This Time Around (20 page)

I pick up our bags from the door and walk out towards the car. Knox is running around with Ramsey, trying to tire the poor dog out. He is coming to the sleepover as well. God, help us.

“Dude. Car. Now,” I call out to him. I whistle. “Ramsey, let’s go boy.” I open the back passenger door and they both jump in. After I place the bags in the boot, I
climb in and start up the car.

“Do you want me to connect the phone?”

“Yes, please. Can we listen to The Score? I love that song.”

“Good choice, but I would rather put my music on.” I wink at him.

“No way, Dad. You’re music is way too heavy. Asking Alexandria are loud and they scream, not sing.” I laugh because he is telling the truth.

“Their older music, they sing. But their newer stuff they scream a lot more. I am old school, boy, you know this. But I will put your request on.” I put the music on and set off for my girl's house. I am so looking forward to burying myself inside my girl again, falling asleep wrapped around her and waking up next to her. Knox is getting his own room tonight, he is using one of the spare bedrooms in the house. He is loving that. I have had a chat with him about Bambi and Connie being in our lives, and he is excited to have a mother figure around, plus an old sister as he called her the other night. I almost choked on my dinner when he said it. He said that he and Connie have talked about it before.

Pulling up outside the house, Bambi is waiting for us on the front porch. Hetch is bounding around the garden; you would think that dog never sees humans. I turn the car off and help Knox and Ramsey out of the car. They both take off running and I watch as Bambi almost gets knocked down by Hetch as he runs around going crazy over Ramsey and Knox. I smile and watch her carrying on towards me. She looks fucking stunning in the simple green summer dress she is wearing.

“Hey, baby.” I greet her at the side of the car. I lean in and take her mouth with mine.

“Hey,” she pants out when she ends the kiss. “Later. Come on we have junk food to eat and movies to watch. Oh the joys of parenting,” she winks at me and takes my hand, leading me up to the house. Knox follows us, but the dogs stay in the garden enjoying the nice weather we are having. Carrying the bags in one hand and holding Bambi’s in the other, I have no choice but to follow her into the kitchen.

“Knox, why don’t you take your bag upstairs. CJ is up there and she can show you which room you are using tonight. Me and your dad will get the food sorted.”

“Okay. Thank you Penny.” He gives her his best Bradley smile and runs off. I taught him well.

“Charmer, like his dad I see,”

“Whatever do you mean?” I place my hand on my chest, asking all innocent. Yeah, two can play at the game.

“Mmm, mmm.” She replies. I kiss her temple and walk around the kitchen island.

“So what food do we have tonight?” I ask, popping a piece of chicken popcorn into my mouth. The table is covered in small bowls filled with different party foods and snacks.

“I have done all of this and I have two pizza’s in the oven. They should be about done. Do you want to go and call the kids down?” I nod and walk to the bottom of the stairs. I call up to them but get no reply back. Connie has music playing, so I guess she can’t hear me. I climb the stairs in search for the two kids. Music is playing from Connie’s room but when I pop my head inside the door, her room is empty. A laugh catches my attention across the landing. I sneak over and I can hear Knox and Connie talking.

“My dad, really loves your mum. He always
smiles when he talks about her.”

“Yeah, my mum is the same way. She gets all gooey eyed when they text each other. But I want to see her happy, and Liam does that.”

“I wish I had a mum. I have never met mine. My gramps told me that she didn’t want kids and then she had me, but my dad loved me enough so I didn’t need her.” My heart aches for my son. But we didn’t want to lie to him about Shelly.

“But if my mum marries your dad, then my mum becomes your mum, and then we both win, I get a dad and you get a mum.” The excitement in her voice shines through and by fuck if I don’t fall in love with this little girl all over again. I would be honored to have Connie as a daughter, but I think we need to take our time with that kind of thing, she is still very young to understand certain things.

“That would be awesome.” I smile and backtrack to the stairs. When I am half way back down the stairs I call their names again.

“Knox. Connie, food and the movie are ready. Move those butts, please, or I am going to eat everything.” They come screaming out of the room and run towards me. Connie smiles her beautiful smile as she runs past me.

“Hi, Liam. Bye, Liam,”

“Hi, Dad. Bye, Dad.” They both yell as they bolt past me. Bloody kids never know when to slow down. I chuckle to myself and follow them downstairs. I walk into the kitchen but the kids are nowhere to be seen, but my girl is bent over the oven again, this is getting a bit of a habit with us now. I walk over and wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her neck, this time she doesn’t flinch at my touch. I breathe in her scent, she smells of cotton today. She always smells different, I know she loves those fizzy bath bombs things, that I have seen in her bathroom. Along will all of her multicoloured lotions.

“Do you need any help?” I offer between kisses. Fuck, I love the feel of her soft skin. The softest I have ever felt. Her hands leave the worktop and rest on the top of mine around her waist and she leans back into me more.

“No, it is all done. Thank you, though.” She takes a deep breath and speaks again, “I am glad you are here, Liam.” Her words shock the shit out of me. But it makes my heart race faster. I pull her tighter to me. It is like we are finally becoming one, I will never let her get away from me again.

“I am too, babe. I am too. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” I grind my hard cock into her arse and she moans and pushes back into me. I bite gently down on her neck and her skin pops out in goosebumps. I fucking love the effect I have on her. My dick pulses in my jeans but it is childish giggling that feels like an ice cold bucket of water is doused on me. I step back and let my arms fall from her body. I have to stop before I end up taking her in the kitchen with our kids in the other room. I tap her arse as I walk away.

“Come on, babe. We have kids to entertain.” I pick up some of the plates and bowls and walk out of the kitchen, and into the living room. I stop short at the door and look around the room. The living room has been transformed. Bambi has pulled out a shit ton of fairy lights and has them all over the place. Two lava lamps are sitting on the little coffee tables. The floor is covered in quilts, blankets and pillows. Connie and Knox are snuggled in and watching, Lego movie on the big TV mounted on the wall. The last time I was here, we just threw some pillows on the floor. Now it looks like a multicoloured pillow factory. But I don’t give a shit, as long as the kids are happy. I could seriously get used to seeing this image for the rest of my life.

“We can put the food over on this table,” Bambi says from beside me. I walk over to the table, careful not to step on the kids, sprawled out. We place the plates and bowls down and sit on the couch behind the kids. I pull Bambi to me and she snuggles in close to me, her head resting on my chest.

This feels right.

Feels like home.

Bambi places her hand on my thigh as she watches the film. I can feel the heat from her hand and it makes my dick twitch. I run my hand down her back and rest it on her arse. She takes her eyes off the TV and lifts her head to smile up at me. She bites her lip and carefully lifts my t-shirt a little and kisses my abs. My eyes snap to the kids and they are none the wiser. Bambi adds a little tongue and my abs tense up and my dick jumps behind the zip of my jeans. Returning her gaze to me she winks. I mouth ‘tease’ to her and she giggles quietly and turns back to watch the film.

We end up watching some teeny bopper musical film about a two surfer kids going into an old movie. I don’t know, I lost all sense of the film. Bambi kept teasing me, keeping me in a perpetual state of blue balls around the kids. She went from running her hand up and down my thigh to occasionally touching my hard dick with her fingers. She is one mean woman. Not mean, no, she is fucking evil.

The kids eat most of the food, but snack on the snacks that Bambi prepared for us. Bambi told me that they are sleeping in here, since all the blankets and pillows are here. Knox thought he was sleeping up in the spare room but he was happy when she told him they could stay down here. And if I am completely honest, I am fucking ecstatic that I can fuck my girl upstairs without risking waking the kids up. Then I can make love to her and make her moan my name. Fuck, screaming or moaning my name, I don’t give a fuck as long as it is her saying my name.

“Mum, can we have some ice cream, please?” Connie asks, pulling me from my dirty thoughts.

“Yeah, sweetie. Knox, would you like some?” Bambi asks, standing from the couch.

“Yes, please.” Bambi smiles at me, at his answer. My boy has manners. Bambi bobs her head in the direction of the kitchen, telling me she wants me to follow. She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I stand and follow her.

“Can you grab some bowls out of the top cupboard, please, babe?”

“Yeah.” I open the cupboard and take out four bowls and sit them on the worktop.

“Once we eat the ice cream, what do you say we go and sit out the back and have a chat?” she says, while adding ice cream in the bowls and adding chocolate sauce. My stomach knots a little at what she says, but I guess it is time to fess up a few things.

“Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

We load up the bowls and walk back into the living room. The kids are now looking at what other movie to watch. God, help me. Please do not let it be another kiddy film, I like my brain cells.

“Con, why don’t you put Hocus Pocus on, I am sure Knox will enjoy that one,” Bambi suggests. Oh thank fuck. That is a pretty cool film, plus Sarah Jessica Parker looks sexy as fuck in that dress she wears in it.

“Okay.” Connie jumps up and sets the film up. I look down at my son who is sitting up, dropping a handful of chocolate buttons into his ice cream. That boy has sweet tooth, not like his dad. Oh hell who am I kidding, I have huge sweet tooth.

“Dad, do you want some?” Knox offers some of his chocolate buttons. I smile down at him and ruffle his hair.

“No thanks, kid. You eat them.” He turns back to the TV and starts watching the film.

“Hey, Con. I am taking Liam out the back so we can have a chat without disturbing you two. Call if you need anything, okay.”

“Yeah, Mum.” Connie answers without looking away from the TV. Standing again, I step over the kids again and follow Bambi. I stop at the door and take one last look at the kids on the floor, they are completely engrossed in the film. Seeing how well they get along, does something to me.

Without getting all mushy and chick like, but it honestly warms my heart.

I walk out onto the decking out the back and I hear Liam follow me. I want this talk to know more about him, he knows more about me than I him. If we are going to make this work then this chat needs to happen. But I also don’t want to sound like a nagging girlfriend. I light the fire pit that Matt installed for me just after I moved in. The deck lights are already on and they cast a lovely glow across the furniture. The small spotlights light the steps up to the top deck and along the steps down to the little beach behind my house. The deck is made of wood mostly, but there is a metal railing leading down to the beach. I love it out here in the summers.

I sit on one of my loungers and tap the space next to me. Liam sits and wraps his arms around me and hooks his leg over mine, effectively trapping me to him. I feel safe and cherished when I am with him. Who would have thought that, after how we met? All those years ago was a little bit of a wake up call. Meeting Liam, taking a risk and then losing Jodi, but gaining Connie. I slip my arm around Liam’s waist, and under his shirt, loving the feel of his skin under my fingertips. His abs, as Rachel calls it. Liam has a six pack and that special V muscle that all the ladies love. I always love reading about that special part in my romance books. The way the heroine reacts to it, I just thought the author was over embellishing, but bloody hell they weren't. I love seeing Liam’s, my man works out.

“So what did you want to talk about?” He dives straight in.

“You know a lot about my past. What I have done for the past ten years, I know very little about yours. I want to know about your past,” I reply, not looking at him. I keep my eyes on the water and the boats and my hand on his skin. Skin to skin is a good thing right now.

“It isn’t pretty, baby. I wasn’t a good kid, I fucked up a lot back in the day.”

“Tell me. I want to know. Because the old days made you into the man you are today, Liam.” He takes a deep breath and pulls me tighter to him. Like he is scared I will run away when I hear his story.

“You met me when I was working as a roadie, you saw what the boys were like, and yes, I was just like them. Until you. That one night with you changed me, but the lads didn’t want to see me as a love sick puppy on their tour. So, they started giving me drugs, which I willingly took. Stupid, right? Then came the heavy drinking. I would do my job but once I was off the clock, there was no stopping me. My parents liked to party and were never around. My grandfather took me in and raised me, but I rebelled big time. Looking back, I was a fucking prick to him and he didn’t deserve it. I started seeing Shelly, she is Knox’s mum. She was a fucking knockout. All the lads hated me for having her, but they didn’t see the ugliness that was inside of her. We didn’t date for long, and then she found out she was pregnant. She never told me that she never wanted the baby. Long story short, I was there for his birth and fuck, babe. It was the best day of my life, to see my son come into the world, taking his first breath. Best. Day. Ever. I held him for hours after he was born. Shelly slept, I don’t blame her she was exhausted. I went home and returned the following morning to find her gone.”