Chapter 40 By His Side
BY HIS SIDE
“Unbelievable,” Sadie said hours later.
Brennan was too worked up to go to her parents’ house. Alana understood that and wouldn’t force the issue.
He said he wanted to get home to his daughter and she told him to head to the docks.
Hearing him telling the story a second time to his mother of what he discovered made her want to spew swear words throughout the room, painting the walls with her vile thoughts.
She didn’t think she had that much rage in her body.
Not even finding out what Jonathan had done caused this much fury.
She’d be fighting just as hard as Brennan to make sure Rene didn’t get custody.
“You can’t make this shit up,” he said. “There was no relationship between them. She needed a place to stay and they both have been screwing other people the whole time.”
Brennan had lowered his voice since Becca was watching a movie in the other room.
“So nothing is likely to even happen until she finds out who the father is,” Sadie said.
“I can’t even guess. I thought for sure she’d text me after I walked out and nothing. I might not hear from her for weeks.”
“Just keep doing what you are,” Sadie said. “Get all this information to your attorney.”
“I told him the same thing,” Alana said. “I’ll be fighting with him.”
“He needs someone by his side,” Sadie said.
She wasn’t going anywhere and she wanted him to know that.
Saying the words wouldn’t always be enough.
She’d show him any way she could.
“I know I’ve got you both,” he said, pulling her close and under his arm. “I never thought today would turn out this way. I can’t understand her motive in any of this.”
“It’s not for you to guess what is in her mind,” Alana said.
“She obviously wasn’t sharing with Jake,” Sadie said. “Just like she didn’t with you half the time.”
“And not to be the killjoy here, but we still don’t know what is going on. She could take another job and want to be a single mother alone, regardless of who the father is. There are women out there who make a living collecting child support.”
“The most she could even consider getting from me is shared custody,” he said. “And trust me, I’ll empty everything I’ve got on legal bills before it comes to that. So she’s not making any money off of me if that was her plan.”
“For now, put it from your mind. I know it’s hard,” Sadie said. “But you lit a fire between Rene and Jake without meaning too. She’s got to figure things out before she can get an attorney by the sounds of it. If Jake isn’t the father, she doesn’t even have a place to live.”
“I want to put it from my mind. But I’m struggling. Becca is going to have a half sibling out there.”
“And you always wanted a sibling,” Sadie said softly. “Let it play out for now. Go home and chill out. Have a glass of wine and a nice dinner. Becca wants to stay here. I promised her a movie.”
“But she’ll want to go with me since I’m here,” he said.
“Becca,” Sadie yelled. “Did you want to go home with Daddy or stay with Grandma?”
Becca came running in. “Grandma! She promised we’d make pizza and watch cartoons. Go, Daddy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alana kept the laugh from escaping.
Poor Brennan looked dumbfounded over the demands from his daughter.
“She doesn’t want me?” he asked, one lip curled up with an eyebrow. Poor guy looked lost.
“Hey,” Alana said, grabbing his hand. “Look at it like she wants us to have the night together. Isn’t that better?”
He turned to look at her grin, gave her one in return. “You’re right. I need to take it down a few notches. It’s been a crappy day.”
“Go home and work out those emotions,” Sadie said, winking. “Becca and I are fine here.”
“Becca, give me a kiss,” he called out.
The little girl came running back, gave her father a kiss and one for Alana, then disappeared into the living room again.
“Let’s go home too,” she said. “We can stop and pick up food on the way and then we won’t have any work to do.”
They got to his SUV and climbed in. “Maybe I have some other work in my mind.”
“I’d like that,” she said. “I think we both need the outlet.”
He reached for her hand. “I’m sorry if today was a lot of drama for you. You didn’t sign up for this.”
“Stop,” she said. “I’m stronger than that. There isn’t anything wrong with drama. We have to find our way and this is part of it.”
“It is,” he said. “I know that. I understand it too. I’m thankful at how understanding you are. That’s just one more reason I love you.”
“I love you too. How about we grab subs and throw them in the fridge and work off these emotions like your mother said?”
“Might be the best suggestion I’ve heard all day.”
Twenty minutes later, they arrived, sprinting into the house like guilty teenagers.
Their food was thrown in the fridge, then he picked her up and put her over his shoulder, not even letting her get her jacket and boots off.
“Brennan. Stop so I can leave my stuff down here.”
“Nope,” he said, matching her laughter. “I need you and need you now.”
No woman would ever say no to that.
He raced up the stairs and dropped her on the bed, then tackled the zipper on her ankle boots to pull them off while she unzipped her jacket and wrangled it off while lying on the bed.
He attacked his clothes with the same speed she was and they were soon both naked and rolling around on the bed.
Stopping their movements, he pinned her arms above her, his mouth landing a whisper above hers, their fingers threading together.
“I want to make love to you,” he said. “Not fast like we always do.” Sensations flooded her chest, then settled between her legs, her brain silently chanting for her body to slow down and catch up to the change in their routine.
“Let me cherish you tonight and let you know how much you mean to me. How much I love you.”
She nodded and closed her eyes as his lips touched hers.
Alana opened for him like she always would. Like she’d opened her heart wider than she’d ever done in her life.
Her legs spread for him, her hips lifting, her mouth pulling away to say, “I’m on the pill.”
His hips moved, he found her slick opening and slid in easily.
When his mouth returned to hers, his tongue entered, and she squeezed his fingers to keep him in place.
She felt exposed. A sexy vulnerability of being trapped by the man she loved.
The one who was going to take her to heights she’d never journeyed with another before.
Her knees bent, her feet on the bed sending him deeper, her hips arching and lifting to meet and retreat with his.
Somehow he transferred both of her hands into one of his to keep locked over her head, his other hand gliding down her body, over her ribs, the outside of her thigh, nudging it to wrap around his back.
She lifted both legs and did what he was silently instructing her to do.
He pinned her down, preventing her participation, and she received only what he gave her.
Her love for him gave him the trust she needed for them both to just let go.
He was rocking with her. Not hard. Not thrusting. Not even shaking the bed.
Not their normal.
It was slow and steady and building her up.
She hadn’t realized his mouth wasn’t on hers until he said, “Open your eyes.”
As hard as it was, she lifted her heavy lids and gazed into his blue orbs.
He held her stare as he made love to her. As his body was filling her with more than the physical.
“I’m close,” she said.
“I know,” he whispered. “I can feel it. I can see it. You hide little from me.”
“Neither do you,” she said. She was glad that he recognized that too.
He went deep and held still, her grinding against him as if he knew she needed that bit of friction to get her over the edge.
Her breath caught, and her body let loose as wave after wave of pleasure flooded between her legs.
“Keep your eyes open,” he groaned out. He was coming too.
“I can’t,” she said. There wasn’t darkness when she closed them again, because she had the image of Brennan in her brain, his smile full of love, his heart pounding with hers.
They stayed just like that even after they were done. Her body was so relaxed, she drifted off to sleep more content than she thought was possible.