This Love, page 6
part #45 of Forever and Ever Series
I held him in my arms and supported his head. “Hey, War Chief.”
He made a quiet cry without moving his lips. He kicked slightly.
I grabbed his foot. “I can’t believe they make socks this small.”
“And he’ll grow out of them in two minutes,” Skye said with a sigh.
I took a seat on the couch and rested Cedric on my thighs. “Nice dinosaurs,” I said as I looked at his clothes. “I used to love dinosaurs as a kid too.”
“Slade got that for him.” Skye sat beside me.
“He’s already a great godfather.”
“Yeah,” Skye said with a dreamy voice. “He’s pretty great.”
“How does Roland feel about it?”
She cringed. “He doesn’t know yet. I’ve been waiting for Slade to blurt it out and get it over with.”
“Well, Roland is a little bitch so don’t expect him to take it well.” The bitterness escaped my voice.
Skye eyed me with a raised eyebrow but didn’t press any questions. “How are you?”
“I’m okay. A little better than okay, but not terrible either.”
“What a detailed response.”
I’m surprised she didn’t know about Lexie. I guess Roland and Dad were keeping it to themselves. “Lexie and I are going to try again.”
Skye stared at me with a stoic expression. There was no judgment in her eyes. There was no reaction at all.
“We’re taking things slow. We went out to dinner together the other night. It was a little awkward but I think we can make it work if we are patient.”
“Do you think she can make you happy?”
She did once before. “Yeah.”
Skye nodded. “Then I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” At least I had one person who wouldn’t murder Lexie on sight.
“Lexie has a long road ahead of her…she’s pretty much ostracized from the group.”
“I know.” I felt bad for Lexie. “When you’re in the group, you can do no wrong. You can pretty much get away with murder. But if you’re an outsider you’re condemned for anything.”
“Let’s not forget what she did…”
“Yeah, it was a terrible thing,” I admitted. “But she didn’t cheat on me. She didn’t lie to me. She didn’t hit me. I know, without a doubt, you would take back Cayson if he did the same thing. Trinity would take back Slade for anything. Everyone gets soft when it comes to that one person they love more than anyone.”
“I don’t love Cayson more than anyone.” She felt Cedric’s small fingers in her hands. “I love this guy more than anyone.”
I stared into his face and saw a toothless smile form. “Yeah…I’m falling in love too.”
“When he’s asleep I miss him. Isn’t that strange?”
“Not really.” I didn’t have kids of my own, but I knew I would feel that way when I did.
“He’s all I ever think about. I know I love Cayson with all my heart, but when Cedric came I understood what real love was. It’s different…”
“I can imagine.”
“The second he was here my whole life changed. He became my first priority. Cayson used to be my number one, but now he’s fallen to a close second.”
“I’m sure he’s fine with that, Skye.”
“Yeah…”
Cedric closed his eyes but fought to keep them open. When he lost the battle he drifted off to sleep.
“War Chief.”
Skye rested her head against my shoulder. “War Chief.”
It grew quiet, and we stared at Cedric together. It was peaceful, feeling a baby in your arms. I stared at him and felt my love grow.
The front door flew open and made us both jump.
Ward walked inside, wearing his suit and tie like he just came from PIXEL. He didn’t look angry, but it was clear something was on his mind. “We’re happy that Cedric is finally home and healthy. Clementine and I don’t want to be presumptuous but is it okay if we get married this weekend?” He was practically breathing fire out of his nostrils.
I tried not to laugh. “Someone’s anxious…”
Ward gave me a glare then ignored me. His eyes turned back to Skye as he waited for an answer.
“Clementine doesn’t know you’re here, does she?” Skye asked with a smile.
“No,” Ward answered. “But that’s not the point.”
“Dude, what’s the rush?” I asked. “You already live together and have a baby. You’re pretty much are married.”
“It’s not the same,” Ward said angrily. “Skye understands.”
“Ward, of course you guys can get married this weekend,” Skye said. “Do whatever makes you happy.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Cedric is healthy enough?”
I patted his tummy. “Strong as a horse.”
“Yes,” Skye answered. “Cayson and I are excited for both of you.”
“Great.” Ward turned back to the door. “I’ve been putting this off for three months. And then Roland got engaged…”
I leaned toward Skye. “Why is he so hung up about this?”
She shrugged.
Ward started to close the door. “Alright. Saturday. Be there.” He shut the door and left.
“That guy is the biggest pussy I’ve ever met—literally.” I continued to eye the door. “He’s like six-four but Clementine whips him to his knees.”
Skye shrugged. “I think he’s just in love and wants to show that to the world.”
“Yeah…pussy.”
“I distinctly remember you being the exact same way with Lexie.”
“Well…I was never that bad.”
“Sure, Con.” She had a knowing smile on her lips. “Whatever you say.”
Chapter Four
Cayson
I walked into Slade’s shop and spotted him behind the counter.
He had his feet up on the table, and he was on his phone. His eyes were glued to the screen and he tapped it purposely like he was playing a game.
I leaned over the counter and avoided his feet. “You get paid to do this?”
He quickly looked up, and when he realized it was me he smiled. “I get paid to do a lot of things.” He stashed his phone into his pocket then stood up. “What brings you here?” He eyed the clock on the wall. “Lunch was, like, two hours ago.”
“I’m not here for lunch.”
“Then what’s up?” He stared into my eyes then slowly lost his bubbly mood. “You want to talk about Trinity? Dude, I’ll tell her when I’m ready. It’s more complicated than—”
“That’s not why I’m here.” If I didn’t interrupt him now he would go on forever.
“Oh.” He relaxed. “Then what’s up? Can’t please your wife so you need to learn a few things from the master?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re one to talk.”
“It’s just a fluke,” he said defensively. “It’ll go back to normal, alright?”
“Anyway…I’m here because I need some work done.”
“You want me to do paperwork for you?” he asked. “Dude, I know I’m smart but I don’t know anything about diseases or health care. You’ve got the wrong guy. I know Razor was terrified when he thought he got crabs. You can ask him about it—”
“I want to get some ink.” Damn, how did Trinity listen to him talk every second of the day?
“Wait…” He slowly rose to his feet, his finger pointed at me. “What? Hold on a second.” He waved his arms around like he was trying to calm himself down, but he just looked like a chicken trying to fly. “Did I hear you right?”
I nodded.
“Cayson Thompson want some ink?” he blurted. “My best friend, Cayson? The biggest pussy I’ve ever met.”
“Pussy?” I snapped. “I knocked up my wife. How much of a pussy can I be?”
“You want a tattoo?” he asked incredulously. “Like, a real one? None of those stick-on tattoos?”
“Yes,” I said in a bored voice. “A real tattoo. With ink and everything.”
He gripped his skull like he couldn’t believe it. “This is the best day ever.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It is a big deal,” Slade snapped. “Dude, you’re going to look so good with some ink. The chicks will be all over you. They’ll be rubbing their titties against you just for a taste—”
“That’s not why I’m doing it. I’m married. Or did you forget?”
“Whatever,” he said. “It’s still nice to be chased every now and then.”
“Are you chased?”
He glared at me. “What do you think, asshole?” He left the counter then headed down the hallway. “Come with me.”
“We’re doing this now?”
“Hell yeah. Or are you scared?”
“If I were scared I wouldn’t have come in here to begin with.” I followed him down the hallway and into a room. There was a leather chair, and all the supplies were on a table beside it.
“Sit.” Slade washed his hands then dried them.
I took a seat.
“Now, what do you want?”
I removed my jacket and unbuttoned my shirt. After it was off, I showed him my left shoulder. “I want it right here.”
“Excellent,” Slade said with a nod. “It’s a good spot. You can hide it when you’re at work.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what do you want it to be?”
“War Chief.” I pointed to the area. “Some bold letters in black ink.”
Slade stared at me without moving. His face was impossible to read. He seemed to be in shock. Then his eyes softened and he cleared his throat. “That’s really nice…”
“I’ve never wanted a tattoo but now that I have something so important in my life I think it’s appropriate. He went through a lot and now he’s perfect. My son is an inspiration.”
Slade looked down and avoided my look. “He really is…”
“I think Skye will like it.”
“She doesn’t know?” He kept looking at the ground.
“No.”
He nodded then looked up again, his face back to normal. “She’ll like it, Cayson.”
“I hope so. She’s never really mentioned tattoos so I’m not sure if she’s into them or not.”
“She will be,” he said with confidence. “Trust me on that.” He pulled on his gloves then set up his supplies. “It’s going to hurt though. I want you to be prepared.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Alright. You sure you want me to do this?”
I held his gaze without blinking. “There’s no one else I would go to, man.”
His eyes softened again. “Thanks. I’ll make it perfect.”
***
Slade put his needle away then dabbed at my arm with gauze. “It looks good, man.”
“Yeah.”
“You were a champ. I know that can be painful.”
“It wasn’t bad.” Definitely not as extreme as people made it seem. I assumed it would be fine since Slade had them all over his body. He didn’t complain once.
He kept dabbing at it until the skin stopped bleeding. “Great. Take a look.” He grabbed a handheld mirror from his counter and handed it to me.
I positioned the mirror so I could get a good look.
In bold letters was WAR CHIEF and it looked perfect on my arm. It was like it’d always been there. I never thought I would get a tattoo but this felt right. My son had only been around for over a month but he completely changed my life—in every good way imaginable. I loved someone I hardly knew, and when I wasn’t sure if he would make it I was heartbroken. But he pulled through like a champion. “It’s great.”
“Any changes?”
“Isn’t it too late?”
“No,” Slade answered. “I’m pretty talented.”
“No. It’s perfect the way it is.” I handed the mirror back.
He wrapped the tattoo with gauze and clipped it tightly. “Leave this on for two hours. After that let it breathe. Use antiseptic three times a day, and when it gets dry just put lotion on. When it itches don’t scratch it. Just light tap it with your palm to relieve the urge.”
“Got it.”
“So, you want another one while we’re here?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“I’m good.”
“I’m telling you, they’re addictive.”
“This is fine for now.”
“Dude, Skye is going to be so hot for you when she sees that.”
I pulled my shirt back on and began to button it. “She already is pretty hot for me.”
“But now it’ll be a million times better. I see the way Trinity stares at my tattoos when we’re in bed. They make her wet.”
It was always awkward when he talked about Trinity that way. I saw her as a sister or a cousin. The sensual images made me want to throw up. I would tell Slade to tone it down but he wouldn’t listen to me. “Now I’ll have to wait around for a few hours before I go home.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want the bandage on when I show her.”
Slade nodded. “Gotcha. Want to get dinner?”
“Sure. Mega Shake?”
“You know it.”
***
When I walked inside the house Skye was sitting on the rocking recliner. Cedric was in her arms, and she was breast-feeding him. She looked up when she saw me walk through the door. “Hey, babe.”
Watching my wife feed our newborn son was a surreal experience. It was touching in a way I couldn’t describe. I loved coming home to both of them every day. A hot dinner was always ready, and the house was clean. My laundry was done, and the place felt like a home.
I never wanted her to go back to work.
“Hey, baby.” I set my coat on the rack and my satchel on the table. “Had a good day?”
“We watched some cartoons and played a few games.”
“Sounds like fun.” I came to her side and kneeled down. Cedric’s mouth was tight around her tit, and he was sucking it like a bottle. My hand moved to his small stomach and I rested it there.
“Have fun with Slade?”
“Yeah. We got dinner and hung out.”
“Anything interesting going on with him?”
A few things I wasn’t at liberty to discuss. “Not really.”
She stopped rocking in the chair and just watched him. “He’s getting sleepy.”
His eyes were closed and he wasn’t sucking as vigorously.
“If you’re hungry I saved you a plate.”
“I’m stuffed.”
“Mega Shake?”
“Yep.”
“I’m jealous.”
I kissed her temple. “I should have brought you something. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m watching my diet anyway.”
Not that she should. “Want me to watch him so you can lie down? Have some alone time?”
“No,” she said. “I think he’s ready for bed. We had an exciting day today.”
Cedric was asleep. His lips were slightly parted, and her nipple was no longer in his mouth.
I hoped he was ready for bed. I loved seeing my son but I was eager for some alone time with his mother. “Want me to put him down?”
“No, I got it.” She rose out of the chair. “Take a shower and wind down.”
I wasn’t tired, so I followed her into the nursery and watched her put him down. He lay in his crib with his eyes closed tightly. Skye tucked the blankets around him and left the night light on. The baby monitor hung over the crib so Skye could hear everything.
I grabbed her hand and guided her into the bedroom.
“Want to take a shower together?” she asked with excitement.
“Maybe. I want to show you something first.”
“Yeah?”
I closed the door behind me and undid the buttons of my shirt. After I got it off I removed the bandage around my arm.
Skye watched with a quizzical look on her face.
When the gauze was gone, I showed it to her. I watched her face to see her reaction.
She took it in with a blank look before she understood what she was looking at. Her eyes widened and she stepped closer. She raised her hand but didn’t touch the sensitive area. “A tattoo?”
“Compliments of Slade.”
“Wow…” She rested her fingers below the marked area.
“I’d been thinking about it for a while…”
She fell silent and kept staring at it.
“What do you think?”
She pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes glued to the ink. Finally, she spoke. “It’s…beautiful.” Her eyes softened as she stared at the permanent marking on the skin.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it?” she asked. “I love it.” She squeezed my arm like she wanted to touch it. “Can I?” Her eyes turned back to mine.
“I have to leave it alone for about a week. But after that, you can do whatever you want with it.”
She leaned closer to me and pressed a kiss to the side of my chest, as close as she could get to it as possible. “It’s pretty sexy…”
“Yeah?”
She nodded.
“I didn’t know you liked ink.”
“I didn’t either.”
I leaned down and kissed her neck. Her skin was warm, practically on fire. Slade was right. It really did rev her engine. I kept kissing her as I slowly guided her to bed. When I got her on her back I lifted up her shirt and exposed her swollen breasts. There was something I’ve wanted to do for a while now.
My hands were large, but they still couldn’t cup her breasts completely. She had a large rack, one of the things that attracted me to her. I’d never been a big tit kind of guy, but Skye’s chest really got me in the mood. Her tits were so firm and round. They gave her endless curves. No matter what she wore, she looked sexy as hell.
I squeezed each tit gently, making her sigh quietly. Then I placed my mouth over her breast and sucked on her nipple. It immediately hardened under my touch and she gave a quiet whimper.
Her breast milk flooded into my mouth, and it was sweet like honeydew. I continued to suck on it, getting as much of the juice as I could. Skye wrapped her legs around my waist and squeezed.
My mouth moved to the other breast and I sucked it the same way.
