by Cali MacKay
“It’ll be enough, Sky. Especially when we have a baby on the way.” He cupped my face, running his thumb over my cheek. “We’ll find a way to work through our problems…to leave our past behind. And we’ll not only get through this, but we’ll be all the stronger for it, ’cause we’ll know how hard we fought for our love…our happiness.”
His eyes pleaded with me to give him another chance…to believe in him—in us. And at that very moment, I desperately wanted him to be right. “I do love you, Finn…”
Pulling me close, he kissed my forehead. “That’s all I need, baby girl.”
Yet I needed more… I needed to remember all that was good between us…and I needed new memories to make me believe that it was possible for us to be happy once again.
I kissed him, slow and sweet, doing my best to hold onto the love I had for him. But as our kiss deepened, stoking my need for him, I found myself pulling away, overwhelmed by the onslaught of emotions racing through me, as my past came barreling down on me. I pulled away, squeezing my eyes shut to try to get control of the memories flooding my head. “I’m sorry…”
“Hey… It’s okay, love.” He sat down next to me on the sofa, pulling me into the safety of his arms as I nestled against his side. “We can take things as slow as you need. You set the pace, okay?”
All I could do is nod, though there was still comfort in his touch—and that was a lifeline I didn’t think I’d have. After everything Ray put me through, I didn’t know if I’d ever be okay with any sort of physical contact. But Finn’s touch was so familiar, it was easy to lose myself in the safety he offered.
And so I held onto him as if he was the only thing keeping me afloat in a deep, vast ocean that wanted to drown me.
As long as Skylar let me hold her in my arms, I knew there was hope for us. However, she eventually pulled away and sat back, shifting to face me.
“What is it, love?”
“I need to know…” She bit her lower lip, her gaze shifting to her hands in her lap. “Does this mean you’ve forgiven me for staying with Ray after I found out I was pregnant?”
After our argument, I’d spent far too much time being angry with her, when the truth was she couldn’t have known what would happen. She hadn’t known Ray before getting dragged into a nightmare that was out of her control, and I doubt she had any idea just how sick and twisted he’d be. “All’s forgiven, love. I know I was angry and hurt at the time, but the only one to blame is Ray. You couldn’t have known what was to happen, or I’m sure you’d have gotten out of there.”
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of our child and what could have been. And not a day goes by that I don’t think of what Ray did to me.” She finally found the courage to look at me, tears in her eyes, though she blinked them back. “But I won’t let him win. I can’t let him continue to rule my life with fear even when he’s dead and buried.”
“I can’t even imagine all you’ve had to deal with and try to overcome, but I’m here for you, Sky…whatever you need.” I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze and needing her to know that she didn’t have to deal with this alone. I’d do anything to make her happy once more, to get back what we once had, before Ray…before everything went to hell.
“It means a lot to know that you’re by my side—and it means even more to know that you forgive me.” She let out a ragged breath as if a huge weight had been lifted off her chest, and I couldn’t help but pull her back into my arms, not wanting to ever let her go.
Yet I knew I needed to give her time to come back to me, to let her set the pace, even if we were meant to be together and what was once between us was still there.
Not wanting to overwhelm her, I forced myself to put a little distance between us. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Don’t suppose I could take you out to dinner?”
“Let me cook us something instead. This is far too small a town, and instead of eating, we’ll end up just answering questions about who you are and whether or not we’re an item.” Her lips quirked into a smile, and fucking hell, but it was good to see her smiling again.
I couldn’t help but lean in and steal a kiss. “That could be fun. I don’t mind answering questions.”
“You mean you don’t mind heading into town so you can stake your claim. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, Blackthorn.” Her brows perked up over her steely gaze, making me laugh, since she was one-hundred percent right.
“Fine. You can cook—but only if you let me help.” I followed her into the kitchen, watching as she pulled stuff out of the fridge and set it on the counter. “What’s on the menu?”
“If you think it’s going to be anything fancy, you can guess again.” She leaned up against the counter, her arms crossed in front of her chest, which only served to accentuate her slight baby bump—even if she was only just starting to show.
“I don’t need anything fancy, love…I just need you.” I crossed to her side, gently running my hand over the slight swell of her belly as my heart hammered against my chest. “I just need you and this baby.”
She looked up at me, as if trying to figure out if I was serious, and then leaned in and brushed her lips against mine in a hint of a kiss. “I so want to believe you, Finn…”
“Sweetness…” I brushed the back of my fingers down her cheek, desperate to have her see that I meant every word. “I’ve never lied to you.”
“I know you haven’t. But…sometimes, you want to believe something will be true, and there’s just no way of knowing how it’ll play out.” She played with the buttons on my shirt, her gaze shifting to her fingers, before finally pulling away.
“I know you’re worried about the child being Ray’s and if that’ll change things between us, and I can tell you, without a doubt, that it won’t. Nothing can change how I feel about you.” I resisted the urge to ask her to marry me—again—even though I was desperate to prove to her just how much she meant to me. “I love you, more than life itself. And I know you’ve been through a lot, and you’re probably thinking that you’re not ready to take me back, but I know what’s between us, and we’re meant to be together.”
With her brow drawn over her brown eyes, she chewed her lip, looking unsure. “There are no guarantees that this will work, Finn.”
“I know there aren’t any guarantees—but I also know we love each other, and love can go a long way.” We’d find a way to make this work, because living without her just wasn’t an option. “Now let’s get cooking, since I’m starving, and I’m sure this baby of ours wants to be fed.”
Distracting myself by searing a few steaks for dinner, I tried to wrap my head around the fact that Finn had just walked back into my life, and he wanted a life together—one that included my baby, whether it was his or Ray’s.
It’s not that I didn’t love him—I did. And I had no doubt that he loved me back.
So why the hell was I so hesitant to give in to what was between us?
Yet after all that we’d been through, I had every right to be cautious, and frankly, there was no reason for us to rush into anything.
We had time.
Except that he’d only been here for a few hours, and I was already finding it impossible to ignore the pull he had on me, my very soul drawn to him as if only he could make me feel whole.
Yet as vulnerable as I felt, I just didn’t know how good an idea it was.
I glanced over to where he was chopping vegetables for a salad, and fucking hell, but the man was gorgeous, and sent my heart skittering. I’d missed him something fierce, and had felt his absence, his loss, down to the marrow of my bones.
As if feeling my eyes on him, he looked over at me, tossing me a charming smile and sealing my fate. Because I knew there was no chance I’d be able to resist him for long, no matter how hard I tried. He set the knife aside and leaned against the counter. “Salad’s done. Can I help with anything else?”
What I needed was to put some distance between us, since I c
learly couldn’t be trusted to be around him unsupervised. Maybe I should have invited Colt to join us—though I doubted that would go well. Nothing like getting two stubborn, overprotective men in the same room. “I’m nearly done here, if you want to set the table. Plates are in the far left cabinet, and the silverware’s in the drawer below it.”
He quickly set the table, pausing to look out the window as if something had caught his attention. “I’ve got to say, this place… I can see why you decided to stay. It feels…peaceful.”
“It is. And after everything that happened, I needed a change. I sort of stopped to gas up and get a bite to eat, and ended up staying when I saw Colt’s Help Wanted sign. It’s been just what I needed, to be honest.” Somehow, this place had allowed me to leave behind what happened with Ray, to start fresh. And though I still had issues and heartache to deal with, I didn’t think I’d have managed as well anywhere else.
“We could stay here if you wanted. Most of what I do for Blackthorn Whiskey can be done from anywhere, as long as I have an Internet connection.” With his hazel eyes sparkling, he gave me an easy smile that reminded me of all that had once been between us. “Could be fun. Just you and me…”
“Not sure you’d like it here for very long. Crooked Creek is a hell of a lot quieter than you’re used to, and I have a feeling you’d go stir-crazy after a week or two, even if it does pick up during the summer months with events to draw in tourism—or so I’ve been told.” Finn had spent most of his life in Seattle, and though it was a fairly mellow and laid-back city, it was packed with options for going out. “Hate to say it, but there’s little to do around here.”
“Sweetness…if you think I can’t find ways to keep us entertained, then I’ve clearly been away too long.” With his eyes locked on mine, he crossed to my side, slipping a strong arm around my waist and pulling me to him. Sending my stomach fluttering, he caught my mouth in a hungry kiss, his tongue finding mine in a heated dance that made me want to postpone dinner and make up for lost time. But then he was pulling away, giving me a sexy smile that reached his eyes, making them sparkle and making my pulse race. “Let’s get you and the baby fed first, and then we’ll figure out a way to spend the night.”
“Yeah…’cause I’m sure you don’t have anything at all in mind.” I shook my head, laughing as I was reminded of just how charming and sexy Finn could be—and then chided myself for falling so easily under his spell.
“Not a thing, baby girl—though if I had to guess, I’d say your mind’s in the gutter. Naughty little thing.” He tsk-tsked me, his eyes bright with a sexy mischief as he kicked up the charm.
I could only shake my head, trying not to laugh, and focused instead on serving up the steak and roast potatoes as he set the salad on the table. But as we sat around the small dining room table that had come with my furnished apartment, I found it both odd and comforting to be doing something so mundane as cooking and eating a quiet dinner together. Though I had Colt to keep me company on a fair few evenings, it was different to be sitting here with Finn, and it was a good reminder that we’d once been happy together.
Yet before long, dinner was over, and I found myself oddly nervous, anticipating what was to come, when we had the rest of the night ahead of us.
“I suppose you’re going to want to sleep here tonight, though there’s a B&B on the other side of town.” I shot him a sideways glance, getting the dishwasher started while Finn packed the leftovers into the fridge.
“I’ve spent every moment of every day and night thinking about you. So if you think I’m letting you out of my sight for even a heartbeat, you can guess again—even if you force me onto the sofa.” He pulled me into his muscular arms, sending my heart pounding as my body came alive, especially when he cupped my face and brushed his thumb over my lips.
My breath caught and it was impossible not to lean into his familiar touch, as I wondered how I’d be able to go on denying exactly what he meant to me. I’d never loved anyone but him, and though things had gotten messed up when I left him to try to save my brother, that was all my fault.
Finn didn’t deserve any of the hell I’d put him through.
And though he might be better off without me, there was a good chance this baby was his, and I wanted more than anything to figure out a way to make this work.
I knew I shouldn’t be pushing Skylar when she might not be ready, but it was damn hard to be patient and give her time. She’d been my only thought and her body just felt too damn good in my arms. Yet when she didn’t pull away, but instead leaned into my touch, I knew that she, too, still felt the undeniable pull between us.
“Skylar… I don’t want to rush you, but…I fucking love you—and I’ve missed you something fierce.” I couldn’t keep the intensity or need from my voice, and having her close once more was messing with my head and my heart, making it so I couldn’t think straight.
“I…I’ve missed you too.” She went up onto her toes, leaning into me as she pressed her lips against mine in a hesitant kiss, as I fought to rein in my need for her, knowing that I needed to let her set the pace.
Yet instead of pulling away, our kiss deepened, her tongue darting in to tease mine as I swallowed her needy moans, my hands running down her back to her plump ass. As I hauled her up off her feet, her legs wrapped around my waist and trapped my hard cock between our bodies, making it ache to be set free.
Desperate to sink into her…desperate to feel her tight body wrapped around my cock, until she was screaming out my name, I carried her off to her bedroom, needing to show her just how much she meant to me. Because no matter how hard I’d tried to get over her, I knew down to my very soul that we were meant to be together and nothing could keep us apart.
She was my everything. The blood in my veins, and the very reason my heart beat. And when she wasn’t with me, I felt the loss of her down to my very soul.
After all she’d been through, I wanted to do all I could to erase the hurt and suffering she’d been through, to make sure she felt loved…worshiped.
Lowering her legs to the ground, I trailed kisses down her neck, loving how her back arched in response, as if begging me for more. And by the time I nipped at her shoulder, she was pulling at my shirt, while I freed her of her sweater so I could marvel at her gorgeous breasts, now full from her pregnancy and barely contained by her little, lacy bra. “I’ve missed you so fucking bad, Sky…”
“I’ve missed you too.” She shimmied out of her skirt as I knelt before her, my hands slipping down her thighs to help her out of her knee-high boots.
Unable to think of anything but the sweet taste of her, I gently pushed her back toward the bed until she sat down on the edge as I nestled myself between her legs, nipping and teasing my way up her thighs as she rid herself of her bra, freeing her gorgeous breasts. I pressed a kiss against the intricate lace of her lace panties, the fabric already wet with her need, her familiar scent filling my head as I hooked the lace with my fingers and slowly slipped them off her body.
Pressing her thighs open, I ran my tongue along her slick folds up to her clit, sucking on it as I flicked it with my tongue, loving how she sank her fingers into my hair and pulled me to her as her hips rocked toward me as if begging for more. I teased her entrance and then slipped my finger deep inside her, slowly thrusting as I flicked my tongue against her clit, her taste honey sweet on my tongue.
Fucking hell, I’d missed every little thing about her.
I added a second finger, curling them against the soft bundle of nerves and making her gasp out loud, her hips rocking to match my pace. But when I let my hand drift up to pinch her nipple and pressed a finger to the pucker of her ass, continuing to suck and tease her, it was enough to have her crying out loud. Her legs tensed around my shoulders and her body quivered under my touch, as I milked the last of her orgasm from her body, my cock hard and desperate to have her.
I kissed her thighs and then the swell of her belly, looking up at her with a smile as I contin
ued to trail kisses over her curves, running my tongue over her smooth skin and the curve of her breasts, my heart bursting with the love I had for her. There’d only ever been her…she’d been the only woman to ever capture my heart, and she belonged with me, in my arms, and by my side, our lives and hearts destined to be forever entwined.
Sucking her nipples into my mouth, I relished how each tug pulled a little moan from her lips, until I finally found myself covering her lips with mine in a heady kiss as I nestled myself between her legs, my cock slipping against her slick heat. “Tell me you want this, baby girl…tell me you’ll have me back…that you want to give us another chance.”
“I’ve never loved anyone but you, Finn.” Her words were spoken on a breathless exhale. And then she was kissing me, her lips sweet like sunshine and eager against mine as I slipped my hard length into her slick heat, my heart feeling like it was finally home.
“You’re my whole world, Sky…you and this baby.” I rocked my cock into her tight body, taking her nice and slow, savoring every little moment of our joining, since it’d been the only thing I could think of since I let her walk away from me. And though I wanted to make this last, I didn’t know how long I’d manage to hold out when she felt so fucking good and it’d been far too long.
Her hips met my every thrust as she wrapped her legs around my thighs, pulling me deeper while I swallowed her eager moans, the tension of my oncoming orgasm forcing me to fight it back to keep from coming. Her body tightened around mine, squeezing my cock, as I hammered each thrust into her, teetering on the edge as my tongue clashed with hers.