It's Our Time (Carolina Rebels 3)

“She didn’t talk loud enough for everyone to hear her, and yes, I know it’s crazy. So, tomorrow, act like normal and she’ll eventually see exactly why I didn’t walk away.”

I shake my head in disbelief. I still have to spend my day off with these people? “Why don’t you just strip in front of her, so she can see you don’t have bruises?”

“Because we were apart more than we were together. She thinks there’s a psychological part to it.” She glances down at her hands. “I tried that already,” she confesses.

“You know that if she really believes this, she’s just going to think I’m putting on a show tomorrow.”

Sydney sighs, her body falling forward until her forehead rests on my stomach. “I wish they hadn’t come.”

That makes two of us, but I don’t say that. Not when she’s bent over me like she’s defeated already. “Come make out with me. That’ll make us feel better.”

“Aren’t you tired?” she asks as she sits upright again.

“Yep.” I grab her hips and make her straddle my lap. “Kiss me, gorgeous. Just not too good.” This whole no-sex thing is starting to get to me. Tonight is not the night where I want to fight t

he urge to give in.

Sydney laughs. “Not too good? I don’t know if I can do that.”

“I know you can’t, but it’s worth a try.” I slide a hand to the back of her neck and pull her down to me. Enough talking. The time to kiss is upon us.

Sydney holds me by the beard while she kisses me slowly. Sometimes, the no-rush kisses are worse than the fast-paced, I-need-you-right-fucking-now ones. This is one of those instances. It’s as if this is a first kiss and we need to take our time, explore every inch of our mouths, and get to know one another solely through how many times we can make each other moan.

“How was that?” she asks, pulling away.

“Terrible,” I lie. She’s sitting in my lap; she knows I’m hard.

“Can I sleep right here?”

“Wherever the fuck you want, babe.”

And I’ll be damned if she doesn’t shift so her legs are stretched out and she settles on top of me once I’ve scooted down, so I’m no longer sitting up.

“Ian?”

“Sydney.”

“We’ll make her see that she’s crazy.”

I laugh. “Not even worried about it. Get some sleep and please don’t wake me up in the morning.”

“Done.” She kisses my chest as I clasp my hands behind her back. This is the life.

All hopes that this would be a good weekend flew out the window when Mom asked me if Ian was abusive. How she can not only come to such a quick conclusion, but then to ask me about it so quickly blows my mind. What I failed to tell Ian is that because I waited so long to tell him is another reason why Mom thinks this. She thought that maybe I was trying to keep Savannah from him. That doesn’t even make sense considering I’m now living with him!

I hope she can see that he’s truly a good man and I can forget this ever happened.

My phone rings and I grab it. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“About to give Savannah a bath.” We’ve had breakfast, watched TV, and Ian is still sleeping.

“Is everything okay over there?”

“Mom, really? Will you stop? It was a game and things got heated in the game. Ian isn’t like that with us.”

“Things just never added up with you two,” she tries. “And you quit your job all of a sudden.”