14. A perfect fit.
Chapter 14
A perfect fit.
Christian
A s soon as I open the front door, I freeze. A delicious smell fills my nose, and I groan. Whatever Grams is cooking tonight smells amazing.
Laughter fills the air, and it actually causes my lips to tug up. It pleases me immensely that my family has welcomed Amelia so readily. I wish her family would do the same.
If our relationship could relieve some of the tension between our two families, maybe we could finally put an end to this feud. I never see myself being friends with her brothers, but we could at least reach a point where we tolerate each other.
I shrug my jacket off and toss it over the armrest of the sofa and I make my way to the kitchen. I stop in the doorway and furrow my brows.
Liam, Warren, Chase, and Lina are sitting at the table. All of them are laughing. Even Warren. That man frowns as much as me. But that’s not what has me puzzled.
Amelia is at the stove cooking while Grams is at the table with my siblings. She’s never sitting. She’s the one that’s always at the stove even when she has help preparing dinner.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Grams looks up and gives me a huge grin. “Lia is making us dinner. Isn’t that nice of her?”
My frown deepens. “And you’re okay with that?”
Her frown matches mine. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you never let anyone else cook,” I say. “You love it.”
“Just because I love to cook doesn’t mean I don’t deserve a break.” She insists.
“That’s not—”
“I know what you meant.” She waves me off. “Lia insisted, and I couldn’t refuse her. Now sit and tell us about your day.”
I scratch my head and take a step back. Am I in the right house? This entire scene confuses me. “No one ever asks me about my day?”
“Come on now, boy. There’s a first time for everything.” Grams looks annoyed. She’s not used to me questioning her. Then again, I’m not used to being asked questions. My family usually leaves me alone. “Tell us how it went. You finished up a custom bike today, correct?”
“Yes,” I say bluntly. Then I head to the refrigerator to grab a beer. I stop behind Amelia and give her a kiss on the cheek. The room is instantly filled with way too many sappy sighs. This time I growl.
But the huge smile on Amelia’s has the opposite effect. “Hi,” she says.
“You okay?” I whisper.
She nods. “Now go sit and appease your grandmother.”
She pats my chest and gives me a light shove. It puts a small smile on my face. When I turn around, everyone is staring at us with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Whatever hint of a smile I have instantly fades into a deep frown.
“What?” I ask, a little too harshly.
“Young man.” Grams points her finger at me with raised brows. A clear sign she’s not happy with me. “Do not take that tone with me. I’ve taken way too many liberties with you, and it’s time you learn how to share and communicate with your family or you’re going to lose that girl.”
I growl in frustration while everyone else laughs. Including Amelia. “I fail to see what’s so funny,” I grumble under my breath.
I take a seat on the opposite side of the table so I can watch Amelia. She turns around and gives me a smile and a wink. I fight back the urge to smile in return. My family’s already giving me enough shit as it is. I don’t need to give them more ammunition.
“You need to start talking.” Grams says. Her voice is stern and clearly irritated.
“I don’t know why you suddenly want to hear me speak,” I say. Actually, I sound more like I’m complaining. I preferred it when they left me alone.
“It’s called sharing.” Chase interjects. “Something you’ve never been good at.”
“What do you want me to say?” I ask way too loud.
“Christian,” Amelia whispers my name. When I meet her glare, she shakes her head at me.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Chase continues. His tone sounds somewhat condescending. He rests his arms on the table as he leans closer to me. “Let’s recap, shall we? In the span of a few weeks, we find out you have a girlfriend.”
“You knew I was seeing someone,” I cut him off, and he growls. Chase fucking growls at me. He never does that.
“Yes, but I didn’t know who.” He continues without missing a beat. “And now I know why. A fucking Koch, Christian. Really?” He turns to Amelia and smiles. “No offense, Lia.”
She raises her hands and shakes her head. “None taken.”
He turns back to me with the same frustrated glare. “She’s pregnant! I never thought you’d have a kid before me. That’s for damn sure. And to top it all off, you have a secret cabin that you’ve owned for years. What the fuck, bro?”
I just stare at him because I don’t have a good answer. He’s right. I kept the cabin a secret way longer than I kept Amelia secret, and he’s hurt by that.
I could have told him, and he wouldn’t have told anyone else. I can trust my twin with my life, and I didn’t trust him with that.
“Sorry,” I say. It fixes nothing, and I doubt it will make Chase feel better, but it’s all I’ve got.
He waves me off as if my apology is meaningless. Then he shoves off the table and stands. “I need another beer,” he mumbles before he sulks toward the refrigerator.
“When do we get to see this cabin?” Liam asks. “If you need help with the renovations, I’ve got time.”
“Thanks,” I say, then take a long pull from my beer. “I’ve got the reno covered. Hired a crew to take care of it.”
“And you’ve got the money for that?” Liam asks.
I nod. “Been saving. I’ve had nothing else to spend my money on.”
I feel Liam’s gaze on me, but I don’t bother looking at him. There was a time when I spent every penny I made—and some I didn’t make—on drugs. I don’t know how many times he accused me of stealing money from the shop. I never admitted to it because it’s something I’m not proud of.
But for the past few years, I’ve lived as if I were close to being penniless. Living on the homestead, I need very little to maintain my life. My needs are simple and cheap.
My paycheck has gone into a high-yielding savings account, and I have a nominal amount of money automatically transferred to my checking account each paycheck.
I make a good salary from the garage, and the custom builds. Add in the handsome rate Edge pays me for each job I take on, and I’ve got quite the nest egg. I have more than enough in my savings to build Amelia whatever kind of house she wants.
“Are you at least going to tell us where it is?” Grams asks. “I need to know where my grandbaby is going to be living.”
I open my mouth to answer her, but Amelia beats me to it. “Of course. Tell me when you want to go out there, and I’ll gladly take you.”
Grams practically beams at her. “I’d like that.” Then she turns to me and frowns. “You lose her and I’ll kick your ass. You understand me?”
The kitchen fills with laughter. I drop my head and bang it a few times on the table.
I should have expected this. My family always welcomes everyone with open arms. Not even being a Koch is enough to make them reject Amelia.
I guess I should consider myself lucky. I’m going to need their support. As much as I hate to admit it or even think it, chances are high I’m going to fuck up a lot.
If left to my own devices, I’d lose Amelia and this baby.
My family will work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Dinner tonight is an odd event. At least it’s odd for me. It’s been a rapid fire of questions—mostly about how Amelia and I got together—from my brothers.
Maybe my brothers are used to this kind of attention, but not me. I’ve never been asked so many questions in all my life. If I don’t answer, they turn to Amelia.
They’re taking advantage of her openness and people pleasing nature. I don’t like it.
They’re not doing it on purpose. I doubt they even know it’s happening. But I see it.
It’s not only her desire to make them happy or to fit in. She’s a caregiver by nature. Her need to take care of others often outweighs her own needs. It’s why she puts up with so much shit from her family. She’s sacrificed her own happiness for years just to make her family happy.
Even now, she’s struggling with the fact that she’s unable to care for her own family. I don’t want her to replace my family for hers.
“Dinner was amazing, Lia.” Grams reaches across the table and squeezes her hand. “Thanks for cooking. I’m not used to anyone taking over for me.”
Mac snorts. “More like you won’t ever let anyone take over.”
Grams furrows her brow and if she could reach Mac, she’d probably smack his arm. “Not true. The lot of you are just spoiled and lazy.”
“I’m not spoiled,” Mac calls out at the same time Liam says, “I’m not lazy.”
“Call me whatever you want as long as I don’t have to cook,” Chase says with a huge grin on his face.
Grams turns her glare to my twin and points her finger at him like he’s about to get in trouble. “Watch it, boy. Or you’ll be cleaning up this kitchen by yourself.”
Chase tosses his hands in the air in surrender. He may like to pick and provoke, but he also knows when to keep his mouth shut.
This exchange makes Amelia laugh, and her laugh calms my tortured soul. I stare at her and have to fight back a smile at the way her eyes light up. Her honey brown eyes sparkle like spun gold when she laughs. The smile on her face makes her look like an angel of happiness and everything that’s pure and perfect in this world. She’s all the things I’ve never had or ever thought I deserved.
She pushes to her feet and stacks the empty plates from dinner. My brothers help her out by handing her their plates and flatware.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Grams frowns.
Amelia stops mid move and stares at my Grams. She’s clearly confused.
“Um, cleaning up?” She says it more like a question than a statement.
“The hell you are!” Grams tsks . “Sit your ass down. You cooked. These boys will clean.”
A low grumble fills the kitchen from my brothers. We’ve never liked cleaning up after dinner and often have made it a game to see who can sneak away first to get out of it.
“I don’t mind,” Amelia says. “I need to earn my keep somehow.”
“Pish posh.” Grams waves her off. “You’re family now. There’s no keep to earn. Boys.” Grams snaps her fingers, and every one of my brothers jumps to their feet and starts clearing the table.
I drop my head to hide my smile. It pleases me that Grams has already welcomed Amelia into the family. No matter what happens between the two of us, Amelia will always have a place in our home.
I gather the dishes closest to me and take them to the kitchen counter. Before I put the leftovers away, I walk over to Amelia and pull her into my arms.
“I know what you’re doing,” I whisper in her ear.
She looks up at me with a confused look on her face. “Huh?”
“You don’t have to take care of my family.”
“What are you talking about? I just made dinner.” She sighs. I can tell from the look in her eyes that she knows exactly what I mean.
“You waited on everyone like they were helpless. You fixed everyone’s plate. You dished out seconds for those you could reach, and now you tried to clean up. You don’t have to do any of that.”
She sags against my chest. “I didn’t do it because I thought they were helpless. I just wanted to do something nice. To feel useful.”
“You’re too good, you know that?” I study her face, hoping I’m not upsetting her. That’s not my intention. “You don’t need to wait on my family. We can take care of ourselves and will never expect others to do things for us.”
“I know.” She stares at the floor and her expression turns sad. It makes my chest tighten seeing her this way. I squeeze her closer, wanting nothing more than to drive that sadness away. “I guess I miss it. It frustrates me that I’ve had to take care of my parents for so long, but I also miss that feeling of being needed. Does that make sense?”
I nod and lean closer so I can whisper in her ear. “I need you. I’ll always need you. And my family? With them, it’s not about needing you. They want you here.”
She cups my cheeks and presses a light kiss to my lips. “I need you too.”
“Promise?” I drop my forehead to hers.
“Yes. I promise.” She wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me tight. I love the closeness, but I’m suddenly acutely aware that my entire family is watching this exchange with rapt attention.
“Aww, how cute.” Ash teases and laughter erupts from my family. “I never thought I’d see the day when Christian hugged someone.”
I release Amelia and grab a roll from the basket on the table. Then I toss it at him, hitting him right between the eyes. “Shut it, asshole.”
“Oh, if it’s a food fight you want.” Ash reaches for the bowl of mashed potatoes. There’s not much left in it, but it’s enough to make a mess.
“Don’t you dare!” Grams says, but she’s not fast enough. Ash has a fist full of potatoes in his hand and releases it before the last word leaves Grams’s lips.
The potatoes fly through the air like a well-packed snowball and hit me in the shoulder. It splatters, and a large clump of it flies past me and hits Amelia in the neck.
Her jaw drops open, and for a moment, I don’t know how she’s going to react. The kitchen is eerily silent as we all stare at her, waiting for her reaction. Her head falls back in laughter. That’s the trigger that my brothers need, and they spring into action.
The next thing I know, food is flying in all directions. More mashed potatoes hit me in the chest. A few dinner rolls fly across the room as my brothers throw them at each other’s head. Bits of lettuce dot the air like rain.
In a matter of seconds, the kitchen is a disastrous mess, and food is everywhere. It isn’t until Mac picks up the gravy boat that Grams finds her voice again.
“Put that down!” Grams’s voice booms and reverberates through the room. Everyone freezes, and we all turn to Grams. She’s standing at the head of the table with her hands on her hips. There’s a small clump of potatoes on her cheek and her hair is littered with lettuce and carrots. She’s pissed. “Clean this mess up. Now!”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mac doesn’t miss a beat. He puts down the gravy boat and rushes to the sink.
In fact, all my brothers jump into action. We may be grown, tough men, but our Grams can still tell us what to do. We don’t always listen, but we know when we’ve pushed her too far. This food fight was definitely going too far.
I kiss the top of Amelia’s head before I release her. “Better go help before she yells at me.”
Amelia chuckles, and this time I don’t fight the smile that lifts my lips. “God it’s sexy how you still listen to your Grams.”
I lift a brow and lean down so only she can hear me. “If you think that’s sexy, just wait. Do not leave this kitchen until I’m done.”
“But—” She looks down at the food covering her chest.
I cup her chin and lift her face, forcing her to look at me. “Wait,” I demand. “I’ll be the one cleaning you off tonight.”
She sucks in a breath and nods. I smirk at the way her eyes widen with need and lust. It’s hot as fuck the way I can so easily turn her on. It fills me with a strange sensation. Something I’ve never really felt before.
Hope.
My brothers and I get the kitchen clean in less than fifteen minutes. It’s amazing how quickly we can do this when we work together. Normally I drag my feet when it comes time to clean. It’s something I hate doing. But tonight, I’ve got additional motivation to get out of here.
As soon as I’m confident I’ve done enough, I turn to Amelia. She’s still sitting at the table. She smiles at me with one of her sweet, innocent smiles, and it makes my chest ache.
I go to her and pull her to her feet. Then I lean down and whisper in her ear. “Good girl. Your obedience has earned you a reward.”
Her breathing turns shallow, and she’s struggling to hide the effect I’m having on her. She’s always so ready and willing to play these little games with me. She opens her mouth to respond, but I place my finger over her lips.
“Save it for upstairs,” I whisper in a low and husky tone. I nibble on her earlobe, and it sends a tremble through her body. My cock thickens with anticipation. “Fuck, baby. You make me so hard. I can’t wait to be buried deep inside your wet, warm pussy.”
“Mmmm,” she moans. “Take me.”
“You’re already wet for me, aren’t you?” I whisper.
“Mmmhmm.” She bites down on her bottom lip and I growl.
Ignoring my family, I take her by the hand and lead her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I’ve no clue if any of my brothers noticed us, but I also don’t give a fuck. I’m horny, and all I can think about is fucking my angel.
When I reach the landing, I turn toward the bathroom that’s next to my bedroom. Once inside, I shut the door and lock it.
A growl rumbles from deep in my chest, and I push her against the door. Caging her in, I lick a clump of mashed potatoes off her neck before I bite down. She lets out a deep moan in response.
“Silence little lamb.” I demand.
“But that feels so good.” She fists her hands in my hair as I nibble my way down her chest. When I reach her nipple, I bite her through her clothes. This time, a yelp escapes her before she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth to stop the sound.
I cup my hand over her pussy and squeeze. “I’m going to lick and eat this until you come all over my face. Then I’m going to fuck you against the shower wall.”
“Please,” she begs. Her jaw drops as her head falls back against the door. I reach up and shove my thumb between her pretty pink lips. She instantly closes her mouth around it and sucks.
“Keep making noise, and I’ll fuck that mouth instead.”
She grins and sucks harder. What little restraint I had breaks. I rip her shirt off her and pull her bra down until it locks her arms at her side. Lifting her into my arms, I wrap one hand under her ass and clamp my mouth around her nipple. I lick and suck until she’s moaning so loud, I’m sure my family can hear her.
I don’t give a fuck. Let them hear how much I take care of what’s mine.
Walking her to the shower, I turn on the water and wait for it to get hot before I step inside. I don’t bother taking off our clothes. I want her raw and hard.
“Christian.” She screeches when the water hits us.
“Relax, baby. I’ve got you.”
I set her on her feet and quickly strip her out of the rest of her clothes. She gets my shirt off me and reaches for the button on my jeans, but I drop to my knees before she gets them undone. My jeans are soaked, and the water makes it hard for my legs to bend, but I manage.
“Lean against the wall and hold on.” I growl. Then I lift her leg and swing it over my shoulder.
Her arms fly out, reaching for something to hold on to, but there’s nothing to grab. Water sprays across her chest and runs down her belly, straight to her pussy. She looks like an offering, waiting to be devoured.
I lick a stream off her inner thigh as I run my finger between her legs and tease her opening. I press the tip of my finger inside her before I pull it up and swirl it around her clit. She gasps and fists her hands into my hair for support.
“I need you to hang on tight, baby, and ride.” I press her hips into the wall and lift her other leg around my shoulders. She wraps her legs around me, pulling my mouth onto her. I close my lips around her clit and suck at the same time that I slam two fingers deep inside her.
At this angle, the spray from the shower hits the back of my head and runs down my back. My body blocks enough of the water that I can easily hold her place.
Her grip on my hair tightens as she holds my mouth right where she wants. Then she slowly swivels her hips until my fingers are fucking her while my lips and tongue work her clit.
“That’s it. Take what you want,” I say.
She doesn’t hesitate to increase her speed, taking my fingers deeper with each rotation of her hips. I suck and lick her clit until I feel her walls tighten around my fingers. That’s when I take over and push my fingers as deep inside her as I can get them. Then I suck on her clit until she cries out my name.
I don’t stop. I continue finger fucking her and sucking on her until she’s whimpering and trembling. It’s only when her legs fall free and slide down my sides that I let her go. I help her down until she’s sitting on the floor of the shower. Her head falls back, and she pants, completely spent from that release.
I stand with my back to the water and rip my jeans off, shoving them to the back of the tub. Grabbing my cock, I give it a squeeze. I’m so fucking hard, it won’t take me long to come.
“Flip over and get on your knees.” I command.
She opens her eyes and stares at me for a minute before she complies. Once she’s situated with her hands on the back ledge of the tub and her ass pointed at me, I drop to my knees behind her.
I spread her legs further apart until I can see her pussy glisten. Then I grab my cock and run it between her legs, soaking it with her wetness, before I settle the tip at her opening.
“Ready?” I ask as I push just the tip inside her.
“Yes,” she breathes.
I slam inside her, fast and hard. She cries out as I completely fill her with my cock. “Fuck. This is going to be quick.”
“Use me,” she says. It’s not a plea or a request. It’s an order.
“Yes, ma’am.” Gripping her hips with both hands, I hold her as still as I can as I pound into her. I’m relentless and unforgiving in my thrusts. And she keeps begging me for more.
Her body tenses around me and squeezes my cock as another release builds.
“Fuck, yes!” I yell. “Come all over me, little lamb.”
“Oh, my god.” She whimpers just before an inhuman moan comes out of her. She’s coming again and taking me with her.
I continue slamming into her until my release takes over and I can no longer control my movements. I press as deep inside her as I can and then let our orgasms run free.
I fall forward, wrapping my arms around her. I hold her close, not wanting to pull out from her warmth just yet. Pushing her wet hair out of the way, I pepper light kisses down her back.
“You okay,” I ask.
“I’m great.” She chuckles. “Though my knees are starting to hurt.”
“Oh, shit.” I pull back, groaning when my cock leaves her warmth. “Let me help you up.”
Once I’m on my feet, I take her hands and pull her up. Then I flip us so she’s the one standing under the showerhead. She leans back so all her hair is under the flow of water. When she reaches for the shampoo, I stop her.
“Let me.” I take the bottle and squirt some into my hands. She turns around and lets her head fall back as I massage the shampoo in her hair. After I rinse that out, I repeat the process with the conditioner.
Then I grab the little scrub thing that she uses to wash her body. I lather it up with her body wash and slowly run it over every inch of her skin.
“Can you get away next weekend?” I ask, an idea formulating in my mind.
She looks up at me and wrinkles her brow. “I work on Saturday.”
“Can you take it off?”
“Possibly,” she says. “Why?”
“I’d like to take you away. Maybe we could go on a real date for a change.”
A slow smile lifts her lips. “A real date?”
“Yeah,” I shrug. “You know. Dinner and a movie or whatever. Maybe we could go to Columbus. Stay the night somewhere nice.”
She reaches up and cups my cheek. “That sounds wonderful.”
Then she presses her mouth to mine and kisses me like I’m the best damn thing her lips have ever touched.
And that same strange feeling that I felt after dinner comes back to me.
All the hope in the world.
Dammit. This woman gives me things I’ve never had before.
And I want it all.