“Hey, baby,” he murmured, lifting his head and drawing a nipple into his mouth, the taste of her milk waking him up completely and making his cock rise.
She groaned, grinding against him before pulling away and hopping off him.
“Undress and meet me in the bathroom,” she instructed, disappearing before he questioned her.
Doing as she requested, Christopher headed to the bathroom, where he found her in a tub filled with water and soapy bubbles. She liked baths, so he’d had a huge whirlpool tub installed, big enough for both of them and separate from the shower stall. The last time they’d bathed together had been on Valentine’s Day.
She leaned against the rubber bath pillow, strands of hair escaping her messy bun and plastered to her neck. “Get in.”
Climbing in and settling into the water, he started to turn, but she held him tight and guided his head back against her shoulder. Her tits pressed into his back, resting her hands on his shoulders. Even in the water, the heat of her pussy, the feel of her pussy hairs, singed him.
She nipped his earlobe. “You’re such a wonderful dad. Rebel loved your funny faces. I did, too.”
Relaxing against her, he sighed, lulled by her voice, her touch. “I was aggravated to fuck, baby,” he admitted.
“We all have those days,” she assured him, massaging his shoulders.
“You don’t, Megan. You fuckin’ superhuman. The best Ma in the fuckin’ world. I don’t know where the fuck you get the energy from.”
She kissed the top of his head. “I get tired and irritated and frustrated. On the days I feel overwhelmed, I think about you. Telling me I’m a good mom and wife. I believe you. You’re here, seeing me at my best and worst. Hearing you say that you think I’m good to you and our kids means so much to me. More than you’ll ever know. But, Christopher, you’re good, too. The best. We’d be lost without you. If you need time to yourself, here or at the club or wherever, I’ll understand. We all need time to just be. How many times do I have to tell you? I have your back.”
Humbled by her, Christopher closed his eyes. Content just to be.
Opening her eyes, Fee groaned, the glare of the sunlight hurting. She fluttered her lashes as awareness seeped into her and a sharp pain hit her throat. Her entire body ached, some places more than others.
Images of Noah flashed into her mind. He’d tried to kill her, but she’d gotten away. Somehow. Wincing, she recalled the burn of a knife blade, the sting of cuts and stabs, the wetness seeping from her wounds.
She’d survived, and it didn’t matter how, only that she had. For so many months, she’d wasted her life in an aimless fog. Not months. Years. Ever since her mother’s death. Patricia had been the foundation of Fee’s life and she’d floundered, meandering along and not knowing which way was up. She hadn’t known where she’d fit.
Nia and Avery had had kids and careers. Bev had been the traveler. Zoann had been Christopher’s Bitsy. Even when Zoann hated him, deep down, her sister loved their big brother. She’d just been the baby of the family. The one who had dreams of being a filmmaker.
Then, Zoann had given birth to Ryan and needed Fee. For the first time in her life, someone had actually needed her. She hadn’t just been the youngest of six siblings. She’d been a trustworthy, contributing adult, who happened to have shit taste in men and who ended up really not liking three of her siblings. She’d loved them, though she hadn’t found much to like.
Once Fee and Christopher bridged their differences, she’d found friendship with her sister-in-law. More than anything, she’d found acceptance. Christopher accepted her, no questions asked.
Suppose she’d never seen them again? Instead of mourning her lost family, she should’ve been celebrating. But, no. She’d chased ghosts and not lived.
Her mother, sisters, and nieces were never coming back. She had to go on. The time for regrets and recriminations was over. She had to own up to what she wanted, and then, go after it.
She loved Cash and Stretch, but she didn’t want to be hidden. However, her two lost boys shouldn’t suffer because of her decision. Stretch shouldn’t lose Cash because Fee no longer liked the direction of their relationship. As soon as she was strong enough, she’d tell them, they belonged together.
As for her, she’d find somebody. She wouldn’t rush things, either. With a new lease on her future, she had her whole life ahead of her. Today was the first day of the rest of her life. A life she wanted filled with kids. A husband. Love.
The great plans to be an award-winning director had changed and she’d been too ashamed to admit she no longer wanted to be a woman of the world, but one of home and hearth.