Chapter 29
“She thinks slow isn’t in my vocabulary. Time to prove her wrong.”
Zane
My phone rings and I nearly push ignore before I notice who’s calling. Siena Kline.
I’ve been waiting for my lawyer’s call. It’s been three days since the custody hearing. Three days of being too anxious to sleep. Three days of worrying about my baby girl being stolen from me. Three days of figuring out how to respond if the worst happens.
I start to answer but pause. I want to learn this news with Sloane by my side. I’ve leaned on her for the past days and she hasn’t disappointed. She’s been there for me every step of the way. I want her to be with me for this, too.
I push away from my desk. I’m going to Sloane.
I arrive at home within ten minutes. I love living in a small community where I don’t have to spend hours driving in traffic or be crowded into a train with hundreds of other people.
Hold on. I’ve spent my life escaping Smuggler’s Hideaway at every opportunity. And now I love it here? What changed?
The front door of the house opens and Sloane steps outside.
She’s what’s changed. Her and my baby girl. My family.
I never wanted a family before. I never wanted a relationship at all. But finding out I’m a father changed everything. And falling in love with Sloane made it even better.
“What’s wrong?” Sloane asks when I reach the porch.
I kiss her quick. “Where’s Adele?”
“Having a playdate with Stephanie. Eli said he’d bring her home after dinner.”
I grasp her hand and pull her into the house.
“What is going on? Why are you home early?”
“My lawyer called.”
She squeezes my hand. “And? What did she say?”
“I don’t know.”
She rears back. “You don’t know? Did you black out while she was talking? Do we need the hospital? How many concussions have you had anyway? Should we get a CT scan of your brain?”
I wrap my arms around her. “There’s nothing wrong with me. And Miles is the one who’s had a ton of concussions.”
She cuddles into me. “Why don’t you know what the lawyer said?”
“I want to find out with you.”
She smiles up at me. “You do?”
I cup her face. “Of course. You’re the person who’s standing beside me. Who’s kept me sane for the past days. Who’s raising Adele with me.”
Her face softens. “I l—” She clears her throat. “Thank you.”
I search her face. Was she about to confess her love to me? I hope to hell she loves me because I love this woman more than I thought was possible.
I dig my phone out of my pocket. “Let’s do this.”
I start to call Siena but I notice she left a voicemail. I push play.
“Hello, Zane. I heard from the judge in your custody hearing today. We’ll receive the official papers soon, but he wanted me to know first. It’s good news, Zane. Adele is yours. You have full custody. Daisy doesn’t even have visitation rights. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I clutch my chest as my heart threatens to burst out of it. “Adele is mine. She’s mine.”
“This is the best news. Let me phone the family.”
I swipe Sloane’s phone out of her hand. “No family. Not yet.”
Her gaze clashes with mine. “Don’t you want to celebrate?”
I herd her backwards. “Oh, we’re going to celebrate. Don’t you worry.”
“How are we—”
I meld my lips to hers before she has the chance to finish her question. She gasps and I thrust my tongue into her mouth. Her taste of strawberries and sunshine hits me and I groan. I love her taste. I could get addicted to it. Hell, I’m halfway there already. I will never get enough.
She clings to my shoulders as I explore every inch of her mouth. I plan to thoroughly taste every single inch of her body today. I plan to—
We slam into the wall, and I tear my lips from hers.
“Bedroom. Now.”
“Are you asking or telling?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you certain you want to tease me?”
“Why not? What are you going to do?”
I growl. “I’m going to tease that sass right out of you.”
Her breath hitches. “You can try.”
I press her against the wall. My hard length pushes into her stomach and her eyes flare. “I’ll more than try. I’ll have you begging me to stop teasing you. To sink my cock into your pussy.”
She licks her lips. “Yes, please.”
I smirk. “I do love it when you beg.”
“I—”
I lift her and throw her over my shoulder.
“You better not drop me.”
“I would never drop you. You’re precious cargo.”
I lay her on the bed and crawl on top of her. I love her being in this bed with me. She belongs here. But she’s not here nearly enough. That shit changes tonight.
“I want to taste every single inch of you.” She squirms beneath me. “Later. After I’ve had you for the first time.”
Her eyes widen. “The first time?”
“Oh, sweetness, you have no idea.” I kneel. “But first you need to be naked.”
She reaches for the hem of her sweater but I bat her hands away. “You’re mine to undress.”
“I’m not yours.”
“Hell, yes, you are,” I grumble. “But I’m happy to show you you’re mine over and over again.”
She shivers. “O-o-o-kay.”
I quickly undress her. I don’t have time for slow today. Not if I’m going to fuck her more than once before Adele gets back home.
“And now the party can begin,” I murmur once she’s naked and laid out before me.
“Why aren’t you naked?”
“Sweetness, if I’m naked, I’m inside you. And I need to prepare you first.”
“Prepare away.”
I smirk. “Thanks for your permission.”
I press my lips to hers and she immediately opens for me. She may sass at me, but she doesn’t deny me what we both want. What we both need. Her tongue reaches for mine and we duel until I growl to let her know playtime is over.
As I continue to explore her mouth, I draw my hand down her body. I stop at her breast to play for a while. I massage and knead the flesh until her nipple is a hard point. I pinch it and she moans before wrapping her legs around my waist.
She begins grinding against me and I unwind her legs from my hips. She mewls but I ignore the protest.
“Don’t worry,” I mutter against her lips. “I’ll give you what you need.”
“But you’re too slow,” she pouts.
“Do you want me to tease you instead?”
She groans.
I bite her lower lip. “Trust me.” I soothe my tongue over her lip.
“I do trust you.”
My heart contracts at her words. She trusts me. This woman, who wouldn’t give me a chance because she was afraid I’d abandon her the way her dad did, trusts me.
I’m one step closer to getting her to fall in love with me. One step closer to ensuring she’s latched onto me and won’t let go.
I release her breast and trail my hand down her body until I reach her core. I bypass her clit and go straight for her pussy. I plunge a finger inside and moan at how hot and wet she is.
“You’re dripping for me.”
“What did you expect?” she asks in a breathy voice.
I add another finger and pump into her pussy until her walls tighten and quiver around me. I pause. I want those walls tightening and quivering around my cock. Not my fingers.
“Why did you stop?”
I remove my fingers and meet her gaze as I lick them clean. Her eyes flare and I can’t resist tasting her mouth again.
“Do you taste how sweet you are?”
She moans in response and my cock weeps in my jeans. I need to be inside her. I need to feel her surrounding me. Her heat. Her scent. Her taste. I want it all.
I tear myself away from her lips and jump to my feet. I rip off my clothes before yanking open the bedside drawer and digging out a condom.
“I know you’re on the pill, but I’ll get tested before I go bare inside of you.”
She nods. “Okay.”
“No argument?”
“We’re in a committed relationship, aren’t we?”
She better not be questioning our relationship again. I growl. “Hell, yeah, we are, sweetness.”
“It makes sense to ditch the condoms.”
“I’ve never gone bare before.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
She smiles. “Good. I’ll be your first.”
And my last.
I climb back on the bed and fit myself between her legs. I notch my cock at her entrance.
“You’re not leaving this bed.”
Her brow wrinkles. “You can’t keep me a prisoner in your bed.”
I palm her cheek. “Not what I meant. You’re not sneaking off to sleep in your bed after we fuck.”
“I was planning on having dinner first.”
“Sassy,” I mutter. “Let me make myself perfectly clear. I want you sleeping in here beside me every night.”
“But Adele…”
I squeeze her neck. “Adele is too young to know the difference.” By the time she’s old enough to understand, Sloane will have my ring on her finger.
“What about Boozer? He sleeps in bed with me.”
“I sleep in bed with you. He’ll sleep in his basket next to the bed.”
She studies my face for a long moment before nodding. “Okay.”
“Okay? You’ll stay with me in this bedroom? No more bullshit about taking things slow?”
“It wasn’t bullshit.”
“Sloane,” I growl.
“Yes. I’ll stay with you since the word ‘slow’ doesn’t seem to be part of your vocabulary.”
I inch inside of her. “You think I can’t do slow? Let me show you how slow I can be.”
And I proceed to do just that.