Loving Kate (Acceptance #3) (20 page)

“Yes, he’s all powder fresh now.”

I stand up and take Lucas from his dad. “Hey, little man, I hope your daddy was smart enough to leave your diaper in Uncle Connor’s room.”

“You didn’t!” Daniel looks at Connor and shrugs and Connor rushes inside to check. Everyone is busting up laughing, even Lucas is smiling.

“He’s smiling at me,” I tell them excitedly.

“Yeah, he’s been doing that for a couple of weeks now. He smiles, giggles, and even babbles.” Kate’s beaming; she’s happy being a mom. Misty looks uncomfortable. I hope she doesn’t think I still have feelings for Kate or she’s not mad about Jess sitting in my lap.

I motion for her to follow me and walk Lucas over to the garden. “This is pretty much where your mommy and daddy met. That was a crazy night. You’re not allowed to have nights like that ‘til you’re at least thirty.” Misty giggles next to me, and when I take a seat on the swing, she follows. “Now this swing has seen a bit of action. It’s where your mommy and daddy spent all night talking to each other and falling in love. And it’s where Auntie Misty and I first gave into our carnal desires for each other.”

“Mike! Don’t tell him stuff like that.” I flash her a dimple filled smile.

“You should have heard what I was telling him at the hospital. His mommy Vanessa thought it was funny.”

“So when you refer to his moms you refer to Kate as mommy and Vanessa as mommy Vanessa?” she asks, trying to piece the puzzle together.

“Yes, that’s what they came up with. Birth mom is too clinical and Kate didn’t want to feel like she was pushing Vanessa out. But Daniel doesn’t want Kate feeling likes she’s not his mom because she is in all the ways that matter. It’s a good compromise.”

She falls quiet and Lucas begins to fall asleep in my arms with the motion of the swing. “You’re really good with him.” Her tone is laced with surprise.

“Well, I honestly don’t really know what I’m doing, but I’ve wanted to be a dad since I was in high school. So I’m sure I’ll be spending a ton of time with him until I finally have kids of my own.” I want to say kids of
our
own but she’s already freaked out enough tonight.

“Really? As far back as high school? That’s crazy. All I wanted in high school was to party and get out of my  grandma’s house. Babies were the
last
thing on my mind.” I never would have pictured her as a party girl.

“Kate wanted college, and I wanted marriage and a family. I would have been happy being Mr. Mom for the rest of my life back then. Now I’d love to have both my family and my job. I had the best parents. I thought being a dad
was
the coolest job you could ever get. I guess I was a little nerdy.”

She places a kiss on my cheek. “No, not nerdy, Mike, it’s super sweet. Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“You know, you just kind of hijacked my kid and took off right before we were getting ready to eat,” Daniel says with a knowing smirk.

“Yup, I did, but I was showing him where you and his mommy bonded the night you met.”

He throws his head back and laughs. “I wasn’t the
only
one who bonded with someone here if memory serves me correctly.”

“No, you weren’t, and I was telling him all about that, too.” 

Daniel looks happier than I’ve seen him in a really long time. When I see him and Kate together it’s so obvious I never stood a chance and I’m glad because I’m in love with this girl next to me. Even if she
is
acting super strange tonight.

Dinner is nice. The conversation is light, mostly talk about the upcoming wedding and graduation party. Misty holds her own and seems to be getting along with everyone just fine.

“You’re coming to the bachelorette party next weekend, right?” April asks her after dinner.

“I’m not sure. Is it okay to just say maybe? My grandma is still in the hospital and I don’t know when or if she is coming home. One day she’s fine and the next one she’s not.”

“Of course, if you can make it we’d love to have you. It’s nice to have a girls’ night away from these guys. I love all of them but they can seriously drive me up a wall.”

Jake interjects, “I don’t know about a wall but I can drive you up a bed with just the tip of my tongue right on your…”

“Whoa! TMI! I don’t want to know what you do to her with your tongue. It’s bad enough I have to see you maul her face with it,” Connor exclaims as April turns a very nice shade of red. It’s as bright as I’d like to make Misty’s ass tonight.  

Jess and Kate are caught in a fit of giggles and Misty and April join in right behind them.

“So how much more school do you have to go, Misty?” Kate asks as April passes around fresh margaritas.

“After this summer I’ll have one more year left before law school. But if I have to keep going part time it might take me until I’m just about thirty to finally finish it all.”

“Well, at least you’re going and you’ll finish. Unlike your boyfriend,
you
have aspirations,” Connor replies snarkily, and this is where people lose faith in Connor. If you don’t know him, he comes off like a fucking twat.

“That’s not very nice to say. Some people just aren’t meant for school,” Misty throws back at him.

Daniel looks at me and nods his approval for me to fill them in on what happened at work yesterday but I point at him—this should really be his story to tell.

“Misty is right. Some people aren’t school people. And some people are really fucking smart and don’t need to waste their time with school. Mike is one of the latter. This news does
not
leave this table although Kate, Jake, and Mike already know what’s going on. My dad is gearing up for retirement. He wants to spend his golden years with my mom, actually enjoying the time they have left. He’s transitioning out of the company.”

“Seriously?” Connor remarks. “I thought if anyone would work ‘til the day they died it would be him. No offense.”

“Me, too,” I tell him.

“I’ve known for a little while, but Mike just found out yesterday. Right now we are both twenty percent owners of McCormick Construction. Over the next few years we’ll be fifty-fifty partners.”

“You’re okay with that?”

“Completely okay with it. You know better than most people, Connor, I never wanted to run this company by myself. It’s too much. I don’t know how my dad’s done it all these years. I’m happy to have someone to share the burden and the success with.”

“This deserves a toast,” Kate stands and we all follow, raising our glasses. “To my two favorite men. You followed your hearts and your dreams came true. I love you both so much. Congratulations.” Misty squeezes my hand and I lean over and place a kiss on the top of her head.

Daniel and Kate are the first to leave but not before Kate gets me to herself for a few minutes. “You don’t know how hard it was keeping that secret from you! I thought I was going to explode.”

I actually
do
know because I’m keeping a whopper from her, too. I think Daniel enjoys watching us suffer.

“I’m so proud of you, Mike.”

“Thanks,” I say as she wraps her arms around me. It’s weird how comfortable we are together now without any lingering sexual tension.

“I really like Misty, too. She’s good for you, and she defends you. Not that you need defending but I like that she’s protective of you. She seemed distracted tonight, though. I hope her grandma is going to be okay.”

“Me, too.”

As the silence settles between us, she states the obvious, “She still hasn’t told you her secret. It’s not going to be long, she’s too on edge. It’s killing her to keep it from you, whatever it is, you can just tell.”

“I know, but I hope she does it soon so we can get past it.”

She smiles up at me as if she’s never been more sure of anything in her life. “You will because you love her and she loves you. If Daniel can forgive Marc, you’ll forgive Misty.”

“That’s the thing, Kate, I already
do
forgive her and I’ve tried telling her that.”

She reaches up on her tiptoes and kisses me softly. “It’s not about telling…it’s about showing. When that time comes, show her, don’t tell her.”

“I love you, Katie Grace”

“I love you, too, Michael Matthews, bigger than the sky.”

Less than twenty minutes later the house is empty. Connor has pretty much moved into Jess’s condo now that Daniel is living with Kate. Misty and I are upstairs in my room.

“So how was tonight? Was it okay?” She’s been so quiet tonight, so contemplative.

When she turns around, she flashes me a beautiful smile as if nothing in the world is bothering her. “It was fun, I’m glad we did it. I’m sorry I was distracted, I’ve just got a lot on my mind. I wasn’t trying to be rude.”

“Don’t worry about it. They like you, they just want to get to know you better. As you can see, we’re all kind of a package deal.”

She sighs and sits on the edge of the bed. “Especially Kate.” She doesn’t say it maliciously but I’m proceeding with caution anyway.

Squatting down in front of her, I take her hands in mine. “You’re not jealous of Kate, are you?” She shakes her head no. “Then what is it? Do you not like Kate?”

Please don’t say you hate Kate.

“Kate’s fine, she’s just so together.”

Okay, how is that bad?

“It’s just hard to love someone whose ex is perfect and you’re so far from it. And the thing is, I even
tried
to hate her because it would just be easier that way but she’s just so stinking nice that I can’t.

I’m trying to stifle my laugh but she’s so cute. “Misty, I love you for who you are. And just for the record, Kate is
far
from perfect. I think it’s pretty obvious she’s in love with my best friend and I’m in love with you.”

“I love you, too”

“Good, then don’t worry about me and Kate, or me and Jess, because they are my very best friends.” I tilt her head so she’s looking into my eyes. “
You’re
the woman I want in my bed tonight, every night, for as long as you want me.
You
. Not Kate and not Jess. Only you, baby.”

She’s so insecure and she never used to be. I made her this way and I hate myself for it.

“You’ve been so distracted tonight and I know you’re worried about your grandma. You don’t have to stay. I can take you home if you want, or to the hospital. Whatever you want, just let me know and I’ll do it.”

She stands up and takes off her shirt, looking me right in the eyes. “Make love to me, Mike.”

Instant fucking hard on.

My hands move quickly to the zipper on the side of her skirt, my eyes watching it fall to the floor and then slowly moving upward, taking in her body with appreciation. Her thighs are aching for my touch. Her pussy, covered by those pretty blue lace panties, is screaming for my tongue. But in the end, my hands are planted firmly on her hips as I use my mouth to pop open her matching blue lace front clasping bra. The man who invented the front clasping bra was one smart son of a bitch. There’s nothing better than sticking your head between a pair of breasts and freeing them with your mouth. As I guide her back down to the bed, my mouth covers hers. We kiss as if we are long lost lovers—passionately but slowly—relishing every second of our reunion. Misty’s hands are lightly tugging my hair as mine explore every curve on her backside, finally resting on her ass as I pull her closer to me.

“Mike,” she cries out, “I
need
you inside me.”

Her hands slide up the inside of my shirt and she pulls it off. She looks me up and down with an extremely appreciative look in her eyes. I get off the bed and remove my shorts and boxers; my dick is already hard and ready for her. Starting at her feet, my mouth begins its exploration of her body while my hands worship every part of her my mouth can’t quite reach yet. She whimpers, moans, and trembles in pleasure and by the time I reach her inner thighs, she’s practically begging me for release.

When I spread her legs open and see her perfect, glistening pussy my dick begs me for release, too. But first, I have to taste her again; I
need
her essence on my tongue. She’s so ready for me. As I lick from her entrance to her clit, her body jumps. My hands grip on to her hips as I suck her clit into my mouth, entering her with one finger.

“Mike, please…”

Then another. As soon as my second finger enters her, she comes hard and fast while screaming my name. After removing my fingers, I position myself between her legs and use those fingers to wet her nipples. My mouth crashes down, rotating one breast at a time—sucking, teasing, and gently biting her perfect fucking tits.

“Mike, I’m going to come again. Please, I want you inside me this time.”

Reaching over to the bedside table, I grab a condom and rip it open as fast as I can. Once it’s on, I lean down and kiss her and she returns the kiss with ferocity and longing.

“I love you, Misty, only you,” I tell her as I try and enter her as gently as possible.

Her back arches, taking me deeper inside as she cries out, “I love you, too, Mike, only you, always.”

She’s so tight and I’m trying to be mindful of the fact she hasn’t had sex in over two years. However, she doesn’t seem to care. She’s matching my every move, doing whatever she can to make sure I’m as deep in her as possible. I pull her up so we’re both in a sitting position. She gasps and I know it’s a lot deeper for her this way. My hand finds the small of her back and the other is wrapped around her waist. She’s riding me hard and my hands help guide her. I’m fighting my orgasm but she’s getting close.

“God, Mike, so fucking good. So...oh good, it’s so deep. Yes, oh god, yes, yes, yes!” she screams as she comes and her pussy clamps around my dick like a fucking vice. My balls tighten and I pull her into a kiss as I come. I love kissing a woman as I come inside them; it enhances my orgasm and helps me feel it all over.

Gently, I lay us down on the bed, tenderly caressing her skin as I hold her close. She falls asleep almost immediately. I know how badly she needs the rest so for a little while, I watch her sleep until I fall asleep, too.