Anna

Sean pushed to his feet and then turned off the spotlights, plunging the meadow into darkness. I sat up, a shiver running down my spine.

Except for the house looming a few yards away, we might as well have been in the wilderness. It wasn’t unusual to see deer every morning in the meadow, and who knows what other animals lurked in the trees.

As if he could read my thoughts, Sean let out a small chuckle. “What’s the matter, Anna-baby?”

He was teasing me. And if I wasn’t completely turned on and soaking wet I might be inclined to do a little teasing myself, and saunter straight into the house just to have him chase me.

But then a million twinkle lights flickered to life, spreading a warm glow across the meadow. There had to be a hundred or more strands intricately woven around the tree trunk and hanging from the branches.

“Oh, wow.” Rising to my knees, I looked around in awe. “When did you do all this?”

Sean yanked his T-shirt over his head, grinning. “I didn’t. I called Chase, and he sent one of his crews over this afternoon.”

Which explained all the distractions. The bath Sean drew me after lunch. The movie marathon in the theater room with all my favorite Rom-Coms that he hated, but sat through without a peep. Dinner in the formal dining room.

Sean winked, a smug smile curving his mouth as he unbuttoned his jeans. I guess our dirty minds where on the same filthy track because he hadn’t bothered to put on any boxers, and now he was right in front of me in all his glory, bathed in soft light.

I slid my gown off my shoulders, and when I crawled toward him, his lids fell to half-mast.

Fisting his hard length when I knelt in front of him, his free hand went to my hair. “What’ve you got in mind, Anna-baby?”

It wasn’t so much a question as a taunt. He knew what I had in mind. The one thing I hadn’t done since we’d been back together. Because I feared if I didn’t hold something back, some small part of myself, we’d pass the point of no return.

But who was I kidding?

We’d blown by that mile marker a long time ago. Maybe the first night.

Peering up at him, I sealed my lips over his crown. He groaned, and I felt it all the way to my core.

“Fuck . . . Anna.”

His fingers tightened in my hair, but he didn’t move. Didn’t push. I knew how he liked it. Hard. Fast. Punishing. So I took as much of him as I could, hollowing my cheeks and sucking hard.

Sean groaned again, but kept his resolve, barely rocking into me.

I took it as a challenge, and deeper I went until I felt him at the back of my throat. Gagging, I blinked up at him with watery eyes.

Sean smiled, not his normal smile, but the one that told me I was asking for trouble and he was going to give it to me.

“What do you want, baby?” His thumb skated over a tear that slid down my cheek. “You want me to fuck your mouth? Is that it?”

Relaxing my throat, I breathed through my nose, nodding.

Sean waited for a beat, so I pulled back, swirling my tongue over his tip. I barely had a chance to inhale a shallow breath before he jerked his hips, guiding my head to where my hand was curled at the base of his throbbing cock.

Sean set a punishing rhythm, both of his hands in my hair now, fisting the strands as he rocked into me.

Tasting him, salty on my tongue, I prepared for his release. Welcoming it.

And then he was gone.

I blinked at him through blurry eyes when he dropped to his knees.

“I want inside you.” His hand cupped the back of my head a second before he pushed me onto my back. And then he froze. “Condom?”

My lips parted, yes, no, or maybe dancing on the tip of my tongue. I was on the pill, and I wanted to feel him so badly, the way I used to, with nothing between us.

In the few seconds it took me to grapple with my decision, Sean chose for me, stretching to grab a foil packet from the pocket of his jeans.

Maybe it was all the emotions slamming me at once. Or just the realization that I couldn’t give this to him, this one last thing, but the tears I didn’t know were there slid from the corners of my eyes.

Sean finished rolling on the condom before he noticed, and me, like an idiot, hadn’t bothered to hide the traitorous little drops soaking into my hair.

He eased on top of me, alarmed, his thumbs working furiously to wick away the moisture. “Baby, what’s the matter? What did I do?”

Throat burning and breath ragged, I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I just . . . I can’t do that yet.”

Sean kissed my cheeks, my jaw, then buried his face in the crook of my neck. “Please don’t fucking cry. It’s my fault. All my fault.”

He jerked when my legs wrapped around his waist, and I knew I was sending all kinds of mixed signals, but I wanted him. I always wanted him.

“Sean . . . please . . . I’m sorry,” I choked out. “I love you.” He stilled as the words tripped from my lips, and I pulled him close to look in his eyes. “I love you . . . Please . . .”

I didn’t know what I was asking for. His body. His soul. His promise. But then he slid inside me, and all the chaotic thoughts ceased. It was just him and me. Us. Perfect and peaceful and primal.

“I love you,” he roughed out as he thrust, deeper and harder. “I love you so fucking much.”

Sean’s words sent me tumbling into the sweetest oblivion. And then he called my name, and I felt him shudder as he chased me to the bottom.

For a brief moment, everything was exactly as it should be.

We were whole.

A warm breeze drifted across the meadow, and I shivered, my skin still a little damp with sweat and maybe some tears.

Sean shifted me in his arms and gazed down at me, concern creasing his brow. “Are you cold?”

Not trusting my voice, I shook my head, but he reached for my gown anyway. Once it was secured around my body, he pulled on his jeans and then took me in his arms again.

Drowsing as he stroked my hair, I mumbled, “I’m sorry about the crying. I don’t know what got into me.”

“I got into you.” I chuckled, but then he blew out a breath, twining a strand of my hair around his finger. “Do you believe me, Anna?”

My eye snapped open. “About what?”

He shifted his focus to the lights, avoiding my gaze. “That I love you.”

“Yes.”

Sean relaxed, unaware I’d only given him half my response. Love was never the problem. He loved me the day he stumbled off to the bar, irrevocably tearing us apart a few hours later. And now, with Willow in the mix, I wasn’t even sure if he knew what he felt.

Sean kissed me, smiling now. “You want to go inside?”

Gazing up at the stars, I wished for the millionth time things were less complicated. “In a minute. I should probably check on Willow.”

Sean tightened his grip, and I wasn’t sure he was aware that he was doing it. At the mention of her name, all his senses heightened. He was everything and more I could ask for when it came to our daughter.

Tracing a figure eight on his arm, I told him, “Willow’s got an appointment in a few weeks at Cooks in Ft. Worth.”

His back went board straight. “Cook’s Children’s Hospital? Why?”

I shrugged. “It’s just a hearing test. But I figured I’d consult with the surgeon while I was there.”

Sean practically knocked me over as he sat up. “Surgery?”

His brows drew together like he couldn’t fathom it. And honestly, neither could I.

I hauled myself upright, and now we were facing each other. “I told you she’d probably need surgery.”

Sean’s eyes darkened, almost black in the dim light. “Is it dangerous? Because if it’s dangerous, I don’t think she should have it. She’s fine.”

Taking his hand, I turned his palm up so that I’d have something to concentrate on besides those steely blue orbs. “She’s not having it tomorrow.” I ran my nail along a particularly deep groove in his skin. “But if there’s a chance her hearing will improve, we should take it. Surgery scares the hell out of me too, but I want Willow to have every opportunity—”

“She will,” he blurted. “I’ll make sure of it.”

My focus shifted to the house where our daughter slept. Willow was the link on the broken road between Sean and me, and perfect in every way.

I kissed his palm before letting his hand drop. “Let’s just see what happens.”

Threading his fingers through my hair, Sean pulled me toward him, and just before our lips met a light flickered against the limestone veneer of the house. Someone was coming.

Sean squinted into the darkness. “What the hell?”

Grabbing his T-shirt, I yanked it over my head, since my flimsy nightgown didn’t hide a damn thing.

“How did they get in the gate?” I asked, more put out than alarmed, at least until I caught sight of the police cruiser following one of the blue security trucks that patrolled the neighborhood.

Sean jumped to his feet. “Stay here.”

Screw that.

I brushed the leaves and grass off my gown as I followed, staying on the pavement while he cut through the lavender bushes and trampled the spring flowers.

By the time I reached Sean’s side, he was standing in front of a Travis County Sheriff.

“What’s this all about, officer?” Sean asked, voice as gruff as his posture.

The cop looked Sean over, from his bare feet to the tattoos covering his arms and chest. “Are you Sean Jacob Hudson?”

Sean replied with a nod, and I linked our fingers when the cop turned his attention to me. “Are you Annabelle Dresden Kent?”

Before I could answer, Sean stepped in front of me. “I asked you once—what’s this all about?”

But I knew.

Nudging Sean out of the way, I schooled my features. “I’m Annabelle Dresden Kent.”

The officer withdrew two stacks of papers, and then handing one to each of us, he said, “Y’all have been served.”