Beyond Layers: Layer Series Book Four (Layers Series 4) (26 page)

Sam and I turn as Mary approaches, picnic basket and blanket in her arms.

I take them from her.

“You didn’t have to bring it out. I was going to run in and get it,” Sam tells her.

“It was no biggie. Have fun,” she says and walks back toward the main house.

“Is she okay with us?”

“She’s good with you. When Mary looks at me, she’ll always see Lane. I wish…”

“What, angel?”

“Nothing.”

We get in and Sam fires up the engine. “Well?” she asks.

I can’t stop grinning. I can’t believe she went to all this trouble to please me. I would have been happy with a cake. Okay, a
big
cake. I lean over and kiss her. “Thank you.”

“If you kiss me like that again, we’ll never get out of the garage.”

Smiling like idiots, we make our way out of the estate and travel south for about ten miles. Sam pulls off the main highway and travels down a narrow tree-lined road. When we reach an iron gate, Sam stops and punches in a code; the gate glides open.

We go through the gate and drive on a bricked road that leads to a circular driveway. The driveway is located in front of an old boarded-up Spanish-style house.

She pulls the car to a stop and shuts off the engine.

“What is this place?”

She tosses me the car keys. “Get out and I’ll show you.”

Sam grabs her satchel and we get out. There’s a lockbox on the door. Sam punches in a code and a key pops out. She opens the door, and we walk in. The inside of the house has been gutted, torn down to the studs.

“Follow me and watch your step,” she says.

We walk through the house until we reach what looks like an old sunroom. She removes her tablet from the satchel, sits it on a saw-horsed plank, and turns it on. After a few seconds, she brings up a file. Opening it, a 3-D image of a house pops up.

“You have to use your imagination a bit but this is going to be my new home.”

Her new home?

“What do you think?” she asks, handing me the tablet.

“It’s… incredible.”

“I bought the property a year ago. It’s taken me months to plot everything out.”

I nod.

She frowns. “You don’t look very happy, Logan. What’s going on?”

I hand her the tablet, and she shuts it down.

“Nothing.”

She puts it into her satchel. “You’re obviously upset. I looked for over a year for property near Grant house. And like I said, I’ve spent months on the plans. If you don’t like them, tell me.”

“I love the plans. I don’t mean to sound presumptuous, but you said
my
house. And I thought…?”

“If I put your name on the deed will that make you happy?”

Now I’m pissed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve put my heart and soul into this project. It represents more than a home to me, Logan. It represents a new start. I want you to be part of that new start. I said
my
house because I didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

“Obligated?”

“Financially, and in any way that might make you feel uncomfortable.”

“I think you mean in any way that might make
you
feel uncomfortable.”

“Let’s just let things play out.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we’re in a committed relationship but our relationship is new.”

“Are you having doubts about us?”

“No, I’m not having doubts. I’m just saying we might not be ready for this big of a step. Planning and building a home is a big step.”

“But you’re building this house regardless.”

She nods. “I’d like
us
to build this house, but yes, it will be built regardless.”

What the hell is my problem? So she wants to build a friggin’ house.
You know what your problem is, dumb shit. Tell her.

I step into her space and cup her chin. Tilting her chin up, I look into her aqua eyes. “I want to buy you the house of your dreams, angel. I want to take care of you. I know that I sound sexist and immature, but that’s the way I feel. My grandfather took care of my grandmother. My dad takes care of my mom; it’s a Romano thing.”

“You do take care of me, Logan.”

“Not completely.”

“I was hoping, for once, I could not have this fight.”

“What fight?”

She sets her satchel on the concrete floor and leans back against a stack of lumber. “The money fight.”

“I don’t have a problem—”

She lifts a perfect brow.

Fuck. I do have a problem with it.

“Logan, I have a lot of money. I’m not going to apologize for it, or feel guilty about it. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for all I have. I was raised to appreciate and to understand wealth comes with big responsibilities and expectations. You know me, Logan; I don’t think I need to explain further.”

“You don’t.”

“Can we get past this? Can we focus on the things that truly matter?”

I give her my hand. She takes it and I pull her into my arms. “Forgive me. I’m a Neanderthal. I can’t promise you that I won’t act like one. It’s in my DNA. But I promise to turn it down a notch or two.”

She steps away and removes her iPhone from her coat pocket.

“What are you doing?”

She brings up an app and holds the iPhone near my lips. “If you could repeat the part about being a Neanderthal, it’s in your DNA. I’d like it on record.”

I shake my head. “I’ll do one better.” I take her iPhone and put it in my pocket.

“What are you doing?”

“Showing you.” I pick her up. Over my shoulder she goes.

She giggles, beating on my back with her fists
. Like that’s going to help
.

“Logan, put me down.”

I pick up her satchel. “That would be such a non-Neanderthal thing to do. Not in my DNA.”

I walk out the door. “Key,” I say, holding out my hand.

“In my back pocket.”

I reach up and dig it from her jeans pocket. I place it into the lock box and secure the door.

“Where are we going?”

“Not far.” I walk to the car and get out the blanket.

“Hey, what about the picnic basket?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll eat.”

I toss the blanket on the brick drive in front of the car and put her down next to it. “Kneel,” I command.

“What?”

“Kneel,” I say again, pointing to the blanket.

She grins. “Okay.” She kneels before me.

“Unbutton me and take it out.”

She bites her lip. “Yes, sir.”

Fuck.

She tugs on my fly, it opens, and she removes my cock.

“Put your hands behind your back.”

“Yes, sir,” she says, looking up and batting her long lashes.

Fuck
.

“Open your mouth.”

She licks her lips. “Yes, sir,” she whispers, and opens her mouth,
wide.

Fuck.

“Suck me.”

“Thank you, sir,” she says, leaning forward and taking me into her mouth.

Fuck
.

“More please, sir,” she says, or at least that’s what I think she said, around my cock.

I lean in to her, giving her all of me. I fuck her perfect month until my balls begin to tingle. Then I pull out.

“Did I displease you, sir?” She faux pouts, looking up through those lashes.

Goddamn, we are so playing this game again. I run a finger over her wet lips. “No, angel, you didn’t displease me. Stand.”

She stands.

I pick up the blanket and toss it over the hood. “Pull down your Levis and lean over the hood.”

“Yes, sir,” she says, unbuttoning them and letting them fall to her ankles.

“Bend over the hood, angel.”

She bends over and spreads out her arms, laying the side of her head on the blanket.

My cock jumps when she tilts her ass. I slip her panties down and run my fingers over her sex. “So wet, angel. Who are you wet for?”

“For you, sir. Only for you.”

“Damn right. Only for me.”

I slide two fingers into her wet pussy.

She moans. “More, sir.”

I add another and fuck her with my fingers.

“More, sir.”

“You want my cock, angel?”

“Yes, sir. I want your big, fat cock.”

Fuck.

I remove my fingers and slide in my throbbing cock. “Feel good, angel?”

“Feels like heaven, sir.”

I lift her ass, needing her pussy higher so I can fuck deeper. I pull on her hair, wrapping it around my hand. The visual of my girl leaning over the hood of my car, my cock buried balls-deep, is one I will never forget. Every time I drive this car, look at this car, I’ll think of this moment.

Pulling on her ponytail, I fuck her hard and deep.

Sam moans.

“Tell me how much you love my cock.”

“I love your cock, sir. It’s mine. It was made for me. Made for your pussy.”

Her dirty words bring me to the edge. “I’m close. I need you to come for me.” Sliding the front of her panties aside, I pinch her clit.

The walls of her vagina tighten; she’s close. “Come for me, angel.”

Her walls cave and she falls. “Coming, sir. Coming all over my cock.”

I follow, crying out her name, shaking like a leaf. “Fuck, Sam,” I say and pull out, my cum running down her thighs.

I grab the blanket, clean her up, and help her with her Levis.

“That was hot,” she says.

I wrap my arms around her, holding her tight. “Yes, it was.”

“Picnic, sir?”

As I’m nodding my agreement, her iPhone rings. I fish it out of my pocket and hand it to her.

Taking it, she looks at the screen and frowns. “Jax, what’s up?” Her breath hitches. “What? Okay. Don’t worry,” she says, her eyes clouding over. “Okay, we will. Tell her I love her and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“What wrong?” I ask, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“Lex… babies… I…”

“She’s in labor?”

She nods. “She’s started to spot.”

“Bleed?” I ask.

She nods. “Lee is flying them to the hospital. He’ll be back for us. Gram and Stewart are driving the boys.”

“Angel, she’s going to be all right.”

She shakes her head. “No… you don’t…”

“I don’t what?”

She looks away. “We need to go. Jax left a list of things we need to bring. Lee will be flying back to get us.”

God, I hate when she cries. When she looks so… undone.

“Everything will be fine, angel,” I say, opening the car door for her

She bites her lip. “Will it?”

S
am looks at her iPhone for the hundredth time. “God, they are so precious,” she says, kissing the screen.

She shows me her iPhone for the hundredth time. I look at, yet another, picture of her new nieces. All just over five pounds, beautiful, healthy, and crying like banshees.

“I can’t believe they’re already two weeks old,” she says, and coos as she watches a video she took, one of
hundreds.

Mikala Lizbet Grant-Ryan, Michele Gracie Grant-Ryan, and Meghan Samantha Grant-Ryan, look just like their mother and aunt. We’ve spent the last two weeks at the Grant Estate, or aka Babies R Us’s new headquarters.

I know I sound a tad moody… assholish, even. I haven’t gotten much sleep, and I haven’t gotten enough alone time with my angel. The no nephews in our bed rule went out the window after the girls came home. The boys were in heaven, not only because they have three beautiful baby sisters, but also because they got to sleep with Romeo Romano, and on occasion, their hockey sticks.