Page 44 of Poppy Kisses (Return to Coal Haven #3)
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Poppy
The sun was sinking. Most of my family hung out chatting with each other. The kids played outside, kicking around soccer balls, throwing frisbees, and hunting for fireflies.
I was sitting on Jensen’s lap on the porch of the Perez house.
He was chatting with Alder, but the whole time, he held me as I talked to Clover.
Elijah, now—ugh—her fiancé, had left early, claiming he needed to get online in the morning for a meeting.
He’d probably been bored when he saw he was unable to impress my family with his business acumen.
Hassie had left already. Erin was grabbing Auggie to get him to the fort she’d made in her living room. Hassie had been stiff all the way through the ceremony, and when Jensen and I had been presented as husband and wife, her eyes had misted over.
Hopefully someday she’d find her person, but he wasn’t Jensen.
He was mine.
I leaned back on him. The sheer pleasure I’d gotten out of holding his hand in public, kissing him when I wanted to, and cuddling with him made me think I was part exhibitionist.
“Ugh.” Clover rose and smoothed her skirt. “You two are making me miss my man.”
She would be the only one.
She gave me a quick hug and lightly punched Jensen on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, brother.”
One by one, my siblings left, all indicating that Jensen was now part of our big, unwieldy crew.
Mom took the key to the house from Jensen. “We’ll clean up the place tomorrow. You two take the weekend for yourselves.” She tapped the metal against her palm. “Does the ‘no honeymoon’ thing still stand? I can always come babysit if Erin can’t take Auggie.”
I exchanged a glance with Jensen, excitement building.
“I’d love to go away with you,” he murmured.
“Me too, but maybe we should do a family-moon first. Then plan something for us.”
So much love filled his eyes, it was staggering. “I’d like that. Auggie will be thrilled.”
“I’m always on call for grandma duty.” Mom gave me a hug.
Soon, we were standing alone on the porch of the Perez house.
“Your family is amazing,” Jensen said.
“Yeah, they’re pretty great. And they’re all yours and Auggie’s now too.”
“Other than you, that’s the best wedding gift a guy could ask for. Wait here.” He went inside, shut off the lights, and locked up. When he returned, he swooped me into his arms.
I whooped and held on to him, laughing.
He didn’t go down the stairs right away. “Did I tell you that you look amazing?”
“Once or twice.” Five times, to be exact. His smile when he’d seen me being led toward him by my dad erased anything negative he’d said to me in childhood. The look I’d wanted from a man had been right there, and it had been familiar. Jensen had been looking at me that way all along.
“I’ve been thinking about peeling that dress off you all night.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
My breath whooshed out of me when he jumped down the steps and charged toward his pickup. He didn’t speed, but he kept a proprietary hand on my thigh all the way to the house.
My feet didn’t hit the ground. He was there to carry me inside all the way to his bedroom.
“I’m moving you in when we wake up.” He set me on the edge of the bed. “If I can quit fucking you long enough to do it.”
“I bet we won’t get me moved in tomorrow because we’re going to stay naked all day.”
His grin was feral. “That’s a bet I’m going to make sure you win.”
He tugged me up to standing, held my hands, my ring twinkling in the ambient light, and stepped back. “Prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen. If you can wear a dress or shorts every day, I’d be a happy man.”
“Winter might get a little cold.”
“I’ll keep you warm.”
He pulled the dress over my head before skating his hands down my body and dropping to a squat. He palmed my ass cheeks before dragging my underwear down with his teeth. A shocked giggle escaped as a shiver traveled over my fevered body.
Carefully, I stepped out. Desire swam under my skin. I needed him. I pushed my hands through his hair. “I love you.”
He tilted his face up, his gaze sincere. “I love that you tell me you do.”
“You’ll never have to beg for my attention.”
He pressed a kiss to my abdomen. “Did you know I have a major thing for soccer coaches?”
“No, but I have a thing for one of my students’ dads.”
“Mmm.” He gripped my hips and brushed his thumbs along the crease of my legs. “My soccer coach has got an ass for days and thighs that crush my head, and when she boots the ball, the power turns me on.” He laid a kiss along my bikini line. “I get all that strength at my fingertips.”
He rose and unhooked my bra as he went. It dropped to the floor and I was naked.
“I have one problem.” I started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Yeah?” he asked gruffly. The bulge behind his slacks waited for me like my own special wedding gift.
“You’re overdressed for our first marital night together.”
He ripped the fly of his pants open and shoved them down, taking his underwear with them.
His cock bobbed out. I flipped his shirt down his back and arms. He stepped out of his clothing and shook it away.
Then we faced each other, neither of us wearing a stitch. We had privacy, but we weren’t hiding.
I slipped one pin out of my hair and another, continuing until my curls fell around my shoulders.
“It’s like Christmas, my birthday, and Valentine’s all in one,” he said gruffly.
The way he made me feel precious wrapped around me like I was a porcelain figure, waiting for the right admirer to keep her forever.
It was our wedding night, and he was handing me all my dreams. A simple ceremony with my family.
The sense that I was the most valuable treasure he could hold.
And a future where I didn’t have to weather problems alone.
He lifted me again and placed me in the middle of the bedding, coming down on top of me. His kisses were melting and consuming. I wrapped my arms and legs around him. If we fused into one right now, I’d be perfectly content.
He rocked against me, his erection slicking through my heat.
I shamelessly ground against him. He adjusted himself but didn’t plunge inside me.
We moved as one, rolling against each other, demanding more but not taking it, as if we were showing each other that there was no rush. The night was ours. Forever was ours.
I framed his face with my hands and tangled my tongue with his.
He broke away from my mouth to kiss a path down my neck. “You know what you get to be?”
I arched into him, pleasure tingling through my body all the way to my toes. “What?”
“Loud. I’m gonna make you scream, Poppy.” He nipped the sensitive skin at the base of my neck.
The throbbing between my legs grew stronger, more demanding. “You able to back up those claims, Hollis?”
He growled and shifted his pelvis. He held still for a moment, long enough to make me squirm, and then he thrust inside.
I cried out. Finally. I was filled with him and I paused just to enjoy the moment, to feel the connection.
“I love you.” He kissed my lips. “Wife.”
“I love you too, husband.” I let out a breathy giggle. “So formal.”
“You’re mine, four-ten.” He drew back and thrust again.
I hitched my knees higher and widened them. He plunged in and out, and the force made my clit brush against him, and when he hit just the right angle, I pushed harder into him. I was going to come stronger than ever.
“You feel like home.” He hooked his arms under my knees. I was open as wide as could be, and we slammed together, each bump and scrape an electrical shock straight to my clit.
“Jensen!”
“Fuck, Poppy, you feel so good.”
“Yes!” I chanted that word over and over.
“Fuck.” One more time, he rammed into me, and we catapulted together through our climaxes.
My heart raced, but he held me. I was secure with him, so loved and cared for that I couldn’t possibly be dreaming. Nothing in my imagination had summoned anything this good.
He released my legs, and I wrapped my arms all the way around him. We lay like that together, our heartbeats in sync.
I ruffled his hair. “Okay, you lived up to that promise. I got loud.”
“You’re going to be louder,” he said into my hair.
“Really? Because I think I can make you shout louder than me.”
“Oh, my lovely wife—that’s a challenge I’m happy to accept.”