Chapter Twenty
W e have a report about stolen property at 314 Evergreen Circle.”
Wren picked up her radio, answering, “Officer Little. I’m a few blocks from there. I’ll take it.”
“Thank you, Little.”
Wren flipped her cruiser around. She’d been heading back toward the station when the call came in. It was a little after six in the evening, and Sam was supposed to be coming by tonight when he finished with his last client. Since their intense encounter behind Delilah Gill’s house, Wren couldn’t get being with him out of her head.
When he’d agreed to help her get pregnant, Wren was so moved that she couldn’t help kissing him. The rest of it had happened like a snowball rolling downhill, unstoppable.
And the things he’d said . . .
Wren gripped the wheel, wiggling in her seat. She should have kept things professional. She’d ordered the home insemination kit with the plan to use it, but after Tuesday, it all seemed moot. They’d had sex without a condom, broken that boundary down with a hammer, and now, she didn’t want to go back. She wanted to have sex with Sam again and again.
How would that affect their deal? Blurred lines meant muddy expectations, and Wren didn’t want Sam to think she’d changed her mind about doing this alone.
Wren parked down the street from Evergreen when she saw the long line of cars waiting to get in and see the displays. Duke barked from the back of the SUV, and Wren told him “Quiet” before exiting the vehicle. She passed by the line of cars on the shoulder and then crossed the street. There were people three deep on the sidewalk, checking out the lights displays. Every house on the street was shining bright, with elaborate scenes of Grinches stealing Christmas and Peanuts dancing around a Christmas tree. People oohed and aahed around her as she approached a house with scenes from Elf taking over the front yard, garage, and house. Mrs. Delany met her on the walkway, her silver hair in a shoulder-length bob.
“Someone stole my giant ornament,” Mrs. Delany said grimly. “It was right there”—the older woman pointed to an indentation in the snow—“two hours ago, and when I came outside to watch the visitors, I saw it was missing.”
Wren saw footprints in the snow leading down to the sidewalk. She could grab Duke and track the guy for a bit, but it probably happened hours ago. Besides, the circle was filling up with people checking out the lights displays, and seeing an officer and police dog tracking would bring cause for speculation.
“Have you seen anyone suspicious hanging around?” Wren asked, tapping her pen on her pad softly. “Maybe somebody wearing a hoodie?”
“I didn’t, but my Ring camera caught something.” She pulled out her phone, scrolling through until she found what she was looking for. “Here it is. My daughter set this up for me to make sure people didn’t steal my packages.”
Wren took the phone and pushed play, watching the video of someone in a dark hoodie and pants picking up the ornament and running away with it. They looked slight, maybe a teen.
“Can you send this to the station email?”
“Absolutely, but why would anyone take my ornament?” Mrs. Delany asked.
“I’m not sure, but I would guess you’re not the first house they’ve hit. I’ll ask around at the station and get back to you.”
“Well, I hope you catch them, whoever they are. It’s not right for anyone to steal things, but especially not before Christmas.”
Wren agreed with her. A giant ornament wasn’t exactly an easy resell. Maybe whoever took it was getting off on the thrill, like the guy who was obsessed with stealing troll dolls when she lived in Texas. When they caught him, they found thousands of dollars’ worth of dolls in his room and learned he like to use the hair on himself during happy-fun-time.
Hopefully, they’d find the ornament with a less gross ending.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Mrs. Delany,” Wren said, holding her hand out to the older woman. “Hopefully, I’ll have more for you soon.”
“I appreciate you coming by so quickly, Officer Little.”
Wren headed back down the driveway to the sidewalk, following along with the crowd as they circled the neighborhood. It was nice to see so many families out and about. She spotted a woman stopped in front of one of the houses, holding a baby bundled in a snowsuit. Wren paused, imagining herself in the woman’s shoes. Showing her baby all the world has to offer.
A man suddenly appeared behind the woman, wrapping his arms around her waist and pointing to something on the roof. They made an adorable threesome.
That could be you and someone else if you were open to possibilities.
Wren wound her way out of Evergreen Circle and jogged back up the road to the cruiser. When she climbed inside, Duke made a high-pitched whine, and Wren nodded. “I know, buddy. We just need to go home, huh? Too much going on in town tonight.”
She headed back to the station to clock out and then home. Her stomach twisted into knots the closer she got to the house, thinking about the night ahead. Wren pulled into the driveway and let Duke out the back, still contemplating how tonight was going to go. She should set up the kit, just in case.
Wren unloaded everything on the bathroom counter, including the sample cup. Was she supposed to have porn here for him? They’d slept together, so should she be the stimulation? Wear something sexy?
Oh God, this is crazy.
She changed her nightgown three times, staring at herself in the mirror. She finally settled on a black one when the doorbell rang. Duke barked twice, and she pointed to his kennel.
“Duke, bed.”
The dog went inside without a fuss and lay down on his bed, watching her as she locked the door to his crate. The bell rang again, and Wren raced to answer it, fluffing her hair along the way.
When she opened the door, it wasn’t Sam on the front stoop but her brother Pete.
He covered his eyes, screaming, “Oh my God, what are you wearing?”
Wren grabbed her coat off the hook and covered up, glaring at her brother as she buttoned the coat to her neck. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s my roommate’s birthday, and they’re having a party. I have to get up early, so I figured I’d crash here.”
“You should have called,” she said.
“I tried texting, but you didn’t answer.” Pete’s eyes widened. “Are you having company over? Is that what the getup is all about?”
“It’s none of your business, Pete!” she snapped.
“Ugh.” Pete threw an arm over his eyes and groaned, “You banging anyone is just gross.”
“Oh, shut up and be a grown-up for once! I walked in on you having sex on my couch, and I didn’t lose my shit.”
Pete spluttered to a sitting position. “Yes, you did! You abandoned your dog and ran out the door!”
“I was allowing you and your friend time to collect yourselves,” she said, grinning when his face flushed maroon.
“I’ve never pranced around you in my good underwear.”
“First, I wasn’t prancing.” She tapped on one finger, counting her arguments. “Second, you have good underwear? And third, I was expecting someone else, not you!” Wren tossed a throw pillow at him and added, “Now, get a grip and stop being dramatic.”
“I can’t when we’re talking about my little sister getting her freak on.”
Wren pointed toward the door with a huff. “I’m not going to be doing much of anything if you don’t get the hell out of here.”
“Where am I going to go?” Pete asked, climbing to his feet.
“Can’t you go spend the night with Luke or Garrett or even Dad?”
“I’m not driving up the mountain in the dark. Luke and his rug rat and his hormonal wife make me nuts, and Garrett is well... Garrett.”
Wren pushed Pete back toward the closed door. “Well, it sounds like Garrett is your best option, so how about you get out of here and give me some privacy?”
Pete leaned into her pushing hands. “You’d really throw your favorite brother out into the cold?”
Someone knocked on the door, and she glared at him. “Yes, absolutely I would, hundred percent.”
“Fine. Let’s get a look at this guy and see what’s special about him.” Pete threw open the door, revealing Sam standing on the stoop, his brow furrowing.
“Hi, Pete.”
“Sam.” Pete glanced over his shoulder at Wren. “I should have known.” Pete faced Sam once more, arms folded over his chest. “Did you know that my sister will not let me spend the night here, even though I am in dire need, because she would rather do the devil’s tango with you? The humanity, right?”
Sam cleared his throat. “Should I come back later?”
“Later is definitely better,” Pete said at the same time as Wren blurted, “Absolutely not!”
Wren and Pete glared at each other.
“If you do not get out of my house in the next five seconds, I am going to get my Taser and take videos of you peeing yourself and post them on TikTok!”
Pete made a face before sniffing derisively. “Well, I can tell when I’m not wanted.”
“You are loved and wanted, just not here tonight!” she called after him.
“Whatever, have fun!” He flipped her the bird, and Sam turned around, saw the gesture, and gave her a sheepish grin.
“I didn’t mean to kick him out of his bed.”
“His bed is at home with his two roommates. He has a couch here, but as I told him, he should have called.” Wren gave Sam a nervous smile. “Hi.”
“Hey.” He stepped inside, and she shut the door, taking in his button-down shirt and jeans.
“You look like we’re headed out instead of staying in.”
“Yeah, I was a little nervous, so I may have overdressed, and I wasn’t sure if this is the kind of thing you bring flowers to, but”—Sam pulled out a single red rose and held it out to her—“here you go.”
“Thank you very much,” she said, taking it with a small smile. “I may have a single rose vase that was my grandma’s. Come with me.”
Sam followed her into the kitchen and stood in the doorway as she searched the cupboards, finally finding what she was looking for. She filled the skinny vase with water and slipped the rose inside. There was a packet on the counter, and Wren picked it up, handing it over to him. “It’s a boilerplate agreement. If you could just read through and sign.”
Sam didn’t bother reading the packet but flipped to the last page and signed.
“You don’t want to read through it? To make sure I didn’t promise myself your kidney?”
Sam shook his head. “I trust you.”
They stared at each other over the rose as if trying to figure out how to start.
“How should we . . .” He trailed off.
And she finished, “Proceed?”
“Yeah, proceed.”
“I’m not sure,” she said, rubbing her hands over the jacket. “I’m so nervous. I wasn’t sure if you needed porn or something more stimulating to get things going.”
Sam cocked his head, confused. “Porn? It’s not like we haven’t done this before.”
“It’s different because this is official, right? You agreed to provide sperm, and there’s all this pressure to perform. I have the kit set up on the bathroom counter for privacy—”
“Whoa, show me this kit?”
Wren saw his mouth twitch like he was trying not to laugh.
“Yes, it’s an insemination kit.” She took him to the bathroom and opened the door, revealing a towel on the counter along with the box’s contents, including a sample cup.
Sam whistled. “That’s intimidating.”
“I know.”
He stared at the bathroom counter for a long time before he turned her way, leaning against the doorframe. “Look, I don’t want to cross a boundary, even though I feel like we already have, but can I be honest?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Do we really need this? Can’t we just... be us?” Sam reached out and took her hand in his. “We’ve had sex before, most recently two days ago, sans condom. We both enjoyed it, so why not cut out the middleman?” Sam glanced at the counter. “Or cup, as the case may be.”
Wren blinked at him, emotions warring inside her. While the reference to them as an “us” made her heart beat faster and brought out the warm fuzzies in the pit of her stomach, she was mildly irritated that he didn’t want to keep this professional.
Then again, he had a point. They’d already had unprotected sex multiple times, and sex with Sam was amazing.
“Did I say something wrong?” Sam asked, threading his fingers with hers.
“No, it’s just... I can’t believe Millie was right. You don’t want to miss out on the fun.”
“What?” he spluttered. “You talked to Millie about us?”
“No, I mean, we talked about insemination, and she said that whoever I chose would want to do it live instead of just into a cup because doing it was the fun part.”
“I can’t argue there,” he said with a grin, pulling her into him as he backed her down the hallway. “Being inside you, tasting you? Definitely a blast.” Sam nodded over her head. “Is this the way to your bedroom?”
“Yes,” she murmured, letting him guide her.
“I can’t wait to have you in a bed. We never seem to make it that far, do we?”
Wren shivered at his words. “So, we’re just going to go about this the normal way?”
Sam chuckled, his breath rushing across the skin of her neck. “If you can call it that.”
“In that case, I’m kind of prepared.” Wren backed out of Sam’s embrace once they stepped over the threshold of her room, and she unbuttoned her coat, letting it fall to the ground. Wren watched Sam’s face as he took in the lacy number she’d donned that hugged her body, showing off her curves.
By his intense expression, she wouldn’t be wearing it long.
“Damn, Birdy, you look fucking delicious.”
Wren laughed. “Thanks. Unfortunately, you were not the first to see this tonight. I answered the door, thinking it was you, and it wasn’t.”
“Oh, damn.” Sam reverently ran his hands over her arms, then wrapped his arms around her waist. “I would say something to make you feel better about flashing your brother, but everything that comes to mind would probably make you feel worse.”
“I’m a little scared of what you think would be worse.”
“At least you’re hot?”
Wren smacked him in the arm with a squeal. “You’re so gross!”
“I tried to tell you.” Sam pulled her into his body, dipping his head to hover his mouth over hers. “Still want me?”
This wasn’t supposed to be about wanting, but something about the way he said it melted every bone in her body, and Wren turned to mush in his arms. “Yes.”
Sam kissed her tenderly, his fingers trailing their way up her back to her shoulders. “I keep thinking about Tuesday. I haven’t been able to think about anything else for days.”
Wren huffed softly. “Why? Because you got your bad girl back?”
He paused, fingering the straps of her lingerie. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how fucking turned on I am when I’m making you happy.”
His words lit through her like striking a match, and she caught fire, meeting his mouth in a slow-burn kiss. What was happening between them shouldn’t involve emotions or need, but Sam’s hands on the straps of her nightie, dragging them down over her arms, made her breasts tighten in anticipation. He exposed her flesh, pushing the lacy scrap of fabric to her waist, and bent over to blaze a series of kisses down the column of her throat and along her collarbone, dropping to his knees in front of her.
Sam stared at her, his hands covering her breasts, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on his touch. He ran his hands over her skin, fingers playing with her nipple, and she arched her back, heat pooling in her core. “You’re so perfect, Birdy. Every part of you.”
His mouth covered her left nipple, sucking it into his mouth and running his tongue over the tight bud in slow strokes.
Wren held on to his shoulders as he turned his ministration to the other breast, squeezing her left one in his hand, massaging it gently. Then he squeezed her sharply, and she gasped, the intensity of the contrast overwhelming. Her back muscles spasmed, and her knees trembled as he sucked her nipple hard and deep. Wren tangled her hands in his hair, holding on while trying to stay upright.
“So sensitive and responsive,” Sam murmured, traveling down her stomach to where the lingerie gathered. He slipped the lace over her hips, exposing every inch of her, and with every piece of flesh he exposed, his mouth found contact. She stepped out of the nightie, staring down at him and his golden head as his tongue delved into her belly button. His eyes rolled up, staring into hers as his hand reached between their bodies, finding her with his fingers.
Wren leaned against the doorjamb, letting him lift one of her legs over his shoulder, eyes closing as bliss washed over her. His mouth and fingers worked her like she was an instrument, hell bent on making music with her body. She moaned as his tongue swept up her seam to her clit, and his fingers spread her labia, giving him better access. He flicked his tongue against her in rapid motions, giving her no quarter, and she gripped the doorjamb.
“Oh God,” she whispered at the sudden fullness from multiple digits curling inside her, touching her spot in heavenly strokes that left her panting. Her fingernails dug into the wood as she bowed, the pressure inside her building until she was climbing to great heights, soaring into the air, weightless.
Suddenly, she was screaming with release, shaking with the force of her orgasm, and through the haze of pleasure, she heard Duke barking. Sam’s laughter. It was too good.
She collapsed back against the hard wood of the doorframe, his tongue still softly soothing her raw pussy.
Sam stood slowly, kissing his way up her body until his mouth reached her ear.
“Did you know a woman is more likely to become pregnant if she orgasms?”
“What?” she whispered.
Sam lifted her into his arms and smiled down at her. “I said, did you know that a woman is more likely to become pregnant if she orgasms?”
“No. How do you know that?”
“I did a little research,” he said, almost shyly. He lowered her onto her bed, hovering over her. Wren had changed the sheets earlier and straightened up the room, but he wasn’t looking anywhere but at her.
“That is sweet, but why?” she asked.
“Because this is your dream, and I wanna make you happy. I was just excited that something I already do is gonna help the process.”
Wren laughed softly, a sweetness spreading through her that he was here for her. That he’d looked up ways to help her get pregnant because she wanted it. While she was sure that he would enjoy the process, she was still blown away that he was here. Now. For this.
For her.
Despite the years apart and the misunderstandings, he still had her back.
“Ready?” he asked as he hovered over her.
Wren nodded. “Ready.”