by Alex Grayson
“I’ll take you. And I’ll call tomorrow to move up the date for the movers.”
“No need. Declan said he’ll pack up and drive our stuff down. He’s going to tow my car behind the truck.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” I pull Maisy’s shirt down where it’s ridden up in the back. “It’ll give us the chance to see him again.”
He tips his chin in agreement. “I’m sure you’re both tired from the flight. Let’s get you home. Not to mention, if we don’t get out of here now, we’ll have more company to deal with than you need right now.”
Not my home, but his home. And I guess Maisy’s now too. I’ll start my search next week to find a job. The sooner I find one, the sooner I can get my own place, the sooner the temptation of Judge will turn into a part-time struggle instead of the full-time one I know I’m going to be facing.
He turns back to the women and says something low enough that I can’t hear. I don’t worry about it, because he still has Maisy in his arms. He wouldn’t say anything that would bother me with her in hearing range.
Pulling his wallet from his back pocket, he tosses some bills down on the table.
I give the women a small wave, and they smile and wave back. Judge puts Maisy down, but grabs her hand. He places his other hand at the small of my back and steers me to the door. We just pass the threshold when he stops.
“Damn it.” His eyes shoot down to Maisy. “You didn’t hear that.”
She giggles. “I did hear it.” She looks at me. “We’re going to need to start a swear jar.” Her head swings back to Judge. “We had one at home. Anytime Uncle Declan or Momma said a swear word, they had to put money in the jar. At the end of the week, they gave the money to me.”
He chuckles as he slips his phone from his pocket. “I’m afraid you’re going to be rich before your sixteenth birthday.”
She pats his hand. “You’ll get better at it.”
Judge taps something on his phone before pocketing it again.
“I’ve bought us until tomorrow. I’m sure you don’t want to be bombarded with meeting a lot of people, but there’s no way I can’t hold off Mae longer than tomorrow. And I’m sure she’ll invite my brothers and their women.”
We come to a stop between our cars. “It’s okay. I know Maisy will love meeting everyone. She’s only had me and Declan for a long time.”
“I get to meet Grandma tomorrow?” she asks enthusiastically.
“You do. She’s very anxious to meet you,” he answers. He opens her door and waits for her to climb into the back seat.
“I can’t wait to meet her. Maybe she can teach me to make cookies.” She leans toward Judge and lowers her voice. I nearly choke on a laugh when she faux whispers, “Mom’s cookies aren’t that great, so I never asked her to teach me.”
Judge’s amused gaze meets mine as he says, “They weren’t that great when your mom and I knew each other before either.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t keep my lips from twitching. I have to agree with them. My homemade cookies do suck.
“I know Mae will love to teach you. And her’s are the best. She makes good blueberry muffins too.”
After she buckles her seat belt, he closes the door, he faces me. Something intense lights his eyes as he steps toward me. I lock my knees in place and tip my head back to keep him in view. He stops a couple of feet away.
“It’s good to see you again, Ellie. I’m glad you’re here.”
I swallow past the dryness in my throat. “We’re glad to be here too.”
His head tilts to the side. “Are you?”
“Yes, of course. Maisy’s been looking forward to this since the day you left.”
His lips form a smirk. “That’s not what I asked, but I’ll let it slide.” He steps back and digs his keys from his pocket. “Follow me.”
I nod and tear my eyes away from his powerful green gaze.
Once I’m behind the wheel, I blow out a harsh breath. I start my car and follow Judge out of the parking lot, starting this new life and praying I come out the other side unscathed.
Chapter Sixteen
JUDGE
THEY’RE HERE. THEY’RE REALLY fucking here. I’m still shocked by that fact as I lean against the wall across from the bedroom Maisy will be using as Ellie helps our daughter unpack clothes for a bath. My eyes stray back and forth from one to the other.
I’ve seen Maisy on Skype every day since I left. Each day she looked better, but I didn’t realize just how much until they showed up at The Hill. I’m not sure if she’s back to what she was before her kidneys failed, but she’s definitely gained some weight. Her cheeks are fuller, and her hair shines brightly in the light of the room. And she moves around as if she wasn’t recently on her deathbed. This makes me so fucking happy. More so knowing I had a hand in her recovery.
She giggles and nods when Ellie leans down and says something in her ear and then lightly pokes her in the side. The sound is pure heaven, and there’s not a chance in hell I’ll ever get tired of hearing it.
My eyes move to Ellie. She’s every bit as beautiful as always. She’s in a pair of low-waisted, slim-fitting jeans that hug her ass perfectly. Her sheer white shirt, unbuttoned halfway down her torso, shows off a black tank top. Her top dips just low enough to expose the very tops of her tits and cleavage. It makes me want to bury my face there, rub my cheeks along the smooth flesh and breathe in her intoxicating scent. Her black hair, thick and long, hangs down to the middle of her back. It looks soft and silky, and I know it’ll feel good against my skin.
My dick hardens behind the zipper of my slacks, and I straighten to adjust it. Now’s not the time to catch wood. I think of mundane things, unsexy things, work things. My hard-on softens just in time as they turn and head out of the room.
“All set?” I ask, smiling down at Maisy.
She nods, her hair swaying against her face. “I can’t wait to take a bath in your big bathtub.”
I grin. To say Maisy was mesmerized by the size of the garden tub in my bathroom when I gave them a tour was an understatement. I thought her lower jaw was going to drop off.
“You sure you won’t get lost in all the bubbles?” Ellie quizzes.
“Nah.” Maisy shrugs. “If I do, I’ll find my way out.”
We all laugh as I lead the way back to my room. It feels so Goddamn good to have them here, knowing they won’t be leaving this time.
I leave them in the bathroom and walk back down to grab my phone from the kitchen bar and check my notifications. I’ve got four missed messages. Three are from Mae. I kind of left her hanging when we left The Hill. Word got back to her that Ellie and Maisy are in town. I knew it was bound to happen. That’s why I wanted to get them out of there as soon as possible. As much as I want them to meet the rest of my family, I want to give them the rest of the day to rest.
Just as expected, as we were walking outside, my phone dinged with a text from Mae, demanding I bring them by. I replied that I would bring them over tomorrow.
I pull up her first reply.
Mae – If you make me wait a day longer, I’ll just show up on my own.
I have no doubt she will. Mae can be quite tenacious.
I swipe to her next message.
Mae – How does she look? I know you talk to her all the time and do the video chat with that Skyt program thing, but you can always tell better in person.
I chuckle at her mispronunciation of Skype. Mae’s not very good with the latest technology. It took her years to learn how to text properly, and the only reason she did was because it’s the only way to get in touch with my brothers and me when we’re busy with work.
I bring up her last message.
Mae – Kayn William Becket, you better answer my question. How is my granddaughter?
I wince at her use of my full name. Only Mae is allowed to ever use it, and she only does so when I’ve pissed her off. It’s the sa
me with my brothers as well.
I hit Reply to send her a message before she shows up at my door.
Me – Calm your feathers. Maisy looks fine. Great actually. We’ll be by tomorrow evening for dinner.
I check the last message. It’s from JW, informing me that I need to check my messages. Mae’s already called him and told him she’s coming over if she doesn’t hear from me soon. It was sent a few minutes after her last message. Hopefully, my reply to her appeases her for the night.
I turn when I hear footsteps behind me. Ellie’s just taking the last step when she halts in her tracks, spotting me by the bar.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to mop your bathroom floor when she gets out. She wouldn’t let me turn the water off until it reached her shoulders. There’s bubbles already on the floor.”
“I’ll take care of it. She going to be okay up there by herself?”
She walks further into the room but stops at the edge of the couch. “She’s almost eleven, Judge. She’s been taking baths by herself for a few years now.”
“That’s something I wouldn’t know,” I tell her, lifting a brow.
She winces and looks down, twisting her hands together. “Yeah, I guess not.”
Ignoring the ping of Mae’s reply, I put my phone on the counter and walk toward her. She picks at her nails with agitation. I make her anxious.
“Why are you nervous?” I ask, coming to a stop a couple of feet away. I want to close the remaining space between us and kiss away the apprehension from her face.
“I’m not,” she denies.
I smirk and let my eyes fall to her hands for a moment before lifting them back to hers. “You forget. I know all your nervous tics, Ellie.”
Her hands stop fiddling with each other, and she instead stuffs them in her pockets. Her shoulders slump.
“I just don’t know what to do here.”
I frown. “Elaborate.”
She looks around the room, then back at me. “This is your home, Judge. I’m only here because of Maisy. I don’t really know what to do in this situation.”
That makes me scowl, irritation forming in my stomach. “This is your home for as long as you’re here. Treat it as such. Do whatever in the hell you want to do.”
I take a step closer when she nods. Being only a foot away, I can see the small specks of black in her silver eyes. I can also smell her natural floral scent and it drives me crazy. My dick takes notice, recognizing the scent from years before, and my blood heats.
Her eyes widen when I reach up and lay my hand against her neck, feeling the rapid beat of her pulse beneath my palm. She closes her eyes, and I see the war raging in her mind.
Push me away or pull me closer.
I want to demand she pull me closer. I swipe my thumb along the underside of her jaw, running across the small scattering of scars, reminding me I never asked her about them.
That needs to be rectified soon. I’ve already learned a lot from JW’s report, and what she’ll tell me is going to hurt like a bitch, but I need to hear it from her. The pain will be my penance for allowing her to be hurt.
She opens her eyes, and I know she’s going to retreat. I grip the back of her neck and pull her until only a few short inches separate her lips from mine.
“Don’t fight it,” I whisper.
Her eyes glisten, and the sight tears a hole in my heart.
“This is going to be difficult enough,” she whispers back, her voice raspy. “Don’t make it harder by adding this to the mix.”
I lean down until I feel her uneven breath against my lips. She looks at me with dilated eyes. “It doesn’t have to be hard if we don’t want it to be. It could be as easy as breathing. Like it used to be.”
I close the gap between us, but instead of kissing her like I’m dying to, I run my nose along the column of her neck. My lips graze against her earlobe.
“I know you still feel it, Ellie. I know I still make your heart pound and your breath hitch. I bet you have butterflies in your belly and shivers racing down your back. You feel the chemistry between us. The same electric pull that was there all those years ago. The same desire that swept through us anytime we were together. Even when we weren’t, all it took was one thought and it consumed us.” I trail a path of kisses up to her jaw and across her cheek. At the corner of her mouth, her lips parted as she pants, I pull back just far enough so I can see her gorgeous eyes. “I know you still feel it, because I still feel it too. It’s not going anywhere, no matter how much you fight it.”
I could always tell by her eyes when she was aroused. They turn from a smoky gray to liquid mercury. They look that way now; however, there’s a hint of wariness in their depths too.
Her hands latch on to my shirt at my sides, her nails digging into the flesh. Those shivers I just spoke of start in the base of my spine and work their way up to my neck. The fuck I wouldn’t give to have her hands on my bare skin.
“I’m scared, Judge,” she says quietly, her voice quivering.
I use both hands and slide my fingers through her hair until my palms cup the back of her head. My thumbs rub gently against the apples of her cheeks. I rest my forehead against hers, keeping my gaze locked on her conflictedeyes.
“There’s nothing I can say or do to change what happened in the past. And I’m so fucking sorry for what those bastards did to you because of it. If I could go back and take your place, I would without question. The only thing I can give you is my solemn vow that if you give us a chance, I’ll never hurt you again. I’ll never allow anything to hurt you again.”
Her eyes flick back and forth between mine, indecision written in her expression. She may deny me right now, but I’ll never give up trying until she gives in. Ellie wasn’t the only one emotionally hurt the night I broke things off. It damn near destroyed me. Now that she’s back in my life, there’s not a damn thing that’ll keep me from having her again. And keeping her forever this time.
Something flashes in her eyes, and a moment later, she gives me the tiniest nod. “Okay.”
That one word has my heart doing fucking jumping jacks in my chest.
Not giving her time to change her mind, I crush my lips against hers. It’s been almost twelve years since I’ve kissed her lips, and she tastes and feels just the same.
My fingers leave her hair, and I slide my arms around her waist. Bending my knees, I tighten my arms and lift her up several inches. Her arms wrap around my neck, and sweet fucking heaven, she kisses me back. Our tongues slide against each other’s and we devour, give, and take.
“Damn… I’ve fuckin’ missed you,” I groan.
Setting her on her feet, I palm her round ass and press my erection against her lower stomach, letting her feel what she’s doing to me. I growl into the kiss when she releases a low moan.
The kiss doesn’t last near as long as I’d like. She pulls back, blinking several times, the desire in her eyes making it difficult to think.
“I-I need to go check on Maisy,” she announces breathlessly. She dips her head down, her eyes trained on the buttons of my shirt her fingers are fiddling with, before tilting it back up. “I think we should take things slow.” My eyes narrow. “Because of Maisy.”
“You don’t think she’ll be happy that her parents are together?”
“I think she’ll be thrilled. But I don’t want to get her hopes up. Just in case….” She trails off, her eyes moving away from me again.
“Look at me, baby,” I demand, and she gives me back her eyes. “I’ll give you this. Not because I have even the slightest doubt we’ll make this work, but because Maisy’s going through enough changes in her life right now. She needs to get settled here before we tell her about us.” Leaning down, I lay a soft kiss against her lips. “But mark my words; she will know, because there’s not a chance in hell I’m letting you go now.”
She blows out a long breath and gives me a single nod.
“Now, go che
ck on our daughter and make sure she hasn’t turned into a prune. I’ll throw us something together for dinner. Is she still on a strict diet?”
“Not as strict. Just something low in sodium and protein for the time being.”
“Okay.”
She turns, but before she can walk away, I spin her back to face me. I take her lips one more time in a rushed kiss. When I pull back, her eyes look dazed and confused. The look is sexy as fuck.
I spin her back around, and after a moment, she walks away. I watch her delectable ass all the way up the stairs until she’s out of view. Releasing a sigh, I adjust my straining cock and go to the kitchen to prepare dinner for my family.
“COME ON, SLOW POKE!” Maisy, several yards ahead of us, hollers back at Ellie and me. “Why are you guys walking so slow?”
I’m not walking slow. Well, I am, but only because Ellie is. We’re on our way to Mae’s house. As agreeable as Ellie was yesterday about seeing Mae again and introducing her to Maisy, I almost had to drag her out of the house a few minutes ago. As it is, I watch in my peripheral vision as she tears her cuticles to shreds.
“Do you think she hates me?” she says after several silent moments.
I grab her hand and lace our fingers together. She glances down at our hands, but thankfully doesn’t try to pull away.
“She doesn’t hate you. She was curious and concerned at first, but when I told her what happened, she understood.”
Her fingers twitch, and her head swings in my direction. “You told her about my attack?” she asks, her eyes expanding.
“I didn’t give her any details. Just that you were assaulted. I also gave her my part in that night. I never told her. She was so pissed, I thought she was going to kick me out of the house.”
She snorts out a laugh. “She would never do that. She adores you too much.”
I grunt. “If you had seen her face, you wouldn’t say that.”
She giggles.
“My brothers are going to be there. Trouble will be bringing his wife and son, and JW his girlfriend and sister.”