“Crowds?” I laughed. “I think that might be an understatement.”
I was not going shopping the day before Christmas Eve.
Adley sighed. “Just do it, Dad.”
“Do wha—” My words were cut off when Slayer bent over, planted his shoulder in my gut, and lifted me over his head.
“Adley told me you were less than excited about going shopping.” Slayer slapped me on the butt and headed to the stairs.
“So you’re taking me upstairs?” I yelled. “And don’t hit my butt,” I added.
Adley peeled off into a fit of giggles. “Hurry up, Dad!”
Slayer carried me up the stairs and dumped me on my bed.
“Just what in the hell do you think you are doing?” I demanded after I righted myself. My hair was in shambles, and I shoved it out of my face.
Slayer grabbed my foot, and I flopped onto my back.
“Slayer,” I screeched.
He gripped the hem of my pajama bottoms and gave them a yank. I scrambled to grab the waistband, but they were down my legs and sailing over his shoulder before I could secure them.
“Are you insane?” I hissed. “Adley is downstairs.”
“I know.” He stalked to my dresser and started opening drawers. “You need to change your underwear?”
I got on my hands and knees and leaned over the edge of the bed to grab my pants. “What? Are you on drugs right now?”
My pants were at the tip of my fingertips, but Slayer snatched them away.
“Stop it,” he ordered.
“Me? I need to stop it? You are the one who just ripped my pants off.”
He moved back to my dresser with my pajama pants in his hand. “We’re going shopping, and the longer you mess around, the later we are going to get there. Some of the guys are going to meet us.”
Realization dawned on me. “That’s what you were doing!”
He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Trust me. I’m not really excited to go shopping either when you’re in bed with no pants on, but I promised Adley we would go.”
I clamored to cover my naked legs with my hands. “This is not exactly the way I wanted you to see me pantless the first time.”
Slayer smirked and turned back to rummaging through my clothes. “Don’t worry, sugar. You live up to expectations and then some.” He walked back to the bed with a pair of black leggings and an oversized cream sweater. “Can you put this on or am I going to have to do that, too?”
I growled and grabbed the clothes from him. “I think I can manage.”
He folded his arms over his chest and didn’t budge. “I’m not moving until I see those clothes on you.”
“You’re crazy, you know that, right?”
He shrugged. That was it. The man just shrugged.
I sat back on my butt and worked the leggings up my legs and to my waist. With my legs covered, I felt a little less exposed. Except now I needed to change out of my night shirt. “Uh, you think you could turn?” I pointed my finger at him and make a little circle in the air.
“Nope.”
So that was how he was going to play, huh? Well, I guess two could play this game.
He was going to stand there and watch me change, then I was going to give him a show.
I planted my knees on the bed and kneeled before him. I grabbed the hem of my shirt and slowly worked it up my body. “You forgot one thing,” I whispered.
He licked his lips, and his eyes were glued on my bare midriff. “What’s that?”
“I need a bra.” I pulled my shirt up a sliver more. “Unless you don’t want me to wear one.”
“Take your shirt off and then I’ll get you one.”
“Close the door,” I whispered. Adley was downstairs, and if she decided to come up, I didn't want her to get an eyeful of whatever it was that Slayer and I were about to do.
He kicked the door shut and twisted the lock. “Shirt off.”
I pulled the shirt over my hand and tossed it right in his face. He grabbed it and dropped it on the floor.
His eyes heated with desire, and I held up my hand when he took a step toward me.
“We can’t do this right now, Slayer,” I whispered. I wanted him more than anything, but I knew now was not the time to get what I wanted.
“Just a preview, sugar. I just gotta know what you taste like.” He took two steps forward, and his shins hit the bed. “Right here.”
His fingers trailed across my breast, and I visibly shook at his touch. One hand slid to my back, and the other pushed me over ‘til my back arched. His head descended, and his lips captured my nipple.
I tossed my head back and moaned softly. “Slayer. Oh, my God.”
I gasped for air as he sucked deep, and it felt like I was going to come right off the bed.
My fingers delved into his hair, and all I could do was hold on. His mouth moved to my other breast, licking, tasting and teasing.
“You taste like fucking sugar,” he growled. “Fucking sweet as sugar.” Slayer stood straight and lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and my arms looped over his shoulders.
His hand combed through my hair, and our lips met in a kiss that was hot enough to burn the house down. “Tonight you’re mine,” he growled against my lips. “I’m not fucking waiting anymore. You’re what I want, and I’m taking it.”
His words ignited a flame in my core, and I knew it was going to burn for him until tonight. Until we had each other. Fully and completely.
He ripped his lips from mine and panted heavily. “Get your ass dressed and meet us downstairs. If I stay here a second longer, I’m not letting you ever leave this room.”
I nodded slightly, and he dropped me back on the bed. He stalked out of the room and closed the door shut behind him.
My heart raced, and my breathing was labored.
He did that.
He was the reason that I couldn’t catch my breath, and I didn’t want to.
That wasn’t something you left.
That wasn’t something you chose to leave.
Mom and Elle were right when they said I had to choose to be with Slayer and Adley.
It was my choice, but it was a no-brainer.
*
Chapter Seventeen
Slayer
“I like those.”
I crouched down and looked at the cobalt blue earrings. “You sure?”
Adley nodded. “They’re the same color as her eyes.”
I glanced up at the man in the suit behind the jewelry case. “We’ll take the earrings, too.”
He nodded and reached into the case. “Blue spinel. Very good choice, miss.”
Adley smiled broadly. “Thanks. They match my—” Her words died in her throat, and she looked up at me sadly.
“What’s wrong, doll?”
She tipped her head to the side and frowned slightly.
“You don’t want those earrings for Wendy anymore?”
“I do.”
I nodded to the guy, and he got the drift. “I’ll just wrap these up and meet you two by the register when you’re ready.”
I turned to Adley. “What’s wrong, Adley?”
“I just…When I…” she stammered. “I just didn’t know what to call Wendy to that man.”
“You can call her whatever you want. You call her Wendy when we’re at home.”
She nodded. “But I couldn’t really tell that man they were for my Wendy.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, that might have come out a little weird.”
“Is she going to leave us, Dad?”
Her question punched me right in the gut, and I hadn’t even answered the other question of what Adley should call her. “Do you want her to leave us?”
I sure as fuck didn’t want her to.
“No. I like having her with us. I’m a little worried about the whole homeschooling thing though because we’re doing a lot with fractions in math and well, she said she’s not that great at math.”
<
br /> “Adley,” I laughed. “I promise you don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to school.”
If it came down to it, I would be the one to help her with math.
“Good. Then, I really don’t want her to leave.” She chewed on her lips then sighed. “I just don’t know if she’s going to stay because she said she was leaving after Christmas.”
“When did she say that?” If Wendy had told Adley that lately, then maybe I wasn’t feeling the same as Wendy.
“That first day when we decided she would stay with us.”
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “That was a while ago, Ad, and a lot has happened since then.”
“Like you fell in love with her?”
Air whooshed from my lungs, and I struggled to breath. “I uh…what…what makes you…why would you say that?”
Adley rolled her eyes. “I’m not blind, Dad.”
I rubbed my chest and looked around. “You think they got a bar or something around here.”
I was not expecting to have a conversation about falling in love with Wendy. Especially not with my daughter in the middle of the mall.
“Dad.”
I looked down at her. “Yeah?”
“What did you just pick out for her?”
“Uh, earrings?”
She shook her head. “The other present.”
“It’s nothing.” I just saw it in the case and thought Wendy would love it.
Adley buried her face in her hands and sighed heavily. “You’re hopeless.”
No, I was just burying my head in the sand and not ready to say out loud what I had just bought. “Let’s get back to what you want to call Wendy.”
Adley pursed her lips. “Well, I mean, she’s pretty much doing everything a mom would do, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, you could look at it that way.”
“But if I call her mom does that mean I’ll forget about my real mom?” Her mouth dropped and saying those words out loud almost brought her to tears.
I shook my head. “Nothing will ever make you forget your mom, Adley. I wasn’t around, but I know for a fact that she is the reason why you are the most amazing girl I have ever met, and I know Wendy would never want you to forget her either.” I sighed heavily. “I know you and I are just starting out with this whole family thing, and I know I’m going to mess up a ton while we figure shit out, but you wanna know what’s kind of neat?”
“Uh, what?”
“The fact that Wendy gets to start with us, too. She’s getting in on the ground up with you and me. She had a choice that day, Adley. She could have told you and me that we were crazy and taken off. She didn’t. She stayed. She’s gonna stay.”
“Because you’re buying her a—”
I pressed a finger to her lips. “Still not ready to say that out loud, but no. She’s gonna stay because she wants to.”
Adley nodded and took in everything. “I think I’m gonna tell that man the earrings are for my mom but I’m going to keep calling her Wendy for a while.”
“That sounds like a damn good idea.”
Just like I was going to call her Wendy even though that present I was going to buy her screamed something else completely.
*
Wendy
“You’re going to buy him socks?”
I looked down at the package of neon tube socks. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?”
Alice laughed. “I think it’s fucking hilarious so I say go with it.”
“Baby,” Karmen shouted at the end of the aisle.
“The baby is in my stomach, Karmen. Until he shoots out of my vagina, I am going to cuss because it makes my heart happy.” Alice pounded her chest twice and held up two fingers.
“What does that mean?” Karmen asked.
Alice shrugged and grabbed the socks. “No clue. It just felt right.” She tossed the socks in my basket and walked away. “Buy the socks but you have to wait to give them to him at the clubhouse.”
“Are we still doing Christmas Eve there tomorrow?” Nikki asked. She was crouched down in front of keychain display.
I looked down at the socks and sighed. “Yeah. At least, we better be because I’m pretty sure Carnie will hate us all if we don’t show up for her party that she’s staging for her blog.”
“She has over three hundred followers now.” Karmen adjusted Cole in her arms and reached for the socks in my basket. “You are not buying these.”
I moved my basket out of her reach. “They are the only thing that I can find, Karmen. What else am I supposed to get him?”
“New riding boots?” she suggested. “That’s what I got Nickel last year. He loved them and whenever he puts them on, he thinks of me.”
“I like that idea, but you should still get him socks.” I had no idea where Alice went but she was still part of our conversation.
Shopping was a complete disaster. The plan had been that Slayer would take Adley first to help her buy a present for me and then I would take her so she could buy something for Slayer.
The problem was that I didn’t even know what to get Slayer, and Slayer had just texted me that he was headed to the store we were at.
“I’m so screwed!” I whined.
“No,” Alice hollered. “That’s happening tonight.”
“Where the hell are you?” Karmen called.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Alice laughed.
I had also told Karmen and Alice about the hot but quick strip tease with Slayer this morning instead of thinking of a good gift for Slayer.
Karmen pointed to her eyes and then hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m gonna go this way,” she whispered. “You go that way. Try to find that nutcase.”
I nodded and headed back down the aisle.
I was two aisles over when I saw the perfect gift. “Guys, I found it!”
Alice slipped out from a full clothes rack and rested her arm on my shoulder. “That’s pretty fucking perfect.”
“Oh, yeah,” Karmen called.
Alice leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “I would still get him socks.”
*
Chapter Eighteen
Slayer
“Bedtime.”
Wendy looked up from the movie she was watching. “Uh, come again?”
I grabbed the remote, turned off the TV, and tossed the remote on the couch. “Bedtime.”
“You’re saying that like I’m going to listen to you.”
I moved in front of her, and she spread her legs so I could stand between them. “Adley passed out twenty minutes ago.”
“Okay. She had a long day.”
“Wendy.”
“Slayer,” she parroted.
I grabbed her hand and hoisted her up from the couch. “Your ass is mine tonight.” I planted my shoulder in her stomach and lifted her over my shoulder.
“Oh,” she gasped. “My brain is fried from fighting the crowds today. Tell me again it’s bedtime.”
I slapped her ass and turned off the living room lights as I stalked toward the stairs. “Bedtime,” I growled.
“Oh, yeah,” she whispered. “I totally get it now.”
We passed by her room, and I kicked open the door to mine.
“Are you sure this okay?” she whispered.
I closed the door and dropped her on the bed. “Why in the hell wouldn’t it be okay?”
“What if Adley wakes up?”
I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor. “You a screamer or something?”
She pursed her lips. “Uh, well…”
“You better not be thinking of some other guy right now.”
“What?” she cringed. “Of course, I’m not. I’ve only done this once before and it was—” Her words died in her mouth, and she watched as I unbuttoned my jeans and dropped them to the floor.
“Did you just say you’ve only had sex one time before?”
She nodded dumbly. “Uh, yeah,” she gasped. S
he licked her lips and sat up on her knees. “You’re not wearing underwear.”
I looked down at my naked dick that was standing at attention. “Nope. Don’t have time for them.”
“Uh, okay?”
I planted a knee on the bed. “Let’s go back to where you’ve only had sex once before.”
Her eyes were still glued to my dick. “I was sixteen. It was a disaster.”
“Why was it a disaster?” I asked. I planted my other knee in the bed and moved to Wendy. I lifted her shirt over her head as she searched for her words.
“It was at his Grandma’s.”
I looked down at her. “She watch you guys or something?”
“Ew, of course not.”
I shrugged and hooked my thumbs in the straps of her bra. “I asked why it was a disaster and you said it was at his grandma’s.”
“That doesn’t mean she watched.” She reached around and unhooked her bra. I pulled it down her arms and dropped it on the floor. “It was a disaster because not even two thrusts in, he came so hard that I thought he was having a heart attack and screamed.” She blushed a pretty pink and laid her hands on my chest. “I screamed so loud that his grandma heard, and she barged in on us.”
“She did watch,” I whispered.
She slapped me on the chest. “She missed the main event, but yeah. It was a disaster.”
I cupped her breasts in my hands and leaned into her. “How about I fuck you so good that you’ll only remember me?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “We can do that, but you’re already the only man I remember.”
“God damn, Wendy.” My lips crashed down on hers, and I pushed her back onto the bed. I covered her body with mine, and her arms slid around my neck.
“Did I say too much?” she whispered against my lips.
“Just enough, sugar.” I quickly removed her pants and underwear then tossed them on the floor.
Her hands roamed over my shoulders, and her back arched when my mouth covered her nipple. My tongue swirled around the tight bud, and her nails dug into my skin.
I tipped my head back, and my eyes connected with hers. “You want me to go slow with you?”
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