The windshield wipers thump noisily back and forth on my truck, barely swiping away the rain before my visibility drops to zero again.
“This is crazy,” Tori murmurs next to me.
“Nothing like a summer storm.” This one blew in out of nowhere, darkening the afternoon sky and backing up traffic.
Tori wanted to love up on Cody before she returned to her sister’s to prepare for the baby’s arrival, so I said I’d drive her. Told her I didn’t mind dropping her back off at the hospital tomorrow either. Life is hectic for both of us right now, but if I have to play chauffeur to see her a few minutes each day, then so be it. Because I need to be with my girl.
Despite our talk at the hospital, she’s been quiet on the drive to the ranch. I’m about to ask her if she’s okay when the rain gets so intense, I have to pull off down an access ramp. I’d rather wait out the storm for ten minutes than get in an accident.
We take the first exit, winding along an isolated road, and end up in a parking lot behind a deserted warehouse. I shift my truck into park.
“Whatcha thinking about over there?” I thread my fingers through hers. “Lay it on me.”
Her thumb slides back and forth across my hand. “How is this supposed to work?” With a sad sigh, she pulls away. “I understand everything that happened with Jamie, and I totally get where you were coming from and what happened last night with him. But what I can’t reconcile is where I stand with you and Allison. Jamie told me you guys were talking on the phone every day, and you have photos of her all over the house—”
“Let me clear this up.” Tori is jealous. Glad I’m not the only one who loses it over this kind of thing. “Allison called me every day. Left messages. To ask about stupid shit or tell me she had invited someone else to the party. Since you left to your sister’s, I’ve only talked to her once on the phone.” I reach for her hand again. “As for the photos, I never wanted Mila to miss her momma. She started having nightmares, and I thought keeping pics of our family might help her, but she stopped having those a few weeks after you moved in with us, so maybe it’s time to tuck them away.”
That wrinkle in her forehead smooths for a second, but then reappears. “Oh. No.” She shakes her head. “The kids should have the photos. That makes sense. Ugh. I sound crazy.”
“No, you don’t.” I kiss her wrist. “What else? Tell me what else happened last night.”
Her shoulders slump. “It was bad.” She swallows. “She threw me out of your house, Ethan. She threatened to call the cops for a whole host of made-up reasons.”
She fills me in on how Allison told her off after I ran to check on Cody, and my blood starts to boil all over again, making me even more confident in my decision. “Baby, I don’t want you to worry. There is no me and Allison.”
“How can you say that? You guys are signing that co-op deal this week, and she made it clear she intends to reconcile with you.”
“Trust me when I say it won’t be a problem.” That gets me an eye roll. She huffs and turns toward the window, which is fogged over. Unclicking my seatbelt and then hers, I scoop her out of her seat and into my lap. That gets me a glare.
“Seriously?”
I shrug. “What? I want to make sure you’re hearing me when I say this. Are you listening?”
After another eye roll, she nods and settles in my arms.
“This is simple. I’m not going through with the co-op. Not with her at least.”
“What are you talking about? How do you plan to pay her back that money?”
I rest my hand on her thigh. “Logan and I talked about it in the ER last night.”
“After I told Logan what happened in the kitchen, he and I decided we’re not moving forward with Allison as a partner.” I’ve never been more grateful than last night to have my brother by my side. Once he knew Cody would be okay at the hospital, he got a ride home from a friend so he could get back to Mila, who was with our mom.
“We love the co-op idea, though, so we’re spending the next few weeks trying to find an investor or two, just not Allison.” I run my thumb along the hem of Tori’s scrubs. “She showed her true colors yesterday, and I plan to fight for sole custody with no shared visitations if she threatens me.”
“Oh, wow.”
“I haven’t wanted to play dirty, to drag her through the mud, but I will if she pushes me. I’m tired of her shit and disgusted with the way she treated you. The way she treats the kids, like they’re an afterthought. The idea of getting back with her is so fucking insane, I’m still shocked she went there.”
Allison didn’t even bother to come to the hospital last night. After she saw our son wailing and hurt and crying for her, she left with Felicia. That’s all I need to know about where her loyalties lie.
I tangle my fingers in Tori’s hair and move her closer. “I feel like crap I wasn’t there to protect you. My house is your home too, and I want you to be comfortable there.”
Her eyes get misty. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me. You mean everything.” I stroke her soft cheek. “I love you, Tori. So much.”
“I love you too.” Her eyes shift down, and an embarrassed smile tilts her lips. “I’ve sort of had it bad for you for a while now.”
“Oh, yeah?” I kiss her neck, and she shivers in my arms. “You cold, baby?”
She nods and turns her face toward me. “But I’m thinking you could warm me up.”
That’s an idea I can get behind.
Glad we’re parked off the beaten path, I scoot her around so she can straddle my lap, except my hand gets trapped between her and the door, and I wince.
“What’s wrong?” she asks. I tilt her toward the passenger seat so I can slide my hand free. When she sees the bruises, she gasps. “Did I do that just now?” She takes my hand in hers.
“No, it’s from last night. From breaking James’s nose.”
Her mouth drops open. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious, and had I known what he’d done to you in my own damn house, I would’ve given him a bigger ass-beating.”
Christ. He must’ve gone after Tori before he and I got into it.
I had gotten Cody situated in the back of my truck with Logan so we could take him to the ER, and as I rounded the front of the vehicle, James got in my face to trash talk Tori. I’m not usually a man to break out a left hook, but between the vile things he was spouting about my girlfriend and my son’s injury, my emotions were running high. Now that I know he basically stalked Tori after she found out he was married, I think the shithead was jealous.
Concern fills her eyes. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“Yeah. A lot actually.” I glance out the window that’s still blurry with rain and condensation to mask my smile. “But you know, if you kiss it, I might feel better.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the worry in her expression slowly morph into a sultry smirk. “Oh, yeah?”
“Definitely. Could help with the swelling.”
Speaking of… I shift underneath her to make more room. With another flick of my wrist, I slide my seat back and recline a bit. Better.
Those pouty lips dust over my knuckles before she whispers, “What else hurts? What else can I make feel better?” She rocks in my lap, and I groan. Reaching up, I untie her bun and all that hair tumbles over us.
Setting aside the jokes, I tell her the truth. “Without you, everything hurts.”
Her eyes turn hazy, those lips parting with a deep breath, electricity and love and some crazy goddamn chemistry sparking between us.
Our mouths crash together.
Somewhere in the universe, stars collide.
We scramble to get closer. To get skin to skin. I’m so hard, my groin aches.
Her shirt goes flying. Then mine. Until my gorgeous woman is only wearing that sheer pink bra and mesh shorts, so I know she can feel how hot I am for her as she thrusts against me.
I’m ravenous. Biting her neck. Sucking on her tight little nipples through the lace. Squeezing her luscious ass. Sliding my hand into her underwear and reveling at how wet she is for me.
Her hands fumble with my fly until she’s pulling me out and stroking my cock that juts out to greet her. With a grunt, I shove my jeans down to make more room and then I’m tugging her shorts and underwear to the side so we can rub, without any barriers.
The feel of her, hot and slick, makes me clench my eyes shut. “Baby, you feel so good.”
“You’re about to feel better.”
I’m reaching for my wallet when it hits me. “Damn it. I don’t have any condoms.” I gave the last one in my wallet to my brother the other night when he had a date.
Tori and I are panting and out of breath, but then she caresses my face. “You know I’m on the pill, but on a scale of one to ten, if I were to get pregnant, how freaked out would you be? Not that I’m looking to make this happen. Just asking as a barometer.”
An automatic smile stretches across my face. That’s an easy answer. “I wouldn’t be freaked out at all. I’d love to have babies with you some day.” God’s honest truth. Never thought I’d be in a place to make long-term plans with another woman again, but when I look at Tori, I see my future stretched out before me, and I want it all with her.
Her eyes get shiny, and she gives me a soft kiss. “And you love me, right?”
“So damn much.”
“Then maybe we don’t have to use condoms.” She studies me, her words cautious. “It would be a first for me, but I want to feel you.”
“Fuck, yes.” The idea of taking her bare is too intense, and I can’t hold back.
Like an explosion of light and energy, we slam back together. Kissing and biting and grinding against each other like we might die if this doesn’t happen.
Sweat builds along my back and chest, the steam from our bodies making the windows opaque against the rainstorm outside.
Reaching between us, she guides me into her tight heat, sliding her hips back and forth and wedging me in. It’s a snug fit because I haven’t done much to prepare her, but based on her moans, she’s loving this as much as I am.
“Ethan. Oh, my God.”
“I know, baby. You feel so good.”
Finally, her ass hits my thighs, and she grabs on to the roof handle with one hand and my knee with the other. I shove her bra down so her swollen tits spill over and suck her nipples to the same rhythm she’s using to impale herself on my cock. I help her glide up and down, the friction so insane, I’m outta my mind for her. For this.
“Need you to come,” I grit out, pushing my hand into her panties and rubbing her clit in those tight circles I know she loves.
I make the mistake of looking down, of seeing how we’re connected, her bare mound moving over my glistening length, taking me in, and I almost lose control.
Dragging my other hand into her hair, I pull her face to mine and kiss her. Bliss is sizzling at my spine, and I’m so damn close that when she starts to contract around me, I can’t hold back any longer. My orgasm barrels through me like a cannonball. Pretty sure I curse or yell, but for the life of me, I can’t make sense of the words coming out of my mouth because I’m coming so hard.
Tori’s whole body arches, and I tuck my forehead to her chest as we pulse together, her body milking mine until she collapses against me.
Dear Jesus, that was awesome.
Drowsy and near delirious with endorphins, I hold her to me and try to catch my breath.
“Think I died and went to heaven,” I pant with a laugh.
She makes a sleepy, contented sound against the crook of my neck. “Let’s just stay here like this and not move.”
“M’kay.” Pretty sure we’re making a mess all over our clothes, but I can’t bring myself to care. I run my palm along her back. “Love you, baby.”
Her lips tilt into a smile along my skin. “Love you too.”
She snuggles on top of me, and I let my eyes fall closed, too content to move. “Got any plans this weekend? Been wanting to take you on that date.” My voice is dry and a bit hoarse. “Sorry I’ve done everything ass-backwards, but I’d like to take you out.” And make you mine. Permanently.
“I’d like that.” She kisses my neck. “Will it be chaperoned, Mr. Carter?”
“Mmm.” I rub her round bottom. “Not sure you can control yourself around me, huh?” I give her a hip thrust, seeing how I’m still nestled deep inside her.
A half-moan, half-giggle escapes her. “Where you’re concerned, definitely not.”
“Darlin’, that makes two of us.”
