by Ali Parker
"We just started dating." I snorted and pulled my hand from his. "But, I guess I'm hoping that the assistant coaching job up here will be open about the time I leave. Coach Warren mentioned it the other day." I shrugged. "I'd love to coach until I started a family."
"You want a family?"
I turned on the car and started the heater. "Yeah. Do you?"
"Absolutely. I know it's silly, but it's one of the only things I want." He pursed his lips together tightly, as if wanting to say more, but unwilling to open his heart up too much.
"It's not silly." I reached over and rested my hand on his thigh. "It's weird to think Aubrey and Lucas are going to be married in a month. I honestly didn't think she would get hitched until she had her career under way and a million dollars in the bank."
"You and me both." He took my hand in his. "I've always been the one of the two of us that wanted to get married and have kids."
"What are you wanting to do with your business degree? Still hoping to own your own business?" I knew the answers to most of the questions I asked him, but it was nice to hear it from him instead of second-hand from Aubrey.
"Yeah. My dad and I have been looking at property in town. As long as I can pass this freaking Chemistry class, I'll be good to go." He ran his fingers down mine and intertwined them with mine. "I want to stay in Providence. You good with that?"
The fact that he cared where I wanted to spend my future meant something - he expected me to be a part of his life for a while. I wanted to crack open his thoughts and see where I fit into everything, but it wasn't possible. Obviously he planned on us being together after graduation.
"I want to stay here too unless there's a reason to move." I turned my attention toward him, letting my eyes run over his strong features. He was beyond handsome and had every quality that a good man did. He was kind and caring, dominant and yet soft when I needed him to be.
"What?" He glanced toward me.
"Nothing. I'm just trying to grasp the idea that this thing between us might last for longer than a few months." I shrugged and pulled my hand from his before wrapping my arms around me.
"What?" He chuckled and pulled up to the apartment complex. "A few months?"
"Yeah. I've never had a relationship last very long." I shrugged and got out of the truck, walking to the front as he reached for me.
"You're the only woman I've ever seen in my future, Layla. This isn't a fling or a friends with benefits thing for me. I love you. Aubrey and Lucas are using the church first, but if it was up to me, we'd be following behind them pretty quickly." He leaned down and brushed his nose by mine. "Too much?"
"No." I let out a soft sigh and pressed myself against him. Why was I trying to protect myself from the greatest love affair I could ever have? "I want that too."
"Good. Then start planning the future with me." He kissed the side of my mouth. "How many babies are you going to give me?"
Tears burned my eyes. "As many as you want."
He nodded. "Good answer."
I pressed my lips to his and let out a soft cry as he tightened his hold on me. No more searching, no more looking, no more hoping for the right man, though I knew all along where he was and who he was. I didn't have to wonder anymore. He wanted me forever. That didn't have to start when I had a ring on my finger. It could start now.
"Make love to me," I whispered against his lips.
"You don't have to ask me twice." He bent down and picked me up.
I yelped and swatted at him as he jogged up the stairs holding me in his arms. "Put me down! You're going to hurt your back."
"Hush. I'm not going to hurt anything but your vocal chords. I plan on listening to you use them up tonight." He stopped at the door and tilted his head. "Yeah, I gotta put you down to get the keys."
We laughed together and he set me down and opened the door.
I walked in and pulled off my earrings before tugging my hair down from the ponytail I had it in. "I'm going to start you a shower."
"All right. I'll be right there. I need some water. Layla."
I turned around and pressed my hand to the wall as my knees grew weak. He was so far beyond beautiful. I didn't deserve a man like him, but there he was. Finally. Mine.
"Yes?" I brushed my hair back and pressed my teeth into my bottom lip.
"I love you. Like crazy much. Stop thinking this isn't forever, okay? Just because it's new doesn't mean my feelings are. Me loving you is a really, really old thing." He winked and walked into the kitchen, leaving me broken open. I knew exactly what he meant. It was my story as well as his.
After turning on the shower, I walked to my bedroom and sat down on the edge of my bed. There was a missed call from my mother, which caused my pulse to spike immediately. There hadn't been too many times over the last eight months that I'd gotten a call from her that wasn't an emergency.
"Mom?" I spoke quickly as she picked up the phone.
"Hey, baby." She sounded normal. Almost too normal.
"Everything okay?" I realized I was hunched over and whispering. Fear had me bowing to its power. I forced myself to my feet and walked around the room. "You're not hurt are you?"
Jayce appeared in the doorway wearing his black boxer briefs and nothing else. I wanted to appreciate the sight of him, but I couldn't.
"I'm okay. I promise." She paused. "Your dad visited with a counselor this week. It went really well."
"That's great news." I turned and walked toward Jayce as his face filled with concern.
I pulled the phone from my ear and put it on speaker so he could hear the conversation too. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to the top of my shoulder as I sagged against him.
"Yeah. I was calling to see if maybe you and Jayce might want to come have lunch out at the house tomorrow. Your dad's fighting through a lot of demons right now, but he's not drinking. I think maybe having you guys come by would help. He's probably going to be a little embarrassed, but he needs to see other people care about him." Her voice softened as if she were struggling to hold herself together.
"Of course, Mom. We'll be there for lunch tomorrow. You want Jayce to bring some gloves and a ball? You know Daddy loves baseball like crazy." I moved back and glanced up as Jayce smiled and nodded in agreement.
"That would be wonderful. I'll cook a big lunch and you guys can join us. I love you, baby. Be safe, okay?"
"All right, Mom. I love you too." I dropped the call and tossed the phone back toward my bed. "Thank God. I thought maybe something was wrong."
Jayce slid his hands up my sides, over my shoulders to cup my face. "Everything is going to be great from here on out. If something goes off course, we'll handle it together, okay? No more worrying tonight."
"Okay." I leaned into him and ran my fingers over his sides, squeezing softly before cupping his butt. "Your butt is so squishy. I love it."
"Good. It's yours." He leaned down, turned his face to the side a little and kissed me in a way that I'd only experienced in my fantasies. His tongue pressed against my lips, beckoning me to open myself up to him. I welcomed him deep inside my mouth and moved my hands down into his underwear, pushing them over the curve of his ass before reaching between us and carefully pulling them over his erection.
"God, you turn me on," I mumbled against his lips as he nodded and moved back.
"Come get in the shower with me. I wanna touch you." He reached for my shirt, pulling it over my head and knelt in front of me to pull my skirt and panties over my thighs. I reached back and undid my bra, tossing it into the hallway.
He pressed his nose and lips against my lower stomach and breathed in deeply as he reached up to brush his fingers by my nipples.
I cupped his head and bent over, kissing him as he glanced up. He grumbled something low in his chest as I moved to my knees. I paused and he stood up, smiling.
"I'm so glad you understand me without me having to say a word." He gripped my hand tightly and walked into the bathroom.
He held back the shower curtain and let his eyes drag across me. "I don't have a condom with me in the apartment, but let's enjoy each other and I'll grab one before we go to bed."
"Sounds good." I got in and moved into the warm spray of water, wetting my front as he moved up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
I moaned and let my head fall back against his strong chest.
"So beautiful, Layla. All mine, right?" He pressed his teeth into the side of my neck softly and I groaned again for him.
"All yours." I slid my hands up the front of the shower and let my head drop, lifting my ass and arching my back. The water danced down my spine and sprayed the front of him while I closed my eyes and relaxed for the first time in a long time. My mom and dad were okay, and Jayce was mine. Aubrey was moving on to a life she wanted more than anything and I had five more months of college before the real world opened its arms to me.
The man behind me wanted me to have his children and to wake up next to him every morning. It was almost too much.
"How did I get so lucky?" he whispered roughly, obviously feeling the same emotions that I was.
I rolled my hips as he gripped them and pressed into me. We could be careful and I wanted to feel his skin against mine. Just once. My legs shook from the pleasure of being taken slow and hard by him. There wasn't a place his hands didn't touch as he kneaded my breasts and massaged my back as we made love.
A few minutes into our love-making, he groaned loudly and pulled out, taking a step back as he panted loudly. "Shit. That's too intense."
"Mmmhmmm. I like it." I turned and moved toward him, pulling him down into a long kiss as I wrapped my fingers around his swollen flesh and brought him over the edge. Having him pant and groan against my lips was delicious. Heady. Powerful.
"I like you." He pulled out of my grasp and sunk down to his knees, turning me and pressing my back to the cold shower wall before pulling one of my legs over his thick shoulders. He glanced up at me as I started to pant. "My turn."
I moaned and sunk my fingers into his hair as he leaned forward and took control of my pleasure, drowning me in lust and working my vocal chords as promised.
Chapter 23
Jayce
I laid in the bed beside her the next morning and watched her sleep. Something told me it was going to be a regular occurrence in my life, which was perfect. It offered me serenity like nothing else had before. Reaching over, I brushed my fingers down the side of her face and licked my lips. I could still taste her from the night before, and fuck if I didn't want more. So much more of her.
A smile lifted my lips as she mumbled something incoherent in her sleep. Aubrey and I had been trying to tell her since we were kids that she talked in her sleep, but she refused to believe it. Now that I had the spot in the bed next to her, I was going to do what my sister never would... I was going to record her talking the next time she got after it.
When we were kids she'd be preaching or teaching school or something insanely serious. A chuckle bubbled up inside my chest as I thought back on all the times I'd stood outside of Aubrey's door and listened to Layla dreaming about instructing someone or something. She was precious, priceless... everything I wanted in my life.
"And now I have you." I moved closer, greedy for her touch.
"Mmmm... morning, baby," she mumbled and rolled over, giving me her back.
I pulled her toward me and tucked myself against her warm skin. "Morning, beautiful. You want me to make some breakfast before we head over to your mom's?"
"What time is it?" She reached back and ran her nails over my outer thigh, causing my cock to jump. The chuckle that left her had me rolling my eyes. The woman loved the power she had over me. Too bad I had no intention of denying her of an ounce of it.
"Eleven." I ran my nose up the back of her neck and kissed the back of her shoulder a few times. "You smell good."
"I smell like our sex." She pulled away from me and sat up.
"Exactly. I love it." I tugged the covers from her, wanting to see her breasts before she got up to get dressed.
"It's cold." She pulled at the comforter on the bed, blocking my view.
"Come back over here and let me snuggle you." I reached for her, tugging at her arm.
"Snuggling isn't all you have in mind. I can tell." She glanced over and smiled as my cock jumped, causing the covers to twitch.
"He likes you. What can I say?" I slipped my hands under my head and smiled as she whipped around, dropping the covers and leaving her top half on full display.
"Likes me? That's it?"
"Loves you. Adores you. Worships you." I reached out and gripped her arm tightly, pulling her toward me. "Come here and I'll show you."
"You're so bad. Here I thought you were a good boy all these years." She pulled the covers off of me and climbed onto my lap.
I folded the pillow under my head and smiled down at her. "I'm glad to know my tricks worked. Go easy on me."
"I don't do easy." She pressed her fingers against my chest and arched her back as I thrusted up and groaned loudly. Pleasure shot across my stomach and raced up my chest, leaving me overwhelmed already.
It took every bit of oomph I had to get my response out as she started to work me. "You don't do easy, but you do slow?"
"You're goading me, Jayce Moore." She bent over, scraping her nipples down my chest as she continued to make love to me.
"Please tell me it's working." I gripped her hips and caressed the top curve of her ass as it bounced against my fingers. It wasn't going to take much and I was going to lose myself inside of her. "Lay. Seriously. Fuck."
"I thought you wanted easy." She licked the side of my neck and laughed as I gripped her tightly and rolled us over.
I pinned her to the bed and licked at my lips as her eyes grew wide. "My turn to play the game."
"Hard please?" She arched her back as my eyes rolled back in my head.
I didn't stand a chance against her. It was the only competition in my life I was good losing - every time.
*
"Come in." Layla's mom pulled the door open to their small house.
I had only been there a handful of times over the years, and it was mostly to just pick the girls up or drop them off.
"Hey Mom." Layla hugged her mom and moved into the house as I followed.
"Mrs. Roberts. Good to see you." I pulled her into a quick hug, glad to see that she was up and moving and looked almost normal. The scene was vastly different from the last time I'd been at their house.
"Your father is out back on the porch. He's having some trouble this morning." Mrs. Roberts let out a long sigh and wiped her hands on a dish towel she was holding.
I breathed in deeply and smiled. "Is that meatloaf?"
"Yeah." She gave me a shy smile as Layla walked toward the kitchen. "You like meatloaf? I thought about asking Layla to make sure you were good with it before I baked it, but I totally forgot to ask."
"Um, who doesn't like meatloaf?" I chuckled and followed her into the kitchen.
"No one in my family." She walked toward the stove as I paused by the table, unsure of where I was expected to be.
I moved back a little to glance out the window to the backyard. Layla was squatting in front of her father, who was hunched over in a chair with a blanket around his shoulders. My heart ached watching them. My father hadn't served in the military or seen some of the things Mr. Roberts had. All the anger and disgust I felt the last time I was in the house was gone. Pity and concern took its place.
Would Layla stick by my side if things were to somehow get crazy between us? Would she help me work through my shit? My anxiety?
The memory of her sitting on my lap in the truck brushed across my mind, leaving me without a doubt that she would. She was my soul mate. The one I was supposed to spend my life with. I was just damn lucky to have realized it b
efore it was too late.
"Jayce."
I glanced up to see Mrs. Roberts standing beside me.
"Yes, ma'am?" I smiled and slipped my hands in my pockets.
"I'm really sorry about the other day." She glanced toward the ground and I noticed how thin she was for the first time. She wasn't that thin when we were kids. Not to the point of looking malnourished.
I reached out without hesitation and squeezed her shoulder softly. "It's all right. Everyone has things they have to go through. I'm sorry I hit your husband. It was just my first reaction."
"And a good one." She glanced up with tears in her eyes. "He's so embarrassed."
"I can try talking with him, but I really don't know what I would say." I released her and glanced back toward the window. Layla had him in a tight hug and his shoulders were shaking as if he were crying.
"Maybe you don't need to say anything. Maybe just throwing the ball around the yard would be good for him?" She wiped at her eyes and turned her back to me. "I'm going to make mashed potatoes. That sound good?"
"Sounds delicious." I pulled my keys from my pocket. "Let me go grab the ball and gloves and see if he's up for a round of catch."
"Thank you," she called after me.
I kept waiting for the awkward feeling that I didn't belong to rise up in my stomach, or the notion that this was uncomfortable and not my problem, but it didn't. Layla would be my wife before too long. I had no doubt about that. Her problems were my problems. Her family was my family.
My heart constricted in my chest as I jogged down the stairs and walked to the jeep. I needed her to know that I was completely with her. That whatever we had coming at us... good or bad, I was going to fight beside her to make sure we would always be together.
I grabbed the ball and gloves and jogged around the other side of the house, slowing as I reached the patio. Mr. Roberts sat by himself on the porch, his eyes swollen, his face pale and expressionless.
"Hey coach." I jogged up the stairs and smiled at him. He hadn't coached a team in ten years, but I remembered him coaching Layla's t-ball team, her machine-pitch and then her junior league teams. When no other parent would step up... he did. My own dad, who was an outstanding father, never made time to coach one of my teams. There was something to be said about the kind of man Paul Roberts was. Maybe he'd just forgotten.