Waking up to Rae the next morning was the most amazing experience I’ve had in a good many years. Her soft skin was pressed against mine, her naked body and soft curves molding to my hard frame in a way that filled my head with lust and woke up my dick. Painfully hard in seconds I nearly groaned when she pressed her cute little ass closer, right into my groin.

Down boy, I thought, you’ll get action soon enough.

Now that she was in my arms I wasn’t letting her go anytime soon. I hadn’t had nearly enough of her tight pussy yet and planned on keeping her in this bed as long as she would let me. She was going to be sore, but somehow I didn’t think she would mind.

“You awake?” she mumbled, her voice throaty and sexy as hell from sleep.

“Yeah, baby. You woke up my dick already.”

“Peter!” she admonished, and I laughed. Shocking her was my new favorite pastime.

“What? Did you think I wouldn’t wake up and want you right away?”

She shook her head but smiled, “You haven’t changed.”

“Nope and I don’t plan on it either,” a wicked grin spread across my lips. “I’d like to fuck you good and hard this morning before breakfast, then after breakfast in the shower up against the wall. After that, I want to spread your legs and –”

She smacked me with a laugh, “You’re terrible.”

She didn’t have any clue how serious I was, “That pussy is mine babe. You already agreed so now I’m just claiming ownership.” Logical, right?

She tilted her pretty head to the side, her big chocolate brown eyes full of so much love that I swallowed hard, “I did say that, but the thing is my heart and my body are a package deal. You’re stuck with me now Peter Harding.”

“I think I’m alright with that.”

“You sure? I might be a big pain in the ass,” she smirked.

“You’ve always been a big pain in the ass,” I reminded her as my hands lowered, gripping her tight little cheeks as I leaned in and kissed her, thrusting my tongue into her mouth.

The sex was hot and heavy as a result, and we were both sweaty when I rolled off her, catching my breath. We lay there until our breathing returned to normal and then I sat up and pulled her into my lap, needing to touch her as much as possible. So many years apart had grown my hunger and need for her to such an extent I wasn’t sure there would ever be a day I didn’t want to keep her in the sheets twenty-four seven.

Her head rested against my chest as my fingers brushed across her soft skin. She sat up suddenly a look of curiosity on her face, “When the hell did you get so big? You’re huge Pete, like pro wrestler big.” I tried to ignore the instant arousal she invoked in me the moment her fingertips trailed across my stomach, but my dick jumped to immediate attention anyway. Damn, I was ready again, that fast.

I snickered, shaking my head. “I had to do something to pass the time without you,” I explained, brushing her hair past her ear. “And the only thing that worked was pushing myself and my limits. I spent every waking moment I could in the gym.” My lips lowered and swept across her own, whisper softly, “Nothing worked though. I was still tormented every single minute without you.”

“Oh Pete, I never stopped missing you, every minute of every day.”

I didn’t like to see her so sad, “None of that matters anymore baby. We’re together now.”

Rae didn’t answer but sat up, her eyes roaming over my body. It wasn’t a look of lust or curiosity but anger and frustration.

“So many scars,” she choked, and I winced at the raw emotion in her gaze. Her fingers swept across my muscles and dipped across my chest and abdomen, renewing my hunger to taste and fill her until I noticed she was counting each imperfection on my skin, “Fourteen.”

When she lifted her chin, I flinched at the pain in her coffee-colored eyes.

“It’s been a long five years,” I finally replied after the silence had stretched too long between us. She was the first to break eye contact when her head lowered to my neck and I felt the warm droplets of her tears drip onto my skin. “Hey,” I gulped, raising her chin, my voice catching. “No tears. The past doesn’t matter.”

That statement wasn’t entirely true, like a double-edged sword it haunted and cut me from every angle, but that was entirely due to Rafe, Striker, both MCs, and our fathers’ past, including the sins they heaped down upon us long after Ron’s death and Mack’s exile. Now, with my brother – my brother, wow – things were more complex.

“When did you get my name tattooed on your chest?” her soft question pulled me from my thoughts. I wondered why she hadn’t asked me the moment I pulled off my shirt last night. Her gaze had locked on it momentarily, but she never uttered a word.

“The day after you left,” I admitted, leaning in to kiss her. “If I couldn’t have you at least I could carry you with me wherever I went.”

“Pet, it’s gorgeous. I love it,” she gushed, placing her hand over my heart, the exact same spot as the heart that carried her name across it.

My hand covered hers, gripping her fingers lightly, “I told you when you left, you and I are a forever thing.”

She pressed her lips to mine and smiled, “Yeah, we are. I love you.”

An easy and comfortable silence stretched between us as I held her, both my arms and my heart full.

“What happened after that night? When we saw each other at Crazy Eights?”

“I was arrested. You saw me. Remember?” I asked, brushing my lips across her jawline, loving the way her skin pebbled as she shivered. “I called your name, ready to tell you I still loved you until you turned away from me.” I didn’t mean for my voice to sound so hurt by that but I couldn’t mask it entirely.

“I’m sorry Pete. I was angry and frightened, and I couldn’t believe they were arresting you after you were only trying to save me. So many emotions ran through me, seeing you after four agonizing years . . .” she sighed. “Pet, I’ve never stopped loving you. That night I was frustrated with myself because I knew I’d never be able to get over you –”

I silenced her with a kiss, her next words didn’t matter.

I almost asked her why she never visited me when I was incarcerated but decided that answer wasn’t important. It changed nothing.

Laying her back on the sheets I parted her thighs and sank between them, dropping little kisses down her neck, pausing to nibble her earlobe until I moved slowly lower. “Damn baby, you have perfect tits.”

“I don’t think you’ve paid enough attention to them. In fact, I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen nearly enough of your cock yet.”

Hearing that pretty mouth and sweet tongue say those words had me groaning loudly in response.

My rigid dick jumped in my pants.

Her hand lowered to my waistband and slipped beneath the material to wrap around my hard cock.

“Why don’t I take care of this for you?” She asked in a sultry voice.

Fuck. I loved this woman.

***

FOR THREE BLISSFUL days we spent every minute in each other’s arms. Rae called off for a few days from work, and I let my brothers know where I was. I was in no rush to leave her. In fact, I was taking her with me, and I didn’t care if she argued or tried to refuse. From this moment on Rae and I were living together. Mack’s house was in my name now, so we had a nice place to stay and raise a family once she was ready.

Later that afternoon she hopped in the shower and I took a few minutes to put something together to surprise her. Damn, I was kind of sappy and cheesy with this shit but fuck I loved my girl, and she needed to know it.

Rae’s jaw dropped when she walked into the bedroom about twenty minutes later. I immediately sensed her wide range of surging emotion – joy, surprise, desire – but most of all love. She was near glowing with happiness and my chest expanded with the knowledge that I put that smile on her face. Being together again was better than I ever could have dreamed.

I stood in a pair of loose pants, shirtless and using that to my advantage. White candles lit up the room as I hit play on my phone and the soft melody of, “This Goes out to You” by Adelitas Way, filled the air. That song had broken my heart over and over again whenever I thought of her.

I held out my hand, and she smiled accepting it with a tear-filled gaze. Holding her in my arms, I began to sing the lyrics, low and soft as we began to sway.

“Baby if you only knew

How much you amaze me.

I wish that I could find the words

For the love that you give me.

But here's a song I dedicate to you.

For every day that I went away,

And all the times that I didn't say I love you.

This goes out to you

My love, my love.

This goes out to you

My love, my love.”

“Oh Peter,” she whispered, as the tears slipped down her cheeks.

I spun her out and back in again, bringing her close and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before I continued, my voice joining the song again.

“For every day that I went away,

And all the times that I didn't say I love you.

This goes out to you, my love, my love.

For every day that I went away,

And all the nights that I'd lay awake,

'Cause every time that I didn't say I love you,

This goes out to you

My love, my love.”

The song ended and restarted on repeat, but I didn’t sing it again. Instead, I held her and swayed to the music, dropped my mouth close to her ear and whispered my love, my devotion, and I poured my heart and soul into hers, filling her so completely with my words that I was certain she would never doubt my feelings for her again.

“I love you, Rae. You’re my heart, now and forever baby.”

Her fingers gripped my shirt tight and her breath stuttered as she replied, “I love you too, Peter.”