Inflame

Chapter 24

Kale

AFTER TAKING Lucy home, I spent the night worshipping her body just like she wanted, appreciating every single new bump and curve. It was only a week, but what can I say? I’m hooked on her, and even just one night apart is one too many. I knew she’d been waiting for me to ask her to move in, but I took my time, making her sweat just like she’d done to me, but after spending Christmas apart, I couldn’t handle it anymore. The twenty-week appointment is sneaking up on us, marking the halfway point in the pregnancy, and I want her settled in with me so that it’s one less stressor on her plate.

“Do you want a boy or a girl? You always call Sprout a he, but what if he’s a she?” Lucy asks, yawning. We’ve just woken up, and I’m not sure where the question’s coming from.

I mull it over in my brain. “I guess I always do say he, but that’s just my natural reaction. If it’s a girl, I’ll be happy. If it’s a boy, that’s great, too. Honestly, I’d probably have an easier time with a girl thanks to the twins and Lily.”

Turning on her side, she grins at me. “Yeah, until she’s old enough to date. Then you’ll be singing a different tune.”

I groan and slide my arm over my eyes. “I don’t even want to think about that. If she looks anything like her momma, I’ll have to lock her away.”

“I could say the same if we have a boy. His daddy is pretty handsome,” she says in a teasing tone.

“Pretty handsome?” I ask, grabbing her waist, pulling her into me, and running the tips of my fingers over her bare skin. She shivers and starts to squirm.

“Devastatingly good-looking? Sexy as sin? The most alluring, attractive, beautiful man in the world who’s captivated my heart?” Her soft giggles fill the room, and I shake my head.

Moving down the bed, I press my lips against her belly. “Hear that, kid? Your momma thinks I’m sexy and she can’t keep her hands off me. That’s how you got stuck in there,” I whisper, and before I know it, Lucy’s hitting me in the head with a pillow.

“Don’t tell him that! Might I remind you, Kale Montgomery, that it was you who implanted the seed that brought upon our little Sprout, so don’t go blaming me,” she retorts giving me a playful glare.

After crawling back up to her, I capture her lips in a gentle kiss. “It might’ve been my seed, baby, but it was the fertile soil of your garden that let it take root.”

She pushes me off her and gets up from the bed, laughing as she shakes her head at me. “I seriously cannot believe you just said that. Well, actually I can. Ginger had no idea what she was doing when she named you. She’s set me up for a lifetime of seed and love garden jokes.”

“Come on. You’ve got to admit that was a good one!” I shout after her as she heads into the bathroom and turns on the shower.

I can still hear her laughing, and I decide to join her. She’s already in the shower, and I step in behind her.

Leaning against the back of the shower, I watch as she lathers up her skin, giving me the perfect view of her ass as she bends over. She catches me staring at her when she stands back up, and she moves under the spray to rinse off.

“You know, it’s probably a good thing I’m moving in. In a couple of months, you might have to do this for me, if not sooner. It’s like someone injected me with Miracle-Gro over the last week,” she informs me, and I know she’s teasing. Her eyes slide down my naked skin, widening when she takes in my erection. She bites her lip then looks up at me, desire flashing in her eyes. “And it looks like someone’s done the same to you.”

“That someone would be you, baby. Now come here and let me inject you,” I request, wiggling my eyebrows up at her, causing her to giggle.

“I think you just ruined the moment with that cheesy comment. You really need to work on your comedic timing.”

Ignoring her, I close the distance between us and turn her away from me. My hand slides between her legs, where she’s already wet. Her laughing stops, and she allows me to bend her over. Gripping her hips, I waste no time sliding into her warm center. I do as she requested and work on my timing, slowly moving in and out, lazily rubbing against her clit then stopping when I feel her tightening around me. It isn’t until she’s begging me to let her finally go over the edge that I hasten my movements, and she screams out her release just as I’m spilling my own into her. Pulling out, I move to wash myself off her even though she’s still coming down from her high.

“How was that for timing, baby?” I ask, giving her as a slap before she stands up straight.

Turning around, she stands on her tiptoes. I think she’s going in for a kiss, but she stops right before her lips make contact with mine.

“I’d say that was pretty damn perfect.”

OVER THE next few days, we spent our time at Lucy’s apartment packing up all her stuff, and when the weekend hit, I enlisted Jace, Knox, and Xavier to help me. Lucy insisted on helping, but like I told her in the supply closet, I don’t want her lifting boxes, no matter how big or small. She told me that I was being an overprotective ass, and maybe that’s true. Fortunately, I was able to get Charlie and Lexi to keep her occupied as they took her out to look for furniture for the baby’s room.

“Man, I still can’t believe you’re going to be a dad,” Xavier tells me as we enter my house, finally finished with moving Lucy’s stuff in. “You two seem pretty damn happy.”

When I head to the kitchen, I grab a couple of beers and hand him one. “I know. It’s kind of surreal at times. When I came home after Christmas and saw Lucy’s belly, it was like reality set in. Every time I think I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m having a kid, something else happens and it becomes so much more real.”

Taking a swig of his beer, he eyes me. “Have you talked about it?”

I let a long breath escape my lips as I lean my elbows on the counter. “Not yet. And before you say anything, I know. I know I need to tell her, but things are so good right now. Even though we’ve been dancing around our feelings for so long, our being together officially is so new. And now that she’s moving in, the last thing I want to do is talk about my past.” He gives me a knowing look, but I try to ignore it. “Look, that night after the bar, I went home and got wasted off my ass. I know it probably sounds stupid, but when I was drunk as hell, I was actually able to deal with things, to see clarity in the situation. I spent that night working through my shit, and since then, I haven’t looked back.”

“That’s good to hear, but still. It’s been a long damn time for you to keep that shit buried. One night isn’t going to make it go away.”

“I know. You’re right. It’s not. But at the same time, every day that passes that I have Lucy? It’s making all that pent-up anger and pain fade away. She’s the remedy I never knew existed, and I’ll be damned if I do anything to push her away.”

He shakes his head and looks at me, a strange gleam in his eye. “Just make sure that you’re not doing that by shutting her out, Kale.”

I’m about to respond when the front door opens and Jace and Knox come in. Handing them both beers, I lead the four of us to the back deck to relax after a long day’s hard work.

“Hey, Wellington? How were things over the holidays with the family?” I ask, trying to deflect Xavier’s attention.

He lets out a low chuckle as he shakes his head. “It was a holiday, that’s for sure. My first with the family, and well, it was actually pretty uneventful. Mom, naturally, fawned over Charlie, who took it all in stride. She won both Cohen and Dad over early one, so that was easy. Branson was there, but he just kind of hung out in the background. Charlie, God freaking love her, tried to pull him in, but he seemed content to just sit on the sidelines and watch.”

“What’s his deal anyway?” I ask, curious as hell to his family dynamic.

“Ya know, I’m not sure I have any fucking clue. Ever since he got rid of the parasite otherwise known as Megan Caldwell, he’s been withdrawn. He used to be a cocky asshole, and even I’m kind of missing that side of him. Instead, he just sits there, watching everything with an impassive look on his face. I don’t know. It’s just weird.”

“Women fuck even the best of us up,” Xavier offers, and Knox tips his beer to him.

“Amen to that, brother,” he offers. “But it’s water under the bridge now. It’s just nice as hell being a part of the family again.”

I raise an eyebrow up at him. “Seriously, dude? He fucked your girl. Hell, he fucking married your girl. That’s not exactly easily forgivable shit right there.”

“Yeah, he did. And as fucked up as it was, he did me a fuckin’ favor. Ten years ago, I might’ve thought differently, but look at us now. I’m shacked up with the woman of my dreams, and he’s in the middle of a divorce. Holdin’ on to that grudge would be like kicking a dog when he’s down. If Charlie’s taught me anything, it’s that I just need to let the past go, and with her, she makes it easy.”

Jace, Xavier, and I look at each other with amused glances at Knox’s admission. “And you call me a fuckin’ romantic pussy,” Jace jokes, causing Knox to send him a scowl.

“McAllister, you’ve had your balls twisted by the same damn girl since I’ve known you and it took you ten fuckin’ years to claim her. Me? I just have the love of a good woman waitin’ on me at the end of the day and I’m smart enough to remember that.”

I can’t help the snort that lets loose, and my nose burns when beer shoots out. “Yeah, ‘cause if you don’t, she’ll kick your ass.”

“Whatever, man.” Knox gestures towards Xavier. “What about you, Cruz? You’re hangin’ around a bunch of taken men. Does that make you feel all twitchy, or are you all good as a single man?”

Xavier lifts his beer to his lips, taking a long drink before answering. “Already got one little woman in my life, Wellington, and I can only imagine she’s going to be more of a handful as the years go by. Don’t need anyone else coming in to complicate things.”

I watch as Jace and Knox exchange looks, ones I’ve seen before. Stepping in, I decide to save Xavier from the McAllister-Wellington guarantee. “All right, Cruz. You get a pass. My goddaughter means more than you getting laid.” I pause, pointing a finger at him. “You remember that.”

He shakes his head at me. “Dude, you think Lily’s going to let me date just any woman? No freakin’ way. My girl is so damn particular. It’ll take someone special, one hell of a chick, to win over both me and Lil.”

Jace leans forward and looks at Xavier. “If I’ve learned one thing in my life, it’s that patience is key. She’ll come along one of these days, and in the end, the wait will have been more than worth it.”

“All right. Before we start getting all emotional and touchy-feely with Love Guru Jace McAllister, can we go inside and order the fuckin’ fight? I need to see dudes punching each other after this love fest. Look, I love my girl more than I can explain, but that’s just it. I’m not fuckin’ explaining it. I need some testosterone if I’m going to hang out with you guys tonight.” When Knox ends his tirade, the rest of us just stare at him.

Finally, Jace busts out laughing and stands up. “Whatever, dude. I’ll throw in the cash for the pay-per-view since Knox isn’t as in touch with his romantic side as I am. It’s clearly an insecurity for him, and I hope one day Charlie doesn’t suffer from it once she realizes she’s settled down with a Neanderthal.”

“You don’t know my woman. That’s what won her over to my side to begin with,” Knox offers, causing the rest of us to laugh.

Leaving the deck, we make our way inside to catch the fight, and although I’m missing Lucy, I realize I’m in pretty damn good company.