Always You (Oak Woods Book 1)

29

Connor came home to the delicious smell of homemade pizza when he opened the door. His talk with Max had been enlightening, and he had invited Max over for dinner after texting Annaleigh.

"Uncle Max, Daddy!" Rebecca yelled, running down the hallway to crash into first Connor and then Max.

"Daddy?" Max murmured and Connor smiled, he had explained Annaleigh and him mated and he had proposed.

"Her choice, not mine," Connor replied. Annaleigh walked down the hallway wiping flour on her apron, and Connor grinned. She was the sexiest woman alive to him and all he wanted to do was push her against the wall and kiss her senseless. He knew Max could smell his arousal and Max whispered,

"Becca, show me your house while your mama and Connor say hello."

"They are just going to kiss," Rebecca groaned and to Connor's delight, Annaleigh flushed with embarrassment. Max took Rebecca into the kitchen and Connor grabbed Annaleigh, pulling her close.

"You smell delicious," he murmured and nipped at her neck, drawing a gasp from her.

"I probably smell like pizza. Rebecca insisted we make it when she found out Max was coming to dinner." She leaned into his arms and nuzzled his neck.

"It is a good smell, but there is also your arousal I love the smell of. I cannot wait until Rebecca goes to bed tonight and I can make love to you." He kissed her full on the mouth this time pushing his tongue in to mate with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned softly into his mouth. His chest rumbled with desire and he did what he'd imagined doing. He pushed her against the wall and slid his hands under her shirt and into her bra to cup her beautiful breasts. He rubbed her nipples with his calloused hands and was rewarded with a loud moan. Encouraged he pushed her legs apart with a knee and took one nipple into his mouth through the fabric of her dark shirt teasing it with his tongue.

"Connor!" she gasped and he moved to her other breast.

"Annaleigh I want you now," he growled and nipped her earlobe his pulse racing.

"Max and Rebecca," she whispered. He knew she was right, he would have to wait. Taking a steadying breath he calmed himself until he could let her go, his hard-on took a while to go down before he could move away from her body.

Ding

"That's the pizzas, they are done." Annaleigh sighed, she didn't want to let go of Connor.

"We can continue tonight." Connor winked holding her hips until she could stand on her own.

"Promises, promises." She kissed him and went to get the pizza out of the oven.

"I'm going to go up and change out of this uniform. I'll be just a minute," he told her and quickly went up to their room.

Annaleigh pulled the pizza out and cut each one into four pieces, this way everyone could pick and choose their favorite ones.

"Poppet! Max! Dinner!" she called knowing with their shifter hearing they'd hear her wherever they were in the house. Thundering footsteps sounded from above as Max chased Rebecca.

"You can't catch me!" she screamed rounding the corner into the kitchen as Max snatched her up. She squealed and dissolved into a fit of giggles. Annaleigh smiled, it had been a long time since she'd seen Rebecca laugh like that, carefree.

"Go wash up both of you," she ordered, both dropped their shoulders and went to wash their hands.

"He really loves her doesn't he?" Connor asked smiling fondly as Max held Rebecca up to the sink to wash her hands. He had come down the stairs wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt that clung to his muscles.

"He does, they were so close before I left. It was hard to leave, but I knew Rebecca and I needed a better quality of life. Max was the only one in Wesley's family to welcome me with open arms when we announced I was pregnant," Annaleigh explained.

"Do you trust him?" Connor asked, Annaleigh cocked her head to the side and thought about it for a minute.

"Yes, he helped me heal after the ordeal with Wesley. He suggested I move away saying nothing good would come from me staying there."

"Then I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't like that they have sent him to take care of a rogue in my town, but I sensed he was honest when he told me they had sent him. I contacted Roger your pride leader back in LA and he confirmed Max's story. Wesley is set to be released from jail on Monday. I did some digging of my own and it turns out Wesley has not been a very good inmate. He has been put in solitary confinement, which just goes to show how good his lawyer really is. Are you sure he won't come after Rebecca?" Connor asked, helping her set the table.

"Who is coming after me?" Rebecca asked, both Annaleigh and Connor froze. They'd forgotten about Rebecca and Max.

"Your daddy," Max told her.

"Your father is getting out of jail soon," Annaleigh explained. She deflated when Rebecca's face went deathly white and she began to shake. Annaleigh quickly wrapped her arms around her daughter and sat them both on the floor. Rebecca began to breathe shallowly and Annaleigh knew she was having a panic attack. She rubbed her daughter's back and whispered that everything would be just fine. Uncle Max and Connor would protect them and her father could not get her ever.

"But he knows I called the police! He will kill me!" Rebecca wailed, her heart broke for her daughter as she cried.

"No, he won't. I will never let him into our town." Connor had sat with them and held her hands, gently rubbing her pulse.

"Becca, I am here to help protect you too," Max shared, patting the little girl on the head. Slowly Rebecca's breathing returned to normal, and she curled up in Annaleigh's lap.

"Are you hungry?" Annaleigh asked, gently rubbing her back. Rebecca nodded, and they all stood to eat dinner. Soon the food had its desired effect and Rebecca was back to her normal happy self.

"Uncle Max, I learned how to play Parcheesi with Mama and Connor." Rebecca pointed to the board game Connor had bought when he moved in.

"I remember that game from when I was little. Do you like playing it?" Max asked, doting on his niece.

"Yes, I beat Connor almost every time. Mama still usually wins," Rebecca shared, Max, looked up and laughed.

"Your mama used to play me in board games all the time and I never won. She is just too good, maybe we can partner up and take her down?" Max suggested, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.

"Yes! Mama and new daddy can be a pair too," Rebecca suggested, Max smiled at her nickname for Connor.

"She is really happy we are getting married," Annaleigh offered in a way of explanation.

"I get it, Connor is a stand-up guy. You found yourself one hell of a mate Anna," Max used his nickname for her and she saw Connor bristle from her side. She patted his hand and laughed,

"Wesley hated you calling me that too. Max, please don't rile up my mate." Annaleigh pinned him with a withering stare and he shrunk in his chair.

"I always forget you can make me feel six again," Max mumbled and Connor laughed clapping him on the shoulder.

"When Annaleigh and I were dating in high school. She could do that to all our friends, Mike was the worst offender."

"You two were mates in high school? What happened?" Max asked, he shoveled another piece of pizza into his mouth and closed his eyes making a noise of appreciation.

"My parents got in the way. They didn't want me to be with Connor and did everything in their power to keep us apart. Turns out, you cannot deny your true mate and once you are bonded there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. That is one of the reasons why Wesley attacked me," Annaleigh explained. Rebecca had left the table to play with her dolls in the other room.

A/N: Please let me know how you like the story, any suggestions or feedback would be much appreciated. Don't forget to vote!