Page 54 of Laila Manning (Shadeport Crew #3)

Epilogue – Laila

“ O h my God, no he didn’t!” Ellie roared, tipping her head back and cackling as Carly shared more of her night away with Jed last week. They went to their property in the hills for a spicy night of fun and, apparently, things got interesting.

“His entire dick!” Carly gasped, holding her sides, “He thought it was going to be some sexy s’mores dessert for me to lick up, but the fluff was so fucking sticky, everything in the wilderness ended up stuck to his dick. Pine needles, grass, bugs—you name it! It was hilarious!”

“I’m guessing he didn’t think so.” I snorted, sipping my lemonade as I rocked on Carly’s front porch.

Two years ago, I moved onto the property, scared of everything, even life.

And now I was thriving, surrounded by people I didn’t deserve and love I’d never be worthy of.

Tuesday night porch dates were our norm, and I was finally able to enjoy life without worrying about the fallout .

Besides, there was no time to think about the endless things that could go wrong in life when the estate was crawling with new life. Our hands and our hearts were full.

“No, he most definitely didn’t!” Carly chuckled. “Let’s just say his dick wasn’t coming anywhere near me until we broke out the Dawn dish soap to break down the marshmallow.”

“Child present,” A voice called out from the edge of the porch, and I looked over as Kade held his hands over his ears as he walked around the railing from the backyard.

He was shirtless and covered in so much dirt and grime, I could hardly see his skin.

But what I could see was his beaming full smile as he joked with Carly.

“You can’t claim child status anymore.” Ellie deadpanned when Kade leaned up against the porch railing on the bottom step, “You’re like eight feet tall.”

Kade’s smile got even brighter, and I rolled my eyes as he puffed his chest out with pride. “Don’t even get me started.” I sighed, sipping down the last of my drink. “Between his latest growth spurt and the work he’s been doing with Jed, I can’t keep good jeans on that boy.”

“I’m not complaining,” Carly shrugged, “He’s a workhorse and has been here every day, sun up until sun down helping Jed with the addition. God knows we’re going to need the space.” She chuckled, rubbing a hand over her still nonexistent baby bump.

Considering she was already two months along with a four-month-old inside sleeping, who knew how many kids they’d end up with before Jed was done building their family and healing his own childhood trauma.

As if on cue, my brother walked around the house, guzzling a bottle of water, shirtless and covered in grime, wearing a tool belt and jeans. “Here you go. ”

He held a hand out to Kade, and they did some weird boy handshake where I never quite saw what was passed between them, but I figured it wasn’t drugs or hookers, so I was fine with it.

“Thanks.” Kade nodded to him and put his loot in his pocket. “Tomorrow again?”

“Nah,” Jed shook his head, “It’s Sunday and I’m sleeping in.”

Carly snorted, “Like hell. You’re on baby duty, and I’m sleeping in.

” As if on cue, the monitor next to her echoed out the call of her daughter Annie, from her crib where she was taking her afternoon nap inside.

“And you can start right now.” She smiled sweetly up at Jed, and he scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

“Give me your tits and I’ll go feed her, no problem.” He said, and she groaned, pairing it with a fake pout.

“I have to go, anyway.” Ellie looked at her watch.

“Dawson will be back with Gav and Gabriella any time now.” She rose and stretched above her head.

I’m sure she was enjoying her own break from her sweet son and newborn daughter, born a week after Annie.

“Thanks for therapy.” Ellie winked, and Carly waved at her best friend. “See you next week.”

I chuckled, rising to my feet, “As if you won’t be back over here for some reason by morning.”

“More like Carly will be in my kitchen at sunrise eating Margaret’s Sunday morning spread.” Ellie said, and I chuckled.

“What time is that again?” I joked. “I think I’m free.”

“Mom.” Kade groaned, “We have plans.”

Be still, my heart. Even months later, hearing his sweet voice call me mom, still made my heart flutter.

“Ah,” I nodded like I'd forgotten, playing it cool. “Right. The plans. Um—” I pointed at him with my finger, “To do what exactly?”

“Ugh,” He groaned dramatically. “You’re impossible! ”

I laughed, and Jed winked at me, rubbing his hand over Kade’s head as he came up the steps. “Oh yeah, the dirt bike.”

“Exactly.” Kade smirked, like he was glad I finally remembered.

To be honest, I hadn’t thought of anything but it for days now, since Zeke told me that Kade had earned it, probably ten times over by now, and that he was going to buy it for him.

I’d managed to drag my feet for over a year.

It seemed as though I was out of time, though.

“Let’s go, I’ve got to finish putting together the accessories that came in today. ”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I droned on, walking down the steps as he slung his arm over my shoulders, since he was taller than me now, and I only cringed slightly when his teenage body odor hit my nose.

The boy had been working like a dog all day in the California heat, so I couldn’t hold it against him. “After a shower.”

“Pfft,” He scoffed, and I pinched his side. “Okay, fine!”

“Good.” I said as we fell into a comfortable silence, walking across Ryker’s backyard to the gate in the hedge to our yard next door.

When Zeke had surprised me with the house last year, I had envisioned nights just like this in the dreamy fantasy that came to mind as soon as I saw the beautiful home.

We walked together as dusk fell, showing off the lightning bugs munching on the flower gardens I planted around the yard, and the peacefulness was palpable.

Kade must have felt it too, because as we got to the back patio of our house, he took a deep breath like he was soaking it all in before he jogged up the steps. “Tell Dad I’ll be ready by seven. The store opens at eight.” He looked over his shoulder at me, and I grinned, waving him off.

“Shower. Dinner. Sleep.” I reminded him, “And if you do all of that, then I will let Dad take you to buy your death trap. ”

“Mom.” He groaned again, like I was the most tiresome person in the world. Once upon a time, he would have made some smart-ass comments about my rules or questions, calling me names or something to deflect my attention, but now he just pouted.

Like a normal kid.

“Kade.” Zeke’s deep timber voice warned from inside the kitchen as we walked through.

“Sorry.” Kade took a deep breath and gave me a small smile. “I’m just excited.”

“I know.” I gave him a smile back before winking at my husband across the room. “And I’m just giving you a hard time. Go get cleaned up. I’ll put your dinner in the oven to re-heat since you were too busy to come home in time earlier.”

Kade looked sheepish as he backed down the hallway to the stairs, “Sorry. Thank you!”

“Night.”

When he was out of earshot, Zeke looked at me, wiping his hands on a dishtowel at the sink.

Watching my bogeyman doing something as normal and mundane as dishes, sent me down a rabbit hole of awe that I couldn’t quite label.

“Dove.” He stated evenly, but the deep vibration of his voice sent shivers through my body. “Careful.”

Of course he picked up on my thoughts, without me even saying anything.

“What if I don’t want to be careful?” I licked my lips and leaned back on the counter, tipping my knee just right so my long summer skirt’s slit opened, showing off some skin. “What if I want to live dangerously?”

He stalked toward me, and I ate up the image of him, shirtless in a pair of jeans and barefoot as he slid so effortlessly into his dominant role that I loved. “You want to feel danger on your skin tonight, Dove?”

“Yes.” I purred when he stopped right in front of me. “This boring housewife life you’ve provided for me doesn’t quite quench my thirst like I thought it would.”

He growled, and slid his fingers around my throat and bent me backward over the counter, hovering over me. “Be careful, or I’ll take your hungry little cunt right here on the kitchen counter and fill you up.”

Melting into his hold, I rubbed my hands up his washboard abs. “Please, Daddy.”

“Bed.” He said through clenched teeth. “Now.”

I grinned, having won what I wanted by poking at the monster in his chest enough to get him riled up and ready for me.

“Good thing you soundproofed the walls, because tonight I’m going to ruin you in the best way possible.

” Licking my lips, I tilted my chin down, and he let go, thinking I was going to do his bidding and run to our bedroom on the opposite side of the house from Kade’s room upstairs.

Instead, I bit the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, and he hissed but didn’t pull away as I left a mark on his flesh. “Tonight, I want to be in charge.”

“You know I love it when you take the lead, Dove.” He said, eyeing the mark on his hand as I licked it. “What do you plan to do with me?”

“Hmm.” I pulled the button on his jeans free and fluttered my eyelashes up at him. “I think I’m going to start with you on your back in our bed.” I hummed, watching his bright blue eyes dilate, “Tied down, and at my mercy.”

“Damn.” He groaned.

That wouldn’t stop me though, “And then I think I’m going to try out that new grinding toy you bought me.

” A few days ago, he came home with a mysteriously blank box in his hand.

Inside, was a silicone toy that was full of ridges and points meant to stimulate every single inch of my pussy.

But the thing that made me nearly fall to my knees when he gave it to me, was the straps that attached to the top and bottom of it.

Straps to hold it onto the thigh.

Zeke’s thigh.

So, I could ride him, just like that night at the gala so long ago. The night that unlocked a new kink for the both of us.

“You want to torture me, Dove?” He asked, with a lifted brow. “Because we both know I can come from simply watching you lose yourself for me.”

Truth. He had. Many times.

“I want to drive you wild before I use you.” I licked my lips again. “So, I’m only going to say this once, Zeke Evans.” I pulled the zipper on his pants lower as I leaned up on my tippy toes to speak against his lips. “Bed, now.”

“Whatever you say, Laila Evans.”

The End.