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Chapter Forty-One
Hadley
I awoke to the credits rolling on the movie Lucy had picked out. I didn’t remember falling asleep, only the brief memory of the start of the movie then nothing. The first thing I noticed was how warm I was and also cramped. I was lying curled up to one of Elijah’s legs which took up the entire couch. How did that happen? I glanced up and saw that Lucy and Eli were lying on each of his sides. All three of them were asleep. Eli was spread out, arms in Elijah’s face, as he hung halfway off his chest and partially on his arm. Lucy was curled up to his side, butt hanging off the couch, mouth wide open.
It filled my heart completely. The fierce, undeniable loyalty and surge of protection I had for Elijah. We meant something to him. Just like he meant something to all of us. I was so tired of Lilly and Scott saying what a bad influence Elijah was on my kids.
He wasn’t. He was completely in tune with himself and gave no apologies for it. I hoped that when my kids were older, they strived to live their lives the way they wanted just like that. And when he loved, he did it completely.
I’d been feeling his heart with his actions months ago…
Slipping my tingly arm from beneath one of his legs, I climbed out from between them. I grabbed Lucy as gently as I could and carried her up to the bedroom she and Elijah had claimed for her. I turned on the nightlight as I left.
Elijah jolted forward when I pulled Eli from his chest. He already had that the-baby-is-moving sixth sense. His sleep-filled eyes were sexy as he took me in cradling Eli to my chest. I brought my finger to my lips so that he knew to be quiet. He rose slowly, cracking his neck as he followed me into his bedroom where I froze at the doorway. I saw that he bought a crib and put it up since the last time I’d been there.
He stepped in front of me and adjusted the blanket in the crib, so I could lay him down. The second I placed Eli down, I rounded on Elijah. He caught me by the waist, pressing me snug against his muscular chest.
Every time we stood close, touching or apart, I was left in awe with how much bigger he was compared to me. No wonder he was so imitating when I first saw him —his size, tattoos, and angry glare. But I had found comfort in his strength. Safety. A place to unravel and let go of my worries. Even when it was time to step away from the peace his arms brought me, he’d be there to take on my troubles with me.
“I hate the way I spoke to Lucy’s grandma in front of her, but she was being a bitch,” he said, breaking the silence first. His large, calloused palm smoothed over my chin and tipped my head upward. In the darkened room, his brown eyes were like black orbs. At that moment, they were equal furious and begging. Elijah’s furrowed brow told me he was still upset.
“I never told you before, but I don’t allow anyone to talk bad about Scott or his family with Lucy present. I don’t want to raise her to hate him just because my family doesn’t like him, but now I’m starting to wonder why I even tried. Scott is making Lucy not want to have anything to do with him without my help. I’m sorry for the way I shut you out. Lilly had me so embarrassed and hurt. When you ignored me at Walmart and yelled with her, it upset me even though part of me was deeply touched that you defended me.”
Elijah’s mouth pressed a hot kiss against the tip of my nose. It shouldn’t be sexy, but it was. His breath fanned my cheeks, and the soft, firm press of his lips ignited tingles through me. He tucked my hair behind my ear and whispered, “I’m sorry that I was so furious you thought I was ignoring you. I just couldn’t let that woman talk to you that way, and I was slightly ticked that you allowed it.” The harsh truth of his words heated my cheeks. “I want to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me, baby.”
I shivered in his hold, forever loving that I was the someone he called baby. I was never going to get over it. Elephants were stomping around in my chest, trembling my heart with a brilliant stream of happiness. All from that one word.
“What is it?” I waited, anticipating fear from what he was going to say.
“The way Scott’s mom acted today is that how they’ve always treated you?”
My stomach fell to the floor, bile rose in my throat. I lowered my eyes and when I did, I could feel the tension coiling up in his body. The muscles in his arms flexed and rippled as they tightened around me. There was an incoherent, growl vibrating in his chest before he moved us further away from the crib and hissed. “I can never be okay with that shit, you hear me?” He tipped my chin upward again, making me meet his intense glare. “Never. You better hope that Scott never comes at you the way his mother did. I don’t care that he’s Lucy and Eli’s father, I’ll knock his fucking teeth in since he’s a man—”
“Elijah.”
He continued, “I’m serious. I’m fucking pissed that you of all people are spoken to that way. You’re an awesome mom and an amazing person. I know that. Those fuckers knowthat. You never take a moment to yourself. Your kids are always with you unless you’re at work. Hadley, you go above and beyond.” His hands rubbed my arms as tears fell.
I’d needed someone to tell me I was doing okay. It wasn’t easy to parent. There were some days you were scared you were failing miserably.
“It’s got to stop, baby, you can’t let them tear you down every time they see you.”
I shuddered, more tears and snot. “I know,” I croaked. “I’m tired of trying for them. Lucy doesn’t want to go, and I haven’t felt comfortable with the idea of her staying with them in months. I don’t care how much crap they give me, I’m done. Until she wants to go see them, I’m never making the effort for them again, but I’m scared.” My voice wavered. “So, so scared they might actually try to take them from me.”
“Everything’s gonna be okay,” he whispered gruffly. He wiped my nose with his fingers, unbothered that he was touching my snot as he used his shirt as a tissue, then he hugged me. “I know there’s no point in telling you not to worry because you will anyway, but believe me when I say you don’t have anything to stress about. You’re a great mom, and you’re completely stable with a job and an apartment.”
Eli grunted in the crib and we both froze, waiting to see if he awakened. When it was clear he was just grunting in his sleep, Elijah grabbed the baby monitor and led me toward his master bathroom. “Let’s go take a shower.” Once we were through the doorway, he flipped on the light switch and disappeared on me. I could hear him shutting the bedroom door in case Lucy woke up.
Anticipation made me shiver. Even my fingers were tingling with the need to touch him. I was completely enthralled with him as he stood in front of me and tugged off his shirt. His demons moved as his muscles and tendons flexed. He was so sexy, sometimes I thought he might be too much for me. It didn’t help that he was a jerk to ninety-nine percent of the population, I knew the kind of lingering looks he got from women. I noticed it every time we were out together.
He caught me staring, gaped mouth and all, and that smoldering grin took over his features. “Do I need to undress you too?” he asked while unzipping his jeans.
I snapped out of it. Blinking rapidly and shaking my head, I had a flustered moment of trying to take my shirt and jeans off all at once which earned me a chuckle from Elijah.
“Come here,” his voice was so soft and sweet like a purr, and I might as well have been a snowman. I took two tiny steps and melted into his arms.
“I’m going to get on your nerves a lot more in the years to come,” he said as he grabbed the bottom of my shirt and lifted it over my head. “You’re precious to me—you, Lucy, and Eli. I’ll never let you get treated poorly again even if I have to smack your ass a few times to build up some backbone in you.”
He squatted in front of me. I swallowed nervously and glanced down as he unbuttoned my pants and rolled them down my legs with my panties. He smirked at me and smacked my butt. I yelped and rubbed my stinging backside. Ow. He actually put some effort into that.
