Soul Deep

by Ashley Lyn

  BECCA

  The music is on and Prince’s “Raspberry Berea” is playing. I’m dancing, but it’s a halfhearted attempt. Something’s up with Tristan. He’s been quiet and aloof since I got done cutting hair, which was regrettably much later than I had planned.

  This quietness from him feels different.

  Scary.

  I stir the sauce, and the uncertainty in my gut takes control of my mouth.

  I throw the spoon in the pan, flinging sauce everywhere. “What in the hell is wrong with you? Christ, it’s like you’re on the rag.”

  “I had Miranda look into Rayleen and she found nothing, except for a birth certificate listing Carter as the father of her son.”

  My hands grip the counter as my heart drops to my feet.

  “I have a nephew?” My hand goes to my chest as I try and make sure my heart stays there.

  “Yes,” he tells me.

  “Does Carter know?”

  “No, not that I know. When I spoke to him about Rayleen, he said he never looked into her because he didn’t want to know if she was happy. There are no records of Rayleen or her son either past the day she left Carter, or past the day that he was born.”

  “What’s his name?” I whisper.

  “Kyrian Carter Michelson.”

  “When did you find out?”

  “Today when you were cutting hair. I decided to wait until tonight.”

  “Were you going to tell me at all?”

  He stands up and comes around, folding his big arms around me. “Of course, baby. I was just waiting until we were home and in a more private location. I’ll find him and Rayleen, baby, I promise.”

  “Fuck, Tris, Carter’s going to flip.”

  “I know. I have Miranda digging, and when he gets back, hopefully we’ll have some solid leads and can make immediate forward progress.” Pulling back, I wipe my eyes and give him a kiss. “I’ll finish dinner, baby. Go clean up and get comfy on the couch.” My fingers run along his jaw after he says this, and I have no hope of keeping my feelings a secret, nor do I want to.

  “I love you, Tristan. I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will love you until I have no breath left in my lungs, when my heart stops and I move on to whatever’s next. I’m yours, heart and soul, from now until forever.”

  His eye flare and he flips the stove off. Spinning around, he grabs two handfuls of ass and lifts me up. My legs go around his hips, and he’s off like a shot, speed walking to the bedroom.

  I smile at the determined look on his face and squeal when I go sailing through the air, landing on my back in the middle of the bed. Pillows go flying, along with my shirt as I whip it over my head.

  He comes down in the cradle of my thighs and looks at me like he’s memorizing my face. “Say it again,” he growls at me.

  “I love you.”

  He blows out a breath and the best smile spreads across his face. “I love you, Rebecca Jane Michaelson. I’ve been in love with you for six years, and I’ll still love you ten years from now, fifty, a hundred years. You’re it for me, the one I want at my side for the rest of my life.”

  He leans down and kisses me softly. “Take me, Tristan. Make love to me.”

  The front clasp of my bra is popped before I can even suck in a breath at the lusty look on his face. His fingers hook into the waistband of my yoga pants and panties, and whoosh! I’m naked, confident, and way the fuck turned on.

  His hands start at my ankles and run up the inside of my legs, which fall open. He groans and buries his face in my center. His thumbs spread the lips of my sex wide and holy hell, the feel if his tongue running from bottom to top is so fucking sexy.

  My hands are practically clawing at his shirt. He stops what he’s doing long enough to pull a Bruce Almighty and strips in seconds. He dives back in, making me scream as he latches onto my clit with long, sensual pulls.

  I can feel one finger sliding closer to where I want him. He swirls it around my opening before sliding it in, in one long, smooth stroke.

  My legs are shaking so bad, I grab my knees and pull them back. One finger turns into two, and then three. I’m stretched full to bursting, but it’s not what I want, not what my body craves.

  “Tristan, fuck me, please.”

  He kisses his way up my belly before licking and nibbling my breasts. When his lips connect with mine, I can feel the shaking of his limbs, his lips. He’s vibrating, like he’s plugged into an outlet.

  He lines up his cock and kisses me again. “I love you, Becca.” He slides in and the breath is forced from my lungs. A feeling a rightness, of finally being complete settles over me. Hooking my ankles around his back his hands slide under my ass for a different level of awesomeness. He pulls back and slams back in so hard, the headboard smacks the wall.

  “I love you, Tristan,” I manage to pant out. My orgasm is boiling up and preparing to burst. “No!” I yell when he pulls back, except I moan out a deep “Yessss” when the angle changes again. He brings his thumb down and starts to circle my clit, while thrusting so deep, I can feel it in my belly.

  “Come for me, beautiful.” My eyes slam shut. “Eyes, Becca. Open them and let me watch you.” My eyes open wide as my orgasm rolls over me, causing my whole body to lock down before I see stars, the heavens, and fucking nirvana.

  His mouth parts, and four hard, deep thrusts later, I feel him release inside of me, his cum running out of my opening and down my ass. He begins slowing his thrusts as he runs his finger around my stretched opening.

  He runs his finger over my clit, making my leg jump, and he smiles the world’s cockiest, most arrogant smile in history. When he does it again, my leg jumps and I moan.

  He pulls out and smiles again, listening and watching the aftermath of our lovemaking.

  “I sure hope you have spare sheets, because things are about to get messy.” I’m flipped over and my knees pulled up under me. I can’t help but smile into the sheets. I look behind me and watch in awe as he runs his hand up and down his hard cock, looking at my ass. Then I groan, “I bought, like, three hundred condoms, and we didn’t even use one. I even practiced.” He laughs, and I reach back to smack him.

  I wiggle my butt and he pops me on the side of my ass, grinning when I squeak.

  I have a feeling that I’m in for a long, sweaty, exhausting, fucking blissful night.

  I give a mental fist pump.

  TRISTAN

  The sun’s just peeking through the trees. I’m so freaking tired, but elated. Becca’s sprawled out next to me on her belly with one leg hiked up, and I’m tempted to pull the sheets down and take a piece of the promised land.

  Running a finger down the center of her back, I smile as goose bumps race across her skin. She stretches and rolls over, and I watch her boobs wiggle and jiggle.

  “You come anywhere near me with that giant dick, and I might run screaming.”

  I lay kisses on the top of her ass to the top of her head. “I know, baby.”

  “I had plans to take you to Gnome Road, but I don’t think I can muster the energy that would take.”

  “We need to talk about something first, Bec.”

  “As long as I don’t have to move, I’m good. Talk away.”

  “We didn’t use any protection last night. I haven’t been with anyone since Tess, and I got tested after we split so I’m good there. I know you haven’t been with anyone, but I was wondering about birth control?”

  “Pill,” she mumbles into the pillow.

  I can’t help but smile at her disgruntled tone.

  “I’ll give you this, you’re fantastic in bed. Beautiful, sweet, caring, and sinfully sexy, but you, sir, are banned from my lady bits until they can recover.”

  I grab her hips and flip her over on top, and she covers her face with her hands.

  “What did I just tell you, you horny monster?” I burst out laughing. She still hasn’t noticed. She smacks my chest and crosses her arms over her beautiful breasts, an
d my attention diverts to her nipples just under her arms. I feel her entire body go still and I look at her face. Her eyes are focused on her hand, on the engagement ring I slid on her finger after she passed out last night.

  I flip us so I’m on top. “Rebecca Jane Michaelson, I fell in love you the second you walked in the door. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Oh, Jesus! Yes, yes, yes! You shit! You put it on while I was sleeping, and we’re naked! What are we going to tell people?”

  Her bottom lip pops out into a pout. “We can’t even celebrate. My vagina feels like I was impaled by a hot pole, and then I was forced to sit bare lipped on hot asphalt.”

  I can’t help but burst out laughing at the completely serious look on her face.

  “Seriously rode hard and put away wet.”

  I nod my head. “Very wet.” She narrows her eyes at me and my lips twitch.

  “Very moist.”

  “Ugh. Seriously, I hate that word.”

  She waves her hand and her ring catches the light, and a tear slides down her cheek.

  “Are we really getting married?”

  “Yup.”

  She claps these little claps and whispers, “Yay!” Then she pops off my lap and grabs her phone.

  Dropping my hand behind my head, I watch her bounce and wiggle, then I hear a squeal.

  “Bec! Put on a damn shirt before you FaceTime me!” Jace bellows over the line.

  “Oops,” she giggles, and I fling my shirt at her. She slips it on, then holds up her hand, flashing her ring.

  “Okay, Jace, I need to call my mom and brother, and oh man, I have some planning to do!” she yells.

  I hear more squealing and celebrating as she calls her mom, and I smile when I think about Carter being there, dealing with the chaos. Then I frown when I think about heading back to deal with the fallout from the shit Miranda uncovered.

  BECCA

  Tristan’s standing at the sink, palms braced on the counter. His back is bare and his pajama pants are riding low on his hips. I excited that I can look and ogle to my heart’s content, until I get a look at his face.

  He looks a mixture of devastated, contemplative, and happy.

  Walking up, I slide my arms around his middle and kiss his back. “What’s wrong?”

  His head drops. “I’m worried about the amount of shit that’s going to hit the fan when Carter gets back and I have to tell him that Rayleen’s in the wind, along with his son.”

  I come around his front and jump up on the counter, my legs wrapping around his hips. Then, in a typical man move, he buries his face in my cleavage.

  “It’ll be all right, Tris, I promise you. Carter has something to work for. Not only does he sound like he’s ready to either fight for or work on letting go of Rayleen, but a son? I guarantee he’s going to fight like hell for his son.”

  Scratching my nails along his scalp, I giggle when he groans.

  “You’re gun-shy because of what happened last time, but trust Carter, Tris. I think he’ll surprise you.”

  He kisses my nose. “You’re right, of course.”

  I snort. “Duh, like always.”

  “Always?”

  “Yes,” I tell him, completely seriously. “So, since we’re not going to Gnome Road today, what do you want to do?”

  “Netflix and chill?”

  I give him a look.

  “Poke and stroke?”

  The corner of my lips quirk up.

  “Get one of your romance novels and do a reenactment?”

  That gets a real grin.

  “Rent some ATVs and go mudding?”

  The smile slips, so I suggest, “Get high, eat Funyuns, and make prank calls?”

  “Get high a lot?”

  “Just once. Jace said never again because I was annoying.” Tapping my chin, I snap my fingers. “Get drunk and have a panty party?”

  “Sorry, no panties, just manly boxer briefs.”

  “You can borrow mine.”

  I smile, thinking about him trying to fit his massive flesh rocket in a tiny pair of thongs.

  “Negative.”

  “What if we watched Charmed?” His entire face lights up, and then he narrows his eyes and I crack up laughing.

  I’m still laughing when he picks me up and carries me off to bed, all the while, trying to one-handedly pull his pants down. I have a second of panic when he wiggles them down to his ankles and tries to step out of them. I’m sore from our all-night love fest last night, but I’ll take one for the team.

  I’m giving like that.

  TRISTAN

  Leaving Becca at her house with a cold can of Pepsi between her legs sucked. I tried to get her to come home with me, but she was having none of it. The only thing that kept playing on repeat in my brain was throwing her over my shoulder, carting her ass to the nearest Justice of the Peace and spending the next seven days buried in her tight body.

  Sadly, life intruded. After our energetic morning, we ended up snuggled up on the couch, watching Charmed. I tried to act like I wasn’t ecstatic to watch one of my favorite shows of all time, but she called me on my bluff and we ended up in a pillow fight, that turned into snuggling, then that turned into a snuggle fuck.

  My lips quirk, thinking about the reason why Becca had that cold can of Pepsi between her legs when I left her house. I may have gone overboard, but six years of pent-up sexual frustration is a lot to work through.

  A flashback of Becca riding me, head thrown back, hands on my chest with her fingernails digging in, hits me like a ton of bricks. Reaching down, I adjust the monster in my pants and turn on the radio.

  My phone rings over the Bluetooth, and I hit the button on my steering wheel to answer.

  “You got Tristan.”

  “Fucker!” It’s Carter, and I smile.

  “Having fun wedding planning with your mom?”

  “Christ, you were there for like a fucking day and you already asked her to marry you?”

  “I put the ring on her finger while she was sleeping. Took her a while to figure out it was there, but I asked only as a formality. She’s been mine since I laid eyes on her.”

  “You could’ve asked me, fucker.”

  “Carter, will you marry me?” I laugh, listening to him cursing a blue streak. “We talked about it before I left. You’re just pissed you’re neck deep in bridal magazines.”

  “So, when’s the wedding?”

  “As soon as possible.”

  “Why so soon? Can’t you, like, I don’t know, wait until you get to know her?”

  “I’ve waited six years.”

  “Fuck.”

  “When are you coming back? Got some stuff to go over with you.”

  He’s silent for so long, I have to look at the phone to make sure he didn’t hang up.

  “Carter?”

  “Is this…I mean, did you start, you know, looking into things?”

  “Yes. I had Miranda start looking into Rayleen.”

  “And it has to be done face-to-face? You can’t just go over the basics or give me a yes or no?”

  “Face-to-face, brother.”

  “Fuck, I don’t know if I’m ready.”

  “You need to get ready, Carter.”

  “I leave today. It’s been nice spending time with my mom and Roger, but swear to Christ, there were times I debated on getting a hotel room or reinforcing their bedroom wall. It sounded like they were trying to come through it. I learned quickly what the tie on the door meant.”

  I crack up laughing. Becca told me all the stories of her mom and Roger, so I can just imagine.

  “All right, brother, come straight to the office. We’ll go over what we found and then make a game plan.”

  BECCA

  I’m double fisting two bottles of Moscato, which I paid twenty bucks for.

  Because I’m classy like that.

  Jace came down to Denver so we could start goin
g over wedding shit, and I cannot tell you how awesome it is to have him in my home.

  I have a black bikini top on and an ugly pair of orange bottoms. I couldn’t find the matches to either one. My hair’s wadded up on my head and I’m fresh-faced. There’s a skip in my step, if you will.

  A swagger.

  Skilrex’s “Purple Lamborghini” is playing. My flip-flops are smacking the floor with each step.

  Walking out to the back, Jace is already in the hot tub, a fedora on his head and a bottle of beer in his hand. He sets it down and stands up, clapping.

  I bow, accepting his praise.

  “Get over here girly, let me see that rock!” I set both bottles on the table next to the tub and hop in, holding out my hand like the Queen of England.

  “How did he ask? You didn’t say on the phone.” I roll my eyes.

  “I woke up with the ring on. He “asked,” but I got the feeling it was just a formality.”

  “Alpha.”

  “To his sexy core.”

  “You happy?”

  I have to take a deep breath, and I try, I really do, to control the flow of tears, but the waterworks are here. “I’ve never, not once in my entire life, been this happy. He settles something in me, an anxiety I didn’t even know I had been carrying around. Every bit of him is in this.” He hands me a hand towel and I wipe my face.

  “And holy shit, the sex! Dear God above. You know that feeling when you get a good run in?”

  “No.”

  “Yeah, me either, but if I had to guess, it would be a good soreness—a hurt so good kind of thing. My love tunnel feels beat up, but oh so satisfied.”

  He looks squeamish. “TMI?” I ask.

  Holding up his fingers, he pinches them together. “Little bit.”

  “And you? How’s the Bo situation?”

  He sighs. “He’s a complex man, and I can’t talk about specifics with you. I promised him I wouldn’t, but there’s a lot of pain in his past. He’s working through it, has been since he moved to Red Feather. We’re taking baby steps. We fooled around a bit, but for the most part, we’re just getting to know each other.”