Page 72 of Gifts

Feeling her under me again is making me hard. “You don’t want me at brunch?”

Her face softens and she pulls her knees up to my sides. “That’s not it. I’m just not ready to answer questions. My parents are … judgy—in a sweet way, if that makes sense. They don’t like the kids and me out here in the country and want us to move back to Alexandria. They worry about us, but do nothing to help because they’re not the helping kind of people. They’re just the let-me-tell-you-what-to-do kind of people. If they know I have a man in my life—in any shape or form—they’ll never leave me alone and it’ll be exhausting.”

I grin. “I bet you can guess what shape and form I’m becoming just laying here like this.”

“Asa.” She shakes her head yet arches her back. Damn, now I’m gonna have to fuck her again.

“I promise not to embarrass you,” I tease and roll, pulling her on top of me.

When I yank her top up and over her head, she protests, “What are you doing?”

“You’re talkative and wide awake from your nap. It’s causing you to worry about shit you don’t need to worry about.” I push her panties down and she helps, wiggling out of them while on top of me. “I promise I can handle your family.”

“No offense, Asa. But I’m not worried about you. You go off and chase down drug dealers on a Saturday night. I’m being selfish and worrying about me.”

I pull her down to kiss her and whisper, “I’m being selfish, too. I don’t want to leave you and when I said I’d handle your family, I meant I’d handle them so you don’t take shit from anyone.” I run my hands down her sides and pull her knees up. “I want to watch you ride me. That should wear you out so you can sleep and not worry about brunch.”

She shakes her head, her long strawberry blonde hair framing her face and falling over her shoulders, resting on her tits. I don’t know what I did to ever deserve this, but I doubt I’ll ever get used to it.

“Okay, you asked for it,” she says, wide-eyed.

I reach up and cup her tits, knowing she’s talking about brunch, but I’m not. “No, baby. I demanded it. Now, climb on. We need to wear you out.”

Her small hands run down my chest and she lifts to her knees as I guide myself in.

I get to watch Keelie wear herself out on my cock and it’s fucking magnificent.

She doesn’t get it, but she will eventually.

I’m not leaving.

Chapter 18

Sunday Brunch

Asa

“How long are you going to hold me hostage here?”

I cross my arms as I stand in front of my frustrated son.

“It’s not that I don’t like Keelie and her kids—I do,” he goes on. “I don’t even mind being here, but I want to see Carissa. I had to cancel all our plans for the weekend. This is bullshit, not to mention it’s embarrassing.”

“Lower your voice,” I warn, even though Knox and Saylor have been given full rein to be outside again now that the security is in place. The last I saw, Knox was shooting baskets and Saylor was with the animals.

We’re in Keelie’s office in the front of her house. I’m giving my kids the lowdown on what’s gonna happen today with brunch, instructing them to not say a word about the shooting. Keelie’s wound tighter than a spring, she doesn’t need her family knowing she was grazed by a bullet and I definitely don’t need them to know it happened while she was sitting in my driveway. Levi’s at the end of his rope, and Emma—God help me—is lying on the sofa, limp as a wet noodle. She doesn’t seem to give two shits if I hold her hostage.

“Give me a few more days. As of last night, I got a lead on the car, but I need more time.” I look down at Emma. “Until then, I have no idea why it happened. Before I let you loose again, I need to figure out who’s targeting my family and why.”

Emma looks away and burrows her messy-haired head into a pillow.

“Can we stay here?” she mumbles. “I don’t want to go back home. I don’t think I can.”

I stoop to a crouch in front of her and push the hair from her face. I see nothing but the shell of a girl who used to be full of life. I can’t fucking stand it, but I’ve interrogated her over and over again and it does no good. I can’t get into it right now with Keelie’s family coming any minute. No way am I gonna make her go back to that house if she doesn’t feel safe there. I’ll buy another one if that’s what it takes. “I don’t know how long we can stay here, but I won’t make you go back if you don’t want to.”

“Aren’t you and Keelie, like, a thing now?” she asks.

“We are,” I tell her the truth because I have no desire to keep it from them. “But it’s up to Keelie on how she handles it with her kids. They don’t know.”

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