Chapter 11
Damien
I’m holding Lyra to my chest and patting her small bottom when I get a message from Sitka. It’s a text, but I’m alone in the nursery, so I listen to it, grinning when I hear what she’s asked. Still rocking my niece, I send a quick voice message, letting her know I can meet her outside in an hour.
Lyra gives a cute little grunt at hearing my voice but then goes back to sucking her pacifier while her fingers grip my shirt.
I’d offered to put her to sleep tonight, and she’s almost there.
She’s fighting it, but the rocking chair and the butt pats are working their magic.
I’ve never met a baby who could resist the combo.
She may not stay asleep, but there’s no way she’s going to fight this battle for too much longer.
I kiss her head, watching her blink her eyes open only to quickly shut them again.
After a few minutes, her eyes stay closed and the tight grip she has on her pacifier starts to loosen.
I grin at how cute she is and keep rocking her for a few more minutes.
When I’m sure she’s in a deep enough sleep, I very carefully carry her to her crib and put her in.
After making sure she’s safe and warm, I double-check that the baby monitor is angled so Max can see her easily from the app on his phone before shutting the door and heading back downstairs.
I may love the smell of babies, but I don’t want to meet Sitka smelling like baby powder and diaper cream.
Something tells me that would be a mood killer, so I jump in the shower for a quick scrub.
I briefly think about easing some of the sexual frustration I’ve been walking around with since last night, but I resist and dry off instead.
I’ve listened to the voice message she sent me of her fucking herself an embarrassing amount of times, and every time I hear it, it makes me so hard I can barely think.
When I’m dressed and ready, I step out of my room, finding Ev in the small kitchen. He’s leaning against the counter, waiting for his cup of coffee to brew. He eyes me, giving a smirk while he does it.
“Big plans?”
I grab a bottle of water and take a drink before saying, “Sitka’s on her way over. She’s staying the night with Allie.”
“Is Allie coming too?”
“No, just Sitka.” I try to hide my grin by taking another drink, but he sees it and gives a soft laugh as he opens the fridge and takes out the butterscotch creamer he likes for some ungodly reason.
“Am I going to need to wear noise canceling headphones for a different reason tonight?” he asks.
I hesitate, because I’m honestly not sure what we’re going to be doing or how fast Sitka wants to take this.
Since it’s Ev, I just tell him the truth.
“I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing.
A part of me still thinks I’m opening myself up to a world of hurt, but I don’t know.
” I shake my head, still marveling at the hold she has over me. “I can’t walk away.”
“Good,” he says. “You deserve to be happy, Damien.” The corner of his mouth lifts before he adds, “Even if you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing.”
“I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ll figure it out,” I say in my own defense. “But I’m definitely letting her take the lead.”
“At least give me a heads-up before you tell her family. I’d really like to be prepared for that confrontation. We’ll need to let Max know too.”
“Don’t worry. We’re keeping it secret for now.”
He grabs his mug and motions for me to follow him outside. “Come on, I’ll hang out with you while you wait.”
I’m a little surprised he’s not going back to his room to study, but I follow him out and take a seat in the chair opposite his.
The salty air is cool and we can hear the waves crashing against the shore.
When I tilt my head back, the sky is a mesh of stars and constellations that I’ve never seen before and can’t name.
I immediately wonder if Sitka knows them and if she’d be willing to teach them to me.
When I hear footsteps, I sit up and look over just in time to see Sitka’s small form dart around the corner.
She’s still wearing my hoodie and she’s pulled the hood up, making her look like the world’s cutest cat burglar.
Tipping the hood back, she meets my eyes and gives me a huge smile.
When I stand, she runs over to me and then stops when she sees Ev, sitting down and drinking his coffee like he has no intention of leaving.
I lift a brow at him, and the innocent look he gives me has me wanting to kick myself for not figuring this out earlier. I know that look. My stubborn cousin is going to keep his ass parked right where he’s at until I use that goddamn code word he made up.
“Hey, Sitka,” Ev says, pretending like he’s not picking up on our desire to be alone.
“Hey,” she says before looking at me while wondering what’s going on and how secretive we need to be.
Grabbing her hand, I pull her down next to me. My fingers twine into hers while I say, “Don’t worry. Ev won’t say anything.”
“My lips are sealed,” he tells her with a grin.
I’d wanted to keep Max and Talia out of this, but sneaking Sitka into their house is starting to feel like a really good idea when Ev sits back and takes another slow drink. Looking up at the sky, he says, “Beautiful night, right?”
“Yeah,” Sitka says, shooting me another confused look.
I run my thumb over the back of her hand, desperate to pull her into my lap and kiss her again. Looking over at Ev, I say, “I thought you needed to study tonight.”
His smile grows. “Nah, I think I’ll take a break. Rest my eyes and all that.”
The glare I give him doesn’t do anything but make him look even more amused and pleased with himself. Instead of backing down, he says, “I guess I could go in and get a snack. I’m kind of hungry. Not sure what I should get, though.”
He ignores the slight shake of my head and the promise of some serious payback and takes another drink.
“Talia always has snacks in her pantry,” Sitka says, trying to help lure Ev inside. “Cookies and popcorn and stuff.”
“Hmm,” Ev says, pretending to mull it over. “I’m not sure I’m in the mood for that.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter and then grit my teeth and look at my way-too-pleased-with-himself cousin. “How about a Pop-Tart?”
The smile he gives me lights up his whole face. “A Pop-Tart? That’s kind of more of a breakfast food, right?”
“You son of a bitch,” I say, making him laugh while I fight the urge to strangle him. “Ev, go eat a Pop-Tart.”
He laughs again and holds up his hands. “Okay, okay, I’m going.” He turns to Sitka and says, “Evidently I need to go get a snack, but it was good seeing you.”
Sitka laughs and says, “Good seeing you too. Enjoy your Pop-Tart.”
Ev stands and tells her he will and then shoots me one last smirk of a smile before disappearing inside. As soon as he’s gone, I turn to Sitka, but she’s already standing and pulling on my hand, trying to lead me away.
“Follow me,” she whisper-shouts, tugging on my hand as we walk past the pool and step onto the rocky path that leads down towards the water.
Instead of heading straight for the beach, she guides me along and then pulls me off to the side so we’re hidden against the sloping bluff behind Max’s house.
If it were daytime, I’d be able to look up and see the edge of the child-proof gate that surrounds the pool, but right now all I see is a dim light from the house and the glow of a sky full of stars.
My focus is pulled from the house when I feel Sitka grip my sweatshirt, dragging me down with a hungry groan right before she presses her lips to mine.
In seconds my hands are cupping her face and I’m pressing her against the bluff.
Cool grass brushes my fingers as small rocks shift beneath my boots and the familiar scent of her fills my nose, stirring my body to life with a force that steals the breath from my lungs.
She gives another whimper when I fist her hair and caress her tongue with mine.
Her breaths are erratic, just as wild as mine, and every part of me is on fire for this woman.
I fucking ache for her, and when I feel her hands slide under my shirt, short nails dragging up my sides and along my back, I groan and break our kiss so I can pull my hoodie off.
Her hands falter before she moans my name and starts to trace the lines of my body.
It’s too dark for her to make out the details of my tattoos, but she can see me well enough to know I’m covered in them.
Her lips are swollen and slightly parted while her fingers map out every indentation of muscle that I’ve worked very hard to build and maintain.
I suck in a breath when she dips lower and slides a finger into the waistband of my jeans. When I still her hand with mine, she lifts her head, confusion and worry written so clearly across her beautiful face.
“I just need to know how far you want to take this,” I tell her.
She lifts her other hand, using it to grasp the back of my neck and pull me closer while hiking one of her legs up to rest on my hip.
With her lips hovering so close to mine, she says, “I already told you what I want.” She nips at my bottom lip, sending a shiver of pure, raw ecstasy through every cell in my body.
Every part of me aches with need for her, a primal urge that’s so strong it’s overwhelming.
“I want you to make me come,” she whispers before running her tongue over the spot she’d just bitten. “But not sex,” she adds. “I want to, but not tonight, not like this.”
I can’t help but grin and ask, “You don’t want to lose your virginity against a cliff while we hide from everyone?”