Page 49 of Revived

“Yes! And then it’s time for presents! Guys! Time for cake!” He yells to the other kids in the bounce house as they speedily file out of the opening, running for the patio where Rachel set up a table with Grayson’s cake on display—a mockup of the inside of the human body, complete with all the main organs.

“This cake is awesome!” Carter, Tenley’s son shouts, while the little girls curl their lips up in disgust.

“I know! I love it!” Grayson yells as everyone gathers around him.

“Are you ready, sweetie?” Rachel glides up to him, placing the large candle in the shape of the number five on his cake and lighting the wick.

“Wait! We need a picture of you guys!” Tenley interrupts just before everyone starts singing. She fetches her cell phone from her pocket and prompts for Grayson and me to smile as I bend down next to my son.

“No. Rachel! You get in there too!”

As I turn my head, I notice that Rachel has stepped away, her facial expression covering the apprehension she must feel.

“Yeah, Rach. You should be in here.” I wave her over as she freezes, clearly taken aback by my declaration.

“No, it’s okay. He’s your son.” She shakes her head.

“Rachel! Come be in the picture!” Grayson whines, which makes Rachel loosen up before she slowly joins us, wrapping her arm around my son’s shoulders and inadvertently touching my own. I cautiously rest my hand on her upper arm as we smile wide and Tenley takes the shot. I instantly want to see the picture, but there will be time for that later.

“Now let’s sing! I want cake, guys!” Grayson shouts, earning a chuckle from the crowd gathered around us. So we do. We sing as my son soaks up the attention. And then we cut the cake and watch him tear into presents, tissue paper and wrapping paper flying around the patio. Rachel and I do our best to collect it in trash bags as it lands, but it takes a while to gather every piece.

“What do you say to everyone, Grayson?” I shoot a look at my son as he rips open his last present.

“Thank you! This is the best birthday ever!” Everyone claps and says a collective ‘you’re welcome’ and the party resumes until people slowly start to leave a few hours later.

Once the house is vacant and most of the mess has been cleaned, I hop in the shower, cleaning off the sweat from being outside all day in the humid June weather. In the next few weeks, the temperature will be close to ninety every day and the humidity almost just as high, reminding me how grateful I am to be working inside now instead of outside in the elements like I was as a deputy.

I throw on some athletic shorts and a tank top and then make my way quietly down the hall to Rachel’s room, even though I know it would probably take a hurricane to wake up my son right now. He partied hard and will probably sleep in a bit tomorrow.

Rapping my knuckles lightly against the door, I listen for Rachel’s voice so I know it’s okay to enter.

“What are you doing?” Her voice pulls my attention down the hall where she’s walking towards me with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body, obviously fresh from the shower as well.

“Looking for you. I love your outfit.” My eyes travel up and down her entirety as she smirks back at me.

“It’s all the rage right now,” she fires back, turning her doorknob and pushing inside her room as I follow closely behind her. After quietly securing her door, I stride up to her, her back to my front as I wrap my arms around her waist.

“Thank you for your help today, for all the thought and details you put into his party. That little boy was happier than Santa on Prozac.” That metaphor grants me a giggle from her, the sound instantly making me hard as I feel her hips jiggle beneath my hands as well.

“You’re welcome. The hard work was worth it to see him smile like that.” Pressing a soft kiss to her neck, I feel her shudder in my hands.

“There’s another way I wanted to thank you though,” I say, turning her slowly to face me, her hand still anchored to the towel at her chest, her fingers holding the fabric together.

“Oh, really? How?” She lifts her chin, waiting for me with a challenge in her eye.

I find the opening in the towel, reaching for her hip the moment my fingers touch her skin. “Take the towel off, Rachel.” There’s a command to my voice I don’t even recognize, but I know I want to be in charge here. I want to pleasure her and make her feel incredible tonight.

“But I’m completely naked.”

“You act like I haven’t seen it already,” I tease as her mouth flies open.

“Luke! You looked that day?”

“Hell yeah, I looked. I may be a widower and emotionally challenged sometimes, but I’m still a man, Rach.”

She just grins and shakes her head. “I guess I can’t fault you for that.” And in two seconds flat, she releases her grip and the white terry cloth falls to the ground, her beautiful naked body bared to me, making me swallow hard at the sight. Rachel and I have been fooling around over the past week, but neither one of us has been completely naked yet. And even though I’ve already seen her, it’s different when she’s willingly showing me all of her.

My eyes travel south, savoring the sight of her pink nipples I memorized before, her soft belly that leads down to her pussy I’m slowly becoming familiar with, the little patch of hair she keeps trimmed just above her slit but everything else left clean. Her long legs are thick and toned and her skin is so soft, I can’t help but run my hands all over her body.

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