“I really don’t think this is one of your better ideas, baby,” I told Teagan with some trepidation. I hung back as we approached the restaurant. I was sure it was going to end in a disaster much worse than when I met his friends the first time. It didn’t help this was the same place either.
He shot me a look as he reached past and opened the door for me. “I don’t care if it’s a bad idea or not, Aislinn.” He waved me through the opening. “I’m not going to let her set a precedent of telling me what to do where you and our relationship is concerned.”
Stepping past him, he ran a hand down my hair, over my back to settle at my hip.
“Yes, I’m anxious about being there for my daughter. But you’re my number one priority. So, while this may not be a brilliant move, I’m going to let her know where I stand one way or another.”
At that statement, I felt myself fall even deeper under his spell. Not that I wasn’t already deep within it. That declaration let me know just how invested he was in our relationship, in me. The smile that broke out on my face was huge and was still there when we approached the table where a blonde woman sat with a young girl. The woman dropped her welcoming smile as quickly as mine fell when she saw me. She stood up from the table quickly with a glare hot enough to melt steel.
She wasn’t stunning like Renee. But she was beautiful. She was tall; that was the first thing I noticed. She definitely had a few inches on me. Her blonde hair was wild and wavy, styled in a couldn’t-care-less manner. The heavy, smoky makeup around her eyes made it hard to tell, but she probably had blue eyes. Based on what he’d told me, Lauren was definitely the bad girl equivalent to Teagan’s old bad boy player.
It was a tad intimidating to see his past come to life in a very real way. Renee was one thing. But Lauren? She was a whole other story.
Teagan stepped past me and held out a hand to her with a small smile. “Lauren, I’d say it’s good to see you, but given the circumstances…” He trailed off with a wry smile. “Well, you know what I mean.”
She took his hand while cutting me a glance. “I thought I said it was just supposed to be us tonight, Teeg.”
He reached over and pulled me closer to him. “And I told you that she was as much a part of this as I am.”
The ragey sounding noise she didn’t completely suppress prompted my decision to avoid eye contact. It felt like I was dealing with a wild animal all of a sudden. Rabies was a definite possibility. Therefore, my attention was drawn to the little girl sitting at the table in silence, her wide eyes taking everything in.
I instantly fell in love.
The moment my eyes met her gray ones, there was a connection. I decided then and there that Teagan would play hell getting rid of me because this little girl owned me. Looking at her, something told me she would be worth all the effort Lauren was going to put us through.
As if sensing my thoughts, Corinne flashed me the sweetest smile. Despite her blonde hair, she was the spitting image of her father. That smile was pure Teagan, and I had a feeling their personalities were similar too.
“—and I don’t want some chick who won’t be here more than a few weeks around our daughter. It’s going to confuse her.”
You had to love that awkward moment of tuning back in to a conversation at the exact time you were insulted. My jaw dropped in disbelief and I stiffened. Just as I got ready to say something, my eyes snapped over to Teagan. As insulted as I may have been, he was more so.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“I was pretty clear, I thought,” Lauren responded.
“No, I don’t think so,” he shot back. “Do you really think I’d bring just anyone here with me?”
She snorted. “Why wouldn’t you?” she argued. “It’s what you usually do, isn’t it? Screw around with someone for a couple of weeks and then take off.” Her tone was bitter and biting.
I glanced Teagan and saw that while he was less than pleased, he also appeared to be ashamed. That pissed me off. Her little guilt trip was affecting my man, and not in a good way. She also didn’t seem have any thought to how her words could affect her daughter. That was unacceptable. I opened my mouth to defend him when he cut me off. I glared at him. Twice now he’d deprived me of my chance to set the wench in her place. He studiously ignored me.
“This isn’t the time or the place, Lauren.” He glanced meaningfully at Corinne. “But just so you know, Aislinn has been with me for more than ‘a couple of weeks’ and will be in my life for a lot longer,” he finished, his voice strong and confident.
The look on her face spoke volumes, at least to me. That statement hadn’t been part of her plan. The sense of impending disaster I experienced trampled the surge of triumph I felt at being right. If menacing glares could maim and kill…
I wasn’t the woman’s favorite person just then. Not that I much cared. I wouldn’t go out of my way to cause problems, but I wasn’t going to be a doormat either. I reached out and took Teagan’s hand in mine, making sure to smile at her while I did. The bitch needed to know he was mine, he was taken, and he would be staying that way.
“Mommy? I’m hungry,” Corinne announced. “Can we eat now?”
My stomach grumbled in response and I hoped the answer would be yes. The thought of waiting until we got home to eat had me eyeing Teagan’s arm as a possible meal. The very thought of eating earlier had made me want to yak, and therefore I hadn’t eaten since the night before.
With a put-upon sigh, Lauren flopped down into her chair and waved at the other seats. “Yeah, I guess so,” she said, her expression petulant. She glared at Teagan. “I don’t appreciate this.”
“Duly noted,” he said. “But know that I don’t appreciate you thinking you’ll dictate everything. That, however,” he added as he pulled out a chair for me, “can wait until later.”
Lauren opened her mouth to reply, her face red.
“Later.” He looked over at Corinne and sucked in a breath before he let it out in a whoosh. “Wow,” he whispered.
I grinned and nodded. “I know. She looks just like you.”
I saw the dazed look in his eyes and warmth crept through my heart. The sight of this man meeting his child for the first time was something I’d be forever thankful I’d witnessed. And it strengthened the bond that existed between us, especially when he reached over and grabbed my hand tightly.
Despite the warm glow that enveloped the moment, I wasn’t stupid. I knew this wouldn’t be easy. A quick glance toward Lauren proved me right. The clenched jaw, crossed arms as she glowered at me, showed that we had a long, hard road ahead of us.
***
“I can’t get over how much she looks like you,” I squealed yet again. “She’s so beautiful, baby.” I rolled to face him in bed, snuggling close.
Teagan wrapped around me and pulled me tight, burying his face in my hair. He took a shuddering breath that told me the evening had caught up with him. While he’d appeared calm and in control, I’d had to stop his bouncing leg several times. He’d also kept a grip on my hand or thigh most of the night, his anxiety known only to me. It made me feel good that he took as much comfort in my presence as I did his. He’d needed me and I was able to be there for him.
After several quiet moments he kissed the side of my head and pulled back. He gave me a wry smile before he sighed. He raised a hand to trace his fingers with a light touch across my cheek and along my jaw, studying me closely.
My brow furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong?”
Teagan shook his head. “Nothing,” he said as he exhaled. “I’m just wondering how I got so lucky to find you. I think I’d be lost right now without you.”
I snorted in disbelief. “No, you wouldn’t.”
He took my hand and placed it against his chest. I felt the steady thump of his heart beneath my palm. I looked at him in question.
“This belongs to you, Aislinn,” he told me quietly. “And it makes me stronger because of it.”
Yeah…I might have melted into a puddle of emotional slush right there in the middle of the bed. Tears pricked the back of my eyes and I blinked to keep them from falling. “I love you too,” I whispered, my voice thick.
“It means everything to me that you’re standing by me through all of this. And how you handled yourself this evening was great.” He paused and swallowed hard before he looked at me with a brightness in his eyes. “Corinne is beautiful, isn’t she?”
I nodded. “I know I keep harping on it, but other than her hair, she looks exactly like you.”
“It was such a shock, seeing the resemblance,” he mused. “I wasn’t expecting it. Lauren didn’t say anything.”
I huffed a laugh. “Shocker, that one.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t be too surprised, huh?” he drawled. At my look, he chuckled, but sobered just as fast. “I’m serious, baby. Thank you.”
I reached up and placed a hand on his cheek with a soft smile. “You’re welcome.”
The moment passed in silence before I noticed his eyes begin to darken. My heart sped up as they dropped to my mouth before snapping back up to mine. Lips suddenly dry, I licked them, and that seemed to set something off in him. Before I could react, he had me on my back.
“I love you,” he growled before his mouth covered mine as he kissed me deeply.
His kiss was hungry and wild until he broke it and traced along my jaw to my neck. Before I could process it, he had my shirt off and tossed to the side. His mouth created a fiery path as he made his way to my breast. He took the peak in his mouth and sucked strongly while toying with the other between his fingertips. The sensations were overwhelming and all I could do was sink into them, allow them to overtake me.
Suddenly, he released my nipple and looked up at me with a hooded gaze. His eyes were dark, desire clear in them. “Do you trust me?” he asked.
I nodded without hesitation.
He sat up and ran his hands down my sides to settle at my hips. Curling his fingers into the waistband of my panties, he slowly pulled them down over my legs. His eyes never left mine as he removed them and dropped them to the floor. My breathing picked up and my heart began to race faster at the heat I could see in them.
“Okay?” he murmured as he smoothed his hands over my thighs, his thumbs brushing the creases where they met my hips.
I nodded jerkily. I was definitely okay, and more than a little turned on. I wanted whatever he was about to give me. I shifted restlessly on the bed beneath him.
He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against my stomach before slowly stretching out. Keeping his eyes on mine, he used his broad shoulders to spread my thighs. The sight of him there was too intimate, and with heat warming my cheeks I closed my eyes, turning my head to the side.
The soft nip on the inside of my thigh had me yelping and jumping slightly. I glared down at Teagan and found him giving me a stern look in return.
“You’re beautiful. Don’t ever be shy or hide from me, Aislinn.” He pressed a kiss to the abused spot. “Understand?”
I nodded and forced myself to settle back and relax against the sheets, trusting him. He would lead me where we needed to go. What I didn’t know, I would learn from him, and it was an experience I looked forward to.
For several moments nothing happened. The anticipation built to an almost unbearable point when his hot breath against my thigh was the only movement. The build-up finally became too much and a whimper escaped from me. Then, when I didn’t think I could take any more, I felt the slow invasion of his warm tongue. The shock of the foreign feeling raced through me and I gasped in surprise.
He repeated the action again and I arched into it, encouraging and seeking more. His expert touch against my sensitive flesh made me feel out of control, and the sounds he coaxed from me proved it. I should have been embarrassed, but it didn’t matter right then; it felt too damn good. Sweat broke out over my body as I felt myself warm. As he lapped and licked between my wet folds, nothing could feel better than what he was doing at that moment,
That was what I believed, at least, until Teagan took that small, sensitive bundle of nerves between his lips and started to suck.
My eyes, which had been closed up to that point, shot open, and I fought not to scream out at the immediate spike of pleasure. Not knowing what else to do, I reached down with trembling hands and twined my fingers into Teagan’s hair as I panted, desperate for air. Whether it was to push him away or pull him closer, I couldn’t say. A pressure began to build deep within and I twisted my hips up toward him, anxious for more. At my movement, he started to suckle harder, and it was making me crazy and my heart raced. “Teagan!”
He let out of a deep groan. I could hear the want in it, the sound vibrating through me. The noise, its sound resonating with desire and the added vibration, put me right on the edge. I was so close…
“Teagan, please,” I whimpered, not having a clue what I was asking for. But Teagan obviously knew what I needed, as he glanced up at me for a moment. He then slid a finger deep within me and continued to suck, flicking his tongue over that small cluster of nerves he was working so diligently.
Just when I didn’t think I could take any more, total bliss broke over me. I gripped Teagan to me as the feeling erupted through me, my back arched and body coiled tight. It was the most amazing experience of my life, and I clung to him as he worked my body through it. I looked down and felt heat sweep over me when I saw he was watching me intently, but I couldn’t break my gaze from his as I rode the waves of pure pleasure.
Eventually the spasms began to ease and Teagan levered himself up so he hovered over me. I almost lost it again when I saw him lick the wetness from his lips, the sight of it turning me on far outweighing the shyness that threatened.
“I could do that forever,” he murmured. “That was amazing.”
I finally gained enough control of my muscles to raise my arms up around his neck. “God,” I breathed, my heart still racing wildly in my chest. I lifted my head and pressed my lips to his.
The kiss escalated quickly and Teagan lowered himself to settle on top of me. Instinct prompted me to wrap my legs around his hips, and the friction of his sleep shorts against my sensitive center ripped a moan from me.
Teagan answered with a groan of his own and he wrapped his arms under me, a hand cradling the back of my head. He tilted his head down toward mine and my eyes closed, his lips tracing along the side of my jaw. He began to press hot, hungry kisses along my collarbone and I whimpered, the now familiar need beginning to build again.
Lifting my hips up to his in a silent plea for more, we paused at the sound of the front door opening. We both froze at the heavy footsteps as Connor stomped past the door and into his room. At the sound of his door clicking shut, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was even holding. Looking at Teagan, I caught his eye. We stared at each before we dissolved into quiet laughter.
“Wow. That was close,” Teagan choked out. “That could have been awkward.”
I tightened myself around him. “A little,” I agreed. “But still…”
He pushed himself up until his arms were fully extended and he looked down at me with a gentle smile. “I know, baby. But now’s not the time.”
I sighed and pouted.
“Don’t,” he chided and then gave me a quick peck on the lips. “How about this? This will happen, Aislinn. Look at tonight. Just be patient. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He lowered his head and kissed me passionately before he shifted to the side and onto his back. Once settled, he pulled me into his side and tucked my head into the hollow of his shoulder. “I love you, angel,” he murmured to me.
“I love you too,” I whispered. The exhaustion of everything was catching up with me, and I yawned. I wrapped myself around him and allowed myself to drift off, satisfied and feeling very well loved.