Page 63 of What Lies Within

Her lips touch my brow, and she gently kisses me before addressing my brother. "And you…" she says, with a small huff. "You've got to leave room in my heart for the both of you."

“Always been a little selfish,” he taunts. “But this time?” He nods toward me. “Just wanna watch how he makes you feel, baby girl.”

Well, shit.We've shared women in our past, but it's always been a spur-of-the-moment—usually drunken—thing. It's easy when he joins in, but only being in the room to watch? This seems so intentional. Not sure how I feel about my brother being our goddamn voyeur.

“Are you sure?” Rae stiffens against me.

“Positive.” Digger stands, shifting to the sofa to our right. “I got mine already.”

No wonder the asshole hit me.I was goddamn right—they were fucking.

And here I am about to do the same.

I lift my gaze to the door and draw a deep breath. Rae’s hand returns to my face, coaxing me to look at her instead.

“She’s okay. Everyone knows where you are if they need you, and she has Jamie with her. Like you said, Tyke, it’s okay to let loose when you need to ease the stress, right?”

Damn straight it is.

I need this. She needs this. Fuck—we all need it with the week we’ve had.

It doesn’t change Maddie’s condition. It doesn’t discount it.

It’s just us living our lives the best way we know how while we deal with the hand we were given.

“Meant it when I said I love you,” I murmur, fighting the unnatural feel of the words slipping past my lips.

The witch always griped that I never said it enough, and with her, it was a no-brainer. But I also never say it to those whodomatter. And I understand why—childhood trauma and all that shit. It leaves me vulnerable, telling people they have that much hold over my heart.

But fuck if I ain’t trying to teach this woman that it’s okay to be vulnerable.

That it’s okay to be fallible. Human. Flawed and compromised.

“I hope one day I understand why.” Rae’s lips fit over mine, gentle and—fuck—thankful. She kisses me with a reverence that says I saved her. Thatwesave her. That she recognizes what we give and although she can't always voice why or how, she appreciates that.

I lean into the woman, firm palm sliding under the edge of the stupidly large T-shirt she wears to find her warm flesh beneath the swell of her breast. Fingers aligned with her ribs, I press hard, fucking willing us to fuse so that I can carry this completeness with me wherever I go.

Carry her with me.

Her legs wrap around my hips, feet linking together behind me as I continue to explore her mouth, continue to force the imagery of Digger watching out of my mind to focus on the woman before me. On just us. Me and Rae together as I should be.

No matter our fucking ages or how we met.

Her breaths quicken, her spine bowing when her shoulders meet the back of the seat. I move my mouth down her heatedflesh, tasting the desire as it sears beneath the supple skin at her neck, her collarbone. Her breastbone.

I jerk the damn shirt up her body, bunching the front and forcing it over her head to reveal the prize beneath. Dusky and pink, her nipples pebble beneath my scrutiny, a slight flush creeping across her abdomen. Rearing back, I take in the canvas before me, run my thumbs across her stomach, and slide my palms up her body to cup her breasts in the crook of my forefingers and thumbs. I want to paint her with my goddamn cum, smear it into her skin and know she fucking wears my mark.

I want to know any other man who crosses her path will understand she's taken. Fucking scent it on her.

I’m a fucking animal.

Her fingers grappling at my buckle snap me out of my reverie, the swish of leather on leather as she drags the tail free. “You want a taste?” The words rumble from my throat.

Fuck, I’m heady on her.

Rae dips her chin, peeking up at me from beneath those fucking lashes as she nods.

“Move.” I coax her to the side. “On your fucking knees.”

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