STORY EXCERPT

Lany

"One little, two little, three little munchkins," I sang out as I counted heads. Seven kids in all.

We were good.

"Okay, is everyone ready to go?" I knew I was, simply if it was to get people moving. We'd been getting ready to go for over an hour now. Granted, there were a lot of people to get ready—Me, Sal, and our brood of kids. Angelo and his son Cole.

And, strangely enough, Officer Sam Brodsky. I hadn't expected him to want to go with us to find a Christmas tree.

We'd invited my parents along, but my mother had looked at me with such horror, I'd quickly said we'd go shopping at Bloomingdales later in the week instead.

My father had just chuckled and shaken his head at me as if asking my mother to drive a couple hours out of the city to go hunt down the perfect Christmas tree was something I should have known my mother would freak over.

The traitor.

"Okay, everyone out to the cars."

"Can I ride with you?"

I glanced down at Cole, who stood next to Mikey. Ercole Delvecchio had grown so much since I first met him when he was a toddler. He was five now, the same age as Mikey, which made sense as they were best buds.

"Ask your dad and make sure it's okay with him."

Cole beamed up at me. "I already did and he said I had to ask you."

"Okay." I smiled. "If you ride with us, Mikey can ride with your dad."

Yes, I was evil.

"Oh." Cole's face fell.

"Or, you could both hurry out to the car before anyone else and make sure you get seats right next to each other."

Cole and Mikey were off like a shot.

Evil, but damn smart, too.

That was two down.

Now, I just needed to figure out how to get the rest of them moving along.

I never realized just how much time I took to get ready to go anywhere until we adopted the twins. With babies in the house, there wasn't a lot of time to primp. I'd had to cut back on my daily beauty preparations.

Now, with six kids to get ready to go, I barely had time to pull a brush through my hair. I can't even remember the last time I'd spent more than a few minutes in front of the mirror, let alone went to a salon or spa.

It was a good thing Sal loved me.

"Lincoln, are you sure you don't want to go?"

I still couldn't believe we had Lincoln Thomas staying in our house. Having no idea who the man was, I'd googled him when we arrived home from our recent vacation to the Bahamas. I had been shocked at what I found.

Lincoln Thomas, lead singer for the band Trixx, was known worldwide. He'd won more awards than anyone I knew and was considered one of the top singers in his industry.

Unfortunately, as we had all recently learned, with that fame came a boatload of crap I wouldn't have wished on anyone. Lincoln had been betrayed by his manager then kidnapped and tortured by an insane fan who wanted to keep him all to herself. I had been shot in the ensuing chaos and several of my friends had been injured and kidnapped.

It hadn't been a fun vacation.

The man gave me a small wobbly smile. "No, I'm good. I'm just going to go back to the guesthouse and read a book or something."

"Okay."

What else could I say?

I winced as I watched the man's shoulders hunch as he walked away. Lincoln was damaged on a level I was well acquainted with. I'd been kidnapped, whipped, and tortured just like he had, only I had Sal to love on me afterward and chase my demons away. Lincoln had no one, which was why he was staying with us for the time being.

The man needed a place to heal.

"I've packed you enough food to keep the kids happy on the road."

I brightened as I took the small cooler from our new housekeeper and cook. "Thank you, Mrs. Martinez."

We had also brought her and her son back from the Bahamas. I'd taken my father's suggestion and hired the woman to work for us. We now had homemade food anytime we wanted it, day or not.

Her son, Dalton, was learning what it took to care for an estate in the city instead of a villa in the Bahamas, and going to the university the rest of the time.

Mrs. Martinez's eyes twinkled. "There's a cupcake in there for you, too, dear."

I beamed. "Thank you, Mrs. Martinez."

For some reason I couldn't fathom, the older woman had taken a liking to me. I wasn't arguing. She made the best cupcakes.

"Have fun on your day out. I will have dinner on the table at seven."

"Yes, ma'am."

I knew not to be late. Mrs. Martinez might cook like a dream and always have something around for us to munch on, but meals were set at very certain times.

After watching Mrs. Martinez walk away, I clapped my hands together and shouted, "The car is leaving in five minutes, with or without you."

I knew that wouldn't phase Emily as she didn't really want to go. She wanted to stay home and chat with her friends.

Not happening.

This was a family outing and we were all going.

"If you stay here, you'll be doing chores until we get back."

I smiled as five kids trudged past me and out the front door.

Worked every time.

"Sal!"

"Coming."

My eyebrows lifted when I realized he was coming out of his office and not down the stairs from the bedroom, which was where he'd been the last time I'd seen him. "Trouble?"

"No, baby. I wanted to make sure Clarke knew I'd be unavailable for the rest of the weekend."

The corners of my mouth lifted. "Really?"

Sal stopped right in front of me. His hand curled around the side of my face. "I promised you an entire weekend to prepare for Christmas, didn't I?"

"Yeah." But I never thought it would actually happen.

"So, now Clarke knows not to call me." Sal's grin made my heart beat a little faster. "Even if the city burns down."

"Can you do that?"

I could hope.

ADULT EXCERPT

"Wake up, caro." I slid my hand over the Lany's svelte chest. I tweaked a nipple with my fingers. The hot little mess arched further as he spread his legs. "Lany."

I grinned as I tweaked the other nipple and kissed along the man's jaw. Spanning my hand over Lany's stomach, I scraped my nails along his silky skin.

Lany whispered my name.

"You are so beautiful, Lany." He took my breath away every time I looked at him, and that hadn't changed in all the years we'd been together.

Lany's eyelids fluttered open. He blushed, which only made my dick throb more. Lany reached for me, pulling me down for a kiss. He licked at my lips and more than kissed them. It sent a ripple of pleasure down my spine.

I leaned in for a kiss, but what I received were waves of electrifying pleasure that started at my lips and shot down until they reached my toes. My whole body seemed to come alive as Lany opened for me, sucking my tongue like he was dying. I stuck my tongue out, sliding it across Lany's lower lip. Lany opened for me, allowing me to invade his mouth. I plunged in, sweeping through and leaving my senses on fire.

I ghosted my hands over Lany, taking in his beauty as I kissed my way around to his neck. I felt the hard pulse in Lany's throat as I licked my way to the other side. Lany was like the food of the gods, and I wanted to taste every inch of him.

I parted my lips and sucked Lany's nipple between my teeth. I groaned at how good Lany's skin smelled. I could smell hot summer rain, taste it. My favorite scent.

As I licked at Lany's nipple with my tongue, I smoothed my hand over his body. It was incredible just how soft and flawless Lany's skin was. I couldn't seem to stop touching him. No matter what area my hands skimmed over, Lany's skin was pure perfection.

"You're so soft, Lany," I said as I kissed my way from one side of Lany's body to the other, listening to Lany's quiet moans of pleasure and the soft rhythm of his heart.

I pushed the blankets down to bare Lany's cock for my viewing—and touching— pleasure. It bounced up and slapped against Lany's abdomen.

The man even had a beautiful cock.

I leaned forward and blew across the purplish head, feeling the long shudder that passed through Lany. When I glanced up, I saw Lany had his lips caught between his teeth and his eyes closed tight.

I smirked.

I leaned forward again and licked the drop of pre-cum gathering on the head of Lany's cock. I groaned at just how sweet the taste really was. I suckled at the head and savored the man's flavor before I took the cock all the way down my throat.

Lany shouted and writhed.

I gripped the man's hips to still him.

Lany thrashed his head back and forth.

I lavished Lany's cock with my tongue.

I could hear Lany above me, crying out every time I swallowed him down my throat. It spurred me on to do more. I moved my hand between Lany's legs. I pushed against his knee with my shoulder, encouraging Lany to spread his legs wider.

It worked.

Lany spread his legs enough for me to reach between them and find his hole. I sucked Lany's cock into my mouth then let it slide out as I began kissing my way down to the sweet puckered hole waiting for me.

I grabbed the lube and quickly slathered up my fingers then pushed one into Lany's tight ass. Lany cried out above me. I began a slow rhythm of moving my finger in and out of Lany. At the same time, I stuck my tongue out and lavished the tight ring of muscles.

After a few minutes, I added another finger. Lany started bucking his hips. I moved faster, licking harder, pushing my tongue inward. A third finger had Lany's legs trembling. His cries had turned into one long, continuous whine.

My love was definitely a screamer.

The intense need to be buried deep rode me hard. I pulled my fingers free and got to my knees. I pushed Lany's legs back and positioned myself better. I poured a bit more lube out and spread it over my cock.

"Are you ready for me, caro?" I asked with an unsteady voice.

I normally took more time with Lany, but being so close, smelling his sweet scent, I found my control was nonexistent. I wanted to possess Lany, to bury myself deep inside of him.

I never wanted to come out.

Grabbing the round globes of Lany's ass, I separated them and guided my cock into the tight heat of Lany's body. I paused for just a moment to savor the feeling of being deep inside the man who owned me, heart and soul. Nothing had ever made me feel more complete.  

"Sal, amore mio," Lany whispered against the soft skin of my His hands kneaded my shoulders, tugging me closer. "Please."

All logical thought was lost at the sound of that pleading word intertwined with my name. Something unhinged inside me. I snapped my hips forward at the same time that I pulled Lany's hips down. I thrust into Lany's tight grasp over and over again.

Waves of ecstasy throbbed through me when Lany cried out after just a few thrusts, filling the space between us with his release as his inner muscles gripped me like a vise grip.

I pressed Lany into the bed as I began to drive my cock into Lany's ass faster, harder, deeper. The electricity built, working its way up my spine and shattering me into a thousand pieces. I tossed my head back, shouting out Lany's name as my body convulsed, my seed emptying into his tight channel.

I dropped forward and rested my forehead against Lany, breathing hard and trying to get my heart rate to slow. Lany's exhausted amber-green eyes sparkled up at me.

I smiled as I gently stroked his fingers down over Lany's eyelids. "Sleep, caro."