Sable Peak (The Edens, #6)

by Devney Perry

“Noted.” Mateo’s jaw ticked.

“I want you. So much I can’t see straight. But I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want sex to be all we have. I don’t want to wake up in bed one morning and have you tell me it’s been fun and all, but a relationship isn’t really what you’re after.

That the months we’ve been together meant nothing. And I don’t want to walk away and find out nine months later I have a daughter no one was ever going to fucking tell me about. That is why I stopped kissing you last night.”

“I’m trying, Vera. I’m trying so hard to do us right.” “Us?”

He buried his nose in my hair. “Us.”

“Don’t go. I meant what I said earlier. I don’t want to fuck this up. Part of me knows the responsible thing to do is get an umbrella and walk you to your car. But the other part wants to say fuck it. To pick you up and carry you to my bed and pray like hell I don’t ruin us.”

“You won’t ruin us.” “I might.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“Mateo.” “Fuck, I want to taste every inch of you.”

“Don’t stop.” The corner of his sinful mouth turned up.

It was like shattering into a million pieces and when those pieces came together again, I was someone new. Mateo’s. I was Mateo’s. “Fuck, Vera.”

And just as I was drifting into dreamland, his lips brushed the shell of my ear as he whispered, “Mine.”

They smiled at each other, and my hand came to my heart. After last night, there was no going back with Vera. She wasn’t just under my skin, she’d burrowed down to my bones, infusing the marrow each passing day. The way she was with Allie was . . . a gift.

“How are my girls?”

And Vera blushed, trying to hide her rosy cheeks with her coffee mug.

God, I hoped that blush didn’t fade. I hoped that twenty years from now, she blushed just as often and kept giving me that sweet, shy smile.

“I don’t want to fuck it up with Vera.”

“Then don’t fuck it up,” Knox said.

I laughed. “That easy?” “Yeah, brother. It’s that easy. Just love her. The rest takes care of itself.”

“If you can’t do that,” Knox said, “let her go.”

No. Not an option. Not after last night.

“Okay, as in you can study at home. Allie sleeps best in her bed. And I want you in mine.” Her cheeks pinkened. It never got old.

“I don’t like thunderstorms.”

She was in here, standing guard, wasn’t she? She was protecting my daughter from the storm.

My heart split down the middle. One half, so fucking full that she loved Alaina enough to act as her guardian. The other half, devastated for the terrified woman in my arms.

I breathed her in, a smile ghosting my lips. God, I loved that she was mad. That she knew how special Allie was. That she’d fight to stay in my daughter’s life.

“Don’t ever do that to me again. Don’t ever leave without telling me where you’re going. If something is wrong, talk. To. Me.”

“He’s not all you have. Not anymore.”

“From now on, we go out here together.” “W-what? You want to help?”

“Yeah. And I don’t want you out here alone. Not anymore.”

“Am I a part of your life?” “Yes.” “Then he’s got to meet me at some point.” “But—” “Just say yes, Peach.” She sighed. “Yes.” “No more hiking alone. Promise?” “Promise.”

He reached between us, finding my sensitive flesh. Then with a smirk, he pushed his come inside me with a finger. I gasped, my mouth parting. “Oh.” “That’s a new oh. I like it.” He licked his lower lip. Then he licked mine.

“It’s fucking sexy knowing that I’m all over your skin. And tonight, after we get dirty again, I’ll wash it all off in the shower together. Now get dressed.”

I wasn’t a man who needed wealth to feel successful. I counted blessings, not pennies. My good fortune came from those I loved, especially the little girl asleep for her afternoon nap and the woman who had captured my heart in a matter of weeks.

You were born to fly.

“I wish I could take it from you.” She swallowed hard. “I would never let you.”

“First, I’m going to fuck you with my fingers. Then you’ll get my tongue. And after you come twice, you can have my cock.” “Yes,” she breathed.

Fucking hell. She wasn’t the first woman to call me baby. But she’d be the last. “Say it again.” “Baby.”

“I—” Loved her. I loved her. It was a fight, but I held back the words. Not today.

My view. This was mine. He was mine. I was keeping him forever.

I loved Mateo for trying to understand. I loved him for not pushing me to talk. I loved him for the distraction of a flight school and the name we still hadn’t chosen. I loved him. For always.

To be the woman who I might have become if not for before. A normal life. With Mateo. With Allie. And maybe, if I was lucky, with my dad.

“Miss Gallagher, we have reason to believe your father is dead.”

“Dad isn’t dead.”

“I can feel your eyes on my ass.” He twisted and shot me a wicked grin. I giggled. “Guilty.” “To be fair, I was staring at yours all morning.”

“Can I tell you something?” “Always.” “Part of me is terrified that when we find your father, you’ll stay with him.”

“No. Even if we find him, I won’t stay.”

“Dad loves it out here. This is where he belongs now. What happened . . . it broke him. Broke us.”

“Not ...

I loved her. More than my own life. Allie loved her. We were her family. With or without her father.