Adam, Mike and Taty, or Dixon and Joy?”
“Your brother. I went to ask Joy if she was ready to go and by the sounds of the way the headboard was thumping against the wall, it could be quite a while.”
Drake turned to look at her and laughed at the deep red blush on her face. “Jilly, you realize other people do what we do after dark, right?”
“I’m not a prude, it’s just… Things you can’t unsee even if you imagine them, you know?” She dropped into one of the leather loungers. “Did you know Joy wants to have a baby?”
“What?” Drake glanced around the empty plane as the echo of his shout died down.
“Yeah, that was the response of everyone at Maliki’s wedding. She got really quiet and I think our shocked response… ah… hurt her feelings.”
Drake sat down across from his wife and made a pained face. “It is quite possible that woman doesn’t have feelings unless it involves Dixon.”
“No, she does. She just hides them from everyone. But yeah, she said she wanted a baby.” Jillian cleared her throat. “We’ve never really discussed children other than, you know, commenting that maybe, someday…”
Drake rubbed his face with both hands and blew out a stream of air. “Yeah, well, you know what a fucking bastard my father was.”
She nodded. “So, you never want kids?”
“Ah, well…” Drake checked the open door to make sure there was no one around before he continued, “Honestly, I’d like to be a dad, but I don’t want to father children.”
Jillian blinked at him. “What?”
He leaned forward. “I know it is an irrational fear. My father was the worst kind of evil; my mother wasn’t much better. I don’t want those people’s genetics to run through my children’s veins. It terrifies me that in some cosmic genetic lottery our son or daughter might end up mentally ill like they were.”
Jillian covered her hands with his. “I understand completely, and to be honest, I don’t think I’d do well with an infant. I know my limitations, but I love older children. Their curiosity and the way they search for answers. I’m amazed at how easy they assimilate facts and adapt to novel ideas. I guess it’s too bad we can’t just skip the first couple years, yeah?” She chuckled and then snapped up. “Wait. We could adopt. There are a lot of older kids in the system.”
“Adopt?” He drew back. Why had he never thought about adoption?
“Or foster. Or both. Could you love a child that wasn’t yours?” She leaned forward, her eyes brilliant with unspoken emotion.
“God, Jilly, I really get a kick out of all the kids here at the ranch. I mean, yeah, I think I could. What about you?”
She nodded, and tears formed in her eyes. “I remember Cliff when he took us in. He was impossible. He didn’t know how to cook. He tried way too hard to get us to like him, but he was there for us. Every day, he got up, and he was there for us. When we were happy or sad or when we threw tantrums because we were lost and confused, he was right there. He never wavered. I know I could do that, that we could do that. We can be that person. We could be there for a child who needed someone.”
“We’d need to clear it with Guardian. If need be, we can build a house in Hollister so the kids could have a stable life but still be segregated from the business side of Guardian.” Drake smiled and leaned forward to kiss her.
When he pulled away, she whispered, “You’d be willing to leave Dixon and move off the ranch?”
“In a heartbeat. Dixon has a wife, and from what you’re telling me, they may start working on a family. I’ll always live close to him, but I don’t need to live in the same house. We can start looking for house plans and a plot of land.”
“Are you sure?” She put a hand on his cheek.
He stared into
her beautiful, expressive eyes. “I’m positive. Let’s research our options and find out what we need to do. I want a family with you.”
He leaned back in for a kiss as he heard people laughing outside the aircraft. “Hold that thought.”
She groaned. “All the way to Aruba?”
“No. Just to D.C. We’re spending the night and then flying to Aruba.” He lifted his eyebrows suggestively.
Jillian drew a deep breath. “Drake?”
He stood up and glanced at the three couples and one little girl walking toward the plane. “Yes?”
“Fly fast.”
He groaned and palmed his hard cock, adjusting himself out of the view of the latecomers. It was going to be a long damn flight. He wondered how fast he could push Gracie. It was about time to find out.
Jade King picked up a red bikini top and wrinkled her nose. The barely-there material would be okay in an adult-only setting, but her nieces and nephews would be running around. Speaking of which… She dropped the red suit and grabbed a one-piece navy blue suit with white stripes as she yelled, “We aren’t going to do the beach.” She tossed in two more one-piece suits and grumbled, “I get sand in places sand should never be.” A stack of shorts and summery tops and a few nice dresses went in after the swimsuits. She leaned back and hollered, “I’m decreeing dibs and we are staking out chairs at the pool. I pity the person who tries to usurp me this time. I want that corner near the palm tree. That’s where the alcohol is.” She muttered the last part to herself. She loved her brothers’ and sister’s kids, but they made her nervous. How she got roped into saying she’d take a day with another couple to watch the older ones was beyond her. Oh, right. Too many damn mimosas after their impromptu breakfast in Jazz’s room. “Hey, we, meaning you, are on tap to help with the kids one day in the next two weeks.”
She sniggered to herself. Nic was great with kids; he’d have a blast. When there was no reply, she headed out to the family room. The huge sectional with magical cushions from heaven had cradled them to sleep too many times to count.
Well, that’s why he didn’t answer her. That damn game again. The newest zombie apocalyptic game was blazing across the projection screen. Nic was so engrossed that he didn’t even acknowledge her when she stood beside him. Yes, this was her man-child. A massive explosion sent zombie pieces flying across the screen. Gross. She hip-checked him and he glanced up at her. He shouted, “I’m a god! I just completed level thirty-seven!”
She flinched and pushed off his headphones. “Holy hell, stop yelling. I’ve just gone deaf. You said we needed to pack.”
“We are.” He pushed some buttons on his controller and stood up. “I was just taking a break. We are officially on vacation and I’m going to enjoy every minute.”
She sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “It isn’t fair that you started our vacation without me. I’ve been working.”
His eyebrows rose, and a smile slid across his face. “I’m sorry. Should I make it up to you?”
“You know, DeMarco, you are still not the sharpest stick in the box, but you’re learning.”
She laughed when he grabbed her and tossed her onto the couch. He moved with a little more caution, lowering himself over her. “One of these years I’m going to get a complex.”
“Damn it, man, I have to amp up my tactics if this process is going to take years.” She wiggled under him and pulled her t-shirt up over her head and flicked it across the room. “Pay your penance, lover. Fuck me like you mean it.”
She tapped his arm, and he lifted it. Jade jumped off the couch, shed her jeans, bra, and panties and then kneed onto the couch and placed her forearms on the back of the couch. She looked over her shoulder and waggled her eyebrows. “Come and get me, big boy.”
Nic stood and unbuttoned his shirt. Jade decided against waiting at the sight of those muscled arms and ripped abs. She scooted back, stood up, and spun. “Changed my mind.” Her hands traveled over his chest, pushing his shirt off his shoulders. She leaned forward and licked, then nipped his nipple. His body jerked, and she smiled against his skin.
She loved the feel of his hands as they traveled over her body, stopping to tease sensitive places. She unfastened his belt buckle and shucked his slacks and boxers down over his hips. “Sit down, DeMarco, I’m about to make you lose your mind.”
She waited until he sat down and spread his legs before she slid his slacks off him, careful to avoid his prosthesis. Once he was free of clothes, she ran her hands up the inside of his thighs and watched his cock kick. “Want something, DeMarco?”
“Only what I was promised.” He shuffled his fingers through her hair, not holding her, just connecting them.
Well, she had better ways of connecting them. She leaned forward, placed a hand at the base of his cock, and lollipopped the head until her hand was slick with her efforts. She stroked him and did her best Hoover impression, sucking the head of his cock into her mouth. His hips jerked upward, and his hands tightened in her hair. If she could have smiled, she would have, but that would have interrupted her fun. She popped off him and stroked his shaft several times before she lowered and nuzzled his balls. She took one into her mouth. Nic’s legs trembled as they tightened around her. She released him and moved to the other side, giving him equal attention before returning to his shaft and deep-throating him.
“Fuck! Jade, I’m close.”
She released him and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand while eyeing him. “On your back.”
Nic scooted further onto the couch and held her waist as she mounted him. He held his cock, and she lowered herself onto his shaft. His hands found her breasts, and he rolled her nipples between his fingers. She lifted her hair off her shoulders and let it flow around her arms as she lifted and lowered on his shaft.
Nic lowered one hand and she purred, knowing what was coming next. His thumb found her clit, and he matched her pace, pushing her closer to her own climax. She dropped her arms onto his chest and stared into his eyes as she changed her tempo, moving from teasing both of them to getting what they both wanted. She rocked up and down on him, grinding just a bit at the bottom, stimulating herself against his body. He grabbed her waist, and she knew it was only a matter of time before…
Like magic, Nic knew when she couldn’t maintain the pace any longer, when her desire and need overcame her ability to keep moving. He held her in position and took over, claiming her as fast and as hard as she had been riding him. It didn’t take long. Nic knew how to catapult her over the edge, and she flew past that ridge like a fucking rocket.
She collapsed on top of him and held him as he found his release. Once they both caught their breath, she rolled off him onto the couch beside him. The soft leather was cold on her back, but damn it, she wasn’t going to move for a while. She drew a deep breath and then fidgeted. Ok, maybe she was going to move. Itchy wasn’t conducive to post-orgasmic bliss. She pulled her hair out from behind her back and flopped it away from her. “Is it crazy that I’m looking forward to two weeks with my family, but I don’t want to be with them all the time?”
“No. Besides, Joseph’s place is huge, and we can play tourist on the island. We only have to be as social as we want to be.” Nic rolled so he was facing her.
“Yeah, I’m not sure about that. You know how things happen—they make grand plans and we’re dragged into them.”
Nic chuckled. “Like how you planned our wedding and made every one of your brothers and sisters help?”
Jade narrowed her eyes and rolled to face her husband. “Yeah, like that. Watch it, DeMarco, or you’ll end up in the doghouse before we even leave for Aruba.”
“Isn’t that my permanent residence?” He laughed when she swatted his arm. Nic enfolded her into a hug and kissed her forehead. “Your family is a mess, but they’re wonderful. We’ll have a great time. Zane was talking about maybe having a guys’ day out or maybe doing some deep-sea fishing.”
Jade tipped her head ba
ck to look at him. “Will that be okay with the roll and the pitch of the boat?” His stride was almost perfect. No one would know he had a prosthesis, but sometimes his equilibrium played hell with him and that was because of the percussion of the explosion. An inner ear imbalance that they hadn’t been able to correct.
“I think so, and if I plant my ass in a chair all day, that is fine, too.”
“Oh, by the way, you’re babysitting with me when we go to Aruba. We are on the hook for one day out of fourteen, so if that deep-sea fishing thingy happens on the day we get stuck with watching the kids, you’re staying on dry ground, copy?”
Nic lifted on his elbow and stared at her. “You volunteered to watch the kids?”
Jade snorted and rolled her eyes. “They forced me into it. Mob mentality is alive and well, along with one too many mimosas. We’re taking turns so the people who brought the little buggers into the world can make more of them.”
“Well, practice makes perfect. Joseph and Ember are expecting again. That’s cool.” Nic smiled and bent down to kiss her.
When he lifted away, she pushed out the question before she could stop herself. “Are you upset that I don’t want kids?”
“What?” Nic blinked and then shook his head. “No. Why would you think I was?”
She leaned up on her elbow, too. “Because you like kids and I know you wanted a big family before we got married and I’m the one that just made the unilateral decision not to have any and––”
“Whoa, stop right there. Damn, you got yourself all worked up over this, didn’t you?” He pushed her hair out of her face and cupped her cheek. His warm hand grounded her to him, slowing the tornado of thoughts whirring around in her mind. “How long has this been bothering you?”
She shrugged. “A while. But at Mal’s wedding, when you and the rest of the guys were dying, the Coven had breakfast.”
“I seem to recall something about that. Barely.” Jade laughed in spite of herself. Her husband wasn’t a big drinker, and when he spent time with her brothers, they all paid for being stupid in public.
Promises (The Kings of Guardian Book 14) Page 6