Second Sets Omnibus

Forty-Six - Kieran

“I have an idea!”

I raise a brow when Rad waltzes into the living room, pointing his finger toward the ceiling.

Great. The brilliant idiot has an idea. Judging by the goofy grin stretching his lips, he thinks it’s a good one. I’m going to need a shit load more coffee before this is over. I just fucking know it.

The morning sun blazes in through the windows on our lazy Saturday morning. It’s been a week since we returned from Central City, and everything is falling into place after our time together with River.

Like beautiful patches coming together after being blown to bits. We’re repairing ourselves one stitch at a time. Not only our relationship with each other, but our relationship with ourselves as individuals.

We came to an agreement with River when we got back about taking things slowly. She’s determined to get to know us better again as the men we are now as opposed to who we were back then. AKA—she wants to take things at a glacial pace, which is fine. Totally fine.

Slow and me don’t mix anymore. I’ve had my taste, and now, I need to devour her completely. With all the restraint I have nestled in my body, I’m trying to hold back from tearing every inch of her clothes off whenever she’s around.

More than anything, I want to show her I can respect her wishes. And I do. I love that she wants to reacquaint herself with us before we jump into the deep end with each of us. The last thing our new relationship needs is for us to drown before we ever learn to swim together. Despite the paparazzi constantly watching us and photographing our every move, which she doesn’t seem to mind, I’m letting my River Blue come to me, like she has the others.

Which immediately took my plans of moving her in with us out the window. If it were up to me, I’d hogtie River and kidnap her, so she’d stay with us twenty-four seven. Her and Ly.

Am I feeling a little territorial about my woman? Yes, yes, I am. I’ve been away for too long, suffering in an all-consuming rage.

I need her.

She’s the light at the end of my darkened tunnel, shining brighter by the day.

“You and great ideas are usually not in the same sentence,” Callum quips from the couch, nursing a cup of coffee with one eye open.

Sometimes I wonder how Rad rolls out of bed in the morning with so much pep. It’s disgusting.

Rad frowns, stopping short. “I have good ideas. I take offense to that.”

I shrug. “Sometimes.” More like never.

“Sometimes? Rude,” he huffs, plopping down next to me on the couch. “You assholes never change.”

“What’s your idea?” Asher asks from the recliner, lazily rocking himself.

Rad grins. “I want to throw my Little Pretty Girl a birthday party. She’s going to be five soon.” His brows furrow, pain twisting his expression.

I know that look. Haunted. Pained. Filled with regret. It’s the same one that consumes me every time I think about what we’ve missed out on.

Instinctively, my eyes dart to Asher, sitting rigidly now. He knows that look, too. It’s written on his face. Anguish and utter devastation contort his features, dropping his eyes to the floor where he studies the wood like it’s the best thing he’s ever seen.

“I’m sorry,” Asher says again, licking his lips. “I know we missed a lot of time with her because of me.” Guilt drips off every word he utters, thickly laced with a pain I can’t even explain. His hand rubs across his chest. No doubt aching from his massive mistake.

I know what he did hurts him, too. It has to. He was an asshole for what happened. But we’re moving forward. Together. With the help of therapy and group sessions, we’ve come to rebuild our relationship as friends. We’re a damn brotherhood again. And damn, does it feel good.

“Every birthday. Christmas. Easter. Thanksgiving.” Callum murmurs, looking deeply into the swirls of his coffee.

“Every step. Her first words.” I shake my head, sinking my teeth into my tongue. “It happened, okay?” My gaze connects with Asher’s glossy eyes, and he nods. “You can’t take it back. But we’re here now. In the present, to be there for Ly. We can talk to the therapist about this more. Okay?”

“Okay.” He nods with reluctance, pulling his lips into a tight line.

“So, no more missed birthdays or holidays. We’re here for good,” Rad says, rubbing his hands together.

“Tell them your idea,” Callum huffs, sipping his coffee with a knowing look.

“Four words…” He grins, looking around the room as anticipation builds in the air.

“Go on,” I say, rolling my wrist.

“Put us out of our misery,” Asher quips with a snort, wiping away the uncomfortable look.

Every so often, I see defeat in his eyes. He’s still beating himself up every chance he gets. Even in River’s presence, he takes a backseat, offering to care for Ly if we want to go out. Asher did a shitty ass thing when he ripped us apart. But I don’t want it to define him anymore.

River forgave him and us. There’s no need to keep rehashing what he did. It’d be different if he didn’t feel remorse. But he does. He feels it with every step he takes. So, he’s off the hook for now.

“East Point Amusement Park.” Rad holds his hands out in front of him with a grin. “Huh? What do you think?” His brows waggle with excitement as he looks around the room at our stunned expressions.

I blink several times. “You mean the place off the highway with all the rollercoasters and stuff?”

“Yeah! That’s the place.” He physically lights up, jumping from his seat to pace the room.

“Why that place?”

East Point Amusement Park is larger than life. Filled to the brim with rollercoasters, arcade games, kiddie rides, special sections, and so much more.

Rad swivels in my direction with a grin. “Because our little girl likes unicorns, and that’s the birthplace of her favorite ice cream. Believe me! I researched all night long, looking for the perfect place. Just imagine our baby girl on the unicorn ride holding an ice cream cone and laughing. They even have a whole unicorn adventure inside the park, with kiddie rides, unicorn games, and that damn ice cream. The owner said we could buy out the whole park for a day. Her birthday is next Saturday.” He wiggles his brows again, waiting for our excitement to kick up.

“Can confirm. I’m pretty sure he kept River up all night long with his search,” Callum says with a groan, finishing off his coffee.

“Well, would you look at that? He does come up with some good ideas,” I snark, chuckling when he flips me off.

Poor bastard. He’s not sleeping well again. And I know damn well the cause of his ache and the balm to his restlessness—our girl. But apparently, he was with them last night after Cal took Ly to the reading.

“See! I told you! You fuckers didn’t believe me.” He rolls his eyes in disbelief, shaking his head. “Even my Pretty Girl agrees it’s a good idea.”

“Book it,” I say with a nod. “It can be a big surprise party. We can invite Ly’s friends and family.”

Excitement thrums through my veins at the prospect of surprising my baby girl with a unicorn-themed party, her favorite ice cream, and plenty of presents. The need to spoil the hell out of my mini-me has me thumbing through my phone on the hunt for the perfect birthday present.

The ultimate unicorn stuffed animal with sparkles and a horn. I grin when it has the option for a voice message. All you have to do is press its hoof, and your voice will come through. And sold.

I furrow my brows when a loud thump comes from the front door, echoing through the house.

“The hell?”

We all look at each other when the sound thumps again, followed by a little voice calling out to her daddies.

My fucking heart drops. Flashbacks of the first time I laid my eyes on Lyric flash through my mind. Her frantic cries. The tears I couldn’t wipe away fast enough. Shit.

“River better not be dead again,” Rad hisses, running toward the door as we all follow behind with our hearts in our throats.

I grunt when Asher slams into my back as we huddle around the door. Nerves shake my fingers when Rad throws it open, staring down at our little girl.

“Daddies,” she says with a big grin, clutching two white bunnies to her chest.

“Little Blue,” I say, kneeling down in front of her. “What’s wrong?” I frantically check her over, noting the backpack glued to her backside. She smiles so damn wide it’s almost blinding.

“Nuffin. I’m staying here tonight. We’re having a sleepover! With lots of cotton candy,” she says with a shrug, casually pushing me out of the way with her tiny hand. I don’t fall on my ass when she shoves by, but I think I could have.

“What the hell?” Rad asks with his eyes glued to the little girl strolling into our house with nothing but a smile, her backpack, and her two stuffed bunnies.

“She wanted a sleepover,” River says out of nowhere.

“A sleepover?” Callum blanches.

“Yeah. Good luck!” River says, waving a hand as she turns to leave.

“Whoa! Pretty Girl!” Rad grunts, rushing after her with determination. “What’s happening right now?” he asks, clutching her shoulders and stopping her retreat.

“I’ll uh…make sure she’s settling in okay. Looks like we have a guest for the night.” I nod at Asher as he walks away with a grin lining his face. I bet he can’t wait to cook and play with her.

Callum sighs. “I’ll help him.”

“She wanted to stay with you guys,” River says, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. Amusement soars through her sparkling eyes like she finds the prospect of us alone with Ly hysterical.

“Oh, yeah?” Rad asks, lighting up at the idea.

“We don’t mind,” I say, meandering over to where they’re standing at the bottom of our porch. “She’s welcome any time. You know we love to spend time with her.”

“You could sleep over, too,” Rad says in a low voice, smirking when she shudders from his touch.

“That, too,” I say, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “You could sneak in after we put her to bed. Then we could play some adult games.”

She snorts, batting us away. “Such charmers. Would these adult games include the no pants dance?”

“That could be arranged,” Rad says, waggling his eyebrows as he undoes his belt.

“Jesus, keep your pants on,” she laughs, shoving him away. “Listen, I couldn’t stop her. She just packed a bag and told me she was going. I barely had time to grab shoes when she stormed out the door. For some reason, she was determined to get here. I think—” Her brows furrow. “I think she misses seeing you guys all day, every day.”

“We could fix that, River Blue. We could build a big house right over there for the five of us.”

I can see it now. Our beautiful forever home rises in the distance with enough room to accommodate all of us, plus more. If we wanted, of course. There’s nothing that sounds better than knocking River up ten times more and having kids and pets running around. It’s the normal family I’ve always dreamed of. With an abundance of love pouring through the house to fill the ocean. Our children would never know what it felt like to lie in bed at night, wondering where the next meal or hug would come from.

“Keep dreaming, Romeo,” she quips.

I don’t miss the way she looks out in the distance to the place I pointed to with dreamy eyes. She’s keeping us at arm’s length, doing what she needs to do. That’s fine. I can tell it’s eating her alive not to be by our side. She’s aching to fall into our loving arms and ride happily out into the sunset.

“Well, then, Pretty Girl. Enjoy your day all to yourself. Just if you take a hot bath or play with that amazing little rose later, take lots of videos for me. Moan my name a little so I can go to sleep with a smile.”

River rolls her eyes, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “Mmmhmm,” she hums with mischief.

“Enjoy your day, River Blue. We’ll take good care of our baby girl.” I kiss her lips before she walks away.

What could go wrong?

“What the hell do we do!?” Rad hisses, panicking as Lyric throws up every fucking thing we’ve given her tonight.

Cotton candy. Cake. Cookies. Pizza. Shit. We broke our child with junk food.

“Jesus,” Callum grunts, pushing a fist to his lips. “Hold her hair or something.”

“She’s going to need a bath,” Asher remarks, standing at the edge of the bathroom with a sickly green tint taking over his complexion, staying as far away from the spewing child as possible.

“My belly hurts,” Ly says, sitting near the toilet with her bottom lip puffed out. “Hurts so bad, Daddies.”

I turn away, taking a deep breath when she yacks where she sits, spewing chunks of candy, cake, and whatever the hell else Rad engorged her with all down her shirt and onto the floor.

“Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick,” Rad groans, clutching his stomach next. “Yeah, I’m going to—” Rad doesn’t say another word when he leans over the toilet and empties his stomach into the water.

“Daddy,” Ly whines, puking again.

“Jesus Christ, we need an exorcist,” Rad moans into the toilet. “Be gone, devils!” he hisses, spitting into the toilet and finally flushing it.

“Fuck,” Asher hisses, pressing his hand to his mouth again. “This is like a goddamn puke fest.”

“Should we call River?” Callum whispers in hysterics. “We need to call her. She can fix this. Fix this, Kieran!” His wide, gray eyes scan the room frantically, searching for God knows what.

“No!” Rad hisses. “Then she’ll never let us have Ly alone again. You won’t tell Mommy we fed you too many sweets, will you?” he asks, batting his eyelashes just like she does.

Lyric pouts, rubbing at her stomach. “Nope, Daddy. I won’t, I promise—” her little voice trails off when she looks down at her puke-soaked shirt. “Is dirty,” she whines, tears coming to her eyes.

First, she has a tummy ache and pukes, and now, she’s about to cry about the stains lining her shirt. Not to mention the stomach acid stench wafting from her body.

“Bath time,” I say, kneeling in front of Lyric. “Is it okay if Daddy gives you a bath? We can go to the bathroom in my room. I might have some bubbles.”

“I uh, have a bath bomb she could use. It’s green, though,” Asher chimes in, rubbing the back of his neck.

Her entire face lights up, and she nods. “Bath bomb!!” she squeals like she didn’t just projectile vomit all over the room.

Little devil.

“Let’s take this shirt off first,” Asher says, holding his breath as he pulls it over her little head, muttering unintelligible words resembling fuck and shit. “I’ll throw this into the wash and grab the green bath bomb. Little One, you have a fun bath, okay? I’ll be up there in a sec.”

“I guess I’ll clean up the mess.” Rad’s lips turn down as he surveys the vomit chunks on the floor. “I’ll just puke my way through it,” he whines, covering his mouth.

Lyric nods with excitement, taking my hand in hers. I hold back the hot acid sitting in the back of my throat when she pulls me out of the bathroom, and we make our way upstairs.

“All right, Little Blue. Let’s get you into the bath,” I grin, starting to fill up the bath with warm water.

“Here,” Asher says, peeking into the bathroom and handing me a green-looking ball.

“You use these?” I ask, holding it up in the air to examine it.

“They smell nice,” he mumbles, turning beet red, and walks away before I can say anything else.

Within a few minutes, tiny green bubbles appear in the water, getting bigger as the tub fills. After getting Ly undressed and ensuring she’s comfortable, I set her in the water and begin washing her face and shoulders with a washcloth.

“Lean your head back,” I murmur, finding a large cup.

“Okay,” she says, squeezing her eyes shut.

Emotions bubble in my throat as I gently lean her head back and pour the water over her hair.

“Does your belly feel better now, Little Blue?”

“Mmhmm,” she hums softly as my fingers work through her hair, lulling her into serenity as I push shampoo through her strands and repeat the process.

“Do you love Mommy?” she asks, wiping her eyes when I’m finally done washing her hair and body.

Sitting back on the floor, my stomach drops at her question. “I do,” I whisper, grabbing a towel to wipe her face off. “I’ve known your mommy since she was your age. We were best friends.”

“Then why didn’t you want me?” she whispers, squeezing her little eyes shut. Her little lips quiver, and she sniffles, trying hard to hold back her heavy emotions.

“No,” I whisper frantically, clutching her little face between my palms. “I always wanted you. I just didn’t know about you as I should have.” Fuck. My heart pounds in my chest when she sniffles, slicing through my fucking soul. No child should have to feel such deep, earth-shattering emotions. “I’ve always wanted you, Little Blue. Even if I didn’t know about you. I swear, baby girl. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Daddy,” she whispers, leaning into my touch.

“How about we get you out of there and into some pajamas? Then you can show me what you watch on your tablet,” I murmur with a broken heart until she nods.

“Okay, Daddy,” she says softly as I grab a towel and help her out.

Once she’s wrapped tight in a towel, I set her on my bed and dig out an old Whispered Words shirt. Much to her delight. It’s like the entire night didn’t happen when she climbs under my sheets after grabbing her tablet.

Selfishly I keep her to myself in my bedroom, lying in bed together under the blankets. Thankfully, the other guys give me that time to cuddle with my baby. Lyric smiles and laughs, like our conversation in the bathroom hadn’t shattered her, as we watch her favorite YouTube videos until she falls asleep with her tablet clutched to her chest.

“I’ll never let you down again,” I murmur into her wet hair, knowing at some point in her life, I’ll disappoint her. I’m not perfect. But I’ll try to be for her sake. I’ll be the best damn father I can be. Unlike mine. He walked away without regretting a damn thing. But that’s not me. I walked away, sure. But I didn’t know about her.

At some point in the night, I wake up with my brows furrowing in confusion. Last I knew, Lyric was snuggled beside me. Now, a warm body presses against mine, clutching tightly to my side.

My fingers roam the body beside mine, taking in the curvy figure snuggling into my side. Yeah, that’s not Lyric anymore. That’s my girl. My River Blue. I don’t even have to open my eyes. My fingertips are my looking glass, revealing the woman I’m madly in love with. I’m about to open my mouth and ask her what the hell she’s doing here, but she beats me to it.

“She woke up and went to sleep with Asher. She’s playing musical beds. By morning she’ll be right back to where she started,” River murmurs against my bare chest.

I blow out a breath, kissing her forehead. “And now, you’re here.”

“I didn’t want to be alone,” she whispers, shifting so her eyes connect with mine. Only a sliver of moonlight through the blinds reveals them to me.

“You’re never alone when you have us.” Gently, I move a piece of hair out of her face, taking in the beauty of my best friend. My girl. My fucking everything lying beside me. “Did something happen?”

Her brows furrow. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. Whatever it is. You just had someone following you around for three years. You’re on edge being back here.”

“The wind was making the branches tap on my windows. I swear… I just felt…”

“It’s okay,” I murmur, kissing her forehead again. “You’re allowed to feel scared, River Blue. We’ll always catch you when you fall.”

Her fingers trail over my jaw, and she brings her lips to mine, pressing them softly there in an unhurried kiss.

I’ll hold her for infinity. Kiss her until the world burns to ashes. I’ll never let her go again.

“So, are you excited for Ly’s birthday party?” she asks, throwing me to my back with a sneaky grin.

Fuck. My heart pounds against my ribs when she stares at me like I’m the little prey beneath her, and she’s the tiger about to rip my throat out.

Her fingers curl around my biceps, holding me in place as she climbs on top of me and straddles my hips.

The second she’s settled, my hands descend on her, feeling every inch of her warmth.

“Our baby girl only turns five once. Five is a number important to all of us. We can’t rewrite the past, but we’re going make this five-year mark count.” My fingers curl in her hair, bringing her eager lips to mine.

I groan when my tongue intertwines with hers, dancing slowly together. Her moans vibrate through my damn soul. Even more when she grinds against my hardening dick, waking him up.

“Ride me, River Blue,” I groan, licking down her neck. “Put me inside you. I need you right now.”

“Beg,” she whispers, digging her fingernails into my scalp. “Beg me, Knight.” God. Fuck. I could cum right here in my pants if she keeps breathing against my flesh and pulling my hair.

I’m never too proud to beg my girl for what I want. Only for her will I bend the knee. I’m her Knight, after all.

“Please, River. Please ride me. Fuck me. I need you so damn bad right now. I need to be inside you one more time. Pull my hair. Choke me. Fuck me. Please!” I cry out when she claws her fingernails into my scalp again, yanking at my hair. Leaving behind the delicious burn that lights me up from the inside out. My dick throbs harder. My hips push up, begging for friction. “I need you. So fucking desperately.”

River’s fingers wrap around my length through my sleep pants, slowly stroking up and down.

Now, we’re getting somewhere.

“Please,” I gasp when she shimmies down my body and pulls me out of my pants and boxers. Her warm tongue glides over my tip, sucking my pre cum from my slit. My hands fly to her hair, holding her in place when she swallows me whole, taking me into the back of her throat. My balls tighten a fraction as heat swarms in my gut. I’m ten seconds away from exploding in her mouth. “If you keep that up, I’m going to cum down your throat,” I gasp, yanking her up until she’s face to face with me. “Fuck me, River Blue. Fuck me so hard.”

She grins, sitting up and taking off her T-shirt and then her bra. I marvel at her fucking beauty. Reaching up, I caress her soft breasts, pinching her nipples between my fingers.

“Fuck,” she gasps, thrusting her chest out. I grin as she squirms on top of me.

“Take it all off, Blue.” I don’t have to tell her twice. In seconds all her clothes are gone, and she’s perched on top of me again, sinking down until I’m fully inside her.

“Fucking hell,” she rasps, sinking her fingernails into my chest.

Mark me. Use me. Fuck me.

“That’s right,” I rasp, clutching her hips. “Ride me, River Blue.”

River throws her head back with a groan, swiveling her hips several times. With each movement, my dick hits every inch of her pussy. My damn balls tighten embarrassingly early until I’m cumming deep inside her.

“Holy shit,” I groan, emptying everything I have deep inside her pussy.

River slumps against my chest, brushing her lips along my flesh. “I think I’m addicted to you,” she murmurs, working her way up my neck until her lips caress mine.

“You’re not the only one,” I whisper, weaving my fingers through her hair. “I’m hopelessly addicted to everything about you. And that’ll never change. Ever again. Now, let’s go enjoy a hot shower together and get cleaned up.”

She grins, slowly rising off me, and stands by the bed. “You better wash me good, Knight.”

And I fucking do. At least three more times against the shower wall. Once I had her in my clutches, there was no way I was letting her walk away without walking funny. By the time we’re in bed, I hold her close to me, reveling in the feel of her flesh against mine.

“Do you care if I take Ly out for some ice cream tomorrow? Maybe some shopping… I…” My heart breaks when Lyric’s questions from earlier ring in my mind. My poor baby has lived her life thinking we didn’t want her when the opposite is true. If I had known about her, I would have been there from the second she started growing inside River’s womb. Every day I’ll live with this ache in my heart that Lyric’s first years were taken from me. But I can’t live in my past failures. I’ll live in the now and make it up to her every second I get.

“Knight,” she murmurs, running her fingers over my bare chest. “You don’t have to ask. You can take her. She’s yours, too.”

“Thank you,” I breathe, mentally planning out what we’re going to do. “Night, River Blue. I fucking love you.”

“Love you, too,” she whispers before drifting off to sleep in my arms.