Tessa Teevan - Inflame

“Oh, that. Well, you want to go home?” he asks, and I nod, wondering why he continues to harp on that question. “Okay, well… Lucy Dawson, I have one question for you. Where is home?”

His eyes look down into mine and I see the hope in them. Suddenly, I’m aware of what he’s asking, and as much as I want to throw my arms around him and give him an answer, the tease in me can’t help but toy with him. After all, I did leave him a note almost a month ago basically giving him my answer.

Squinting up at him, I pretend to mull it over. “Can you repeat the question?”

An incredulous look spreads over his face, and he pulls up slightly. “You little tease. What is it, babe? Have you spent too much time on the other side of the classroom that you can’t take tests anymore? All that shit you gave me about Scantrons and you can’t answer a simple question.”

“I’m no good with Scantrons. I don’t have the proper equipment to fill in the bubbles,” I tell him, giggling at the innuendo, loving when Kale’s playful side comes out.

He begins to tickle me, his fingers running up and down my bare flesh until I’m squirming beneath him.

“Kale, stop! Seriously,” I say between breathless laughs. “I have a hard enough time holding my bladder as it is, and if you don’t stop, I’m going to pee my pants.”

Slowing his movements, he runs his fingers up and across my breasts, causing my nipples to pebble under his touch. “Well, that might be a problem, baby, seein’ as how your pants are on the ground and my dick’s still inside you. Now answer the question. Where’s home, baby?”

My eyes soften and I lift up, ensuring that he doesn’t slip out of me. I reach out and grab ahold of his dog tags, pulling him in close. “Home isn’t just a place for me, babe. It’s wherever you are. So we could be at my place, at your place, or in a van by the river. As long as I’m with you, then I’m home.” I pause, allowing the words to sink in. His eyes continue to bore into mine, and a slow, satisfying grin spreads over his face. “But, in case this is a trick question and you’re looking for two answers, then home—my new home—I hope is in your house, in your room, in your bed. I just spent eight long days without you, and I don’t want to do that again. I’ve already asked about breaking my lease, and it shouldn’t be a problem. I was just waiting for the invitation. Which, actually, I’m still waiting for.”

Wrapping his arms around me, he lifts me up off the table, and I have to hook my legs around his waist to keep my balance. I slowly slide down on him, and I can feel him hardening inside me. I don’t know if it’s because he’s been missing me or because my words are seeping in, but he seems hesitant to separate himself from me. If he doesn’t hurry up, round two is going to happen right here.

“Lucy Dawson, move in with me.”

“Most pop quizzes have questions, but I suppose I can look past it just this once.” I place a quick kiss on the tip of his nose before pulling back and grinning at him. “Consider my bags packed. Now give me my clothes, take me home, and show me just how much you’ve missed me.”

He lets out a low laugh as he slowly slides out of me and sets me back on the table. Bending down, he throws my shirt to me, and I hop down, quickly getting dressed. I make sure we’re both decent as I head to the front of the closet, apprehensive as I open the door. Peeking my head out, I sigh in relief when I see that the room’s empty, my door still shut. Kale follows behind me, and just as I’m going to get my purse, he grabs me by the waist and presses me up against the now closed supply closet door.

“I missed you, baby,” he admits, staring down into my eyes. I feel a slight tingling between my legs, and I can’t believe how ready I am for him. “I don’t think I can go that long without being inside you again.”

Bringing my hand up to cup his cheek, I stretch up on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss then nuzzle my cheek against his, loving the feel of his scruff against my soft skin. “You won’t ever have to, babe. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Love you, too. Now let’s get you home. I have some extra credit to earn,” he says teasingly, giving me a wink. I allow him to take my hand and pull me to the parking lot, where he puts me in his car, promising to get mine the next day.

The whole ride home, he describes to me all the ways he missed me, and I have to clench my thighs in anticipation, knowing I missed him just as much.

Kale

AFTER TAKING Lucy home, I spent the night worshipping her body just like she wanted, appreciating every single new bump and curve. It was only a week, but what can I say? I’m hooked on her, and even just one night apart is one too many. I knew she’d been waiting for me to ask her to move in, but I took my time, making her sweat just like she’d done to me, but after spending Christmas apart, I couldn’t handle it anymore. The twenty-week appointment is sneaking up on us, marking the halfway point in the pregnancy, and I want her settled in with me so that it’s one less stressor on her plate.

“Do you want a boy or a girl? You always call Sprout a he, but what if he’s a she?” Lucy asks, yawning. We’ve just woken up, and I’m not sure where the question’s coming from.

I mull it over in my brain. “I guess I always do say he, but that’s just my natural reaction. If it’s a girl, I’ll be happy. If it’s a boy, that’s great, too. Honestly, I’d probably have an easier time with a girl thanks to the twins and Lily.”

Turning on her side, she grins at me. “Yeah, until she’s old enough to date. Then you’ll be singing a different tune.”

I groan and slide my arm over my eyes. “I don’t even want to think about that. If she looks anything like her momma, I’ll have to lock her away.”

“I could say the same if we have a boy. His daddy is pretty handsome,” she says in a teasing tone.

“Pretty handsome?” I ask, grabbing her waist, pulling her into me, and running the tips of my fingers over her bare skin. She shivers and starts to squirm.

“Devastatingly good-looking? Sexy as sin? The most alluring, attractive, beautiful man in the world who’s captivated my heart?” Her soft giggles fill the room, and I shake my head.

Moving down the bed, I press my lips against her belly. “Hear that, kid? Your momma thinks I’m sexy and she can’t keep her hands off me. That’s how you got stuck in there,” I whisper, and before I know it, Lucy’s hitting me in the head with a pillow.

“Don’t tell him that! Might I remind you, Kale Montgomery, that it was you who implanted the seed that brought upon our little Sprout, so don’t go blaming me,” she retorts giving me a playful glare.

After crawling back up to her, I capture her lips in a gentle kiss. “It might’ve been my seed, baby, but it was the fertile soil of your garden that let it take root.”

She pushes me off her and gets up from the bed, laughing as she shakes her head at me. “I seriously cannot believe you just said that. Well, actually I can. Ginger had no idea what she was doing when she named you. She’s set me up for a lifetime of seed and love garden jokes.”

“Come on. You’ve got to admit that was a good one!” I shout after her as she heads into the bathroom and turns on the shower.

I can still hear her laughing, and I decide to join her. She’s already in the shower, and I step in behind her.

Leaning against the back of the shower, I watch as she lathers up her skin, giving me the perfect view of her ass as she bends over. She catches me staring at her when she stands back up, and she moves under the spray to rinse off.

“You know, it’s probably a good thing I’m moving in. In a couple of months, you might have to do this for me, if not sooner. It’s like someone injected me with Miracle-Gro over the last week,” she informs me, and I know she’s teasing. Her eyes slide down my naked skin, widening when she takes in my erection. She bites her lip then looks up at me, desire flashing in her eyes. “And it looks like someone’s done the same to you.”

“That someone would be you, baby. Now come here and let me inject you,” I request, wiggling my eyebrows up at her, causing her to giggle.

“I think you just ruined the moment with that cheesy comment. You really need to work on your comedic timing.”

Ignoring her, I close the distance between us and turn her away from me. My hand slides between her legs, where she’s already wet. Her laughing stops, and she allows me to bend her over. Gripping her hips, I waste no time sliding into her warm center. I do as she requested and work on my timing, slowly moving in and out, lazily rubbing against her clit then stopping when I feel her tightening around me. It isn’t until she’s begging me to let her finally go over the edge that I hasten my movements, and she screams out her release just as I’m spilling my own into her. Pulling out, I move to wash myself off her even though she’s still coming down from her high.

“How was that for timing, baby?” I ask, giving her as a slap before she stands up straight.

Turning around, she stands on her tiptoes. I think she’s going in for a kiss, but she stops right before her lips make contact with mine.

“I’d say that was pretty damn perfect.”

OVER THE next few days, we spent our time at Lucy’s apartment packing up all her stuff, and when the weekend hit, I enlisted Jace, Knox, and Xavier to help me. Lucy insisted on helping, but like I told her in the supply closet, I don’t want her lifting boxes, no matter how big or small. She told me that I was being an overprotective ass, and maybe that’s true. Fortunately, I was able to get Charlie and Lexi to keep her occupied as they took her out to look for furniture for the baby’s room.