Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Stella

So much has changed for Ada and me in the last week. Last Friday, Derrick dropped a bomb on me. In a way, so did Maverick. He loves us. I knew that, but I didn’t know it went as deep as it does. It’s been eight days, and he’s never let a single one pass without telling us both. He’s Da Da to Ada now. His face lights up every single time she says it.

I will forever be grateful for whatever higher power put this man in my path that day, or us into his, however you want to look at it. Maverick calls me angel, but let’s be honest, he’s our angel.

As far as Derrick goes, the document was legit. Maverick and I took it to Deacon, and he confirmed. Derrick has no rights where Ada is concerned. I feel sorry for him. He’s missing out on knowing and loving the most amazing little girl. I think that one day, he’s going to realize what he gave away so carelessly.

Then again, maybe he won’t.

He should really look into having a vasectomy if he’s so dead set against not having kids. It’s not like I planned to get pregnant. It was my first time. I was covered. At least, I thought we were. All I know is that it was meant to be for me to be her mother, and if I’m being honest, I think it was meant to be that Ada and I ended up in Willow River as well.

This is where we found our family. This is where we belong. Even before Maverick turned my world upside down with his confession of love, I knew Willow River was home for us.

Turning off the light in the bathroom, I make my way down the hall to find Maverick and Ada. We’re going to Orion’s third birthday party today at Kincaid Central. I’m nervous because, as far as I am aware, his family doesn’t know about us. Merrick moved out. He’s been busy unpacking his new place.

My grandparents know. It’s pretty obvious, considering I’ve spent every night here since the day he told me he loved me. Maverick was insistent his girls stay with him. I wasn’t strong enough to say no. We’ve not technically moved in yet; we just keep bringing more stuff over and spending the night.

“We need to tell Mommy it’s time to bring your bed home,” Maverick is telling Ada.

I stop in the hallway so that I can listen in on their one-sided conversation.

“You have your own room here. It was Uncle Merrick’s when he lived here, and now it’s yours. Well, until Mommy and I find a bigger place. We need to have room for your brothers and sisters.”

My smile is so big that I feel as though my face might crack. I love this man with everything inside me. I never knew love like this existed. It’s the kind of love I read about. A man who is not afraid to show or tell how much he loves his lady, and in my case, his lady and her daughter.

Ada will grow up knowing what it’s like to have two parents who love her to the ends of the earth, and that has tears burning in my eyes. I don’t have time to cry or for my face to get red and blotchy. We have a birthday party to get to.

Inhaling a big breath, I slowly exhale and step into the living room.

“Are we ready?” I ask in a cheery voice.

“We’re ready, right, Bug?” Maverick asks Ada. She’s sitting on the floor at his feet, where he sits on the couch, playing with a truck he insisted she needed when we went to the grocery store last night. I didn’t bother arguing with him. He probably would have just kissed me to shut me up—not that that’s a bad thing. Damn, I should have complained.

“Let me double-check the diaper bag.”

“Already done. We have extra diapers, wipes, toys, outfits, and a sippy cup full of milk. There are snacks in there, too, not that we’ll need either one of those. We keep Kincaid Central stocked for the adults and the kids.”

“Right. Okay. Oh, the gift.”

“Already out in the truck.”

“You’re pretty handy to have around, you know that?” I tease.

He stands and slides his arm around my waist, his lips finding mine. “Good. That means you’ll never leave me.”

“I would never, Mav.”

“I know.” He smirks and kisses me again.

“Da Da.” Ada stands and pulls at his jeans.

“Are you jealous, Bug?” he asks. “Come here.” He bends and lifts her over his head. Her giggles fill the room. “Daddy’s got lovin’ for you too.” He settles her on his hip and kisses her cheek. “Let’s get your coat on so we can go to a birthday party.”

Just from the tone of his voice, Ada knows something big is about to happen. She smiles and claps her hands.

“Two peas in a pod.” I smile and shake my head at their antics.

“You expected anything less?” Maverick grins.

“Come on, you two.” I slip into my jacket while Maverick wrestles Ada into hers and toss the diaper bag over my shoulder. I follow them out to the truck, making sure to lock the door behind me.

“Do they know?” I ask Maverick once we’re on the road.

“Does who know what?” he asks.

“Your family. Do they know about us? That we’re together?”

“Not officially. They all knew before I did.” He brings our joined hands to his lips and kisses my knuckles.

“So… today?”

He glances over quickly before putting his eyes back on the road. “Today is just like any other day. We’re going to my nephew”s birthday party. I’ll walk in there with my girls at my side. My family will accept that.”

“I want them to be okay with this. With us. I work for Jordyn, and I love your family, every single one of them.”

“Stella, angel, they already love you. You and our girl. Today is just them getting validation that they’ve been right this entire time. My brothers tried to tell me. My sisters-in-law kept giving me knowing looks. They expect this. They just expected it sooner. It took me a while to pull my head out of my a–behind,” he corrects himself, glancing in the rearview mirror at Ada.

“I’m glad they were right.”

He pulls into the lot and turns off the engine before he turns to me. “Me too, baby. Me too.” He leans over, kissing me quickly. “I’ll grab our girl. Bug, are you ready to party?” he asks as he pushes open his door.

“I’ll get the gift and the diaper bag.” I smile as I speak. Life with Maverick will always be fun. There will be tough moments, but there is no doubt in my mind that this man will fight through each one of them with me.

Maverick pulls the door open and motions for me to walk in before him. I do, standing off to the side, waiting for him and Ada to join me.

“Hey, family!” he calls out.

Everyone stops and turns to face him. He links his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. I move my arm behind him so Orion’s gift doesn’t get smashed.

“What’s going on, Mav?” Merrick asks.

“I wasn’t sure if y’all had met my future wife and my daughter?”

“It’s about da—darn time!” Merrick rushes us. I step away so he can hug his brother, but to my surprise, I’m the one he wraps his arms around. “I knew he was in love with you,” he whispers, just for me.

“Give me my granddaughter.” Raymond takes Ada from Maverick and tosses a wink at me over his shoulder.

“Just like that?” I ask Maverick.

“Yeah, angel. Just like that.” He takes my hand in his and pulls me into the crowd. We get hugs and slaps on the back with congratulations from his family.

“You’ve been holding out on me. All week!” Jordyn says, wrapping me in a hug.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure how we were handling this, and so much has happened.”

“I need to hear it all.” She gives me a pointed look.

“I promise. I won’t leave out a single detail.”

She points her index finger at me. “I’m watching you.”

I laugh and nod, letting her know I intend to keep my promise.

“Hey,” Alyssa says, taking a seat next to me at the table.

“Hi. How are you feeling?”

She rubs at her pregnant belly. “Excited.” Her grin is infectious. “I’ve wanted this for so long, but I don’t have to tell you what it’s like to be in love with your best friend.”

“You have a lifetime of friendship with Sterling,” I remind her.

“Yeah, but he was still my best friend, and I fell in love with him.” She shrugs as if the timeline of friendship makes no difference. Maybe it doesn’t. What do I know?

She glances across the room where Sterling is holding Ada. He keeps offering her to Maverick and pulling her away. She laughs every time he does it.

“He’s good with her.”

“Yeah, they’re all great dads.”

“They are,” I agree.

“So, I wanted to run something past you.”

“Okay.”

“Why don’t you let Ada stay with us tonight? We could use the practice.”

I chuckle. “Look around, Alyssa. I think you and Sterling are going to be just fine.”

“Okay, then let us keep her so that you and Maverick can have some time together.”

“Oh.” I can feel my face heat. I’m a grown woman. This conversation shouldn’t affect me.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I know we don’t. In fact, Sterling doesn’t even know that I’m offering. Not that he’ll mind. Look, I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. To have the man you love finally love you back. Let us take her. Give you and Mav a night to… connect.” She wags her eyebrows.

“Really, that’s not necessary.”

“Maybe not, but we’d like to do it, anyway.”

“I’ve never been away from her overnight.”

“We’re family, Stella. I promise you she’s in good hands. I can’t promise you she won’t be spoiled by the time my husband gives her back to you, though.”

“That’s a daily thing with Mav.”

“Talk to Maverick, see what he thinks. The offer is open. Not just tonight, but anytime. You need a sitter, need a mom break, some kid-free sexy time, or for whatever reason, you know that you can call any of us, and we’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you.” I’m getting choked up, and I swallow back the emotion.

“Anytime. Go talk to your man and let me know. We’d love to have her.” She stands and walks away.

I’m so lost in thought that I don’t notice Maverick taking the seat she just left.

“What’s going on?”

“What makes you think something is going on?”

“I know my wife.”

I smile. “Not your wife.” I hold up my bare ring finger.

“I’m going to fix that, but first, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong. Alyssa and I were just chatting. She actually offered to keep Ada tonight to give us some time alone.”

“That was nice of her.”

“She told me to talk to you about it and let her know.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“I’ve never left her overnight.”

“Then we won’t.”

“But I know that’s not realistic. I know she’ll be safe with them. They’re your family.”

“Our family,” he corrects me.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that I don’t have a strong preference either way. I’m still going to be buried balls deep inside your pussy when we get home later.”

“Mav!”

He laughs. “Really, angel, I’m deferring to you on this. If you’re not ready, that’s okay. She’s our daughter.” He shrugs. “She should be with us, but I also know that her aunts and uncles want to spend time with her. As the kids get older, I’m sure they’re going to be asking for sleepovers.”

“I’m sure.”

He leans in and presses his lips to mine. “Your call, Stel.”

“While I appreciate the offer, I don’t want to confuse her. We went from staying at my grandparents’ place to staying at yours. Maybe next time?”

“Yeah, that way she’ll be used to the fact that my place is home.”

“What?”

“The two of you are moving in. We’ll work on finding our forever home to raise our family, but for now, you’re moving in. In the meantime, Merrick’s old room will be Ada’s.”

“Are you sure that you want us to move in with you?” I don’t know why I ask. I know the answer. I guess old habits die hard.

He laughs. Not just ha-ha funny, but full-on belly-shaking, head-tilted-back laughter. “Yeah, angel, I want my girls to move in with me. What do you think this week has been?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. New relationship getting acquainted and stuff?”

“Nope. You’re moving in. We’ll go tell your grandparents tomorrow, or tonight when we leave here if you want.”

This is my future. I’ll never question his intentions again. Maverick and I are forever, and I’m ready to start our future together. “Tomorrow is fine. I kinda want that other thing you mentioned tonight.”

“What’s that?” He smirks. He leans closer, placing his lips next to my ear. “You want my cock buried balls deep in that pussy?”

I cross my legs to alleviate the ache between my thighs from his words. “Yes. That.”

“Anything you want, angel.”

I thank Alyssa and Sterling for the offer and explain my reasoning, reassuring them that I know my daughter would be safe and well cared for with them. We say goodbye to the birthday boy and head home.

Home.

Maverick Kincaid is my home.

“She’s sound asleep,” I say, climbing into bed beside Maverick. “I think she was happy to be back in her bed.”

“We should have moved it over here last weekend.”

“She’s been sleeping fine. It helps that she played so hard today.”

“Yeah, she’s got some rowdy cousins.”

“They’re all great kids.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean they’re not rowdy. It’s our fault. We all corrupted Blakely. Now she’s the leader of the pack as the oldest.”

“Stop.” I push at his shoulder, snuggling further beneath the covers.

“Hey, I only speak the truth, and why are you so far away?”

“This is a big-ass bed, Kincaid.”

“Poor excuse,” he grumbles. Instead of moving me next to him, he comes to me, wrapping me in his arms, throwing his leg over mine. “Much better.”

“And here all along you’ve been saying that Ada was the snuggle bug.”

“I only snuggle with my girls, and my nieces and nephews. No other snuggling going on here.” As he says the words, he slides his hand under his T-shirt that I’m wearing. I’ve discovered that I love sleeping in them. They’re big and comfortable, and they smell like him. “I’ve got a promise to keep,” he says, slipping his hand beneath the waistband of my panties.

“I love your promises.”

“These are in the way.” The next thing I know, he’s tugging my panties over my thighs and tossing them over his shoulder. “Now, I can feast.” He drops down and buries his face between my thighs.

I comb my hands in his hair, holding on for the ride that I know he’s going to take me on. Every night since last Friday, he’s done this. He gets his fill, then makes slow love to me. I love that, but I want him unhinged. Like our first night together. I love when he’s slow and tender, but I want all sides of him, and tonight I intend to take what I need from him.

He slides a digit inside while his mouth clamps down over my clit, and I bite down on my bottom lip to muffle my cry of ecstasy.

I’m struggling to catch my breath, but I know I need to move. Rolling over, I settle on all fours and look over my shoulder at him. “I need more.”

He grins. “My girl wants to play.”

“I love everything we’ve done together, but tonight, I need more. I need it all.”

“Say no more, future Mrs. Kincaid.” He grips my hips and pulls my ass into his crotch. I can feel his hard cock. I rock my hips, needing him. “I need a condom, minx.” He smacks my ass, and I let out a low groan of satisfaction. “This is going to be fast, Stel. I want you so much, and with this fine ass offered to me, I can’t hold back.”

“You’ve been holding back.”

“Making love to you isn’t holding back. I wanted to give you the sweet. I know your experience is limited. I wanted to give you time to decide what you want.”

“This is what I want. Now. Please.”

“Grip the pillow, face down.” I do as he says. I hear the wrapper of the condom tear, and then he’s there, the head of his hard cock pushing inside me. “Fuck, Stel.” He doesn’t stop until he’s fully seated his hips resting against my ass.

“I’m gonna fuck you now, angel. Just remember when I’m fucking you, I’m also loving you.” With that, he pulls back and slams back in. I hold on tightly to the pillow and take everything he’s giving me.

Each thrust grows harder. Faster. His grip on my hips is so tight, it’s painful, and I love it. I love knowing I’m the reason he’s losing control.

Tingles race down my spine, and I know I’m close. With each stroke, the sensation of release draws near. I bury my face in the pillow and let out a scream as the most intense orgasm of my life takes control of my body. Wave after wave of powerful pleasure rolls through my body. My pussy is throbbing.

“There she is,” Maverick pants. “My good girl.” His hips buck, and then he stills. He grunts as he leans over, resting his chest against my back.

“I love you,” he whispers huskily.

“I love you too,” I pant. “I love you” doesn’t seem like enough, but I don’t know how else to declare what he means to me. This man is my soul.

He moves away and I miss the heat of his body wrapped around mine. “I’ll be right back.”

I flop back on the bed. I know he’s going to take care of me, because that’s who he is. It’s what he likes to do, and I love him for that reason and so many more.

Sure enough, a few moments later, he’s tapping my knee, placing a warm cloth over me, cleaning me up as best he can before climbing into bed next to me. He wraps me in his arms, one of his legs thrown over mine.

I fall asleep cuddled by my man with a smile on my face.