Everyone is here, and it’s amazing: my family, Benny and his family, Kady and Vance, even Don. She’s gone all out for my birthday, and yet I can’t shake the throbbing pain in my chest. Everyone is here but him … and he’s the one I need the most. Still, I keep a smile on my face and interact with everyone as best I can. Kady and I dance, we drink, and there are loads of laughs. Even Gretchen and Stacy seem to be having fun.
The night goes on, and everyone gets a few more drinks under their belts. Then Kady announces it’s cake time. I protest, because quite frankly, I hate being sung to. A lot. A whole lot. “No,” I say as she drags me to the head of a table where my cake is sitting. “No, I don’t want to be sung to.”
“You just be quiet,” she protests. “We’re going to sing to you.”
“No!” I laugh, digging my heels in.
Benny comes up behind me and launches me up into his arms, wrapping one of them around my waist, and forces me forward. “You are going to get sung to,” he tells me, “and you’re going to like it.”
“You’re a jerk, Benny.”
He chuckles. “Never said I wasn’t.” He sets me down in front of the cake and everyone gathers around.
My dad comes over and kisses the side of my head. “Proud of you, Gracie.”
I beam up at him. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Who’s going to start this tune?” Benny yells.
Everyone is silent.
Well, this is nice.
“No one? Oh, come on, it’s her birthday. You all love her, right? Someone has to sing to the poor girl.”
No one opens their mouths.
Ouch.
“Don’t make me have to start, because I’m telling you, I suck at singing. Poor Grace.”
Kady’s lips are twitching. I don’t know what she thinks is so funny. Benny stares at the silent group, and seriously, it’s freaking me out that they’re all just standing there. What’s wrong with them? I’m confused.
Then I hear it.
It comes from behind me in a low, sexy, husky tone. “Happy birthday to you—”
I spin around so quickly, I hit Benny in the belly on my way around. Raide is walking into the living area, hands in his pockets, singing softly under his breath. Tears burn under my eyelids and I squeal loudly. I run toward him so fast that when I launch myself into his arms, Raide stumbles backwards and into the wall. My legs go around his waist and my lips find his. I kiss him so hard, I taste blood in my own mouth, but I don’t care.
When we pull apart, he’s panting and his eyes—oh, those eyes.
“You’re here, why are you here?” I cry.
“Got out early. Good behavior.”
“Y-y-y-y-you’re out?” I squeak.
He grins. “Yeah, baby, I’m out,” then he leans down and brushes his lips over my ear. “Happy birthday, Gracie.”
Best. Birthday. Ever.
* * *
Everyone pretty much leaves as soon as Raide arrives. I guess they know we want privacy. When they’re gone, I turn to the big, handsome man standing in my kitchen. He’s got his finger in the cake frosting and he brings it to his lips, sucking it off. Oh boy. I clench my legs together. He stares at me and his face is soft, gentle and loving.
“I’ve missed you,” I whisper.
He drops his hand and walks around the counter. He reaches me and curls his hand around the back of my neck, pulling me closer. “Missed you, too, lady.”
“You’re really here?”
“I’m really here.”
I swallow and meet his sexy gaze. “And us?”
“Lady,” he murmurs, staring at my lips now. “Do I even need to answer that?”
I smile. “No.”
“Then stop talkin’ and kiss me. I’ve got two months of making up to do.”
I grin. “I have an idea.”
His brows shoot up. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I let him go and rush over, find a tub of frosting Kady didn’t use and lift it. I wave it at him and his eyes grow lusty. Ah yes, Raide knows exactly what I plan on doing with this. Holding his eyes, I saunter toward my bedroom. He doesn’t waste time, he’s after me in seconds. When we reach the door, he captures my waist and pulls me into him. Then he kisses me. He tastes sweet like frosting, and so I devour him, sucking his lips, his tongue and kissing him until we’re both panting and desperate.
He pushes me to the bed, taking the hem of my dress as I go backwards. He pulls it up over my head, then takes a moment to let his eyes slide down my body. With a pleased rumble, he discards the rest of my clothes and gently lays me down on the bed. “Me first,” he growls. He reaches for the frosting and flicks the lid off, then he takes a heap out on his finger. He gently swirls it over my nipples.
I whimper and arch as they pebble beneath his touch.
Then he leans down and licks it all back off again. His mouth devours my breasts, sucking and licking until I’m crying his name and begging for so much more. He slowly makes a path of frosting down my belly and then he takes his time sucking and licking it all off.
My sex is aching, so desperate for him. “Raide,” I cry. “Please.”
He takes another scoop with his finger and waves it about slowly. “Where do you want this one?”
“Don’t play with me,” I breathe. “Please.”
He grins and then he drops it over my clit. Oh. God. Yes. His mouth follows shortly behind it and I scream at the first contact. It feels amazing. He has to work extra hard to lick and suck all the frosting off, and because of this, my clit is dancing with pleasure. I come so hard and fast, my entire body bucks and I throw my head back into the pillow. Amazing. He makes me feel amazing.
I sense his body moving off mine, but I’m so floppy, I don’t notice him remove his clothes and slide back into bed next to me. I had every intention of lathering that frosting on his cock and licking every bit off, but I’m hardly able to move after that incredible devouring of my body. Raide positions himself over me, placing his elbows beside my head. He looks down at me and there’s so much passion in his eyes. He leans down and kisses me, long and hard, and I don’t even care that he tastes like frosting combined with me. I kiss him hard and deep, and he slowly pushes inside my body.
I whimper into his mouth, and he groans low and deep. He stops when he’s fully inside me and closes his eyes, panting hard. “Fuck,” he murmurs. “I’ve missed this.”
“Please, don’t stop,” I breathe. “Baby, please.”
“Fuck. Call me that again.”
“Baby.”
He groans and pulls out, then thrusts back inside. Oh. Yes. He starts slow, working my body over with his, his hands are fisting in my hair, his mouth is consuming mine and his body is taking me over the edge. Then he quickens his pace, until our skin is slapping together, our pants are desperate and we’re both making sounds that have my skin prickling.
I find my orgasm right before he finds his, and it’s perfect. My body explodes and I cling to him as pleasure rips through me.
Raide grunts when he finds his, and his lips practically bruise mine with the brutality of his kiss as he releases into me. Then he rolls off, and lands on his back beside me. He’s sweaty, I’m sweaty, and it’s exactly how it should be. He pulls me into his arms and we lie like that until we can breathe normally again.
Then I decide to break the silence by asking, “What was it like in there?”
He sighs. “Boring, mostly. I kept to myself.”
“Oh.”
He chuckles low. “What did you think it would be like?”
“I don’t know, the movies?”
His body shakes with laughter.
“What?” I cry.
“You’ve got an overactive imagination. It was low security. We had rooms that could be locked, we had a break room, we showered, we slept. There wasn’t much more to it.”
“Did you drop the soap, Raide?”
With that, he bursts out laughing so hard, my body shakes with his. I can’t help it—I giggle, too.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he says, rolling so he’s facing me.
“Me, too,” I say, dropping my eyes to his chest.
“I’m sorry I did that to you,” he murmurs, and I meet his eyes once more.
“It’s what I wanted, right?”
“Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.”
I shrug. “It’s finished now.”
“Your job? How’s that going.”
I smile. “It’s okay. Don says I can go back to small cases after my suspension.”
Raide frowns. “Small cases?”
“It’s better than losing my job.”
He purses his lips but nods. “Why a bounty hunter?”
I nestle into his chest and tell him about my dad and how I grew up. Then I tell him about becoming a bounty hunter and how hard it was being the only girl.
“I thought it was strange when you took Terry down that night. Wait—he’s not your cousin, is he?”
I chuckle. “Gosh no.”
He snorts. “Good, because I was seriously questioning the quality of your genes.”
I shove his shoulder. “Hey!”
He grins and murmurs, “You’re badass, Gracie.”
“I know.”
Silence.
“Raide?”
“Mmmmm?”
“My job … does it bother you?”
He’s quiet for a minute, then he leans back and stares down at me. “Shit no.”
“You don’t care that I’m chasing people for a living, people like … you.”
“I did the wrong thing by running, Grace. You had every right to chase me. I know that now. Can’t be mad at you for doin’ what you do. My biggest concern is your safety.”
“Don wouldn’t give me any case that’s overly dangerous.”
He studies my face. “You ever been shot at?”
I bite my bottom lip.
He groans and rolls to his back. “This is goin’ to kill me, isn’t it?”
“Probably,” I say, pushing up to my elbows and looking down at him. “But I love it, Raide. It’s who I am.”
He reaches up and rubs his thumb over my lower lip. “Yeah, you’re right. It is.”
“Don’t worry,” I say, grinning. “I’m badass with a gun.”
His smile gets big, making those dimples pop out. “My girl is badass.”
His girl.
Wonderful.