Chapter 62
—Kasey—
We lay in bed later that evening, barely after nine since Reed was mentally and emotionally exhausted.
I rolled his way and smiled as I studied his profile.
Sensing me watching him, not the TV, he glanced at me, then rolled onto his side. “What are you grinning about, darlin’?”
“Your side profile is pretty.”
“Pretty!” he exclaimed, making me smother my burst of laughter in the pillows.
I then tried to conduct damage control. “Not in a girly way—in a sexy way.”
He pouted. “Manly, pretty, and sexy don’t fit in the same sentence, Kase.”
“I didn’t say manly.”
His harrumph made me giggle again. “You meant it.”
I couldn’t help but tease the man. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, oh yeah.” He smiled, though it didn’t reach his tired eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.” He took a second to gather his thoughts as he interlinked his fingers with mine. “It’s funny, babe, between my parents, brothers, Simone, and Connie, I’ve got all the support in the world, but it’s the nights that are the hardest. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining because we’re incredibly blessed to have Posie, but being a working dad is incredibly lonely.”
I snuggled closer and kissed his knuckles. “You don’t have to be lonely anymore. I’m here.”
“Yeah, but for how long?”
It was the second time he’d asked tonight, and the worry was still evident in his eyes.
I held his gaze for a second before whispering, “As long as you want me.”
“So… for life, then?”
“Mm, maybe.”
He smiled slightly. “Maybe is better than a no, so I’ll take it.” A pucker then created creases between his eyebrows, and he shifted his legs.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Reed cleared his throat and coughed a little. “I’m so tired, babe, but I feel like sex.”
I laughed. “Now there’s a contradiction.”
“Fuckin’ tell me about it. Wanna have lazy sex with me?”
“As opposed to who else?”
Reed growled playfully and pulled me on top of him. “Tease,” he said in time with a hard squeeze of my ass.
His hard length pressed against my stomach. I wiggled from side to side just to hear him groan.
“Lie back,” I whispered against his mouth before landing a playful kiss.
“Trust me, I ain’t goin’ anywhere,” he drawled, then captured my face between both hands.
Each slow, sensual pass of his tongue against mine heightened the gathering arousal between my legs. His erection throbbed against my stomach, sending more warmth to my core.
Without warning him, I sat up and whipped off my tank top. He immediately filled his hands with my breasts and ran his thumbs over my pebbled nipples. After reveling in the pleasure, I gently slapped him away.
“No touching. Lazy, remember?”
He actually fucking pouted. “But I want—”
“Nope. Can’t have it both ways, I’m afraid.”
A wicked smirk touched his mouth. “You’re awfully bossy for being in my bed, Quinn.”
“Shush.” I slid off him and kicked out of my underwear. “Take yours off too,” I demanded.
“But you just said no touching.”
A snicker rumbled in his chest when I cursed. “Fine.”
Grabbing the waistband of his navy boxer briefs, I tugged them down roughly but got the tip of his dick snagged on the elastic. It got flattened to his thighs, then flicked up and smacked against his lower abdomen all within a split second. The unexpectedly loud slap made our wide eyes connect and our movements halt.
“Ouch,” Reed drawled dryly, sending me into a fit of laughter.
“Christ,” he hissed, running a hand down his face and laughing behind it.
I doubled over, resting my forehead on Reed’s vibrating stomach. I couldn’t stop giggling. The slapping sound his dick made…
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” I crowed, then laughed harder when he mildly forced my head toward his dick.
“Kiss it better, Kasey.”
“I can do one better than that…”
I gave it a quick suck, then took it in my hands as I swung my leg over his thighs. After lining him up with my entrance. I sank down his shaft, pulling a hiss of pleasure from both of us.
The instant his hands found my thighs, I narrowed my eyes in warning. “I’ll allow it.”
Reed laughed. “Get your ass moving, babe, before I take measures into my own hands.”
Grinning despite rolling my eyes, I leaned back and braced my hands on his thighs, then swiveled my hips. The friction hit just the precise spot that had my head tipping rearward and my jaw falling slack.
Reed’s hiss of pleasure accompanied the bite of his fingertips on my thighs. “Fuck, babe. That’s it,” he whispered.
He began to pull me back and forth in time with my rhythm, urging me faster, harder, until I utterly lost control.
I ground down harder and rode the orgasm for as long as I could take it, then sat panting when Reed had followed me over the edge.
We took a minute to catch our breath before I panted, “Lazy enough for you?”
“I don’t think I could get lazier, darlin’. And that was hot as hell.”
“You’re welcome.”
I climbed off him and cupped myself on the way to the en suite. Reed arrived a moment later, looking lethargic and barely standing.
“All good?” I asked.
His eyes found mine, and he smiled sleepily. “Never better, babe.”
Sitting on the toilet, I openly watched him clean himself up, then grinned when he caught me looking.
He smirked. “Good?”
“Mmyeah. And when are you going to tell me why I used to call you The Pisser?”
A burst of laughter came from Reed’s mouth. “You’re sure you wanna know?”
It had been a mystery for literal months, so… “Fuck yeah I want to know.”
He snickered, then leaned closer for added effect. “Because babe… you caught me pissing in the shower while I waited for you, not long after we started casually seeing each other.”
My face contorted. “Ew!”
“That’s what you said then, too—more or less.” He laughed louder. “Actually, it was more like this…” His voice pitched higher. “Great, Simone gets the kisser brother, and I get the pisser brother.”
My jaw fell slack, and I burst out laughing. I couldn’t deny it since I didn’t remember, but it sounded exactly like something I’d say.
“I’m actually gutted I don’t remember that.”
“I’m not,” he drawled. “You never did let me live it down—until the accident, obviously.”
I shook my head and chose amusement over sorriness. “Some things are better left forgotten, eh?”
“Fuckin’ A.” Reed halted and cocked his head. “Shit, I think Posie’s awake.”
“I’ll help.” I flushed the toilet and washed my hands, then pulled on shorts and my tank as Reed crossed the bedroom to leave.
“Do you mind grabbing her while I make her bottle?” he asked.
“Of course. Go get a head start.”
For the first time in our new life, we moved as a team with Posie’s end goal in mind.
I lifted her from her crib and jiggled her in my arms as Reed finished mixing her milk. He screwed on the top of the bottle then motioned for me to hand her over.
I twisted a little and shook my head. “I’ll feed her. You go back to bed.”
Blatant relief swept through his expression, but he still hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“A thousand percent sure.” Shifting to the couch and positioning Posie in my lap cemented my words. I accepted the bottle and popped it in her awaiting mouth, then smiled up at Reed. “See? We’re sorted.”
“You’ll burp her?”
“Yes.”
“And change her before putting her back to bed?”
“Of course.” Probably not well, but it would be done.
“And—”
“Seriously?” I whisper-sassed. “Go back to bed already!”
Reed’s chuckle came through the dim light in the living room, and he raised his palms. “You’re all over it. I’ll see you in bed, babe.”
“I’ll be in soon.”
I smiled while watching him depart, all wild dark hair, wide shoulders and narrowing waist that tucked neatly beneath the waistband of his trackpants.
The silence grew deeper the longer I sat feeding Posie. Her little eyes were softly closed, fanning her dark lashes perfectly against her porcelain skin. Her plump little lips drank until they moved sporadically every few seconds. Was this normal? Was she still drinking?
I had no idea, but I wasn’t about to call out to Reed for help unless I deemed it an emergency. When milk started leaking from the corner of her mouth and onto my forearm, I then realized she’d fallen asleep.
Cursing internally, I carefully broke the suction she had on the bottle and slowly lifted her to my shoulder. She lay on me without moving, limp and surprisingly heavy. Thankfully, a satisfying burp worked its own way free, prompting me to take her to the nursery to change her diaper.
Once clean and dry, with the diaper precariously in place, I laid her in the crib and swaddled her like Reed had shown me. After ensuring she was tucked up tight—but not too tight—I tip-toed back to Reed’s bedroom.
I found him also in a deep sleep on his back, one arm bent above his head and the other resting on his belly.
For once, I didn’t question myself as I clicked off his bedside light and slid into bed beside him. When he rolled onto his side and pulled me close, I snuggled closer.
“Goodnight, darlin’,” he slurred.
“Goodnight,” I whispered into the darkness, vowing to get up through the night for Posie so he could recharge like he so desperately needed.