“She asked me if we could sign her up for one on one classes with you,” Brynna says as she pats Michael on the back. “Isn’t she too young for that?”
“Maybe a bit,” Mer says and purses her lips as she thinks it over. “You could add a second class a week for now. If she’s still interested when she hits about thirteen, I can take her on one on one and work with her.”
Brynna nods thoughtfully and glances up at Caleb who’s just gone pale. “What do you think?”
“I think I don’t want to even think about the day she turns thirteen.”
“Oh! That reminds me, I have something for Mom. I brought her birthday gift along with us, but it’s in the car. Meredith, will you hold Michael for me?”
“Oh, I…” Mer begins, but Brynna places the sleeping baby in Mer’s arms and hurries away. Mer looks at each of us with panicked eyes and then back down at the oblivious baby. “I’m not good with babies. Here, his dad should hold him.”
“You’ll do fine,” Caleb says with an amused grin.
“Here,” Stacy says and helps Meredith settle Michael on her shoulder. “There you go. He’s not going anywhere.”
“You were just swarmed by children and looked just fine, sweetheart,” Will says.
“I’m good with kids, but tiny babies scare the hell out of me. I’m afraid I’ll break them.” Meredith immediately sways back and forth, patting Michael’s diaper-covered butt and rests her cheek on his head. “Is this okay?”
“Perfect,” I reply quietly. Her eyes find mine over the baby’s head and she smiles softly.
“Wow,” someone—Meg?—says. I can’t look away from the gorgeous woman before me.
My woman.
Mine.
She looks amazing wearing that baby. I can see her holding our baby. Grandbabies.
Fuck, this is forever. She’s it for me.
“I’m going to need someone to take that baby,” I say calmly.
“Why?” Mer asks and frowns. “Am I doing it wrong?”
“No, I need to get you out of here. Now.”
“I got it!” Stacy takes Michael from Meredith and I immediately grip her hand in mine and tug her along behind me to the gate at the side of the house.
“Goodbye everyone!” she calls with a laugh and waves. “I had a great time! Thanks for including me!”
“Goodbye!” I can hear the guys laughing, and I don’t give a shit. I need her. I need to claim her, to remind her that she’s mine. To lose myself in her for hours, rediscovering everything about her.
“Mark?” she asks with another laugh. “Slow down, babe.”
“No.”
I yank the Jeep door open and wait for her to climb in but she stops in front of me and cups my face in her small hands.
“Stop. What got into you?”
“I can’t wait another minute.” Her eyes darken as she watches me. “I know it’s nuts and my brother will most likely never let me forget dragging you out of there like a caveman, but I can’t share you with them any longer. I need you naked and wet and moving beneath me for about the next two days.”
Her eyes dilate and she licks her lips as she watches my mouth move. Her hands are braced on my biceps and I smile as I flex them on purpose, making her eyes widen and that pulse point in her throat thrum in anticipation.
“Well, when you put it like that,” she says softly. “Are you taking me home?”
“I’m taking you to my place,” I reply and tip my forehead down onto hers. “No interruptions. I’m going to make you scream and laugh and come undone, and I don’t want you worrying about who can hear us when I do.”
“Fair enough,” she says. “Can we stop talking about it in Will’s driveway and just go do it now?”
“That was the idea.”
Chapter Six
~Meredith~
“Where do you live?” I ask and nervously bounce my knee in a fast staccato.
“About ten minutes from here,” he replies and takes my hand in his, pulling it to his lips to kiss my knuckles. “Too far.”
I can’t stand it anymore. Telling me he needs me now flipped a switch inside me and I need to touch him. He stops at a red light and I slip out of my seatbelt and crawl over the center console, grip his face in my hands and kiss him. Demandingly. He growls and buries his fingers in my hair, holding me to him as he kisses me back with a hunger I’ve never seen from him before.
Suddenly, a car honks behind us, alerting us of the green light.
“Too fucking far,” I say and sit back in my seat.
Mark keeps my hand gripped tightly in his as he maneuvers the Jeep through the neighborhood to his house and comes to a quick stop in the driveway.
“Home sweet home,” he murmurs, jumps out of the Jeep and jogs around to my door to help me out.
“I like your house.” It’s in an established neighborhood, on the bigger side, with a huge blooming cherry blossom tree in the front yard.
“Thanks,” he replies and leads me through the front door. “I’ll give you the tour later.” He throws his keys on a nearby table, and turns to me, pins me against the closed door at my back and devours my mouth, kissing me hungrily. He cups my cheek with one hand and with the other, lifts my right leg up around his waist and grips my ass in his palm.
“God, you feel good, M,” he murmurs against my lips. Suddenly he spins us around and pulls my top over my head just as I dive for the button on his jeans. We can’t get each other naked fast enough. We are a tangle of clothes and arms and laughter as we strip each other quickly and trip and stumble our way up a set of stairs and into his bedroom. He’s still in boxers when he tears my panties from my body. Fuck, his arms are flexing, the muscles jumping beneath his bronze skin and I’m about to come undone.