Jos
The sound of the door softly clicking shut had my eyes snapping open. The buzz I’d had from the Jameson was all but gone now, replaced by a fear that suddenly had me sweating. I didn’t move, didn’t even breathe as I waited, listening.
Seconds later, a curse filled the air as the person who’d just entered the bedroom collided with Reid’s pack ’n play. Relief washed over me, and I sat up, snapping on the light.
“Tanner?” I blinked at the man standing at the end of the bed. He was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, his hair standing on end like he’d been running his fingers through it repeatedly. His beard was still disorderly, but I kind of liked it on him.
“You were expecting someone else to climb in bed with you?” he demanded, brows lifted, a snarl already starting to form on his usually smug face.
“What are you doing here?” I countered, my concern for him overriding the irritation at the jealousy beginning to flood from him. “Doc said you weren’t going to be released until Monday at the earliest.”
“Doc can go fuck himself. I’m not lying around in some damn bed while the woman I love is being run down. You’re mine, Jos. It’s my job to keep you safe, and all I was doing was lying there doing nothing.” He jerked his T-shirt over his head as he crossed the remaining distance to the bed.
I was still caught up on the whole “woman I love” thing and didn’t have the brain power to realize what he was doing until his hands pushed me gently back onto the pillows, his lips already attacking my neck.
He loved me?
A groan that sounded pained left him as he cupped my breast in his four-fingered hand. “Baby.” He shuddered. “Fuck, I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”
“Tanner.” I arched up into his touch, my body melting for him. “Oh God, that feels so good.”
The old T-shirt and pajama shorts I was wearing disappeared in no time, and then he was pushing deep inside of me. “Jesus,” he groaned. “Every time I slide into this pussy, I feel like I’m home.”
I couldn’t speak, could barely breathe as he thrust in and out of me, driving me crazy with his lips on my body, staking his claim.
My release snuck up on me, and I cried out his name before I could stop myself. He grinned down at me. “That’s right, baby. Scream my name. Let this whole goddamn place know who is fucking you.”
My nails bit into his hips as the agony of pleasure made me convulse. His grin disappeared, replaced by a look of tormented ecstasy. He went stiff over me, and then I felt his cock grow harder, thicker inside me. His release filled me up, but I couldn’t find the will to care.
Woman I love.
Those words floated through my mind as he fell on top of me, his weight a comfort. Kissing my lips softly, he buried his face in my neck. “I was so damn scared,” he confessed in a raspy whisper. “You said there was an accident, and a nightmare of shit flashed through my head.”
I stroked my hands down his sides, mindful of the tender flesh on his back. “Tanner…”
“Mm?” He sounded sleepy, but his lips were sucking lazily on my neck while his cock started to wake up all over again deep inside me.
“Did you mean it?” I whispered, half afraid to even ask.
“That I was scared? Yeah, Jos. I was terrified.”
“N-No…” I pushed on his shoulder, urging him back so I could see his face. “The part…when you said ‘the woman I love.’ Did you mean it?”
The confusion on his face cleared, to be replaced by an expression I’d never seen on him before. Vulnerability. “Yeah,” he said after a minute had passed. “I love you, Jos. I always have.”
Tears surprised us both by falling over my lashes. “Y-you really mean that?”
He touched his lips to my tears, kissing them away. “Never meant anything more in my life, sweetheart.”
“I love you too,” I whispered.
His entire body jerked. Lifting his head, he met my gaze, a look of wonder in those magnetic blues. “Jos. Fuck. Beautiful, fuck.” He grew even harder inside me, and I arched up into him, desperate for him all over again.
--
My mom clock went off at six, as usual. I slowly shifted out from under Tanner’s hold. His casted arm was locked around my waist, but he was deep asleep. It took a moment, but I was finally able to free myself.
I took a quick shower then tossed on the first things I could find, a pair of jeans and a black hoodie that was older than my son. Pulling my curls into a ponytail, I left Tanner still sleeping.
Down the hall, Raven’s door was open, but I still knocked, not wanting to walk in without warning in case Bash was naked or something. But it was only Raven in there when I entered. There was a crib against one wall and a cot across from it, the bed right in the middle of the room.
Reid and Max were already awake, both of them standing up in the crib, talking happily in their baby language. In the cot, Lexa was slowly waking up but not happy about it. “Mommy, my arm hurts,” she whined.
“I know, baby,” Raven said with a sigh. “We’ll go to the doctor and see what’s going on, my love.”
“Is her wound not healing right?” I asked, concerned.
“No, it’s healing fine. It’s just giving her more pain the last few days. I think she might have some torn tendons or something. She might need an MRI.” She sighed heavily. “That’s going to be fun.”
“Do you want me to watch Max for you?” I offered, picking up Reid. He already had a fresh diaper and, by the looks of it, so did Max.
“Thanks, but I’m taking him with me. Flick and I have some grocery shopping to do, and Max needs some fresh air. Jet and Raider are going to go with us.” She picked up her phone. “Do you need anything? I’ll add it to my list.”
“I’m good.” I kissed Reid’s cheek, and he wrapped his arms around my neck. That was his favorite spot. It seemed that was his father’s favorite spot too. “Tanner checked himself out of the hospital last night. Should I be worried he’s not recovered enough?”
“Bash told me,” she said with a grimace. “I wouldn’t be too concerned. He’s basically recovered except for some muscle issues. That was why Doc wanted to keep him in the hospital a few more days, to make sure he gets enough physical therapy. It’s easier to have him home, though. We’ll make it work, Jos. Don’t worry.”
“Milk,” Reid complained. “Milk, Momma.”
“Okay, okay.” I rearranged him on my hip. “Be careful going into town.”
“Tell Tanner you’re going with me later. Flick and Kelli are making plans with their men too.”
“Will do,” I called as I left the room and headed for the kitchen.
In the main room, others were just starting to wake up, but the kitchen was in full swing when I walked in. There was a sippy cup already waiting for Reid in the fridge with his name on it, filled with milk. Beside it sat a small cup of grapes and cut-up strawberries.
“Thank you, whoever did this,” I said to the room at large.
“We figured you would be busy this morning,” Quinn said with a smile. “We’re just glad Tanner is home.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
“Here, girl.” Aggie pushed a plate into my hands. It had three sandwiches on it, thick slices of toast with fried eggs and crispy bacon. My stomach growled just looking at them. “Go feed yourself and your man. It’s about time the Reid boys met each other, don’t you think?”