Holly Madison (Sins of the Father, 2) (24 page)

Slowly, he glided his tongue up from her navel to between her breasts, being sure to give both equal attention.  He made his journey upward to her collar, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and sank deep inside her. 

“I love you, Holly.” 

He felt her lips kiss his neck and still.  Her body went solid.

“Do you love me too?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she responded, beginning to move her hips underneath him.

“I want the words, cupcake.  Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, Tristan.”

When Tristan got what he wanted, he slid out slowly and then rammed back into her, feeling her tighten around him.  He propped himself up on his arms and peered into her hooded, desire-filled eyes.  He tenderly kissed her as her hands roamed his back. 

Holly broke the kiss and gasped, “Faster—harder.”

He gave her exactly what she wanted.  His hips jerked faster while she rode him from beneath.  Her limbs tightened around him, so he gave her more, pounding deep, watching her face change from need to want.  She was always greedy for more, so that is exactly what she got.  His reward was the look of unadulterated satisfaction that washed over her face.  Seeing that made him feel like he had climbed K-2 in record time.  With this woman by his side, in his bed, and under him, he felt like he could take on the world.  All control was lost.  Holly’s limbs shuddered around him.

Fuck yeah.

“Come for me,” he demanded. 

He crashed his mouth back to hers and rode it out as she came around him while chanting his name over and over.  That set him off.  He was a goner.  He planted himself deep in her and came with force, pouring himself inside her with a groan.

He kissed his way up her neck and whispered in her ear, “I love you, cupcake.”

Tears sprung to her eyes.  He couldn’t stand it.  As they leaked out of the corners of her eyes he swiped them with his thumbs. 

“You are everything to me.”  The words left him before he even realized they had been on his mind. 

It was true.  She really was everything to him.

She sobbed, and that reaction made him extremely nervous. “Please don’t cry, honey.  I didn’t mean to hurt you.  I never want to hurt you again.  Only good days for us from here on out.  I promise.”

“I know.  I believe you.  Now, more than ever before, I believe in you.  Over the past few months, I’ve realized how lonely I was without you.  If I lose you again, I don’t know what I would do, Tristan.  I would lose everything.  I almost faded away to nothing when I lost you and then the baby.  I can’t go through that again.  You can’t
let
me.  Please.”

Fucking shit. 

He lifted his head, forced her eyes to his, and repeated, “You are everything to me.  Believe me when I say that you will never lose me again.  I was in no position to be with you or anyone back then.  Luckily, you took a chance on me, though clearly that was the wrong fucking choice, but I got to fall in love.  Finally.  Now, I can’t believe how lucky I am to be given another shot with you.”

Tristan kept his eyes trained on hers as he watched them relax, all fear leaving them.  Just like that.  Damn.  He truly was a lucky bastard.

“We’re going to share a life.  I want you in this house, in my bed, giving me children.  I don’t give a damn if it’s a cheerleading squad or a football team.  As long as they’re with you, I’ll take all girls if I have to.”

Holly pressed her lips together.  Then she smiled, bit her lip, and said, “I’ll give you as many babies as you want.”

He brought his lips down to hers and muttered against them, “Love you, Holly.”

She squeezed him tight and whispered back through their locked lips, “I love you too.” 

Their kiss intensified at the words they had exchanged.  When he lifted his head and scanned her face, he knew, right then, that he was going to put a ring on her finger.

Without a doubt.

Curtis and I are all done for the day and making our trek back to Tryon after a long day.  The media circled our office all day, trying to get an interview out of me.  My father would not be getting out of jail anytime soon.  The board reviewed his case and decided that they didn’t like the idea of a man who had killed a very well-loved mother of four and left her young son to die being released before he had served the duration of his sentence.  Suffice it to say, no one had a problem with this.

We park on Main Street.  It is dinner time and we’re both starved.  I fold out of my car and slam the door shut behind me, my eyes taking in the block, finding Side Street.  Best pizza ever!

Curtis follows, emerging from the car and putting a hand on the small of my back.  Such a gentleman.  I look both ways, take a step off the curb, and stop dead.  I can’t breathe.  My heart shatters into a million little pieces.

Tristan is pushing the glass door open and coming out of the Ugly Mug with a coffee in hand.  With Shawna.

My hand clutches Curtis’s arm so hard that he yelps.  I stare at them in utter disbelief as they stop at what must be her car.  Tristan looks down at her with a small smile playing on his lips.  My entire world comes crashing down. 

Shawna looks up at him, returning his smile.  My knees shake and Curtis takes my weight, holding me up. 

I watch as Shawna moves into him, wrapping her arms around his middle, giving him a hug.  I can’t watch this anymore.

I’m broken. 

Damn it for believing that I could finally have it all. 
Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I turn in Curtis’s arms, face to his chest, and on shaky breath, tell him, “Get me the fuck out of here.”

“Honey, maybe there’s an explanation.”

“Get me the fuck out of here.  Now!”

“Okay, honey,” he whispers.

I get in the passenger’s side of my car while Curtis takes the wheel.  I gaze out of my window, being careful not to look at the two of them sharing their intimate moment right here in the middle of town.  Curtis turns the ignition and fires up the car  before we drive right past them.

“Take me to Tristan’s.  I need to pick up my bag.”

“Okay, honey.”

I throw my overnight bag over my shoulder, looking around Tristan’s room, and the tears roll down my cheeks.  It’s one steady stream after another.

“Why was he with Shawna?”

“I don’t know, sweets.  Maybe you should ask him instead of assuming the worst.  From what I’ve seen, the man is on the up-and-up when it comes to you,” Curtis preaches.  I’ve decided that I don’t want to hear it.

I shake my head.  “Do not defend him to me.”

“Okay.  Let’s get you out of here before he gets home and sees you sneaking out of his apartment with all of your belongings.  I don’t see this going over well with T.  When he realizes that your things are gone, he’s going to come looking for you.”

He’s probably right.  Time to roll.

I walk down the hall of the apartment and stop at the nursery.  I’m in a total state of loss.  I’m so numb that I feel a sense of floating.  I want to collapse right there in the middle of the hallway, but I don’t. 

I adjust the strap on my shoulder, close the door to the nursery, and leave.

My phone rings for the tenth time in five minutes, I kid you not.  I ignore it like the others and send it straight to voicemail.  The tears, once again, well up in my eyes and stream down my face.

The first thing I see while I drive through the parking lot of my apartment complex while trying to find an available spot is Tristan’s motorcycle.