B E A U

"Beau, they're going to be here any—oh my God."

I lifted my head up from between Collins' legs.

"You started it."

"I did not start it." Collins looked down her body at me, and I couldn't help but smirk at how fucking great the view was talking in this position. We should have conversations like this all the time. Naked, of course. "I came out of the shower, and you picked me up and threw me on the bed."

"Your towel wasn't secured properly, and the view was distracting. What was I supposed to do?"

Lifting a hand, I cupped her breast, rubbing my thumb over her peaked nipple. Collins bit down on her lip as she watched me.

"I don't know," she said breathily, her chest beginning to rise and fall quicker with each stroke of my thumb. "Not this. Not when I only have another ten minutes to get ready."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I pulled my hand away. "Did you want to wait another week for me to continue this?"

"A week?" She pushed herself onto two elbows, brows furrowing as she looked at me. I tried not to look at how her tits bounced with every little movement. It was challenging. "Why do we have to wait another week?"

"Because there's going to be a child in the house, baby girl," I pointed out. "We can't have sex with a child in the house."

She fell back into the pillows on our California King again, and I nipped along her inner thigh, just barely skirting her pussy, so that she squirmed beneath me. Maybe she didn't see the urgency in this situation, but I sure as hell did.

Collins groaned my name. "It's not like his room is right next door. And do you think Nessa and Grayson abstain from sex when they have a child in the house?"

"Definitely not." I pushed open her legs wider for me and toyed with her clit with the tip of my tongue. Collins gasped and writhed until I pulled back. "But it's their offspring. It's different."

Collins ran a hand over her face in obvious frustration before moaning some of the best fucking words in the world. "Just shut up and eat me out already."

I pretended to think about it. "I don't know if we have time. I mean, Nessa and Gray are going to be here any—"

"Beau."

If my dick hadn't already been standing at attention, the way she just snapped to get me to go down on her sure would have done the trick. It was so fucking hot when she made sure I knew what she wanted. She never would have been so forward in bed years ago, and I loved how comfortable with herself—and me—now.

"Fine," I muttered with a tone that didn't match the smile on my face. "If you're going to be so bossy about it."

"You're one to talk about being bossy, Beau Bryant."

I smiled into her pussy at the use of my married name. It didn't get fucking old. And neither did her goddamn taste. Oh hell, it was like heaven having her in my mouth. I licked between her legs in one long stroke before dipping inside her as deeply as I could. She sucked in, and I felt her body shudder. But it wouldn't be enough. I knew it wouldn't be.

Luckily, I also knew what would be.

I replaced my tongue with my finger, thrusting far enough that I suspected any second she would—

"Oh, God."

Ah, satisfying.

With a grin, I flicked my tongue over her clit instead, enjoying how she started to writhe with the attention. That was it. Just a few minutes of this and she'd—

My phone buzzed from across the room, and goddamnit, I knew it was Grayson. I told him to text me when they were getting close. Because, of course, I hadn't impulsively grabbed Collins when she got out of the shower. Of course, I'd planned to throw her onto the bed.

On second thought, I should have just joined her in the shower.

With a groan of irritation, I withdrew my finger and climbed up Collins' body until I stared down at her face. Her beautiful face. That was glaring at me. Probably because I just stopped what I was doing when she was on the edge of an orgasm.

I'd fix it, though. I always fucking fixed it.

"Gotta hurry it up, beautiful." I pressed a quick kiss to her lips before rocking my erection into the apex of her thighs. Her mouth opened up beneath mine in a sharp inhale, and I pulled back in time to see the desire flutter over her features. "I know how much you love coming on my fingers, but you'll have to settle with my cock this time."

"I don't care how you do it, Beau," she breathed. "Just do it."

"You're sassy today." I grabbed one of her legs, throwing it up onto my shoulder. "You're going to pay for that, baby girl."

"Now?"

She looked so hopeful, I nearly fucked all my plans. Grayson and Nessa could wait in the car, right?

Except they had a goddamn plane to catch.

"No." I shook my head with a smirk before brushing my lips over hers with contrasting softness to the tone of my voice. "You'll have to wait for our guest to leave for that. So I guess you can spend this next whole week thinking about it."

Collins tried to look annoyed at that, but she really couldn't. Her smile was so adorable and sweet, even when I had her legs over my shoulders and my cock pressing against her slick skin. Damn, I'd never get enough of her. Not ever.

"I love you," I whispered, kissing her gently.

"I love you, too," she breathed back, and only after those pretty, pretty words were out of her mouth did I thrust inside her and watch as her head fell back.

I fucked her fast and furious to the finish line. After all, we had guests coming, and I needed her to come before that. She did; of course, she did. Loudly and beautifully, she squeezed my cock until I unloaded inside her, reveling in how perfect the feel of her was. 

Collins was still trying to catch her breath when the doorbell rang. She waved me off when I started to grab my usual aftercare supplies, and I gave her a quick kiss on the head instead, promising I'd make it up to her later.

I liked quick fucks as much as the next guy, but racing wasn't really my style. I liked to savor the moments. The before moments, the during moments—obviously, the during moments—and the after moments.

But I supposed if I was going to decide to tip my wife onto the bed right before our friends dropped off their child to babysit...something had to give.

"There he is!" I spread my arms wide as soon as the door was flung open, preparing for the little running toddler—no, preschooler—no, kindergartner? Dude was getting big.

Gabriel made an odd assortment of giggling noises—somewhere within, I was pretty certain was my name—and I swung him up into my arms with my own laugh. Oof, yeah. Big, he was getting big. I had to remind myself to go to the gym before my next babysitting gig. Didn't want to get shown up by Mr. I-Play-Professional-Football-Dad over here.

When Gabriel finally stopped shrieking, he looked up at me with those big brown Nessa eyes and asked, "Where's Aunt Cow-wins?"

I grinned because that would never get fucking old.

"She's just cleaning up. She'll be out soon."

Grayson and his sly smirk walked past me with Gabriel's bags.

"Cleaning up, huh?"

I glared at him, and he threw his hands up defensively. "Hey, I texted you."

Nessa, who was lingering in the doorway as she typed something on her phone, suddenly looked up.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," I quickly said while Grayson smiled and replied, "Beau and Collins' bedroom activities."

Jesus Christ.

"I like playing with my piano in my bedroom," Gabriel whispered in my ear.

"Of course you do," I said with a chuckle, putting him back down onto his feet.

"I packed it, bud," Grayson said, crouching down to kiss his son on the forehead. "So you can show Uncle Beau and Aunt Collins what you've been learning."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nessa point to a foot-long colorful plastic keyboard—in case I somehow misunderstood what that could possibly be.

Sometimes I really wondered what they thought I did all day. Like they knew I was actually fucking smart, right? I mean, I had my moments—but still.

"Thanks for that," I said dryly, causing Nessa to stifle a laugh behind her hand.

I loved Gabriel with all my heart, but listening to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the keyboard all week was not my kind of idea of fun.

"He's really good," Grayson insisted, even though he had an amused look on his face that matched Nessa's.

I waited until Gabriel looked up at his dad with stars in his eyes before I rolled my own. "Of course he is."

He was going to be a prodigy; I was sure of it.

"Okay, so—"

I put a hand up, stopping Nessa before she could go on her entire rant that she did every single time she dropped Gabriel off. I knew it all. I knew his bedtime, knew his likes, his dislikes, his everything.

"Nessie, I got it."

"I know, but—"

"Go have fun in New York," I insisted. "We'll FaceTime when you get there."

Her eyes grew misty as they dropped onto Gabe. "And every night after?"

"And every night after," I reassured.

"We got it," Collins added, coming up behind me. I smiled as Gabriel caught sight of her and ducked behind Grayson's legs, all shy-like.

I understand, kid. I know. She's really fucking pretty; it's intimidating sometimes.

"Come here," she whispered.

That was all it took for Gabriel to break through his shy moment and run to give her a hug.

When I looked back at Nessa, she was taking a deep breath. So while Collins was giving Gabriel a hug, I went to give her one.

"It's going to be fine," I whispered. "We always have a good time."

"I know," she said on an exhale. "The travel gets to be a lot sometimes, though. I appreciate you. Having someone I can trust makes it a lot easier."

"Of course."

With that, she began pulling away. Nessa wasn't much of a hugger. And Grayson's eyes were like lasers on my back. Not that he really cared, but he a little bit cared. He didn't like it when anyone touched Nessa that wasn't him, even me.

About a half hour later—because that was how long it took to tear Nessa away from Gabriel—the two of them were on their way to the San Francisco airport.

"Alright," I said, clapping my hands together. "Let the fun begin. Uncle Beau needs to make dinner. Wanna help, little man?"

Gabriel looked up at me with wide eyes and gave the tiniest nod.

He always did this after his parents left. We had a routine hour or two of shyness before his rascal side would show up again, which worked out perfectly for dinner time. I could get some food made and get the kid fed before all hell broke loose. Then it would be about an hour of playing before I put on a movie and watched him fall asleep in the first ten minutes.

"Come on," I laughed, swooping him into my arms again before heading off toward the kitchen. The light footsteps behind me told me that Collins was following closely, and I smiled.

The kitchen was at the back of the house. We lived on the top of a pretty impressive overlook, and I wanted the kitchen to give way to the backyard and the view beyond. But that also meant it was a bit of a trek from the front door to where all the food magic happened.

"Your house is bigger than my dad's house," Gabriel whispered, his little breaths hitting my ear as he snuggled closer.

"Not the only thing of mine that's bigger than your dad's," I muttered, and Collins smacked the back of my head lightly. She hissed my name beneath her breath, an admonishment, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" Gabriel asked, looking over at me curiously.

"Nothing, bud." I smiled. "I bet your mom and dad's house will be bigger than this one day. They're just getting started. But the size of the house isn't important, you know. It's the size of the hearts in the house that matter."

Nessa and Grayson probably could have upgraded from their LA bungalow ten times over by now, but they were beyond attached to that house. Once their new little one was born, though, it likely wouldn't be big enough for all of them.

"But my daddy's heart is small, too," Gabriel said, and I bit down on my tongue as I saw the worry in his eyes. "And mine," he added. "That's is why I had to go to—to the doctor, and they had to fix it."

"Could you have picked a worse analogy?" Collins groaned as she strode past me into the kitchen with a glare.

I winced. Yeah, okay. That was not great. That was bad. Like, pretty bad.

"And fix it, they did!" I said with as much enthusiasm as I could mutter. "And your dad's too, remember?"

When Gabriel just blinked at me with uncertainty as I set him down on top of the kitchen island, I tried again. His tiny legs dangled off the side, swinging absently.

"And, you know, I don't think it was your whole heart. It was just like part of your heart. It's a special part of your heart and—"

"Beau?"

"Hm?"

I glanced up to see Collins shaking her head at me despite the pitiful grin on her face.

"Just stop, baby."

"But—"

"How about some mac and cheese for dinner?" she asked Gabriel, flashing those real sweet eyes at him. He immediately brightened, a gooey smile emerging. 

"I love mac and cheese." Gabriel put his hands up to his face with the cutest display of excitement that I'd ever seen. "Is it the blue box kind?"

I shook my head, bending down until I was eye-level with one of my favorite little trouble-makers in the whole world. Actually, I could confidently say he was my favorite because Emery and Eliot were annoyingly angelic, so they didn't even belong in the same category as Gabriel.

"No, little man." I smiled. "At this house, we only have the good sh—"

"Beau."

"Stuff," I amended, clearing my throat. "We only have the good stuff."

"But it is good," Gabriel said with a giggle.

"It is," I allowed. "But not as good as how I make it."

I bopped Gabriel on the nose, which got another little laugh out of him, and then I got started on making some bomb-ass mac and cheese that was going to blow whatever kind Grayson and Nessa made out of the fucking water.

After Gabriel ate every single noodle in his bowl at dinner, I could tell the real work was about to begin. It was like the food re-energized him and refueled his mischief. I'd been expecting it, but it always caught me off-guard when I saw that glint of Grayson in his eyes.

"What now, Gabe?"

"Playtime?" He said it as a question, but he was already scooting to the edge of the chair, ready to jump off it.

"What do you want to play?"

"Basketball!" he exclaimed, making his break as he ran to the backdoors, which led out to, well, a basketball court.

"Oh, God," I muttered before calling after him, hot on his heels. "Don't let your dad hear you say that!"

A round of giggles was all I heard in response.