#Bae (The Hashtag Series Book 8)

by Cambria Hebert

  “Christ, baby,” I swore.

  She made a small sound and wiggled so I was even deeper.

  My eyes rolled back in my head.

  But then reality came a’knocking.

  I wasn’t wrapped.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity.

  I wanted to stay where I was. I longed to pull out and sink back in again. I craved the way it felt to be this close.

  I started to pull out.

  She caught my hips, opening her eyes. “Stay.”

  “I forgot—”

  “I know.”

  “Rim…”

  “Stay.”

  I surged back in. Pure instinct took over. I reined it in, moving slow at first. This was a feeling neither of us had known for a long time. It was new again, so I tried to prolong it.

  I kept it slow, painfully so. I made love to her with my body and my heart. Eventually, our unhurried pace just wasn’t enough.

  Eventually, we both needed more.

  With all my weight on my hands, I pumped into her, hard and fast. Her hands gripped my biceps as her hips surged up to meet mine with every plunge.

  I knew when she was close because her hips tilted down and her movements quickened. I let her have control as she basically speared herself on my cock, over and over.

  My name fell from her lips when her body tightened and convulsed. No longer able to thrust against me, I moved my hips, making sure to hit the sweet spot I already knew by heart.

  The little sounds of pleasure she made were like music to my ears, and within seconds, my own release started to work its way up my shaft and threaten to coat her insides.

  I started to pull back, but she grabbed me.

  “Stay.”

  I fell onto my elbows, my face pressed into her neck. My dick pumped deep inside her, spilling out warm seed and making me mutter incoherent words.

  Rimmel rocked gently against me as I came down. Aftershocks rippled through me, and a feeling of satisfaction I hadn’t known for so long kidnapped my limbs.

  Leaving myself inside her, I used the last of my strength to roll us over so she was draped over me and I accepted all her weight.

  Neither of us moved. I stayed inside her, even after I’d gone soft. Her head stayed pillowed on the center of my chest, and I stroked her back with languid caresses.

  Eventually, she shivered.

  I realized we hadn’t made it beneath the blankets.

  She weighed practically nothing when I lifted her off. “Please don’t go,” she murmured.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  I yanked the blankets back and slid beneath, guiding her to do the same. Our bodies spooned together, and she sighed a contented sigh.

  “Darcy, Ralph!” I called, making sure I had a good hold of my girl.

  The mattress rocked when both dogs leapt up onto our king-size bed. One settled on the other side of Rim by her knees, the other at her feet.

  “It’s perfect,” she whispered into the night.

  She was right.

  Rimmel

  Murphy was on the counter when I stepped into the kitchen. The second he saw me, his purr tripled in intensity.

  “Murphy the lawnmower,” I sang on my way past and stopped to scratch behind his ears. He only put up with it for so long before giving me a loud, “Yowwl,” because he was tired of waiting for his treats.

  Behind me, Darcy and Ralph were clambering through the living room. The sound of something being knocked over had me wincing as I was pulling out the cat snacks.

  I didn’t bother looking. I probably didn’t want to know anyway.

  Murphy was watching me intently when I crossed to him and put two small, soft treats in the palm of my hand and held them out.

  He ate them gingerly, like he had all the manners in the world.

  I guess he did compared to the two dogs begging at my feet.

  Once Murphy was finished, I scratched him again before he sauntered off down the island and hopped onto the floor. The dogs didn’t even bother trying to chase him. Instead they hammered their tails against the floor and stared at me longingly.

  I laughed and grabbed the dog bones next.

  “Shake,” I told Darcy, who immediately held out his paw for me. “Good boy,” I praised and gave him the snack.

  Next, I did the same for Ralph. He didn’t give me his paw. He rolled over and showed me his belly. “Close enough!” I declared and gave him the bone.

  Once the coffee was on, the dogs were at my feet again, begging, so I shooed them outside. The morning air was crisp; the scent of fall floated on the breeze. I shivered a little, snuggling down into my hoodie, and settled in the open doorway to gaze out over the property.

  It was so beautiful here. Wide open, secluded, and quiet. I watched a few sunny-colored leaves swirl downward before settling in the grass. My cheeks were upturned; the air bit at them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. I felt refreshed, like I hadn’t been able to enjoy this much of my surroundings in a long time.

  Last night had been… Wow.

  The feel of him inside me… and then again this morning. Romeo was everything I could ever want.

  It surprised me that he seemed to be just as tormented as me the past few months. All this time, we’d been suffering alongside each other, trying to shield the other, when what we should have been doing was working through it together.

  No more of that, though. It was all out in the open. I knew it. I could feel it. Last night felt a whole lot like the air tickling my cheeks right now. A fresh start.

  Not a do-over.

  Not forgetting.

  Just beginning again.

  Beginning didn’t seem too overwhelming with Romeo at my side.

  “Morning!” Ivy chirped from behind.

  I turned from the doorway as she stepped into the kitchen. “Hey.” I smiled and pulled the door closed.

  Prada was dancing around Ivy the same way Ralph and Darcy had done me. Ivy laughed and gave the dog her bone, then headed for the coffee.

  Her hair was wavy today. I don’t know how she got it to look so good. Her face was free of makeup but had the soft sheen of moisturizer. Unlike me, she’d changed out of her pajamas.

  Hey, I put a hoodie over mine. That kinda counted as getting dressed… right?

  She was dressed in a pair of pastel-pink leggings, gray slipper boots, a slouchy gray T-shirt, and a mint-colored duster that hung down to her knees. It looked soft to the touch and sort of floated behind her when she walked.

  “Did you have some yet?” she asked, holding out her mug.

  “Not yet.”

  “Oh good, then. I’m just in time.”

  “Where’s Nova?” I asked, glancing around like I expected her to just walk right in.

  “With Braeden. I’m pretty sure he took her to go bother Romeo.”

  I snickered.

  “Girl time.” She smiled.

  We hadn’t had girl time in a while. I missed it.

  I took the creamer and a bowl of washed berries out of the fridge, set them on the island, and went for the coffee. Ivy reached into the pantry and pulled out a loaf of pumpkin bread she’d made sometime yesterday.

  Ivy was actually a really good cook. Better than me… but I would hopefully learn.

  Once we both had our coffee the way we liked it, we sat at the bar with the berries and bread in front of us. We didn’t bother with plates, something we wouldn’t ever do if the guys were in the room.

  They’d see us once and think they’d never need to use a plate again.

  So ridiculous.

  I popped a raspberry in my mouth and savored the slightly tart flavor on my tongue. Ivy sipped at her coffee but then got up to let Prada out once she finished her bone.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked, coming back to sit down again.

  “Sore,” I answered honestly. Especially my chest area. “And my face burns. Stupid rash.”

  “I have cream that will clear that up,” she said. “I�
��ll put it in your bathroom.”

  Ivy had a cream for everything. It was a talent.

  “Braeden told me what happened.” She began, and I nodded.

  “Stupid paparazzi,” I muttered.

  “They really have become obsessed with you guys,” Ivy remarked, breaking off a piece of the bread and popping it into her mouth.

  “I know.” I sighed. “I can’t believe they called my father.”

  “Two million dollars is a lot of cash,” she said.

  “Do these tabloids really pay that?” I asked, seriously.

  “Oh yeah, if the story’s big enough.”

  “Well then, I don’t think they’ll be abandoning their stalker ways anytime soon.”

  “I don’t think so either.” She frowned. “I wish there was something I could do.”

  “I really don’t think there’s anything any of us can do. Romeo was making noise last night about filing a civil suit against the men who ran me off the road.”

  Ivy’s eyes widened. “Do you know who they are?”

  “No. I gave the description of the cars to the cops, though. They were out looking last night. Part of me hopes they found them, because what they did to me was so scary…”

  “But?”

  “But the other part is worried about what Romeo will do, and it may be better if they just disappear.”

  “All four of them are going to be overbearing idiots for the next few months,” Ivy said, forlorn.

  “I know.”

  “Braeden actually told me I should cancel my trip to New York this morning.” She made a rude sound. “As if! What am I supposed to do? Call People magazine and say, Oh, sorry, my husband won’t let out of the house because he hates reporters?”

  “I forgot that trip was coming up,” I said, sipping the coffee. It tasted good, slightly sweet and warm. It felt amazing against my throat, which was sore and a little scratchy. Absentmindedly, I rubbed below it, the bruise on my chest aching.

  “It’s just a few days,” she said. “I’ll be in meetings and photoshoots mostly. Just stuff for my column.”

  “It’s the best feature in every issue,” I said, and I meant it. I always read her column, even if skipping past some of the stories and photographs of me sometimes gave me a stomachache.

  “My channel on YouTube just hit one million subscribers.” She flashed a straight, white smile.

  “Oh my God! That’s awesome! Why didn’t you tell me right away!” I leapt up and threw my arms around her.

  She laughed and hugged me back. There was a time when I was more reserved with physical affection—hell, affection of any kind—but not anymore. Not with my family.

  “We have to celebrate!” I insisted. “Should we have a party?”

  Ivy laughed. “I think we have enough going on right now. Maybe for two million.”

  I didn’t like that idea. I made a mental note to talk to Braeden so we could at least come up with something special for her. She’d worked so hard over the past year and a half. Even with having a baby, she still made time to get her career off the ground. Now here she was with a huge style channel online and a monthly column in one of the biggest magazines in the country.

  “I’m so proud of you. Everything you’ve done,” I told her.

  “You, too,” she insisted. “You practically built that shelter from the ground up. It’s the nicest facility in this entire state.”

  “I want to do more,” I said, then realized I was downplaying what I’d achieved and told myself to knock it off. “It’s a great place. I do want to expand a little, offer a veterinarian clinic.”

  “Oh, I like that idea. Are you rethinking vet school?”

  “Somedays.” I admitted. “But I like where I am right now. I like being able to work with the shelter animals, in a way make my hours. I plan on doing a lot more fundraising this year as well. I can’t do all of that and hopefully have a family with Romeo and be in school.”

  Ivy set down her mug with a thump. “A family.” She picked up on that little slip right away. “Are you…?”

  I shook my head quickly. “No. But I think I’m ready to be.”

  This time Ivy hugged me. We both laughed because we were being total girls. “I’m so excited! Nova will have a playmate!” Then she pulled back. “Wait, are you okay with it? How are you?”

  “I’m doing better. I went to the doctor yesterday.” She nodded because she’d known about the appointment.

  “I thought you going after hours would have helped keep away the press.” Ivy scowled. “Did they follow you?”

  “I didn’t think so.” I puzzled. Up until now, I’d been so upset over the accident and everything with Romeo last night, I hadn’t given it much thought. How did they find out? I glanced at Ivy. “They were shouting at me, saying I was undergoing IVF because I was desperate to conceive.”

  She made a choked sound. “Ugh! I’m sorry.”

  I shrugged. What they said really wasn’t the issue, although it did make me mad because they acted as if IVF were something bad or to be ashamed of. It isn’t. Not at all, and if I were doing that, they had no business trying to make the situation harder.

  Where would they even get that idea?

  Suddenly, the mental image of the receptionist sitting at the desk as I was leaving flashed into my mind.

  I knew. I knew.

  “It was her,” I muttered, feeling like an idiot.

  “Who?” Ivy insisted.

  “The receptionist at the office. I didn’t really think much about it before, but it seemed a little odd she was still there as I was leaving.”

  Ivy’s blue eyes narrowed. “The dirty bitch probably called the press and got a payday.”

  “Wonder how much my car accident earned her,” I said, bitter. It hurt me that I couldn’t even trust my doctor’s office. Was nothing private anymore?

  “It’s definitely a headline today,” Ivy muttered.

  I rolled my eyes and picked up my coffee. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

  Ivy’s eyes twinkled, and she leaned forward to whisper, “Wanna talk about babies?”

  I giggled. “There’s no baby to talk about… yet.” I felt my own eyes widen. “Unless!” I glanced at her midsection.

  “Oh no!” Ivy shook her head. “I’m not pregnant.”

  “Are you going to have more?”

  She averted her gaze, picking at the fruit.

  “Ivy?”

  “Braeden wants to.”

  “But you don’t?” I pressed.

  “No, I do… I just…”

  A lightbulb went off overhead. “It’s because of me, isn’t it?” I whispered.

  “No! No, I…” Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t think about having more kids right now when you’ve been struggling so much. It seems cruel.”

  I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I would never want you to put your own family on hold because of me. I would never be hurt by you and my brother having more children.”

  It touched me more than I think she would ever know that she considered my feelings when contemplating her own life choices. It also made me feel a little guilty, as if I were holding her back.

  “You’re our family, too,” she insisted. “Besides, I’m busy with work right now. Nova is a handful. It’s your turn. Yours and Romeo’s. Maybe next year will be ours.”

  “But what if I can’t?” I said, voicing the same redundant fear that always seemed to come up and bite me.

  “You can,” Ivy said, her voice absolute.

  “Yes. I can,” I echoed, more for myself than her. “But promise me you won’t put your life on hold for me. And if and when it happens, I want to know. Don’t not tell me because you think it will break me. I love Nova, and I will love any other little Braedens you have.”

  “Girl!” Ivy scoffed. “You may be little and the guys might argue with me, but I know you aren’t so easily broken. Neither of us is.” We both laughed. Then she turned serious. “Thank
you.”

  “So…” I began, lightening up this girl time. “When do you leave for New York?”

  “In a few days.”

  “Are you taking Nova? Want me to watch her?”

  “Actually, I’m bringing her with me. My mom is flying in. She’s going to stay at the hotel with Nova when I’m in my meetings. Then we’ll hit up a couple kid museums.”

  “Just your mom?” I asked, thinking of the birthday party disaster.

  She made a sour face. “Oh yes, I made sure of that. I can’t handle my father right now.”

  “He still hasn’t come around at all?” I murmured, thinking of the hurt I saw on Trent’s and Drew’s faces.

  “No.” Ivy’s voice was hard. “And I just can’t understand it. I gave him a piece of my mind when he showed up here, and it wasn’t a friendly piece either.”

  “I don’t understand either,” I said, slipping into my own private thoughts. It was way too soon for me to think I couldn’t have children; it wasn’t totally out of the cards for me. However, being a woman who just went through the loss of a child, it seemed unfair. Why would someone who was blessed with not one, but three children be foolish enough to push one away while other people out there would kill for the chance to have just one and love them no matter what?

  I cleared my throat. “Was your father upset when you read him the riot act?”

  “Of course. He tried to lecture me. I wasn’t about to listen to it, and we got into an argument. Of course, Braeden heard, and you know how he is. The second he heard my father raise his voice at me, he was showing him the door.”

  “I’m sorry.” I laid my hand on hers. “I know what it’s like to have a rocky relationship with a father.”

  She smiled. “Good thing we have each other. I figured this trip would be a chance for my mom to see Nova, because we won’t be seeing her during the holidays. It’s neutral territory, and I’ll be busy so there won’t be much time to get into it about Drew.”

  “The holidays,” I mused, realizing they were creeping up on us. “We’ll make it special, really decorate the compound,” I vowed.

  “Definitely.” She smiled.

  After that, our chatter turned to clothes and other light topics. The dogs all raced back in from outside and danced around our chairs, hoping for dropped morsels of food.