Page 176 of Preacher Man

Preacher grinned full out at the kid, Rider's own mouth twitched. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to meet his own kid.

"Yeah, big man. If you ask nicely he might even show you it."

Rider went down to his haunches, Seb squeezed his little body deeper against Preacher's side like he was the only person he trusted. Zara, when she was done puking up everything, would get a kick out of seeing Preacher in daddy-mode, plus she was already talking about having Ruby and family over for a cookout one day this week.

"Hey, Seb. You like bikes do ya? We got a few outside you can see."

"I wikes bikes that go fastest and fire trucks," He announced from behind Preacher, staring up at Rider with the widest eyes. He could see what Preacher meant when he'd said he fell hook line and sinker for the boy.

“Well then, let’s go see some bikes, yeah?” Seb nodded after getting the okay from Preacher.

“Yo, S-dog.” Grinder called out approaching, he bent over and bumped a fist with Seb who giggled. “Don’t forget we’re gonna play some football this weekend, right?”

“You actually gonna be around?” Preacher questioned and Rider silently added his own. His tracker had been MIA more lately than he ever had and it wasn't like Grinder to go off the grid. He followed them outside to the row of Harley's parked up.

“Sure.” Grinder answered offhandedly, stooping down to pick up the kid and plonk his butt on the seat of his Harley V-Rod. Rider was suspicious, but he wasn’t his brother’s nanny, their down time was their own. He let the matter drop. He'd casually mention it to Icy, she was becoming a pit bull with his brothers and their wellbeing, always inviting one or all over, for fuck's sake, Rider couldn't turn around at home now without tripping over a brother stuffing his face with something she was experimentally cooking. Guinea pigs she called them. Fucking saps for his old lady he called them. But if something was going on with Grinder then his nosy girl would sniff it out and bug him until he spilled his guts.

Seb loved sitting on all the bikes, and Rider gave him props for preferring the Dyna, the boy had taste, maybe they’d make a biker out of him one of these days, riding with his dad and crew.

******

“I’m exhausted. Like tired in my bones, down to my soul and out the other end, ughhhhh…I didn't think this kind of tired existed and I serve drunk people for twelve hours straight.” Ruby announced later that night. Though she wheezed as she fell on top of Preacher laid out on the couch, she was smiling. Happy trumped tired.

“How many stories did he con you into tonight?”

“Just three. I got it down from five, that was good, right?”

“Sucker.”

“He’s just so sweet, Asher,” she said smiling into his throat getting comfortable with a few wriggles, his large hand caressed down her spine, over her butt and pushed inside the back of her shorts to palm her butt cheek. “Plllleeeeeeease Aunt Ruby just one more’how can I say no to that?”

Preacher chuckled. He had his eyes closed and a nature program about killer-bees muted on the TV. It had been a busy week settling Sebastian into their home, feeling their way around doing this parenting thing. So far, he’d had one nightmare and refused to eat carrots that resulted in a screaming fit and Ruby had almost joined him until Preacher had stepped in and shoved all the carrots into his mouth all at once making Seb giggle until he’d asked for his own to do the same. Problem solved Preacher's smirk said. Ruby loved seeing him acting like a normal little rambunctious boy, not the ghosted blank nephew she was used to. It was going to take time and effort to get them all in a good place together but so far it was going well, she loved every minute spent with her boys, and as far as more family time was going they were hosting dinner tomorrow night for the Priests. Birdie had been amazing helping Ruby, it was as though she’d always had the woman in her life.

What a blessing she was.

She'd already told Asher in the event of a divorce she was taking custody of Birdie. He'd growled and fucked her rotten until she took it back, the divorce talk, he happily gave her his 'batty Ma' as he called her.

“He’s got your number, beautiful.”

“I know. I’m a pushover, I'll be the hardass parent once he's a teenager and wanting the car keys.” She hummed, enjoying the downtime with him. Fingers kneaded her butt. She purred.

After a minute’s silence, he added. “I promised him a ride on my bike last night just to get him to go to sleep.”

“Ha!” She drilled a finger into his chest, watched his mouth quirk. “You’re a sucker, too. Big softy. Now I don’t feel too bad.”

“It’s the sad eyes. I can't help it, Ruby. I’d give him anything when he looks at me.” God, this man, he made her heart roll over. Ruby lifted her head and kissed him lightly. “I love you.” His mouth smiled against hers.

“I love you, beautiful. And since you’re so tired and deliciously pliant and susceptible to my dirty hands.“ Silk entered his voice even as his hand began to squeeze her butt, pulling her in against his growing hardness. “I’ll do all the work.”

“Oh, you will, will you?” Heat licked every part of her tired body. She pressed her cheek against his, rubbing the softness of his beard before their heads turned mutually towards each other, met at the mouth and kissed lazily for long minutes until it was evident soft gentle kisses weren’t enough anymore.

As nice it would be to make love soft and sweet, whispering all those new words of love she had singing in her heart, with Preacher she knew they’d always have an animalistic need burning hot between them, the desire that devolved into something primal to possess each other as quick and as hard as they could. She might be tired, but not so tired she couldn’t get down and dirty screwing him.

With a skilled move, he flipped her over so she was lying beneath him, her legs wantonly spread so he could fall into the space between, he ground his pelvis to hers, hard against soft, she grew damp and needy.

“Preacher…”

“I so know, beautiful, I want you, too, so fucking much. I can’t fucking get enough of you, you make me insane.” The growl in his throat. She always thought he looked half savage when he wanted to fuck and that was just perfect. He’d pin her, hold her down, fuck her stupid, make her take it all, have her come and scream his name and that was perfect too. Her perfect partner.