Craving Hawk (The Aces' Sons 3)

“Need ya,” he said against my lips, pushing me back onto the bed so he could strip my panties down my legs.

As soon as I was bare, his fingers were on me, petting and pinching and pushing until I was on the brink of orgasm.

“Slow down,” I whispered, reaching up to cup his face in my palms. “Tommy.”

He made a noise in his throat then raised his eyes to meet mine as he pushed inside me.

“You don’t try to save me,” he said, completely confusing me. “I take care of you.”

“What?” I asked as he wrapped an arm under my ass and pushed me up the bed.

“Promise,” he said, bracing his elbows on the mattress so we were locked together from chest to thighs. “If something happens, you take care of you first.”

“What’s going to happen?” I asked, my eyes watering. “Tommy?”

“Just promise,” he murmured, dropping his forehead against mine. He wasn’t even thrusting his hips anymore, he was just grinding, pressing, trying to get closer.

“I promise,” I said, searching his eyes.

“You take care of you first,” he ordered. “Say it.”

“I’ll take care of me first,” I replied softly. I knew the instant I said it, and his eyelids drooped in relief, that it was a lie.

* * *

“Wake up, wife,” Tommy said early the next morning, running his fingers up and down my bare back.

“I’m not your wife yet,” I replied, throwing my arm over my head. “Go away.”

“Can’t. My mom’s on her way over.”

“What?” I screeched, pushing frantically up onto my knees and swaying for a minute as I tried to get my bearings.

“Calm down.” He laughed as he reached out to steady me. “Told her you were sleepin’ so you’ve got an hour.”

“Why aren’t you at work?” I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.

“Called in,” he said as I got off the bed. “Gettin’ married tomorrow, figured it was as good a reason as any.”

“True,” I said, stumbling over to my dresser for some clothes. “Why is your mom coming here?”

“Her and my Aunt Farrah are takin’ you dress shoppin’,” he said casually.

I froze.

No.

Hell no.

I spun slowly to face him. He was watching me closely, but without any expression on his face. “Say again,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

“Pretty sure they called your sister, too,” he replied, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Not sure about your ma, though.”

“Are you outta your fucking mind?” I asked dubiously.

“She called this mornin’ askin’ if you had a dress. What was I supposed to tell her?”

“You were supposed to say anything that didn’t end up with me shopping for a wedding dress with your mother!” My voice rose with every word until I was practically yelling.

“What’s the big deal?”

“This isn’t a real wedding.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No. No, it’s not.”

“You gonna say vows to me?”

“Yes.”

“You gonna mean ’em?”

I paused, thinking it over. Was I?

“Yes,” I finally replied.

He got to his feet and stepped in front of me. “Then it’s a wedding. You’re marryin’ me.”

“But it’s—”

“We’re gonna try and make it work, right?”

“Yes.” I sighed.

“Then you’re gettin’ a dress.”

“What are you going to wear?” I asked, leaning against him as his hands started stroking up and down my neck.

“Want me to dress up?” he asked, a smile in his voice.

“No dirty t-shirts,” I grumbled.

He laughed and I felt his lips against the top of my head. “I’ll clean up.”

“Leave the scruff on your face,” I ordered, making him laugh again.

“Like that, do ya?”

“Especially between my legs,” I replied, nodding.

He groaned and I smiled. “Jesus, go get ready. You’ve got forty minutes until we’re overrun.”

I ran to the bathroom and took the fastest shower ever, hissing every time Tommy yelled the countdown through the door. Thirty minutes! Twenty minutes! Ten minutes!

I was just sliding a summer dress with skull and crossbones all over it over my head when someone was knocking on the door.

“You ready?” Tommy asked.

“Yep.” I threw the covers back up the bed so it looked somewhat made just as he opened the door, and women started pouring in.

Like, a bunch of women.

More than just Tommy’s mom and aunt.

Callie and Farrah were there, but so were Brenna and Trix, Amy, Cecilia, my sister and Molly.

“Nice dress,” my sister said with a roll of her eyes, making Tommy snicker.

“Hi Heather,” Callie said, giving a little wave. She couldn’t do much more than that considering the amount of people in my tiny ass apartment. I was pretty sure we were breaking fire code. “We told a couple of the girls,” Callie told me with a small shrug. “Everything usually ends up being a group activity.”

“Uh, okay,” I mumbled, looking around the room.

“Do you know everyone?” Farrah asked, gesturing around.

“Yeah,” I flashed a small smile. Oh, dear God. This was going to be bad.

“Okay, let’s go then.” Farrah looked over at Tommy. “You guys are gonna kill each other in the first month if this is all the space you have.”