by Mae Harden
I'm such a baby. Tears are streaming down my face like tiny rivers breaking their banks.
"Lilah Donovan, will you marry me?" Ben's voice is rough with emotion when he asks, and I feel it through every inch of my body. I'll never forget that sentence for as long as I live.
"Yes, oh my god, yes," I laugh through my tears. Ben stands and holds me in his arms as he kisses me breathless. He stops long enough to slip the ring on my finger. I'll have to appreciate it later because right now all I want is for him to hold me. I wrap my arms around his neck and jump into his arms. My legs wrap around his hips as his lips meet mine. This man will catch me every time.
Epilogue – Lilah
Four months later
Julia cackles, head thrown back as Parker, the owner of Sorry, I’m Booked, reaches over and tops up her glass of wine, grinning at my sister’s reaction. When the sign went up in the building across the street six months ago, Olive nearly exploded with glee. The romance-only bookstore seemed specifically designed to drain our bank accounts and supply us with unending amounts of smut, but the real win was meeting the proprietor, Parker.
She uses our coffee and places catering orders for her events, and in exchange, she hosts our monthly book club in her shop. Our book club may be a thinly veiled excuse to drink and talk about sex but it’s my new favorite night. Mostly because being away from Ben for a couple hours gets both of us so worked up that he goes full Alpha on me afterwards. Tonight is going to be even better because I have a surprise for my possessive fiancé.
I reach into my purse and look at my phone, covertly texting Ben:
Me: Anytime now…
Ben: If you want to keep those panties in one piece you better take them off before I get there.
Heat spreads across my cheeks and my core clenches at the thought of Ben ripping my panties off of me. This is why I never wear the good stuff anymore. He can destroy as many pairs of cheap lace panties as he wants. I sigh out loud at the thought.
Olive squints at me and I pull my hand out of my purse, giving her an innocent expression. She smirks as she leans back in her chair, crossing her legs, taking a sip of wine and checking the time on her watch. Busted. I’ve started a countdown and Julia’s going to be pissed when she finds out.
"…But why don’t they just talk to each other?!" Julia yells at Chelsea. "It makes no sense! He’s a grown-ass man. She’s a grown-ass woman! Why does the entire story hinge on the fact that they’re too chickenshit to say how they feel?"
"It’s about vulnerability and overcoming their fear of rejection!" Chelsea argues back, tapping her hand on the book aggressively.
"Here we go," Olive mutters as Chelsea and Julia square off.
"I’m just saying, it’s not realistic! He’s all macho and Alpha on his motorcycle but-"
Parker is staring off out the window, her cherubic face dreamy as my sisters argue about this month’s book, which was her pick. I have to say, I adore her. You’d never suspect someone who looks so innocent would sell such an impressive array of dirty books. Last month, I bought an entire series of filthy space westerns to read with Ben. I may have to keep his new-found love of romance novels a secret, but nothing turns me on like Ben reading a romance novel out loud while I lean against his chest, his voice vibrating through me… I shiver a little, shifting in my seat.
"Well, that’s no excuse for his behavior! A hero has to be more than just be good in bed!" Julia argues as the bell over the door chimes, echoing through the shop as my very own hero wedges his broad shoulders through the small door frame, followed by a grinning Brooks, and a dejected-looking Lukas. Okay, I might feel a little bad that my text broke up their night out too. I know Lukas was really excited to hang out with Ben and Brooks, even if he would never admit it out loud.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Who caved?!" Julia asks, eyeing Olive and I exasperatedly.
Ben winks at me and my already pink cheeks ignite as desire pools somewhere much farther south. Julia doesn’t miss the guilty expression on my face or the thumb Olive throws in my direction.
"Omg you are so weak!" Julia huffs. I throw back the last inch of seltzer in my cup and grab my purse. Julia borderline pouts as she smooths the hem of her dress but I’m more interested in Parker. She’s eyeing my brother like he’s the second coming of Christ bringing her a chocolate cake.
Lukas is slouched against the wall but the sulky expression he walked in here with has morphed into a smolder as he looks Parker up and down. It’s adorable but also, because it’s my brother, yuck. The two of them seem oblivious to the rest of the room and everyone watching them until Julia scoots her chair back, the feet screeching against the floor.
"I’m going to move before someone drools on me," she snarks as she gets to her feet. Parker’s cheeks flush until they almost match her strawberry blonde hair.
"What?" she asks Julia, her eyes wide.
"Oh, nothing. I’m just going to leave the splash zone before things get icky."
Chelsea chokes on her wine and sputters. Far from looking ashamed of himself, Lukas is smirking at Parker and probably thinking thoughts that would make me yak. Oh, hell no. No way is he going to inflict his serial-dater ways on sweet Parker.
"OUT!" I bark, pointing at my little brother. He doesn’t move until I get within poking distance, and even then, it’s at a snail's pace. He winks over my head at Parker and pushes his back away from the wall, arms still folded across his chest. I know for a fact that he’s trying to make his arms look as muscular as possible, so I smack him and push him out the door.
Ben follows me, trying, and failing, to muffle his laughter.
"Lukas, you leave Parker alone," I hiss, pointing at him as he climbs onto his motorcycle. He smooths his hair back and puts on his helmet. No way am I letting him repeat the Sadie debacle. He broke my high school best friend’s heart and she never spoke to me again.
"Calm your ass, Ladybug. She’s not my type anyway," he says with a half-hearted shrug. He cranks up the bike and roars away into the night.
When we turn to leave, I see Parker standing behind us, her hazel eyes wide. Oh, shit. How much of that did she hear?
"Parker," say. "I’m so sorry. Lukas is a dick. He just says that kind of shit to rile people up."
She laughs, the tension easing from her eyes. "It’s cool. For what it’s worth, my daddy would hate him."
"I think most fathers would," I agree, laughing.
Parker grins at me and holds out my book. "Don’t sweat it. You left this inside. Have a good night."
"Oh! Thank you! I can’t believe I forgot that!" I give her a big hug before Ben and I head to the SUV. I’ve adjusted to the beast even though I tried to talk Ben into getting another Jaguar or something he would enjoy driving more. He adamantly refused, repeating that my safety was his top priority and, when he gave me that devilish grin with the dimples, I couldn’t argue with his reasoning. I’ve been driving my Jeep but pretty soon I’ll need something with a real back seat.
I give Ben a sly look and fiddle with my engagement ring. The diamond glints in the lights of the other headlights. The emeralds circling it look inky in this light but, as Ben points out, they match my eyes perfectly under sunlight. The ring is stupid big but I love it. No one would look at it and wonder if I’m single. Ben is progressive in so many ways but when he lays claim to me, he does it right. I squirm in my seat and lick my lips at the thought. Jesus, I can’t wait to get home.
Ben gives me the side eye, lifting his eyebrow and grinning in a knowing way. "You okay over there, Princess?"
"Yes," I huff. "We live too far from downtown."
Ben gives me that cocky smile and slides his hand up my jean-clad thigh. The warm weight of it would be torture enough, but he gives my leg a squeeze before inching his hand between my legs, rubbing the seam. The rasping of the denim against my wet panties sets heat coursing through my body and my clit throbbing.
"Fuck," his voice rumbles through me. "You’re so wet I can
feel it through your jeans." My breath escapes on a moan and my hips roll against his hand. God, it feels so good. I want to rip my clothes off and ride his fingers. I reach for his lap, desperate to wrap my hand around his hard cock but he removes his hand, catching my wrist.
"No distracting the driver." His voice is low and even though he sounds like he’s under control, the ticking muscle in his jaw gives him away. It only does that when he’s furious or wildly turned on, and I know he’s not angry. I smirk to myself as he releases my wrist and turns onto the long quiet street that leads to our rental. My hormones are raging but I still should have known that wouldn’t work. Ben is nothing if not a stickler for my safety. Even so, I can’t help teasing him. I lean my head back against the headrest and look at Ben as I run my hand up my leg. Slowly, I stroke my fingers over my thigh and up my stomach to cup my breast.
My fiancé eyes me darkly, his gaze darting between the road and my fingers as they dip into the front of my shirt. Ben shifts in his seat and growls under his breath as he pulls into the driveway. He brakes a little too hard, throwing the SUV into park. Ben cups the back of my neck and pulls me close. His eyes are fiery with lust and an absolutely filthy smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. That look is enough to tighten my nipples to aching peaks, my body electric with anticipation.
"Out, Princess," he growls.
I quirk an eyebrow and give him a teasing smile as I quip, "Yes, sir!"
Ben kisses me hard, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, claiming me with his passion. I grip his shirt, pulling him closer. His fingers work swiftly, unlatching my seatbelt and pushing it aside. He leans across my body, his chest scraping my sensitive nipples through layers of cursed clothing and I gasp against his lips as he throws my door open.
"Out." He sounds gruff but the wink he gives me is everything.
Ben is already halfway around the back when my feet hit the gravel drive and he’s on me, his warm body caging me in. I lean back against the Mercedes, my hips pressed against the hard heat of his erection. Ben wastes no time going for the button on my jeans, yanking them to my ankles. He whips my shirt off over my head, dropping it to the ground as he draws my nipple into his mouth through the thin lace of my bra. I arch and moan into his hot mouth, arousal washing over me, blocking out everything except for his tongue and his fingers dipping to my core.
Ben’s finger teases my clit with light taps before sliding lower and slipping through the wet arousal coating me. His moan vibrates through my nipple, electric need shooting straight to my clit. Ben plunges two fingers inside me, stroking and pressing the little bundle of nerves in exactly the right way. My legs shake, trapped by jeans as I reach for release. I’ve been dying for this, for Ben and his touch, for hours. My body needs it so badly, but he stops short and I cry out in frustration.
"Dammit, Ben!"
He grins like a sexy villain before picking me up and spinning me around. My hands hit the cold metal and glass of the car as he flicks the catch on my bra. My nipples, damp from his mouth, hit the cool night air, tightening to almost painful points. I arch my back as Ben grips my hip, holding me in place as he rubs the thick head of his cock against the slick lips of my pussy, grazing my clit and making me cry out.
He leans over me, the warmth of his chest covering my bare back and pressing my aching nipples to the unforgiving side of the Mercedes.
"I shouldn’t reward your teasing, but your pussy is so wet. Tell me you’re aching for it," he whispers gruffly into my ear. "Tell me you need this cock."
God, I love when he gets like this. "I’m aching for it," I moan, pressing my ass back to feel his heat at my core. "I’m so empty. I need you to fill my pussy up. I need your cock. Please fill me up."
Ben surges into me, impaling me bare. I gasp in pleasure, full to overflowing. He pulls back, thrusting into me over and over. The swell of his head rubs my G-spot with every roll of retreating pressure and answering plunge. His fingers grip the dip of my waist with one hand, the other reaching around to stroke me. His fingers glide through my juices, collecting the moisture and sliding along the side of my clit until I’m a panting, whimpering mess. My body is throbbing with my heartbeat, my need hovering, threatening to boil over until Ben grips my hair, pulling so he can see my face.
His deep eyes focus on mine and he growls out the words I love. "Come for me, Princess. I wanna feel it. I need to feel that tight pussy come."
I combust, tendrils of pleasure shooting through every nerve of my body as he groans into my ear. His fingers flex against me as his body jerks over mine, his release a frantic eruption.
He holds my trembling body as we both try to find our muscles.
"Thank god we don’t have neighbors," I laugh into the night air. Ben kisses the top of my head, chuckling as he straightens up, sliding out of me with a little moan. We’ve been skipping birth control ever since we got engaged and I shamelessly love the feel of him bare. We both want kids and don’t want to wait. We haven’t been trying for a baby exactly, but we made the conscious decision to stop using birth control. The wildly uninhibited sex is a happy side effect.
"I’ll keep us neighborless, even if I have to buy the entire valley," he promises. I bend down to pull up my jeans and snatch my shirt off the ground, making Ben groan at the view.
"You didn’t get enough?" I giggle as I pull my jeans up and button them, euphoric after that orgasm. I turn to face him, still topless as I look for my bra.
"Never," Ben grins, all dimples as he pulls me to his chest. He cops a feel, playfully squeezing my breast. "Jesus, have your boobs gotten bigger?" he teases.
"You know, I think they have," I tell him with a grin. I’ve been waiting all night to tell him, and I can’t hold back my glee any longer. I was trying to think of a clever way to do it, but this is close enough. He cocks his head to the side, his eyebrows drawn together. I can practically watch his brain spin as he thinks. His fingertips graze my belly button.
"Lilah, are you--? Did we…?" the hope in his eyes is almost too much to bear. I figured it would take ages to get pregnant, but I guess we got lucky.
"You’re gonna be a daddy," I tell him with a grin.
Ben’s eyes go wide, his handsome face equal parts joy and panic as his breath huffs out of him. He breathes hard and fast, sinking to the gravel driveway and putting his head between his knees, hyperventilating.
"Ben!" I laugh, rubbing his back as I pull my t-shirt on with one arm. "Are you okay?"
He gets his shit together almost as quickly as he lost it, but his eyes have a little shine to them as he looks up at me. His elbows rest on his knees and he looks so bemused. His palm is pressed to his mouth but there’s no hiding the huge smile behind it.
"Happy?" I ask, even though I know the answer. Ben stands, a little shaky, but mostly back to normal. He pulls me into his arms, wrapping me in his warm embrace. He hugs me tight, kissing the top of my head.
"Ecstatic," he says with a little laugh. His breath ruffles my hair and my chest squeezes as I hug him back, loving the feel of his ribs expanding and contracting. In my heart, I know Ben will love me forever. There’s nothing he wouldn’t give to protect me and the little family we are going to make. This mountain of a man is my home and my other half, and we are going to be so insanely happy.
The End.
***
Keep reading for a note from the author and an excerpt from
Revved Up, Lukas and Parker’s book.
Author’s note
Thank you so much for reading Mowed Over!
Listen, you need to know that I’m a total sap. I tear up at the drop of a hat and I’m deeply emotional about this little family. The outpouring of love and support I received after releasing Stripped Down was truly staggering and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you stuck with me through another book.
If you follow my newsletter, you might already know that I wrote Lilah’s story before I wrote Stripped Down. It was all borne out of that scene where she falls o
ut of bed and confronts a very smug, very shirtless Ben. As I worked on Lilah’s story, Olive’s character was screaming to go first. And once I thought about it, I realized that Lilah’s story made more sense after she watched Olive fall in love. So, I switched gears, and I’m so happy I did!
When I came back to Lilah’s book, I thought I’d just do a quick edit and be ready to publish in a few weeks.
*Cue the emotional sobbing.*
Lord was I wrong! In the course of writing Olive’s book, Lilah morphed from a delicate, naive, wallflower into a strong and fiercely loyal goddess. Everything had to be rewritten, especially the dialogue with Ben and the sex. The sex was all wrong! In the end, I scrapped about 30 pages of sex, which now sits on my hard drive, getting the side-eye from all of my other works-in-progress. Even Ben got a makeover. (Makeunder?) He was originally this perfect, never-made-a-mistake-in-his-life kinda guy. Essentially, he was boring AF.
Terry. Honestly, I tried to write out the stalker and lean more towards the lighthearted feel of Stripped Down, but it never felt right. I have the Sonoma series plotted out with a story for each of the Donovan siblings. Some of them are funny and light while others are more emotional, and I think that for better or worse, these are real people in my head. Their stories are all different, but they share the journey together. I’m tearing up now just thinking about Asher’s happily ever after! Told you I’m a sap!
Lukas is up next and, seriously, get some fresh panties for that one. I freaking love Lukas and Parker together. Julia and Asher both have their own stories coming up after Lukas. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think you guys are going to love them.
If you have a minute to leave a review, it would mean the world to me! Just a quick rating with something like "I loved it!" is immensely helpful! Every review helps!