by Taryn Quinn
“Yes.”
“Inside you. Coming inside you every night, every day.” I gripped her hips and thrust into her again and again.
She slapped the tile and pushed back on me for more. I lifted one foot and put it on the bench at the end of the shower and powered up into her harder. My stomach muscles cried out at the position and the endless strike of my hips against her ass, but I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
The hunger I had for her was never ending. As if I’d stored it all up in the years that we’d known each other, and I had to let it go somewhere.
I curled my arm around her to steady her and she took it all. Took me because she was made for me.
Her leg shook, and still, we came together again and again. She perfectly clasped me as I lost myself in her warm, wet body.
One hand dropped back on my shoulder as she gripped behind my head, her nails digging into the nape of my neck. I leaned forward to drag my teeth along her flesh as I reached around to where we were joined.
My cock threaded through my fingers as her swollen pussy took everything I gave and returned only pleasure. I needed her as consumed by me as I was consumed by her. I strummed my fingers over her clit until her tiny tremors turned into quakes.
She hung on to my arm and my shoulder as I kept trying to get to that end, but I didn’t want to find it.
I never wanted to find it with her.
But her cries into the room and the sweat from the steam were already sending me down the dark tunnel to oblivion. She shouted my name, and I had no choice but to follow her.
My spine burned with the force of my final strokes and I managed to turn her chin in time to fuse my lips to hers. I swallowed the last of her cries and the flood of my release finally left me sagging against the wall with her.
“Bee. My Bee,” I said against her neck.
She twisted in my hold, looping her arms around my waist and tucking her face into my neck. We just held on to one another for a few minutes then quietly finished our shower.
It felt like something had changed between us. Each time we came together like that, it got more intense instead of leveling off.
I wrapped a towel around her and kissed her forehead. “How about we go get our kid?”
She touched the center of my chin, petting my winter-thick beard. “I’d love to go get your daughter.”
I caught her finger. “She’s ours, you know. She looks at you and only sees the woman who loves her.”
Her lashes fluttered down. “I do love her, but I’m not her mother.”
“You could be.” It felt like I’d said all this a thousand times.
She swallowed hard. “Brooks…”
“No, hear me out. We’re so good together. You could move in here. We could be a family.”
Her eyes widened. “Jared.”
“Aren’t we good together? You see that, right?”
“Everything is going so fast.”
“Is it though? We’ve been close for years. This just makes it better. And we make a good team. Maybe we could even have another baby.” I cupped her cheek. “Your beautiful eyes and my height.” I brushed my nose against hers. “Shortie.”
Her lips parted and tears welled up in her eyes. “Just like that?”
“It’s the next logical step.”
“Logical.” She stiffened in my arms.
“Yes. Logical—there’s nothing wrong with that. We are compatible in so many ways. This is the perfect way to move forward.”
Her brows knitted together. “You’re moving really fast.”
“Not fast enough as far as I’m concerned.” I thumbed away her tears. I couldn’t tell if they were the overwhelmed or painful kind. “Bee…”
She stepped back and tucked the end of the towel around her breasts. “What if I’m not what you need—not really? This is just easy right now. You’re confused.”
I fisted my hands at my sides. “It’s easy because it’s right. And I know what I want.”
“What you want.”
“You don’t want us?” My chest tightened.
She wouldn’t look me in the eye.
“Bee?”
“I—I do.”
I blew out a breath. “You scared me for a minute.”
“Why do we have to rush into anything? Aren’t we okay like this for now?”
I tucked my fists under my arms. No. I wanted to make sure she was mine. That this thing between us was solid. “Why settle for half when we can have it all?”
“You’re pushing.”
“I’m not.” I blew out a breath. “Okay, I’m pushing a little. But we check every box.”
“Box? Wow.” She released a sharp laugh, then turned on her heel and gave me her back. “Maybe some of us aren’t checkboxes.”
I moved to follow her out and nearly slipped on the puddle around me. I swore and snatched a towel off the rack. “Dammit, Bee. I don’t mean it like that. I just mean we’re so solid and perfect for each other.”
She’d fled to her room and closed the door in my face. She hadn’t gone into that room for more than a change of clothes for over two weeks now. I knocked. “Bee—Gina.” I slapped my palm against the door. “Talk to me.”
“What’s there to talk about? You’ve got it all figured out,” she called through the door.
“Of course I don’t.” Obviously, since I’d somehow fucked up between our orgasms and sweet talk.
She swung the door open. She had a bulky green sweater on over leggings. Her wet hair was tied back into a tail. She pushed past me and bent to pick up her boots in the hall then gathered up her clothes and headed into the bathroom again. She opened the hamper and released a startled gasp.
I followed her in and sighed. “Sorry. I had to put my gun somewhere.”
“In your gun safe,” she tossed back, pushing me out of her way.
She stalked back to her room with her clothes then sat on the bed and tied her boots.
“Hold up, I’ll get dressed and we can get Sami.”
My phone rang in the bathroom. “Shit.” I hadn’t called into work to tell them I wasn’t going to be back in. I’d been a little distracted. I strode back in and sighed. “It’s the station.”
“It’s fine.”
I winced. I might not be great at relationships, but I knew fine wasn’t the best word to hear. “Hang on just a second.” I tucked the phone at my ear. “Brooks.”
“Hey, Sheriff. We’ve got a situation here. I know you’re busy.”
My instinct was to tell Christian to handle it, but dammit, I’d been focusing on my own family issues and leaving him to do everything lately. I rubbed my forehead. “Right. It’s fine.” I glanced over at Bee and held up a finger.
She lifted her chin.
Great. “What’s up?”
“There was a small fire at the flower shop.”
My blood froze. “My dad?”
“No, Kathy and Monty’s place on Main. Electrical as far as I can figure, but it’s chaos.”
“Yeah. I’ll be right there.”
“Thanks, boss.”
“Everyone all right?” Gina asked stiffly. “Nothing with your dad?”
“No, Morty’s Floral on Main. There was an electrical fire and there’s a bit too much chaos for Christian to handle alone.”
“Right. I’ll take care of getting Sami. Do you want me to get Sadie too?”
“Up to you. She’ll probably make my brother’s life hell if she’s away from the baby too long.”
She gave me a half smile. “She does love her.”
“Just like us.”
She nodded. “There’s no doubt how much I love that little girl, Brooks.”
And me? That might be a little more in jeopardy than I thought. “Yeah, I know. I hate to leave you to do it all. It’s been a long day.”
“Sounds like it’s going to be even longer for you. We’ll be fine. I’m going to take the Jeep to get her.”
“Thanks.�
�
She nodded and turned to the stairs.
“We’re okay, right?”
She didn’t answer me. And my damn phone rang again before I could chase her.
“Dammit.” I answered, “Brooks.”
“Hey, Sheriff. It’s Adam. Not sure if you’ve been put into the loop about Morty’s.”
“I just got called in.”
“Oh, good. Can you meet me at the florist’s? I’m on point for the fire until Jake gets back on duty. He’s off for the week for obvious reasons.”
“Right. No problem. I’m heading out now. I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Perfect. Oh, and I’m sorry to say I don’t think it’s going to be a quick one.”
I blew out a breath. “Of course it’s not.”
“Sorry, man. It’s looking suspicious.”
“Shit. Really?”
“Yeah, we’re going to need to do a full investigation.”
Yeah, Bee wasn’t kidding. It was definitely going to be a long one.
Twenty-Four
Luna and Ryan tried to lure me in to hang out, but my exhaustion was at an epic stage. I offered up baby details and gave the wine bottle they plied me with a longing glance. However, Ryan’s place was tiny and if I had one glass of wine, I was pretty sure I’d be on my ass for the rest of the night.
I tucked Sami into her swing for a couple minutes and set her mobile to spinning with the music she loved so much. I couldn’t resist giving her a few extra nuzzles. She patted my cheek as if she knew I needed a little extra encouragement to get through the night.
“You’re such a sweet baby girl. Too bad your daddy is so clueless.”
She giggled at me, a drooly fist already headed for her mouth.
“Is that delicious?”
Her giggle intensified.
“How about we go get Sadie?”
Her eyes lit up at the name of her beloved best friend. The baby books said three months wasn’t enough time to understand things like names, but I had a feeling our—his—little girl was going to be far more advanced.
I switched her from her swing to her carseat and doublechecked all her buckles and tucked a blanket around her for warmth. As I rounded the car to the driver’s side, I texted Mason to make sure he was home. He had a small place above the restaurant while he was getting things off the ground.
The trip in from Ryan’s place in Kensington Square to Crescent Cove gave me far too much time to think. It was only a twenty-minute drive, but I usually kept myself busy with chores or work so I didn’t dwell on things too much.
But now?
Now there was nothing but dwelling. Brooks had our entire life mapped out, fictional baby and all. I could so easily let myself get swept away into it. He was right, everything between us was so easy. I was a simple woman who’d always wanted a family.
It seemed like this should just be a natural fit. Until he’d informed me that things were in a perfect line of checkboxes.
Oh, we should just move in together. What? Next, we’d get married on a Wednesday? Just skip over to town hall during our lunch break?
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
No ripples. No waves.
Was I supposed to be thankful that someone like Jared wanted me? It was an instant family for me too. Everything I ever wanted. A woman like me who might not have the chance to have a baby should be grateful.
The bones of my knuckles went white against my skin and the leather squeaked.
Check and check.
He could take his checkboxes and shove them up his butt.
“I’m not a checkbox,” I said to the rearview mirror.
Sami waved a hand at me and let out a peal of laughter.
“Damn right.”
I flipped my signal and turned off at Lakeview Road. Dark came quickly this time of year, but The Mason Jar was a beacon along the shoreline. It was lit up for Christmas with a mix of the traditional lights and the very specific mason jar lights he used for everything from the lamps at the front of the building to the custom hurricane lamps he’d had made for the porch and deck along the back.
There was a new addition of a Christmas tree on the front porch. As we pulled into the parking lot, Sami’s attention was riveted on the lights. Ever curious, she flailed with excitement the closer we came to the front.
They were doing a brisk business, but I found a close spot near the building. Instead of lugging in the portable carseat, I grabbed the baby strap-on carrier. Jared had trained her into loving the face out situation, and while her neck wasn’t quite strong enough to wear her that way, she did love the stimulation of looking around.
I got the various Velcros tightened around us both, grabbed her diaper bag, then gave her an up-close view of the fifteen-foot tree on the porch. The scrabble of nails behind me gave me a quick head’s up of Sadie’s presence before she tried to mow me down.
I crouched down so she couldn’t take me out at the knees. She instantly gave me and the baby a tongue bath before she climbed on my knee to get closer to her baby. Because there was no doubt that in Sadie’s mind, that baby was hers.
Mason leaned in the doorway. So similar to his brother and yet miles different. Where Jared could almost look stiff and overbearing sometimes, Mason exuded a chill vibe about ninety percent of the time. In the kitchen, he was a fair bit different, but he was more of a finishing touches and flourishes kind of guy.
He didn’t want to be the chef. He was the one with the vision and more drive than I’d given him credit for. He was the charmer to Jared’s rigid sense of responsibility.
And that part of Jared was what scared me. Responsibilities were in his actual DNA. I knew he’d never physically leave me. But would he sacrifice a happier life to stay with me?
I wasn’t sure I could risk that. Because while Jared didn’t think he was father material, he was made for it in every way.
Mason straightened up. “Pretty sure Jared’s trainer was a failure when it came to this one. She’s a terror.”
I tucked my face into her fluffy neck. “We like her just as she is, right, Sami?”
Sami excitedly booped the dog’s nose, and Sadie’s tongue lolled out happily. Sami’s delighted laughter made both of us reply in kind.
Mason crouched beside me and tapped a little mason jar hurricane lamp that looked a lot like the ones on the porch. “We added the new munchkin to the tree.”
My eyes misted at Samantha’s name etched in the glass with the glow of a soft pink light behind it. “Oh, Mason, Jared will just love it.”
Mason grunted. “If he notices such things.”
I stood and the baby’s flailing fist found my hair. “Whoosh, you have a grip.”
“She looks so pleased with herself.” Mason touched Sami’s cheek. “None of us were ready for her, but I can’t imagine life without her now.”
The pang turned into a roar of emotion. “I can’t either.”
“Good thing you don’t. My brother is crazy about you. Glad he finally got his head out of his ass.”
“What do you mean?”
“That idiot has been in love with you for years.”
I shook my head. “No. We’re just making the best of a crazy situation.”
“You keep telling yourself that. You’re just as oblivious as my brother.” He kissed the top of Sami’s head. “Want me to feed you two?”
“We should probably get back.”
“To sit in that empty house? Nah. Come on in.”
“How do you know it’s empty?”
“Because my brother doesn’t let you out of his sight unless he’s working.” Mason grinned. “Mr. Responsibility also wouldn’t let you come get his kid without a reason.”
“You know him pretty well.”
“Brothers. Kinda comes with the territory.”
“You were gone a long time, Mase.” I let him lead me inside to the back of the dining room. Most of the sections were full of people enjoying their food, and
I even spotted a few customers I knew that were on dates.
More Christmas had exploded in here too. Another skyscraper of a tree was decked out in the corner with more rustic balls, bells, and stars that fit with the vibe of the lodge-like atmosphere. But there were also wooden tags that were part of Crescent Cove’s take care of a family drive.
Sadie trotted along next to me, her tail wagging at all the people around her, but she never veered from her charge. And I was pretty sure that charge was not me.
“Jared is really proud of what you did here.”
Mason shot a look over his shoulder. Some disbelief showed in his gaze before it was shuttled away. These Brooks men were a tough bunch. Jared didn’t believe he was doing well either. And I had watched him flourish with his little girl.
Even with just a few weeks under his belt, he’d changed so much.
He was still a bonehead about a few things, but I hadn’t expected him to change much, if at all. I’d been in love with him for years, and sometimes he still had the capacity to surprise me.
Sadie leaned on my leg as I waited for Mason to choose a table for us. Finally, he set us up at a booth.
“I have an extra baby seat in the back.”
“You do?”
Mason flushed. “I picked up some stuff when me and Pops took her for the day.”
Sadie whined and laid her head on my thigh, staring up at the baby. I patted her head. “Just a minute, love.”
Mase came back with an insanely pink carrier on his arm and a basket of bread in his other hand. “You can be my tester.”
“I should really—”
“Sit down.”
I unhooked Sami with a sigh. “I haven’t eaten.”
“See, perfect.” He took the baby from me. “I’ll be right back.”
“Hey!”
“I learned a little something about my niece.”
I dropped into my seat. “Oh, and what’s that?”
“She’s a chick magnet.”
I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re the worst.”
Mason bounced Sami a bit and held out his finger for her to grab. As with everything these days, she tried to shove it into her mouth. “Let’s try one of the icy teething rings PawPaw put in the freezer for you instead.”
He wandered away with her, happily whistling his way through the restaurant, stopping to say hello to people with the natural friendliness he had.