“What did I say?” Amelia asked, and then I looked at her. She winced under the weight of my glare, and I felt a little bad about it. A little.
“Don’t mention the job.”
I sighed at Caleb’s voice. “I’m fine. I won’t be behind the desk for long.”
“You say that. But you’re an old man now.”
“Do you really want him to beat you up? I’m pretty sure he’d beat you up with that crutch.”
I ignored my sister and just looked at my brother. “I’m thirty-four. I’m nowhere near retirement age. I’ll be fine. I’ll go back out on the road.”
I might lose the route I wanted and earned, but I’d get it back. After all, I had gotten hurt on the job, and that meant something. Legal things were going on, and I’d find my way back to where I needed to be. I had to. I really did not like being behind a desk. I liked being out. It was just the whole walking thing that was a problem right now. Hence the crutches. And the pain in my side.
“He’ll be fine,” Amelia said, giving us both a very regal nod. “I’m going to find Tobey. I don’t know where he went.”
I gave Caleb a look, but thankfully, neither of us said anything. Amelia was touchy when it came to Tobey. I just wanted to know what the hell was going on. But I wasn’t going to get answers. Not from her, at least.
“The wedding was nice, though,” Caleb said out of the blue, and I raised my brows.
“Yeah. It was pretty good. The grooms were happy. Both mothers of the grooms started weeping openly.”
I grinned at that, and Caleb just shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He took a sip of his beer and then looked out into the crowd.
“Yeah, they did. It’s just weird that they would cry that hard at a wedding.”
“Well, both of the grooms are the youngest of like six each, I think.”
“Dear God, I thought four was bad.”
“Don’t let Amelia hear you say that. She’ll kick you in the shin again.”
“At least you have a broken one. That way, she can’t kick you.”
“For now. As soon as the cast comes off, I’m pretty sure she’s going to go back to her kicking ways.”
“That’s our baby sister for you.”
Caleb looked out on the dance floor again, his gaze enraptured by something or someone. I looked to see who it was but couldn’t. I didn’t know much about Caleb’s personal life. After all, he’d been in and out of the state for a while. But he was home now. And the fact that somebody seemed to have caught his attention, well…I had to see who it was.
There had to be a hundred people on the dance floor, everyone shimmying and dancing and laughing and just having a good time.
But there was one person I recognized.
Interesting.
I wasn’t going to say anything now. If I did, he’d bring Erin up, and I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with that.
And now I really wanted a fucking beer. I hadn’t had a pain pill all day, so I could have one. But my family wouldn’t get me one. I’d just have to get one myself.
“I’m going to go find a seat. Probably inside.”
“Okay.” Caleb gruffed out the word, then shook his head, forcibly moving his gaze from the dance floor.
Very, very interesting.
I hobbled off to the kitchen, grateful that I was alone for a bit. I pulled a beer out of the bucket, nodded at the caterer, and kept going.
It wasn’t easy to hobble on crutches with a beer in your hand, but I made it work.
Somewhat.
I walked into the kitchen and took a seat in one of the chairs, letting out an audible groan. That’s when I noticed the cake.
There had been the main wedding cake out in the dance area, one that I knew they would be cutting soon, but this had to be the groom’s cake. And it was gorgeous.
All chocolate with homemade-looking peanut butter cups and little race cars all over it. Perfect for one of the grooms.
The other cake was also a groom’s cake, but that one had been a little more traditional—for the family, I figured.
That one had been all lace with black and deep red so it looked like crimson waterfalls running around and all over the levels. It was big enough to feed the five hundred people at the wedding, as well as whatever this groom’s cake would be used for. Then I noticed that there was a bowl hanging on top of it, and I had to wonder what it was.
“Is that a bowl of chocolate?”
“Yes. It’s a deconstructed swan. As soon as I put some liquor over it and catch it on fire, it’ll melt on top of the rest of the cake, and then everyone can dig in.
I froze. I knew that voice. There were two people that I knew of who could make cakes as delicate and delicious as these. One was down in Colorado Springs and was related to me by marriage. The other?
She was the one I didn’t want to see. Yet the woman that I wanted to be face-to-face with again no matter what happened.
I looked up, and Erin was there, her hands clasped in front of her, her face pale.
“I didn’t know you were working here.”
“Yeah. They asked me to be here to cut the cake for the wedding. It’s actually starting in about thirty minutes. I was just setting up the final showcase for the groom’s cake since they wanted to have two showpieces.”
I stood up and leaned on my crutch, and she reached out for me before forcing herself to pull back.
That was fine. I wasn’t sure what I would do if she touched me anyway.
“It looks fantastic.”
She smiled then, but only part of it reached her eyes. Had I done that? Or had we done that to each other?
“I worked really hard on it. I’m glad it looks good.”
“It looks better than good, Erin. You’re so fucking talented.”
“Thanks.”
There was an awkward silence, one that I wanted to fill, but I didn’t know what to say. I hated this. She had been so easy to talk to. Ever since she first walked into the bar in that sequined dress. There had never been a moment when I felt like I had to hold myself back or try too hard. Not until everything changed.
I hated it.
“It’s good to see you moving around. But shouldn’t you be sitting somewhere else right now?” Her words brought me out of my thoughts, and I shook my head.
“I’m fine. I was really just using the excuse to get a beer.”
I felt my cheeks heat up as her brows rose.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I haven’t taken a pain pill all day, but Amelia and Caleb refused to let me have a beer. It’s like they’re worried that I’m going to trip over myself or something. I just wanted one.”
“Well, I won’t tell if you don’t.”
She shared a conspiratorial smile with me, and it went straight to my heart—and my cock.
Hell, she would be the death of me. But what a way to go.
“I didn’t know any of you guys would be here. Of course, it seems like everybody in the city of Denver is here right now.”
“Yeah, it’s a little ridiculous.”
“But it was a beautiful wedding.”
“Michael and Tony sure know how to party.”
“Yes, they do.”
She wrung her hands in front of her and looked down at them. “I guess I should go.”
“Don’t.”
I hadn’t known the word was going to come out of my mouth until it did. She looked up quickly, her eyes wide.
“Why?”
“Because I should have talked to you before. I shouldn’t have let you go. I shouldn’t have let you walk away. Damn it, I shouldn’t have walked away when you asked me to that first day.” I set my beer down and hobbled over to her.
She met me halfway, her face even paler than before.
“I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I shouldn’t have hurt you like that. I was just so scared. And making stupid decisions. And then they just compounded on each other.” I leaned on one crutch and
put the other one beside me on the island before reaching out to cup her face.
She was so soft under my touch, so warm. I missed this. I missed everything about her.
And I hated that I had let my anger and my issues stand in the way of us.
“You were hurting. And I could see that. But my ego was bruised, so I let myself walk away. I let you push me away.”
“I shouldn’t have pushed at all.”
“Maybe you should have. You were the one who set the parameters of our relationship. And I was the one who wanted to change them.”
“But they were stupid rules. You can’t tell yourself you’re not going to fall in love.” She shut her mouth quickly, her eyes widening.
“You love me?” I asked, my words a growl.
“Maybe.” She said the word quickly.
“Well, maybe I love you, too.”
She just stood there, blinking at me, and I really wondered how this was happening. I used to be better at words. But I sucked at this. What the fuck was wrong with me?
“I think I started to fall in love with you when I saw you in that sequined dress. But then you were married.”
“And then…I wasn’t.”
“I don’t know what happens next for us. All I know is that I’ve hated myself without you. I’ve hated the way I feel, the way I feel like I lost a limb. And it’s not just the broken leg.”
“I can’t believe you’re hurt.”
“But the dog is fine. And I’m going to be fine. Seriously. But I’m not going to be one hundred percent if you’re not with me. So, don’t go away again, Erin. Let’s work on this. Let’s figure this out. Because I want to see what other cakes you can make. I want to see you smile. I want you to dance with me as soon as I can dance again. I want to go on dates with you. I just want to see where we can go. I want to love you, Erin. I want to be by your side when we’re both stressed out and worried and trying to run. I want to be the one that you run to. I should have said all of this when you were in the hospital with me. But, like I said, I reacted. I said the wrong thing. You tried to apologize, and I got angry. I shouldn’t have.”
“You’re allowed to be angry. And that’s something we both need to remember. We’re both allowed to have feelings. But we need to talk about them.”
“I love you, Erin. I love everything about you. Your outdated pop culture references and the fact that you get angry just like I do. I love that you love my truck as much as I do.”
“I do miss your truck.”
Her cheeks reddened, and I knew she was thinking about exactly what we had done in that truck.
“I want to try again. I want to figure this out. And I don’t want to run.”
“I’m done running.”
“Good.”
“I love you, Devin. I didn’t mean to fall for you. And maybe I shouldn’t have, or maybe I should’ve just let myself do what needed to be done. I was just so scared of you running away, that I ran first. I made a mistake. I don’t want to do that again. So, give me a second chance. Let me love you. I’ll do my best to show you that I’m worth it.”
I lowered my lips to hers, just a gentle caress.
“I know you’re worth it, Erin. We’re worth it. So, let’s figure this out. Together.”
And then I kissed her again, ignoring the way my sister and brother hooted and hollered from the doorway, or how someone came in to ask about the cake. They could wait. I’d waited a lifetime for Erin.
I’d waited for what felt like eons.
But with every step, every choice made, I knew I was breathless with her.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But we’d figure it out. Because there was no more running for us. I had been truthful when I said that I had fallen for her when I saw her in that dress. I fell in love with the fire in her eyes.
And I couldn’t wait to see where she took me next.
Epilogue
Erin
I arched into him, my shoulders pressed against the wall, my back bowing.
“Harder,” I gasped out, rotating my hips on his dick.
“You asked for it,” he growled. And then he pumped harder. I had one hand on the wall, trying to keep myself steady so I didn’t fall, the other dug into his shoulder.
He had both hands on my sides, gripping my hips and my ass, squeezing as he pumped in and out of me.
We were both naked in the middle of my living room, christening the wall that led into my kitchen.
Eventually, we were going to run out of new places to fuck in my house and in his. And since we weren’t planning to get a new home, that just meant new positions.
At least, that’s what he had promised me.
“Put your hand between us if you’re going to let your mind wander like that,” he growled out. I whimpered.
I pulled my hand from his shoulder and put it over his mouth. He licked between my fingers.
That sent shivers down to my pussy, and I loved the way his eyes practically crossed when it contracted.
That’s my man. He knew exactly what I liked and understood what we both wanted.
I slipped my hand over my belly and between us so I could spread two fingers around where his cock slid in between my folds and use my thumb to play with my clit.
We had been going at it for so long, both of us so sweaty and needy, that it only took a few quick touches before I was coming, my pussy clamping around his cock.
He shouted, pumping once, twice, and then slamming home, my back hitting the wall so hard that it rattled the pictures on either side of us.
“Jesus Christ,” he growled.
“I’m pretty sure we need to check the foundation. Is this a load-bearing wall?”
“Look at you, worrying about the shape of your house after this.”
“Listen to that Eric Church song. It could happen. And remember Buffy and Spike? They totally screwed the house all the way down.”
“Well, we’ll figure that out. I mean, I bet if we practice enough, we could actually have the drywall falling down around us.”
“I don’t want that.” I grinned, clenching around him again. He groaned and kissed my lips softly.
“You don’t want me to fuck you hard?”
“Oh, I want that. But let’s keep the house intact. We’ll just have to be careful. Plus, your bones are just now healing.”
“Yes, they are. Look at me, I’m having sex on two legs.” He pulled me away from the wall, and I let out a squeal. I put both hands on his hips, aware that I was still on top of his cock.
This was very interesting, and I loved it.
“See? Two legs, all hands. Behold, my prowess.”
I grinned, laughing. Who would have thought I would be able to laugh with him inside me? I liked this part of our relationship. Sexy, hot, and just us.
“I’m so proud. And you know what? I did just hold your prowess.”
He winked. “Damn right, you did.”
“Now, let me down and help me clean up because your brothers, Thea, Amelia, Zoey, Tucker, and Tobey are on their way over with my sister and her family. Dinner’s going to burn.”
“That’s why you set it on warm,” he said but reached around for the towel that we had set down at some point. He slowly slid me off his dick. We both walked over to the bathroom and quickly turned on the shower.
“By the way, that was why it was a quickie,” he said. “I really don’t want my family to see my ass.”
“Didn’t Caleb say that he had to help you shower at some point?”
“Hey. We are not talking about that. Ever.”
I put my hair up and quickly washed off my body, staying out of reach of his hands. He was quick like that. For someone who had recently lost an organ and was just now regaining the ability to walk normally again, he was very fast.
“By the way,” Devin said as we both toweled each other off. “Tobey might not come. He said he had a thing.”
“A thing?” I asked, worried.
“A thing.�
��
“Interesting.”
“Well, you know my family. We’re all about the interesting.”
I shook my head and went to my tiptoes, kissing him hard.
He hadn’t shaved, but he had added a little bit of conditioner to his beard earlier that day. Considering that this was our third shower of the day because we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, we were getting good at that.
“I love you, Devin.”
“I love you, too.” He slapped my ass through my towel, and I rolled my eyes. “If we don’t hurry, they really are going to see your ass,” I said with a laugh.
The doorbell rang, and we both met each other’s gazes, throwing our heads back and laughing.
“Well, I guess we’re running late.”
“No, they’re just early.”
“I don’t really think that’s the case.”
“You’re right, but, quick, go put on pants. And I’ll go and figure out where my dress is.”
“Pretty sure we left it in the kitchen.”
“Fuck.”
“Hey, you two, we let ourselves in,” Caleb said from the living room. “And I see a pair of lace panties. I’m guessing dinner’s running late.”
I put my hands over my face and let out a groan.
“I don’t think I can hide from them for long, can I?”
“I don’t know why you let Amelia have a key,” Devin growled, stuffing himself into his jeans.
“I thought it would be prudent. For emergencies.”
“There’s no such thing as only emergencies when it comes to my family.”
“Well, I realize that now.”
“Yeah, and just imagine when we’re married. It’ll only get worse. You’re officially going to be family.”
I froze, looking at him.
He stared at me, blinking quickly.
“Did you just say ‘married?’”
He swallowed hard and then looked away for a bit. “Uh, forget I said that.”
“You don’t want to get married?” I didn’t know exactly what I felt at that moment, but disappointment was rearing its little head at me.
“Can you wait until two days from now when I have the nice dinner and the champagne’s out, and I get down on one knee like I planned? And you know, not when I’m sitting here half-naked, and my brother’s out there, probably holding your panties?”
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