Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
August 24 th
12:44 A.M.
It was almost time to shut this down.
Connor knew his family wanted to rally around him and Becca, wanted to make sure they were doing okay physically and emotionally, and make sure they knew they were safe now and no one was getting to them, but it was reaching the point where Becca had had enough.
It had been a really long day.
While at the time it had felt like their ordeal had gone on for hours and hours, not quite two hours had passed from when he first woke up to find the room dark, to when his brothers had come bursting into the cabin saving his and Becca’s lives. Even after they’d piled into the car and waited for cops and paramedics to arrive, there had been no time for rest.
Hour after hour of giving statements to the point where he was ready to start ripping throats out of any person who kept pushing Becca so hard, she was shaking and doing her best not to cry. He knew the cops weren't trying to upset her, they were trying to gather as much intel as they could to identify the men who were determined to see his family dead.
They had been checked over by medics and doctors at the hospital. Scans and poking and prodding he’d tolerated only because he knew that Becca wouldn't settle until a medical professional assured her that he was okay. And he was. The gunshot wound had been stitched closed, and he had no other injuries aside from bruises from his fights with the men who had attacked the cabin.
Likewise, Becca had bruises and a few scrapes and cuts from running through the woods, but her most serious injury was the dislocated shoulder. He and Cole had gotten it back into place so aside from resting the joint there wasn't much more to do for it.
They were okay, but he knew Becca needed some time just the two of them. The way her fingers twitched as they rested on his thigh, snuggled beside him on the couch. The way she clutched that silly penis plushie in her hand, raising it often to brush across her cheek. The way she kept sneaking gazes at his lap while trying to pretend she wasn't.
His girl had done amazing last night, he couldn’t have asked her to do any more than she had. But she was human, that last couple of weeks had been trauma on top of trauma on top of trauma. From his reappearing in her life, to everything that happened in Cambodia, to what happened at Cade’s cabin. It was a lot for her to shoulder, and she was trying to hold it together as best as she could, but he knew what she needed.
And for that they needed privacy.
“Okay, guys, I hate to kick you out at midnight, but …” he trailed off, hoping his brothers would take the hint.
“But you and Becca want some alone time,” Willow said, and he shot the woman a grateful smile. Both she and Susanna had fitted in so seamlessly with their family that it was hard to believe they hadn't been around forever.
“We appreciate you all hanging with us,” Becca quickly added.
“It’s okay, pipsqueak, we get it, you want time with my twin and his penis,” Cooper teased with an exaggerated shudder.
“Cooper,” Willow rebuked her boyfriend, swatting at him.
Although her cheeks were pink, Becca met his twin brother’s gaze and gave him a lazy smile before looking over to Willow. “We’ll have to trade stories one day, compare notes, see who got the better-endowed twin.”
Everyone laughed and Cole slapped Cooper’s back. “Burn, dude.”
Cooper rolled his eyes but grinned at Becca. “All joking aside, you did awesome last night. You're a fighter and you’ve always been a part of this family. If my jerk of a twin messes up again, you let me know and I’ll set him straight for you.”
“I don’t think he’s going to mess up again,” Becca said, and honestly no words she could have said would have meant more to him.
“He better not,” Cade said, shooting him that big brother frown he’d gotten used to when they were growing up. As the oldest of all seven of him and his siblings, Cade had taken on a parent figure role even though he wasn't much older than them. Taking Cassandra out of the equation since she was six years younger than Cole, between Cole and Cade there were only four years, but back then it had felt like that was a bigger gap than it was, and Cade had stepped up and looked out for all of them.
“I won't,” he assured his brothers.
“Good, because it would be stupid to mess up something like this,” Jax told him.
“It would,” Connor readily agreed.
“Here, let me take her,” Cade said to Gabriella who had gathered up a sleeping Esther into her arms.
“Thanks, she’s getting so big and heavy,” Gabriella said, her gaze lingering on Cade as he lifted his daughter, settling her against his chest with her head using his shoulder as a pillow.
It was the worst-kept secret in the family that Gabriella was in love with her boss. Cade was either blind to it or it was unrequited love, but whatever wound up happening or not happening between the two of them, Gabriella had been Essie’s nanny for years and she was a part of their family.
“Can’t believe she’s going to be starting kindergarten in just a few weeks,” Cade murmured as he snuggled his daughter closer. It was a shame his big brother couldn’t see what was staring him in the face. Just because he’d lost the wife he’d loved didn't mean he didn't have another chance at happiness standing right in front of him. All he had to do was get out of his own way and reach out and take it.
Something Connor, unfortunately, knew all too much about.
But he had stepped out of his own way, stopped letting his guilt and shame stand between him and Becca, and now he had the second chance he’d craved with the woman he loved.
“We’ll keep her safe,” Jake assured Cade, whose face had taken on a worried expression. “We’ll keep all of us safe. They aren't getting to us again.”
They were all taking precautions to make sure that happened. Bodyguards were hired for Willow, Susanna, Becca, Gabriella, and Esther. There were no other lost loves floating around out there for Jake or Jax that could be in danger. They were all going to try to distance themselves from any friends or neighbors they feared could be targeted, and they were doubling down their efforts to get answers.
It was all they could do for now and they had to pray it was enough.
Leaving Becca on the couch, Connor followed his brothers and their girlfriends to the front door so he could set the alarm. While he and Becca had been at the hospital and giving statements, he’d had his entire system upgraded, there were cameras everywhere, the system would send alerts to his brother and local law enforcement, and he had a whole stash of weapons. Becca was going to be living with him from here on out and he wasn't going to risk her safety for anything.
Becca was yawning when he headed back into the living room and his entire being softened at the sight of her, especially when she gave him a sleepy smile.
“You ready for bed, moonlight?” he asked as he went to her and gathered her into his arms.
“Mmm, yeah. Thought for a while I’d never get to curl up in a bed beside you again.” Her face nuzzled his neck as he carried her upstairs.
So had he.
For a while, he’d thought he was never going to be able to touch her, hold her, kiss her, or make love to her. That the chance he’d worked hard to prove to Becca he was worthy of would have been for nothing.
“What do you want, baby? A bath, shower, sex, sleep?” he asked in his bedroom.
“You know what I want,” she whispered, a distinct sleepy note to her voice.
“Okay, sweetheart.” Setting her on her feet, Connor stripped off her clothes, and then his own, and pulled back the covers. Scooping Becca up again he laid her down then stretched out beside her.
As soon as he was lying down, she crawled down his body until she could take his length inside her mouth. Pulling the blankets up enough to cover Becca, leaving his torso exposed, Connor tangled his hand in her hair and began to massage her scalp.
Moments later she drifted off to sleep, her lips still around his length.
There was no better way to fall asleep after the events of the last day than in his bed, in the home he’d bought with Becca in mind, buried inside her hot mouth, and Connor couldn’t be happier.
August 24 th
9:27 A.M.
Becca grumbled when she woke up to find that Connor’s length was no longer in her mouth.
This wasn't the first time she’d fallen asleep that way, so she knew that it always slipped out as soon as she drifted off but she missed the comforting and reassuring feel and taste of him between her lips.
She had a vague recollection of waking at some time during the night, grabbing the covers Connor had tucked up to her shoulders leaving his torso uncovered, and fixing that. She liked being completely cocooned under the soft blankets, the dark of it different than the dark at the cabin had been, warmer, cozier, safer.
Other than losing her hold on Connor, she hadn't shifted much, she was still curled in a ball against his leg, her cheek pillowed on his muscular thigh. One of his hands rested on her head, his fingers lightly tangled in her hair, the slight sting as reassuring as the warmth and strength in the leg she nuzzled her cheek against.
Her movement alerted Connor that she was awake. His fingers shifted, stroking along her scalp, and she moaned and reached out a hand to grasp his hardening length. She smoothed her fingers along him, enjoying the way he continued to harden at her touch. It was powerful feeling in control of who she touched and who got to touch her.
With Connor she was truly safe, and it was such a heady feeling that she opened her mouth and shifted so she was straddling his legs and took him between her lips, sucking long and hard, savoring the feel and taste of him, something she’d thought she would never have again.
“Mmm, baby, I could get used to waking up like this every morning,” Connor moaned, his hands tangling in her loose locks.
Becca hummed her agreement around his length making him groan, his fingers tightening.
Power.
Control.
Both were important to her.
But equally as important was the fact that Connor loved her. He happily gave up power and control and handed them to her because he loved her, because he wanted her to know she was safe with him, and he only wanted what was best for her.
Warmth blossomed in her chest, unfurling throughout her and sending tendrils of pleasure to every inch of her body.
She really could get used to starting her days like this, and she could.
This reality wasn't just within her grasp, it was right here, right now. With the danger surrounding the Charleston Holloway family, and the fact that she didn't even have a place to stay since she lived in Cambodia, she’d already agreed to move in with Connor. She wouldn’t risk taking that danger home to her family, and besides, she wanted to be with Connor.
They’d wasted enough time, no more.
No more.
With a growl, Connor suddenly reached under her arms and dragged her up his body, flipping them over in one smooth move so she was laid out beneath him, a hungry glint in his blue eyes.
“I’m not coming before my girl,” he told her, crushing his mouth to hers in a steamy kiss.
“Connor,” she whined, missing the taste of him already. “I wanted?—”
“And you will. After. But first I'm going to make you come over and over again until you can't think, can barely breathe, then I'm going to come inside you, filling you up because even though you can't get pregnant at the moment, I can't wait until our baby is growing inside you.”
“Connor,” she whined again, breathily this time, her body squirming with the need to be filled, because the thought of carrying Connor’s baby was everything she’d always wanted as a child and everything she’d lost when their son hadn't survived. She’d had a great family growing up, and before his parents’ deaths, Connor had, too. It had always been her dream to start a family of their own and make it every bit as amazing. Just because they’d lost their first child didn't mean they still couldn’t have that family, and when they did, she’d make sure they never forgot their tiny baby boy.
Part of her future was uncertain. She didn't know if she was going to go back to Cambodia or somewhere else or take a more managerial position and stay with Connor, but it didn't matter, they’d work it out.
“Shh, baby, I got you.” Connor pressed another kiss to her lips and then he was trailing kisses down her body. He paused in his descent to lick and nip lightly at the pulse point on her neck, making it pound wildly as need coursed through her.
Next stop was her breasts. Featherlight kisses brushed against first one nipple and then the other. His mouth closed around one, sucking hard then pulling back and breathing out a puff of warm air causing her nipple to pebble. He repeated that with her other breast and then he was moving down her body again.
When he nudged her legs, she readily opened wide to him, loving the sight of his large body and dark head settled between her thighs.
His lips pressed the softest of kiss to her center, and light as it was it sent little shards of lighting zinging through her body, tiny bolts of pleasure, just a prelude of what was to come and already she was squirming with need.
Large hands grabbed her hips, holding her in place as Connor devoured her. His lips and tongue seemed to be everywhere at once, delving inside her, suckling on her greedy little bud that soaked up every drop of attention it was given.
Pleasure built steadily inside her, growing rapidly until it suddenly cascaded over her as she cried out Connor’s name. There was no time to process it, no time to float back down because Connor wasn't letting up. He kept going as though she hadn't come, licking, sucking, flicking his tongue against her bundle of nerves, dragging a second orgasm out of her.
Then a third.
And a fourth.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, her fingers curled in his short hair, she was begging and pleading, only Becca wasn't quite sure if she was asking for more or asking him to stop because she was sure she couldn’t possibly come again.
Only she did.
After wringing a fifth mind-blowing orgasm out of her, Connor shifted back up her body. His grin was both smug and tender, and he looked so satisfied with his efforts that she couldn’t help but give a shaky laugh.
“You outdid yourself this morning,” she said, tracing her fingertips along his stubbled jaw.
“Just going to get better from here on out, moonlight,” he told her as he lined up and sank inside her in one smooth thrust.
She moaned as he filled her so perfectly and lifted her legs to hook her foot around his hips, drawing him deeper. If it was possible, Becca would be perfectly content to spend the rest of her life like this with Connor buried inside her, their bodies joined in the most intimate of ways.
Each thrust was slow and sensual, building something powerful inside her. It started low in her belly, tingling and sending fire along her already overstimulated nerves. While he thrusted in and out of her, Connor kissed her, every bit as slow and sensual as he moved his hips.
That feeling continued to build, and when Connor reached between them, touching her where their bodies were joined a sixth powerful orgasm rushed through her. It hit every part of her body, consuming her in a fiery ball of pleasure.
Aftershocks were still rippling through her when she met Connor’s gaze, the love that shone from his eyes took her breath away. How had she ever believed, even for a moment, that this man didn't love her?
There was no way to get back the lost years, so there was no point in worrying over the fact that they should already be married with kids. Those years were gone, but there were still so many years stretched out before them.
Years where together they could make every one of their dreams come true.
They’d sort out what she was going to do with her job. They’d find the men who had raped Connor’s mom and make sure they were punished. They’d get married and start the family they both longed for.
Then they’d enjoy every second of life, making sure they never took it for granted because they knew how easily things could change.
With a content sigh, Becca pulled on Connor until he lowered a little of his weight to rest against her, his length still nestled inside her. Not heavy enough to crush her, his weight cocooned her, making her feel loved and protected, both things she knew were true. Connor was her soulmate, and her life could never be complete without him in it.
Life didn't always give you second chances, but this time it had, and Becca was glad she’d grabbed hold of it and refused to let it go because now she got to make her dreams a reality.