A Lie for a Lie (All In, #1)(89)

She touches my cheek, eyes soft and full of need. “And I love you.” Her soft gasp is followed by “Oh God” and my name. It isn’t until the stiffness in her body eases and her hips stop jerking into mine that I change the tempo, moving faster, chasing my own orgasm.

She drags her nails down my back. “Let me finish you on top.”

I love it when she says things like that. I don’t know what it is about the phrasing, but it intimates a possessiveness that sets me off. I roll onto my back, taking her with me. She splays her hands out on my chest and rides me, hips moving in a figure eight, keeping me deep for several beats before she rises up and her ass settles on my thighs, breasts bouncing, long hair swaying down her back.

She leans down, back arching, nipples brushing my chest. “You’re so beautiful.” She bites my bottom lip. “And you’re all mine.” She grinds over me, hard and steady, squeezing me from the inside. “Every part of you is mine, just like every part of me is yours.”

I grab her by the hips, sit up, and wrap her legs around my waist, lifting and lowering her, faster, harder, until her mouth drops open. “I’m right here,” she whispers against my lips. “Come with me.”

This time we fall through the clouds one right after the other.

We stay wrapped in each other, kissing, hands caressing, for long minutes. At least until both of our phones start going off. Now that we have Kody, I upgraded the service.

We grab them, clear our throats at the same time, and laugh against each other’s shoulders as we answer our respective calls.

I can’t hear the conversation on Lainey’s end, but based on her responses I’m pretty sure the questions are the same.

“She’s yours forever as of tomorrow—you can survive without her for one night.”

My brother has a point—we’re leaving for Hawaii in two days for a weeklong trip. The grandparents are going to take care of Kody and enjoy Alaska and the cabin.

“I’ll be ready to go in fifteen minutes,” I tell Kyle before I end the call.

Lainey lifts off, and I groan at the cold air that’s nothing like her warm, wet softness.

She presses a kiss to my lips. “Less than twenty-four hours and you get to have me again.”

“Forever.”

“And ever.”

We change into jeans and matching plaid shirts, because we are totally that couple. They also say Groom to Be and Bride to Be on the back. I open the window to let in a little fresh air and to help get rid of the freshly fucked scent in our bedroom.

Lainey absently runs a brush through her hair, grinning devilishly as the curtains flutter with a cool breeze. She’s about to make a pithy comment, based on her expression. At least until something white skitters out from under the bed and across the floor. She yelps and clambers up onto the unmade bed. It’s unnecessary, since it’s just a piece of paper, not a mouse—which I’ve discovered she’s fine with when they’re outside, but not so much in the cabin. I bend to pick it up, recognizing Lainey’s distinct handwriting. It’s dated the day after I left Alaska, two years ago.

RJ,

A storm took out the power and the phone lines were all down until this morning. I waited as long as I could to hear from you. Even if you don’t get this for another year, know that this isn’t where I want us to end, so if you feel the same way please call me.

Yours,

Lainey

“It was here the entire time.” It must’ve fallen on the floor and ended up under the bed.

“What was?”

I hold it out to her, and she takes it, her smile soft and sad as she realizes what it is.

She places a gentle hand on my cheek. “We made it back to each other—that’s all that matters now.”

I pull her into my arms, grateful that fate found a way to bring us back together. We stay that way for a long while, just holding each other, until static brings the baby monitor to life. We both look at it at the same time. Kody sleeps through the night most of the time, so we don’t need it like we used to—but the little dots are jumping all over the place, signaling sound, so she turns it up.

“What’s he doing?”

We can hear him babbling in his room—but there’s another sound, a whoosh-clunk, like maybe he’s hitting the side of his crib with something.

“I hope he hasn’t managed to get out of his crib—I’m so not ready for that.” Lainey turns on the video monitor.

He’s only fifteen months old, but he’s done everything early—and I mean everything. From his physical capabilities to words, this kid has hit the genetic jackpot. He’s got his mother’s incredible brain and determination and my size and athleticism. He’s going to have the world in the palm of his hand, especially with a mom like Lainey to keep him in line.

“Oh my God, you need to see this.” She motions me over and turns the video monitor so I can see.

Kody is still in his crib. At one end is his teddy bear with the Bowman jersey—it goes with him everywhere—and Kody is standing at the opposite end, holding the little hockey stick I bought him, playing with the puck, shooting it down to the teddy. We watch him shoot, toddle down to his bear and pick it up, then move back to the other end and do it all over again.

“He wouldn’t let it go when I put him to bed, wanted to sleep with it. Now I guess we know why.”