Page 40 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

S ierra woke to Morgan kissing a trail of fire down her back and taking a bite out of her right cheek. She startled and would’ve turned to face him, but he held her in place.

“Like this,” he said, entering her from behind. “Just like this.”

With his hand flat against her belly, he held her in place as he pumped into her, arousing her to the point of madness. Then he moved his hand down to between her legs and coaxed a screaming orgasm from her.

Before him, she wouldn’t have thought herself capable of a screaming orgasm, but he’d shown her otherwise.

He kissed the back of her shoulder and continued to stroke between her legs until she was coming again.

Holy. Shit.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make that happen more than once.”

“I can’t seem to stop touching you, so that might have something to do with it.”

“You’ve turned me into a noodle. I couldn’t move if I had to.”

“This is a good thing, right?”

“Mmm, the best.”

In the past, sex had been transactional. You get off. I get off. Everyone goes home happy. This was something else altogether. Something much more intense, profound and exciting. She was quickly becoming addicted to the way he made her feel every time he touched her.

“Do you have clients tomorrow?” he asked after a long silence.

“No, tomorrow’s my admin day to order supplies and clean.”

“Would that be a good time to examine your wiring, ma’am?”

She laughed. “Sure, if you have time.”

“I’ll come over after I open the gym.”

“Thank you so much. This is almost as exciting as the two orgasms.”

“Do I need to improve my technique?”

“Not at all, but this electrical issue has been plaguing me for years. If you can fix it, I’ll owe you big.”

“Mmm, how will you repay me?”

“I’ll think of something.”

“I’ll work very hard to solve your problem as I look forward to whatever you come up with as my reward.”

“I’ve already got a few ideas that I think you’ll like.”

“I like all your ideas, especially the one you had in the middle of the night. What a way to wake up.”

Sierra’s entire body felt overheated at the reminder of what had gone down overnight. She had gone down, and he’d whimpered in his sleep until he woke to discover he wasn’t dreaming. “You liked that, huh?”

He tightened the arm he had around her and slid his leg between hers. “Oh yeah.”

And just like that, she was ready to go again—and so was he.

“We can’t keep this up,” she said. “We’ll be dehydrated.”

She loved when he laughed like that—and loved being the one who made it happen.

“What a way to go.”

Sierra yawned from the mostly sleepless night and early wakeup. “You need to go open the gym.” People started arriving at six a.m., which was in twenty minutes.

“Do you mind if I borrow your shower?”

“Feel free.”

He kissed her shoulder again. “Go back to sleep.”

“There’s a key on the hook by the door with the Patriots keychain that’ll get you in when you come back.”

“Got it.”

The next thing she knew, he was crawling back into bed with her and gathering her into his cold embrace.

Sierra shivered. “You’re freezing.”

“Coldest day yet out there.”

“Let’s stay here all day.”

“You have stuff to do downstairs, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on your wiring.”

She groaned.

He cupped her backside. “Get this sweet ass out of bed before I have to resort to other tactics.”

“What other tactics?”

“I’ll never tell. I’m saving them for when I really need them.”

“Ah, okay. I’ll stay on guard then.”

He pinched her ass, making her jolt. “First tactic delivered.”

“Knock it off! I’m getting up.” She sat on the edge of the bed to stretch.

His arm came around her midsection, and the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back again with him above her.

“What is this tactic called?”

“This one is commonly referred to as ‘one more minute in bed won’t hurt anything.’”

She turned her face so he couldn’t kiss her. “I need to brush my teeth.”

“I don’t care.”

“I do, now get off me and let me up.”

“I will, but I want the record to show I didn’t want to.”

“Duly noted.”

He rolled over, putting his impressive erection on full display.

“Does that thing ever get tired?”

“He doesn’t like being referred to as a thing .”

Sierra got up and walked toward the bathroom. Over her shoulder, she said, “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“He’s in a permanent state of readiness when you’re around.”

“I see how it is.”

“Do you?”

Sierra was smiling as she brushed her teeth and hair and washed her face. Then she went to the doorway and struck a pose, her arms over her head. “I do. I see that you have a problem controlling yourself around me.”

He got up and crossed the room to hook an arm around her. “You’re damned right I do.” Then he kissed her thoroughly. “Good morning.”

“I thought we already did the good-morning thing.”

“I didn’t get to kiss you then, so it didn’t count.”

“You have a lot of rules. Is there a list somewhere?”

“Nah, I make them up as I go.”

“This is fun.”

“Most fun I’ve ever had.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I texted my dad to tell him I’m bringing a friend home for Christmas. He had questions.”

“What’d you tell him?”

“I said he’d like you and to not be a dipshit about it.”

“You shouldn’t talk to your father like that.”

“That’s the least of what I say to him. We’re more like best girlfriends than father and daughter, so it’s no-holds-barred.”

“I love that.” He paused before he said, “Wait, you don’t tell him everything , do you?”

She shrugged and laughed. “That’s for me to know and you to find out when you meet him.”

“I think I’m busy on Christmas.”

“Wimp.” She stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door in his face, feeling rather pleased with herself—and with him.

In Providence, panic was setting in as discharge time drew closer.

A week after their arrival. Abby simply could not believe they were going to be allowed to leave with four infants to care for on their own.

How would they manage without the amazing nurses, many of whom had become like family in the course of the last three months?

While there was a different team of nurses working with them now that the babies had arrived, the original group checked in frequently and came to say goodbye on discharge day.

The nurses supervised the bathing of the four babies, each one assigned to a parent or grandmother, and now the boys were dressed in matching navy-blue going-home outfits and buckled into their infant car seats, including the bumpers that Linda had bought to cushion their heads.

Abby hadn’t even known they’d need them, so how in the world was she going to be allowed to take these precious babies from the safety of the hospital to a remote island?

She felt like she was hyperventilating.

Adam’s hands landing on her shoulders startled her. “Why are you tight as a drum, babe?”

“Gee, I wonder.”

“Everything is going according to plan. The boys enjoyed their baths, and they’re settling in for their first ferry ride.”

“Do you hear the wind howling out there? You know what that means, right?”

“I asked my dad to grab some seasickness medication for you.”

“You did?”

“You think I don’t remember that day on the ferry when you and me became we?”

She melted into his embrace. “You make me feel like I can handle anything, even taking four infants on the ferry to our island.”

“You’ve got this, Mom.”

“ We’ve got this, Dad.”

“You bet we do. Now, how about we go home?”

“You’re sure we’re ready for this?”

“Hell no, but we’ll figure it out one minute at a time.”

Abby took a deep breath and released it slowly, searching for the inner calm she’d need to get through the next few hours.

The desire to be home, after months away, was the thing that propelled her forward.

She couldn’t wait to sleep in her own bed, with Adam, and to finally have their five sons together under their own roof.

Five sons.

She wanted to laugh hysterically at the sheer absurdity of it all.

“You ready, hon?” Adam asked, his brows furrowed with concern.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, and before I forget to say so, thank you for making all my dreams come true times five, Adam McCarthy.”

Smiling, he hugged her tightly. “You’re the one who’s making dreams come true around here. Thank you for the many sacrifices you made to bring our boys safely into the world. You’re a rock star, Abigail McCarthy, and I’m so, so proud of you.”

“I’m proud of us . I’d never have gotten through it without you and Liam and our family and friends who rallied around us.”

“I’m so ready to be home. What do you say we get going?”

Abby took a long look around at the room that’d been home for months and nodded. She still felt apprehensive—who wouldn’t, bringing four infants home—but the minute alone with her husband had fortified her for the challenges ahead.

Adam pulled her suitcase as they crossed the hall to the room where the babies had been left in the hands of their grandmothers while Abby packed the last of her belongings.

Big Mac held Liam, who watched the scene with the same apprehension that Abby was feeling. He was probably putting things together to realize the squalling babies were coming home with them, and he wasn’t at all happy about it.

“Are we ready, everyone?” Adam asked in a cheerful, upbeat tone that belied the anxiety he was surely feeling, too.

“Let’s do this,” Linda said as she picked up the carrier that held Beckett, while Abby’s dad took Murphy, and Adam carried Kane and Rory.

The nurses and other staff had lined the hallway in a send-off party full of applause and elation for the successful arrival of high-risk quads, and for their parents, who’d become friends over recent months.

Dr. Coleman hugged them both. “I’m just a phone call away if you need anything at all.”

“Thank you again for everything. We did it.”

“ You did it, and I couldn’t be prouder of what a trouper you were. Go enjoy every minute with your beautiful family.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Call me if you need anything. I mean it.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too. I’ll be telling the story of my incredible quad mom for years to come.”

The next thing Abby knew, they were in the elevator with the babies and Jessica, the nurse accompanying them to the exit. Abby had refused the wheelchair they offered, wanting to walk after having to spend months in bed.

Beckett was a bit fussy, but the others were quiet, taking it all in with big eyes that probably weren’t seeing much of anything quite yet.

Abby had read about that during the long weeks she’d spent in bed with nothing to do but read everything she could get her hands on about infancy and child development.

But now that the moment was upon her, all the books in the world couldn’t have prepared her for the awesome responsibility of taking four babies home to their remote island in the sea.

What had they been thinking, choosing to raise their family in such a place? Before the hysteria could set in once again, Abby reminded herself that she’d been raised on that island, along with her sisters, Adam and his siblings. They were all fine, and these babies would be, too.

Outside, the babies were loaded into Big Mac’s truck and Adam’s SUV, each with a parent or grandparent assigned to them for the forty-minute ride to the ferry landing.

Adam kissed Abby. “Call if you need to stop.”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

He flashed that irrepressible McCarthy grin. “Let’s go home, shall we?”

“Yes, please.”

“I’m looking forward to sleeping with you tonight.”

“Me, too.”

“Let’s do this!”

Liam was riding with Abby, Big Mac, Linda, Kane and Rory. No matter how this went, in two hours, they’d be home with their five sons to begin the rest of their lives together.

She was so ready to get this next chapter started.