Chapter Fifty Three

Lizzie wasn't sure that they had slept, her whole body tingled from the attention Oscar had lavished on her. In turn she'd done things with him, to him that made her blush to think about it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Oscar's voice cut through her daydreams and she felt herself blush, and the lamp that had stayed on throughout their night highlighted that, she was sure.

"Nothing."

He pulled himself half up so that he could look down at her, "that is a dirty blush, Miss Breen...I know that about you. Don't waste the thought...share it."

Was it possible to blush more? She was sure she was already scarlet. Seeing her reticence, he nuzzled at her neck, "this is part of it...you tell me everything...I tell you everything."

She closed her eyes as his fingers started to twirl over the skin at her hip, "I was just thinking about..." She bit her lip, then realised that he had latched his lips on to one of her nipples. He moaned, a real heartfelt moan, and she knew he was reassuring her that everything he saw, he wanted.

She groaned herself, raising a hand to his thick hair, "shit. Now I've lost all train of thought."

He released her with an audible pop, then grinned, "I know what you were thinking...that you can't believe my tongue touched so many parts of your body..." he swooped in and lashed said tongue over her nipple once more, and her body pumped with longing, "or that yours touched so much of mine." He rolled so that he was on top of her, "as much as I love Nate...he has definitely been hampering our explorations of each other."

She blushed again, but she couldn't resist adding, "so we need to get a regular baby sitter...or start checking into hotels."

He laughed, kissed her, then offered, "or we wait until he's at school...seeing as we are both out of work."

"I have school starting in a few months."

Oscar wriggled his lips until they sank between hers, until he was almost where she needed him to be, "so we'd better not waste any time then?"

She was sleeping finally, and Oscar could do nothing but watch her, Lizzie had long eyelashes that fluttered as she breathed. He wondered for a moment if she was having a nightmare, that was until a smile curled across her lips. She WAS still asleep, but maybe he was influencing her dreams, that was all he could hope for. He was tempted to dive under the duvet and wake her up with his mouth, but as he contemplated that, he heard a noise outside the room.

Nate. He'd recognised that gait pattern on the stairs anywhere.

Sitting up, he reached for the pair of football shorts that sat on top of his bag, by the time he'd reached the bathroom door he had managed to drag them on.

Freya was in the lounge, Riley feeding from her eagerly. An awkward moment, but he was soon swamped by Nate and Elena, his beautiful niece.

"Sshh! Aunty Lizzie's still sleeping guys. What you doing?"

They both spoke at once, so Freya smiled, "they were lying in bed deciding which sugary cereal they were going to have for breakfast..."

At that point they both shouted, "Lucky Charms!"

Freya repeated his need to shush, then laughed, "and I believe that the movie was..."

"Monster's University!"

Freya chuckled, "if you sort out the cereal, and some juice...then you can go back to bed. I can supervise the movie."

He stretched, avoiding her loaded wink, "what time is it?"

"Six forty five. Only one of us should be up."

THe temptation to go back to bed was huge, and curling up to Lizzie, seemed like heaven. But he didn't see his niece very often...or his little nephew.

"I'll do the cereal, but then I'll have Riley and watch MU with these two loud guys."

That made the kids smile, and Freya looked at him, her head tipped to the side, "where's my brother and what have you done to him?"

He sighed, "last night...it made me realise how hard it is having kids." She waggled her eyebrows, but he wasn't biting, "Lizzie and me, we haven't had any time together, that's part of what has made this so hard, this new thing between us. Last night...we appreciated it, we needed it." He sighed. "And right now, I'm betting that Coop will appreciate a long lie in with you, and no kids. First time in ages?" When she hesitated, he added, "are you arguing?"

She grinned, finally shaking her head, "I am just trying to think about what I can buy Lizzie later, something amazing."When he lifted an eyebrow on question, she added, "because she has made a good brother great!"

Riley in his arms sleeping contentedly, Elena and Nate either side of him, Oscar couldn't remember being so settled. As the door to his right opened, he glanced across to see a sleepy Lizzie, framed in the doorway. And his heart surged, he loved her. More than anyone he'd ever known...other than the three kids in his arms. She smiled, and then stretched, his t-shirt lifting up her thighs as she did it. And a whole host of rather different emotions flooded him.

"Got your hands full, Mr Wicker?"

He grinned, "no more than last night."

She blushed, but it was a confident, seductive smile, "you look like you're having fun."

He nodded, his eyes devouring her, "gave my sister a lie in...with her husband. Thought they deserved it."

She leaned against the back of the sofa opposite him, "you're a kind man. Want a coffee?"

"Sounds amazing."

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she expertly filled the coffee machine, then came across to him, and he noticed the glint in her eye, "What?"

She reached out her hands, "can I have a cuddle?" When his eyes widened with surprise, she shook her head, "no! With Riley!"

Oscar finished off pouring the coffee for them both, then turned back to the sofa, and stopped dead in his tracks. Lizzie was on the sofa, Riley's head on her shoulder, lying vertically down her body, one hand taking the weight of the baby, her other arm was wrapped around the two other children, Elena sat astride her thighs facing away from her, Nate leaning against her. She was laughing at the antics on the screen, and she looked the epitome of everything that was motherhood, they could sculpt her in every religious venue up and down the country, because even if he risked being struck down, she was more perfect than anything he'd ever seen.

Suddenly images of her pregnant, nursing a baby, he could see her surrounded by children...his children...their children. He'd never had such a revelation, such an epiphany.

"You ok?"

Oscar shook his head, clearing his mind for a moment, "just thinking that you look pretty relaxed there. With all three kids...I might just nip back to bed."

He expected her to react, to be indignant, or maybe a bit pissed off, but she shrugged, "can't take the heat, get out the kitchen..."

That made him laugh out loud, "you are SO cheeky."

As soon as he sat down, Elena jumped down off Lizzie's lap, to climb onto his, he hugged her into his chest, kissing the top of the head, and the five of them stayed like that until the film ended.

There was a crib in the corner of the room, and after the movie, Lizzie placed a snoring Riley into it, then started making breakfast. Pancakes. Even though the other children had already had cereal, their eyes lit up and their nods were enthusiastic for pancakes.

They were sat at the breakfast bar as Lizzie flipped pancakes onto their plates, and Oscar was pouring orange juice when a rather smug looking Coop descended the stairs. Lizzie rolled her eyes as the two men nudged each other and started to tease about his 'lie-in'.

"Shit, Coop. She's my sister, TMI."

He shrugged as he filled a mug with coffee, "whatever...just thanking you for my...treat."

Coop winked at Lizzie as she stifled a giggle; meanwhile Oscar turned a rather puce shade of red. Then turned back to making more pancakes.

Twenty minutes later the four adults were sat together, eating and devouring coffee as Coop explained all about this new venture. He'd given up playing ice hockey rather dramatically and at the height of his success due to personal issues. He'd swore never to skate again, but Freya had changed that in him, he now coached and played, which led to a newly set up team in the UK headhunting him. It meant more time with Freya's parents, and a chance to try something new...and to play more. He was glowing as he talked about it, it was a huge step for the family, but Freya was as excited as her husband.

Lizzie could feel the love between them, they were such a lovely couple, devoted yet independent, funny, and so accommodating and friendly. She glanced at Oscar, hand on his chest ass he laughed loudly, the three of them were so used to each other, so close...but she felt sucked into that too. They didn't exclude her from jokes or conversations, if anything Freya loved pulling her into verbal battles with the men, and she backed her up. Oscar even chanced putting his arm around her, pulling her close.

This was what it felt like to be part of a family. She had craved it all her life, every moment that she denied she needed it. And now? It felt like she was finally where she belonged.

"So are you selling everything when you move?"

Freya shook her head to Lizzie's question, "we need to see if this works out."

"Yep," Coop added. "We're heading to the UK for a month, meet the board, discuss contracts, I mean I want to scope things, see if they are on the right lines. I'm not abandoning things here on a whim. It's got to work for us both."

Freya reached out and squeezed his hand, "what he means is he's waiting to see if my parents overcrowd him. He's not into all that, are you, babe?"

He rolled his eyes, then smiled at Oscar, "I love your parents." Turning to Lizzie he added, "we're stabling the cars and locking this place up like Fort Knox. Then we'll see how it goes. We could rent it out...but I'm hoping that we don't have to. But you're closing up completely, Oscar?"

"Going to head over later and see what is worth shipping. Not much I bet."

"So you want a ride to your apartment?" Coop asked. "I'm going to the bar to sort out some contracts with my manager. I'll be passing."

Oscar shrugged, "that could work, but I may have a lot to bring back."

Coop nodded, "take the SUV then, I'm sure Freya can drop me at the bar on the way to the mall."

"You coming with me? After all, you have the say on what I take to your home."

Lizzie laughed at that, "you can take as little or as much as you like. That isn't my decision."

"I want her to come to the mall with me, a girly afternoon. You have her all the time, bro."

Oscar lifted an eyebrow, "do I, Lizzie? Do I have you all the time?"

It was a question filled with innuendo, and he expected her to blush, but she merely shrugged, "in your dreams."

Coop barked with laughter, reaching across the table to hi-five her, "she's got you, Oscar. Love it!"

Lizzie basked in that attention, and Oscar realised he loved that more than her blushing, confident, involved and happy. Fuck, he loved her so much.

It seemed so strange to step into his old apartment, nothing had changed since he was last there, yet EVERYTHING had. He'd fallen in love, he'd changed, he'd suddenly seen light where there had been none. Yet his coffee mug was still in the kitchen sink, and a picture of him and Freya on top of the dresser. He flicked on the TV and it connected immediately to his favourite sports channel. It was like taking a step back in time, or rather, like he'd taken a huge leap forward.

He opened cupboards to see basic crockery, a few glasses, nothing he wanted or needed. In the lounge there were a few novels, some bills and mail, both otherwise, nothing that had a place in his life now. Opening one of the empty boxes he'd brought with him, he tossed in the essentials. This wasn't going to take long. He had two suitcases and was going to take the clothes he really wanted, the rest Freya would give to thrift shops and welfare.

After twenty minutes, he'd cleared what he needed from the lounge, and filled three huge bags with things to be donated. The bathroom was quick, nothing other than some old towels and half used toiletries. Those joined the ever growing pile of trash.

By the time he reached the bedroom he regretted starting things. He wasn't domestic and this was far too much like cleaning. It was a huge relief to see a text from Lizzie pop up on the phone, that he hadn't stopped to check out, honestly.

"Bet you've given up already! Need a hand with? Your sister has taken all three kids to the beach. A bit cold, but they weren't arguing!"

Grinning he thumbed a quick reply.

"I need you ALL the time, but especially today, x"

He was a little more enthused as he opened his wardrobe, and he'd chosen several suits to pack, but also filled three more bags for donation.

He didn't hear the knock at the door, not at first, but then he had linked his phone to his blue tooth speaker and was blasting Beastie Boys classics at a volume that dictated he didn't give a shit if he upset his soon to be ex-neighbours.

He'd got a bit hot diving into cupboards, and had thrown his t-shirt on to the sofa an hour earlier, grabbing a towel, he tried to dry his body as he crossed that room to let Lizzie in, a manic grin on his face at the thought of maybe taking advantage of some time alone.

"Couldn't wait to get your hands on me?" he asked as he pulled open the door.

Then froze.

Stood on the doorstep, an unreadable expression on her face, was Krystal.