MIAN

One Year Later

 

SOMETIMES YOU FIND happiness, and sometimes happiness finds you. Right now, happiness was using his mouth to drive me crazy. I gripped his soft locks tighter between my fingers but had nothing to use to bury my moans when his tongue found my clit. My bare ass was slippery against the leather seat of his car as he ate me as if we hadn’t just come from dinner and dancing.

Tonight was date night, and Angel had just driven me home from the club. He had barely taken his eyes off me the entire night, so I suppose I should have expected this when I chose the tight black dress with the plunging neckline.

Back at the club, in the middle of the dance floor, he had used his fingers to bring me release, and now he’d chosen the curb where anyone could walk by. He’d also parked the Mustang under a street lamp. I should have said no, but he’d pushed my dress up my thighs and ordered me to lean against the car door there was nothing I could do to resist.

Just then, I heard laughter off in the distance. I cracked open my eyes enough to see a couple walking by on the other side of the street. They never once glanced our way, but I tensed anyway.

“Angel… baby… you have to stop. Someone will see.” To my surprise, his head lifted, and I was met with the intensity of his need as his brown eyes met mine.

“Come here.” I did as he asked and tasted myself on his lips with a moan when he kissed me. “Do you taste your sweetness?” he asked when he pulled away. His voice was thick with untamed desire. “How can you ask me to fucking stop?”

“I just think maybe we could take this inside,” I flirted. His eyes were wide with surprise. We’ve been divorced and dating for a year, but even though I agreed to give our love a try, I still set some boundaries. Like not staying overnight at the brownstone with Caylen and me. He’s been patient, letting me set the pace and make the rules, even though I knew the small space I kept between us was hurting him. I just had to be sure that what I wanted was also best for my son. Even without us living together, the bond that had been there between Angel and Caylen when he was just a baby was restored almost instantly. If Angel broke his promise or he left, I wouldn’t be the only one heartbroken this time.

“Are you sure?” There was so much hope in his eyes that I was almost sorry I hadn’t done it sooner.

“I haven’t given you your birthday present yet.” I reached down and pulled his gift from my bag. “I think this will show you how sure I am.”

He slowly took the small box from my hands. It was the same size as the one he’d given Caylen four years ago. As he untied the bow and tore the wrapping, I held my breath. He lifted the top and lying on the bedding was a replica of the brass key he’d given to Caylen and me for his first birthday.

His head lifted. His gaze met mine. The love in his eyes shone brightly. “Is this?”

I took the key from the box and his key ring from the ignition. “Caylen is ready.” He didn’t say anything as I slipped the key onto his key ring. “And so am I.”

I didn’t get the chance to say more when he kissed me hard and deep. “About fucking time,” he mumbled against my lips. “You were killing me, Sprite.”

My laugh was cut short when a knock on the window interrupted our moment. Angel turned, jaw hard and shoulders tense, to face the intruder at his window. I was surprised to see my dad standing there and also a little worried about how much he might have seen.

“What?” Angel greeted gruffly. I punched his arm, but he didn’t even acknowledge my warning as he stared back at my father who was bent over and looking straight at me.

“I asked you to have my daughter home at a reasonable hour.”

For the love of God. 

It had been a year since Angel came home, and their pissing contest when it came to me wasn’t even close to ending. Of course, my dad hadn’t actually been serious when he set a curfew. First, because I’m a grown woman. Second, because Angel would have flipped him the bird if I hadn’t been holding his hand and his other hand hadn’t been holding Caylen against his side.

Dad’s been making an effort, despite trying to enforce himself as the dominant male in my life, to get along with Angel.

Angel has made no such effort.

Although he did go to prison so I could have a relationship with my father again. I think he’d drawn the line there four years ago.

“I’ll be right in,” I said before Angel could respond. Sometimes, it made me sad that they would never get along, and other times, I remember the men they once were and was just glad they weren’t trying to kill each other.

“All right, baby girl. I put Caylen to bed an hour ago. I’ll be inside.” That was his way of letting me know to do what I needed to do. He banged his knuckles on the hood of Angel’s precious car to piss him off before walking away. I held in my snicker when Angel’s nostrils flared as he watched him walk away.

“I promised I wouldn’t kill your dad, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kick his ass.”

  “You do know if you ever want to marry me again, you’re going to have to ask him for my hand.”

His answering grunt was full of challenge as he eyed me. “Your father knows better than that. He’ll be lucky if I let him come to the wedding.”

It was my turn to make a rude sound. “I think you’re both lucky I decided to forgive either of you.”

His voice softened as he stared back at me. “I’m now the luckiest man in the world, baby.” The butterflies returned, and I was ready to forgive him for being rude to my father when he added, “But my first action as the man of the house will be to make you scream my name.” The evil glint in his eyes told me he wasn’t speaking about the one his mother had given him.

“I am not calling you daddy when we fuck.”

The kiss he placed upon my lips was succulent and full of promise. “We’ll see about that.”

“Angel…” My voice held a warning note.

“Little Mian Ross, it’s past your curfew.” He leaned over and kissed my lips again. “Now go inside before daddy spanks you.”

Oh, God.

I could feel his words deep in my cunt where he should have been. But there was also disappointment when his words registered. “You aren’t coming in?”

He shook his head, his face a mask of the same disappointment I felt. “Lucas thinks he has some information about Z.”

It’s been two years since Z’s disappearance, and while we all feared he was dead, none of us was willing to let go of him. It was never far from my mind that if Angel had still been the Knight, he would have probably found him by now or at least uncovered what had happened to him.

“I understand.” After all, it was his promise to me that kept him in the dark this long.

He walked me to the door and then kissed me goodnight one last time. My father was waiting in the living room when I walked inside.

“How was your date?”

“It was good, Daddy, but my feet are sore from dancing the night away.” I stepped out of the red stilts that were more Brandi’s style.  

“Glad you had fun.” He fell silent, but I had a feeling he had more to say, so I waited. “So, did you give him the key?”

“I did.” His face remained emotionless as he nodded and stood.

“Then I’m happy for you, baby girl.”

“Are you still going to make it to Caylen’s birthday party this weekend?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He kissed my forehead as he passed, but I stopped him from leaving when I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tight.

“I’ll always be your girl, Daddy.” It had taken some time for me to trust him again, but I was thankful every day for a second chance with my father. One of the rules I’d established when Angel and I started dating was that he’d accept that my father would be in our lives. Other than an occasional snarky comment from both sides, it’s being going really well.

“I know, baby. I don’t care what that asshole says,” he added good-naturedly. I smiled against his chest and then let him go as I said my good night. 

Upstairs, I stopped to check in on Caylen. He was in his usual balled up position with his knees tucked under his chin and his covers and pillows dangling over the side of the bed. I smiled as I fixed his pillows and pulled the covers over him.  

After my shower, I found messages from Anna and Tabitha asking if I’d given Angel the key. It hadn’t been a spur of the moment decision, but one that had put my head through the wringer for months.

Living together was the next step in our relationship and maybe just maybe, one day, we’d put it on paper again, and this time it would be our choice.

 

* * *

 

I HEARD MYSELF sigh when I felt the kiss on my shoulder. His masculine scent surrounded me at the same time his heat did as he pulled me into his body. “You came back,” I whispered into the dark.

“Did you really think I’d stay away?”

I didn’t say anything as his body settled. He was naked from the waist up, and I guessed by the feeling of his bare legs tangling with mine that he was wearing shorts. I’d worn his shirt to bed because it smelled like him, but I found that the real thing was so much better. 

“Any news?” His sigh, then the silence that followed was telling. My heart broke for him as I pictured Z’s smile. I couldn’t believe that it’s been two years since he had disappeared.

“It was another dead end.”

“I’m sorry,” I said as I hugged his waist.

His head dipped, and then he was kissing me. When he pulled back, my eyes finally opened, and I found him staring through the dark.

“I love you.”

I’ve heard him say it a thousand times and each time still felt like the first. 

“I love you too.”

“Whatever happens, whatever it takes, I’ll always choose you.”

“Because you’re my knight in shining armor?”

His boyish smile lit up the dark corners of his soul.

“Because I’m yours.”

 

 

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