She pulls my shirt up over my head, tracing her fingers along the groove of my muscles before fumbling with my button, my zipper. “In a strange way,” she says, and I help her get my jeans off before I lay her down, her hair splayed out like an angel’s halo. “I think I always have been.” I palm her gorgeous breasts, palming them, pressing them together and sucking her nipples until she cries out with pleasure.
“You always have been, and you always will be.” I position myself on top of her. “Are you comfortable?”
She bites her swollen bottom lip and nods. The sight of her curves send a shiver through my body. The perfect swell of her breasts, her soft waist and stomach, the roundness of her hips. She’s built like a woman should be, and I’ve never wanted anyone more than I do right now.
Her expert hands slide up and down my rock hard length, lingering on the tip enough for me to question whether I’ll blow my load before I even get inside of her. No, I’ve waited too long for this exact moment.
My swollen tip finds her slick opening and Phoebe gasps when I push myself inside of her. “You’re so tight,” I grunt, trying hard to concentrate on the long game. I close my eyes and press further, her walls stretching to accommodate me. Her fingers trace the outline of my pecs, shoulders, and triceps and she lets out a long exhale as I press all the way inside of her. Our bodies fit together perfectly, like we’re meant to be together.
It doesn’t take long for us to find our rhythm, our eyes locked on one another’s as we make love under the gorgeous night sky. Every position feels better than the last. I can’t hold on much longer, I need that release.
“Phoebe, I’m going to come.”
“Come inside me. I’m on the pill.” She says, pressing her forehead against mine. My pace quickens, her words causing me to explode inside of her. All of those years of craving her comes spilling out. Tingles erupt all over my body. A wave of goosebumps tickles my flesh as every last drop of me finds its way deep inside my beautiful Phoebe.
When I’m finally done, I collapse on top of her. Crickets chirp in the background and she brushes the damp hair away from my temples before pressing a soft kiss there. I roll over onto my back and pull her against my chest. Soon, the sweat from our bodies dry and a chill takes over the night air.
“Are you cold?” I ask.
“Yeah.” She says. I press my lips against her forehead and wrap my arms around her. “Do you want to go inside?” Phoebe nods. Her silence worries me. This woman who always has a quip for everything, an answer, a retort, says nothing as we rise and I wrap the blanket around her before stepping back into my pants.
We’re about to head to the house when she finally speaks. “Do you mean it?” Her words stop me in mid step. Her furrowed brow sparks a thousand questions in my mind, but first I have to answer hers.
“Every word.” I say, locked into her warm hazel gaze. “I don’t want you to leave Burly Creek, Phoebe. Your place is here with me, with your family. But, I also understand if you need to figure that out for yourself.”
With her shoes in one hand, she tiptoes over to me and presses the softest, honey sweet kiss against my lips. “Thank you, Anthony.” Her eyes flicker up to mine, and for a moment my heart sinks, but her sweet smile reassures me. “But I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m not going anywhere.”
Phoebe lets out a little shriek as I lift her up into my arms, cradling her as I carry her up to the house. I didn’t want to say anything, but I have the same suspicion. Not to brag, but my instincts usually turn out to be right.
Epilogue
Phoebe
Four YearsLater
To thinkI ever dreamed of leaving Burly Creek seems insane. As I look around at my gigantic family and ridiculously handsome, caring husband I know this is exactly where I belong. We took a page from the Burly Creek Police Department’s annual picnic and created our own, a place where family can get together and be together. Now, the annual Strong family fun day has become one of our favorite days of the year. Our three kids love being around all of their aunts, uncles, and cousins.
I’m taking in the scene, making sure all of the kids are in the shallow end of the private lake outside my dad’s house when my attention is drawn to something being thrust in front of me. “You look like you may need a beer.”
I playfully roll my eyes and turn to Anthony. He does this every year. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“No.” He says, twisting his lips then shrugs. “Maybe.” I take the beer and he wraps his arms around me from behind and I lean my head against his chest.
It only took us six months before we got married. I didn’t want to waste any time and neither did Anthony. The wedding party consisted of all five of my bothers, but the icing on the cake was having Eliana as my maid of honor, returning the favor. It’s funny how life works. I’d spent so long wanting to get out of Burly Creek that I was missing all of the beauty right before my eyes.
Anthony left the street force and is now working as a detective, which he loves and is unbelievable at his job. Though he works long hours, he always makes time for me and the kids.
“Strong siblings!” A loud voice calls out. It belongs to my sister-in-law, Josie. “I need all of the Strong kids over here for their group photo.”
“That’s you, babe.” He groans in my ear. The picture is also a yearly tradition, as is what follows next. “Make it snappy so we can get upstairs to your old room while the kids are occupied.”
“You are a dirty one.” I turn my head and kiss him. “But I love it.”
“I know you do.” He slaps my butt as I head over to meet my five brothers.
All of the kids hustle in from the lake, wrapping themselves in towels and grabbing a slice of watermelon or a handful of chips on the way over to meet their parents. Our youngest daughter, Clio, gives her daddy a cupcake. Anthony takes a big bite and kisses Clio on her sweet little nose.
My father looks at us from his wheelchair, smiling. He knows what’s going on, but he can’t participate like he used to. It breaks my heart a little, but when you look around at what he’s created, the family bond between us that is unbreakable, his life is nothing less than a stunning success.
“Pheebs in the middle.” Quinn calls out, shuffling me in between Dorian and Russell. Salem stands off to the side, happy to let Quinn take the reins. I meet Weston’s eyes and we both shrug. All of their wives and Anthony pull out their phones as we line up, our arms around each other.
My family is the most important thing in the world to me, as is Burly Creek. The idea that I thought neither was enough blows my mind. At the end of the day all you really need is love. Looking around at all of the happy, glowing faces around me I know that life doesn’t get much better than this, and as far as I’m concerned, my husband was right. Burly Creek is indeed a slice of paradise.