Page 29 of Before You Can Blink (Rust Canyon #4)

Jett

February

“Do you hear that?” Daisy snuggled deeper into my side on the couch, a roaring fire set before us as we enjoyed a glass of whiskey before bed.

Outside of the quiet crackles coming from the burning wood, the room was silent. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Exactly,” she sighed.

I kissed the top of her head. “A moment of peace is hard won these days, darlin’.” Between Tripp’s hollering and Aspen’s constant chatter, most days I could scarcely hear the thoughts inside my own head.

Daisy turned in my arms, her lips pressing to the side of my neck and moving upward. Blood rushed south, and my head tipped back on a groan as her tongue darted out to drag along my skin.

In my ear, she rasped, “Give me ten minutes, then meet me upstairs.”

Oh, hell yes .

The last time I’d gotten lucky was on my birthday, and that had been six months ago. I was beyond desperate to worship my wife, to connect on that physical level where the rest of the world faded away.

Palming her ass, I gave it a firm squeeze. “Ten minutes. Timer starts now.”

She scrambled off the couch, leaving her empty whiskey glass discarded on the coffee table as she rushed up the stairs.

Reclining, I let my legs fall open, rubbing my hard cock over the fabric of my jeans.

Soon, so soon, it would be buried deep inside her hot, tight cunt.

And this time, there would be no pulling out.

The little procedure I’d had done before Christmas made it so that I could come inside her as many times as I was able, and she wouldn’t get pregnant.

I accepted that I wouldn’t get much sleep tonight. Once I was done filling her to the brim, I wanted to park myself between her thighs and watch as my cum seeped out.

God, I was leaking just picturing it.

My eyes honed in on the wall-mounted clock across the room, watching the hands slowly move to mark the passage of time.

Two minutes . . . five minutes . . . ten.

Ready or not, Daze. Here I come.

Draining the last of my whiskey, I let it burn a path down my throat before standing.

It took everything in me not to run up the steps like a teenage boy, eager at the prospect of getting his dick wet.

But it had been so long, that’s what I felt like.

Mentally, I vowed to ensure Daisy got off at least twice before I dared to allow myself the pleasure of her pussy molded around my cock, because I wasn’t going to last long .

I paused at the threshold to our cracked-open bedroom door, and my breathing grew shallow just thinking of all the things I was going to do to my wife once I got my hands on her.

Closing my eyes, I willed my racing heart to settle, but it was futile. That woman never failed to set my blood on fire, and I’d be lying if I said my hands hadn’t been itching to map out every curve on her body, inch by perfect fucking inch.

I gripped the door handle and pushed inside, only to stop dead in my tracks when the bed came into view.

A heavy exhale rattled my chest. Set in the middle of the mattress was Daisy, clad in a skimpy, see-through lace nightie, fast asleep.

Latching the door behind me, I moved toward where she lay and pulled the blankets up to cover her practically naked form before dropping a kiss to her forehead.

I desperately missed my wife even though she was right there in front of me.

June

After a hard day’s work, I snuck into the house through the back door that fed into the kitchen. The days were long with summer just beginning, so even though the sun was only starting to set, it was late enough that I’d missed dinner, and the kids were likely already in bed.

The endless tasks on the ranch kept me from my family more than I’d like, but I hoped that someday they’d be able to look back and know I did all of this for them.

Soft music reached my ears, courtesy of the handheld radio Daisy kept on the counter. When I turned the corner from the mudroom, I found the love of my life standing at the sink, elbow-deep in the suds as she washed the dishes.

She must’ve heard my entry because she peeked over her shoulder and flashed me a smile. “Your dinner’s in the oven.”

Instead of trekking across the room to retrieve the plate of food being kept warm for me, I moved in behind Daisy, looped my arms around her waist, and buried my nose in her hair. Inhaling deeply, I allowed her scent to bring me peace after a long day.

Nothing could calm me like this woman.

“Dinner can wait,” I declared as the melody of a classic country love song filled the air, and I began to sway, urging Daisy to rock in time with me.

Her laughter rolled over me, thick and sweet like honey, as she turned in my arms. Eyes glittering, she asked, “Sure you’re not hungry, cowboy?”

Fuck. I loved it when she called me that.

“Starved,” I rasped in her ear, nibbling the lobe. “But it’s been far too long since I’ve pushed my wife around the dancefloor.”

Pulling back, Daisy beamed up at me. “You make it mighty hard to say no to you, Mr. Sullivan.”

A husky chuckle rolled up my throat. “Then my plan’s working perfectly.”

I dipped her dramatically, and she let out a squeal. “Jett!”

Little footfalls sounded on hardwood. “Daddy!”

When I brought Daisy upright, over her head, I saw Aspen rushing into the kitchen in her pajamas. Schooling my features into a stern expression, I playfully scolded, “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed by now, young lady?”

Her blue eyes went round, and she quickly dropped them to the floor as she shifted on her feet. “Yes, sir.”

Daisy squeezed my shoulder. “She wanted to wait up for you. ”

The hidden undertone that I’d missed more than my fair share of bedtimes lately caused an ache beneath my sternum.

Humming, I released my wife and crouched before our daughter. “Is that so?”

Aspen’s little hands twisted, and she nodded.

Using one finger, I tipped her chin up, my thumb stroking over her soft cheek. She would never stop being my baby girl, but at five, her toddler days were long gone, and already I dreaded the day when another man swooped in and stole her away from me.

More than anything, I wanted to freeze this moment in time, one in which she ran to me, bursting with excitement simply because I was home at the end of the day.

But since that wasn’t possible, I decided to make the most of this phase that would be gone too soon.

Taking one of her hands in mine, I asked, “Can I have this dance, Miss Aspen?”

“Really?” My girl lit up like the most brilliant star in the night sky, and my heart threatened to burst.

I threw my arms wide in invitation, and Aspen wasted no time in clasping her little hands together behind my neck. Lifting her up, I joked, “Gotta practice for when we dance at your wedding.”

Her head pulled away from my shoulder, her face full of confusion. “But Daddy, I’m going to marry you!”

“Uh . . .” Out of my depth, I looked to Daisy for help.

“Totally normal,” my wife reassured me, giving my bicep a gentle squeeze. “Kids equate marriage with love. And since you’re the man she loves the most, it makes sense in her little mind that you’d be the one she wants to marry.”

Hmm. Guess that made sense .

A whine caught my attention, and I turned to find a sleep-rumpled, scowling Tripp standing on the threshold.

I shook my head in amusement. “If the same holds true for boys, your grumpy groom just showed up.”

Daisy peeked over my shoulder and beckoned to our son. “Come here, handsome.”

Tripp stomped noisily across the room and into his mama’s arms.

My wife let out a contented sigh when he burrowed into her chest, and she began to move with the melody. Over Tripp’s head, she peeked at where I mirrored her actions with our daughter.

“When they’re grown, we’re gonna wish for these days back.”

Humming, I clutched Aspen tighter to me. “I have a feeling you’re right about that.”

Although our life with two little ones was often chaotic, there was something to be said for the peaceful moments, like this one, when my family shared an unhurried dance party in the kitchen.

Coming home to them made every hard day worth it.