CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Blue
The sun shines through the windows in Garrick’s bedroom, so bright I don’t want to open my eyes. Or maybe I just don’t want to wake up and admit this thing between us is over.
Unfortunately, staying asleep forever is not an option and I have a meeting scheduled for this afternoon when we’re supposed to be back from our ‘vacation.’
Slowly, I open my eyes and look at the man beneath me. He hasn’t kicked me out of bed in his sleep this time. He’s got me wrapped up tight in his arms, my naked body on top of his.
Just for a moment, I wish this was real, that we had a future.
We might have a future of shared parenthood. My blood goes ice cold at the thought and I push off him.
Or, I try to push off him, but his grip on me is iron. Just like a baby would tie me to him.
At the thought, I get panicky. I push off him hard and he lets go of me with a shout and sits up in bed, eyes wide, head swinging back and forth like he’s looking for whatever is attacking him.
“Sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He looks down at his chest and winces as he pats it. “Did you punch me?”
“Maybe? I was having a bad dream. It’s late. I should head home.”
He blinks and rubs his eyes, trying to shake off sleep. “Did something happen? What’s wrong?”
I slide toward the side of the bed. “Nothing. I told you. It’s just late.”
“Demon.” He grabs me and pulls me back tight against his chest. “You’re lying to me. What’s really going on?”
I fake a laugh. “I’m great. I just need to go.”
“Are you regretting last night? Was I too rough or something?”
He was perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever had so many orgasms in one night. And it wasn’t because we had some magic connection, it was because we communicated. I told him what I like, and he listened. “You weren’t too rough. Last night was great.”
“So, what’s really bothering you?”
“Nothing.”
“Demon. I can tell when you’re lying to me.”
I sigh. “I can’t have a baby, Garrick. I can’t be a good mom.”
He snorts. “You’d be an amazing mom.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know you’ve been such a wonderful mom to your sister that she’s having to force you to stop taking care of her.”
“Ugh, I never should have told you about that. Besides, it doesn’t prove anything other than I’d be a helicopter parent. That’s not good.”
“Maybe. But the woman I’ve gotten to know is smart and tough and, if she wants to be a good mom, she’ll read all the books and talk to other moms and figure out how to be the best damn mom she can be.”
I couldn’t fall asleep last night and I spent nearly an hour reading a parenting blog while Garrick slept beside me. “But what if it’s in my genes to be a bad mom? What if I try to be a good mom and I gamble and drink and run after no good men like my mother does?”
He laughs. “Now you’re just being ridiculous. You’re way too stubborn to become your mother without a damn good fight, but I’d say if you haven’t become her by now, you’re never going to.”
“You’re just saying what I want to hear.”
He snorts. “Yeah, I’m known for my ability to lie and flatter. Especially to you.”
I twist in his arms until we’re face to face. “You really think I could be a good mom?”
He grins. “Hell, yeah.” He sobers quickly. “And if you are pregnant and you decide to have the baby, I’ll be with you every step of the way. I’ll make sure you’re not a bad mom.”
Relief washes through me. I don’t feel forced to be tied to him forever. I feel grateful to have someone on my team. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
Our ‘vacation’ isn’t technically over, so I kiss him. And then I slide down his body, still kissing him.
I’m feeling things about this man I have no words for. The only way I know to communicate what I’m feeling is to show him.
When I get to his cock, I take a moment to admire it in the full light of day. I got to spend a lot more time with it last night, but I still haven’t really gotten to inspect it inch by inch.
“Demon,” Garrick says in a warning tone.
I smile up at him and decide to have a little fun. I put my mouth on him and take him as deep as I can, licking and sucking. I get him as close to orgasm as I can.
Then I pull back and look up at him, panting. “Want me to keep going?”
“Fuck, yes,” he says on a groan. Then he meets my eyes. “As long as you want to. We can do something else.”
“I’ll keep doing this. I’m having fun.”
His eyes flare. “What game are you playing?”
“The best kind of game, Evergreen. The kind of game that’s going to make you beg.”
“I don’t know—”
I put my mouth back on him, and he stops talking. Until he gets close again and I stop.
“Fuck, Demon, please. I need to come.”
I lick him from balls to tip, then take him deep. Again, I wait until he’s close and stop.
He glares down at me. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Uh-huh.” I don’t see any point in denying how much fun I’m having.
Just as I’m about to go down on him again, he flips me and pins me to the bed. “You’ve made me realize something, Demon.”
His naked body on top of mine and the look in his eyes is making it hard for me to think, much less speak. “What?”
“I don’t like not being in control. Let’s find out if you like it.”
He lowers himself and licks me from my vagina to my clit in one broad sweep. I’m already on edge from that blow job I was giving him and my whole body shakes.
He sucks and licks, and it doesn’t take him long to get me to the edge of orgasm. He backs off and looks down at me, his gaze heavy lidded, his cock hard and jutting between us. “How do you like it, Demon?”
“Garrick, please.”
He chuckles. “I like being on this side of it so much better.”
He goes back down on me, getting me closer and closer to the edge each time. The last time, he stops and stands. His gaze rakes over my body and he licks his lips before he turns and walks away.
“Wait. Where are you going?” He better not be one of those guys who likes to keep a woman hanging all day. Especially not when we’re supposed to end this thing between us today.
I’m sitting up and about to stomp after him when he comes out of the bathroom with a handful of condoms. “Just needed to get some protection.”
“How long are you planning on keeping me in bed?”
He smirks. “As long as it takes, Demon.”
Standing between my legs, he works the condom over his length. He doesn’t go back to oral, but slides into me while he’s still standing. “What do you think, Demon? Do you like me being in control?”
Damn him, I don’t want to give him the satisfaction and admit how much I like him being in control. Instead of answering, I tilt my hips to urge him to start thrusting.
He grips my hips firmly to keep me in place and a thrill races through me. I’m in control in so many parts of my life. I love having him take the lead. Love seeing the firm set of his lips like he’s ready to scold me, ready to put me in my place to get what he needs from me.
And I know he’s going to make sure I get what I need too.
“No more until you answer the question, Demon. Do you like me being in charge?”
He moves his hips the tiniest bit and a surge of pleasure rushes through me.
“Tell me the truth, Demon. Or this ends now.”
He starts to pull out and I wrap my legs around his waist, trying to pin him to me with my heels on his back.
He chuckles darkly. “The fact you don’t want to admit it is all the answer I need.”
His expression is so fucking cocky it should be annoying, but it’s sexy as hell.
I don’t argue with him and his expression only gets cockier.
He slides in to the hilt and it’s so worth however cocky he wants to be.
He pushes my legs forward, bent at the knees and hits a new angle that has me begging for more.
It is so good. I don’t ever want him to stop, but we’re both so close to the edge, there’s no way we’ll last.
My orgasm takes me by surprise and lifts me so high for so long I almost miss his release. Fortunately, I’m fully present for the way his whole body goes tight and the pleasure so pure it almost looks like pain overtakes his expression.
His body shaking, he stares down at me in wonder as he floats back to earth. He pulls out slowly and drops onto the bed, pulling me into his arms, his breathing still heavy.
For several long moments, he just holds me and it feels like something is growing between us, something warm and wonderful and scary as fuck.
“You should probably take care of the condom,” I say. I regret the words almost immediately. They were spoken from the fear of what I feel for this man already.
He chuckles and pulls me tighter against him. “You trying to get rid of me, Blue?”
“No.” I mean it, but I have no idea how to convince him of that and I’m sure as hell not admitting to being scared. “I just thought you might be uncomfortable.”
He lets me go and gets up. I miss him immediately, but I do fully enjoy the view of his bare ass as he crosses the room to the bathroom.
After he’s cleaned up the condom, he comes back to bed and curls up around me, holding me tight in his arms. “Want to get up? I can make breakfast.”
“I’ve got to be at a meeting in two hours. I’d rather stay in bed.”
He kisses the back of my neck. “We’ll make the most of the end of our vacation.”
I smile, glad he understands. “Exactly.”