Chapter 25

I stay inside her for a few moments, and I'm in awe of how tight she still is even after I had my whole fist inside her.

I move onto my back, wiping the sweat off my forehead with my hand. "My God…"

"That was amazing," she says. "I can't believe how amazing it was."

"You're telling me. You're the first woman who ever let me do that."

She jerks into a sitting position, looking down at me. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes are wide and oh-so beautiful. "I can't believe that. I mean, you're a Rake-a-teer."

I caress her face. "I don't think I am anymore."

She cocks her head. "What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said before. I want us to date."

She doesn't say anything for a moment, and I can't quite read the expression on her face.

Finally, "So you meant that."

"Of course I did. I don't say things I don't mean."

She looks down. "I guess I just thought…"

"Thought what?"

"That…with everything going on with your family and your uncle Joe. With me going back to school… I just figured…"

"That I didn't mean what I said?"

"It's not that. I just figured you were probably letting me down gently."

I sit up then and take her into my arms. "Maddie, I don't say things I don't mean. And if I were going to let you down gently, I would do just that. I would let you down gently."

She presses her lips to my neck. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

I pull away, meet her gaze. "Yeah. We'll see where it goes. I didn't expect to develop feelings for you the way I have. But I can't say I'm upset about it. I would like to see where we go. But I am using caution because of what's going on with my family. I don't want to mistake a desire for escape for something more."

"I understand," she says. "I don't want to do that either." She brings her hand around the pearl pendant I bought her. "Because when I decide to love someone, it's going to be forever, Dave."

Her words take me back just a bit, and she bites on her lip, as if she's rethinking whether she should've said them.

But after the initial shock, I feel the warmth.

And in that moment, I want to be the one she's going to love forever.

I erase the thought from my mind. Donny, Brock, and Brianna fell in love with Pikes quickly. Seems to be the way my family does things.

I have to admit, spending the rest of my life with Maddie Pike certainly doesn't sound like a chore. But I need to make sure it's for real. And I need to figure out my own life as well. I'm not sure if working with my father is what I need in the long term.

"I promised you a pussy licking," I say.

She smiles then, lies back down on the bed. "I know you're not one to break promises."

"No, I am not. Give me just a sec." I get up, walk to my bathroom, wet a washcloth with warm water, and bring it back. I clean her and then toss the cloth to the floor.

"You sure?" I ask. "You may be sore after that."

She grins. "I will never be too sore to have my pussy licked. I want it all tonight, Dave. I may even let you fuck my ass."

I raise my eyebrows. "Now that's something that requires a lot of trust, Maddie."

"Don't tell me you've never done it before."

"Oh, I have."

"And you had trust with all those women?"

"For that act, yes. You can have trust without having love behind it. But I want more with you, Maddie. I want your complete trust. Let's leave that for now. We've both experienced something for the first time tonight."

"How do you know that was my first time being fisted?" she asks innocently.

A brick hits me right in the head. I don't know that. I was just assuming.

"It wasn't?"

She smiles then, and her whole face lights up. "Just joshing with you. Yes, that was the first time."

"I don't know a lot of women who want something like that," I say.

She blushes. "It's always been a fantasy of mine. It was amazing, but it was rough, and it's not something I want to do every time."

"If you ever want to do it again, I'm game." I spread her legs. "Right now I'm going to eat you until you scream."

"God, please…" She arches her back.

I slide my tongue over her glistening pussy. She's still wet, of course, and her juices taste like a tangy strawberry. I go slowly, savoring her, moving from her pussy to her inner thighs, kissing her, sucking her flesh. I'm leaving little marks on her, even though it's not something I've usually done with women. I want to mark Maddie. Mark her as mine.

I slide my tongue gently around her clit, and she lets out a small gasp.

"I want to come again, Dave…"

"You will. But I'm taking my time with you, Maddie. Getting your pussy ready to come again."

"My pussy is ready to come."

"Maybe, but anticipation will make it even better." I slide my lips over her clit. "Besides, with a dessert this delicious, I want to take my time."

And take my time I do. I lick her like I'm licking an ice cream cone, slowly, but just quickly enough that it doesn't melt. I slide my tongue into her pussy, taste the inside of her, and then I slide it over her folds, around her clit, and over her inner thighs once more.

She moans, groans, and then?—

Her hands are in my hair, pulling and tugging, forcing my face into her pussy.

"Ready to come, Dave. Please… Don't do this to me any longer!"

I can't resist her pleas. I slide my tongue back and swirl it around her clit, sucking it gently between my lips, increasing the pressure until?—

"God, yes!"

Her pussy pulses around me, and I'm getting hard once again.

But I don't fuck her this time. This is for her. This orgasm is all for Maddie.

When she finally lets go of my hair, I slide up her body and kiss her lips, forcing my tongue between her lips into her mouth. She kisses me back eagerly, no doubt tasting herself on me.

We kiss enthusiastically for a few more timeless moments, and then I roll us on our sides.

"I don't want you to leave," I say. "Spend the night with me, Maddie. And then we'll have amazing morning sex."

She opens her eyes and smiles. "I'd love that…"

And I know a but is coming.

"But…I told my mom I'd be home."

"You're twenty-two years old."

"I am, but I told her I'd be home, and I'll see you in the morning anyway. This is my last night before I head back to school, and I want to spend it in my own bed."

"I understand, but I'd love to sleep with you snuggled against me."

"I'd like that too. Maybe next time."

"All right. Would you lie with me for a few minutes at least?"

"Of course." She snuggles up to my shoulder and tangles her legs with mine.

And for these few seconds, I experience perfection.

For a moment when I wake up the next morning, I forget that Maddie went home. I actually feel the other side of the bed, looking for her beautiful body.

But I took her home last night at her request.

It's early now, and I get out of bed to let Gary out.

I shower quickly, grab some breakfast, and head over to Mom and Dad's house, where we'll all go together to Uncle Joe's for the big meeting at ten.

Once I get there, Henry is in the kitchen. "Hey," I say. "Where are the girls?"

"Still getting ready."

"What do you think this is about?"

"I asked Dad this morning." My brother takes a drink of coffee. "Apparently, Pat Lamone's DNA results are in."

My eyes go wide. "This quickly?"

He nods. "Ruby's guy is quick. That's how we found out that Jack Murphy was related to Brendan and Sean so quickly."

I nod. "Wow."

"Of course, they don't know what the results are. Apparently only Aunt Ruby knows, and they asked her to let us all know today at the meeting."

"This is all kinds of fucked up," I say.

"You're telling me, brother."

Angie walks in then, her dark hair bouncing. "Hey," she says.

Angie's quieter than Sage, but she's usually a little more jubilant than this. Who can blame her, though? All we can think about is Uncle Joe. I don't think any of us really gives a rat's ass about who Pat Lamone's father is and if he's related to us in some other way.

We already know he's a Steel, through Lauren. What does the rest matter?

Angie grabs a cup of coffee. "Has Sage come down yet?"

"I'm right here." Angie's twin enters. Her eyes are red and swollen.

"Hey, sis." I grab her in a hug. "You doing okay?"

She wipes her eyes. "Every time I think I am, I start to cry again. What are we going to do without Uncle Joe?"

"We'll get along, just like we always have," Henry says. "After all, no one will live forever."

"I know." Sage grabs a cup of coffee.

A moment later, Mom and Dad enter.

Dad is still a mess. His eyes look worse than Sage's. He clears his throat. "Everyone ready?"

"Sure," I say.

Though none of us are ready for any of this.

A tear drops from Sage's eye. "Daddy, why does this even matter? Who cares who that guy's father is?"

"It matters to him," Dad says, "and like it or not, he's one of us now."

"Let's go," Mom says.