41. Archer

41

ARCHER

I 'm at the gym, working off some steam. The steady rhythm of weights clinking together and the hum of treadmills surround me. I lift the barbell, my muscles straining with each repetition, but it's the tension in my mind that's harder to shake.

The threats from Sigma Lambda and Madison replay in my head like a broken record. They've made it clear that they won't back down, trying to intimidate us and ruin Lyric's reputation even more. But I'm not going to let them scare me. We're not about to let them hurt Lyric or our son.

I set the barbell down with a clank, wiping sweat from my brow. Max's sneering face flashes in my mind. Those dudes think they have power over us, that they can manipulate us like pieces on a chessboard. But they have no idea who they're dealing with.

I move to the punching bag, imagining it is Max's smug grin. Each punch lands with a satisfying thud, my knuckles aching from the impact. I won't let them take away the peace we've fought so hard to achieve. I won't let them touch Eli or Lyric. They're my family now and I'll protect them at any cost.

As I pummel the bag, my resolve hardens. They can throw whatever they want at us, but I'm not backing down. I'll stand my ground and I'll make sure they regret ever threatening what's mine. I finish my workout, determination coursing through my veins. It's time to take action, to fight fire with fire. Madison has been the mastermind behind the attacks on Lyric and us. She's the one who's been manipulating everything and I'm going to take her down first.

I head back to the dorm, my mind racing with possibilities. Once in my room, I pull out my laptop and start digging. Madison's social media accounts, public records and anything that might give me an edge. It doesn't take long to find something interesting—an old family photo tagged on her Facebook profile. I zoom in, recognizing one of the faces immediately. Cameron.

They're standing side by side, smiling at a family reunion. Madison and Cameron are cousins . I sit back, the revelation sinking in. It makes sense now. Have they been working together from the start?

Frustration boils up. If Madison thinks she can manipulate us and get away with it, she's got another thing coming. I'm going to expose her and Cameron, show everyone what they've been hiding. Madison's about to learn the hard way that she picked the wrong people to mess with.

I leave my laptop open with the photo on the screen so that when Lyric comes, I can show her. It's not long before I hear a knock on my door and she walks in, her face lighting up when she sees me.

"Hey," she says softly.

"Hey," I respond, my tone serious. "Come here. I need to show you something." I pull her into my lap and point at the screen, showing her the photo of the duo together.

"That's Madison and Cameron," I explain, jabbing at them with my finger. "I just realized that they're cousins. Now I think the two of them have been working together to hurt you and hurt us. It explains why Cameron targeted you."

Lyric's eyes widen in shock, then narrow in anger. "I knew she was up to something, but this…"

"Don't worry," I reassure her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We're going to stop them. You're safe, Lyric. I'm going to make sure they can't harm you or Eli."

She looks up at me, vulnerability in her gaze. "Thank you, Archer. I trust you."

"We're in this together," I say firmly. "I won't let them hurt our family."

She nods and I can see the determination in her eyes matching my own. It does something to me, sending off sparks in my belly. I like this side of Lyric, the strong, protective side.

I lean down, kissing her softly. It's been a while since the two of us have had any alone time together. Classes and studying have kept us busy for the most part. Even our family dinners have been scaled back.

But Eli is with Levi and Zane tonight, so I have Lyric all to myself. I take advantage by kissing her neck in the spot I know she likes best. Lyric responds by sliding a hand over my chest, giving me a lingering look.

It's full of promise and I follow as she takes me by the hand and leads me over to the bed, where she pulls me down to continue kissing her.

It's hot, wet and messy as we kiss, tongues encircling together in a lewd dance. My fingers reach for the hem of her sweater, and I pull it over her head, running my hands over her skin.

Her skin is warm to the touch and I feel myself getting lost in the sensations as I touch her, feeling up her breasts and smoothing my hands down her curves.

She kneels, leaning over me as we kiss and pulls my shirt over my head as well before moving to lick a wet stripe over my areola. A shudder ripples through me and she sucks the pert bud into her mouth, laving over it with her tongue.

It's not the most sensitive spot, but it feels good to have her attention on me like this. I move my hand down to cup her head as she continues to lick and suck over my chest, then moves down to kiss the hard planes of my stomach and abs.

She gives me a wily smile before pulling open the fly of my jeans and yanking them down my legs. I kick them away as she descends once again, pulling my already hardening cock out and beginning to lavish attention there with more soft kisses and wet licks.

Leaning back on my hands, I groan, heat pooling in my gut. Lyric's soft mouth feels like heaven as she takes me down, her nose pressing against my belly. She swallows around me and I almost levitate off the bed, engulfed in the wet cavern of her mouth.

My hands fly to her hair, not pulling, merely resting there as she begins to bob her head up and down, sucking hard.

I let her continue for a few more moments before I pull her off by her shoulders. She gives me a puzzled look, but I reach out and caress her cheek.

"I want to be inside you," I tell her. "I want to feel you when I come. I want to watch you lose yourself."

Lyric's smile is nearly blinding as she moves to accommodate my request. She sheds the rest of her clothes and starts to lie back on the bed, but I stop her.

"Can I take you from behind?" I ask, squeezing one round globe of her ass. "I want to take you so deep, baby. I want to make you feel good and I want to be so damned deep inside you."

"Oh, God, yes," she says with a whimper. "Please take me, Archer." She turns and gets on her hands and knees, casting a wicked grin over her shoulder as I line up behind her and begin to sink inside.

Her walls clench around me as I push past her lips and enter her waiting warmth. It's so tight, even after all the constant sex. She's always ready to take us like she was made for us.

My eyes flutter shut as I let myself bask in the sensation of her walls milking me already. I start to thrust, keeping it slow and shallow for now, but Lyric lifts her ass higher, shoving it into me.

"Please, Archer!" she begs. "I need you. Give it to me harder, faster!"

Her words spur me on and I snap my hips into her, hands squeezing her hips tight enough to leave a mark. Her fat ass jiggles every time I bounce into her and I raise a hand, giving it a gentle smack to watch it quiver.

Lyric's moans start getting louder and I smack her ass again, enjoying how much she seems to get off at being dominated. "Who do you belong to?" I demand.

"You!" she cries out. "I belong to you, Archer!"

"Fuck yes. Say my name, baby," I order her, moving my hips even faster, working it in tiny circles to enhance her pleasure.

She fists the sheets below her hands and moans. "Archer!" Her voice echoes in the quiet room. "Archer, please! Oh, Archer, I need you!"

I know we're being loud, but I don't care. Right now, my only job is to make this woman feel good and I lean down to bite a mark into her shoulder, moving one hand down to rub over her bud as I continue to slam my hips into her over and over.

Lyric's orgasm hits her and she cries out my name once more, stiffening before all but collapsing onto the bed.

I follow her down, continuing to thrust inside her a few more times before I'm releasing as well, shooting deep into her waiting womb.

"Oh, God, Lyric!" I cry out, pleasure flooding me.

The two of us cuddle as we come down together, relishing in this rare quiet moment. I know that there's still so much to worry about, but right now, I can't think of that. I just want to enjoy myself right now.

Though I know that the storm is still approaching, this moment feels the most peaceful we've had in a while.