They came back to him when he stated, “That I believe.”

“I’m the middle child,” she began to defend herself. “Liza and Jude always ganged up on me.”

“That I believe too.”

“So, if I were to wield scissors, it was probably necessary. Self-defense.”

“That, sorry to say, darlin’, doesn’t jive.”

She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Whatever.”

“Baby,” he called softly and when she looked back at him, he told her quietly. “Told you I’d love ‘em.”

Her eyes went hooded, the tip of her tongue slid out to lick her lips then she whispered, “Good. I’m glad.”

He’d seen her tongue so he dropped his head to retrace its path.

When he lifted his head, her eyes were still hooded but the look on her face was entirely different. A look he was coming to know. A look he liked.

“You want more, baby?” he asked gently.

Her teeth came out to bite her bottom lip briefly before she let it go and whispered, “You have to go to work tomorrow.”

She lost her mind when he had his mouth between her legs. Even just coming, it’d take him fifteen minutes, she’d come just as hard or harder and he’d still get decent shuteye.

Worth it. Absolutely.

He bent his neck, kissed her earlobe and in her ear, ordered in a whisper, “Go clean up. Come back, I’ll give you more and eat you.”

Her head turned slightly so her lips were at his neck even as her three limbs convulsed around him and her fingers laced with his tightened.

“Yeah?” she whispered.

Fuck, he was still partly hard inside her, just came and his dick still twitched at that one, breathy word filled with want from his girl.

“Yeah,” he whispered back.

“Slide out, Chace,” she breathed and slowly, he slid out.

Slowly, she slid her lips up his neck.

Change of plans. Eat her until she found it. Then f**k her until he did and hopefully she did again.

He kissed her shoulder and rolled off.

She gave him a small, semi-shy grin then hustled her ass to his bathroom.

When she came back, not yet completely comfortable with her nudity in front of him, she was wrapped in his robe that was on a hook on the back of his bathroom door.

His mother bought him that robe post-Misty. Somehow when she was over, she’d discovered his old one was gone, this being because Misty, in the beginning, had taken to wearing it. So when her shit went, his old robe went too.

Another woman had worn the robe Faye now wore. He didn’t like that and made a mental note to get rid of it and get another that was just hers.

She left it on when she crawled into bed.

Which meant he got to take it off.

This he did ten minutes later.

Ten minutes after that, after he’d made her come, he was back inside her to find it himself.

And just like Faye always did, she found it again too.

Chapter Fourteen

He Was Gone

Chace was outside the Station putting the crate with Malachi’s books in the back of the Yukon when his phone went.

He slid the crate in, straightened out of the truck and grabbed his phone.

The display said, “Faye Calling”.

He hit the button and put it to his ear.

“Baby.”

“He moved his fingers and toes!” she screeched in his ear.

Chace dropped his head and smiled at his boots.

That morning, he’d gone for a run, come home, dragged his girl out of bed and into the shower then he’d taken her to La-La Land. They got breakfast while Faye filled Sunny and Shambles in on all things Malachi. He left her on the sidewalk outside La-La Land with a kiss. He was going to his truck and drive to the Station. She was walking the two blocks to her place to change then go to the store to get Malachi treats and last, to the hospital.

He’d separated from her a little over two hours ago. After a briefing from the boys that coincided with the two he had from Deck the day before, he’d asked the interns to modify their search to include missing siblings. Then he’d taken care of some business and now he was on his way to the hospital to check in and get Malachi his books.

He was doing this because the kid had nothing. Those books, the way he had them organized, meant something.

So Chace was going to take them to him.

“They said he ate all his breakfast even though they had to help him and he’s been awake all morning,” she told him. “He hasn’t spoken yet but when I walked in he smiled at me.”

She said this like her favorite movie star walked off the red carpet, picked her up in his arms, carried her to his limousine and drove off into the sunset with her.

“Great, honey,” Chace muttered.

“They’re moving him to a normal room now. But they say they’re only keeping him another day,” she stated.

“Karena is meeting with your parents as we speak, Faye.”

“I know, Mom called and said that’s why they’re not here. Is that going to go okay?”

“Yes.”

“Sure?” she pressed.

“Yeah, baby, I –”

He stopped speaking because he felt a nasty prickle on the back of his neck. There was a presence with him. Not a good one.

His head came up and he saw his father walking his way.

No.

Shit. Fuck.

No.

“Chace?” Faye called as Chace stared at his father who was staring at him.

He turned, lifted a hand and slammed the back to his truck, assuring her, “It’ll go fine.”

“Is everything okay?”

She read him instantly even on the phone. He wondered, distractedly, if it was that obvious or if that was how far he’d let her in and he decided it was both.

“Yeah,” he lied, shifting around the side of his SUV. “I’m comin’ to you now. Bringing his books.”

“I don’t think he can hold them yet.”

“Maybe not but he’ll want ‘em.”

She was silent a second then he got a quiet, sweet, “Yeah.”

“Chace,” he heard his father’s terse voice call as he yanked open his door.

“Gotta go,” Chace muttered into the phone.

“Oh, right. Okay, see you soon,” Faye said in his ear.

“Chace!” his father clipped.

“Who’s that?” Faye asked.

“No one. Gotta go, honey,” he whispered, angling up into the truck. “See you soon.”

“Soon,” she whispered back. It was hesitant. She knew he was lying since someone was calling his name. It sucked doing it but he disconnected quickly as he tried to pull the door closed.