Laugh Like You've Never Cried (Summer Lake 5) (27 page)

He was pushing her dress up. “Jesus! Meggie!”

She smiled. She had hoped tonight would be the night he would get to see her new underwear. Holly had brought her all kinds of things—lacy, strappy, silky, bright colors, blacks and whites. Tonight she had chosen a silky white thong with a matching bra. It sounded like he approved of her choice.

She moaned as he slid his hand between her legs, his fingers seeking and finding a way inside the silk. “I think we'd better take this upstairs, little one.”

She pressed herself against his fingers. “Couldn't we start right here?” She was completely aroused. She wanted him now. Like this. Only half undressed. Right here in the hallway.

“Stand up, Meggie.”

She did, disappointed that it wasn't going to happen. He wrapped his arms around her middle and walked her a little way down the long hall. He stopped in front of the large mirror.

Without a word he pulled off his shirt. He smiled as he unzipped her dress and took in the silky underwear. Meeting her eye in the mirror he closed one hand around her breast and slid the other down, over her stomach and inside the thong. “Do you want to watch?”

Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded. She did. She wanted to watch him take her. She ached when his hands left her. She ached even more when she realized he was unzipping himself, putting on a condom from his pocket. Once he had, his hands returned to their work. He grinned when he realized this new bra had a front fastener. He unhooked it and pushed the cups to the sides.

Megan couldn't take her eyes off the mirror. The sight of her own body with his hands moving over her turned her on so much.

He slid a finger inside her and smiled when she moaned. “Please, Michael?”

She didn't need to ask him twice. “Put your hands on the shelf, Meggie.”

She obeyed and gasped when he grasped her hip with one hand and pushed the thong aside with the other. His hot, hard head was pushing at her wetness now. She was trembling, but it was with need not fear.

He grasped both her hips and slowly opened her up. He could only go slowly to start with. He was so big, she needed time to stretch around him. She clung to the little shelf, panting as he filled her. Her scream matched his roar when he finally lost it and thrust deep. She was vaguely aware of Ollie trotting off to the kitchen. She couldn't focus on anything but the feel of Michael moving inside her, stretching her, filling her, hanging on to her hips as he set up a desperate pounding rhythm. Seeing her breasts bounce in the mirror took her to the edge. When his big hand came around and started to stroke her nub she knew she wasn't going to last. She braced herself as she felt him tense. He growled her name as she felt him explode deep inside her. His orgasm became hers, sending waves of pleasure through her whole being, as if they would never end. He was still thrusting, still straining inside her. All she could do was ride the waves.

When they finally stilled, he pulled out slowly and turned her around to face him. “I love you, Meggie.”

She knew it was true as she reached up around his neck and smiled. “I love you too, Michael. Though I really may have to leave again.” She continued quickly when his dimple disappeared and his eyes filled with sadness. “I only mean so that I can get another welcome home like that.”

He smiled. “You can have that any time you want. But can we stop talking about you leaving?”

“We can. I don't think it's going to be an issue now. It turns out Kenzie doesn't need me. She was trying to get me to Nashville for my sake, not hers. Anyway, half-dressed in the hallway was wonderful! I think I'd like to try undressed in the bedroom next. Can we?”

She loved his smile as he nodded and took her hand to lead her up the stairs. “We can try anything you like. We've got all night, darl'.”

M
egan picked up her phone and put it down again. It was ten thirty now. She had agreed to wait for Kenzie to call her, but still. She watched Ollie snuffling through the leaves down by the water. He was happy at her little house, but he seemed to love being here at Michael's place just as much as she did. She knew he was as keen as she was for Ethan to come home too. He kept going up to the boy's room and whining.

Michael had gone to collect Ethan. She'd thought it best to let him go by himself. She couldn't wait to see him, but from what Michael had said, he was likely to make a big fuss of her when he saw her. She'd rather that happened here than in front of Michael's mom. She liked 'Lizzie' a lot, though she still wanted to call her Mrs. Morgan. She was a little uncomfortable, though about the way she kept dropping big hints about them getting married. Megan loved the idea, but she didn't know how Michael felt about it. He'd changed the subject whenever his mom brought it up. She didn't know if that was because he hadn't known if she was going to be leaving the lake, or because it wasn't what he wanted. She supposed she'd be able to get a better understanding of what he wanted now they knew she was going to stay.

She smiled, wondering if everything might turn out as wonderfully as she was starting to hope. Her smile faded when she remembered, she didn't know if he wanted more kids. What if he wanted her, but didn't want babies? What would she do then? She took a deep breath. She thought she knew. She loved Ethan, she loved Michael, but she had always wanted to have babies of her own. She might never meet anyone again who she wanted to have babies with, but she couldn't give up on that hope. She was meant to be a mother, she knew it. She would love to become a mother to Ethan, but not if it meant giving up the chance to ever be a mother to anyone else.

Her phone buzzed and she snatched it up off the table.

“Kenzie! Are you okay?”

“Of course I am. How about you, did you have
huge
fun?”

Megan blushed. It was strange to talk about that with Kenzie. She couldn't help smiling though. “Yes, thank you. I did. I'm still at Michael's. I don't want to leave yet, because Ethan is on his way home. I want to see him first, but I could meet you at the house, or at the restaurant in a little while?”

Kenzie laughed. “Too late, little sister. I left already.”

“You what? Why? What happened”

“Nothing bad, don't worry. Chase and I had an amazing night. We didn't get any sleep at all. Well, he fell asleep at six. I checked the schedule and there was an early bus. I decided it was time to go.”

“Oh, but Kenz. I wanted more time with you. When will I see you again?”

“Soon enough. You're starting out on your own little life, with your ready-made family. You don't need me hanging around.”

“But I
want
you here. I wish you'd think about coming to live here.” Megan was disappointed.

“We can't always have what we want. You know that. I'll come visit again some time. In the meantime, you focus on being happy. You've found it. You deserve it. Make the most of it. Let that man love you. He does love you, Megan. Even I can see that.”

“I will. I love him.”

Kenzie laughed. “I can see that too. You need to talk to him about babies soon. I was so pleased he's such a great guy, I forgot to ask him about that. All that fun you're having could be producing some.”

“I know. I will.”

“Well listen. I've got to get back on the bus. I'll call you soon, okay.”

“Make sure you do. And answer me when I call, will you?”

“When I can. Gotta go.”

“Bye Kenzie. I love you.”

“Love you too,
Meggie
.”

After she hung up Megan stared out at the lake wondering why Kenzie had left like that.

***

M
ichael grinned as Ethan tightened his arms around his neck. He was maybe getting too big to be giving him a piggy back everywhere, but it was what they did. As soon as he'd said goodbye to his Grandma and Grandad, he'd climbed on his dad's back. Gabe had walked them out to the car where they were standing now.

“Can we just go, Dad? I want to see Meggie and Ollie.”

Gabe laughed. “She'll still be there when you get home. I won't be around though. I'm leaving this afternoon. Are you going to give your Uncle Gabe a hug?”

Ethan grinned and reached his arms out. Gabe plucked him off Michael's back.

“Why do you have to go? Can't you stay too?”

Michael raised an eyebrow at his brother. He'd made the same suggestion earlier.

“I have to go back to work.”

“Can't you come and work here?”

Gabe laughed. “No. My work is in New York.”

“Dad's work was in Melbourne, but he works here now.”

“Yeah, he's lucky. There isn't any of my kind of work here though.”

“There are lawyers here. I know, because Taylor's dad is one. Maybe her dad would give you a job?”

Michael laughed. He could hardly see Gabe leaving his super successful group of trial attorneys in New York to come to work in a tiny family law practice here.

Gabe surprised him though. “I think I'm too much of a big-head to come work for someone else, but I might look into working in San Francisco so I'd be closer and could come see you more.”

“Yay!” Ethan wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck. “You go get to work on that then and we'll see you soon. Right now we have to go home to see Meggie.” He turned back to Michael and climbed out of Gabe's arms and onto his dad's back.

“You really are a little monkey, aren't you?” asked Gabe with a laugh.

“Yep.” He leaned around so he could give Michael his cheeky grin. “And this big ape needs to take me home to my Meggie.”

Gabe laughed as Michael pulled Ethan around and dangled him by his ankles. “Who are you calling a big ape?”

Ethan couldn't answer. He was giggling too hard. Gabe laughed and looked at Michael. “Are you still thinking you need it to take it slow?”

Michael didn't want to say anything with Ethan listening. He set the boy down and started tickling him, knowing that he would run away. It worked. Once he was peeking out at them from behind a tree in the yard, Michael turned back to Gabe. “I am. After this weekend, I think we'll get there. She's not going to leave, and she wants to be with me....” He took two steps toward Ethan who had started sneaking back to them. He laughed and ran back behind the tree. “She wants to be with
us
as much as we want to be with her, but there's no rush. She needs to take her time, I think. And I can wait.”

Ethan was back again now, tugging on his dad's sleeve. “Whatever you're talking about can wait. Because
I
can't wait any longer to go home and see Meggie!”

Michael, laughed. “All right, little mate. We're going.”

Ethan grinned and ran around to get in the car.

“See you soon, mate. Take care.”

Gabe nodded. “Take care of you too, Michael, and the little guy. I'll see you soon.”

***

A
s soon as Michael pulled up, Ethan was out of the car and running up the driveway. Michael followed, smiling as Ethan let himself in the house. He could hear barking and laughing. He was loving the idea that this could be their life from now on—the four of them.

He couldn't help but smile as he passed the mirror in the hall on his way to the kitchen. He'd never be able to look it again without thinking about last night. Without seeing her bent before him taking him as he hung onto her hips and buried himself deep inside her. He adjusted his pants hoping they would add other versions to that memory in the weeks to come. He smiled. In the years to come.

His heart filled up the way it always did when he saw them together. Ethan's arms were around Meggie's waist, her arms around his shoulders, as he grinned up at her and she smiled down at him. Ollie was wagging around them. It was the perfect picture moment of his perfect little family. Megan looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a smile. He
really
hoped this was going to be their life.

Ethan looked up at her. “Since you're staying, when are you going to marry us? And when you do, can you make little brothers, I don't think I want sisters. Girls are weird!”

Michael held his breath. He should have talked to the little guy before they came home. He'd kept talking about Megan marrying them and Michael hadn't pulled him up on it before. He'd kind of liked that Ethan was the one putting the notion out there, when Meggie was still saying she might have to leave. Now though, now she was staying. Michael didn't want to rush her or pressure her, and he certainly didn't want to get her thinking about having babies!

She was staring at him. He had no idea what she was thinking, but from the look on her face, it couldn't be anything good. “I....I....I....”

Uh-oh! She was back to stuttering? She only did that when she was nervous and uncomfortable, she'd hadn't done it around him in a while. Wanting to save her from her embarrassment, he strode across the kitchen and scooped Ethan up. He laughed and tried to cling to Meggie, but Michael swung him away so he lost his grip.

“Who said anything about getting married, monkey? And little brothers? One of you is more than enough already. Isn't it, Meggie?” He winked at her, hoping to see her relax.

She didn't. She nodded. She even smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

How he hoped they hadn't blown it. She was going to need time, he knew that. It was his fault. He should have talked to Ethan first. Hopefully he'd be able to reassure her that he wasn't expecting her to step in and assume all the responsibilities of being a wife and step-mom right away. She could try them out first and only take on as much as she wanted to. He didn't want her to feel she was walking into another situation where she would have to give up her freedom. Her childhood hadn't been fun, then she'd spent years with that dirty old bastard. He didn't want her to feel she was now going to be saddled with him and his boy, let alone have to start having babies.

***

M
egan hoped she didn't look as devastated as she felt.
Who said anything about getting married?
She couldn't believe it. Michael loved her, she knew he did. She bent down to make a fuss of Ollie, because she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't hold Michael's gaze because for once she didn't understand what he was trying to tell her. His smile seemed apologetic, if anything. Was he saying sorry? That he didn't want marry her, to have children with her? Perhaps so. When she thought about it, why wouldn't Ethan be more than enough for him? He was his boy, they'd been through so much together—just the two of them. Maybe that's what he was telling her. Like the first time Ethan had said she could take care of him and Michael hadn't liked it, she felt excluded.