He hated how the tears stung his eyes. He didn’t want to trust this kid to do that because no one could love or protect her the way he could, but as he met the kid’s gaze, he could see it in his eyes. Jude wasn’t going to let anything happen to Claire, and Phillip knew that. That’s why he’d given him his blessing to marry his special girl.

“I’ll kill you if you break her heart.”

He nodded. “I’ll let you. I’m not going to do that.”

“Good,” he said with a nod. “Are you old enough to drink yet?”

Jude laughed. “Yeah.”

“Let me buy you a drink then. We can shoot the shit before I’m ready to go to bed.”

Jude nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. “I’d like that.”

Phillip didn’t like the idea of it at all, but he tried.

For Claire.

Running her fingers through her sweet boy’s hair, Reese smiled as Sawyer drifted off to sleep. He had been fighting her lately, but it was only when Phillip was gone. Thankfully, she was patient and didn’t mind sitting with him until he fell asleep. It was hard being without his daddy, she knew that, but when he woke up, Phillip would be home.

Thank God.

Her smile grew as Sawyer pursed his lips, his eyelashes kissing his cheeks as he dreamed about whatever the hell little boys dreamed of. Probably hockey, since he was Phillip’s son. He looked so much like Phillip too, which helped when he was gone. She was so lucky to be his mommy and couldn’t wait till Claire got home. Then their family would be complete again. At least for a little while before she had to go back home.

It had been hard living the last year without her, but they talked every day and it helped. Claire was her best friend and she hated being without her, but she wanted nothing more than for Claire to live her dreams. She was doing that, running the most successful burlesque club in Vegas, making a lot of money. She was amazing, and while it sucked for Reese as a mother, she couldn’t be happier for Claire.

Kissing Sawyer’s forehead, she slowly got out of bed and made it out of the room without a peep from her little man. So much had changed in the last couple years. She’d not only married the man of her dreams and helped raise a successful young lady, but she had a child of her own. Something she’d never thought would happen. Some days she wanted another one, but it made her nervous. Phillip, Claire, and Sawyer took all her love and then some. Could she love another one? She knew she could, but it was nerve-racking.

So much was happening. Claire was getting married, Harper was having a miracle baby, Piper would more than likely be changing careers at any moment, and then Reese’s business was booming. Life was insane; did she really want to add another to that? Entering the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of tea before opening her computer to send out invoices to her dance moms. When the door opened though, she was surprised when she saw Phillip.

With a bright grin, she watched as he threw his bag down and headed for her. “You’re home early.”

“Yeah,” he said simply before wrapping his arms around her. “I missed you.”

She grinned as she kissed him deeply, his fingers playing with the hair at the nape of her neck. Pulling back, she rolled her eyes when she saw his blackened eye and the bruise along his jaw. He was so immature when it came to their future son-in-law.

“Where’s my little man?”

“Sleeping.”

“Good,” he said before lifting her off her feet and onto the counter.

“What are you doing?” she giggled as he pulled down her dance shorts and panties with one swoop, throwing them to the ground.

“I’m hungry,” he said simply before dropping his mouth to her core.

“Good God!” she gasped as he slid his tongue up her nether lips. Opening her up, he sucked her clit into his mouth, his fingers biting into her thighs as he devoured her with no cares in the world. Closing her eyes, she moved against his mouth, searching for her release. He drove her mad and she loved that he always wanted her. She used to worry that their need for each other would die out, but it still burned like the first moment she’d had the pleasure of having him in her. He was by far the hottest lover she had ever had, and she was more than happy that he was her last.

Coming off the counter, she came hard against his mouth, crying out his name as he continued to flick his tongue ruthlessly against her clit. Squeezing the edge of the counter, she cried out his name, trying to get away, but he wasn’t letting her go. Sliding his finger inside her, he began to fuck her as she thrashed mindlessly underneath him.

“Fucking hell,” she cried as her orgasm started to build again. Holding on, she took the mind-blowing pleasure he was causing, and when she rocketed off the counter against his talented mouth, his name falling from her lips, he pulled away and grinned down at her as she gasped for breath.

“You are the fucking hottest woman I have ever seen,” he said as he took her by the hip, pulling her off the counter. Turning her around, he pushed her torso onto the counter and cracked his hand against her ass, causing her to cry out as her fingers held on to the counter. Closing her eyes, she gasped for breath as he entered her from behind, filling her completely. Lying against her, he kissed her shoulders as he slowly thrust inside of her. He was so big against her and she loved it. She loved how he completely took over when they made love. Sometimes, she surprised him and took control, but being fucked against the counter was just what she needed.