“Your finger, my clit,” she ground out as she pushed back further against him.
He saw her nails digging even deeper into the leather of the seat. He hoped when they were done, it would wear claw marks, the way he sometimes did on his back. Talk about an ego boost. Pulling his hand off the headrest, he took his index finger and stuck it in his mouth before rubbing her clit in the same way he thrust and withdrew.
“That’s it,” she breathed heavily for him, he could hear it in her voice; see it in the way her body had tightened into a coil. She was close and so was he. Even in the cold air of the night, sweat ran down his temple.
“Don’t stop,” she begged.
He would never stop, never give up until she reached her goal, and then he would follow her to the other side. His thighs screamed as he kept his knees bent to continue reaching her spot, his stomach ached from how tight he was keeping his abdomen, and his fingers were going numb because of the grip he had on the door frame but it didn’t matter. Whatever it took to get them there, he would do.
“Oh fuck, Rooster,” she cried out brokenly as her body answered his with a new wave of wetness.
That was all he needed as he thrust deeper, slamming home, and collapsing on top of her back.
“Shit,” he wiped the sweat out of his eyes.
“I know,” she laughed softly. “I can’t believe we just did that.”
He couldn’t either, but he quickly realized he had to let her up. The weight of him and the vest, along with everything else was probably making her stick to the seat. Levering himself off of her, he helped her pull her pants up, right her shirt, and he tried valiantly to shove himself back in his pants and zip the polyester back up.
Together, holding hands, they walked to their townhouse.
‡
Chapter Four
“You should have told me you had a cop fantasy,” Rooster teased as they lay in bed that morning. Both of them had called in sick to work and dropped Carter off at daycare so they could have the day to themselves. The first thing they’d done was come back and relax under their warm comforter.
She snorted, rolling over so she could face him. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a cop fantasy per se. It’s just always been a fantasy of you losing that firm grip you always have on your control.”
He chose to ignore what she said, because nothing could ever change who he was, and how he conducted himself. He’d had to keep a firm grip on himself for most of his life to make it through what he’d been through.
“What time do we have to go get Carter?” he asked, as he glanced at the ceiling, seeing the time on their projection clock.
“About three, so we have a few hours,” she told him, yawning. “I’m so tired. I don’t know how you’ve been keeping this work schedule you’ve been doing.”
“I’m doing it for you and Carter. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for either one of you. It’s just hard, ya know? We’d never been in a situation like that before. Where we weren’t able to afford our basic expenses and it pissed me off. If it felt like I was pulling away a little, it was only because I felt as if I wasn’t doing enough to make the situation better. I’m used to fixing things, not having to go to other people.”
“I know,” she pressed her hand against his chest. “I know exactly what you mean, because I know the type of man you are. I know who you are, and I know what you do for us. I’m sorry I doubted you, but sometimes you hold things so close, I’m not sure what you’re willing to tell me and what you’re not.”
“Willing to tell you and actually being able to push the words out into the open are two very different things,” he sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard. “But I promise not to keep stuff from you like that again. All in all, the best thing about the security job was me having enough money to get you a Christmas gift.”
Her eyes lit up and she frowned. “Makes me feel like a bad wife, since I got you the combination birthday and Christmas gift a few months ago.”
“That zero turn mower is the stuff of male fantasies, babe. Trust me when I tell you, I’m completely okay with the mower.”
She sat up next to him. “I’m assuming you’re going to give me my gift since you brought it up and since we’re kid-free.”
He put a hand to his chin, seeming to ponder the thought. “I don’t know if you deserve it early or not, maybe I should make you wait until Christmas,” he gave her a teasing look.
“You could, but you know I’d be so focused on Carter, I’d just be like, oh thank you, that’s nice, and go back to helping him. You want me to appreciate this or you wouldn’t have brought it up.”
She really did know him so well. He wanted her to have time to appreciate what he’d gotten her. When it came time to Christmas shop for his wife, Rooster had dug deep in his memory of something she wanted or needed. After three weeks, he’d finally had an idea.
Walking over to their closet, he pulled aside some clothes and emerged with a large wrapped gift.
“It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”
He couldn’t resist injecting a little humor in the situation. “That’s what she said.”
Roni rolled her eyes and pulled the covers up over her body so they could sit with one another. He placed the present in the middle of the bed and waited for her to open it.
When she glanced at him, he scooted back. “Have at it.”
Those were the only words she needed to hear as she tore into the gift.
*
As soon as she got the paper off, she could smell the leather, and Roni was excited to see what was inside the box. There were a bunch of things leather could mean, from a jacket to a purse to boots. And she would love any of them.
Jerking the top off, she pushed aside the Christmas themed tissue paper and gasped as she saw what lay there side by side. A brand new jacket and a pair of new leather chaps. One of the reasons she hadn’t been riding with him in the winter was because she had curves since having Carter and she could no longer stand the cold air.
She’d wanted new leathers for a while but they’d never wanted to take the money and spend it. Then they hadn’t had the money to even think about spending. Now, she could ride with him all night long, if she wanted to.
“I missed you cuddled up on the back of my bike and I hate having to take the truck everywhere, especially if it’s just me and you,” he said by way of explanation.
She hated it too. Missed the wind through her hair, the sting of cold air on her cheeks, and the way she could cozy up to Rooster and feel the freedom of riding with him through the dark of the night.
“Thank you,” she leaned forward, kissing him soundly. “Not only for this, but for this morning, and just for loving me. You never let me get too out there; you always pull me back in when I start going a little off the rails.”
“It’s my job,” he gave her a hug. “Besides, angry make-up sex is some of the best sex ever,” he chuckled.
She had to agree, but she hated they had to get mad in order to have it. “Here I was worried about the Christmas season, kind of concerned we wouldn’t make it through the holidays and hoping like hell we wouldn’t have to find a divorce attorney come the new year.”
“Fuck, your mind runs away with you,” he laughed and pulled her tighter.
“I know,” she groaned. “This is why I need you with me at all times. I need you to keep me from making our life into a telenovela.”
He laughed again, hard this time; his belly tightening up as he threw his head back against the pillow. When he was done, he wiped the joy from his eyes and opened his arms to her. “Merry Christmas Roni, even if it is a few days early. It’s never too early to tell you I love you.”
“Merry Christmas,” she answered back. As she sunk deeper into his embrace, she felt sleep getting ready to overtake her. They were warm and comfortable, secure in the knowledge they had one another. And even though it had started off a little sketchy, this had actually turned out to be one of t
he best Christmases they’d ever had.
Feeling his arms tighten, she kissed his bicep before turning her head into his chest. She could feel his muscles flex as he moved the present off the bed, putting it into the floor. He turned over, taking her with him and buried them both deeply under the covers.
With a sleepy voice, she mumbled back. “Never too early to tell you I love you, too.”
Drew & Charity
‡
Chapter One
Charity Walker did her best to stay awake as she sat in Christine Steele’s salon chair getting her hair done. “If I start to doze, yank on me,” she warned the older woman.
“Those babies keeping you up at night?” Christine smiled at her friend through the mirror.
Charity nodded. “If Harley gets going she wakes up Justice or vice versa and then we’re stuck there for hours. I think Drew is catching cat naps at work,” she pursed her lips and wrinkled her forehead. “But every time I’m almost able to get one, I’m due in court.”
She sighed. She wouldn’t give her children up for anything. Granted the twins had been a huge surprise when she and Drew found out they were expecting, but they’d been okay. The first few weeks things had been confusing and it had taken them a bit to get used to the needs of two newborns, but they’d done it like they did everything else, together. Now that the twins were older, she was hoping like hell they’d be able to start sleeping through whole nights soon. Or at least stop waking each other up.
“Even though I don’t have kids, I know it’s hard. You and Drew work very long hours too, and you’re devoted to your jobs, so I know it’s got to be difficult for you to draw a line. Is this the first time you’ve gone out?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “And I’m so nervous. I know Tatum’s got this, I know she does. I trust her with everything, but it’s two kids, ya know?”
Christine pulled some of the rollers out of Charity’s hair and began arranging it in a mass of curls. “I know, but you’re right, Tatum’s been watching babies for a long time. She knows what to do, and she loves her two nieces. They’re going to be fine tonight. Is she staying at your house?”
Charity pulled her phone out of her purse to check the time before answering. “We got a hotel room downtown at the new hotel next to the Chamber. Since they’re the ones putting on this Christmas After-Hours shindig, I thought there would be a code. I was wrong. It was expensive, like more than our house payment expensive, but we figured it’d be a good Christmas gift to each other.”
“They sure didn’t mention the price when they had the grand opening did they?” Christine’s sarcastic comment made both of them laugh. Being a business woman herself, she was also a member of the Chamber, and would be attending the same party.
“They sure as hell didn’t. I like to have had a heart attack and I almost decided not to do it, but Drew convinced me we needed the time together. We need one night to let our hair down. That’s why I’m trying to stay awake.”
“Have you done a five-hour energy?” Christine pointed over to her mini-fridge. “I keep them in there if you need one.”
“Since I’m no longer breastfeeding I might just take you up on that before I leave.”
*
An hour later Charity had done her makeup, made sure she hadn’t messed up the artful, curly do Christine had given her, and was now trying to figure out what she wanted to wear. She’d brought out three dresses to choose from just in case. Because she hadn’t yet lost all the weight she’d gained with the twins, she wasn’t sure which one she would pick. Two of them still had price tags on them and one was an old standby. Whether she could fit into it or not was a question she hadn’t answered.
“If you don’t wanna be late, we gotta go,” Drew said as he came out of the bathroom, rolling up the sleeves on the shirt he wore.
She felt her mouth go dry and her heartbeat race as she caught a glimpse of him. Her husband didn’t do suits, but he damn sure knew how to rock dress pants and a button up, collared shirt.
“I know,” she pursed her lips as she perused the choice in front of her. “I’m not sure what I want to wear, I need your help.”
He stood up from where he’d been putting on dress shoes, his eyebrows almost to his hairline. “You want my advice on what to wear?”
She threw a shoe in his direction. “I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t want your advice.”
“No, I can remember numerous times when you’ve told me shut up, I didn’t ask you.” He came over and put his arms around her, locking them at her waist. “I’m just enjoying the moment.”
She huffed and tried not to get irritated. “This is why I hate admitting I need your help. Can we please not make this into a huge issue?”
He pretended to think about it for a few minutes before he answered. “Okay, what do you want?”
It was hard for her to ask his help. She’d always been confident in everything she wore, but the twins had done a number on her body. She had stretch marks where she’d never had them before, and things didn’t fit the way they used to. Both of the babies had both loved to lay on one side, and her stomach didn’t seem like it was ever going to completely recover. “Can you just tell me which one doesn’t make me look like a fat cow?”
She tried to keep the tears from her voice, she really did. But it was hard, hard to admit that’s what she thought about herself, and even though they were married, hard to lay herself so bare in front of him.
“Hey,” Drew moved his hand from around her waist, up her chest and below her chin to cup it. Gently he lifted, so they could lock eyes in the mirror. “You’re beautiful.”
She rolled her eyes. “Was beautiful. I don’t look anything like I used to.”
And that was the problem, she wanted to look like she used to so badly. Back when she’d been able to fit into almost anything and it not be a problem. Dear Lord but she longed for those days.
*
Drew didn’t know what the hell was going on. He always tried to show Charity how beautiful she was, always tried to compliment her and let her know he loved her. He’d noticed how quiet she was lately, but he’d thought it was them trying to deal with taking care of two babies. He’d glossed over the fact she looked sad lately by telling himself it was lack of sleep, it was getting up during the night and then the alarm going off not fifteen minutes after getting back in bed. He’d told himself the way she sometimes answered him with one syllable words was because she was irritated or tired or because she was busy at work.
Never once did he think it was because she was insecure about how she looked. And he damn sure never thought she’d be crying about it. This was fucking killing him.
Turning her in his arms, he titled her head back. “Talk to me. What’s going on here?”
She fought bravely to keep the tears in, but one escaped the corner of her eye. He mopped it up and waited patiently, which was difficult. It was hard to let her come to him, when what he really wanted to do was force whatever was bothering her out. He’d learned in their time together she had to come to grips with her fears.
“I didn’t realize how much it meant to me,” she started, heaving a full breath. “The number on a scale, the number on my dresses, the way things fit me. I didn’t realize how much it meant to me, especially coming from the mom I had who put such an emphasis on good looks and using them to get by. I feel like a fraud now because I can’t handle that I don’t look the way I used to.” She pushed her head back down again. “Then I think well, what if Drew doesn’t find me attractive anymore? What if he doesn’t feel the same way about me as before? What if he’s looking at other women? It plays through my head all the time. I had no idea I was so damn shallow.”
Drew took her hand and pulled it to the fly of the slacks he wore. “Does this feel like I don’t find you attractive anymore? Does this feel like I’m out looking for other women? You’re my wife. The mother of my children. You know what kind of a relationship I grew up with, with Liam and my
mom. I have a very healthy respect for it. If I’ve done something to make you think I’m not all in with you, please tell me.”
“No, no, this is all me,” she shook her head. “All completely me, this is my self-doubt. Knowing that you still want me, you still want to be in this with me is enough.”
He wondered if it was, but he let it go. They had to get moving in the right direction. “First things first, let’s pick you out a dress.”
She pointed to the two she knew she had a chance of wearing and waited for his decision.
‡
Chapter Two
Drew Walker had never been so bored in his life. Business shindigs weren’t his thing, but they meant a lot to Charity and her law firm. Here, he couldn’t wear his cut, couldn’t show most of the tattoos he had, and he had to pretend like he’d never done anything wrong.
It all made him feel claustrophobic, but he’d do it for Charity. There wasn’t really anyone here for him to speak with, no one here who pretended to be friendly with him, but that was okay. He was doing a great job holding up the bar. Especially after Steele and Christine had cut out an hour ago. He checked his watch and let his gaze roam the room for his wife.
For the first time he noticed that the room they were in was nauseating in its Christmas cheer. It looked like a giant Christmas present. He and Charity had already done the exchanging of gifts, back in November. He had to smile, they’d never been good at hiding gifts from one another. Usually they flat out told each other what they were getting the other. It had been a necessity this year though, as both her car and his motorcycle had bitten the dust. Now they were proud owners of a luxury SUV and the newest Harley Roadster. They’d be paying for those for a while, but they were both excited and as Charity had said, at least those didn’t collect dust or sit unused.
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