Page 89 of Before We Fell

“Listen to me, Riley.” I rarely called her by her name. Always Squirt. It’d been my thing with her since she was two. Maybe before. All I know was to me, she’d always been the squirt who would jump into my arms and let me squeeze her tummy until she squealed. Now she was eight, soon to be nine, and had seen way, way too much for her to understand. Her blue eyes fell to mine, dead. Any excitement she had earlier had vanished into the dark of night. Or into the flashers on the cruiser cars.

“House is clear,” Shawn said, stepping out to the porch. I made a mental note to finish the conversation with Riley later. “Door to the garage from outside was unlocked though. Do you remember locking that?”

“It’s been weeks since I’ve used that door,” Lauren said. Her face scrunched as she thought. “Last time was when I raked leaves, I don’t even know when. I’m sure I’ve checked it. But…” A shrug of her shoulders, her head fell. Her hair curtained her face from me as she shook it. “I don’t know.”

“Can you come in with us? Walk through? See if anything else is gone.”

“Yeah, sure.” Her hand fell to my shoulder. I squeezed her hand quickly and let go.

“I’ll stay here with Riley unless you need me.”

“She needs you more.” Her grim smile did nothing to appease me. Both of them needed me, but I figured Riley would do better not surrounded by a bunch of cops. “Hey Shawn,” I called as he turned back to the house. “Would you mind having one of the guys turn the flashers off? It’s freaking out Riley.”

His eyes had narrowed and fell to Riley, still blank-eyed and drifting off to wherever her little mind took her. He cringed. “Yeah. Sure thing.”

A few minutes later the flashing lights were gone.

The officers talked to Lauren about going to the station the next morning to file an official report if she wanted. They were going to talk to neighbors. See if anyone saw or heard anything, maybe pick up video from a security camera or doorbell cam. Although that was unlikely. It’d been too dark and the side of the house with the garage had a row of hedges blocking her sight from her neighbors.

They checked all their boxes. Dotted and crossed all of theirs Is and Ts.

It felt like forever, me sitting with Riley, pulling her into my lap and rocking with her on the porch before the cars pulled out and Lauren stood in front of us.

“You’re staying with us tonight.”

No argument. No surprise. Relief released tension in her shoulders, but not her eyes that still head worry.

“Thank you.”

I leaned forward and grabbed her hand, planting my feet onto the porch so I didn’t pull her off balance. “It’s not a hardship to have you with me. No thank yous necessary.”

She dragged a hand through her hair, and it fell to her side. “Okay. Yes, I’d like that.”

I woke to the dark,to puffs of breath at my chest. I woke to soft, small hands brushing and teasing my dick while I groaned.

“What are you doing?” I grunted, thrusting my hips. It was too dark in my room to see, but feel…oh good Lord I could feel her.

One hand wrapped around my shaft. Her other hand trailing through the hair on my stomach. Each brush of her fingertips on my skin made my hips jolt toward the heat of her mouth.

Heaven. I’d awoken in heaven.

It was the only explanation as to why Lauren would be on her knees, mouth wrapped around my dick, ass cheeks in the air, and her hair draped all over me.

I shoved my head into my pillow, spiking heat pricking down my spine.

“What is this?” I grunted.

I knew what she was doing. Obviously.

“If you have to ask, I must not be doing it right.”

“You’re doing it just right.” And hell, she was. I must have been completely passed out not to feel her move, or work me into a hardened state, but damn…I wouldn’t mind waking up like this every morning.

She rimmed the tip of me with her tongue, slowly jerking me. Twisting at the end which…shit…amazing.

“Damn,” I groaned. “That feels so good.”

She hummed around my cock, vibrations shot straight to my balls, pulling them tight.

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