Chapter 34

Emma

I woke up the next morning feeling not just refreshed but happy. I felt as if I was a brand-new person. As if life was new or maybe it was me and this was my second chance at having the life I dreamed of. The charges against me were officially dropped—for now—so I felt as if I could breathe, at least a little. I knew it was nothing but a temporary reprieve. I knew Detective Massey wouldn’t give up easily, in fact he was probably more determined than ever to get me now that he’d been dressed down by the judge.

Instead of thinking about that, I snuggled in closer to Slate’s warm, hard body and pressed a kiss to his chest. His skin is hot from hours of sleep, soft skin covering a steely layer of muscle. Everything about him was addictive and the moment I put my lips on him, it’s as if I couldn’t get enough.

He woke up with a gravelly moan and pulled me close, pressing his lips against mine in a slow, sleepy kiss that quickly set my body on fire. “Mornin’.” His voice was deep, thick with sleep and his smile came sleepy and sexy.

“Good morning back.” I wrapped an arm around him while my free hand slid down the hard planes of his chest and abs. “Good sleep?”

He nodded. “Better to wake up with you in my arms.” How was it possible that a man so gruff and tough, a man who was part of the criminal underworld, could also be so heartfelt? So romantic?

“Slate,” I moaned and hitched a leg over his hip. We were both still naked from last night and the move pushed the thick swell of his cock against the plump folds of my pussy. “Please.”

His lips pulled into a tight smile as he lined our bodies up and he pushed his thick cock deep into my body. The move was slow and steady, teasing me until I couldn’t take it any longer. “Emma. You feel so good, baby.”

I smiled and my eyelids fluttered shut as he pulled out and pushed in deeper. Harder. It was a slow and intense fuck, totally unexpected as the sun lit up the bedroom around us. “So, so good.” My body felt like rainbows and fireworks were raging through my veins and all I could do was hold on and match him stroke for stroke.

He dipped his head to pull my bottom lip between his teeth, moaning as he buried himself deeper and deeper. His cock hardened and I felt it expand within my body, all the nerve endings inside of me buzzed with electricity. My heart expanded and goosebumps dotted over my flesh as pleasure bubbled up within me, so full and so fiery that I was sure it would tear me apart when it reached the surface.

“Slate!” The pleasure was all-consuming and as it reached its crest, my back arched, and my toes curled. My eyes slammed shut and when my mouth opened, the heartfelt declaration flew from them unexpectedly. “I love you, Slate.” The words should’ve frightened me, but they didn’t. Maybe it was because I was lost in the throes of erotic pleasure, the depths of carnal delights, but the only thing I focused on was the feel of his cock thrusting into me, the weight of his body as it pressed me against the mattress. The heat of his flesh against mine.

The wave of pleasure crashed down over me, knocked me around and I clung to him like he was my only lifeline. He pumped harder and deeper as he chased his pleasure. I met him pump for pump until he exploded within me, growling and panting with his own pleasure.

Tiny aftershocks rattled my body, and I held him close, pressing soft kisses to his neck and shoulder. Eventually the last remnants of my orgasm subsided, and I was left a limp and satisfied pile of limbs. “Slate,” I whispered and moved his hair from his face, giving me an unobstructed view of his handsome face.

“It’s about damn time,” he said, his voice still rough with lust, clumsily pushing back my damp hairs.

His words startled a laugh from me. “Excuse me?”

“I said it’s about damn time.” He pressed a hard kiss against my mouth. “I’ve been struggling to keep the words to myself that might scare you off because I promised to keep you safe. I couldn’t risk you running off because you didn’t feel the same, but it’s been hard as fuck keeping this to myself.”

My heart swelled at the implication of his words. “Keep what to yourself?”

His fingers tangled in my hair, and he held me so we were eye to eye. “I love you Emma. I love you more than I knew I was capable of loving another person. And then you gave me a person who makes my heart so full that sometimes I can’t breathe. You are the most incredible woman I have ever met, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and showing you just how incredible you are. I love that I get to see this part of you, like it’s a fucking privilege many don’t get to see.”

Tears burned my eyes at his gruff yet sweet words. “I do love you, Slate. I didn’t plan to and I’m not sure I wanted to, given the circumstances, but I really, really do.”

His cock swelled as he smiled at me. His cock surged to life and this time when we came together it was slow and sweetly intense. It solidified everything I knew about my heart and what it felt.

It was amazing.

It was intense.

It was everything I ever dreamed of and now it was my reality.

The way we found our pleasure together was both amazing and terrifying. How could I be so in sync with another man after everything I’d been through? How was it so easy? So uncomplicated?

So perfect.

The alarm on my phone intruded on our moment, loud and incessant and obnoxious as hell. I groaned and pressed my forehead to his. “Time to get the day started.”

“This is the stupid real world intruding?”

I laughed and nodded against him. “It’s been known to happen on occasion.” I loved that he seemed so reluctant to let me go. “Grace is coming over with Ash. I have to enroll her in school and then go shopping for essentials.”

“School?”

“First grade. She finally gets to go to school and make friends and have a normal childhood.” It’s all I ever wanted for her.

“Shower?” His brows wiggled as if I needed to be enticed to shower with him when it was the perfect way to start my day.

“Absolutely.”

***

We spent more time in the shower than we should have and by the time we were finished, and Grace dropped off Ash, all three of us rushed from the house and into our respective vehicles with hurried goodbyes.

“Mommy, is Daddy your boyfriend?” Our observant daughter had seen the way we kissed each other goodbye. Not that she needed to be particularly observant as we weren’t even trying to hide our new-found love.

It was such an odd question I couldn’t help but laugh. “Um, I’m not sure? Maybe?”

Ash giggled sweetly, peppering me with questions as we made our way to the elementary school where she would attend first grade in the fall. “Are you and Daddy gonna get married?”

That was a question I had no answer for, so I simply shrugged. “I don’t know, Ash. Come on, let’s get you registered for school.”

“Okay!” It was easy enough to distract her with thoughts of new friends and learning new things, and thirty minutes later all she could talk about on the drive to the grocery store was her new teacher with the fiery red hair. “Am I gonna like school, Mommy?”

“No,” I shook my head. “You’re going to love it.” She didn’t look convinced, and I stepped up because this was my time to shine as her mother. “You’re going to meet so many different people and you’ll learn so much from them. You’ll love some of them and dislike others. You will have so much fun that you won’t have time to worry about anything.”

“Promise?”

I nodded as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot. “I promise.” One of the things the past two months had taught me was the importance of hope. I had no clue what the future would bring but feeling hopeful helped me face it, more than feeling doubt and fear. “Let’s do some shopping, yeah?”

“Can we make some cookies for Daddy? He liked them lots last time.”

“Absolutely.” We grabbed a cart, and Ash was in charge of the list. We wove up and down the aisles filling the cart like we usually did—except this time we were both happier and freer. Nobody was worried about the explosive trouble that would come for choosing the wrong brand of coffee creamer or the wrong cut of steak.

My phone rang and I answered Sara’s call with a smile. “Hey stranger. How’s it going?”

“Holy hell, I can hear your glow over the phone. Tell me everything,” she insisted with a laugh. “And don’t leave out any of the juicy details.”

I tossed my head back and laughed. “Details? What details?”

“Nope, we are not doing that. Not after everything. I’ve missed so much and hearing how happy you are right now is something I refuse to miss, so spill.”

I kept an eye on Ash as we weaved through the grocery store and I told Sara about the past few weeks. I rounded off with, “And the charges have been dropped but that’s not a permanent thing, at least I don’t think it is.”

There was a long moment of silence and then a loud whistle. “You were arrested? You have a mugshot? And you didn’t call me once?”

“Sorry,” I groaned, feeling truly apologetic. “Life has been crazy.”

“Sounds like it. And you and the sexy biker?”

I smiled as I caught her up. “He and Ash are totally in love with each other. And last night I told him that I loved him and,” I whispered into the phone as my face flamed red. “He said it back.”

“Well damn girl, bury the lead why don’t you?” She laughed loudly. “I am so fucking proud of you, Em. You’re taking your life by the balls and making it your bitch. The way we always talked about.”

“I kind of am, aren’t I?”

“Damn straight. I always knew you would, and you know what this means?”

“We celebrate?”

“Damn right we celebrate!” she shouted into the phone. “I’m coming over tonight for some much-needed girl time. Booze and dessert are on me so cook something that’s good for soaking up a lot of alcohol.”

I laughed but I felt light and free. It had been too long since we had a proper girls’ night, and I needed it as much as Sara did. “Sounds good to me. I’m thinking Mexican.”

“Mmm,” she groaned. “I can’t wait. Your hot biker gonna be okay with it?”

I paused, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that he wouldn’t, and that’s when I realized what I had with Slate was so different. I could make plans without checking in, safe in the knowledge that he’d be fine with it. And if he wasn’t, then we’d talk it over like adults. “Yeah, I can’t wait to properly introduce you both.”

We chatted as I picked up a few extra items for what I planned for dinner tonight with my best friend. “Me neither. I’m gonna make fresh salsa.”

“I love you,” she sang happily.

I laughed as we left the store and headed towards my car.

“Gimme a moment I need to stick the groceries in the trunk, and I’ll give you the address,” I said to Sara.

I was about to start loading up the trunk with bags when I heard a small voice at my side. “Mommy,” Ash’s voice was filled with fear and that immediately grabbed my attention.

My gaze landed on the most unwelcome sight. “Mark,” I said and lowered the hand with my phone in it down to my side without ending the call. “What are you doing?” My heart pounded at the sight of him. His hair was unkempt, and his facial hair was overgrown. His clothes were wrinkled, and he wore a wild-eyed expression that put me on edge.

“I’m here to get some answers,” he demanded.

“I have no answers for you,” I shot back with more courage than I usually possessed.

He shook his head and produced a gun, aiming it at Ash’s head. “Somehow I think you have a few answers.”

“Get that gun away from Ash,” I shouted loudly. I still had the phone in my hand, and I hoped to god that Sara could hear this.

“Get in the fucking car and bring the brat with you. I’m getting some answers one way or the other.”

I didn’t like the sound of that, but I knew I had no choice. Ash’s big blue eyes filled with tears immediately and her little body trembled with fear, which sent me into protective mama bear mode. “Put that gun down or I won’t tell you anything.”

He smiled. “You will tell me exactly what I want to hear, or else.”

I turned to shut the trunk and quickly stuffed the phone inside my bra, hoping Sara had already heard enough to call the cops or the Steel Demons. At this point I wasn’t feeling particularly picky. “So much like your brother,” I taunted him unwisely. “Maybe you already have all the answers you need, and this is just an elaborate ruse to get the cops off your back.”

“Funny,” he muttered and shoved me towards his dark green sedan.

“Not really. I know about the million-dollar insurance policy that goes straight to you. Sounds like motive to me.”

“Shut up,” he growled and hit me on the back of the head with the gun. He stuffed me in the back seat and the last thing I heard before I passed out was my daughter’s cries.