Chapter 29
TRAVIS
“Congrats, man. I’m so happy for you.” I slap Nick on the back as we stand chest to chest, then move to Ruby. I pick her up and squeeze.
They got engaged last weekend and tonight we’re celebrating.
“Air,” she squeaks out. “Air is important.”
Laughing, I set her down, but don’t move away. “What about me and you?” I ask her. “I thought for sure he was going to fuck it up and I could swoop in.”
Her gaze flits to Nick and a happy smile lights up her face. “Sorry. I guess you scared him into behaving.”
“Dammit, Galaxy. Of all the times to start listening to me.” I shake my head at him, but I’m so ecstatic I could burst. They’re perfect together and I’ve never seen my buddy so happy.
He loops an arm around Ruby’s waist. “Sorry, but, uh, I think you might have fucked this up on your own.” His gaze moves past me.
I look back in time to see Hannah lifting her eyes to the ceiling and fighting a grin. “Oh, no. Don’t mind me. We’re only married because I can’t hold my liquor.”
Nick barks out a laugh as I reach out and hook an arm around Hannah to pull her to me.
“Is that so?” I ask, digging my fingers into her hip.
She makes a soft, noncommittal noise.
But when I dip my head down and nuzzle into her neck while growling playfully, she giggles and melts into me.
She’s wearing jeans and a baggy sweater that hangs off one shoulder and her hair is up in a ponytail. The long line of her neck and that collarbone are too tempting. We barely made it out of the house.
“Excuse us,” I say to Nick and Ruby. “I need to get my wife a drink so she can make some more bad decisions.”
I pick her up and carry her fireman style to the kitchen. Shep and D-Low are hanging out next to the mixers and booze.
“Hello, boys,” I say to them and place Hannah on the counter. I stand between her legs and place my hands on either side of her, caging her in.
“Hey,” they say in unison to me, then, “Hey, Hannah.”
“Hi!” She chirps happily at them without looking away from me. “I’m not drinking tonight.”
“Too bad.”
“I still want to make some bad decisions though.”
“Say less.” My hands glide up her thighs and I press my mouth to hers.
I’m vaguely aware of the guys giving us shit in the background, but I don’t care. Only when Hannah pulls back do I stand tall and give the guys attention.
“You’re turning into D-Low,” Shep tells me as he hands me a beer.
“That’s a compliment.” D-Low lifts his drink to me.
I extend my beer toward him. “Cheers to public hookups.”
“Excuse me?” Hannah laughs. “There’ll be no hooking up on Nick and Ruby’s kitchen counter.”
“Don’t try to play so innocent.”
Her cheeks flush at the reminder of other times she was not so concerned with an audience, like the carnival. Best damn ride of my life. I wink and lean forward to brush another quick kiss on her lips. “I like you bad.”
Her small laugh tickles my mouth. “Is that so?”
“Yep.” I linger there, lips hovering over hers. “I like you bad. I like you good. I like you every which way I can have you.”
“Good because you can have me any which way.”
Behind me I hear D-Low say, “I should have brought a date.”
And Shep, “If they hook up in front of us, it’ll be the most action I’ve seen in months.”
“Oh. I’m buzzing.” Hannah leans to the side and pulls her phone out of her front pocket. “It’s Wren.”
“Let me answer.” I beckon toward the phone and Hannah gives it over with a grin. As soon as I accept the video call, Wren’s face fills the screen, and she smiles back at me.
“Big brother!”
“Hey, little sis. How’s it going?”
“Good.” She looks behind me. “Where are you guys?”
I turn so Hannah’s in the frame too.
“Nick and Ruby’s engagement party,” Hannah answers her.
“Aww. Fun. Tell them I said congrats and send me pics of the ring.”
Hannah gasps. “Oh my god. I didn’t see the ring.”
She grabs her phone and hops down from the counter, making a beeline for Ruby to, my best guess, scope out Ruby’s engagement ring.
I lean against the counter and open my beer.
“You two seem good,” Shep says.
“Yeah, we are. Hannah’s the best.”
“And sometimes into public hookups apparently.” D-Low quirks one brow.
“I have no idea where you’d get an idea like that.” I hide my smile as I take a long drink.
D-Low sighs. “Fine, fine, don’t tell us. But just so you know, Shep could use the play-by-play. He’s in a desert.”
“Fuck off.” Shep flips him off with one hand.
“How are things with you guys?” I ask.
“Good. Great.” D-Low shrugs, nothing further to add.
“You?” I look to Shep.
“Pretty good.” His brow furrows. “My mom is having surgery tomorrow so I’m a little worried about that, but otherwise, no complaints.”
“Surgery. Is everything okay?”
“I think so, but it’s hard to know being so far away. She has a tendency to leave out important details so I won’t worry. Which obviously doesn’t work very well.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Nah, but thanks for asking. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. I’m here. Anything you need.”
He tips his chin in thanks. “What about your parents? Still no contact?”
I’ve always been honest with the guys about my relationship with my family. Honest but not all that forthcoming. They know I don’t talk to them, but I haven’t provided a lot of other details.
“They still suck, but unfortunately, no. My dad’s been calling lately. Five times in the past week.”
“What does he want?” D-Low asks.
“That is the million-dollar question.” I shrug. “I don’t know. And I don’t care. He can call as much as he wants. I’d sooner rip off my own ears than talk to him.”
Shep and D-Low are giving me matching, sympathetic smiles.
“That’s tough. I’m sorry, man.” D-Low tips his beer to me.
“You aren’t even a little curious what he wants to say?” Shep asks.
“No,” I say automatically, then relent. “It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing he could say that would change things between us.”
I believe those words. At least I think I do.
As Shep nods, the skepticism in his expression has me questioning myself.
Of course there’s a part of me that’s curious but I’ve given them plenty of chances.
What’s that saying about when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
They’ve shown me who they are plenty of times and there’s no fixing it. But…fuck. What if I’m wrong?
Maybe I’m the problem. Everyone around me has these great relationships with their families. And then there’s me. Is my stubbornness and ability to hold a grudge keeping me from having that too?
I’m still wondering when Hannah reappears. She’s clutching her phone in both hands. “Wren got accepted into the study abroad program in Italy next summer.”
“No way.” I move so I can see the younger Walsh sister on the video call. “Congrats! That’s amazing news.”
“Thanks.” Wren beams, then her expression shifts slightly like she’s trying to contain her excitement. “I’m not going for sure. They won’t announce scholarships for a few weeks and if I don’t get one, then I can’t go.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Hannah tells her. “I’m so proud of you! Complimenti!”
Wren snorts. “Your Italian is terrible.”
“I have plenty of time to practice before I come visit you and eat all the pasta.”
“Oh, me too. Count me in for a visit,” I tell Wren.
Wren’s smile is one of pleased indifference, like she doesn’t quite want to admit how much she’d enjoy that too. “I have to go. I’m meeting some friends at a party.”
“Will there be boys at this party?” I ask in my best imitation of a concerned big brother voice. It turns out, I’m pretty good at it.
“If there isn’t, I’m going to be very disappointed.”
“Be careful,” Hannah says, then. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” She waves and then the call ends.
“They grow up so fast,” D-Low says from where he’s still standing across the kitchen.
Hannah places the phone to her chest and sticks out her bottom lip. “They really do. I can’t believe she got into the study abroad program. What will I do with her so far away?”
My chest tightens as I pull her into a hug. The way she loves her sister and Wren loves her is such a special thing.
“You’ll visit and text.”
“You’ll come with me to visit her?” she asks.
“Of course.”
Some of the sadness on her face slips away. “Thanks for being so good to her. And me.”
“Happy wife. Happy life.” I hold her chin between my thumb and pointer finger and place a chaste kiss on her mouth.
“You know what would make me really happy?” she murmurs against my lips.
“What’s that?”
She slips her hands under my shirt and then rubs against the front of me. My entire body perks up.
“Mhmm. Mhmm. Tell me more,” I say as I walk us backward out of the kitchen, holding her against me. I call to the guys, “Let’s play poker in a bit. I’m feeling lucky tonight.”
Their laughter dies off as I turn the corner, dragging Hannah down a hallway and into the downstairs bathroom.
I shut the door and then flip on the light. Hannah hops up on the vanity and grabs a fistful of my shirt.
“You’re so sexy when you’re being nice to my sister.”
I chuckle as her palms stretch out over my stomach and move, caressing every inch of my chest, sides, and then lower.
“I like Wren,” I tell her honestly. “She’s your family and I know how important that is to you.”
“Family is everything.” Her mouth finds mine and she kisses me with all the pent-up longing I feel in my gut.
That niggling worry that I’m holding a grudge against my family when there’s a chance it could be fixed is back, but before I can stew in it, Hannah’s unbuttoning my jeans and working the zipper down.
She pushes my pants and boxers down just far enough that she has room to wrap her hand around my cock.
Heat courses through me as she works me over in a tight, steady rhythm.
I slant my mouth over hers, kissing her deeper and sweeping my tongue in to taste her.
I’m so fucking gone for this girl. If what I felt for her on day one was love at first sight, then whatever I’m feeling now hasn’t ever been documented by humanity.
It’s love and obsession and respect and admiration.
She’s everything. Just knowing she exists changed my life.
But being with her like this, I’ll never recover.
I pull her to the edge of the counter. My mouth leaves hers but only to lavish her gorgeous neck with attention. She sighs and tips her head to give me better access.
I’m already close and I haven’t even touched her yet. That won’t fucking do. I squat down, push her legs apart, and bite her over the seam of her jeans.
“Oh, fuck.” Hannah arches into my mouth.
I do it again while popping the button and then as I stand tall, lift her off the vanity long enough to push her jeans and black panties down.
“Goddamn you’re beautiful.”
She flushes and aims a coy smile at me.
“I didn’t bring any condoms.” I lift my gaze to scan the bathroom, but even without going through the drawers I highly doubt Nick has condoms lying around where Aidan could find them.
“It’s okay. I’m on birth control and I’ve been tested. If you’re good, then…”
“I’m good. I’ve been tested recently too and there hasn’t been anyone but you since we met.”
“You mean since Vegas?”
“No, Hannah. I mean since the day we met.”
She lets out a small huff of disbelief even as I see the truth register on her face. “You’re unbelievable in all the best ways.”
Grinning, I turn her so she’s facing the vanity. She looks back at me over one shoulder.
I nudge her feet farther apart and drop a hand between her legs. “You’re drenched, wife.”
“Because my husband is hot as fuck and says sweet things.”
My fingers drag over her slick pussy, then I bring them to my mouth and lick them while she watches me in the mirror. “You taste like mine.”
“I am yours.” She arches back into me like I have everything she wants. God, I want that to be true. Whatever she wants. Whatever she needs. I want to give it all to her.
I guide the head of my dick to her entrance. Her eyes flutter closed as I push into her.
“Oh fuck, that feels good. Your pretty cunt is squeezing me so tight.” Sweat beads up on my forehead from the restraint I’m using to stop from plunging into her in hard, quick thrusts. This thing would be over too quick.
“Look at us,” I say to our reflection in the mirror. Her lips are puffy, cheeks flushed. Her sweater’s fallen off one shoulder and the swell of her breast peeks out. “I was made for you.”
“Unbelievable,” she mutters, the word almost too quiet to hear, as I bury myself in her. I pull out and do it again and again, each time at that slow, torturous pace that has her unable to speak.
“Tell me you’re mine again,” I say when she’s taking all of me. I drop my mouth to her neck and lick the line of her collarbone. “Say you’ll be mine forever.”
She meets my stare in the mirror. My heart hammers in the seconds it takes her to reply.
“I’m yours.” Her words are barely a whisper. She doesn’t add the forever part, but I hope she feels it. Because there’s no way I can let her go now.