His other hand found my nipple through my clothes, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure. The man could play my body like an instrument.
I erupted with a cry that echoed off the walls, shuddering in his arms.
He held me for a second before pushing me back to the counter guiding me to lay my top half down. I spread my arms out in front of me and pressed my cheek against the cool counter top.
The anticipation was heady as he moved in behind me. Hearing the sound of his zipper was just about the sexiest sound I’d ever heard.
“Oh, God,” I croaked, more than ready for him.
He moved my legs farther apart seconds before he entered me in one fluid thrust.
He felt impossibly big and deliciously deep as he found a rhythm set to make me lose my mind.
I loved the feeling of his jeans against my bare thighs, of his hands at my waist in a grip so tight it was sure to cause a few bruises.
They’d be worth it.
His hands moved to my shoulders pulling me back into him as he thrust deeper and faster. “Fuck,” he bit out, his breathing labored and harsh as he took me hard.
I groaned low and loud, close to another climax.
“That’s right,” he responded, knowing I was close. “God, you’re so fucking hot, baby,” he rasped.
His words were enough to send me over, pulling him with me.
He collapsed on top of me, pressing me harder into the counter as we caught our breath.
He kissed the side of my neck before he lifted off me, leaning down to pull my leggings back up my legs. “You should wear these more often,” he commented as I turned to watch him tuck himself back in his jeans.
I smothered a smile. “Oh?” I asked quirking a brow.
He nodded. “I get to stare at that sweet ass all night and then…easy access,” he grinned, pulling me in for a kiss.
“Right,” I laughed, throwing my arms around him. He lifted me so my legs followed suit.
“Let’s hit the shower,” he said, walking us toward the bedroom. “I’m not done,” he added, biting my earlobe before licking away the sting.
“No?” I asked breathlessly.
“Far from it,” he growled into my neck, making my tired limbs come alive once more.
He spoke and my body answered; it was that simple.
It was hours later and we were lying tangled in each other’s arms, satiated and exhausted. My eyelids were heavy as I moved closer to sleep. “You think I did the right thing?” I asked quietly, my hand moving over the plane of his chest.
Without explanation, he knew what I meant.
I felt him shrug. “No way to know, babe. She’ll have to prove it. If you weren’t so strong and you didn’t have the kind of support you do, I’d worry more about it.”
“But I have you,” I smiled up at him.
“You have me,” he affirmed gruffly, pulling me up for a kiss. “Always.”
Chapter 24
It was three days before Christmas when I was awoken unexpectedly from a deep sleep. “Babe, your phone,” Axel’s voice cut through the darkness.
“Hmm?” I mumbled. Lately, I’d been sleeping like the dead.
“Your phone, it’s ringing,” he repeated, moving into the room. He was still up so I couldn’t have been asleep for very long.
My hand reached blindly for the nightstand, noting blearily that it was only 11 p.m. I had just fallen asleep but it felt like hours ago. “Hello?” I rasped.
“Kat’s in labor. We’re headed into the hospital. Can you meet me there?” Sal’s voice came urgently through the line.
I sat up abruptly, suddenly wide-awake. “Yes! I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I answered, thrilled that my niece was on her way.
I disconnected and clicked on the light, moving at hyper speed to find my clothes.
“Can you stay with Mad?” I asked urgently.
“Yeah,” he nodded. “I want you to be really careful driving down the mountain. The roads are slick,” he warned.
“I will,” I nodded. I’d been driving regularly in what I affectionately called “The Tank.” Axel had claimed my ginormous SUV was safer on the mountain and had plenty of “space.” That man and the brood he wanted.
I rolled my eyes at the time, but I had to admit I did feel safer in it.
He kissed me tenderly, his fingers running through my hair. “Relax for me a bit. I don’t want you driving like this,” he said against my lips. His methods for relaxation usually worked like a charm and this was no different.
“Okay,” I sighed, wishing I could delay for a bit longer.
He grinned knowingly, delivering a swift smack to my ass.
“Hey!” I protested with a grin.
“Later,” he nodded, his eyes full of promise.
My knees went weak. “Later,” I agreed breathlessly.
Thirty minutes later, I was pulling up to the hospital and running through the halls like a madwoman.
When I spotted Jill looking adorable in her hospital scrubs, I immediately sighed with relief. We hadn’t known if she’d be on shift when Kat went into labor. She’d been working at the hospital for a few weeks and seemed to love it. Her divorce was ugly but we’d gotten her a kickass lawyer. The outlook was good for her to get full custody of Mason.
“You’re here,” I breathed, hugging her.
“My only swing shift this week,” she nodded with a smile. “Piper’s with Mason so I can stay until the baby comes.”
“That’s great. Kat will be so glad,” I smiled. “Ry still seem interested in her?” I asked as we headed down the long brightly lit hallway.
She looked thoughtful. “It’s more than that. We all may have misjudged him on this one,” she admitted. “I think he really cares about her. I feel badly for giving him so much shit,” she smiled ruefully.
Well, that was something. I wanted to meet this Piper.
“How’s Kat?” I asked as a baby’s wail ricocheted off the walls.
“Great. She’s progressing relatively fast with it being her first baby,” she explained as we arrived at their room.
Kat was sitting up in bed with Sal leaning over her. His forehead was pressed to hers and I waited quietly, not wanting to interrupt the moment between them.
“Hey, you’re here,” Kat smiled when she saw me.
“I’m here,” I nodded with a grin. “Okay?” I asked, my eyes shooting to Sal.
“I’m just telling this guy to chill,” Kat replied, quirking her thumb at my brother.
“I am chill,” he argued.
“Right,” I nodded, trying to keep the sarcasm from my tone as Jill moved around the room checking vitals and noting a few things in Kat’s chart.
As it turned out, my brother was the epitome of calm. He was an unyielding source of support for his wife throughout her relatively short but intense labor.
It wasn’t until my niece came screaming into the world, the top of her head a mass of dark hair that I saw him take a shaky breath, his mask of calm slipping.
“She’s gorgeous,” his voice rasped with emotion as he looked down at his daughter in awe.
“What’s her name?” I asked as I peeked over his shoulder at my niece. I was biding my time until I got to hold her.