Each word out of my mouth has her eyes widening. Hell, I don’t even know where that all came from but I need her to understand. I need her to get on the same page as I am before I am the one losing myself in someone who doesn’t want me.

“My mom has custody of Cohen, Fia’s son, but that is only because with all the hours I work it isn’t possible for me to have him. I spend as much time as I can with him, but that still isn’t enough. Mom’s old but can still get around. She doesn’t work, because, well…she’s old. And even though she can get around, that doesn’t mean she does it without difficulties. My check pays for everything, which is why I live in a shit-hole apartment in the middle of the hood. Cohen and his wellbeing get it all. Do not think that is a complaint. I would give everything for that kid.” She pauses and looks into my eyes for a few seconds before looking back at my hand resting on her leg. I give her a light squeeze and she continues, “Simon, Fia’s ex, was a real douche. Already told you about him, but even though he is gone, I still feel like he is fucking with my family. His mom, Susan, has been coming around for the last year trying to get Cohen. She tried to go the legal route, but there was no judge in the world that would give her custody or even visiting rights. Bad, the worst kind of human being.”

I am well informed about Susan Wagner. But I’m not letting her know about that right now. She is just letting me in, starting to let her walls down and trust me. No way am I messing with that right now.

“So, anyway. She’s been causing some drama. Calling, sending letters, and coming around. She’s harmless but annoying, and it scares Cohen. That is what I’ve been dealing with since Sunday. Trying to keep my mom calm and Cohen clueless.”

“You think she will be trouble?” I question.

“No. I mean, yes for now, but I think she just misses her son, or I should say the idea of her son. She doesn’t want Cohen; she just doesn’t want us to have him.”

“Seems reasonable baby, but I don’t like you dealing with that alone.”

“I’m not alone,” she says with small smile tips up her lips.

“No, Beauty…you definitely are not.”

We have been sitting here for a while just silently taking each other in when her voice breaks the stillness. “Tell me about Grace.”

“Trying to change the subject?” I laugh but I really am just happy she wants to know more about me.

“I just want to know you, all of you, even that beast you only seem to throw around toward me.” She smiles and leans her head on my shoulder.

“Grace was amazing. We were best friends and each other’s shadow our whole lives. She didn’t take it well when I enlisted but she knew it was what I wanted. Our dad was a career Marine and I knew before I could walk that that’s what I would do. He was the bravest man we knew until we lost him. She knew what it meant to carry on his memory. We talked as often as we could but that still wasn’t enough. I met her boyfriend once when I was home on leave and didn’t like the bastard. Told her, but she was in love so there wasn’t anything I could say. That was the only time we disagreed about anything. She married him shortly after I left. Twenty years old and ready to follow him around the world if he asked.” I take a deep breath and think back to her beautiful smile and her violet eyes. “You would have loved her. She was a lot like Dee, always happy. You know how I got the call. Needless to say, I didn’t take that shit well. I went off the deep end. The second I could get out, I left the Marines and the only dream I’ve ever had behind and disappeared. Axel and the boys, hell my own mother, no one knew where I was for almost two years. Met a guy on the road who helped me sort my shit, came back home, and started my own company. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“It gets better? Losing the other part of you?” She asks. I know what she means. Grace was the other part of my soul and I’m guessing her sister was hers.

“Yeah baby, it gets better. Never easy, but it gets better.”

“That’s good. I don’t want to hurt anymore,” she whispers.

“With me around, I’ll do my best to make sure you never do.” She pulls her head off my shoulder, shifts lightly, and brings her hands up to cup my face before dropping her forehead against mine.

“You’re a good man, Greg Cage. You give me some time, and I might just fall in love with you.”

“That’s the plan, Beauty.” I whisper and take her lips, delivering the message that I hope shows her how much I want to be worthy that love.

Chapter 18

When I pull Melissa off the couch and lead her upstairs to my room, I know this will be more than just burning up the sheets. This is about communicating without words what needs to be shown and not said, giving her what she needs from me, and making sure she feels ‘it’. I’m no blushing virgin but even I am feeling the pressure to make sure this is something for the record books.

When we reach my bedroom, I pull her close and drop my lips to hers. Simple and slow, I make love to her mouth.

This is a slow mating. We stand there with our arms wrapped around each other and just savor. Neither of us is in a hurry, but both of us are in need. Slowly we take turns peeling the clothes from each other’s bodies, and when we are both naked, we just stand there taking each other in. Her skin is flawless, glowing with a natural tan. Her tits make my mouth water and my dick jump. Those legs, my balls tighten just taking in her long legs. I knew the backside is just as good as the front; she is pure perfection and beauty.

“You going to keep devouring me with your eyes, baby?” There it is again, and this time she is wide awake.

Baby.

Reaching out and hooking her around the waist earns me a breathy sigh and I smile down at her before returning my lips to hers. Still taking my time, I enjoy the slow kiss full of desire.

My hands that rest right above her ass make the slow journey down until I have both of her globes in my hands. With a squeeze, I lift her up and am instantly rewarded when her legs wrap around my hips. My dick jumps at the contact with her wet heat.

I offer her no words as I start walking toward the bed, continuing my assault on her mouth. She is clamped so tight to my body that there wasn’t room for air between us. My body feels like it is moving on autopilot. I don’t need my mind to tell my body what to do. I crave her, so this is like second nature. We have only been apart two damn days and it seems like a year.

Laying her down softly, I make the move to detach my lips from hers but she tightens her arms and legs, and the soft moan she lets out is a straight shot to my dick. It’s throbbing and begging me to thrust home, but this needs to be about her.

When I am finally able to release her mouth, she looks up at me and I can see the lust shining bright, but behind that, I swear I almost see adoration. I don’t doubt that is what’s reflecting in my own, but I never thought I would see it so soon in my Beauty’s gaze.

“So beautiful,” I whisper, trailing my fingers down the side of her face, her neck, and her shoulders. My eyes follow my hand as it moves over her skin. Leaning my weight onto my side, I trail my hand down to her breast. Her pink nipple puckers and strains for my mouth, but I just roam my fingers over the soft skin. Her breathing comes in sharp pants, her skin prickles with goose bumps, and when I take her nipple between my fingers, giving it a soft tug and pinch, she arches off the bed and her quick intake of air echoes in the room.

My dick might be in serious danger of early detonation if I don’t hurry things along, but I can’t seem to move away from her. She is just looking at me, eyes wide, and so close to that lost look she gets right before she soars.

Shifting down slightly, I take the other nipple in my mouth, swirling my tongue and hollowing my cheeks when I suck hard. She taste delicious; every part of her skin is mouthwatering.

I move my hand down her body until I meet the bare, wet skin of her pussy. A ragged groan of my own crawls up my throat when I feel just how ready she is, and I push my rock hard dick into her thigh, trying to ease some of the pressure.

“Fuck, my girl is ready for me.” I say against her breast, “Always ready for me.”

She hums something unidentifiable before grabbing the back of my neck and pushing her tit back to my mouth. I laugh softly against her skin before wrapping my lips around her tight bud and sucking deep, giving her everything she wants. This time I hold nothing back. My teeth nibble, my tongue licks and swirls, and when I close my lips around the tight bud and pull she screams out.

“So good, baby,” she moans.

I switch to her other side and give her some more attention causing her hand in my hair to tighten. When I push two fingers deep inside her, she clamps down with a hold that’s so fierce that I can barely move my fingers back out. Rubbing her clit with my thumb and hooking my fingers while pumping softly makes her moaning cry louder. She pulls my head back and with one look I know she’s ready. My girl wants me and she isn’t afraid to let me know.

“Not yet,” I whisper, pulling myself up to meet her lips. I devour her, pouring myself into her with every mating of our tongue and thrust of my fingers. When I hit that spot inside that never fails to set her off, she pulls off my mouth and screams my name so loud, I’m shocked the windows didn’t shatter.

I wait for her to come back down and give me her lazy eyes before I pull out and slowly lick my fingers clean, watching her eyes widen and her lips tip up slightly.

Rolling off the bed, I walk over to the other side and grab a few condoms out of the side table, the whole time her eyes never leaving me. Or I should say, they never leave my dick, which I am sure at this point has turned purple. When I walk back to the other side and stand between her parted legs, her eyes still haven’t left my straining erection. I throw all but one condom on the bed and take my dick in my hand. Her eyes flash as she watches me work myself, but when her pink tongue darts out and licks her lips, I have no doubt that I am two seconds away from shooting all over her flat stomach.

Tearing open the condom, I make quick work of sheathing myself. For the first time in my life, I wish I could take her without the barrier. I understand her concerns, which is why I went to the clinic the first chance I had on Monday. Luckily, the doctor is an old friend of mine, and he promised results by the end of the week. Thank Christ; I couldn’t wait to take my woman bare.

“Slide back some, baby. We will get creative later, but right now I want to be able to watch your eyes when I take you.” She doesn’t waste anytime moving back until her head is almost hanging off the edge. Never once closing her legs, her eyes no longer follow my dick. They are blazing up at me, begging me to hurry.

I climb up and kneel between her legs, enjoying the look of her giving herself to me with no hesitation. Her eyes never leave mine as I lean forward and steady my weight over her body. Taking my dick in my hand and rubbing her wet center, a sharp gasp rewards me every time my ring hits her clit. Best damn bet I ever took was getting my dick pierced. She loves it, and she isn’t shy about letting me know with each gasp or moan that leaves her body. I can’t wait for her to feel it without the latex being between us.