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  He closed his eyes and sighed, bowing his head and letting her pump her fist up and down his shaft several times. Reaching down, he cupped his balls in his hand, moaned, and took her wrist. “No, no. Lie back again.”

  Satisfied that she was about to get what she wanted, she did as he said, easing back and watching him, her core already tightening in anticipation of his entrance.

  He lowered himself, not onto her but in front of her, and had his head between her thighs before she could so much as exhale. The press of his open mouth against her pussy was a hot, wet shock; she gasped and arched again as he found her clit with his tongue.

  The dampness of his freshly-washed hair was transferred to her inner thighs as he ran his tongue over the seam of her pussy, then the aching bud above. He’d done this, too, during their first time together, and she was just as breathless now as she’d been then.

  She came with his tongue against her clit, with his lips applying light, sucking pressure. Her pussy shrank and it became impossible to hold still as pleasure swept through her, each wave releasing energy that manifested in her hips. He cupped her ass cheeks in his hands, his fingertips digging into her flesh as he held her steady, letting her folds grind against his open mouth.

  When it was over, he rose from between her spread thighs, looking down at what they exposed like he wanted to thrust right into her.

  Unfortunately, her belly made such a position difficult at best. “Why don’t you lie down?” she suggested between breaths.

  He sank onto the mattress with a sigh, wrapping his fingers around his cock and running them loosely up and down the shaft, his gaze fixed on her chest.

  She cupped one of her breasts, squeezed, and watched his eyes widen as she played with her nipple, rubbing the tip and feeling the barest hint of moisture there. With her other hand, she gripped his dick, gently displacing his fingers and stroking him from end to end.

  He rocked his hips, sending his shaft spearing harder through her hand, never diverting his gaze from where she still touched herself. “Come here,” he said, his voice heavy with the desire reflected on his face and in the rock-hardness of his cock. Reaching for her, he cupped her other breast in one hand, supporting and lifting it from below. “You’re too far away.”

  Her nipples went a little harder as she imagined the heat and pressure of his mouth. Leaning forward, she lowered herself toward him as he rose, propping himself on one elbow, to meet her.

  She kept stroking him as he pressed his face into her breasts, kissing their surfaces and licking her nipples, teasing them until she deliberately rubbed one across his lips, knowing he’d respond to the temptation.

  Capturing the stiff peak with lips and teeth, he sucked as he cupped it from below, his hand hot against the underside of her breast.

  She slid one hand around his head, cupping the back of his skull and letting her fingers glide through his short hair.

  He moaned, kept his face pressed against her breast and his mouth firmly around her nipple for a few moments longer, and then relented. “This is good, but I can’t wait any longer.” He flexed his hips, rocking her hand as his shaft created a fresh burst of friction against her palm. “I need to be inside you.”

  “Don’t move.” She lowered herself onto the mattress and rested against him, on her side.

  He rolled his hips so that his cock pressed hard against her backside as he wrapped an arm around her, cupping a breast.

  Arching her back, she pressed her ass against his hips and gasped when he slipped a hand between their bodies and used it to guide the head of his dick to her pussy. Poised at her entrance, he rubbed the tip against her lips, teasing and spreading moisture. Taking him in was a simple matter of arching her spine a little more.

  He moaned, still holding his cock as her hot flesh enveloped him part way. She braced herself for the deep-reaching stroke she could feel building inside him, making his muscles go even harder than usual against her back.

  In a single thrust, he stole her breath, sliding in all the way to the root and pausing there, kneading her breast as he breathed against the top of her head. “God, you feel good. I can’t believe I went without this for two months.”

  When she could breathe again, she gasped, losing it all over again as he stretched her with another deliberately deep stroke, taking all of her.

  She knew what he meant – four months after they’d reunited, it was already hard to imagine her life without this sort of pleasure, without him. He was something she’d been missing for a long time without knowing it, and the fact that he felt the same way made her feel even closer to him than she already did – which was saying something, considering the fact that he was filling every inch of her pussy, making her body conform to his length, his hardness.

  She sighed when he removed his hand from her breast but didn’t complain when he pressed it between her thighs instead. “I want to feel you come – around me, this time.”

  Her internal muscles tremored and tightened. When he began to rub her clit, it was clear that his wish would soon be granted. “Keep doing that,” she breathed, light-headed again as he continued to rock her from behind, as relentless inside her as his fingers were outside, just above where he thrust into her.

  With every stroke, he was hitting her at just the right internal angle, and that combined with the extra stimulation was bliss. She would’ve moved with him, but she was caught between his hand and hips, a prisoner to the pleasure he lavished on her.

  She came hard, her pussy shrinking around his cock, just like he’d wanted. He moaned, and the sound of his pleasure leant a sharper edge to hers. Gasping, she was tense but still as he drove into her, still working his fingertips against her clit, pushing her climax to its limit.

  He didn’t stop until she begged him to, too sensitive to bear the stimulation any longer. Returning his hand to her breast, he caressed her there as he continued to rock her, groaning each time he slid home, pressing his hips hard against her bottom each time.

  She wrapped her fingers around a fistful of sheet, wringing it as he finished, each stroke fast but deliberate as he groaned, swore and breathed hard enough that strands of her hair were sent streaming across a pillow. She sighed too, the sound soon broken up by a series of gasps as her nerve endings crackled with heat and her pussy drew a little tighter, responding to the impact of his body against and inside hers, intense in the way it always was when he came.

  When he withdrew, heat and wetness lingered on her skin. It felt good – almost sinfully good – to be so free with him, to make love whenever and however they wanted, never having to worry about protection, or what the lack thereof might bring. In that sense, sex was even more uninhibited than their first time had been.

  That summer night, they’d started out using a condom. Then they’d gone at it a second time, in a haze of lust and excitement … without. Abby had figured her pills would prevent any chance of pregnancy.

  They’d have to be careful – actually careful – again someday … but that time wasn’t now. “Mmm. That was so good.” She rolled over, facing him.

  She expected his eyes to be half-closed already, after the shift he’d just worked. Though it was early morning, his eyes were as bright and focused as they could be in the semi-darkness. “I know it was. It always is.” He slipped a hand beneath her jaw, cupping her cheek and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I love you, Abigail.”

  He didn’t give her time to respond; instead, he pressed his mouth against hers, sliding his tongue past her teeth and claiming her mouth in a way that was every bit as invasively intense as the sex they’d just had. By the time the kiss ended, she was breathless and her heart was pounding so hard against her ribs that she could feel it in her breasts and hear it ringing in her ears. “I love you too.”

  She did, truly and irrevocably, which was why as he drifted asleep before her eyes, she hoped that she could give him as much happiness as he’d already given her.

  * * * * *
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  Abby scrolled through her spreadsheet, marking a name off the list. It had taken a small eternity of research to compile a list of artists who might be interested in guesting at Hot Ink come spring, but several had already responded positively. Soon, she’d have a completed schedule to submit to Jed and would be able to take her maternity leave without feeling like she was doing the shop a disservice.

  When her phone rang, she answered it without looking at the screen, knowing it was probably the owner of the tattoo studio in Akron she’d recently called.

  “Abby, guess what?” The voice on the other end of the connection was familiar but unexpected.

  “Natalie?”

  “Of course it’s me. And I have some good news!”

  Thoughts of the queries Natalie had started sending to publishers a month ago immediately sprang to mind, though she didn’t dare voice her hopes for fear of being disappointed. “What is it?”

  “I got a reply from one of the publishers I queried. They want to see the whole first book – all the artwork and everything. I’m working on getting everything sent out to them right now.”

  Abby’s heart skipped a beat. “Wow, a publisher is really interested?”

  “Interested enough to want to know more. I don’t know where this will lead, but you know … they might just decide they want to publish the book. I mean, the series.”

  Abby willed her heart not to race, but it did anyway. “Who’s the publisher?”

  “Red Harbor Publishing.” Natalie’s voice crept an octave higher.

  Abby racked her mind. “Red Harbor?”

  “You’ll recognize them when you see one of their books. Are you busy right now?”

  Abby glanced at her spreadsheet. “What I’m doing can wait if you need something.”

  “Can you meet me for coffee?”

  “Sure. Where at?”

  After slipping her phone into her purse, Abby headed out the door, locking it and climbing into her car, destined for the book store she sometimes took Ava and Lucas to for story hour in order to give Natalie a break. This time, it was only Abby and Natalie – a rarity. The kids were at home with their dad, but Natalie led the way to the children’s section anyway.

  “Here,” she said, eventually pausing in front of a shelf next to a rack of stuffed animals.

  “Are these Red Harbor books?” Abby reached for the one at eye level, her fingertips brushing the cover’s cool, hard surface.

  “That one is. So is that one, and the one below it.” Natalie nodded at two more books. “I’ve kind of been stalking their website anytime I have a spare second – they were one of my first-tier choices for publishers.”

  The excitement in Natalie’s voice radiated through Abby as she took the book in her hands, letting its heft weigh in her palms, dispelling the half-amused sense of disbelief that had beset her when Natalie had called with the good news. “This book is beautiful, and look at the little bear…”

  A miniature stuffed black bear was packaged with the book, obviously a cloth-and-stuffing version of the main character.

  “I know.” Natalie rocked up onto the tips of her toes, smiling. She hadn’t had so much apparent energy since before Ava had been born, and that fact struck Abby on two levels: it made her happy, and fueled her own excitement. But it also left her a little wary. What if Red Harbor turned the book down after all? Now that anticipation was zinging through her veins and lighting up Natalie’s face, the thought of rejection turned her stomach sour.

  “You should check out their site when you get home,” Natalie said, picking up another Red Harbor book. “They only publish children’s fiction and they’re known for their gift-quality books. They have several titles that come packaged with toys like these. Can you imagine kids playing with a little Amethyst Fox?”

  Abby’s heart sped in silent response. “Yeah, I can imagine it – I almost wish I couldn’t.” She stroked the plush bear’s back with the pad of her thumb. “It seems so real now…” She faced Natalie, her gaze locking with her sister’s. “I really hope I get another good news phone call from you soon.”

  “Me too.” Natalie put the book she’d been holding back on the rack and peered down at the one Abby was flipping through. “Amethyst Fox’s Treasure Hunt – I can see it being a book just like this. It’d be perfect.” She shrugged when Abby shot her a glance. “Sorry, I can’t help fantasizing – it would be perfect.”

  Abby nodded, slowly turning pages, reading the story starring a curious black bear but devoting most of her time to studying the illustrations, taking in each line, each splash of color. It really was a beautiful book. The fact that the publisher apparently thought her work was comparable enough to consider was a compliment in and of itself.

  “I bet Ava and Lucas would like this book.” Abby closed it slowly. “I’m going to buy it for them.” Truth was, she didn’t want to put it back on the rack. When she’d first touched it, her and Natalie’s efforts and the reality of what they might mean had been fully impressed upon her for the first time. She wanted the book as a reminder of that sense of hope and accomplishment, if nothing else.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Natalie said, “I’ll pay for it. They’ll love it, although I’ll have a hell of a time keeping them from fighting over the bear.”

  “Coffee will be my treat, then,” Abby said. “Come on.”

  They retreated to the café section of the store, where the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans mixed with the scent of new books, intoxicating. Natalie chose a corner table tucked between a bookshelf and a wall and Abby laid down the picture book she’d been carrying, rubbing the small of her back. Just walking around the book store had her muscles aching.

  “I’ll get the coffee,” Natalie said. “You sit down.”

  Abby shook her head. “It’s my treat.”

  “At least let me take your money and order for us. I know how hard pregnancy can be on your back, even when you’re not having twins.”

  “You’ll have to use Sam’s credit card,” Abby said, digging in her wallet. “He leant it to me this morning – my bank disabled my debit card last night. They said there was a data breach with an online retailer I bought from. My new card won’t be here until tomorrow.”

  Natalie made her way to the coffee counter and register by the store’s large front window, where a barista was restocking a display case full of baked goods.

  She was smiling when she returned. “Biscotti?” She lowered two wrapped in a napkin onto the table, along with two coffees.

  Abby reached automatically for the lemon, leaving the chocolate chip for Natalie. “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Here’s Sam’s card back. For a minute, I was afraid it wouldn’t work, or that the barista would ask me for my ID – she took forever scanning it.” Natalie giggled. “Can you imagine if she’d asked to see my ID and I would’ve had to admit that I was using someone else’s credit card – a cop’s card?”

  “I guess if the book thing doesn’t pan out, we could always turn to a life of crime,” Abby teased. “Although I don’t know how we’d manage any major heists with Ava and Lucas in tow, not to mention the twins.”

  “Let’s just hope Red Harbor sends a contract soon – I think Sam would be onto us in a heartbeat if we tried anything illegal.”

  Time seemed to stop inside the café, at least until the lattes were gone. When that was the case, they left together after Natalie paid for the picture book.

  “So, do you think…” Natalie began, fastening her jacket’s top button against the chill. “What the hell?”

  “What?” Abby stopped beside her sister, behind where they’d parked their cars side by side.

  “My tires are flat!” Natalie crouched down, glaring beneath her car. “Both of the ones on this side – look.”

  She was right. “What about the other side?”

  Natalie hurried around her vehicle. “This side’s fine – probably because there are no other vehicles over here to block i
t from view. Whoever did this could’ve crouched between our cars unseen.”

  “You think someone slashed your tires?”

  Natalie threw one hand in the air. “Look how flat they are! They were fine when I left the house, and fine when I got here – no way would I have been able to drive around on tires this bad without noticing. I just bought them a few weeks ago, too. Ugh. Yeah, somebody did this on purpose while we were in the store.”

  Abby frowned as the latte she’d just had turned sour in her stomach. Who could possibly have anything against Natalie?

  CHAPTER 9

  Abby was there when he opened the front door, sitting straight across from him, typing up a storm at the computer stand in one corner of the living room. “Hey.” She whirled in the desk chair, her ponytail whipping around as she surveyed him with an expression of surprise.

  “Weren’t you expecting me?” He tried not to crack a smile as he locked the door and removed his boots.

  “Guess I lost track of time.” She stood, stretching, and her eyes went a little wider as she glanced at the computer clock. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was so late. My doctor says I’m not supposed to sit for so long without getting up and walking around every once in a while.” She walked toward him in a hurry, as if to make up for not doing it earlier.

  “Your sister ever manage to get her car out of that parking lot?” Abby had called him earlier that day and told him about how someone had slashed Natalie’s tires. He’d urged her to file a police report, which one of his co-workers had handled.

  Abby nodded. “Yeah, I gave her a ride home and her husband went back to the store’s lot with replacement tires. The car’s fine now – they’re just out the cost of two tires.”

  Sam frowned. Abby’s sister was a stay-at-home mom, and her husband was a working class guy. Some asshole had cheated them out of a week’s worth of groceries by slashing her tires, which presumably had been a random act of vandalism. “Sorry that happened, baby.”

  She nodded, looking up at him with bright eyes and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I know what happened was sucky, but I have some good news – good for me and Natalie both.”