“I’m going to leave you just like this.” I dragged my fingers over each tip. “On display for me.” Pulling her jeans off, I groaned as I saw her damp panties.
Her fingers yanked at my belt, clumsy with urgency as I helped her shove my jeans off. She reached for me, hands wrapping around the tip outline of my cock through my boxers. “East, I want you inside of me.”
It felt amazing, but I had plans. I had been missing her like crazy. Dragging her panties down, I settled my mouth on her pussy. “Hmm,” I breathed her in before I made myself comfortable. “Have you been missing me?” Lapping at her, I took my time driving her just to the brink, watching her as she panted and squirmed.
When I finally pushed inside, Lila felt like heaven, the world narrowing to nothing but her heat and the gasps she made as I thrust into all that hot heat. The way she clung to me like I was her lifeline made me want to drive her right to the edge.
We moved together, frantic and messy, mouths crashing, breaths mingling. Her nails raked my shoulders, her legs squeezed tighter, pulling me deeper. Every thrust was a vow that I’d never let her fight this alone. That she was mine, and I wasn’t letting go.
Her cry broke against my mouth as she came, body shaking as she clenched tight around me. The feel of it dragged me under with her, my orgasm tearing throughme so hard I buried my face in her neck to muffle the roar.
Her body trembled against mine, her forehead pressed to my chest. “Give me a minute, but I’m not done with you.” I spread her thighs a little wider and rocked into her, enjoying the little gasp she made.
“I missed you too. I’m sorry.”
Framing her face with my hands, I returned to kissing her, tracing over the arches of her brows. “Nothing to be sorry about, sweet girl. It’s my pleasure to chase you. You’re worth everything to me. Even if you are a little weird,” I teased.
Laughing, she pushed me away and then grabbed me back to her, letting me cuddle her. Nothing could ruin this moment for me, and I meant what I said. She was worth everything to me.
45
Easton
A few weeks could change a lot.
Lila claimed she wasn’t worried, but I could tell she was on edge. We all were. I’d wake up some nights to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, the glow of her phone lighting her face as she scrolled through the camera feed outside her cottage. She’d look over at me guiltily, but I understood. The only thing I could do was hold her close before going outside to double-check.
Milton and Derek had seemed to have disappeared. Wade still kept the alert out, but there hadn’t been even a hint of a sighting. We all knew better than to hope that they were just gone, or had given up.
I’d learned not to say the wordsyou’re safe now—she hated that. Sure, I’d protect Lila with my life, but there were only so many things I could do if we couldn’t findthe fuckers. Even if I stayed close by (which she also disliked), I couldn’t be there all the time.
Instead, I built things. Cooked. Left coffee on the nightstand before I went to work. Trying to tell her with everything I did that I was here for her, and not going anywhere. That I loved her.
The snow had mostly melted from last week’s storm, and we had another round of rain. Now there was some of that dirty slush along the roads that seemed to stick around until spring.
The Holts didn’t really have “quiet family meals.” Sunday dinners were lively, with Sage stomping up and down the stairs to visit all the plants, Kipp camping out in the family room, Chloe fussing over everyone, and Wade pretending he didn’t enjoy every second of it.
When I pulled up, smoke curled from the chimney, and I could already smell pot roast and herbs through the cold air. Maggie’s kitchen window glowed gold, same as it always had since I was a kid.
Inside, warmth hit me full in the chest. I knew there’d be Maggie’s delicious roast beef with potatoes, and if we were lucky, some pillowy biscuits on the side. Maggie turned from the stove, holding hot pads in her hands, and closed the oven. She’d just gotten her walking boot, and she was over the moon. “Well, look who actually shows up before dessert for once.”
“Trying to keep my reputation clean,” I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I hope you aren’t doing too much.” I gave her my best warning look.
“Mm-hmm. Already lecturing me.” She gave me thatlook that always saw straight through me. “No, I’m not doing too much. It’s just pot roast.” She rolled her eyes like she was a pre-teen. “I even sat at the counter and prepped all the veggies in advance like I was supposed to. Now it’s just in the oven doing its thing. In a little while, we can make some biscuits, and that’ll be that. Tell me what’s new with you and your girl.” She propped a hand on her hip and gave me a mock glare.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not pushing yourself too hard. Come sit back down, and I’ll tell you everything.” Maneuvering her toward the easy chair, I murmured words of admiration as she showed me how well her walking boot worked. It was nice to see how much she’d improved with her healing. Settling on the couch across from her, I relaxed a little. “Lila’ll be here soon. She’s closing up early. Said she’d be here by four. And she’s great. We’re great.”
“Good,” Maggie said, satisfied. “She’s good for you, East. You’re a better version of yourself.”
“Come on, was I that bad before?” I teased.
She snorted softly. “Surviving and thriving. There’s a difference.”
That hit harder than I expected. Maggie had seen me through more than most, through the years when I couldn’t seem to figure out who I was. There were all those years when I was trying to figure out how I fit in with the Holt family, and how to be a sibling. Even in the last years, while she was struggling with her own grief, she had been trying to counsel me on my own.
“She is good for me. I’m going to hang onto her. Youand Levi taught me what love should look like.” Maggie gave a soft smile. “How areyoudoing?”
“I miss him every day. We were blessed to have him in our lives. Life sometimes isn’t fair. Certainly, I’ve had my moments where I’ve been angry about losing him, but I’m okay, darling. I have all of you to fill my life with. Maybe soon I’ll have some grandchildren.” She gave me a coy smile.
