Chapter 27
Levi
Arizona stared up at me like I was her ruin and her salvation all in one.
Damn, she was beautiful like this, flushed and sated, the hint of a smile tipping up one corner of her lips.
Right then, right there, I doubled down on my commitment to doing whatever it took to keep her. She owned my heart, and I refused to let her leave with it.
Crawling back onto the bed, I positioned myself between her thighs, a shudder rolling through me when my throbbing dick made contact with her slick heat. Every primal instinct I possessed demanded that I drive inside, merging our two bodies, but I needed to make one thing very clear first.
Heart hammering against my ribcage, I cradled Arizona’s face in my hands, my thumbs stroking over soft cheeks. She gazed up at me through heavy-lidded eyes, her pupils blown so wide that only the thinnest blue ring of her irises remained visible.
“Baby.” My voice cracked as I uttered the term of endearment. “You’re it for me. I don’t want anyone else. Ever.”
Her lips parted on a silent gasp.
I laid my final card on the table. “I’m in love with you.”
That confession hung in the air as I surged forward slowly, a deep groan pulled from my chest when I bottomed out.
The aftershocks from her earlier climax rippled around my shaft as I held myself buried deep, rocking my hips ever so slightly.
With my forehead pressed to hers, I asked, “Do you feel that? How perfectly we fit together? Like we were made for each other?”
She gave a jerky nod, then came a watery “Yes.”
Capturing her lips, I pulled out to nearly the tip before driving home again.
The strong slam caused her head to drop back, exposing the column of her throat. I marked the flawless skin there with my teeth, digging in deep enough so that she could feel my claim without drawing blood.
“Levi!” She clutched at my head, writhing beneath me as I provided a mix of pain and pleasure.
I set a steady pace between her thighs, the drag of my cock along her inner walls sending electricity shooting down the length of my spine.
Unable to contain the overwhelming swell of emotions, I chanted “I love you” on repeat every time we crashed together.
I wanted to stay like this forever—the two of us joined as one—but my balls grew tighter with each thrust.
Hooking an arm beneath her knee, I changed the angle, letting the base of my shaft rub against her clit with each pass, and soon she was shaking, begging for me to let her come.
A few more powerful pumps, and she shattered, her cries echoing throughout the room, and with her cunt gripping me like a clenched fist, I finally let go.
I buried my face in her neck, grunting through my release, the pulsing of Arizona’s pussy milking me dry.
Cum overflowed around my dick, splashing all over my lower abdomen, but I couldn’t stop. I kept driving deep until I was completely wrung out.
Zapped of all energy, I collapsed beside her, an arm thrown over my eyes.
I sucked in gasping lungfuls of air. “That was—”
“Perfect,” Arizona finished the sentence for me, her hand sliding over my chest.
Turning my head, I found my gorgeous wife staring back at me, a soft smile gracing her lips, and I swear I fell in love with her all over again.
I brought her hand to my mouth, dusting kisses over her fingertips.
“Stay with me.” It was half command, half plea.
She chewed on her lower lip for so long that I stopped breathing before she dipped her chin and replied, “Okay.”
My eyes slid shut, a balloon of hope filling my chest. “I love you.”
Though she didn’t say it back, Arizona curled into my side with a contented hum.
Yeah, I could get really used to this.
“All right.” I clapped my hands. “We’ve got new glasses for Austin, a new leg for Maisie, and a new school for both of you. What do you say we go for the trifecta, and add a new sport?”
Maisie eyed me from where she stood on the home team bench inside the Surf practice rink. I’d bought an hour of ice time—technically, fifty minutes since the final ten was used for ice resurfacing—to share my love of the game with my kids.
“It’s a nice idea,” she hedged, glancing down at her prosthesis. “But I’m not sure how that’ll work with my artificial leg.”
Her concern was valid, but I had something that would make this sport accessible to her.
Skating over to the visiting team bench, I grabbed the bulky piece of equipment.
“I did some volunteer work with the sled hockey team in Connecticut. When I called the guy running the program and told him about you, he insisted on sending a sled so that you could get out on the ice with your old man.” I placed the metal sled with a bucket seat onto the frozen surface and asked, “What do you think? Wanna give it a try?”
Excitement shone in her eyes, her head bobbing enthusiastically. “Yes!”
“Go ahead and take your prosthetic off, and I’ll help you get in.” I turned to Austin, saying, “There’s a pair of skates under the bench for you, bud. They’re rentals for now, but if you wanna get out here with me more, we can get you your own.”
The typically surly fourteen-year-old cracked a smile. “Thanks.”
Maisie stood on one leg, gripping the boards for balance. “What next?”
I pushed the sled toward the open bench door, then extended my hands for her. “I’m gonna pick you up, okay?”
She nodded her agreement, and I lifted her into my arms before settling her into the molded seat, helping to position her foot against the footrest and strapping her in.
I skated backward. “How’s that feel?”
“Strange.” My girl gave a little wiggle, and the sled tilted precariously to one side. Thankfully, she was able to straighten it without me having to jump in and help. “How do I move?”
“Hold on, just one sec.” I grabbed the pair of shortened sticks she’d need to maneuver the sled. Handing them to her, I explained, “They’re shorter, but have the same curved blade as the ones I use. The blunt end has a metal pick that allows you to dig into the ice and propel yourself forward.”
Inspecting them, Maisie hesitantly brought them to the ice, tapping the ends against it.
“Harder,” I encouraged.
She followed my instructions, letting the spiked tips sink beneath the surface.
“Now push off,” I coached.
There was a grunt of effort, but she managed to move a good six inches.
My cheer echoed off the rafters. “That’s it! You’re doing it!”
With a smile in my direction, she repeated the action again and again, gaining more speed and distance with each attempt.
I was so busy watching her, my chest about to burst as it swelled with pride, that I hadn’t noticed Austin take to the ice.
And wouldn’t you know it, I was right in my assessment of him the day we met and I watched him surf.
The kid was a natural-born athlete, skating like he’d been doing it his whole life.
He made a quick lap, coming to a stop beside where I stood.
Laughing, I shook my head. “I take it this isn’t your first time?”
Austin shrugged. “Caught a few open skates here and there.”
“You’ve got good edges,” I remarked. “Ever consider playing hockey?”
“It’s expensive,” he confessed, a flush creeping up the back of his neck.
“That’s true; it is,” I agreed. “But if you’re serious about learning, I wouldn’t mind spending my summer break teaching you. Then, maybe, we can find you a rec league in the fall until you get the hang of things.”
Hope lit up in his blue eyes. “Really?”
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Really.”
“I’d like that.” He ducked his head.
“Great. Then it’s settled.”
My gaze drifted back to where Maisie was making excellent progress in her first lap, but before I could take off to join her, Austin’s voice halted me.
“Uh, Levi?”
I spun on my skates. “Yeah, bud?”
He twisted his hands. “Maisie said you offered to find her mom.”
“I did . . .”
“Do you think—” Austin’s eyes slammed shut, and he pulled in a deep breath before reopening them. “Do you think you might be able to help me find my dad?”
Brows furrowed, I repeated, “Your dad.”
Arizona had mentioned the guy only once, saying that he’d never been in the picture. While I’d done my best to step into the role he’d left vacant, it was understandable that the teen would be naturally curious about the man who’d played a part in his creation.
“I can’t make any promises, but I can have a PI look into it, okay?”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
I lifted one shoulder. “No big deal. I’ve got you.”
He skated off toward Maisie, grabbing the back of her sled and pushing her around the ice. The sound of her delighted squeals layered over Austin’s laughter warmed my heart.
Those two made every day brighter.
And I loved them both. With every fiber of my being.
Now that it was the offseason, I had a lot of time on my hands.
After I sent the kids off to school, I went surfing, got a workout in, and still had—checks watch—ugh, three more hours before they got home.
I didn’t remember being this bored after the final game was played in past seasons.
That’s because you were busy sleeping your way through Europe for months on end.
Those days were long gone, and truth be told, I didn’t miss them. The stream of meaningless hookups didn’t hold a candle to the intimacy I shared with my wife.
My grin was automatic when thinking about the woman I loved.
And as if the mere thought of her conjured her presence, Arizona burst into our bedroom, where I was folding laundry—I was domestic as fuck these days.
She shut the door, flicked the lock, and turned around. Her eyes were a little wild, her breathing shallow.
I knew what that meant.
This afternoon just got a whole lot more interesting.
“Hell yes.” The words flew from my mouth as I reached behind my head and tugged off my T-shirt.
The fabric obscured my vision for no more than a millisecond, but in that time, Arizona had managed to cross the room.
With her only a few inches away, I reached out to snag her around the waist and haul her flush against my body.
What I wasn’t expecting was for her to take both hands and shove at my chest with all her might.
I was caught completely off guard as my ass hit the mattress behind me.
Oh, so that’s how she wanted to play today. Fine by me.
Arizona got right up in my face. “Did you tell Austin you’d help him find his father?”
Dirty talk had never been her strong suit, but even she had to know that bringing up the kids in the midst of foreplay was the opposite of sexy.
It struck me that I might have misread this situation.
“Uh, yeah, I did.”
She stepped back suddenly, sheer terror flickering over her features. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“What’s the big deal? The kid wants to know where he comes from.”
Maniacal laughter filled the air as my wife paced the room. “The big deal? You wanna know what the big deal is?” she huffed. “The big deal, Levi, is that Austin’s father was a drug-dealing, human-trafficking piece of shit.”
Excuse me, what now?
Arizona’s throat bobbed on a swallow before she rocked my world with her following confession.
“And I killed him.”