41. Lainey #2
“Yeah, baby. That’s exactly what I’m saying.
I might never be able to give you a night out on the town in that time, but I can give you two-steppin’…
after some practice.” He laughed. “And slow dances, I know I’ll be good at those.
And hopefully a good time, right here in this old barn.
It’ll be our special place. The beams, and walls, and old stone floor will hold all the memories we make here, and we’ll never have to share it with anyone else. ”
“You did this just for me? I figured this was the Ford brothers’ make out spot.”
“I don’t make out with my brothers,” he grumbled. I was so taken aback, I burst out laughing.
“No! That’s not what I meant.” I chuckled. “I just meant…this must be where you guys brought all your girlfriends. Oh God, has Beau brought my sister here?”
“As far as I know, we’re the first to enjoy this place for this particular reason. Lord knows Hayes bitched at me the last two days for having to clean it out for me. I kind of told him I’d let him have extra Reid cuddles, since he set this up for me.”
“Our son is not a bargaining chip.” I shook my head, but I couldn’t hide my smile.
“Our son,” he repeated. His hand tightened around mine, pulling me softly into his chest. Lachlan’s face dipped, his lips pressing against mine.
God, if I thought my tummy had been full of butterflies before…
This man was so steady, so sweet, so perfect.
And my mind couldn’t comprehend what he saw in me.
“I want forever with you, Lainey,” he whispered as my body melted into his. “I don’t want there to be a single day where you and Reid don’t wake up by my side.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I want that, too.”
Lach reached up and cupped my cheek. “I’ve already been talking with Hayes, and he thinks we can take down the back wall at the house, extend the kitchen so you’ll have a place to run your business out of.
And we can build out the second story. Maybe redo the upstairs bathroom?
Finish Reid’s bedroom off right for a little guy. ”
“What if we added another bedroom?” I asked.
Lachlan’s brows pulled together tightly. “What would we need more bedrooms for?”
I stood on my tiptoes, my lips brushing the edge of his jaw before I kissed the stubble growing there. “Don’t you want—”
“If you’re going to ask me if I want room for more kids, the answer is no.
I know how hard being pregnant with Reid was for you, and we’re working on getting the light back in your eyes after his birth.
We haven’t talked about it, but if he’s our one and only…
if you don’t want to do it again…well, he’s everything to me.
I never want to have another medical procedure in my life, Lainey, but if it’s going to be you and me forever, I’ll schedule the vasectomy tomorrow morning so you know I’m so serious about making sure you never suffer again. ”
Apparently, it was my turn to launch myself on him, because before my next breath entered my lungs, I jumped, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck as my face burrowed against his chest. Tears stung at my eyes.
It wasn’t just the way Lachlan never wavered in his support for everything I’d been through postpartum. It was the way he saw me without me ever having to say a word.
“May I have this dance?” he asked, tightening his grip on me. I unwrapped my legs, dropping back down to the ground.
My entire body melted as his hand slipped along my waist.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
The song wasn’t right for two-stepping, but that wasn’t what my heart wanted. I wanted to be held close to his heart. I wanted to feel the heat of his body against mine, even though the nighttime air was warm around us.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said.” My fingers dusted along his neck as we rocked back and forth to the slow, steady beat of the music.
“Oh yeah? What did I say?”
“That day when you changed the oil in my car. You said it felt like, for a few minutes, you were just…you again.”
He stopped moving. “Lainey. I can’t go back.”
I went up onto my tiptoes, which made me just tall enough to press a kiss to his jaw. The stubble there tickled.
“I don’t want you to. But, what if you worked out here?
What if you had a garage to work in to restore cars?
Birdie told me you were working on restoring cars before the accident.
What if we cleared that little field to the right of the house and put up a workspace?
It could have its own driveway off the road, and…
I don’t know. Maybe it’s silly, but I think if you could go at your own pace, maybe having that part of your life back would feel healing. ”
Lach’s jaw moved back and forth, the muscles pulling tight then loosening as he worked the idea over in his mind.
And then he smiled. “In a couple of years, I could have Reid out there, tinkering with me.”
I patted my hand over his heart. “He’d love that. And I know for a fact there’s already a secretary waiting and willing to work out there alongside you.”
His face dropped to mine, an eyebrow popping up in surprise. “Oh, there is, is there?”
I nodded. “You’ll have to pay her in snacks and kisses, though, I’m afraid.”
“As long as she wears her two-steppin’ shorts and doesn’t mind getting a little dirty from time to time, I think that sounds like heaven.” His lips crashed against mine.
I would never grow tired of kissing this man.
“I have to tell you something,” I whispered as I pulled back.
“I’m all ears.”
“At my doctor’s appointment the other day, we didn’t just talk about my mental health and how I’ve been struggling with everything.”
Lachlan’s hand slipped up to the back of my neck. “Is there something else to be concerned about? You’re healing, physically, right?”
“I’m actually great, physically. Dr. Witten told me I could resume my normal physical activities.”
He smiled. “Okay. So, you’re wanting to work again? I’m happy to drive you to your deliveries.”
“Lachlan.” I slipped my hands over his face, my thumb running over his lips to try and get him to hear what I needed to say.
“Sow-rry,” he mumbled through my touch.
“I’m cleared to resume all normal activities. I’d like to…resume them with you, if you catch my drift.”
He chuckled, his teeth coming out to nip at my fingertip. “I think I understand what you’re saying. But there’s no rush.”
“Oh, I don’t want to rush it. I want hours with you touching me. Kissing me. Making me feel so good. And I want to do that for you, too.”
His fingers moved to my thigh, bunching up the fabric of my dress as he moved us slowly back to the wall. His mouth was back on mine in an instant, and I moaned as my shoulders landed against the rough wood of the barn.
“Spread your legs for me, baby,” he whispered, inching his fingers closer to the damp fabric of my panties.
I did as I was told, the ache in my core overwhelming. I wanted him to touch me. To taste me. To be inside me.
His fingers slipped under my panties, pushing them to the side while he explored the place I longed to be touched. Lachlan circled my clit, applying pressure that sent my back arching as a whimper left my lips.
And then his mouth was back on mine. Nipping at my tongue. Sucking my lip. His mouth moved down my neck as his finger kept working my clit, bringing me closer to the edge.
I felt him hovering over my breast. Pausing. What was he waiting for?
“Please,” I groaned as my hand left his shoulder to press his head closer to where I wanted him.
“Does it hurt? I don’t want to make you feel worse…”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t feel the same as when I nurse. I…”
“What, sweetheart?”
“I want you to touch me there,” I admitted, my face on fire.
Lachlan lowered my dress, sucking my nipple into his mouth with the fabric of my soft nursing bra still in place.
I felt the familiar pull of my milk letting down, but the dread that normally washed over me when Reid nursed was nowhere to be found.
The pleasure was overwhelming, my breath escaping my lungs so quickly my head felt fuzzy.
As soon as Lachlan’s teeth raked over the sensitive, pebbled flesh, I was gone. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and I gave into the sensations making my legs shake. His fingers worked me over like they’d been made solely for the purpose of pleasuring me.
“Let go, Lainey. Come for me. Let me see how beautiful you look when you fall apart from my touch.” Soaring into the abyss of my orgasm, I faintly heard his name escape my throat over the rushing sound of my heartbeat in my ears.
My face blazed as my hands continued to grip his shoulders for balance. But as my eyelids slowly opened, Lachlan just smiled, his wicked fingers slipping from between my legs as he brought them up to his mouth and licked them clean.