Love Survives (42 page)

I teased her rear entrance, taking my finger and sliding over it. I spread her legs apart farther, scooting in so my face was close enough to tease her there. I could tell she was losing control already, getting pampered in places she wasn’t used to being touched. I sucked on her there, right where her little asshole sat. Little noises escaped her as she remained leaning against the hard tile. When she was ready to collapse I turned off the water. This was only the beginning. Once I had her in bed she’d be mine for the taking.

Wrapped in towels, Kat and I stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Branch standing there with his arms crossed.

“Hey, can you guys keep it down? Mel’s got a headache.”

I looked right at my brother. “You may want to shove some paper in her ears, because we’re just getting started, bro.” I didn’t wait for his reply. I wouldn’t have cared what he said anyway. There was only one focus on my mind, and it wasn’t being quiet. She’d awakened the animal in me and I was about to fill her with it.

“I can’t believe you said that,” she said while I tugged the towel off of her body.

“It wasn’t a lie, beautiful. Knowing it’s bothering him makes me want to go at it all night. I don’t think either of you thought about how thin these walls are. I could hear everything and Branch knew it. It’s time he gets paid back.”

She glanced at my arm. “How’s it feeling?”

I shrugged. “It’s manageable, why?”

She stuck her arms around my neck and jumped. “Because I also have reasons for wanting to piss him off.”

Every touch of her hands, kiss from her lips, and emotions she fed me were satiating my desire to pleasure her. It was as if the harder I tried to satisfy her first, she was doing the same to me. Our synced bodies rocked back and forth on my bed, sharing a rhythm. From my head to my feet had goose bumps, and each time I felt her tongue touching mine I swore the room was spinning.

Kat’s hair flew in my face as she began vigorously swaying her body around. We’d been going at it for a while though I knew I was close to being finished. There was only so much of her I could take without losing control. When I felt her cumming for the second time I let it happen, succumbing to the utter relief she brought me.

For almost an hour we’d been at it, and if I still had the energy I would have wanted more. Although someone else had other ideas about us spending time together. When I went out to use the restroom I peeked inside of B’s room and saw her sitting up. She smiled before I could duck out unseen. “Hi princess.”

“Daddy, I want mama.”

“Well let’s go get her.”

I picked her up and carried her into the room. Kat scooted over making room for the two of us to join her. B nestled her body in between us and went right back to sleep, while I kept staring into the eyes of my soul mate, wondering what I’d done to deserve such a perfect life.

Chapter 49

I wasn’t sure
if it was the sex, but Kat woke up so happy. She headed downstairs while I insisted on helping B get beautiful before breakfast. She was picking clothes out of her suitcase that didn’t go together and handing them to me. “What’s daddy supposed to do with two pairs of pants? You can’t wear both of these.”

She giggled when I stuck one on her head. “No daddy. You wear.”

I took the tiny pants and held them up to one leg. “They won’t fit me, B. How about you try them?” She gave me her leg and helped me get them up. “Oh don’t they look fancy?”

B peered down at her pants, rubbing her hands on them while smiling. “Where’s mom-mom?”

“She’s downstairs, princess. Let’s find a shirt that matches and we’ll go find her.”

I turned when I heard someone coming in to the room. All of a sudden Kat’s happy demeanor had changed. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

When I turned back to look at our daughter she was attempting to put a bikini top over her head. “Hey, you going swimming already?” Kat asked.

I laughed. “She woke me up asking to jump in the pool. You know me, I give her anything she wants.” Kat knew I was kidding. We’d both agreed that B had to eat before swimming.

“I need to talk to you about something. I’m kind of freaking out, right now.” That was obvious.

I reached over and touched her arm. “What is it?”

Kat sat on the bed explaining how Melissa had left her messages and she’d went on to check them, finding her voicemail completely emptied. She told me that only one other person knew her password, and that’s why she was freaking out. He knew she wasn’t at home, and possibly where we’d gone.

I didn’t want to alarm her anymore than she already was. We’d been in D.C. for almost a week with no calls. After going to jail I assumed he’d learned his lesson. It wasn’t like I’d let him anywhere near my girls.

“What are we going to do if we go home and he’s trashed the inside of the house? I won’t be able to prove it’s him. His fingerprints are all over the place.” Kat began to cry and all I could do was hold her. I didn’t know what to say. If she didn’t calm down, my parents were going to wonder what was going on. Kat didn’t want anyone to know about Bobby, or the fact that she was married to him, and neither did I. We were finally in a good place. I couldn’t have him destroy that for us.

“Kat, he can’t hurt us. He’s there and we’re here. When we leave tomorrow night, we’ll worry about it. If he’s done something, we can figure out what to do when we’re there. Please don’t let him ruin our last day together. Mom and Dad want to see us smiling today, like we don’t have a care in the world. Focus on Branch and Melissa. Talk about their wedding like you’re excited for them. Do whatever it takes to keep your mind off of that asshole, okay?”

“Asshole.” B giggled, like she knew it was a bad word.

“Daddy’s sorry. Don’t say that. It’s bad!” Oh shit. I should have known. Kat didn’t seem amused.

“Asshole.”

Kat covered her face with both hands. “Oh my God. What else?”

“Asshole.” B giggled.

I couldn’t help but smile at the situation. It was funny hearing a cute little girl saying bad words. Kat scolded me. “Don’t laugh at her. If we make a big deal about it, she’ll keep saying it. Let’s just go downstairs and ignore her.”

I picked her up. “Let’s go eat breakfast. Are you hungry, bug?”

“Asshole, Daddy.”

“For what it’s worth, she learned it from you.” Kat noted while leading us down the steps.

“Yeah. Live and learn.”

As soon as bug saw food she was done using her new potty mouth. My mom greeted her and she all but jumped out of my arms to get to her. I noticed Kat saying something to Melissa, but was too busy making sure B was managed first.

Just like the day before, my family planned to cook out on the grill. Branch and I rode to the grocery store while the girls were cleaning up breakfast, and my dad vacuumed the pool. We got about a block from the house before my brother said anything. “Are you planning on having a birthday party for B? Melissa was talking about maybe traveling to South Carolina.”

Kat and I hadn’t discussed that far. “Her birthday is September 11
^th
. I’m sure Kat’s planning something. It’s the first one I’ll be able to celebrate with them.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t get to see her when she was first born. I feel like an asshole. Katy really ripped me a new ass last night. I deserved it too. Brooks, I didn’t know this is how our lives would turn out. I would have been a good husband to her. I hope you know that. It wasn’t all a game to me. I loved her too.”

“Kat and I have made a pact that we weren’t going to let the past dictate our future. We’re happy and together. B has her mom and dad in her life. At the end of the day it’s all I care about. Besides, you didn’t make me join the military. I did that on my own. My tour in Afghanistan was part of the job. Even if we were together, I wouldn’t have been there for B’s birth. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, but I know it’s the only time she’ll ever have to be without me. I don’t plan on missing anything else.”

“How come you’re not engaged yet? I’m sure Kat’s itching.”

“She’s fine. Trust me.”

“Whatever. It’s your business anyway. I’ve got my own woman to worry about.”

“So, about the whole sterile thing.” I had to bring it up. It had been bothering me since I found out. “How does Melissa feel about it?”

“We have options. We talked about her being inseminated, or adopting. Right now we’re content I think. Mel’s planning the wedding, so she’s happy she gets to keep her figure. We’ll figure it out when the time comes.”

I could tell the topic got to Branch. He was obviously living with demons of his own. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I don’t even remember it.”

“You wouldn’t. You were too far up Kat’s ass to pay attention to me. I’m pretty sure you spent the night at her parent’s house when I had the surgery. I know you were together.”

“Weren’t we always? She was our best friend, you know.”

“Some things don’t change, bro. It seems like Kat still feels that way about you. Sometimes I wonder if she ever loved me.”

“This conversation is weird. We need to change the subject before you’re using the steaks we’re about to buy to relieve a black eye.”

Branch chuckled. “It’s not like that. I have no interest in your girlfriend. I swear. I’d like to think of Kat as my sister, of it’s okay with you?”
I almost made a comment about them sleeping together, but decided it was best if I closed the door on the whole conversation. “Look, Branch. I’m trying to keep it all in the past. I’m pissed at you. I might be that way for the rest of my life, but you’re still my brother. It’s obvious you care about my daughter,  that means a lot. Let’s take baby steps to repairing our relationship.”

He agreed before we walked into the grocery store. On the way home we talked about sports, which we both shared a common interest in.

The girls were drinking tea out by the pool when we arrived back at the house.

I hurried to put my suit on so that I could join them for an afternoon swim.

It was obvious Kat was happy to see me back. I’d only been gone for about thirty minutes, and in that time I had to admit I missed her. This was all still so exciting for me. It wasn’t just about being a couple, or even having a beautiful daughter. It was the whole life we were going to have together. I was on cloud nine, and nothing could bring me down.

We floated around the pool together, both of them wrapped around each arm. I could hear my brother and Melissa talking about their wedding plans, but paid them no attention. I was too captivated by my own little family.

A little while later we had burgers and salad out on the patio. B was trying to manipulate me back in the pool, and she was pretty close to getting her way. I conned her into eating more in an effort to wait longer before spending more time in the water.

It didn’t take her long to empty her plate. I didn’t make her ask again. We got back in the pool while I let Kat relax and chat with the women. In all honesty I thought nothing of her walking in the house after my mom. I figured she’d come right back out. Seconds turned into minutes, making me start to wonder if she was okay. At first I thought she was playing a joke on me, trying to get me alone to be freaky again. I slipped into the house to find her, only to come back out after not seeing her anywhere.

“Mom, do you know what Kat’s doing?” I asked.

“Someone came to the door asking for her. I supposed they’re still talking.”

Right away my heart dropped. I yelled for them to watch B while I rushed into the house. When I didn’t find her downstairs I ran to my room, finding a huge tear in my sheets, and some of her things gone from the room.

That’s when I knew for sure who’d been knocking on the door. He’s listened to her messages and looked up my parent’s address. We weren’t hard to find. They’d lived in the house since we were born.

I hurried outside to catch the back of a truck peeling around the corner. At first I started running after it, soon realizing there was no way I could catch up. Kat’s husband had taken her from me, and I didn’t know what he was going to do next.

When I opened the front door my dad was standing there waiting. “What’s going on?” I pushed past him, searching for truck keys. “We need to hurry. He’s going to hurt her.”

“Who, Katy? What are you talking about, son?”

I didn’t have time to stand there and explain what was going on. “Her husband. He’s come to take her from us. She’s in danger. Please, I’ll explain it all later. Just help me find her.”

When we rushed out of the house I didn’t know what to say or do. All I could think about was finding Kat and bringing her home safely. This all felt like a terrible nightmare.