Wrapping my hand around my painfully hard cock, I press the swollen head against her slit then slide into her slowly, inch-by-inch, feeling her walls tighten, and ripple. Her head flies back, causing her mass of hair to hit my chest.

“Sage,” she breathes again. My mouth goes to her shoulder and I nip there, listening to her moan as I pull out and slide back in.

Lifting my head to look at her in the mirror, I watch my hands slide across her creamy skin, one down to her clit, the other up to her breast, cupping and squeezing her roughly. “Take me there,” I growl, and she does. She fucks back onto me, matching me stroke for stroke until my spine tingles and her pussy pulses around my cock, sending me over with her.

“I can’t move,” she whispers as I lift her up with my arm around her middle, and rest my chin against her shoulder, catching her smile. “I don’t even know if I will be able to walk.”

“I’ll carry you.” I tip my head to the side and kiss her neck, and then my cell rings and I groan against her skin.

“We’re probably in trouble for being late.” She laughs then whimpers as I carefully pull out of her and turn her in my arms.

Taking her face in my hands, I kiss her wet, deep, and hard then pull back, muttering, “I don’t give a fuck” as my phone stops ringing, only to start back up again a second later.

“That can’t be good,” she says, I don’t agree even though she’s right. I bend down, jerk up my pants, and grab my phone.

Seeing my dad is calling, I put my cell to my ear. “What’s up?”

“If you’re on your way, don’t stop. And if you’re not, keep Kim home,” he tells me, and my muscles get tight.

“Why?” I bark, causing Kim, who is pressed against me, to jump.

“Ginny just showed up.”

“Come again?” I growl, but I know Kim heard, because her eyes lock with mine while pain and anger fill them.

“She’s here at the restaurant. She’s drunk. Bax and Talon are trying to get her to leave, but she’s refusing and keeps saying she needs to talk to Kim.”

“Fuck.”

“I’ll call and give you an update,” he says, and Kim, who I had been trying to hold onto, pulls from my arms and runs out of the bathroom. Clicking off my phone, I follow her across the bedroom and into the closet, where she’s yanking on a pair of panties similar to the ones she had on earlier before grabbing a dress off the back of the door.

“We’re going,” she says as she pulls the dress down over her head.

Shaking my head, I cross my arms over my chest and plant my feet apart, blocking her exit. “We’re not,” I tell her softly, and her eyes meet mine.

“We are, and either you’re taking me, or I’m going by myself.” Seeing the pain in her eyes, mine close against it. “Please,” she whispers, wrapping her hand around my forearm, and my eyes open.

Fuck, I do not want her around that woman, but I can see she needs this. A war rages inside of me, a battle between keeping her safe and giving her what she needs.

“Please,” she repeats, and my hands clench into fists.

“Fuck.” I uncross my arms and pull her tightly against me. “You stay with me, right next to me, and if shit goes south or if I feel like you’re in danger, you do as I say when I say it.”

“She’s not dangerous.”

“Has she hurt you before?” I question, and her face answers for her. She might not have hurt her physically, but she has hurt her emotionally. “Right, like I said before, you stay with me and do what I say.”

“Okay,” she agrees, and I give her a nod then a quick kiss before I move back to the bathroom. Meeting her in the kitchen a few minutes later, I curse under my breath and vow that bitch will not ruin our rehearsal dinner. I know tonight is important to Kim. She looks beautiful wearing the simple white sleeveless dress she has on. It hits her just above the knee and high around her neck with silver and gold beads around her throat, and taupe-colored platform heels on her feet.

“You sure about this?” I ask when she looks at me.

“Yes.”

Placing my hand against her lower back, I lead her out of the house to my car and help her in before slamming the door and jogging around the hood. As soon as I’m in and buckled with the engine running, I look over at her, taking her hand. “No matter what happens, she is not allowed to hurt you.”

“She’s never harmed me, honey,” she says quietly, and I shake my head.

“I’m not talking physically, baby. I’m talking about emotionally. I was there when you met her. I saw the pain she left you with when she didn’t give you what you needed her to,” I explain, and her hand spasms in mine. “I’m giving you this because you need it, but you need to prepare yourself for whatever she is going to say to you. You can hear her out, and you can say whatever it is you need to say to her, but when she’s gone, you let that shit go and we continue moving on with our lives the way we have been.”

“I promise,” she agrees, and I bring her hand up to my lips, kissing her fingers before placing her hand on my thigh and maneuvering us away from the house, down the driveway, and into town.

Pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant thirty minutes later, I park in an empty space while Kim’s grip on me tightens. I know she saw the same thing I just did. Ginny sitting on the ground outside the entrance to the restaurant, with my family and hers gathered around her in a semicircle. “Are you ready for this?”

“Yes,” she answers immediately. Unhooking her belt, I pull her into my lap. I don’t want her to do this; it’s going against every instinct I have to let her. “After this, she doesn’t get anything else,” she assures, and I nod, pulling her face toward mine to kiss her. I then open my door and step out with her in my arms.

Letting her feet touch the ground, I study her in the dim streetlight for a moment before releasing her, taking her hand, and shutting my door. Walking through the parking lot toward the entrance, I can hear the murmur of voices and the sound of a woman crying. When we hit the edge of the building, Kim’s steps slow as we see everyone’s eyes come to us.

“Honey,” Pattie says, walking quickly toward us. “You guys shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s our rehearsal dinner. So yes, we should be here,” Kim corrects her mom before looking at Ginny, who is staring up at her with tears in her eyes. “You shouldn’t be here, though.”

“You’re my daughter,” Ginny replies as she puts her hands to the cement to heft herself up off the ground. Instantly, I pull Kim closer, but it’s not necessary. Talon, Bax, Jax, Evan, Wes, and Cobi all push forward, blocking the older woman from getting close.

“I’m not your daughter. You gave birth to me, but you’re not my mom. You never wanted to be my mom,” Kim says quietly, and anger flashes in Ginny’s eyes as she looks from Kim to the people gathered around her.

“You think you’re too good for me. Just like your sister, you think you’re too fucking good for me,” she hisses, and Kim’s body tenses at the mention of Kelly.

“I wish…” Kim closes her eyes then opens them back up, dropping her voice. “I wish Kelly had thought she was too good for you. I wish the second she had the chance that she would have left you and never looked back.”

“You bitch.” Ginny lunges, and I pull Kim behind me as Jax and Talon catch her by her arms. “Fuck you!” she screams.

“Why are you here? How did you even know about tonight?” I ask, and her eyes come to me.

“Her gay friend told me,” she hisses, and I look at Chris, who is standing with his boyfriend, looking completely freaked out as he takes in the scene.

“What?” Kim whispers, looking over at Chris, who is now pale.

“I… I called to her to ask for the ashes. I wanted to give them to you. I told her you were getting married and that… fuck….” He jerks his hand through his hair.

“Chris,” Kim whispers, and his eyes meet hers and fill with tears.

“I swear I didn’t know she’d do this. She was just supposed to come and meet me. I wanted you to have them.”