Teach Me Like That (LMLT Book 2)
Teach Me Like That
Love Me Like That Book 2
Kegan’s Story
Kegan: Love Me Like That Book 2
Copyright © 2016 Marie James
Editing by Mr. Marie James & Hale’s Harem Betas ;)
EBooks are not transferrable. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Teach Me Like That
Playlist
Cover Design:
Essen-tial Designs
Photographer: Jim Cauthen
Cover Model:
Justin James Cadwell
Just FYI, Renee Hoffard claims Kegan Cole as hers! (But I won’t tell if you want to keep him for yourself!)
Kegan
“I need you.” Kadin’s broken voice echoes in my head as if on a continuous loop since the phone call ten minutes ago. He’s never one to ask for help, and I can’t even hide the pride I feel when my older brother reaches out for me.
His wife London had gone into labor just after midnight. She’s full-term, so that isn’t the issue. Kadin explained that they went to the hospital, and everything was normal. This is their third child, so they’re pretty much pros by this point. They weren’t even going to call family until morning time, but there have been some complications.
I couldn’t get much from Kadin other than the baby’s heart rate dropped, and London was rushed in for an emergency C-section. Since they didn’t have time to prep her, she’d been completely sedated, and Kadin wasn’t allowed in the room.
He’s frightened and terrified he’s going to lose his wife, again. That pain is heightened by the signs of distress the baby was showing when everything went completely haywire in the delivery room.
Since I’m only a few miles from the hospital, I’m walking into the waiting room to meet Kadin within twenty minutes of the call. Hell, I was half-dressed before he even hung up. He refused to let me call our parents and give them an update because they were at the house with the girls. As far as they know, everything is completely normal, and there are no problems.
My brother stands from the hard plastic chair the second he sees me. Without care, he wraps me in a hug. I squeeze him back, knowing he must be completely distressed if he’s not worried about looking manly and just handing over one of his usual brotherly ‘rough pat on the back’ hugs.
“Has there been any news?” I ask as we break apart.
He shakes his head but doesn’t verbalize anything.
I know he’s terrified. His first wife Savannah was killed in a car accident years ago. He was nearly at the end of his rope when fate intervened and threw London into his life. This man has suffered more loss than anyone else I know, and I’m certain he wouldn’t handle more grief very well.
Unsure of what to do, I just sit beside him, hoping he takes comfort in my presence. I’m not going to placate him with false assurances or promises of a positive outcome. How can I? I have hardly any information to go on, other than my normally stoic brother seems to be falling apart before my eyes again.
I don’t know what he saw in that delivery room or what comments were made by hospital staff, but it can’t be good if he’s sitting here like his world has already ended.
“Mr. Cole?” We both hear the voice from a door on the other side of the room.
We stand and walk toward the smiling nurse.
“Mr. Cole?” she says again looking between us.
“Yes,” we both answer.
Kadin looks over at me like I’m a fucking idiot.
“Sorry,” I murmur, clearly out of touch a bit with reality as well.
“How’s my wife? My son?” Kadin asks. His voice isn’t any stronger than it was on the phone call he placed just over an hour ago.
“Both are doing very well. They’re in recovery, and you can go back to see them soon.” The nurse gives him a reassuring smile.
Relief washes over me as I clasp his shoulder with my hand at the good news. I feel the tension in his muscles ease a bit, but not completely. I know he won’t settle completely until his entire family is home and safe.
My head is throbbing more than usual. Watching my mother try to wrangle Anastyn and Lennox is like suffering a hangover without the reward of the fun night before the pain hits. They’ve been limiting visitors while London recovers from her surgery, so I’ve been in the waiting room with my mother, father, and the girls for the last couple of hours. I never should’ve called them.
I knew Kadin would be hard pressed to pull himself away from London’s side once he was able to go back and see her. We’ve received texts and pictures from the bowels of the hospital where the other Coles are located, but I haven’t seen my brother’s face since he walked through the double doors to see his wife and son.
I honestly can’t believe the hospital staff hasn’t kicked the girls out yet. They’re like banshees or feral cats, bouncing all over, squealing like pigs. I don’t know how London and Kadin deal with this on a regular basis.
Thankfully, after what feels like an eternity, Kadin emerges, appearing more put together than he did a bit ago. Seems all is well in that branch of the Cole family tree.
The girls begin squawking even louder when they see their father. If this is how normal five and six-year-olds act, you can count me out. I’d be in jail for gagging them and locking them in a closet; I’m certain of it. Knowing I’m going to get to see my nephew, the first male to be born since my gorgeous mug made it into the world, is the only thing that has kept me in this hospital.
I won’t admit it out loud, but having another man in the family is something I’ve been looking forward to since the piñata popped at Sunday dinner a few months back and London and Kadin were covered in blue confetti.
I love being an uncle to the girls, from afar… very, very far away. Women confuse the hell out of me, but little girls make me want to curl up in the fetal position and hide in the corner until their parents come home.
I’m certain being an uncle to a boy is going to be so much more rewarding than tea parties with no alcohol and plastic crowns that dig into my scalp. Once he’s past the awkward toddler stage, it’s going to be nothing but hunting, camping, and fishing; man things that will never include the colors pink and purple or dining with fake food with stuffed animals.
If I had to wager by the glint in Kadin’s eyes when he bends down to hug the girls, he’s looking forward to the manly stuff as well. His smile covers the entire expanse of his face. He was born for this, made to be a dad. I’m happy for him and proud to have him as my older brother.
His life? Settling down with one woman and making tiny little replicas of ourselves? No thanks. There are way too many women in the world, too much variety to just settle down and pick one.
Kegan
The last thing I need after a wild night of partying and an even more entertaining couple of hours with Sasha… Sarah? Shasta? It doesn’t matter. We had a great time.
Back on track
. My phone ringing at six in the morning is not the wake-up call I need. The perfect wake-up? A tight mouth wrapped around my…
The phone continuing its demand breaks me from my thoughts. I reach over to my bedside table without even opening my eyes.
“Hello,” I grumble into the phone that has interrupted my very limited rest time.
“You awake?” my brother asks with too much cheer in his voice.
“Do I fucking sound awake to you?”
His chuckle makes me want to hang up on his ass.
“I need a favor.”
I sit up in bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes. It’s rare that he calls me for help, especially before the sun is fully over the horizon.
“Whatever you need, man.”
“I need you to come to the house and take the girls to school,” he says.
“Except that,” I complain.
He pulls the phone from his ear and speaks to London.
“What about mom?” I ask. It’s not that I don’t want to help him, but those girls scare the shit out of me. They team up and become unstoppable. There’s a real chance they’ll hit me over the head, steal my truck and credit cards, and head to the nearest toy store. I cringe every time I think about being alone with them. The last time I watched them, I somehow ended up locked in the closet for an hour while they drank chocolate syrup from the damn bottle.
“She and dad are on a long weekend,” he explains.
“And why do you need me?” I know I sound like an asshole. I know he never really asks much of me. I know I should be a better brother. Those girls, though.
“Easton isn’t feeling well,” he begins.
I stand from the bed and head to the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with my boy?” I ask as I load my toothbrush up and turn on the shower.
“He’s cranky and has a low-grade fever. He’s just turned six months old, so I’m sure he’s just teething or something, but London is freaking out. I don’t want her to have to take him to the doctor alone. The only appointment they have available is first thing this morning. It’s only the first week of school, and I don’t want the girls to be late,” Kadin says. I can tell he’s distracted because he keeps pulling the phone away from his mouth and speaking to others in the room with him. “This is the only time we can get him in. If we don’t make this appointment, she’s going to carry him to the emergency room, and there’s no sense in that.”
“I’m your man,” I tell him around my toothbrush. I’ll be there in just a bit.
“I owe you big time, Kegan.”
“Don’t worry, big brother. I’m keeping a running tab.”
