“We’ve got nothing but time. I once thought my past would affect my future. Kids were an afterthought. That’s all changed now that I’ve got you in my life, so while I love that you have no problem giving me hell when I give it first, I’ll wait until you’re mature enough to have children with me.” Oh, that little stinker. My hands slide from his muscular arms towards his side, where I attack, pinching him for the remark he just made.
“I’m going to show you immature, brat.” Deke drops lower, the underside of him sliding across the seam of my body, making me pause in the pursuit of getting him back.
“Touch me, Deke, please,” I plead. The pinching I was doing now pulls him closer, my thighs spreading wider, ready to feel him over and over again.
“I’ll touch you forever, sunshine.” Deke dips his hips, situates himself until my breasts are in the palms of his hands, working them in every sense imaginable all while slowly, painfully slowly, sliding his length inside. If this is what it feels like to fall in love while making love, well, I’m diving in, headfirst into an ocean where the bottom is never ending but I know with everything in me that Deacon Hart will always be by my side.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
deke
“Mom, keep Kels inside for me, please,” I tell her when she’s in the kitchen gathering some kind of charcuterie-style contraption she saw on some social media site. Kelsey is currently in the bathroom, and now is the time for Asa to get his lick in while she can’t interrupt.
“If I have to get the water hose and my cushions get wet, you’re both in trouble.” She doesn’t look up from her task; Mom’s head is shaking. At least we’ve learned to take it outside.
“We’ll try our hardest.” I kiss her cheek, then head out to the back patio. Dad’s sitting at the table. Montana is inside going through a bag of something Mom picked up for her. So, it’s just us guys. Truth be told, Asa and Montana weren’t supposed to be here. I told him I’d like to apologize to his woman, which I did. Asa gave her the condensed version, and it ended in a hug. I don’t deserve her empathy, not in the least. I’m going to take it, though. Our family needs this divided highway closed. Yes, it was my fault. Seems only fair that it’s my responsibility to mend it.
“Asa, no blood. I’m not looking to sleep on the couch because your brother feels like this needs to be done and you’ve got no problem taking the offer he’s extended,” Dad grumbles, setting down the newspaper he was reading, pretending to be oblivious. He and Mom have eyes in the back of their heads, a sixth sense from raising all of us crazy hellions.
“Yeah, I know. Montana would put me there, too, if I pushed it too far.” Asa is on the grass, away from the pool decking and any object that could knock me out. There’s no need to throw a broken bone or concussion into the mix.
“Can we get this over with? Kels knows what’s happening. She’s not thrilled about it, and neither is Mom, but I’d like to have this over and done with before the girls make their way out here.” I don’t see it coming, barely having my feet planted shoulder-width apart when I’m sucker-punched in the gut. Fuck, I should have known Asa doesn’t fight fair, dirty little cocksucker. I don’t back down, though, keeping my footing, refusing to hold my stomach like a teenage boy would do.
“Christ, that felt great.” Asa is shaking out his fist. I’m not so sure how his hand is feeling. The last time he and I tussled, we were younger, scrawnier, and a fuck of a lot scrappier.
“Thanks for not bruising my face,” I blow out after catching my breath, which, believe me, took way more than a minute, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
“Who said I’m done? I’m pretty sure Kelsey doesn’t have a brother. The shit you’ve pulled, you deserve one more. This time, I guarantee there’ll be a mark.” If this fucker hits me in the stomach again, there’s no way I’ll stay standing or be able to keep the food from our early breakfast down. It sucked waking up without Kels in bed. The only thing that made up for it was walking out to the kitchen and seeing her swaying to the beat of the music, spatula in her hand, cooking eggs, and wearing my shirt. I’d take days like this any day of the week, nights burning us alive, mornings where the heat level is simmering and little things making it rise to the top.
“Fuck, just get it over with. This is the last time. You didn’t see Tanner and Keller whooping your ass not too long ago.” That’s the wrong thing to say. Knuckles hit my lower jaw. I’m unable to brace myself this time, and end up ass to the ground, legs propping up, arms hanging over my knees.