Chapter Eleven
“SCOTT’S AT THE marina today. I need to call the salon and have them reschedule my clients,” Sarah said as she and Bones carried the kids into the house. “I can’t let Babs watch Lila when she’s sick. I don’t want to chance her picking something up and passing it on to Kennedy and Lincoln.” Babs babysat them, too.
“I’ll stay with the kids while you’re at work.” He didn’t want to leave them, anyway. Not while Lila was sick and after Bradley had such a hard time leaving the ranch. Both kids had fallen asleep within minutes of leaving Nick’s ranch. Bones had stopped on the way home to get baby Tylenol and Pedialyte and had woken up Lila long enough for her to get the Tylenol and a few sips of Pedialyte down. She was starting to cool off, but Bones knew how quickly kids could take a turn for the worse.
“No way,” Sarah whispered as she laid Lila in the crib and tucked Bradley into bed. She grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall and into the bathroom. Then she wet a washcloth and started scrubbing the puke stain from his shirt. “I appreciate the offer, but this isn’t your responsibility. You’ve been hollered at, cried at, and barfed on. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty as my boy—” She closed her mouth, surprise rising in her eyes.
“Boyfriend?” He touched her hand to stop her from scrubbing the stain. “Finally, you see it, too. This is exactly what boyfriends do. Over the past several weeks I’ve watched you come to grips with letting other people watch your kids. You went from standing guard over them and calling to check on them several times while you were gone to trusting that they were being cared for properly. This is just another step in the ladder of trust. I want to help. Take the step, Sarah.”
“They’re my kids. I’m used to this. I can handle it.”
“I know you can, but you don’t have to. You’re not alone anymore, Sarah. I know you trust me to take good care of them. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have allowed Bradley to ride in my sidecar at the parade.”
“Of course I trust you.”
“Then what is it? Are you afraid I’ll want something in return? That I’ll expect sex? Because I don’t and I won’t. You know I want you, and I know you want me, but not in return for a favor or because it’s expected.”
“I know you aren’t like that,” she said.
“I believe you, but we both know you’re waiting for me to reveal some awful side of myself that simply doesn’t exist.”
She took a step back, sighing heavily. “God, I hate my past. I don’t think you’ll turn into a monster, and I do trust you. It’s just hard for me to accept that you—or anyone—can be so nice. You’ve shown me over and over that I can let my guard down, just as your family and nearly everyone else in this town has. But when I start to let it down, I remember…”
“Remember what, Sarah? Your father? Your ex? I’m not them, and I’ll never, ever, raise a hand to you.”
She made a pained sound, like she hated being in her own head. “I know that, or at least I want to believe it. But watching my kids when Lila is sick? You’ll be pulling your hair out by tonight, and then we’ll be over before we even have a chance to get started. I’ll never be the carefree woman you should be with, Bones. I’m a package deal.”
“I adore you and your packages. These last two months have shown me how good and right we are together.”
“We’ve barely begun dating, and there’s so much you don’t know about me.”
“We have nothing but time for me to learn. And by the way, for a brilliant woman, you have a very short memory.” He tugged off his dirty shirt and quickly washed his chest where Lila had thrown up on him.
As he gathered Sarah in his arms, her eyes skimmed down the tattoos on his chest to his nipple piercings.
“Oh.” Her eyes darkened and flicked up to his. “Do you have more?”
He gathered her in his arms and said, “Tattoos, yes, piercings, no, and I cannot wait for you to play with them, but we need to talk about your concerns first. Didn’t we already establish that we’ve been going on semi-dates for weeks now?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I can take advantage of you.”
“Darlin’, that’s exactly what it means in every way, shape, and form. In fact, I can’t wait for you to take advantage of me.”
“You know what I mean.” She ran her fingertips up the back of his neck. “I love how you go from talking about kids to talking dirty. Doesn’t anything rattle you?”
“Yes, but not this. Taking care of your kids is the top priority.” He kissed her neck tenderly. “But you’re gorgeous, funny, smart, and the only woman I want to have my hands on. Talking about the children will never take away from how I feel about you.”
Her eyes darkened, and she swallowed hard, but it wasn’t embarrassment he saw. It was pure, unbridled desire.
“Are you telling me that you aren’t thinking about kissing me right now?” he whispered against her lips, and her eyes fluttered closed.
“No,” she said softly.
He ran his hands down her back and palmed her ass, earning a throaty moan. “Or touching me?”
Her lips parted, but no words came as he continued kissing her neck and running his hands over her sweet curves. She leaned into him, craning her neck so he could kiss it again. He kissed and licked, and when her fingernails dug into his flesh, he stopped.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, heightening his arousal.
He sealed his lips over her neck and sucked, earning more pleasure-filled sounds.
“Does motherhood negate desire?”
“Not when I’m with you,” she said desperately.
He tugged her shirt from her shoulder and sank his teeth into her warm flesh, giving it a good, hard suck.
Her eyes sparked with heat, and she said, “Do that again.”
Hell yeah, baby. He sealed his mouth over her neck, kissing and sucking until she was rocking against him, panting needily. He rained kisses along her chest, telling himself not to go too fast or push too far. He reclaimed her mouth, more demanding, searching and probing, wanting to inhabit all of her. One arm circled her waist, and his other hand drifted to her ass. She moaned into the kiss, and that sexy sound sent bolts of heat straight to his cock. Kissing Sarah was exquisite, holding back from taking more was torture.
“Bones,” she said with so much raw passion he could drown in it. “How do you do this to me?”
“Do what?” he asked between kisses.
“Oh God. Never mind. I can’t think. Just kiss me again.”
Their mouths crashed together, teeth clanking, tongues tangling. He kissed her deeper, greedily taking as much as she was willing to give. She was right there with him, moaning and digging her fingers into the back of his neck. He wedged his knee between her legs and clutched her ass, trapping his hard length against her thigh. She pushed closer, her belly pressing into him as they groped and ground against each other.
Fuuuck.
She tore her mouth away and said, “You make me want to touch you—and be touched by you.” She guided his mouth to her neck again and ran her hands over his piercings, sending lightning to his cock. “Kiss me there. I love when you kiss me there.”
“Darlin’, you have no idea what you have over me.”
He nipped and sucked, grazing his teeth along her neck, earning one sinful noise after another as she rode his thigh, shattering his last shred of control. He backed her up against the wall. Kissing her passionately, he closed the bathroom door with his foot. She played with his piercings. He wanted to strip her bare and love every inch of her, but now wasn’t the time. Not when the kids could wake up and she had to go to work. Not before he’d earned every ounce of her trust.
“Want to lick them?” he asked in a husky voice full of restraint that he barely recognized.
“Yes.” Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her mouth to his nipple ring. She licked carefully at first. Slowly dragging her tongue around the piercing, then over it, sucking harder. She held on to his back and began riding his thigh again as she sucked and tugged on the piercing. She was a fucking dream come true. She kissed a path across his chest, over his tattoos, and sealed her mouth over his other piercing, a barbell, tugging with her teeth, then sucking hard.
“Fuck…” he ground out, and grabbed her face, slayed by the hunger in her eyes. “You destroy me, Sarah.”
He crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her with hard thrusts of his tongue, the way he wanted to make love to her. She moaned and pawed at him as she pushed his hands beneath her shirt. He trapped her lower lip between his teeth and gave it a tug. Then, holding her gaze, he grabbed the end of the pink sash tied beneath her breasts. He held it for a long moment, silently seeking her approval. Her nod was like a gift, and he tugged it free, kissing her as he slipped his hands under her shirt, caressing her soft skin as he lifted it up over her belly. He drew back, taking in her beautiful curves. Her jeans rode lower than her belly, and she quickly splayed her hands just above the soft band.
He laced his fingers with hers and said, “Don’t hide from me, beautiful.”
“Stretch marks aren’t pretty,” she said.
“Every part of you is stunning. I’m going to make you see and appreciate how beautiful you are, so you’ll never want to cover up from me again.”
He sealed his promise with a kiss, then dropped down to one knee, lavishing kisses all over her belly. When he reached the places she tried to cover up, he traced each slim stretch mark with tender kisses and slicks of his tongue.
“Beautiful,” he said.
She pushed her fingers into his hair, holding so tight it stung. It felt fucking fantastic. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, glistening from their kisses. She was stunning, and she murmured sounds of appreciation with each press of his lips as he loved every inch of her belly, from the soft material of her jeans, along the rounded sides, and all the way up to the crest below her breasts. He lifted her shirt higher, revealing her full breasts straining against pretty white lace. He took a moment to appreciate the trust she was giving him, and then he framed her face with his hands, taking her in a slow, intoxicating kiss.
When their lips parted, her eyes fluttered open and she whispered, “Please don’t stop.”
He unhooked the front clasp on her bra, freeing her gorgeous breasts, and dragged his tongue around her nipple. Nervousness rolled off her as strongly as the heat between them. He lifted his face, searching hers to make sure they were on the same page.
“Feels so good,” she said breathlessly.
He lowered his mouth over one taut peak, sucking and teasing in equal measure. She clutched his arms like she needed him to remain erect. A stream of erotic sounds left her lungs as he cradled her breasts, loving both slowly and sensually. Her skin was warm, her scent potently feminine, and when she arched and murmured, her sweetness drove him out of his frigging mind. He needed to pleasure her, to feel her come apart for him, and he wanted to strip down her jeans, bury his mouth between her legs, and make her come like an avalanche, but that would have to wait. She wasn’t ready to open herself up to him like that. She needed worshipping, to know he was in this for the long haul, and he would enjoy every second of it.
He continued teasing her with light flicks of his tongue, followed by deep, hard sucks, making her breathe harder, and then hardly at all. He squeezed her other nipple between his finger and thumb. She moaned, arching off the wall, and he wedged his thigh between her legs again, creating the friction he knew she needed. She bit down on her lower lip, and her eyes slammed shut. She was so fucking beautiful, it took all of his control not to take more, to at least slip his hand inside her jeans and into her tight heat. But that, too, would have to wait. Instead, he feasted on her mouth, then breasts, neck, and belly, until she was arching and moaning. Her hand slid off his arm and she palmed his cock, squeezing so tight, so perfect, he got carried away and bit down. She cried out in raw, unbridled pleasure, and he slanted his mouth over hers, capturing her sounds as her body quivered and quaked—and then he continued kissing her long after her fireworks ended.
The alarm on her phone sounded, jerking them from their reverie, and she scrambled to pull it from her back pocket before it woke the children. She silenced the alarm, flashing the beautiful smile that always did him in.
“I can’t believe we’ve been in here that long,” she said, wide-eyed and flushed as he rehooked her bra and helped her fix her shirt.
He drew her into his arms and said, “Good lovin’ takes time.”
“I can’t believe you made me…” she said bashfully. “Without touching me down there.”
“I’m going to make you…so many ways, darlin’, you’ll come from across the room when you see me.”
Her cheeks turned impossibly redder. “A little arrogant, aren’t you?” She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
“It’s not arrogance. It’s what I know will be true. Our connection is that strong. You may not be ready to admit it, but I am. Once we come together, you’ll never want to leave my bed.”
She didn’t respond to that, but the hunger in her eyes, followed by a shadow he wished he didn’t see, told him everything he needed to know.
“When you’re ready,” he said reassuringly. “And no, I don’t say that to all women.”
“How did you know…?”
“Because you’ve been hurt, and every time you let me in, I learn more about you. One day you’ll see that the man before you, your man, has no skin to shed.”
“You make it hard to hold back.”
“If I said I didn’t mean to, I’d be lying.”
She glanced at her phone and sighed. “I’m going to be late if I don’t go. You’re a master of distraction. It’s too late to call out from work now. My first client will be there soon.”
He pressed his lips to hers, and then he bent and kissed her belly. “No worries. I’ve got the kids.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind watching them?” She sniffed the air. Then she lifted her arm and sniffed her sleeve. “I smell a little farm fresh. I think I’d better take a quick shower and rinse off.” She reached into the shower and turned on the water. “What if Lila needs me when she wakes up?”
Feigning concern, he said, “Gee, if only there were a device that would allow me to speak to you if we can’t manage.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a pain?”
“I think I like it better when you call me hot. I’ll take good care of the kids while you’re at work.” He slapped her ass and said, “Now get ready. I’ve got to go read Dr. Spock or watch a baby show or something, because if I get my hands on your naked body, you’re going to smell like a lot more than hay.”
BONES COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time he’d been alone in a woman’s house. Not that he was alone now, but he was the only adult in the house, and he still felt Sarah’s presence everywhere—in the curtains she’d made for the back door, which had pictures of little squirrels all over them, in Bradley’s drawings hanging on the side of the refrigerator, and even in the colorful plastic letters stuck to the front of it. He glanced around the cozy living room, littered with toys, blankets, stuffed animals, and other child paraphernalia. He went to the bookshelves, noticing a few romance novels by authors he recognized from the book aisle at the grocery store. You might not be writing your hopeful stories, but at least you haven’t closed off your heart from the idea of romance. A plethora of parenting books, self-help books, and not surprisingly, dozens of children’s books filled the shelves. He scanned the spines of the adult books. The number of books geared toward overcoming fear, becoming emotionally stronger, and teaching a child how to love and be loved brought an ache to his chest.
He pulled out one of the parenting books and flipped through the frayed, dog-eared pages. He wasn’t surprised to find passages underlined and notes written in the margins. He inspected a few of the other books, finding the same evidence of having been studied.
He chose a few of the titles to look through while Sarah was at work and set them on the coffee table. His phone vibrated with a text, and he didn’t have to look to know it was from Sarah.
Are they still asleep?
He sent a quick response as he walked to the bedroom. Shouldn’t you be making someone beautiful?
He took a picture of Lila, fast asleep and snuggling her hedgehog. She was suckling, though her mouth was void of a thumb. He fought the urge to pick her up, wanting desperately to take away the sickness that flushed her cheeks, and turned toward the bed.
Sarah’s response rolled in as he noticed how small Bradley looked in the big bed. Bones smiled to himself thinking of how hard Bradley had fought to remain on the farm. His gut instinct had been to tell Bradley he was the big brother and that he needed to protect his baby sister, the way he’d been taught. But it seemed like too big a responsibility to put on such a little guy, and that thought was accompanied by a large dose of guilt.
He took a picture of her sleeping boy and quietly left the room as he read Sarah’s message. She’s getting her hair washed. Are they okay? I feel so guilty leaving when Lila’s sick, and even worse leaving you with them. I’m sorry.
He texted her the pictures of the children despite knowing the pictures might momentarily ease her worries, but nothing could dismiss them altogether. He texted, We’re all fine. Turn off your mommy brain and turn on your hairdresser brain. I promise we’re good.
Her response was immediate. They’re such angels when they’re sleeping. Thank you. I’ll make it up to you.
He started to type a sexy innuendo, then ground out a curse as he deleted it. He didn’t want her to think he expected anything in return for watching the kids. Instead he typed, No need to make up for anything, but I’ll happily accept whatever you’re offering. After sending the message, he couldn’t stop thinking about their bathroom tryst. He hadn’t even touched her below the waist and he was hard thinking about making out with her. A smile crept across his lips, and he sent another text, hoping to give her a little rush, too.
PS: I can still taste you…
His phone vibrated seconds later. How am I supposed to think about cutting hair with THAT on my mind? She added an emoji with wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and a straight line for a mouth.
“Darlin’, you are too cute,” he said softly. He sent her an emoji licking its lips and one with hearts in its eyes. Then he scratched an itch on his chest and remembered he was shirtless. He needed clean clothes and a shower. He called Bear.
“Hey, Bones. What’s up?”
“You busy?”
“Not naked, if that’s what you mean. What do you need?”
Bones heard the smirk in his voice. “Can you swing by my place to pick up clean clothes for me and drop them off at Sarah’s?” He explained that he was watching the kids while Sarah was at work. “You should probably grab a few T-shirts in case Lila pukes again. Actually, can you hang out here while I shower, too? You know what? Never mind. I should probably ask Tru.”
“What? Why?” Bear sounded offended.
“Lila’s sick, man. You’ve never taken care of a sick kid.”
“Dude, you’re showering, not going for a three-hour ride. I’ll be there in half an hour. Try not to panic before then.”
Bear arrived with a duffel bag and shoved it into Bones’s hand as he came through the door. “How’s the Daddy Daycare going?”
“They’re still sleeping. Thanks for coming over.” He unzipped the duffel and rifled through the clothes. There were several T-shirts, a few pairs of jeans, sweatpants, boxer briefs, socks. “What’d you do, clear out my drawers?”
“You’ve got a puking baby. Trust me, you’ll need them. Crystal was puking yesterday. There must be something going around. Now, get your ass in the shower so I can get back to my girl.”
“Thanks, man.” Bones went to shower.
The steam heightened the scent of Sarah’s lilac bodywash, reminding him of how good she felt and of all the sensual sounds she’d made. It was only a short leap to imagine her naked in the shower with him, her mouth on his piercings, then lower. Aaand now he was hard again. He turned up the cold water. Now he was cold and hard. He gritted his teeth, forced himself to think of Bear hanging out in the living room waiting for him.
Mission accomplished.
Ten minutes later he was clean, dressed, and thanking Bear. “I really appreciate you sticking around.”
“You’re really overprotective, you know that? How do you think Sarah showers?”
“Naked,” he said to shut him up.
Bear chuckled.
“I have no idea how she does any of what she does,” Bones admitted. “She makes it all look easy. But hey, she trusts me with the two most important things in her life. I don’t want to screw it up.”
Bear scoffed. “Dude, you’ve never screwed up a damn thing in your life.”
“Sure I have.” The ability to disassociate came in handy in more ways than one. Not only hadn’t he been there to help when his father had a stroke, but although he was an equal partner in both family businesses, he had never gotten his hands dirty in either one. He pitched in capital when they wanted to expand or needed to renovate, but he’d gone straight from medical school to practicing medicine. There was a certain amount of guilt that went along with not being in the trenches with his family—and it was only about half as much guilt as what he carried over Thomas’s death.
“You got in your fair share of trouble when you were young and bullheaded, like we all did,” Bear said. “But you don’t screw up. I bet you’ve already figured out which websites you should look at to make sure you change Lila’s diaper right or to read the right bedtime story.”
A low laugh rumbled up from Bones’s chest. “You’re an idiot.”
“I’ll take that to mean I’m right. You riding with us tomorrow? We’re heading out to Capshaw Island.” Capshaw Island was a small fishing town a little more than an hour away, best known for wild horses that had inhabited the island for hundreds of years.
Thinking about Sarah he said, “Not this time. Thanks.”
The edge of Bear’s mouth tipped up. He raked a hand through his thick dark hair, a twinkle of mischief shimmering in his eyes. “Hoping to get a little Mommy action?”
“Dude, watch it.”
“What? You think it’s a secret you two are into each other?”
“No, but come on. Mommy action?”
“She’s hot—there no doubt about that—but she’s also a mother and pregnant with some other dude’s baby. You sure you want to go there?”
Bones gritted his teeth. He didn’t give a fuck about what anyone else thought. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
“I figured as much, but you know, you’re used to only seeing a chick here or there. This is instafamily all the way.”
The hair on the back of Bones’s neck stood on end. He stared directly into Bear’s eyes and said, “You saying I like to shirk responsibility? Do you see any other guy here right now? No. I’m here, man. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Whoa, dude.” Bear stepped back, holding his hands up. “What just bit your balls?”
Bones turned away, rubbing a knot in the back of his neck. He hadn’t meant to go off on Bear, but sometimes guilt ate away at him. “Sorry.”
“No, really, what was that all about?”
Bones faced him again. “Misplaced anger. I wasn’t there when you needed me when Dad had his stroke. I thought you were giving me shit about it.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Bear took a few steps away, an incredulous laugh falling from his lips. “Dude, you asked me if I wanted you to come back. I said stay at school. Done deal. The only reason I asked about Sarah is that you’re the guy who researches the hell out of everything before making decisions. Remember when you wanted to buy a new bike? Man, it took you almost nine months comparing all the models. You just about drove me crazy. I design and fix bikes for a living, and you couldn’t take my opinion as gold? And how about when you bought each of your other vehicles? Months, man. A fucking car and a truck, and you’re acting like you’re breaking into Fort Knox. You had no couch in your house for half a year after you moved in. All I’m saying is you’re not a quick decision maker. And with Sarah, you were in from day one. Whether you knew it or not, the rest of us did. You didn’t know a lick of information about her. You saw her and bam. Done. Everyone expects that from me, but not from you.”
Bones clenched his jaw. He wasn’t about to deny the truth or make excuses for his feelings.
“I just want you to be careful,” Bear said, a little kinder. “I like Sarah a lot, and her kids are great. But you’re my blood, and in my book, that comes first. You give your all to whatever you set your mind to. That’s who you are down to your very soul. When you die, you’re going to have researched and planned it to the very second.”
Bones chuckled.
“You laugh, but trust me, bro. If anyone can do it, it’ll be you. I don’t want you to be the one who is giving it all he’s got and planning a life that could be taken away at any second. What do we even know about the father of her kids? Huh? What if he comes back for them?”
“We know he’s a fucking asshole and if he dares show his face around here, he’ll have me to deal with.”
Bear picked up a parenting book from the coffee table and waved it at Bones. “No. He’ll have us to deal with.”
The Whiskey way.
He tossed the book on the table and said, “Are we cool, or do you want to kick my ass? Because”—he grabbed his own ass and smirked—“I don’t need bruises before I go home and show my sexy-as-fuck wife how much I missed her.”
“We’re cool. Thanks for coming over.” He offered a hand, and when Bear took it, he pulled him into an embrace. “I appreciate you having my back.”
“For real, man. I’m behind you one hundred percent. But I gotta ask. Is it true what they say about pregnancy hormones?”
“Bear,” Bones warned.
“What? I hear preggos never leggo—”
Bones smacked him upside the head. “Go home, Bear.”
“Careful, or the baby will be born with a dent in its head.”
Bones swatted at him, and Bear ducked, laughing as he headed for the door.
“Okay, okay, I’m going.” He pulled open the door and turned a shit-eating grin to Bones. “Hey, since she’s pregnant, does that mean you get to eat her out for twice as long?”
Bones landed a punch on Bear’s arm and chased him out the door, stopping halfway to the driveway. “You went too far, man. Too far.”
Bear climbed on his motorcycle and hollered, “Love you, bro. And don’t think I don’t know the only reason you aren’t hammering me is that you wouldn’t be able to hear the kids while you did it.”
“Damn right. Now, get out of here and give Crystal a hug for me.”
“Keep my girl out of your fantasies, or I will crush your skull.” Bear pulled on his helmet and drove away.
“Idiot,” Bones mumbled as he walked back to the house.
Damn, that motorcycle might wake the kids.
The thought stopped him in his tracks. Hell yeah, I’m all in.