Chapter 14 #2
“But it has to do with before, and we’re not talking about that.”
“Go ahead.”
Jules wrinkles her nose. “He would basically gaslight me whenever I had a stomach flare and tell me that no pain I was in could compare to what he was going through with the chemo. Piece of shit. He wasn’t even on chemo.”
“I’d like to punch him.” My voice is perfectly calm, but my blood simmers. “Repeatedly.”
“Same. Anyway, I did a lot of research over the years, because there are few things worse than having severe stomach pain and not being able to eat. And I thought it would be good to put all that knowledge to use.”
“Smart girl,” I murmur and lean over to kiss her head. “Birdie loves it.”
“Birdie is the best. What a little sweetheart. She just spreads joy and glitter everywhere she goes.”
I can’t help but laugh at that because she’s absolutely right. “She’s the princess of the family, that’s for sure.”
“How’s she doing with having to share with a new baby brother? And the other new babies on the way?” she asks.
“So far, she’s been great. She loves having the baby around. Birdie’s not one to get very jealous. She doesn’t need to. We all shower her with affection and attention.”
She smiles softly. “That’s sweet.”
“Do you want kids?” I feel my eyes go wide because I didn’t mean to blurt that out.
“I mean, we just started seeing each other again about six minutes ago, so probably not right now.” Her lips twitch, and then she barks out a laugh. “Your face.”
I narrow my eyes at her, and she snorts. She’s fucking adorable.
“You know, I’m not sure,” she says and wipes a tear from the corner of her eye. “I kind of decided that wasn’t in the cards for me a long time ago.”
“What about now?”
“I’m not as young as I used to be.”
Reaching over to tuck her hair behind her ear, I shake my head. “We’re not old either.”
“I’d consider it,” she says at last. “Under the right circumstances. What about you?”
“I’d consider it,” I echo and wipe a little drip of ice cream from the corner of her mouth, then lick it off my thumb. “Under the right circumstances.”
We’re finished and about to leave when the door opens, and Tucker Hendrix walks in, followed by his sister, Ava.
“Hey!” Ava makes a beeline for Jules and hugs her tight. “I was going to call you later and ask if you need help at the restaurant, but I can see that you already have help.”
Ava turns to me with a knowing smile.
“I do have help,” Jules agrees. “But thanks for thinking of me. And who is this?”
“I’m Tucker,” the other man says, holding out his hand. “Ava’s oldest brother.”
“The famous oldest brother,” Jules says, and I take her hand out of his, thread our fingers, and glare at my friend, who just smirks.
Asshat.
“I decided to harass Tuck tonight,” Ava says. “It’s my little sister duty to check on him and make sure he’s taking his vitamins. You know, because he’s old.”
“We’re the same age,” I remind her, and Tucker smirks.
“And I’m their age,” Jules says with a laugh. “So go easy on the old people talk.”
Ava shakes her head. “No way, you don’t look a day over twenty-five.”
“I already knew I liked you, but now you’re my favorite,” Jules tells her.
“She just misses me,” Tucker says and ruffles Ava’s hair, which earns him a glare. “I’m her favorite brother.”
“Sure you are, because you’re buying me ice cream.” Ava smooths her hair out and then turns back to Jules. “I’ll call you later.”
Then she leans in and whisper-shouts, “And I want details.”
“No.” I shake my head, and with Juliet’s hand in mine, we walk back outside and get settled on the bike. All the way back to the house, her hands move up and down my chest and stomach, and then she plants them on the gas tank. With a smirk, I grab them and plant them back on my stomach.
I can feel her laughing behind me.
Gonna have to teach you a little lesson, Wildfire.
She leans into the turns with me, as naturally as if she’d been on this bike with me for twenty years, and then I park in the garage, and we put the helmets away and go inside.
Before she has the chance to do much of anything at all, I swing her onto my shoulder and march back toward the bedroom, making her gasp in surprise.
“What the hell?” She giggles and smacks my butt, and I return the favor by swatting her perfect globe of an ass, making her yelp. “Brooks!”
“You’re mine tonight.” I carry her into the bedroom and drop her onto the bed, and she pushes her hair out of her face. “You think you can touch me on my bike like that, get me so fucking hard I ache, and that I won’t fuck you the second we get home?”
She bites her plump lower lip in excitement, watching me.
“Clothes off. Now.” My voice is deeper, harder, and her eyes glass over, just the way I want them to.
My wildfire has a gorgeous submissive side.
“I won’t tell you twice.”
That sets her into motion, pulling her shirt over her head, then lying down to shimmy out of the jeans she wore for the bike. When she’s only in blue panties, I lift an eyebrow and cross my arms, rub my fingertip over my bottom lip, waiting.
“It all comes off.”
“I want you naked, too,” she says before swallowing hard.
I don’t reply. I simply stand here, over her, watching. Her nipples pucker. Her legs scissor. Her breath hitches, and her pulse jumps in her throat.
She’s so fucking gorgeous.
Finally, her fingers hook into the sides of her panties, and she works them down her hips, down her legs. Before she can fling them aside, I take them and press them to my nose, inhaling deeply.
“Fucking delicious,” I growl, then set them aside. “Those are mine now.”
“I might need them.”
“You don’t.” I reach over my shoulder and yank my shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor.
Juliet’s gaze takes me in greedily. I fucking love the way this woman looks at me, as if I’m the hottest thing she’s ever seen in her life.
I unbuckle my belt and yank it through the loops of my jeans with a snap, then let it fall with a clatter to the floor.
“Do you like what you see, baby?”
“Hell yeah, I do. God, you just got … better, Brooks, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
Christ, she’s good for my ego.
With a smirk, I let my jeans fall and peel down my boxer briefs. I take her ankle in my hand and lift it to my mouth as I crawl onto the bed. I pepper kisses on her soft skin, over the ankle bone, down to the arch of her foot, and she grins.
My girl is ticklish.
“I am going to consume every amazing inch of you.” I nibble my way up her calf to the inside of her knee and lick her there, grinning against her skin when she gasps. “I’m going to pound you so hard that you’ll be begging me to stop.”
“Never.” She shakes her head and reaches for me, but I back out of range. “I want to touch you.”
“You will. Be patient, little wildfire.”
My hand glides up the outside of her thigh to her hip, then around to her mound, where my thumb brushes over her clit, making her gasp.
“Oh God.”
“He’s not here, beautiful. Just you and me. It’ll be my name you scream when you come. And you’re going to come a lot tonight.”
“Yay me.” Her voice is weak and thready, like she’s already barely hanging on by a thread. “Please.”
She wants more. She needs my thumb to press harder. She wants my mouth.
My cock.
And she’ll get them.
When I decide she’s ready for them.
“My greedy little girl. What are you begging me for, Jules?”
“You.”
I lift an eyebrow. “You can do better than that.”
“I want you to … ah, that’s so good.” My thumb is still ghosting over that hard little nub. Her hips lift, seeking more, and her cheeks have darkened. She’s fucking beautiful. “Just a little harder.”
I pull away entirely, and she groans in frustration.
“Tell me what you’re begging me for.”
“Your mouth. Your fingers.” She swallows hard and drops her head on the bed. “Your cock.”
“Which one?”
“All of them.”
With a grin, I press a wet kiss right next to her pussy, where her leg meets her core, and her hips lift again.
“There’s no need to hurry. You’re going to get everything you want, baby. But I’m going to take my time this go around. No fast fucks against the bench in my garage.”
“Brooks.”
My hand glides up her stomach, and I pinch her nipple, making her flinch and then groan.
“Yes. More of that.”
“I’m sorry, are you under the impression that you’re in charge here, Juliet?” I shake my head slowly and move to the other nipple, giving it the same attention. “Because you’re not. I am. And you’ll get what I give you.”
“You got even bossier.”
“You have no fucking idea just how bossy I can be, baby. But you’re about to learn.”