by K. Langston
“Nice to meet you too, sweetheart.”
After Izzy released me, Denver stepped forward. “Good to see you again, Lil Bit.”
I giggled, hugging him. “It’s been a long time since someone called me that.”
“You’re still crazy short,” he said, giving me a wink.
“No, you’re just crazy tall.”
They were all giants compared to me, each hovering well over six feet tall. All of them had dark hair and light colored eyes, just like their mom and dad.
“Your daughter is beautiful.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m in deep shit.”
“Well, look on the bright side, at least she’s got plenty of protection.”
“Got that right!” Benson said, snaring me in a big bear hug, my feet leaving the ground as he swung me around. “Well, look who went and got all hot on us.”
Ryker punched him in the arm. “Put her down, asshole, and watch her foot.”
Benson set me down gently, making sure I had my balance before his hands left my waist.
“You were always smooth with the ladies,” I said, blushing.
He winked. “Still am, sweetheart.”
Asher was next, swooping me off my feet. “Damn it, Ash, be careful,” Ryker scolded.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt her.” A laugh broke free as he placed me back down on the ground.
He kissed my cheek before Justin stepped in next. “Lookin’ good, short stuff,” he said, wrapping me in his arms.
“All right, damn it.” Ryker swatted his hands away. “I’ve had enough of you animals pawing all over her.”
“Aw, you jealous, baby brother? Afraid she might leave you for one of us?” Benson teased.
“Hell no. She knows she got the pick of the litter.”
Benson barked with laughter, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Ryker flipped him the bird.
Living next door to the Cunninghams, we were all pretty close. Birthdays, family barbecues, we even rounded up some of the other neighborhood kids every summer for a big softball game. Even as they grew older, they always came back home and they’d always treated me like their own, which meant I was no exception when it came to messing with their little brother.
Marsha, Ryker’s mother, stepped forward, engulfing me in a massive hug. Her familiar scent wrapped around me, bringing with it the best years of my life. “Welcome home, honey.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to hold back the tears but failed miserably when Neil wrapped his arms around us both, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. “In this family, no one fights alone.” Ryker was right there when they released me. “We’re so happy to have you back.”
“I’m honored to be here. Congratulations on your anniversary.”
“Thank you for being here to celebrate with us,” Marsha said.
“Where’s Reid?” Ryker asked, resting his hand at the small of my back.
A sense of contentment washed over me. I craved the feeling he provided, the safety of his touch and embrace had become addictive, and he welcomed my need each and every time.
Neil wrapped an arm around his wife before he answered. “He missed his flight. Don’t worry, he’ll be here.”
“Let’s eat cake!” Isabelle begged, tugging on Denver’s arm.
“Not yet, Izzy girl. Pictures first.”
“But we can’t take pictures without Uncle Reid. Please!”
“We made it,” Reid announced he walked through the double doors, a beautiful brunette accompanying him. Neil and Marsha met them halfway, embracing their son in a welcoming hug.
Benson lowered his voice. “Shit, Denver, is that who I think it is?”
Denver nodded. “Cassidy.”
They all shared a look.
“Who’s Cassidy?” I asked.
“Cassidy Sky. Bodie’s little sister,” Ryker said.
“Oh.”
“We haven’t seen her since Bodie was murdered. What—seven or eight years ago?”
“At least,” Asher finished.
Justin’s brows were pinched together. “She would have been sixteen then.”
“Holy shit,” Benson cursed. “She grew up.”
“A lot,” Asher added with a smirk.
“That’s a fucking understatement,” Reid said, joining the circle, giving them each a manly hug before finally making his way to me. “Good to see you again, short stuff.” Of all the brothers, Ryker had always been closest with Reid. So growing up, he hung out with us more.
“You, too.”
Unlike the rest of his brothers, Reid wore his hair long, almost shoulder length. By all appearances, he looked laidback and relaxed, but I could see the darkness in his eyes.
The sadness.
Ryker leaned forward. “What’s Cassidy doing here?”
Reid inhaled a deep breath, folding his arms over his chest before looking over his shoulder at Cassidy, who was speaking with his parents. “Bodie’s killer was released on parole a few weeks ago. She’s been on the run ever since. Showed up on my doorstep two days ago. She’s been living in state parks, tents… I can’t even stomach some of the places she’s slept in. She thinks he’s after her.”
“Is he?” Denver asked, concerned.
“I’m not sure,” Reid said.
“She testified in his trial, right?” Justin inquired.
“Yeah, that’s why she’s so scared. He promised before going in he’d take care of her when he got out. That’s why she moved to Florida with her aunt.”
“Fuck,” Asher cursed.
“What’s the plan?”
“Right now she’s staying with me.” Reid supplied.
“I got a friend with the FBI, Ryder Jameson, I can give him a call, get him to check into things,” Benson offered.
“Yeah, man, I would appreciate that.”
Benson immediately pulled out his phone and began texting.
“You going to be able to control yourself, little brother?” Asher asked, nodding toward Cassidy, who was making her way over to Reid.
“I got this,” he ensured, but none of them looked convinced.
And judging by his intense gaze, I didn’t believe him either. He cared for her deeply, that much was evident.
The next few hours were nothing short of amazing. Dinner. Dancing. It was all so well thought-out and romantic. Some of their closest friends and family were there. A lot of them were police officers that had worked with Neil or Ryker. Felix, Ryker’s partner, was there as well, along with his wife, Holly.
A few hours later, long after the sun had set and most of the guests had left, we were all sitting around the fire bar. The sound of laughter echoed off the nearby lake as Neil and Marsha, surrounded by their children, opened gifts.
Marsha held up Benson’s gift for everyone to see. A set of silver spoons mounted to an old wooden board that said…
Spooning since 1976
“I love it,” Marsha said, tears of mirth in her eyes.
Benson smiled proudly. “I knew you would.”
“This is from the rest of us,” Reese said, walking toward the easel covered with a silk ruby sheet.
When she revealed the painting, everyone gasped except Marsha, she was in tears. The background was a brilliant array of colors—blue, purple, pink, and yellow. There was a tree dominating the center, the thick long branches stretching out over the canvas, black birds perched on every limb.
Marsha and Neil stood to read the scripture painted close to the base of the tree.
The roots of a family tree begin with the love of two hearts.
The Cunninghams
Est. 1976
“Reese, it’s beautiful,” Marsha said, as she embraced her daughter.
Before I could stop my mouth, I asked, “Why are there twelve birds?”
“One for each member of the family,” Ryker answered next to me.
Doing the math in my head, it didn’t add up. “Seve
n siblings, two parents?”
“Plus Suzy and Izzy.”
Ten.
Eleven.
“And you,” he whispered next to my ear, dropping a kiss to my cheek.
Tears sprang to my eyes.
I couldn’t describe what I felt in that moment.
Acceptance.
Love.
Marsha and Neil went around passing out hugs, thanking everyone. Once they made their rounds, Neil raised his glass, Marsha pressed firmly to his side. “To the Cunninghams.”
We all raised our glasses. “The Cunninghams!”
At last, I’d found my place in this world. Next to a man I loved with a family I’d always longed for.
It’s taken some time and a whole lot of patience, but I’m finally beginning to find pieces of the girl I once knew. The one who used to laugh a little louder than the rest. The kind of laugh that settled deep into your bones and made you want to build a fort around it. Her beauty was the unknowing kind. She had no idea the effect she had on me or those around her. But especially me. Slowly, MaryAnn was beginning to realize just how strong she still was. Day by day, I watched her grow more confident, more sure of herself.
How she interacted with my family tonight…I couldn’t help but fall harder for her. I know it might seem too soon, but you couldn’t put a timeline on something like this. My heart didn’t care if I’d known her five minutes or my entire fucking life.
I wanted her.
Needed her.
I needed to love her until she couldn’t see or breathe anything but me. Until we were nothing more than two burning flames of bone and flesh, out to destroy everything bad that had ever come between us.
Walking back to our room, my hand rested possessively on her lower back while desire ran a marathon in my veins. Every single muscle in my body screamed to take her. But I wanted tonight to be special, and I wanted her to feel each moment. To live it.
Breathe it.
Pleasuring her had become my favorite thing to do. Her sounds alone were enough to drive me wild, paired with her hands and how they roamed my body. It was a wonder I’d been able to maintain any semblance of control around her.
She was nervous, I could tell by the way her eyes shifted to the side with each step, but it was also mixed with anticipation.
Desire.
We almost made it to the door before my restraint lost its battle with my addiction.
Her sweet lips.
My hand snaked up her back to curl around her neck, anchoring her to me in one swift move, before I pressed her back against the wall next to us. I tagged the back of her knee with my other hand, lifting her bad foot from the floor, relieving her of the weight.
She rewarded me by pushing her hips upward, seeking.
The smile that parted her lips was so fucking beautiful. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kiss it right off of her face and or let it rest there awhile.
Satisfaction rolled through me when her eyes sparkled, that confidence growing a little more as her hands moved from my chest to the back of my neck, jerking me down to meet her perfect lips.
Lips that spoke of hunger.
Need.
Love.
It was meant to be a brief kiss, because I knew if I tasted her for too long, I would lose my goddamn mind, but my girl had other plans. Lips parted, her small, wet tongue darted out, and it was equivalent to tossing a match into a river of gasoline. Every single nerve in my body was on fire, burning with a primal craving.
My hands moved to her ass, dipping beneath the little black dress that had driven me half crazy tonight, my fingers digging into the soft skin to lift her up as I fed from her hungry mouth. Short, ragged breaths were the only sounds filling the hallway, and I was certain they fled in time with my thrumming heart.
Her hands snuck beneath my shirt, wrestling for purchase. Her touch was a sword, slicing me wide open for her to reach inside and take what was left of me.
She could have it.
It was all useless without her anyway.
“Ryker, please.”
The longing in her voice had my hands moving to her face, angling her head so I could find a deeper connection. A growl vibrated in my chest as I lifted her and carried her to the hotel room door. Once inside, I stood her up next to the bed, swaying slightly, almost drunk on her taste, her presence.
Her fucking need.
My control was fading, erased by my own desire for her.
“I want you so bad, baby,” I whispered between her lips. “Can you feel it?”
“Yes.”
My hands moved to the back of her dress, drawing down the zipper slowly. “Tell me what you feel.”
“Hands.”
My tongue tasting the skin of her neck, I asked, “Where?”
“Everywhere.”
Her dress fluttered to the floor. “What else?”
“Lips,” she answered breathlessly.
I pressed them to her bare shoulder. “Where?”
With the tilt of her head, her mouth stole mine, fingers burrowing into the back of my head as she tugged me closer, completely taking over. Each scrape of her nails raking across my skin and every moan that escaped her mouth was one step closer to my demise.
Jesus, I could come just from this fucking kiss.
She slowed her breathing and the kiss, easing her hold on my neck, relinquishing control back to me.
“What else do you feel, baby?” I asked in a deep voice that made her eyes flutter closed as I pressed myself against her.
I could taste it on her lips, but I was dying to hear her say it. In the span of three breaths, she finally opened her eyes once more and answered.
“You.”
My fingers trembled as I began pushing the buttons through the holes of his shirt, our mouths still fused together, hot and ravenous, both of us completely consumed by the other.
“Please,” I managed between breaths. “I want you inside of me, Ryker. Please make love to me.”
Miraculously, I finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it from his broad shoulders. He sat me down on the edge of the bed, kneeling before me to remove my boot and ballet flat. Once he’d gotten rid of both, he leaned in for another kiss.
“Lay down, baby,” he ordered in a soft, commanding tone. “And scoot back.”
I did as he said, watching with rapt anticipation as he slid his jeans and underwear down his strong legs. Bringing a condom with him, his knee hit the bed as he crawled toward me.
I was nearly breathless when his powerful body covered mine. “Oh wow, this is really happening.”
Ryker raised a teasing brow. “Second thoughts?”
“Never.”
He positioned himself between my open legs, careful of my foot. “Good. Because right now, there’s nothing else in this world I want more than to make sweet fucking love to you,” he said, dropping a kiss to my cheek, then my neck.
I could hear every single heartbeat, loud in my ears, heavy in my chest. Desperate for every kiss, every touch, as if it were the only way it could continue beating.
“I want that, too.”
His lips moved to the base of my throat, kissing the band of promises he’d made so many years ago while his hands roamed my body with purpose and ease. The sounds he forced from my mouth were almost embarrassing, my need for him brutal and honest, but very, very real.
With unabashed bravery, I reached down, taking his hard length in my hand, stroking up and down while attempting to collect a few deep breaths to calm myself.
“Fuck, baby.”
The seductive tone of his voice had me panting harder. His lips seized mine in a bruising kiss, robbing me of air, inhibition, and the last remaining pieces of my mangled heart.
Pulling away slowly, he sat up to roll on the condom. My eyes never wavered from his, that intense gaze pinned me in place, holding me captive like it always did. But being trapped there didn’t make me feel like a prisoner.
Those heavy blue eyes alw
ays set me free.
His body covered mine once more. I swallowed hard. The emotions bubbling up inside of me were desperate to escape. Mouth sealed over mine, he positioned himself, sliding in inch by torturous inch until he was fully seated. The sensations roaring through my body were unmatched; nothing had ever felt more complete, more beautiful than this.
Propped up on his elbows, his hands cradled my head as he began to move, setting a slow and steady pace of thrusts that were synced in harmony with his kisses.
My hands became little beggars, urging him with my fingers and nails to give me more. His body complied with my silent demands. Every move, every whisper of skin, every touch burned so deep—so pure—igniting a firestorm inside my mended soul.
“Let go, baby.”
Closing my eyes, I surrendered to his demanding plea and flew. Crying out as I soared through dark clouds of pain and regret to a place I never even knew existed.
A low growl shredded his throat as he began to thrust harder, each stroke more powerful than the last, until he succumbed to the moment we both craved.
Blood rushed with pleasure through my veins and my lungs pumped precious air, but the true feeling of being alive had never occurred until this very moment.
“I always dreamed what it would have been like with you.”
I couldn’t breathe. Speaking was out of the question.
“My mind is a liar. It could have never known it would be like this.”
Tears burned my eyes as he pulsed inside of me.
“Ryker.”
“Nothing compares to you. This. Us. Nothing ever has. Nothing ever will.”
Then his mouth seized mine in that familiar way I’d grown to love. In the last couple of days, I’d discovered his different brands of kisses. And how each one was special and unique. Like how his hello kisses were filled with excitement and laced with desire. His good-bye kisses held a pound of reluctance to leave, but a ton of reassurance to return.
Then there was his kiss of need.
God, I loved those kisses.
Unbridled and wild, filled with the most beautiful promise of pleasure.
But this kiss said more than any of those kisses combined. It screamed love. It screamed forever.
It screamed…