Sinner Like Me by Avril Ashton
Fifteen
Kane split his attention between Syren and Isa as they walked toward him on the beach, and Càtia as she sat on one of the two benches outside the surf spot owned by two of Syren’s acquaintances. He didn’t really care for Derrick and Casper and the things Syren had shared with them, but they were cool men. So he tolerated them.
Càtia drank coconut water from the source with a straw, waving at Isa and Syren when they grew closer. “Papa! We caught a crab.” Her face fell despite the excitement in her voice. “Daddy made me set him free.”
The beach was already vacant and quiet, save for the gentle sweep of the calm waves onto shore and the rush of breezes through the tree overhead. It was night now, the sun having set a while ago, but the lights overhead, and those from the surf shop, brightened up the small area where they were.
Syren and Isa sat next to him on the other bench.
“A crab?” Isa always looked put together and flawless, whether she was wearing a couture gown or jeans, t-shirt, and Keds, hair in a messy ponytail, like now. She lifted an eyebrow at him.
Kane shrugged. “Don’t look at me. Those things scare me, but she doesn’t have that problem.” Càtia was an adventurous little girl, caring and brave, much like her papa. Kane looked over at Syren, nudging him with a shoulder. “You okay?”
Syren granted him a wry smile. “Yeah. Figured this was probably gonna be the only time we get to talk to Isa since we head back home tomorrow.”
Kane linked fingers with Syren then turned to Isa. “What do you think? Ready to be the mother of our child?”
She grinned. “I’ve been ready, just waiting on you two to decide the timetable.” She grasped his hand. “You’ll be amazing, the both of you, and I’m so glad to be a part of it.”
A weight lifted off Kane’s shoulders and eased in his chest, making breathing that much easier. “Thank you.” He kissed Isa’s knuckles. “Thank you so much.” She’d been the one to offer back in the early days when they’d just gotten back together and were contemplating their future. She’d been the one to suggest they use her to expand their family, and now they were one step closer to making it a reality.
“No need for thanks. It’s my wedding gift to you.”
That wasn’t true, she’d been more than generous at the wedding, but Kane didn’t call her on that.
“You and Nina…” Syren said.
“Will be fine,” Isa said. “We’re going to try at a relationship, yes. But I told her upfront what I’d planned to do, and she’s doing the same, giving Gabe and Angel the same gift.” Her gaze softened. “We want to be aunties, not mommies. So, we’ll be just fine.”
Kane kissed her forehead. “You’ll be an awesome, kickass auntie.”
Isa frowned.
“Also stylish,” Syren added quickly.
She beamed. “Of course.”
Kane chuckled. “Well, that goes without saying.”
She glared at him. “Not really. You should say it.”
“Yes ma’am.” He released Syren’s hand and touched her face. “You’ll be a kickass, sexy, and the best fucking dressed auntie ever.”
She laughed. “Much better.” She stood, dusting off her jeans. “We’ll talk the heavy stuff later. I’m coming with you guys back to the States tomorrow, so we’ll take it from there.” She looked from Kane and Syren. “Good?”
“Better than good, Isa.” Syren looked like he wanted to cry so Kane hugged him close.
Isa smiled. “Okay. I’m going back to the house.” She waved at them and Càtia, still sitting off to the side, then walked off.
“You okay?” Kane tilted Syren’s chin until their gazes met. “You look sad.”
Syren shook his head. “Not sad. Happy…just happy.”
“Oh, babe.” Kane brushed his lips over Syren’s. “Me too. So happy.” Syren’s lips parted for him and he sank in slowly, deepening the kiss with a groan, tasting the whimper that rolled up from Syren’s throat.
Syren clutched him and moved onto his lap. Kane grunted when Syren rubbed against his erection, and just as quickly he broke the kiss with a curse. He lifted his head. “Càtia.”
Their daughter remained seated on the bench across from them, her legs swinging as she stared at them, a curious expression on her face.
“She’s staring at us,” he whispered to Syren, who snorted.
“Not the first time, Marshal.” He looked over at Càtia. “Come over here, baby.” He climbed off Kane and straightened his clothes, before making room so Càtia could sit between them.
She did, then turned to Kane. “Daddy, can I have a puppy?”
He frowned. “Why? We already have O.G.”
She shook her head. “But he’s not a puppy. I want a baby one.”
Kane looked at Syren, who then looked at Càtia. “What do you mean a baby one?”
“You’re going to have a baby so I want one, too.”
Well crap. “Who told you we were having a baby?” Kane asked. He and Syren had agreed they wouldn’t tell her anything until Isa was indeed pregnant and far enough along. He looked at his husband, who shrugged.
Càtia bit her lip. “I heard Uncle Matty talking to Uncle Tommy about it.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I won’t be your baby anymore.” Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed.
“Aw, baby. That’s not true.” Kane ignored the helpless feeling in his chest, the same helpless expression now on Syren’s face. She’d asked for a sibling, but now that the idea might be a reality Càtia didn’t seem to be happy about it. He pulled her into his arms. It was way too damn early to discuss this, but it seemed they no longer had the time to prepare her. “You’re our baby, you’ll always be our baby.”
Syren rubbed her back and kissed her head. “It’s all right, Càtia. Listen to daddy.”
“But I’m not a baby,” she said with that defiant tilt of her chin. “I’m a big girl.”
“Yes.” Syren nodded. “But you’re our baby. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how tall you grow.” His smile trembled. “You’ll be our baby forever.”
She sniffed, brown eyes glittering with tears. “Even when I’m ten?”
Kane supposed, to an eight-year-old, ten must seem ancient.
“Yes,” Syren said softly. “Even when you’re ten.”
She looked at Kane. “Do you promise, Daddy? I’ll be your baby even when I’m ten?”
Aw man. Kane’s heart couldn’t get any fuller. He kissed her little nose. “I promise.” He kept his voice low, grave. “I promise you’ll be my baby no matter how old you get.”
She paused, seeming to consider their words. “Why do you need another baby?”
Syren answered before Kane could. “Because we have a lot of love in our hearts, in our family, to give. We want to love another child just the way we love you.”
“And because we want to give you a brother,” Kane said. “Or a sister.” He smiled down at her. “Wouldn’t you like that?”
“Karina has five sisters.” She wrinkled her nose. “They’re loud and they fight a lot.”
Kane vaguely remembered Karina as one of the kids in her class. “Siblings do that.”
“But Uncle Gabe is your brother and you don’t fight.”
“Not now, but when we were younger we did.” He placed her between him and Syren. “Siblings fight and get loud, but they also love each other fiercely, too. They get to be best friends and share things that no one else can.”
“You’ll have time to get used to the idea of a sibling,” Syren said. “It’s not going to happen for a while.”
“Do you promise to think about what having a sibling would mean?” Kane asked.
Càtia’s face was serious when she nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her cheek. “Why don’t we go home, give you a bath, and I’ll read you a bedtime story?” Syren tugged gently on her pigtails. “And Papa will brush your hair until you fall asleep.”
She smiled. “And can I have warm milk?”
Kane lifted an eyebrow at Syren, who chuckled. “Yes.”
“And a puppy?’
Kane hid his smile in her hair. “We’ll talk about that later.”
“Okay.” Càtia wrapped her arms around Kane’s neck. “Let’s go home.”
* * *
Syren put asidehis tablet when Kane stepped into the bedroom. “Is she asleep?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Finally.” He tugged off his shirt and climbed onto the bed. When he was next to Syren he sat back on his haunches. “Um. I may have caved.”
Syren paused in the process of leaning over to put the iPad on the night table. “Caved how?”
Kane knew better than to look his husband in the eye when he said, “I told Càtia she could have a puppy.” He stared at Syren’s legs, inwardly cringing as he waited for the explosion.
He didn’t have to wait long.
“You did what?”
He sighed and finally looked into Syren’s narrowed eyes. “She was looking at me with those big brown eyes, and you know I can’t say no to her when she gives me that sad look.”
Syren sat back against the headboard, arms crossed over what looked like one of Kane’s shirts. “You let your daughter sucker you into getting another puppy?”
“Oh, my daughter, is she?” Kane straddled Syren’s legs, palms flat on Syren’s exposed thighs. “You know she gets that devious streak from you.”
Syren rolled his eyes, but his expression softened. Somewhat. “Don’t try those pretty words on me.”
“Why not?” He slid a hand up under the shirt Syren wore and touched lace. “You love those pretty words.” He scraped a fingernail across Syren’s hip bone, watching his husband’s nostrils flare.
“We said we’d talk more about the puppy thing, Kane.” Syren tried for serious, Kane could tell, but he didn’t pull off a good job. Not with the way he licked his lips, and the faint tremor in his voice.
“I know and I’m sorry.” He tried for a sad face. “She was so sad about the new baby thing, I just wanted to see her smile again.”
Syren stared at him for so long, Kane began to think he’d really stepped in it.
“Ugh. You know I can’t stay mad at you when you give me that look.” Syren glared at him.
“What look?” But he knew the one and he did it again, staring at Syren with his eyelashes lowered. “This look?” He pouted.
“Damn it.” Syren hit him in the face with a pillow. “Yes, that one. Don’t look at me like that.”
Kane grinned. “Why not?”
Syren stopped moving under him, gaze serious. “You know why.”
“Tell me anyway.” He wanted to hear it. And he wasn’t above a little underhanded play. He leaned forward and unbuttoned Syren’s shirt. He blew against Syren’s collarbone then pulled back to watch his handiwork.
Syren’s eyes were slumberous, cheeks flushed, and his lips parted. The ends of the shirt hiked up just enough to expose his black panties.
“Tell me,” Kane prompted again.
Syren’s tongue flicked out, wetting his bottom lip. “Because…you know when you give me that look that my panties will be coming off.”
Kane grinned. “And what will you be doing?”
Syren’s lashes lifted. The full force of those gorgeous purple eyes was trained on him. Kane cupped Syren, squeezed his already hard cock, and lifted an eyebrow.
“What will you be doing?”
“Going down.”
Kane squirmed, trying to ease the press of his zipper against his hard cock. He traced Syren’s throbbing length with a fingertip, feeling him pulse. “Going down on whom?”
“My husband.”
“Fucking A right.” Kane pushed off Syren’s thighs and waved a hand. “Hands and knees, grab the headboard.”
Syren flipped over and got into position. Despite being unbuttoned, his shirt remained on, covering his back, but his ass was exposed. The black panties he wore had bunched up into his crack, exposing the undersides of twin rounded ass cheeks. Kane loved that sight.
He salivated. He bent and took a bite out of that ass. Not too hard, but not gentle either.
Syren hissed and bucked.
“Marshal.”
Kane looked up, met Syren’s gaze as his husband looked back at him over his shoulder.
“I love it,” Kane said. “The sound of you. Breathless. I love it.”
Syren’s gaze was tender, the look in his eyes hot enough to melt. “And I love that you make me breathless. With a touch, a word, a look.”
Kane licked the area he’d bitten, feeling the indents of his teeth on that smooth skin. “Because I love you.”
White teeth flashed. “What a relief, Marshal. I happen to love you, too.”
Kane straightened on his knees, palm smoothing over Syren’s ass. “Want to eat you until you scream.” He loved those screams and he didn’t care if the house full of people heard them.
Càtia’s room was far enough away.
Syren’s eyes flashed. “I don’t scream.”
Kane pulled his phone from his jeans and pulled up the voice recorder app then hit play. “Oh fuck. Marshal, harder. Yes, oh, God! Oh, God!”
Syren’s jaw dropped when he heard his voice.
“Told you I had you recorded.” Kane smirked. “If I’m not mistaken, that is you, husband, screaming as I fuck you.”
“You are so dead.”
“Am I?” Kane dropped his phone on the bed and kissed Syren, hard, shoving his tongue deep before Syren could react. When he did get his bearings, Syren grabbed his neck, kissing him back with loud moans. Syren cupped him through his jeans, and Kane rolled his hips with a grunt and a shudder.
“You want my ass, Marshal?”
He chased Syren’s mouth, licking his chin, biting him. “Fuck. Yes. Always.”
“Delete the recording.”
Kane tensed. He eyed Syren, gaze narrowing at the calculating look in his husband’s eyes. Always a look to be wary of. “You trying to bribe me, babe?” Syren rubbed against him. Kane swallowed a groan. Damn if Syren didn’t feel good. And he knew just how he affected Kane, too. “I can’t be bought.”
“No?” Now Syren was the one smirking. “You’re hard for me. Wet for me, too, I’ll bet.” His tone was fucking with Kane’s control. That low, husky voice crawled over his skin, down his spine, and made his balls tighten. “Delete it, and you get to fuck me.”
Kane frowned. “I get to fuck you anyway.”
Syren chuckled. “Yes, but if you delete it I’ll be sliding up inside you, too.”
Kane snatched up the phone and hit delete. For now. He could always record Syren again. He looked up as Syren grinned.
“Kiss me, Marshal, and I’ll let you get in my panties.”
He’d be getting in Syren’s panties regardless, but Kane did it anyway. He kissed Syren, long and deep, sucking on his tongue then stopping briefly to take a breath. “Nice deal you made there, husband.”
Syren smiled against his mouth, fingers going to Kane’s zipper. “I’m a businessman and I’m your weakness.” He winked. “We both win.”
* * *
Thank you for reading!
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Books by Av
Brooklyn Sinners series (M/M)
Love the Sinner- Angel and Gabe
Sinner, Savior- Pablo and Shane
A Sinner Born- Syren and Kane
Sinner’s Fall- Mateo and Tommy
* * *
Dread+Terrible series (M/M)
Dirty Desire- Dax and Deacon (TABOO)
Remember Me- Eddie and Bishop
Craving You- Preacher and Kannon
* * *
Staniel Duet (M/M)
Call the Coroner
Dig Your Grave
* * *
Loose Ends series (M/M)
Hidden Scars– Sullivan and Carter
Scars and Secrets– Levi and Donovan
Scars and Ruin– Dutch and Patel
Kiss Your Scars– Renzo and Low
Syren and Renzo(A love story, not a romance)
* * *
Run This Town series (M/M)
(Watch Me) Break You– Dima and X
(Watch Me) Body You– Reggie and Israel
(Watch Me) Unmask You– Elias and Lucky
(Watch Me) Save You– Tek and Quinn
RUSH: an X and Dima novella
Full Circle: an Israel and Reggie novella
* * *
Freelancers series (M/M)
Temple
Roman
Demming
* * *
Paranormal Security Council series
Voltaire’s Abandon(M/F)
Saint’s Surrender(M/M)
Prez’s Mercy(M/M)
Remi’s Betrayal(M/M/F)
* * *
The Make Me series
Make Me Blaze(M/M)
Make Me Burn(M/M)
Make Me Sweat(M/F)
* * *
Fantasies: Thr33 series
When Morning Comes(M/M/M)
Until the Sunset(M/M/M)
As Night Falls(M/M/F)
* * *
Standalone
Want It(M/M) (TABOO)
So Far Gone(M/M)
In Dreams…A Forbidden MM Romance Short(M/M)
* * *
Author Website
