Chapter 12
Austin
I leave the bed, looking once more at Lea before forcing my feet to take me away from her. I know I will never forget the way she looks right now, lying on her stomach with the sheet draped over her ass, her breasts pressed into the mattress, her beautiful face soft in sleep. I woke her up twice more last night, took her the first time gently, but the second time, I lost it, taking her hard and fast until we were both out of breath and covered in sweat.
Looking at her now, I crave her taste on my tongue. I want to spread her legs and wake her up with my mouth, but she needs sleep, so instead of doing what I want, I pick up my jeans off the floor, pull them on, and then make my way out of the room, closing the door softly behind me before heading down the stairs.
Going to the kitchen, I turn on the coffeepot I had set up last night and pull down a mug, placing it under the stream of coffee until it’s full then replacing it with the pot.
Stepping into the living room, I take a drink from my cup and look out the large window at the view beyond. I loved this house before I ever saw the inside because of the way Lea’s face had lit up when she spoke about it, and then I saw it for myself standing in this exact spot and knew I would buy it. I felt connected to Lea looking out at the water, knowing it was somewhere she had been, a view she loved. I swear half the things I did in my life were built around her; I just never admitted it to myself. It was like I was building a life for us, while waiting for her to come back to me.
Moving from the window, I head to the deck, grabbing my phone on my way. Taking a seat on one of the loungers, I set my cup down on the railing and press send on my phone.
“Hey, honey.”
“Hey, Mom,” I greet, leaning forward and grabbing my mug.
“Bre, Shawn, and the babies are going to come with us to Cordova.”
“Mom,” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “Lea’s worried about dinner with you and Dad, and now you’re bringing Bre, who you and I both know has a hard time holding her tongue in the best situations.”
“Your sister misses you, and you haven’t met your new nephew,” she counters.
“I need you guys to step back. I love you guys, but this is something I won’t budge on.”
“You’re in love with her,” she states.
“She’s still Lea; she’s still the woman I fell in love with fifteen years ago,” I explain quietly, hoping the words sink in. I know my mom means well, but she can be overbearing and intimidating when she wants to be.
“I’m worried about you,” she says softly, like she’s finally getting how serious I am.
“I know you are, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have my own concerns, but if I get my way, Mom, Lea will be the mother of your grandchildren. I need you to understand that before you and Bre come here and tag-team her. She just lost her mom. She doesn’t have anyone.”
“Austin—”
“I gotta go. Love you guys. See you Saturday.” I hang up before she can say anything else then sit back in the chair, wondering if I should tell Lea to skip dinner.
“Hey,” Lea’s soft voice pulls my attention away from the ocean as I look at the sliding door, where she is standing in her bare feet, wearing my thermal.
“C’mere.” I hold my hand out in her direction then pull her down into my lap, rubbing my hand up her bare thigh. “You sleep okay?” Her smile against my bare chest and her mumbled, “Yes,” does something to my heart, causing it to beat harder. “Bre, Shawn, and the kids are coming with Mom and Dad.”
“Great,” she says as I pull her shirt up her side, resting my hand on the underside of her breast, needing to feel her skin and hating that her body has drawn tight.
“Do you trust me?” I ask.
“Yes.”
Her whispered confession and her body relaxing against mine fills me with satisfaction. “Then you should know that I would never allow anyone to harm you, physically or otherwise.”
“I know.”
“Good.” I press my nose into her neck, loving that she smells like vanilla and me.
“I need a shower.” She tilts her head to the side, giving me better access to her neck, where I nip her, groaning.
“You smell good, but a shower sounds like a good idea.” Kissing her neck once more, I lift her off me pulling her inside to the shower, where we spend the next hour until were both satisfied, me more than her, because I leave the shower with her taste on my tongue.
“How are things going between you and Lea?”
I look at Ben then set my beer on the rail of my deck, where I swear once the nights are warmer I will have Lea bent over, so I can take her from behind while she looks out at the view.
“Judging by that faraway look in your eyes, I’m gonna guess you guys are good,” he mutters.
“Things seem to be getting better, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.” I look away from him to the horizon. There has been something under the surface I just can’t seem to grasp, and not knowing what it is, is driving me crazy.
“Maybe it’s time you tell her about what her mom did.”
“I can’t.” I scrub my hands over my face. “I don’t want to be the one to tell her that shit, and I know it’s fucked up to be pissed at a dead woman, but I’m still fucking angry at Josie for not coming clean to Lea when she was alive. I feel fucking torn about it, because I know Lea has doubts about us. I can see it in the way she looks at me sometimes. I know she wants to ask me why I never came after her, but she’s afraid of what my response will be.”
“What do you think is going to happen when she finds out?”
“She’s gonna lose it, and since Josie’s gone, I’ll be the one left picking up the pieces,” I grumble.
“I know why she did it, but I understand why you’re pissed, and believe me, I agree she kind of fucked you over in not coming clean.”
“Yeah.”
“Any word from the ex?” he prompts.
“Lea talked to her lawyer, and he signed the papers as soon as he got back to Montana.”
“So she’s clear of him?”
“That part of her life is over, brother.”
“Good,” he grunts, settling back into his chair. “Now your mom and sister are coming to stir shit up?” he asks, making me chuckle.
“They are. You know Mom. I warned her to take it easy.”
“Like that’s gonna happen.” He shakes his head, knowing my mom as well as I do, since he basically lived with us from the time we turned sixteen, when his dad kicked him out.
“I know, but I won’t separate my family and Lea.”
“I don’t think you should,”
“I can’t. I know she’s afraid of being alone.” I take a pull from my beer, setting it on my thigh. “I want her happy, and I don’t even know if she realizes that part of her happiness is dependent on having people around who care about her.”
“I can’t imagine Lea not having friends in Montana.”
“She said most of her friends were friends of hers and Ken’s. I guess some of them knew he was having an affair and never told her about it,” I reveal.
“Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with people?”
“I have no fucking idea.”
“Well, if you ever hear Rhonda’s cheating on me, you better fucking tell me or I’m kicking your ass.”
“Shut the fuck up. You and I both know that is never gonna happen,” I scoff.
“Just sayin,” he growls as his knuckles turn white around the bottle in his hand, like even the idea of Rhonda with another man pisses him off enough to break something.
“She’s getting ready to have your baby,” I remind him.
“I know, thank fuck.” His body relaxes, making me laugh. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“How long’s it going to take until you tell me Lea’s pregnant?”
“Seeing how it should have happened fifteen years ago, hopefully not long, but first I need to find a way to settle everything between us then put a ring on her finger,” I say.
“You’ll find a way.”
“I have to; our future depends on it,” I mutter as his phone starts to ring.
“Lea’s calling.” He frowns, looking at the phone in his hand and swiping his finger across the screen, putting it to his ear. Through the speaker, I hear Lea’s worried voice saying something, and then Ben is up and taking off through the house. I get up and follow him, listening as he growls, “I’m on my way. Tell her I’m on my way.”
“What’s going on?” I question, hopping into the passenger seat of his truck and slamming the door.
“Rhonda went into labor. Lea’s driving her to the hospital now.”
“Is she okay?” I ask nervously.
“She was yelling in the background for me to get my ass there or she was cutting off my balls, so I think so,” he says, running a shaky hand over his head and stepping harder on the gas.
“We’re less than five minutes away, and if you kill us before we get there, Rhonda is gonna be pissed.”
His foot eases off the gas and he turns toward town, still speeding, but not as fast as he was. Once we reach the intersection for the hospital, I tell him, “Just pull up in front, and I’ll park the truck while you head inside.”
“Thanks, man,” he says, and as soon as we pull up out front of emergency, he opens his door, thankfully remembering to put it in park before getting out and jogging inside. Once I have the truck parked, I head inside and see Lea standing in the hall, talking to Dr. Rubin. My pace quickens as his hand moves to her cheek then to rest on her shoulder, close to that spot on her neck I have claimed as my own.
“Babe,” I say, which comes out more like a growl as I close the distance between us. Her head turns my way, and without saying anything to Dr. Rubin, she closes the space between us, throwing herself into me. “Shhhh.” I wrap my arms around her, noticing how badly she’s shaking. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, everything’s perfect. I got her here in time.”
“You’re trembling,” I state, rubbing my hands down her arms. Her head tilts back and she smiles a beautiful smile. “I’m coming off an adrenalin rush, or that’s what Keith was just telling me.”
I grunt and she smiles bigger, dipping forward, placing her forehead on my chest. “Is Ben in there with Rhonda?” I ask, and she nods then tilts her head back once more to look at me.
“Yeah, she was already dilated to an eight when they got her settled in the room.”
“So what happened?”
“We were watching a movie and I got up to make us some popcorn. When I came back, she was bent over on the bed, holding her stomach. She told me that her water broke. I was going to call an ambulance, but she argued with me until I agreed to take her in my car. I drove like a crazy woman to get here, afraid I would end up having to deliver the baby.”
Chuckling, I rub her back, muttering, “You did good, baby.”
“How’s it going, man?” Keith asks, putting his hand on my shoulder when I turn to lead Lea to one of the chairs in the hall.
“Good, you?”
“Good.” He shrugs, looking at Lea then at me again, but I don’t see anything in his eyes when he looks at her—no heat or desire, just concern, the same kind you would have for any friend. “You gonna be okay, Lea?”
“Austin’s here,” she says, like all she needs is me with her to make everything okay. He puts his hands in his pockets, watching as I take a seat and pull Lea down into my lap, instead of settling her in the seat next to me.
“Dr. Rubin, can you come in here?” a nurse asks, poking her head out of a door across the hall from us.
“Sure.” He nods, heading towards the room, going inside, and closing the door behind himself. Ten minutes later, a loud cry travels through the quiet hall.
“Oh, my God,” Lea whispers, sliding off my lap into the chair next to me. Her arm wraps around mine and her head leans on my shoulder as we listen to the loud cry coming from a few feet away.
“He’s perfect,” Ben says, stepping out into the hall spotting us. I get up and go to my best friend, giving him a hug and a pat on the back. “I’m a dad,” he says, and I see tears of pride in his eyes.
“You’re going to be a great dad. Congrats, Ben,” Lea says from my side, and his eyes drop to her and he picks her up off the ground, spinning her around, making her laugh echo down the hall.
“Thanks for getting her here,” he says, kissing her temple.
“I didn’t want to deliver the baby,” she grumbles as he drops her to her feet, making him and me both chuckle.
“The doctors are cleaning him up. As soon as they say it’s okay, I’ll bring you guys in to meet him,” he says, looking at the door anxiously.
“Go be with your family, brother. We’ll be here,” I tell him, and he nods, heading back into the room. I pull Lea back to the chairs and sit with my arm wrapped around her while we wait.
When Dr. Rubin walks out, we both stand and head towards him.
“Mom and baby are doing great. Ben says you can go in now,” he says, patting my shoulder and smiling at Lea before walking off down the hall. When we walk into the room, Rhonda is in the bed, with her hair braided over her shoulder and the blankets up high around her. Ben’s standing, holding a small bundle in his arms while talking to the doctor, and the nurse who called for Dr. Rubin is filling out some paperwork off to the side.
“Hey.” Lea walks over to Rhonda, leaning over and kissing her cheek, and I follow, doing the same. Ben comes over carrying his son in his arms. His head dips to look at his face and he speaks softly to him, once he’s close to us. “Braden, I would like to introduce you to your godparents, Lea and Austin,” Ben says, causing Lea to inhale a sharp breath.
“Really?’ Lea asks, and Ben looks from her to Rhonda then back again.
“We couldn’t think of two better people,” he says softly.
“You’re gonna make me cry,” Lea complains, and I hear Rhonda’s laugh mix with Ben’s as he places Braden in Lea’s arms. Seeing her holding a child, even if it’s not ours, causes a pang to hit my chest so hard that I have a difficult time breathing.
“He’s so beautiful, so perfect,” she whispers, running her finger down his soft, chubby cheek.
“He is perfect, isn’t he?” Ben says with pride, running his finger over his other cheek. “We make cute kids, babe.” He tells Rhonda over his shoulder.
“I know.” Rhonda smiles, and Lea turns toward me. I take him from her, holding him high up on my chest. He’s so small that I could probably hold him in one hand. Lea’s hand on my arm pulls my eyes to her. Her face is softer than I have ever seen it, and there is a look in her eyes that shows how badly she wants this, a family of her own.
When her eyes finally land on mine, a small, sad smile pulls at her lips. I want to tell her that one day we will have this, but I don’t. Instead, I lean forward and kiss her softly then lean back to look down at Braden, who is asleep. His lips form into a pout, so I lean over, handing him to his mom before he has a chance to wake up and cry, then kiss her on the cheek, telling her softly, “You did good.”
She smiles and looks down into her arms then up at Ben. I know they both had no idea this would be their life. Ben had been easygoing with relationships, never settling down until Rhonda. She changed everything for him, the same way he did for her. I was happy for both of my friends; they deserved this moment.
“We should probably head out and let you guys get settled in,” I say, taking Lea from under Ben’s arm and wrapping mine around her.
“Do you need anything?” Lea asks, watching as Ben settles into the chair next to Rhonda’s bed.
“No, we’ve got everything. Thanks again, Lea, for getting her here for me.”
“It was either get her here or deliver the baby, and option two didn’t sound appealing to me,” she says, making us all laugh.
“We’ll stop by tomorrow,” I say as Lea walks over to kiss Rhonda’s cheek before coming to me and taking my hand. Once we’re out of the room, I wrap my arm around Lea’s shoulders and lead her out of the hospital to her car, since Ben drove his truck here.
“Let’s stop at your house so you can get some clothes for the night.”
She looks up at me and a blush touches her cheeks, making me wonder what she’s thinking. “I packed a bag. It’s in my trunk,” she says quietly, looking away from me.
“Why does that make you embarrassed?” I ask, touching her cheek.
“I didn’t want you to think I assumed I would be staying with you.”
“Whatever bed I’m in is the one I want you in,” I explain lightly.
“I just didn’t want to assume,” she mutters under her breath, pulling out her keys from her pocket.
“Assume away, Little Lamb,” I tell her, taking the keys from her hand and smacking her ass.
“I can drive.”
“I know you can, when I’m not in the car with you,” I remark.
“That’s ridiculous.” She frowns at me.
“Get in the car.”
“Or what?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring.
“Or I put you in.”
“That’s not gonna happen.” I say stopping at the passenger door and she moves around the front of the car to the driver’s side.
“Lea,” I warn over the roof of the car.
“Austin,” she mimics my tone.
“Get in the car.”
“Make me,” she says, and I start to head around the back of the car, but before I get to her, she takes off running through the parking lot.
“Lea, get in the car,” I shout after her as she dodges between parked cars.
“Let me drive,” she shouts back, moving back and forth from one side of a red Buick to another, like she’s trying to psych me out.
“When I get my hands on you, I’m spanking you for this,” I warn, watching as something works behind her eyes.
“You’re not.”
“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make you come after,” I tell her, and her eyes scan the parking lot, like she’s looking to see if anyone is around that could hear what I just said, giving me just enough time to catch her in my grasp before she can dodge me again. I pick her up over my shoulder as she kicks out then smack her on the ass one time, just hard enough to get her attention.
“You just hit me,” she whispers as her body stills on my shoulder.
“I spanked you, baby, big difference.”
“You…you…”
I rub her ass where I spanked her then bring my hand up between her legs. Even through the denim material, I can feel her heat. She inhales sharply at my touch, but doesn’t say anything else as I get her into the car and buckle her in before going to the driver’s side door.
“Lea, stop,” I say through the glass as I press the unlock button on the remote, which does nothing, because her hand is over the lock on my side.
“Tell me you’re not gonna spank me,” she yells.
“Let it go, Lea,” I shout back.
“No, tell me.”
I bend down so I’m eye level with her and she can see my face, then growl, “You have until the count of three, Lea.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Wolf.”
“Oh, Little Lamb, you should know this is turning me on.” My dick is rock hard and I adjust myself so my zipper doesn’t cut into my skin. Her hand comes off the lock and I open the door. Without saying another word, I get in, start the car and drive. Her body is wound tight in the seat next to mine, her breaths coming in hard pants that tell me just how turned on she is right now. I swear I can smell her sweet pussy.
As soon as I pull up to the house, her hand is on the handle of the door, but I press the lock button before she can get out.
“Go upstairs, take off your clothes and lay on the bed face down.”
“You’re not spanking me,” she whispers again, but this time the words curl with desire, and I know that even if she has never wanted this before, she wants it now.
“Do what I say.” I unlock the door, watching her ass as she heads up to the house through the back double doors. I lean my head back and try to get my body under control then get out of the car and head inside, half expecting to find Lea in the kitchen, but the whole house is quiet. Taking the stairs two at a time, I make it to the bedroom and find Lea face down in the bed completely naked, her perfect ass in the air like an offering.
I walk towards her, discarding my shirt and boots on the way. Reaching the bed, I pull her ass by the hips so that her feet are touching the floor, then I kneel down behind her between her legs. Without warning, I smack her ass twice, once on each cheek, then run my hand over the spot, listening as she moans and her hands move on the sheets, gripping them tight between her fingers.
“Austin.” My name leaves her mouth on a breathy moan that goes right to my dick.
“Don’t talk.” I slap her ass twice more; her body writhers in front of me, her ass pushing higher as her tiptoes press into the floor. She’s so wet that the proof of her arousal is coating her thighs. I spread her ass, burying my face between her legs. My name leaves her mouth again, earning her another smack, this time harder, causing her core to convulse around my tongue. Every time I feel her getting closer to the edge, I pull back just enough that she’s forced to come down.
When her body is covered in a fine sheen of sweat and her legs are trembling I smack her ass hard before spreading her open and devouring her until she screams my name so loud that the sound echoes off the walls.
Her body goes limp, and I unhook my jeans and move over her, sliding in deep, taking her so hard that the bed begins to slide across the wood floors. I don’t stop until I feel my orgasm at the base of my spine and her pussy contracting around me, pulling me deeper than I’ve ever been. Two more hard thrusts, I plant myself deep, coming so hard that my toes curl.
Being inside Lea is like nothing I have ever felt. Even when we were teenagers, making love to her was something different.
“Are you okay?” I ask, once I find my voice again.
“I don’t think I can move,” she mumbles, pressing her ass back into me, making me groan.
“Let me get you cleaned up and I’ll bring us some food.”
“Sure,” she slurs, making me smile. I pull out of her, hearing her mewl of disappointment from the loss, then kiss her back. Picking her up I settle her into bed before going to the bathroom and grabbing a towel to clean her up with. When I come out, she’s on her side, with the blanket tucked around her and her eyes closed. Instead of waking her, I crawl into bed behind her, pull her into my arms, and follow her off to sleep.