Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
SOPHIA
A hand slid up my thigh, and I rolled into his arms.
I was getting far too used to waking up in this man’s hold, and yet part of me had pushed those thoughts away. Even before we had almost lost everything, I hadn’t realized that I’d wanted this with such an intensity that it would nearly break me.
“You’re awake,” a deep voice murmured against my ear before Carson began to nibble up my neck.
I moaned into him, twisting so I faced him fully, one leg wrapped around his hip. When his cock slid between my legs, I arched.
“Good morning,” I said softly. “I feel like I should brush my teeth.”
His hand squeezed my hip and he shook his head slightly. “My cock is sliding against that warm, soft, wet cunt of yours. If you roll away to go brush your teeth, I will not be responsible for my actions.”
My lips twitched, but I understood.
“Well, if you’re sure,” I teased. And then his lips were on mine, and nothing else mattered.
Soft morning light slid through the blinds, and I knew our alarms would go off soon. We would have to face reality and everything that came with it, but for now, we were in this moment, just the two of us. I reached between us and gripped the base of him, and he groaned.
“You’re going to kill me.”
“I just might if you’re not inside me.”
“And here I was thinking I would wake you up, licking between your legs, and yet, you changed the game.”
I blushed, wondering how long it would take me to get used to the way he spoke about things, but in the end, it was all I could do not to shake near him.
I positioned him at my entrance and when the tip of his cock slowly, oh so slowly, entered me, I sucked in a breath, loving the way that he stretched me.
Because Carson knew exactly what to do with that thick cock of his, and even thinking the words made me blush. I had never been like this with any other man, but as Carson held me, as he made love to me, no other man mattered. And they never would.
“You know, maybe I just have to surprise you later and show up to be with you. Because there’s so many things I want to do with this delicious body and soul of yours that there’s no stopping me.”
I reached around and squeezed his ass, smiling. “You are ridiculous, but go on. Do tell.”
And then he did, doing exactly what he wanted to do with me, as we leisurely made love, arching for one another, his thickness stretching me in all the best ways.
And when his fingers played with my clit, I came around his cock, both of us shaking.
And when he followed me, slowly pushing me to my back so he could piston deeper, harder, warmth spread within me as he came.
His lips on mine, my hands roaming over his back, it wasn’t until he stiffened that I realized that we had forgotten something very important.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. I forgot the condom.”
I kissed him on his jaw, my fingers playing along his cheekbones, the worry etched in his eyes stark.
“I’m clean.” I shivered, realizing that I hadn’t explained everything before. We knew so much about each other, and yet there was so much more to explore. And I couldn’t wait to figure that out.
“I had to check everything after. Well, after him.”
The scowl on Carson’s face could have committed murder itself. Then he kissed my jaw and stared down at me. “Please don’t mention him while I’m buried balls deep inside you. In fact, never mention him again.”
“I will do my best to make sure that I never speak of that man again. But I’m clean. And on birth control. I love my babies, but well, having more children was never in the cards.”
He kissed me again, slowly sliding in and out of me even as he hardened again. “I’m clean as well, and I can show you my latest physical. I’ve never gone bare with anyone before. And my god, I don’t want to go back to a condom.”
“Then we don’t have to.” Warmth spread again, and I kissed his cheek as we began to make love once more, surprising me.
Afterwards, we showered, this time with me on my knees and his cock deep down my throat, and then I found myself sitting on the inlaid bench as he had his fill of me, his tongue doing amazing things.
We got ready together, as the girls began to wake.
“I need to get them ready for daycare and my mom. I have four lessons today.”
“We should align our schedules, because I know you work more hours than you should—” He paused. “No, I’m not complaining. You do what you need to, because you love it. I’m not telling you what to do.”
My heart warmed again and I realized he understood me. I didn’t know how I had fallen in love with this man, but I knew there was no going back. I didn’t want to go back.
“Yes, I do love calendars. They’re needed in my business.”
“Mine too.” He kissed the tip of my nose and dressed in the same casual outfit he had shown up in. Apparently, once he had finished with the doctors and showered after he had been rescued, he’d been given casual clothes that weren’t his and came straight here.
“You know, you can leave a few things here if you want.” He raised a brow.
“You and the girls can leave stuff at my place as well. I realize that I don’t have good enough beds for them, but that can change. In fact, I can call my team and make that happen.”
“Carson.”
“Or we can stay here, I don’t care. But I want to be with you, Sophia. I love you. We’ll go as fast or slow as you want. All that matters is that I love you, and I love those little girls.”
Tears threatened, and I went to my tiptoes, grateful when he lowered his head so I could kiss him. As a dancer, I was taller than my sisters, but Carson still loomed over me, and he had to bend to allow a kiss. Somehow that was hotter than I thought possible.
“Let’s table that until we get a full night’s sleep and figure things out. Because I’m not running away, Carson. But I’m also sort of in a daze.”
“Agreed.” He ran his thumb along my cheek. “As for more babies? Well, we can talk about that later too.”
My stomach tightened even as butterflies threatened. This man knew how to disarm me, but in the best ways.
We made our way out of my bedroom, the one that I would share with Carson whenever he was here, and went to get the girls.
They were so happy to see Carson, that they didn’t ask a single question as to why he would be here so early in the morning.
After all, they were too young to truly understand.
We would have to figure out a way to explain what was going on, but first Carson and I would have to put labels on it just for them, at least. And my family.
Well, that was going to be a tough conversation with Flynn and the others.
With Violet in my arms, and Hazel in his, we made our way to the kitchen, and I went to start breakfast. But then Carson was there, his dexterity in the kitchen surprising me.
“I’ve lived alone a long time, Sophia, I know how to cook for myself. Plus, I need to figure out what these little munchkins like to eat.”
I shook my head, loving the way that the girls already clung to him. It had worried me beyond all measure of what I was going to say to them when I had thought Carson and I were over. Let alone what I would have been forced to do if he had been killed. I shuddered, trying not to think about that.
The doorbell rang, pulling me from my thoughts, and I realized that my mother had shown up early.
“I told the family group chat that you were alive,” I whispered against him as he gave me an odd look.
“I can face your mother, Princess,” he teased.
This time I didn’t correct him on the term. When I opened the door, my mother was there, concern in her gaze, and yet not a single lick of tension.
“Sophia. I know I’m early, but I didn’t know if you would need me.”
“Carson’s in the kitchen cooking breakfast for us. You’re welcome to join.”
I braced myself for judgment, but instead my mother just smiled wide, moved forward, and held me close. It took me a moment, but then I was holding her back, nearly letting the tears fall.
“He makes you smile. I love him already.” A pause. “Just like you do.”
I froze, my hands shaking. “How did you know I loved him?”
“A mother knows. Sometimes it takes a kick in the ass, but we figure it out.”
With that startling revelation, I threw my head back and laughed, then hooked my arm with hers before we headed into the kitchen.
“Mr. Woods,” my mother said.
“Hello there, Ms. Constance. You’re welcome to call me Carson.”
I love that he called my mother that rather than using either of her last names.
While I used Cage to be close to my siblings, not my father, my mother had her own issues with her name.
I had a feeling she would stick with Dixon for herself, but keep the connection to the Cages, a name she had never taken legally, for her own children.
There wasn’t anything a mother wouldn’t do, and it had taken me a long time to realize that.
“It’s good to see you here. And look at you, little girls, already covered in syrup.”
I shook my head as my mother and I began to clean up the girls, and Carson just shrugged. “I’m learning here.”
“I’m still learning something new every day,” my mother said, and just like that, things settled.
I hadn’t expected this, and yet I loved it.
“You better be good for my baby girl,” my mother whispered as she walked past Carson, and as I opened my mouth to say something, Carson shook his head and squeezed my mother’s shoulder.
“I will do my best to be worthy. I promise.”
Was it any wonder that I loved this man?
By the time we finished breakfast and cleaned up, Carson already had a car service waiting for him. “Well, I need to go deal with coming back from the dead, I guess.” I shivered, hating the humor in his tone, because I knew he was coping the best way he could.
“I’ll see you soon?”
“Count on it. I mean, your mother likes me but I’m going to have to go through the gauntlet with everyone else.”
I laughed and silently agreed.
My mother left soon after. I would be dropping the girls off at daycare, and Mother would be picking them up. She liked to have breakfast with us, and I had truly appreciated her being here.
After I got the girls settled in their playroom, I went to my room to finish getting ready, knowing I had a long day ahead. I was already behind with everything that had happened with Carson, but it was all worth it.
Because he was here.
There were so many unanswered questions, and I knew we had to plan our future. I didn’t know what would happen next, or how quickly things would roll into the next phase, but all that mattered was that I trusted him.
It should surprise me, but it didn’t.
Because that’s just who Carson was.
Humming under my breath, I went to my closet to get to my dance clothes when a shadow passed out of the corner of my eye. I whirled, wondering if it was one of the girls, and before I could scream, a hand clamped over my mouth.
“I don’t think so, Sophia. Don’t forget, you’re mine.” And then Cale slid a needle into my arm and hit the plunger. Darkness and dizziness warred within me before I could take my next breath, and the first thing that I could think of were my babies.
My girls.
And then there was nothing.