Page 54 of Deception & Daylight (Oak Ridge #3)

Miles

? You Are in Love - Taylor Swift

T he tennis ball flies through the air and Max bolts down the beach after it. Maggie’s hair blows in the breeze, her melodic laughter providing the perfect soundtrack to a perfect day. I rush up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, spinning her in the air. “Put me down you psycho!”

Max returns with the ball and I quickly crouch down to retrieve it then tossing it further down the beach.

Lacing our fingers, I bring her over to the picnic blanket we have spread out in the sand and tug her down to sit between my spread thighs, her back resting against my chest. There’s a chill in the air now that we’re well into fall, so I wrap an extra blanket around her shoulders and snuggle in close, lending her some of my warmth.

Maggie’s been in Oak Ridge for a month, but she’s been in my heart for far longer, and it didn’t take long for us to adjust to our new normal.

As if he was always meant to be there, Max slotted himself in like the final piece to our puzzle.

Every day when I get ho me, they’re on the front porch waiting for me.

Mags with her typewriter, and Max in his spot at her feet.

“How do you feel about a destination wedding?” I murmur, finally giving voice to something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

“Where did you have in mind?”

I hesitate, running my fingers through her long tresses. “Vegas. Next weekend.”

She whips her head around, eyeing me over her shoulder. “You can’t be serious.”

“Baby, I’ve spent the last three years waiting for you to catch up. It’s past time for you to take my last name.”

She tilts her head back, closing her eyes, releasing a sigh of contentment as my fingers massage her scalp. “This is coercion.”

“Maybe. Is it working?” She shrugs, and sweep her hair over one shoulder and kiss the spot behind her ear that always makes her melt. “How about now?”

“You don’t play fair,” she murmurs, her eyelashes fanning out over her freckled cheeks as her mouth parts slightly on a moan.

I nibble her earlobe, and she squirms in my hold. “Am I getting there?”

Before she can answer, Max rushes over, dropping the ball on the blanket. His head swivels as the sound of rustling leaves echoes nearby, then he sniffs the air and darts off towards the footpath that leads back to the inn from our private beach.

Maggie rushes off after him, calling his name, but he continues on towards his single-minded goal, whatever that may be.

Running in sand has never been my forte, so it takes me a minute to catch up.

When I get there, Max is growling at Ma’s shrubs, and Maggie is crouched nearby, watching the scene play out.

The rustling comes again, and Max lets out a loud bark, follow ed by a whine as he ducks his head to sniff the ground.

Maggie manages to get ahold of Max and secure his lead just as movement catches my eye.

The familiar creature scurries out from the bushes, an empty gummy bear wrapper clutched between its tiny humanoid hands.

“I told you that would happen,” I say, pointing towards the raccoon with the gummy bear addiction as he eyes his dealer from the porch steps.

“It’s just Bear,” she coos, stroking her palm along Max’s back.

“You named him?” I shake my head in disbelief. This woman — my woman.

Max growls, and Bear darts around back, leaving the evidence of his misdeeds on the steps. When we return to the beach after our brief interlude, Max is utterly exhausted. I toss him a few treats from the picnic basket, and he settles himself in Maggie’s lap, letting out a contented sigh.

“Where were we?” I murmur, kissing down her neck and over her collarbone, threading my fingers through her hair. “Say yes, Maggie.”

“Yes.”

“Naked and kneeling on the bed, Wife. ”

Maggie instantly complies with my gruff command, sensually stripping off the white silk wedding dress I’ve been dying to tear off her body since the moment she walked down the aisle to I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton.

She bends over in her white strappy heels, gli ding the fabric down her thighs giving me a mouthwatering view of her ass from behind, no panties in sight, just as I instructed.

She kicks off her heels, and I almost wish I’d asked her to keep them on.

“Fuck, baby. You’re so beautiful and so fucking mine. ”

She glances over her shoulder as she saunters over to the bed, her hips swaying suggestively. One knee hits the mattress, then the other, and I’m left gaping at her neatly trimmed pussy, glistening with her arousal. She turns to face me, on her knees with her hands in her lap. “That’s my wife.”

I walk over to the bed, working open the buttons on my shirt.

“Take out my cock.” Her fingers work at the belt before tugging open my fly, working the fabric of my suit pants down my thighs to free my erection.

I didn’t bother with underwear — solidarity and convenience.

It’s a damn miracle I didn’t pop a boner at the altar before Drag Dolly started singing Here You Come Again.

That would’ve been awkward as hell, if not a little comical.

Indecency be damned. What’s a Vegas wedding without a little innuendo?

Maggie swiftly brings me back down to earth from my spiraling thoughts as her fist wraps around my length. I should chastise her for taking over, but I don’t have it in me to care when her hand feels so fucking good. “Spit on it.”

I watch the saliva drip from her mouth to the head of my cock, before her hand moves over me from root to tip, lubricating my shaft. I cup her face and pull her in for a sensual kiss, nipping and sucking on her bottom lip as she continues to stroke me.

I pull back, and make my way around the massive king size bed, tugging my clothes off the rest of the way before situating myself on my back in the middle. “Come up here and grab onto the headboard, baby girl. I’m fucking starving.”

I watch with bated breath as she crawls to me like a cat on the prowl, stealing a glance at her ass reflected in the mirror across from th e bed. I’m one lucky motherfucker.

Her eyes meet mine as she pauses on her hands and knees, her face lined up with my cock.

Her tongue darts out to taste the pre-cum beading at the tip, and I groan on contact.

She smirks and continues crawling up my body until her pussy is hovering over my mouth.

Wrapping my arms around her thighs, I tug hard until she’s fully seated on my face.

I could drown like this and die a very happy man.

She squirms and moans as I work my tongue around her clit before licking all the way to her asshole.

Her breathing speeds up, and she swivels her hips in tandem with my movements, riding my face as I devour her soaking wet pussy.

I growl into her flesh, sinking two fingers deep inside of her. “Oh fuck. God, yes. Just like that.”

“Scream my name when you come, baby. I want everyone to know your husband is taking good care of you.”

“Yes. Fuck. I’m so close.”

Her pussy clenches as I crook my fingers and suck her clit between my lips, sending her flying into oblivion with my name on her lips.

She raises onto shaky legs, giving me just enough space to slide out from under her.

“Don’t fucking move,” I say, placing my hands over hers on the headboard as I line my cock up at her entrance.

I sink barely an inch deep, and she throws her head back against my chest. “Sensitive?” I tease.

“In a good way,” she whispers.

I pull back and push in further this time, basking in the feeling of her stretching around me. “I love you, my wife.”

“I love you, too, my husband.”

With one hand on her neck, I tilt her head and steal a kiss, thrusting all the way to the hilt. Her lips part on a gasp, and I take the opportunity to deepen the kiss while I pull back and thrust forward once more, setting an easy pace. “You’re strangling my cock, baby. Fuck, you feel so good.”

“Come for me Miles. I want my husband to fil l me up.”

The filthy words on her lips have me nearly exploding. “Jesus, woman. Are you trying to kill me?” She giggles, and the sound unravels me. Two more thrusts and I’m emptying myself inside of my wife.

We collapse into a messy heap, my arms wrapped around her from behind. “I’m a mess,” she says, laughing.

“My mess,” I murmur, kissing her temple. We cuddle for a while, soaking in the post-orgasmic haze, until I reluctantly slide out of bed. “Stay here. I’m gonna run us a bath.”

“You spoil me,” she says sleepily.

“Get used to it.”

Three weeks later

The wedding barn at Whispering Oaks is all done up with cascading ivory fabric draped overhead, string lights crossing the beams with a chandelier in the center.

Elaborately decorated tables are scattered around a checkerboard dance floor with floating candles and floral centerpieces, and small ornate frames with family photos at each place setting.

Luca is cradling baby Roselyn in his arms as his bride twirls Rylin around the dance floor in a tiny replica of her floral wedding gown, but my eyes are following Mags as she holds Sofia in her arms and sways.

“You sure you don’t want one of your own?” Paige asks, handing me another beer.

I chuckle. “Not even a little bit. What about you? Ready for another one?”

Paige immediately recoils. “Oh, hell no. Have you met Sofia? Who knew a toddler could be so demanding?”

“Are you talking shit about my baby again?” Cade teases, wrapping his arms around Paige’s shoulders.

“Yes and I won’t apologize for it. Nobody warned me the terrible twos could start at eighteen months.”

I smile as I watch their exchange. “Excuse me. I think I’m going to dance with my wife.” I swear I hear a record scratch as Paige and Cade both stare at me, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

Just then, the wife in question saunters over with a sleepy-looking toddler on her hip. “What did I miss?” she asks, handing Sofia off to her dad. I smirk at my best friend, not breaking eye contact.

“Hey Mrs. Barlow,” I murmur, pulling her in for a filthy kiss.

“What the fuck?” Paige shrieks.

Maggie smiles, holding up her hand where her engagement ring is now nestled against a matching band of marquise diamonds.

I hold up my own hand with the bourbon barrel band and wiggle my ring finger.

“Did you know you can have a drag queen dressed as Dolly Parton officiate your wedding in Vegas?” Maggie asks casually.

Paige squeals and pulls her in for a crushing hug. “When did this happen?”

“A couple of weeks ago. I was waiting for you to notice,” she says with a laugh.

Before they can talk further, microphone feedback reverberates through the speakers and Ruby Lynn Hayes steps onto the stage at the far end of the dance floor. “Sorry about that,” Liam says, adjusting the height of the mic stand for Ruby as she seats herself on the stool. “Ready, Goldie?”

“Goldie?” I mouth the word and Cade just shrugs.

“Hundred bucks says they’re banging by the end of the year,” Maggie says as the opening notes to a ballad start to play and I tug her along with me onto the dance floor.

“What do you know, Wildcat?”

“Nothing concrete, but I have my suspicions.”

She rests her head on my chest and sighs, a wave of contentment washing over me. There was a time when I thought I’d never have this; never have her . It’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for, and I find myself falling a little harder every day.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks, her fingers playing with the hair at the nap of my neck.

Smiling, I say, “Daylight.”