Seb pulls up outside Kathy’s, one of the only eat-in restaurants in Ivy Falls other than The Shed. He jumps out of my car before rounding it and opening the passenger door for me; I smile and climb out. He moves to the back door, unhooking Rose’s car seat while I close my door and tug down my lace black dress that reaches midthigh. I wasn’t sure if it would be too short, but as Millie was leaving our place after we ordered in lunch, she suggested I wear it out for dinner tonight. And Seb’s hand creeping up my thigh on the drive over has me thinking he approves, too.
“She’s out.” He laughs quietly, adjusting Rose’s blanket over her. I grin down at her. “She only has to be in the car for one freaking minute.”
He locks the car, and I grab his hand, weaving my fingers between his. We’re greeted by a teenage boy working the hostess station, who looks as if he’d rather be anywhere but here. He tugs down an earbud and just looks at us as if we’re bothering him and not paying customers.
“We have a table booked for seven,” Seb tells him.
The kid pops his gum, eyeing us up and down. “You with those two people arguing back there?” He throws a thumb over his shoulder.
We take a glance around him, and sure enough, there are Millie and Beau.
“Ah, yep. That’d be us,” I confirm.
He nods, moving away to allow us through before remembering he’s supposed to be showing us to our seats. He runs after us, swearing under his breath.
“It’s all right, man. We got it.” Seb laughs while handing him a tip. The kid grins before heading back to his station with some serious swagger, leaving us halfway to the table.
“I hope you didn’t tip him too much,” I say with a laugh. He simply shakes his head and gestures for me to go ahead.
“… out of your ass, and open those pretty blue eyes,” Beau snaps at Millie just as we’re arriving at the table.
“Shit, sorry. Hey guys.” He gets up. “Happy birthday, Liv!” He gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek that has Seb scowling beside me. Beau claps him on the back. “Relax, man. I’ve got my hands full enough with trouble over here.”
Millie scoffs as I sit down, sliding my bottom across the booth.
“Your hands aren’t filled with anything, asshole.”
“Funny that, I could’ve sworn my hands were full of—”
“And on that note …” Seb claps Beau on the back before sliding in beside me, placing Rose’s car seat on the floor beside him. “What’s everyone in the mood for?” He picks up a menu. “I’m leaning toward the steak, I think.” He rubs his jaw, grinning over at me.
“Move over, Mr. Daniels, coming in,” Ken says. I smile like an idiot, not expecting them to be here.
“Yes, I think I’ll park my caboose right here beside this fine young man and Rose.” Wilma smiles slyly at Seb, who starts rubbing his neck, obviously not entirely comfortable with this new seating plan. But he gives her a friendly smile and shuffles over nonetheless.
“Poor fella,” Ken says absentmindedly while perusing the menu.
A laugh escapes before I can stop it, which has Wilma scowling and Ken grinning at me. “Happy birthday, dear.” Ken reaches for my hand, bringing it to his mouth for a quick peck.
“Put her hand down before she catches something.”
Millie and Beau grin at Wilma.
“But yes, happy birthday, my darling girl.” She reaches over to pat my cheek.
I hear Seb grumble under his breath. “What’s with everyone touching and putting their lips near my girl?” I grab his hand under the table and squeeze it.
“What was that, handsome?” Wilma bats her lashes at him.
“I said, the thought of that pork burger patty makes me wanna hurl.”
I throw my head back in laughter. Everyone looks at me funny before Ken agrees. “Quite right. Beef all the way.” He nods firmly.
Oh, my God. My head falls to Seb’s shoulder as I try to muffle my laughter. His lips kiss my head as he chuckles quietly. I sit up, wiping under my eyes to check for mascara.
“Well, damn. Don’t make the birthday girl cry, now.” Beau grins at Seb.
“Tears of joy, man. I make her that happy.”
Beau guffaws at that. I’d laugh, too, but it’s pretty much the truth. I link my fingers through his again. He squeezes them.
“I’d say,” Millie interjects with a waggle of her blond brows. Knowing she’s talking about overhearing us earlier today, I grab the menu, about to reach over and smack her with it, when the waitress arrives.
When we order, I pick the same as Seb, looking forward to the steak and salad, especially after the pepperoni pizza we had for lunch.
Rose wakes up just as everyone is finishing up with their food and starting to make idle chit chat. It’s a fight between Ken and Wilma as they both launch for the carrier. Wilma wins, smacking Ken’s hands away before unbuckling a crying Rose and cradling her to her chest.
“Hi, gorgeous. Come sit here with …” She pauses and sniffs. “On second thought, go sit with Ken.” She smiles a forced smile, trying not to cringe at the smell obviously emanating from Rose’s diaper. Ken’s oblivious and eagerly holds his arms out.
“Yes, yes. Come here, precious girl.” Wilma gleefully hands her over and pulls out her hand sanitizer from her purse as she’s sitting back down.
“Poooo-eeee! Who let the stink out?” Ken howls as he finally catches on.
“You devil woman, you.” He scowls at Wilma.
“I’ve got her.” Seb laughs before excusing himself from the booth. Wilma moves out of the way to let him through.
“You sure?” I move to get up. “It probably reeks.” I wince.
“You say it like I haven’t already done this countless times.” He smiles over at me before grabbing the diaper bag from the floor. Ken passes over Rose.
“Poor sweet girl, don’t worry. I’ve got you.” Seb nuzzles her neck, holding her to his chest as he stalks off to the parents’ room. I’m officially a puddle of melted goo as I stare off at the last spot I saw them.
“Damn Liv, wipe that drool off your chin.” Mil chucks a napkin at me, snapping me out of my daze. I throw it back, smacking her in the forehead.
“Now, now, you two. She’s the birthday girl, Millie. Let her stare all she wants,” Wilma interjects, blotting her lips gently with a napkin. “Lord knows I would if that were my man.” She smirks over at me.
I grin at her, feeling a little weird about that, but the feeling of gratitude filling my chest suffocates it. If someone were to tell me ten months ago that I’d be right here, where I am now, feeling happy beyond words and loved beyond measure—I would’ve told them to shut their dirty traps and quit lying. But I am, and it’s true. I feel like nothing could break this high I’ve been on over the past month.
Seb returns just as they’re bringing out a cake.
“Who did this?” I eye everyone around the table with scrutiny.
Beau raises his hands in the air. “Wasn’t me.”
“Millie,” Seb says as he settles in next to me with Rose in his lap.
“Shut up, liar.” Millie laughs as her gaze falls on mine while pointing at Seb. “It was him. I just told him it has to be chocolate.”
He shrugs, tugging Rose’s cute little floral dress down over her diaper.
I lean over to kiss him on the cheek, not expecting him to turn and softly brush his lips against mine.
“Time and place, guys,” Millie interjects sarcastically.
I pull away, whispering a thank you as I feel my cheeks start to burn.
Ken scoffs. “Really, Miss Shepherd? I seem to recall finding you and Mr. Daniels over there in quite a compromising position just last week in the alley by the barber shop.”
Millie goes bright red as we all laugh. Beau looks like the cat who got the cream. “He’s got you there, darlin’.” He winks at her.
She shoves him. “Whatever, laugh it up. Just hurry it up so we can eat some of this cake.”
After singing a round of “Happy Birthday” that caused poor Rose to burst into tears, we eat some cake and say our goodbyes.
When we’re back home, I make Rose a bottle as Seb changes her again and puts her in her pajamas for bed.
“You spoil us, Sebastian.” I grin over at him as he enters the kitchen with a sleepy Rose, batting my lashes at him like an idiot.
He laughs, taking a seat at the counter. “How so?”
“Always so thoughtful and helpful, not to mention extremely easy on the eyes. If you’re not careful, we might just want to keep you.”
He grins. “I hope so.” I watch his gaze turn serious. “But you do know that I don’t do anything I don’t want to. This isn’t some ploy, Liv. I love this tiny girl as if she were my own.” He inhales sharply, obviously not meaning for that to slip out.
I’m glad it did, though. Even if he’s not her real dad, he’s been the only one she knows. The one who’s been here for us from the second she entered this world, if not before.
“I’ll just—”
I cut him off. “Seb, no.” I round the counter with the bottle in my hand, lifting it to Rose’s mouth and placing his hand over it to hold it there.
Then I look up at him. “You’re the only one she’s got. Never be ashamed of being that for her or for loving her. Whether you created her or not doesn’t matter to her. She knows you. She loves you. You’re pretty important to the both of us, not just me.”
He blows out a breath and looks down at Rose. She smiles a gummy smile around the teat of the bottle when she sees that she’s got his attention. “Is that right, sweet girl?”
Her tiny hand starts whacking at his chest, which he catches in his huge one. She wraps her hand around his pointer finger as she goes back to sucking her bottle.
He looks back up at me, a soft smile curling at his mouth. I come around to his side, watching her briefly, then kiss his neck before I leave the kitchen to take a shower. I trust him wholeheartedly with Rose. I always have.
I leave the bathroom in just a towel, tugging my hair out of the knot I put it in on top of my head.
“Don’t bother getting dressed.” I look over to see Seb lying on the bed in the lamp-lit room, his sculpted face wrapped in half shadow, watching my every move.
Anticipation builds in my stomach as desire starts swimming through my bloodstream. I honestly had no idea Seb was a bit of a closet alpha, but the more I see of it, the more it thrills me. More than I thought it would.
I walk over to the bed, hearing the sound of rain starting to fall outside.
“Drop the towel,” he orders. His hooded eyes rake lazily over my towel-clad body. I swallow nervously and unhook it, letting it fall to the floor.
His gaze feels like a physical touch as his eyes slowly trail a path from my legs all the way up until they finally meet mine.
“Perfect, you’re fucking perfect. Though I’m kinda of pissed that I didn’t get to peel that dress off you myself.” He pats the space on the bed beside him. I smile shyly then crawl onto the bed and fall into his waiting arms, curling myself into the side of his still fully clothed body. He doesn’t jump into action like I’m anticipating, though. Instead, he places something on his chest before kissing my head and saying, “Happy birthday, beautiful.”
My head rears back slightly. “What’s this?”
“Yours.” He taps a finger against the top of what is obviously a jewelry box.
“Seb, you’ve done enough. Dinner, cake—you. I don’t need anything else.”
“Just open it, please.” He starts rubbing my side with the tips of his fingers.
I squirm and huff, taking it and opening it up.
I gasp when my eyes fall upon the most beautiful gold charm bracelet. I lift it out and touch the charms one at a time.
A book, a heart, and a tiny rose.
“This is stunning,” I breathe.
“You probably already know this, but you can add more if you want.” He takes it from me, gently turning my wrist over to wrap it around and clasp it shut.
“Thank you.” I climb up onto all fours, lowering my head to graze my lips across his. This reminds me of something I want to know before we get too carried away.
“When’s your birthday? Don’t tell me I’ve missed it.” I cringe.
He tucks some hair behind my ear. His hand brushes the top of my breast as he starts scooping up the rest of my long locks and moving them to the side of my neck. “June second. I’ll be twenty-eight.”
“So just before I first met you.”
He nods. “Enough talking.” He flips the lid closed on the jewelry box with an audible pop. Rolling me onto my back, he starts kissing my chest and moves down to suck a nipple into his mouth then moves to the other one. I squirm some more, wishing his clothes would magically disappear.
I grab his arms, trying to pull him to me. He relents, moving up to meet my lips. Needing to feel his skin on mine, I start unbuttoning his black collared shirt. He pulls away and grins. “Need something?”
I growl. “Yes. You, naked. Now.”
He chuckles and reaches a hand behind him to yank the shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground. My hands fly straight to his chest, relishing the feel of his warm, smooth skin. I run them over his shoulders, feeling the taut muscle bunch as he holds himself above me. “You’re magnificent,” I whisper.
He laughs. “First spectacular and now magnificent?” He ducks, bringing his lips back to mine. “You’re quite the compliment giver, aren’t you?” He doesn’t allow me to answer, taking my bottom lip into his mouth and sucking.
“I want the rest off too, you know. Being my birthday and all,” I say between kisses.
“Better not disappoint the birthday girl then.” He rises from the bed, and I instantly want him back. I watch as he strips out of his jeans and boxers, feeling the ache between my thighs grow worse the longer he takes.
He climbs back over me, throwing a string of condom wrappers onto the bedside table on his way down. I grab the sides of his stubble-covered cheeks, bringing his lips back to mine as my legs spread automatically to accommodate him. My tongue invades his mouth right away; he sucks it into his, and I moan. Like a drug, my need for this man only grows stronger every day. Every kiss has him slipping further underneath my skin; seeping into every pore, setting my veins on fire in a way that has me fearing I might never recover if this addiction were to quit me.
“You have no idea what you’ve done to me, Sebastian Mathews,” I pant against his lips. “I can’t,” I rasp. “I can’t lose this—lose you.”
He pulls back, his dark gaze searching mine. He exhales heavily, shaking his head before speaking. “You have nothing to fear, Olive Sawyer. Nothing,”
He keeps his eyes pinned to mine as he continues, “From the first time I saw you, it was like having the wind knocked out of me at the same time as new air was filling my lungs. But what really sealed the deal? It was seeing that beautiful, broken girl slowly bring herself back to life. Not only for herself but for the little life she was carrying inside her.” He leans down, brushing his lips up my neck before whispering into my ear. “She breathed resilience and fortitude in a time when others would’ve all but given up. And I knew, I just fucking knew that if she were to let me in, let me love her like I wanted, no, needed to, that I’d spend every fucking day of my life making sure she never has to dig within herself to find that kind of strength again.”
My chest constricts brutally at his words. This indescribable feeling washing over my whole being is almost suffocating me from the inside out with its intensity. His ability to feed my hungry, needy heart exactly what it needs is something I’ll cherish always. His lips make their journey back to mine as I wrap my legs around his waist. Needing him desperately, I start rocking against his hardness. He groans, pulling away to rise on his flexing forearms. He reaches over to grab a condom, and I touch his arm, shaking my head. He looks hesitant as he searches my face. “You sure?”
“Nothing between us, not anymore.” I watch his throat as he swallows before nodding. His fingers sweep through my wet folds before he rubs himself against me a few times. Then he’s lining himself up at my entrance.
My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it echoing in my ears as he slowly stretches me open and thrusts in and out, working himself inside until I’m completely full. The delicious burn driving me insane.
“Okay?” he rasps as he leans down to softly kiss each of my breasts.
“More than okay,” I whisper.
“Jesus Christ, Liv. You feel amazing wrapped around my cock.” He grunts as he starts slowly rocking in and out of me. Trailing kisses everywhere he can reach—my neck, shoulders, and chin—before finally giving me his lips as his pace increases. It doesn’t take long until I’m close to falling over the edge of reality and bliss. His thick cock strokes that spot inside me with every drag and deep thrust.
“I’m going …” I don’t get to finish as he speeds up even more, sending me spiraling. His hooded eyes watch me the entire time, and he brushes his lips over mine. “You’re going to give me another one.” Then he’s pulling out of me and flipping me over. My hips are tugged into the air, and he’s thrusting back inside before my orgasm-fogged brain has time to even catch up. It’s almost too overwhelming, this position allowing him a deeper penetration that has me clawing at the pillows in an effort to stay up on my elbows.
“Seb, I can’t … Not again.” I pant.
“You can,” he growls, running his hands over my back and grabbing my ass to use it for leverage. Oh, my God. He’s right; I can feel it building again. Even more intense than the first one. He slows to lean back on his haunches, pulling me up so I’m practically sitting on his lap from behind. One hand goes to my breast as the other moves my head to the side to meet his waiting mouth. We don’t really kiss, just breathe heavily into each other. His hand moves from my breast to my hip, moving me up and down as he thrusts below me. I start to ride him, bouncing, grinding, and moaning into his mouth as it builds, higher and higher. His hand moves down, a finger gently rubbing my clit.
“Fuck, yes,” he rasps. “Come for me again, Liv.”
His words send me over once again, my head falling back onto his shoulder as he holds me tight, wrapped in both of his arms as his thrusts slow and he grunts roughly with his release.
“You okay?” he rasps. He brushes the hair from my face and places his lips on my shoulder.
I laugh. “Best birthday ever.”