“Okay.” She sighed and flopped down in the chair beside Mia. “Can I call Harris? I promised him and his dad I would let them know if Mom woke up.”
“Go ahead, sweetheart.” She pulled her smartphone out and her face instantly brightened when she started talking to her friend. I wondered if she had a crush on Devlin’s son, but didn’t want to put that kind of name on it. I was sure that if Jesse thought the same thing he would be going all kinds of overbearing father on her and the boy. Maybe even put a stop to their friendship.
“Where’s everyone else?” I asked as I finally sat beside Shane. I’d been fielding calls from Emmie’s home office all day to help her out, and my head was splitting. I seriously couldn’t understand how Em did all that she did without losing her sanity.
“Drake is downstairs getting us coffee. Lana and Emmie are visiting with Layla. Natalie and Linc stopped by before they left for the airport. Natalie wanted to stay and help Emmie, but Em told her to go and take care of the America’s Rocker shitheads. They were raising hell this morning because Drake told them he wasn’t going to make it next week either.” Shane scowled, shaking his head. “They can’t find a big enough name to fill in for him for the next two weeks. Emmie told Natalie to suggest the first season’s winner.”
“I’ll have to ask my dad,” Lucy was saying in a more animated tone than I had heard in several days. “But I really want to, so I’m sure he won’t say no.”
“Dad won’t say no to what?” Jesse asked as he walked through the door, looking pale and exhausted. He needed a shave badly and probably a week’s worth of sleep, but there was a small smile teasing at his lips.
“Tomorrow is Halloween, Dad,” Lucy reminded him. “And Mr. Cutter is letting Harris go trick-or-treating in their neighborhood by himself. Harris wants to know if I could go with him.”
“With just Harris?”
“Yes…”
I could see the dad-brain working in Jesse’s eyes. Devlin’s neighborhood was a gated community just like ours, possibly even more secure than ours was. There wasn’t anyone in that neighborhood who was on the sex offender’s list—yeah, we’d become obsessed with that thing since the girls were getting older. Harris was also a pretty responsible kid for fourteen. Devlin was raising him right, and the boy always spoke to Lucy with respect.
“Let’s talk to Layla about it first, okay?” Jesse compromised.
Lucy’s face fell at not getting an immediate ‘yes’ but she nodded. “Okay,” she gave in. “Can I see her now?”
“I think we can get back there.” Jesse nodded at me and Lucy rushed to say goodbye to her friend before following Jesse out of the waiting room.
Moments later Lana and Emmie entered the room, looking marginally less stressed than they had been when I had seen them last night. My body instantly reacted to being so close to Emmie. I grasped her by the waist and pulled her down onto my lap, burying my face in her neck.
“Hey,” she breathed, running her fingers through my messy hair. “I missed you.”
“Me too.” I kissed her neck, glorying in the fact that she couldn’t hide her reaction to me any more than I could mine to her. “Are you coming home tonight?”
“As soon as I get security set up outside of Layla’s private room when she’s finally moved, I’ll be home. Promise.”
I rubbed my hand over her flat stomach. “Have you eaten today? How’s the morning sickness?”
“I was able to keep down some cheese crackers and ginger ale. But my appetite still isn’t that great. No vomiting though.” I let out a relieved sigh and she rolled her big green eyes at me. “I’m fine, Nik. So is Jagger.”
“Jagger?” Harper and Shane asked almost at the same time. “What?”
“That’s what Em is calling the baby,” I told them with a grin. “She’s convinced that this one is a boy and has already named him.”
“But what if it’s a girl?” Harper asked with a frown. “Won’t you be too used to calling her Jagger by then?”
“It’s a boy,” Emmie told them, that stubborn tilt of her chin telling them not to argue.
Shane reached out and touched his hand just above where mine still lingered. “Welcome to this crazy family, Jagger.”
--
I was only half asleep when I felt Emmie slip into bed beside me. A quick glance at the clock told me it was just before midnight. She was wearing one of my shirts as a night gown and her hair was damp from the shower. Sighing, I pulled her against me and kissed the top of her head. “How are they?”
Emmie yawned. “As good as can be expected. Layla was settled in her private room and I made them put a cot in there for Jesse because he still refused to go home. The twins are still having sleep apnea issues, so even if they do get moved into the nursery they are going to be in the hospital until that stops.”
“It could be worse.” I shuddered at the thought of just how much worse it could have been. Tucking her closer I let my hand brush over her lower stomach. “Promise me you’ll take better care of yourself, Em. I’m terrified of this happening to us.”
She pushed herself up onto her elbow and looked down at me. She had forgotten to turn off the bathroom light after her shower—like always—and I could see her beautiful face clearly from the glow. “I promise I’ll be careful, Nik. Honestly, I’m fine though. I’m already starting to feel better. The morning sickness isn’t anything like it was with Mia.”
“I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you, baby girl. You’re my heart and soul. Don’t you ever freaking leave me.”
Her hand lifted and she traced her fingers over my brow, down my cheek and then around my lips. “I don’t plan on it, babe.”
“Come here,” I whispered and pulled her down until my lips met hers. She tasted like toothpaste with hints of that sweet flavor that was completely Emmie.
I deepened the kiss, needing more of that taste more than I needed my next breath. My left hand tangled in her long auburn hair while my right developed a mind of its own and cupped her breast. A small whimper escaped her and I dove my tongue deep inside of her hot little mouth, devouring her with my kiss.
Emmie’s hands were just as restless as my own. The nails of her right hand bit into my bare shoulder even as her left hand caressed down my chest. Lower it traveled, over my abdomen, making my stomach clench because I knew exactly where it was going. My dick, already painfully hard, twitched against her thighs and I felt the tip dampen with the proof of how much I wanted her.
As her index finger skimmed over the tip, smearing the drops of liquid desire over the head of my throbbing cock, she smiled against my lips. “Mm. I’ve missed you, Nik.”
“I bet I missed you more.” I growled, burying my face in her neck. Inhaling her sweet, clean scent and my heart rate increased even more. “I want you so bad, baby girl.”
“I bet I want you more.” She spread her thighs for me. I pulled back enough so I could watch as her hand left my dick and caressed over the lips of her pussy. A groan left me as I watched her dip two fingers inside of herself.
Emmie bit her lip, but it didn’t stop the moan as she touched herself. My dick hardened even more as she played with her wet pussy. She lifted her hand, rubbing her damp fingers over my bottom lip. I licked my second favorite taste from my lips before capturing her hand and sucking those two delicious fingers hard, making sure I got every drop off of her.
“Love you, baby girl,” I breathed as I flipped onto my back and pulled her over me, sliding deep with one smooth thrust.
Emmie cried out and pushed up into a sitting position. She pulled my shirt over her head. Her hands pressed into my stomach to balance herself as she road my dick until I felt her thighs quivering. I was lost in the feel of her hot, wet pussy clenching around my dick and the sight of her perfect tits bouncing up and down as she rode me. I wasn’t even close to finishing while she was already coming all over me.
I gripped her hips to keep her in place as I thrust harder. S
he breathed my name, cupping her breasts and pinching the nipples as I pushed her toward another orgasm. “Oh gods, Nik. You feel so good inside of me. Don’t stop.”
“Never,” I promised, my voice gravely with need.
“Fuck…” Her head tossed back, making her hair fly around her shoulders. “Fuck, I’m coming again.”
“Yes, baby girl. Come all over me.” I sat up without dislodging from her. Her arms instantly wrapped around my shoulders, her tits pressed against my sweat drenched chest. Her legs wrapped around my waist. I slowed my thrusts so I could savor the feel of her pussy walls convulsing around me.
Turning her head she kissed me, thrusting her tongue deep. Possessing me just as I was possessing her. Sharp nails scraped down my back, causing a pain that was purely euphoric. My hands rubbed up and down her back, skimming lower and lower until I reached that one spot that I knew would drive her over the edge over and over again.
As my thumb reached the slit of her ass, she shuddered, kissing me harder. I didn’t linger, but went lower, dampening my fingers with her dampness that was running down my thighs. She was soaking wet from her two orgasms and the third one that was so close. When my fingers were drenched, I spread her ass checks wide and thrust one finger inside.
“Another,” she demanded breathlessly. “Please, another one.”
My balls tightened at her plea and I added another finger to her tight hole. “Is that what you want, baby?”
“No.” She shook her head, her eyes wild with passion. “I want you there.”
I swallowed my groan. “You sure about that, baby? You think you can take me there tonight?” But I already knew the answer. Emmie was wild in bed, and anal was something she craved almost as much as I did.
“Please, fuck my ass.”
“You know I’ll give you anything you want, Em.” I pushed her back onto the mattress and she rolled onto her stomach before lifting onto all fours. Damn, didn’t she know that just seeing her like that made me ready to explode?
Quickly I reached for the drawer of my bedside table and the lube that I kept there. My dick was already soaking wet, but I wasn’t going to risk hurting her. As hard as I was I would stretch her to her limits. I poured a generous amount into my hand and rubbed it along my length before squirting some along the seam of her ass. Tossing the bottle aside I reached back into the drawer and pulled out the little glove that I knew would drive her over the edge even faster than my dick filling her most sacred of places.
I moved behind Emmie on the bed, positioning myself where she wanted me the most. She whimpered as the tip skimmed over the seam of her ass. “Nik...!” She pushed back against me, taking me in.
I bit back a curse. The tightness from that dark, forbidden place was bringing me close to the edge fast. I bent over her back, holding onto her waist with one hand and using the gloved hand to torment her clit. A keening cry filled the room before she bit her lip to keep from letting it escape again for fear of waking anyone.
“Damn, you’re so tight, baby,” I muttered, kissing her shoulder. “Move for me, Em. Set the pace.”
“I’m close, Nik,” she whimpered. “I’m not going to last if you keep touching me with that vibrating glove.”
I grinned. “Then you should have told Harper you didn’t want it.” Harper had given Emmie and Layla a whole box of toys since we hadn’t gotten into the whole sex club scene like she had gotten Lana and Drake into. “I’ll throw it away first thing in the morning.”
“No!” she cried. “It’s my favorite.”
“What do you like so much about it, baby?” I whispered, touching her with the vibrating tip of my middle finger. “The silkiness of the glove or the pulsing tips?”
“Both,” she whimpered again, her hips rocking back and forth, taking me an inch deeper each time. “Ah… Mmmm… So good. It’s so good.”
“Faster,” I commanded. “Take more.”
“Yes. Oh, yes… AHHH. Nik!” Her pussy was quivering, clenching and I could feel it, making her ass tighten around me with the convulsions from her release.
“Don’t stop, Em. I want you to come again before I fill you up.” She was trembling but she didn’t dare stop, greedy for another orgasm as much as I was to give it to her. She rocked faster, taking me to the hilt before pulling forward until only the tip was still inside. I stroked her clit faster, adding just a little more pressure before moving further down until I was pushing three fingers inside of her dripping pussy.
“That’s it. Right there,” she panted.
“Come for me, Emmie,” I pleaded. I was so close that it was hurting not to let myself come, but I wasn’t going to let go until she was mindless with one more release.
“Almost… Oh… Yes, Nik. Yes….” She buried her face in the mattress to muffle her scream as she came hard one last time, taking me with her.
I dropped onto my back beside her and pulled her across my chest. We were at the opposite end of the bed but that didn’t matter as we both fell into a deep, satisfaction-filled sleep.
Chapter 16
Jesse
I was half asleep when I heard her laugh.
The sound was so full of life and happiness that I turned over on the poor excuse for a cot that some nurse with an attitude had brought to me just a few minutes after Emmie had left the night before. I’d been able to finally fall asleep around three this morning, twisted like a pretzel because my body was so much bigger than the little cot. Layla had been snoozing soundly by then. I had spent an hour just sitting on the edge of her bed, tracing my fingers over her beautiful face because I knew she loved when I did that and I couldn’t keep from not touching the reason I kept breathing.
“What’s funny, baby?” I asked, wiping the sleep out of my eyes with the heels of my hands.
“I’m just going through the pictures on your phone that someone took of you and the babies,” she told me, another laugh in her voice. “Seriously, some of the faces the boys are making remind me of you… Not necessarily in a good way.”
“Hey!” I grumbled and stood up, reaching for my iPhone. “Don’t be mean, woman. I’ve seen some of your traits in those two little demons too. Not all good…” I dropped a kiss on her lips, lingering for a moment to get my fill of her taste. “…but most of them are.”
“Good to know,” she said and grinned. Her eyes were half closed. She looked exhausted even after a full night’s sleep. The doctor had said that was normal, but I hated seeing the woman who was normally so full of energy and life barely able to keep her eyes open. “I’m hungry. All they want to feed me is Jell-O and broth and weak-ass tea.”
“What do you want to eat, baby?” I sat down carefully on the edge of her bed, rubbing my fingers up and down her smooth arm. “I’ll have Emmie pick you up anything you want and bring it with her. She should be on her way by now.”
“It’s breakfast time, Jesse. I don’t want breakfast.” She yawned, closing her eyes tiredly. “Maybe she can get it later.”
I rolled my eyes because I knew she couldn’t see me. “Tell me what you want, woman.”
Her lips twitched but she didn’t open her eyes. “A huge bowl of spaghetti and meat balls from Angelo’s. With crispy salad and lots of buttery breadsticks. It’s okay though. I can wait until dinner time. Spaghetti for breakfast is a little much.”
“You haven’t eaten in like three days, Layla. You can have whatever the fuck you want.” I lifted my phone and hit Emmie’s name on my contact list.
“Everything okay?” Emmie asked as soon as we were connected.
“Layla wants her favorite from Angelo’s,” I told her and Layla’s eyes snapped open. “She’s hungry.”
Emmie laughed, but I thought I heard a sob in her voice. She was just as torn up over all of this as I was. Layla was her best friend and it would have killed her if we had lost Layla or the twins. “Well, that’s got to be a good sign. Give me an hour.” There was a pause and I heard her say something before a deep voice I only vaguely
recognized muttered something back to her. The head of the security team was always at Emmie’s beck and call. They were the team we used on tour and somehow Emmie had wrapped that hard-ass man around her finger like she seemed to do every other man she came across. “I have to go, Jesse. Love you… Tell Layla I love her, too.”
“Drive safe, Em,” I told her. “Love you.”
Tossing the phone on the little table beside the hospital bed I leaned forward and kissed Layla’s lips carefully. “Can you wait an hour?”
Chocolate eyes narrowed on me. “You’re going to be twice as bad now, aren’t you? I’ve married an ape.” I winked, not denying her accusations and she grinned at me. “I love you.”
My heart clenched. “Oh, baby. You have no idea how much I love you back.” I kissed her again, because I couldn’t stop myself. I was a man starved for the taste of her. Fuck, it was going to be weeks, months, before I was going to be able to have her the way I so desperately wanted her. Kisses were all I was going to get for a long while and I was going to take all that she would give me. I could live without the sex, but her kisses were my salvation.
“Knock, knock.”
Reluctantly I lifted my head to find a nurse standing in the doorway. It was the charge nurse who took care of the NICU and she was pushing one large incubator in front of her. I stood to help her inside the room then turned to look down at my sons. They had moved them into the same incubator the night before during my last visit. The boys seemed distressed without each other, their breathing more labored. When they placed them side by side in the incubator their heart rate had become normal and their oxygen levels had evened out.
They had placed blue T-shirts on them, labeling them Baby 1 and Baby 2 because they were completely identical. Baby 1 was curled up beside Baby 2 who had his arms around his brother, his head snuggled against his chest. I breathed a sigh of relief to see the oxygen gone. “How did it go last night?” I asked Tracy, the nurse.