Rumor Has It

Part 48

Quick little update! Hope you all have lovely holidays and thank you for reading !! Can't believe how long this is getting! x)

*

They called it a success when most of the dinner made it into the kids' mouths and not the dogs' in the evening. Not that the kids weren't able to eat without dropping half their pizza, but the dogs were masterful beggars. And a lot faster when something was left alone at the table.

As much as Bradley had expected getting both kids to bed would take twice as long that evening, the girls having each other nearby was making it easier. Nobody yelled for him, the door didn't squeak open a minute later, but they could hear them whispering and conspiring to turn the lights back on as soon as they'd be gone.

He was fine with that, fine to let the kids play a bit longer before they'd fall asleep, and he tugged Stefani with him when she opened her mouth to protest.

"Shh. Let them. They'll be out like a light in a bit. Come on."

It was always hard not to give in to the urge to check just one more time. Over and over again. So he understood Stefani being reluctant, but she was beaming up at him when he closed her bedroom door behind them.

She leaned her body into his and he felt like they were perfectly molded to fit with each other. He kissed her neck, thinking about what marks he could leave on the skin, and nipped on her collarbone. The gasp coming from her was a bit too much already.

"I need you, now" Shd murmured into his ear and her voice went straight to his groin.

"Can you be quiet?"

*

It was cool and still dark in the bedroom when Bradley woke up. It took him a few moments to remember where he was. Then he glanced over to the other side of the bed where only Stefani's hair peeked out from beneath her blankets.

He listened for the telltale sound of short steps outside but couldn't hear anything. That could either mean the girls were up all night or they had broken something.

Either way. He shifted closer to Stefani, heard her even breathing when he brushed his lips over her neck. If it stayed like this they could hide away for a little longer. His thoughts drifted to a different life, where perhaps they could be like this all the time.

Suddenly, Stefani turned around to face him, the duvet still drawn up to her shoulder. As soon as her eyes met his, he was overwhelmed with thoughts of kissing her, and then maybe repeating last night.

"It's way too quiet." She whispered and he almost laughed because of how worried she looked.

"Give it a few minutes."

"You sure?"

"Just a few." He breathed the words against the skin of her neck, enjoying the warm scent of her.

Stefani wound her arms around his neck and let him draw her even closer. He smiled at her reaction, pulled her against him, his body flush with hers, and their lips met in a deep kiss.

His hands were wandering freely across her back and hips, sliding up under her shirt, the one she'd thrown on in a haze in the middle of the night when they thought they'd heard a noise outside their door. She groaned in approval and reached up to cup the back of his head, etching her nails through his hair, as she ground against him. There was no time, even though his heart pounded against his ribcage, threatening to burst out of his chest at any moment.

When he broke apart to breathe, they were both gasping for air. He'd never get enough of the taste of her, the way she seemed to consume him. He trailed his hands up and down her cold arms until she flinched away slightly and he lazily opened his eyes to peel the blanket away from both of them.