“Shhhhhhh, little man,” I cooed as I picked Mikey up, gently rocking the cryingbaby.
Our morning routine was something I cherished greatly. The few minutes I had alone with him at daybreak, fixing his bottle while coffee brewed and Tank chomped on his breakfast in the dark wood-covered kitchen—simple yetperfect.
As Mikey suckled on his bottle, I filled a mug with black coffee and watched as my large, goof-ball of a Doberman Pinscher paced by the back door, wanting to be let out into the yard. The cool morning air rushed in as I opened the French door for my pup. He sprinted forward, chasing after a pudgy squirrel as it bee-lined for the wooden fence in theback.
I’d never pictured I would have this life—a family, a wife, a kid, a house in the ’burbs, my own business—it was all sonormal. Quite frankly, I hadn’t thought I would make it to see my thirty-first birthday, but there I stood only a week away from that milestone. I had been sure as shit that I would be taken out by a sniper while in Afghanistan or gunned down by a rival one-percenter looking for misguided vengeance, but that was an ending to a story from anotherlife.
The day I found out Cassidy was pregnant, my life took on a whole new meaning, a more important one. There was nothing the military or my club could give me that would mean one tenth of what Mikey and Cass meant, and there was no turningback.
After burping Mikey and getting Tank to come inside, I hoofed it up the wood stairs to finish out a perfect morning before I had to head to theoffice.
Letting the black towel fall to the floor, I crawled into the warm bed, wrapping my arms tightly around Cassidy’s soft, tinyframe.
She breathed in slowly as she pressed her body more into mine. “Good morning, babe,” shemurmured.
I let my lips brush over her shoulder. “Good mornin’,beautiful.”
“Mikey?” she asked while rubbing her tired eyes as sheyawned.
“Already fed and back in his crib,” I assuredher.
Rolling over in my arms, Cassidy kissed me softly. “Awe, you’re such a good daddy. Thankyou.”
“He deserves a good father.” It was true, and I was going try my damnedest to live up to what my familydeserved.
Running my fingers slowly over the delicate curve of Cassidy’s hip, I let my nails dig in. It was her trigger, and her breath hitched in response to the subtlecue.
Right as I was about to fulfill her growing need, my cellphone started blaring on thenightstand.
“Ugh! What fucking timing,” Icomplained.
Her head fell onto my shoulder with a forced sigh. “Answer it. You know you have to. I’ll be in theshower.”
Before I could protest, she was handing me the ringing phone and waggling her hips as she made her into ourbathroom.
Looking down, I saw Buck’s name. Cass was right—I did have toanswer.
“Yeah?” I grunted, annoyance dripping in mytone.
His gruff voice boomed into the receiver. “Meet at the warehouse in about an hour? I have something that I need to run byyou.”
“I’ll be there. Just got to get Mikey ready for the day,” I lied, buying myself a little more time withCassidy.
“See you soon, brother.”Brother—that was something he would always be to me. Even though I was no longer sitting to his left at the table, Buck would forever be an important part of myfamily.
Sulking into the bathroom, Cass shot me a look riddled with disappointment. “Let me guess, you have togo?”
A playful smirk curved my lips as I growled, “I do have to run. Not just yet,though.”
Warm water once again splashed over me as I pushed Cass against the cool travertine tile and hurriedly got down on my knees. There was just enough time to satisfy her needs before I had to head intowork.
Not wasting a moment, I flattened my tongue, letting it glide over her pulsing clit. Her head rolled back as her fingers ran through my hair and threw my coarse beard. Subtle moans escaped her lips, cheering me on as I sucked and licked. I loved tasting her sweet longing for me; it was the most unadulterated pleasure I knew in theworld.
Her hips shuddered and bucked against my bearded face while her knees started toshake.
“Hold on, baby,” I whispered against her sensitive skin before getting back to myfeet.
Knotting my fingers through her long, soaked hair, I pulled her lips to mine. The hunger building behind her kiss as she melted into me was sheerperfection.