The Love Series Complete Box Set (114 page)

With a whisper soft touch, he glides the pad of his thumb over the seam of my lips, avoiding my clit. I push forward, trying to get his hand to go where I want it. It’s futile though.Reid is in charge. He owns my body and I let him. It’s a perfect symphony of give and take, touch and tease.

After a few more languorous strokes of my pussy, he pushes two fingers inside and swirls them around, instantly bringing me to the brink of pleasure, the edge of reason. With his other hand, he pushes my thighs apart. “Open for me. Fuck my hand,” he commands with a gruff rasp in his voice. Supporting some of my weight on my hands, I lift my ass from the surface and move my hips in rhythm with his hand. “So good, Reid,” I moan and grumble, the pull and drag of his fingers hitting my clit on every thrust.

All too abruptly, he removes his hand from deep inside of me. “That was fucking hot,” he says, before licking his fingers clean. “And you’re fucking delicious.” Lifting me once more, he carries me over to the bed. I feel the hardness of his cock push into me as I wrap my legs around his waist. When he drops me on the mattress, I feel bereft of his heat, longing for more.

I watch in silence as he unsnaps his pants and pushes them, along with his boxers, down over his narrow hips and muscular thighs. Toeing off his shoes and socks, he stands before me—beautifully naked and
very
ready for action. I cross my legs and reach to pull my shoe off. His voice cuts through the room. “Leave them on.”

Sliding the sexy red pump back in place, Reid stares at me, penetratingly, almost like a wild beast.

“Roll over.” His roughened command takes me by surprise and causes a surge of wetness. I comply, of course, even though my pulse is racing. The mattress dips as he kneels in between my legs, nudging them wider. His finger trails down the length of my spine, stopping only when it meets the edge of the fabric that stops just beneath the dimples of my lower back. Flipping the short skirt up over my ass, he bunches the fabric around my waist.

Rough palms scorch the sensitized skin of my inner thighs as he pushes me up onto my knees. Hot lips kiss each cheek before playful teeth gently sink into my flesh.

Banding one arm around my hips, he plays with my pussy, flicks at my clit from behind. I feel his cock pressing into the softness of my ass. “Please, baby, I need you,” I call out desperately

All the control and dominance he had vanishes when he hears my needy words. Lacing his fingers together with mine, he stretches our arms above my head. His hard chest presses into my back, the light dusting of hair tickling my hot skin.

He rolls us so that we’re both on our sides, my back to his front. Holding my knee in the crook of his elbow, he angles his hips forward and sinks into me from behind. With his other hand wrapped around my chest, he teases my nipples with his strong fingers. When his hand moves around my neck, seductively holding me in place, my pussy flutters out of pure ecstasy.

“Maddy . . . oh God,” he grumbles into my neck. “I can feel you . . . God, I can feel you clamp down on me. Come, baby.” As if he doesn’t trust me to obey his command, he removes his hand from my neck and trails it down in between my legs.

A few brushes against my clit and I fall, coming wildly. My hips thrust without any rhythm whatsoever. Fire spreads through my belly as Reid pulls me hard against his chest.

“Fuck, Maddy. I can’t hold off any longer.”

With a few more erratic thrusts, Reid growls out as his orgasm pours into me.

He sweeps my hair to the side and kisses my neck. Resting my cheek against his bent arm, I nuzzle into him inhaling his purely masculine scent.

After a few long moments, our breathing calms. I kick my shoes off, and even though I’m completely incapable of moving, I sit up so I can get rid of what little clothing I have on. Reid tosses me one of his T-shirts and gathers my black satin and lace garments from the floor.

“These are definitely going to have to make another appearance, real soon,” he smirks as he tosses them into the laundry basket.

When we’re curled around one another in bed, a sense of calm peacefulness fills the room. Our son is sleeping quietly in the next room and we just had wild, crazy, monkey sex without waking him up. I guess we’re getting good at this parenting stuff, after all.

I laugh out loud at that thought.

“What’s so funny over there?” Reid pops a kiss to the top of my head and squeezes my shoulder.

“I was just thinking how crazy insane it is that we just did
that
and didn’t wake him up.”

“Shh. Don’t jinx it.” We share a laugh and I begin tracing random patterns in his chest hair, following the inky, black lines of his tatted pecs.

“Can I ask you something?”

He looks down at me wary of my randomness. “Of course, sweets. Anything.”

“Do you ever think of having another one, a baby, I mean.”

His hand stills on my shoulder and I feel him hold his breath, his chest tense under my hand.

“Relax, Reid. I didn’t mean today or tomorrow. I just meant sometime in the future.”

His hand resumes tickling my skin as he presses his lips to my forehead. “You’re not popping one out tomorrow, right?” he jokes, but I hear the seriousness there. I shake my head and he chuckles. “Well, in that case, yes.” I poke him in the ribs at his sarcastic tone.

Cupping my jaw and staring intently into my eyes, he brushes his lips against mine. “Yes, Maddy. I want to have more babies with you. I want to have a big family. I want us to be the family that neither of us ever had.”

My heart swells for my man and his sweetness. “You mean you don’t think it’s crazy we’re both barely in our twenties and we’re talking about having
another
baby?”

A dopey smile lifts at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, sure it’s crazy. I can’t imagine that things will get less crazy, but I know way down to my bones, that there is no one I’d rather go crazy with.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” I smile up at him, his deep blue eyes alight with humor.

“Yep, I sure am. But it’s only because I have you.”

“Now, you’re just laying it on thick, Connely.” I poke him in the ribs again.

“Is it working?” he quips.

Even though the room is dark, I roll my eyes and say nothing.

“I thought so.” I feel his smile against my temple as he presses his lips there one more time.

Epilogue

Spring

May 2015

“I feel like a dork.” I look at Melanie who is sitting behind me on my bed. Adjusting my graduation cap and tassel one last time, I zipper up my gown and hold my arms out to the side.

“Yep, you look like one too. A dork with a diploma though.” Mel’s freckled face splits with a proud smile.

“It’s only junior college. Not a big deal.” Shrugging, I sit next to her and slide my feet into black, strappy sandals.

“It is so a big deal. Besides, trying telling Mom that. She’s practically rolled out the red carpet for you.” Mel reaches into her bag next to her on the bed. “Here. I got you a little something.”

“Melanie, you didn’t have to.” She shoots me the
best friend
slash
shut your mouth
look and I tear into the paper.

“Oh, Mel. It’s gorgeous.” I trace my fingers over the silver letters that spell out “sisters” across the cover of an absolutely stunning scrapbook. “Did you make this?”

“Yes, I did. I wanted you to have something special today.” She squeezes me tightly and scoots right next to me so we can look through the pictures together.

I’m rendered speechless at her thoughtfulness. Carefully selecting pictures of both of us, from when we were babies all the through just last weekend at a backyard barbeque, she has created a timeline of both of our lives. We’ll never be sisters by blood, but looking through this album—seeing the two of us all dressed up for prom, goofing off at sleepovers, and dancing at my wedding—we’ll never be anything but sisters by choice.

We both swipe at the tears of happiness flowing down our cheeks. “Come on. We better get going. Everyone is out there waiting for us.” We share in one last sisterly embrace before walking out to the living room where Momma, Evan, Bryan, Braden and Reid are waiting for us. Katie and Joe even made the trip out to celebrate.

A chorus of cheers and claps great me. Braden races up to me, calling out “Mommy! Mommy!”

“Hey sweet boy!” I lift him up to my hip and Reid stands next to me. Making eye contact with everyone else, I smile and fight back a few tears. “Thank you for being here guys. I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to say. We’re here because we love you and we’re extremely proud of you.” Momma hugs me and hands me a tissue. Evan stands beside us, smiling proudly. “We both are, Maddy. A college degree is a huge accomplishment. Lucy and I are very proud of everything you’ve done.”

It’s silly really, but hearing Evan say those things, feeling Momma’s arms wrapping around my shoulders, makes me feel like I’ve been given back the parents I lost so long ago.

Scanning the room, I realize that one very important person is missing. “Hey, where’s Dylan? I thought he was meeting us here?”

“He was supposed to, but Lizzy showed up at the center today with a letter from Cane.” Reid’s words silence the room.

“What?” I gasp. “When? Why didn’t you tell me? What happened? Is everything okay?” My questions come out rapid-fire style, frantic and obviously concerned.

“Yes, everything is fine.” Good, he decided to answer the most important question first. He sees my shoulders slump and rubs my back to ease the tension. Even though he’s been in relative safety living with his aunt and uncle, we’ve all been concerned that he’s really okay.

“So then what happened?” Bryan chimes in. Having always taken an interest in Reid’s work with bullied kids, he was really affected by Cane and Lizzy’s situation. When Cane ran away and no one heard from him in that first week, Bryan actually helped out down at The Bridge stuffing envelopes and making calls.

“Well, it was a good update actually. He sent Lizzy his graduation picture. Dylan said Cane looks healthy, really happy too.” A collective sigh of relief fills the room. “He’s adjusted pretty well there, apparently. Lizzy just needed someone to talk to, so he said he would meet us there later.”

“That’s really great news, Reid.” Bryan claps him on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I know we were all expecting the worst. Hopefully, it continues to work out for him. He’s too young to be afraid to live his life.” Reid takes Braden from my arms and kisses him sweetly. “Dylan and Lizzy have been meeting a lot over the last few months, so he wanted to be there to support her today. He said she was really upset, missing him and all.” Reid shrugs like what he and Dylan do on a regular basis with these kids is not that big of a deal. But it is. I try to convince him that what they do is nothing short of amazing, but I know there’s a part of him that still won’t give himself the credit he deserves.

Joe sees it too. I notice him smiling through Reid’s update on Lizzy and Cane. “Good job, son.” Not afraid to show his emotions, Joe hugs Reid with the fatherly pride that he’s deserved all his life.

Katie takes Braden from Reid and whispers something in his ear before turning to the rest of us. “I’m going to go put this little guy in the car. We better hit the road if we want to get to the college on time.” She taps the face of her watch and everyone else falls in line.

I grab my bag as Reid grabs his keys from the dish on our entryway table. “What did Katie just say to you?” I ask, straightening my cap one last time.

He gulps before smiling, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “She said that Mom would be proud of me.”

“Oh, baby. You know she would be. So would Shane.” Standing next to him, we gaze at the framed faces of those we have loved and lost. I wrap my arm around his waist as he kisses my hair.

Cars honk out in front of the apartment, our cue to get our butts in gear, but I call him back into the living room as his hand hovers above the doorknob.

“Reid. Wait. I have something for you today.” Nervousness makes my voice tremble.

“For me? But you’re the one graduating.” He grins goofily as he tucks his sunglasses into the slightly opened collar of his dress shirt.

I hand him his present, a small rectangular box, like one in which you would put a piece of jewelry.

After ripping open the paper, he cracks open the box and stares at me, dumbfounded. “Re-gifting already?” He arches an eyebrow as he pulls the necklace that he gave me on our first Christmas together out of the box.

“Not really. Look closer.” I take the necklace out of his hands and repeat the words he said to me once before.

“This one is for you,” I say as I hold the charm with “R” engraved on it. “And this one is for me. This next one is for Braden,” I let the fourth charm slip out of my palm where it was concealed. “And
this
one—” His lips stop my words.

Smiling against my lips, he wraps his arms around my waist and spins me in the air. “Really?” His voice is shaking with emotion.