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  Stop at Nothing

  Book Thirty-Four of The Forever and Ever Series

  E. L. Todd

  Chapter One

  Slade

  I lay in bed while reading a book. My ankles were crossed and the book lay across my lap. It was a novel Trinity encouraged me to read a long time ago. Even after all these years of being together, we still had a husband/wife book club. We exchanged the stories we thought were interesting then we talked about them through the night.

  Trinity lay beside me wearing one of my t-shirts to bed. A magazine was in her hands. She spent time outside of the office still working, and it usually included keeping up on the different types of fashion magazines like Vogue and Vanity Faire. But since she loved her job so much, it didn’t seem like she cared.

  “Anything interesting in there?” I asked. We were still staying with Skye in her ridiculous mansion. Our bedroom overlooked the front yard, and we had a lot of windows that gave us a nice view.

  “A few things,” she said as she turned the page. “Everything goes out of style so quickly it’s difficult to keep up…”

  “That’s why you start the new trend.”

  Her lips stretched into a slow smile. “True. You’re wiser than you look.”

  “Yes, I am.” My hand moved to her thigh under the sheets. Her skin was warm, like always. Anytime my hands were on her I thought of the tattoo of my name along her hip. It was in black ink—and it was sexy as hell.

  She placed the magazine on her lap and turned to me.

  My eyes were glued to the page but I was aware of her stare. “What is it, baby?”

  “Are you excited about the new edition to our family?”

  “Excited?” I turned to her with raised eyebrows. “That’s an understatement. I’m excited as hell. Cayson is going to be so thrilled when he comes back. I wish I could tell him what to expect but I would never take that away from Skye.”

  Her lips were pulled into a smile. “I’m excited too.”

  “We’re going to be an awesome aunt and uncle.” I gave her one final look before I returned my gaze to my book.

  Trinity continued to stare at me, and the silence that accompanied the look was unusual.

  I turned the page and kept reading. If she had something else to say, she would say it.

  “Since Skye is pregnant…it gets me thinking.”

  My eyes stopped moving across the words and my heart kicked into overdrive. She didn’t have to tell me what she was thinking. I knew exactly where this conversation was going.

  Shit.

  “We’ve always wanted to have kids at the same time…”

  I wasn’t ready for this. I told her I would give her children and I meant that promise, but we hadn’t even been married for a year. She was still working on her empire and I was still immature and stupid. How did I handle this? My hand squeezed her thigh. “You know what I’m thinking about?”

  Hope was in her eyes as she looked at me. “What?”

  I pulled the sheets back and then moved the side of her panties over one hip. “This sexy tattoo.” My lips kissed the delicate skin and I nibbled on her slightly. I pulled her thong further down her long legs then pressed my face between her thighs. Trinity loved it when I went down on her because I was awesome at it. Her fingers immediately fisted my hair, and when she moaned I knew she wasn’t thinking about having a baby like Skye and Cayson.

  I circled her clitoris with my tongue then sucked and kissed the area. My fingers moved to the area and helped me give her all the pleasure she needed to not think about anything but me.

  Trinity continued to moan loudly but she bit her lip in a feeble attempt to remain quiet. Then she dug her nails into my shoulder and rolled her head back. She writhed on the bed and breathed hard as the orgasm passed through her body. I continued to taste her, noting the sweetness of watermelon.

  When she finished, she pulled her nails out of my skin and caught her breath. A dreamy look came into her eyes like she’d never been so satisfied in her life.

  Mission accomplished.

  I moved to the spot beside her then turned off my lamp. Soon, I was cuddling with her and ready for bed.

  Trinity turned toward me and pulled the sheets down. Her mouth was aimed at my hard cock.

  “Baby, just go to sleep.” I lay her back down and ran my fingers through her hair. “You don’t always need to reciprocate. Let me just take care of you once in a while.”

  Her eyes grew heavy in exhaustion. “Best husband ever…”

  I grinned from ear-to-ear, proud of myself for wiggling out of his dilemma. “You’re the best wife ever.”

  ***

  Kids were great.

  I loved kids.

  I just wasn’t thrilled about being a dad. It was too soon. I was so young. I hadn’t even lived my life yet. I’d been out of college for just a few years and I hadn’t even done any traveling. Of course I wanted to make little Trinity’s with my wife, but did we have to do it now?

  Why did Cayson have to knock up Skye?

  Why was it so important to Trinity that our kids were close in age?

  What if Trinity cornered me again? What would I say? I could eat out her pussy a million times but it wouldn’t distract her forever. If she cornered me in public she definitely wouldn’t let me between her legs.

  I wanted to tell her it was too soon, that I wasn’t ready to be a father, but what would that do to our relationship? Everything was going so well right now. Could I possibly jeopardize it? Would that be stupid? Would she understand I did want to have children, just not right this second?

  Trinity was used to getting whatever she wanted, especially from me. I just wasn’t sure if I could give it to her this time.

  I texted one person I knew who had a kid. Busy for lunch?

  I think I can squeeze you in.

  ***

  “Does Cayson know about this?” Arsen asked before he took a drink of his soda. “Or am I your dirty little secret?” His pizza sat on the plate in front of him, and his arm hung over the back of the booth.

  I rolled my eyes in response. “Shut the hell up.”

  Arsen chuckled. “Imagine if he saw us together right now…he’d throw a fit.”

  Actually, he might. But it would be more because of the fact he wasn’t here to spend time with anyone. “Anyway…enough of the gay jokes.”

  “How’s the shop?”

  “The same. How’s yours?”

  He shrugged. “The same.”

  “We’re super interesting…”

  He laughed. “At least you ink. That’s pretty interesting.”

  “But I wouldn’t know how to change a tire if my life depended on it.”

  His eyes narrowed on my face. “That’s pretty pathetic, actually.”

  “I grew up in the city so I never had a car. And when I went to college, I walked everywhere. It’s different.”

  “I guess…if that makes you feel better.”

  “Have you dumped my sister yet?” I asked.

  “Why would I dump her?” he asked in confusion. “She just moved in with me.”

  “That’s exactly why. She’s a terror. I shared a bathroom with her when we lived together. She’s a pain in the ass. I love her, but shit, I hate her.”

  He laughed and his eyes brightened. “She’s…a bit of a hog.”

  “She smells like a pig?”

  “No,” he said quickly. “She just hogs all the space—particularly the closets.”

  “Well, that comes with the territory. Trinity takes up every closet and drawer. I get a little section of the hallway closet.” I shrugged dramatically. “But whatever. She does my laundry, cooks for me, and let’s me fuck her in the ass so I’m not going to complain.”

  His lips stretched into an awkward smile. “Yeah…pick your battles.”

  “Which brings me to the topic I want to discuss…”

  “Oh no. This doesn’t sound good.”

  “So…Trinity wants to have a baby.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Like, right now? Sean just almost died, she’s still starting her company, and you guys have been married for…less than a year. What’s the rush?”

  I couldn’t tell him about Skye—not yet. “I’m not sure why. But I’ve been dodging the conversation. Every time she brings it up, I eat her pussy like I haven’t eaten anything in years.”

  He cringed slightly. “Thanks for the vivid picture.”

  “It distracts her and I’m off the hook…but it’ll only work for so long.”

  “Why don’t you just tell her it’s too soon?”

  I gave him an incredulous look. “Trinity? You think I can just say no to her?”

  He shrugged. “She is your wife…she’s not unreasonable.”

  “She’s got baby fever, man. She made it abundantly clear that she would have children—with or without me.”

  He took another drink of his soda. “Are you telling me you don’t want kids?”

  “Of course I do,” I blurted. “But not right now.”

  Arsen shook his head slightly then rubbed his chin. “I don’t understand the dilemma. Surely, your request isn’t unreasonable.”

  That showed how much he knew. “Trinity and I…we’ve had a pretty rocky relationship until the day we got married. I almost lost her a few times, and there was a point in time when we broke up for good. More than anyone else on this planet, I understand how important this is to her. I’m afraid if I don’t give it to her…she’ll leave me.” I bowed my head in distress.


  Arsen stared at me without reacting. “I really don’t think it’ll come to that. Trinity is a very smart and practical woman. If you asked for another year, she would give it to you.”

  Not when Skye and Cayson were having a baby. “She might think I’m stalling. And I’ll stall again in a year.”

  “You don’t strike me as the lying type,” he said quietly. “I’m sure she realizes that too.”

  “You’re lucky Silke is so chill.”

  A laugh escaped his lips against his will. “She’s chill most of the time…but she has her moments.”

  I wish I weren’t in this situation at all. “Kids aren’t that bad, right?” I really wanted someone to tell me they were a walk in the park and required little to no effort.

  “Aren’t that bad?” he asked in surprise. “They’re the most amazing thing in the world. I love Abby, and not just because I have to. She’s the most beautiful little girl on this planet. She brings me more joy than I could ever explain. You would have to be a parent to understand.”

  “But…you make it look so easy.”

  “Easy?” he asked. “It’s definitely not easy. But it’s worth all the effort.”

  “I watched Ward Jr. one time—”

  “You babysat?” Arsen’s lips were pressed tightly together like he was trying not to laugh.

  “With Trinity,” I said in irritation. “And he just…laid there. I didn’t know what to do with him. Do you just sit there and stare? Because I have a shop to run and a band to practice with. I can’t sit around and stare at a baby all day.”

  Realization came into his eyes. “Okay, I think I understand your hesitance a little more. Remember, you aren’t the only one there. Trinity will help you do everything. You guys are a team.”

  I shrugged.

  “And secondly, I didn’t meet Abby until she was five so I missed all those years when she crawled across the floor in a diaper. I didn’t even potty train her. I just got her when she was already perfect.”

  “Not fair,” I said with a growl. “And now she’s in school during the day so you don’t even need to watch her that often.”

  A sad look came over his face. “But you have no idea how much I wish I were there for all those years when she did just lay still and stare at me.” His voice came out hollow. “It’s one of my biggest regrets.”

  I didn’t mean to make him feel bad.

  “I know it’s hard to understand since you’ve never had kids, but when it’s your kid you’ll know what to do. It’s instinct. The moment you’re born, you understand when you’re hungry and what that means. When you have a child, it’s the same thing.”

  “What if you’re wrong?”

  “I’m not.”

  I released a deep sigh that came from the pockets of my lungs.

  “Just ask for another year. Honestly, you guys should enjoy each other while you can. Because when there’s a kid around…you don’t get much privacy.” He released a faint chuckle.

  “Trinity won’t understand that. As long as I can remember she’s been talking about her future children and how cute they’ll be…”

  “Just talk to her,” he said. “I know how women get with marriage and kids…but Trinity is a businesswoman. She’ll understand where you’re coming from.”

  I rested my face in my palms when I realized something else.

  “What?” Arsen asked.

  I lowered my hands and felt dead inside. “She’s building this massive empire. Her clothes are already becoming a household name and she’s taking the fashion industry by storm.”

  Arsen looked confused, like he had no idea what my point was.

  “If someone is going to stay home with the kids…it’ll be me.” I rubbed my temple and tried to fight the oncoming migraine. “There’s no way in hell she’ll take time off work. She’ll argue that her job is more important than mine and she makes more money, and I’ll be stuck at home staring at a baby that doesn’t know how to move or talk.”

  Arsen rubbed the back of his neck and was quiet for a long time. “You’re making assumptions, Slade.”

  “I could handle that in a few years. You know, after I’m finished with the band and the novelty of the shop wears off. I could do that for my family. But right now…I’m just not ready.”

  “Slade, calm down.” Arsen rested both elbows on the table. “Don’t jump to conclusions just yet.”

  I cringed. “And if she wants to have a baby, all she has to do is stop taking her birth control. How would I ever know the difference? She could trick me into knocking her up and I’d have no control over it. And if I started wearing a condom, she would know exactly what I was doing and get pissed off at me.” I rested my forehead against the table even though I knew it was filthy. “I’m damned either way.”

  Chapter Two

  Skye

  My in-laws invited me over for dinner, so I thought it was the perfect time to tell them my news. It was weird not having Cayson there to tell his parents, but I knew this was the way it had to be.

  After I walked inside, I greeted everyone. I brought over a bottle of wine even though I wouldn’t be able to have any. Clementine had slimmed down a lot since she had Ward Jr. and she almost looked just the way she used to. Ward greeted me warmly with a special twinkle in his eyes. Fatherhood suited him well. I’d never seen him so happy, especially since Clementine agreed to marry him.

  Monnique hugged me tightly and praised my beauty at least ten times. She was always so sweet to me, and her affection increased by tenfold when Cayson and I got engaged. Cayson’s family had always been close to me, but now I felt like one of their kids.

  Cortland looked so much like his son that it made me miss Cayson more. They both had the same crystal blue eyes and the same mannerisms. Cayson learned almost everything from his father, even if he wouldn’t always admit it. “It’s so nice having you over. You’re a much better replacement for Cayson anyway.” A teasing look was in his eyes.

  “Thanks for inviting me. And I know you don’t mean that second part.” I handed the wine over then took a seat.

  We gathered around the table while Ward Jr. was cradled in Ward’s massive arm. He could hold him easily with one hand. I wasn’t sure if it was because the baby was so small or Ward was just so humongous.

  “Have you talked to our boy lately?” Monnique asked.

  “We talk about once a week,” I said as I cut into my food. “I wish we talked more than that but he doesn’t always have the opportunity. Last time we spoke it was a few days ago. His work is going well.”

  While there was longing in Cortland’s eyes because he missed his son, there was also pride. “He’s doing amazing things. And he’ll be home in just six weeks. That’s not so bad.”

  Maybe for you.

  “What have you been doing while he’s away?” Monnique asked.

  “Slade and Trinity keep me pretty occupied.” A light laugh escaped my lips.

  Ward chuckled too. “I bet that’s chaos.”

  “It’s actually pretty nice,” I admitted. “Slade and I…we’ve become a lot closer ever since we started living together.”

  “Now you see why Cayson defends him all the time,” Cortland said with a chuckle.

  “He’s actually very sweet and protective,” I said. “I understand why Trinity loves him so much. Sometimes he talks too much and he can be dense about a few things but he’s very loving.”

  “Ward Jr. loves Uncle Slade.” Clementine eyed her son lovingly. “When we picked him up one afternoon, Ward Jr. threw a fit because he didn’t want to leave Slade.”

  “Slade babysat?” Monnique, Cortland, and I said together.

  “Trinity was there too,” Ward explained. “They did a good job.”

  Wow…you learn something new everyday.

  “Slade has the unnatural ability to surprise you even when you think you can no longer be surprised,” Cortland said with a chuckle.

  Monnique sipped her wine then stared at her grandson lovingly. “I could watch him forever…” She released a deep sigh like she was in a daze.

  “That makes two of us.” Ward looked down to the bundle in his arms. “He’s going to be a little stud when he grows up. And Dad will show him all his smooth moves.”

  “Smooth moves?” Disappointment was in Clementine’s voice.

  “Yeah,” he said as he turned to her. “It worked on you, didn’t it?”