“I’m here.” I land a kiss on Jaxson’s forehead and place him into the bassinet—no designer coffin for my boy. Sorry, Bree. “Skyla.” I fall into the bed and pull her over me in one quick move. “My God, I’ve missed you.” I lean up to kiss her and she inches back. “Hey?” I sit up a notch. “I’m here. It’s okay. What’s been happening? Are you all right?”
She takes a quick breath, her body gliding off of mine as she leans in to get a better look at me as if she’s never seen me before.
She gives a few rapid blinks, and her eyes shine in the moonlight. “You escaped?”
“That’s right. Gage had a bleeding heart moment, and Marshall took advantage of it. He ripped a hole right through that protective hedge and the rest is history. Gage can’t hurt me again. I won’t let him. What’s going on? Your mom says you’re under the weather. Why does Emma have the boys?”
Her eyes round out a moment. “Because they’re hard, Logan. There are two of them and there’s only one of me.” She sounds angry, and defensive, and there’s a touch of indignation in her voice. “And with this new one who screams all day long, I don’t have a minute to myself.”
“Jaxson’s been screaming?” I blink over at the little angel, sleeping peacefully. “Okay,” I say it slow and measured. “I get it. A lot’s happened. I’m assuming you went to Whitehorse?”
Her eyes flit to the window like maybe she hasn’t.
“Of course I went to Whitehorse.” She scoffs and sounds remarkably unlike herself. Lizbeth’s words come back to me. Skyla does have an awful lot on her plate. Maybe this nightmare with Gage has triggered postpartum? Maybe her hormones have gone wild. Whatever it is, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m determined to help her through it. That’s what love does, it powers through every single obstacle.
“So I heard you talked to Marshall.” I pull her hand up and kiss it. “Thank you. Gage had us locked up in Eversor.”
Her eyes flit to the ceiling. “I know that.” She runs a line over my lips with her finger. “This is too much jaw flapping for my liking.” A hint of a naughty smile appears. “Let the baby sleep. I think we should do the things that grown-ups do.” Her finger rides down my chest before dipping into the lip of my jeans. “I bet you really missed me, didn’t you, big boy?”
“Big boy?” A quiet laugh rumbles through me. Skyla is in rare form, but if she’s up for a little grown-up time, I’m all for it myself.
Skyla dives over me with a kiss that feels—for a lack of a better word, aggressively sloppy.
My chest rumbles with a laugh.
“Are you hungry?” I tease. “Because I think you’re trying to eat my face. I can grab a snack for us if you want.”
She tugs at my flannel and rips the buttons right off.
“I’m hungry for you, Logan. I’m eager to see what you have to offer.” She blinks a quick smile my way. “Now let’s get these pesky clothes off and show me the goods.” A dull laugh resonates deep within her. “I’m dying to get to know you better.”
“Yes, ma’am. You know I can’t deny you anything. And I’d hate to think you forgot about me so soon. I’d better remind you about all the good parts.” I quickly take off my clothes, and she does a thorough inspection of my body in a wash of moonlight, as if scouring me for new scars.
“Don’t worry.” I brush her hair back from her shoulder. “I’m unscathed. They didn’t hurt me.”
Her brows bounce. “Will you hurt me?”
A nervous laugh strums from me. “I’d never hurt you. And if I do, just let me know. I’m more interested in bringing you pleasure. Now come here. I think it’s time I do just that.” I pull her close to me and kiss her slowly until she picks up the rhythm of my lips, and if I didn’t know better, it’s as if she were trying to mimic them.
Skyla’s legs, her arms, her hands move all over my body at once as if she weren’t sure where to put them. The patina of a novice drips from her, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. We make love in quick, jagged movements, awkward placements, lots of giggling on her part. I’m grabbed and jabbed by this surly version of her, and I try to take it all in stride, but something is off and I can’t seem to find the comfort I thought being home would bring me because of this.
Skyla curls up against me once we’re through, scratching at my chest lightly.
“We did it,” she whispers. “Now you’re mine. You belong to me. It was me who you belonged to all along. Do you love me, Logan? Do you really loveme?”
I inch back to get a better look at her before dotting a kiss to her forehead. “Yes. My God, yes. I love you. I belong to only you. And you belong to me.” I pull her in close until her face is nuzzled against my neck. But as much as I offered her words of comfort, I can’t seem to comfort myself.
Jaxson begins to squirm and cry.
“I’ll get him for you,” I whisper as I move to sit up.
“Get him forme?” she huffs as she rolls over. “Get him for yourself. I’m exhausted. You wore me out like the lion you are.” She giggles to herself.
“But you should probably feed him,” I say as sweetly as possible as I pull my beautiful boy onto my chest. How I’ve craved the feel of his flesh against mine. I pause a moment to drink the sensation in. “I’m serious, Skyla. He’s hungry. I can’t help the kid out. Believe me, I would if I could.”
“What are you talking about?” She moans as if she were half-asleep already.
I inch back, stunned. “You need to nurse him. He’s hungry.” It’s as if all of her maternal instincts have taken a leave of absence. Whatever the hell is happening, I’m sure I can pin it all on Gage as well.
