Chapter 20
Ford woke while it was just starting to get light outside, the barest hint of dawn visible around the blinds. Next to him, Darcy slept, the sheet pooled at her waist, her upper body on display for him.
Sexy female.
The night before, as they’d been cuddled up in the dark after making love, they’d talked about things they liked, and he knew she loved him going down on her.
And he loved it too. There was nothing quite like watching her climax and tasting her sweet honey.
He was addicted to her, craved her on a cellular level.
And he could feel that she craved him too.
He turned on his side toward her, slipping his hand slowly down her soft belly and under the sheet. He slid his fingers in aimless patterns along her thighs and across her folds, watching as she gently roused from sleep.
When he saw she was halfway between asleep and awake, he slid down the bed and moved between her thighs, pushing the sheet out of the way.
She whispered his name as she came awake with the first swipe of his tongue up her pussy. He groaned at the sweet taste of her.
He nuzzled her flesh, his tongue flicking her clit a few times, until he found the spot on the side that she seemed to love the most.
She squealed softly, then slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her sounds of pleasure.
As she always did when he was between her thighs, she reached for him, and this time she grasped his wrist, her nails digging into his skin as he played with her, taking his time as he drove her to the edge and then backed off, until she was writhing in his hold and softly begging him to come.
And then he let her fly. Sucking gently on her clit and lashing the side with his tongue, he fingered her hard and fast until she fell over the edge into bliss and shuddered against him.
Immediately, he was over her, pounding into her with hot and hard abandon as she quaked through her orgasm. She sank her teeth into his shoulder to soften the sound of her moaning.
He came inside her finally, blissfully, and clenched his teeth together to keep from shouting her name to the heavens and waking everyone in the house. As he shuddered through the pleasure, he kissed her, once, twice, and then whispered, “Morning, sweetheart.”
She chuckled and cupped his face. “A very good morning to you too, and your talented tongue and fingers.”
“These fingers?” he asked, pushing his hand between them to find her swollen clit. As her pussy clenched his cock and she sucked in a sharp breath, he grinned.
“Yes,” she said, softly hissing the word. “Hell, yes.”
* * *
The following weekend, as fall really hit its stride and the temperature took a nosedive, Ford texted Cruz and asked to meet up with him for a drink. He left Darcy hanging with the females at the farmhouse making apple pies, and went to meet her brother.
They’d shared their numbers so they could keep in touch and had texted occasionally since then, but this was the big conversation.
Ford walked into a restaurant and found Cruz at the bar with a beer. After ordering one for himself, Ford asked how Cruz liked living alone.
“I haven’t ever lived alone. How weird is that?
” he asked. “I went from my folks’ house to an apartment with me and Darcy, then a place I got with my ex, and then Darcy’s.
I feel like I skipped some milestones in my adult life.
I do miss her cooking, because she always made sure to meal prep for me and she can make the hell out of a high-protein steak burrito. But I’m enjoying it.”
“I’ll have to ask her to make me a burrito.”
“Yeah and send one over my way.”
“Deal.”
“So…” Cruz said.
A beer appeared in front of Ford, and he took a drink. “I love your sister.”
“I can tell. You two look really happy together. It made me realize how lonely she must have been all these years. She has Rhomi and Reagan, but that’s not the same as romantic love.”
That was really true. He had friends and family in spades with the herd, but it wasn’t close to how he felt with Darcy.
“I want to ask for your blessing so I can ask her to marry me.”
His heart thudded in his chest. He’d never asked such an important question.
“Hell yes! You’ve definitely got my blessing.”
The two shook hands, and Ford showed him a picture of the ring he’d picked out. He was going to ask her to marry him after the joining ceremony.
“You make my sister happy, and that makes me happy.”
“She definitely makes me happy. I’ll give her a wonderful life. She’s my soulmate and I never want her to worry about anything.”
“She called you her soulmate too. I would have thought it was a silly term to use, but I think it’s appropriate for you guys. According to her, she knew when she met you that you were the guy for her. She said she couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Same.”
Cruz smiled and lifted his beer. “Welcome to the family, Ford.”
His words hit him square in the chest. Their bottles clinked, and Ford said, “Thanks, Cruz. I’ve always wanted a brother, and I’m glad to call you mine now.”