Chapter 14: Chapter 14

ELI

Eli hated himself for running away, but he didn’t know what else to do to get his raging hormones under control.

The poor woman was attacked tonight, for crying out loud, and he still acted like a hormonal teenager. He wanted to be on that bed with her and dive into her sweetness, but she needed rest.

He went to the bathroom to get their bloody clothes. When he picked up her jeans, they felt heavy. He cursed when he pulled out her phone.

He took the clothes to the laundry room and returned to the bathroom, where he grabbed the baby monitor. He’d take care of the girls tonight if they needed anything.

He then made his way to Candice and Caleb’s room. He put his hand around the doorknob. He hadn’t been in there since his parents and the Howells had gone through everything.

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the plunge of cold emptiness that was about to engulf him.

He slowly opened the door and walked in, feeling how barren the room was. He missed the laughter he and Caleb had so much, the playful banter, the fights when they were kids. He missed it all.

He headed to the dresser, found a pair of gray sweatpants, and quickly stepped into them.

Maybe that was why he was latching onto Andie so severely. She made him feel alive. She made him feel like he was still himself, even without his older brother.

She made the pain ease a little bit. He just wanted to make her feel the same way eventually.

He headed back to Andie with her phone in hand and checked the charge. It was at 80 percent. Better than nothing.

Before he could reach the door of the guest bedroom she was staying in, he heard a loud scream. He rushed into the room. “Andie!” he said as he saw her sitting up in the bed, trembling, and crying again.

“Andie…” He laid her phone and the monitor on the bedside table and then crawled onto the bed. “What happened?”

She moved away from him a little. “Bad dream,” she mumbled as the tears fell and she stared at her hands.

He let out a breath. This was going to be a long, ache-filled night. “Come here, baby.”

She stared at him for a minute but remained motionless. He moved the comforter and sheet so he could lie down, and he pulled her soft body against him.

Her head softly landed against his chest, and he stroked her back gently. “Get some sleep, baby. I’ll be here the rest of the night,” he whispered.

He felt her move even closer to him. He hated not knowing what else to do. But if she felt safe now, that was all he could hope for. Her body began to relax as she snuggled against him and the blanket.

He squeezed her a little. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here until the morning.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re fine. Even a spitfire needs comforting.” He smiled when he heard her start to snore, and her leg drifted over his a little.

He began to fall asleep too.

***

Eli let out a groan when he felt someone pushing against his chest.

“Eli, Lucy is crying. I need you to let me go.” The soft voice fell across his ears as she pushed back against him more.

He opened his eyes to find Andie was more on top of him than beside him. “I’ll get her,” he grumbled a little. He rolled so Andie was on her back, and he was nestled between her thighs.

He leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll be back. You stay here and rest.” He rolled away from her and headed to the nursery. All he could really think about was how much it pained him to move away from Andie.

He couldn’t believe she had been on top of him like that, though. He would never have expected that from her.

“Hey, beautiful girl. What’s the matter?” He leaned over the Pack ‘n Play and scooped Lucy up carefully. She nuzzled her face against his bare chest. “Like mother like daughter, huh?”

He rubbed her back as he bounced her up and down. Then he took her to the changing table, changed her diaper, and scooped her tiny body back up to him.

She quieted a little more as she laid her head on his shoulder, and he bounced her a little more. “Do you need anything else, princess?” he asked as he rubbed her back.

She began to fall asleep again. “Goodnight, princess. See you in the morning.”

He laid her down in the crib instead of the Pack ‘n Play, then Lily began to wake up. He got her changed then she went back to sleep also.

“Goodnight, Lily Pad.” He kissed her forehead and set her down in the crib. He made sure they were both content before he headed back to Andie.

He laughed a little when he saw her lying in the middle of the bed and shook his head as he climbed onto the bed.

He leaned over Andie with his hands on either side of her head. “What’re you doing?”

“Trying to sleep,” she mumbled but opened her eyes.

He looked into them and then glanced at her lips. “What were you doing on top of me?” he teased.

“That was all you. When I tried to move to get Lucy, you pulled me down right on top of you,” she whispered. Her voice was a little hoarse, but it still sounded so sexy.

“Oh yeah?” he arched an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah, why would I lie?”

“I don’t know, so I don’t think you really want me?” he teased as he leaned down a little.

“I don’t want you, Eli.”

“You are a bad liar.” He leaned farther down, but instead of kissing her lips, he went for her neck, which caused her to arch up into him. “See, you do want me,” he whispered against her ear.

“That’s what happens when a woman hasn’t been with a man for almost two years, at least.” She gasped as he nibbled on her ear.

“We could rectify that issue,” he stupidly offered. Of course she would shoot him down. At least, he hoped she would for right now.

“Wouldn’t that make me seem a little desperate?”

“How?” His nose trailed against her jawline right before his lips brushed against hers.

“Sleeping with you so soon, even though we know it would only be the once.”

“Maybe you couldn’t resist it, being just once. Never know until we find out.” He kissed her a little harder.

He was an asshat. She was just hurt. Sure they got some sleep, but his subconscious was trying to tell him something if he pulled her on top of him when she tried to leave.

He wanted to see where all of this could possibly go between them.

Who cared if she couldn’t have any more kids or didn’t want to try? He couldn’t lose this kind of banter or tension between them that promised to be good.

He kissed her deeply, and she slid her tongue into his mouth, letting him drink in the sugary taste of her mouth that was her taste alone.

ANDIE

Andie didn’t know what had gotten into her. All she could feel was the same wave of want and need suddenly flooding over her.

She’d gained so much more respect for Eli when all he did was help her get cleaned up in the bathroom, and then he’d gotten up with the girls.

She dug her fingers into his messy light-blond hair with sandy highlights. It felt so thick and soft against her fingers. The warmth spread over her like a fire.

Could she give herself to this man for a moment and still be left whole again after? The logical answer was hell no, but why bother with logic when nothing lately was logical?

She gasped and whimpered in protest when he pulled away, but he went back to her neck.

“Andie, are you sure?” he asked between each kiss he pressed along her neck as he moved farther down.

“Eli, please, make me forget what’s happened in the last few weeks. Please. I want you,” she answered huskily.

Screw the consequences and regrets she may have after, but right now, him being on top of her, kissing her, and stirring the burn deep within her felt so right.

She was a bad liar, though. She had wanted him even before the big wedding day. And every day after that. She just never wanted to bring to attention what she wouldn’t be able to give him.

If things didn’t work out between them, then she’d just do what she did before: stay secluded and still steal secret glances whenever she saw him in town or at the bakery.

She desperately wanted to know what being with Eli Cameron was like, even if it was temporary.

She moaned when his thumb and forefinger tweaked one of her already hardening nipples, making it rise to more attention. She felt him gather her up against him and then roll to his back.

She gazed down at him. Even in the softly lit room, she could see those coppery eyes of his darken with desire as she fit snuggly against his strained arousal.

“You know I’m okay with waiting. I think I’ve proved my point and shown quite a bit also.”

She heard him let out a long, harsh groan as she nudged her aching center against his hard shaft that was nested against her.

She leaned down and pressed her lips against his. He plunged his tongue in and out of her mouth, curling and dancing with her tongue, then retreated and darted in again.

She gripped the pillow below his head as heat pooled inside of her, wishing he was making the same movement with his straining member inside of her.

His hands ran up her sides and cupped her breasts through her tank top. His thumbs grazed over the hard peaks. She whimpered, wanting to feel his rough, calloused hands on her bare skin.

It was like he knew what she wanted. His fingers pulled the top down below her breasts, and his hands touched her and played with them.

He broke the kiss slowly and moved down beneath her body and caught first one rigid nipple in his mouth, then the other.

He rolled her over to her back, broke the contact, and pulled the tank top over her head, being careful of her arm. He trailed his fingers and lips down her stomach, coming to her shorts.

He slowly pulled them down and kissed her leg as he made his way back up to look at her.

She blushed and went to hide herself when his gaze raked over her slowly like she was a meal he was going to devour.

There were a few spots she hadn’t lost from having Lucy, which included the C-section scar and stretch marks.

He caught her hands, pinning them above her head with one of his hands. “You’re so beautiful,” he rasped out. “Don’t ever, ever hide when we’re together like this.”

He kissed her softly. All her inhibitions rushed away and were replaced with need. Her hands reached for the waistband of his sweatpants. He helped her push them down.

She arched into him when she felt his prominent shaft brush against her. He pulled her legs around his waist and slowly worked his way into her.

She moaned a little at the pressure of being stretched by his fullness before he slowed down. “Sorry, beautiful.”

Once he buried himself to the hilt inside of her, he stopped and gave her time to adjust to him. “Just let me know when you’re okay,” he whispered and began tormenting her lips, breasts, and neck again.

She rocked beneath him a little. “Yes,” she moaned, and he moved against her, creating friction against her aching center and sensitive jewel.

The pressure quickly built inside of her, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she lost herself in him.

She had never felt this kind of stretching and pleasure before. She tightened her legs around his waist as he nibbled on her ear, sending goosebumps skittering across her skin.

Then he pressed gentle kisses along her neck, the scruff from his unshaven face sending more tingles along her skin.

She dug her fingers into his hair. “Eli,” she begged. For what, she didn’t know.

He rolled them over so he was on his back, and she sunk lower into his lap. She moaned and began to move up and down his length as he cupped her ass in his hands, meeting her thrust for thrust.

She let out a scream as her world shattered in a fantastic way. Thousands of colors and feelings seemed to explode around her as she clamped down around Eli’s bulging shaft.

He thrust into her a few more times before letting out a loud masculine growl as he exploded inside her. He pulled her down to him as their ragged breathing was all that surrounded them.

He began to rub his fingertips against her lower back as their breathing returned to normal.

ELI

Eli smiled when Andie snuggled into his chest. She felt so warm instead of the cold he had been feeling radiating from her. That moment was beyond earth-shattering.

He never thought it would be that amazing. She was so expressive, and he loved it. He kissed her forehead gently as she fell asleep in his arms.

He adjusted her so he wasn’t inside her anymore but kept her on top of him. He rubbed her back again and sighed. Yeah, this was where he wanted to be forever.

Who cared if they didn’t have a child together? He was falling in love with his niece’s guardian. Two years too late, but it had finally happened.

Now to make her understand he was serious. Let the hard work begin. He drifted to sleep, holding Andie close to himself.