Rule's Property (The House of Rule 2)

But when she took a shower at night and came to bed, it was to be with him. He didn't mind sharing her during the day with the kids, or even at night if one of them happened to be sick, but most nights, nights like this one, she was his and his alone.

It never let up, the love he felt for her. It had always been there, since his early twenties, and it had only grown and deepened as the years went by.

He heard the water stop and a few minutes later, she began walking toward the bed, taking her hair from the elastic band she'd tied it in.

As the soft blonde curls fell around her shoulders, he groaned and bit out, "I love you."

She glanced at him, undoubtedly hearing the intensity he couldn't keep from his voice and she stared at him a moment, her heart in her eyes. "I love you, too."

He patted the spot beside him, "Come to bed."

She smiled and began to switch off the light.

"Leave it on," he rasped out.

She sucked in a breath and then sent him a small, seductive smile. "We're going to play a game?"

Leaving the light on usually meant Nick was in a certain mood and Courtney knew him well enough to recognize that fact. They only very rarely played sexual games. There was really no need. The sex was fantastic without anything extra. But for some reason, there was a certain thought that was tantalizing him tonight. He raised an eyebrow. "You want to?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded her head. Putting first one knee on the bed and then the other, she paused and whispered, "Tell me your rules."

"My rules?" he asked, barely keeping the amusement from his voice.

Her palms went to his chest and with her hot touch against his naked skin, his amusement fled. "The situation you want," she prompted softly, running her mouth along his ear, all too eager to please him.

His hands landed on her outer thighs, gripping her where she kneeled eagerly next to him, ready to try anything he wanted. "Okay. You're eighteen, and I find you home, all alone."

"Oh, I like the sound of that one," she smiled wickedly.

A rush of blood hit his groin. "Shit, me too, baby."

She lifted her head, about to begin, but Nick ran his hands up to her shoulders and she paused, searching his eyes. He swallowed, "You're eighteen, Courtney. You're eighteen, I'm twenty-four, and I'm going to strip you naked like I was never able to before." Her eyes flared and his heart began racing as he demanded, "but you're happy, understand, baby?"

She continued to search his expression, her eyes turning serious, until a tiny smile lifted her lips. "Okay, I understand."

"Do you, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I do." She gave him a soft, bittersweet smile as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You never want me to be sad again, not even in make-believe."

He lifted his hands to her hair, gripping her at the scalp. "That's right. I want you to be happy. Always happy. Like you make me and the kids."

Her bittersweet smile turned so sweet that his stomach flipped. "You don't need to worry. I'm always happy, Nick. You and the kids are my happiness."

He felt a shot of instant relief, and unable to wait a second longer, his lips dropped to hers and he began kissing her like he planned on doing for the rest of his life.

The End