by R. C. Martin
He pulls away and smiles at me as he asks, “How is it possible that on my first night home, after being on the road and sleeping on a bus for six fucking weeks, you still manage to out-sleep me?”
I laugh, my voice thick and husky from slumber. “It’s the first day of winter break.” I’m interrupted by a yawn, which makes him grin before I finish speaking. “It’s practically a requirement to sleep in as late as possible today.”
“Well, it’s eleven. Is that late enough?”
I flip around and press my body against him, coaxing one of my legs between his so that we’re tangled tightly together. “Are you trying to get me out of bed?”
He shakes his head at me, reaching up to run his fingers through my hair. He tucks a few strands behind my ear before his fingers trace along my jaw; then he uses the pad of his thumb to caress my bottom lip. His touch is gentle and I relish every moment of it.
“What are you thinking?” I whisper.
“You’re on winter break.”
“Yeah.”
“So I can have my girl any time I want for the next month.”
I fight a smile as I offer him a shallow nod. “Yeah.”
“I don’t know when our next tour is coming. I hope sooner rather than later. It was one hell of a ride, and I can’t wait to do it again. But, fuck—it’s good to be home.”
He rolls his body, taking me with him and pinning me to the bed. I can’t suppress the soft moan that escapes through my lips at the feel of his warmth between my legs. He chuckles and then kisses the tip of my nose.
“I hear you, baby. I’ll take care of you soon enough.”
I nod again. I won’t pretend that even after last night, I don’t still hunger for him.
My thoughts shift when I hear the jingle of Maestro’s dog tags. I turn my head in the direction the sound came from, but I can’t see him from where I am.
“He’s been out and fed.”
I pull my eyebrows together as I focus my gaze back on Sage. “How long have you been awake?”
“’Bout an hour.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
He smiles slyly, and it’s so sexy, I feel myself growing slick with arousal just looking at him.
“I thought you could use the rest. We’re going to have a lot of sex today.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, unable to hide my amusement.
“Mmmhmm,” he hums before pressing a kiss against my lips.
“M’kay,” I mutter into his mouth.
He then pulls away from me and says, “Got dinner tonight at Pep’s. You’re coming.”
A slight frown pulls at my face as I think about the last time I was supposed to show up for dinner at his sister’s house. When I open my mouth to express my concern, he shuts me down before I can utter a single syllable.
“I can have my girl any time I want for the next month—you just admitted it, Millie. I want you with me all fucking day, so that means dinner tonight at Pep’s. You with me?”
I barely have time to even think about a response before he’s kissing me. When I part my lips, his tongue snakes inside of my mouth, and I realize his question wasn’t meant to be answered. No matter. As he eases his hardened dick inside of me, I can no longer think of a single reason why I should refuse him. And as he begins to make love to me, I spread my legs wide, signifying that yes, I am with him. To deny it would be a lie unworthy of the effort.
MILLIE AND I SPEND all day in bed, leaving only to piss and eat. It isn’t until five o’clock that we hop in the shower and get cleaned up. I put on the clothes I had on yesterday while Millie gets dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain, V-neck, teal sweater. It sculpts her figure perfectly, reminding me of all that I enjoyed throughout the day. As I watch her pack an overnight bag, I’m already thinking about the ways in which I will have her later. I feel like such a horn-dog, but I could give a fuck. She didn’t push me off once today, taking all I had to give and begging for a little bit more.
My gorgeous girl missed my dick as much as my dick missed her.
When she’s ready, we stop by my place so I can change my clothes and she can drop off her things. It was her suggestion that we stay here tonight. I honestly don’t give a fuck where I sleep, so long as she’s with me, but she insisted that I deserved a night in my own space. I didn’t argue.
I change into a fresh pair of boxers and jeans, donning a flannel button-up and my black boots. I throw on a beanie for good measure, and then grab my girl and my pup on my way out the door. On our drive to the Montgomery residence, I can practically feel Millie’s nervous energy. This isn’t the first time she’ll be around my sisters and my brother-in-law. Why she’s so anxious about it, I have no idea.
“Hey,” I begin to say, sliding my palm over the top of her hand and lacing our fingers together. I then lift her hand so that it’s resting on top of my gear shift and offer her a squeeze. “What’s wrong?”
“What? Oh,” she shakes her head, as if to clear her mind, and a false smile appears on her face. “I’m fine.”
“You’re a terrible liar, did you know that?” She doesn’t say anything in reply, and I take her silence to mean that she’s well aware. “Millicent?” I ask, giving her fingers another squeeze.
“I know you want to pretend that it doesn’t matter, but the last time I was invited to your sister’s house, I refused to go—and then you didn’t go.”
“Water under the bridge, doll face.”
“Maybe Rosemary feels that way, but Pepper—”
“Baby, it’ll be fine. I swear. Was Pepper pissed that she didn’t get to send me off? Yes. Was she disappointed that she didn’t get the chance to spend some quality time with you? Yeah. But that was six weeks ago, and we’re on our way over right now. It’s all good, Millie. Just relax.”
“She wanted to spend quality time with me?” she asks, her tone full of surprise.
“Of course,” I reply with a shrug. “Why wouldn’t she?”
“I don’t know,” she murmurs.
“My sisters mean the world to me, you know that. We’re really close. It’s not one sided; they feel the same way about me.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve seen it.”
I bark out a short laugh and shake my head at her. “You’ve gotten a small dose, doll. They’ll both be all over your ass soon enough.”
“Wait, what?” she squeaks.
“You’re with me now, Millie—and I’m not fucking letting go. Once they see that—like, really see that—they won’t just let you be my girlfriend. You’ll belong to them, too. You’ll be family, baby.”
Suddenly, she tries pulling her hand out from beneath mine. I grip her fingers tighter, chancing a glance in her direction. I can see the look of fear on her face as she tries to pull away from me again.
“No,” I declare. “Don’t you fucking dare, doll face.” I focus my eyes back on the road, but I can feel it when her eyes shift to look at me. “Don’t pull away from me. We’re done with that shit.”
“What if—?”
“You’re my girl. I’m your guy, remember? We go together. You don’t need to worry about what if.”
“Sage, I don’t know how to do this,” she whispers as I turn into their neighborhood.
“Do what?”
She pauses for a few seconds before she answers. “Family.”
I think of all that I know about her and her family—or the lack there of. I know her mom’s a bitch, and her dad’s a fuck-face who left when she was just a kid; I know she’s an only child, and I know that in order to find her happiness, she needed to move across the country from the woman who gave birth to her and then made her life a living hell. I know the facts, but I’m big enough to admit that I don’t have a single clue what that life feels like.
Besides my two sisters, Harry, my nephews and my niece—my parents have siblings, and I’ve got dozens of cousins. They’re scattered all over the country, but we all saw each other from time to time when I was growing up.
All I know is family. Even though my parents and I don’t see eye to eye on just about anything, I still love them. I still see them. Not as often as my sisters, but still.
“Listen to me, baby doll, it’s going to be fine. Trust me. You don’t have to do anything; just be yourself. That’s the thing about family—the good ones accept you for who you are. My family’s not perfect, but we’re a pretty good one. Besides,” I pause for a second, parking my car along the sidewalk in front of our destination. I kill the engine and then turn and direct my full attention onto my girl. “I love you,” I remind her. “That automatically earns you brownie points with them.”
She sighs, looking over her shoulder at the big house we’re about to go into. When she doesn’t say anything, I reach over and cup my hand around her cheek, turning her face back toward mine. I lean in to kiss her lips, and she instantly relaxes into me, kissing me in return. I tease her mouth open with my tongue, but I keep it sweet, not wishing to get too carried away in front of my sister’s house.
Once I feel as though I’ve kissed away some of Millie’s nerves, I pull away and remind her, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
“All right then. Let’s do this.”
She inhales deeply, blows out her breath in a big sigh, and then offers me a slight nod. I smirk at her and then reach to swipe Maestro from out of the back seat. I set him down outside and he follows Millie and me up the driveway and to the front door. I’m just getting ready to knock when my older sister appears with a huge-ass grin on her face.
“You’re home!” she cries before she barrels toward me. I catch her in an embrace, laughing as she squeezes me tight. “Shit,” she whispers, pulling away from me just seconds later, backing up into the house. Maestro takes her lead, stepping inside and making himself at home— no doubt, searching for activity. “No shoes,” says Pepper, pulling me from my thoughts. I look down at her socked feet and shake my head at her. “Well? Get in here where it’s warm. Hi, Millie!”
I smile at my gorgeous girl, reaching for her hand. She laces her fingers with mine as our eyes lock, and I offer her a wink, as if to say, I told you so. She smiles back at me and I can tell she’s still a little freaked, but not as much as she was a few minutes ago.
“Uncle Sage!” I hear Henley before I see him come flying around the corner in his grippy-socked feet.
“Hey, buddy,” I reply as he comes crashing into my legs.
“Did you miss me?” he demands to know.
“You bet I did!”
When I hear the sound of a little gasp, I look up and spot Carter peeking his head into the entryway. He then hurries toward me, working his arms almost as fast as his legs. As he comes to a stop in front of me, he doesn’t hug me, but holds up his palms and says, “Su-pwise!”
Pepper giggles, looking lovingly at her youngest son, and I can’t help but laugh, too.
“Surprise?” I ask him.
“He’s just a tad bit early. But we were practicing,” Pepper says endearingly. “Good job, Carter!”
“Uncle Sage?” asks Henley, tugging at my coat.
“What’s up?” I reach down and ruffle his hair, but he steps away from me, making quick work of smoothing his soft, blonde strands back to right with this little hands. When his eyes dart up to catch a glimpse of Millie before they dart back on me, I have to fight a laugh. “Oh, I see—you want to know who the pretty girl is, huh?”
He tugs at the bottom of his shirt, curling it over his arms and revealing his little belly.
“Keep your clothes on, kid,” I chuckle, leaning down to help him out. “She’s a taken woman.”
“What does that mean?” he asks, looking between the two of us once more.
“Means you’ve got to get your own, squirt.”
“Don’t listen to Uncle Sage,” Pepper jumps in, moving to stand behind him. She rests her hands on his shoulders as he twists his neck to gaze up at her, but she’s too busy glaring at me. “He’s four,” she states, as if I need reminding. Before I can say another word, she kneels down between her boys and points to Millie. “This is Sage’s friend, Millie. Can you say hi?”
“Hi, Millie,” Henley murmurs bashfully.
“Hi, Miwwie.” Carter is more brave with his hello, stepping toward her and waving wildly.
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you,” Millie replies.
Pepper grins and then asks, “Can you tell her your name?”
“Cartoor,” Carter proclaims proudly.
Millie giggles, and I can tell Henley wants in on the action.
“I’m Henley,” he announces.
“I like that name.”
He blushes, and it’s so fucking cute.
“Okay, boys, go keep Maestro company for a few minutes until dinner is ready. Go on, scoot.” They obey, hunting for their favorite furry friend, and Pepper stands to her feet with a contented sigh. “Get those coats off, you two. You’re staying a while.”
SAGE HELPS ME out of my coat, heading to the coat closet to my immediate right in order to hang it up. As he stows his away too, I can’t help but notice how the rack is just about jam-packed, filled with coats of all different types and sizes. I also glance down along the bottom, spotting a wicker basket full of an array of snow gear; little boots, gloves, hats, scarves and snowsuits, ready and waiting for the next snowfall.
“Look who’s home.” I recognize the voice that steals my attention, and my gaze falls on Harry as he makes his way toward us. He’s exactly as I remembered—well built with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sexy-stubbled chin—only, now he has a baby all pretty in pink tucked into the crook of his arm.
“There’s my sweet girl,” says Sage, closing the closet door before meeting Harry halfway. He reaches for his niece without a single hint of hesitation, cuddling her in his arms as he leans down to kiss her forehead. “D-a-m-n, what are your parents feeding you, Soph? You’re getting so big.”
“She’ll be five months, soon,” says Harry before he looks around Sage and offers me a wave. “Hi, Millie.”
“Hi, Harry.”
“Come on in,” Pepper insists with a wave. “Can I offer you a drink, Millie? Water? Milk? Hot cocoa?” As she lists my options, she leads us all further into the house. Unlike the last time I saw her, she’s dressed down this evening. There’s no makeup coloring her brown eyes, and her shoulder-length, dark auburn hair is pulled up into a ponytail. Regardless of her change in appearance, she’s still really beautiful. Between her and Harry, it’s no wonder their children are so incredibly adorable.
“If you couldn’t tell, she’s used to entertaining toddlers. We also have wine and beer,” offers Harry.
“Water will be fine,” I assure them both.
“Just opened a bottle of red, Millie!” Rosemary’s voice floats from the kitchen. I spot her at the counter with two glasses of wine, her back to us as we approach. “Pep is breastfeeding, Harry is a beer guy, and Sage is a toss-up depending on the menu, so it’s you and me. And since it’s a rare occurrence that my siblings even let me drink, I’m taking full advantage; but I’m not doing it alone. I’m pouring you a glass.”
“She can be a bit bossy,” Sage stage-whispers. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Oh, shut it,” she grumbles. Two seconds later, she turns and flashes her brother the most brilliant smile. “I think, since I only got to see you for two seconds last night, I have the right to another attack hug.”
“You’ll crush my Sophia,” he warns, angling his body away from her as he gently places a hand around the back of Sophia’s little head.
She rolls her eyes and then points at me. “Has Millie met Sophia? I’m sure she could hold her for a minute, right Millie?”
In an instant, my hands grow clammy in anxiety. I look to Sage and shake my head, silently insisting that he need not surrender the precious bundle into my care.
“You don’t want to meet Soph?” he asks, as if the very idea of my refusal is terribly offensive.
<
br /> I look to Pepper and then Harry, noting the way they eye me with curiosity before I shift my gaze back onto Sage. “I don’t want to hurt her,” I admit timidly.
“She’s not as fragile as you might think,” Pepper tells me. “You’re welcome to hold her, if you’d like.”
When Sage starts to step toward me, I take a step back, my stomach a mess of nerves.
“Millie?” he asks, scowling in confusion.
I feel like all eyes are on me. Probably because they are. In this very moment, I realize that I’ve been in the house all of five minutes, and the impression I’m making is taking a nose dive. Uncertain how else to get out of this awkward situation, I decide to tell the truth.
“I’ve never held a baby before,” I blurt out.
“Never?” Rose gasps. I shake my head and her brilliant smile returns. “It’s magical. I mean, no, it’s not always rainbows and sunshine; sometimes it’s spit-up and exploding diapers—but there’s nothing like holding that warm, tiny body against yours. Right, Pep?”
Pepper smiles at me before she says, “Not everyone likes babies. To that I say, to each his own. I, on the other hand, still think holding her is one of the best feelings in the world—and she’s my third.”
“What do you say, doll face? Should we let Sophia pop that cherry?”
“Sage!” Rose mutters in disgust, smacking his arm.
Sage only chuckles before taking another step toward me. This time, I don’t back away.
“What if I drop her?” I whisper, my hands trembling.
“You won’t, baby. Hold out your arms.”
I do as he says and he turns Sophia so that she’s facing me. She looks at me curiously, which only makes me more apprehensive as Sage props her up against my chest. Instinctively, my body wraps around hers—one arm beneath her little booty, one hand pressed against her back. She turns and looks at Sage, as if to ask him why he passed her off, and then her head twists in my direction. Her body jerks as she looks at me, and I tighten my hold around her, afraid of losing my grip of her wiggling body.