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“I don’t know what game you’re playing with Caleb right now, but this is not a game to me, Jake. You are not a game, and I don’t take what we have lightly.”
“But I won’t apologize for how I feel about him. Just like I won’t apologize to him for how I feel about you, Jake—”
“I’d like to know your demons better. Seems only fair when you already know mine.”
“Such a good fucking girl,” he hums against my mouth, making my pussy clench around his fingers. “You want a deep, dark truth from me? Give me one of yours first. Show me what this body wants. Show me what she fucking craves. I want to feel you take your fucking rules and bend them ’til they break.”
She is so beautiful. Clothed or naked…preferably naked…or clothed, but when we’re in private, so I can strip her naked. But naked is always best.
“Okay. See you soon, puppy—” Shit. I don’t hang up fast enough. I drop my hand down to my lap, still clutching the phone. A stiff silence hangs in the air inside this cramped, smelly van. From the middle seat, Morrow and Sully slow turn to look at me. “Puppy?” Novy repeats. I narrow my eyes at all three of them. “You wanna do this now? You really wanna come at me like I don’t know all your collective dirty laundry? Go ahead. First guy to crack a joke and call me ‘puppy’ is volunteering to get roasted.”
“Puppy…totally fits.” Puffing out my chest, I lean between the seats. “Back when Novy and Pop were first sneaking around, I caught him double-teaming her with Morrow in Sully’s guest room.” Sully spins around, glaring between the guys. “Dudes. Seriously?”
“Say it, Tess. Lie to me and say you’re not aching to sit on my dick. My queen on her throne.”
“Teresa Rose Langley,” I call over the storm. “I’ll love you forever, I swear to fucking god.” She smiles up at me looking radiant, her hands wrapping around my wrists as I continue to cup her face. God, she’s mine. “You know my middle name,” she says, and I know tears are mixing with the rain on her cheeks. I nod and smile. “Yeah…seemed like something a husband should know.” “I love you, Ryan. Being your wife makes me happier than I ever thought I could be. I’ll love you forever. Forever and forever. Just kiss me and say I’m yours.”
“I appreciate that,” the nurse replies sweetly. “Well, for now, I’ll take you back for a quick exam,” she says at Rachel. “Daddy, you’re welcome to come too,” she adds at me. “Your other guests can wait here or head down to the cafeteria. If the doctor decides to admit you, they can always meet you up at your room on the L&D floor.” “Oh, no, we’re all daddy,” I say quickly. She glances between us. “You’re all…” She looks back down at her tablet. “Wait—is this like a surrogacy case? ‘Cause that’s not in the chart—” “No,” Rachel replies patiently, still swaying as she breathes. “It’s a
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“You have no doubts of me?” “None,” I reply, holding his gaze. “I have no doubts either,” he replies. “You are my husband, Jake. I seek no exit.” Fuck. I swallow back my tears and nod. “Yeah…no exit.”
“You really gonna open the door looking like that?” I go still, taking in my threadbare sleep pants, bare feet, and no shirt. I drag a hand over my shorn hair. “Too much?” I say with a smirk. “Try too little,” he deadpans. “I can see your dick through those pants, Mars.” I drop my hand to my side. “Why don’t you get the door and I get changed?” “Good idea.” Snatching a squirmy Tuo out of his highchair, Caleb steps past me, heading for the front door.
“Aarre, don’t cry.”
“Yeah, when can I have coffee?” Caleb calls over my shoulder. “Let’s wait until tomorrow,” she replies, following us out and down the hall. “Only water today.” “I like peppermint in my coffee. Tell her, Marsh.” “Yeah, he’s part Christmas elf,” I say, focusing on carrying half his weight as we walk. “It’s sho shweet and shooo good. Hey, remember when Jake got me shome peppermint lube for my birthday and we—” “Oookay,” I say over him, squeezing his hand. “Say goodbye to the nice dentist, Caleb.”
Swallowing my grin, I step up on the truck rail and lean over him, clicking his seatbelt in place. As I crowd his space, his hands reach out for me, pulling at my hips, stroking over my ribs. I go still and he groans, his face dropping forward to press against my shoulder. “You smell so fucking good,” he says, his tone tinged with aching need. “Sometimes I jerk off using your body wash. I pretend the gel is you.” His hands slide back down my sides, gentle caress. “I rub your cum into my skin and let that scent haunt me. Wanna smell like you—”
Caleb mirrors me, smiling like a loon. “Hey, Mars…” I lift a brow at him. “Live long and suck my dick.”
“If you diss Taylor to my fucking face right now, I will file for divorce so fucking fast, I swear to fucking god, Mars.”
“Do you get it now?” he says as the song fades out. “Do you see it, Mars? Do you feel it?” He presses his hand over his heart. “She should have just named the song ‘Say Don’t Go, Ilmari Price.’”
“Jake tells me to be patient, and I am being patient, Mars. I’ll keep waiting. I’ll keep pretending it’s enough because I know you’re not ready and maybe you never will be. But I’m gonna keep waiting, Mars. And maybe someday you’ll look at me the way you look at Rachel, and then I’ll know I don’t have to wait anymore. Because we could be so good together, Mars.”
“Thanks,” I reply, letting her catch Jamie before he can get to us. He whines, calling out for me to hold him. “I’ll come right back down, Jaminen,” I say in Finnish. “Let me help Dada first.” “You sound like a Viking king when you speak Spanish,” says Caleb, his tone taking on a hint of delirium now.
“Say it,” I whisper. It’s wrong of me to ask now, but I can’t help myself. “Caleb…tell me not to go.” I wait for his response…but he’s already asleep.
“It’s fine,” he says, turning away. But it’s not fucking fine. He’s twisted up and I somehow did the twisting. “Mars, come on,” I plead, following after him. “You can’t be mad about something I said while I was drugged out of my mind—” “I said it’s fine. I hold nothing against you. I’m not mad. I’m nothing.” I drop my hand to my side, heart racing as I search his face. Why do I get the feeling that I had something and just lost it? “Mars—”
“Are you in love with me, Mars?” He closes his eyes and lets out a breath. “So much it hurts.”
“This is my goddamn shirt.” I growl the words against his mouth, hands fisting tight to the fabric. “New house rule: you wear my shirt; you wear my cum.”
