No Saint (Wild Men 6)

“...fine,” I grumble. “I guess I do owe him a little. But don’t let him get any ideas.”

“I’d never dream of it.”

Her eyes are bright, her lashes wet, and she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “Lu...”

“I love you, Ross,” she whispers, and for the first time I believe it deep in my dark soul. “So much.”

She wasn’t joking. She meant it. Meant every word.

“I love you, too, sweet cheeks.” More than I thought I could ever love someone. I bow my head until our foreheads touch. “I’ve never said that to anyone else. Never felt like this before. I love you.” I take a breath and open my defenses a crack more. “Don’t ever leave me.”

Her smile is sweet. “Never. Don’t ever let me go, Ross Jones.”

I swear I won’t.

***

“I thought you said you’d bring the kids to meet Uncle Ross,” I grumble. “So where are they?”

“I thought you didn’t care for that.”

“Well, I might.”

His brows shoot up. It makes me snicker. “You surprise me, big brother.”

“Well, so did you.” At his questioning look, I shrug. “You and your sisters... you gave me a second chance, and then a third, and then a fourth... You didn’t give up on me.” I glance at the girls, sitting together on the porch. Gigi is telling them a funny story, it seems, because both Octavia and Luna are giggling. “Octavia came to talk to me. You kept writing. I just...”

“Spit it out.”

“You’re an ass,” I inform him, and he just laughs at me. “I’m trying to apologize here. For everything. To you, to them.”

That damn brow goes back up. “I’m not gonna make it easy on you, bro. You don’t get to tell them through me.” And he lifts his arms and yells, “Girls, come close, Ross is apologizing to us.”

“Motherfucker,” I hiss and tackle him so we go flying in the dirt. He whoops and tries to get me in a headlock, but I shove him off and attempt to twist an arm behind his back.

“You’ll have to come over here to apologize, or it’s no deal!” Gigi calls out, and then, “God, you’re such boys... Why do you like rolling in the dirt so much?”

“We’re animals!” Merc calls out and then dissolves into laughter.

I start to laugh, too, and let me tell ya, it’s hard to fight someone while laughing. Pretty much a moot point, too.

“Bastard,” I mutter.

“Asshole,” he mutters back, and I’m laughing so hard I can’t catch my breath, and my eyes are watering. That’s what I’m blaming the wetness on my cheeks on, anyway, and that’s final.

***

I’m sitting with Luna on the rocking chair on the porch. My family has returned home, and it’s just the two of us. The night is clear and warm, the buzzing of insects in the bushes loud, almost covering the sound of the stream further down.

She’s on my lap, my arms around her, her head on my shoulder, and everything’s fine with the world. My dick’s happy to have her sitting on me, too, already half-hard and aching, sending zings of pleasure through me, but I’m so tired I can’t do a thing about it. I’m almost falling asleep, when she lifts her head and sighs.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“I can’t believe I’m here with you.”

“Will kissing me convince you?”

“Mmm...” She grins. “You’re so devious.”