“Every month, from the time my mom died until the week he died,” I confirm. “I did the math, Dec. He basically financed over one hundred and forty thousand dollars to kill himself. And when I saw it all, his handwriting, seeing how as the years passed the writing is more wobbly and unstable, I don’t know, I was just twelve years old all over again, and I could hear him, smell him, and I’m so fucking mad at him!
“But he’s dead. I can’t yell at him, or tell him how he made me feel for all of those years. I can’t tell him, Declan. I don’t know if I would even if I could, and even that pisses me off.”
“Hey,” Declan says and pulls me in against him, letting me cry the tears I didn’t even know had been falling down my cheeks against his chest. “You don’t have to do this alone, Callie. That’s what I’m here for.”
“I just didn’t know what to say because it messes me up, and that surprised me. I thought I was better. I was gone for so long that I didn’t have to be reminded like this, and it just surprised me.”
“I know. And it’s okay. Come on, let’s go home.”
“I want to go home with you,” I say, almost desperately. “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”
“Neither do I.”
Chapter Twenty
~Declan~
I’m never awake this early, but I’m drawn to her. We don’t cuddle through the night because we get too hot, but in the early morning, with the chill from the air conditioning, I want her in my arms.
Who am I kidding? I want to be fucking inside her.
She’s on her back, snoring like crazy, which only makes me grin. I sleep better when she’s snoring next to me.
I am just better because of her.
I drag my fingertips down her cheek, her neck, between her perfect, firm breasts and down to her belly, where I circle one fingertip around her navel, and the piercing there. She stops snoring, clears her throat, and breathes silently, but doesn’t open her eyes.
She’s not fooling me.
I take my hands off of her and move to roll away, but she reaches out for me.
“Don’t stop now, sexy man.”
“I figured you’d want to sleep,” I reply, teasing her. I roll back to her and lean in to pull her earlobe between my teeth, my cock twitching when she gasps and then moans softly.
“I like sleepy sex,” she replies sweetly. God, I love all of the facets of her. She’s so damn sweet, but can be fierce and tough as fucking nails. Life is never going to be boring with her.
I can’t wait.
“Mmm, me too,” I reply and slide my hand down her side to her hip and grin against her neck when she opens her legs, silently asking for my fingers to slide into her and drive her crazy.
But I have other plans.
I cover her, my body touching hers, and slide down, kissing every inch of her as I go. Her hands plunge into my hair, her fingers threading through the strands and not pushing me, rather just holding on tight as my mouth plays her skin like an instrument.
“You’re good at that,” she breathes. Her hips shift, pressing against me, trying to ease the throbbing there.
“You taste good,” I reply and nudge the piercing in her navel with my nose, then place open-mouthed kisses down her lower stomach, over her pubis, and finally lick over her clit, down to her opening, and take as much of it as I can into my mouth, moving my head back and forth slowly, devouring her.
“Oh, my God,” she moans, pulling her knees back to give me more access to her. I groan against her and suck her lips into my mouth, and slowly fuck her with my tongue. I press my thumb on her clit, and she pushes up on her elbows, watching me. Her eyes are still glassy with sleep and lust, and she’s pulling on one of her nipples, which only makes my cock throb harder.
Jesus.
I want to fuck the hell out of her, just pound her into the mattress until she can’t remember her own name, but that’s not how this morning is going to go.
I reach up and slide my hand under hers, tweaking that nipple myself, and grin against her pussy as she lies back down with a long, satisfied groan.
I fucking love the way she sounds.
I move up and concentrate on her clit while pushing two fingers inside her, and watch in rapture as she pushes her hips against me and the orgasm gathers so tightly that she’s blind with it.
She lets go and calls out as it moves through her. The muscles in her core tighten like a vice around my fingers, and as she relaxes back against the bed once more, I kiss my way back up her gorgeous body and simply slide right inside her, making her gasp once again.
Her muscles ripple around me, making me sigh and tip my forehead against hers. She wraps her arms and legs around me. “Roll us over,” she whispers.
I immediately comply and suddenly she’s sitting on me, and she takes over, riding me in slow, deliberate strokes. She sits up straight, reaches behind her to cup my balls in her hand, and I swear to Christ my eyes cross as she grinds down on me and squeezes: her hand, her pussy, her thighs.
“Oh my God, Callie,” I growl and grip her hips tightly, and then take over, guiding her up and down.
“No fair,” she pouts, but then sighs as I lift my hips to meet hers. “Oh God, that’s deep.”
And yet, it never feels deep enough.
She braces her hands on my chest and surrenders to the ride, moving those hips in sync with mine, until we both come so hard I’m pretty sure the house has folded in around us.
She collapses on top of me, panting. My hands glide down her back to her ass, and we lie like this, me still seated deep inside her.
“God, I love you, Callie.”
She stills, and then jerks her head back to look at me with wide, tear-filled blue eyes.
“What’s wrong? That makes you sad?” I ask as I wrap my arms around her and hug her close, completely confused as to why she’s crying.
“No,” she replies and buries her face in my neck, clinging to me. “It’s just, I said it once before and you didn’t say it back.” She sniffs. “I thought I screwed up and made everything weird.”
“You mean when we made love that morning?” I ask, brushing her hair off her face. She nods and sniffs.
“I said it back,” I reply and turn us onto our sides so I can see her better. “I’ve been saying it, every day.”
She frowns, not understanding.
“When I hold your hand and squeeze?”
“You squeeze three times,” she says, nodding. “Your mom said it means something.”
“It means I love you,” I reply and kiss her forehead. “My dad used to do it to Mom and us kids because he wasn’t always good with the words.”
“I like it,” she says with a watery smile. “I like it a lot, actually. But I like the words too.”
“Ah, baby, I’m sorry. Callie, I’m so in love with you I can’t see straight.”
“I love you, too,” she whispers.
“I’m in love with all of our little things,” I say softly, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“They’re not so little,” she replies, and grins.
“I love the big things, too,” I say and simply stare into her eyes. She nods and yawns happily, cuddled up beside me.
“Can we do this all day?” she asks.
“What, have sex? I suppose, but I need to catch my breath, baby.”
She giggles. “No, stay in bed.”
“Most of the day, but we have dinner at Mama’s house tonight.”
She nods happily. “Okay.” She shifts her legs and grimaces. “I need a shower. I’m sticky.”
“Good idea.” I scoop her up and stalk into the bathroom, start the shower, and set her in the tub, climbing in after her. “I love your body.”
“I love your body,” she replies and grabs the soap, lathers up a wash cloth, and begins cleaning me up. “I love your chest and arms. The muscles are defined perfectly.” She glides her hands over me. “Your abs are perfect. Hard, but not airbrushed.”
I bark
out a laugh, and then swallow thickly when she moves down to my semi-hard cock.
“And this is just… perfect for me. It fits,” she says simply.
“Fits where?” I ask.
“My mouth, my pussy, my hand.” She smiles up at me sweetly, then slips behind me. “And your ass makes my mouth water.”
“You’re welcome to bite my ass anytime.”
So she does, hard. I glance back at her, and she just smiles innocently while she washes my ass cheeks, then up my back, and finally I can’t take it anymore, I turn the tables on her, stealing the cloth from her and begin running it all over her body.
“You make me crazy,” I murmur. “Your breasts are the perfect size, and so responsive to my fingers and mouth.” At my words, they pucker, making me smile. “I love your firm body. Your height. Your strength.”
Her body is all soapy now, and she’s watching me with humor-filled eyes. “I love your pussy, baby. Sliding inside you is the closest I’ll ever get to heaven.”
I move out of the way of the water so she can rinse, and she reaches down and clenches my cock in her hand, immediately bringing me right back to attention.
“It seems you’ve caught your breath,” she says.
“This shower isn’t conducive to me fucking the hell out of you,” I growl, turning off the water and lead her to the vanity. I cage her in and kiss the hell out of her, then spin her around, bend her over and push inside her. “I love how tall you are,” I growl, my eyes closing as her warmth surrounds me.
She leans on the mirror and pushes back against me. “Fuck me hard,” she demands.
I slap her ass, on both sides, then grip her hair in my hand and pull.
Hard.
She gasps, but her face in the mirror is pure bliss.
“I’ve wanted to pull your hair like this since the first time I saw you,” I say, my voice rough. Her head is tilted up, exposing her long neck, and I lean forward to bite, then suck on it, making her moan. I know she loves it when I go for the neck.
She reaches down and rubs her clit vigorously, and quickly pushes back against me and comes spectacularly.
She squeezes me so hard, I can’t help but follow her over. I try not to rest my weight on her as I come, leaning my hands on the counter on either side of her.
“I’m sticky again,” she says with a grin.
“The first priority on our list is renovating this bathroom,” I say as I pass her a towel. “We need a better shower, and a bigger vanity. I think we almost broke that one.”
“We do?” she asks, one brow cocked.
“Yes. We.” I toss my towel on the floor and take her face in my hands, touching her gently now. “Stay here, with me.”
Her eyes widen. “For good?”
“For good.” I nod and smile, enormous butterflies suddenly trying to beat their way out of my gut. “I don’t want to sleep away from you. I want you to help me renovate this house. It’s your house, Callie. I didn’t know it when I bought it, but it is.”
“I love this house,” she whispers.
“I don’t want to ever be without you again,” I whisper. “I need you. Be with me.” I kiss her forehead. “Marry me.”
“Marry you?” She’s completely shocked.
“Marry me. You are it for me, Callie. You are everything I’ve ever wanted, and I’ll be yours until I take my last breath.”
She’s watching me with those wide eyes, and finally, she blinks and says, “I’ll marry you under two conditions.”
I narrow my eyes. “Name them.”
“One, I want a bench in our shower. It’ll make things very interesting in there.”
I pretend like I’m thinking it over, weighing my options. “I think I can do that. What’s the next condition?”
She swallows hard, but squares her shoulders, never afraid to ask for what she wants. God, I love that about her. “I want to make one of the bedrooms a nursery.”
“Are you—?”
“No.” She shakes her head and smiles. “But I want babies with you, Declan.”
I pull her to me and kiss her softly but thoroughly. “I can definitely live with that.”
***
“’Bout time you got here,” Charly says as Callie and I walk into Mama’s house. Everyone is here for dinner, just the way Mama likes it.
Speaking of Mama, I need to find her. “I’ll be back.” I kiss Callie’s hand as she nods and sits with Charly and Kate to discuss shoes.
I love that she loves my family and they love her too. Family is important to all of us.
“Hello, sweet boy,” Mama says and tips her cheek up for me to kiss it.
“Hi, Mama. I need to talk to you.”
She looks up into my eyes, then hands the spoon she’s stirring something with to Beau. “Mind this for me, Beau.”
“Sure thing,” he replies and smiles at me.
Mama leads me out the back door to the back yard. “What’s up?”
“Remember when you told me, long ago, that I could have Nannan’s ring when it was time for me to propose?”
Her eyes immediately fill. “Oh, baby. I love her for you.”
“I love her for me too,” I reply and nod. “And I’m keeping her.”
“I hope you word it differently than that when you ask her,” she says with a laugh, reminding me how I asked Callie out in the first place.
“I’ve already asked, and she said yes.”
“I’m so happy for you, son.” She pats my cheek, the way she did when I was small. “She fits you.”
“She does.”
“I’ll fetch the ring from the safe,” she says as we walk back inside.
***
Dinner is loud and chaotic, which is pretty usual for our clan. There’s always lots to say, and it seems we all want to say it at once.
“I’m telling you,” Savannah says to Charly. “You should go.”
“Go where?” I ask.
“So there’s this guy, Simon Danbury.”
“Sounds British,” Beau says, interrupting her.
“He is,” she replies and wiggles her eyebrows. It’s fun to see Van’s sense of humor returning. She’s healing, and that makes my heart happy. “He has the sexy accent to match. Anyway, he’s a motivational speaker, and I think that Charly should go to one of his workshops.”
“Why me?” Charly asks with a frown.
“Because I can’t go, and I want to know what it’s all about,” Van replies, as if it’s the most reasonable request in the world. “It’ll be fun. You might learn something.”
“I don’t think so,” Charly replies. “I have a business to run.”
“You’re no fun,” Van grumbles.
“I’m learning stuff in school,” Sam says.
“What kind of stuff?” Eli asks him.
“About bugs and stuff.” Sam shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. “And there’s this girl, Amanda, that says she likes me.”
“You’re nine,” Gabby says, panic lacing her voice. “No girl talk until you’re at least thirty.”
“Right.” Sam shakes his head. “I didn’t say I liked her back. Plus, she keeps throwing these stupid notes at me, then running away.”
“What do the notes say?” Rhys asks, obviously enjoying his wife’s discomfort.
“Stupid stuff, like, Do you like me? Check yes for yes and no for no. As if I can’t figure out what to check.”
“What did you check?” Van asks.
“I didn’t check anything.” Sam shakes his head. “My best friend Louie likes her, and I don’t poach on another guy’s girl.”
“Where did you hear that?” Gabby demands, glaring at her husband, as we all laugh.
“Dad says not to poach on another guy’s girl,” Sam says and Rhys nods.
“I did. It’s good advice.” He looks at the rest of us guys for back up, and we all nod.
“Good advice,” Beau agrees. “So you didn’t say anything to her? You just left her hanging?”
&n
bsp; “I told her I’d take it under advisement, but that as of right now, I’m not accepting any applications for a girlfriend because I don’t like girls very much.”
“He’s going to make an excellent CEO one day,” Beau says proudly as the rest of us laugh.
“I have something to say,” Eli announces, tapping his water glass with a spoon.
“You always have something to say,” Savannah says sweetly, but Eli just smiles and turns to Kate.
The room quiets as we all watch as Eli clears his throat, looking nervous for the first time in… ever. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she replies cautiously.
“You know,” he continues, “It’s amazing how someone can come into your life, and you expect nothing out of it, but suddenly, right there in front of you is everything you’ll ever need. I don’t need much in this life, although I’ve been blessed with more than I’ll ever want. But at the core of it all, it’s quite simple. I need my family, and I need you, Mary Katherine O’Shaughnessy.”
Kate swallows hard, unable to look away from Eli’s face.
“Oh my,” Charly says with a sigh.
“I spoke with your father this morning, and he gave me his blessing. I also had a long talk with Rhys.” He glances at our brother-in-law, who smiles and nods as he rocks his sleeping daughter on his shoulder. “So,” Eli continues and lowers down to one knee as he pulls a blue box out of his pocket. “I’m going to ask you, here, with every person who means the most to me in one place, to be my wife. Grow old with me. Build a family with me. As long as you’re mine, I’ll have everything I’ll ever need. And I promise you this: I will protect you, respect you, and love you every minute of every day.”
Tears spill onto Kate’s cheeks as she smiles up at Eli. Finally, she nods vigorously and launches herself into his arms. “Of course. I’m already yours.”
“Yay!” Sam yells and as the others applaud, Mama slips something in my hand, then winks at me. I glance down and see the antique sapphire with diamonds sparkling in my hand, then reach over and silently slip it on Callie’s finger. She looks up at me in surprise.
I lean in and whisper in her ear. “We’ll share our news later, but I want you to have this. It was my grandmother’s, and her mother’s before her. And now it’s yours.”