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  “Oh my God, Baylor!” she yelled as she squeezed one breast with a hand while the other was braced on the center of my chest, continuing to ride me throughout her powerful orgasm. I was proud of myself for holding back, but my impeding release was hanging in the balance. Eden collapsed onto my chest, her heart racing against my pecs, beating uncontrollably.

  Once her breath returned almost back to normal she slipped off of me and I instantly missed being inside her. I moved her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear and her closed eyes finally opened as she snuggled her face into my open hand. I raised myself until we were face to face and I lifted her off my lap and off the couch and stood her up with her back flush against a random wall in her living room.

  Hooking her legs around my hips, I slowly entered her once again, this time with our eyes never leaving one another. As I slowly pushed my way in and out of her, my lungs heaving to catch up, I spoke in a low voice, “Eden Nicole, I love you so fucking much. I always thought my life was entirely complete with just Norah and I, but now with you in it promising to be by our side, it has come full circle.”

  Her breath hitched as she dug her nails into my shoulder, “I love you too, Baylor. I need you, harder please, but don’t take your eyes off of me. I want to watch you as you come inside of me. I need to have that connection with you, to watch you love me.” I took in her request and complied by grasping her hip harder and bracing my other hand against the wall for a bit more stable leverage. My eyes never left hers as I increased my speed, pumping into her furiously and relentlessly. With our eyes connected it felt like making love, but the way my speed and force was hammering into her core it was anything but. There was a time and place for slow and tender, but that was definitely not the time, especially with her request. My primal instinct was taking over and I felt the familiar tingle begin at the base of my spine, traveling at a speed like no other with my impending release. Her bottom lip curled into her mouth once more and her fingertips tightened into my skin as her breasts bounced furiously at the potency of our coupling.

  “Baylor, oh, I’m almost there, please don’t stop. I need it, I need you to come inside me, with me.” I fucking loved how vocal she could get when she was looming on the edge of ecstasy. After a few more strokes I felt her walls tightening once again and this time I didn’t try to stop my own orgasm from unleashing.

  “Take it all,” I groaned as I spilled my seed deep inside her, wondering if this was going to be the time I finally got her pregnant. She had told me once before that she was on the pill, but it never stopped me from wishing that one of my swimmers would run free and seal himself to her, creating a child of our own.

  She collapsed against me again and I had to will my knees to keep from buckling and continue to keep me upright. Once our labored breathing returned somewhat to normal again, she said in between the quick rise and fall of her chest, “So now that we are acquainted with my couch and my wall, why don’t we venture to my bed?” She was still clinging to me with her legs locked around my hips, so I adjusted her to make it more comfortable for me to carry her and followed her directions to her bedroom. She laughed before saying, “Why are we so opposed to beds? I feel like I just ran a marathon and we still have to travel to go lay down.”

  “We? Who do you think is doing all the dirty work, transporting your ass to your bed?” I joked, which caused her to grind her heels deep into the flesh of my ass. “Ow!”

  “Don’t make it sound like it’s such a chore, you should feel lucky to transport my ass,” she said with the very same twinkle in her eye that had been there at graduation. Eden was finally and thoroughly back. I finally knew for myself without her having to tell me, that she was indeed truly happy.

  Chapter 18

  Eden

  Lying curled up next to Baylor in my bed, my fingers were lazily drawing circles on his bicep that was encompassed around me because I couldn’t sleep. I had hoped that hearing his breathing even out as he fell into a peaceful slumber would lull me into my own blissful sleep, but to no avail. I thought it was just the overwhelming feeling of happiness blanketing over me. I was excited for everything that was going to come. We had spent the entire day in bed except when we got up to order pizza and to call Dean, who I had found out was staying at a local hotel in town. I never even knew he had accompanied Baylor on the trip. We talked the day away, laughing and making plans for our future, and even added a few more rounds of lovemaking to the mix. There was just something about his primal self, rearing its head as he took me against the wall. I wouldn’t exactly call it making love, but the connection we had spiraling between us was more than I had ever felt before.

  I was sad to leave Nashville and my friends behind, but it was well worth it to be able to someday soon call myself Mrs. Baylor Jenkins. We had also called Norah earlier in the day to tell her the news and ended up having to hold the phone a good two feet from our ears in order to try and avoid the shrill scream that she let out. She was completely overjoyed, and I couldn’t exactly pinpoint if it was all because of me moving there or because Petunia would be in accompaniment. Either way, I was tickled myself to gain such a witty and amazing stepdaughter.

  I also texted Julia to see if she could get me in in the morning for a quick style before I left. She didn’t answer back right away and even when she did it was just single-word answers. It stung to know that she wasn’t as supportive as I wanted her to be but it was also a big deal leaving my best friend behind. She was hurt and scared to lose someone else that she loved and I understood that, so I hoped the next morning wouldn’t be filled with sorrow and tears rather than happiness and lots of laughter.

  The cold, wet nose on my face and the sharp toenails of a certain dog weren’t really what I was hoping for in the form of a wakeup call. “Petunia, seriously, you have the absolute worst timing,” I groaned, whining about being woken up far too early for my liking. I moved to peel back my covers and remove myself from the juncture in between Baylor’s body and his arm, when his other hand covered mine, halting me in my tracks.

  Just barely opening one eye, I turned towards him, peeking to see what he was doing. “I felt you tossing and turning all night, let me go take Petunia out and you lay here and rest for a few more minutes. I know you don’t want to be late to meet Julia,” he said in a soothing, sleep-filled voice. I turned the other way to allow him to pull his arm from underneath me and snuggled beneath my covers a bit more, curling them around my body. There wasn’t a cold chance in hell that I was going to refuse his offer; a girl could get use to this kind of treatment.

  He was absolutely right though, I wasn’t going to be able to stay in bed for long, as there was too much to do. The goal was to pack up my belongings that I wanted to bring with me and load them into the U-haul that would be attached to my SUV so I could be on the road the next morning. The thirty-eight hour drive wasn’t one that anyone looked forward to, but traveling with Baylor and Dean meant there were bound to be many memories to be had. Besides, with three different drivers we could each take turns behind the wheel and make good road time.

  We had discussed renting out my condo and leaving it fully furnished for the time being. There was no reason to bring all of my furniture with me to Oregon when Baylor’s house was fully stocked. I was bringing some accent pieces to try and spruce up his house; it just needed a woman’s touch and he gave me absolute free rein. It thrilled me to no end that he trusted me so wholeheartedly to do whatever I saw fit in his house.

  I heard Baylor talking to Petunia from the other room and I decided that I wasn’t going to be able to get any more rest, especially when he was talking to her in such a high-pitched tone as if he was talking to a baby. I had to force back my laughter from erupting, but it was definitely hilarious. And what topped it was that when I finally made it into my kitchen, he was sitting on the linoleum in the middle of my floor giving her belly a good rub down.

  The smell of coffee instantly invaded my nostrils. It was one of m
y favorite fragrances of all-time, only coming in second to Baylor’s natural scent. I walked towards the cupboard that housed all of my various mugs, making sure to sidestep around the little love fest that was taking place on my floor.

  Removing the carafe, I began pouring two cups of steaming coffee before replacing it in the holder. Petunia was making a calming moaning noise, which was her way of showing that she was loving the attention. I wanted to grumble under my breath but refrained from doing so because it would make me seem like a jealous nitwit.

  “Oh my god,” I said aloud without any intention to do so, “I’m jealous of my dog.” I turned around and took a sip from my steaming mug and leaned against the edge of my countertop. Baylor’s eyes were instantly trained on me and a smile was playing on his mouth. “Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, laugh it up,” I said to him in the midst of an eye roll. I pointed to Petunia who was still as relaxed as before, showing her belly and allowing her tongue to hang freely from her mouth, “Don’t you forget where you came from and who fed you all of those treats for so long.”

  That was all it took for Baylor to go completely ballistic. He fell over to his side barking out a laugh at my expense, but all in all it was pretty hilarious that I would get so bent out of shape because my wonderful Petunia was receiving all of his attention when it should’ve been me. I joined in on the laughter because Baylor’s reaction and his contagious laugh from deep within his belly made it too hard to contain.

  He braced an arm on the floor so he could push himself to a standing position, then moseyed his way over towards me to encircle his arms around my waist. I turned to place my hot mug down on the counter and turned back just in time for him to run his nose along my collarbone and up to my ear.

  “Was my Eden really that jealous of the attention I was showing to my new dog?” Shoving at his shoulder I released a drawn out huff and tried to cross my arms over my chest. “Does Eden need me to scratch behind her ears?” He teased and ran his finger lightly behind my ear, descending all the way down to the swell of my breasts that were peeking out from the top of my tank top. My annoyance was quickly dissipating; all this man had to do was gently touch a random place on my body and I proved to be putty in his hands. “Maybe she needs some kisses?” He asked then leaned forward and swiped his tongue across his lips before biting down softly on the apex of my neck and shoulder, sending chills rushing down my spine while his hands moved back to my hips, lightly fingering my exposed flesh. “Or perhaps she needs a good old-fashioned,” I was lost in his words, anticipating what would come next. Would he tease me more, turning me on a little more with each movement? I wasn’t expecting what came next, “tickling!” he yelled before pinching his fingers on my sides and going to town, tickling away at my stomach and under my breasts.

  Erratic laughter spilled from my lips at an uncontrollable sound level; my hilarity was teetering on the verge of being a cackle. “Seriously, stop!” I yelled, trying to catch my breath but failing miserably. “I can’t breathe,” I relented, trying to think of anything that would make him stop his tickle assault. “I gotta pee!” I screamed next, but he wouldn’t take the bait, just kept ignoring me as he continued. “Oh my crap, Baylor, you’ve gotta stop! I’ll cut you off from sex!” I said next, knowing that he would immediately halt his movements and release me, which he did. I knew I had gone a bit too far, but my ribs were screaming out at me from the mixture of tickling pain and laughter. “You punk,” I shouted and launched myself into his arms, encircling his waist with my legs as I wrapped them around him, locking my ankles together. In my mind I was some superhero about to bring the evil, or in his case, sexy, villain to justice.

  But the next thing I knew I was being placed on the countertop, Baylor’s hands enclosing my face, and at the last moment, right before he completely smothered me, he cupped my cheeks and initiated contact, invading my mouth in a silent but feral attack. I melted into his embrace as he caressed my tongue with his but pulled apart way sooner than I would like to have because we really needed to get a move on. Once his eyes opened he had a serious pout marring his face, and it was my turn for payback.

  “Oh, is my Baylor sad?” I teased as I braced his head and brought him close enough to press my lips against his forehead. “Does he need some more lovin’?” I said in a voice usually reserved for Petunia and proceeded to softly kiss both of his cheeks. “I’m sorry, but we need to get a move on. So much to do today and first things first I have to make sure my best friend won’t kill me for moving away from her.” I took the pad of my thumb and tried smoothing away the pout from his lips when he took it into his mouth and gave it a subtle nibble, creating a rush of wetness at my core. Unfortunately it was definitely not the time to pursue that any further.

  “Baby, I love you and all but if we continue to sit here we won’t get anything accomplished at all. The faster we can get things done, the sooner we can be in our house, the three of us together, well, four including Petunia.”

  He released my thumb from his mouth, rested his forehead against mine and intertwined our fingers together, “I love the sound of that. But now I’m seriously going to be outnumbered, three girls in the house and me.” He brought a hand forward and rubbed my belly ever so lightly, “I’m going to have to rectify that soon.”

  My heart completely melted and it would give me no greater joy than to give him a son, when the timing was right. Our relationship was all too new and we each needed to settle into our new changes. Not only was my life going to chance by being completely uprooted, I had to think of how everything would affect Norah. She seemed to be a strong young lady and an absolute trooper, so I just hoped that everything would transition smoothly for her. I decided to be a smart ass instead of melting even further with the thought of having a baby, “Oh, you mean we should get a male dog for Petunia to have her own playmate?” I joked and immediately his brows furrowed. “One thing at a time, Baylor. Let’s adjust to everything that is going on then we’ll definitely discuss having a baby, that is, if that’s what you want.”

  “My heart has never been more completely full than it is right now. Bringing you into our life and home will be the best thing that has happened to Norah and me in a long time. But I do agree, when the timing is right we can discuss having a baby, and in the meantime won’t all that practicing be a thrill?”

  “Julia Caldwell, if you don’t remove that scowl from your face I won’t allow you within five feet of my hair with those scissors,” I warned, almost feeling like a mother scolding her young. I had just barely stepped in through the front doors of Violet before Jules came charging my way with a menacing expression and her scissors in tow. I was officially scared for my life and I couldn’t very well leave because Baylor had dropped me off on his way to pick up Dean and check out of their hotel.

  Her shoulders slumped forward and a few tears glistened in her eyes; at any moment they would spill over and then I would have to cry right along with her. In all the years that I had known Julia I’d never known her to shed one single tear. She had already gone through husband number one and was on the verge of divorcing number two when we met, so her heart was already a cold and frozen organ. It took her a while to even warm up to me, and I would like to think it was because of our friendship that her hardened exterior began to thaw.

  “You can’t leave me, Eden, you’re all the family I’ve got,” she exclaimed, coming closer towards me and allowing that first initial tear to finally fall free down her cheek.

  I opened my arms to allow her entrance and embraced her tight. Talk about heartbreaking, I knew our goodbye was going to be bad, but I had no idea it would become that brutal. I rubbed my palm up and down her back, “Oh, sweetheart, I know it’s so soon but I’ll only be a phone call away. And besides, there is nothing tying you to Nashville, why don’t you think about moving to Oregon too?”

  She pulled away from our embrace and wiped the few signs of sadness away as she raised a brow, “Me live where it is constantly raining and gloomy
? Yeah, no offense but I really don’t prefer to live someplace where my head would be a permanent frizz ball.” And she was back, her little moment of weakness was all but forgotten and she was ready to move on.

  “Come on,” she waved an arm towards her stylist chair, “you owe me big and I’m thinking I’ll cash it in in the form of a new haircut.”

  My eyes widened, matching those of a deer in headlights, “Now, Jules, let’s not get irrational. I’m not just going to let you have free rein on my hair.”

  Feigning annoyance, she shoved her finger in the direction of the chair, “Sit down, shut up, and let me see that ring that’s weighing down your left hand.” She cracked a small smile before going back to her signature resting bitch face where no emotions would show through.

  Following instructions, I did as she asked, sitting in her chair and then raising my hand so that my ring was perched beautifully on display for my best friend to admire.

  “Eden, it’s absolutely beautiful. You definitely deserve it. And I suppose I could say that I’m a bit envious of you, but if you blab that to anyone else I’ll deny it to my grave.”

  Blanketing a violet-colored cape around my body, she secured the Velcro on the backside and went to work. She started making little snips and cuts here and there on my dry hair, making me supremely worried it would come out looking hideous. But I hadn’t needed to worry; after she was all finished it looked as if she had only taken a little off the bottom, getting rid of all the split ends so my hair was fresh. She didn’t talk much as she was busy doing her thing with her magical scissors, but every so often I heard a sniffle come from her. She wanted everyone to think she was brave by putting up this bitchy exterior, but really on the inside she was a scared little girl and I really couldn’t tell you what made her that way.