Her breathing evened out, and I assumed she’d done as she was told. But just as I was drifting off, I heard her whisper, “You’re perfect for me, too.” I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Jaelyn bolted up in bed and looked around in confusion. I cursed whoever was pounding on my front door at—I glanced at the clock—eight fucking a.m. for waking her up.
I sat up and gently tugged on her shoulder, urging her to lie back down.
The thumping started again, but I ignored it when I saw Jaelyn wince. I sighed, frustrated with my lack of control, knowing she wouldn’t be hurting so much if I hadn’t taken her a second time.
I wanted to ask her about her level of pain and check over her pussy myself, but another round of knocking elicited a blue streak of swearing. I leaned over her and kissed her forehead, then lips, and murmured, “Stay here and relax, baby. I’m going to kick someone’s ass, then I’ll come back with some breakfast, and we can take a warm bath. It will help with the soreness.” Jaelyn blushed and nodded with a shy smile. That fucking blush…it made my dick stand at attention every time.
Throwing back the covers, I hopped out of bed, donned my boxers, and strolled to the door. Before I could step into the hall, Jaelyn’s voice stopped me.
“Ahem. I think you’re forgetting something.”
I glanced back, puzzled as to her meaning. She was sitting up, clutching the sheet to her chest and wearing a disgruntled expression that had me suppressing a smile because it just made her look even cuter.
She frowned even more, hinting that I hadn’t done a very thorough job of hiding my amusement. “Don’t you think you should put on a shirt before answering the door?” she snapped. “I don’t share either.” A grin burst to the surface before I could tamp it down. She huffed adorably and flopped back down onto the mattress.
If there wasn’t some asshole practically breaking down my door, I would have kissed the hell out of her. I loved that she was feeling as possessive of me as I was of her. With the smile affixed to my face, I hurried to my dresser and took a T-shirt from the top drawer, then pulled it on as I left the bedroom.
“Hold your fucking horses,” I barked as I neared the door and the pounding that had now become a steady beat with no pauses. Anger began to build as I turned the lock and wrenched open the door.
“Where the fuck is my sister, Caldwell?”
8
Jaelyn
At the sound of Ewan’s voice, I scrambled off the mattress and went hunting for a T-shirt and boxers in Rand’s dresser. Grabbing the first ones I found, I threw them on before searching for my cell phone. After firing off a quick text, I hurried out of the room. I didn’t know what my brother-in-law was doing here and why he was yelling at Rand, but I was going to find out.
When I made it into the living room, I found the two men squared off against each other in the doorway. Ewan noticed me right away, and his eyes shot daggers at Rand when he saw what I was wearing. I had to bite back the inappropriate giggle that bubbled up as I thought about how lucky we all were that I hadn't stumbled out of the bedroom wearing nothing at all.
“Come on, Jaelyn.” Ewan shoved against Rand’s shoulder, but it didn’t do any good. He didn’t seem to care that Rand didn’t budge an inch as he demanded, “You're coming with me.”
“Oh, hell no! You're not taking my woman anywhere,” Rand roared, stepping closer to my brother-in-law.
“She’s not your woman. You didn't even know each other before yesterday,” Ewan scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “And there’s also the fact that I told you to stay away from her.”
If I hadn’t been reminded of how Ewan had been warning guys away from me, I might've been able to stay calm. Instead, I stalked over to the two men and wedged my way between them to poke my brother-in-law's chest. “Just because you married my sister doesn't mean you get a say in my love life.”
“That’s exactly what it means,” Ewan disagreed with a shake of his head. “My wife is your big sister, which makes me your big brother. I have a duty to protect you from guys who want nothing more than to get in your panties.”
“First of all, she’s only a year older than me.” I poked him in the chest for emphasis. “And secondly, Kaia has been urging me to get out and date ever since you two met. If I had to guess, she’d be thrilled to find out I hooked up with Rand.”
“This is more than a damn hookup,” Rand grumbled from behind me, slipping his hand into the band of the boxers and pulling me close until my back bumped against his chest.
“For fuck’s sake,” Ewan growled. “I don’t want to hear the details of what you two did last night. I just need you to put on some real clothes and come with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I insisted, leaning against Rand’s chest. “Kaia might be fine with you bossing her around, but that doesn't mean that I am. You can't keep warning guys to stay away from me. I won't stand for it.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you should keep on warning off anyone who looks twice at Jaelyn,” Rand piped up with an almost cheerful tone. “Or even just once.” He wrapped his arms around my body, splaying his hands over my belly in a possessive gesture. “You’ll save them from a world of hurt, and then you won’t need to arrest me for bodily harm.”
“Seriously?” I turned in Rand’s arms to glare up at him. “Now I have to deal with two cavemen in my life?”
“You’d only have to deal with one if you’d get moving so we can get out of here,” Ewan grouched. “You’re being totally unreasonable. It’s not like you’re going to stay here until you can get back into your apartment anyway. You don’t even know Rand.”
“I know him just fine.” My cheeks filled with heat as I thought about all the things we’d done together last night. Refusing to let my embarrassment stop me, I narrowed my eyes at Ewan. “You don't have any room to talk. Not when you took my sister home with you the night you met as well.”
“Yeah, but that was a totally different situation because I did it for her own good,” he argued. “She was too drunk to take care of herself.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” my sister chirped as she sauntered up the front step toward us. When she sidled up to Ewan, she hooked her arm through his. “But we both know if I hadn't been drinking, you would have still found another reason to take me home. And I wasn't drunk the next morning when—”
Ewan slipped his hand over my sister’s mouth and growled, “Okay, you made your point.”
Kaia’s eyes twinkled as her jaw moved beneath Ewan’s hand. I figured she’d licked his palm when he yanked it away. “Don’t mind him. He’s just cranky because he had to hold me hostage until I agreed to stay longer than one night.”
“You had to put your handcuffs to good use, huh?” Rand chuckled, most of the tension easing from his muscular frame as he stepped next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “At least I didn’t have to force my girl to stay with me.”
“Neither did I, you bastard,” Ewan hissed. “It just took her a little time to admit to what she really wanted all along. Me.”
“Okay, boys,” Kaia interjected, running her hand down Ewan’s back in a soothing gesture. “Stop pushing each other’s buttons and remember that you’re friends.”
“You two are friends?” I shook my head in disbelief. “Geesh, guys. Try to act like it, why don’t you?”
“Speaking of…” Kaia’s attention shifted to me. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the fire. I had to hear about it from someone else and have Ewan track you down. Then all I got was an SOS message from you because he showed up on Rand’s doorstep. That wasn’t very sisterly of you.”
“I’m so sorry,” I apologized, giving her a weak smile. “I meant to call you when we got here, but then I got…um…distracted and forgot.” I pressed my hands over my heated cheeks, hoping to hide my blush.
Kaia knew me better than th
at. She giggled and winked at me. “I’m not going to hold it against you since it looks like you’ve been a very busy girl.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Ewan grumbled with a frown. “It’s like you’re congratulating her for falling into this asshole’s bed right after they met.”
“Oh, please,” I snorted. “It's not like you don't believe in love at first sight, considering how things went down with the two of you.”
“Love at first sight?” Ewan echoed, throwing his hands up in the air. “Are you trying to tell me you already fell for this big lug?”
“Umm,” I began to stutter before Rand took a page from Ewan’s playbook and slipped his hand over my mouth.
“Our relationship is between the two of us,” he barked. “When we get to the point where Jaelyn is ready to say she loves me, it’ll be without an audience.” Rand’s expression darkened into a scowl of warning. “And without being backed into a corner about it.”
“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Kaia said, tugging on Ewan’s arm until he begrudgingly followed her down the steps.
As soon as they reached the sidewalk, Rand practically dragged me back into his house and slammed the door shut. Then he pressed me against the hard surface and captured my lips in a passionate kiss. Our tongues tangled together, his large palms cupping my cheeks to tilt my head farther back as he devoured my mouth. By the time he lifted his head, mine was spinning.
“I want you here with me.” His green eyes were filled with heat as he stared down at me. One of his hands slipped down my back to pull me flush against his body. His hard length pressed against my stomach, turning me on even more than the kiss already had. “For more than just incredible sex.”
My cheeks burned, pleased that he thought it had been incredible too. They were also pink because things were about to get awkward. “What I said, about love at first sight. I didn’t…I mean…um…” I stammered, unsure about what I wanted to say. If he felt the need to reassure me, then it probably needed to be addressed.
“Don’t worry, baby. I’m in no rush now that I have you here.” He brushed his lips over mine. “You need a place to stay for the next few weeks, and I want it to be with me.”
“I’d like that, too.” Most people would think I was crazy, but I’d seen how an unconventional start to a relationship could work out with Kaia and Ewan. If I had the chance for the same kind of happiness with Rand, I was going to grab onto the opportunity with both hands.
“Good, then we’ve got plenty of time to figure all the rest out.” Bending low to slide his arm under my knees, he lifted me and started walking toward the bedroom. “And we’ll make the most of it while you’re here.”
Three weeks filled with the kind of orgasms he’d given me last night gave me a lot to look forward to. Twining my arms around his neck, I smiled up at him. “Sounds like the perfect plan to me.”
9
Rand
I’d been itching for this day to arrive. I got a call that Jaelyn’s building was finally inhabitable again, and it was perfect timing since it was a Saturday. I’d made a few phone calls in preparation, then went into the kitchen to start breakfast.
Standing at the stove, I was plating our food when Jaelyn’s arms came around my waist, and she leaned into my back. “Good morning, handsome.”
I savored the feel of her and the contentment of the moment. Knowing I’d spend the rest of my life with mornings like these made me feel like I’d won the fucking lottery. Except, even better than that.
Pivoting in her embrace, I looped my arms around the outside of hers. “Morning, baby.” She lifted her face for a kiss, and I was more than happy to oblige. Then I walked her to the kitchen island and sat her on one of the stools. I set her dish in front of her, stabbed some eggs with a fork, and brought it to her mouth. When her lips closed around the utensil, I groaned, remembering her lips around other things.
“What do you want to do today?” she asked after she swallowed.
“I got a call this morning.” I continued to feed her as I conveyed my plan. “Your apartment is livable again, so how about we go get your things. We can drop everything at the cleaners.”
Jaelyn pulled her head back from the bite I was about to feed her. Her expression had fallen, and the sparkle that had been in her eyes had dimmed. “You want to take me back to my apartment?” Her tone was hesitant.
Confused at her reaction, I set down the fork and rounded the island to stand in front of her, resting my hands on her hips. “What’s on your mind, baby?”
She shrugged and stared at my chest. “I just thought—never mind. I shouldn’t have assumed—forget it. I was being silly.”
Letting go of her hips, I cupped her face and raised her chin so I could look directly down into her face. “Try again, Jaelyn.”
“I guess I assumed I wouldn’t be going back home,” she whispered.
“Jaelyn, listen to me.” My voice was firm, making it clear that what I was about to say wasn’t up for debate. “You are home. When I mentioned picking up your stuff, I meant permanently. I have movers meeting us there this afternoon.” Tears filled Jaelyn’s eyes, but the sparkle had returned. “There is no way in hell that I’m going to let you live anywhere but with me. You are mine. And home is wherever we are together.”
She beamed at me, and I couldn’t help from taking her lips in another deep kiss. I poured my soul into it, wanting her to feel what was in my heart. When I finally released her mouth, I searched her face, looking for—hoping for a sign that what I was about to tell her would be reciprocated.
“Baby, there is nothing in this world that means more to me than you. I love you. Soon, I’m going to make you mine, officially. Then we are going to keep working on creating a new little piece of you and me that I’ll love with my whole heart too.”
Jaelyn burst into tears, and I stood, frozen in shock, unsure what the hell to do. She loved me, I knew she did, so why was she so upset by my declaration?
“Jaelyn? Baby? What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and tried to calm her breathing, but when she spoke, it was choppy and occasionally punctuated with a hiccup. “I-I-I lo-ove you t-too.”
“I know you do, baby,” I assured her as I used my thumbs to wipe away some of her tears. “Why are you crying?”
“B-because I’m so ha-ha-ppy.”
“You’re crying because you’re happy?” I questioned, baffled by her response.
“Yes.” I let her face go and handed her a napkin so she could mop up her face. “And because I’m hormonal.”
Now I was even more confused. “Hormonal?” I echoed.
Jaelyn nodded and smiled almost shyly at me. “You can cross the second thing off that to-do list, by the way.” Her lips turned down as she thought for a minute, then she added, “We should still practice, though. A lot.”
Practice? Number three…what the hell—was she saying that—“You’re pregnant?” I yelled. She nodded, and I let out a whoop of joy as I grabbed her waist and lifted her before spinning. She laughed in delight, but a moment later, she began to turn a little green. I immediately set her down and held her steady as she took several deep breaths. When a little color had returned to her face, I hurried to make her a glass of water.
“A baby.” Awe colored my tone as I pondered the news. Grasping her face again, I planted a hard, fast kiss on her lips. “I guess I better get started on that ‘making you mine officially’ plan.”
Jaelyn chuckled and shook her head in mock exasperation. “One thing at a time, babe. How about we work on getting me moved in first?”
“Fuck. I didn’t think your pussy could taste any sweeter,” I growled as I lapped at Jaelyn’s juices. She moaned and bucked her hips up, pressing herself closer to my mouth, searching for release.
There was a loud crack from the sound of my palm meeting her bare ass cheek. “I decide when you come, baby.” She whimpered, and the sound very nearly made me come right there on the bed as I knelt between he
r legs. “As soon as I’m finished eating,” I crooned before refocusing on licking up every drop of her arousal.
By the time I was satisfied—for the moment—Jaelyn was screaming for release. “Come, baby,” I demanded before latching onto her swollen clit and driving two fingers into her pussy. She shattered into a million pieces, and I greedily drank down the flood of cream gushing into my mouth.
As she was spiraling down, I slid up her body and suckled each tit before covering her mouth with mine and swallowing her cry as I plunge my cock into her tight, wet pussy.
Jaelyn threw back her head, breaking our connection and shouting, “YES! Oh, Rand! Yes!” She started chanting in rhythm with my thrusts.
I sped up, going faster and harder until we both did a swan dive off the cliff and fell into oblivion together.
Later, when we were lying replete and exhausted, I sighed. “If you weren’t already knocked up, that time would have done it, I’m sure.”
Jaelyn giggled and lifted her head from where it had been resting and grinned at me. “Maybe. But I think we should practice as much as possible to make sure we definitely get it right.”
“Baby, we can practice anytime you want.”
I hugged her close before rolling onto my back and on to my other side. I opened the drawer of the side table and grabbed the little black velvet box. Then I reversed my position.
Jaelyn’s eyes were closed, so I took the ring out of the box and quickly slid it on her finger. Her eyes suddenly popped open, and she stared down at the glittery piece of jewelry. “Yes!” she shrieked and attacked my face with kisses.
Alpha Heroes: A Me, Myself & I Collection Page 10