Let Love Shine (8 page)

“Come on. I want you to see the inside.” He loops his arm
through mine and pulls me over to the truck. It’s gorgeous and I love it
instantly. Standing outside of the driver’s side door, he hands me the key-fob
explaining how the keyless entry and ignition work. He can be such a guy—getting
lost in all things cars and sports sometimes—but honestly, all I need to know
is that the green circle starts the thing. The rest might as well be in
Japanese.

We sit in the front seats for a few minutes, me staring at
the clean interior and shiny features while Reid explains what all of the
buttons do. There are so many buttons, but I’m sure I’ll at least remember the
important ones. Just as he’s wrapping up his little tutorial, I realize I
didn’t see my old car in the lot.

“What did you do with the Civic? I can’t imagine that you
were able to get anything for it?” Knowing Reid,
he
probably had to pay
someone to take it off our hands.

“Yeah, that wasn’t happening. The dealership wasn’t even
willing to take it as a trade-in.” I figured as much. But as freaking ancient
as that car was, I still had some good memories with it. It was really the only
thing I ever had from Aunt Maggie, though the fact that my fondest memory of
her is of the car she left me is pretty sad.

“So what did you do? Drive it off a cliff like you’ve been
promising to do?”

“Momma told me about a children’s cancer center she’s worked
with before that takes old cars as donations. I guess they fix them up and sell
them or something to make money, but I figured since we really weren’t going to
be able to get more than ten or fifteen bucks for it, I might as well just give
it to someone who could actually get something out of it.” He shrugs his
shoulders deflecting the praise he knows is coming.

There have been a handful of moments in my life, that have
really defined who I am—that have really altered the way I view the world. This
is one of them. Time and time again, Reid reminds me that there is genuine
kindness and love in world that is so often filled with ugliness and hatred.

Leaning over the center console, I cup his jaw reveling in
the feel of his rough stubble scratching at my fingertips. “You’re a good man,
Reid.” I softly press my lips against his as Braden wiggles in his lap clearly
getting fidgety and probably a little hungry. “I love you and thank you for
this. It’s too much, but I love it.”

“Anything for you, Maddy. Anything in the world.” We share
one more kiss before stepping out of the car.

Reid takes care of the trash while I take Braden inside to
get him his breakfast. We have a few hours to spend together at home before we
head over to Momma’s for Christmas dinner. Melanie and Bryan will be there.
Since he lives there now, so will Evan too. Dylan will be joining us as well
and considering all of the stuff that happened the other day with Lizzy and
Cane, I hope he’ll be in better spirits.

Knowing better than to ask us to bring anything really
important, I was assigned the task of making the cheese and cracker platter.
Yep, it’s pretty clear to see that Momma has very little faith in my cooking
abilities. Though, I can’t say I blame her too much. Sending someone to the
hospital with food poisoning is not the best way to celebrate Christmas. 

Sometime close to midnight, we leave Momma’s. The day was
filled with good food, hearty laughter and happy memories. Braden is fast sleep
within five minutes of being strapped into his car seat and about two minutes
after that, I feel my eyes begin to droop with heavy sleep.

The icy cold blast from the door opening makes my teeth
chatter. I grumble in protest at the gentle nudge I feel on my shoulder. “We’re
home, Maddy. You take Braden, and I’ll get the rest of the stuff.” Since we
changed him into his feetie pajamas before we left, all I really need to do is
change his diaper quickly and tuck him in. He’s had such a busy and exciting
day that I doubt he’ll put up much of a fuss.

When I successfully change him without a peep, I have to
stifle a laugh remembering those early diaper changes. I didn’t believe her
then, but she was right—Momma
usually
always is. I did get more
comfortable with him; we did develop our own routine. Things did get easier.

Braden nuzzles into the crook of my neck as I sing him a sweet
lullaby before tucking him under his blankies. Just as I close the door to his
nursery, I hear Reid step back outside for one last trip to the car. That
leaves me just enough time to get my surprise present for him ready.

Seeing as we kind of did this whole marriage and a kid thing
backwards, and at a ridiculously early age, we never really had much of a
‘honeymoon’ phase. This last gift will help to make up for that. At least, I
hope it will.

After grabbing my things, I slip into the bathroom as I hear
the front door close one last time. Reid lightly taps on the door. “I’ll be
right out, hun.”

After I hear his footsteps drift away from the door, I open
up the Victoria’s Secret bag and step out of my clothes. The satiny smooth
fabric of the black silk and lace chemise slides over my skin, hugging the
curve of my hips. Both side panels of the lingerie are sheer, black lace—almost
completely see through. The tops of my breast are mostly exposed. I’m pretty
sure if I take a really deep breath, they’ll fall out completely. I step into
black sheer stockings and clip the lacey tops to the garter belt. Smoothing the
fabric out one last time, I check myself in the mirror. I have to say, that
even though my body has changed so much in the last year and a half, I look hot
and I feel sexy. 

A quick fluff of my hair, a swipe of some sheer lip gloss, a
spray of perfume and I’m ready to go. One last touch—four inch, red, peep-toe
heels. Yeah, I’m good to go now.

I’m careful to tiptoe across the hallway, conscious not to
make any noise with the clicking of my heels on the old, beat-up hardwood
floors. Waking up Braden is the last thing I want to do.

Quietly, I push open the door. Reid doesn’t hear me because
he doesn’t turn around immediately. He’s standing in front of the dresser
unbuttoning the cuffs from his dress shirt. Watching him toy with his wedding
band before slipping it off his finger is sensual and arousing as I imagine his
fingers sliding into me. Leaning up against the doorframe, I clear my throat to
get his attention.

When he turns to face me, I can actually see his ice-blue
eyes blaze with lust. The muscles in his neck tense as he clenches his jaw. The
cords of his shoulders bunch and pull as he removes his undershirt and tosses
it on the bed. Silently, with predatory stealth, he struts over to me. Without
saying a word, he runs his nose from my shoulder up the column of my neck,
stopping only to pull my earlobe in between his teeth.

Sliding his hands over the cool fabric of the nightie, he
nearly groans in pleasure. “You like?” I roll my head to the side and he
nibbles on the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder. Toying with the
thin spaghetti strap, he lets it fall off my shoulder. He takes a step back and
inspects my outfit—though I’m pretty sure he doesn’t actually need to look at
it again to know that he loves it.

“Like?” His throat shifts as he swallows, hard. “I’ve never
seen you in anything like this.” His hands roam over my back and he cups my
ass.

“You didn’t answer me. Do you like it?” A seductive look
takes over my face and my lips curl into a devilish smile. I know he more than
likes
it, but I just want to hear him say it.

Slowly, he moves his hands from my ass and runs his
fingertips up the lacy sides, causing a shiver of pleasure to follow in their
wake. My nipples pucker instantly straining against the satin.

Reid brushes his knuckles over my diamond hard tips, gently
grazing over them oh-so-lightly. “No, Maddy. I don’t
like
it.” He hefts
the full weight of my tits and then pinches the stiff peaks of my nipples. “I
fucking
love
it.”

Without warning, he begins fucking my mouth with his tongue.
The kiss is hot and wildly passionate. Reid is in pure alpha mode and I love
it. He nips and bites at my lips, sucks on my tongue and tastes every single
inch of my mouth. Snaking my arms around his neck, I tug the hair that curls at
the nape.

In an instant, he’s got his hands around my waist,
effortlessly lifting me up onto the edge of the dresser. His biceps bulge and
my mouth goes dry at the sight of his hard chest.

With my ass on the edge of the dresser, Reid stands in
between my legs. Running his fingers over my arms once more causes another
round of shivers to run across my flesh. He lowers his head to my breasts and
licks a heated path across the satiny edge of the fabric. Through the thin
fabric, he pulls a taut nipple into his hot mouth. My head rolls back and a
contented sigh passes through my lips. When he blows a cool breath on my
breast, I roll my hips forward searching for some kind of relief from the surge
of pressure he just set loose.

After he does the same to the other nipple, he pulls both
straps down my shoulders and off my arms completely, fully exposing my breasts.
Pinching, rolling, pulling, kneading, sucking – he assaults my breasts and it’s
a delicious combination of pleasure and pain.

His rough hands skim up my thighs pushing the fabric up
around my waist. He stands, frozen to the spot, when he catches sight of what
he’s just unveiled. Tracing the line of the garter belt, under which there are
no panties, I can see him trying to restrain himself.

“I have no clue what the fuck this is,” he pulls at the edge
of the garment, “but it’s the hottest fucking thing I have
ever
seen. If
it was up to me, you would wear this and only this every single day.”

I arch my hips as much as I can, given the small space on
which I’m perched, to give him a better view. He growls when he sees my lips,
swollen and wet, beckoning for him to touch. “Damn, you’re gorgeous, Maddy.”

With a whisper soft touch, he glides the pad of his thumb
over the seam of my lips, avoiding my clit. I push forward, trying to get his
hand to go where I want it. It’s futile though.Reid is  in charge. He owns my
body and I let him. It’s a perfect symphony of give and take, touch and tease.

After a few more languorous strokes of my pussy, he pushes
two fingers inside and swirls them around, instantly bringing me to the brink
of pleasure, the edge of reason. With his other hand, he pushes my thighs
apart. “Open for me. Fuck my hand,” he commands with a gruff rasp in his voice.
Supporting some of my weight on my hands, I lift my ass from the surface and
move my hips in rhythm with his hand. “So good, Reid,” I moan and grumble, the
pull and drag of his fingers hitting my clit on every thrust.

All too abruptly, he removes his hand from deep inside of
me. “That was fucking hot,” he says, before licking his fingers clean. “And
you’re fucking delicious.” Lifting me once more, he carries me over to the bed.
I feel the hardness of his cock push into me as I wrap my legs around his
waist. When he drops me on the mattress, I feel bereft of his heat, longing for
more.

I watch in silence as he unsnaps his pants and pushes them,
along with his boxers, down over his narrow hips and muscular thighs. Toeing
off his shoes and socks, he stands before me—beautifully naked and
very
ready for action. I cross my legs and reach to pull my shoe off. His voice cuts
through the room. “Leave them on.”

Sliding the sexy red pump back in place, Reid stares at me,
penetratingly, almost like a wild beast.

“Roll over.” His roughened command takes me by surprise and
causes a surge of wetness. I comply, of course, even though my pulse is racing.
The mattress dips as he kneels in between my legs, nudging them wider. His
finger trails down the length of my spine, stopping only when it meets the edge
of the fabric that stops just beneath the dimples of my lower back. Flipping
the short skirt up over my ass, he bunches the fabric around my waist.

Rough palms scorch the sensitized skin of my inner thighs as
he pushes me up onto my knees. Hot lips kiss each cheek before playful teeth
gently sink into my flesh.

Banding one arm around my hips, he plays with my pussy, flicks
at my clit from behind. I feel his cock pressing into the softness of my ass.
“Please, baby, I need you,” I call out desperately

All the control and dominance he had vanishes when he hears
my needy words. Lacing his fingers together with mine, he stretches our arms
above my head. His hard chest presses into my back, the light dusting of hair
tickling my hot skin.

He rolls us so that we’re both on our sides, my back to his
front. Holding my knee in the crook of his elbow, he angles his hips forward and
sinks into me from behind. With his other hand wrapped around my chest, he
teases my nipples with his strong fingers. When his hand moves around my neck,
seductively holding me in place, my pussy flutters out of pure ecstasy.