Seize (St. Martin Family Saga: Emergency Responders) Book 2: Erotic Romance (22 page)

“Yes.” Her breathing was so rapid, she could barely speak.

“You and me. Together. Forever.”

“Yes.”

He placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth. “Tell me the words.”

“I love you.”

He wanted her to have no doubts where she belonged, where she was wanted. “And I love you, Michaela Roy. Forever and always.”

They loved into the early morning, reclaiming one another.

Chapter 24

The first rays
of sun entered through a crack in the curtains. Mia’s body was too warm, and she realized Augie was wrapped around her. They were face to face, one of his legs resting between her thighs, the other on top of her leg. His arm held her close, wrapping around her waist, and one cradled her head. When she tried to escape, he tightened his hold. She craned her neck to whisper in his ear, “I need to go to the bathroom.”

He groaned and then freed her. “Hurry back.”

She immediately noticed she wasn’t as sore as she’d been the first time they’d had sex. Studying herself in the mirror, she saw the smile on her face. It seemed to be her new permanent expression. She’d never been so happy, not even on her happiest days.

After she peed, she washed her face and brushed her teeth. She was naked and being so, knowing Augie would see her in just a minute, made her giggle.

He was fully awake and watched her as she returned to the bed. She added an extra sway to her hips simply to give him pleasure.

“I love to hear you laugh,” he said. “I’ve missed it.”

As soon as she landed on the mattress, he was on top of her, kissing all over her neck, shoulders, jaw, and the corner of her mouth. He pulled away in a quick jerk, catapulting from the bed like an Olympian.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“You’ve brushed your teeth, so I can’t kiss you now. Gotta brush mine first. Be right back.”

She watched his retreating form—actually, his very firm butt cheeks—as he walked into the bathroom. She smiled and stretched her arms over her head, rolling around in the mussed bedclothes and pillows. She inhaled fully, taking his scent deep inside her lungs. She truly hoped she wasn’t dreaming. Pinching her arm, she said, “Ouch.”

Watching him walk back to the bed from the bathroom had her stomach doing flips and her throat going dry. His cock sprang up like a Spartan warrior gearing up for battle—proud, erect, and ready for action.

Staring down at her tangled in the sheets, he asked, “What’s ouch?”

“Oh, I may have pinched myself.”

He grasped her wrist, inspecting her forearm. “On what?”

“No, I mean I pinched myself.”

“You pinched yourself?”

She pulled her arm free and covered her face with her hands, feeling insecure and a lot silly. She knew he thought of her as a silly girl. Trying to see through his eyes, she understood why. “I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and that this was all real. That last night actually happened.”

Leaning against the headboard, he pulled her into his lap, cradling her with his legs. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands clasping just under her breasts, his head resting on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mia. I’ve never been in this deep. I got scared. I’m a coward. But you … you are so strong. No one has ever stood up to me like you. Would you believe me if I said you’ll never have to wonder again if it’s real?”

“I’m starting to believe.” She leaned into his neck, but that wasn’t good enough; she needed to see his expression. She needed for him to see
hers
, to see everything—the certainty, yes, but the doubts as well. She turned in his arms and her eyes met his gaze. “You hurt me. I loved you and you dismissed me and hurt me. Yet I forgive you and I want to trust you.”

She lowered her gaze, but immediately looked up again. “Trust may take some time.”

Please, God, don’t let it take too long
.

She needed their trust to build in order to be certain that his love was equal to the love she had for him. Without that trust, their love was powerless.

*

He could understand that it might take time for her to trust him again. But he’d never let her out of his sight again. He lifted her chin with his finger. “Marry me,” he whispered and then he kissed her lips.

“I did marry you.” She held up her hand, displaying the ring.

“And I’m happy that you wear my ring
and
my name. What I should have said was,
marry me again
. In front of our friends and family. I want the whole world to know you’re mine.”

When she smiled shyly, he added, “And I want them to know that out of all the men in that world, you picked me.”

Her smile grew. “Are you saying a church wedding with a big dress and dancing?”

“Yes, and a limo and a honeymoon.”

She was on her knees, her hands clasped tightly around his neck. “Oh my God, Augie, do you really want that? Because I’m about to get really excited.”

He chuckled. She was so adorably sweet, it sometimes hurt. “I want all of it.” His words were strained because her arms around his neck were cutting off his air.

He was released suddenly when she sat back on her heels. She held up her hand, flashing the ring.

“There’s one more thing: I don’t have any money. I think my sister does. I could ask her, but I don’t really want to. Maybe we could just go take some nice pictures and post an announcement.” She looked at him with bright smiling eyes. “I’d be completely happy with that.”

She hadn’t been paying attention, and he loved her for it. “Baby, haven’t you ever noticed the car I drive?”

“The little sports car?”

“That’s the one. Ever wonder why I’m not driving the standard issue Dodge Charger that the deputies drive?”

“I thought they gave you a special one since you’re the boss.”

His belly rumbled with laughter that started deep and radiated out. He’d never laughed so hard. “How much money do you think a sheriff in Louisiana makes?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“It’s a nice salary, but it’s not enough to afford this house and that car. What I’m telling you is that the Roy family is, well, we’re rich. Old money. Lots. That’s how I got an elected office so young.”

She nodded. Then her smile faded, and the sparkle drained from her eyes. “Why do you want to be with me? I have nothing to offer you.”

How could she not know that she gave him everything? He obviously wasn’t doing a very good job of convincing her how much she meant to him. He cradled her cheek with his palm.

“You’re everything to me. You consume my thoughts. I was going crazy without you. I couldn’t think, couldn’t feel. Sometimes I couldn’t even see because my head was filled with images of you. I was torturing myself because the truth of it is, I don’t deserve you—your innocence, your sweetness, your beauty, your unconditional love. I can only hope in the years to come that I become man enough to merit all that you are and all you possess. No, your possessions aren’t goods and money; they’re so much more valuable. They’re everything. They’re life. And I love you.”

He took her lips with his and when she parted them on a sigh of his name, he slipped in his tongue. They tangled and explored one another, and she melted softly around him in the way that told him just how much she loved him. He lifted her, setting her on top of him, straddling his thighs. Checking her wetness, he was happy to feel she was saturated. He brought his cock to her entrance, and she stretched around him, slowly taking him deep into her purity, cleansing him in the act. He sucked the nipples that were scraping his chin with each bounce of her body. When her hands pushed through his hair and she moaned, he felt the barbaric need to mark her with his seed. He wanted to shoot himself inside her, planting so deep and strong that she would always possess part of him.

He wanted every inch of her body to know him and carry his mark.

Between his thoughts and her baby-soft sighs and the squeezing walls of her cunt, he was ready to come within minutes. He brought his hand up to massage her clit.

“Baby, I’m going to come. Need to do it inside you.”

Her mouth opened on a strangled cry as she quivered and fell apart around him. Moving both hands to her hips, he slid her aggressively back and forth on his cock, groaning out her name as he shot his seed deep inside her snug heat.

He tried to catch his breath. God, it felt good to mark her, brand her, connect her to him.

Her forehead came to rest on his. “I love you,” she whispered.

“Love you. So much.” His fingers traced lightly up and down her spine. “I just marked you with my seed and you wear my ring. You’re mine. You’ve turned me into a Neanderthal. If I could figure out another way to mark you, I would.”

“Why does Evie wear that rope?”

Hell, where had that come from? He smiled a knowing smile. “Do you really want to know about that, Mia? Once you know something it becomes impossible to un-know it.”

He was still inside her. When she abruptly shrugged, his dick twitched.

“Tell me.”

They stared into one another’s eyes. When he could see she was ready, he nodded.

“She wears the ropes to remind her of Clay while he’s away. The pressure the rope puts on her body is reminiscent of his touch. And he likes to bind her when they fuck.”

Her eyes grew wide, and she gasped. He took her lips and kissed them until they plumped.

“Do you like to do that?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I’m not into that. But I would like you to submit to me. In all things, I’d like to lead us as a family. My every move would be about keeping you safe and happy and loved.”

She leaned toward his lips and placed a sweet kiss on them. “I have no problem with that.”

“Hey”—his brow rose as an idea hit him—“will you wear my collar?”

“Like a dog’s collar?”

“No. Like a collar worn around your neck to indicate your submission to me.”

“Does it
look
like a dog’s collar?”

He chuckled. “No. Actually, the one I’m thinking about is owned by my mother.”

“You don’t ever speak about your parents.”

He was quiet, wondering what to tell her about his family. How could he share his lifetime with them in just a few words?

“You’ll meet my dad at Christmas and again at Easter. He’s a U.S. senator, so he’s never around. Basically lives in D.C.” He inhaled and sighed. “Mom is here in town. She copes by consuming a daily cocktail of bourbon and Xanax and by fucking the yard boy.”

Mia grimaced and dropped her head to his chest.

He stroked her hair. “You’re so fresh, so innocent, so pure. I love that about you. I apologize. I should have been more sensitive in telling you, but speaking about my family is not one of my favorite activities. Still, I want to introduce my new bride to my mother. You up for that today?”

She nodded against his chest. “As long as you’re at my side, I’ll do anything.”

“First we need to get breakfast; I worked up an appetite. I’ll call Clay and see if they want to join us. We can share our news.”

She bit the vein on his neck.

“If you don’t stop that, we’ll starve to death. Let’s get dressed.” He kissed her hair, inhaling her scent.
Their
scent.

“Don’t take a bath,” he whispered into her ear.

She peeked at him through her lashes and smiled.