Page 173 of Small Town Firsts
“You can’t make a move like this based on the whims of a three-year-old. It’s not logical. She wants a puppy too. Is that next?”
“Maybe, but puppies are easier to get my hands on than babies. And I’d rather like to see what a combination of our DNA would look like. Gold eyes, maybe, crazy temper, a slightly hysterical laugh? Should I invest in earplugs?”
“Ugh. You’re impossible.” She nudged me back, and I went, but only far enough for her to move to the opposite railing. “Laurie’s going to change her mind, decide she doesn’t want a sibling after all, and then what? My birth canal isn’t the customer service counter at Macy’s. You’ll be stuck with the kid.”
Though my temper jumped to life, I leaned back on the railing. Perhaps if I adopted a relaxed pose, the rest of me would follow suit. “Mind keeping your voice down? There’s not many people out right now, but there’s enough.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s storming. They can’t hear us.” As if she’d called down the rain, lightning forked through the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Okay, keep screaming. I’m cool with it. And guess what, Lawrence, I want the child too. To complete my family. Not that my family isn’t complete now, but I want another baby. Is that so crazy? If I was a woman, no one would be questioning why I’m doing this.”
“Wrong. Big time wrong. They’d be thinking you couldn’t get a man and wanted a love substitute.”
“Well, that’s not entirely wrong. I can’t get a man, but I have to admit I haven’t tried.”
Her lips twitched. “You’re such a jackass.”
“Yeah, and I can see why you’re wary about crossing streams with me. Hamilton men aren’t easy to take on. Why we all end up divorced and bitter, or in the case of my twin, just the bitter part.” I moved toward Ally, boxing her in again neatly against the rail. Some part of me enjoyed doing that far too much. “Why I’m giving you an escape hatch. Do the deed, make the baby, escape while you can.”
Her lips trembled. “That’s not why at all. You just want the kid, not a woman.”
“Oh, I can assure you that’s not true, especially right now.” I tipped up her chin. “God did me a favor by blinding me to your beauty all these years. Otherwise I would’ve had you under me before we made it out of high school.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do these lines work on other women? Because gotta say, I’m not falling for them?—”
My mouth covered hers just as thunder shook the sky one more time, but the crack wasn’t enough to disguise her moan. She lifted her hands up to my chest and I didn’t press for more, just kept my lips against hers, sucking down her staccato breaths while I gave her the moment to accede or shove me back.
Then her fingers curled into the fabric of my dress shirt and it was on.
I buried one hand in her hair, tilting her head back so I could have her the way I needed to. The sweetness from our tiramisu and her strawberry lip gloss battled in my head, setting off a furious pounding in my groin that had nothing to do with making a baby and everything to do with getting her naked.
Now.
Whatever it took.
I lowered my hands to her hips, fisting the cotton that barely hid her curves from my view, twisting it as our tongues touched and tangled. Without warning, I lifted her up on the railing and she gasped, wobbling, her hair streaming behind her as her honey eyes went wild and frightened.
“I’ve got you.” Tightening my hold, I moved between her legs and ran kisses over her delicate collarbone, tracing the edge of the arrow necklace. Aiming lower, burying my face in her cleavage so that her frantic heartbeat seemed to throb in tandem with my own.
Turning my head, I nipped the side of her breast through the material, just to hear her broken moan. She didn’t disappoint me. One hand gripped the railing and the other came up to grasp a handful of my hair as I lowered my mouth, making a wet path to where her nipple stood so tight and proud.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think past wanting her. My sanity was gone, blown away with the rising wind.
Hovering there, my breaths puffing out against the swelled flesh, I searched for words. Something to make this okay. Herlegs trembled on either side of my hips, and I was holding onto her with every bit of strength I possessed. Her long dark hair blew against my face, tickling my skin, and I was helpless not to suck her nipple between my teeth, to scrape the edge of them over that sensitive tip.
A quick yank on my hair drew me closer, not away.Thank fuck.
Only half aware of the rain now pelting my back, soaking through my jacket and shirt to the skin, I sucked on her, already thinking about how I was going to get inside her. This wasn’t the end. I couldn’t have her walk away from me tonight like she had on Sunday.
Not if I wanted to survive it.
She bent forward, leaning over me, her hair surrounding us as I tugged at the fabric and the lacy bra beneath. A hint of pink gleamed wetly in the darkness before she covered herself, her long fingers caging in her nipple. Keeping it from my mouth.
Acute regret cleaved through me. I set her down on her feet, already fighting to shove myself back in line. My tongue buzzed from the taste of her, from the tang of my own needs. I couldn’t go home and jack myself off again with her flavor on my lips. Jesus, I’d go mad.
“Sage is home,” she said, and I stared at her, not understanding. “She doesn’t usually go out on Friday nights.” She pinned me in place with her stare and clutched her arrow necklace. “Your house is on the other side of the lake. The Inn. If there’s a room, we’ll do it and be done.”
Joy coursed through my body, and I nearly freaking dropped to my knees in gratitude.
