The Way Home (Lights of Peril Book 2) (30 page)

“Maybe
... you'll fall in love with me all over again."

"Hell," I said, "I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?"

"Yes. I want to ruin you."

"Good," I said. "That's what I want too.”

-Ernest Hemingway

“Hem, don’t stop. I’m close.”

My legs are spread
for him and he’s devouring me as though he’s starved for weeks. His tongue dips inside me, then moves up to circle my clit, then back down into me again, rewind-repeat-rewind-repeat as I become unwound. “Fuck me, oh my God, do not stop.”

Suddenly
, I know I’ve gone too far. He lifts his head and looks at me, those dark brown eyes are simmering and I see my arousal glazing over his face.

“Sadey girl, I think I got this and could go without the commentary and sass.”

Yeah, I went too far.

“Sorry, sor
ry, sorry. Continue.” I push play, but abruptly hit pause. I just want some assurance. “Just don’t stop.”

He gets annoyed with my verbal instruction, but at times it helps me get him riled up the way I like
, and it appears it’s worked again.

“Turn over, give me your ass.
All fours, baby.”

Exactly.

“Wider, Sadey.”

Fuck, yes.

He’s behind me watching, but hasn’t touched me yet. He loves to make me wait him out, until I can’t wait him out any more, so I start to touch myself for some self-satisfaction.

I move my hand off the bed and go to find my clit, but before I do
, he’s behind me, ready to strike. I let him believe he’s in charge, but I know I’m doing what I need to do for him to drop his control. Once my hand makes my way to my center, he’s inside, giving me what I was waiting for.

“Fuck me,
Sadey, you’re mine. Say it for me, sugar.”

I’m so high right now with my impending release I would tell him the sky was made of
grape jelly if he wanted me to. Hardly fair to him, but whatever keeps him going.

“Yours baby, I love you.”

He gives me a swift smack on my ass which sends me into euphoria. He feels me squeeze him and then I get completely finished. His pace picks up faster and harder on cue and he delivers as I murmur quietly, “Fuck me, Hem. Give it all to me.” He lets out a ragged moan and stills within me, emptying all of himself with the final thrust.

We don’t use protection
. We haven’t since he got back. Hell, we never even used it before, so now I’ve got another secret. I’m telling him tonight that we’re going to have another child. I’ve just found out this past week that I’m four weeks along. Mace doesn’t even know yet. She may be pissed I’m not telling her first, but this is his to own first.

I’m not afraid of losing him
this time. We’re solid again after everything we’ve been through since his return. We’ve gone through our fair share of shit and this time he’s not leaving me to carry and deliver this child without him. He’s mine again. I’m so thankful to have him with me, for good.

Walking into the Club tonight f
eels different. I feel free. I spot Cherry sitting at the bar with Ace. She’s laughing at him and he’s scowling at her. Maybe I’ve over thought how she feels about him. Looking at the two of them now, it appears they are more like brother and sister than what I had originally hoped for them.

“Bug, what are you doing here alone?”
Smart ass.

“I’m not alone, Ace.”
He’s not going to ruin my mood with his usual antics.

Cherry looks at me and smiles,
trying to ease the growing tension between us.

“My bad
. Figured since his paws weren’t on you for every moment that classified you as being here alone.” Yep, smart ass.

I let out a big smile because I see Hem rounding up behind him and
before Ace catches the intent of my smile, Hem has already smacked him in the back of the head. “Aren’t you leaving town yet, man? Thought you were headed back to Cali?”

“I’m going, old man.
Chill your weary bones already. Came to say goodbye is all. I’m going back tonight.”

“Fuckin’ hell, thanks for that.”
Hem comes to me and pulls me into him. Ace lets a small smile play on his lips as he looks at us.

Cherry stands
abruptly, coming to me, more like coming
at
me. “Hem, I’m taking your woman for a bit. Girl time. Is that alright?”

Hem
reluctantly lets go of me and growls at her, “No, it’s not alright, damn it. Why the hell you guys need so much fuckin’ girl time for?”

“I need to talk to her about
my period, child birth, the latest Bette Midler movie, and how to achieve a vaginal orgasm without the help of a man.” She’s so straight faced I’m thinking she really wants to talk about this shit,
now
?

“Take her, she’s yours.
Twenty minutes, Cherry.” If she had thrown in personal hygiene products specifically, she’d a got another 10 minutes. Hem doesn’t like to talk about any of those said topics. He avoids them even with me, at all cost. Especially how to obtain a vaginal orgasm without him. Those are off limits…unless he’s present to watch or enjoy.

Cherry turns to me, grins, and pulls me away from the boys.

Once we hit the kitchen
, she pulls me into a strong held hug. “What’s this for?” I say into her shoulder, trying to catch my breath.

She pushes
me away from her small body, but keeps my arms held in her hands, squeezing them tightly as if I might float away. “I want to tell you goodbye, without everyone around. I already told Mace and April. Now, I want to tell you.”

“Honey, what are you talking about?”
Before I finish my question it dawns on me. She’s really smiling. “Wait. You’re going with Ace, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.
He said I could and he would help me get clean, for good, and get Decklan back. He told me he needs a wench to do his laundry, cleaning, and make him meals. I don’t have the heart to tell him until we get there that I have no idea how to do any of that.” She blushes because we know she and April have zero domestic skills or abilities, even if their hearts alone can take care of any man they choose.

I hug her tight to me
again in a warm embrace. My nose is stinging, threatening tears for several reasons. I’m glad she’s leaving the bad memories here. They don’t belong with her. She’s going to have help finding sobriety and may get her son back. I’m also happy Ace won’t be alone. Although he and I now have a mutual understanding; I know he still loves me and the thought of him going back to California alone with a broken heart, without with me, was weighing heavily on my mind.

“His little sister is there.
She’s thirteen and he said she wants him home. His grandmother is getting older and needs more help with Sarah than she used to. Apparently, I remind him of her and he says she and I will get along ‘splendidly.’ Unsure where or why Ace learned that word, but he’s confident it will work out, so I am too.”

I move her dark hair from her face
, putting it behind her ear. She’s smiling at me in relief of my approval. No matter how she and Ace love each other, their bond has always been there and it is something to share together, not across the miles of states between here and Cali.

“I’m happy for you Cherry, so happy.”

“Thank you, I am too. Thank you for everything. I mean that. You didn’t ever have to be my friend. What I came from, you know, you over looked and didn’t judge me once. I’m going to miss you, Sadey. I’m sorry for saying what I said to you about Hem that morning. I was not myself and I was pissed at you only because I was jealous of everything you had with Hem.”

Her eyes are rimmed
with the beginning of tears and I don’t want tonight ruined, even with happy tears, so I scrunch my face and yank on her hair to get her to stop being emotional and we laugh. “C’mon, get me back to my man and please feel free to taunt him with cramp talk and childbirth horror, okay? I wouldn’t push it with Bette Midler, though.”

We walk back to the
guys and finally I spot Mace. When I left her this afternoon in Shame’s arms, in nothing more than that damn blanket, she was not put together. She was emotional and worn out from his proposal, and I’m sure the long three days of sex didn’t help her tired state of being.

We left the kids with them and had intended on going to buy them an engagement present, however Hem drove us right back to
our house, where he took me again and again until his point was made that going forward we will no longer be taking Ryder for any longer than an afternoon. I enjoyed all of this lesson. His teaching it to me was important to him, but, aside from playing well with others, I’m a star pupil and I believe I earned my ‘A.’

Mace makes her way to me, drink in hand.
My friend enjoys her vodka. She stands close to me, offering a drink. I immediately decline and at that she nearly screams in my ear, “
I knew it
, Sadey Marie. I knew you were pregnant again.”

Well, son of a bitch.

I look around the room before hissing back at her, “Could you shut up? Hem doesn’t know yet. Jesus, honey, how many have you had? You just got here.”

“Back off
pregs. I started early. I’m getting married and now I’m wondering whose going to stand up for me at my wedding? Will it be my tiny, perfect figure chick, or will it be my big ole fat and pregnant, Sadey?”

I lower my voice, hoping she catches the hint and lowers hers,
“Oh my God, you’re so mean. You’re going to wait until I have this baby, damn it. I have not waited and waited and
waited
for you and Shame to pull your heads out, to miss being part of your big day.”

She laughs, pulls me to her
, and whispers in my ear. “Honey, I will wait as long as you need me to wait. You’re my person and I’m not walking down that aisle without you present and accounted for.” Then she lays a big, wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek. Good lord, I need a towel. “Sadey, go find my brother. Go make him happier, even more than he is right now. God has given you a miracle in giving you two another chance. Don’t let him miss a moment of it.” This is Mace, drunk and sappy.

I feel arms come around my middle and pull me close.
“I wouldn’t miss a moment of it, sister, if you would just stop all your yappin’. Where’s Shame? Go find him to pester, huh?”

A wide smile and a wink is her only response
as she turns around, disappearing into the crowd.

Mace has left us stand
ing at the bar. Cricket is staring at me because I’m sure my big mouthed, drunken, and crazy best friend has let him in on my secret with her high pitched squeals.

“Hey
, Sadey girl, what are you drinking? If you tell me water from the fuckin’ well, I’m going to beat your ass right here. What do you want?”

“I’
m good, baby. You drink, I will drive.” I’m using my collected and responsible voice. I’ve had experience with this situation before.

“What the fuck are you sayin’?
Sugar, what do you want to drink?”

Cricket cackles behind me.
Jesus, we
are
doing this shit again.

“Hem,
sweetheart, I’m really good. Seriously, if I wanted a drink I would get a drink, but I don’t, hence
I’m good
.”

“You’re in another mood.
All the period talk with Cherry has you acting like you’re in the middle of yours. Fuck, I hate that shit. This is exactly what girl talk does to you and your frie…”

I put my hand over his mouth.
We’ve gained a small audience. Nothing like last year when I told him I was going to be having his child, but enough to warrant that I make this quick.

I look back at Cricket, needing a witness just in case Hem doesn’t take this the way I need him to.
Cricket smiles and nods, telling me to go forward with my news.