Blackness Within (53 page)

Natasha

I settle Jessie in her bed and sweep a few inky curls from her face. She has her father’s hair and her mother’s eyes. Olivia has her mother’s hair and her father’s eyes. These two girls are gorgeous. They’re also really easy to take care of. Olivia sleeps and eats like a champ. Jessie’s easily entertained with just about anything and hasn’t hit her terrible twos yet. The last few days here in the Cooper house have been great.

I walk into the living room and Kat smacks the cushion next to hers. I sit down and fold my legs under myself.

“I’m not gonna say thank you again, but know that I am thankful,” Kat says sweetly.

“I’m glad I could help you out. With Mia, your boys away at school and this case Kav and Sully are trying, it’s busy.”

“How are you and Brian? If you don’t mind me butting in and getting the juicy details.”

“I don’t mind,” I respond with a chuckle. “We’re really great. He’s so good to me. I’m kind of taken aback by it sometimes. We actually had our first fight the other day. It was just a misunderstanding where he was trying to help me and I thought he was pushing me away.”

“It’s hard when you’ve been alone for a long time. Getting used to that help and consideration. Nicky bombarded me with his caretaking. Our beginning wasn’t roses and rainbows, but he worked his way under my skin by taking care of me.”

“It’s hard to let go of old insecurities, but Sully’s doin’ his best to alleviate my fears as often as he can. I’m lucky to have him,” I say wistfully.

Kat reaches her long fingers out and wraps them around mine before telling me, “He’s lucky to have you.”

“Can I ask you something?” I’m tentative with this request.

“Sure.”

“Do you think Jake’s coming back? I think you know I spend time with Cara and there seems to be a lot of tension around his whereabouts.”

Kat’s glowing face clouds with sadness. Now I feel like shit for asking.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. We don’t have to talk about him if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No,” she dismisses me with a wave of her hand. “I love talking about my boys. It’s just hard with Jake. He’s in the DCA. I tried my hardest to talk him out of staying with the agency, but he was dead set on it. He still had a year and a half of training to complete when we moved here. I thought he’d come home once training was over, but he decided to go into the field. He’s been dark for almost a year now. I know he’s alive because we’d be informed if something happened to him. But I haven’t heard my son’s voice in over a year. I haven’t seen his face since the day Nicky and I got married. He’s never seen Jessie other than pictures and he doesn’t know about Olivia. It’s hard. It’s just really fucking hard.”

Her hazel eyes are brimming with tears as she finishes and it’s my turn to curl my fingers around hers.

“The worst part is the boys and Cara. Dane’s mad. Cole’s hurt. Sawyer feels betrayed. And Cara feels abandoned. They’re all taking it hard and Nicky and I can’t do anything to make it better. We don’t have any answers for them. Nicky’s the most understanding. He trusts that his son will do what’s best. I fear that he’s torturing himself instead of healing. I don’t want my son in pain.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s good for me to talk about him. You’d love him, Natasha. He’s kind and gentle. There’s a loyalty to him that makes you proud the moment you lay eyes on him. He’s funny,” she says through a smile, recalling something that makes her feel good. “I miss being able to wrap my arms around him and have him crush me back. He always held me so fiercely. He keeps his brothers in line. And the way he beams around Cara makes my heart dance in my chest.”

“He sounds like a good kid.”

“The best.”

“You’re a great mom, Kat,” I whisper, thinking about what my life might have looked like with a woman like Kat as my mother.

“You’re a great friend,” she states firmly, wrapping me in a rough hug.

“I’m next,” Kav’s voice bellows from the foyer.

Kat and I both chuckle as we let each other go.

“I’m here for baby duty. Not baby doody. I’m done with doody. I’m all good for duty.”

Kat and I continue to laugh at the big man as he walks toward us. He’s in a navy suit, perfectly tailored to his massive chest and narrow waist. His blue-grey eyes are as mischievous as ever as he shrugs out of his jacket, removes his crimson tie and pops the buttons of his crisp white shirt at his neck.

“Who’s first?” he asks seriously, stopping at the edge of the couch.

“Me!” Kat plays along and he swings her body up to his in a sweet embrace.

Observing Kav is important. His mouth is foul and his actions are dirty when there’s an audience. But if you watch him, you’ll see he’s one of the kindest men. He watches over the people he loves. He takes care of the women in his life like they’re rare antiquities. He dotes on the children around him like the proud uncle he is. And as he holds Kat to his chest, there’s happiness in his face. I love watching Kav.

He sets Kat back down and rips me off the couch in a swift easy movement. I cling to his thick neck and bury my head in his chiseled chest. At the end of a long day, a good hug from Kav is a close second to where I’d like to be.

“Put down my woman,” Sully commands from behind us.

“I shoulda called dibs,” Kav mutters in my hair.

“Your loss, asshole.”

Sully rips me away and palms my ass as he devours my mouth. He pulls away when I’m breathless and flushed from head to toe.

“What’s dibs?” I ask as the sex haze fades a little.

Kav has flopped on the couch next to Kat and started flipping through the channels.

“It’s our code. You gotta call dibs on a chick if you want her. Once dibs are called, the rest of us back off,” Kav explains.

“You called dibs on me?” I ask Sully.

“Yup,” he responds with a wide grin and a pop of his
p
.

“Finn made him. If he didn’t call dibs, Finn and I were gonna arm wrestle for you. See what you’re missing out on? You coulda had all this, Tosh,” Kav says, pointing at his crotch.

“Finn made you?” I ask a little hurt that he needed a push.

“No, Finn didn’t make me,” Sully sneers at Kav who shrugs in response. “It was after the backyard incident. Finn and Kav weren’t happy with what happened and threatened to call dibs. I didn’t want them anywhere near you because even that day you were mine. So I called dibs to make sure I didn’t have to kill my best friends.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I kinda like Finn,” I tease. Sully’s chocolate eyes scowl at me as I continue. “And Kav’s pretty hot.”

“See,” Kav chimes in.

Sully sweeps me up over his shoulder and stalks toward the front door as I squeal and laugh. I wave at Kat as I go who chuckles at our departure. Sully slaps my ass with one quick pop when we hit the driveway and I yelp.

“You’ll pay for that,” he growls with sex in his voice.

O’Sullivan

I raced down the street in my car and then carried Natasha over my shoulder, up to my wing, where I just deposited her on my bed.

Her grey eyes are warm and wanting as I peel out of my suit. She was fucking with me about Finn and Kav. I know she was fucking with and it still pissed me off. The idea of her with anyone but me makes me see red. She’s mine.

Once I’m naked, I grab my hard dick and stroke it slowly. Natasha’s eyes flame and her tongue darts out at my demonstration.

“Panties off,” I order.

She stands up and slides her thong from beneath her black and white chevron dress that hits her knees. I grab her by the hips and spin her to the bed. She steadies herself on the large wooden post of the footboard.

“Don’t move your hands,” I purr in her ear and raise her dress up to her hips.

I drive two fingers into her tight, wet pussy and continue to pump my cock. I work her clit with my thumb and when her walls close down on me I stop. I don’t move.

“Who’s making you come right now?” I growl into her ear.

“You are,” she whimpers.

I flick her clit and ask again, “Who?”

“Sully,” she moans.

Her fingers constrict around the wood as I rub and pound her until she’s drenching my hand. I pull her cramping hands away from the post and turn her to face me. I hold my glistening fingers between us.

“I did this. I made your pussy quiver and shake before you came so hard you screamed. Not Finn. Not Kav. Not anybody else. Me, Grey. I did this.”

I lick each finger clean as her eyes flame with desire. I tear her dress over her head and remove her bra in matter of seconds.

“This mouth is mine.”

I trace her lips with the tips of my fingers.

“These tits are mine.”

I pinch and roll both nipples before squeezing each plump mound.

“This ass is mine.”

I palm her cheeks and dig my fingers in before pulling her cheeks apart and tracing her little hole. Her breath stops and her eyes bug out, but she doesn’t push me away.

“This pussy is mine.”

I run my hand through her soaking folds and then bury two fingers in her again.

“This heart is mine.”

I place my other hand over her heart and continue to work her pussy.

“You’re mine. Every fuckin’ piece of you.”

Natasha’s hands come up and cup the hand over her heart and she sighs.

“I’m yours, Sully. I love bein’ yours. I never wanna be anyone else’s.”

I keep my eyes locked on her tornadic greys and move us to the edge of my bed. I guide her back down, keeping my hand over her thrumming heart.

I take my hand away from her pussy and ram my dick inside her all the way to the balls. Her legs fly up, resting her ankles on my shoulders as I pound into her.

My hand never leaving her chest and my gaze never leaving hers.

I thrust long and powerful, holding her hip for leverage. Natasha’s eyes roll back in her head as her orgasm quakes through her, heart racing beneath my palm.

“I’m yours,” she moans with a final shudder.

I remove my hand from her chest and push her legs wide before leaning my hands into the mattress, folding myself on top of her.

“You’re mine.”

I attack her mouth and set an intense pace with my hips. Her hands cling to my tattooed shoulders as I slam into her. I swallow her screams as she comes again, tearing at my flesh. The base of my spine tingles as my own release builds. I drop my head to her neck and grunt my way through my climax, heaving and panting.

I remain transfixed as Natasha wraps her legs around my hips and strokes my back with her delicate fingers.

“I was just teasing you,” she murmurs into my hair.

“I know.”

“You were still mad.”

“I was still mad.”

“Love you, Sully.”

“Love you, Grey.”

O’Sullivan

September

“Can you drop me at the apartment?” Natasha asks as she folds into my car after her shift.

“Need more clothes?” I ask, kissing her cheek before heading to Blake’s.

“No, I’m gonna stay there tonight. Maybe for the rest of the week actually. I haven’t seen much of my brother in the last few weeks. Poor Zeus must feel like the child of a divorce with how much he’s bein’ bounced around.”

“I can run past my place and pick up some stuff and stay with you,” I suggest, feeling a little uncomfortable.