Begin Again (12 page)

***

Dylan woke up to the sound of Joey talking, coming through the baby monitor. He looked down at Journey, who appeared to be out cold. He smiled and maybe gloated a little since he knew why she was so tired.

He’d woken up at two, hard as hell.
Journey’s warm naked body was draped across his. The flowery smell she always had surrounded him. The lingering scent of their lovemaking filled the room, but was almost nonexistent. He stroked her side, smiling when goosebumps popped up all over her skin. His hand slid to her breast, pinching the nipple between his thumb and forefinger until it turned into a hardened point. Journey was slowly waking up. He could hear it in the way her breathing changed. He ground his cock against her ass, groaning low in her ear.

Dylan’s hand slid down
, rubbing circles around her clit. It didn’t take much until she was soaked. He was going to have to improvise since his bag with the extra condoms was out in his truck. “Baby, I don’t have any condoms, but I’m gonna take care of you okay?”

“I
have some in my nightstand. The box is unopened.”

He kissed her shoulder and rolled to his side to open the nightstand, grabbing the box and ripping
it open quickly. He pulled one of the foil packets out and quickly ripped it open, sheathing himself. Pulling Journey on top of him, he kissed her slowly as he lifted her hips to position the tip of his cock at her entrance. Next time he was going to make sure there was lots of foreplay beforehand. He just couldn’t wait to feel her snug pussy hug his cock.

As he entered her inch by inch
, he thought he was going to die. She had her head thrown back as a guttural moan left her lips. Damn, she was a sight; sex on a stick, and she didn’t even realize it. His hands lifted to her tits, squeezing the full globes as Journey rode him. Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around her and sucked one of her berry nipples into his mouth. She ground down against him as he thrust his cock deep within her depths. He switched nipples, adding a little nip to the hardened tip. Dylan put his hand over her mouth as her cries rose to a crescendo. Her pussy was squeezing the life out of his cock.

He let go of her nipple with a pop, took his hand away from her mouth
, and brought her lips to his. He swallowed her groan as he thrust harder and faster into her. “You ready to come, baby?” he asked against her lips.

“Yes
,” she whimpered. He flipped them so Journey was on her back with Dylan still inside her as he started thrusting into her with renewed vigor. He lifted both of her legs up and over her shoulders, again covering her mouth as she let out a ragged cry.

“Shh…”

He reached in between them again, rubbing her clit. He could feel it swell to a hardened pearl. Her pussy was starting to squeeze him again and he was going to come. He changed the angle of his thrusts and knew he was hitting the golden spot when her whole body shuddered and she let go. He increased his thrusts until he felt his balls draw up tight and then he exploded inside of her.

When Dylan’s breathing returned to normal he slowly pulled out of her and rested his head on her
chest. He could hear her heart pounding and smiled, knowing he was the cause. Lifting his head, he smiled looking down into Journey’s eyes. She gave him a sleepy smile before she zonked out again on him. He smiled, went to take care of the rubber, and crawled back into bed with her. It wasn’t long before sleep pulled him under.

Now he was showered and dressed.
He got Joey up, who had to be the most cheerful little boy he’d ever seen. He sat his boy in his highchair and put some sliced bananas on it and a sippy cup of milk. He was just starting the coffee when Journey came walking into the kitchen. She went and kissed Joey’s head and then walked over to Dylan. He wasn’t sure if she was going to regret last night until she came to him, wrapping her slender arms around his waist. The smile she graced him with melted his heart. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers.

“How did you sleep, baby?”

“I slept really well.
Did he wake you up?” She poured them both a cup of coffee.

“Nah, I usually get up early.
It was nice to get him up this morning. Is he always this happy? He’s been talking and laughing since I brought him out here.” The smile that spread across Joey’s face when Dylan went in to get him out of bed made his heart burst in his chest. His little man smiled and then reached for him.

He managed to get Joey’s diaper changed and his clothes changed.
Joey wiggled and squirmed, but he’d done it.

“Yeah
, he’s happy ninety percent of the time. He has his moments, but he’s usually happy. I’m going to go shower. Can you stick around till I get out or Nan gets here?”

“
Sure. Can I do anything to get him ready for daycare?” He wanted to give her any help that she’d take from him.

“Thanks
, and no, just wipe his mouth off. I’ll put his shoes on when we’re ready to go.”

He watched her walk away
. He noticed she was walking a little stiff. She’d told him during the night that she hadn’t been with anyone since him. She had said she had no time to meet anyone until Zach, but they hadn’t got real physical yet. Thank god, he didn’t think he’d be able to handle knowing that Zach had been inside her. She made him feel like a possessive bastard, but he couldn’t help it. She was going to be his and they were going to be a family. After last night, he knew he was never going to be able to let her go. He was just going to have to prove to her that he wasn’t going to leave her again and that she could trust him with her heart.

Chapter Ten

It had been two weeks since the night with Dylan and things were going great. They were getting to know each other and he was enjoying spending time with Joey and Abby. Abby was absolutely smitten with him. It scared her a little because if he left it would break Abby’s heart along with her own. Joey loved his daddy, it was obvious whenever Dylan came over. Both kids wanted his undivided attention when he was over. He was very sweet about it and included Abby in everything he did with Joey.

Tonight she was taking the kids to Dylan’s
sister’s for dinner and a play-date for the kids. Stacy was bringing Violet, too. The men were all going to go do their man thing. Journey was looking forward to it. It’d been a long time since she had girlfriends. In college she had lots, but after her parents died, she travelled a lot and then she’d gotten pregnant, and then Abby came along. Free time was not a term that she’d use to describe anything she had these days. She just wanted them to like her enough that they would want to include her in stuff.

The kids were ready to go and all she had to do was
change her clothes. Throwing her hair up into a ponytail, she brushed her teeth and she was ready to go. On her way home from work she picked up cupcakes from a little bakery to bring with. She walked into the living room where Abby and Joey were playing together on the floor.

“Are you guys ready to go to Bellamy’s?” Abby shouted yes and jumped up
, running to put her shoes on. Journey scooped Joey up in her arms, kissing his cheek. “Are we going bye-bye?” Joey smiled and started clapping.

She put Joey down grabbed her bag and the cupcakes
.

“
Sweetheart, grab his hand and open the door for me.”

“Zach! You came to see us!” Journey turned around
, shocked to see him standing in her doorway. After he broke things off with her, they hadn’t really spoken to each other.

“Hey
, Journey, you look great.”

“Um
, thanks. What are you doing here?” They stepped back from the door so Zach could step inside. If Dylan stopped by and found Zach there, he wasn’t going to be happy.

“I just wanted to see how you guys were doing. I’m sorry I kind of disappeared on you after I told you I still wanted us to be friends.”
He scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed. “How are things with Dylan and Joey?”

“Things are good.
Joey’s crazy about him and vice versa. Dylan’s a good dad. We-we’re giving it a shot. You know, see where things go.” It was an awkward conversation, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“That’s great, sweetheart.
I’m real happy for you guys.” He looked down at the bag she was holding. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was keeping you from something. I just wanted to stop by and see how you guys were doing. I’ll see you Monday at school.” He leaned down, kissing her forehead. He said bye to the kids and left.

Twenty minutes later
, Journey was pulling up in front of Bellamy’s house. She unloaded the kids and the car and walked up to the front door. Stacy greeted them at the door with a huge smile on her face. Journey was envious of her; she was gorgeous and had a body to die for. It didn’t hurt that she had a great personality, too.

Stacy reached down
, picking Joey up into her arms. “Hey, handsome. Come on in, guys.”

Following Stacy into the house
, she found Carrington running around in circles while Violet chased her. Abby wasn’t shy at all and ran right over to the other girls, who were both excited to see her. She followed Stacy out on to the back deck where Bellamy was setting up food. She smiled when she caught sight of Journey and Joey as they came through the doors.

“Hi
, guys, thanks for coming.” Bellamy enveloped Journey in a big hug.

“Thanks for having us. Abby’s been looking forward to this since you called.
I have, too. Can I help with anything?”

“No
, I think we’re all set. Why don’t you girls go get the kids and we can eat.”

Journey went inside to gather
up the kids. Abby held Carrington’s hand and walked with her out to the deck. She picked up Violet, who started babbling at her and took her out to her mom. It still amazed her how much Violet and Joey looked alike. They could certainly be twins, but considering the strong DNA that Dylan and his brother shared, she wasn’t surprised.

Bellamy had made the kids peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches, fruit salad
, and chips. As the kids wolfed down their food, the three women sat and talked.

“So how are things going with my brother and Joey?
My mom said that she’s helping fix up his spare bedroom so he’ll be set to sleepover.”

“It’s going really well.
Joey is crazy about his daddy and Dylan is about him, too.”

“Joey’s not the only one Dylan is crazy over
,” Stacy said, giving Journey a wink.

Her face felt flushed, she knew her face was probably beet red.
She didn’t think it would be a good idea to talk about Dylan in front of his sister, so she tried to be vague.

“Things are going good.
It’s been nice getting to know each other again. We may have had a rough start, but he’s been really great. Abby is certainly smitten with him. Joey’s been calling him ‘dada’ and I can see what it does to him every time Joey says it.”

Both women were smiling at her.
Her face started heating up again, but she quickly switched focus off of her. “So, Dylan tells me you’re going to have another baby. That’s great news, congratulations.”

“Yeah
, we’re really excited about it. Care Bear knows, but I don’t think she fully comprehends that she’s getting a baby brother or sister.” The woman was in great shape and showed no signs of pregnancy at all. Dylan had told her that Bellamy was a personal trainer and taught aerobics classes. It was obvious that her body was her temple.

“What about you, Stacy?
Are you and Dustin going to have more kids?” Journey asked as she stole a grape from Abby’s plate.

“Well
, we’ve actually decided to start trying. I just had my IUD removed, so we’ll see how long it takes. At least this time we’ll have control over it.”

Journey looked at them with confusion. Stacy leaned in close and told her about her ordeal with her ex-boyfriend
, from sabotaging the condoms, which resulted in Violet’s conception, to her getting beaten and her ex killing himself.

“Dylan was my watchdog until
they released Dustin from jail; even afterwards he was there for me. Their whole family was, and that helped so much. Things were bad for a while, but I got help, and with Dustin’s support I got through it and we had Violet.”

Journey reached out
, grabbing Stacy’s hand. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” It couldn’t be easy going through all of what Stacy had and not come out unscathed.

“So
, Journey, I’m dying to know how you got your name.” Bellamy looked at her expectantly.

“Well, my parents
were very much into music. My dad named my brother Cash after Johnny Cash, of course. When they had me, my mom decided to name me after her favorite band. I hated it when I was younger, but the older I got, I loved it because it made me unique.”

“So what’s Joey’s full name?” Stacy asked.

“It’s Joseph Dylan Cummings.
Joseph was my dad’s first name, and you know where I got the middle name.”

Both women smiled at her.
As soon as she knew she was having a boy she’d named him Joseph Dylan. If he would’ve been a girl, she would’ve been Dillon Elizabeth. She had yet to tell Dylan that Joey had his first name as his middle.

The kids all finished up and after everyone was wiped off
, Bellamy grabbed bubbles for the kids to play with. As they all ran around, Journey, Stacy and Bellamy ate their dinner, which was a grilled chicken wrap that Bellamy made and they were delicious. They watched the kids, laughing as the older two girls chased the babies around.

“So, Journey
, next Saturday we were planning on doing a couples night. Do you think you could come?” Bellamy looked at her expectantly.

“Well, if Nan’s not working and doesn’t have plans
. Does Dylan know?” She didn’t want to assume that he was going to take her anywhere.

“The boys were going to talk to him tonight about it.
We thought we could do dinner and some dancing. What do you think?” A night out with other couples did sound like a lot of fun.

“That sounds like a lot of fun.”
They decided they were going to meet up later that next week and go shopping for dresses to wear. It made her giddy to do girl stuff again. She missed out on a lot of that since she’d been busy with her kids, but she didn’t regret one second of it.

The kids ate their cupcakes, whic
h were made by Bellamy’s mother-in-law. Violet and Joey were getting along better since they were feeding each other their cupcakes. After dessert, they all sat down to watch
Despicable Me 2
, which was Abby’s favorite movie. Journey wasn’t ashamed to admit that she loved the movie, too. She settled in on the floor with Joey in her lap.

By the time the movie was over
, Joey was asleep in her lap. Violet was asleep on her mom, but the two older girls were still up. It was only nine o’clock on a Friday night and Journey was ready for bed herself. She highly doubted that she’d see Dylan tonight, so she was just going to get the kids ready for bed and settle in herself to catch up on her reading.

“Come on
, Abby; let’s get your shoes on so we can get home.”

“Awww…can’t I stay here?” Nothing like being put on the spot.

“Not tonight, sweetheart. Maybe we can plan a sleepover another night.” Abby looked up at her with her little wobbly chin.

“Okay, but do you promise?” She’d never let Journey forget it
, either.

“I promise, sweetheart.
We’ll set something up with her momma soon. Is that okay with you, Bellamy?” Journey stood with Joey in her arms.

“Of course
. We’ll plan something really special for you girls when you have your first sleepover. I promise.”

That seemed to appease her because she nodded and went to get her shoes.

Journey made her way to the door when Stacy stopped her—giving her a hug. “I’ll call you this week about shopping.”

It was making her giddy to think she was going to have a night out with other
couples, granted Nan could babysit. She wrapped her free arm around Stacy. “That sounds good.”

Bellamy was next
. “Thank you so much for inviting me over tonight. The kids had a great time, I did too.” Bellamy squeezed her tight.

“I’m glad we got to know you and the kids better.
We’ll do this again.”

She took the kids out to the car and loaded the
m up in the car. She waved to them as she pulled away and headed home.

***

Dylan walked into Shooter’s to hang out with his brother and Luke. It had been a great couple of weeks with Journey and the kids. Only two weeks together and he was already in deep for all three of them. That little princess, Abby, was his little buddy. Joey was incredible and every minute he got to spend time with him he fell more and more in love with him. Journey was everything he could want and more. When he was with her, he felt light and free. It had been an extremely long time since he felt like that. She made him laugh and smile so easily.

Not to mention the sex that was out of this world.
Every time he sank into her tight pussy he felt like he had died and gone to heaven. He was getting hard right there in the bar thinking about her. Shaking it off, he walked towards the back where his brother and brother-in-law were sitting. He grabbed a chair and sat next to Luke.

“So I hear the girls and kids are having a little party tonight at your place,” Dylan said
.

“Oh yeah, Bell was cleaning the house like a maniac when I got home today. She’s pregnant and it makes her even more of a clean freak than she usually is.
Care Bear couldn’t wait for Abby to get there,” Luke said as he grabbed a glass of beer.

“Yeah, Abby’s the same way.
She hasn’t stopped talking about it, either.”

“We haven’t talked about it much, but how are things
going with Journey and the kids?” Dustin asked while pouring himself a beer.

“Things are great
. Granted, it’s only been a couple of weeks. I’m grateful that she’s given me a chance to get to know my son, get to know her again, and even get to know Abby.” Dylan would be forever grateful that she was giving him that chance. It made him feel like a fucking girl, being all in touch with his feelings and shit.