The first fingers of light were curling in around the edges of the curtains in Tyler and Meredith's bedroom. The soft light was just enough to wake him up. He'd always been an early riser and hadn't had an alarm clock since he was a teenager. He realized that he and Meredith hadn't moved once they'd fallen asleep. His arm had gone numb and he cautiously flexed his fingers, hoping to get the circulation going. Seeing that they hadn't even moved the covers, he chuckled softly. Both of them must have been carrying a lot of tension to be so exhausted they hadn't even rolled over.Reaching behind him, he grabbed his cell phone off the bedside table and quickly scrolled through his contacts, looking for one name in particular. Without disturbing his wife, he sent a text to Drew, telling him they were taking the day off from working out. What Tyler didn't tell Drew was he'd be getting his cardio in, but it'd be by burying himself balls deep inside his woman. They both needed it more than th
The moan she released when Tyler slid home caused Meredith to open her eyes wide and giggle. "I hope I didn't wake the kids up," she tried to whisper, but it didn't come out that way.He smiled tightly, hoping like hell she hadn't woken them up. He wasn't sure he could stop, even if one of them came through the door. "If you did, they might have to wait a few minutes before they come barging in here. I don't see myself stopping, you feel way too good right now."Giving him a saucy grin, Meredith threw down the gauntlet. "A few minutes?""You were the one saying I was an old man last night. Better hope I can keep it up longer than that," he shoved extra deep inside her, causing her to put her hand over her own mouth to hide an even louder moan this time.Sex with Tyler was usually so all-consuming, so loud, so animalistic, that they tried to do it only when the kids weren't around. Neither one of them liked to censor themselves, but today, they both needed to feel one another mo
Tyler enjoyed the quiet of his home for the full five minutes he would get it today. Mer had just packed up the kids and headed to Jagger's to hang with B, while Jagger was on his way to their house, so he could help put together toys. Mountains and mountains of toys.Toys.Something he'd never thought he'd have to deal with in his life. After they'd gotten together, he'd had his five-year or ten-year plans but he'd never believed that he and Meredith would be lucky enough to have children. It still freaked him out slightly. More than slightly. But looking around the living room, he knew he wouldn't trade them for anything. He'd watched as his family drove down their driveway out onto the road, and then waited a few minutes to make sure they weren't coming back before he started dragging out boxes of toys that needed to be put together.They'd gone overboard and they knew it, but at the same time, they both knew Meredith would be able to take the toys the kids didn't play with mu
Meredith rubbed herself up against his side, pushing onto her tiptoes to speak in his ear. He was so tall that she had to grip his shoulders and hold herself up there long enough so she could speak. "We've gotta get them to bed, otherwise we won't have enough time to set out the Santa gifts."Tyler glanced at the clock just over Meredith's head and was surprised at the time. She was right, it was much later than he'd thought it was. "When did it get to be almost ten o'clock?"She laughed affectionately, wondering the same thing. "I have no idea! Between making cookies for Santa, Addie dragging you outside to put out reindeer food, and Caelin coloring a picture for the elves, it's been a busy night."She felt every one of those activities tonight, too. Her eyes were dry and she wanted nothing more than to go lay in bed and take a power nap. She knew they wouldn't be able too, though, because as soon as her head hit the pillow… without a doubt, she'd be fast asleep. Being a parent
Meredith grabbed her own two boxes, and brought them with her into the living room and set them down on the coffee table next to Tyler's."You go first," she pushed them towards him. "I wanna see your face when you open it.""If you insist," he gave her an indulgent smile as he reached for the smaller of the two."You sure you wanna open the smaller one first? I think I'd go for the bigger one. More stuff," she teased."It's not about the size," his voice was confident as he pushed his fingers through the wrapping paper. He was still hesitant to open gifts since he'd never really gotten any before he and Meredith were together. "It's about what's on the inside."She held her breath as he opened it, his eyes widening as he saw what lay inside."Mer…" he started to speak, but nothing came out."Jessica took it when she was messing around with the camera Layne got her over the summer. Do you remember? She was metering light or whatever?"He did remember. Turning it around
ROOSTER & RONI"I'm tellin' you, you're insane," Denise Walker told her sister-in-law, Sharon Hancock, as the two of them sat in the office at Walker's Wheels. They were supposed to be going over inventory, but Sharon, known to everyone as Roni, was laying out all her troubles and Denise was telling her how crazy she was."I'm not," Roni shook her head. "I think he misses it."The he in the conversation was Roni's husband Rooster, member of the Heaven Hill MC, former Warren County Sheriff's Deputy."What makes you think he misses it? I mean from what you've told me, there's nothing screaming out at me that says we're gonna lose Rooster to the other side."How did she explain this to someone who had the kind of relationship Denise did? Roni's brother, Liam worshiped the ground Denise walked on; she would never be questioning her husband like this. Roni had to admit though, she'd never questioned her husband like this either, but she couldn't deny in the past few weeks things h
Rooster yawned so wide his jaw popped as he made his way along the backroads of Warren County. Glancing at the dashboard, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he saw the green numbers flash two AM. It had been a long fucking day, and he was going to have to get up and do it again tomorrow. In five hours to be exact.That was okay though; he didn't mind working hard for his family. Didn't mind how his knees ached from standing, how his head hurt from the loud noises of everyone talking around him, how his stomach clenched because he hadn't eaten dinner before he left. He would do it for Roni and Carter. He would kill himself with the hours he was keeping before he gave up and let them feel like he wasn't taking care of them.But Lord, he was tired. Tired as hell. One more week, he kept telling himself. One more week and Christmas would be over, the security gigs would be done and then things could go back to normal. Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he tried to think ab
Roni realized pretty quickly that she'd made a big mistake accusing her husband the way she did. All the feelings she'd thought he was having were obviously all in her head and that made her feel awful. The only thing he'd been doing was going to work and making a better life for their family and all she'd done was dump on him for her feelings of being "abandoned". He hadn't wanted his old life back, he was working himself to the bone to provide for her and Carter and all she'd done is add to the heavy load he'd already shouldered for them."I'm sorry," she whispered again. There was no way he'd know exactly how sorry she was. Normally she wasn't quick to assume the worst when it came to him but she'd been looking for a fight, apparently feeling sorry for herself when she'd no call to at all."You're sorry?" he gave her a dark grin. "You're gonna have to come up with something a little more than you're sorry, Roni. This could all have been avoided if you would have just been up fro
The temperature in the cab of the truck was downright frigid as Remy drove to Tyler's house to drop off Addie first. Tatum refused to meet his gaze and that flat out pissed him off. If she was going to give herself to another man and then have the balls to sit in front of him like this, she should at least have the decency to meet his eyes when he looked at her."Am I going to have to explain to Tyler why I'm dropping you off at one in the fucking morning?" Remy glanced in the review mirror of the truck, looking back to where Addie sat in the extended cab."No," she shook her head, looking about as tired and unhappy as he felt. "He's at the clubhouse. He and Mom had planned to stay and they took Caelin with them."Well, thank God for small favors, because the one person besides Liam he didn't want to face off with tonight, was Tyler."You're lucky I don't call him and tell him where the hell you've been. How could you let her go up there with him?" he questioned her, the irrita
Tatum's heart beat through her chest as she followed Gavin upstairs to a much quieter part of the house. Her mouth was dry – the result of her nerves, or the alcohol she'd consumed – she wasn't sure which. Her hand gripped Gavin's tightly, but she knew it wasn't because she was excited, it was because she wanted to yank on it, and stop him from leading her into the empty bedroom. Part of her wanted to put a stop to it, the other part wanted to go through with this so she could throw it in Remy's face. Those stubborn traits she'd inherited from her dad were alive and well tonight.She glanced over her shoulder, spotting Addie pulling out her phone and making a call. The worried look on her friend's face told her all she needed to know. Addie was probably calling in reinforcements and her time had suddenly become very limited."You feelin' good?" his deep voice questioned in her ear, causing her hair to stand up and goosebumps to appear on her arms. This time it was different than wh
Remy was in a piss-poor mood, had been since the night of the Christmas party and everything that had gone down with Tatum. He bit off the head of anyone foolish enough to ask if he was okay. He'd been eating lunch by himself, and overall had been a miserable fucking loner. Even right now, while everyone else was partying their asses off, his big date was being in the gym and beating the ever-loving shit out of a heavy bag. It was the only thing that seemed to calm him the last few days.Hearing his fists connect with the bag felt good, even if it was muted by the gloves he wore. His arms burned, his shoulders and back ached, his chest heaved, and sweat poured down his forehead and into his eyes; making them sting. The sting felt good though, because it distracted him from the guilt he felt for the way he'd treated Tatum. And that guilt was pressing down on him like he was trapped under a thousand-pound boulder.He'd felt every emotion on the spectrum since she'd walked out on him
Tatum's blue eyes took in the party-goers around her. In different parts of the room, she could see members of her graduating class, some kids that were now seniors, and a few college kids. God, this had never been her thing, she'd never found high school or college parties worth anything to her. She could see everything that went on at them and more, at the club parties. Plus, this was a mob mentality – everyone here went along with everyone else, and it was so boring. Nobody had any individuality. Normally, she'd have tossed the invitation in the trash can and not even thought twice about it. She would have spent the night at the club's New Year's party and have an actual good time with her friends and family.Tonight though, she was on a mission."Do you see anybody?" Addie asked as they surveyed the room.Tatum took a drink from the bottle of Strawberry Boone's Farm she carried in her hand. It was the bottom shelf stuff, guaranteed to get you loaded in the least amount of tim
Tatum had never felt anything like the all-consuming lust that blasted through her as soon as Remy grabbed her hip and pulled her deep into his body. She'd thought she had but damn, she was wrong. Her fingers grasped at his shirt, trying to ground herself in the feelings, when she felt his bare palms slip up under the hem of her dress. The sharp intake of breath, and the way he nipped at her lip indicated he'd discovered she'd worn a thong."Fuck, Tate," he moaned as he pulled his lips from hers.She almost cried as he abandoned her lips and smeared his mouth down her neck. She felt the sharp nip of his teeth down to the core of her body. It caused her nipples to tighten further against the lace of strapless bra, and before she knew what she was doing, she was rubbing up against him."Please, Rem," she gasped out when she felt one of his hands on her ass venture back over her hip, and closer to the wetness and heat she felt between her thighs."Has anybody touched you?" he grow
He knew the second she walked in, just like he'd known when she'd entered the bakery. Even seven shots of Pappy in, he could feel her, he knew she was there by the way the hair on the back of his neck stood up, the goosebumps he got on his arms and the way his dick stirred to attention. He wasn't sure what kind of hold Tatum Walker held over him, but it was strong, maybe dangerously so, like some sort of Jedi Mind Trick he'd never be able to resist. And dammit if his hand didn't shake as he took his next shot."Too much for you?" Drew asked as he noticed the slight tremble of the other man's hand.How did he tell the man sitting beside him, he was hard up for his little sister? Easy. He didn't."Nah, I'm good, but I gotta hit the head. Be back."Plan number two when plan number one didn't work? Run and hope she wouldn't follow. As much alcohol as he had consumed, he wasn't sure he could push her away this time. After all, he was only a man and he wasn't immune to the way she lo
He should have brought a date. Those were the first words Remy thought when he walked through the door of the clubhouse. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and all he wanted to do was turn around and head back to Cash and Harper's. Normally, he lived at the clubhouse, but he'd had dinner at their place tonight. He could relieve the babysitter watching Maddy, and he wouldn't have to worry about keeping his guard up.Couples were paired off, which meant anyone without a plus one would be inevitably thrown together. Looking up, he saw mistletoe was hung randomly around the room. Shit. Since he was the youngest, he seemed to be one of the few without a woman on his arm. Sure as the world turned, he'd find himself thrown toward someone tonight.Gazing around the room, he didn't see Tatum and for that he was extremely thankful. He'd been able to avoid her since the day at Harper's bakery, but it'd hadn't been easy. Not that she'd gone out of her way to be around him but they were in the sa
Remy told himself to slow down as he grasped her neck, hauling Tatum closer to him. He cautioned his lust-drunk body not to make a fool of itself. He warned his libido not to let this go too far. They were in the middle of the bakery, in the middle of downtown. Anyone could walk through that door from some dumbass off the street, to her brother, to her dad. But he couldn't stop, couldn't force his hand not to trail down her body and grasp her tight ass in his fingers. He wanted desperately to pull her lower half into his, wanted to shove his thigh between her legs and feel the heat he knew would be there. His tongue was forceful as it made its way into her mouth, testing how far she'd let him go.Turned out she'd let him go as far as he wanted to.His brain tried to warn him that this was progressing too quickly. It was getting too out of control, too fast. If he didn't watch it, he'd be picking her up and putting her ass first against the nearest wall. He was losing his mind, losi
Son of a bitch. Something in the way Tatum's gaze met his made him think he'd said those words loud enough she could hear them. But fuck, she looked amazing. Even more than she usually did. Tatum had been gorgeous for a long time, but with her hair in this new cut, she looked sexy, and almost… sophisticated. But this was Tatum. She'd never fully be a lady, not really. She didn't do dresses unless she had to, she didn't do caked on makeup, and she could hang with the guys – no matter how raunchy it got."Do you like it?" She asked again, this time looking much more unsure than when she'd started out. Very slowly, she ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a tousle.Remy cleared his throat, not sure how honest he wanted to be, but at the same time knowing he couldn't help but be honest. If he lied to her, she would know, and it would do nothing to help the situation they seemed to always find themselves in. The two of them always seemed to be either pushing or pulling at each ot