Chapter Twenty-Two
“EVERY TIME WE came to visit, this bleeding heart was traipsing into the woods with a hatchet, a hammer, and a pocket full of nails.” His grandfather shook his head. With wispy gray hair, weathered skin, thin lips, a square jaw, and blue-gray eyes, Mike Wicked looked his age, and a lot like Clint Eastwood had in his eighties.
“You say that like his softheartedness is a bad thing.” Emerson looked affectionately at Baz. “I happen to be very fond of that side of him.”
They were just about done with dinner, and his wise-ass grandfather was in prime form, trying to rattle the tree. But he wasn’t going to get a rise out of Baz. Nothing could bother him after the day he’d had with Emerson and Brennan. And it just kept getting better. Baz had spent countless hours at this very table, surrounded by a cacophony of noisy conversations, lively banter, and ridiculous arguments. This was where serious late-night discussions with his parents and siblings took place. Where they were praised and scolded. He hadn’t imagined bringing a woman to his childhood home since college. But sharing the sacred space with Emerson, while Brennan napped in the bassinet beside them, felt right , and he wanted more of it. He wanted to share holiday dinners, birthdays, and everything in between, good and bad.
“Don’t let the old man fool you into thinking he’s got a heart of stone, darlin’,” Baz said. “Every week there was a fresh pile of sticks, old pieces of wood, and a new box of nails waiting for me in the woods. I know my father didn’t put them there, because I checked his boots for dirt every night for a week.”
“I offered to help,” his father said. “But you were too stubborn to accept it.”
Emerson feigned wide-eyed shock. “Baz, stubborn ? That’s hard to imagine.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, making them all laugh.
“You can’t fault me for wanting to do it on my own.” Baz put his arm around the back of her chair, eyeing his grandfather. “But I think we all know those supplies didn’t come from the woodland fairies.”
His grandfather scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. “Your sister and her partner in crime were always out there. It was probably them.”
“Probably,” Baz said, letting his grandfather have his curmudgeonly fun. But he knew the truth. He’d taken Zeke into the woods with him one afternoon to see the forts. Zeke had been a nature enthusiast practically since he was born, and he was always studying up on something. At eight, that something was wilderness tracking. He’d devoured every book he could find on the subject. It didn’t take him long to find their grandfather’s footprints. He was the only man who knew about the forts who didn’t wear leather boots at the time. But just in case, they’d measured the footprints and matched the size and the design on the sole to their grandfather’s sneakers.
“Remember how sneaky Ash and Mads thought they were with all that paint, Ging?” his father asked. “They were pure giggles, dragging that old red wagon into the woods when Baz wasn’t home. They wouldn’t let me help them, either. They wanted to do it by themselves.”
“You let them go into the woods alone?” Emerson asked. “They must’ve been really little.”
His father shook his head. “They were, and I did not let them go alone.”
“I still can’t believe you let them defile my project,” Baz said. “Aren’t parents supposed to protect their kids?”
His grandfather laughed. “Nice try from the guy who put stickers all over Tank’s bicycle seat and glued cards to the spokes.”
“Yeah, because they made it much cooler,” Baz said.
“Tank didn’t think so,” his father said.
“It’s a rite of passage for younger siblings to do things like that,” his mother said. “Ash just wanted to surprise you by making the cat condos prettier. You two were so close, I didn’t think you’d mind. But I am surprised Tank didn’t spill the beans.”
“Tank knew ?” Baz asked.
His mother arched a brow. “Who do you think your father sent to watch over them?”
Baz was floored. “That bastard told me he knew nothing about it.”
“That’s because Ashley told him not to tell you,” his mother said.
“That sprite had you all wrapped around her little finger,” his grandfather said.
Baz laughed softly. “Yeah, she sure did.”
Emerson put her hand on his leg. She’d done that a few times during dinner, and he ate up that touch, just as he’d soaked in every time she’d initiated any other touch or kiss over the last few days. He hadn’t been sure she’d feel comfortable being openly affectionate at dinner with his family, and man, he was glad she was. He covered her hand with his and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Might as well push the envelope.
She blushed, but her smile told him she didn’t mind.
“Emerson, what’s this I hear about cookies, and why haven’t you made me any yet?” his grandfather asked.
“Pops, you can’t have sugar,” his father reminded him.
His grandfather made an irritated sound and leaned forward, speaking low. “Don’t listen to him. You sneak me some cookies, and I’ll tell you more family secrets.”
“How about you tell me those secrets, and I’ll make you sugar-free cookies that will blow your mind?” Emerson suggested.
His grandfather scoffed. “You’re just like all the others, trying to pull one over on me.”
“I’m not pulling anything over on you,” Emerson said. “It’s no skin off my back if you don’t want to try my mom’s famous sugar-free salted caramel snickerdoodles.”
His grandfather’s eyes widened. “Did you say salted caramel?”
Everyone laughed, and the rest of the evening passed with lighthearted conversation. When Brennan stirred and Emerson got up to get him, she knocked her drink over, soaking her shirt. “I’m so sorry.” She reached for napkins as his mother said, “ It’s just juice ,” and grabbed a dish towel. His father scooped up Brennan, and Baz took off his shirt, holding it out for her. “Here, darlin’. Go put this on. I’ll clean up.”
“That’s one way to get your man’s clothes off,” his grandfather said.
Baz was just about to admonish him for making fun, when Emerson said, “Well, it’s only fair, since he took my pants off the first day we met,” inciting more laughter.
She was fucking unreal, and he was dying to show her how much he adored her.
After she changed her shirt and nursed Brennan, his family took turns loving up her little boy, and man, that did things to his emotions.
When his grandfather carried Brennan into the living room, Baz started to follow, then thought better of it and stayed back, listening from the threshold as his grandfather doled out life advice far too old for a baby.
“There are four rules you need to know. Be good to people. Unless they’re assholes. Then do whatever the situation dictates. Treat girls with respect. They’re smarter than us, and they figure things out way before we do. They’ll one-up ya every time, and that can be embarrassing. Best just to listen to ’em. Now, this is important, so don’t you forget it. Be good to your mama. I know you’re gonna rile her up throughout the years, and that’s okay. But before you put that little head of yours on your pillow at night, you make peace with her. You hear me? You never know how many tomorrows either of you have left, and mark my word, she’ll spend every minute of her life checking on you, making sure you’re a’right. You give her that peace of mind to sleep at night. Do it for me. The fourth rule is a big one, so listen carefully. I might not be around when you get old enough to be a real rabble-rouser, but you stick with Baz and the boys. Listen to them. They’ll always steer you in the right direction. You’ll think you know best, but you take Great-Grandpa Mike’s advice, and heed their words.”
A dull ache formed in Baz’s chest at the prospect of his grandfather not being around. It was inevitable, the cycle of life and all that. But as much as it wasn’t something he wanted to think about, knowing his grandfather took the time to tell Emerson’s boy the same things he’d told Baz over the years, buffered that ache.
Half an hour later, as they got ready to leave, his grandfather tugged him into a hug. “You putting a ring on her finger before you take off in September?”
“Let’s not rush things, Gramps.”
“A woman like that only comes around once in a lifetime.”
Tell me something I don’t know.
After hugs and goodbyes, as they drove away from his parents’ house, Emerson said, “That was fun. Your family is so easy to be around, they reminded me of what dinners with my parents were like.”
“I’m glad, baby.” He knew how grief could sneak in when least expected, and he was glad she’d found comfort in his family.
“I love the way your family talks about Ashley. I never thought I was missing out by not having siblings until after I lost my parents, when I was alone with my memories. Gwen knows a lot about what my parents were like, and it helped to talk with her, but she didn’t live with us. It’s different.”
How many hours, days, months, years, had he and his brothers talked about Ashley? Too many to count. “It is different, and I’m so sorry you didn’t have siblings.” He reached across the seat and took her hand.
“It’s okay. I dealt with those feelings in therapy, but it was so nice to hear your family’s stories, it made me wish I knew some of the little family secrets and behind-the-scenes information about my parents. Like you guys do about Ashley. How Tank knew the girls had painted the cat condos and how you knew your grandfather left you those sticks and nails.”
His heart ached for her. “How’d you know I knew?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I could just tell.”
“I wish I knew your family’s secrets and had memories of them to share with you.”
“I know you do,” she said thoughtfully. “Listening to your stories and feeling the love your family shares for Ashley makes me want to give Brennan brothers and sisters, so he’s never alone.”
Baz had always wanted a big family, and his emotions were so raw tonight, he had to be careful not to project his own feelings on her. “I think he’d like that, but that’s a big change for a girl who wasn’t looking to have a family. You might want to think about that.”
“I know. I think I was afraid to have a family. Afraid of loving someone and losing them. But the way you and your family embrace the good, the way they share and love and support is changing the way I see things. You’re changing the way I see things.”
“You’re changing the ways I see things, too, darlin’. In ways you can’t imagine.”
BAZ’S EMOTIONS WERE still running high when they got to Emerson’s house. She was wearing his shirt and carrying Brennan, looking sweet and sexy as they headed up to the door. After the day they’d had, and the evening with his parents, he couldn’t resist drawing her into his arms, careful of the baby, and kissing her like he’d been dying to all night, slow and deep and passionately. She made a needy sound as their lips parted, luring him back for more, and she was right there with him, hungrily returning his efforts. He had to force himself to break the kiss. Getting carried away with a baby in her arms and a dog at their side was not a good idea.
He touched his forehead to hers, gazing down at Brennan cradled in her arms. God, darlin’, what have you done to me? He kissed the baby’s forehead, and then he kissed hers and unlocked the door. He gave her ass a swat as he followed her inside, earning a tauntingly seductive grin. While Emerson put Brennan to bed, he fed Ollie and let him out after he ate. When they came back inside, he heard the shower running and headed for the master bathroom. The bathroom door was ajar, and he probably should have knocked, but he was driven by emotions too big to rein in. He tossed his wallet on the nightstand, undressed, and stepped into the steam-filled bathroom, closing the door behind him. The baby monitor was on the sink, and Emerson’s silhouette was blurry but visible through the frosted glass shower doors.
He opened the door, and “ Holy… ” fell from his lips as he soaked in the sight of her heavy breasts, rounded hips, and soft belly, slick and gorgeous beneath the shower spray. “There’s my goddess.” Their eyes connected with the heat of a thousand suns, and her cheeks flamed. She bit her lower lip, lustful eyes moving slowly down his body, lingering on his cock. He fisted the rigid shaft. “See what you do to me, darlin’?” He pumped his cock, and her eyes smoldered. “You want my cock, baby?”
She licked her lips, her gaze still locked on his fist around his dick. “So much.”
He stroked himself again as he stepped into the shower, warm water raining down on them. Her eyes flicked up to his, brimming with desire. “Touch me,” he urged. As her fingers circled his cock, he took her in a deep, passionate kiss. Her touch was electric, her mouth sinful. Their slick bodies slid against each other as he groped and caressed. Every swipe of her tongue and stroke of her hand made him crave more of her. Water slipped between their lips like even it couldn’t get enough of them. “Stroke me like you own me,” he gritted out against her lips. She worked him tight and so fucking perfectly, he clenched his teeth against the desire stacking up inside him. “That’s it, baby. Fuck that feels good.” He crushed his mouth to hers and moved his hand to her pussy, her slick arousal drawing a growl. “So fucking wet for me.”
“So effing hard for me,” she retorted with a wicked grin, stroking him tighter.
His body flamed. “Where’d this little minx come from?”
“I have no idea.” She giggled. “But I’ve wanted you for so long, I guess it’s like uncapping a bottle of champagne. There’s no holding back.”
“My sweet girl, you’re about to see how true that is.” He pushed two fingers inside her, and she inhaled sharply. “I want to claim this sweetness, so every time you think about how good I felt buried deep inside you, you get wet.”
“I already get wet just thinking about you.”
“Damn, darlin’. Now I’ll get hard every time I think about that .” He quickened his efforts and dragged his tongue along her lower lip. Her sex clenched around his fingers, and her breathing hitched.
“ Baz. ”
“When you say my name like that, it makes me want to fuck your mouth.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek, rasping in her ear as he worked her clit. “I want to see you lick my cock and swallow it deep.” He knew he was pushing her boundaries, but he needed to see how far she’d let him go. “I want to come in your mouth, in and on your body, branding you as mine .” He gazed into her widening eyes. “Is that too dirty for you?”
“ No ,” she panted out. “This is so much better than reading about it while I’m editing.”
He laughed. “It’s good to know I’ve surpassed the page.” He palmed her breast, brushing his thumb over the taut peak. “I want you to ride me, so I can watch these perfect tits bounce and get my mouth on them.” He dipped his head, teasing her nipple with his tongue.
“ Ahh ” fell from her lips.
“I’m going to pleasure you so thoroughly, so often , you’ll be so desperate for my touch when we’re apart, you’ll conjure it, and I’ll reap the benefits of watching you ease that tension when I’m away and we’re on video chats.” As he said it, the idea of leaving made his skin feel too tight, but he refused to get lost in that. He lowered his mouth to her breast again, using teeth and tongue to make her squirm and moan. Her hand stilled on his cock as she rode his fingers, her breaths turning choppy. “Chase that high, baby.” He lavished her other breast with the same hungry attention, groping and caressing, grazing his teeth over her nipple, earning more moans and needy pleas. She grabbed ahold of his arms, going up on her toes, legs trembling as he quickened his efforts, taking her up to the edge of release. “ Baz, please— ” He added pressure to her clit at the same moment he sucked her nipple to the roof of his mouth, and she shattered. His name flew from her lips, fingernails digging into his flesh, their sinful sounds sailing around them.
He stayed with her, feeling every pulse of her climax, his cock aching to be buried deep inside her. But he was a man of his word, and when she sank to her heels, trying to catch her breath, he dropped to one knee, burying his mouth between her legs, devouring her, greedily sending her right back up to the peak. She grabbed his hair as she came, sending a mix of pain and pleasure directly to his cock. Fucking perfect. Her body quivered and quaked as she came down from the high, and he pressed a kiss to her inner thigh, loving his way up her glorious body. He slowed to tease her breasts, getting off on the way she breathed harder, her hands searching for, and finding , his cock. “Yeah, baby. Take what you want.”
Her eyes glowed with desire, and she said, “My turn.”
Hearing the sweet demand as she tightened her grip on his cock sent flames searing beneath his skin. She guided him by his shaft like she was leading an elephant by the trunk, switching places so his back was against the wall. Her hands moved over his pecs, that luscious mouth of hers following. “That’s it, darlin’, claim me.” Every touch of her lips sent spikes of lust darting through him. He fondled her breasts as she tasted her way out of reach.
Perched before his cock, stroking it with one hand, holding his hip with the other, she set those gorgeous eyes on him, and the cutest fucking smile appeared as she said, “Eyes on me, Dr. Wicked.”
The seductive mix of naughty temptress and sweet, sassy girl next door got his heart all twisted up. “As if I’d look away from my beautiful girl enjoying my cock?”
“Good boy,” she said softly, and licked his length. “So hard. So effing sexy.”
He knew she was teasing him, using the things he’d said to her the other night, and he fucking loved it. But he couldn’t help giving her more to play with. “Do good boys come down their lover’s throats?”
“Only when they’re invited to,” she said without missing a beat, and held his gaze as she circled the broad head of his cock with her tongue. His dick jerked in her hand, and her lips curved up. “ Mm. You like that.” She did it again, and again, until he was forced to grit his teeth and fist his hands, trying to redirect the urge to thrust into that wicked mouth of hers. She continued the magnificent taunting, licking, and stroking until he was sure his teeth would crack.
“ Fuuck , baby. I need your mouth.”
She didn’t make him wait, taking him in deep, her eyes still locked on his. Heat flared in his chest as she worked him with her hand and mouth. “Feels so good, darlin’.” She worked him faster, tighter , taking him deeper. “ Fuck… I’m gonna come. Want me to pull out?” She shook her head, stroking him faster. Her delicate hands played him so perfectly, the edges of his vision blurred and his hips shot forward, her name shooting from his lips like a curse. Pleasure ravaged him, and he struggled not to thrust too hard as she loved his body, taking everything he had to give. She’d given so much of herself, trusting him in so many ways these last few weeks, he knew the image of her on her knees, water raining down over her gorgeous body as she loved his cock, would forever be etched in his mind, while the image of her trusting eyes, so full of adoration and hope, took up residence in his heart.
It was that hungry heart taking the reins as he helped her to her feet and framed her beautiful face in his hands, brushing a kiss to her lips. “That was incredible. You are incredible.” He realized that was exactly what he’d said when she’d given birth and was overwhelmed by the enormity of the impact both experiences had had on him. “I want to be closer to you. I want to hold you in my arms and make love to you. But if you’re not ready, I can wait as long as you’d li—”
“I don’t want to wait. I want to be closer to you, too.” She took his hand, her eyes darkening as she guided it between her legs to her drenched pussy. “I’m ready .”
That was all it took to get him hard again. Their mouths came together feverishly as they stepped out of the shower. He lifted her into his arms, snagging the baby monitor on their way into the bedroom, glad to see Brennan sleeping soundly in his crib and Ollie sleeping on the floor beside him.
He laid Emerson on the bed and put the monitor on the nightstand. She reached for him, shivering as he came down over her. “You’re cold.”
“Not anymore.” She leaned up, meeting him in a soul-searing kiss.
He poured his passion into that kiss, burying his hands in her hair, rubbing his erection against her slick heat. She moaned, writhing beneath him, and they both went a little wild, pawing and groping. Their closeness was an aphrodisiac, and he had to work hard to force himself to slow down. He kissed her softer, drawing back with the need to see her eyes. “Are you sure you want this?”
“More than you could ever know. I feel like I was living half a life until I met you.”
“God, baby. Me too.” He hadn’t realized how true that was until that very second. He’d done all the things he wanted to with his brothers, the club, women . But he’d kept his heart under lock and key. Little had he known a pregnant woman with lettuce in her hair and a rowdy dog held the key.
He kissed her again before retrieving a condom from his wallet. She watched him sheath his length, and he noticed her swallowing hard. His chest tightened as he moved over her. She bent her knees, opening wider for him, welcoming him despite the worry in her eyes. Her arms circled him as he leaned on his forearms, bringing their faces a whisper apart. “I’ll go slow, but I don’t want to hurt you. You need to tell me if it’s uncomfortable. Okay?”
She nodded. “I will.”
He’d never been so nervous in all his life. Holding her gaze, watching for signs of discomfort, he entered her slowly. She was tight and felt so fucking good, it took everything he had to hold back. “Are you okay, darlin’?”
“ Yes. ” She flattened her hands on his lower back, urging him on. “Stop worrying and kiss me.”
He’d never stop worrying, but he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her deeply as their bodies became one, engulfing him in pleasure so vast and exquisite, everything except Emerson and his concern for her failed to exist.
EMERSON HAD BEEN prepared for pain, and she filled with relief when there was only the mild discomfort of her body adjusting to the toe-curling intimate intrusion. She’d been so worried about being stretched out of shape from giving birth, she reveled in how perfectly their bodies fit together. Their kisses were mesmerizing, but when she rocked her hips, wanting more, his movements were careful and restrained. As their lips parted, he gazed down at her like she was all he saw and all he wanted, but that desire was tethered by concern.
Desperately wanting to free him from those chains, she whispered, “It feels good. Let go and love me.” She’d meant to say make love to me , but the relief in his eyes was palpable.
Their mouths came together, and they began to move slowly, carefully finding their rhythm. “Still okay?”
Oh, her heart. “ Yes. Don’t worry. Just be with me.”
His mouth covered hers again, more eagerly, and she swore she felt those tethers breaking free as their bodies took over. Scintillating sensations came from everywhere all at once. From the enticing weight of him, his thighs flexing with every thrust, his hard length stroking the magical spot that made her insides quiver and flame, and their fervent, sensual kisses, to his masculine scent, the heat of his rough hand moving down her hip and under her ass, lifting and angling, bringing her even more pleasure. He was in total control, tender and demanding at once, making her feel protected and treasured in a way she never thought possible.
“ Jesus, Em. Nothing has ever felt this good or this right. We’re… ”
The emotion in his voice enveloped her like a cocoon. They felt familiar, like her body had always held back because it was waiting for him . Utterly and completely entranced by them, she barely managed, “ Perfect. ”
They devoured each other, every thrust drawing a lustful sound from her and a gruff, greedy one from him. Those sounds seared through, magnifying every sensation. Every thrust took her higher, drawing heat from her limbs, gathering and coiling tight and hot in her core, like a volcano ready to blow. She went feral, clawing at his back, chasing the tantalizing sensations he caused. “ Fuck, baby. So good ,” he growled, their eyes connecting with the impact of a lightning bolt. His arms tightened around her as he reclaimed her mouth, taking her impossibly deeper. She thrust and moaned with the white-hot pleasure consuming her. He fisted his hands in her hair, tugging, sending her orgasm crashing into her. She cried out into his mouth, her inner muscles clamping around his cock, and he roared out her name. They clung to each other, their bodies rocking and pulsing as passion ravaged them, until they collapsed, spent and sated, in each other’s arms.
Baz cradled her beneath him, raining kisses over her cheek and shoulder. As the lustful fog cleared from her mind and his handsome face came into focus, he brushed his lips over hers, and those devastating dimples made her heart beat faster.
“I’d ask if you’re okay,” he whispered, “but that beautiful smile tells me you are.”
It’s called hope, darlin’. It feeds our souls , tiptoed through her mind. It was such a bold statement. One she’d never make for fear of it being stolen away. But in the safety of his arms, she felt hopeful for the first time in years. She snuggled into him and said, “ Shh. I’m busy feeding my soul.”