Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(108)

“I’ll walk,” she returned, Layne grinned and dropped his face close to hers.

“You think, after last night, I’m letting you out of my sight until you have to leave Monday morning to go to school, think again, sweetcheeks,” he murmured, pink came into her cheeks and her body shifted into his even as her hands came up to his biceps and gripped.

“You said we’d talk,” she told him and his grin turned into a smile.

“Well, that’s not gonna happen with Ma here, Devin here and donuts comin’.”

Her fingers gripped harder even as her body pressed closer. “Layne, we need to talk.”

He dipped his face closer, veered to the side and whispered in her ear, “I’ll talk and I’ll use my mouth but what I say won’t be words and how I use my mouth, baby, I know you’re gonna like.”

“Layne,” she breathed and his c**k twitched.

Christ, he liked it when she breathed his name like that. That was new, that was this Rocky in his arms. She didn’t do that before. She might moan his name but that sweet, breathy hunger he’d never heard. And, f**k, but he liked it.

He lifted his head and his hands, gathering her hair in both palms, he held it loosely behind her head, resting his forearms gently on her shoulders and went on. “Live this with me, just live it, whatever happens, however it happens, live it with me for two days. It doesn’t go the way you like, we’ll talk Monday night. It goes the way you like, we live it real and ride it out. Will you give me that, honey?”

Her brows drew together. “Live it with you?”

“Live it with me, Roc, live it here, with me, make it real, as real as it can get for two days.”

“Make it real,” she whispered.

Layne nodded. “For two days.”

She stared up at him and he knew he had her when her fingers uncurled on his biceps and her hands moved to his chest.

She confirmed it by saying, “Okay. Two days.”

“Promise,” he pushed and she hesitated so he tugged gently at her hair and repeated, “Promise.”

She gazed into his eyes and then whispered, “Promise.”

He dropped his forehead to hers, ran her hair between his hands, his hands travelled down her back then he wrapped his arms tight around her and trapped her close.

“Thanks baby,” he whispered.

“Coffee’s brewing!” Vera shouted.

Rocky jumped.

Layne grinned.

Then he heard the garage door go up, his forehead left hers, he turned his head and listened.

Only he and Jasper had a garage door opener. Devin had the key to the front door. And Jasper had no reason to be there.

Shit.

“Is that –?” Rocky started and Vera appeared around the corner, she’d lost her antagonism, her face was beaming.

“I think the boys are here!” Vera shouted.

“Now I definitely need to get dressed,” Rocky murmured and it sucked but she was right. At this juncture, Rocky wandering around his house on a Saturday morning in his tee was not cool when both his sons were getting used to a new woman in his life as well as the fact that they both went to her school. It’d take awhile before it was cool.

He decided he’d give it a month.

They heard the backdoor open and Rocky shot out of his arms, her bare feet sounding on the floors as she dashed to the stairs, turned and disappeared while Vera threw both her arms up and yelled, “My babies!”

“Grandma!” Tripp shouted and Layne saw his son connect with his grandmother, his tenuous hold on cool slipping, he threw himself in her arms and gave her a big hug.

Layne moved toward the kitchen and saw Jasper hanging back, his eyes on his grandmother, a smile on his face.

“Come here, handsome,” Vera ordered and Jasper moved forward, his hold on cool firm and strong, he muttered, “Hey Gram,” and kissed her cheek while she still had hold of Tripp.

“What’re you doin’ here?” Tripp asked, stepping back and looking down at Vera.

“You’ve grown, like, seventeen inches since the Fourth of July,” Vera noted, giving Tripp a head-to-toe, skipping past the visit she’d made two months ago when Layne was shot and not answering his question.

“What’re you doin’ here, Gram?” Jas repeated Tripp’s question, Vera looked up at her older grandson and Layne could see she was searching for a lie.

She found it and it was lame.

“Surprise!” she shouted.

“Cool!” Tripp didn’t think it was lame.

“Surprise?” Jasper saw right through it.

“Surprise,” Vera repeated. “Can’t a Mama and Grandma surprise her boys?”

“Totally! Anytime!” Tripp replied enthusiastically but Jasper’s eyes cut to his old man.

Layne gave his son a “Later,” shake of his head and Jasper gave him a chin lift.

Vera cupped Tripp’s cheek, smiled big at him then walked into the kitchen and went to the cupboard over the coffeemaker, saying, “That Devin man is going to get donuts. I hope he’s smart enough to get them at Hilligoss and not a grocery store. The grocery store donuts are okay but nothing beats Hilligoss.” She opened the cupboard, looked in it, appeared confused for a second then shut it, moving across the kitchen, muttering, “I forgot. You keep your mugs across the kitchen. Crazy. Mugs should be close to the coffeemaker.”