Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Emmett

A m I having an out-of-body experience? How the hell did I get here? Not that I'm complaining. Having Briar lying on me with my fingers lazily going up and down her arm isn't something I ever thought I wanted. Until her. Until she flipped my life upside down.

"I really am sorry about what I said." God, I can't conceive of why I'd ever have said that shit about her.

Briar turns to me, resting her chin on my chest. "I already told you I forgive you. Let's forget it, okay?"

I swallow past the dryness in my throat. I don't know that I'll ever be able to stop thinking about how I said something so mean about someone. My dad raised me better.

She places her hand on my cheek. "I'm serious, Emmett, stop thinking about it."

I nod, but it's not going to stop infiltrating my mind.

"I feel like I just stacked on another problem," Briar says. "Gillian isn't going to be happy with either one of us."

I don't say anything at first because I'm unsure how to word what I want to convey. "I know your life is really complicated right now and that you have a lot of decisions to make involving you and the baby." Her eyes soften and the smallest smile creases her lips, so I say, "But I want to be part of the equation."

"What do you mean?"

I sit up in bed, and she sits up on her knees, the sheet slipping off her body. I force my gaze to stay trained on her eyes so she knows how serious I am about this.

"I just want to fit into the life you choose, but I know I might not." My chest tightens, waiting for her to respond.

"Did you forget what we just talked about?" She climbs onto my lap, straddling me, and places her hands on my cheeks. "You're in the equation, Emmett. I didn't sleep with you to get you out of my system. I slept with you because I want this. Wherever it's going, I want it."

"But—"

She shakes her head. "No but. Stop feeling guilty for the stupid shit you said in high school and stop doubting this."

I slide my hand over her belly, holding it there. "I just want you to have the best life."

She kisses me. "Then that includes you. You fit… always."

I nod, and my teeth press into my bottom lip.

"Say I believe you, Briar."

"I believe you, Briar," I repeat, humor in my voice.

"And thank you."

My forehead wrinkles. "For?"

"Telling me what you want so I don't have to question you later or read into things. I really like transparency. It probably comes from having a loving mother one day, and then she's gone the next. Always be truthful with me. That's all I ask."

I roll her onto her back and position my body over hers. "I like this side of you. Telling me what you want."

"I'm taking a lesson out of Wren's book."

"Good girl." I kiss her stomach.

Her hands fall over my head, her nails scraping my scalp, which I love. "Do I get a reward now? A gold star sticker?"

I look up at her, my lips casting small kisses along her stomach. "You're about to get more than a gold star."

I get up on my knees, bringing her right leg up to my mouth. I trail kisses along her strong calf, my gaze fixed on hers with every nibble or lick. Her chest rises and falls, her breaths becoming more labored the closer I get to her core. I graze my fingers along her inner thigh, barely touching the apex of her thighs.

"You're torturing me," she says, reaching for her tits.

Her hips rise off the mattress as if that's going to make me give her what she wants. She grunts in frustration when I lower my stomach to the mattress, widening her legs with both hands and blowing a stream of hot air onto her pussy.

"Emmett…"

I chuckle, peeking my head up. "Yeah, sweetheart?" I swipe my tongue over her, and she groans, rising on her elbows to watch me. "Better?"

She stares at me with that death glare I know she means to be intimidating, but sometimes it's just hot as fuck.

"Not yet," she says.

"Let me try again." With the tip of my tongue, I flick her clit several times.

She cries out, her fingers twisting her nipples.

"How about now?"

"You know what I want." She tries to raise her pussy to my lips, but we're not gonna play that game. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of getting her right to the edge before I devour her.

"You taste as sweet as I thought you would." I lower my head and suck on her clit, twirling my tongue around it. I let it pop out of my mouth, and she grunts.

"I swear to god, Emmett."

"You swear what?"

"You're never getting a blow job if you keep this up." Her voice is menacing, and I laugh. "You know what? I don't need you." She tries to turn to the right.

I stop her with my hands on her thighs. She falls to her back, and I open her legs as wide as they'll go, which is pretty fucking wide. How blessed am I to fall for a yoga instructor?

Without playing any more games, I worship her.

Her back falls to the mattress, and her hands fist the comforter. "Finally."

I run my hands over and up her outer thighs, grabbing her ass and bringing her pussy to my mouth. She grinds along my tongue, desperate for the friction, but this is my ship to navigate. My hands run up her stomach, and I take over cupping her breasts and tweaking her nipples.

Her back arches and her cries grow louder and louder. Watching her increases my pace. I want to get her to the edge and see her free fall over. To know that I did that to her. My mouth, my tongue, my hands took her there.

She shouts my name. "Oh god." She comes so hard, she practically tries to suffocate me with her thighs.

I take one long lick of her before climbing up her body, stopping at one of her tits to suck it into my mouth.

"Best ever, right?" I say to her when I reach her mouth.

"Yeah," she whispers. "I've never come that hard from that."

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll lick your pussy all day, every day if you want."

She slaps my shoulder, and I laugh, falling to my back and pulling her down with me.

The sun is just starting to make its presence known. We'll have Sunday dinner tonight, but we have hours and hours before that.

Her stomach growls.

"You and the baby need food." I slide out from under her. "I'll be right back."

Her arm anchors to my side, and she locks it so I can't move. "Not yet."

I get what she means, wanting to preserve this moment, so I relax back in bed. Outside this room is the real world. The real world where so many questions need answers. The real world where people might not believe us when we tell them how much we care for each other.

"Can we keep this between us for a little bit?" Her voice is small and unsure.

I blow out a breath because I want everyone to know she's mine. But I understand how difficult this is, given her situation.

I kiss her forehead and wrap my arms around her. "Sure, I'll be your dirty little secret."

"It's not like that." She pulls back, looking straight into my eyes.

I nod. "I know. I know."

She kisses my chest, and her fingers circle along my abs. And we allow ourselves to live in this bubble we've created for ourselves a little longer.