I lay her back on the couch, dragging the short skirt down her legs in one swift motion.

“Careful. I don’t think these costumes were built to last,” she laughs at my rough treatment.

“It only needs to last another few days,” I reply, finishing off the process by pulling the top over her head as well.

“I think someone is overdressed,” she quips and her hands immediately go to my waist, dragging my shirt upward as best she can manage from her current position. But I’m not going to make things difficult. Instead, I jerk the shirt off and toss it to join the rest of her clothes, my pants following suit. “That’s much better.” Her hands are immediately at my chest, gliding over my stomach, up and down my arms, as if she can’t get enough of touching me.

And my skin is on fire every place that she does.

“Hell, Emma …” I groan at the feel of her fingertips against my skin and as they slowly make their way down toward the one thing I am still wearing. Though she makes quick work of that as well, her hand wrapping around my cock as I groan.

Immediately I force my attention to her body. Force myself not to get too caught up in the feel of her hands on my body and instead focus on making her feel as amazing as I do.

My hands move to her breasts and her waist, spanning her hips and enjoying the feel of that soft skin. She moans as I continue to tease her body. But the more I tease her the tighter she grips my cock, sliding her hand in just the right motion to make me squirm even more.

“That’s it, Baby Girl …” I groan, pausing a moment to enjoy the feel of her hand, but there’s more I want from this moment and so, with another growl, I knock her hand away and slide deep inside her body with one smooth movement. A process that makes her moan aloud, her back arching off the couch.

“Chris …” My name has certainly never sounded better than it does on that sexy little moan of hers.

And when she comes for me … the sounds she makes, along with the amazing feel of being inside her, push me easily over the edge as well.

Chapter Twenty-Six ~ Emma

“I want to meet them.”

“What?” I sit up a little straighter in the bed, confused at his sudden outburst.

“Your family. I want to meet them.”

“Oh. I … I think they would really like to meet you,” I admit with a nervous smile.

It’s not that I’m afraid my family will embarrass me, at least, not any more than any family would embarrass their loved one when meeting a new partner. But I’m nervous about whether they will like each other.

Coming from two totally different worlds it’s entirely possible that Chris won’t really like my mother and Leann. And what would I do if that happened? Or what if Mom and Leann don’t like Chris?

Could I really be with him, and continue on with all of this, if the three most important people in my life don’t like each other?

A part of me says maybe this is what I was really hiding all along. That if they don’t like each other, it could mean the end of everything.

“They’re obviously important to you,” he tells me, “and I want to let them know that I plan to take care of you.”

I can’t help but smile at that, leaning closer to him and reveling in the way that his arms wrap around me. Just being here, held by him, feels perfect. But what is it really? Is it really everything that I hope it is?

With a soft sigh I shove the intrusive thoughts away. There’s no need to worry about any of it. Instead, I’m going to focus on just enjoying this moment. And figuring out just how I’m going to introduce the man I’m falling in love with to my mother and my sister, who don’t yet know the whole story of it.

In the end, it winds up being a lot easier than I thought it would. Because Chris wants to have them over for dinner so everyone can get to know each other in a comfortable place instead of at a restaurant. So the next time I go to visit I promise I’m going to invite them.

Which happens to be that very weekend.

Leann has been feeling better. And in fact she’s been back at school all week. So when I walk in the door, it’s an hour before I can even get a word in edgewise, but finally she takes a breath and Mom uses that as an opportunity to speak.

“No bag of gifts this week?” The comment is a slight dig but she’s been grumpy about not knowing what’s really going on so I don’t take it too hard. Instead I give a small smile and shake my head.

“No, but … about that … I … I’m in love with someone.”

“In love with someone?” Leann practically squeals because the last time I was with someone was well, a long time ago.

Mom also looks intrigued though also somewhat suspicious. “Is that where all the gifts came from? This new guy of yours thought he could buy us off before he met us?”