“Come for me, sugar. Give me that sweet.”
As if she weren’t fucking sweet enough.
I had Avery spread out on my bed. She’d put her arms over her head at my request, but they’d snuck down as I played until they were cupping her breasts, which was far fucking better. She pinched her nipples, putting on a show for me as much as driving herself higher. Damn, my girl. She was spectacular.
And arguably better than her cupping those lush tits was her soaking wet pussy taking the dildo I was fucking her with.
I was trying for something I’d never done. Something I’d never cared to try, but I wanted to see if I could with Avery. I’d fucking studied for this shit, probably more closely than any test I’d ever taken.
Speeding up the thrusts of my arm and angling the toy up farther, I had to bite back a chuckle when her hips flew up and she cried out. Oh yeah, that was the spot.
It took a minute for her hips to drop back down, even as she continued to undulate. When they did, I leaned over her and tongued her clit. Her hands went to my hair, gripping tight enough to rip the shit out, but I didn’t give a fuck. She could take it all. That was a battle wound I could live with.
“Daz,” she gasped. “Daz, I don’t…”
Fuck yeah, that was what I had been waiting for. I knew she’d feel that edge of alarm, and I was ready for it.
Lifting up, I spoke right at her pussy so I could get back to eating her. “It’s okay, sugar. Let it happen.”
“What are you doing?”
I chuckled, and went back to flicking her clit with my tongue. It didn’t take long. She was pressing up into my mouth, her movements jerky.
Almost there.
When she cried out—immediately throwing a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound—I pulled the dildo free and watched my girl squirt.
It was fucking hot, if only for the complete abandon with which she came. The second it stopped, I thrust inside and fucked her right back up to the crest again.
That time, I was the one making a mess.
It had been four days since the incident with her fuckwad ex. After we both finally crashed and got some sleep, I got on the line with Jager. I wanted to be sure her shit was secure at a level he would approve of—it wasn’t, but it would be soon—and see how well the jackass was locking up his own stuff. The brother didn’t say much, but when I laid out what had gone down, he gave me all I needed.
“I’ll take care of it.”
I hadn’t pestered him about it since. He said he’d take care of it, and I knew that meant it would be done. Whatever he might find that I should know about, he’d make sure it happened.
Aside from that, it had been business as usual. Until I had the full picture or that asshole tried to make a move, there was nothing to be done. Avery liked this. She hated that dick, but she didn’t want me going after him. This, initially, had pissed me off. Until, she’d laid it out.
“It has nothing to do with not wanting to get back at him. I just don’t want you landing in trouble.”
That had felt fucking good to hear, but it wasn’t going to stop me.
Avery came back into my room, having run over to the bathroom to clean up. I was busy stripping the sheets, and I watched a blush fill the space between her freckles. It still shocked the hell out of me when she was cute like that. I hoped that never changed.
So, you wanna stick around forever to see it?
Funny thing about that thought. It should have freaked me the fuck out.
It didn’t.
“You getting shy on me now, sugar?”
She went across the room to the duffle bag she’d brought over with a few days’ worth of stuff. It wasn’t the first time. That bag had come and gone a few times over. And that was nothing compared to the fact that I had shit in the dresser at her place.
“I’ve never done that before,” she informed me unnecessarily.
So, I gave her something in return.
“Me either.”
She turned her wide-eyed gaze to me, but before she could say anything, there was a loud crash from downstairs. Seconds later, the sound of Owen wailing.
I didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. I was out the door and bolting down the stairs in an instant. Owen’s cries didn’t even reach me over the sound of my feet pounding on the steps or the floor downstairs. I found him on the ground in the living room.
Thank Christ he didn’t look to be hurt.
I was picking him up when Kate stumbled into the room, panicked and looking a fucking wreck. The dark circles under her eyes looked like bruises, her hair and clothes an unwashed mess. But worst of all was the absolute terror all over her face.
“What happened?” she asked.
The answer to that was the huge ass shadowbox now on the ground less than a foot from where Owen had been. I had no idea how he’d managed to knock it over, but it was a lucky fucking break it hadn’t landed on him.
“You’re all right, little man,” I assured him, running my hand along his back that was still trembling with his cries.
“Want Daddy,” he sobbed.
Fuck.
Kate went from pale to fucking ashen. I worried she was going down right there and I wouldn’t be able to do a fucking thing with Owen in my arms.
“Want Daddy. Want Daddy,” Owen kept repeating, twisting that knife deeper in my gut.
Then, Kate took the fucked up situation and made it worse. “I didn’t mean to,” she whispered in horror. “He was supposed to be napping. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I didn’t. I’d never let him get hurt. But I’m so tired. I’m…” She was on the verge of hysterics.
What the fuck was I supposed to do here?
Like the answer I was begging for, Avery went to Kate, obviously already having been close enough to know what was going on. She looked to me as she approached, and jerked her head toward Kate and Owen’s rooms. I gave her a short nod in the affirmative.
She stepped close to Kate, saying her name in a soft voice before touching her arm. Kate still jumped at the contact.
“How about we go get you in bed? You need sleep. Daz will calm Owen down and we’ll watch him while you get some rest,” Avery coaxed.
Kate blinked her way a few times while I kept trying to get Owen to stop saying he wanted Joel. It was going to be best for all of us if she just listened to Avery and let me handle this. Fact was, she wasn’t in a place where she could.
Not that I was convinced I was.
Finally, Kate nodded and let Avery lead her from the room. As she did, my girl glanced over her shoulder at me, concerned. I wanted to take that look from her face, but I couldn’t. This was a mess, and I didn’t just mean the circumstance. Everything about Joel’s family had fallen apart since we lost him.
“I know I’m not Daddy, little man,” I said in as soothing a voice as I could manage. “I’d get him for you if I could. But I’m right here, and you’re okay.”
This time, it was a small whimper when he said again, “Want Daddy.”
I did too. I wanted more than anything on this earth to be able to go get him his dad, to magically bring Joel back.
Fuck, I would take his place if I could so Kate and Owen wouldn’t have to be without him.
But I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do anything.
“I’m sorry,” I rasped, my throat tight.
For the longest time, I just stood there with my tiny nephew clinging to me, crying and desperate for his dad. Slowly, his sobs faded into little hiccoughs. Then, there was nothing.
“I think he’s asleep,” Avery whispered.
She was right there. I was tempted to ask her to just stay right in that spot. Maybe forever. Just stand in front of me and let me look at her. At least when I was doing that, the rest didn’t hurt so fucking badly.
“I should put him down,” I said quietly back, careful not to disturb Owen.
She nodded, her eyes full of sympathy. She knew I was a mess. She might have even known I was afraid to set Owen down in bed because I was pretty sure holding onto him was the only thing keeping me together in that moment.
“Come on.” She was using that same gentle voice she had with Kate. It was the kind you used with a wounded animal, a scared child.
Or apparently with grieving adults who couldn’t fucking cope.
I followed her steps back to Owen’s room, letting her guide me through the process of getting him laid down in his bed. She tucked him in.
When he was settled, she took my hand and led me out to the living room. There, she laid us both down and let me hold onto her instead.
There were a million things I wanted to say. I wanted to voice my grief. I wanted to share my concern over Kate and Owen. I wanted to thank her for bringing me to this couch instead of upstairs where I was too far away from them.
I said none of it. I just held on for dear life.