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Chapter Text

FIVE YEARS AGO

She groaned, stretching her sore muscles and pulling the soft sheets over her warm body. Taking a deep breath, she realized that the sheets didn't smell like their usual scent, her feminine smell mixed with cherries, vanilla, and roses. Instead, the sheets smelled like sandalwood, vanilla and manly.

Opening her eyes, she looked around the room and noticed she was definitely not in her room. Their clothes had been thrown all over the room, all the blankets except the two sheets were tangled and on the floor.

"What the fuck."  She mumbled, feeling a pound in her head making her wince in pain. "The fuck happened last night?" Slowly sitting up, she turned her head and gasped softly. There was a man -- definitely a little older than her -- soundly asleep beside her, and just as naked as her. He was asleep on his front, his muscular back glowing in the sun showing the nail marks she apparently made. 

Slowly, she slipped out of the bed and stood on wobbly legs, having to hold onto the nightstand next to the bed before slowly and quietly making her way around the room, grabbing her clothes from the ground. There was a mirror in the corner of the room where she caught a glimpse of herself, making her pause. The man had left purpling bruises and bites all over her neck and chest as well as on her thighs. There were hand prints on her waist and don't get her started about how red and sore her ass was.

"Jesus Christ." She mumbled, looking back at the man who was still sleeping on the bed. Groaning , she quickly put on her clothes and found her way out of the apartment.

PRESENT

"Lorraine, I need to ask you a favor." Lorraine looked up and raised her eyebrow at her best friend, Carol.

"Yeah? What's up?"

Carol sighed as she flopped on the couch next to the brunette, taking a swig of her beer before passing it to her best friend who happily took a swig. 

"Roger's boss, he's looking for a stay-in nanny for his five-year-old son and daughter. I would take it but, the man is such an ass."

Lorraine snorted and typed away on her laptop. "Why? What's wrong with him?"

"He's just so...Hard on everyone. Always has a stick up his ass and is always on Roger's about what he's doing."

"Well...Isn't he the big CEO of a big company and Roger takes care of all his business?"

"Yeah but, Roger isn't his fucking assistant. He makes it as if Roger is his assistant." Carol rolled her eyes, finishing the bottle of beer. Lorraine sighed, closing her laptop and placing it on the coffee table in front of them. 

She looked at her best friend, "And why should I be the one to take this nanny job?"

Carol shrugs. "You've been looking for a job since you were laid off. Plus, you've been looking for a place to stay."

"So...This was the opportunity you give?"

"If you don't want it just say it. Roger was just asking me to tell you."

Lorraine sighed and leaned back onto the couch. After a few minutes, she groaned. "Fine. I'll try it out for a few days. But if he's really a stuck-up asshole, then I'm not gonna stay around to deal with his bullshit."

Carols grinned and jumped toward her best friend, hugging the brunette tightly. "You're the best! He's been on Roger's ass about this. I'll tell him right now." She got up to grab her phone from the kitchen and called her boyfriend while Lorraine sat on the couch, thinking about the decision she just made. 

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Roger met up with Lorraine outside of the big, 15-story building. She smiled and waved at him as she threw her cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. 

"Hey!" She grinned as he waved back. Approaching her, he gave her a side hug. 

"Hey! Thanks for meeting him today."

"Yeah, of course. Carol told me he's been on your ass about this."

Roger scoffed and nodded his head as he led her to the building. "Just some tips you should know." He looked at her and she nodded. "Boss is not the talkative type so...Don't talk to him a lot unless you want to see him angry. He's very distant and cold. He is also known as the most eligible bachelor so...I don't know what happens at his house."

Lorraine rolled her eyes but nodded. "So, he's a manwhore?"

"Basically." He looked down at her as he opened the door for her. "Just...Don't say that to his face." She nodded and walked into the building. "He has guards at his house because he's also known as a dangerous man with a lot of power."

"Oh...great." She said in a monotone voice, rolling her eyes again. 

Roger stopped suddenly making Lorraine bump into his back. "And he hates physical touch."

Lorraine raised her eyebrow. "It's not like I'm going to touch the man, Roger. I just need the money and a place to stay."

"I'm just saying. And no one has seen or heard of his kids so...I don't really know how they look like or who they are."

"They?"

"Yeah...He has twins."

The brunette sighs and steps off the elevator with Roger. They walk into the office and notice everyone scrambling around, answering phone calls, and throwing papers around. Two workers bumped into each other, dropping a box of papers. Lorraine and Roger bent down and helped them pick up the mess on the floor.

"What's going on?"

Roger let out a chuckle, "Boss is coming. If everyone is this anxious to finish their jobs, means he's mad today."

Lorraine snorted and nods her head, handing the stack of papers in her hands to one of the men who just smiled and ran away. Roger took her to his little office in the corner of the floor.

"How does he look like?"

Roger frowned, cleaning his desk as Lorraine flopped onto the chair in front of the desk. "Who?"

"Your boss."

"You've...You're telling me you've never seen him?"

Lorraine shook her head making Roger scoff. "He's known worldwide, Lor. Everyone knows what he looks like and who he is."

"Well...Not me." She shrugs making the man sigh. Roger heard the elevator ding and he smirked. "Lucky for you, you're about to find out." He nodded his head toward the door making Lorraine turn in her chair, her jaw dropping. 

Coming out of the metal box was a tall, handsome blue-eyed man dressed in an all black suit. He had a cold look on his face, showing no expression at all. His strides were long and powerful and his muscles. 

Good lord.

The muscles in his arms flexed as he carried his briefcase. Lorraine's eyes traveled down his chest, the dress shirt he was wearing outlined his abs perfectly. 

"He's a walking wet dream." She mumbled, basically salivating at the sight of him. Not knowing she had said that out loud. 

"Ew, that's my boss." Roger rolls his eyes before coaxing her to stand up. "His name is Ed Warren. But, we call him "Mr. Warren", don't slip up by saying his actual name. He'll fire the two of us."

"I'm not even hired yet."

"You think he gives a fuck?" He raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend's best friend who scoffed. They walked out of his office and headed toward Ed's.

Knocking on the door, they heard Ed yell, "Come in!" Once they entered, Roger shut the door behind them and moved Lorraine to stand beside him. 

Ed glanced at them from his desk, doing a double-take when he noticed Lorraine. He fully looked up and raised an eyebrow. She tried not to squirm under his intimidating gaze.

Roger cleared his throat. "Sir, this is the lady I was talking about. To take your open Nanny position."

He looked Lorraine up and down, sizing her up. "Why her?" Her heart skipped a beat at his low, gruff voice. A certain part of her throbbing already.

Lorraine stayed quiet, looking at Roger who elbowed her. She glared at him before looking at Ed who was now annoyed as he watched them with an intimidating look. "I'm great with kids. I've had a lot of experience taking care of kids, even babies. I'll cook, clean, help them with their homework, take them to the park, and play with them. I-"

He sighed and looked down, not wanting to hear anymore. Lorraine raised an eyebrow, scoffing making him look at her with a glare. 

Roger grabbed her arm, trying to stop her from going off on his boss. She looked up at him, frowning at his pleading look. She shook his grasp off her arm and stepped forward. 

"Look. You need a nanny, I'm right here. No one wants to take the position because they're too scared that you might burn their ass in hell. I'm standing right here, telling you that I am willing to take the damn job and you don't want to listen to what I'm telling you? That I will take care of your kids; cook for them, clean them, and help them with their homework. Hell, I'll-"

"286 Rochester Drive." 

Lorraine looked at him in confusion while Roger's jaw dropped. "Pardon?"

"Be there at six or don't show up again." He replied, looking down at the pile of papers on his desk. 

"Th-thank you, Mr. Warren." Roger managed to say before grabbing Lorraine's arm and dragging her out of his boss's office. They stood silently outside the closed door. 

"Did he just..."

"You got the fucking job," Roger said with a smirk while Lorraine scoffed. 

"And I was praying he wouldn't fire your ass."

Roger let out a laugh as they headed back towards his office. He gave her the papers she'd probably need and showed her on his computer where his boss's house was. Her jaw dropped at the sight. 

"Damn!"

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Carol and Roger dropped Lorraine off in front of the large mansion, their mouths gaped open in shock. 

"Fuck, he's loaded," Carol said making Lorraine giggle. "Hope he pays you in thousands."

The brunette swatted her arm, "Oh, stop it. Now, I better go before he fires me for not showing up." Carol and Roger laughed as they waved at her while driving away. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the gates, the guards in front stopping her.

Before she could say anything, one of the big guards asked, "Lorraine Moran?"

Frowning, she nodded her head. The gates beeped and slowly opened. 

How the hell did he know my name?

Lorraine replayed the interview from this morning in her mind. She never mentioned her name nor did Roger. Well, the guy's a billionaire and has his ways. He must've done a background check on her.

As she walked to the front door and rang the doorbell, she waited a few seconds before the door opened. Her eyes met Ed's ocean blues, staring down at her. Not saying a word, he opened the door wider for her, letting her walk in.

Her eyes scanned the foyer. It was a big entrance with two staircases with black railings leading to the second floor. Near the front door was a long black table with a black bowl in the middle -- most likely for the keys -- and two vases on each end with flowers. The flooring was beautiful gray marble with white streaks. 

"The kids are in the living room." She heard his gruff voice say. Lorraine turned on her heel and looked up at him. She noticed he was out of his black suit and in a casual outfit; black jeans and a forest green polo. Her eyes traveled down his chest again, his pecs and abs seemed bigger when up close.

Ed cleared his throat making her eyes snap up. "I-I'm sorry. You said something?"

He let out a deep sigh and led her to the kitchen. "You can set your bag down there. I have two kids, a boy and a girl." He turned and looked down at her. "Junior and Judy."

Lorraine turned and smiled. "I'm guessing Junior is named after you?" Ed nodded his head and looked away from her, the image of her beautiful smile getting burned into his brain. She peeked around the wall, noticing two small kids sitting on the couch watching a movie on the big screen in front of them. Giggling once in a while making her giggle as well.

"They're cute." She commented, turning back around. With Ed's back toward her, she saw the muscles in his back flex as he stirred something in the pot on the stove. He turns off the stove and faces her. 

"Let me introduce you to them." He walked toward the kids, stopping in front of the TV with Lorraine following behind him and standing next to him. The kids stood up and walked over to them, looking up at her with big, blue eyes, just as blue as their fathers.

"Lorraine, this is Junior and Judy. Kids this is your Nanny. You can call her..." Ed turned to her, pausing and raising an eyebrow at her.

Lorraine smiled and crouched down to be the same height as the kids. "You cuties can call me, Lorraine."

Junior and Judy looked at each other. 

Junior opened his mouth, "Lor...Lori." The woman giggled. "Lori's okay, too."

Judy flashed her a toothy grin. "I'm Judy." Her small hand coming out towards Lorraine, wanting to shake the woman's hand. Ed watched with a small smile as Lorraine took her small hand in hers, shaking it. 

"Hello, pretty girl." She winked making the girl giggle. "How old are you, honey?"

"Five." The young girl whispered. Lorraine smiled and looked at Junior who watched her with an intense stare. 

Well, no wonder he's named after his father.

"And what about you, little man?"

"Five." He simply answered making Lorraine hum, her eyes going back and forth between the two.

"You're twins."

"Duh," Junior replied making Ed cough. The little boy looked up at his father who raised an eyebrow down at him. "Sorry. Yes, we are twins." Lorraine smiled and stood back up, looking at Ed.

"You hungry?" He asked no one in particular. The kids nodded their heads, "Yes!"

"Are we eating pasta?"

Ed hummed, ruffling Junior's hair. "Duh." 

Junior groaned, pushing his father's hand away. "You are messing up my hair, daddy!" His father chuckled and watched Junior walk away to wash his hands while Judy stared back, looking up at Lorraine. She walked over to her father, pulling on his hand. Ed crouched down and let Judy whisper in his ear, "She's pretty, Daddy."

Ed chuckled and leaned back, brushing her brown hair back. "I know, princess. C'mon. Go wash your hands and get ready to eat dinner." Judy giggled and kissed his cheek before going to Lorraine and pulling her down. She bent over and let Judy kiss her cheek before giggling and running away.

The brunette looked at Ed who was watching her again. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head, "No. You hungry?"

"Thought I was just supposed to meet the kids and leave." Lorraine raised an eyebrow while Ed shrugged. 

"You can leave or...Stay and eat dinner. Your choice." She watched as he walked away, watching his back muscles flex. Lorraine bit her lip before following him to the kitchen. 

"I guess I'll stay. Get to know the kids more." She smiled making Ed nod his head and grab another bowl from the cupboard. 

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Judy was chatting away with Lorraine, telling her what she did today and what they watched while waiting for her. Junior sat quietly in his seat next to his father, chewing his pasta and watching Lorraine, and Ed doing the same. He noticed how beautiful she was. From the moment she walked into his office, he couldn't get her off his mind. 

When she was happy, her eyes would shine a bright blue, happiness radiating off of her. When she was mad at him in his office, he could see the fire in her eyes and how she wanted to say more but, stopped for the sake of her friend. He loved her blue eyes, they were the perfect color of blue, like the ocean when the sun illuminated it. Her nose crinkled every time she was about to laugh or when she smiled. Her long, brown hair was curled at the end and bounced when she walked. Her strides were full of power and confidence when she walked.

The kids loved her -- Well, Judy showed it more than Junior but, Ed could tell Junior liked Lorraine -- and he was happy that the kids were happy. It had just been the three of them since...Forever so, it was nice that there was going to be another person in the house. When they sat down for dinner, the twins would always sit next to each other across from their father but, tonight, Judy wanted to sit next to Lorraine making Junior sit next to Ed. 

Lorraine looked up and caught him staring at her, his eyes averting hers and looking at his daughter. "You like the pasta, princess?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Judy grinned after swallowing her food. "Is Lori staying here tonight?"

"No, baby. She has to go back to her own house."

Lorraine smiled down at Judy, "But I'll be back tomorrow." She leaned down next to Judy's ear. "And guess what, honey?"

"What?"

"I'll be here for a whole year." She then whispered. "Or until your daddy doesn't want me here anymore."

Judy started giggling making Lorraine laugh and sit up straight, looking at Junior and Ed who glanced at each other in confusion. Lorraine smiled at Junior, "What about you, little man? You haven't said a single word. How was your day?"

"Good." Junior shrugged, starting to play with his food. "I played with my legos and played soccer.

"You like soccer?" Lorraine asked, sipping her water. Junior nodded his head. "You know...When I was in high school, I was on the girl's soccer team. I was the central midfielder. I-"

"You were the defender and the attacker?" Lorraine nodded her head with a hum. "That's so cool! How long did you play? Did you win any medals? Can you show me your medals? Can you show me some tricks? I wan-"

"Woah! Slow down there, buddy." Ed chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Don't want her running away now." Junior giggled and grinned up at his father who smiled. 

Lorraine giggled, "No! It's okay. I played all four years but, I had to leave the team when I tore my knee."

"Ouch. How?"

"I was tackled and thought I was alright until I started running and my knee just gave out."

The three Warrens winced making Lorraine chuckle. "But...I mean it's alright now. I have a steel bar in my leg."

"What?"

Lorraine let out a laugh, "I'm kidding. But, I do have a lot of medals. I played in nationals. And I can show you some tricks tomorrow. If you don't have any plans tomorrow." The twins looked at their father with pleading faces. He sighed and leaned back in his seat, nodding his head. 

An hour later, the kids went to their rooms to get ready for bed leaving Ed and Lorraine downstairs. Lorraine was helping Ed wash the dishes despite him telling her not to. As she wiped the dishes dry, she was studying him. His brows furrowed together when he concentrated on something, whether it was trying to get a stain off of a pan or reading some bullshit on a piece of paper. His jaw would clench and unclench when he was frustrated, she noticed that when he walked into the office building and now while he was washing the dishes. When she'd look into his eyes, there was something in them. Sadness. She wanted to know why but, it was too soon.

"You done staring?" His voice brought her out of her thoughts. 

Averting her gaze, she focused on the glass cup she had been drying for the past few minutes. "Sorry." He let out a low chuckle and turned off the tap. 

"You live far?"

"Sorry?" Lorraine frowned as she looked up at him, staring into his bright, blue eyes once again. 

Ed smirked and turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest, flexing his pecs, and leaning on the counter. "I saw you get dropped off by Roger. I'll drive you home."

"I...No. It's okay. I'll get an Uber."

He rolled his eyes and headed for her bag, picking it up. "I'm dropping you off, whether you like it or not." Ed walked past her with a smirk before stopping before the stairs. "Judy! Junior! Let's go for a ride!" The kids ran down the stairs with a big grin. 

"Are we dropping Lori home?"

"Duh," Ed said with a chuckle, ruffling Junior's hair. Judy ran for Lorraine, holding her hand as they walked to the garage. Her eyes widened in shock at the three luxury cars he had; a black Land Rover, a black Audi RS5 Sportback, and a black Escalade. 

He looked down at the kids, "Which car should we take?" The twins glanced at each other before pointing at the Land Rover. They walked towards the car and Ed opened the back door, letting the kids sit inside, Ed buckled Junior into his booster seat while Lorraine helped Judy. Closing the doors, Ed rounded the car and opened the door for Lorraine before she could touch the handle. She raised her eyebrow at him but he just rolled his eyes. Snorting, she hops in and buckles her seatbelt as Ed closes her door and rounds it again, opening his door and sitting down. 

_________________________________

After a while of driving around, the kids fell asleep in the back seat while Ed and Lorraine sat quietly and listened to the music playing. 

"Thank you." She heard Ed say making her frown at him. 

"For what?"

Ed glanced at her, "Making the kids smile." She tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "They haven't...Just...Thank you."

Lorraine smiled and looked straight, watching the road. "You're welcome." She wanted to ask more but, bit her tongue to stop her. Ed pulled up in front of Carol's house, putting the car in park. The brunette turned, smiling at the sleeping kids before turning back and unbuckling her seatbelt. She looked at Ed who was watching her intently.

Lorraine cleared her throat and looked away, grabbing her bag from the ground. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Warren."

"Pack your clothes." He answered simply, unlocking the doors for her. She nodded and opened the door, stepping out. Turning, she closed the door, the two of them looking into each other's eyes until she walked away. Carol opened the door with a big grin when she noticed the black Land Rover still parked on the street. She frowned at her best friend who playfully rolled her eyes. 

Carol's jaw dropped, "No way." Lorraine giggled and swatted her arm. She turned to look at the car when it sped away. She sighed and turned back to Carol who sighed as well. "What an asshole."

"He's..." Maybe she shouldn't. Ed's probably trying to keep up his ego. "Yeah. Such an asshole."

"C'mon. Let's party for your last night with us." Her best friend patted her back and took her hand, leading her to the kitchen where Roger was making them drinks. 

Chapter Text

On her first day, Ed decided to take the day off from work so that he could show her the routine the kids had. In the morning, they would brush their teeth and hang around in their pajamas until after breakfast. Around noon, he would sometimes take the kids out for a walk so that they could get out of the house for a little. Ed told Lorraine that sometimes, they would go on picnics or just play in the park for a few hours. If not, they can go to the mall or in town whenever they want to. Once they got back to the Warren residence, it was around the evening time and while Lorraine was downstairs making dinner, Ed took the twins to take their baths. After getting ready and putting on their pajamas, they sat down and ate dinner, helped each other clean up, and hung out in the living room until the kids fell asleep.

Ed ran his fingers through Junior's head as he slept on his lap while he was watching Lorraine smile down at his daughter, caressing the bridge of her nose. He felt a tug in his heart at the sight of this woman caring so much for his daughter. 

"I'm gonna put them to bed." He said, startling the brunette who forgot where she was for a second. Lorraine looked at him and nodded her head. 

"I can help you." She offered as she was moving Judy so that she could stand up but, Ed stopped her.

"No, it's alright. I can put them-"

Lorraine pleaded, "I want to help." Ed looked down at her once he stood up. He quietly nodded his head and held out his hand to help her stand. She flashed him a small smile before bending down to pick Judy, Ed having to look away when his eyes landed on her perfectly round ass. He cleared his throat and bent, carrying his son in his arms. He glanced at Lorraine who had a smile on her face as Judy wrapped her arms around her neck. 

"C'mon." He whispered, leading her to the twins' bedroom. Ed pointed out Judy's bed as he headed towards Junior's bed and set him down slowly. Covering the little boy up, he kissed his forehead and stood up straight, turning to see Lorraine sitting on Judy's bed, playing with her long, brown strands. 

"Don't go, Lori," Judy whispered as she clutched her stuffed bunny. Lorraine giggled softly and poked the tip of the little girl's nose with her finger. "I'm not going anywhere, honey. I'm staying here remember?"

"Oh...Yeah." The little girl sighed happily and closed her eyes. As Lorraine stood up, she opened her eyes again. "Are you staying forever?" The older woman turned and nodded her head, bending over and kissing the girl's head. 

"You'll be seeing me every day you'll get annoyed by my face."

Judy giggled, "No, I won't."

Lorraine smiled while Ed watched the two interact, a smile appearing on his as well. "Go to sleep, pretty girl."

"But, I don't wanna."

Ed was about to say something when Lorraine whispered, "If you go to sleep, I'll have your daddy bring us donuts in the morning." Judy gasped and immediately closed her eyes. The brunette giggled and kissed her head one last time before standing up straight and looking at Ed whose smile dropped as soon as she turned. He cleared his throat and walked to the door, expecting her to follow him but, Lorraine walked to Junior, caressing his cheek before bending and kissing his head as well. She quietly walked away, turning off their light and closing the door behind her. 

"Donuts?" Ed raised an eyebrow while Lorraine bit her lip, forgetting that she had said that. 

"Sorry..."

He let out a snort. "I'll buy them in the morning."

"It's okay. I'll have the shop deliver it."

Ed leaned on the wall, slipping his hands into his pockets as he gazed at her. "Why do that when I can buy them and drop it here for free." Lorraine thought about it before nodding her head, silently agreeing. He glanced at the time on his wristwatch and sighed. 

"Well, I'll let you have the rest of the night to yourself. I'll see you in the morning." 

Lorraine gave him a smile, "See you in the morning."

Walking away, he turned his head and called out over his shoulder, "Night, Lorraine."

"Good night, Mr. Warren." He paused and turned on his heel, confusing her. 

"Call me "Ed". You'll be staying here from now on so...No need for formalities." He said making her nod her head. 

"Alright...Good night...Ed." She said in a low voice as she smiled and walked towards her bedroom. Ed stood there, his heart skipping a beat when she said his name. He watched as she opened the door and turned, giving him another smile before closing her door. Sighing, he walked to the kitchen, grabbing a beer for himself before heading back up the stairs towards his room. 

The whole night, he couldn't stop thinking about the brunette sleeping just a few doors down from him. Her smile was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in the world. Her eyes were the bluest of the blue. When the sun would reflect on them, they shined brightly, illuminating a glow that made her look like some kind of angel from heaven. The love she had for the kids was something he hadn't seen in someone in a long time. When she met them yesterday, he could tell how much she cared for them already. Today, he watched how she played around with them, she had natural motherly instincts and it made his heart flutter. 

He's known her only two days and she's made him feel things he hadn't felt in a while. Well, not since five years ago.

___________________________

Lorraine woke up bright and early, excited to spend the day with the kids. She felt some sort of connection towards them but, she didn't want to seem like some creepy, weird woman who was trying to steal someone's kids. She wanted to take her time to naturally grow the connection between her and the kids as she had done with the kid she used to nanny for -- even if this was the first time she was being a stay-in nanny. 

Once she finished brushing her teeth and applying mascara to her lashes, she changed into black leggings and a hoodie before slipping on her shoes. Throwing her hair into a low bun, she grabbed her phone and checked the time.

"Shit." She mumbled. It was only 6 AM, the kids wouldn't be up for another three hours. Lorraine sighed as she bit her lip, thinking about what she could do to make up for the three hours. An idea popped into her head and she walked out of her room, heading down the stairs toward the kitchen. She'll make some brownies for the kids so that they can pack them, take them to the park, and have a little picnic. 

An hour later, she was just taking the fresh brownies out of the oven when Ed walked into the kitchen, fixing his tie. 

"Brownies? Thought I was bringing donuts."

Lorraine smiled at him, "Morning! I thought I'd make these for the kids. I was thinking of taking them on a picnic in the park." Ed nodded his head as he made himself a cup of coffee, the scent of delicious brownies filling his nose. Lorraine slipped past him, her perfume mixing with the chocolate making his head swirl. She smelled of cherries, vanilla, and a hint of rose.

Shaking his head and clearing his throat, he turned and faced her. Watching as she cut the brownies into squares, sometimes picking a small piece and eating it. A small smile formed on his face. Lorraine picked up a piece and turned, holding out her hand so he could take the brownie.

"Oh...No, I'm alright."

Lorraine frowned, "Not a chocolate person?"

"I am..."

She nudged the piece of baked chocolate closer to him. "I didn't poison it, Ed." Lorraine playfully rolled her eyes making him huff out a laugh. He took the piece and bit into it, his brows raising in shock at how chewy and soft they were.

"Wow."

Lorraine grinned, "Best you've had, huh?"

Ed nodded his head. "Actually...Yes. Even brownies from a bakery can't beat these." He put the rest of the chocolate dessert in his mouth. Lorraine's eyes fell from his blue eyes to his lips, his tongue peeking out and licking his fingers and then his lips. When she looked back up, he was staring at her with intense blue eyes. Clearing her throat, she looked away and glanced at her phone.

"The kids don't get up for another hour..." She sighed, picking up the empty tray and placing it in the sink, soaking it in water so it'll be easier to wash later. 

"Mhmm." He hummed, sipping his coffee. "You can honestly do what you want for an hour. I'm gonna head out and grab the donuts before going to work." Ed watched her wipe down the counter with a damp towel, collecting bits of crumbs in her cupped hands before dusting her hands into the trash. Lorraine turned and nodded her head, flashing him a smile. 

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At 9 AM, Lorraine made her way into the kids' bedroom. Slowly, she caressed Junior's cheek, coaxing him awake. 

"Wake up, little man. Time to get ready."

Junior groaned, pulling his blanket over his head and making her giggle. She moved to Judy's bed, running her fingers through her brown strands. 

"C'mon, pretty girl." She whispered, watching as Judy slowly opened her eyes, glaring at her. 

"No." She huffed, turning and clutching her stuffed bunny closer to her body and curling up under the blankets. Lorraine sighed and stood up. "Alright. Then...I guess the two of you don't want to have donuts for breakfast." She'd never seen someone get up at lightning speed and run to the bathroom to get ready just for donuts. Chuckling softly, she followed them into the bathroom, helping them get ready. 

As they made their way down the stairs after the kids brushed their teeth and Lorraine fixed their hair, Ed was just placing the box of donuts onto the table. Looking up, a bright smile graced his face as the twins ran to him. 

"Daddy!" They yelled, opening their arms and each hugging one of his legs. Lorraine smiled as Ed caressed their heads. 

"Good morning. You guys sleep well?"

The two nodded their heads, eyeing the donuts on the table. Ed chuckled and nudged them toward the table. "Sit, we'll make your hot chocolate and we'll eat together okay?"

"Okay, daddy," Junior replied while Judy silently nodded her head. She turned her head, looking for their nanny who was busy turning on the kettle and getting cups from the cupboard. Judy let go of her father's leg and walked over to the brunette, grinning up at her. Lorraine was scooping hot chocolate into two cups for the kids when she saw Judy. 

"Hello, pretty girl."

"Hi." Judy giggled before wrapping her arms around the older woman's legs, just like she had a few minutes ago with her father. Ed opened his mouth to say something to Judy when Lorraine held up her hand, stopping him. 

"It's okay." She mouthed before looking down, caressing the young girl's hair. Ed nodded his head and bent down, picking up his son and resting him on his hips as he walked around the kitchen, helping Lorraine make the hot drinks. 

Judy's grip tightened on her leg when she felt Lorraine try to walk. Lorraine giggled, "I have to walk at some point, honey." The young shook her head and sat down, her arms still wrapped around the woman's leg. Lorraine hummed and lifted her leg, surprised at how light the little girl was. She walked around, limping as Judy clung onto her leg. Ed looked at her, tilting his head but, the brunette just smiled, waving him off. 

Hearing the kettle whistle, Ed turned the stove off and poured hot water into the two cups. He gestured to the third cup with his chin as he looked at Lorraine who nodded her head, watching as he poured water into her cup as well. She was trying to walk towards him to help him with the cups but, Judy was stopping her.

Sighing, she bent and hooked her hands under the little girl's arms and lifted her, carrying her on her hip, mirroring Junior's position on Ed's hip. Lorraine grabbed three spoons from the utensil drawer and handed one to Ed, the two of them mixing the drinks as they carried a child.

"You're not drinking hot cocoa?" Lorraine asked softly as Judy moved her head to under the woman's chin, nuzzling her face into her chest. Ed shook his head, "I'll end up finishing one of the kids' drinks either way. They never finish it." Nodding her head, she grabbed a cup and moved to the table, Ed following her with the other two. They tried to place the kids into their chairs but, after many attempts and the kids not budging from their places in the adult's arms, Ed and Lorraine sat next to each other with a sigh, the kids sitting in their laps. 

Ed pulled the box of donuts closer to them and lifted the lid. All four of them deeply inhaled the scent of different sweets; chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, maple. 

"Which one do you want, princess?" Ed asked as he pushed the lid completely off the box. Judy hummed and lifted her head, looking at the many donuts. She pointed at the donut with chocolate frosting and pink sprinkles. 

"What do you say, honey?" Lorraine whispered, rubbing the little girl's back. 

"Please," Judy said, looking up at her father who smiled. Ed grabbed the donut and placed it on the plate in front of her. The little girl turned around in Lorraine's lap, her back facing the woman's front as she started picking at the donut. Lorraine peeked at Junior who was half-asleep on Ed's lap, his head resting on the man's broad shoulder. 

Giggling, she ruffled his brown, fluffy hair. "Hey, buddy. The donuts are gonna be gone soon if you don't wake up and eat them."

Head snapping up, he grabbed a donut from the box and glared at the two adults, resting his head back on Ed's shoulder as he nibbled on the pastry. Ed and Lorraine glanced at each other before laughing. 

"Let me guess...Chocolate?" Ed asked, looking at Lorraine who raised an eyebrow. 

"How'd you know?"

He smirked, "I have my ways." He'd seen the amount of chocolate she'd eaten on the day of the interview. Lorraine had grabbed bar after bar from the little bowl on Roger's desk. When he dropped her home the night before, they stopped for ice cream and she ordered chocolate ice cream with fudge and brownie bits on top. 

The brunette giggled and nodded her head. He placed a chocolate donut on her plate before picking a strawberry one for himself. With the kids eating their pastry in silence, Ed and Lorraine conversed as they ate. Talking about random topics wanting to get to know each other better. 

 ___________________________

Ed left for work an hour later, leaving Lorraine and the kids at home. She decided to take the kids for a picnic when it was warmer out as it was still a little cold. Leaving them in the living room for a few minutes, she ran to their bedroom to get hoodies. Once she managed to make them wear it, they played a game on the floor while the TV played in the background. 

Lorraine laughed as Junior threw his cards down in frustration when Judy won the game of Go Fish.

"Oh, c'mon, Buddy. You'll win the next game."

Junior rolled his eyes, huffing as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from her. The brunette giggled and ruffled his hair before looking at her phone to check the time. 

1:34 PM

She smiled, "Hey, you guys wanna head for our picnic now?" The twins looked at her with big grins as they nodded their heads. "Okay. Let's clean up and go." They helped each other clean the living room, putting away the cards and setting the pillows on the couch, Lorraine folded the blankets while the twins went to put on their shoes.  

As they were about to leave, her phone started ringing. Without looking at the caller ID, she answered, cradling her phone between her shoulder and ear as she packed food into a tote bag.

"Hello?"

"Hi, just...Checking in on the kids." Lorraine heard Ed's gruff voice say from the other line. She smiled and hummed. "They're doing great. We're about to leave for the park."

"What car are you guys taking?"

"Oh..." She never thought about how they were going to get there. "Uhm...I'll just-"

Ed sighed, rubbing his temples. "Car keys are in the bowl near the front door. Take the Land Rover or the Escalade."

Lorraine gasped softly as she paused on packing the food. She leaned on the counter, watching the kids play around with each other making her smile. "Oh, no. I couldn't-"

"You can drive right?"

"Yes."

"Take the car. You crash it, you pay me."

Chuckling softly she replied, "No faith in my driving, huh?"

Ed smirked, "There's cash in the middle console underneath. You gotta bang the side and it'll lift."

"I don't need money, Ed."

"Take. The. Money."

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Alright. Alright. Which car is it in." She heard him let out a deep chuckle. 

"Find it."

"But-"

"I'll see you guys at 8." Without another word, Ed ended the call. Lorraine looked down at her phone with a frown before sighing. She finished packing the food and grabbed the tote bag, walking over to the kids. 

"Alright, c'mon! Let's go." The twins ran to her and held her hand, the three of them walking to the garage after stopping at the key bowl to grab the two keys. They stood in front of the two cars and she looked down at the kids.

"Which one?"

The twins looked at each other before pointing at the Escalade. Smiling, she led them toward the black truck, unlocking it and opening the back seat so she could buckle into their car seats. Walking to the front, she remembered what Ed said about the middle console. Humming, she banged the side of the console and the top popped off. She smirked as she reached inside and grabbed the stack of cash inside. 

Lorraine sat in the driver's seat and stayed quiet for a second before turning to the twins who looked at her with a frown. "What do you guys think about...Going for a little shopping?" Cheering, the kids nodded their heads excitedly. She smirked and started the car, heading towards the mall. 

___________________________

The kids were giggling and licking their ice cream as Lorraine took a picture of them and sent it to Ed. 

Slipping her phone into her back pocket, she grinned at them. "You guys like your ice cream?"

"Yes! Thank you, Lori!" Judy squealed, finishing up her ice cream. Junior sat quietly, swinging his legs as his eyes scanned around the food court. Lorraine ruffled his hair making him giggle. 

"You okay, honey bun?" Junior nodded his head, smiling at her. She hummed and looked around, looking for another store for them to look into when her eyes met a familiar pair of blue eyes. Lorraine turned to the kids, a wide smile on her face. "Look who it is!" The twins followed her finger and gasped, standing up and running to their father. 

"Daddy!"

Ed opened his arms, carrying them as they jumped into his arms. "Hi, guys! You havin' fun?"

The kids smiled as they babbled over each other, talking about the past few hours they spent with Lorraine and what they planned to do for the rest of the day until he came back home. Lorraine smiled as she watched the kids and their father. She grabbed her bag and the shopping bags, heading over to the family of three. 

Ed looked up and smiled at her before looking down at the shopping bags in her hands. "Guess you found the money."

"Definitely did. Got the kids some new shoes and clothes."

Raising his eyebrow, he asked, "And you?"

"Oh...I just got myself some ice cream with them." Lorraine shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to use the money on herself. Shaking his head though, Ed placed the kids back onto the ground and pulled his wallet out from his back pocket. He got out his black Amex and handed it to her. 

"No! Oh, my god. No." She pushed his hand away making him roll his eyes. Ed grabbed her hand and placed the card in her palm. 

"Buy stuff for yourself. You brought a small suitcase to the house as if you were only staying with us for a month." He shook his head. "You're living with us for a year. You need a whole new closet."

Giving him the card back, she shook her head. "Ed, I have clothes at Carol's house. I'll just-"

"For the love of- By the time I come back home, there better be 100,000 dollars gone from my bank account."

"Jesus, Ed."

"200,000."

Lorraine's eyes widened. "No! You're-"

"300,000." He crossed his arms over his chest, the twins doing the same thing as they looked up at her. Lorraine scoffed, running her fingers through her hair. 

"Alright! Fine!" She snatched the black card from his hand and stuffed it into her back pocket. Ed smirked at her before kneeling, looking at the kids who smiled at him. 

"Help out Lori with picking clothes and shoes alright?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"Make sure she has tons of bags in her hands when you get home." He smiled at the kids who giggled, nodding their heads. Ed hugged them tightly before standing straight, looking at Lorraine who had her arms crossed over her chest. He grinned at her, "Have fun." She playfully rolled her eyes before smiling at him. Lorraine watched him walk away before looking at the kids who grinned up at him. 

"Where shall we go?"

The twins looked around the mall and grabbed her hands, pulling her towards a store. 

___________________________

"Hey, honey buns. You wanna help me with these?" Lorraine asks as she opens the trunk of the Escalade which is full of shopping bags from all kinds of different stores. Judy and Junior nod as they hold out their hands, ready to hold stuff for their nanny. The brunette tests some of the bags, giving them the lighter ones while she carries the heavier ones. The three of them have to make two trips because of the amount of shopping they do. 

Looking at the time once they finish getting the bags inside the house, she sighs and wipes her hands on her pants. "Let's go take a bath and then we can make dinner while we wait for your father."

"Okay." The two 5-year-olds reply, leading the way to the bathroom with Lorraine behind them. While they were taking their bath, she straightened up their room; putting away their toys, setting their beds up, fluffing their pillows, and picking their clothes for the next day. When she went into the bathroom to get them out of the tub, the kids splashed her with the water making her gasp loudly.

Lorraine looked at their terrified faces, thinking she was about to yell at them just as their past nanny did many times. But, instead, the brunette laughed and kneeled next to the tub, splashing them back. They spent a few minutes splashing each other and playing around before she unclogged the drain and dried them up. Lorraine let them pick out their pajamas and then headed down to the kitchen to get started on dinner.

"What are you guys up for?"

Judy shrugged her shoulders while Junior hummed. 

"Chicken nuggies!" He exclaimed excitedly making their nanny giggle. Shaking her head "No", she opened the refrigerator to see what she could make. 

"We can make...Pizza?" She looked at the kids who shook their heads. Humming, she looked through the refrigerator. "Uh...Salmon and-"

"Ew!"

"Gross."

Lorraine laughed, "You guys don't like salmon?"

"We hate fish. Daddy tried to make us eat it and we did not like that." Junior explained as he helped his sister climb onto the bar stool at the kitchen island before climbing up himself. Lorraine nodded, taking note of that as she looked through the refrigerator again. 

She turned to look at the kids who were grinning at her, "Pasta?" They nodded making her giggle. Lorraine grabbed the chicken meat and worked on getting their dinner ready. 

Ed entered through the front door, locking it behind him and throwing his keys into the key bowl. He took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack before further entering the house. He could hear the kids chattering to Lorraine as she laughed. Taking a deep breath, the smell of something delicious entered his nose making him hum. 

It had been a while since there was a woman in his kitchen cooking for them. 

He stood at the doorway of the kitchen, watching Lorraine cook while the twins were coloring at the kitchen island. 

"And what else did you do?" Her voice rang out as she stirred something in the pot next to her while checking on the chicken in the frying pan. 

"Well, Daddy got mad at the man because he was being mean to Judy."

Lorraine frowned, "Why was he being mean to Judy?"

"He said she hits people because we don't have a Mommy. We only have a Daddy."

Ed raised an eyebrow at what his son was telling their new nanny while Lorraine hummed. 

"Aw, I'm sorry, babies. No one should ever tell a kid that."

"Yeah...Daddy got real mad and punched him." Lorraine giggled at that statement as she put the lid back onto the pot and moved to finish frying the chicken. Ed watched her with a smile on his face, she was a natural with the kids and looked perfect in the kitchen as she cooked for them. Not just because she was a woman but...There was something to her that made him feel complete after a long time. 

"Lori?"

"Yes, honey." The brunette called over her shoulder.

"What time is Daddy coming home?"

Lorraine looked at the time on her phone. 8:24 PM.

"He should be here soon, baby girl. You think he's going to like my food?"

Junior giggled, "No one makes the best pasta like Daddy." Ed smiled while Lorraine laughed. 

"You've never tried my pasta."

"Guess they'll have to be the judge of that." Lorraine and the kids jumped at the sound of his deep voice, turning to him with frightened looks. 

"Jesus- You scared the shi..." She glanced at the kids. "Heck out of me." Lorraine finished as her hand went on her chest. Ed smirked while walking over to the kids who were laughing. He kissed their heads, glancing down at their drawings. 

"Those look so good. We'll hang them on the fridge when you're done." The kids smiled and went back to coloring, wanting to finish their drawings so that their father could hang them on the refrigerator. Ed walked over to Lorraine who was plating the food, pouring sauce on the noodles, and then placing sliced chicken on top. 

"Sorry for scaring you."

Lorraine snorted, "Just shows I have to be more aware."

He chuckled, moving to pick up a piece of chicken when she slapped his hand. The two of them looked at each other shocked. 

Gasping, she covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, shit. I am so sorry. I-I didn't mean to- It's just 'cause R-Roger always- Shit, I'm so sorry!" She stumbled as her face turned red with embarrassment. Ed looked down at her with an intense stare before smirking, and letting out another chuckle. 

"It's fine."

Lorraine shook her head, putting the pan down on the stove. "N-No, I'm really-"

"Did you spend 300,000 today?"

Frowning, she looked up at him. "Uhm...Yes?"

He smiled. "Apology accepted then." Ed picked up two plates, one for Junior and one for Judy. Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed for the table, calling the kids to get off the stools and sit at the dining table. Taking a deep breath, she ran her fingers through her hair before grabbing the two plates he left, bringing them to the table for herself and Ed. 

This time, Junior and Judy sat next to each other, causing Ed and Lorraine to sit next to each other. They ate quietly as they listened to the kids talk. Lorraine giggled as she ate her food while Ed had a small smile on his face, watching the brunette. 

"Daddy, what are we doing tomorrow?"

Ed turned to his son with a hum. "Oh...I don't know. Is there something you two want to do? I have to go to work tomorrow."

"Do you have to go to work tomorrow?" Judy pouted as she looked down making him sigh. 

"I mean...I don't have to-"

"Can we go to the beach?"

"We should go play games!"

The kids started shouting out ideas for the next day while Lorraine giggled and looked at her boss. "Guess you're not going to work tomorrow."

He nods, "Guess not." The two continue to finish their food as the kids are still blurting out ideas, their plate of pasta forgotten in front of them. When they started to argue, Ed gets in the middle of them and tells them if they continue to argue, they're not going anywhere tomorrow and the kids stay quiet, glaring at each other. 

___________________________

Closing the door slowly, Lorraine turns around and jumps at the sight of her boss standing in front of her. 

"Shit- Sorry." She breathes out as her hand goes on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. Ed chuckles, "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

Lorraine waves him off and they head down to the kitchen to clean up. They stay silent for a few minutes until Ed breaks the silence. 

"I believe you still have my card."

"Oh, yeah." The brunette reaches across the island in the kitchen, grabbing her bag from the tall bar chairs while Ed is trying not to stare at her ass as she's bent over the table. Rummaging through her purse, she finally grabs her wallet and turns around. 

"If I check my bank account tomorrow will I see 300,000 missing?"

"More like only 100,000..." 

Ed shuts the tap off and turns around, wiping his hands on the dish towel. He raises his eyebrow while Lorraine gives him a small smile. 

"I-I thought you were joking."

"Obviously not." He takes his card from her when she holds it out to him. Pulling his wallet out, he slips the black Amex card back into an empty slot. Sighing, he places his wallet in his back pocket and leans back onto the counter. He folds his arms across his chest and stares at the brunette as she stands quietly in front of him. 

"So...How was the first day with the kids?"

Lorraine smiled at the thought of the two kids sound asleep upstairs. "It was perfect. When you left we played some games since it was too cold to go out. And then when it got warmer, we were planning to go on a picnic but, we went to the mall instead. After shopping, we went on a small picnic." As the brunette was talking to her boss, he was watching her with a small smile on his face. His eyes landed on her lips, watching them move as every word came out of her perfect, pink lips. Her hands moved around as she explained stuff to him, the rings on her fingers glistening in the kitchen light. He couldn't stop staring at her slim fingers, how small they were compared to his big ones. Or even how tiny she was next to him as he towered over her. 

"Uh- Ed?" He heard her call out, making his eyes snap up to her sparking, blue eyes. Tilting her head to the side, she asks him, "You alright? Lost you there for a second."

His heart jumps at the sound of her giggle. Ed nods his head, "No, yeah. I'm just...Tired."

"Oh, well c'mon. Let's go to bed." She smiles, grabs her phone from the counter behind her, and walks away. Ed watches her hips sway from side to side as the brunette walks in front of him, his eyes move to her round ass and he mentally kicks himself for looking when his pants feel a little tighter. 

Ed accidentally bumps into Lorraine when she stops and turns suddenly, his hand landing on her lower back to keep her from falling backward from the force of him. She looks up at him with her big, blue eyes as her hands land on his chest. 

"You okay?" The sound of his deep, gruff voice makes a certain part of her throb. Nodding her head, she smiles softly and moves away from him, sliding a piece of her hair behind her ear. 

"I-I was going to ask if you were going to work tomorrow?"

"Oh...No, I don't think so. I'll spend the day with the kids if you'd like to have the day off."

"No!" She suddenly shouts making him raise an eyebrow. She lets out an awkward chuckle. "I mean...No. I was actually thinking...Maybe we can go to the arcade with the kids? I mean...It is almost the end of summer and they start pre-school soon." Lorraine shrugs her shoulders as Ed nods his head. 

He smiles, "That sounds like a good idea. They'll be starting preschool in a couple of weeks. At least end the summer with a fun time."

"Exactly." Lorraine smiles brightly at him.

Wow, I'll never get over her gorgeous smile.

Ed takes a deep breath, "Then, it's set. We'll go to the arcade tomorrow, maybe watch a movie?" They both agree on the plan for the next day as they head to their bedrooms. Ed drops her off at her door before making the short trip before his. When he hears her door open, he turns. 

"Good night, Ed."

"Good night, Lori."

Her giggle makes his heart jump again and he thinks to himself, "Fuck."

Chapter Text

The Warrens and their brunette Nanny were having a blast at the arcade. After breakfast that morning, Ed was telling the twins the plan for the day and they couldn't wait to spend the day playing games with their nanny and father. Even though it was supposed to be a fun time for Judy and Junior, the adults were having too much fun playing against each other and finding out how competitive they were.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Lorraine shouted at Ed who let out a loud laugh. They were playing the basketball game that had two hoops and Lorraine was winning until she got to her last ball and Ed pushed her hand right as she was about to throw it, causing her to lose the point. "You- That's cheating!"

"Such a sore loser."

The brunette glared at her boss who was smirking at her. "I want a rematch."

Ed snorted, sliding his hands into his pockets and glancing at the two kids who were eating ice cream on the bench beside them, grinning brightly. He shrugged his shoulders, "I want some ice cream though."

"I will personally pay your damn ice cream if we do a rematch."

"Right now?" He raised his eyebrow at her making her huff. 

"Right. Now."

Smirking, he nods his head, taking their cards and swiping the slot on the machine and pressing the button on the side to start the game. "Alright. Loser pays for ice cream. And lunch." He holds out his hand for her to shake which she does with great pleasure, scowling at him. 

"Deal."

They play the rematch, the points head-to-head as they kept glaring at each other and trying to mess the other up. At one point, when Ed was trying to shoot his basketball, Lorraine grabbed his ball and threw it in her hoop, scoring an extra point. 

"What the- Cheater!"

She snickered at him, sticking her tongue out. "How does it feel now, huh?" Ed glared at her and started taking her basketballs, shooting them into his hoop while she did the same, the two of them laughing as they fought over basketballs. Lorraine was all up against Ed as she tried shoving him away with her body while he kept his footing, trying to push her back. 

"Ed! Give me the ball!" She shouted as he raised his hand above her, trying to keep the ball away from her. Ed laughed and shook his head. 

"Nuh-uh." He watched as she tried reaching for the ball, getting on her tippy-toes and still shorter than him as he stood tall. The kids laughed next to them, cheering for Lorraine. 

"Get it, Lori!"

"Win, Lori! Win!"

Around the four, there were couples and families who were watching them smiles on their faces, thinking that Ed and Lorraine were a couple who were on a date night with their beautiful twins. At the last second, Lorraine finally jumped and grabbed the ball from his grasp, shooting it into her hoop and jumping excitedly. 

"I won!" Lorraine yelled in his face with a big grin making him chuckle. She was so pumped with energy that as she jumped, the brunette accidentally shoved Ed. He lost his footing and was falling backward while Lorraine gasped and grabbed his hand, only for him to pull her down with him. They landed with a big "oof", the wind being taken out of Ed's lungs when Lorraine landed on top of him. The two of them were panting as their faces were inches apart, getting lost in each other's gaze, forgetting where they were. 

They stayed in that position, Ed's large hands on her tiny waist while her hands were placed on either side of his head, keeping her up. They were brought back into reality when the kids called them. 

"Daddy!"

"Lori!"

Lorraine gasped softly, quickly getting off her boss and sitting beside him before helping him sit up, the two of them catching their breaths. A couple from a few games down came to help them stand up after watched them for a while with smiles on their faces.

"Are you guys okay?" The man asked once he helped Lorraine up who nodded her head and smiled softly. Ed's brows furrowed together, watching him with jealousy when he noticed the man's hand on her waist, holding her up. The brunette moved away from him, standing closer to Ed who bit his tongue to stop him from smiling proudly. 

"Yeah, we're fine. Just...A bit too much energy." Lorraine giggled softly making Ed chuckle. The man's girlfriend giggled, "You two are so cute. That was a great game though. She really kicked your ass."

Ed's brows shot up in shock while Lorraine shook her head, "Oh- We're not-"

The man nudged Ed's side, "Bet your wife keeps you entertained a lot at home, huh?"

"Marcus! Stop it." The man's girlfriend exclaimed, pure horror on her face from his comment. She apologized to Ed and Lorraine as she grabbed her boyfriend's arm, pulling him away. 

"Your kids are beautiful by the way! Such cuties." The red-head winked at Judy and Junior who stood behind Ed and Lorraine, clutching their legs. 

"I- Uh...Thanks." Ed said after a moment of silence, giving the couple a small nod and forcing a smile. They watched the couple walk away, a small argument starting between them before Ed turned to the brunette.

"You alright?"

Taking a deep breath, Lorraine looked up at him with a smile. "I'm okay. Are you?"

Ed nodded his head, his eyes scanning her face and body to make sure she wasn't trying to hide any pain. Lorraine giggled softly and slid her bangs behind her left ear, "I-I'm sorry. I got too excited."

Her boss chuckled, shaking his head. "It's alright. You play good though." 

The brunette bit her lip softly, looking away from his intense gaze when she started blushing. She looked down at the twins who were watching them. Crouching down, she brushed their hair back with her hands, smiling at them. "You guys hungry?"

Judy nodded her head while Junior replied for the both of them, "Yes, Lori."

"Pizza?" She asked making the kids grin. Lorraine looked up at Ed who took a deep breath, looking down at her as she was on her knees in front of him. 

Christ, she's so hot.

Lorraine smiled at him, "Pizza sound okay?"

Ed just nodded his head, swallowing thickly as the image of her like this got burned into his brain. When she stood up and walked away with the kids hands in hers, he had to stand there for a moment, looking around for a quick second and re-adjusting his pants before following the brunette and his kids to the pizza parlor near the arcade. 

___________________________

"Here, Lori!" Judy exclaimed, grabbing a piece of pizza and shoving it into Lorraine mouth who laughed. 

"Princess, don't do that." Ed chuckled, tapping the little girls arm. Judy covered her mouth as she giggled while Junior grinned. The brunette grabbed a pepperoni from her pizza and playfully waved it in front of the little girls mouth, giggling as Judy tried to take a bit before Lorraine put the piece of meat in her mouth.

Judy pouted and folded her arms across her chest. "Daddy, Lori's being mean." Their father looked at Lorraine and smirks. "Don't be mean to the little princess."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir." Lorraine teased as she playfully rolls her eyes. "I promise I won't do it again." She whispers in a low voice, winking at Ed.

She was gonna be the death of him if she ever did that again. 

He watched the brunette play with his twins; feed them pizza, making sure they chew their food before she  tickles their sides until they're pushing her hands away and laughing loudly, wiping their faces clean with a napkin before booping their noses with a giggle. 

"Daddy! Daddy!" Junior calls out making the blue-eyed man look at him. 

"Yeah, buddy?"

"We should go to the park!"

Ed looks at Judy who nods her head enthusiastically before looking at Lorraine. "You up for going to the park for a little?"

"Yeah. That sounds fun." She says with a smile, picking up her chocolate milkshake and sipping. He smiles and nods his head, taking out his wallet. Ed feels Lorraine's slim fingers on his arm, stopping him. 

He looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "We made a deal, Ed." Lorraine giggled, turning away from him and rummaging through her purse. 

"No. It's alright, I got th-"

"Ed." The brunette looks at him with a stern look. "I got this." He chuckles and nod his head. 

"Alright. Alright." He puts his wallet back into his pocket while she takes her wallet out and finds her card. The waiter comes by and takes the check and her card, winking at Lorraine, missing the glare Ed gave him. 

A little while later, the young boy comes back and gives her the receipt. She notices some scribbling at the top and looks up at the blonde man. 

"Oh, I'm not-"

Ed clears his throat making the waiter look at him with wide eyes. "Oh, shit! I'm so sorry, man. I-I didn't mean to- Shit, man. Totally didn't know she was married." He scratched the back of his neck before walking away, his face turning bright red. Lorraine raised her eyebrow at him while he just smirks and nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders. 

"Saved you."

"Who said I needed saving?"

Ed looks at her with a "Really?" look making her snort. She makes sure the kids have finished their food before helping them out of their seats. She stands up and looks at him, "Comin'?"

He playfully rolls his eyes and nods, standing up as well. He walks behind her, glaring at the blonde waiter who was still blushing red while his coworkers were snickering at him. 

They take the short walk to the park, Ed walking closer to the road while he makes Lorraine and the kids walk beside him, farther from the road. Judy got tired of walking and made Lorraine carry her while Junior happily held her hand. 

"Lori, can you push me on the swing?"

"Of course, honey. Judy you wanna go on the swing as well?" The brunette looks at the little girl in her arms who nodded her head before nuzzling her face into the crook of Lorraine's neck. She looks up at Ed who was smiling at her as they stopped at the crossing light. 

"What do you guys want for dinner?" 

Ed shrugs his shoulders, "Why don't I make dinner tonight."

Lorraine snorts, "I like to cook though. What are you up for?"

"Don't know. Kids?"

"Mac and cheese." Junior grins up at them making them chuckle. 

"How about..." Lorraine hums as she re-adjusts the little girl in her arms as they wait for the crossing light to turn on. "Barbecue ribs with Mac and cheese."

Junior pats his little tummy, "Yummy!" Ed chuckles and picks his son, placing him on his hip when the light signals for them to cross. The brunette feels his hand on her lower back as they cross together. Anyone around them would take one glance at them and thought they were the perfect couple with their two kids. 

Once they reach the other side, she doesn't feel his hand move from her lower back making her feel warm and tingly inside. It had been a while since a man had touched her with such softness like this, even if it was just putting their hand on her back, she would throb with want, especially around her hot boss. 

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Judy and Junior scream as they fly into the air in the swings, getting pushed by their father and nanny. 

"Higher! Higher!" Junior screams making Lorraine giggle as she pushed the swing harder.

"You have to swing your legs if you want to go higher, baby." She laughs, showing the little boy how to move. A few seconds later, Junior is soaring high making his sister jealous.

"Daddy! I want to go high like Junior!"

Ed chuckles and tells her the same thing Lorraine told his son. Soon enough, Judy was soaring just like her brother, the two of them laughing loudly. Lorraine smiles as she watches the kids, standing to the side when her arms get tired. A few seconds later, Ed is by her side as well, watching the twins. 

"I can't believe they'll be six in a few months."

Lorraine turned to her boss, looking up at him. "Kids grow up fast."

"Yeah but...It seems like a few weeks ago my best friend was calling me to take them in."

She raises her eyebrow, "Wait...What?"

Ed looks down at her. Oh, shit.

They stay quiet for a moment before he sighs softly and scratches his cheek, a stubble growing. "Judy and Junior...They're...Not my kids. I adopted them."

"Oh..." The brunette slowly nods her head, tilting her head to the side. "I-I didn't know."

The tall man chuckles, "No one knows. The office, my assistants, no one knows I have kids."

Lorraine giggles softly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Keep them hidden away, huh?"

"Oh, yeah." Ed nods his head, chuckling. "Everyone thinks I'm this...Asshole boss who doesn't have a life and sleeps around." He looks down at her, shaking his head. "I don't. I promise."

"Didn't think it." She snorts making him smile. 

"Look...Lorraine." His heart skips a beat when her eyes sparkle at him when the sun shines on her. Her beauty was really something he'd never seen before. "I don't know what you've heard before working for me but...I'm really not what people say I am. I just...My..."

She knew what he was trying to say and she smiled softly, placing her hand on his bicep making him look at her with soft eyes. "It's okay, Ed. You don't have to tell me yet." Lorraine giggles. "You have a whole year to tell me your life story."

Ed let outs a laugh and nods his head, "I guess you're right, huh."

"'Course I am! I'm always right." He snorts and playfully rolls his eyes making the small brunette scoff, slapping his arm making him wince.

"Ow."

Lorraine covers her mouth, shocked at her behavior. "Shit- Sorry."

Ed chuckles and shoves her arm, walking away making her laugh. "What a gentleman you are." She rolls her eyes as he turns and makes a face at her, causing her to laugh. The kids get tired of the swing, begging to be taken off. Once Ed and Lorraine take them out of the swing, the four of them play a game of tag, running around the park laughing and making fun of each other. 

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By the time they got back to the Warren's house, the kids were fast asleep in Ed's arms. Lorraine starts working on dinner, Ed helping her out after he places the kids on the couch to nap for a while. 

They're talking quietly and giggling when Junior walks into the kitchen, rubbing his sleepy eyes. 

"Hey, Buddy. You sleep okay?" Lorraine asks as she bends over and ruffles the little boys hair. Junior groans and pushes her hand away. He walks into her arms and wraps his arms around her neck, wanting her to carry him. She chuckles softly and picks him, his legs wrapping around her waist. Ed looks at her as he uncovers the Mac and cheese in the glass tray in front of him, raising his eyebrow.

"I'm okay." The brunette whispers, nodding her head at his concerned face. He nods and turns back, making sure he doesn't burn his hand when he checks the meat in the oven. Ed watches her closely as she moves around the kitchen in ease with the little boy in her arms. A little while later, he notices Judy walk into the kitchen the same way her brother did. He smiles and picks her up, resting her on his hip as she wraps her arms around his neck. The two of them maneuver around the kitchen, taking the ribs out of the oven after being in the hot box for one hour.

When he lifts the foil from the top, the smell of sweet barbecue sauce fills the air and they hum. 

"Turned out great, huh?" Lorraine grins at her boss who nods his head, crumpling the foil in one hand and throwing it in the trash. She helps him cut the meat and dishes them onto plates, while he scoops Mac and cheese onto the plates after he finishes cutting the meat. 

They place the 5-year-olds into their seats at the table before heading back to the counter, grabbing their plates of food and drinks and sitting next to each other across from the kids. 

Lorraine smiles as Junior starts shoving the Mac and cheese she made into his mouth. "Slow down, hon. There's more in the kitchen." Junior giggles sheepishly and starts to eat slowly, dipping a piece of pork ribs into ketchup and eating it. Ed watches his daughter who's eating slowly, he could tell she was trying so hard not to sleep making him chuckle. 

"You okay, princess?"

Judy looks at him with tired eyes, shaking his head. "I'm tired, Daddy." She mumbles, slowly eating her Mac and cheese.

Ed nods his head, "Finish the Mac and cheese and then I'll go put you to bed, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." After a few minutes, Judy finishes her food making Ed and Lorraine smile. Lorraine was about to stand to help the little girl but, Ed stops her by grasping her hand. She slowly sits back down and he smiles softly, standing up and taking his little girl to wash her hands and take her to bed. Junior sits with Lorraine, babbling to her about how he's excited to start pre-school and meet other kids. 

The brunette hums as she finishes her food, pushing her plate to the side and listening to the little boy as she rests her head on her hand, her elbow placed on the table. 

"You're a smart boy, honey. You'll do great."

Junior huffs softly, "But...What if the other kids make fun of me?"

Lorraine frowns, brushing his fluffy hair away from his face. "Why would they do that, baby?"

"Because...I...I...I don't know." He whispers and looks down at his lap, his small fingers playing with his spoon. His nanny sighs and leans forward, whispering to him, "If there are any kids who make fun of you, they're going to have to go through me first, okay? I will personally go to your school and have a big talk with them about making fun of you. You know why?"

The little boy shakes his head making her smile as she runs her fingers through his hair. "Because no one...No one gets to make fun of my little prince." She ruffles his hair making the boy giggle. "C'mere." Lorraine giggles making the boy smile and wrap his arms around her neck. She kisses his head and hugs him tightly, oblivious to her boss watching them from the door frame, a bright smile on his face. 

Chapter Text

Lorraine ran around the kitchen, getting breakfast ready for the kids and making their lunch. She craned her neck, looking down the hallway to see the kids giggling as they ran around in their underwear.

"Wha- Hey! Put your clothes on!" She turns off the stove and runs toward the kids who laugh loudly as they run up the stairs. Lorraine slips on the last step, groaning when she hits her knee on the ground before getting up and running after the kids. She grabs them in each arm, dragging them to their bedroom as they thrash in her arms. 

"What is going on with you two?" The brunette asks as she flops them onto the bed, passing them a shirt and pants to wear. The twins silently slip their clothes on, looking down at the ground, finding the wooden floor fascinating rather than looking at their nanny.  

She stops and sighs, kneeling before them and noticing the tears in their eyes. "What's going on, honey buns?" Lorraine runs her fingers through their strands of hair, making them look at her. "Hmm? Talk to me."

Judy glances at her brother who shakes his head and looks back down. Tilting her head to the side, she hooks her finger under Junior's chin and forces him to look at her. "Hey...Do you remember what I told you before you started school? I told you that if someone was ever making fun of you, I'd deal with them. I wasn't lying, hon. Now...Tell me. What's going on?"

Junior lets out a little sigh, "There's this boy at school. He keeps making fun of me and Judy because..."

"Because why?"

"Because we don't have a mommy," Junior says as a tear slips down his cheek causing Lorraine's heart to break. She sighs softly and pulls the kids into her arms, hugging them tightly and kissing their heads. 

She'd been working as a nanny for the Warren twins for almost a year now and if anything, she'd count herself as their mother if Ed would let her. Knowing the kids didn't have a mother, she felt a motherly connection to them. Both physically and mentally. Lorraine didn't know what it was but, there was something in the twins that made her see a little bit of herself in them. 

"I'm sorry, honey buns. No one should ever do that to you guys." She pulls back from them and wipes the tears from their faces. "You two have a Daddy and that's all that matters. Not all kids have two parents." Lorraine sighs softly. "Look...I didn't have a Daddy growing up. He...I never met him. I only had a Mommy growing up and guess what?"

"What?"

"I turned out great. Even though I didn't have a Daddy growing up, I grew up strong and loved with just a Mommy. And I love my mother so much. Even though I had only one parent, she gave me more love and comfort than two parents ever could combined."

Judy and Junior gave her a small smile. "But...We have Daddy and you." Judy whispers making Lorraine smile brightly and giggle. "Yeah...Yes, you do. Now...Get dressed and let's go eat breakfast." The twins nod before giving her another hug. 

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The twins hold onto Lorraine's hand as she walks them to pre-school and stops before the gates. She bends down and smiles at the two, kissing their heads. 

"Bye, lovelies! I'll pick you up after school."

"Okay, Lori!" Junior exclaims, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck. The brunette looks to the side, noticing Judy standing there and she opens one arm, the little girl grinning as she jumps into her arms, hugging her tightly as well. They bid goodbye to each other and she watches them walk into the gates, holding hands. Judy and Junior turn before heading through the doors, waving at her before walking in. 

Lorraine sighs softly and heads back to the car, answering a text from Carol who wants to meet up for lunch. She drives around and runs a few errands before meeting Carol at a sandwich shop. The smaller brunette squeals when she sees her best friend. 

"God, I missed you!" Carol exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Lorraine, squeezing her tightly.

"You just saw me a few days ago, Carly."

"So?" She rolls her eyes as they sit down in a booth across from each other. "Your boss is keeping you chained in there for too long."

"Carol." Lorraine snorts as she looks through the menu. "He lets me out of the house."

Carol shrugs her shoulders, "Still an asshole."

Lorraine giggles and shakes her head. She forgets that she knew the real Ed and he was still an asshole and a grump at work. The two best friends talk for a while; reminiscing on the olden days before they were in college and working, Carol talking about things between her and Roger and how their relationship has been going strong. 

"What about you girl? Seeing anyone?" Lorraine shook her head making Carol groan. "Seriously Lor. You need to get some dick in you soon or you're going to crumble up down there and die soon."

"Jesus, Carly." Lorraine glances around, some people turning to glare at them before returning to their lunches. She rolls her eyes. "Why don't you say it louder for the people in the back?

Carol shrugged her shoulders as if she hadn't said anything wrong. "I'm just saying. The last guy you were with was like...About two years ago and you haven't gotten thoroughly fucked since he never wanted to do anything. I mean, is Mr. Warren letting you go out at night or do you have to stay in with the kids while he gets to fuck other women."

The other brunette sighs and slumps in her seat, staring in disbelief at her best friend. 

If only she knew the only man I've been wanting to fuck is the father of the twins I'm taking care of.

"I haven't asked."

Scoffing, Carol facepalms. "Then what the hell are you waiting for?! Ask him tonight and we'll take you clubbing tomorrow. Finally, get you a man who'll fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for the next couple of weeks." She grinned as she winked at her best friend before calling the waiter over so they could pay for their lunches. Lorraine forced a weak smile and nodded her head. She didn't want to go out tomorrow night. She'd rather stay at home and watch a movie with the kids or bake something for their breakfast the next day. Or hell, even hang out with Ed for a couple of hours after the kids go to sleep -- since they've been doing that for a couple of weeks now, a way for them to get to know each other better.

The best friends enjoyed their time with each other as they walked through the stores and did some window shopping. By the time 2:30 came around, Lorraine bid goodbye to her best friend, promising to ask her boss for the night off tomorrow, and headed to the twins' pre-school to pick them up. 

She waited around the gate with the other parents, excited to see the kids and hear about their day at preschool. Hearing the bell ring, she was filled with excitement as she saw the teacher bringing the kids out in a single-file line. 

Judy and Junior spotted their nanny and waved at her with mirrored smiles on their faces. The teacher let them go and they ran towards the brunette who had her arms open. Parents around them smiled at the sight as the twins jumped in her arms and she carried them up. 

"Hi, lovelies!"

"We missed you so much, Lori!" Judy exclaimed, kissing the brunette's cheek while Junior hugged her tightly. Lorraine giggled and set them on the ground, kneeling in front of them. 

"You guys just saw me this morning, sillies."

The twins giggled, grinning at their nanny. She smiled back and ruffled their fluffy hairs before hearing someone clear their throat making her look up. A blonde, brown-eyed man was standing in front of her and waved. 

"Hi! I um...Lori right?"

Lorraine chuckled softly and stood up, "Lorraine. The kids call me Lori."

Nodding his head, he smiled. "Ah. Well, I'm Dylan." He held out his hand, wanting to shake her hand. She forced a smile and shook his. "I was just wondering if you'd...Maybe like to go out for dinner sometime?"

"Oh..." The brunette let out an awkward laugh, nervously running her fingers through the kids' hair again. "Um..." Before she could think of a reply, she heard someone answer from behind her. 

"She's not interested." The deep voice said making her spine tingle and the hair on her arms stand up. Lorraine could feel how close he was to her back, feeling his hot breath on her neck and his musky cologne wrapping around her like a blanket.

The blonde man quickly nodded his head while Lorraine just smiled at him, the kids clutching her legs and hiding their faces. "I-I'm sorry, sir." He turned on his heel and quickly walked away with his head down in shame. Lorraine turned around, looking up and meeting the intense gaze of her boss. 

"Why'd you do that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Thought you needed saving with how nervous you got." He smirked at her while she playfully rolled her eyes. 

Totally not because you are mine and mine only. 

The two gazed at each other, getting lost in the blue orbs that they'd loved to look into so much. Ed was brought back to reality when he felt someone tug on his arm. Looking down, they saw Judy smile at him and lift her arms wanting to be carried. 

Ed chuckled and bent down, picking his little girl into his arms and kissing her cheek. He slipped her backpack off her shoulder and carried it for her while Lorraine did the same for Junior. 

"How was school, princess?"

"Super fun! We played games and we counted numbers!"

Junior gasped as he jumped up and down. "I got a gold star for reading!"

"That's fantastic, little man!" Lorraine high-fived him before looking at Ed. "I think that the kids deserve a little treat today."

"Oh, yeah? What were you thinking."

Lorraine hummed, tapping her chin with her pointer finger as she pretended to think. "I say...Ice cream!" Judy and Junior clapped and cheered, "Yay!" making the adults laugh. Ed spoke to his driver and told him to go back to the office, saying he'd go home with Lorraine and the kids. Once the driver left, Ed and Lorraine helped buckle the kids into their car seats before sitting in front, Ed on the driver's side and Lorraine on the passenger side. 

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"Hey, Daddy?"

Ed hummed as he ate a spoonful of his ice cream and looked at his daughter. "Yes, princess?"

"Can we get a dog?"

"A dog?" He raised his eyebrow. "Why a dog?"

Judy shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly as she kicks her feet and licks her cookie dough ice cream. "Mary has a dog." Ed glances at Lorraine who giggles softly and shrugs her shoulders, giving him an "I don't know" look. 

"Who's Mary?"

"She's my friend. At school."

"Oh. And she has a dog?"

"Yeah! A puppy! And she's sooooo cute!" The little girl exclaims, exaggerating the "so" in her sentence making the adults chuckle. Ed hums softly and leans back into his seat. 

"Maybe." He turns his head to his son who is quietly enjoying his ice cream and playing with the hair tie on Lorraine's wrist. "Do you want a dog, Junior?" The little boy looks up and nods his head. 

"I want a dog, Daddy! Can we get one?"

Ed chuckles and scratches the back of his neck, "Having a dog is a big responsibility, kids. I mean, you have to feed it, clean it, take it for a walk, take care of it." As he lists the responsibilities of having a dog, Lorraine notices the look on the faces making her giggle. Her boss looked at her and she nodded towards the twins who looked down with a pout, their ice cream melting in their hands. 

Letting out a sigh, he gives in. "Alright. Alright. We'll go looking for a dog tomorrow. How does that sound?" The five-year-olds squeal as they jump onto his lap, giving him a big hug. 

Lorraine laughs as she takes their ice cream from their hands, not wanting the sweet treat to stain her boss' clothing. "Be careful, sillies." She giggles and finishes their ice cream for them. Judy and Junior blab about what they're going to do once they get a dog and what they want the name to be while Ed and Lorraine just smile at each other and watch the twins. 

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Upon returning home, Ed stayed downstairs to figure something out for dinner while Lorraine took the kids upstairs to bathe. After looking through the refrigerator and debating what to make, Ed pulled his phone out of his pocket and called their favorite Chinese restaurant. He made sure to order an extra container of kung-pao chicken and chow mein for Lorraine, knowing she gets hungry at night. 

Almost an hour later, the bodyguards at the door walked into the kitchen with the plastic of food and Ed nodded at them, taking the bags from them. As he was setting the food on the table and taking out the chopsticks and forks, Ed heard the kids running down the stairs. 

"Hey!" He exclaimed with a smile without looking at them. "I ordered Chinese food for dinner."  

The kids giggled as they wrapped their arms around his legs. "Daddy! Daddy! Look what Lori got us!"

With a curious look, he looked down and laughed. The kids were dressed in cute little green dinosaur onesies with long tails dragging behind them. He picked them up in his arms and grinned. 

"You two look cute. My little dinosaurs."

Junior giggled and pointed behind Ed. "And look! Lori got one too!" Turning around, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of his brunette nanny dressed in a bigger version of the dinosaur onesies. She was grinning brightly at him as she pulled the hood of the outfit up, showing the big dinosaur head with large fangs and spikes on top. 

"What do you think?" She giggled making him smile. 

"Cute."

Lorraine squealed as she turned around, her back facing him. "Look!" She exclaims, grabbing the long tail hanging at the back and showing him. "It has a tail too!" Ed laughs at her excitement of having a dinosaur onesie. The kids jump out of his arms, running to their nanny and jumping into hers. Gesturing to his phone on the table, she tells her boss, "Take a picture of us!"

Ed grabs his phone and takes pictures of them, laughing as they make silly faces and make funny moves. He couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked during moments like these. She was smiling brightly and laughing as she played with the kids while he continued to take pictures. Ed wanted to cherish this moment forever in his heart. 

Once they were done, they decided to eat dinner in the living room and watch a movie. The twins argued about what movie to watch while Ed and Lorraine moved the coffee table out of the way to make room in the center. After a full argument, they agreed on How the Grinch Stole Christmas since Christmas was coming up soon.

The four settled on the ground, Ed and Lorraine resting their backs on the couch while the kids sat in front of them. Ed kept his legs out because Junior was sitting between them and using his knee as a makeshift table, while the brunette pulled her legs beneath her and turned to face her boss and sit closer to him. They were whispering to each other about random topics that were completely unrelated to the movie. 

Judy turned and glared at the two adults making them glance at each other and laugh. 

"You want some?" As she offered him a bite of her kung-pao chicken, the brunette smiled at him. Ed finished his broccoli beef and fried rice and shook his head. She playfully rolled her eyes and picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks. "Here." He opened his mouth after Lorraine's coaxing and fed him. They lost themselves once more in each other's stunning blue eyes as they stared into each other's. Her eyes flickered to his lips when his tongue poked out and licked them. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and she began to breathe heavily. Ed had the slightest smirk on his lips, which caused her to look up and see his intimidating blue eyes watching her.

She picked up another piece of chicken and fed him, a drop of sauce falling onto his chin. Before Ed was able to wipe it away with his napkin, Lorraine's thumb wiped it away and she licked her finger with a hum. He swallowed thickly as blood rushed below his waist while she smiled at him and went back to watching the movie, feeling his gaze on her. 

A few hours later, the kids had fallen asleep cuddled next to each other while Lorraine had her head resting on Ed's shoulder. When they had finished How the Grinch Stole Christmas, they moved on to Elf and then Love Actually. They were currently watching A Christmas Prince, a new movie Lorraine loved to watch. 

"This movie is boring," Ed mumbled making Lorraine shush him. 

"Too bad. I like it."

He raised his eyebrow at him. "Oh, and I have to watch what you like?"

She lifted her head and grinned at him, "Duh." Ed playfully rolls his eyes and sighs as he slumps against the couch, letting Lorraine rest her head on his shoulder again. "He's such a playboy."

"Sounds familiar, huh?"

"What? For the love of-"

Lorraine started giggling making him chuckle. "I'm kidding."

"Better be." He mumbled making her swat his chest, the two of them laughing. As the movie played, Lorraine dozed off while Ed sat quietly, now interested in the plot of the movie. 

"I don't get why you like this movie. He acts like such an ass-" Ed glances down at her when he doesn't hear her say a word and smiles. The brunette had fallen asleep on his shoulder with her arm wrapped around his bicep. He grabs a couple of blankets from the couch, throws two onto the kids, and throws the other two over himself and Lorraine. He kisses her head and sighs, resting his head on top of hers. 

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Lorraine groaned softly at the sound of an irritating ringing. She moved her hand around, trying to grasp the phone. When she finally did, she answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" Her groggy, sleepy voice called out as she rubbed her eyes. 

There was a pause on the other line before Lorraine heard, "Um...I-I'm sorry. I think I called the wrong number. Is this not Mr. Warren?"

Mr. Warren? Why would someone be calling...Wait-

Gasping softly, her eyes snap open and she looks at the phone. Of course, she had to pick up her boss's phone. 

"Hello?"

"I- Uh...Yeah. Hold on." Lorraine starts to panic as she looks around the room, wondering why she had Ed's phone. That's when she noticed they all had slept in the living room when she noticed the kids cuddled together. 

Where the hell is...?

When she tried to sit up, she realized there was something -- or someone -- holding her down. Her eyes moved down to her waist where she saw a pair of familiar veiny arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his face buried into her hair. 

Her eyes widened and she started calling his name softly. "Uh...Ed. Ed." Shaking his arm making him groan and pull her tightly against him. Groaning, she turns in his arms and shakes him again. "Ed! Wake up."

His eyes snap open and he looks at her confused. Ed notices where his arms are and he gasps, pulling back and sitting up. She hands him the phone and he frowns. 

"Hello?" Lorraine bites her lip at the sound of his groggy, deep morning voice. 

Fuck, his voice is so hot.

"Yeah. Yeah." He hums, looking down at her and playfully rolling his eyes making her giggle. "No, tell him that I won't make that deal." Lorraine feels his gaze on her as she turns to check on the kids, wrapping the blankets around them and playing with their hair. She turns back to him and looks up at him, her blue eyes shining brightly at him. "No, I'm not." He pulls the blanket over her when his breath becomes visible in the cold air. 

She watches him cover her in the many blankets around them, his hand resting on her waist and his thumb rubbing her softly making her hum. Ed stopped listening to what the person on the phone was saying as he caressed her. Her smile made his heart skip a beat and she managed to look a hundred times- no, a million times more beautiful with a bare face. No makeup, no lipstick, no mascara, nothing. 

"Yeah, let me know how it goes."

"What? No, Mr-" He ended the phone call and tossed his phone onto the couch before lying down beside the beautiful brunette. The two faced each other and smiled. He lifted his hand and coaxed her to lift her head, pulling the hood over her. When the fangs of the dinosaur came into view, she giggled softly. Ed slid a piece of her hair behind her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek. Lorraine blushed red as he watched her boss and felt his hand on her cheek. She watched how his ocean-blue eyes roamed around her face, studying her. 

He loved her sharp jaw, her soft skin like a baby, and her long lashes that fluttered every time she looked up at him. He loved her bright blue eyes that always managed to sparkle with love and happiness. Her plump, pink lips that one day he hopes he'll get a taste of.

Ed opened his mouth to say something but, was interrupted by Junior climbing on top of Lorraine's side. 

"Daddy! Lori!" He exclaimed with a bright smile making the adults laugh. Ed pulled his hand away from Lorraine and opened his arms, the 5-year-old jumping down and laying between the two. 

"Good morning, little man."

Junior looked up at his father, "Daddy? Are you not working today?"

"No, buddy. I'm not."

Lorraine giggled and rubbed the little boy's back making him look at her. "Your daddy promised you a dog remember?" Ed groaned softly and looked at the brunette who smirked at him. 

Squealing, the little boy sat up, looking at Ed. "Yay! Puppy!"

"Why don't you go brush your teeth and get ready? Hmm?" 

"Okay, Lori!" He exclaimed and stood up, first going to his sister to wake her up. The little girl sat up with a tired yawn as she rubbed her eyes. She opened them and looked at the adults who smiled at her. "Daddy said we get puppy today."

The little girl gasped and stood up. "What are we waiting for?!" Judy grabbed Junior's hand and they ran up the stairs, giggling excitedly. The adults looked at each other and laughed, sitting up and cracking the joints in their backs. 

Lorraine wanted to ask her boss what he had wanted to tell her before Junior woke up but instead, he stood up and started cleaning the trash from last night. Without another word, the brunette huffed in disappointment and stood up as well, folding the blankets and setting them neatly on the couch. 

Chapter Text

Ed could tell something was wrong with the brunette. They'd been walking around the city in search of a puppy and just to spend time with each other for the past couple of hours and Lorraine hadn't said a word to him since that morning. He was starting to wonder if he'd done something to piss her off. She'd only talk to him if she had to but, other than that she'd avoid him as best as she could.

The four of them were currently sitting at McDonald's, the kids sitting in the booth across from the adults. Ed kept glancing at Lorraine as she nibbled on her fries and took small bites of her cheeseburger. 

"Are you okay?" He asks after a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two of them. It had been the first time they had sat together so quietly and it was making them both uncomfortable.

"Mhm." Lorraine hums, taking a bite of her cheeseburger. She licks her lips before quickly glancing at him, feeling his gaze on her.

Maybe going out tonight would be a good thing since I know he's not interested in me.

"Actually," She starts, Ed's full attention going to her as he bites his burger. "Carol and Roger are inviting me to go out with them tonight. I was wondering if I could have the night off."

Ed slowly nods his head, processing her words. Why was she going out by herself with just the two of them? She always told me she hates third-wheeling for them. Are they planning to put her on a blind date? 

Lorraine waits patiently for an answer from her boss as he sits there quietly, questions running through his head. After a few minutes, she tilts her head and raises her eyebrow.

"Um...Hello?" She calls out but, Ed's too into his thoughts that he doesn't hear her. Rolling her eyes, she taps his arm making him look at her. "So? Can I have the night off?"

"Oh. Yeah. Yes, you can have the night off. The kids and I will find something fun to do." He flashes the kids a smile while the brunette hums, turning away from him and finishing her food.

"I probably won't be back until maybe two or three."

In the morning?! Jesus, why so fucking late?

Ed nods his head and finishes his food as well. "Fine by me. Just be safe." The brunette just hums in response, not saying another word to him as she smiles at the twins. 

"You like your food, lovelies?"

"Yes, Lori!"

Lorraine laughs as she crumples her wrapper and throws it into the paper bag their food came in, grabbing Ed's trash as well. "Where should we go next?"

"Puppies!" The kids exclaim making her giggle. 

"Alright." She turns to Ed. "There's a pet store I saw a couple blocks back. Looked like there were a bunch of puppies there." Her boss nodded his head and leaned back into the seat.

"Sounds great."

___________________________

Judy and Junior giggled as they ran around with their new puppies. Yes, puppies. Ed ended up getting a dog each for the twins. After spending an hour in the pet store, the twins picked out these two beautiful Doberman puppies that were twins just like them. One had beautiful black fur and the other had chocolate brown fur. 

Ed sat on an empty bench, holding bags full of dog toys, food, and accessories. He watched Lorraine run around with the kids and play with the new additions to his family.  

"C'mon, Zeus!" Junior laughed as he ran in front of the puppy. Zeus barked as he ran after the little boy, his tail wagging excitedly. "Fetch, Zeus! Fetch!" The little boy threw a stick making the dog run and pick it up, bringing it back to his new owner. 

Judy sat in the grass, giggling as her puppy rolled around in front of her. "Aw, you're so pretty, Zena!" She rubbed the puppy's belly making her bark happily. Lorraine came and sat next to the little girl who grinned and sat between her legs as she sat criss-crossed. She ran her fingers through the little girl's soft, brown hair. 

"You like her, honey?"

"Yeah! She pretty!"

Lorraine giggled, looking up at Junior who ran towards them and sat beside her, his puppy following him. "How about you, love? You like your new puppy?" Junior grinned and enthusiastically nodded his head. 

"He's so cute! I can't wait to get home!" He exclaimed as his puppy jumped into his lap and licked his face making the little boy laugh. Lorraine smiled brightly and brushed his hair out of his face, oblivious to her boss taking a picture of them. 

___________________________

"So, what time are we picking you up?"

Lorraine hummed as she brushed her hair. "Well, I'm about to take a shower right now. Maybe in two hours?"

Carol grinned at her on the phone. "Wear something that'll say "Fuck me and take away my ability to walk". You do have a dress that says something like that right?"

"I think so."

"Oh, come on!" Her best friend exclaimed with a groan. Carol got up from her bed and rummaged through her closet. "Your asshole boss doesn't let you go shopping or what?"

The brunette rolled her eyes as she grabbed her phone, and walked to her bathroom. "I go shopping, Carly. I just...I don't have a dress that-"

"I found it!" She watched as Carol pulled a dress from the bottom drawer in her closet and showed it to her on Facetime. "You'll wear this."

"I have a dress you know."

Carol scoffed, "You take care of kids and stay at that house all the time. I'm expecting the dresses in your closet to look like something a grandmother would wear."

"It does not!" Lorraine exclaimed in offense. She placed her phone in front of the mirror, leaning it against the wall. She closed the door, leaving it open just a gap in case the kids needed her. As she spoke with her best friend on Facetime, she slipped her pants down her toned legs, kicking them to the side. 

Ed was pacing in front of her bedroom door. Should I go in and talk to her? Or do I just leave her alone? What did I do that pissed her off? Was it because- Wait no, I didn't do anything. Did I?

Groaning, he opens the door slowly, looking around for the brunette woman. He closed the door behind him and scanned the room. Frowning, he walked further into the room. 

"Lorraine?" He called out, his head turning side to side, looking for the nanny. Sighing, he turned on his heel to walk away when he heard talking coming from the bathroom. 

"He's not an asshole, Carol. He just..." Ed stopped in his tracks. He didn't want to intrude or eavesdrop on her conversation but, he had a feeling she was talking about him. He moved closer to the bathroom, his head leaning close to the gap in the door. 

"He's just what?" That must be her best friend...What was her name? Oh! Carol.

Lorraine groaned, putting her head in her hands. "He's so sweet and he cares so much about his kids. You can see the pure love and adoration he has for them, Carly. The way his soft, baby-blue eyes shine in the light. If you look closely enough, you can see the layers of blue in his eyes and the little green specks in them. And even when he tries not to act like he cares, he does. With either his actions or his words. He is so...So..."

She notices those things about me?

"Oh...My god." Carol gasped making Lorraine look at her while outside the door Ed raised his eyebrow. "You like him!"

"I do not!"

Carol jumped up from her bed and squealed. "Yes, you do! Lorraine! You don't just like him...You love him!"

"Oh, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Lorraine! Honey! Oh, my god!" Her best friend started laughing on the phone making Lorraine blush a bright red as she giggled. "My best friend's in love! Roger! She's in love!"

The brunette laughed as she covered her face. "Stop! Oh, my god, Carol."

"I'm so excited for you! My love is in love with her boss!"

"Carol, shut up. Someone might hear you."

"I don't give two shits! My best friend is in love!" The two started laughing while Ed bit his lip, trying not to smile. He stepped forward to leave but, stopped in his tracks again when he saw Lorraine. She was only wearing a shirt and her black panties.

Damn, her ass looks good.

As he watched her remove her shirt and reveal a small thing that caused Ed's pants to tighten, he inhaled deeply. His gaze traced the tattoo's lines and writing all the way up her spine. When she turned to the side, he noticed she was braless as well as another small tattoo just under the curve of her breast. A heart. 

"Fuck." He mumbled, turning his head to the side to get a clearer look at the ink. When she turned to the other side, he noticed another writing in red ink on the curve of her ass. 

Angel

"An Angel of sin." He mumbled a little too loud making Lorraine gasp. Quickly and quietly, he made his way to the door, shutting it just in time as Lorraine's head peaked out of the bathroom.

"What happened?"

Lorraine shrugged and looked back at her best friend, "Thought I heard someone."

"Huh. Oh well, I'll leave you to take a shower and fantasize about your hot boss while I get ready."

"Oh, shut up." The brunette playfully rolled her eyes before saying goodbye to her best friend and ending the call. 

___________________________

Ed was sitting in the living room watching a movie as the kids played with their puppies on the floor. Even with the TV on, his mind couldn't stop thinking back to Lorraine and the tattoos he spotted on her body. He never knew that the prim and proper woman he'd seen every day had a whole different, sinful personality underneath that he hoped he'd get to bring out soon. He closes his eyes and envisions the brunette splayed across his bed, his fingers on her naked skin, lightly tracing the tattoos he'd just seen as her mouth parted slightly and beautiful moans left her lips. 

"Hey. Carol will be picking me up soon." Her voice rang out as her heels clacked against the marble floor. Ed's eyes snap open as he quickly grabs a pillow and sets it on his lap to hide his hard-on for the said brunette. She walked into the living room and he swears his breath was taken from his lungs and his heart stopped for a second.

The twins turned around while Zeus and Zena barked and wagged their tails, circling Lorraine. 

"Wow! You look pretty, Lori!"

Junior sprang to his feet and wrapped his arms around Lorraine's waist, hugging her tightly. "Pretty princess!" The brunette giggled and ruffled his hair.

"Thank you, honey." She opens her arm for Judy to hug her as well as she glances at Ed whose eyes are trailing down her body. Lorraine was wearing a short black dress, reaching her mid-thigh that hugged her curves and a high slit -- revealing more than Ed liked but...What was he to say something about her dress? She paired the dress with black YSL strap sandal heels making her look tall and fucking gorgeous. Gold hoops were dangling from her ears and a matching gold bracelet with a rose was wrapped around her dainty wrist. 

Ed's eyes meet her gaze and he clears his throat, looking away. "They dropping you back or do you-"

"I'll find a ride, thanks." She cut him off and forced a smile making him snort and nod his head. Her phone rang letting her know that her best friend was here and she left after saying goodbye to the twins and not another word to her boss. 

Reaching the bar, Roger got them a round of drinks, and the three of them couldn't stop laughing as they joked around and started getting tipsy. Men sat all around Lorraine but, she wasn't interested in any of them, her mind being on one certain blue-eyed man with twins. 

"You need to make a move." Carol nudged her best friend's side making Lorraine roll her eyes, downing another shot and grimacing at the burn in her throat. 

"Why is it always me, huh? Why can't he make the move."

Her best friend sighed, running her finger around the rim of her glass. "Because men are pussy's." She looks at Roger who raises his eyebrow. "Sorry, baby but...You know I'm right." Roger chuckles and nods his head, taking a sip of his beer.

"Why my boss though? Out of all the people...You fall for him?"

Lorraine sighs and puts her face in her hands and looks at her best friend's boyfriend. "He's not a total asshole and a grump y'know. That's just his way of keeping his ego up or some shit like that." She mumbles the last part into the rim of her glass as she takes a sip of her Sunset Breeze drink. 

Carol snorted, lighting her cigarette with the help of her boyfriend. "Well, that's attractive."

"To her it is." The two of them snickered at the other brunette who glared at them. Lorraine grabs a stick from them, asking Roger to light hers up as well before she takes a drag. As she blows out the smoke, she hums and closes her eyes. 

"You know...Every time I look at him...It seems as if I've known him longer than I thought."

"Well, yeah." Roger scoffs, taking his girlfriend's cigarette and taking a drag before passing it back to her. "You've been working with the man for a few months now. Almost a year."

Lorraine rolls her eyes and taps the bud of her cigarette into the ashtray, watching the burnt end fall off. Of course, they wouldn't understand. There's this feeling deep inside of her that she can't seem to shake off. That...She has this deep connection with her billionaire boss but, she can't remember how or why.

Carol groaned, "C'mon. Enough of this self-wallowing. Let's go dance." She grabs the brunette's hand and they walk to the dancefloor while Roger stays with their purses and drinks, talking to the other men at the bar. 

___________________________

The twins fall asleep on the couch, their puppies curled around them as if protecting them from the outside world. Ed watches them with a smile as he tries to focus on the movie playing on the TV. But, his mind keeps wandering back to the brunette who's probably sitting on some random guy's lap by now, shoving her tongue down his throat as he touches her beautiful, soft skin and traces the ink on her bare, muscular back. 

He shakes his head, trying to get rid of the sinful thoughts in his brain. Quietly, he stands from the couch and walks to the kitchen, opening a drawer and digging into the back. A small smile flickers on his lips when he finds the little box. Grabbing it, he glances at the kids before unlocking the sliding door that leads to the backyard, leaning against the doorframe, and placing a rolled paper into his lips. He cups his hands around the roll and lights it, taking a deep inhale and feeling mellowed down as he blows out the smoke. 

Ed hums softly as his eyes scan the dark, moonlit sky. As he takes more drags of the green herb, he feels time going by slower and more relaxed. He sits on the ground and looks up at the sky, his mind traveling back to the beautiful brunette he'd been dreaming of for the past couple of months. 

The first time he'd caught himself daydreaming about her was when he was making breakfast for them as she took care of the twins when they got sick. Ed noticed how it felt so natural as he made French toast and bacon for them while she sat with the twins curled around her, glancing over at them every once in a while. Lorraine had taken over his life and his house the second she stepped into his office. The way she was determined to have the position as his nanny, he knew what he was getting into the minute he told her to meet him at six or never show up again. When he'd wake up, the first thing on his mind was her. When going to sleep, the last thing on his mind was her. Every minute of every day, she was in his mind. The image of her was burnt into his brain. Her smell took up every room in the house. Every countertop, couch, chair, everything had something of hers. He can't live without her and he never knew what his life would've been if Roger hadn't brought her into his office. 

I should probably thank him. Give him a raise or something.

Ed groaned and put his head in his hands. What the hell was he thinking? She doesn't even like him like that.

But, she said it. She said she-

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. He wanted to let it ring but, something inside told him to answer it. Standing up, he stumbled over to the couch and grabbed his phone.

Lovely Lori is calling...

He obviously didn't put that name as her contact name. Lorraine had gotten into his phone one evening and changed her name with a giggle. He answered the call and put the phone against his ear.

"You okay?"

The sound of her giggle traveled through his brain, tickling it in just the right way. "Well, hi to you too, handsome."

Handsome?

Ed raised his eyebrow and leaned against the wall, "Hi." He let out a low chuckle. "You okay?"

"No." He could hear the pout in her voice. "You're not here with me."

She's definitely drunk.

"You have Carol and Roger there."

Lorraine lets out a long, dramatic sigh. "And? You're not here! I want my big, handsome man with me." She giggles and bites her lip, feeling the buzz in her head as she lets whatever is in her mind come out of her mouth. "But, you're not with me and...I miss youuu."

He scratches the back of his neck, taken aback by her words. Ed knows she's drunk but,  what was that saying about people being drunk? Whatever their true feelings are will always come out?

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

She gasps softly, "Would you? My knight in shining armor." Lorraine giggles again. "Come save me from this horrid place, my love."

He lets out another chuckle, grabbing his keys and wallet and slipping his shoes on. "I'll be there in five minutes."

"But, the bar is ten minutes away."

"My lady needs saving doesn't she?"

She giggles, "Yes, she does."

"Then give me five minutes."

"Okay. Hurry up, love." She ends the call without another word while Ed goes to the bodyguards standing outside the door. 

"Watch the kids. I'll be back."

"You got it, boss." The two say, nodding at the other two who are standing at the front near the gate, silently telling them to take their position at the front door. 

___________________________

Lorraine is sitting on the curb outside the bar in the parking lot. Carol and Roger had stumbled into a cab a few minutes ago. They insisted they would wait with her but, she waved them off, saying they should go enjoy themselves while she wiggled her eyebrows making them laugh. Carol kissed her cheek before leaving, telling Lorraine to call her when she made it back to her temporary house where her hot boss was. She was scrolling through the pictures on her phone, giggling at the photos of Ed she had. 

The brunette sighed softly and smiled at a picture she had taken a couple of weeks ago of Ed and the kids. They had taken the kids to the Zoo and they loved the Giraffes. Ed had Judy on his shoulders while Junior was in his arms, the three of them laughing. 

"Well, well. What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone out here?" The brunette heard a deep voice say. She looked up and noticed a tall man standing in front of her with a smug smirk on his face. "Hmm? You shouldn't be out here alone, y'know."

"I'm not alone, thanks. My friends are right there." She lies, hoping the man will leave her alone. 

"Hmm, I don't seem to see anyone, hon. Come with me and I'll keep you company, pretty girl."

Lorraine stands up and wraps her arms around herself, shivering in the cold. "I-I'm fine, thanks."

The man raises his eyebrow and steps closer to her making her step back. "Why don't I...take you away, hmm? Keep you all warmed up in my bed, pretty girl?" He lifted his hand and caressed her face making her flinch away from him. 

"No, thanks. M- My boyfriend is coming to pick me up." She lies once again and pushes him away as he gets closer but, the man doesn't let up. He got aggressive and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. "Leave me alone! I said I don't want to go with you!"

"You are coming with me, pretty girl." Lorraine turns, trying to scream for help but, the man covers her mouth and starts dragging her to his car. She starts crying and struggles in his tight hold, praying that Ed gets here soon. "Shut up, you filthy slut! You shouldn't have been out there all alone if you didn't want this to happen."

"Stop! Let me go!" Her screams are muffled through his hold over her mouth. The man slams her against his truck, keeping her against it and trying to unlock his car. He struggles as his fingers start freezing in the chill air. Turning back to Lorraine to yell at her one more time when she keeps trying to get out of his hold, he feels someone grasp his shoulder and turn him around. 

"What the-"

"I believe she said no, you son of a bitch." Lorraine feels a familiar voice say before a flash of a hand punches the other man, knocking him out as he lands on the cold floor. The brunette gasps as she looks at Ed, whose eyes soften as soon as he looks at her. He cups her face, searching for any signs of scratches or bruises. 

"Are you okay?" Lorraine doesn't say a word as she continues to cry. "Love, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Why were you alone outside, baby?" He pulls her into her arms and hugs her tightly, feeling her smaller hands on his pecs. "You know better."

"I-I was waiting for you." Her wavering voice said as she felt Ed kiss her head. "Carol a-and Roger h-had just left a-and I was- I was waiting for you." Lorraine cries into his chest, feeling him run his fingers through her hair. He pulls back and shrugs off his jacket. 

"C'mon. Let's go." He grabs her hand and they walk to the car. Ed notices she's walking slowly, most likely from the heels. "You okay? The heels hurtin' you?"

"Mhmm." She hums lazily, hugging herself in his jacket. He stops and bends his knees a little, his back toward her. 

"Jump."

Lorraine shakes her head, "I don't wanna hurt your-"

"Jump, darlin'. I'm not that old." He smirks when she finally hops onto his back, her legs wrapping around his waist as he hooks his arms under them. Ed carries her to the car like that, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck and she nuzzles her face in his neck. 

"Mmm, you smell good." Lorraine slurs making him chuckle. "Like...your cologne." She takes another inhale of him. "And...Me." The brunette giggles and kisses his cheek. 

"Like you?" He teases in a low voice sending a shiver up her spine.

"Mhmm. Means...You're mine." She whispers the last words in his ear giving him goosebumps. "And mine only now that you smell like me. No one else can have you now." She starts giggling again and he chuckles. Keeping one hand hooked under her leg, he lets go of the other and tries to reach into his pockets for the car keys. 

Failing, he sighs and tells her, "I'm gonna put you down. Think you stand, darlin'?" She hums and nods her head before unwrapping her legs and standing on the ground with shivering legs. Her teeth chatter in the cold air as she watches him dig through his pockets for the keys. 

"What the fuck." He mumbles and pats his pants, trying to feel for the keys. Lorraine leans against the car, wrapping his jacket tightly around herself before hearing the clinking of something in the pockets. She reaches into it and feels the keys and a small box. She pulls out both and giggles making her boss look at her. 

"Oh." He chuckles and puts his hand out, expecting her to place it in his open hand. But, Lorraine hums and grins at him, clutching onto the keys and looking at the box. She giggles as she pulls a cigarette out, placing it between her lips. 

"You got a lighter, baby?"

Ed raises his eyebrow at the name before nodding, reaching into his left pocket, and pulling out the lighter. he cups her shaking hands around the end of the cigarette while he lights it. She takes a puff and blows out the smoke, giving it to him. He sighs and takes the bud, taking a drag of it as well. 

"Didn't take you as a smoker." He says in a deep voice making her giggle and bite her lips. 

"Then you don't know me that well." 

Ed smiles and nods his head, passing the bud back to her. "Guess not."

His eyes land on her lips as they wrap around the small stick, inhaling to get the nicotine into her body and feel the rush it gives. She licks her bottom lip and smiles at him once she takes the bud out, keeping it between two fingertips. 

Fuck, I wanna kiss her so badly.

"Can we get food?" She asks after a few moments of comfortable silence as they pass the cigarette bud back and forth. Ed chuckles and nods his head, leaning against the car with one hand next to her head, almost trapping her between himself and the car. 

"What do you want?"

Lorraine hums as she thinks for a few seconds, "A burger with fries and a chocolate milkshake." He lets out a laugh and nods. "Give me the keys and we can go." Excited for food, she hands him the keys and grins at him. He unlocks the Audi and lets her sit inside before rounding the car and getting into the driver's seat.

___________________________

They were parked in the drive-thru, waiting for the line to move as Lorraine was humming to the song playing in the car. She had her back against the door, her body facing her boss's, and with the alcohol still buzzing in her brain, giving her the confidence she didn't know she had, the brunette laid her long, bare legs across his lap with her heels still on. He raises his eyebrow at her but, doesn't make a move to push them away or say something. In fact, he loved having her legs in his lap if it meant he got to have some physical contact with her soft skin. 

"You're not getting any food?" Her soft voice says when she realizes he only ordered one meal.

Ed shakes his head as he turns to her. "Already ate."

She pouted at him, "So you're making me eat alone? That's very rude to do on a first date." He huffs a laugh and rubs his chin. 

"First date, huh?"

"Duh." Lorraine rolls her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "We're in the car, dressed in date outfits, getting food together, and spending quality time together." She smirks at him. "I think I'd call this the first date."

He runs his finger from her knee to her ankle making her squirm and bite her lip. "Who asked who out then?"

"I did 'cause men are pussies."

Ed burst out laughing making her giggle. "Darlin', if men were pussies, I wouldn't have let you stay at my house for a year." He moves the car forward when the line starts to move before looking at her. "It's like playing with fire with you."

"Haha! Is that why you haven't made a move on me? Because you're scared I'll burn your ass?"

"Who said I was scared?"

Lorraine laughed, "Your face. Your actions. Every time you're near me it's like you're scared you'll get burned if you even touch me. What? You scared I'll break your heart like some chick did?"

Actually, yes. 'Cause some chick did that five years ago.

He playfully rolled his eyes, "Of course, not. If anything, I was the one doing the heartbreaking."

"Ohhh. I'm sorry, Mr. Heartbreaker. Then tell me, every time you look at my face, what are you always thinking?"

How my lips would look perfectly fine on yours.

Ed raises his eyebrow at her as he caresses her legs. He stays quiet for a minute as he gazes at her, his eyes trailing from her eyes to her plump, red lips once again. 

"Hmm? What are you thinking?"

"Your lips."

The brunette frowns before giggling. "What's wrong with my lips?"

"They're missin' mine."

Lorraine felt the breath being taken from her lungs. She was taken aback by his sudden words and her heart started pounding in her chest. Out of all the things he would've said, she didn't know he'd say he wanted to kiss her.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" She whispers in a dark tone making him chuckle deeply, lifting her leg and leaving a kiss on her ankle making her bite her lip. The line started moving as Lorraine waited for an answer but, he never gave one. He drove to the window and paid for her food before driving to the next window and getting her food from the workers. 

"Here, darlin'," Ed says as he passes the brunette her food, stealing a fry from her bag and making her whine. The worker passes him the chocolate milkshake with a smile. 

"Enjoy your night! Don't have too much fun."

Ed chuckles and says, "No promises." Before driving off making Lorraine giggle. 

Chapter Text

The brunette was putting ketchup on her burger when Ed suddenly grabbed her hand, bringing the burger to his mouth and taking a big bite making her whine.

"Ed! Nooo." He licked his lips and chuckled, picking her milkshake and taking a sip. The brunette groans and rolls her eyes. "You're an ass."

"Am I?" Ed asks sounding offended and putting a hand to her chest making her giggle. "Someone told me you liked my ass."

Lorraine burst out laughing and snorted while Ed joined in laughing. His eyes scanned the empty parking lot making sure there were no suspicious people around them before looking at the large ocean in front of them.

"This was my favorite place to come to when I needed to get away."

"Never thought of getting a beach house?"

Ed shrugged his shoulders, "Not really." He felt her nudge his thigh with her foot making him look at the brunette who grinned at him.

"Should get one then. Me, you, and the kids could stay there." His heart warmed at the thought of that. The image of the four of them at the beach every day, playing in the water and splashing the kids as they all laughed. The two dogs ran around and barked at them, wanting to join in on the fun. But, they aren't even married, let alone dating. Hell, they haven't even kissed or anything else except heavy flirting.

"Ooh, maybe it could be like a summer house, y'know?" She sipped on her drink and hummed. Ed chuckled and nodded his head as he leaned back into his seat, manspreading his legs and groaning softly. Lorraine's gaze fell to his thick thighs, wanting to sit on them and wrap her arms around his neck. She wondered how it felt to sit on his lap and have his hands on her hips, grinding her onto him as they made out, all teeth and tongue.

Lorraine bit her lip and squeezed her thighs together. She could feel herself dripping at this point at the thought of the man in front of her manhandling her and making her scream his name.

His fingers would make the perfect necklace around my neck.

She grinned at the thought before jumping slightly at his voice, "What's got you so smiley, darlin'?"

"Oh, nothing." She giggles like a child who's hiding a cookie from the cookie jar. Lorraine looks at him as she takes a bite of her burger and offers him some making him roll his eyes playfully before grabbing her wrist and taking a bite of her food. Leaning forward, she grabs some fries and dips them into ketchup, shoving them into her mouth and feeding him some as well.

"Mmm, wait. If you're here." She points a finger at him. "And I'm here." She points at herself while he raises an eyebrow at the brunette. "Where are the..." Lorraine peaks in the backseat, noticing it's empty, and looks at her hot boss. "Where the hell are the kids?"

"At home." The man shrugs his shoulders as if it's nothing.

"Alone?!"

"Of course, not. Zach and Nate are watching them."

Her mind starts to run as she tries to remember who they are. "Who the hell are they?"

He starts laughing and rubs her legs making her hum. "The guys at the door. The kids like them so, I trust them with the kids." Lorraine nods her head, swallowing her food.

"So, you have fun tonight?"

She grins and nods her head. "Carol and I did a bunch of shots and smoked a ton of pot and then danced together. Then this guy started dancing with me." Lorraine watches his neck snap as he looks at her. She was trying to make him jealous. The man she was talking about was obviously not real, she just wanted to see what Ed's reaction would be. "Yeah, y'know he put his hands on my waist and kissed my neck."

Ed bit his tongue to stop words from coming out as he listened to her with fire in his eyes, angry at the man who had the nerve to put his hands on his woman. "He was whispering in my ear about all the things he would do to me when I went home with him and started kissing my neck and shoulders." She pointed to the spots on her skin where the "man" kissed her. "Telling me he would bend me over the hood of his car and fuck me right there. He was really hot too." The brunette could feel the jealousy and hate flowing from him as he stared at her. "His stunning blue eyes and muscular arms. God, when his hands wrapped around my throat, it was so sexy. I was so ready to-" Ed wrapped his fingers around her throat and brought her face close to his, cutting off her sentence and making her whimper.

"You were ready to what, darlin'? Hmm?" He asks her in a low whisper making her squirm as her wide eyes look into his narrowed ones. "Tell me, pretty girl. What were you so ready to do when he wrapped his fingers around your throat, just as I'm doing right now?"

Lorraine bites her bottom lip and doesn't say a word, wanting to rile him even more. It was working and it was making her horny as fuck. Her gaze falls to his lips and trails back to his piercing blue eyes which were turning a dark blue. She started breathing heavily as their faces got closer.

His low voice grumbles as he runs his thumb over her plump bottom lip. "Baby, a real man would want you laid back on their bed rather than being bent over the hood of their car. You see, a man would want to look into your gorgeous blue eyes, seeing them grow wide as you take every inch of them. He would want to see the face you make as you come and scream their name out loud. And then..." Ed breathes in her perfume and gets impossibly harder at the thought of how she would feel around his thick cock. "He would flip you around with your ass in the air as you grip onto the headboard and slap your juicy ass until it's red and sore because you were acting like the bratty girl you are and you're dripping with want. If he was a real man, he'd lick all your sweet juices until you're crying out and telling him to stop and then flip you back around and make sweet, slow love to you. Telling you how much you make me fucking crazy, Lorraine." His breath brushes against her lips making her breath hitch. Her heart skips a beat at her boss saying "me" instead of "him". Her breathing gets quicker as she wraps her slim fingers around his wrist and bites her lip.

Her pussy is throbbing with want for the man in front of her. She wants him to take her right now in the back seat and take her ability to walk and sit for the next few days. "How crazy, Ed?" Lorraine asks in a low voice, her eyes turning a dark blue, filled with lust and dare she say, love.

"I'll kill any man who looks at you with my bare hands." The brunette giggles at his words making him smile. They gaze into each other's eyes, wondering how much their lives have changed in just less than a year. Ed caresses her cheekbone softly.

Her phone starts to ring but, she lets it go, getting lost in her hot boss's blue eyes. The words are at the tip of her tongue but, she's afraid it'll be too early to say it. Way too early to say those three words that'll forever change everything. The ringing ends before starting up again making her groan. Ed lets go of her and she grabs her phone, answering the Facetime call.

"Lor?! Are you okay?! You never fucking called me?! Did he pick you up? Are you safe? Are you home? Why are you in a car? We left an hour ago! Oh, my god! Are you-"

"Carol!" Lorraine groaned loudly at her best friend's questions while Ed chuckled and leaned back into his seat, grabbing her milkshake and drinking. "I'm alright. I'm with-"

Carol gasps before giggling, "Ooh, are you having a little date with your boss."

Lorraine blushes and glances at Ed who's smirking at her. "Carol, stop it."

"I wanna see! Let me see him! I've never seen-"

"Jesus, babe. Let the woman enjoy her date with my boss."

She glares at her boyfriend before looking at Lorraine with a smirk. "Guess you won't be turning to dust anytime soon."

"Oh, Christ." Lorraine rolls her eyes and looks at the man in front of her who chuckles and caresses her leg. "Look, hon. I have to-"

"Just one little peak. Let me see this man 'cause I've never seen him."

The brunette looks at her boss who nods his head and she flips the phone to him, showing him to Carol who gasps.

"Oh- I- Lorraine-" Her best friend stutters at the sight of her boss making the two of them chuckle. "H-Hi! I'm Carol! Roger's girlfriend, soon-to-be wife..." She glares at her boyfriend who playfully rolls his eyes. "But, girlfriend for now."

"Hello, Carol."

"Jesus- Hey, look. You break my best friend's heart, I will not hesitate to break your face. I don't give two shits if you are my boyfriend's boss or...My best friend's boss slash boyfriend-"

Lorraine's eyes widened and Ed smirked at her, "Carol, we're not-"

"Shut up, Lor. Anyways, trust me, I will hurt you if you hurt her."

Ed nods his head, "I promise never to hurt her. I would kill myself before even thinking of hurting her."

The brunette on the screen squeals. "Oh, my god you got a good one, Lorraine!" The other brunette giggles and flips the phone back to herself while Ed reaches into his pocket, grabs the packet of cigarettes, and lights one up before caressing the woman's soft legs again. She puts her hand out and he smiles, passing her the cigarette.

"And for the love of God! Stop smoking, you're gonna get cancer."

"Says the woman who was smoking a whole pack at the bar!" Lorraine exclaimed, rolling her eyes and making her best friend giggle.

"Okay. I'll let you get back to your date." She smiles at Lorraine and hangs up making the brunette sigh as she places her phone on his dashboard. She takes another drag of the cigarette and passes it to Ed who sighs contently.

"Wanna go back home?" He asks, looking at the brunette who smiles and nods her head. Ed chuckles and starts the car, pulling out of the parking lot and heading back home. To their home.

___________________________

From her feet hurting in the heels, Lorraine pleaded for Ed to beg her by making a pouty face and lifting her arms when he opened the car door for her. He chuckled as he lifted her into his arms bridal style and she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck with a big grin on her face.

As he walks to the front door, the brunette trails her finger from the start of his jawline near his earlobe to his lips and caresses his cheek, feeling the start of his beard growing. Lorraine trails her eyes from his lips to his nose, and then his eyes. Ed had a straight face as he carried her, his eyes scanning their surroundings and nodding at the bodyguards who nodded back and glanced at the woman in his arms before looking forward. He manages to open the front door with one hand and walks inside, locking the door behind him.

"Where are the-"

"Shh, they're probably sleeping." He furrows his brows together as he looks down at her while she nods her head and keeps her arms around his neck. Ed walks into the kitchen and sets her on the counter, placing her purse next to her while she grins at him. He peers into the living room and notices the kids are still passed out, curled up with their pets while the bodyguards are standing by the glass sliding door, their eyes scanning the outside world. With a breath of relief, he walks back to Lorraine who is yawning and trying not to fall asleep.

"You tired, darlin'?" He asks softly in a low voice making her hum as she looks at him with tired, red eyes.

"Mhm. I could sleep for a hundred years if I could." The brunette giggles as she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to herself. He could still smell the alcohol on her breath and the weed on her clothes. He hums and places his hands on the counter, not wanting to touch her in case she didn't want him to.

"I'll go put you to bed, hon." Ed brushes a piece of her hair behind her ear making her grin at him. Her head falls onto his shoulder making him chuckle. "Can you walk, darlin'?" He feels her shake her head as she hums sleepily.

"My feet hurt, baby." She mumbles, her arms loosening on his shoulders as she starts to fall asleep. Ed wraps his arms around her waist and carries her like a child as her legs wind around his waist. Carefully, he makes his way up the stairs and heads toward her room. As he places her on her bed, her arms and legs tighten around his body and she groans.

"What's wrong, darlin'?"

Lorraine looks up at him with glossy, red eyes, and a tired smile on her face. "I wanna sleep with you."

Ed chuckles softly and shakes his head. "No, love. You have to sleep here tonight."

She lazily rubs her face and yawns, "Why? Do you not love me?" Her bottom lip pops out as she pouts at him, looking at him with puppy dog eyes. The older man sighs and lays her on the bed before sitting next to her. He caresses her bare arms with a small smile. "You're drunk and high, love."

Lorraine huffs and crosses her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. "So? I want to sleep with my boyfriend tonight."

"Yeah? And who's this boyfriend, hmm?"

She giggles like a child and grins at him. "He's so handsome with the most beautiful blue eyes a man could have. When he smiles, my heart always skips a beat and it's the first thing I think of when I wake up. He loves chocolate-covered strawberries and my fudge brownies- even though he says he hates chocolate, he always eats anything chocolate I make. My boyfriend likes his coffee black with just a little bit of sugar in it to make it somewhat sweet. He also likes to go on long drives at night to clear his mind and when he's really angry, he goes to the beach because he loves to hear the sound of the waves and the smell of sea salt. His face is always the last thing I think of when I go to sleep as well, dreaming about a future with him. He acts like such an asshole and a grump at work but, when he's around me, he doesn't know that I know he has the most purest heart in the world that is full of love for everyone he cares for. His family is always his first priority and he'll do anything to make his kids smile when they're not having a good day. He always tries to make me smile as well. Especially that one time when this one asshole bailed on me on a first date and my boyfriend took me out himself. He asked one of his assistants- Drew? I think that was his name." The brunette hummed as she thought about it before shrugging her shoulders while Ed just stared at her in shock. "Anyways, Drew stayed home with the kids while my boyfriend took me out on a special dinner and then he took me on a walk over the seawall that overlooked the city at night. And God, I fell in love with him right there. The way the moon reflected off the water and made his face glow was enchanting. It was like God himself was showing me that my future was standing in front of me. I fell in love with the most perfect man a woman could have and I'm soooo lucky to be his."

Ed sat quietly, pure shock on his face. He didn't know if it was possible to have fallen more in love with the brunette woman lying in front of him but, tonight proved him wrong. He didn't know what to say to do as thoughts ran through his mind. She was drunk and high and he didn't know if what she was saying was true but, with the confession she just made, it just had to be true. He wants to say it back to her but, he knows she won't remember this conversation when she wakes up in the morning. Ed wants to grab her face and kiss her with as much love and passion as he has for her but, he wants- No, needs her to remember how their first kiss went. He wants her to be sober and not a drunk, higher-than-Jesus woman who's lying in bed across from her boss, confessing her love for him without even knowing. 

The brunette was still grinning at him and caressed his leg, bringing him back to reality. He takes a deep breath and lets out a shaky one, his heart racing in his chest, filled with love, excitement, and want for the woman. Ed picks her up in his arms and carries her to his room making her giggle as she kisses his cheek. He places her in his bed and slips her heels off before she curls into his blankets, groaning softly and taking a deep breath, the scent of her boss filling her nose. 

"You don't want to change out of your dress, darlin'?" He walks over to his dresser and pulls out one of his shirts, realizing he hadn't brought something for her to wear from her own room.

Lorraine hums before smirking as she turns to look at him. "If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask, baby." She slips out of his bed and unzips the side of the dress, letting it pool at her feet just as he turns around. His throat bobs as he swallows and Ed looks up, not wanting to look at her perfect body glowing in the moonlit room and save her the embarrassment if she remembers this encounter in the morning. He holds out his hand and hands her the shirt which she takes with a smile and slips it on, going back into his bed wearing just his shirt and red-laced panties. 

She buries her head into his pillow and falls into a deep slumber while Ed stares at her with wide eyes and a raging hard-on. He groans lowly and adjusts his pants while scrubbing a hand down his face as he walks into his bathroom to take an ice-cold shower.

This woman is going to be the death of me. 

Chapter Text

Nursing a glass of whiskey as he sat in the corner of his room, watching the brunette sleep in his bed, he couldn't stop thinking about what she'd drunkenly confessed to him. 

"And God, I fell in love with him right there. The way the moon reflected off the water and made his face glow was enchanting. It was like God himself was showing me that my future was standing in front of me. I fell in love with the most perfect man a woman could have and I'm soooo lucky to be his"

Ed couldn't keep the grin off his face every time he remembered that line. How Lorraine felt so lucky to be his. As if he'd claimed her already -- even though he technically hasn't -- at least she knows that she's his woman. Glancing at the time, he groaned knowing he had to start getting ready for work soon. Then again, he is the boss and can technically work from home. After a bit of debating, he grabbed his phone and made a quick call to his assistant to tell them that he wasn't coming in today. Family emergency was always his excuse. 

The brunette on the bed groaned softly as she moved around, the blanket slowly moving down her body. The shirt she was wearing had risen above her torso, revealing her toned stomach and the tattoo on her side. His eyes traveled down to the small scar on her lower abdomen making him raise an eyebrow. 

She has a child?

He'd recognize that scar anywhere, seeing it many times on women he'd slept with through the years before the twins showed up in his life. When he adopted the twins, there'd never been another woman in his life other than his mother who had passed a year later. From then, the only girl in his life was Judy, and now- the brunette sleeping in his bed. 

I wonder why she's never mentioned having a child. Did something happen?

"I can feel you staring." Ed hears her mumble in a hoarse voice. He smirks and stands to his feet, grabbing the pills on the table and the cup of water. She groans and rubs her head as she tries to open her eyes but, regrets it when her head starts pounding. 

"Oh, fuck. What happened last night?"

"Partied a little too hard, darlin'." He chuckles as he coaxes her to sit up slowly. The older man pulls her shirt down and makes her sit against the headboard, giving her the aspirin and making her sip the water. She hums and leans her head back, licking her dry lips. Slowly, she opens her eyes and squints in the bright room, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hands. 

"Jesus- Can you close the curtains."

Ed snorts and walks to the window, pulling the curtains and hearing her sigh once the brightness is gone. She swallows thickly and blinks multiple times before fully opening her eyes. Her boss whistles at how red her eyes are.

"Damn, love. How much pot did you smoke?"

Lorraine giggled lazily and shrugged her shoulders, running her fingers through her to fix the disheveled strands. "Fuck if I know. Carol had a whole bag and we went roll after roll."

"Shit." He caresses her cheek making her smile as she looks up at him. 

"Did I say anything embarrassing last night?"

Ed inhales deeply and leans back onto the headboard making her gasp and cover her face. 

"Oh, fuck me."

"Yeah, that too."

Lorraine gasps in horror and swats his chest making him laugh. He looks at her and smiles. "Just kidding. Nothing too embarrassing."

"You sure?" She raises her eyebrow and he nods.

Nope.

"Yep." He sighs and kisses her head, "You hungry? The kids will be up soon." The brunette groans in response and slides down from the headboard, burying herself in his blankets and making him chuckle. "I'll let you sleep through the hangover. I'm staying home today."

"You're the best boss in the whole wide world."

"I better be." Ed grins as he stands up and leaves the room, Lorraine watching his every move. She closes her eyes and tries to remember everything that happened last night, even if it was bits and pieces. 

______________________________

"Daddy, where's Lori?"

Ed pours hot water into a cup and stirs the hot chocolate in. "She's sleeping, honey."

Judy hums and nods her head, coloring on the piece of paper her father gave her. She turns to look at her brother and taps him. "We should draw something for Lori."

Junior grins at her and nods his head, making grabby hands at a piece of paper next to her. His sister passes one to him and they start on a drawing for their nanny. He watches them with a smile on his face, giving them two cups of hot chocolate. 

He lets the children watch TV an hour later while he keeps working. His thoughts stray to the brunette in his bed while he attempts to work; her eyes, her smile, her scent. God, her scent will permeate his room and bed linens now that she's lying on his bed. He will always smell her as he buries his face in his pillow. Lorraine wearing his shirt with only a pair of black panties was probably the hottest thing a woman could wear. His shirt was too large for her small frame and hung down to her thighs. Her legs were toned and a mile long, silky and creamy.

It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen when she threw her legs on his lap when he was driving last night. She seemed very confident and possessive of him. He was surprised that he'd held out this long and hadn't fucked her in the car last night. He wanted their first time -- if it will ever happen -- to be special. He wanted her displayed in his bed, naked and glowing like a four-course meal, and devouring her every way he could. 

"Lori!" He jumped when the kids yelled making his head snap up and notice the brunette stumbling into the kitchen. 

"Hey, lovelies! Where's daddy?" She asked in a hoarse voice as she bent down to hug the twins. Ed coughed when she called him "daddy", hiding behind the counter to hide the start of a hard-on. Lorraine looked at him with a tired smile. "Hiii. There you are." She giggled, walking over to him and climbing onto the bar chair, facing him.

Ed smiled at him and raised an eyebrow, "You alright?"

"I got hungry." She pouted, grabbing his cup of coffee and taking a long sip. Letting out a hum, she set the cup down and laid her head on the counter. He chuckled and walked to the refrigerator, grabbing the bowl of fruits and yogurt he kept for her. Sliding the bowl to her, she giggled and took the spoon he was holding out, shoving a piece of strawberry into her mouth. "Fuck, I was hungry." Lorraine let out a small moan at the sweet taste. 

She glanced up at Ed who was staring at her and she held out a piece of strawberry for him to eat. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand closer, taking the whole strawberry into his mouth. The two bodyguards who were still standing in the living room, keeping an eye on the children, did not miss the intimate moment between the two. Happy that their boss was finally falling in love, Zach and Nate exchanged knowing smirks.

"You have whipped cream?"

"Really?" He lets out a chuckle. "Whipped cream this early?"

"It's noon, Ed." She playfully rolled his eyes with a giggle. She hopped off the stool and walked to the refrigerator, her eyes scanning the shelves for whipped cream. As Ed's gaze followed her body, he saw that she was still wearing his shirt and her satin pajama shorts. The shorts hiked up to reveal the red ink tattoo and the shape of her ass when she bent over.

Fuck, her ass looks good in those.

"Here it is!" The brunette exclaims with a giggle, grabbing the can and showing it to him. He smiles and nods his head, helping her walk back to the counter when she starts tripping over her own feet. She stood in front of him, sliding her bowl closer to them while he held a hand on her waist. Spraying some cream into the bowl, she dipped the strawberries and hummed as she licked her lips.

"Yummy." Lorraine grinned at him making him chuckle. He turned back to his work as she watched over his shoulder, gripping onto his bicep. "What are we doing today?"

Ed hummed and shrugged his shoulders, typing away on his laptop. "I don't know. You have something in mind?"

"Well...There's a few weeks until Christmas." She smirks at him, taking another bite of a strawberry and taking a spoonful of yogurt. "We can decorate the house. I'm sure you have Christmas stuff stashed somewhere...Right?"

"Yeah, somewhere in the garage. I can have Zach and Nate help us bring it down."

The brunette raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't they just supposed to be guarding?"

"I have more bodyguards than you think, darlin'. Plus, they always help me and the kids when we decorate."

"Aw, that's nice." Lorraine looks at the two tall men standing in the living room, smiling at them as they glance at her with a nod. She pulled on Ed's bicep, "C'mon. Let's get started."

"Wait- I need to-" She didn't let him finish his sentence. Lorraine giggled as she pulled his arm and walked over to the two other men. "Hi! Can you help us bring-"

"Yes, ma'am." The two made their way to the garage with the other four following behind, the kids giggling with Lorraine who bent and picked them up, carrying them in each arm while Ed had a smile on his face.

______________________________

As Lorraine stood at the bottom of the ladder, she directed Ed and Zach to hang the lights outside. 

"Great! Now move it more to the left."

Ed groans, "Is it even in the middle anymore?" The brunette rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. "Well, if you move it to the left, it will be." The older man looks at Zach who smirks at him, the two of them moving the lights to the left.

"Perfect! Now, hang it." She orders them as she picks Junior up in her arms and grins at the two men. Nate is standing beside her, watching Judy and the dogs run around. 

"She has you wrapped around your finger, sir," Zach says making his boss chuckle, passing him the hammer. He wraps the end of the lights on it after driving the nail into the roof. They carefully climb off the ladder and stand next to the young brunette.

She gasps as her eyes light up, Ed watching her with a small smile. Lorraine looks down at the boy in her arms, "What do you think, Junior? Daddy do a good job?"

"Pretty lights!" He exclaimed clapping his hands and making her giggle. "Tree next! We do tree next!" Lorraine lifted an eyebrow in Ed's direction. He glances at Zach and Nate, who nods as well and nods his head at her. The six of them head inside, walking to the empty tree. Lorraine crouches down and rummages through the boxes while humming.  

"Jesus. You need more ornaments, Ed." She turns to the older man who shrugs. The brunette rolls her eyes and stands. "Let me go get changed, we'll go to Carol's and get more."

"We can just-"

"Carol has a shit ton of Christmas decorations. She won't mind if we take some." Lorraine smiles and pats his arm before running upstairs to change her clothes. Zach and Nate chuckle and pat their boss's back.

"Yep, she definitely has you wrapped around her finger."

He rolls his eyes in response and heads to his room to change as well, a smile flickering on his lips at the thought of the brunette.

______________________________

Carol squeals as she runs out of the house and jumps into her best friend's arms, the two of them laughing. 

"You're here! I never thought I'd see you so soon!" She exclaims and kisses the brunette's cheek. Carol grins at her, brushing Lorraine's hair away from her face. "I made Roger bring down the boxes from the attic. I honestly didn't think your asshole boss would-" Her smile falters when she notices a man walking up behind Lorraine. "Who's that?"

Ed holds out his hand, a small smile on his face. "Her asshole boss."

"Oh! Oh-" The short woman covers her mouth with her hand. "I-I'm so sorry." Carol shakes Ed's hand while Lorraine snickers at her. "I didn't recognize you, sir."

"Please. Call me Ed."

Carol just laughs awkwardly before turning on her heel and leading them into the house. Ed looks down at the young brunette by his side who giggles. "Sorry. Carol doesn't  filter anything."

Ed chuckles and shakes his head, "It's alright, darlin'." He places his hand on her lower back and they walk in, his eyes scanning the beautiful, Craftsman style house. Carol and Roger lived in a gray-colored, two-story with a wooden door and steps in the front. The front porch had a nice patio couch sitting in front with a small table to the side, facing the street, and a wooden fence surrounding the porch. 

Roger was coming out of the living room, holding a bottle of beer and taking a swig. His eyes widened and he choked on his beer when his eyes landed on the hard stare of his boss as he stood in the foyer with Lorraine. Carol was by his side in an instant, hitting his back as he coughed. 

Catching his breath, he looked at Ed's face, his brows furrowed together. "B-Boss! What are you-" He looks at his girlfriend, clearing his throat. "What is he doing here?" He whispers making Carol roll her eyes. 

"He came with Lorraine, idiot." She mumbled before turning to the other two; Lorraine was smiling at them while Ed raised an eyebrow at them. "Sorry. The boxes are in the living room." She leads them into the living room while Roger is still stunned by the sight of his boss standing in his house with his girlfriend's best friend. Shaking his head, he follows them as he takes another swig of his beer.

Lorraine grins as she notices a box to the side with her name on it. She crouched beside it and pulled out a handmade ornament she made when she was younger. "Oh, my god. I thought you threw this out." She rummaged through the box again, a smile on her face.

Carol giggled and kneeled beside her while the two men stood behind them. "Of, course not! You made that for me when we were in fifth grade. When-"

"When we became best friends because some dude was bullying you." The two women started laughing and pulled out more handmade ornaments. She turned to look at her hot, older boss. "C'mere. Help me look through these." Ed goes over to the two women, towering over them with his large frame while Roger stands back. Carol looks at him and gives him a look, silently telling him that everything is going to be okay and Ed wouldn't do anything if Lorraine was there. Her boyfriend nods and sits beside her while Ed sits beside Lorraine.

______________________________

"Be safe okay!" The short brunette hugged her best friend before whispering in her ear, "He's so much hotter in person! I'm so happy for you."

Lorraine snorted and whispered back, "We're not even dating, hon."

The two men watched the women whisper as they stood off to the side. Roger looked up at his tall boss who was watching Lorraine with a smile on his face. "Wonder what they're whispering about, huh?" His smile falters when Ed looks down at him with a hard stare again, the familiar coldness he always has at work back in his eyes. The younger man clears his throat and looks away, scratching the back of his neck.

"Babe. C'mon, my parents are going to be here soon." He watched his girlfriend wave him off as she laughed with her best friend. 

"Have you guys fucked yet?" Lorraine slaps her arm with a gasp, glancing at Ed who raises an eyebrow at her. She smiles at him before looking down at her best friend who's smirking.

"Stop it. We're not dating."

Carol glances behind her. Ed is watching Lorraine with a soft look in his eyes, his hands in his pockets while Roger is standing next to him, uncomfortable and awkward. "Sure he knows that?"

"Oh, shut up, Carly. He's my boss." Carol raises an eyebrow at her, giving her a look making Lorraine roll her eyes. "Stop. He doesn't like me, trust me. Ed just...Cares for me. Like a boss cares for his employees."

"Right. So...The way he looks at Roger is definetly the same way he looks at you." The two turn around and notice the way Roger is averting his eyes from Ed's hard gaze before he rolls his eyes and walks to the car. Carol looks at Lorraine who smiles sheepishly. 

"Shut up. I'll call you later."

The short brunette hugs her best friend tightly, "Make sure to get fucked tonight."

"Jesus Christ, Carol!" Lorraine scoffs and walks away making her laugh. She waves at Ed who smiles back before opening the door for Lorraine. 

Yeah, he definitely loves her.

Ed pulls away from the house as Lorraine waves at her best friend and her boyfriend. She grins and turns to the older man, "What are we doing now?"

"Hmm, you hungry, darlin'?" The older man glances at her and she nods her head making him smile. "We'll get some burgers and then go home, how 'bout that?"

"Sounds perfect. Ooh, I was thinking, maybe tonight we can bake with the kids? And then we can watch Christmas movies like we did that one night."

He focuses on the road as he listens to the young brunette. "Mhmm."

"The kids are going to be so excited! They love my brownies. I can teach them how to make it and maybe make some cookies as well." Lorraine gasps making Ed look at her. "We should make a gingerbread house! And decorate it with little gingerbread people and put little gumdrops on the top for the lights. You know?" She grins as she grasps his arm making him hum, looking back at the road as he drives quietly. The brunette frowns and lets out a soft giggle, "I mean...Surely you've made a gingerbread house right?"

"Would it be bad if I said no?"

Her jaw drops, looking at him as if he had two heads. "You're kidding! You've never made a gingerbread house before?"

Ed shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. "Never."

"Oh...My God." She scoffs, leaning back in her seat. "We gotta do that tonight. Wait- Stop here." He looks at her as she points at the grocery store on her left making him chuckle. Once he parks in the parking lot, the two get out of the car and head inside. 

______________________________

Lorraine is standing in line, looking through a gossip magazine she found in one of the aisles when she notices the picture. Her brows furrow together as she takes a closer look, her heart dropping. It was a picture of Ed standing with a blonde woman, her back against the wall as he braces against the wall with one hand and the other has his finger hooked under her chin, their faces only inches apart as if he's about to kiss her. Her eyes trail to the wording at the bottom.

CEO Billionaire, Ed Warren looks cozy in a corner with possibly a new girlfriend? Wife? Lover? The man who's been the city's most eligible bachelor for years has finally settled down with an unknown blonde woman. Might this be the end of an era for hot boss, Ed Warren?

Tears prick her eyes at the words before looking back at the picture. She feels a hand on her lower back making her gasp and turn around. 

"Jesus. You alright, darlin'?"

Lorraine averts her eyes from his, looking down and shoving the magazine in her purse. She nods her head and pushes her cart forward, blinking away the tears. The taller man frowns and walks toward her, "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine." She answers as she places the items from the cart onto the conveyor belt. A look of concern is on his face as he continues to stare at her, his eyes softening. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that she shoved a magazine into her purse, he wondered what was in there that made her upset.

As they reach the end of the register where they pay, Ed is pulling out his wallet when he notices the brunette pull her wallet out as well.

"I got it."

She pushes his hand away and grabs her card. "It's fine. I got it."

"Lorraine-"

"I said I got it!" Lorraine exclaims in an angry tone as she glares at him, pushing her card into the chip reader. Ed looks down at her with a shocked expression, raising his eyebrow while the cashier chuckles. 

"Got yourself a feisty wife, sir."

Lorraine scoffs, putting her card back into her wallet and dropping it into her purse. "I am not his wife." She grabs the grocery bags and storms out of the store. The cashier looks at Ed who glares at him. He jogs after the brunette, grabbing her arm. 

"Lorraine- Stop, what happened?"

"Nothing happened." She shoves his hand off her arm and walks to the car, waiting for him to open the trunk. When she doesn't hear the click, she rolls her eyes and looks at the older man. "Can you open the trunk?"

Ed sighs and pulls out the keys from his pocket, unlocking the car and opening the trunk for her. She throws the bags inside and gets into the front seat, slamming the door. He frowns to himself as he closes the trunk. 

What the fuck happened?

Chapter Text

"Oh, honey." Carol pouts as Lorraine lays in her bed, sobbing into her pillow. "Don't waste your tears on such an asshole, hon."

"But, I-I thought he liked me. You said it yourself!"

The other brunette sighs, "I know, hon. I was obviously wrong." Lorraine cries harder making her best friend cry. "Don't cry, hon. You'll...Look he wasn't all that either way. He couldn't even fuck you."

"Carol!" Lorraine yells angrily before scoffing and hanging up the phone. She curls into a ball on the bed and cries. How could he do this to me? How could he care for me so much and treat me so well just to throw me away like a piece of trash and love someone else?

Her mind travels back to the picture, the way Ed looked down at the woman as she smiled up at him, her hand placed on his chest and the other wrapped around his shoulder. She thought Ed looked at her that way but, she was wrong. She thought she'd found someone different this time. Ed cared for her, treated her right, made her smile every day, made her laugh, and looked at her with a loving gaze. How could she have been so wrong about it this whole time?

Slowly, she drags her out of bed and stumbles to her purse, rummaging around until she finds her pack of cigarettes. Lorraine pulled the lighter out from the zipper in the corner of her bag and sat by the window, propping it open a few inches. When she lights the stick, she takes a deep inhale, feeling the nicotine rush through her veins before she blows it out. She leans against the wall and sighs as tears slip down her face again. 

_________________________________

Ed stood in the corner of his room, sipping on his glass of whiskey as he looked out the window. He scrubbed a hand down his face and thought of the brunette. How angrily she looked at him and the hurt in her gorgeous blue eyes. Everything was going perfectly and then it crashed and burned suddenly. When they'd arrived home, Lorraine stormed to her bedroom without a word to anyone as she slammed the door. He knocked on her door and tried talking to her but, she wouldn't talk to him. 

Lorraine would let the kids into her room and she'd play with them but, she wouldn't say a word to Ed, not even a glance at him. He'd never seen her so angry at him before and it was starting to worry him. Especially because it had happened so suddenly. 

Walking over to the bed, he sighed as he sat down and set his whiskey on the nightstand. Ed put his head in his hands and groaned, "What the hell did I do?" He slipped his shirt off and laid down, turning his head into his pillow. Taking a deep breath, her scent fills his nose. He'd forgotten she was laying there the whole morning. He hummed as he breathed in her scent again, vanilla mixed with her natural feminine clean smell and jasmine.

He had to fix this before it got worse. 

_________________________________

She'd gotten up later than she usually would, thinking her boss had already left the house. She wanted to avoid him as much as possible and get everything over with.

 As she was making breakfast for herself and the kids, her mother had called her on Facetime. Setting her phone to rest against the wall of the counter, she began making breakfast. 

"I know, Mom." Lorraine sighs as she flips the pancakes on the pan.

"And honey, I want you to come down this weekend."

"Mom, you know I'm working."

Georgiana rolls her eyes, "I don't care. I'd like to see my daughter sometime before I die."

"Mama!" The brunette groans as she facepalms. "You're not going to die."

"I am a sick, elderly woman. It could happen so fast. I could die right after I put the phone down or I could die tomorrow morning. You don't know how my health is!"

Lorraine just sighs and plates the pancakes, moving on to make the eggs. As she's cracking the eggs, she doesn't notice Ed walking into the kitchen. "Alright, fine. I'll try and come down this weekend."

The older woman doesn't hear what her daughter is saying once her eyes land on the handsome man behind her. "Who is that fine young man, Rain?" Lorraine frowns as she turns her head, her eyes meeting Ed's. Her eyes widen and she grabs her phone, hiding her curious mother knowing she'd start asking questions as to why she's living with an older man that she's never mentioned before. 

"S-sorry. I thought you left already."

Ed nods and gives her a small smile. "It's alright. I'm about to head out." He grabs her cup of coffee and takes a sip making her glare at him while he winks at her. 

"Lorraine! I asked you a question."

"I...Uh..." The brunette tries to come up with a lie as she places the phone in front of her on the counter. "He's- He's my-"

"Rain, you didn't tell me you have a handsome boyfriend." Georgiana glares at her daughter while Lorraine looks at her horrified. 

"Mom! He's-"

"Let me see him."

"No- Mom, he's going-"

"Lorraine." The woman says in a stern tone making Lorraine groan. She looks at Ed with sympathetic eyes. "Sorry." She mouths at him making him raise an eyebrow. Ed walks into the view of the camera and smiles at the elderly woman. 

"Good morning, ma'am."

Georgiana's eyes light up at the sight of Ed. It'd been a long time since her daughter had a man in her life, none as handsome as the one in front of her though. "Oh, please, hon. Call me, Georgiana."

Ed smiles before Lorraine steps in. "Mama, this is Ed. He's my-"

"Ed! What a handsome young man you are. Why don't you come down with my daughter this weekend? The family is getting together and I'd like to meet my daughter's boyfriend in person."

The younger brunette's eyes widen. Her heart starts racing in her chest at the thought of Ed meeting her family, let alone the fact that they think he's her boyfriend and she'll have to spend a whole weekend with him alone. "Actually, Mom. Ed is busy this weekend and he really needs to get going so-"

"I'd love to." Lorraine glares at him while he ignores her, smiling at her mother on the phone. This was the perfect time for him to talk to her and figure out what was going on.

Georgiana grins at them, "Lovely! I can't wait to meet you!" She looked at her daughter who had a stubborn look in her eyes. "Rain. I'll see you this weekend. And I don't get why you don't want your boyfriend tagging along. The family will love him!"

The brunette forces a smile at her mother. "We'll see you then." She ends the phone call and slowly puts her phone down before glaring at her boss who's smirking at her. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"What?" He asks innocently as he shrugs his shoulders. "Thought it would be great to get out of here for a while. Now, we have an excuse."

Lorraine groans and rubs her temples. "I don't- Ugh. Alright but, if we're both gone who the hell is watching the kids?"

"I'll get Drew to watch them for a few days."

She continues to glare at him before giving up. What's done is done and there was no chance of backing out now. And with her mother being the one to invite Ed, everyone knew that whatever Georgiana wanted, Georgiana got. Putting her face in her hands, she took a deep breath making Ed sigh. 

"I won't go if you don't want me to."

"Well..." She huffs a laugh, crossing her arms over her chest and looking up at him. "You should've thought about that before saying yes to my mother."

"Sorry." Ed says as he scratches the back of his neck and looks down. Lorraine sighs and shrugs her shoulders. 

"Whatever. It'll be three days and then we'll be back. Hopefully, it'll go by fast."

The older man hums as he looks at her, "Are you okay though?"

Lorraine glares at him, "I'm fine."

She's definitely not fine.

Knowing she's going to stick with that answer, Ed nods his head. "Well, I'll be heading to work now. Kids will be awake soon. Be safe if you're going out with them today." Lorraine just hums and looks away from him, a stubborn look back on her face. He sighs and grabs a pancake from the plate, glancing at the eggs that were burning on the stove making him smirk. "Your eggs are burning by the way."

"Oh, shit!"

Ed chuckles as he walks away. This weekend is going to be full of surprises, he just knows it. 

Lorraine glances at him as he walks out of the house, sighing in defeat and annoyance. So much for wanting to avoid him for a while. 

Chapter Text

Judy and Junior hugged their father tightly. They looked at him with a pout and puppy dog eyes. "Do you really have to go, Daddy?"

"Yeah, kiddos. I'm sorry. But, Lori and I will be back before you know it."

Lorraine smiled as she crouched next to him and Junior wrapped his arms around her neck. "We'll bring you back some presents, how about that? It is almost Christmas." The kids gasped and grinned at them. 

"Yes! Yes!"

Ed and Lorraine laughed as they hugged the kids once more before standing up straight. The older man looked at his number one, trusted assistant who smiled at him. "Take good care of them."

The younger boy scoffed, "You don't trust me, Ed? Of course, I'll take care of them."

"You better. Or else." He warned with a stern look making Drew gulp and nod his head, taking the kids' hands into his. Ed turned to Lorraine who smiled at the kids before glancing at him and walking to the car. He sighed and turned on his heel, starting to walk away until Drew said something to him. 

"Talk to her."

Ed turned around and raised an eyebrow at the young man. 

How the hell...? 

The young man chuckled and shook his head. Of course, he knew his boss/friend was falling in love with the brunette, even if his boss himself couldn't see it. He looked at Ed with a knowing look, "Just...Talk to her. She likes you more than you think. I'm pretty sure if she did hate you as much as she's trying to show, you would've been dead by now." 

He's not wrong. Lorraine would've shoved her foot so far up his ass, all of his organs would be coming out from his mouth. He should know this from when she dealt with a kid from Junior and Judy's pre-school who kept bullying them. The kid won't even look at them anymore. 

Ed hummed and nodded his head before heading to the car, getting into the driver's side and pulling out of Drew's driveway, him and Lorraine waving at the kids and the young man. Once the house was out of their view, Lorraine sighed and curled into her little corner on the passenger's side while Ed played music. 

_________________________________

Lorraine was gazing out the window, taking in the scenery. She had a small smile on her face as they passed a farm, a herd of cows running around with their calfs  Growing up with a large family in the countryside and leaving it all behind to live in the city made her realize how much she liked peace and quiet. When she was younger, she loved going out to ride the horses in the early mornings just to get away from people once in a while or hiding out in the cow barn and reading in the corner while she was curled up with a calf. 

Her mama always said, "You can take the girl out of the country but, you can never take the country out of the girl." Lorraine never believed her mother until now, as she made her way back to her childhood home...with her boss who everyone back home thinks is her boyfriend. 

Ed's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "You hungry?"

"I'm alright, thank you." She replies softly without looking at him. The older man glances at her and sighs. 

"You can't avoid me for the two days we'll be there y'know."

Lorraine snorted, "Don't worry. I'll find a way." Ed rolled his eyes and leaned back into his seat, leaving one hand on the wheel and the other resting his elbow on the door and leaning his head against his fist. 

"Okay, what did I do?"

"Nothing."

"You can't just keep saying 'nothing' or 'I'm fine' when there's something obviously going on in that head of yours. What happened that's making you avoid me?"

"Nothing."

The older man took a deep breath, he didn't want to be angry at the brunette but, she was driving him crazy. For three whole days since he agreed to go on this trip with her, she'd avoid him in every possible way; coming out of her room later than she usually would, taking the kids to the park or shopping when he was home, sitting away from him at the dinner table, etc. He was hoping that on this trip they'd talk or at least he'll be able to figure out what happened the day she got mad. 

"Lorraine-"

The brunette groaned and turned to him with a scowl. "Look. I didn't tell you to come with me, you told my mother you'd come and now she thinks you're my boyfriend. For two days, and two days only we'll pretend we're a couple with all the lovey-dovey shit, and then after that, we're going back home and I'll continue my job as your nanny. Up until December thirty-first."

Ed frowned and glanced at her. Why December 31st?

"Your contract isn't over until-"

"Well- I-I'm-" She didn't know what to say, she just wanted to stay away from him as soon as they got back from the country. "Count this as an early two weeks' notice."

He was shocked. Ed stared blankly at the road when those words came out of her mouth. He didn't want her to leave. He never wants her to leave. Lorraine was still staring at him, probably waiting for him to say something but, he didn't know what to say. 

When her boss hadn't said anything, she slowly turned and looked out her window. Tears welled up in her eyes and she bit her lip to stop them from quivering. She took slow, deep breaths so that he wouldn't notice she was crying. Clearing her throat, she said after a few moments of silence. "It should give you enough time to find a new nanny for Judy and Junior."

I don't want a new nanny. I want you.

Ed stayed silent as his mind tried to focus on the road. The car was filled with awkward silence and tension as no one said a word for the rest of the drive.

"Only a few more hours in this constricted space with this man and I'll be out." Lorraine thought to herself as she rested her head on the headrest and closed her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek. She didn't want to leave him but, it hurt her just to feel his presence in the same room. If only she'd never picked up that damn magazine. 

_________________________________

A few hours into the drive, Ed had stopped at a gas station to pack fuel while Lorraine ran in to get them food and drinks for the rest of the trip. Despite her saying "I got it" multiple times, Ed glared at her and shoved his black card into the palm of her hand. She muttered to herself as she walked around the little shop, grabbing multiple snacks and throwing drinks into the basket. 

"You break that, you buy it." The man at the registers said as he scowled at her when she threw a can of coke into her basket. "Fucking bitch." He muttered as he flicked a page of his newspaper.

Lorraine glared back at him and continued grabbing items. "Asshole." She mumbled under her breath making him raise an eyebrow at her. 

"'Scuse me?"

Shit.

"Hmm?" She looked up, pretending to be confused. "I-I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did. You called me an asshole, you bitch."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The man huffed a laugh and started walking towards her, towering over her. He backed her up against the cold doors of the refrigerators. "You called me an asshole. Who the fuck do you think you are, whore?"

Lorraine looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes. Her breathing quickened as she trembled. "I-I'm sorry. I-"

"You're gonna fucking pay for calling me that, piece of shit."

"Hey!" Ed's voice boomed behind the man making Lorraine jump. The man turned around and met Ed's deadly gaze. "Who the fuck do you think you are calling a woman a piece of shit?"

"She called me an asshole!"

Ed grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the refrigerator. "Well, she was right. You are an asshole who likes to pick on women because they don't like your disrespectful ass, so you call them names to feel like a fucking king."

"It's not my fault she's a fucking whore."

"The fuck did you just call her?" Ed asked in a low, menacing voice. "Call her that one more time, asshole."

"I called her a fucking-" Before the man could say another word, Ed punched the man in the face while Lorraine hid behind him, grabbing onto his arm, fearing both of their lives. 

"Ed, stop it."

"Ow! You son of a bitch, you broke my fucking nose!" The man yelled as Ed let go of him and he slid down to the ground. 

"Yeah? You're lucky I didn't break your fucking face!"

Lorraine pulled his arm as they stumbled back. "He's not worth it, Ed."

"Yeah, listen to your cunty bitch, Ed."

Ed grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the glass door behind him, breaking it into a million pieces as glass shattered everywhere. He grabbed the man's collar and brought his face close to his and threatened the man in a low voice, "You call my woman a bitch again and I will kill you with my bare hands." He dropped the gas station worker who groaned in pain and glared at Lorraine. Ed grabbed Lorraine's hand and walked towards the entrance. 

"Hey! You didn't fucking pay for that!" He shouted as he gripped his bloody nose while his other hand held the back of his head, a searing pain shooting through his skull. Ed grabs the chips and cans of drinks in the basket Lorraine is holding and throws them at the man who yelps. 

As they make their way to the car, Lorraine looks up at Ed and can feel the rage radiating off of him. He was still gripping her arm tightly but, not tight enough to hurt her. The rage in his eyes scared her when he looked down making Lorraine look away. His eyes soften immediately at her frightened face. 

"Hey. Are you okay?" Ed stops them as they reach the car.

Lorraine averts his gaze by looking down and nods her head, whispering, "I'm fine."

The older man sighs and opens the door for her, "I know you're hungry. We'll stop by someplace and get some food before we reach your Mom's, alright?" Silently, the brunette nods her head as she climbs into the Cadillac, closing the door behind her. Ed rubs his temples and groans softly, rounding the car to get into the driver's seat. The rest of the drive, he keeps glancing at her with worried eyes when she doesn't talk or move, her head facing the window as she sits quietly. 

He notices a burger joint in front of them and hears her stomach grumble, knowing she'd seen it as well. Chuckling softly, he turns into the joint and heads for the drive-thru, ordering for her and himself. When they get their food after he pays, Lorraine digs into her burger like a starved animal who hasn't eaten in days. 

As he continued to drive, Lorraine noticed the scenery getting familiar to her. Her eyes scanned the road and she gasped, pointing at a dirt road in front of them. 

"Turn here!"

"What? But, you said-"

"I know. Just- Turn!"

Ed rolled his eyes and turned, driving down the dirt road until they saw a big building. He parked the car and they hopped out. Lorraine giggled as she ran to the abandoned building and turned.

"Carol and I met here."

"Oh?"

"Mhmm." The brunette hummed, turning to the doors and wiping the dust off the glass with her sleeve. The two of them peeked into the dark, broken building. She pushed and pulled on the doors but, groaned when it wouldn't budge. Ed looked around them, looking for a bar or something. 

"Wait- It's abandoned right?"

"Duh." Ed narrowed his eyes at her before hitting the window with his elbow making her gasp. "Ed!"

"What? It's abandoned." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he cleared the broken glass and climbed inside. He turned and leaned out, putting his arms out for her making her raise an eyebrow at him. "Oh, c'mon." Lorraine sighed and held onto his bicep as he carefully lifted her through the window and placed her beside him. Coughing, she waved her hand in front of her face, clearing the dust in the air as she looked around. 

"Come." She whispered as she placed her hand on his arm and pulled him with her. They looked around the place, their eyes squinting in the dark trying to see better. 

"What are we looking for?"

"There was a bench that Carol and I used to sit on as kids, the day this church was closing we had carved our names on the back of the wooden bench in front of us." They looked through the rows of wooden benches as Lorraine explained to him. Ed ran his finger down the dusty benches until he felt jagged edges and crouched down. 

"Lorraine." He called out making her turn and kneel beside him. She gasped softly as a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, my god." She cooed, running her slim finger across the writing. 

Carly + Lor = Sisters for Life

Lorraine giggled and whispered, "We were only ten when we wrote this. It was after we declared our friendship best friends." She giggled at the memory while Ed gazed at her with soft eyes. "There was this boy at school who kept picking on her because she had short hair like a boy. One day it got too much for her that she started crying so...I tracked down the boy and punched him in front of his friends." The brunette smiled and looked down, shaking her head. "Broke his nose and stripped his ego away from him after his friends made fun of him 'cause he was punched by a girl." The two of them started laughing before meeting each other's eyes, their faces just inches apart. Her breath hitched at how close his face was to hers, her eyes darting to his lips for a second. 

Ed brought his hand up, brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, and cupped her face. "Lorraine-"

"Hey, who's in there!" A light flashed on them making them gasp. 

"Oh, shit." Ed grabbed Lorraine's arm and they sprang to their feet, running away as the person started running after them. 

"Hey! Stop!"

The two of them were laughing as they ran through the dark halls, their only source of light coming from the sunlight shining through the dusty windows. Lorraine saw a small corridor in front of them, "This way." They ran down the corridor before she gripped his arm and pulled him into a small alley, her back getting shoved against the wall while he towered over her. They stayed quiet, panting softly, and watched the man who was chasing them run down the corridor, still in search of them. 

Lorraine giggled making Ed chuckle softly as she looked up at him. He had his hand braced on the wall beside her head and his other hand was holding her hip while both of her hands were on his biceps. Ed smiled at her as he caressed her face making her smile, leaning into his touch. Until she suddenly pulled away, remembering she was supposed to be mad at him and he had a girlfriend that he never told her about.

Clearing her throat, Lorraine lets go of him and slips under his arm. "We should um...We go back...The sun's about to go down and...It gets pretty dark at night over on this side."

Ed wants to grab her and keep her in front of him, asking her all kinds of questions about why she's avoiding him and why she's angry at him but, he doesn't. He just nods his head and follows her out. They stopped by the bench again so that Lorraine could take a picture before leaving, continuing their drive to her family home. 

_________________________________

Pulling into the long dirt driveway, her heart filled with warmth and excitement at the sight of her parents' big, two-story, white country house. It still looked the same but, more modern. Her uncle must've fixed it up before passing away a year ago. She hadn't been home for a while. Lorraine sighed and turned to Ed who was putting the car in park and turning off the engine. 

"Okay so...My mom...She doesn't care about boundaries so, apologies in advance if she asks you some really personal questions." Ed chuckles and nods his head, turning to her. "My sister is about the same but, she's not that bad. They're both very sweet and loving, I swear but, they don't know personal space."

"You have a sister?"

Lorraine nods her head, "She's eighteen, ten years younger than me. There shouldn't be any men you should be worried about...Unless my cousins are here then..." She shrugs her shoulders making him nod. "Mom's name is Georgiana but, she'll probably make you call her Giana or Mom. My sister's name is Theresa, we call her Terry though. I don't know what she'll have you call her."

Ed continues to silently nod his head as he listens to her, taking mental notes. "My room is upstairs so, since everyone thinks you're my boyfriend, we'll be sharing a room."

Unfortunately. Well, actually- Is it though? I'll be sleeping next to the man I've been dreaming about for the next two days but, it'll be hell because I'm trying my best to be mad at him. I wonder if he's happy he's sleeping in the same room as me. Maybe he's annoyed? Maybe he'd be down to fuck in- What the actual fuck is wrong with me? Get it together, Lorraine.

She eyes him and notices he's been staring at her with intense eyes making her swallow thickly. "Oh! And we have two German shepherds. Hazel and Rufus."

"Cute." 

Lorraine snorts and shakes her head, "They're really not. One will bite you in the ass if they sense danger and one will bark at you until your ears bleed."

"Ah..."

Taking a deep breath, she nibbles on her bottom lip, worry and nervousness filling her. Ed glances at her and rubs her knee making her look at him. 

"I am sorry for putting you up to this."

She just gives him a small smile, "It's alright. At least my mother and sister will get off my ass about not having a boyfriend now." He chuckles and nods his head, the two of them looking forward and noticing the door open. "You ready?"

"Nope."

"Me neither." She giggles as they climb out of the car, walking towards the front steps of the house. Lorraine hears her little sister squeal as she runs out of the house barefoot. 

"Raine! Look at you!" Theresa jumps into her older sister's arms, hugging her tightly. "My god, you still look like the same bitch."

"Oh, for the love of God, Terry." Lorraine rolls her eyes as she puts her little sister down. She brushes the younger brunette's hair back. "Here I was thinking you actually missed me for once."

Theresa giggles and kisses her sister's cheek, eyeing the man behind her. "Who's this hunk?"

"This is Ed. My boyfriend." Ed smiles and holds his hand out to shake the young brunette's hand but, instead, she wraps her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. Leaning back she raises an eyebrow at him. "How the hell did my sister bag a hunk like you? I mean...You're hot."

"Jesus Christ!" Lorraine pulls her sister away from her boss and glares at her. "Leave him alone, Terry." She stands beside him and holds his bicep. "Where's Mom?"

"In the kitchen, as always." The younger girl playfully rolls her eyes as she and Lorraine giggle. She looks at her older sister with a bright smile. "I'm serious though. I really missed you."

"Aw, I missed you too, baby." Lorraine pulls her in for another hug, kissing her forehead while Ed smiles at the two. "C'mon. I want to see our mother."

Theresa snorts, "Yeah, she's been dying to meet your hunky boyfriend." Lorraine slaps the back of her head making her glare at the older woman. "You bi-"

"Don't make me wash your mouth out with soap, young lady!"

Ed looks up and notices an older woman walking down toward them with her hair tied up in a loose bun and a scowl on her face. Theresa winces before smiling innocently at Georgiana. 

"Mama, I wasn't going to say what you were thinking."

Georgiana glares at her younger daughter silently, a warning on her face if she says another swear in front of her again. Theresa sighs and looks down, crossing her arms over her chest while her mother smiles at Lorraine and Ed.

"There she is, my oldest baby girl."

"Mama." The brunette whines as her mother wraps her arms around her. Lorraine hummed as she hugged her mother back, taking a deep breath and the smell of home fills her nostrils. Growing up, Lorraine loved the smell of their mother. She always smelled like baked goods such as cookies and apple pies, mixed in with lavender and some kind of other floral scent that Lorraine never figured out. "How are you, mom?"

"I'm doing great now that my daughter is safe in my arms."

Lorraine chuckles softly and kisses her mother's cheek before stepping back and letting Georgiana meet Ed.

"And there is the fine young man that stole my daughter's heart." She cooed as she cupped Ed's face in her cold, wrinkling hands. The man smiles at her as she brings him down for a hug. 

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

The older woman scoffs as she pulls back from him, a smile on her lips. "Ah, and he has manners as well." She turns to Lorraine who's looking up at Ed with soft, blue eyes as warmth fills her heart. "You picked a good man, Raine. He'll make a fine husband."

The brunette's eyes dart to her mother's and she starts blushing. "Mom! Oh, my god." She covers her face in embarrassment making Ed chuckle and rub her back while Theresa snickers at her. Georgiana's grin gets wider, her heart filled with joy at the sight of her daughter in love with a handsome, loving man. She knew all of Lorraine's past boyfriends and none of them would ever compare to the one standing in front of her, even if she'd just met him a few seconds ago. Georgiana Moran knows that this man will treat her daughter right and love her with his whole heart. 

"Come! Come! Let's go inside, I just finished making my famous apple pie. Everyone will be arriving soon."

"Yes, ma'am." Ed places his hand on Lorraine's lower back as they head inside the house, the smell of fresh pie and delicious seasoned chicken with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce filling their senses. 

"Oh, Mama. You didn't have to cook all this!" The brunette gasps as she takes off her coat, giving it to Ed who hangs it on the coat rack by the door. They step into the kitchen as Theresa pulls freshly baked biscuits out of the oven and Georgiana adds seasoning to the mashed potatoes. 

"And why not? My oldest daughter has come home for the weekend with her man, I'd like to celebrate their safe travels with a good feast tonight with the family." 

Lorraine looks at the dinner table which is full of different dishes her dear old mother has cooked for them, multiple plates set around the table with forks, spoons, and knives. She clutches her chest and smiles warmly at Georgiana. 

"Thank you, Mom."

"Of course, dear. Now, why don't you and Ed get settled in your room upstairs? I'll call you once everyone is here."

The brunette turns to Ed who is standing by the doorway with his hands in his pockets, quietly watching the scenery in front of him. Their eyes meet and he raises his eyebrow making her chuckle softly. She turns back to her mother and sister who are watching them with big smiles making her playfully roll her eyes. 

"Yeah, sounds great, Mom." Walking towards her boss, they head back to his car to grab their bags before going back inside to Lorraine's old bedroom. As they're trying to figure out how to get the door to open, Ed hears a growl coming from behind him. Pausing, he turns his head slowly to see two large German Shepards snarling at him from down the hall. 

"Um...Lorraine."

"Hmm?" She doesn't look at him as she tries to open her bedroom door which has somehow gotten stuck to the frame. How long have they not opened this damn room?

"Lorraine." He calls out louder as the dogs start slowly walking toward them. When the brunette doesn't answer him, he taps her shoulder making her groan. 

"What the hell is it, Ed?" When she turns to him, she notices that he's not looking at her but, toward something down the hall with fear written on his face. Frowning, the brunette looks over his shoulder and gasps. "Oh, shit-" The dogs start running toward them making them yelp as they both try to shove the door open. 

"Open it!" 

"What the fuck do you think I'm trying to do?!"

"Well, try harder!"

Ed slams his shoulder against the door, bursting it wide open and he shoves the brunette inside, grabbing their bags and running inside. Lorraine quickly slams the door behind her as they pant. 

"Christ, I hate those dogs." She mumbles as she leans over, trying to catch her breath. Lorraine looks up at Ed who starts chuckling before it turns into a full-blown laugh. She joins in, the two of them laughing together at their stupidity. "Oh, my god I can't believe we're scared of dogs."

"When- When we have two at home." Ed laughs making them laugh harder. After a few minutes, the laughing dies down and Lorraine sniffles as she wipes a stray tear before looking around the room. 

"Wow...It's as if this room has been frozen in time." She walks around, looking at the old posters and photos hanging on the wall together with her many medals and awards. Ed notices a picture on the wall by her head and chuckles. 

"This you in what...High school?"

Lorraine walks to him, looking over his shoulder and giggling. "Yeah, junior year I think."

"Damn." He picks up the photo and turns it around, looking at the year. "You were what...?"

"Hmm." She tries to do the math in her head as she hums. "About seventeen I think, about to turn eighteen."

Ed whistles, hanging the picture back onto the wall. "Shit, I was already twenty-five." He turns to the brunette who giggles softly and bites her lip before walking away from him, feeling his gaze on her. She hums and spins on her heel, facing him as she crosses her arms over her chest, Ed doing the same to mirror her. 

"So...The bed."

"Mhmm."

They both turn to the rather big enough-for-two bed in the middle of the room, covered with a dark red bedsheet and pillowcases and multiple layers of blankets on top. 

"I can sleep on the floor if you'd like."

The brunette snorts and turns to look up at him. "With your back? I don't think so." She states making him frown. Ed had been known for getting bad back pains if he slept in the wrong position or if he moved even just the slightest bit the wrong way. 

"Wha- Nothing's wrong with my back." He lies even though he knows she's right. He always denied having back pain even if she has stayed up with him sometimes until the crack of dawn just to help him. Lorraine looks up at him with a "Really?" look and he sighs. "Alright, alright. Where do you want me to sleep?"

Lorraine smirks, "You can sleep with the sheep." She walks to the bed giggling while he rolls his eyes. She pulls the blankets down, rolls one up, and places it in the middle making him raise his eyebrow. "What? I'm not having you sleep on the floor so, we're sharing the bed."

"But...Why the barrier?"

"For space." She answers him in a "duh" tone making him snort. 

"And what if your sister or mother walks in?"

Lorraine shrugs, "I'm sure we'll figure something out." Ed hums and walks to the bed when there's a knock at the door.

"Are you guys fucking already?" Theresa teases as a giggle escapes her mouth. Her older sister groans, looking at Ed who smirks at her making her blush. 

"We're not, Terry."

The door opens and Theresa smirks at the two as she leans on the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest. She eyes the fake couple in the room and hums, nodding her head. "Something is up with you two."

"Like what?" Lorraine raised her eyebrow, curious about what her sister was trying to say.

"Hmm...Nothing." She shrugs her shoulders making her older sister scoff. "Everyone's going to be here in an hour or something so...In the meanwhile, you two can, I don't know- Fuck or something."

Lorraine grabs a stuffed animal by the bed and throws it at her sister who laughs as she closes the door. The brunette turns to her boss and puts her face in her hands, blushing a deep red from embarrassment. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, you warned me already." He shrugs his shoulders and chuckles. He'd never seen her this flustered and it was amusing to him, seeing the hard-head brunette who's always giggling and playing around with his kids getting all flustered and embarrassed about her family's choice of words to use for them.

"Yeah." She looks around the room and sighs. "You want to see the farm?"

Ed raises his eyebrow, intrigued by the brunette in front of him. He never knew she grew up on a farm. Although, living in the countryside probably should've been the sign. "You have a farm?"

Lorraine chuckles, grabbing a hoodie from her open suitcase beside her. She kneels and unzips his suitcase, grabbing a hoodie for him as well. "C'mon. It'll be fun." Ed smiles and takes his hoodie, the two of them putting it on as they leave her room. 

_________________________________

"This is Raven, the man of the stalls." Lorraine giggles at her words as she pets the tall Friesian horse. It was a beautiful black color with long, black hair that flowed in the wind on its head. The older man smiles as he pets him, the horse neighing softly, and nuzzles his head into Ed's making Lorraine giggle. Another horse walks up to them, nudging Lorraine's hair. She gasps and turns, hugging the horse. "There's my girl." She looks at Ed. "This is Sally, my beautiful prized possession."

The tall, blonde mustang neighs happily at the sound of Lorraine's voice, standing up on its hind legs and galloping around the two. Ed laughs while Lorraine claps her hand and jumps excitedly. She turns to Ed, "Let's go for a ride!"

"Wha- Now?"

"Yes, now!" She pulls on his arm making him chuckle. Lorraine grabs a saddle and straps it onto her horse. Lorraine struggles as she tries to climb onto her Mustang and gasps when Ed effortlessly lifts her by grasping her hips. He places her on top of the horse and smiles at her. 

"I- Thank you." She says softly making him smile. He grabs another saddle and places it on Raven, securing it tightly before hopping on as well. Lorraine raises an eyebrow, a bright smile on her face. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Follow me." The brunette grabs onto the reigns, Ed doing the same and they both head off into the wide-open field of grass, galloping around on the two horses. Lorraine breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of fresh air after living in the polluted air of the city. She let go of the reigns and raised her arms in the air, a cold breeze flying through her as she laughed. "Oh, my god. I forgot how much I missed this!"

They gallop for a couple of minutes until they reach the end of a hill, slowing the horses down by pulling softly on the reins and walking the edge as they overlook the grassy fields. A herd of Cows was mooing in the distance as they grazed on the field while the calves ran around chasing butterflies. Lorraine giggled and pointed to the far corner where other calves were sleeping under a big Oak tree, hiding away from the sun. 

"They're so cute. When I was a kid, I used to curl up with them and read books, thinking they'd be able to talk if I read enough words to them." Lorraine snorts at the memory of her as a child and her innocence. With her head turned away from her boss, watching the cow and their babies, Ed watches her with a smile on his face, his heart filled with something he hadn't felt in a long time. Love.

What in the world was this brunette doing to him?

Chapter Text

"So, how did the two of you meet?" Lorraine's cousin, Daniel asked as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. Since the two Moran sisters grew up without a father, Daniel was almost like a brother to them. Georgiana's older brother took over as father figure for the two after their father left without saying another word after Theresa was born. Daniel, the eldest boy in the Moran family, took over when he passed away.

Ed cleared his throat and leaned back into his seat, "A worker of mine introduced us." It wasn't a total lie, Roger did in fact introduce them but, for a job position. "Knew she was the one from that moment." He looks down at Lorraine who starts blushing making the girls "awe" at them. 

"That's so cute."

"How wonderful!"

Theresa watched the two of them, she hadn't seen them kiss or hold hands or anything else a couple does. Maybe they were trying to keep things private? It didn't make sense. She could tell how much her sister loved him but, why weren't they as close as they should be? 

"So, who said 'I love you' first?" She asks with a smirk making Lorraine turn and glare at her. 

"I did." They both say at the same time, their heads snapping toward each other while everyone looks at them in confusion.  

Lorraine chuckles awkwardly, "I-I mean...We both...We both said it at the same-" She looks at Ed who nods his head. "The same time." She smiles up at her boss, "Right, baby?" Ed hums lowly as he places his hand on her knee and squeezes. His touch on her is like lightning as a spark shoots up her spine and she licks her bottom lip, bringing her glass of wine to her lips, trying to forget about where his hand is and how she wishes he'd slide his hand further up her leg. 

Daniel's wife smiles at the two, picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip. "When's the wedding?"

"Oh- I-I-" Blushing a light pink, the brunette bites her bottom lip and looks up at Ed who gazes at her with soft eyes, an amused smirk on his lips. 

The woman giggles, a teasing smile on her face. "I'm just joking. But, given how much you two love one another, I'll bet it's real soon." She winks at them while the others chuckle and agree with her. 

"Ah, yes." Georgiana chuckles, watching the couple in front of her who have soft smiles on their faces as they look at each other. "I remember that look when I was a young girl. The look of pure love is a look you can never forget." Ed Ed and Lorraine lose themselves in their own world and forget about the other people at the table as they gaze at one another. His heart swelled as he saw her eyes have a certain twinkle at him. Love radiates from her, and Lorraine knows he can feel it. She wants him to lean down and kiss her. He wants to kiss her. 

"Did you take him to the barn?" They hear Daniel's deep voice say making them jump. Ed clears his throat and turns to look at him while Lorraine sucks her bottom lip, nibbling on it as she looks down. 

"Uh, yes. Yes, she did. We went horse riding."

Theresa giggles, "She let you meet Sally?"

"Yes." Ed chuckles softly and squeezes Lorraine's thigh when he slides his hand up a few inches. "A very beautiful horse I must say." He looks down at the brunette next to him who smiles. 

"She tell you about the first time we got Sally?"

The older man shakes his head while Lorraine snorts, rubbing her forehead as she remembers the day.  "I- Uh..." She lets out a chuckle making Theresa giggle. "Sally chased after me the first day we got her." Lorraine looks up at Ed who laughs. "Yeah, she would've squashed me when I tripped if Daniel didn't drag me away in time."

"Huh...And I never would've met you."

Lorraine chuckles, "Funny huh?" She swats his arm making everyone laugh. He sighs and kisses her head making her hum. The brunette looks at her mother who gives her a knowing smile and winks. 

"Well," Georgiana starts as she slides her chair back and smiles at her family. "I better head off to bed, we got an early morning tomorrow." She stands and nods her head at the people around the table who smile at her. "Don't stay up too late now, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Night, Mama."

"Sleep well."

As everyone bids the elderly woman good night, she chuckles and goes to the sink to wash her dish and place it on the drying rack before going upstairs to her bedroom. The remainder of the family stays at the dinner table, laughing and sharing stories, until everyone begins to retire to bed one by one. Only Daniel and his wife, Theresa, Ed, and Lorraine remain in the dining room at the end of the evening. Once they had cleared everything from the dining table and cleaned, they moved to the living room to play a game of cards, watch a movie, and get drunk. 

Theresa snorts as she lights a cigarette, taking a hit and passing it to her sister. She smacks Daniel's hand when she notices he is trying to lift her cards from the table. "Hey! Stop cheating!"

Daniel's wife, Rebecca starts laughing as she opens another bottle of beer. The four of them are sitting around the couch, trying to stay quiet but, failing as they start laughing loudly. 

"Shhh." Daniel laughs as he places his pointer finger on his lips. Ed bites his lip to stop himself from groaning when Lorraine moves on top of his lap, trying to get comfortable. When they had moved from the kitchen to the living room, Ed sat on the left side of the couch while Theresa sat on the right, leaving the middle open for Lorraine. Or she thought. As she was trying to sit, her little sister threw her legs onto the couch and smirked at her. 

Lorraine groans loudly, "Theresa!"

"Sit on your boyfriend's lap, girl. My legs are tired." She lies, wanting to see what her sister would do. The brunette wanted to know if they were dating for real or if this was all for show. You see, Theresa wasn't stupid. The day Ed and Lorraine arrived, she did her research when they were settling in her sister's old bedroom and found a certain picture of her "boyfriend" online. 

The brunette glares at her and moves to sit on the ground when Ed grabs her arm. "C'mere." He pats his thighs and she frowns at him. Rolling his eyes, he spreads his legs wider, manspreading, wraps his arm around her waist, and pulls her onto his lap making her squeal. Theresa watches them with a raise of her eyebrow.

Maybe they are for real?

For the past hour, Lorraine kept her place on Ed's lap as they played cards and joked with the others. He had his hand resting on her waist as he was talking to a drunk Daniel who kept flirting with his wife who kept laughing at him, herself a bit tipsy as well. 

"You're such a dork."

Daniel wiggles his eyebrows, "Your dork, hon."

Ed and Lorraine chuckle and turn their heads to Theresa who pretends to gag making them laugh. The older brunette moves higher onto her boss's lap making him groan and he grabs her waist. 

She looks over her shoulder, "What?"

"Stop moving."

"Why?"

Ed just narrows his eyes at her and doesn't say a word making her raise an eyebrow. She does a quick scan around the room and notices no one is paying attention; Theresa is too busy smoking her cigarette and watching the TV while Daniel and Rebecca are practically eye-sexing each other as they play a game of cards. Lorraine smirks and holds onto his thighs as she moves her hips again, hearing his breath hitch. The older man bites his bottom lip and tightly grips her waist, probably leaving fingerprints on her delicate, soft skin. 

"Lorraine." He whispers in a warning tone, trying to move her before she feels his hard-on. But, it was too late, Lorraine bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from moaning. 

Fuck, I need him right now.

Sweet Jesus, this woman is going to kill me.

The brunette lets out a low chuckle and stops, standing up and smirking at him as she walks to the kitchen to get another beer. Ed throws his head back, swallowing thickly as he grabs a pillow to place on his lap. 

"Will the three of you be alright down here? Dan and I are heading to bed now." Rebecca yawns as she stretches her arms. Theresa nods her head while Ed hums, raising his head and watching Lorraine walk back to him with two beers. Daniel and Rebecca stand up, smiling at the other three before stumbling up the stairs as they giggle and grope each other. 

Theresa rolls her eyes and watches her sister take her place in the older man's lap before he wraps his arm around her waist. 

"So...How are things going?"

"Good...Why?"

The younger brunette shrugs, taking a swig of her sister's beer. "Just askin'. I mean...I haven't seen you in...what? A year and you come out here with a man who you say is your boyfriend."

Lorraine raises an eyebrow at her. She crosses her arms over her chest and turns on Ed's lap so her legs are resting on the couch next to Theresa's. "And? I mean...It's not like you called me either."

"Right." Theresa scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Because I'm supposed to be the responsible one and call you every damn minute of the day to see how you're doing."

"Oh, I'm sorry." The other brunette huffs a laugh. "You're acting as if I never texted you but, never got a response back."

Ed watches as the two bicker back and forth, a headache forming in his head. He groans and rolls his eyes. Lorraine scoffs and stands up after she and Theresa argue for a few minutes. "You know what? I'm going out for a bit while you deal with your problems." She turns to Ed and smiles. "I'll be out at the stalls."

She storms out of the house, slamming the door behind her while Ed quietly sits there. Theresa snorts and finishes her beer, glaring at the man across from her.

"Don't think I don't know what's going on with you either."

Ed frowns, "Excuse me?"

Theresa lets out a mocking laugh, leaning forward as she stands and shakes her head. She pulls her phone out from her back pocket and searches for the picture. "I know you and my sister are faking. There's a fucking picture of you with another woman online." Turning her phone toward him, his eyes widen in shock at the picture. He jumps up and grabs her phone, looking closely. 

Oh, shit.

"Wait- No. This is from years back."

"Yeah? And how would we know? Does Lorraine know?"

Ed glares at the short brunette who smirks at him. "She- Lorraine doesn't-" He pauses, his mind flashing back to the day Lorraine had stuffed a magazine into her bag and was angry at him the rest of the week. Without a word, he grabs a coat for himself and Lorraine and runs out of the house while Theresa rolls her eyes and flops back onto the couch, lighting another cigarette and covering herself with a blanket. 

____________________________________

Lorraine mutters to herself as she brushes Sally's flowing hair. "How the hell can she say something like that? I tried every fucking day to call and text her but, did she bother to reply back?" She looks at Sally who neighs. "Exactly! She doesn't!" Lorraine scoffs as she turns to haul the bucket of water into Sally's water bowl. "And Ed! God, that insufferable man!"

Ed pauses outside Sally's stall just as he is about to enter. What the hell did I do?

"He thinks he can just prance around, acting like he's a gentleman and flirting with me when he has a fucking girlfriend!" The brunette throws the pail into the haystack and huffs while Ed raises an eyebrow. 

Girlfriend?

"How can he do that?! To me of all people!" She groans as she puts her face in her hands. "God, I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate the way he looks at me! I hate the way he smiles! I hate his stupid, gorgeous eyes!" Lorraine starts throwing things around the stall as she yells. "I hate how he makes me feel. I hate his sexy voice. I hate his fluffy, brown hair. I hate his- Ugh!" She collapses onto the ground as tears stream down her face. "Why does he have to have such a beautiful girlfriend?" She turns to Sally who lies next to her, blowing softly making the brunette chuckle softly and sniffle, petting the horse. "The way he looked at her in the picture...It's the same way he would look at me, Sally. I thought..."

Lorraine scoffs and starts laughing as she thinks about how pathetic she sounds, thinking her boss of all people would be in love with her. 

"You thought what?" A deep voice says making her scream and throw the brush that was sitting next to her at the intruder, hitting them in the head. "Ow! Jesus Christ, Lorraine! It's just me!" The brunette gasps as she jumps to her feet, running to her boss. 

"Oh, my god! I'm so sorry!" She checks his face while he tries to rub the pain on his forehead away. Lorraine glares at him and shoves at his chest. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Fuck, I'm sorry." Ed rolls his eyes. "Didn't think you'd throw something at me."

"Ugh." She scoffs and walks away from him, opening the door to leave the stall. She groans when a blast of cold air and rain droplets gush onto her face. "Fuck's sake!"

"Lorraine- C'mon." He runs after her and grabs her arm, stopping her from walking into the pouring rain. "Talk to me."

She shoves him away from her and walks out, rain soaking her clothes. "Why? Go talk to your real girlfriend!"

Ed's brows furrow together in anger as he walks out after her, covering his face from the rain. "I don't have one! That picture you saw was from years ago!"

"Why should I believe you, huh?" She yells back at him, shoving her hands into her pockets and keeping her arms by her side while she shivers. "Why should I believe a man who's an asshole and blames everyone else for their problems?!" 

"Lorraine-"

"You blame Roger at work for shit he does right and even if he is wrong- You don't get the authority to threaten to fire him! Even if he can be an idiot sometimes!"

"Just listen-"

Lorraine turns and faces him suddenly as he stops in front of her. "You are such an asshole for making me believe that you loved me, you know? With your little touches here and the small glances there when you have a goddamn girlfriend! And she's so pretty! She's definitely your type too! How the fuck can you cheat on her-"

He grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her, "Can you stop being fucking difficult and listen to me!?"

"Why should I?!" She screams into his face, the two of them panting heavily with fire raging in their eyes. "You've never cared about me! All you care about is your fucking ego and your company! All those fucking times you did something for me you were just trying to show off and-and- UGH!" Lorraine groans out loud, wiping the tears and rain away from her face and glaring at him. "You could have all the women you want and you fucking play around with my feelings! You made me think that you loved me when you didn't! Why the fuck would you do that!?" She cries as the fire in Ed's eyes disappears and they soften. When he doesn't say anything, she growls and pushes him away. 

"Fuck you!" She stomps away in the pouring rain as he stands there, his heart hammering in his chest and his head starts to spin.

"Lorraine!"

"Go to fucking hell, Mr. Warren!"

Ed breathes heavily and runs after her, grabbing her arm again. "Lorraine- Lorraine, just stop!"

"Let go of me!"

"Lorra-"

She looks at him with tears streaming down her face and fire burning in her eyes. He'd never seen her so heartbroken and angry at him. "Fuck off, Ed! Stop running after me when you-"

"Lorraine Moran, I'm in love with you!"

Chapter Text

Silence fills the air around them. Their hearts are pounding in their chest, their breathing is heavy and panting, and the fire in their eyes disappears as they look at one another. Lorraine swallows thickly, words stripped from her mouth as she stares at him with wide eyes, the rain continuing to pour around them. 

He'd never been scared his whole life. When his daughter had gone to the hospital when she was only a year old, he wasn't this scared because he knew she would fight the sickness she had. When Junior broke his arm at 4 years old, not a single feeling of fear was in him, knowing that it would make his son a stronger little boy. When he had his heart broken five years ago by the unknown woman he had met at a party, he wasn't scared because deep inside, he knew he'd find someone like her again. But, as he stands in front of this woman, declaring his love for her, he is proven wrong. 

Say something. Anything. 

Lorraine licks her bottom lip, "Wha-What?

"I love you. I'm in love with you." His throat bobs as he swallows, his heart hammering in his ears. "You, Lorraine Veronica Moran...You are the love of my life. For months I have been in love with you. I try to deny it but, I have never felt anything like this in my thirty-four years of living. You're like a drug, Lorraine and-and I'm...I'm addicted to you. I can't- God. I can't- I can't go to sleep without seeing that gorgeous smile on your face. I-I can't leave the house every morning without seeing your face. When I'm at work, all I think about is 'A few more hours and I get to see that beautiful smile'. You're the last thing I think of before going to sleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up. I can't- You-You...It's- All my feelings- All of them, it's all controlled by the look on your face. Lorraine-" He cups her face in his rough hands and wipes away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Lorraine, I love you."

She sniffles and wraps her fingers around his wrists, leaning into his touch and letting his words sink in. Uncertainty is in her eyes as she asks softly, "B-But, what about-"

"There was never another woman, Lorraine." He caresses her cheek, their faces inches apart. His breath fans across her face as he confesses softly, "The only woman in my life is you. It has always been you. I live and breathe for you." Ed takes her hand in his and places it on his chest where she can feel his heart pounding intensely. "Do you feel that? This- My heart- It beats for you." Slowly, they're leaning toward each other as their eyes flicker to the other's lips. 

Inches before their lips meet, he looks into her eyes and whispers, "Say something."

Lorraine bites her lip as a smile spreads across her face, looking up at him with eyes full of love and affection. She places her cold, wet hand on his jaw, pulling him closer and whispers, "I was in love with you the second my eyes landed on you." Their lips finally meet in a kiss so passionate and full of need that they both moan. They smile into the kiss, not a care in the world that they are both soaking wet from the rain pouring from the clouds above, most likely to get sick in a few days. The two part from each other when air is needed to fill their lungs again.  

Smiling brightly and stroking the brunette's cheek, Ed says, "God, I've been wanting to do that for months." Making her giggle and bite her lip as she wraps her arms around his neck, the rain slowing down for now. 

"I love you." Lorraine grins making his heart skip a beat at the words escaping her beautiful, plump lips. He chuckles and brushes a piece of her hair behind her ear as his other hand comes down to wrap around her waist, pulling her flush against his hard, soaking-wet body. 

"I know."

Lorraine giggles and kisses his lips again, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck and pulling him down as she bends her back. They part with a loud, wet "pop" and she gazes at him with love-struck eyes, her hands resting on his big biceps. Biting her lip, she runs her fingers through his wet hair and giggles again.

"We should head back inside before we get sick."

"We probably should." He agrees with a smile. He'd never been more in love with this woman than he is right now. 

"C'mon." She squeals as she grabs his hand and they run down the hill, happiness filling the two of them as they laugh and run around in the rain. Reaching the front steps of the house, Lorraine jumps into Ed's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, and smashes her lips against his with a moan as his arms encircle her waist, keeping her close. Their soaked clothes stick together as he pushes her against one of the banisters making her laugh, their lips not parting for even a second. She gasps into his mouth as his large hands cup her breasts from the outside of her shirt and he rubs the hardened peaks of her nipples. 

"Fu- Ed." Lorraine moans, throwing her head back and letting him take advantage as he nips at her newly exposed skin, leaving small bites and bruises. Thunder cracks above them just as she moans loudly when he sucks on her pulse point and she grinds against the hard bulge in his jeans. "Ed- I need- I need you. Please." She whimpers, grabbing onto his shoulders and grinding against him again making him groan. 

"I'm not fucking you in your mother's house, darlin'." His deep, lust-filed voice has her dripping with want and throbbing, wanting him in her right now. 

She whines and grinds against him again. "Please, Ed. I'll be quiet."

"With the sounds you're making?" Ed smirks at her as he leans back, licking his lips at how gorgeous she looks with her normally bright-blue eyes growing darker by the second, filling with want and lust for him. "I don't think you'll be anywhere near quiet, darlin'. Besides...It'll give you somethin' to look forward to when we get home."

Home. She was his home now.

He was her home now.

Lorraine smiled at the thought, biting her lip and kissing him again. "Can't wait." He slowly lets her down and they stumble up the steps, attempting to dry themselves by tightly wringing their clothes before getting into the house, giggling like teenagers. Ed shushes her when he notices Theresa passed out on the couch, the television still on and playing some kind of crime show. The brunette chuckles and walks over to her sister, covering her with the blanket that had fallen to the ground and turning the TV off. She bends to kiss her head before climbing up the stairs with Ed. 

As they passed Daniel and Rebecca's room, they could hear muffled moans coming from inside making them look at each other and stifle their laughter, quickly running away to Lorraine's bedroom. Once inside, Ed pushes her against the door and smashes their lips together again, pinning her wrists above her head and making her moan. His hand trails down her side before sliding beneath her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her abdomen. She feels his rough hands slide up her body, cupping the underside of her breast, and squeezes firmly as a low growl escapes him making her wetter. 

"Please." She begs, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Please- I want you."

Ed groans and peppers her face with kisses starting from her forehead to her nose, cheek, jaw, and then her lips as she giggles. "Good things come to those who wait, love."

"Ed." The brunette whines and throws her head back making him chuckle. He kisses her lips and smiles at her as she slowly lowers her head and sucks on her bottom lip. "I'm gonna go take a shower." She whispers, watching the way his eyes darken further and he lets go of her hands. Lorraine giggles and walks away, squealing when she feels a sharp sting on her backside. She looks over her shoulder and smirks, lifting her shirt from the bottom and slowly taking it off, throwing it at him. 

"Tease." He calls out making her giggle as she turns to wink at him, unhooking her bra and throwing the garment at him as well. 

"Come shower with me."

"Mmm, tempting." Ed's eyes fall to her perky breasts, the brunette biting her lip and cupping them in her hands. Her eyes trail down his form, eyeing the hard-on and moaning softly, squeezing her thighs together. "Lorraine." He says in a low, warning tone making her smirk. 

Lorraine shrugs nonchalantly, her eyes twinkling at him. "Your loss." She hums and slowly closes the door behind her, leaving it open a gap. Ed stands in the middle of the room, still holding her wet shirt and bra with a smile on his face. 

Fuck, I'm in love.

___________________________________

After the two showered separately, they lay in bed together, Lorraine taking away the barrier she had made earlier. Her chin was on his chest as she looked at him while he lay on his back, his hand caressing her back. When she'd come out of the shower, she saw one of his shirts thrown onto the bed and she wore it, leaving him shirtless. 

"Who else is coming tomorrow?"

Lorraine hummed as she tried to remember all her family members. "Well, you've met Daniel and Rebecca-"

"The oldest."

"Yes. Daniel is my mother's brother's eldest son. He has a brother who is a few years younger than him, his name is Richard. Richard has a wife, Marissa, and three kids, Marcus, Alex, and Justin. There's a sister as well, Hannah, she has a fiance, uh...I think his name is Brooke. I don't remember." She giggles making him chuckle, continuing to trace patterns on her back. "She has one kid from another man though, name's Margaret."

"From another man?"

The brunette nods her head with a smile. "And then there's my mom's sister, Patricia. She has two daughters, Olivia being the oldest and Isabelle the youngest. Then there are the twin sons, Jason and Brent. Not identical so, you'll be able to tell the two apart. Olivia has two girls, Hazel and Emma, and is married to Isabelle's best friend, Noah. Jason's married to Kate and has a son, Cameron."

"God damn, you have a big family."

"Yeah." She chuckles, caressing his cheek with her finger. "I grew up with a big family and...It was pretty great. There was always something happening every weekend, either a barbeque or someone's birthday or just a big family dinner."

Ed hums, "Did they all live around here?" He grunts as Lorraine grins and sits up, moving on top of him so she is straddling his sides. She runs her hands along his chest and bites her lip with a giggle as he places his large hands on her thighs. 

"Uncle James lived across the farm on the other side. Aunt Patty lived a mile down from him. My mom and they grew up in this house and when she married my dad, Uncle James gave her the house since my grandfather had written it under his name."

"That was pretty nice of him."

"Yeah well, my mom is his favorite sister." She leans down and whispers with a giggle. "But, Aunt Patty doesn't know that."

Ed chuckles and nods his head, "I promise not to tell her." He winks making her laugh as she pecks his lips. The brunette leans back and smiles at him, running her fingers through his fluffy, dark brown hair. 

"You wouldn't have to. She's dead."

"Ah." The two of them burst into laughter as she rolled off him and lay beside him. She takes a deep breath and sighs. "Well...That's unfortunate."

"Eh, she was a bit of a bitch. Isabelle acts exactly like her so...Don't be surprised if she starts picking on you." She turns on her side and wraps her arm around him as she moves closer to him. He hums and slides a hand under her body, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her flush against him making her giggle. Lorraine lets out a loud yawn and nuzzles her face into the crook of his neck after pulling the blankets on top of them. She hums and mumbles, "Good night, Ed."

He smiles and brings her hand to his lips, kissing her soft skin and sighing, "Good night, darlin'." He could feel her lips curl into a smile as she fell asleep, the two of them wrapped up in the blankets and listening to the sound of each other's breathing and the rain falling onto the roof. As Ed falls into a deep sleep, he dreams about the woman next to him, still in disbelief that he was able to call her his and hold her in his arms. 

Chapter Text

The kitchen was bustling as people moved around, taking pots here and bringing pans here. Lorraine was at one end of the kitchen island cutting vegetables for the kabobs Daniel will be grilling later in the day while Ed was on the other side, cutting chicken into small pieces. The two of them kept eyeing each other, smirking and teasing. Every time Ed would pass by the brunette, he'd pinch her bottom making her jump and when Lorraine would brush past him, she'd palm his groin and wink at him. 

There was a knock at the door before it burst open and a pack of kids ran inside, screaming and laughing as they chased one another. 

"Hey! Hey! Be careful!" A heavily pregnant blonde woman shouts as she walks in carrying a big tray with her and slipping her shoes off her aching feet. "Get your asses over here and take your shoes off!"

"Hannah!"

"Oh, my god, Lorraine!" Hannah gasps and shoves the tray into her husband's arms and wobbles to the brunette who tightly wraps her arms around the woman. "Oh, hon! Look at you!" She stands back and looks the brunette up and down with a wide grin. 

"Look at me? Look at you! You didn't tell me you were pregnant!"

Hannah giggles and caresses her huge bump. "It was a surprise. No one knew about it."

"Yeah, she kept it a secret from all of us," Rebecca says as she makes her way down the stairs with a smirk making the other blonde gasp. "Hi, hon!"

"Oh, god. Look." Tears well in Hannah's eyes as she wraps her arms around Lorraine and Rebecca's shoulders. "The three girls back together." They turn to the rest of the family who laugh. She chuckles and lets go of the other two, turning to her fiance who stands quietly behind her. "Babe, why are you so shy all of a sudden? Put the tray over there. Terry! Come here, hon." The blonde hugs Theresa who giggles and hugs her back.

"Hi, Anna. How are you?

"Very pregnant," Hannah replies making all of them laugh. She turns her head to Daniel who is helping Georgiana get some seasoning from the top shelves. "Hi, Danny!"

"Hello, Nanna." He teases making her roll her eyes before they land on Ed who's whispering something into Lorraine's ear making her giggle. 

"And who is this?"

Rebecca smirks, linking arms with the pregnant woman and taking her over to the couple. "Lorraine's husband."

"Oh, stop!" The young brunette swats her arm making her laugh. "This is Ed, my boyfriend."

"He's gonna put a ring on it very soon though." Rebecca teases while Hannah laughs and shakes Ed's hand. 

Hell yeah, I will.

"Aw, I'm happy she's finally found a great man." Hannah smiles before her eyes narrow. "You break her heart though and we will not hesitate to break every bone in your body." Ed's smile falters and he nods his head making the two blondes smile brightly. The kids run into the kitchen, bumping into everyone while more people enter through the front door. 

"Hey! Has the party started?"

"Party started when you got here, man." Daniel laughs as he slaps his little brother on the back. Brent places a case of beer on the table making Georgiana gasp. 

"No! No! Out! Take it out!" She shouts, pointing to the backyard and making the three men groan. 

"Oh, c'mon, Aunt Gina."

The older woman glares at him before chuckling as he steps forward and hugs her. "How are you, hon?"

Brent smiles and kisses her cheek, "Doin' great, Aunt Gina. How about you?"

"I'm much better now that the house is filled again." Everyone chuckles at her words making her heart fill with love and happiness. Jason, Olivia, and Isabelle enter the house next, hugging everyone and meeting Ed. 

A few minutes later, the large family moves to the backyard, Brent getting the grill started while the other men bring out the meat and drinks. The women sit around at the picnic tables, catching up with each other and watching the kids. As Lorraine looks at the kids, she thinks about Judy and Junior and how they would've loved to come out here with them and play with these other kids. She knows they'd love to run around in an open field, feeding the chickens and riding the horses with her and Ed. 

"So, Lorraine," Olivia calls out as she takes a sip of fruit punch. "What's going on with you and your little boy toy?"

"Little is an understatement." Marissa, Richard's wife mumbles making Hannah elbow her. She glares at the pregnant woman who immediately glares back knowing Marissa is a big flirt with every man she sees, even if she was married to her brother. 

Lorraine blushes and bites her lip, "Nothing, ladies. We're just..."

Rebecca giggles and nudges her side, "They're just very much in love."

"Oooh." All the other women say except for Isabelle and Marissa who roll their eyes. Isabelle was too stuck up and more into her job and money than to be worried about a man in her life. Growing up, her mother always taught her to be independent and not let anyone take advantage of her. Marissa on the other hand, loved to take advantage of men. Richard was a loving man that she loved with all her heart but, the love between them felt different as the kids got older. She needed more...everything while Richard wanted to keep everything the same, trying things here and there with her. 

"How long have you two been together?" Hannah asks as she picks a watermelon from the fruit bowl next to her and takes a bite. 

"Almost a year." Technically it wasn't a lie. They have been together for almost a year just not...In a relationship-together type of way. "It'll be a year in two months." She lies as the women grin at her. 

I wish.

Theresa watches her sister, a knowing glint in her eye that makes Lorraine clear her throat and look down, playing with her silver rings again. She turns to look at Ed who is laughing with the other men and drinking a bottle of beer. She's happy that he's getting along with her family which makes her heart swell. Her eyes land on her mother who is coming out of the house with another fruit tray. 

"Aunty Raine! Aunty Raine!" Lorraine hears one of the kids call making her turn with a smile. 

"Hi, honey-bun! What's wrong?" 

The little boy runs up to her, holding up a bunch of dandelion flowers. He gives it to her with a bright grin, "These are for you, Aunty Raine."

"Aww, thank you, Cam." She brings the little boy into her arms and kisses his cheek. "You having fun, hon?"

"I am. Why don't you come play?"

"Maybe in a little bit, hon." She says, stroking his soft, chubby cheeks while he pouts at her. Sighing, she places the small flowers on the table and stands. "Alright, bud. Let's go."

"Yeah! Go, Aunty Raine!" Hannah and Rebecca cheer making the brunette turn and stick her tongue out at them making them laugh as her mother takes her spot and settles, popping a grape in her mouth. Ed watches her from the side, his heart bursting with love and adoration for the woman. He watched her run around with Cameron and the other kids, playing tag with them before they all jumped on her and tackled her to the ground making him chuckle. 

"Hey! Get off your aunt!" Olivia groans as she, Rebecca, and Kate stand, walking over to the group of kids and pulling them off the young brunette who is laughing. She sits up, runs her fingers through her disheveled hair, and lets one of the little girls place a flower behind her ear. She gleams up at them and the girl kisses her cheek before giggling when Lorraine grabs her and tickles her tummy, placing the little girl on her lap. 

"Stop! Stop, Aunty Raine!" The little girl laughs loudly as the other three women sit on the grass as well. Lorraine stops and giggles, kissing the girl's cheek and letting her run off. She looks over at Ed who is smiling at her, watching her with an intense gaze. She grins at him and he nods at her, patting his lap and she giggles, standing up and walking over to him.

"Hi, baby." Lorraine pecks his lips as she settles between his legs, taking his beer from his grasp and taking a sip. "The boys treating you well?"

"Oh, yeah. Daniel here was telling me about the time you used to be a party girl. Dancing on tables and everything."

"Oh, god!" She gasps, hiding her face as she blushes pink making them laugh. "You didn't!"

Jason chuckles and takes a swig of his beer, "Yeah, there was this time she fell off the table and-."

Lorraine laughs and grabs a pillow from the chair beside her and throws it at the man making him duck. "Stop! What about that time you ran around at church with your boxers when you were changing and someone stole your clothes." Brooke choked on his beer and burst into a fit of laughter. 

"Oh, haha." Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm still very pissed about that. To whoever the hell stole my clothes that day, may you burn in hell." He raises his bottle as if saying a toast before taking a sip.

"Language!" Georgiana calls over her shoulder before continuing her conversation with the women at the table. 

"Sorry, Aunt Gina!" He shouts before snickering with the others. Ed shakes his head with a laugh as he caresses the brunette's bare arm. She leans back into his hard chest and looks up at him. 

"You okay?" She asks softly as the other men continue their conversations. The older man hums and nods his head, kissing the side of her head. 

"Better now that you're here."

Lorraine giggles and kisses the underside of his jaw, "I was just a few feet away, silly."

"And? I missed you." He smiles at her making her smile back and kiss his lips. 

"Jesus, get a room already." They hear Daniel tease making Lorraine flip him off and smile into her kiss with Ed. 

Noah looks at them and frowns, trying to remember where he'd seen Ed before. He turns to Jason and Richard, nudging them. "Doesn't he look familiar?"

Richard looked at Ed who was smiling down at Lorraine as she told him some story from when she was younger. He frowns and shrugs his shoulders, "Isn't he some big CEO from the city?"

"Well yeah but...I've seen him before that. Remember?" He asks as the others shake their heads. He sighs in defeat and glances at Ed, replaying back where he could've seen him. Kate makes her way over to the men, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist as he bends and kisses her head. 

"When's the food going to be ready?"

Jason chuckles and rubs her back, "We just started cooking, hon. Maybe thirty minutes tops."

Kate groans and pouts as she looks up at him, "We're hungry though. If you men would stop playing around we could be eating by now."

"Playing around?" Daniel asks, faking his offended expression. "Well, excuse me, ma'am. Why don't you women do the cooking since you want to talk smart."

"What?" Lorraine raises her eyebrow at her oldest cousin. "You think we can't?"

Daniel shrugs his shoulders, flipping the burger patties on the grill making her scoff. "I'm just saying."

"Well, stop saying," Rebecca shouts from the picnic table as she rolls her eyes.

"I'm kidding. Jesus, you women take shit seriously."

"Aye, stop." Jason nudges his side, giving him a look. 

"Someone's definitely sleeping on the couch tonight." Noah jokes making Daniel glare at him while the other men laugh. 

___________________________________

Everyone sits around the picnic table, the men having to pull another table out from the garage when there aren't any more seats for some of the adults. Theresa and Lorraine start joking around with each other while the men laugh at the random shit that comes out of their mouths. Georgiana sits at the head of the table, watching everyone with a loving smile. Her gaze lands on her two beautiful daughters laughing as they stuff each other's faces with food before moving to Daniel and Brent, who throw grapes at the other adults on the table, acting like children as always. She then looks at the children at the end of the table who are also throwing food at each other and laughing. Her heart was full and she felt blessed to witness this cherishable moment with her family. 

As the sky started to get dark, Noah and Jason left the table to turn on the lights hanging from tree to tree, brightening the place around them. 

"Wow. I forgot how beautiful this place looked at night." Lorraine smiles as she takes in the sights. 

"It gives you another reason to come visit more, " her little sister winks, making her giggle. "What do you think, Ed? Do you think you'll come back?"

Ed turns and nods his head, swallowing his food before saying, "Hell yeah we will."

"You better!" Brent shouts as all the men agree making Lorraine giggle.

"Yeah, looks like he made it into the boyfriend's group." The family laughs at Hannah's teasing toward the boys who playfully roll their eyes. Theresa looks at her mother who sits quietly and stares off into the distance. She grabs the older woman's hand and smiles. 

"Are you okay, Momma?"

Georgiana looks at her and hums. "I'm just so happy, sweetheart."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you more, sweet girl. Now." She stands, grabbing everyone's attention. "Who's ready for dessert?"

"I sure am."

"Bring it on!"

Lorraine turns to Ed who looks down at her, wiping his lips with his napkin. "You are going to love Mom's chocolate cake."

"Oh, yeah? Is it the same as the one you make at home?"

"Yes, but...Way better." She giggles making him chuckle. Georgiana takes one of the kids with her to help her bring the cake and more plates and forks. Arriving back outside, everyone gasps at the large cake in her arms. 

"Aunt Giana! You've outdone yourself!" Noah gasps, licking his lips at the sight of the sweet-smelling dessert. As all the children swarm around the parents, the elder woman shakes her head and laughs, setting the cake in the center of the table. While his parents scold him, Cameron pushes himself between Ed and Lorraine on the bench, making them laugh. Georgiana begins slicing the cake into pieces and distributing them, giving the children the larger pieces.

Ed hums as he takes a bite, turning to the brunette who's already looking at him with a grin. "Oh, my god. You're right!"

"Right? Mom's chocolate cake won first place in the countryside baking competition when we were younger."

Daniel chuckles, "I remember when my Mom got so mad and told the judges that her own sister-in-law cheated so, they made Aunt Giana bake the cake in front of them."

Hannah giggled at the memory. "Mom was so mad at Aunt Giana, they didn't talk for weeks." Everyone starts laughing as Georgiana sits back in her seat, taking a piece of chocolate cake into her mouth as well. 

"Your mother was such a sore loser. It wasn't until I taught her how to make this that she forgave me."

"And it still wasn't the same!" Richard laughs loudly causing everyone to join in laughing. "Oh, my god. What a time that was."

"Aw, I missed this. I wish we were still kids who ran around the field, playing with the calves without a care in the world." Rebecca pouts as she looks at Hannah who nods her head, the two leaning into each other. Rebecca and Hannah had been best friends since they were in diapers, the two met each other when Hannah was taken to the hospital to get treated for a sickness she had and played with the other woman in the waiting room. When she got married to Hannah's brother, they were overjoyed at the thought of calling each other "sister-in-laws".

Lorraine chuckles and looks down at Cameron who had his head resting on Ed's arm. She moved her hand to move him but, the older man stopped her. 

"No, it's okay."

"Are you sure? I can-"

Ed smiles and plays with the boy's hair. "It's alright." She watches him with a knowing smile. He was missing Junior and Judy, thinking about what they were doing right now and what their day was like. Maybe they'll call them before going to bed tonight. 

___________________________________

Ed was lying in Lorraine's bed on his front as he watched a movie on his phone. A smile appeared on his face when he felt the brunette climb onto his back, straddling his sides and kissing the back of his shoulder. 

"We should call the kids." She suggested, knowing he'd been thinking of them as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his head. He hums and shakes his head when he glances at the time. 

"It's almost midnight. They're probably asleep."

Lorraine shrugs, "Well, we won't know until you call them, right?" He playfully rolls his eyes and chuckles, grabbing his phone and calling Drew who picks up after a few rings.

"Hey, Boss! How's it going? You tell her you love her yet?"

"I- Uh-" Ed stutters as Lorraine giggles and kisses his cheek. 

"Oh, shit. I'll take that as a yes. The kids are still awake, do you want to talk to them?"

When his boss doesn't say a word, Drew hears the brunette answer for him. "Yes, he'd love that. Thank you, Drew."

"Of course, Lorraine." They could hear the phone moving around before the sound of Judy and Junior's giggles filled the room. 

"Daddy!"

"Hi, Daddy!"

Ed smiles at the sound of his kids' voices. He'd been missing them a little extra today when he saw the kids playing around in the backyard. "Hey. What are you guys still doing awake?"

"Drew let us watch a movie, Daddy!" Junior exclaims into the phone making the two adults chuckle. "We watch Cars!"

"Yeah? Did you like it?"

"Cars went fast!" Judy giggles as she takes the phone from her brother who starts whining. "Daddy, where's Lori?"

Lorraine giggles, "Hi, my pretty girl." She hears the little girl gasp before squealing. 

"Lori! We miss you and Daddy."

"When are you and Daddy coming back home?" They could hear the pouts in the tone of voice they were using making Ed and Lorraine want to go back home at this very second and cuddle with them. 

"One more day, lovelies. And then me and Daddy will be home."

Judy and Junior start giggling on the phone making them smile. "What did you two do today?"

"Drew took us to get hot cocoa." Junior starts, humming as he tries to remember all that they did today. "And then we went to the park to play on swings."

"We feed ducks!" Judy yells making Ed chuckle. 

God, I miss them.

"Well, that sounded fun. Why don't you and your brother go to sleep now, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." The twins reply before handing the phone back to Drew as he takes them to the guest bedroom where he lets them sleep. He's talking to Ed and Lorraine on the phone when Judy grabs his hand, pouting at him. 

"What's wrong, Jude?"

"I want to talk to Lori." She sniffles making the young man chuckle and hand her the phone. "Lori?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I miss you."

Lorraine feels a tug in her heart at the little girl's words. She chuckles softly and says, "I miss you more, princess. When Daddy and I come back we'll take you and your brother for ice cream, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Lori."

A tear slips down Lorraine's cheek as she smiles. "I love you too, baby girl." They hear the phone being passed around until Junior's sleepy mumbles pass through, "I love you, Lori."

"I love you too, baby. Go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay." The two mumble sleepily as they drift to sleep at the sound of Lorraine's voice. Drew takes the phone from them and closes the door behind him as he walks out. "So? You two a thing now or...?"

Ed rolls his eyes and says in a warning tone, "Drew."

"Okay! Okay!" The younger man chuckles and makes his way to his kitchen to make himself a drink. "He's been in love with you for months by the way. Made my ears bleed the amount of times he spoke about you to me in his office."

Lorraine starts giggling making the older man groan and shake his head. 

"Alright, alright. Good night, Drew."

"Good night, Ed. Have fun tonight."

"For fuck's sake," Ed grumbles, hearing Drew laugh on the other line before he hangs up. He places his phone on the nightstand and sighs, laying his head on the pillow as Lorraine runs her fingers through his hair. 

"So," She starts as a smile appears on her face. "In love with me for months, huh?" The brunette teases him with a giggle, hearing him groan again and bury his face into his pillow. "You know...When Roger was telling me all about you, I kept thinking to myself, 'God, he sounds like a fucking asshole, I'll never like him' but, here we are. I'm laying on top of the said asshole who declared his love for me in the pouring rain." She hears his muffled chuckle, covered by the pillow before she squeals when he grabs her arm and pulls her beside him, wrapping his tightly around her small frame and kissing her jaw making her laugh. 

Ed stops and leans back, looking down at her with a bright smile and sighing contently before letting out a chuckle, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you when you slapped my hand while was trying to steal a piece of chicken."

"Oh, God." She covers her face as she remembers the memory and giggles. "I am still very sorry about that?"

"Hmm, are you though?"

Lorraine pretends to think, tapping her chin with her finger before smirking at him. "Nah. You deserved it."

He scoffs, "I deserved it?"

"Yes! You were always such a..." Ed raises an eyebrow at her while she tries to think of the right word. He wasn't an asshole to her but, to everyone else, yes. He was an asshole to everyone else. 

"A what?"

"I don't know." She shrugs her shoulders making him chuckle and press his lips against her head. Lorraine smiles up at him and strokes his face, outlining his jaw and his kissable lips. She leans up and pecks his lips making him smile. Her heart feels so full and warm whenever she's around him. As she looks up at him, she feels a strong connection to him, feeling as if she's known him for a long time, not just for the past few months that she's been working for him but, for years. 

"I can't wait to go home."

Home. When he's around her, she's his home. There was always something missing in his life but, now as he gazes at her with the softest blue eyes full of love, he knows he's found the missing piece to his life. 

"Yeah?"

Lorraine hums and nods her head, staying quiet for a few seconds. "What are we going to tell the kids?" He chuckles and takes a deep breath. He doesn't know either. They needed to talk about what happened now, but they both didn't want to. They want to enjoy this quiet, peaceful moment being shared. 

"I don't know." He whispers, his thumb moving in circles on her waist. "But, you know damn well the kids'll be happy."

The brunette chuckles softly, "Oh, no doubt. They'll be so excited because, to them, it means I'll be staying longer." He laughs and nods his head. 

And they'll finally have a mother.

 Ed sighs and lays his head on the pillow. Lorraine moves closer to him, nuzzling her head into his chest and wrapping her arms around him as he does the same. She kisses his bare chest above his heart and sighs. 

"I love you."

He smiles and kisses her head. "I love you too."

Chapter Text

"Raine! Over here!" Rebecca shouts, trying to block Noah from getting to the ball. The brunette smirks at Brooke who's trying to block her but, she kicks the ball between his legs and runs past him. 

"Go, Aunty Raine!" The kids cheer from the side where they are sitting with Hannah, Georgiana, and Isabelle. Lorraine laughs as she manages to run past everyone with the ball and kick it to Rebecca who scores. The two women yell as they jump excitedly, high-fiving each other. 

"Alright. Alright." Daniel rolls his eyes, grabbing the ball. "That was just a free trial."

Rebecca glares at her husband. "Bullshit!" She puts her hands on her hips and huffs. "The women won fair and square!" Kate, Olivia, and Lorraine agreed with her, yelling at Daniel who shook his head. 

"Oh, c'mon! Give them the point! You're just pissed because you boys couldn't play as quick as them!" Hannah yells from the side making the men except Ed glare at her. 

"You're not even playing!"

Hannah smirks, "Well if I was, you know damn well I'd kick your ass." Daniel huffs at his little sister and throws the ball onto the field. 

"Play! Loser has to pay for dinner tonight!"

The men and women glared at each other before running at each other, trying to get the soccer ball. Ed stole the ball from Lorraine, who yelled at him and ran after him to steal it back. Marissa ran toward him, tackling him onto the ground and making him grunt. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She says in a fake sympathetic tone as she pats her lashes at him. Ed forces a smile and stands, helping her up. Marissa smiles up at him and trails a finger down his chest, winking at him. "Hi, handsome." She bites her lip making Ed uncomfortable and pushing her hand away.  

Lorraine watches her with fire in her eyes and walks up to her, pulling her away from Ed. "Hey!"

"Hands off, Marissa." Her grip tightens on the redhead's wrist as they glare at each other. "You have a husband."

Marissa huffs as she shoves the brunette off of her, "I was just being nice, you bitch." She looks at Ed grabbing the brunette's arm, jealousy filling her eyes. 

Why did Lorraine always get the hot boyfriends?

Noticing the brunette's fists ball up, Ed pulls her against his hard chest. "It's okay, darlin'. Let it go. C'mon." He walks away with her, the two feeling Marissa's jealous gaze on them. Richard walks to his wife, putting his hand on her shoulder but, she shrugs him off and storms off.

"Better get your wife before Lorraine does something to her," Daniel says to his little brother, nudging him with his elbow. Richard sighed and ran after his wife while Daniel returned to help the others take the chairs back to the garage. "Sorry, guys. The game's over."

The rest of the men and women groan and roll their eyes. 

"Well, we won so..." Kate smirks making Jason glare at her. "Dinner's on the men tonight."

Georgiana smiles, "Why don't you kids go enjoy yourselves for the night? I'll stay home with the kids."

Olivia turns to the older woman, "Are you sure, Giana? You don't want to come out with us?"

"No, hon. It's alright. I'd like to spend time with my grandkids." She smiles as the kids wrap their arms around her making the adults chuckle and nod. 

___________________________________

Tension was in the air as Marissa and Lorraine continued to glare at each other from across the dinner table at the restaurant. Ed squeezed the brunette's thigh, making her look up at him. A smile flickered on her lips when he kissed her forehead. 

"Don't worry about her, darlin'." He whispers in her ear making her sigh and nod her head. Rebecca, Hannah, and Theresa watch them with smiles, the three women looking at each other with knowing looks. 

"Damn, this weekend is already over, huh?" Daniel chuckles as he chews his steak. The others chuckle and nod their heads. He looks at Ed with a smile. "I'm glad Lorraine has a man like you in her life, man. Take care of her for us. But, trust me when I say-"

"You'll break my face if I break her heart." The older man replies with a playful roll of his eyes making everyone except Marissa and Isabelle laugh. "I promise. I am never planning to break her heart anytime soon." He smiles down at the brunette who blushes, biting her lip as a smile appears on her face. 

Maybe break the bed but, never her heart.

Hannah puts her hand on Ed's making him turn to the blonde. "We're just...Lorraine was the baby of the family before Terry came in and...We've seen everything she's gone through and we've always been there to protect her." She says in a soft tone as everyone goes back to their conversations. "We've seen the way men have hurt her in the past and- I-I'm not saying you're going to do the same but-"

Ed chuckles and nods his head, "I understand, Hannah. But...I love Lorraine and the last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt her." The blonde takes a deep breath and smiles at him. 

"I'm happy Lorraine found you." He smiles and turns to the brunette who is giggling with Kate and Theresa. "I better be the first person y'all call when you finally put a ring on her finger." The older man turns back to her with a laugh, nodding his head. 

Lorraine had changed him the second she'd walked into his life. He was this bubbly, talkative person who always had a smile on his face, especially when she was around him. Every second he was with her, he could feel the changes in him. Ed was happier, full of life, and relaxed. Even at work, people had started to notice it. Their boss would greet them -- with words now, not just the nod of his head -- as he walked off the elevator with his coffee in one hand and his brown leather messenger bag in the other. They would silently thank whoever was making their boss happy. 

"Should we ditch this place and go to the lake?" Everyone turned their heads to Jason when his deep voice brought everyone's attention. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer as they all looked at each other before smiling. The men brought out their wallets but, Ed stopped them. 

"I got it."

Daniel shook his head, rummaging through his wallet for cash. "No, no. It's alright. I got it."

"Daniel." He said in a stern tone making the brunette man look at him. "I got it," Ed said and called the waiter over, handing him his black Amex. The other man huffed a laugh and smiled. 

"Thanks, man."

"Thank you, Ed."

Theresa leaned toward her older sister, whispering into her ear, "You didn't tell me he was rich."

"How'd you figure it out?"

"Pretty sure the Cadillac should've been the first clue. But, now with the black card?" The young brunette giggled making her sister giggle as well. "Only rich, rich people have the black card." Lorraine playfully rolled her eyes with a smile while Theresa smirked at her, whispering again, "You got yourself a sugar daddy, sis."

"Terry." She gasped softly, elbowing the other brunette who laughed, leaning back into her chair and finishing her drink. 

___________________________________

The group of adults laughed as they played with the sand on the beach, taking their shoes off and running around while Hannah stayed with Olivia by the water. 

"I'm so happy we all came together for the weekend." Olivia sighed as she and the pregnant woman linked arms and leaned on each other, looking out at the water. 

Hannah smiled, letting out a content sigh. "It was nice. Takes me back to when we were kids and we were always at Aunt Giana's house, helping her bake those cookies that we loved."

"Oh, god." The other woman laughs, shaking her head. "I miss those. She taught me how to make them but...It's never the same."

"It's never as good as how Aunt Giana makes them."

Lorraine screams behind them making the women turn around with concerned looks. A smile appears on their faces when they notice the brunette had screamed because Ed lifted her into his arms, spinning her. The brunette had the widest smile on her face as she gripped his arms, laughter escaping her lips. 

"I've never seen her so happy," Hannah says with a giggle while Olivia chuckles. 

"It's good to see her happy after everything."

The pregnant woman nods, "It is. I know he loves her deeply."

"Yeah?" Olivia hums making the blonde nod her head before smiling when Rebecca jogs over to them, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. 

"Look at our girl. So in love and so happy." They watch as the older man sets her on the sand and she wraps her arms around his neck, the two talking to each other in hushed tones and smiling. Rebecca notices her husband snap a picture of them on his phone, likely to send it to the brunette later tonight. He turns his head to look at her with a wink making her giggle. 

"Babe! Come take a picture of us!" She calls out making her husband run over to the three women. He holds up his phone and snaps a picture of them before Theresa joins in, smiling brightly next to them. She looks at her sister after the picture is taken and calls her over. 

"Raine! C'mon!"

Lorraine looks over and nods her head before looking up at Ed who strokes the bridge of her nose making her smile. "I'm glad you forced yourself onto this trip."

He lets out a laugh and nods. "Wonder how things would've gone if I hadn't." She giggles as she kisses his soft lips, moaning softly when he pulls her tightly against his body.

"Lorraine!"

Parting from him, she playfully rolls her eyes. "Better go before she beats my ass."

"Shame. You have a nice ass too." Ed smirks at her making her blush before pecking his lips once more and running to the group as Kate joins them as well. The men stand by Daniel, smiling at their women. 

"Okay, smile!" Daniel shouts, getting his camera ready. The six women hug each other and smile brightly at the camera as he takes the picture. "Got it."

Kate sighs, resting her head on Lorraine's. She smirks when a memory of them when they were all younger pops into her head. "Who wants to go skinny dipping?"

"Are you crazy?" Olivia turns to her with a shocked expression making everyone laugh. "In this weather? My ass will be frostbitten by the time we get back to the house."

"Yeah, and your husband would love to kiss your ass to make you feel better." Rebecca teases her before getting slapped on the arm by Olivia making her laugh harder. 

"Pretty sure he would even if it's frostbitten or not," Lorraine adds as she's laughing with Rebecca making the other woman groan in annoyance.

"You two are such children, I swear!"

Jason snorts, "When they're together, they have a mind of a five-year-old."

"We do not!"

He turns to the other men who laugh. "See? They even argue like one!"

"Oh, hush." Lorraine rolled her eyes, wiping away a stray tear that slipped down her cheek from laughing so hard. She feels something cold land on the tip of her nose making her gasp. 

"What's wrong?" Kate asked before she felt the small drop as well. They look up at the sky noticing small drops of snow falling. "Aw, it's the first snow of the winter."

Rebecca giggled and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist, burying her face into his arm. "And with Christmas only two weeks away too."

"I can't believe it's all going by so fast."

The blond hums before gasping, "Hey! Raine." The couple turns to her with a raised eyebrow. "You and Ed will come to our New Year's party."

Lorraine smiles and shakes her head, "Oh...No, we'll-"

"I said you're coming." She narrows her green eyes at the couple who glance at each other. The others notice how they're talking silently with their eyes before looking at Rebecca and Daniel. 

"Sounds great," Ed says with a smile as he wraps his arm around the brunette's waist who smiles as well and lays her head on his chest. Rebecca hums and nods her head before shivering. 

"We should go back. With the snow coming down now it'll be hard to drive at night." 

They all agreed with the blonde and headed back to their cars after slipping their shoes back on. In the Cadillac, Lorraine wraps her arm around the older man's arm as she shivers in the coldness of the car and how high his hand is on her thigh. She looks up at him as he concentrates on driving carefully through the snow and smiles, leaning up and peppering his neck with licks and kisses. 

She wants him. 

She craves him. 

Lorraine wants him to love her, to fill her up and take her ability to walk. Wants him to ruin her and call her names as he loses control with her. She knows he loves her as much as she loves him and she knows he'll always take care of her, even when she thinks she doesn't need it, he'll be there.

Ed lets out a low chuckle when he feels her nipping at his neck and her hand slides up his thigh, grazing her finger against the hardening bulge in his pants. 

"Please don't fuck while I'm in the car."

Lorraine jumps at the sound of her sister in the back seat, forgetting they had decided to bring her with them. "Fucking hell, Terry." The young brunette giggles and wraps the blankets tighter around her small form, leaning on the door with her legs laid across the other seats. 

"So, how's life in the big city?"

Her sister hums and shrugs her shoulders, laying her head on the older man's shoulder. "Loud."

"Vibrant." Ed adds making Lorraine hum.

"Agressive."

Theresa snorts, "You chose to live there." She shakes her head and looks out the window, smiling softly at the snowfall outside. "Could've stayed here with the horses and-"

"And smell cow shit all the damn time?" The other brunette chuckles, rubbing her temples. "Yeah, no thanks." Ed huffs a laugh and squeezes her thigh. 

"Hmm, you got a point." The three of them laugh as Ed pulls into the dirt driveway, parking behind Jason's truck. He helps Lorraine out of the car before opening the door for Theresa who smiles at him. 

"Why thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, miss." Ed says in a teasing tone making her and Lorraine laugh. They walk into the house where all the adults are sitting in the living room watching a movie and drinking beer. Brooke turns toward them and exclaims. 

"Aye! There they are!"

Everyone turns around with smiles as the three are slipping their shoes off and shredding their coats, hanging them on the coat rack by the door. They noticed Marissa and Isabelle weren't there, knowing the two women had probably gone upstairs to gossip about some bullshit they'd heard or talk shit about the others.

"We were wondering when you were coming back."

Rebecca snorts, "Thought y'all drove back to the city."

"Yeah, we're not taking this brat with us." Lorraine jokes as she wraps her arm around her little sister's shoulders and smothers her face with kisses as the young woman tries to push her away. 

"Jesus, Raine! I'm not a child!" Theresa groans making everyone laugh. Ed, Lorraine, and Theresa grab a beer from the kitchen before making their way to the living room, joining everyone on the floor. The rest of the night they watch movies, play games, and tease each other, wanting to enjoy their last night together before everyone leaves the next morning. 

___________________________________

Georgiana lets the tears shed as she hugs her older daughter tightly, kissing her cheek and taking a deep breath to calm herself. 

"Be safe out there, my sweet girl."

Lorraine chuckles and kisses her mother's cheek. "We'll come back, Mom. I'm only a call away." The older woman smiles, squeezing her once more before letting her go. She looks at Ed who's laughing with Daniel, Jason, Noah, and Brent. 

"You picked a good one this time, Raine. Don't let him go."

"Trust me, Mommy." The brunette turns to look at the older man. Her heart skips a beat at his smile and butterflies flutter in her stomach when he winks at her. "He's the one. I just...I just know it." She looks at her mother who can't stop smiling making her giggle. Theresa runs over to them, jumping into her sister's arms and hugging her tightly. 

"I love you!" She sighs as she buries her face into Lorraine's neck when she feels the tears build in her eyes. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch and always starting an argument with you."

"It's okay, baby." Lorraine smiles and brushes her hair back, setting the younger woman on the ground. She takes a deep breath and kisses the brunette's forehead. "We're sisters. We'll always argue and fight and be bitchy with each other."

Theresa giggles and hugs the brunette again. "I love you so much, sis."

"I love you more."

Ed walks over to them and puts his hand on her lower back. "We gotta go if we want to beat the traffic, darlin'. Especially with most of the roads being blocked from the snow." She nods her head and lets go of her sister who moves to hug the older man. 

"Take care of her or I swear..." He chuckles and nods, hugging her back. When he lets go of her, Georgiana steps forward and hugs him as well. 

"She loves you and I know you love her just as much. Please don't hurt my baby." She whispers before letting go, he nods his head with a smile, silently keeping his promise making her smile. Lorraine wraps her arms around his waist and smiles at him. 

"You ready?" 

He looks down at her and smiles, kissing her head. "Let's go." They make their way to the Cadillac. He helps her into the passenger seat before rounding the car and getting into the driver's seat. As they drive away, she leans out the window and waves at the others as they do the same. 

"Bye! Don't forget about us!" Hannah yells as her fiancé puts his hand on her lower back, the kids running around them and yelling.

"Bye Aunty Raine!"

Lorraine laughs and blows them a kiss. "I love you!"

Rebecca grins at her, "We love you more! Marry that man!"

"Oh, Jesus." The brunette playfully rolls her eyes as Ed laughs. Carefully, she settles into her seat, waving one last time at them before he turns, her childhood home getting farther and farther from their view. Lorraine sighs contently and leans her back on the door, slipping her shoes off and laying her legs across the older man's lap making him chuckle. He keeps one hand on the wheel and his other caresses her legs. The two sit in comfortable silence, listening to the music play and the sound of the car driving down the road. 

The brunette rests her head on the seat and closes her eyes, a smile on her face as she's lulled to sleep from the music and Ed's fingers tracing patterns on her ankle. 

Ed glances at her with a smile, his heart fluttering with love and happiness. For once in his life, he was allowing himself to be happy with the woman he truly loves. He's going to make sure to keep his promise to her mother. 

On my life, I vow to never break this beautiful woman's heart and love her with everything I have. I will protect her and care for her like she deserves. Treat her like the Goddess she is and worship the ground she walks on. The day pain flashes in her eyes when she looks at me is the day I know I have failed to protect her heart. I swear and pray that never happens, for I love this woman like she is my heart and my soul. 

Chapter Text

A few hours into the drive, Lorraine woke up with a groan and stretched her arms above her head. When she tried to stretch her legs, she realized something was holding them down. 

"Be careful, love. You'll make the car flip over if you do that again." His gruff voice made her giggle as she slowly opened her eyes with a yawn. Ed glanced at her with a smile, rubbing her leg. "Sleep well?"

"Mhm."

"Mhm." He mocked her making her giggle again and nudge his thigh with her foot. "You hungry, love?"

Lorraine hummed, running her fingers through her hair. "I want some tacos."

He chuckled, "Tacos?"

"Yes." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and sat up before sliding close to him, leaning on his side. "Tacos with some coke."

"What, from Taco Bell?"

"No, you idiot." The brunette rolls her eyes and looks around at the view. She recognizes the town they're driving through and grins. "There's a taco food truck somewhere here. I remember passing by it on Friday." She hears the older man chuckle and looks at him. 

"Alright, alright. I think it's in the front here." Smiling, he turns his head and looks down at the brunette who pecks his lips. A few minutes later, he parks the car at the empty parking lot with the food truck and they make their way to the line. Lorraine orders them six soft tacos and a Coke to share while Ed pays for it. Grabbing their food once it was ready, they sat inside the car and dug in. 

Lorraine groans at the first bite, "Fuck. I was hungry."

"Yeah, I can tell." He teases her before taking a bite of his taco. The brunette playfully rolls her eyes and chews her food. 

"I just realized we had promised the kids early Christmas gifts."

"We did?"

"Yes, Ed. We did. My mother gave me some stuff before we left...Maybe there'll be some stuff in there we can give them." She nods her head toward the box in the backseat labeled Lorraine before finishing her taco while the older man nods his head. They sit in silence as they continue to eat, sharing the drink here and there. By the time Ed finishes his three tacos, he looks at the brunette and notices she's only on her second taco.

"You eat slow."

Lorraine raises an eyebrow at him and swallows her food before saying, "You eat fast. You gotta eat slow to get all the flavor and everything."

Ed lets out a laugh and leans back into his seat while the brunette rolls her eyes, letting out a small chuckle. He smirks as he moves to grab her by the waist and lifts her onto his lap making her squeal. 

"You're going to make me drop my food." She giggles once she's settled on his lap. He hums and leaves a kiss on her shoulder, caressing her thigh as he looks out the window. "You know..." Lorraine starts after a moment of silence making the older man turn his head to her. "You never officially asked me to be your girlfriend."

Ed looks at her with a smirk. "Real men don't ask for what's theirs already. They just claim you." He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him so that their faces were inches apart. "You were mine the second I laid my eyes on you, darlin'."

She was quiet for a minute. Her heart pounding in her chest and her ears. A smile spreads across her lips. "I love you so much," Lorraine whispers as she strokes his face with her finger. He chuckles and rubs her thighs as he pecks her lips. 

"I love you more."

Lorraine hums and tilts her head, "You sure about that?"

"Oh, yeah." He smirks at her making her giggle. She bites her lip as an idea pops into her head. Lorraine grinds her hips down onto his budge making him groan, his eyebrows shooting up in shock. 

"Don't," Ed says in a strained tone, gripping her hips as she does it again with a moan. She feels the way he hardens in his pants, wondering how big he is and how full he'll make her feel. Wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips, their kiss getting hot and messy with teeth and tongue. He bites her lower lip making her whimper, her lips parting before he shoves his tongue into her mouth, their tongues fighting for dominance. She could feel herself dripping, her panties probably soaked by now. 

Fuck, this woman is something else. Thank God the windows are tinted.

"Ed- Please-" She pants into his mouth when he trails his lips down her jaw and toward her neck, sucking and biting, leaving tiny marks. Lorraine wants him to fuck her right now or her actions when they get home will-

Ed palms her ass, grabbing handfuls and moving her hips downward onto his bulge making her moan loudly. Her clit had brushed perfectly against the front of her jeans which made her shudder, her head was thrown back which Ed took advantage of and nipped at her throat. She clenches around nothing, wanting Ed to be in her already. 

"I'm not letting our first time be in the fucking car, Lorraine." He growls against her neck before sucking on her pulse point, leaving a dark mark there. Suddenly, he stops everything leaving her panting and horny. The brunette looks down at him with a raised eyebrow. 

"What are you- Why did you-" She licks her lips, trying to form an actual sentence as she tries to catch her breath. Ed smirks at her, his hands moving from her ass to her hips, squeezing them. 

"I told you, you'll have to wait 'til we get home."

"But-"

"No, buts, darlin'. When we get home, I have a whole plan for you." He tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear before bringing her down to kiss her lips. 

"Yeah?" She smiles at him, her eyes dark and full of lust and love. "What do you have planned, baby?"

Ed shrugs his shoulders, his eyes trailing down her lips toward her arms and breasts, studying her perfect form. "You'll have to wait and see." He replies in a low, grumble making her groan. She pouts and crosses her arms over her chest like a child making him chuckle. 

"The faster we get home, the faster you'll find out."

Lorraine gasps and climbs off his lap, settling beside him. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!" He laughs as he starts the car, pulling out of the parking lot. 

___________________________________

Reaching the city, Lorraine couldn't believe herself when she was relieved to see the big city buildings, the loud traffic and the cars honking like it'd do something to make people move faster, the polluted city air, people yelling at each other in the streets. 

They'd stopped by the grocery store to get some snacks when Lorraine got hungry. She popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth before bringing one to Ed's lips. When he shook his head, she glared at him making him chuckle and open his mouth. With a satisfied smile, she also pops a piece into his mouth. 

"I can't wait to see the kids." She's been dying to see her two favorite little people since the second they left the house. She couldn't wait to hold them in her arms and snuggle them, hearing their cute giggles in her ear. 

"Yeah...About that..." Ed starts in a hesitant tone making her turn to him. 

"What?"

"I texted Drew and told him he's keeping them another night."

Lorraine frowns, "Now why the hell would you do that?"

The older man glances at her with a smirk, his hand moving to rest on her upper thigh making her squirm. "I told you. I have plans for you tonight, darlin'."

"Mmm." She hums, biting her lip and leaning closer to him, her hand palming his never-ending hardening bulge. "I can't wait," Lorraine whispers into his ear in a low, seductive voice making him swallow thickly. 

Can the traffic be any slower?

A groan leaves his throat when the brunette bites his earlobe and leaves a trail of kisses down his jaw. "What are your plans, hmm?" She nips at his neck and licks the red spot with a hum, still rubbing his hard-on, smirking when she hears his breath quicken. "You gonna...Touch me?"

Yes.

"Fill me up?"

Fuck yes.

"Dominate me?"

He groans at her words as she continues to suck his neck. "Choke me? Spank me? Call me your 'good girl' as I'm down on my knees for you...Begging you to fuck me."

Sweet Jesus, she has a filthy mouth. 

Lorraine stops and leans back, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, her plump bottom lip being pulled between her pearly white teeth. Her eyes dart to his Adam's apple that bobs when he swallows. She's riling him up and she knows it's working because, fuck it's working for her. Her panties are soaked again and it's not going to take long before she comes in her pants just by his touch. 

Licking his lips, he takes a deep breath and moves his hand further up her thigh, cupping her center making her whimper. 

"Gotta wait and see, baby." The heel of his palm moves against her throbbing clit making her gasp, her hand flying to his shoulder and gripping tightly. 

"Fu- Go faster!" She doesn't know if she meant his car or his hand but, fuck it. He did both. His hand moves faster on her and she hears his foot hit the gas pedal, the car speeding through the intersections. Her breath quickens, her chest heaving and her legs spread wider as her climax builds quickly. 

Suddenly, Ed stops his hand with a smirk and rests his hand on her thigh while she glares at him. "What the fuck?!"

Oh, they're gonna have fun tonight. 

Chapter Text

Slamming her back against the door, she moans into his mouth when he smashes his lips against hers, his hands braced on the wall on either side of her head and her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands move to grab her ass, pushing her up so that the brunette could wind her legs around his waist. 

Lorraine gasps when she feels his hard-on on her throbbing, hot center. Gripping her fingers into his hair and pulling his head back, she nips and sucks on his neck making the older man groan. He grabs a handful of her ass and holds her up as he makes their way to his bedroom, carefully climbing up the stairs as she continues to nip at his throat.  Reaching his bedroom, he sets her on her feet, his hands coming up to cup her face, tilting her head up so he could get a better angle of her lips.

"You're so pretty." He mumbles against her lips, one of his hands moving to the bottom of her head and pulling her head back with her hair making her moan. He bites at the junction of her neck and shoulder, his tongue poking out to lick the sore spot. 

"Please." She whimpers, trailing her hands up his chest, feeling his muscular pecs and broad shoulders. 

Ed hums against her throat, "Please what, baby?"

"Do something."

He smirks as his mouth leaves her skin making her groan. He grabs her by the waist, throwing her onto the bed as she giggles. He walks to the end of the bed while she crawls to him making him groan. She was the perfect picture of sin as she licked her lips, her eyes trailing down his chest to the hard bulge in his jeans. Lorraine gets up on her knees and lifts his shirt, kissing his abs, sucking and licking. 

"Fuck, Lorraine."

She chuckles against his skin, looking up at him through her lashes. Lorraine coaxed him to lift his arms so she could take his shirt off. She hums and kisses his lips, nibbling at his bottom lip and making him smile. He hooks his finger under her chin and runs his thumb over her plump lips. 

"You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"Mmm, you just saying that cause you're about to fuck me?" The brunette teases making him laugh. He pushes her to lay on her back and climbs over her, pushing her shirt up and feeling her soft skin. 

"Oh, no, darlin'. I'm saying that because you are. You are the most gorgeous," He kisses her abdomen. "prettiest," Moving her shirt higher, he kisses one of her breasts. "sexiest," He kisses her other breast. "Woman I've ever laid my eyes on." She giggles when he kisses her lips after fully pulling her shirt over her head. His hand trails down her sides, moving to the buttons on her jeans. 

"That's gotta be a lie." 

Ed raises an eyebrow at her, "You don't believe me?" She shakes her head making him hum. "Gotta prove it to you then."

"Oh, yeah?" She asks with a chuckle, watching him move down to lay between her legs. "How?"

"I'll show you." He winks at her, pulling her jeans down to reveal her long, toned legs. He tosses her jeans somewhere in the corner of the room and leans down, kissing her hips and then down her thighs as she bites her bottom lip. Ed grabs one of her legs, throwing it over his shoulder and kissing the inside of her thigh making her squirm. 

"Ed." She groans when he doesn't go where she wants him the most. He chuckles and kisses her other inner thigh. "Please, I need-" She gasps when he kisses her clit over her panties. 

"Fuck." He grumbles when he smells her sweet scent. "I wonder if you taste as sweet as you smell."

Holy fuck.

Hooking his finger under the side of her panties, he pulls the soaked garment down her legs and stuffs them into his pockets. He looks up at her with dark, lust-filled eyes while she's looking down at him, leaning up on her elbows. Smirking at her, he takes a long swipe up her bare, wet slit making her moan out his name, throwing her head back. 

Fuck, she does taste as sweet as she smells.

He does it again making her shudder and her hand flies down to thread her fingers in his hair. Ed flicks his tongue over her swollen bud which had her squirming and dripping even more. He holds her thigh, spreading her leg wider while his other hand grips her other leg when she throws it over his shoulder. He starts eating her like he's never going to be able to get the chance again. Ed sucks and bites and licks while Lorraine is shuddering and letting out high-pitched moans, begging him to let her come.

"Ed, please." She cries out, needy and desperate for him as her fingers grip his hair making him groan. When her legs start shaking around his neck, he gives her what she wants. Ed flicks his tongue over her swollen clit until she's coming hard, her back leaving the bed as she arches. He laps up her juices like a thirsty dog who hadn't had water in days. 

"Oh, God." She pants as the older man chuckles and sits up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and taking a deep breath. He climbs over her and kisses her lips, letting her taste herself which makes her moan. 

"Fuck, darlin'. That was the hottest thing I've ever seen." He says in a low, deep voice. 

She whimpers as she looks up at him with hooded eyes. "Please." Lorraine wraps her leg around his hips, pushing him down and rubbing herself against his denim-covered cock making him groan. "Don't make me wait. I need you."

Ed hums, brushing her hair out of her face as he kisses her blushed cheeks. "You know...I had plans for you. I was going to lay you out on my bed and make you come over." He kisses her nose. "And over." He kisses her forehead. "And over again as I made love to your pretty pussy with my tongue." 

Sweet Jesus, his mouth.

"And then slowly make love to you, hearing your sweet little moans but...Now," He hums as he looks down at her, his pupils blown wide and darker than before. "Now, darlin'...I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you until you're shaking in my arms, begging me to stop as I ruin you, ripping you apart. And then, I'll make love to you, putting you back together and kissing you all over your perfect body."

Fuck.

Lorraine whimpers, her wet pussy throbbing for him. She bites her lip and whispers, "Then do it." Her tone turns into a low, seductive hum. "Ruin me."

Something in him snaps. He smashes his lips against his making her moan, her slim fingers flying down to unzip his pants. She pushes his jeans down, groaning when his lips leave hers and he sits back. His cock throbs in his boxers when she spreads her legs wider for him, her center glistening for him with her slickness and come. When he pulls his hard cock out and pumps his thickness with his fist, her breath hitches and her eyes widen. 

Fuck, he's big.

"You sure?" He asks with a raise of an eyebrow, his eyes softening. She nods her head, biting her lip as he hovers over her and brushes his lips on her head. Lorraine gasps at the sudden feeling of his cock at her entrance, throbbing for him. 

"Ready?"

"Mhmm." She nods her head, eagerly wanting him inside of her already. Her eyes look into his, both of them looking at each other with lust, love, and want. He lines himself up with her and slowly pushes into her, the two of them gasping.

Holy shit, she's fucking tight.

"You okay?" She's panting already at only the head of his cock in her. At first glance, she knew he was big but, fuck, he was big. Lorraine swallows thickly, nodding her head and he pushes another inch into her making her grip tighten on his shoulders and she winces in pain and pleasure.

She was tight, already suffocating his cock which made him groan. Ed wanted to continue but, not if it was hurting her. "Lorraine, if-"

"Keep going. Fuck, keep going." 

Ed nods, biting his bottom lip as he continues to slowly push into her. She feels herself stretching to accept his long, thick cock. It'd been long since she had been with someone. Way too long. Two years in fact and he couldn't even compare to the size of her hot boss. Once he was fully seated in her, the two of them were panting already as he rested his forehead on hers. 

"You okay?"

Lorraine closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Yeah- Just..." She needed a moment to get used to his thickness. After a second, she nods, "Okay, okay. Move."

The first stroke has her whimpering, wincing in pain as tears prick her eyes. He stops and shakes his head. "Darlin'-"

"No! Keep going- Please." She begs, looking up at him with pleading eyes, and pecks his lips for reassurance. The older man nods and moves slowly, letting her adjust to his size. After a couple of thrusts, her whimpers turn into moans once she's finally stretched out. "Faster." She breathes out, her nails running down his back. 

"Are you sure?"

She rolls her eyes, "Ed- For the love of- Fuck me."

Ed looks at her with a raised eyebrow before smirking. "Careful what you wish for, darlin'."

Holy shit.

He stops and sits up on his knees, wanting to waste no time in fulfilling her request. Lifting her hips and placing a pillow underneath her for leverage, Ed pulls her down towards him and snaps his hips making her moan loudly. With each hard thrust, her moans get louder.

"Fuck, Lorraine." He groans at her slickness and tight pussy.

"Shit- You're so big." Arching her back, he grasps one of her breasts, tweaking her nipples, stimulating her more. 

"And look at you." He groans, watching her eyes roll into the back of her head as her fingers wrap around his arm. "Taking my big cock like a good girl." Lorraine gasps at his words, her pussy squeezing him tightly like a vise. His thrusts become harder as he pounds into her, taking one of her legs and holding it up, spreading her wider for him as he hooks his other hand under the thigh of her other leg. Her hand grips the headboard above her and her head is thrown back. She could feel him inside of her. How deep he is and each vein on his pulsing cock inside of her. 

With each snap of his hips, a high-pitched moan escapes her parted lips. "Don't stop. Don't stop." Lorraine cries out as he groans. It's not long until she's going to come on his cock and he knows it. He can feel the way she clenches around him and how the sound of her moans changes. Ed's hand travels down her leg toward her swollen bud which he flicks making her breathing stutter. 

"Ed! Ed-" She gasps, her chest heaving as her breath quickens when he does it again, his cock thrusting deep inside her. The heat builds in her abdomen as her orgasm threatens to release, the familiar tug letting her know she's almost there. "Fu- I'm-I'm-"

"Come, baby. Come on my cock, baby girl."

His nickname for her makes her let out a guttural moan of his name as she comes, pulsating on his thick cock. Squeezing him making him grunt. Ed keeps his rhythm, knowing he's not going to last much longer either. When he knows she's spent, he groans and his hand grips her legs again.  

I need to pull out.

Lorraine looks up at him, her lips parted and whimpers escaping. She knows he's about to come. "In me."

Fucking hell.

"Lorraine." He grunts in a strained tone. With the last bit of strength she has in her, she's able to take her legs out of his deathly grip and wrap them around his waist as he falls forward, bracing himself on his arms on either side of his head. 

She smashes her lips against his and says, "Fill me up, baby. Come inside me." He gasps as she squeezes his cock, his legs tightening around his waist. His head falls to her shoulder as he milks her insides. He groans at the sound of her filthy moan in his ear and he bites her neck. Not wanting to put his full weight on her, he rolls off her body and lays next to her, the two of them panting. 

"Holy fuck." She breathes out before giggling making him chuckle deeply. "Wow."

He hums, trying to catch his breath as he stares at the ceiling, his hand coming to rest on her abdomen. 

Lorraine bites her lip and turns to lie on her side. "Can we do that again?"

Ed lets out a laugh, turning his head to face her. "Of course, darlin'." She giggles and grabs his face, passionately kissing his lips with a moan. "Anytime you want." 

"Mmm, how about...Right now?" She smirks at him making him chuckle. He wraps his arm around her and pulls her on top of him. 

"Can't get enough of my cock, huh?" Ed asks her with a raise of his eyebrow. Lorraine shakes her head, biting her lip as she sits up, straddling his sides. He hums, smirking at her as he rests his hands on her creamy, bare thighs. "Ride me."

"What?"

"You heard me." He demands her again in a low voice. "Ride my cock, baby girl."

Lorraine licks her lips, her breath quickening again. She moves down his body, getting on her knees and grasping his thick cock in her small hands. He smirks with pride at how big he is in her dainty hand, the fact that she couldn't fully wrap her fingers around his thickness was enough to make him hard as rock. The brunette bites her lip as she coats him with her slickness, whimpering when she makes the head of his cock enter her. He grips her waist, helping her slowly sit on him as he enters her. 

"Oh, god." She gasps once he's fully inside her again, her warmth engulfing him and making him groan. 

"That's it, darlin'." He encourages her, lifting her by the waist as she leans forward, her hands falling on his pecs as she starts to bounce up and down on him. 

Lorraine moans his name, her pussy clenching around him. "Fuck, Ed." She groans as she throws her head back, his hand coming up to grip her breasts in his palms, squeezing them lightly. The brunette pants his name like a chant as she rides him, rolling her hips in circles. Ed couldn't get enough of her. Her hands were gliding down her body, running through her beautiful, long brown hair. Her lips were parted as moans escaped with every bounce she did on his cock, her tits bouncing in his palms. 

He felt like he was in a dream. His dream girl bouncing on his dick, moaning his name as she uses him to seek out her pleasure, her hand coming down to her clit and rubbing it in circles. 

Ed flicks his thumbs over her hardened nipples and she stutters her movements, her chest flushed and a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. 

"You're so fucking hot, baby." Her eyes flare wildly when his cock hits that one perfect spot in her that no man has ever been able to hit. 

"Oh, fuck! Ohmygod!" She screams, the heat building in her belly again has her bouncing faster and harder. Her hands grip onto his thick thighs, the muscles in her neck straining as she moans loudly. "Yes, yes, yes."

"C'mon, pretty girl. Come for me." Lorraine groans out and her teeth pull on her bottom lip, her orgasm ripping through her making her shudder above him. 

She's so fucking perfect.

The brunette continues to ride him, chasing her high and wanting to feel him fill her up again. He grips her ass, helping her move when he feels the tug in his lower abdomen. 

"Fuck, baby."

"C'mon, babe. Fill me up." She gasps, leaning down and kissing his lips. Lorraine bites his lower lip as he comes in her, the two of them moaning into each other's mouths. She kisses down his jaw and marks his neck, wanting everyone to know he's hers knowing he had done the same to her. Lorraine slips off of him, already missing his thickness as she lays beside him, panting. He lays an arm over his face, catching his breath to bring his body down from the high. 

That was...It was fucking incredible. She was fucking incredible. 

A smile appears on his face when he feels her hand trail up and down his stomach, pressing small kisses on his chest. When he opened his eyes, she flashed that beautiful smile he fell in love with down at him. 

"You were right." She hums, resting her chin on his chest while he puts his arm under his head to angle his head down to her. He raises an eyebrow in confusion making her giggle. "You said I'd have something to look forward to when we came home."

Ed chuckles and nods his head, remembering his words from when they were at her mother's house. He puts his hand on her back and rubs her soft skin. 

"Yeah? And did you?"

"Oh, fuck yeah." Lorraine grins, leaning up and kissing his lips. She stays quiet and runs her nail over his chest, her mind running. 

"What are you-"

"Wanna go another round?"

The older man smirks, pulling her up and flipping them so that he is on top. "Oh, fuck yeah." She giggles and wraps her arms around his neck as he kisses her. 

Chapter Text

In the darkness of the room, he lays awake watching her chest rise up and down as she sleeps peacefully. His finger lightly trails the heart tattoo on the underside of her left breast as he listens to her steady breathing, her brunette hair spread over his pillows. Ed brings his other hand to her hair, lifting a piece and bringing it to his nose, inhaling the scent of roses and lavender. 

Lorraine moved around in her sleep, turning to lay on her front, her arms wrapping around his pillow, making him smile. He leans up on his elbow, resting his head on his clenched fist, and runs his finger up and down her spine, tracing the fine lines of the tattoo on her spine. 

He was squinting his eyes and leaning forward, his eyes trailing down the cross at the top of her spine with roses wrapped around it and a line of words being formed down the stem. He reads the cursive writing on her back. 

1 Corinthians 16:14 Do Everything in Love

The perfect verse for her, no doubt. She always did everything out of love. For Junior and Judy, her mother, her sister, for him. 

He hadn't known much of her childhood even if they had been bonding together for the weekend they were in the countryside but, he knew Lorraine grew up in a painful environment; with her father not being in the picture and her mother having to raise two girls by herself. The brunette didn't have to tell her about her father not being in her life. He found that out when he was looking around her room and didn't find a single picture of a man who resembled her except for Daniel and his father. 

Ed could stay up for hours watching the beautiful brunette sleep but, with the activities they did, sleep was starting to overcome him. He laid his head beside hers on his pillow and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him. The brunette sighed softly, turning around and snuggling into his chest making him smile. Running his hand down her side, he places his hand on her lower back and hums contently, craning his neck down to kiss her head before closing his eyes, and falling into a deep sleep. 

____________________________________

The older man wakes a few hours later having the best sleep of his life. He leans up on his elbow once again and runs his finger around the curve of her breast, her nipple hardening from the chilliness of the room. He couldn't keep his hands off of her now that they were official. Before this, he was lucky enough to get a small brush of his hand here or a touch to the small of her back there. 

He wants her to wake up. He wants to have her again. He needs her again. 

His lips brush against the soft skin of her breast and trail up to her jaw. Lorraine groans and turns her head away from him making him roll his eyes. He begins to suck at her neck, leaving a dark purpling spot which he licks, and then does another spot. 

When she still doesn't wake but moves around when he takes one of her breasts in his large hand and squeezes them lightly, Ed brings his lips close to her ear and whispers, "Need some help waking up, my love?" He feels her shiver next to him making him smirk. Slowly, he sits up, brushing his lips against her skin, trailing kisses down her body until he reaches her hips and settles between her legs which she had unconsciously spread for him. 

Ed hears her breathe out a hum as he kisses the inside of her creamy thighs. He grabs her thighs and pushes them wider as he sinks, running the tip of his tongue along her already wet slit.

Fuck, I'll never get over how good she tastes.

Her breathing quickens and she moves her head again, her hand moving to grab the pillow. The older man sucks on her clit, his hand moving up her flat abdomen to grab a breast. She tastes fucking sweet on his tongue, like candy. If anyone were to ever ask Ed what he likes to eat, he'll have to say it's Lorraine's pussy because fuck, he doesn't want to eat anything else. 

Lorraine rolls her hips against his face making him let out a deep chuckle, the vibration sending a shiver up her spine as she gasps softly. 

"Oh, shit." She sucks in a breath and turns to bury her face into his pillow. He slides a thick finger into her tight pussy making her moan softly, her leg bends at the knee and she grips the pillow tighter. Her wetness is dripping down his chin and it's making him as hard as a rock. He couldn't wait to be in her again. 

"Such a good girl for me, aren't you darlin'?" His deep voice asks making her hum, a sleepy smile appearing on her face as she nods. 

"Mhmm." Lorraine stretches above him, throwing her leg over his shoulder while she pushes her pussy back into his face making him smile. He dives into her sweetness again until she's squirming above him and her legs are shaking beside his head. Before she could come closer to the edge of release, Ed sits up and licks his lips as he dips his fingers into her wetness and coats his hard cock in it. She watches him with sleepy, hooded eyes and hums. 

"C'mere, baby." The brunette mumbles making him chuckle softly. He softly grasps her waist and pulls her down, lining his cock with her entrance and slowly pushing into her. Her back lifts off the bed in an arch, her lips parting and breathing out a soft, "Oh."

Ed groans at her slickness, how easily he was able to slip into her and fully enter her. Once he was buried deep inside of her, he takes a deep breath and slowly pulls out, leaving only the tip of his cock inside before pushing into her again at a faster pace. Lorraine gasps and spreads her legs wider, one of her hands coming down to cup her breast and play with her nipple while the other holds onto the pillow. 

"Shit- B-Baby-" Her pleading eyes look into his, wanting more. Needing more. Lorraine wants him to fuck her into the mattress until she can't remember her name. 

"Use your words, princess."

Oh, fuck yes.

"Faster- Harder- Choke me." She's panting by now, her hands moving to grab his hands that are tightly gripping her waist. Ed looks down at her with darkened eyes. A wild, crazed look flashes across his face. 

What his woman wants, his woman gets.

Removing his hands from her waist, he grabs her thighs to wind her legs around his waist and leans forward, one of his hands bracing himself beside her head on the bed while the other wraps his fingers around her throat, a wide grin appearing on her face as she looks up at him. She feels his grip tighten on her throat, cutting off some circulation of air but not all, and holy shit, she's never felt so horny for a man. 

His hips snap into her wet pussy, his cock getting soaked in her juices while she moans loudly, her back arching her fingers gripping his biceps. 

"My princess likes it rough, doesn't she?"

"Uh-huh." She moans, biting her bottom lip and tightening her legs around his waist. 

Ed kisses her plump lips, swollen from all his nibbling and sucking last night. With a loud "pop", he parts from her, the two of them panting as they are both reaching their climax. 

Tightening his grip on her throat, he pounds harder into her making her see stars and let out a loud moan from deep within her throat as she comes hard on his thick, pulsating cock. 

"Fuck, baby." He groans, kissing her parted lips. "Watching you come is the most sexiest thing I've ever seen, princess." Lorraine licks her bottom lip, her hand going to the back of his head and bringing his face down to hers, smashing their lips together. 

"Come for me, Ed. Fill me up with your come." She pants as he moves faster. "Mark me as yours, baby."

He lets out a low moan as a long stream of his come shoots out of his cock, filling her to the brim. His head rests on her shoulder, his lips leaving a kiss on her sweaty skin while she lets out a satisfied him, running her fingers through his hair. After a second, Ed takes a deep breath and sits up, pulling out of her. 

Holy fuck that's hot.

His eyes move to her glistening pussy, their mixed come dripping out of her. "Who would've thought..."

"Hmm?" The brunette hums as she swallows thickly, squirming under his intense gaze. Feeling shy all of a sudden, she moves to close her legs but he stops them, gripping her thighs tightly. 

"Don't you fucking dare." Ed glares at her, his voice dripping with lust and darkness. "My cum dripping out of you is the hottest fucking thing in the world." He's hard again, just by the thought of their come mixed inside her. A possessive nerve snaps inside of him, feeling the need to mark her as if he already hasn't. Feeling the need to plant his seed inside of her, watching her belly grow with his child, letting everyone know that he was the one to knock this beautiful woman up. He wants everyone to know that he is the one who gets to see this woman's glorious, perfect body. To make her come over and over and over again until she physically can't anymore. 

He brings his fingers to her center, two of his fingers pushing his come inside of her making her moan. "My cum belongs inside of you. It fucking belongs here and no one else's." Ed leans down and bites at her thighs making her whimper. 

"You belong to me." He growls against her leg, looking at her with blown pupils. She can see the possessiveness take over him and she fucking loves it. Lorraine wants to be his and only his. 

Ed grabs her by her throat, bringing her up to him as she whimpers again, her eyes dark and blown just like his. "Say it."

Oh my god.

"Say what?" She asks innocently, knowing damn well what he wants her to say. Lorraine grins at him while he tightens his hold on her throat. 

"Say you're mine."

Lorraine swallows thickly, her gaze getting lost in his dark blue eyes. Her fingers wrap around his wrist and the other moves to grab his hard cock, pumping her fist up and down making him groan. 

"I'm yours, baby." She breathes out, biting her lip. "I'm yours and only yours, Ed Warren."

Mother of holy mary

Ed brings her lips to his, kissing her harshly and messily. He lets go of her throat and spreads his fingers against her toned back, pushing her front onto his hard chest as she wraps her arms around his neck. She licks into his mouth, devouring him and gripping his hair while he grabs her ass, pushing her up and making her straddle his thighs. He aligns his thick cock with her entrance and sets her on him, making her gasp into his mouth as he fills her up for the second time that morning. 

"Mmm," She hums against his lips, never wanting to part from him as she bounces on his lap. "Fuck- I love you."

He chuckles deeply, "Me or my cock?"

Lorraine parts from him, stopping for a second and he groans in frustration. She pretends to think before smirking at him. "Can I say both?"

"No." He says in a teasing tone making her giggle as she starts moving on him again. She moves her lips to his neck, biting the junction of his neck and shoulder making him groan in pain. Her eyes glance up, catching a glimpse of them in the mirror in the corner of the room. His back is red with scratch marks from her nails and she smirks, obsessed with how she made him look. If any woman were to ever look at him now, they'd know he was taken and he was being well taken care of.  

"You feel so good, baby." She moans as she runs her fingers through his hair and her other hand grips onto his shoulder to help her move as she continues to watch them from the mirror. 

Fuck, we look so hot.

The brunette clenches around him making him groan and he falls back onto the bed, his hands gripping her waist. Lorraine keeps her eyes on the mirror, watching her tits bounce with each movement and how his hands travel up her sides. Her eyes dart to his cock disappearing into her and she pants, keeping one hand on his pecs while the other grabs her hair, holding it up in a messy bun when it starts to get too hot. 

"God dammit, Lorraine." He grits out in a growl. She was fucking perfect and he will never get enough of her. He wants to crawl inside her skin and be with her forever. Lorraine doesn't notice his hand moving to her clit until he flicks it making her gasp and look down at him with wide eyes. 

"Fuck, Ed. Holy shit-" Her nails scratch down his chest and he groans, his head thrown back and that's when he notices. She's been watching herself in the mirror. 

Oh, my god. 

"You dirty little slut." He smirks at her while she whimpers, feeling him rub her swollen, throbbing clit in time with her bounces. "Watching yourself in the mirror, huh?"

Lorraine couldn't form any words. She was so close to coming and she couldn't speak, her words getting caught in her throat. Instead, she nods her head, panting above him. 

"You see how gorgeous you are? How hot and fucking sexy you look? Riding my cock like the dirty, greedy woman you are."

Fuck, his mouth!

Her stomach flutters and there's a tug before she's letting out a scream, coming on him and shaking as she continues to ride out her high. Ed bites his bottom lip, holding her hips and planting his feet on the bed, thrusting his hips up taking her by surprise. 

"Oh! F-Fuck! Shit! Don't stop!"

Ed growls, his grip tightening on her hips hard enough to leave bruises. "I'll never stop fucking your pretty pussy, baby girl." Her eyes roll to the back of her head and she grips his arms, her head spinning. He lets out a loud groan and spills his come inside of her, "Fuck!" The brunette collapses on top of him, panting hard, her thighs quivering and her insides full of his come. 

They're both tired and sore. Their eyes closing as they caress each other and their pounding hearts start to calm. She feels him press a kiss to her head and she smiles sleepily. 

"I love you." 

Ed chuckles and mumbles back, "I love you too."

As sleep is about to take over them, a phone starts to ring making them groan. 

"Just leave it."

Lorraine slowly sits up, "What if it's the kids?"

"Drew has them, love." He brushes her hair away from her sweaty face and she smiles, pecking his lips and laying her head on his chest again. Just as the ringing stops, it starts again and he rolls his eyes. 

"For fuck's sake." Ed holds onto her limp, tired body as he sits up, moving to the side of the bed to grab his phone. He looks at the ID and notices it's his office. "Shit. Hold on, baby." Lorraine nods her head quietly and nuzzles her face into his bare chest as he answers. 

"What is it?" He asks in a gruff voice making her giggle softly. The brunette feels his rough hand rub her back making her hum as they lay back on his bed. She could hear a muffled voice on the other line while he held his phone to his ear. 

"And we need you to come in today to-"

Ed rolls his eyes. Of all the days they needed him, of course, it had to be today. "Can't you move the meeting to tomorrow?"

"N-No, sir. You already have a meeting tomorrow and he said today was the only time he could meet you."

Letting out a sigh, he continues to rub her back and replies, "Alright. Give me two hours."

"But, sir-"

"Two hours." Before the other person could say anything, the older man ends the phone call and groans, tossing the device somewhere on the bed while Lorraine giggles. 

"You should be nicer to your employees, baby."

"Why?"

Lorraine scoffs and looks up at him, resting her chin on his chest. "Because then they'll do nice things for you."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," She shrugs her shoulders as she tries to think of ways they'd probably be nicer to him. "Get you coffee in the mornings-"

"They already do that." He grumbles out making her nod. 

"Get you lunch then?"

"I get my own lunch."

Lorraine rolls her eyes, "Well...I don't know then. But...Be nicer to them." He hums and reluctantly nods his head. 

"Fine."

She smiles and kisses his lips. "So...Two hours huh?"

"Mhmm." He smirks at her, his hands traveling to her ass and palming the soft, round skin. 

"Oh, no, baby." The brunette giggles and sits up on his abdomen. "I don't think I could go another round."

Ed scoffs and teases her, "And you called me old."

Lorraine laughs, taking his hand in hers and bringing his knuckles to her lips. "You're eight years older than me. You are old."

"Pretty sure I proved that wrong multiple times last night."

"And this morning."

He chuckles and nods his head, "And this morning."

Humming, she bites her plump bottom lip and glances at the time on the nightstand. 

11:52 AM

"Well...It's almost lunch. Wanna go get something to eat before you go to work and I pick up the kids?"

The older man grins at her, "Sounds like a date." Lorraine giggles and leans down, kissing his lips. 

She climbs off of him and grabs his shirt from the ground, "I'll be ready in twenty minutes." As she's slipping on his shirt, Ed turns to lie on his side and watches her as she moves around slowly. 

"What's wrong?" He teased knowing exactly why she was moving slowly.

Lorraine turns to glare at him before blushing, "I can't walk." She giggles as she grabs onto the wall to steady herself making him chuckle. Getting up, he grabbed his boxers from the ground and put them on before lifting her into his arms as if she weighed nothing -- which she didn't -- and carried her out of his room. 

"If you wanted to be carried like a princess, you should've told me." He jokes making her snort and tap the side of his head as they both laugh. 

____________________________________

The couple sits at a local diner near his office building, feeding each other and talking about what their plans with the kids are going to be when they pick them up from Drew after he is finished with his meeting.

"We need to go Christmas shopping," Lorraine says after a moment of silence making Ed look at her. "Christmas is only a few weeks away and we haven't gotten anything for the kids."

"We can go before we pick them up if you want."

Lorraine hums before nodding her head and smiling at him. "Judy's been telling me about this drawing kit she's been wanting. Can we get it for her?"

"Of course, baby." He smiles at her as he sips his coffee.

"Oh! And Junior was looking at this soccer ball and I think it'll be a great gift for him. Maybe we can get him some cleats as well?"

Ed chuckles and squeezes her thigh, "Baby, you can buy them whatever you think they'll like." The brunette blushes as she nods her head.

"I'm sorry, I just- It's-"

"Don't apologize, darlin'. I know you love them." He tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear and pecks her lips. "And I'm glad they have you. You're the only person that's close enough to be their mother."

And fucking hell, I want you to be their mother.

She smiles and looks at him, her eyes sparkling and bright which he notices only happens when she's happy and/or excited. "I love you."

"I love you too." Ed kisses her lips again making her hum. Parting from her, he nods at her food. "Finish your food and we'll head off." She bites the inside of her cheek as she looks down at her half plate of food. "What's wrong, love?"

"I'm not hungry anymore..." She whispers, looking at him like a guilty child who's been lying to their father. "Can you finish it for me?" Ed chuckles and nods his head, pulling the plate close to him. 

"Pass me the hot sauce." 

Lorraine grabs the hot sauce for him and watches him with a loving smile on her face as he finishes her food. In honesty, it's not that she wasn't hungry. She'd noticed that Ed hadn't eaten anything and only drank coffee the whole time they were sitting here and she wanted him to eat something before going to work. This was the only way she knew he'd eat.

Once he'd finished her food, he handed her his coffee to finish while he paid for their meal before taking her hand in his and walking to his office building. Lorraine shivers at the cold breeze flowing past them and wraps her arms around his bicep making him chuckle. 

I need to get her a thicker coat.

He kisses her head and laces their fingers together, slipping their joint hands into the pocket of his coat. 

"Why don't you go shopping with Carol tomorrow?"

The brunette looks up at him, "But, I want to stay home with the kids." She pouts which makes his heart skip a beat. 

"Alright...Then go shopping with her on Wednesday while the kids are at school."

She thinks about it for a few seconds. It'll be perfect because then she'll be able to buy a gift for him as well. Lorraine looks up at him with a smile. "Wednesday's fine." He smiles and kisses her forehead. Perfect. It'll give him time to buy her gift if she's busy going out with her best friend. 

Chapter Text

Lorraine was looking out the large window behind the couch in Ed's office as he sat in a meeting just down the hall. When they exited the elevator, everyone in the office had looked at them in shock as the older man wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close while she smiled up at him. She couldn't keep the proud smile off her face at the looks of the women around them, the jealousy burning in their eyes. 

The brunette giggled to herself and covered her face with her hands. 

Oh, my god. This is real!

She still couldn't believe it. Her life had changed in just three days. The man of her dreams had been lying beside her all night, his hands not able to leave her body as he touched her. Her cheeks blushed at the flashbacks hitting her from last night, her body getting hot and her center throbbing for him already. 

Wait until I tell Carol about this.

Sighing, she stands and walks a few steps to his desk, settling on his chair and swinging around. The brunette gasps softly when she notices a picture propped up on the corner of his desk. It was a picture of her and the kids when they'd gotten the two puppies. She'd been sitting on the grass with Judy in her lap, her puppy Zena laying in front of her while Junior sat beside her, his puppy Zeus licking his face as the three of them laughed. Lorraine didn't realize her boss had taken a picture of them but, he was able to capture all the happiness and love shared between her and the two kids in just one picture. 

"I wonder what else he has lying around here..." She muttered as she placed the picture back in its place and started rummaging through his desk. Opening a drawer, she gasped at another picture he had of her and the kids. Lorraine picked it up and smiled as she ran her finger over the picture, giggling at the memory of when she bought them matching dinosaur onesies. She flipped it around and noticed writing on the back. 

November 28th -

The day I fell even more in love with this beautiful woman who makes my kids very happy. One day I hope to tell her how much I love her and how much she makes me happy

"Oh, Ed." Lorraine giggles softly, placing the picture back into his drawer. She noticed another picture hiding near the back of the drawer making her raise an eyebrow. It was flipped over, with another sentence on the back.

August 19th -

Some asshole broke her heart and I'll break his face if I ever meet him. She's so beautiful and she doesn't even know it. One day I'll tell her how beautiful she is and I'll never stop telling her

Flipping the picture over, her heart skips a beat at what he captured. It was the night he had taken her out for dinner when her date that night bailed on her. They'd stopped on the seawall and looked out at the city lights. Her head was tilted as she looked up at the stars, a bright smile on her face and her eyes sparkling from the moonlight. 

How many more pictures of me is he hiding?

She looks through the drawer and finds another picture. 

August 1st - 

She looks like a goddess in this dress, my perfect angel sent from heaven. One day I'll be able to tell her how God made her the perfect woman for me

It was a picture of her dressed in a long white square-neck dress with white heels, her hair was in a half-up-half-down style with her bangs hanging in front of her face. She was mid-twirl, trying to show off her dress to the kids who were standing out of frame. Ed was taking them to this brunch event that was happening for one of the successful deals he had with a company. But, not wanting to be the center of attention since he was bringing a woman, she had taken the kids to the beach for a while, with his permission of course. 

A tear slipped down her cheek as she sniffled, her heart bursting with more love for this man. All this time he was in love with her and she was as well but, they were too stubborn to see what was happening right in front of them. Lorraine found more pictures of moments they had shared; some with the kids, some just of her, and they all had dates and notes on the back. 

November 18th -

She made brownies for the kids last night after they had a bad day at school and cuddled with them on the couch. She completes my family

September 1st - 

This beautiful woman has the most gorgeous smile I've ever seen. I want to wake up to that smile every day for the rest of my life

August 22nd - 

I'd take her to have dates at an arcade if it means I get to hear her laugh all the time and see her so excited to win a prize 

Lorraine couldn't keep her smile off her face. Ed was in love with her from the start and he kept pictures of their little moments, pictures she didn't know he took. He captured everything he loved about her and wishes he wanted to fulfill, even though he knew one day it might never happen but, he had faith in their relationship. 

When she heard his voice getting closer to the door, Lorraine gasped and shoved the pictures back into his drawer, slamming it closed just as Ed opened the door. The brunette sat up straight in the chair, pretending to look bored as she looked at him. 

"Hey, beautiful." He smiled at her as he closed the door behind him, and walked toward her.  

Lorraine smiles up at him. "Hi. How was the meeting?" She asks softly, standing so he can sit before she settles on his lap, his arm wrapping around her waist. Ed sighed and kissed her neck. 

"There's a meeting I have to go to a few weeks after Christmas...One of Dad's companies in Seattle is getting into a bunch of trouble and they need me there to solve it."

Lorraine looks at him with a frown. "Seattle?"

Ed hums and nods his head, "My dad grew up in Seattle before moving to New York. The original company is there and one of my...Brother's is taking care of it."

Wait- He has a brother?

He chuckles at the look of shock on her face. "Yes, I have brothers."

"Ed. I've known you for almost a year and now I'm finding out you have brothers?" She scoffs and shakes her head. "And not just one brother. You said "brothers", meaning you have-"

"I have two brothers. One lives in Seattle and the other lives in LA."

Lorraine slowly nods her head. She's still shocked at the fact that he has siblings. He chuckles and kisses her head. "I've never mentioned them because the last time we saw each other was about five years ago at this wedding and we had a big fight."

She wanted to ask about what but, she decided not to. He knew what she was thinking though. 

"It was about a girl."

She bursts into laughter making him chuckle. "A girl? You fought over a girl?"

The older man shrugs his shoulders, threading his fingers through her long brown hair. Now that he can, he'll never stop threading his fingers through her hair. He loved the smell of her shampoo and how it framed her beautiful face. 

Lorraine sighs and leans into his chest, sitting sideways on his lap as her legs dangle off the arm of the chair. She tucks her head under his chin and strokes his muscular chest with her finger. "How long are you going to be gone for?"

"Only a couple of days. Maybe a week if it's really bad." He replies in a soft voice, his arm resting over her legs while his other hand continues to run through her hair. He ponders about the next question he's going to ask, wondering what her answer is going to be. Ed wants her to come with him, it'll be like another getaway trip for them but, it'll probably be too soon for them. 

"You think too loud," Lorraine mumbles making him laugh. Ed kisses the top of her head and hooks his arm under her legs as the other wraps tightly around her waist and he stands, walking them over to the couch. Once he sits, she turns to straddle his hips, her hands resting on his shoulders. "What're you thinking about?"

Ed looks up at her and tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear as he worries at his bottom lip with his teeth. "I was thinkin'...Do you...Maybe want to come with me?"

She blinks. 

Is he really asking her to go on a business trip with him?

The silence is killing him. Why wasn't she answering his question? He swallows thickly, awaiting her reply of "no" to the trip until she starts smiling.

"Do you want me to?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be asking."

She giggles and bites on her bottom lip. "What about the kids?"

"I can have Drew take care of them while we're gone. They'll stay at our house since we'll be gone for a longer time, Zach and Nate will watch them as well to be safe." His hands rested on her hips and squeezed them lightly. "It could be like a...another getaway trip for us."

"Mmm." She hums, leaning down and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Or is it because you want to show your brother that you have found yourself a new girl?"

Ed laughs at her statement making her giggle. "Well...That too."

Lorraine chuckles as she shakes her head. "Alright. It'll be fun."

"It will. We'll be staying in a nice hotel that has a view of the city since we'll be staying on the top floor."

"So...Sex on the balcony is what you're saying." She teases with a smirk making him choke on his words. 

I mean...I wasn't thinking that but, now I'll have something to look forward to.

"Insatiable. I'm tellin' you." Ed chuckles and moves his hands to her ass, grabbing a handful and making her gasp as her throbbing center rubs against him. "Just can't get enough of me, can you?"

"God no."

And I never will.

He smirks as he moves her hips against his hardening cock again, the two of them groaning. She was dripping for him, she could feel her wetness dripping down her thighs and her panties getting soaked. 

"Please." She whimpers, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips. 

"What's wrong, baby?" He teases her, moving her hips again making her moan. She moves her lips to his neck, sucking and biting his skin. 

Lorraine whispers against his neck, "I want you." Ed groans at how desperate and needy she sounds, his cock hard as a rock. He works on her black slacks, unbuttoning them before shoving his hand down her pants, his hand sliding between her thighs making her moan. 

"Fuck, baby. You're soaked." His fingers dip into her slickness with a groan. He coats them with her and brings his fingers to his mouth, sucking her sweetness while she watches him with wide, desperate eyes. "Mmm, I'll never get over how good you taste." He slips his hand into her hot center again and pushes two fingers inside of her making her gasp as he starts pumping them into her, his thumb playing with her throbbing clit. 

"Oh, Ed." Her head drops to his shoulder as she rides his fingers, whimpering when he adds a third. His other hand slides up her shirt, cupping her breast in his palm. Lorraine feels him slide down the couch as she moves higher, a moan escaping her lips when he pulls her shirt up and his lips wrap around her nipple. "Holy..." She's panting as she throws her head back, the older man thrusting his fingers faster. Her wetness dripped down his hand.

"That's it, darlin'." He groans and kisses her breast, moving to the other. "You're almost there." He grumbles, his teeth tugging her nipple making her moan and her nails dig into his shoulders. Ed kisses up her chest and neck until he reaches her pulse point and sucks hard, adding more love bites to the ones he'd left from last night. Possessiveness ran through his veins as he marked her. Now everyone will know she belongs to him.

The fire building in her abdomen and the familiar tug tells her she's about to come on his fingers. She bites his neck, trying to muffle her moans as Ed flicks her clit with his thumb, rubbing the swollen bud in circles together with the rhythm of his fingers pumping in and out of her. 

"C'mon, darlin'. Come on my fingers." 

Lorraine moans into the man's shoulder, her sounds coming out muffled as she comes on his fingers. He continues to thrust his fingers into her, letting her ride out her high as his lips travel toward her jaw. His hand comes up and grabs her hair, pulling her head back before smashing his lips against hers with a moan. 

"You're so beautiful." He kisses her lips again making her smile, her cheeks turning red as she blushes. "My beautiful woman." Ed strokes the bridge of her nose as he pulls his fingers out of her. Before he can put them in his mouth, she grabs his wrist and sucks his fingers making his breath hitch. 

Holy fuck.

He watches her with dark eyes as she licks his fingers clean, her eyes boring into his with blown pupils. "Christ, Lorraine."

The brunette pulls his fingers out of her mouth and smiles at him, leaning down to peck his lips to let him taste herself. Ed groans and wraps his arms around her tightly, pulling her body against his making her giggle and wrap her arms around his neck. 

"I love you."

Ed smiles at her, his hands grabbing her ass again. "I love you too."

"You seem to love my ass more." She teases making him chuckle. 

"Your ass is great too." He winks before slapping both plump cheeks at the same time, loving the reaction he gets from her. Ed smirks at the way she licks her bottom lip, a small gasp escaping her parted, swollen lips when he does it again, harder this time. 

My princess loves getting spanked.

Lorraine pecks his lips and stands before he can slap her ass again. He glares at her from the couch while she smirks at him. 

"We have to go Christmas shopping for the kids."

"Do we have to?" The brunette glares at him as she stands with her arms crossed over her chest. He sighs and stands from the couch, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, her hard stare faltering and a smile appearing on her face. "Alright. Alright. Let's go."

The brunette wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down to kiss his lips while he hums, one of his hands coming up to cup her face. 

____________________________________

A while later, the couple was walking around the mall, their hands laced together while Zach and Nate walked behind them. Their eyes were scanning the surroundings, making sure there were no suspicious people around their boss and his girlfriend. 

"Baby, look at those." Lorraine gasps as she pulls his hand to a toy shop filled with bears. She picks up a beautiful brown bear dressed in a cute pink and blue tutu and a matching shirt. On top of the bear's head was a little crown while the bear was holding a fairy wand. Turning to show the older man, he chuckles at the bright grin on her face. "It's so big and fluffy! Judy's going to love- Oh, my god!" 

Ed watches as the young woman runs to the other side of the bear shop and grabs another stuffed bear dressed in a soccer player outfit. The bear even came with its own little soccer ball. 

"This one's perfect for Junior!" She turns, showing it to her boyfriend who has a smile on his face. Ed nods his head and takes the two bears, "Let's go-"

"Ed! This one looks like you!" He raises an eyebrow down at her as Lorraine grabs a bear dressed in a black suit and little black dress shoes. Ed hears Zach and Nate snicker behind them and he turns, glaring at them. The two men cough and look away from the couple, pretending to nod at something in the distance. 

"Look at his little shoes! And his little ears. Aw, and his little tie as well!" Lorraine giggles, pointing out the features to her boyfriend. "It even has a little frown like you always do!"

Ed frowns, "I do not always have a frown."

Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes with a smirk. "You're frowning right now." Her boyfriend sighs and scratches the back of his neck while she pouts at him. "I want him." She hugs the bear close to her chest and looks up at him with wide, puppy-dog eyes. 

Fuck, she looks like Judy when she does that.

Sighing, he nods his head, making her squeal. Lorraine wraps her arms around his neck and kisses his lips before grabbing his arm so they can buy the three bears. Once he pays for them and the worker puts the three bears into little boxes, Lorraine grins up at him and pecks his cheek as they walk out of the shop. 

"Here, let Zach or-" Ed tries to grab the bear his girlfriend is holding but, she turns her body away from him and glares at him. 

"I want to hold him. He's a mini you."

He snorts, trying to grab the bear again. "But, I'm right here, love."

Lorraine rolls her eyes and scoffs, "I don't care."

Ed stares at her, his eyes turning dark as she stands in front of him with the bear dressed in a little black suit clutched tightly in her arms. He towered over her with their height difference --which he loved to take advantage of sometimes -- and looked down at her with an intense glare, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

She swallows thickly and bites her bottom lip, averting his gaze. "...Maybe." The older man lets out a deep hum, still staring at her with darkened eyes before taking her hand in his and walking away, the two men behind them following a few steps behind. 

"I'll deal with you when we get home." His hot breath whispers into her ear making her shiver as he wraps his arm tightly around her waist, pulling her body against his. Lorraine silently nods her head, excitement filling her and her core throbbing. She knew exactly what he meant. 

They spend a few more hours shopping around the mall, Zach and Nate carrying the bags for the couple as they walk around hand-in-hand, Lorraine still clutching the bear in her unoccupied arm. Heading to the car, Ed sends Zach and Nate back to the house with the shopping while he helps the brunette into the front seat, his hands gripped tightly onto her waist. 

"We'll be back with the kids in one hour."

"Yes sir." The two men reply before heading to the driver and putting the shopping bags in the back seat. Once they leave and Ed settles in the driver's seat, Lorraine swallows and glances at him. 

"Can we get something to eat?"

Ed hums and puts on his seatbelt. "What do you want?"

"Anything." She shrugs her shoulders, relaxing into the leather seat until he pulls her close to him by her thigh. His hand rests on her leg as he pulls out of the parking lot and heads towards Drew's house while Lorraine wraps her arms around his arm, her head leaning on his shoulder and the bear tucked between them like a child. 

____________________________________

Drew is washing the dishes in his kitchen, listening to the kids sing-a-long to the Disney movie playing on the TV. He turns to grab the dirty bowl sitting by the window when he notices Ed and Lorraine walking down the footpath to his steps. A big smile appeared on his face when he saw his boss smiling and kissing the brunette's head as she giggled, wrapping her arms around his torso. 

He was happy that his boss finally found someone to love and who loved him just as much. For the past few years, he'd seen how lonely his boss was, even setting him up on blind dates which almost ended with Ed almost firing his ass when one of the dates turned out to be a reporter trying to pry into Ed's life. 

"Where are my beautiful babies?" Lorraine's voice rang out when they opened the front door. Judy and Junior gasped loudly, turning around at the sound of her voice. When the couple appeared in the doorway, the kids screamed as they jumped off the couch and ran to their father and nanny. 

"LORI! DADDY!"

Ed chuckles and opens his arms as Judy jumps, latching herself tightly onto him. Junior has tears running down his face as Lorraine carries him into her arms and kisses his head.

"Aw, don't cry, baby." She chuckles softly and wipes his tears with her fingers. He shakes his head and tucks his face into the crook of her neck, embarrassed to show he was crying. Lorraine turns to Ed with a small pout making him chuckle and brush his hand down the little boy's back as Judy rests her head on his shoulder, smiling at the brunette woman who winks at her as she squeezes the little girl's leg. 

Drew smiles and wipes his hands on the rag, walking over to them. "They missed you guys."

"We can tell." 

Lorraine glances down at the little boy in her arms who sniffles and buries his head further into her neck making her giggle. "Daddy and I are going to take you guys out for ice cream, how does that sound?"

Junior raises his head, his eyes watery and a pout on his face. "Ice cream?" The brunette woman nods her head with a smile. The little boy turns to his sister who's grinning at him from their father's arms. "Ice cream!"

The three adults laugh at his sudden enthusiasm. Ed turns to Drew after passing his little girl into Lorraine's other arm and pulls his wallet out from his pocket but, the younger man stops him. 

"No, Ed. It's alright. I love having them stay with me."

"They stayed with you for an extra day. Just a few hundred-"

Drew shakes his head with a smile. "They're like siblings to me, Ed. It's fine." His boss playfully rolled his eyes and shook his head. Lorraine stood beside him, her fingers curling around his bicep. 

"Thank you, Drew. Why don't you join us for ice- Well, dinner first and then ice cream."

He shakes his head. "The four of you should enjoy-"

"Get in the car." The woman says with a roll of her eyes as she walks away to grab the twins' jacket hanging from the back of the couch. Drew glances at Ed who smirks at him. 

"What the woman wants, she gets." He jokes making the younger man laugh. 

"I'm happy for you, boss. You picked a good one." They look at Lorraine who is smiling with the kids as she helps them put on their jackets, the kids telling her everything they did with Drew. 

"She's the one, Drew. I knew it from the start. It's...It's so different with her." Ed looks at his close friend who smiles proudly at him. "From the day I met her, I felt this connection with her. It was as if I'd known her for a long time and I just..." He looks at his girlfriend, a smile appearing on his face when she tickles the twins making them laugh loudly before pulling them into a hug, kissing their foreheads. "I'm in love with her, Drew."

"I know, Ed. I can see it, hell. The whole world can." Drew pats his boss on the back as they chuckle. "I know you want to put a ring on her."

"I will. Just not yet."

The younger man nods, tossing the rag he was holding onto the kitchen counter. "Too soon but, we both know she'd say yes." Ed laughs and shakes his head. He walks to the brunette and his kids. 

"C'mon, loves. Let's go before Drew changes his mind."

Drew calls over his shoulder as he's grabbing his jacket from the coat rack by the door, "As if I have a choice."

"Which you don't." Lorraine teases as she stands, carrying Judy and Junior in her arms. The three of them laugh as they head out of the house, Ed taking Junior from his girlfriend's arms, wanting to hold him. Junior smiles at his father, "I'm happy you're home, Daddy."

"I'm happy I'm home too, little man." He presses his lips against the boy's head. "I missed you and Judy."

"We missed you too, Daddy. And Lori too." Lorraine giggles and lightly pinches the boy's cheek making him giggle. She looks up at Ed who's smiling contently at her making her blush as she looks away. 

Chapter Text

Ed decided to take his family and Drew to an Italian restaurant in the city knowing Lorraine loved Italian food. Before reaching the parking lot, he had Drew text Zach and Nate to tell them where they were going and to meet them there. This wasn't the first time he had taken the kids to the city but, he wanted to make sure the people he loved and cared for were safe in public. 

"So, how was the countryside?" Drew asked once they were settled in a private booth toward the back of the restaurant. Ed had a small smile on his face as he looked at his girlfriend who sighed contently. 

"Oh, my god. It was beautiful! It was nice to get out of the city for once and see my family."

The younger man smiled and nodded his head. "How did they like Ed?"

Lorraine snorted, her finger playing with the napkin in front of her. "Ed's part of the little boy group now. My sister-in-law invited us to go to their New Year's party but, I don't think we're going."

"Says who? She made up her mind that we're going." Ed teased as he placed his hand on her thigh making her look at him. He wanted to go back to the countryside to go horseback riding with her again. 

I should take her for a ride on the motorcycle one day.

He watched her as she continued to tell Drew all about the countryside and her family. Her eyes sparkled with happiness at the mention of seeing her mother and little sister after a couple of years of being away. Ed always loved her eyes. He'll never stop loving anything about her. Her eyes, her lips, her nose, her smile, her hair. Everything. 

"What about you, Ed?" The younger man asked as he looked at his boss, who silently gazed at Lorraine. She noticed this when she turned to look at him and started blushing a deep red. The eye contact between the two was intense and full of love and want. He was looking down at her with a straight face, his eyes burning with desire and love for the woman. Lorraine blushed more as her heart skipped beats and her ears got hot. The way this man made her feel was incredible. 

Drew cleared his throat and called his boss's name a bit louder, "Ed."

The couple jumped and looked away from each other, turning to the younger man who smiled sheepishly at them while the kids drew on the coloring page the restaurant gave them. The twins giggled and kept showing the other what they were drawing, grabbing different crayons each time to color the other's drawing. Judy was working on a mermaid with dolphins swimming next to the sea creature while Junior was working on a big monster truck that he was coloring red, his dad's favorite color.

"What."

"I asked how did you like the countryside."

Ed shrugged his shoulders, his hand moving higher on Lorraine's thigh making her breath hitch. "It was nice to get out of the city for a couple of days. Was thinkin' of taking the kids the next time we go there."

"Wait- Really?" Drew and Lorraine asked at the same time making the older man snort. 

"Why not? The kids would love to play around with your nieces and nephews. They'd also love the animals and baking with your mother." Lorraine swears her heart grew three times larger and almost burst at his words. He wanted his kids to spend time with her family. "Plus, Rebecca and Daniel's party is on New Year's. We are not leaving the kids here alone on a special day."

He's right.

Lorraine nodded her head and smiled. "But what are we going to tell them about Judy and Junior?" All three adults look at the twins who are now having a staring contest. Whoever won was going to use the black crayon. The woman giggled when Judy blew air into Junior's face making him lose.

"Hey! That's- Daddy she cheated!" Junior whined as he turned to look at his father who snorted. Judy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, a satisfied smirk on her face. 

"I won fair and square."

Drew looked at the twins with pure shock on his face. He spent the last few days with them wondering exactly who the hell they'd reminded him of. When Ed first got them five years ago, he'd thought that they were his actual kids because of how much Junior looked exactly like Ed until he told him that they're adopted but, now as he looks at them and glances at the couple in question, it's no doubt that...Junior and Judy remind him of Ed and Lorraine. 

It all makes sense. The hair, the eyes, the nose, the looks, even the personalities! Hell, even the attitude Junior has is exactly like Ed's!

It could also be that Junior has that attitude because Ed's his father who has raised him from a baby but, with the boy having the exact same eyes and nose? It's not a coincidence. 

Ed looks at his young assistant who's staring at the twins in shock making him concerned. "Drew? You alr-"

"I-I need to go."

The couple glance at each other as Drew stands up abruptly and grabs his coat from behind his chair. 

"But, we haven't ordered yet," Lorraine replies in a soft tone, raising her eyebrow at him. Drew flashes a tiny smile. 

"I-I'm sorry but- I mean something came up and-and-"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Drew nods his head and waves him off. "Oh, I-I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Enjoy your dinner."

Judy looks up at him with big, puppy dog eyes and pouts. "But, Drew. You promised to have ice cream with us."

Holy Shit, she looks like Lorraine.

"Ice cream!" Junior exclaims, clapping his hands with a giggle making the couple laugh. Drew clears his throat and smiles, petting their heads. 

"I'll take you guys for ice cream some other time, okay? Sorry guys I..." His eyes look back at Ed and Lorraine who have the same frown as Junior and Judy making him gulp loudly. "I...Yeah. Okay, bye!" Drew hastily makes his way out of the restaurant as the four watch him push his way past Zach and Nate.  

The twins looked at the couple with frowns, "What's wrong with Drew?" They asked at the same time making the couple look at each other and back at the kids. 

"I don't know, hon but, let's get some food okay?" Lorraine smiles and ruffles Junior's hair making him giggle. The twins nod their heads and Ed calls the waiter over. Once they finish ordering, the twins go back to coloring quietly while the couple starts whispering to each other. 

"What's wrong with Drew?"

The older man shrugs his shoulders, "Hell if I know. He looked at the kids with a funny look before leaving." He looks down at the brunette who smiles at the kids as they show her their drawings. "I'll check up on him tomorrow, how does that sound?" Lorraine looks up at him making him smile softly and tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear before trailing his finger up her jaw. "Hmm?"

"Yeah," She nods her head, leaning into his touch. "Make sure he's alright."

He wants to kiss her but, they can't do anything in front of the kids yet. Not until they tell them. 

A little while later, the waiter comes back to the table with their plates of food and more drinks. The kids grin at each other before grabbing their forks and digging into the food while the couple chuckles and slowly eats theirs, talking lowly to each other and then talking to the kids.

Zach and Nate watch from afar sharing a knowing glance and a smile on their face. The four in front of them looked like a perfect family as they laughed and ate. Lorraine takes a forkful of her pasta and feeds some to Junior before doing the same to his sister, the sauce going all over her chin making everyone laugh. Their boss was finally getting the life he deserved after many years of being lonely and trying to find the woman he'd fallen in love with years ago. Ed would always describe the night as a blur, he was at the after-party for a wedding with his brother's best friend and he'd seen her across the room, her eyes shining brightly as she danced on the table before falling off and landing on a bowl of chips. Her laughter filled the room and Ed's heart soared with excitement and love. He'd never felt that way before. The two men would always laugh when their boss would tell them it was "love at first sight" but, he couldn't remember what happened after. All he remembered was them having drinks together and then the next morning she was gone. As if she was a ghost. He hadn't even known her name and even if the night was a blur and he didn't remember most of it, she was the one he truly fell in love with. 

And maybe...Just maybe...He's fallen in love with his true love as she sits beside him, feeding his kids with her laughter filling the air. 

Chapter Text

He watches them as Lorraine sits between Judy and Junior on the seawall, her tongue poking out and licking her chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone as she points out something to them and the kids finish their ice cream. 

"Pretty lights!"

Lorraine giggles and nods her head, "I know, baby. And look at that boat!" She points at a boat that's moving through the water, the deck surrounded by Christmas lights and loudly playing music. "Oh, and look at that!" Two white female swans swim past them as the sun starts to set making the water a beautiful pink and purple color, bringing out the beautiful shape of the birds. 

"They're so pretty!"

"Ed!" The brunette calls out, waving her hand at him. "Ed, look! Look how beautiful she looks!"

She's beautiful alright.

Ed has a loving smile as he gazes at her silently. She stands to bring the kids closer to the water, pointing out the design on the bird's beak. Lorraine looks down at Judy who is in awe at seeing the white swan for the first time and turns her head to call her father, "Daddy! Daddy! Come look!" The older man chuckles and walks over to them, his hand on his girlfriend's back as he looks down at the two swans. 

"Wow, she is beautiful, " he says quietly, but he's not talking about the swans. His gaze had returned to the brunette in front of him after he glanced at the birds. His breath was taken away by the way her eyes twinkled from the fairy lights hung around them and the sunset in front of them, her face glowing like an angel. Lorraine turned to look at him, and she blushed at his words when she realized he was talking to her specifically. 

"Oh, stop." She giggles breathlessly, turning her head away from him. Ed huffs a quiet chuckle and presses his lips to her head as they look out at the sunset, the two kids standing on either side of them, nuzzling their sides into their legs. Lorraine brought her ice cream back to her lips and noticed how it had started to melt, the sweet treat dripping down the side of the cone. His eyes watched her intently as she dragged her tongue up the path of the melting treat and then swirled it around the top. 

Tease.

She knew what she was doing. She felt his gaze on her and how his hand moved lower on her back, nearing the curve of her ass. Her eyes darted up to his as a playful smirk appeared on her face and his eyes darkened. With her eyes boring into his, she licks at the ice cream again, a bit slower this time as if trying to savor the taste on her tongue. Ed swallows thickly and follows the movement of her tongue before his eyes look into hers again. 

I wonder what else that tongue can do.

Lorraine hums, winking at him. "You want some?" He shakes his head making her giggle and shrug her shoulders nonchalantly. "Suit yourself." Turning away, she quickly laps up her ice cream and finishes the treat while he clears his throat and looks down at the kids.

"Ready to go home?" The twins look up at him, nodding their heads as a cold breeze flies past them. He chuckles and bends to pick the two of them up in his arms, leading the way to the car as the two bodyguards follow them, getting into their own small black car. 

___________________________________

Judy and Junior snuggle into their beds cuddled with their puppies as Lorraine hums a song. She smiles at them as she brings the blankets up to the little girl's neck before walking over to Junior and doing the same. Ed watches her from the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and his side leaning against the door frame, his eyes following her movements and listening to her quiet hum. 

Once she notices the twins have fallen asleep, she leans down and kisses each of their heads. 

"Good night, lovelies." She whispers before heading to the older man who smiles at her. Turning back, she turns off the lights and closes the door behind them. Out of habit, Lorraine starts heading towards her bedroom when Ed wraps his fingers around her dainty wrist, pulling her back against his hard chest.

"And where are you going?" His lips press against her neck and travel down her shoulder making her hum. 

"To sleep in my room." She smirks at him as she turns and wraps her arms around his neck. Ed raises an eyebrow at her and rubs her sides, his hands trailing down her waist where he squeezes her. Her teeth pull on her bottom lip, a smile forming on her face as she leans up and pecks his lips. He pulls her closer to him, one of his hands coming up to cup her jaw making her hum. Leaning back, she looks up at him with a seductive glint in her bright blue eyes. 

"You're sleeping with me, love. My room is now yours."

Lorraine raises an eyebrow, "But, my clothes-"

"You won't be needing them anymore." Without another word, he grabs her by the waist and hoists her over his shoulder making her giggle. He enters his bedroom and locks the door behind them as he sets her on the ground. "Now...You gonna tell me about the attitude you had earlier today?"

The brunette smiles innocently as she clasps her hands behind her back, shrugging her shoulders. "What attitude?"

"Don't play dumb." His voice comes out in a low, dark tone making her swallow thickly. He steps toward her as she steps backward. "You rolling your eyes at me and talking back." His hand comes up to wrap around her throat bringing her face close to his. "Acting like you're the one who's in control."

She has a mischievous smile on her face as her fingers wrap around his wrist, "I don't know what you're talking about, baby."

Ed hums deeply and lets go of her throat. He walks to the black leather one-seater in the corner of the room and takes a seat, manspreading making her bite her lip.

"Come here." He orders her in a dark tone. Excitement fills her as she makes her way to the older man, standing between his legs. "Strip."

Lorraine blinks. "What?"

"Strip." When she doesn't move a muscle, he rolls his eyes and grabs at her shirt, tearing it off of her in one go making her gasp. 

Oh, shit.

"Since those are your favorite jeans, I suggest you take them off yourself unless you want them to look like that poor shirt." He grumbles in a low tone as she nods her head. Slowly, she slides the button out of its little slit and then moves to unzip her jeans before sliding them down her toned legs, her eyes never leaving his as he observes her intently. He notices how her breathing has quickened and how her hands shake as she slides them off. Once Lorraine steps out of them and kicks her jeans to the side, she stands in front of him with a matching pair of lacey baby-blue bra and panties. 

Sucking in a deep breath, he sits up and runs his rough hands up and down her legs. Goosebumps form on her creamy skin and a shiver runs up her spine. She lets out a small squeak when he slides his hand between her thighs, parting her legs and feeling just how wet she is for him. 

"You get off on teasing me, baby?" His low voice makes her insides tingle and her core starts throbbing. Quietly, she nods her head as he looks up at her. Tightly gripping her thighs, he brings her closer to him until his lips are inches away from her lower abdomen. Her breath hitches as he brushes his lips against her soft skin, right above her C-section scar. Ed lightly runs his finger over the scar and raises an eyebrow but, she averts his gaze and bites her lip. 

Not yet.

Humming lowly, he takes her hand and makes her take a couple of steps around his legs until she standing beside him. She raises a questionable eyebrow at him while he smirks and leans back into the black leather seat. Patting his thigh, he orders her, "Bend over."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." There's a certain glint in his eye that's telling her he's not playing games. She swallows and lays over his thighs, feeling his rough hand rub over her round ass. His finger hooks under her lace panties, pulling it back before letting it go, hearing it snap against her skin. 

"Off or on?" Lorraine frowns and turns to look at him as he raises his eyebrow at her. He sighs and tears the material from her skin, making her gasp. 

"I just bought those!" She protested, her brows furrowing together in disappointment as he threw the torn material where her shirt was. 

"Hmm. Too bad." Ed hums, rubbing his hand over her ass again before raising his hand. "Count them." Before she could question him, a second later, a loud smack echoed around the room as Lorraine gasped loudly. One of her hands gripped the arm of the sofa while the other held onto his knee. 

Did he just...?

"One." His tone came out filled with desire and...Did he sound...Mad?

What?

"Two." He smacks her again and she whimpers, a wave of pleasure rolling through her. "Count, Lorraine."

"I-" She gasps again when he smacks her ass again, her nails digging into both his knee and the arm of the couch. "Three!" Her arousal is dripping out of her, her pussy throbbing and clenching on air. 

Smack!

"That's for the attitude," Ed says, letting his hand run over the red mark beginning to form on her left ass cheek. He raises his hand again and smacks her again.

"Four" Lorraine moans out, the burn from his palm colliding with her ass radiating over her skin.

"That was for the teasing with the ice cream." He mumbles, leaning over and pressing his lips against her back. He feels her between her thighs and moans at the slickness dripping from her core. "What do you want, love?"

Her head drops down to rest against his thigh as she stays silent and pushes her ass into his hand, wanting more from him making him let out a dark, amused chuckle. 

"Who would've thought that prim and proper Lorraine Moran would've loved getting spanked?" He teases her as he presses another kiss to the top of her shoulder, breathing in her sweet-scented perfume and lotion. 

Ed pokes his tongue out, licking his lips as his eyes trail down the back of her body. From the top of her spine where her tattoo starts to the curve of her ass where another tattoo in red ink hides. He trails a finger over the lettering with a smirk. 

"My little angel, hmm?"

Lorraine doesn't say a word. She wants him. Needs him. What for exactly? She doesn't know. But, she wants more. She wiggles her hips again making him chuckle, his hand trying to soothe the stings on her ass. His lips make their way down her back as he licks and sucks at her skin. He plants one last kiss on her ass before asking, "Do you want to come, my love?"

"Mhmm." The brunette nods her head with a hum. Ed brings her to stand before bringing her to sit on one of his muscular thighs. 

"You can ride my thigh." He states matter-of-factly while she looks at him, confusion and desire written on her face. 

"I want to ride your cock though." Her boldness has him throbbing in his pants.

Ed huffs a laugh as he shakes his head, his eyes dark and mischievous. "Only good girls get to ride my cock."

Lorraine bites her bottom lip, a smirk appearing on her lips before she moves to kneel between his legs. "But, I swear I've been a good girl, Mr. Warren." Her voice comes out in a teasing tone as she plays with the buckle of his belt. Ed swears his cock got even harder at her words. She bats her eyelashes innocently at him and smiles. "I'm very sorry if I haven't." Her bottom lip comes out in a pout making him groan.

Oh, fuck.

"Hmm." He hums as he cups her face in one hand, his thumb playing with her bottom lip. "Apology not accepted." He whispers hotly into her ear when he leaned forward. Ed bit her earlobe making her gasp before kissing her neck and leaning back again. Refraining from letting out a groan, she slowly unbuckled his black-leather belt and carefully unzipped his pants. The older man watches her closely as her thick cock out from his boxers, groaning when he notices how big he is in her tiny hand when her fingers couldn't completely wrap around him. 

Lorraine bites her bottom lip as she pumps her hand up and down once. How the fuck am I going to fit him in my mouth?

"Go slow."

Her eyes dart up to his. She didn't realize she'd said that out loud. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she leans forward and presses a kiss to the side of his long cock making his breath stop. Continuing to look up at him, she drags her tongue up and down the underside of his erection while her thumb rubs circles over the head, spreading his precum around. 

"Holy fuck." He groans out before her lips wrap around the head of his cock and she slowly moves down until he hits the back of her throat. Lorraine does it a couple more times, testing him out and they soon realize...she doesn't have a gag reflex. 

Oh, my God.

Ed wraps her hair around his fist, holding it up in a makeshift ponytail as she bobs her head. "Oh, fuck, baby. You're such a good girl, aren't you?" He gasps when she moans around his cock, the vibration sending shivers and pleasure through his body. She pulls off of him with a "pop" and grins at him, her hand moving up and down to make up for the loss of her mouth. 

"You like that, Mr.Warren?" Her voice comes out in a low hum as her eyes darken at the sight of him. His chest is heaving, his pupils blown, his hand gripping her hair, and a dark smirk appearing on his lips. 

"I fucking love your mouth wrapped around my cock." His words make her whimper as she licks her lips. Her core throbs to have him inside of her, wanting him to fill her with his come. Lorraine leaves a trail of kisses up his shaft before taking him in once again and sucking him hard making him moan deeply. He pushes her head down and throws his head back, his other hand gripping tightly onto the arm of the leather seat. Ed stops himself from bucking his hips into her face, not wanting to hurt her or make her do something she doesn't want.

Lorraine moans around him again, knowing the vibration was sending him closer to the edge of coming into her mouth. She takes him deeper into her mouth, having him hit the back of her throat again as she makes eye contact with him, watching his reaction as she slowly slides back up until only the head is wrapped around her lips. 

"I'm almost-" His moans come out low and breathy which turns on the brunette even more. She bobs her head and sucks hard again, hollowing her cheeks this time and causing him to moan loudly. The way she looks at him with her eyes dark and her pupils blown with lust has him almost coming. 

She's trying to play innocent with him as she sucks him off. 

Ed's grip on her hair tightens making her whimper as pleasure shoots to her core. She runs her hands up and down his muscular thighs before wrapping one hand around the base of his cock, leaving one hand on his thigh.

"Shit, love. I'm-I'm-" Ed groans as he holds her head still and shoots his come into her mouth making her moan. He throws his head back and slumps into the leather seat as he tries to catch his breath, feeling Lorraine's mouth leave him. Slowly lifting his head, he sees her sit back on her heels and she swallows before licking her lips with a satisfied hum and grinning at him. 

He thinks he might've just died right there and come back to life because of the sinful Angel kneeling between his legs. 

"Am I forgiven, Mr.Warren?" The brunette asks in a sweet, innocent voice as she rests her hands on his thighs. Ed lets out a low chuckle and shakes his head. His heart is pounding in his chest as he leans forward, grabbing her arm and tugging her up onto his lap before he smashes his lips against hers with a moan. 

"You deserve a reward for that mouth of yours, Ms. Moran." He smirks as wraps his fingers around her throat and she giggles. 

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she teases him. "'Best Blowjob presented to Lorraine Moran' will be written on my wall."

"I'll have it framed." Ed grins before kissing her lips. Her knees straddle his hips as she rubs her bare center onto his hardening cock making her moan. She unwraps her arms from his neck and brings them down to his dress shirt, working on the buttons. 

"You have too many clothes on, Sir."

Sir? Holy shit.

"And what are you going to do about it, pretty girl?"

Lorraine hums as she rubs herself onto him again, the two of them groaning. First, she moves her hands behind her back to unhook her bra, tossing the garment somewhere over her shoulder before taking his shirt and ripping it apart, buttons clattering onto the floor. 

"Hey! That was my favorite."

"Serves you right for ripping my favorite shirt." Ed narrows his eyes at her before grabbing her ass, holding her in place as he stands. 

"You're going to regret that, princess."

The brunette raises her eyebrow, challenging him. "Yeah? What're you going to do about it, Sir?"

He lets out a deep chuckle as she tosses her onto the bed, watching her bounce until she's grinning at him, crawling towards him as he stands at the foot of the bed. His dark eyes watch as she raises on her knees, her delicate hands coming to slide up his abs and chest. In a flash, he pushes her onto her back and slips his belt off his pants before he's on top of her, wrapping the belt around his headboard and locking her wrists above her head. 

Lorraine looks at him with wide eyes while he smirks, his finger trailing down the valley between her breasts, down her abdomen until he's flicking her swollen bud making her jerk her hips and moan. 

"You won't be able to walk by the time I'm done with you." His lips wrap around her nipple as she arches her back, pushing her chest into his face and her hands tug on the belt. 

And fuck, I sure hope I won't. I never want to leave this bed.

Chapter Text

Judy runs to the brunette who's lounging on the couch watching a movie. Her smile brightens when she hears the little girl's giggles. She opens her arms and lets the girl jump onto her lap, the two of them snuggling together. 

"Hello, my little princess."

"Hi, Lori. What are you watching?"

Lorraine hums and brushes her hand down the girl's brown hair. "Some show...I don't really know." The two of them giggle as they look at each other. "Where's your brother?"

"He's with Daddy. Outside with Zach and Nate." The little girl replies with a giggle. "I think Daddy has a surprise for you."

Raising her eyebrow, a smirk appears on her face. "Oh? What is it?"

"I can't tell you, silly!" Judy laughs making the older brunette giggle and kiss her head. The young girl nuzzles her face into her chest before turning her head to watch the show playing on the TV with her nanny. Lorraine smiles lovingly as she runs her fingers through the girl's hair, her other hand patting her leg. From day one, she'd always felt a connection with Judy. The little girl reminded her of herself when she was younger, even looking a bit like her which seemed like a coincidence. It couldn't be...Could it? Even Junior, she could see a bit of herself in him and a bit more of Ed. For kids who the older man adopted, they sure do look like him. 

"Loriiii!" Junior calls out as he runs into the house, taking off his big snow jacket and throwing it onto the ground before jumping next to the brunette making her laugh. 

"Hi, baby. You enjoy your day out with your daddy?"

"Yes! Daddy took us to his work and then we went shopping!" He grins at her as he scoots into her arms, latching himself onto her side. Lorraine smiles and kisses his head, rubbing his back soothingly. "Daddy has a present for-"

"Hey! You were supposed to be keeping that a secret." Ed playfully rolls his eyes as he bends to pick up the little boy's jacket and place it over the back of the couch. The little boy giggles and hides his face in the nanny's side. The older man looks down at his girlfriend who smiles up at him after she cranes her neck back. 

"They told me you have a surprise for me?"

Ed chuckles, rounding the couch and kneeling in front of her. He raises an eyebrow at the kids who grin at him. "You promised."

"Sorry, Daddy." Judy giggles while Junior pouts at him. 

"We couldn't lie to Lori, Daddy! It is for her."

"Hmmm. Did you tell her what it was?" He asks making them shake their heads. Ed smiles and nods his head, "Good. It's her Christmas present."

Lorraine snorts, "Ed. You didn't have to get me anything!"

He shrugs and plays with the end of her pajama pants. "You deserve it." Looking up at her, he winks making her blush. Ed smirks and stands up, towering over the three on the couch. "I'm going to work in the study for a bit. Will you three be alright here?" The brunette looks down at the two kids who have snuggled into her sides before looking up at him with a smile. 

"We'll be alright."

With a nod, he rounds the couch and begins to walk away. As he passes by behind the brunette, his fingers brush against the back of her head, running through her hair making her hum. 

_______________________________

Almost two hours pass by when Ed finishes his work in his office. He groans as he sits back into his chair and rubs his temples. He needed to get to Seattle as soon as possible once Christmas went by to help his little brother with the company. It was really bad. Worse than he thought. His little brother hadn't been taking good care of their father's company over there and it was almost going bankrupt meaning the other company's that Ed has been able to take care of will soon follow, all his hard work going down the drain. 

Hearing his phone ring, he glances at the caller ID and scoffs. 

Speak of the Devil.

With a sigh, he answers the phone with a gruff, "What?"

The other man on the line snorts, "Well, is that any way to greet your little brother, Eddie Boy?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? Suits you well...Eddie Boy."

Rolling his eyes, Ed sighs again. Of course his little brother had to act like an ass any chance he got. "What do you want?"

"When are you coming down?"

"Oh, to help with your shitty problems?"

With a chuckle, his brother says, "Of course! That's why you're my older brother. You're here to deal with my shitty problems."

Ugh.

"I'll be coming down after Christmas. Probably after New Years."

"For the love of- I need your help, man. If you're worried about those little brats not-"

"Don't call my kids "brats", Sam."

Sam rolls his eyes, "Well, they are. You care too much for them when they're not even yours."

His anger begins to boil inside of him. How dare his brother even have the nerve to say that to him. "Blood relation or not. Those kids are mine."

"Whatever you say, big bro. Just...Get here when you can. We can go to strip clubs like we used to do y'know? Hey! Maybe even Josh can join us. Get escorts for the night to celebrate. I could get a good fuck in right about now." He could hear the smug smirk on his face. His brother will always be the same womanizing bastard he knew growing up.

Like father, like son.

Scoffing, he grumbles out. "Just fuck off, Sam." He ends the dreadful phone call without another word. Tossing his cell phone onto the desk, he stands to grab himself a glass of his finest whiskey that he keeps hidden behind a shelf. He feels himself calm at the burning sensation going down his throat as he sips the drink. Loosening his tie, he goes back to his chair behind the desk and settles down, taking a deep breath. Every time his brother called him, he'd feel his blood pressure rise. Even at the mention of his name, Ed's smile would disappear. 

It's not that he didn't love his little brother, it was his nasty, arrogant attitude that he had. Their father always loved Sam more than Ed and his other brother, Josh. Josh was alright, he too had worked hard to get where he is while Sam always got whatever he wanted. He never had to work a day in his life since their father always handed him everything. 

A knock at the door made him groan. "Come in." Slowly, he watched as the door opened to reveal his gorgeous brunette girlfriend. "Hi, beautiful."

"Hi." She whispers as she closes the door behind herself and slowly making her way to him. Ed turns his chair to the side and pats his lap making her giggle as she sits, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "The kids and I were wondering...Maybe we can go get some hot chocolate and go look at the Christmas tree in the city?"

Ed chuckles and runs his hand down her side, leaving it at her waist. "That sounds fun. When do you want to go?"

"Well..." Lorraine hums as she plays with his soft, brown hair. "The kids are taking a small nap right now. Maybe in another hour or two? The lights will be beautiful if we go around sunset."

"Perfect." He smiles at her making her giggle. She leans in and pecks his lips. 

"So? You gonna tell me what you got me for Christmas?"

"It's called a surprise for a reason, darlin'."

The brunette playfully rolls her eyes. She still needs to get his Christmas present. Maybe when she goes out with Carol tomorrow, she'll get something for him. "I'm going out for lunch with Carol tomorrow, don't forget."

"Trust me, I won't forget. You'll be gone from my arms for many hours." Ed winks at her making her blush. His hand travels down to her legs as he finishes his whiskey and sets the empty glass on his desk. "How're your legs?"

Lorraine snorts, "I can almost feel them." He lets out a laugh at her words, bringing her knuckles to his lips and planting a kiss. "My ass still hurts though."

"Aw, my poor baby." Ed teases her as he lifts her so she could straddle his lap. His hand travels down to her ass and palms them making her giggle as she wraps her arms around his neck. "Want me to kiss your ass to make you feel better?"

"Oh, haha." Lorraine mocks him, a playful glint in both of their eyes as they smile at each other. "I heard you talking to someone. Who was it?"

He lets out a sigh and rests his head back onto the chair, his hands rubbing up and down her sides. "My brother. I was looking through the folders his assistant sent me and it's pretty bad."

"How bad?"

"Somehow the money's been going out of the company more than it should and if we don't put a stop to it, the company can go bankrupt. All the hard work I did would go down to shit since that's the original company our father started and the money branches out to the shares we have."

Lorraine hums as she nods her head, understanding what he was talking about. "Well, maybe there's someone on the inside who's taking out the money."

Ed shrugs, "That's what I told my brother a couple days ago but, he doesn't believe me. He just called now to ask me when I was coming to save his sorry ass." She lets out a giggle which  made him smile. He'll love to hear her cute giggles until the day he dies. Lorraine lets out a sigh and runs her fingers through his hair, something he's started to love. The feeling of her fingers playing with his hair always brought some sort of comfort to him. 

"Come take a nap with me and the kids." She gazes lovingly into his gentle blue eyes and whispers. The one thing she would love to lose herself in if she could gaze at him for hours on end would be his stunning blue eyes. Her heart often skipped a beat when she saw their love and devotion for her and the children. The older man nods his head as they both stand, the brunette grasping onto his arm to stand on her still wobbling legs making him smirk at her while she playfully rolls her eyes.

The children are still asleep as the couple enters the living room, where they are picked up and held in their arms while they lie on the couch. Ed rests his head on his arm while Lorraine nestles between his legs, resting her head on his chest. They put the children next to them, Junior in Lorraine's arms with his head resting on her belly, and Judy in Ed's arms next to Lorraine's head. Her boyfriend lulls the her to sleep a few minutes later by stroking her hair in a calming manner till he nods off too, his hand resting on her chest and feeling the rise and fall of her breaths.

_______________________________

"Be careful, Princess. You don't want to burn your tongue on the hot cocoa." Lorraine opens the lid of the hot beverage for the little girl as she blows, allowing it to cool down for a moment before putting the lid back on. She waits until Judy gives her the thumbs up that it's at the right temperature and stands, getting her beverage from her boyfriend who smiles at her. 

Junior wraps his arm around her leg while his other hand holds his hot cocoa tightly. "When can we see the tree?"

The brunette sips her beverage, humming as the sweet, hot liquid soothes her throat. "We're heading there now. You excited?" She grins at the two children who nod their head, tugging on their arms eagerly. Ed holds onto his daughter's hand as Junior holds Lorraine's, the four of them walking to the big Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center while Zach and Nate follow behind, their own hot beverages in hand. Anytime they went out, the two bodyguards tried to blend in with the crowd, not wanting to bring any attention to Ed and his family but, there was always someone who'd recognize who he was, especially the women. 

"Wow." The children stare up at the large, bright lit tree in awe. Every year their father would bring them to see the tree and every time they'd look at it in astonishment, wondering how each time the tree got even prettier. 

Ed chuckles and ruffles his son and daughter's hair over their beanie's making them giggle. "Pretty huh?"

"We should take a picture!" Lorraine exclaims softly as she pulls her phone out of her black crossbody purse. She hands it to Zach before they all place their drinks to the side. Ed and Lorraine pick the children into their arms and stand together, smiling brightly at the camera as Zach takes the picture. 

"Okay, 1...2...3. Smile!" He manages to take two pictures of the four. One with all them smiling at the camera and the second one, he captures Ed looking down at Lorraine with eyes full of love as she laughs when Judy and Junior make funny faces. 

Judy looks down behind the tree and gasps, "Daddy! Can we go ice skating?!"

"You don't know how to ice skate, baby." He looks down at the little girl as he sets her on the ground. She pouts at him with her big blue eyes making him chuckle and look at Lorraine who shrugs with a giggle. 

"Can we at least watch you and Lori skate?"

Lorraine snorts, hoisting Junior higher onto her hip when her grip starts to slip. "Maybe not tonight, pretty girl. My leg's are still kind of tired." She glances at Ed who bites his lip to stop the smirk from appearing on his face. 

Mission accomplished. 

Judy whines, "Can we come back when your legs aren't tired then?"

"Of course, princess." Ed replies as he hands her back her hot cocoa with a smile. Nodding her head, the little girl grins up at him before sipping her cocoa. The four of them walk around for a while longer; watching the people skate on the ice, take more pictures where Lorraine found the perfect spots, getting more treats and drinks. By the time the four of them including the two bodyguards head back home, the twins were passed out in the backseat while Lorraine was cuddled into Ed's arm as he drove, her head resting on his shoulder as she dozed off as well. 

With a smile on his face, Ed plants a kiss on her head and imagines, "Ice skating with her sounds like the perfect date." Because of her excitement over decorating his house and her desire to purchase every toy she saw as a gift for the children, he knew that Christmas was Lorraine's favorite holiday. He could see the joy and excitement coming from her every time she gazed out the window at the dazzling Christmas lights adorning the trees and houses.

He couldn't wait to take her out on a date, even if it is just to go ice skating for a bit. It'll be an excuse to hold onto her for the entire night out either way. 

The perfect night out with my perfect woman. 

Chapter Text

Ed let out a loud groan at the feeling of the hot water running down his aching skin. He'd returned from the gym about a few minutes ago after a hardcore workout that kept him in shape. There was only a week left before Christmas and he'd only bought Lorraine one gift so far. Lorraine had mentioned to him that he didn't have to spend a lot of money on her to show how much he loves her but, the woman deserves to be spoiled. His woman deserves to get spoiled.

The door to the bathroom opened making him look up and smile at his girlfriend who looked at him with sleepy eyes as she yawned. 

"Mornin', darin'."

She smiled at him as she blinked away the sleep in her eyes. "Morning. I was wondering where you went." The brunette hoisted herself onto the bathroom counter and yawned again. 

"Just got back from the gym an hour ago. And took a lap around the neighborhood." He says as he scrubs his hard body down with the soap. He heard her hum before she asked, "Wait- shirtless?"

A frown formed on his face at her question. "Yes. Why?"

"Why were you shirtless?" Lorraine crossed her arms over her chest as she raised her eyebrow. He looked at her in confusion before a smirk appeared on his face. His beautiful woman was jealous that he'd run shirtless around the block. 

He shrugged his shoulders and replied with a simple, "It got hot."

"So? I don't want everyone looking at what's mine."

"Everyone? Or the ladies?" Lorraine glares at him making him laugh. She huffs and turns away from him. "Baby-"

"Maybe tomorrow I'll go out for a run in a bra and those tiny shorts you like to see me in."

Ed snaps his neck toward the brunette with a glare on his face. She wouldn't dare. No one gets to see what he loves to see every night in his bed. "Don't."

"Then don't go running around shirtless!"

"Why are we even-"

"No one gets to look at your abs and your muscular arms and-and..." An image started appearing in her mind. Her tall, blue-eyed boyfriend running through the neighborhood, glistening in sweat as he huffs. He probably stops by the side of the house and sprays the hose on himself to cool down. 

"And...?" He smirks at her flustered, blushing face. He knew damn well what she was thinking about right now. 

"And look like every woman's walking wet dream!" She exclaims, waving her hands around to exaggerate her sentence. Ed laughs and opens the glass door to the shower, the steam flowing out. Her eyes trail up his muscular body, licking her lips at the sight of his glorious cock and the water running down his abs. 

Fuck, I can't believe all that is mine.

"You coming?"

In a flash, Lorraine hops off the counter and takes off her shirt, throwing it to join his pile of clothes on the floor. She stumbles as she slips her lacy panties down her legs making him chuckle before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his body. 

"Every woman's wet dream, huh?" He smirks making her roll her eyes as she closes the glass door behind her body. Ed pushes her against the door and peppers her face with kisses, hearing her breathy giggles. He laces their fingers together and holds them above her head as he smashes his lips against hers. 

"Uh-huh," Lorraine mumbles against his lips, moaning when she feels his cock hardening against her abdomen. His lips trail down to her neck and bite her creamy flesh before licking the spot to soothe the pain. 

"Was I your wet dream?" His words come out muffled as he nips at her neck and shoulders, leaving tiny red bites. Not able to form any words, the brunette nods her head as she moans breathily, her head turning to the side for him to gain access to more of her skin. 

It wasn't a good enough answer for him. He needed to hear her say it. He moves one of her hands to his other, tightly gripping them against the glass. Ed then wraps his fingers around her throat and makes her look up at him, his eyes narrowing down at hers while she looks up at him with hooded eyes, drunk on lust and love. 

"Answer me, pretty girl." Their faces are inches apart, his hot breath fanning her flushed face as her heart pounds in her ears. 

"Yes. Yes, you were. I dreamed of you every night from the day I moved here." She whimpers when his fingers tighten around her throat and a smile appears on his face. Ed kisses her lips and lets go of her hands above her head, bringing his hand to her core and parting her legs. 

"You're the only woman for me, darlin'. There's no one else." He groans at the feeling of her slick core, wet from both the shower and her arousal. "My pretty woman." She moans when he sucks on her pulse point, his thumb playing with her throbbing clit before he pushes two fingers into her. 

"Oh, shit-" Lorraine gasps as her nails dig into his hand and he bites her neck again. She starts grinding against his hand, soft whimpers and breathy moans escaping her lips making him smile.

Ed kisses her open mouth as she tilts her head up. "That's it, baby." He curls his fingers and rubs against that one spot that makes her wild. No man has ever been able to find that spot in her. Lorraine shudders against the door and bites her lip, panting wildly as he continues to thrust his fingers into her, her pussy clenching around his fingers letting him know she's close. "So beautiful. My beautiful woman." He flicks her clit once, twice and then she's coming onto his fingers as she lets out a loud moan. 

"Oh, fuck." She whimpers before he kisses her lips, his tongue shoving into her mouth and playing with her tongue. Ed chuckles deeply at her as he leans back to look down, his eyes dark and full of desire. 

Lorraine bites her bottom lip and smiles at him, her eyes hooded and dark. "I love you." The older man smiles and pecks her lips. "I love you too, darlin'. C'mere." He pulls her under the showerhead and lets the water run down her form making her sigh. Ed turns her around and takes her hair out of the braid it was in before running his fingers through the brown strands. She lets out a hum as he massages her scalp and leaves a trail of kisses down her neck and shoulder. 

After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence in the shower, Ed starts to wonder what dreams she had of him making him smirk. He grabs her shampoo and pours a small amount onto his hand before lathering the soap into her hair. "So...You used to dream of me?"

Oh, shit.

The brunette blushes as she opens her eyes. She lets out a small giggle and nods her head. "All the damn time."

"Oh? Pray tell."

"Mmm. Which one you want first?" Lorraine smirks as he tilts her head up and lets the water run through her hair to wash away her shampoo. "The one where you bent me over the hood of your car or me giving you the best blowjob of your life at your office while I'm getting myself off with my fingers."

Well, shit. Now I want to try both.

Ed swallows thickly. Who knew she had such dirty dreams about him?

"Which one made you come the hardest?" His voice came out dark and full of lust making her bite her lip, her cheeks turning bright red. The older man chuckles at her flushed reaction as he turns her around. She wraps her arms around his waist and looks up at him with a bright grin. 

"You bending me over the hood of your car." Ed groans and tilts his head up, the image of the brunette bent over his car appearing in his head. If he could -- which he knows damn well he will -- he'll bend her over every single surface and car in this house and fuck her until she can't remember her name, only screaming his. 

The brunette giggles and kisses his chest. "Better get going before the kids wake up."

"How the hell am I supposed to get out of here when you just told me about a dream you had of me bending you over my car?"

"Easy. Just don't think about it." She winks making him glare at her. Lorraine giggles again as she pulls away from him to grab her soap and starts washing her body while he watches her, his eyes trailing down her body and back up to her face where he notices she's watching him intently. "Like what you see?"

Ed playfully rolls his eyes and leans down to peck her lips, his finger coming up to trace the heart tattoo on her left breast. "Not like. I love what I see." He smirks when she starts blushing making him chuckle and peck her lips again. "I'm going to get ready for work and drop the kids off at school, you'll be alright?"

Just then the hot water turned cold making the two of them yelp in surprise. Ed reaches behind the brunette, pulling her close to his body, and shuts the water off. The two breathe heavily and shiver slightly from the cold before looking at each other and laughing. 

"C'mon." He mumbles, opening the door and helping her step out carefully before following. Ed grabs two towels from the handlebar on the side of the wall, quickly wrapping one low on his waist, and moves to dry off his girlfriend. As he moves the towel down her body, he leaves kisses on her skin making her hum and a smile graces her features. Lorraine stares at the man in front of her with a love-struck look on her face. 

In her eleven years of dating, she'd never had a man who cared and loved her as much as Ed did. Her first boyfriend was a senior in high school while she was only a junior. They'd been dating for almost two years until she found out he'd been trying to get with another girl and was only using her because everyone knew that she was a very beautiful young woman and everyone was always jealous of her looks. 

Lorraine gasped softly when Ed pressed his lips to her lower abdomen, right where her scar was. She glanced down at him and saw that he had the most tender, affectionate blue eyes she had ever seen him wear from the time they started dating. 

Maybe...I should tell him.

Standing up straight and wrapping the towel around her body, he kissed her forehead with a smile. "You don't have to tell me now. But, when you're ready."

Tilting her head up, she kissed his chin and whispered, "Okay." Ed hummed and caressed her arm before turning to leave the bathroom. With a quiet sigh, Lorraine turned to face the mirror. Her eyes were ablaze with want and affection for the older man. She put her face in her palms, giggling softly, and took a deep breath to calm herself before she ran out and jumped him in his closet.

Although, that doesn't sound like a bad idea right now.

She groaned as she looked at the clock. She had one hour to meet her best friend, and they wouldn't be leaving this room for another three hours if she even looked at Ed again at this moment. With another grumble, she picked up her toothbrush and began preparing for the day.

___________________________________

The brunette had just finished pinning two thick strands of her hair to the back of her head when her eyes met his ocean-blue eyes in the mirror.

Smiling, she turned to look at him and asked, "Leaving now?"

"Unfortunately." Ed walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, craning his head down and kissing her neck making her hum. "What time will you be back?"

"Well, I can pick up the kids from school since they finish early today." Lorraine bends over the sink as she applies mascara to her eyelashes while he raises his eyebrow, his eyes moving down her toned back and the tattoo while he grips her waist. She smirks at his reaction knowing that all he had to do was rip the towel off her body and unbuckle his pants to fuck her. 

"You're such a tease." His hands run over her back and palms her ass. Thinking about it, he can be late to work. He is the boss after all. Grabbing her hips, he grinds his hardening bulge into her making her moan and grip the rim of the sink as her head falls forward. 

"Ed." Lorraine moves her bottom onto him, the two of them grinding against each other and breathing heavily. "Please, baby." She whines as she looks at him through the mirror, her eyes dark and needy. The older man smirks and starts unbuckling his belt with one hand, the other making its way to rip the towel from her body. He pushes his pants and boxers down, the clothing falling to his ankles and starts fisting his thick cock a couple of times before entering her in a harsh thrust making her moan. 

The two of them are panting heavily, moaning and groaning as Ed thrusts hard and fast into her while her hands fly to the mirror in front of her. 

"Shit- Fuck-" Lorraine gasps and moans at the feeling of his pulsating cock hitting all the right spots in her. "Fuck, Ed."

"Been waiting for this, huh?" Ed groans as he reaches up and wraps the bottom half of her hair into his fist, pulling her hair. A loud moan escapes her lips as pain and pleasure run through her body, the throbbing in her head from him pulling on her hair passing by as Ed slams harder into her. "When you're out today, all you'll be thinking about is me and my cock filling you up."

Oh, fuck yes.

Ed reaches a hand around her waist and circles her throbbing clit with his thumb making her gasp. He leans down and kisses her back before biting her shoulder. 

"Oh! Oh- Don't stop. You feel- Oh, fuck you feel so good." Her hands slam against the counter, trying to find something to grip onto. Through the sounds of her moaning and his low groans, they could hear her phone ringing on the bathroom counter but, they could give two fucks about it right now. The person could leave a voicemail if it's that important. 

She's about to reach her peak when her phone starts ringing again. Quickly glancing at the screen, they notice it's Carol calling her for the fifth time. 

"Fuck." 

"She'll call back." Ed trails his kisses across her shoulders, not letting up his harsh pace and skillful fingers working on her clit. The brunette shakes her head. Knowing her best friend, Carol gets worried if she doesn't answer after the third ring and Lorraine won't be surprised if she shows up at the gates in front of the house. 

"Lorraine." His words come out strained and warning as he watches her reach for her phone. Lorraine moans when his fingers suddenly wrap around her throat, pulling her up against him and fucking into her harder and faster. She's a whimpering, moaning mess in his arms as their lips meet in a messy open-mouthed kiss. 

"Ohmygod." She gasps loudly as he works her clit to the rhythm of his thrusts. "Don't- Ed!"

"That's it, baby. Come for me." He mumbles against her lips as they pant together, sharing air as their lips hover over each other's. "Atta girl." She shudders as she comes violently around him and moans loudly, her pussy fluttering as he continues to slam into her. 

"Fuck- Baby-" Ed groans deeply and kisses her lips as he comes deep inside of her, his fingers tightening around her throat making her whimper. He slows his thrusts down to let them ride out their highs together before slipping out of her, the two of them groaning. 

Lorraine's phone starts ringing again making her roll her eyes. She grabs her phone and takes a deep breath so that she doesn't sound like she just got fucked like an animal before answering. 

"Hey-"

"Hey?! Where the fuck have you been?! I've been calling like a lunatic!" Carol yells from the other line making the couple wince. Ed could hear the brunette's best friend even with the phone not on speaker. 

Lorraine glances at Ed who smiles apologetically at her as he pulls up his pants and boxers. "Sorry, my phone was in my room and I was downstairs making the kids lunch."

The other woman lets out a deep sigh, "Jesus Christ, Lor. Don't fucking do that again!"

"I won't. Are you ready?"

"Yes! That's why I was calling! Are you taking the asshole's car or am I picking you up?"

Ed snorts at his girlfriend's best friend's words. He'd forgotten that Carol didn't know about their relationship. His thoughts are cut short though when he notices their come dripping down her thighs making him groan softly. 

"Uh...I'll..." She looks at Ed, who raises an eyebrow and tells her she can do whatever she wants with his facial expressions. "I'll get dropped off. I'm picking the kids up later today either way."

"Alright. Call me when you're leaving the house. And for the love of God- Tell your asshole boss to be nice to Roger, please. Or at least show the man some form of humanity. Roger has been pissed the past few days and I haven't been fucked well."

"Uh- Yeah, yeah." Her train of thought stops when the older man wipes his hand up her thigh, gathering their come on his fingers and bringing it to his lips, sucking softly making her bite her lip. "I'll call you back."

"What? Lorraine-" 

The brunette ends the phone call and smirks at him. He swipes his hand on her thigh again and brings their come to her lips, groaning when her tongue swirls around his fingers. Ed takes his fingers from her mouth and wraps them around her throat, bringing her forward and smashing their lips together. 

"Ed." She mumbles against his lips with a giggle, placing her hands on his chest. "I have to go get ready. And the kids-"

"Oh, shit! The kids!" Ed exclaims making her laugh. He'd forgotten he had kids that needed to get ready for school. Thank God school didn't start until 12. Pecking her lips once more, he runs out of the bathroom toward Judy and Junior's room. 

___________________________________

As Ed sends off his girlfriend and the kids in the car with Zach driving and Nate sitting in the front seat, he quickly pecks her lips without the kids looking. 

"Be safe." He whispers, stroking the bridge of her nose making her smile softly.

"I will. We have to-." Lorraine giggles as the kids' heads pop out from behind her. 

"Daddy! We have to go!"

Ed chuckles and nods his head, "Okay. Have fun at school, kids! I'll see you tonight."

"Bye, Daddy!" The kids yell as they wave at him. He waves back with a big smile as he backs away from the window. He looks at Zach and Nate with a hard look and they nod at him, a flicker of a smile on their lips as they drive away. 

"How come you're not driving, Lori?"

"Hmm?" Lorraine looks at Junior with a smile. "Oh. Well, I'm going out with a friend today so, your daddy decided Zach and Nate drive for me." The twins nodded their heads at her answer, satisfied with what she said. 

A few minutes later, Lorraine gets out of the car holding their hands in hers as she walks them to the entrance. 

"I'll pick you guys up at 2:30, okay?"

"Okay, Lori."

The brunette kneels and smiles, opening her arms to let the twins hug her. She kisses their heads and sends them off. 

"I love you!"

"We love you too!"

Her heart flutters as they run into the building with their bags on their backs and their lunchboxes in hand. She would do anything for those kids, even if she had to burn the whole world down and bring everyone to their knees, she'd do it for them. Those kids had stolen her heart just like their father. 

___________________________________

Carol hugs her best friend tightly before they link arms and walk around the mall. "So? You gonna tell me exactly why you didn't answer my call?"

Lorraine raises her eyebrow, "What are you talking about? I told you-"

"Oh, please." The other brunette rolls her eyes. She knew when her best friend was lying, just like she was right now. "Lorraine, you take your damn phone everywhere. You wouldn't leave it in your room just to make lunch for the kids."

I'm fucked.

"Um..." Nippling on her lower lip, she sighed in defeat after a few minutes and glanced around to make sure there were no prying ears around. Carol watched her with a curious gaze before the other brunette leaned in and whispered, "Ed and I were in the middle of something when you called..."

Carol frowns, the words not clicking in her head just yet. "Huh?" She looks at her best friend who gives her a look making her gasp loudly. "You two fucked?!"

Everyone in the shopping center seemed to have stopped and glared at the two women, some of the mothers covering their children's ears as they shook their heads and walked away. 

"Jesus Christ, Carol." Lorraine rolls her eyes and glares at the woman in front of her. "Tell the whole world, why don't you?"

"I-I'm sorry- But...Oh, my god! How was it? Is he good? I mean- He has to be good. Oh, gosh! Is he big?"

"I'm not telling you every detail of it!"

Carol groans and dramatically puts her hand on her chest, acting as if she was just stabbed in the heart. "Your own best friend?"

"Alright, alright. Stop being a drama queen." The other brunette giggled before the two leaned closer together. "I can't keep my hands off of him! He's so fucking hot, Carol. And I'm sorry to the Lord of the heavens but, he fucks like a God." Flashbacks start entering her mind making her feel hot and throbbing already. "And he's-" Lorraine's eyes scan the room once again before whispering, "He's fucking packing."

Her best friend looks at her with wide eyes, "Nine?"

"Nine!" The two of them started giggling together as they walked into a store with Zach and Nate still following them a few steps behind. 

"Shit, Lorraine. Better keep him forever."

"Trust me, Carly." Lorraine bites her lip as her mind wanders to her handsome, blue-eyed man. "I'm never letting this one go."

Carol looks at her best friend with happiness. She'd known all the hardships she'd gone through and the woman deserves to have something good in her life for once. She squeals and hugs her best friend tightly making Lorraine chuckle. As they started to walk around the store, picking up clothing and showing it to each other, Carol's mind began to wander. 

"So wait- The night we went out...Is that...?"

Lorraine shook her head as she put back a pair of baggy jeans on the clothing rack. "I mean- I guess it started from there but, we didn't do anything from that night. I would say it's almost a week now."

"Oooh. Who confessed?"

"He did." The taller brunette giggled when her best friend's jaw dropped. 

"And I thought it would've been you to be the one to confess."

Shrugging her shoulders, Lorraine grabbed another pair of baggy jeans, placed it over her arm, and looked through the denim rack again. "Well-"

"Who would've thought that." Carol burst out laughing making Lorraine look at her in confusion. "He's known as the most arrogant bastard in New York. Who would've thought he'd be the one to confess his love for someone."

She's right. It would be shocking to other people that New York's number one eligible bachelor who was known for being an arrogant, stubborn, asshole was the one to confess how much he'd fallen in love with this certain brunette and be such a lovey-dovey, romantic and a clingy boyfriend.

"People change Carol."

"Well, you certainly did! He's what...Eight years older than you?" She looks at her best friend who nods her head and smirks. "Yeah. You got yourself a sugar daddy."

Lorraine snorts and rolls her eyes. Carol somehow always managed to remind her of her little sister, Theresa. "That's the same thing Terry said."

"Oh, yeah? How was it?"

"That's how he confessed. He forced himself on the trip when Mom thought he was my boyfriend. I didn't even get to stop him from saying anything when he told her that he'd be joining us for the reunion."

Carol hums, showing the other brunette a cute Christmas sweater. "Did they like him?"

"Oh, gosh, Carol. They love him. Becca kept joking around about us getting married soon and honestly-"

"You two would be such a cute couple together. New York's hottest couple of 2023. I could see the headlines right now."

Lorraine giggled and shook her head. She couldn't stop thinking about how much everything had changed. "You know...You should thank Roger for me."

"Why?"

"He's the one who gave me the job. If it wasn't for him, I would've never met Ed."

Carol chuckles and rubs the other brunette's back. "Pretty sure you and Ed would've met in every lifetime girl. You and him are practically soulmates."

"How do you know?"

"Girl." Her best friend giggles and lets out a sigh as they take their clothes to the registers to pay. "I knew from the day you two came to my house to get the Christmas decorations. The way he was looking at you, he was down bad. I could tell that he'd bring the whole world down to their knees if it meant he'll get to see your smile. Every time you laughed or smiled at him, you could see his whole face light up and his eyes had a certain sparkle in them."

Oh....My...

She couldn't believe what her best friend was telling her. Lorraine knew that Ed was deeply in love with her but, she didn't know that it literally radiated off of him, so much so that everyone around them could tell. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as Carol continued to tell her about how much she could tell Ed loved her. 

All she wanted to do at that moment was go back home, wrap herself in his arms and kiss him forever, like her life depended on it. 

Chapter Text

As time went by, Carol asked Lorraine if she could drop her home since Roger was pulled into a meeting with Ed and other men. She asked Zach and Nate who nodded their heads but, they had to pick up the kids first. Reaching the preschool, Lorraine got out of the car, stood to the side where the parents were, and waited for her favorite little people. 

"Lori!" Judy screamed as she ran out with Junior following behind her. Lorraine giggled and kneeled, opening her arms for the twins to run into as they hugged her tightly. 

"Hello, my beautiful babies." She kissed the sides of their heads making them giggle. Standing up straight, she took their bags in her hands and walked behind them as they walked over to the car. "I have someone I want the two of you to meet."

Junior and Judy glanced at each other with a curious look before looking up at their nanny. "Who?"

Opening the car door, Lorraine smiled as Carol got out and grinned at the kids. "Hi! You must be Judy and Junior!" Afraid of the new face, the twins hid behind their nanny and buried their faces into her legs making the two women laugh. 

"It's okay." Lorraine petted their heads after putting their bags into the back of the car. "This is my best friend, Carol. We've been best friends since...." She looked at her best friend who playfully rolled her eyes. Of course, Lorraine forgot how old they were when they met.

"Since we were about your age." Getting on one knee, she smiles softly at the twins who peek their eyes out from behind the older brunette's legs. "I've known your nanny for a thousand years and...She's still the silly girl I knew as a kid."

The twins started giggling as they fully showed their faces. Carol's eyes widen when her eyes land on Judy. 

Holy...She looks like...

Standing up straight, her eyes dart between Judy and Lorraine multiple times making her best friend frown. 

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I just..." Carol shook her head. She couldn't believe it. Judy looked exactly like the older brunette when they first met. She'll never forget the same baby-blue eyes and baby face she had because honestly, when she saw Lorraine for the first time, she was jealous of how beautiful and bright her eyes were. "I-I thought...Nevermind."

Lorraine tilts her head to the side before humming and smiling down at the kids. "We're going to go drop Carol at her house and then head home so I can make dinner, okay?"

"Okay, Lori." She helps them into the car and buckles them into their car seats before she and Carol climb inside, her best friend having to sit right in the back because Lorraine sits between the kids.

___________________________________

Roger came home and heard his girlfriend mumbling to herself as she rummaged through an old box. Setting his keys on the table and shrugging his coat off, he walks into the living room and notices piles of pictures scattered around the floor. 

"Where the hell is it? I swear it was here somewhere."

Raising his eyebrow, he picked up a picture by his foot and smiled, it was a picture of them and Lorraine when they were in high school. This was taken just a year before he and Carol had started dating.  

"Carol? You alright, hon?" He called out as the brunette continued to throw another pile of pictures beside her. She didn't hear him, her mind full of thoughts about Lorraine and the children she just met. Crouching beside his girlfriend, he placed his hand on her shoulder making her gasp. 

"Holy fuck, Roger!" Carol exclaimed making Roger snort. "Don't do that!" She slaps his arm before going back to the task of finding the picture. 

"First of all- Ow! Second of all, what the hell are you doing? You look like a mad woman."

Carol lets out an exasperated sigh and pushes the box in front of her away. She jumps to another box and starts pulling out its continents. "I'm looking for this picture of when Lorraine and I were kids. I need to see something."

"What's wrong?" His girlfriend doesn't answer him for a few seconds until she lets out a loud gasp. 

"I found it!" The two of them standing up straight, she shows the picture to her boyfriend who frowns, not understanding why she was showing it to him. 

"Yeah...The two of you look cute. What's wrong with it?"

Rolling her eyes, Carol shakes her head as she takes a closer look at the picture. "I met the Warren twins today."

"Oh? Are they little devils like their father?" He walks to the kitchen to grab a bottle of beer, passing one to his girlfriend who settles on top of the counter. 

"The total opposite actually. They're little angels. But, that's not the point..." She stays quiet for a moment making Roger turn to her. He could tell something was wrong because Carol was never this quiet. 

"Carol?"

Carol sighs and puts her face in her hands. "The kids are Mr. Warren's children right?"

"Well...Adopted...yes."

"Adopted?" She didn't know that. She didn't even know that Roger knew that.

Roger nods his head, sipping his beer. "I had just started working for him when he was telling me about it. He had a long night with them and was stressing out because this big meeting was coming up and he didn't know how he was going to handle the adoption."

"So..." She hums and slowly nods her head, taking in this new information. "They're technically not his kids."

"I guess you could say that. Why the sudden interest in my boss?" Roger chuckles as he leans his hip onto the counter, standing next to his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow. "You got the hots for him or something?"

"No, it's just that..." Glancing at the picture in her fingers again, she shakes her head in disbelief. "I don't know how Lorraine doesn't see it."

"See what?"

She puts the picture in front of Roger again, pointing at the little girl with bright blue eyes as she smiles at the camera. "Mr. Warren's daughter...She looks exactly like...Lorraine..."

___________________________________

It was 11 p.m. by the time Ed came back from work. It was a long, stressful day and he hadn't planned to stay at work this late but, plans changed. There were a few meetings he had today that were concerned about the new information regarding his father's company in Seattle that Sam was taking care of and how those companies were worried about their finances. He also argued with another client who wanted more than he deserved in a share they were making a deal on and it got Ed riled up, especially when the client mentioned his rival was making a better deal than he was. 

The house was quiet as he walked through. There was a bright pink sticky note on the counter with a note that made him smile.  

Your dinner is near the stove, I made baked chicken and mashed potatoes with steamed carrots and broccoli. Enjoy it, my love. 

Love you, 

L<3

He loved how domestic their relationship had already become within the past week of their dating. It's probably because they'd been living together for almost a year now but, every day he seemed to be falling more and more for the brunette.

As he sat at the dinner table with his plate of food and a bottle of beer, his eyes scanned the room around him. Everywhere had a touch of Lorraine. Her jacket was laid over the back of the couch together with Junior and Judy's, there were two hair ties on each side of the kitchen counter near the stove -- for when she ties her hair up to cook --, her purse was sitting on the counter and her smell flowed through the house like a wave of vanilla and cherries with a hint of roses. 

He finishes his food quickly and stands to wash his dishes in the sink before placing them on the rack to dry with the other dishes. Ed makes his way upstairs, checking in on the kids and kissing their heads. As he walks past Lorraine's room -- Well, her old room -- he quickly opens the door to make sure she's not in there, a smile appearing on his face when he notices the empty room. Closing the door quietly, he walks to his bedroom and opens the door, her smell getting stronger as it fills the air around him. 

She smells so fucking good...And delicious.

He wonders if she's awake but, judging by the way she's lying on the bed and her calm breathing, he knows she's not. Walking closer, Ed notices that she has buried herself under his blankets -- by the looks of it, she's added more blankets -- and has her nose nuzzled into his pillow. Her beautiful brown hair is splayed over the pillow, the long strands shining in the moonlight. 

Ed bends to kiss her head with a smile, caressing her head and making her hum. The brunette moves around until she's lying on her back and slowly opens her eyes, a sleepy smile gracing her features when she notices who's in front of her.

"Hi, baby." She mumbles, raising her arms above her head to stretch while the older man chuckles and pecks her jaw. "What time is it? You just get back?"

"It's just a little after twelve, my love." Ed runs his nose along her jawline, breathing in her sweet scent. "I got home at eleven, was eating dinner downstairs." He smiles when she hums and wraps her arms around his neck, her lips brushing against the side of his head. 

"Why didn't you call me? Could've kept you some company."

He lets out a sigh and kisses her neck before standing straight, brushing her hair out of her face, "Figured you were sleeping. Didn't want to bother you."

Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes and grabs his arm, pulling his knuckles to her lips and peppering kisses over his rough hands. "You're never a bother, baby." Ed just looks down at her with soft blue eyes, a smile still on his lips. He notices her yawning for the third time and chuckles making her giggle lazily. 

"I'm going to shower and I'll come back."

"Mmm, want me to join you?"

He snorts and pecks her lips while shaking his head. "You seem a little tired, darlin'. I'll be okay."

"Okay." Lorraine sighs and turns on her side, covering herself tightly with the blankets and nuzzling her face into the pillows as she lets out another yawn. "Hurry up and cuddle with me."

Ed chuckles and runs his fingers through her soft hair until her breathing evens letting him know she's fallen asleep. With a sigh, he stands and starts undressing as he heads to the bathroom to take a quick shower so he can wrap his arms around the beautiful brunette and sleep peacefully. 

___________________________________

Lorraine hums softly when she feels someone stroking her arm. She shivers in the cold and wraps the blankets tightly over her, throwing her arm over Ed's body to pull herself closer to him. Except, it's not Ed she's feeling beside her. She feels a small body instead. With her eyes flying open, she met  Junior's bright blue eyes staring back at her making her gasp.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry." Junior whispers as his small hand continues to stroke her arm. "You had bad dream too?"

Frowning, she holds onto the little boy's hand and raises her head, glancing at Ed who's asleep on his side with his arm wrapped around the little boy and pulling him close to his hard chest. Laying her head back down, she brings Junior's hand to her lips and smiles softly at him.

"I'm sorry, baby. You had a bad dream?"

Junior nods his head as he pouts. "You had a bad dream too, didn't you?"

"Uh..."

"Daddy is the best to cuddle with when we have bad dreams." The little boy looks at his father with a smile before looking back at the confused brunette. "That's why you're sleeping here, right?"

Oh, this poor, sweet, innocent child.

Ed -- pretending to be asleep -- bites his tongue to stop the smile from spreading across his lips as he hears his son. About half an hour before, Junior had woken him up and told him about a bad dream in which he was alone and couldn't find Judy, Lori, or Xena. Even worse, he couldn't find his little puppy, Zeus.

"Oh...Yes." Lorraine nods her head. "That's why I came here. Daddy was awake when I had a bad dream so, he...Cuddled...Me."

Yes, because that is exactly what happened. Definitely not something else a five-year-old should hear about.

"Oh, no." The little boy pouts and puts his tiny hand on her cheek. "What happened in your dream?"

Fuck.

"I...Uh...There was..." 

Think, Lorraine. Think.

"Oh. I was home alone and there was this big, scary man that came in and was trying to hurt me. There wasn't anyone around and I tried calling out for help but, no one came."

Junior's eyes enlarge and he gasps in fear. 

Shit...Too scary?

"If Daddy was there, he would've saved you."

Lorraine giggles and caresses the boy's soft, chubby cheek with her pointer finger. "Yeah, baby. Daddy would've saved me if he was there."

"Then what happened?"

"Oh...Uh- He...started breaking everything that I had like, my pictures and the paintings on my wall." Her thoughts began to stray back to her childhood when her father would beat her mother when he came home. "He entered my bedroom, burned many of my stuffed animals and medals, and destroyed everything from my walls. Why he would do it is beyond me. He would just appear out of nowhere and begin to ruin everything in my life. I used to be happy when he returned home, believing he was back, but then—" Her gaze lowered to Junior's, who gave her a confused and rather scared look.

"...The big scary man? He used to come to your home?"

Shit.

Still awake, Ed listened to her "dream" and realized she wasn't making it up. This was something that actually happened to her. 

I'll ask her about it in the morning.

Lorraine shook her head. She didn't mean to bring up her father. "Oh, no! No. I-I mean-" Her words were cut off when Junior unwrapped himself from Ed's arms and moved closer to her, nuzzling his face into her chest while his arms wrapped around her. 

"That dream sounds really scary." He whispers as he tilts his head to look up at her. Lorraine smiles softly and wraps her arms around him. 

"Yeah...He was- I mean, yes. It was a scary dream." She kisses the little boy's forehead and sighs. "Go to sleep, little man. You have school tomorrow." Junior nods and closes his eyes, burying his face into her chest once again. "Good night, my little dove."

Junior giggles, "Good night, Lori."

Lorraine caresses his back and looks up, meeting Ed's eyes. He smiles at her and opens his arms making her giggle. Carrying the little boy in her arms, she moves into his large arms and sighs as he wraps them tightly around the two of them, his lips pressing against her head. The two of them fall into a deep sleep, Ed's arms wrapped around them while Lorraine holds Junior tightly in hers, a smile on her face. 

Ed wakes a few hours later to someone pulling on the blanket and hearing small grunts. Turning his head, he squints from the bright sunshine in the room before chuckling when he notices Judy trying to climb onto the bed. 

Hearing her father's chuckle, she raises her head and pouts at him with watery eyes. "I wanna cuddle too." Ed smiles and wraps an arm around the little girl's waist, pulling her over him and settling her between himself and Lorraine. Judy turned and cuddled against her brother's back whose face was still buried in the brunette's chest. Watching them with a bright smile, his heart feels full at the sight in front of him. They were the perfect family and Lorraine was the perfect mother to his kids. 

He was going to put a ring on her soon. He just knows it. 

___________________________________

"Bye, Lori!" The twins yell as they run into their school making Lorraine giggle and wave at them. 

"Bye, lovelies! Be careful!" They didn't hear her though. She watched them run in and started playing around with their friends, their laughter traveling through the air. A smile appears on her face as she heads back to the car. Settling inside, she squeals when Ed wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her on his lap.

"Want to come to work with me?"

Lorraine hums as she wraps her arms around his neck. "For how long?"

"Well, only a few hours. I just need to finish some things and then we can do whatever you'd like."

"Ooh, whatever I'd like?" She teases, her nail playing with his black tie making him chuckle. He strokes her denim-covered legs and nods. All Ed wanted to do today was spend time with his beautiful girlfriend and have her by his side. He knew Lorraine wouldn't complain though, knowing she'd love to spend some time with him as well, even if it was in his office.

___________________________________

She sat in the chair in front of his desk, listening to his boring online meeting. Something about shares being deducted and making new deals. Ed glanced at her and made a face making her giggle as she rested her elbow on the arm of the couch and laid her head on her fist. 

"Right. But, you do realize that her shares will only come through when the deal is made." Ed's gruff voice made Lorraine's insides tingle. When he was angry, it always did something to her. 

"Mr. Warren, as I recall, your father's original company is going to shit in Seattle so, if I were you I wouldn't be backtalking about a deal you probably won't even be able to make."

Ed seethed with anger. Every time his brother fucked up, it always came back to him. "That company has nothing to do with me. Sam is the one who is dealing with-"

"Well, aren't you the older brother?" The other man raised an eyebrow at him, a smug smirk appearing on his face. Lorraine watched as her boyfriend's blood began to boil. "You are the bigger person here and you're supposed to be helping your brother rather than running around with women, not able to keep your dick in your pants. At least, Sam has the brain to do something good with the company."

Who the fuck does he think he is?

"Oh, Sam has the brain." Ed huffed a laugh, millimeters close to snapping at the man on the computer screen in front of him. The man raised an eyebrow making Ed's sanity snap. "Sam was spoonfed everything from the day he was born. My other brother and I had to work our asses off to get where we are. So, instead of you mixing up who is the bigger person here and who's running around with their dicks hanging out, I suggest that you keep in mind that I am the one funding money to your company and I sure as hell can stop the next load from coming in with just a snap of my fingers."

The other man on the screens backed away from the camera, fear etched across their faces. Ed was right. He was the one making the deals and bringing money to them and if the deal went off, within the next few seconds, their companies would be going down the drain. 

Lorraine smirked proudly as her boyfriend snarled at the screen, "Don't forget who the hell you're talking to the next time you want to bring up my brother." He closes his laptop with a frustrated grunt before closing his eyes and resting his head back on the headrest. Opening his eyes, he's met with his girlfriend's beautiful soft, blue orbs staring back at him. She was watching him intently, not wanting to ruin his mood more. 

"C'mere, baby." He mumbled, patting his lap, watching as a happy grin appeared on her lips. Quickly, she got up from her seat and rounded his desk before settling on the older man's lap, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and kissing his cheek. 

"You okay?"

Ed quietly nods his head, nuzzling his face into her neck and breathing her in making her giggle. Sometimes he acted just like his son who loved to do the same thing. Lorraine hummed and ran her fingers through his fluffy hair, knowing it calmed him down. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, the brunette sighed softly and tapped his shoulder. 

"Come on. Let's go."

Raising his eyebrow, he looked at her. "Where?"

"Just...Let's go." Lorraine replied with a giggle as she stood from his lap and tugged on his arm. Confused, Ed stood as well, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair while she grabbed her purse, throwing their phones and his wallet inside. She laced her fingers with his and led him out of his office, the two of them feeling everyone's gaze on them but, could care less about what everyone was thinking. 

___________________________________

"Ice cream? In winter?"

Lorraine snorted and rolled her eyes, taking another spoonful of her chocolate ice cream into her mouth. "You weren't complaining when we brought the kids here a few days ago." She looked up at her tall boyfriend who chuckled, shaking his head as he ate his ice cream as well. 

She'd taken him back to the Rockefeller Center after getting ice cream from a nearby ice cream shop. She knew Ed wasn't a big fan of Christmas judging from the fact that when they'd brought the decorations at the beginning of the month, cobwebs and dust were covering the boxes. She asked Junior and Judy later that night what they'd usually do on Christmas and she was shocked at their responses. Ed would only bring out the tree for them to decorate and put up only a few lights inside the house. 

That was when she decided to change it up this year, bringing out all of his decorations and using Carol's, she went all out this year and wanted to make it the most memorable Christmas for Ed and the kids. 

Walking by the ice skating rink, Ed saw how Lorraine's eyes lit up as she watched couples ice skate. Pondering his next question in his head, he quickly finished his ice cream and threw the empty paper cup away.

"Want to go ice skating?"

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "You? Ice skate? Really?"

Ed frowned, chuckling a bit. "What? You think I can't ice skate?"

"No." Lorraine shrugs her shoulders as she takes the last spoon of ice cream into her mouth, humming as the cold treat melts on her tongue. "I just can't imagine you ice skating."

"Is that a bet?" He couldn't believe she didn't think he could ice skate. Although it had been a while since the last time he did this, he wasn't going to embarrass himself in front of the brunette now. "'Cause I can definitely ice skate."

"Alright." She nods her head, throwing her empty cup away as well before turning to the older man with her arms crossed over her chest. "If you can ice skate without falling within the first...hmm...fifteen minutes, I'll give you head."

Her boyfriend gawked at her in shock before a smirk appeared. Putting his hand out for her to shake, he nods his head. "And if you don't fall within the first fifteen minutes, I'll give you head."

With a wide grin plastered on her face, she grabs his hand with a firm shake. "Deal."

Half an hour goes by after the couple makes the deal and they are standing at the entrance of the rink, holding onto the railings for dear life. It had been a while for Lorraine as well, ten years in fact since the last time she went ice skating but, her stubborn self wasn't going to lose a bet against her hot-headed boyfriend. 

Looking at him, she smirks when she glances at his tight grip on the railing, his knuckles turning white. "You ready?"

Ed looks at her, a smug grin on his face. "Duh." The two of them narrow their eyes at each other in a challenging stare before looking away. They take a deep breath before letting go of the rails and slowly getting onto the ice. Lorraine almost slips and quickly grabs the railing to catch her balance before her boyfriend can notice. When he turns to look at her with a raised eyebrow, she grins at him as she leans against the railing.

"Just...Stretching."

He huffs out a chuckle and shakes his head, his hand coming out to hold the railing as well as he glides his skates on the ice, getting used to the feeling again. A few minutes pass by and Lorraine watches as he confidently skates around the rink, smirking at her as she continues to stand still. 

Stopping in front of her, he crosses his arms over his chest. "Your turn."

Lorraine forces a smile and lets go of the railing, carefully gliding her skates on wobbly legs. Ed watches her carefully, not wanting her to fall and hurt herself. He's behind her every step -- or glide -- of the way as she slowly skates. Within a few seconds, her muscle memory kicks in and she's going faster, skating away and circling him with a giggle. 

"Okay, show off." He playfully rolls his eyes as his head turns, watching her gracefully move around. Lorraine halts in front of him and grabs his hands. 

"C'mon, old man. You can move faster."

Raising his eyes, he scoffs. "Old man? I'll show you old man." He chuckles as he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her with him, gliding faster on the ice as she laughs, her hand gripping his shoulder tightly.  

They skate around, laughter escaping their lips and their fingers laced together as Ed continues to pull her with him. Her fingers slip from his making her stop in the middle of the rink, her legs wobbling again with nothing to hold on to. He laughs as he circles her with his hands in his pockets while she looks at him shocked and amused. 

"Who wins the deal?"

Lorraine snorts, folding her arms across her chest. "No one has fallen yet."

Ed smirks, skating towards her. "Yet." He grabs her by the waist and turns her with him as he bends to capture her lips. She giggles against his lips and cups his face, her feet moving with his as he does a 360 around her. At the last second, Lorraine feels his foot tap hers making her lose her balance and fall to the ground. Her boyfriend bursts into laughter while she groans, looking up at him with a glare. 

"That's not fair!" She grabs onto his hand that he held out for her, getting pulled into his hard body again.

"Sore loser." Ed teases, his arms wrapping around her waist tightly. Lorraine rolls her eyes and places her hands on his chest before looking up at him with a smile. 

"I love you."

He looks down at her with a love-struck gaze, a smile tugging on his lips. "I love you."

Chapter Text

Carol was walking around the busy streets of New York City with her boyfriend when he suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking any further.

"Roger? What's-" Her boyfriend shushes her making her frown. She opens her mouth to say something when he nods his head to something in front of them. A confused look on her face, she looks up and her breath stops. 

Ed and Lorraine are walking in front of them, their fingers laced together as they share a chocolate croissant. The brunette rips a piece of the sweet pastry and feeds it to the older man who winks at her making her giggle. 

They are definitely the hot couple.

"Oh, my god."

"I've never seen him smile," Roger mumbles making his girlfriend snort and shake her head in disbelief. "I must be dreaming."

"Nope. Because I'm right here, hon." Carol giggles as they continue to stare at the couple in front of them. Lorraine is saying something to the older man before tugging on his hand and pulling him into a store full of toys and books for children. 

"Must be doing some last-minute Christmas shopping for the kids."

Roger nods his head, silently agreeing with his girlfriend. He takes her hand in his and starts walking again. He notices two men eyeing them as they walk past the store Ed and Lorraine are currently in but, thinks nothing of it. 

Must be his bodyguards or something.

"Babe, we should go on a double date with them. Find out more about their relationship."

"Are you crazy?!" He looks down at his girlfriend with a bewildered look. It's not that his boss was a bad person -- Scary, yes. Bad, no. -- but, he'd rather go to Carol's family for a full month than sit in the same room with his Boss outside of work on a double date. 

"What? It can't be that bad."

"Hon." Roger shakes his head as they reach his car. He opens the car door for her and helps her inside. "It's Ed Warren we're talking about. And Ed Warren does not do double dates, Carol. Trust me. You would not want to be sitting in the same room with him, especially during a dinner."

With a sigh, Carol reluctantly nods her head and flops in her seat. Her boyfriend smiles at her and kisses her head. "C'mon. Let's go do some more shopping." He watches as the grin on her face appears and she grabs his face, kissing his lips making him chuckle. 

_______________________________________

Ed had his hand on Lorraine's thigh as they were being driven by Zach toward the preschool to pick up Junior and Judy. She was laughing with Rebecca on the phone making him smile. Rebecca had been insisting for the past few days for them to come to their New Year's party but, the couple's worry was the kids. 

"Well, if you can't come to our party just come by sometime after so we can still celebrate. Let's party like we used to do, get Ed used to the party-girl version of Lorraine Moran." Rebecca laughs on the other line while Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes, looking at her boyfriend who raises a curious eyebrow at her. 

She smiles and rubs his thigh. "I'll talk to Ed about it."

"Okay, girl. I have to go, Princess Hannah is calling me to make her another damn snack." Lorraine giggles at her cousin's wife. "Say hi to your hubby for me!"

"Becca!" She exclaims with an irritated groan before ending the phone call. Sighing, she leans into Ed's side, humming as he kisses her forehead and rubs her arms. 

"Party girl, huh?"

Lorraine snorts and covers her face with her hands. "Oh, god." Flashes of her wild days came into her mind making her cringe. "Don't remind me."

Her boyfriend chuckles and slowly trails his finger up her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps the higher he goes. "Should show her to me someday."

"Oh, you wish." She snorts and shoves at his arm making him laugh. 

If only you knew.

Zach parks the car on the curb, letting the couple exit the car before making a round to not hold up the line of cars. Ed and Lorraine walk into the school hand-in-hand as other couples watch them, envy filling their eyes. The older man stares down men who look at Lorraine, wanting to rip out their throats and crush their bones to dust. 

A young woman is standing at the entrance, greeting other parents when her eyes land on Ed and Lorraine. 

She frowns and gives them a small smile. "Hi! Are you here for the parent-teacher conference?"

Oh, shit.

The couple glance at each other, completely forgetting about the conference. Lorraine smiles and nods her head. 

"And you are Judy and Junior's parents?"

Before Lorraine could object because she didn't want Ed to think she'd told everyone she was their mother, he responds for the two of them. 

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

The woman quickly shakes her head. "N-No, I'm sorry. It's just that..." She glances around, noticing the parents who are standing too close to them knowing they are trying to hear what is being said. "Come with me." 

Ed and Lorraine share a curious glance before following the woman into the building. She takes them into an empty classroom and sits down at the desk while the couple stands, hard stares on their faces making her swallow thickly, nervousness and fear filling her.

"I...Uh..."

Lorraine raises an eyebrow, "Did Judy and Junior do something wrong?"

"Well...No...It's more of...What they said..." She starts as she picks at the small dent on the wooden desk. "Junior came in yesterday saying something...concerning. And I'm sure it's probably nothing and I don't want it to ruin your marriage but..."

Running out of patience, Ed rolls his eyes. "Spit it out already." Lorraine glances at him, wondering if he'd heard the woman refer to them as a "married" couple. 

"He kept saying how his daddy was sleeping with their pretty nanny." The young woman winces, ready to get yelled at by the couple but, instead the room is filled with silence. Slowly opening her eyes, she looks at the couple who have a blank stare on their face. 

"He said what?"

Swallowing loudly, the woman repeats, "He said his daddy was sleeping with their pretty nanny. How he saw them in bed together." With nothing being said from the couple, she continues. "A-and I know it's probably not true because you two look like you have a wonderful marriage with two beautiful kids but, it-it's concerning when a child-"

Laughter filled the room making the woman look at them in shock. Meeting the man many more times before today, this was the first time she'd ever seen anything other than a glare on his face. The man was actually laughing for once. 

"I-I'm sorry. Why are we laughing?"

Ed sighs and shakes his head. "I apologize for our son. He has a very..." He looks at Lorraine who raises an eyebrow at him but, her eyes are full of love and deep affection for this man.

Our son.

She felt as if her heart could burst at any moment from those words leaving his mouth. A bright smile appeared on her face and her cheeks felt warm as she wrapped her hand around his bicep, squeezing his big muscle tightly. 

"He has a very imaginative mind and we are very sorry for this. We will talk to him tonight." She looks at the young teacher who nods her head, a confused frown still on her face. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, we'd like to go see our kids."

The teacher nods her head silently and lets them walk out of the classroom. Lorraine looks up at her handsome man and raises an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on her lips.

"Our son?"

Ed worries at his bottom lip, he'd forgotten he'd said that. Not that he didn't mean the words that came out of his mouth, he just thought it felt right.

He stops them at the corner of the hall, turning toward her. "I'm sorry. It just came out-"

"Our son has a very creative mind...And a big mouth like my husband." She winks as she runs her hands up his hard chest, playing with the lapels of his black trench coat. Ed feels like his breath had just been taken out of his lungs and he'd just died. 

Her husband.

Lorraine has a playful glint in her eye as she pecks his lips with a giggle and walks away, her new black heel boots he'd just bought her a couple days ago clacking on the rubber flooring of the school. He'd just fallen more in love with this woman. 

They enter the classroom and look around the walls that are filled with pictures and drawings. Ed notices Judy and Junior playing cars together in the corner of the room, giggling quietly as Junior runs the small toy car on his sister's arm and makes "vroom, vroom" sounds.

"Pst." He calls out making the kids look up. They gasp and throw the cars to the side, running toward the couple with big grins.

Junior jumps into Lorraine's arms while Judy wraps her arms around her father's legs, looking up at him with her big, blue eyes.

"You came!"

"Of course we did, silly girl." Ed chuckles and runs his fingers through her hair. Hair that reminded him of the brunette standing next to him with his son in her arms. Junior places a sloppy kiss on the brunette's cheek making her giggle.

"You wanna show us which one is yours?" Lorraine asks him, nodding her head to the drawings on the wall. The little boy nods his head, wanting to get out of her grasp by kicking his legs. She placed him on the ground and led them to a few drawings on the right side of the white wall. Judy stands next to him and points out their drawings. 

"This one is Junior's. This one is also Junior's. This one is mine. And then we did this one together." The two siblings smiled proudly at the adults when they pointed at the last drawing on the corner. Four of them were portrayed on the paper; Ed and Lorraine appeared to be holding hands, with a large red heart atop their heads, while the two children were standing next to them, also holding hands.

"Aw, this is so beautiful!" The brunette exclaims as tears filled her eyes. She'd never felt so proud to be included in a drawing. "I'll have your Daddy frame it at home, okay?"

"Okay, Lori!" The kids giggled as they hugged her legs tightly. She turned to look at Ed who winked at her, placing his hand on her lower back. Judy and Junior continued to show them around the classroom; where they sat everyday, the toys, where they hang their backpacks, etc.

Once they were finished, they quickly met with the teacher who let them know how delighted she was to have the twins in her class and how smart they were. They were the only students who excelled in math, reading, writing skills, and social skills. She let them know how the twins were always including their peers in their games and made sure no one was ever left alone when it came to playtime. 

The teacher had mentioned that with the skills they have, they could be able to skip straight to first grade but, they would first have to take a test given by the district to approve the grade jump. Ed told the old woman he'd talk it over with Lorraine first since she was with the kids as they played a game at their table. 

"You have a very beautiful wife, by the way." The old woman said before he walked away from her. "A beautiful wife and two beautiful kids."

Ed turned to her with a smile, readjusting Junior's backpack on his shoulder. "Thank you, she stole my heart the second we met."

The teacher chuckled, her gaze moving to Lorraine and the kids. "Your daughter is the spitting image of your wife. Those eyes are such jewels." Ed looks at his girlfriend and watches her clap her hands excitedly when Judy wins the game they were playing. 

The old woman wasn't kidding. Now that he watches them closely, he could see the resemblance between Judy and Lorraine. The eyes, the nose, the hair, face, right down to the grin and attitude. Wheels started to turn in his head as he thinks back to the scar on the brunette's lower abdomen. 

It can't be a coincidence. Could it?

As they walked of class, Judy and Junior skipped and hopped in front of the couple as they held their bags. Ed kept his eye on Lorraine who had a bright smile on her face. The wheels in his head couldn't stop turning and he couldn't figure out why. Judy was the spitting image of her and he wasn't going to lie, Junior was the spitting image of him. 

Five years ago, when his brother, Josh, called him in the middle of the night telling him he had a surprise for him, he didn't know how much his life would change. Josh showed up at his front step with two baby carriers saying, "Their mother couldn't afford to take care of them and we have no place to put them. I'm just asking for a couple days."

A couple days had turned into a couple weeks, then months, and then before Ed knew it, he was signing the adoption papers for Judy and Junior. 

He always found it weird and annoying when Josh would tease him about Junior being his actual son from how alike they looked but, it wasn't until now that his slow, idiotic brain was starting to see the resemblance.

Chapter Text

Ed is sitting in his car in the dark parking lot, smiling as he talks to Lorraine, when a loud knock on his window makes him jump. 

"Fucking hell." He grumbles as he turns to the passenger window meeting the bright, shit-eating grin of his favorite assistant and best friend -- although he'll never admit that -- Drew.

"Ed? Are you okay? What happened?" Lorraine's worried tone as she turns the heat down on the stove. 

Ed rolls his eyes as he lets Drew sit in the car, noticing he'd been shivering in the cold. "Yeah, it's just Drew."

"Hi, Lorraine!"

"I'd like my boyfriend not to have a heart attack, thank you, " The woman jokes, making Drew and Ed chuckle. Okay, well, I'll leave you boys alone. I have to finish making dinner."

"Okay, love. Bye."

"Bye! Drive safe. I love you."

"I love you too." 

Drew smiles as he watches his boss end the phone call before he turns to him. Ed raises an eyebrow. 

"Did you find it?"

"Uh—No, sir. I'm sorry." Ed sighs and shakes his head, leaning back into the leather seat of the car. It doesn't make sense. Lorraine had to be the woman from five years ago. He can feel it. He tries to go back into his memories, trying to bring out what happened that night, but it is as if it was all a fever dream. 

"It's alright. I'll give you a ride home." He looks at the young man who nods his head with a small smile. 

"Hey, you know...It's quite funny."

"What is?"

Drew snorts and leans his elbow on the door before resting his head on his fist. "If it is actually Lorraine who you fell in love with all those years ago...The fact that the two of you were able to find each other and fall in love all over again...You two are practically soulmates."

Soulmates.

That's what it was—what he'd been feeling all along. It was like Lorraine was part of him, his soul. They had a very strong connection like the universe or even God had led them back together. He just wonders if Lorraine felt it too, or if she knew this whole time.

___________________________________

Lorraine and the kids are just about to start eating dinner when they hear the front door open. Ed walks in shrugging off his coat and smiles at the three of them. 

"Daddy!" The twins exclaim as they jump out of their seats and run into their father's open arms. Ed chuckles and picks them up as he peppers their faces with kisses making them giggle. Zeus and Xena bark as they run to the older man as well, nudging their faces into his leg. 

"Hello, my sweet angels. How was your day?"

"Lori took us ice skating!"

"Oh?" He looks at his forever gorgeous-looking girlfriend who grins at him. Walking to the table, he sets the kids back into their chairs and sits beside Lorraine, leaning down to pet the two puppies. "Did the two of you have fun?"

"We had a lot of fun, Daddy!"

"Lorraine fell though," Junior says with a small pout as he stuffs a couple of green beans into his mouth. Ed looks at the brunette next to him with a raised eyebrow, an amused smirk on her face making her giggle. 

"Some guy bumped into me. But, I'm okay."

My ass isn't though.

She could feel a large bruise forming on her left ass cheek and she couldn't sit properly. Ed noticed though when she was moving around, her face forming into a painful wince making him chuckle softly. 

"Just ice it."

"Oh...Well, why didn't I think of that." Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes as she eats a piece of the breaded chicken on her plate. She did in fact ice it, it wasn't helping the pain. The kids spend the rest of dinner telling Ed what else they'd done with Lorraine; she'd taken them shopping, took pictures with Santa Clause at the mall, and made a bunch of snow angels in the yard outside. 

"Eat your vegetables, princess." Ed nods his head at his daughter's plate which is still full of green beans and broccoli. 

The little girl shakes her head with a huff. "But, I don't wanna."

"Judy." He said in a warning tone making the girl pout. "If you don't then Santa won't bring you presents on Christmas." Judy gasps and starts eating her vegetables making the adults chuckle. 

"Good girl."

Junior giggles and takes a sip of his water from his cup as he looks at Lorraine who has just finished her vegetables. He sets his cup down and giggles again. "Daddy, tell Lori she's a good girl too. She finished her vegetables."

Lorraine smirks as she turns to Ed, leaning back in her chair. Without thinking, she blurted, "Yeah, Daddy. Call me a good girl." 

She pauses as soon as the words leave her mouth while Ed chokes on his water. They hear Zach and Nate snickering at his reaction as they stand at the entrance from the foyer to the dining room.

Oh, fuck.

Coughing a bit, he clears his throat as he slowly puts down his water and looks at her. Her cheeks are a bright crimson color and her eyes are wide. Lorraine wished the floor could swallow her up right about now. 

"I...Uh..."

"If you called Judy a "good girl" because she's eating her vegetables, Lori gets to be called a "good girl" too since she finished hers." The innocent little boy states as he shrugs his shoulders, smiling at his sister who grins. 

His eyes turning dark and full of desire, Ed licks his bottom lip and says in a deep, low voice, "Good girl, Lorraine."

Her eyes get wider making him smirk. Her body starts to get hot and her core is throbbing, needing him in her again. Biting her bottom lip, she clears her throat and whispers a small, "Thank you." as she turns back to her plate. The kids giggle to themselves, finishing their food quickly before heading to their rooms with the help of Lorraine to brush their teeth.

Once she has tucked them into bed and hummed a song for them, she kisses their heads and leaves the room, turning off the big light and closing the door behind her. The brunette made her way down to the kitchen again in search of her boyfriend but, he was nowhere in sight. 

"Ed?" She calls out, walking down the hallway toward his office. Checking inside, she doesn't see any sign of him making her sigh and close the door. She notices another door a few feet away and opens it with a curious frown. 

There was a blank painting canvas sitting on a wooden easel. 

I didn't know he paints.

Walking into the room, she looks around and notices various paintings hanging on the wall. There were a few of Junior and Judy, some scenic views of New York, and an unfinished painting leaning against the wall on the floor. It was an outline of a pair of eyes. They looked female from Lorraine's perspective. The eyebrows were beautifully shaped as well as the bridge of the nose. 

Her eyes dart to the open door when she hears a glass clinking against the counter in the kitchen. With another glance at the painting, she quickly makes her way out of the room, slowly closes the door, and walks down the hall. 

"Hey, I was looking for you." Lorraine smiles as she walks up to Ed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pecking his lips. He hums and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him as he pours himself a glass of whiskey.

"The kids asleep?"

"Mhmm. I put them down a few minutes ago." She takes a sip of his whiskey when he offers, wincing as the liquor burns a path down her throat. "Ugh."

Ed lets out a deep chuckle, pressing his lips against her head as he sets the glass on the counter. "We need to wrap the kids' presents."

She nodded her head in agreement, resting her head on his hard chest and sighing. Lorraine couldn't stop smiling as every inhale filled her nose with the smell of him. He always smelled like sandalwood, mint, and vanilla. She could also smell her perfume, their scents mixing. 

Looking up at him, she admires him from her short height; his icy blue eyes, his chiseled jaw, sharp nose bridge, kissable lips, and sharp jawline. 

Feeling her gaze on him, he looks down and raises an eyebrow. "What?" He smiles, his thumb caressing her hip making her giggle and lean up on her tippy-toes, pecking his lips. 

"You're so handsome." Breathing deeply, she smells his shampoo and body wash and adds, "And you smell so good." She kisses her way to his jaw and the underside of his chin. "My handsome man."

She wanted him to feel as loved as he made her feel. It was working, even though he already knew how much she loved him, he loved how she always managed to make him feel like putty in her hands. 

Ed chuckles and grips her hips, lifting her onto the countertop. Cupping her small face in his large hands, he pulls her face close and kisses her deeply making her moan softly. Smiling into the kiss, Lorraine wraps her arms around his neck to pull him closer while kissing him back. He parts from her and cups her cheek. 

"Gorgeous woman." He mumbles making her blush, her lips leaving a kiss on his palm. His eyes studied her face, moving from each eye and following the bridge of her nose to her plump lips, He pecked her lips once more and smiled lovingly at her. 

"I love you."

She always made him feel like a teenager again. Whether it be when they have small dates in his car eating burgers and fries, or when they're cuddling in his bed watching a movie, their fingers caressing one another. 

Lorraine bites her bottom lip and giggles, her eyes showing the same love and desire for this man. "I love you."

The two of them gazed at each other with smiles on their faces before Ed broke the silence. "C'mon." He grabs her hand and pulls her from the counter. Raising an eyebrow, she follows behind him without a word as he leads her toward the garage. 

Passing by Zach and Nate, he gives them a look and they nod before leaving the couple, walking upstairs to watch the kids. 

"Ed?" Lorraine whispers as he opens the garage door and takes her to the back where there's a locked door. 

A black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle with red rims on the tires and defining the bottom is visible when he opens the door and smirks at her. With a gasp, Lorraine moves ahead, holding the throttle and gliding her finger along the bike's seat. She turns to face her boyfriend, who is standing behind her, admiring her with a smile on his face and his arms folded across his chest.

"I didn't know you ride."

Shrugging his shoulders, he stands beside her and rests his hand on the bike. A light chuckle escapes his lips when he remembers the night rides he used to go on and how reckless he used to be. 

"Stopped after the kids came into my life. My old one broke down one day two years back, I just bought this one."

She raises her eyebrow, wondering why he bought one when he'd stopped riding for the past few years. Ed reads her mind though and smiles at her. 

"You...Brought back something that I hadn't felt in a long time..." Ed says in a quiet voice as he raises his hand and brushes a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You make me feel...Alive and different."

Knowing that it made his heart skip a beat, Lorraine tilts her head to the side and giggles. He chuckles and shakes his head, drawing her nearer to him while holding the back of her head.

"You make me want to be reckless."

Wrapping her arms around his neck and biting her lip, she mumbled, "Well, then...Let's be reckless together, baby."

___________________________________

Ed chuckles and turns the throttle, making the bike go faster. His other hand grips Lorraine's thigh as she raises her hands in the air and screams, laughter escaping her lungs. He's driving them down the empty roads near the beach, his bike speeding like lightning. 

She wraps her arms around him from behind and rests her head on his shoulder, "Go faster."

"You sure?"

"Duh." Her giggles are heard through the speaker in his helmet making his heart flutter and a smile spread on his lips. Revving the engine, he fully turns the throttle and has the bike go even faster. Noticing a red light in front of them, he starts to slow the bike down before completely stopping, his leg dropping to balance them on the bike as it stands still. 

Getting bored as the light takes what feels like an eternity to turn green, Lorraine lets out a sigh and taps her fingers against his helmet, the sound echoing in his head. 

"Really?"

A smirk appearing on her lips, she hums and starts to tease him by wrapping her arms around his waist and rubbing her hands along his hard chest, feeling each muscle as she moves her hands lower, her fingers dragging along his ripped abs. 

"Lorraine." Ed's tone comes out in warning as her hands travel lower before grabbing his bulge making him groan. She hums as she continues to rub him, feeling him grow hard in her hands. "Shit- Lorraine."

She giggles and stops her hands, moving them to grab his pecs and squeezing them making him yelp. Turning his head, she could feel his glare from behind the visor of his helmet. 

"What?" Lorraine asks innocently making him shake his head and turn forward just as the light turns green. She wraps her arms around his waist and lays her head on his back while one of his hands caresses her fingers. 

"You okay, my love?" His voice travels through the speaker in her helmet and she hums, nodding against his back. "Wanna go back home? Don't want the snow to start falling while we're still out here."

"No." Her soft voice says, looking up and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Wanna ride around for a bit more." Ed lets out a chuckle and nods, turning the throttle as the bike speeds up. After another hour of the couple riding around on his motorcycle, he finally takes them back home. Lorraine sighs softly and unwraps her arms from his waist when he parks the bike before letting him get off. 

Ed turns and lifts her off his bike and sets her in front of him, helping her take off the helmet after he raises his visor to see clearly. Lorraine looks up at him, admiring how his brows furrow together as he concentrates on undoing the straps beneath her chin. 

Suddenly, she reaches up and slams his visor down with a giggle making him roll his eyes.

Grabbing the bottom of her helmet, he pulls her face closer to his and grumbles, "Do that again and you're the next thing I'll be slamming."

Biting her lip, her eyes go dark and hungry as an image of him bending her over his bike and slamming into her from behind filled her mind.

Yes, please, Daddy.

Chapter Text

"Stop! You're going to make me mess up." Lorraine giggles, trying to push the older man away as he peppers her bare neck and shoulders with kisses. His hands roam around her waist and cup her breasts, kneading them softly. It was Christmas Eve and they were sitting in the living room wrapping -- or trying to wrap -- the kids' presents. Ed, on the other hand, had other things on his mind. 

He laughs and pulls her earlobe between his teeth. "There's no possible way to mess up wrapping a gift, darlin'." Before showing him the terrible wrapping, Lorraine raises an eyebrow at him and turns her head. She had somehow managed to fold the paper incorrectly and tape it while he played with her, leaving an entire portion of the gift uncovered.

Biting back a laugh, he looks at her with amusement making her roll her eyes. 

"You're supposed to be helping by the way." She mumbled, leaning forward to grab the scissors and more tape. Ed eyes her ass when she leans forward and grabs her hips to move her to sit between his legs. He sighs as he tucks his chin into the junction where her neck and shoulder meet and wraps his big arms around her waist.

"I am helping," Ed smirked, making the brunette snort as she shook her head while cutting another piece of wrapping paper from the roll. "I am keeping you warm. You shouldn't be wearing a flimsy tank top; it's cold."

Lorraine hums, leaning forward to carefully fold the wrapping paper to fit the box with Judy's teddy bear inside. "And that's why you're here to keep me warm." She giggles when he nibbles on her jaw and hugs her tightly. Putting her hands on his forearms, she slumps against his chest and sighs. "Christmas is tomorrow."

"Mhmm." Ed presses his lips to the side of her head and nuzzles her hair with his nose, breathing in her sweet-scented shampoo. "Drew usually comes over...Would that be okay?"

She turns her head and looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Is that even a question? Of course, that's okay." The brunette smiles at him and kisses the corner of his lips. "What time is he coming over?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he leans his head against hers as he looks at the flames in the fireplace. "Don't know. Probably around ten or eleven." Lorraine nods and lets out a small hum, her eyes blinking slowly. 

"You tired, baby?"

"Mm-mm. I have to finish the wrapping." Ed's hands slide down her sides and land on her hips as she sits up and stretches her arms above her head. "Help me? So we can finish these and go to bed."

"Of, course darlin'." Ed gives her another kiss on the head and lets her sit next to him. After passing him a large piece of wrapping paper and a Barbie doll for Judy, she picks up the new scooter they got Junior and wraps it up.

_________________________________________

Ed tightly wraps his arms around Lorraine as she nestles her face against his chest. After wrapping up all the gifts and having a little "fun", the couple eventually goes to bed at four in the morning. Before the brunette shrieks suddenly when someone leaps on her stomach, they'd been enjoying the calm of the early morning together, not even noticing the door open and close.

"What the-"

"Wake up! Wake up!" Judy yelled excitedly as she bounced on the woman's stomach, the air getting taken out of her lungs. "It's Christmas!"

Junior jumped onto Ed's chest making him grunt as he turned to wrap his arms around his son. "We want to open presents!"

Lorraine giggles as she wrapped her arms around the little girl who'd been bouncing on her stomach. She peppers the child's face with kisses and grins. "Only kids who were good all year get presents."

"But, Lori!" The twins protested as they moved to sit between the laughing adults. 

Ed shrugs his shoulders, "She's right. Beside's...The tree looked pretty empty when I went to look this morning." He looks at Lorraine who's biting back a smirk. "Did you see any presents under the tree, Lorraine?"

"Actually, come to think of it-" The brunette sits up and taps her chin, pretending to think. "I don't think I did." The couple looks at the kids who are looking at them with big, blue eyes and their bottom lips coming out in a pout. Sharing a glance, the couple burst into laughter and got out of bed. 

"C'mon! Let's go see what's down there." Ed grabs Junior and hoists the little boy over his shoulder before doing the same to Judy making them laugh. He looks at the brunette standing by the foot of the bed, grinning at him. Her cheeks turn a light pink color when he winks at her, mouthing the words, "I love you."

_________________________________________

"Wow! Look what Lori got me!" Junior exclaims, showing off his new soccer cleats. They were his favorite colors; blue and green. He giggles as Zeus jumps onto his lap, his tail wagging excitedly as he licks the little boy's face when he pulls out the soccer ball from the gift bag. "I know buddy! Now I can play soccer with you!"

Her heart filling with pure joy and love, Lorraine couldn't keep the big grin off her face as the kids tore into their neatly wrapped presents. She turns her head to Ed who's sitting beside her on the ground, his back leaning against the coffee table, a mirrored smile on his face as well before he turns to her. 

"Lori! Here's Daddy's presents for you!"

Presents? Plural?!

Before the brunette could question anything, the kids had dumped multiple boxes and bags in front of her making her gasp. Ed smirks at her reaction and nods his head when she sits there with her eyes wide and eyeing all the boxes.

"Go on." He glances at the kids to make sure they're okay as they continue to open the rest of their gifts before watching Lorraine grab a box, a smile on her face. 

The brunette giggles and playfully rolls her eyes, lightly shaking the box. "I told you not to get me anything." 

"Princesses deserve to get spoiled." Ed winks making her blush as she unties the red bow on top of the box. Lifting the lid, she gasps softly at the beautiful gold necklace. On the dainty gold chain, a solid gold, mid-sized heart sat in the middle with diamonds on either side. 

"Oh my...Ed..." Turning her head, she looks at him with watery eyes making him chuckle. "This is beautiful!"

"You like it?"

Scoffing, she shakes her head and looks down at the necklace with a grin. "Like it? I love it!" She had never been spoilt this much by any of her previous boyfriends, who would always whine about how she was irrelevant and how she could afford her own pricey presents-- even though she couldn't. However, none of her ex-boyfriends could ever measure up to Ed. She knew that by now. 

"Thank you, baby," Lorraine whispers with a sniffle as she pecks his cheek, not wanting the kids to see them. The older man smiles and cups her face in his palm, his thumb softly stroking her cheekbone.  "Put it on me?"

He nods his head and takes the box from her, allowing her to turn around with her back to him while he carefully removes the necklace from the box. Lorraine takes all of her hair and moves the strands over one shoulder before he places the necklace over her neck and clasps the chains together. Craning his neck down, he presses a soft kiss to her bare shoulder making her giggle. 

"Open the rest of them, darlin'." He rubs his hands down her arms sending a shiver up her spine. Reaching for a bigger box, he watches her with love in his eyes as she opens it. Inside was a black and brown Coach crossbody bag with gold chains as the strap. It'd been the same one she was looking at when they'd gone Christmas shopping a few weeks before. 

"I didn't know you bought it!" The brunette exclaims as she holds up the bag with a grin. Ed's hand runs down her back, a smile tugging at his lips once more. 

"Why do you think Zach and Nate were gone? I had sent them to buy it when you weren't looking."

"Oh, baby." Turning around, her nose scrunched up in excitement making his heart skip a beat. She always looked adorable when she did that. "Thank you." He winks at her with his signature smile and she swears her heart stopped for a moment. 

The children joined them and sat on Ed's lap while they observed Lorraine opening the other presents that Ed had given her. In addition to the necklace and purse, he bought two sets of lotion and perfume for her, a brown trench coat and a black one, black stiletto boots, and numerous earrings. A framed photo of the four of them in front of the Rockafeller Center Christmas tree, however, was her favorite.

It was the perfect family picture to the eyes of someone outside of this bubble the four of them were in.

Zeus and Xena start barking and growling loudly making the couple look at each other with a frown. The dogs run toward the door with a growl, their tails wagging furiously. 

"Zach. Nate." Ed calls out as he holds onto the kids and stands up. He grabs Lorraine and pulls her close to him while the two men pull their guns from their holsters and make their way to the front door. They peek their heads from around the door frame of the kitchen entrance and point their guns at the front door as it slowly opens. 

Before the person could make their way into the house, the two dogs charged after them. 

"Hey! Hey! It's just- OW!" Ed and Lorraine look at each other when they hear the familiar voice. Letting go of the kids, they run to the front door and notice Drew running around the lawn as Zeus and Xena chase after him, baring their teeth as they bark. 

Drew notices them at the steps and screams, "ED! LORRAINE! HELP ME!"

Lorraine whistles as she runs after the dogs, Ed following behind her. "Zeus! Stop it!"

"Xena!" The other man whistles while Judy and Junior stand at the front door with Zach and Nate. The two men glance at each other trying to hold back a laugh as they all watch Drew scream in fear. Lorraine gasps when the younger brunette trips and falls onto the grass, Zeus seizing the opportunity to bite him in the ass. 

"OW! FUCK!"

"Oh, shit." She slides onto the grass and grabs the dog, holding him close to her body while he continues to growl at the unfamiliar man. "Calm down, Zeus. It's just Drew!" Ed pants as he manages to grab the other dog before she can take a bite of Drew's ass as well. 

The younger man groans as he sits up, rubbing his ass cheek with a wince making Ed snort. He turns to glare at the older man. "Don't fucking laugh. That hurt." 

"Well, maybe next time call out that it's you."

"I was trying to surprise the kids!"

Ed rolls his eyes and stands to his feet, holding out his hand for Lorraine to grab. She stands as well with Zeus in her arms and offers her hand to Drew who glares at her.

"What the hell did I do?"

"Date this idiot!" Drew exclaims as he stands with a wince, walking to the front steps with Lorraine following behind. She scoffs and rolls her eyes making Ed chuckle. 

"Drew! You're here!" The kids exclaim as they run toward him and jump into his open arms. 

"Hello, little people! How's your Christmas morning so far? Your dad buy a bunch of presents?"

Judy nods her head, "Lori got me a Barbie doll."

"She got me a soccer ball! With my favorite colors!"

The adults chuckle as they head inside the house, Zach and Nate closing and locking the door once they make it inside. Lorraine heads to the kitchen to feed the puppies while Drew settles on the couch, his eyes falling to Lorraine's gifts set on the side.

"Daddy bought Lori a lot of presents."

Drew chuckles with a nod of his head. "I can tell. Did he buy a lot for-" He looks at the pile of toys and the two scooters by the tree. "Well, I guess he did." The twins giggle and jump off his lap before Ed stands in front of him, holding out an ice pack while Lorraine sits on the other side of the couch with a cup of tea in her hands. 

"Where the the little devils?"

"In the kitchen eating." The brunette giggles. "Don't worry. They won't be biting your ass anytime soon."

"Oh, haha." He mocks in return, placing the ice pack on the couch before sitting on top of it. Zach and Nate bring over the two bags he'd forgotten about by the door. "Thank you. Jude! Junior! Here ya go." 

The twins gasp at the amount of wrapped gifts he dumps out of the plastic bags. Flopping onto the carpet in front of him, they start tearing through the paper with big grins on their faces. Drew pulls out two more boxes and gives one to Lorraine and one to his boss. 

"Merry Christmas."

"Aw, thank you, Drew." The woman sets her cup on the coffee table with a smile and tears at the wrapping paper. A frown appears on her face when she pulls out the hoodie inside the box. "I'm Peace?" She reads the wording on the hoodie before looking at Drew with a raised eyebrow. The younger man has an amused smirk on his face as he turns his head to Ed who snorts when he pulls out his hoodie and settles on the arm of the couch. 

"I come in peace." As Ed read the words aloud, it clicked in their heads what the hoodies meant. Drew bursts into a fit of laughter while the couple playfully rolls their eyes, a chuckle escaping their lips. 

"Funny." Lorraine giggles with a shake of her head as she neatly folds the hoodie and places it with the rest of her pile of gifts. 

"I know right, I'm super hilarious." 

Ed reaches over and slaps the back of his head making him yelp. Wincing, he rubs his head and glares at the older man. 

"First I get bit in the ass by a damn dog, and now you're assaulting me."

"The first part was not my fault."

Drew rolls his eyes and slumps into the couch, "Whatever."

_________________________________________

Ed had decided to take all of them out for dinner since it was Christmas. He was upstairs with Junior while Judy and Drew were playing around the dogs. Drew was still fearing for his life when Zeus growled at him. Lorraine was standing in the kitchen, clipping her new earrings to her ears, when Zach walked up to her. She raised her eyebrow at him, and he smiled softly at her. 

"Carol is outside."

"Oh? Did you tell Ed?"

Zach nods, "He told me to tell you."

Chuckling, she nods her head and walks with the man to the front door. When he opens it for her, Carol has a bright smile on her face while Roger shifts uncomfortably, his eyes roaming around the large house. 

"Hi!"

"Merry Christmas, hon!" The short brunette wraps her arms around the taller brunette who grins. 

"Merry Christmas! What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, it's your first Christmas without us and it felt different. We wanted to come over...Now that I think about it, I should've asked you first." That was a lie. Carol wanted to know more about Ed and his kids since her boyfriend wasn't much help and tonight was the perfect night. It took a lot of convincing from her to get Roger to go with her. She knew that with the hold Lorraine had on Ed, if they'd showed up at his house unannounced, he wouldn't be able to say anything knowing that she was his girlfriend's best friend. 

Lorraine giggles and shakes her head, standing to the side to let them inside before closing the door. "No, no. It's alright. Ed was just about to take us out for dinner either way."

At the mention of his name, the older man walks out of the kitchen with Judy in his arms while Drew walks out with Junior. With the new faces around them, Judy hides her face in her father's neck and Junior hides behind his leg. He looks at Lorraine with a raised eyebrow making her smile at him. 

"Carol and Roger wanted to come by. Is it alright if they join us for dinner?" She places her hand on his bicep as she moves to stand next to him. 

"Of course, darlin'." He looks at Carol and Roger with a nod. "I'm takin' them to an Italian restaurant." With his eyes landing on Roger's, the man averts his gaze making him want to laugh. Ed always found it amusing when Roger wasn't able to hold eye contact with him, especially now that he was dating his girlfriend's best friend. 

"Do you want to drive in your own car or get a ride with us?"

Roger immediately shakes his head, "Oh, we'll just take my-"

Ed shakes his head, "Why don't you get a ride with us? Save the gas." 

Save the gas, my ass.

He just wanted to see what would happen if Roger spent a whole car ride with him. 

Swallowing thickly, the other man quietly nods his head and looks down at the ground while Carol smiles. She looks at Judy who's still hiding her face in her father's neck. 

"Hi, honey! You remember me?" Reaching over, she runs her finger up and down the little girl's leg making her giggle softly. "I'm Lorraine's best friend, remember? Carol?"

Judy slowly raises her head and looks at the short brunette. "Mmm, Carly?"

"Yes, you can call me Carly." Carol giggles as she rubs the girl's leg again with her nail. The little girl giggles and moves her leg away. 

"It tickles."

Just like where Lorraine is ticklish.

Roger watches them with a curious glance at the little girl. It was no mistake that his girlfriend was right, Judy did resemble Lorraine when she was her age. Even at first glance, he could see Lorraine in the little girl. The genes were strong but, he'd never seen Lorraine pregnant, nor had she ever said anything. 

Junior peeks his head out from behind his father's legs and looks up at Carol who winks at him making him blush and look away. The woman chuckles and looks at her best friend. 

"We're ready if you are."

Lorraine looks up at her man who nods at her with a smile. Her hand curled around his bicep, she walked with him to the car while everyone followed behind. This would be an awkward car ride or a fun one.

Chapter Text

Drew could see how uncomfortable Roger was around their boss, especially when they were all sitting close to each other. The waiters had sat them at a round table. The seating arrangments went Ed, Lorraine, Carol, Roger, Drew, Junior, and then Judy. Every time Ed so much as breathed in Roger's direction, the man would cower in fear and shift uncomfortably in his seat. He knew that Ed could see it as well with the way the older man kept smirking. 

Roger couldn't wait until he got out of here. Sitting at the same table with his boss and kids that he'd never met before was making him feel edgy, especially knowing that this would probably become a regular thing now that Lorraine was dating him. 

"Why're you so quiet, dude?" Drew jokes as he nudges him with his elbow. Roger forces a smile as he picks up his glass of water and sips it. Leaning closer, the younger man whispers, "Don't worry about Ed, man. He has feelings underneath all that hardness."

"Are you sure?"

Drew snorted, "I've worked with him for a while now, trust me." He leans back into his seat and grins at Judy and Junior who grin back. "You like your food?"

The twins nod their heads and exclaim, "Best pasta ever!"

"Better than your Dad's?"

"Mmm..." The twins look at each other before shaking their heads at Drew. "No."

Ed chuckles and ruffles the kids' hair making them whine before he turns to Lorraine who laughs at something Carol had said. She turns to him with a smile, "You okay?" He puts his hand on her leg, smiles back, and nods in response.

The warmth of his touch fills her entire body. Her neck turns red at the way he's staring at her as if he's going to devour her in front of everyone. She wore a simple black turtleneck minidress, black heeled boots, and the new brown trench coat he bought for her. In addition, she wore the diamond-studded earrings he had given her, which gleamed in the restaurant's dim lighting.

He wants to kiss her but, he can't. Not in front of the kids just yet.

Judy giggles quietly and leans toward Drew who leans down, allowing the little girl to whisper, "I think Daddy loves Lori."

Snorting, he looks down at her with a smirk. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"

"Daddy looks at Lori the way Prince Charming looks at Cinderella." The man chuckled softly and caressed the brunette girl's hair as a smile spread across her lips and her eyes gleamed brightly. He glances up and sees the couple staring at one another with a radiant aura emanating above them, pure love and happiness flowing off of them. 

A bright red heart would appear above them and soft music would be playing in the background if this were a Disney movie.

Drew looks down at the grinning child and smiles back. "Yeah, Jude. I think your Daddy loves Lori too."

"So what are we doing after this?" Carol asks, breaking the eye contact between the couple. Ed and Lorraine clear their throats and turn to the short brunette who grins brightly at them. 

"Well...What do you guys usually do on Christmas night?"

Carol and Lorraine smirked at each other, a playful glint in their eyes. 

________________________________________

The kids squeal as Drew throws a snowball at them. Judy giggles and runs toward Carol, gripping her jacket as she hides behind the brunette. 

"Hide me! Hide me!" 

Lorraine balls up some snow in her hands and looks over the rock she'd been hiding behind, a smirk on her lips as she eyes Roger standing cluelessly in front of her. She gasps loudly when someone covers her mouth with their hand but, calms down when she realizes it's just Ed when his cologne fills her nose. 

"Jesus fuck, Ed." She scolds him quietly, slapping his arm. Ed chuckles as he crouches beside her, his hand resting on her back. "You almost gave me a fucking heart attack."

He smiles and pecks her lips, "Thought someone was trying to kidnap you?"

"What the hell do you think?"

"They'd be dead before they can even breathe in your scent, darlin'." His hot breath fans across her ear making her blush a deep red. She looks at him with dark eyes, hunger filling them. Their faces are inches apart, their eyes boring into the others with desire burning in their dark blue orbs. 

Drew pops up between them making them gasp, "You can fuck each other at home, we're trying to play in the snow right now."

The couple look at him with a glare while he gleams at them, his pearly whites shining in the moonlight. 

"Roger's right there. Hit him with the ball."

The older man peeks over the rock to see Roger still standing in the same spot, his eyes squinting as he tries to look for his girlfriend and the two kids.

Ed whispers to Lorraine, "Give me the ball you're holding," while continuing to watch Roger. He raises his arm and aims for the other man's head as soon as he feels the cold ball of snow in his grasp. Roger turns suddenly, feeling someone's hard gaze on him, and gasps when a snowball flies into his face.

"What the hell!" He yells, wiping the snow from his face while Ed, Lorraine, and Drew snicker at him from behind the rock as they crouch back down. As they are high-fiving each other, they hear the snow crunch from behind them before another ball is thrown at Lorraine's head making her yelp. 

"Got ya!" Carol laughs loudly, holding the kids in her arms before running away. The other brunette scoffs as she stands, running after her best friend. "You bi- Get back here!"

Judy and Junior wrap their arms tightly around Carol's neck as they scream excitedly, "Run, Carly! Run!"

Ed couldn't keep the smile off his face hearing his girlfriend laugh like music to his ears and the giggles of his kids filling his heart. Last year Christmas, it had just been the three of them and Josh. They'd usually watch Christmas movies while drinking hot cocoa and Chinese food before passing out after stuffing their faces with brownies and ice cream. 

Now, here he was. Standing at Central Park with two of his employees as they watch his beautiful girlfriend run around chasing her best friend and his two children, enjoying this Christmas night in the snow and making snow angels. 

Her angelic voice brings him out of his thoughts, "Ed! Come take a picture of us!" 

"Wifey's calling." Drew teases the older man making him playfully roll his eyes. They walk over to the women and the two kids who are lying in the snow making snow angels. He pulls out his phone and takes a picture of the four of them as they smile brightly at him. 

Judy gasps and sits up, "Lori! You promised to take us ice skating when your legs weren't tired anymore!"

Carol snorts and sits up as well, looking at her best friend with a raised eyebrow. Lorraine blushes and averts her curious gaze, looking at the little girl instead. 

"If your Daddy's okay with it, we can go." The two kids look at their father who nods his head. They squeal and jump up from their lying positions, grabbing onto Lorraine's hand to pull her up making the adults laugh. 

Roger walks over to his girlfriend and pulls her up as well. Turning to the rest of the group, he wraps his arm around her waist and clears his throat. 

"If you're up for it...The center is just a few minutes away if we walk." He nodded his head in the direction of the large center, where music was playing and dazzling lights were visible. Ed looks down at Lorraine, who smiles and nods. The older man takes the brunette's hand in his and walks alongside the children in front of them, nodding his head at his employee.

________________________________________

"Can I ask y'all something?" Drew asks Roger and Carol as he catches up beside them, the other couple and the twins walking a few feet in front of them. Roger and Carol look at him with a nod. He takes a deep breath and glances at the twins, his eyes darting between Judy and Lorraine for a second. 

"Carol...You've known Lorraine your whole life right?"

A curious look in her eyes, she nods her head and replies, "Yes, why?"

Drew shrugs his shoulders, shivering slightly at the cold breeze flowing past them. "I just...I find it odd how much Judy looks like Lorraine at some points. There was a time when I was having dinner with them and she looked at me with this...Look and...She looked exactly like Lorraine. There are also times when Junior looks like Ed, or even acts like him but, I figured it was because he had raised them."

The couple share a glance. They weren't crazy after all. Drew had also seen the resemblance between the couple and the twins.

Carol lowered her voice as she answered back. "When I first met Lorraine, she looked exactly like Judy. I have a picture at home of when she was a little girl. Judy is her twin." She looks up at the young man who's eyes widen. 

So it wasn't a coincidence. 

"Do you think Lorraine and Ed know?"

She scoffs and shakes her head, her eyes moving to the couple in front of them as they hold the twins' hands before crossing the road. "If they don't see the resemblance already, they must be blind as hell. Lorraine should've seen it at first glance. I mean, the little girl is her all over. Even down to her tiny, cheeky grin before she does anything crazy."

"Hold on, sillies. We're almost there." Lorraine giggles when the kids start tugging on her and Ed's hands impatiently, leading the way to the skating rink. The kids gasp and lean against the side railings as they watch people skate, their eyes wide and curious. 

"Wow! Look at her!" Junior exclaims, his tiny finger pointing at a woman who's spinning on one foot in the middle of the rink like a professional figure skater. The woman laughs graciously as she finishes her little stunt, skating away toward a man standing off to the side and wrapping her arms around his waist. 

"Ewww." The twins pretend to gag and cover their eyes when the couple kiss making the adults laugh. Ed takes their hands and leads them toward the booth to rent out their skates, getting a pair for himself and Lorraine as well. 

Once they helped the kids with tying the laces on the skates, Ed and Lorraine helped them stand on wobbly feet before carefully walking them to the rink. 

Lorraine chuckles when the kids grip her fingers tightly, looking at the slippery ice as some kids fall a few feet in front of them. "Okay, we're gonna have Daddy go first and then the two of you will go on before me okay?"

Judy and Junior nod their heads and watch as Ed steps onto the ice, turning to them with a smile. 

"See? Easy. All you gotta do is go one step at a time." He says softly as he takes his son's hand into his and helps him onto the ice. Junior wobbles a bit at first and wraps his arms around Ed's legs making Lorraine giggle. 

"Easy there, bud. You don't want your Dad falling on you."

"Yeah, your Dad's gonna make you fall through the ice." Drew jokes making Ed glare at him when Junior whimpers and buries his face into his thigh. 

Stroking the boy's dark brown hair, Ed chuckles. "Don't listen to Drew, buddy. He's just being an idiot like always." He looks at Lorraine who's smiling down at Judy as she inspects the ice in front of her. 

"I won't fall right?"

"No, baby. I got you. Like last time remember?" Lorraine squeezes her hand in reassurance. "I won't be letting you go anytime soon, hon." She winks at the little girl making her giggle. Judy takes a deep breath before stepping onto the ice as she holds onto her father's outstretched hand. When she slips a bit, both Ed and Lorraine hold her up while she whimpers. 

"It's okay, baby. We got you."

Roger, Drew, and Carol stand to the side watching the couple in awe as they hold the kids tightly while Lorraine makes her way onto the rink. Carol's smile grew at the sight of her best friend teaching the two kids how to skate knowing this had been a dream of hers ever since they were in high school. Lorraine always wanted kids of her own, she didn't care how many as long as they were healthy, beautiful children who had a mix of her and her husband and knew how loved they were. 

After a while of holding Judy and Junior's hands and taking them around the rink together, the kids felt like they could move on their own as they slowly let go of the couple's hands. Their arms waved around as they tried to catch their balance and move carefully on wobbly legs. 

"Be careful, Judy," Ed calls out, wrapping his arm around Lorraine's waist and keeping her close as they watch the twins hold hands and skate in front of them, slowly moving side to side. The little boy has a bright smile as he gazes adoringly at his sister skating beside him, her tongue sticking out as she concentrates on moving her feet the correct way. 

"There you go," Lorraine giggles and skates in front of the kids, turning around so she is now skating backward. "Left, right, left, right. Just like how I taught you a few days ago." She takes the kids' hands again and pulls them with her making them laugh while Ed follows behind, a proud smile on his face. 

Soon enough, the kids are skating slowly and carefully on their own behind her, giggling and excited to be skating with their father and nanny. 

Carol starts capturing a video of the four after taking her phone out of her small purse. Finally seeing a man who loved and cared for her best friend the way she deserves made her fulfilled. Carol could tell by the gaze in Ed's eyes that he had no intention of releasing Lorraine from his strong grasp. Never. The woman who had the key to his heart, Lorraine, would be permanently trapped in his heart. 

He'd let the world burn for her. Make every man and woman get on their knees and worship his woman if they ever wronged her or made her cry. If Lorraine told Ed to jump off a bridge, he'd leap with a big smile on his face and his heart full of burning desire for her.

"Lorraine, watch out!" Roger calls out when he notices a man heading straight for Lorraine as he skates backward without a care in the world about anyone around him. Ed grabs the brunette's hand and pulls her to the side, causing her to knock into the children. The four fall onto the ice with a loud "oof."

The man skates by, looking down at the couple and looking away in fear when Ed sends him a death glare, his blood boiling and his nostrils flaring. He mumbles a quiet "sorry" and skates away to find his girlfriend. 

"Are you okay?" Ed asks his girlfriend as he caresses her hair, but her attention is not on him. It is on the kids who are trying to stand up. She notices Junior crying and looks at him with concern. 

"Junior? Are you okay?" She hooks her finger under his chin and pulls his face, forcing him to look at her. "Baby?"

"My hand hurts." The little boy pouts, showing the couple his hand as he sits on his shins. Judy sits beside him with her hand holding his shoulder. Lorraine takes the boy's hand into hers and inspects it carefully, noticing a small cut on his wrist. 

"Okay, baby. Hold on." The brunette gives him a gentle smile and guides the two children in getting to their feet. Ed pulls himself up by grabbing onto the railing behind him, then extends his hand to assist Lorraine, who gives him a tender smile and takes his hand.

They return to the other three adults and take a seat on an empty bench nearby. After taking her best friend's purse, Lorraine searches through it for her tiny first aid kit. Since the first time she'd taken the kids to the park and Judy had scraped her knee attempting to get down the slide, she'd kept one on her at all times.

Lorraine grins triumphantly when she finally finds the pack. Turning her gaze toward Junior who was walking back with Drew after he'd taken him to wash his hands, she waves him over. She pulls out a bandaid and peels off the stickers before carefully placing it over the small cut on his wrist. 

"There we go." She kisses his wrist and smiles at him making him giggle. "Better now?" With a nod, the young boy puts his arms around her neck and gives her a firm hug. As the other three adults stand in front of them, Carol holding Judy in her arms, Ed smiles and gives her a gentle rub on the back with his rough hand.

"Thank you, Lori."

She pulls him back and strokes his silky dark brown hair while grinning broadly at him. "You're welcome, baby. Wanna go back?" Junior shakes his head with a hum before turning his head toward his sister who agreed with him, the two of them yawning at the same time making the adults chuckle. 

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Lorraine and Carol hugged each other tightly. The short brunette took a deep breath and smiled as she pulled back from the hug. 

"I have a gift for you actually." She grins brightly before walking to Roger's car to get the medium-sized gift bag sitting in the front seat. Lorraine feels Ed walk up behind her and hums softly when he wraps his arms around her shoulders and rests his chin on her head. She cranes her neck and kisses his arm with a smile as she leans back into his hard chest, watching her best friend walk back to them. 

"Oh, jeez. You shouldn't have."

Rolling her eyes, Carol scoffed and shoved the bag into the taller brunette's hands. "You dropped mine off a few days ago. You know the rules."

"Yeah, yeah." Lorraine shakes her head and starts opening the bag. Ed looks over her shoulder to see what's inside when Carol stops her. 

"Uh...I would open it later."

A blush creeping up her cheeks, Lorraine raised an eyebrow at her. "What the fuck did you buy me?"

Carol smirked mischievously. She winked at the couple as turns on her heel and walked toward her boyfriend who was waiting by the car. "Let's just say...Ed is going to love his Christmas present if you haven't already given him one." 

"Carol!" The brunette covers her face with her hands in embarrassment while Ed chuckles and kisses her head, excited to see what is in store for him. Carol grins at her from the car and waves at her. 

Before she gets inside the car, she shouts, "Have a lot of fun! Just don't scream too loud!" Lorraine flips her off making her best friend laugh as her boyfriend starts the car. She stops Roger before they leave and rolls down the window before mimicking moans as she throws her head back which makes Lorraine blush a deeper red than before. 

"Ah! Fuck off!"

Carol laughs loudly and sticks her tongue out playfully as her boyfriend drives them away. She notices Lorraine flipping them off making her stick her hand out of the rolled-down window and flip her off as well. 

Once the car is out of sight, Lorraine lets out a deep sigh and turns in Ed's arms. She puts her arms around his neck and plays with the hair at the nape of his neck while gazing at him.

"Shall we go inside and see what your lovely best friend bought for me?"

Lorraine laughs and rolls her eyes, "We have to put the kids to bed, idiot."

"Which is why..." He leans down and kisses her neck, trailing up her jaw. "Drew is staying the night to watch them for us."

"Oh...So you've planned this out already, huh?"

Ed gives her a wink as he leans back. "Oh, yeah. I have the whole night planned." He throws his girlfriend over his shoulder, and she raises an eyebrow at him before squealing as his hand travels up her leg to her ass, where he gives her a firm squeeze.

"Ed!" As he walks into the house, he laughs at Lorraine's giggling and glances into the living room, where he sees Drew playing with the children. With a shit-eating smile on his face and his cock throbbing in his pants to be inside his gorgeous girlfriend already, he carefully runs up the stairs after making sure the kids and Drew were alright.

Chapter Text

Ed wasn't the biggest fan of the fake, pornographic, high-pitched moans that women made in those porn movies. Especially when they made too much noise and it got all weird and whoever was watching could tell it was all fake and forced. It's not like he watched a lot of porn either but, only when he was really desperate and younger.

But, with Lorraine though. It was different. Every time her moans got louder and high-pitched signaled to him that she was getting closer and closer to the edge of falling apart, especially now as she was sitting on his face. His hands are gripping her ass cheeks tight enough to leave fingerprint bruises, his tongue is buried in her tight cunt as he fucks her fast, and his nose keeps swiping along her swollen clit making her shudder and grip the headboard while her hips are stuttering as they gyrate over his face, needing to come but, he's not letting her.

"Please. Please. God, please." Her thighs tense around his head and her eyes are screwed shut. She feels him shake his head "no" from beneath her and she lets out a frustrated moan as he begins to tease her by sucking her bud into his mouth to flicking and kissing it. 

"Baby, please. I need-"

He removes his mouth from her and grips her ass tighter, moving her higher onto his face. "I said no." She's about to cry, her thighs now quivering from the burning need to come. Lorraine palms her lace-covered breasts and listens to the way he's groaning at her taste, his tongue lapping her up. She grinds her hips down making him hum in delight, his hands sliding up to her hips to move her again. 

She glows in the moonlight as his gaze follows the red lace up her body. Carol was correct about one thing: He loved his Christmas gift. His favorite of the various lingerie sets she had purchased for Lorraine was this red one, but he was eager to see her wearing the pastel pink one that was stashed in the bottom of the paper bag. When she walked out of the bathroom in this beautiful masterpiece, he was ready to die right there.

Hearing her desperate moans and her fingers pinching her rosy, pink nipples, he gives in. 

"Come, darlin'." His words vibrate against her clit making her gasp. "Come on my face. Let me taste you, darlin'." Lorraine's hips haphazardly grind against his mouth, her thighs squeezing the sides of his head making him hum. She comes hard with a guttural moan and her head thrown back. 

"That's it, baby." He praises her as he continues lapping at her dripping come. "That's my girl." His eyes snap up to hers, wanting to see the angelic face she makes when she's coming from his tongue and the whimpers leaving her lips. 

Ed lets her ride out of her high as she moves at a slow pace above him, her hands coming to rest on the headboard as she pants heavily and her chest heaves. 

When she's calmed down, she climbs off him, landing on her ass beside him and swallowing thickly. Lorraine looks down at her man, who is grinning and licking his lips while his dark eyes are fixed on her. With a smug grin, he quickly climbs on top of her, his lips slamming into hers, causing her to moan at the taste of her on him. His fingers wrap around her throat while his other hand plays with the red garter around her toned thigh. 

"Look at you, darlin'." His eyes sweep over her angelic face and her parted lips. He lightly pulls on the garter on her thighs, hearing it snap against her tender skin making her squirm. Her breathing gets heavier as he kisses her swollen lips again. "All mine."

Her legs part as she whimpers, nodding her head at his words and her teeth pull on her bottom lip. 

His teeth sink into her neck making her gasp. "You're mine, and mine only. Understand?" She hums her response, nodding her head but, his grip tightens on her throat. His eyes narrow at her when he leans back. "Understand?"

"Y-yes."

Ed let out a deep hum and ran his nose along her jaw, her vanilla lotion filling his senses. "Good girl." His hand gripped her thigh and pulled her down, making her squeal before he kissed her deeply again. She wound her arms around his shoulders to pull him closer, as a low moan escaped her lips. Lorraine looked up at him with her big, blue eyes. Her pupils were as dark as the outside world and dilated.

She loved their size difference, how big he was compared to her. Big meaning, all of him was big. The way he dominated her always made her feral and wanted because she wanted him to act this possessive and obsessive over her. She craved this, every second of every day. 

His cock throbbed at her needy whine when his hand on her thigh traveled between her legs to cup her bare sex. 

"You want me, baby?"

"Mhmm." Lorraine nods her head, her fingers playing with his hair and her tongue poking out to lick her bottom lip. 

"How bad do you want me, darlin'?"

She bites her bottom lip, a smile gracing her plump lips. "So bad. I want you to fuck me and fill me with your come."

Ed almost comes on the spot. 

He pushes two fingers into her tight cunt, a breathy moan escaping her lips. "Not good enough." His voice rumbles against her neck as he licks and bites at her perfect, soft skin. 

Not good enough?

Her fingers dig into his shoulder when he curls his fingers into her, finding that rough patch inside of her making her gasp. "Oh, god, yes."

"What do you want, darlin'?"

"I want- I want you." She breathes out, her back bending and pressing her lace-covered breasts into his bare chest. "All of you."

Ed hums lowly. His lips press against her hot cheek before trailing to her ear, whispering, "Beg for it."

"Please," Lorraine whimpers as he continues to thrust his fingers into her slowly. "Please fuck me, Ed."

"Oh, baby. I think you can do better than that." His fingers pull out of her, teasing her clit as he lets out a low chuckle making her whine. Ed smirks down at her. "Beg for it, darlin'."

For fuck's sake.

"Please, Ed. Please fuck me. Give me your cock and make me come so hard that I see stars. Baby, please." Lorraine thinks she might cry as she begs the handsome man towering over her in bed to fuck her senseless. "Please fill me up. I want to feel you inside me. I want you to mark me and use me as your slut."

If she's not careful with her words...

Ed raises an eyebrow at her, a dark smile on his lips as he leans back to take his hard cock in his hands, lining himself up with her before pushing into her in one hard thrust making her cry out.

"My dirty girl. Look at you...Taking my cock like the good girl you are." His words are mumbled against her lips as he thrusts in and out of her, one of his hands gripping her thigh while the other holds her wrists above her head. 

"Oh, god." Lorraine gasps, throwing her head back and pushing her breasts into his chest again making him chuckle. He leans down and bites her breast making her moan. 

"Baby, I'll make you see God by the time I'm done with you." Her eyes roll into the back of her head knowing his words are a promise. He groans lowly at the way her pussy clenches around his cock, the sound of him thrusting in and out of her filling the room. 

"Fuck. You're gorgeous, darlin'." Removing his hand from her thigh, he pulls the lace on her breast down and wraps his lips around her hard nipple making her whimper. His teeth tug on the small bud and his tongue laps at it sending shock waves through her body, her nails digging into his hand making Ed groan. 

"Don't- Don't stop." The brunette wraps her legs around his waist and pulls him closer, moaning loudly when his cock hits deeper into her. "God, yes. Ed-" His name falls from her lips like a prayer. His hips snapped into her at a brutal pace making her gasp. Her pussy flutters around him as she gets closer to coming. 

Ed smiles darkly at her. His needy woman pants and moans underneath him, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and her teeth tugging on her lower lip. He doesn't stop his fast pace, driving harder into her making her see stars. He lets go of her wrists and trails his hand down her sides until he's playing with her clit between her legs, rubbing the bud in time with his thrusts to stimulate her more. 

She cries out with her head thrown back, her body shuddering. "Yes, yes, yes. You feel so good, baby." Her legs start shaking around his waist, the burning need to come getting hotter. "Ed, I'm gonna- Fuck, babe."

"Come for me, darlin'. Show me what a good girl you are and come on my cock." Ed leans down and sucks on her pulse point. 

Lorraine comes hard around him with a scream of his name, a wet gush soaking his cock as her eyes roll to the back of her head. "Shit! Baby- ED!"

Ed buried his nose in her hair, taking a deep breath while she panted heavily. "Holy shit, baby girl. You're such a good girl." She moans lowly and wraps her arms around his neck, bringing her lips to his and kissing him messily, the two of them sharing air as they pant together. He takes her hands in his and laces them on either side of her head, thrusting into her harder before he spills his hot seed into her with a low moan of her name. His hips stuttering as he fills her, his fingers still playing with her clit sending Lorraine into what felt like another orbit as black stars appeared behind her eyes. 

"You did so good, pretty girl." He panted against her neck, leaving a small kiss as he leaned back to gaze at her post-orgasm state. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, making her chuckle lowly. 

Lorraine runs her fingers through his hair and gazes at him softly as if studying his face to burn his features into her brain. "Guess you liked your present, huh?" She feels him soften inside of her making her hum. Ed pecks her lips and chuckles before moving off of her, laying beside her instead and pulling her against his side. 

"Oh, yeah. Fuckin' loved it." He turns his head and smirks at her. "Can't wait to see the rest."

"Hmm, maybe I should do a little show in here for you." 

God, yes.

Ed lets his fingers run against her spine, a trail of goosebumps forming on her skin. "Might even put a pole in here for ya."

She lets out a laugh and rubs his pecs. "What? Like a stripper?"

"Oh, yeah." He winks with a boyish grin. "My very own personal stripper."

"You're such an idiot." Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes as she rises and moves to sit on his abdomen, her knees straddling his sides. His eyes drag over her lace-covered body, his tongue poking out to lick his lips as hunger fills his eyes once again. 

"God, you're beautiful."

She snorts. "Why? Because I'm sitting on top of you only wearing a thin material of lace with my make-up and hair done? Lookin' like a hooker? Bet you say that to all the ladies you bring to bed, huh?" Her eyebrows furrow together making his eyes soften as he looks up at her and his hands running up her thighs. 

Did she really think that's all I see about her?

"'Course not."

"Then?"

He smirks as he pulls her down, flipping them over so that he is once again on top. "Because you're the only woman I've had in my bed for years now. I've been obsessed with your beauty from the day I met you."

"Oh, please-"

"I'm not done." Ed growls, glaring at her making her giggle. A soft, loving smile appears on his lips at the sound, and he is amazed at her beauty and the power this woman held over him with one single sound. "I'm so fuckin' obsessed with you that I would give my soul a thousand times to the devil if it meant I got to relive kissing you for the first time again. That smile on your face when I admitted I was in love with you, God...I fell harder for you. Not a second goes by that I'm captivated by your beauty. And your eyes. God, Lorraine." His hand comes up and brushes away a lock of her hair making her smile. "I love your eyes. The power they hold with just one look. You could have everyone on their knees begging for mercy."

Lorraine feels tears swell in her eyes, her heart beating faster in her chest. Her gaze softens as he caresses her face, her eyes full of love and something more. The amount of love they held for each other couldn't be said in words but, Ed was able to bring it out. 

"I can never stop thinking of you. Before all this, before I was ever able to have you in my arms, thinking of you kept me awake. When I'd dream, all my dreams had you in them and it kept me asleep. Being with you, every day, keeps me alive."

I live and breathe for her.

"So...No." He chuckles softly making her raise a curious eyebrow. "I've never said this to all the ladies I've brought to my bed because you are the only woman who has ever made me feel like this. And because I've never brought anyone to my bed."

The brunette laughs and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss his lips. She sniffles as she pulls away from him, a bright smile on her face. She didn't know what to say or do. All she did was cry beneath him, a few tears slipping down her face making him smile. He wipes them away with the pad of his thumbs and pecks her cheekbone. 

Lorraine had never felt so loved. She'd never felt this way toward a man, ever. She loves him as much as he loves her but, she didn't know how to say it. All she could do was show it.

Her hand cupping the side of his face, she brings his face down to hers again. Her beautiful electric blue eyes looked deep into his sky blue eyes with so much desire and warmth, her heart feeling as if it could burst at any given moment. 

"Make love to me." Her whisper came out so softly he almost didn't hear it. She craved the slow, tender lovemaking where he would touch her gently, kiss her until they were both breathless while keeping the most desirable, intense eye contact as he makes her come over and over again until they were both spent. It's not that she didn't like when he was rough and hard with her but, she wanted to feel him. She didn't want to feel as if they were rushing to get over the finish line. 

Ed had the brightest smile on his face when he kissed her, his hand reaching between them to grab his hard cock and lined himself up with her before pushing in slowly until he was buried to the hilt, the two of them gasping softly. He starts moving at a slow and steady pace, his strokes long and deep like if he'd move any faster, he'd break her. Her moans come out soft and breathy and muffled with their lips moving messily over each other, his tongue licking into her mouth while he laces their fingers together by her head. 

"I love you." She mumbles against his lips, her hands squeezing his. "I love you so much, Ed." A tear slips down the corner of her eye, the streak adding to the glistening sweat on her skin being illuminated by the moonlight. Ed hums and kisses down her jaw and all over her neck. 

"I love you too, darlin'." His hips snap into hers making her gasp and let out a soft moan, throwing her head back. He leaves soft kisses trailing over her throat, nipping at her skin as he moves slowly, the two of them panting together. He groans lowly near her ear when she flutters around him. 

"You feel so good, baby."

Lorraine feels his lips on her chin before they attach to her pulse point, sucking softly to create a small mark. "God, Ed..."

They're close. A few more thrusts from him and they were letting go at the same time, her nails digging into the back of his hands while she lets out a high-pitched moan. 

"Good girl." Ed kisses her open mouth and rasps. They give each other a slow, lazy kiss. Full of love and passion and lust. Together, their hearts are pounding at the same tempo and with the same rhythm. Letting go of one hand, he grabs at her breasts, squeezing them and playing with her nipple making her giggle and squirm beneath him. Ed smiles into their kiss.

He'd do absolutely anything to hear her adorable giggles forever. 

"You are so beautiful. And I'll never stop telling you that."

Lorraine snorts, looking up at him with love-struck eyes. He always managed to make her feel like a teenager again.

"Never?"

Ed pecks her lips. "Ever." She giggles again and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss before he flips them, letting her lay on top of him. He runs his rough hands down the smoothness of her back, feeling every muscle and every curve. Lorraine sighed and moved down a bit so she could lay her head on his chest, right above his beating heart. She presses a kiss on his skin and closes her eyes making him chuckle. 

"Tired?"

"Mhmm." She hums lowly, her fingers tracing hearts over his muscular chest. Ed smiles and runs his finger up and down her spine knowing it helped her fall asleep after he pulls the blankets over their cooling bodies. 

Lorraine felt happy. Satisfied. Loved. Everything all at once. And she prayed to the Lord that this feeling and this loving, handsome man beneath her would stay with her forever because she was never letting him go. Not after everything he's said and done. She'd felt the connection from the first day and now. 

I've found my lover, best friend, and soulmate. I've found my husband. 

Chapter Text

The entire home was filled with the aroma of coffee, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. The sound of the two kids playing and giggling with their new toys was heard in all corners. And his heart skipped a beat as he saw his gorgeous girlfriend, dressed in his dress shirt and silk shorts that outlined the curve of her ass perfectly in his eyes, standing close to the stove. No makeup, her hair thrown into a quick, loose braid, her lips still swollen from his kisses. 

Ed stood with a proud smile on his face watching her. His arms were crossed over his broad, bare chest as he leaned against the door frame in only his sweatpants. 

She could feel him staring. His piercing blue eyes on her body made her feel things that were definitely inappropriate to be feeling in front of kids. Because of their wild behavior from last night, her legs were still shaky, and she couldn't stop grinning. Lorraine couldn't care less about the fact that she would likely be limping for the rest of the day.

"I can feel you staring." Lorraine could also smell his cologne and soap from where she was standing, even if he was only wearing sweatpants, his cologne was stuck to his clothing. 

Ed laughs and approaches her from behind, putting his arm around her waist. She giggles as he plants a kiss on the side of her head. "Not my fault you look beautiful in my clothes, cooking breakfast." He looks down at her as she turns her head, a smirk on her lips. 

"Looks better on me, huh?"

"Oh, yeah." He grins widely before pecking her lips quickly before the kids could see them. 

Lorraine gives him an adorable grin while tracing his lips with her finger. "We gotta tell them soon, y'know." 

With a laugh, Ed pulls her next to him and presses his nose into her silky brown hair. How could she read his thoughts at all times? He will never ever know.

"I know, darlin'. We'll tell them soon." He watches as she pours them two cups of coffee before making hot chocolate for the kids. Ed turns to call the kids over to eat, but he feels two pairs of arms wrap around their legs. They glance down and find the twins smiling up at them, and their faces light up with smiles.

"Good morning, babies." 

"Morning, Daddy!" Judy and Junior yell at the same time while their dogs barked loudly beside them. 

Lorraine giggles and runs her fingers through the kids' hair. "Breakfast is ready. Why don't you two go sit down and Daddy and I will bring your food?"

"Okay, Lori." The twins run away, giggling before taking a seat at the table, and the growing puppies run around the table and bark happily. Lorraine handed her lover two plates of food and smiled as she turned to face him, holding two dishes herself.

"Tell them soon?"

"We will, gorgeous." Ed smiles and nods his head making her giggle softly. They head toward the table and set the plates down before going back to the counter to get the hot drinks. 

________________________________________

"Daddy, higher!"

"Be careful, Ed!" Lorraine scolded when he threw Judy into the air before catching her in his arms. Ed chuckled and turned to the brunette with a smile. 

"She's fine. She's just flying like an airplane." He looks at Judy who giggles and wraps her arms around his neck. "Aren't ya, princess?"

"Like a big airplane!"

The couple laughs at the little girl's exasperation with the word "big." Lorraine bends and carries Junior onto her hip when he starts to walk slowly. After breakfast that morning, Ed and Lorraine decide to go on a walk with the kids and their puppies. They want to spend the day out of the house and get some fresh air, letting the kids play around in the snow and make snow angels. 

"Can we get some hot cocoa?" Junior asks while playing with Lorraine's hair, twirling the strands between his fingers. She smiles at him and raises an eyebrow. 

"Hot cocoa? Didn't you finish a big cup this morning?"

Junior blinks. "So?"

Snorting, Lorraine playfully glares at him and softly pinches his cheek. "What do you mean, so? That'll be too much sugar for you in the morning. Maybe in a few hours, hon."

"But, that's a longgg time, Lori." He pouts at the brunette making her giggle. Ed chuckles beside her and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. 

"I know, baby, but you don't wanna be sick for the rest of the day, do you?" She looks at him as he shakes his head. "No". Lorraine pecks his cheek, making the little boy giggle, a blush creeping onto his chubby cheeks. She craned her neck and gazed up at the older man, who was smiling affectionately and had an identical look on his face."Where shall we head off to?"

Lorraine hums, thinking about how they could spend this beautiful winter day together. An idea pops into her head as a wide grin spreads across her lips. "I have the perfect idea."

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Ed sighs happily as he observes the woman he loves and his two kids with an affectionate grin. He was sitting on one of the stools at the kitchen island while Lorraine was helping Judy pour the chocolate chips into the cookie batter that Junior was trying to stir. Lorraine had the brilliant idea to come home and teach the children how to bake after they had gone for a walk and spent some time outside. Trays of brownies, muffins, and cookies were sitting on the dining table. 

"Think that's enough chocolate?" Lorraine asks the little girl once she stops adding the chips. They look into the bowl as she hums. Looking up at the older brunette, Judy shakes her head making her giggle. "No?"

"No. I think we should add more."

Helping the little girl lift the bag once more, Lorraine nods. "Okay, princess. Let's some more while Junior stirs it." Her eyes flickered to Ed's when she noticed he hadn't said a word this whole time. A faint blush appears on her cheeks when their eyes meet, love radiating off the couple.

Suddenly, Lorraine lets out a sharp gasp when Junior swipes some of the cold dough onto her cheek while giggling making Judy and her father burst into laughter. 

"Junior!"

The little boy giggles uncontrollably, letting go of the spoon and bending over as he clutches his stomach. The brunette playfully glares at the boy before chuckling as she reaches for a paper towel to wipe away the dough. She glances at Ed who's laughing at her and smirks. Dipping her finger into the dough, she swipes it across his nose making him gasp. 

"What the- Lorraine!"

"What?" Her eyes sparkle with mischief as she gives the older man an innocent smile. Ed smirks at her and quickly stands to grab the bowl. Realizing what he's about to do, Lorraine squeals and starts running away from him as he chases her with his hands covered in the cookie dough. The kids watch them run around the kitchen, laughing loudly before joining in on the fun as they grab handfuls of flour and start throwing it at each other. As Lorraine laughs at what's happening, she also picks up a handful of flour and turns to toss it at Ed, who snorts and ducks the throw.

He lets out a laugh and places the silver bowl on the counter to run after her faster. "Nice try."

Lorraine screams playfully when he catches up to her. He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her against his chest, smearing the cookie dough onto her cheek and lips. The two of them are laughing as they continue to smear the dough onto each other's faces, the dough getting smaller and smaller in the silver bowl. Ed gets lost in the moment and grabs Lorraine's arms, yanking her forward and trapping her between his body and the counter.

"Ed," She giggles as her cheeks blush a deep red and a fire ignites in her abdomen. With the devilish look on his face, she knew he wanted to devour her right at that moment. He grabs her chin with one hand and smashes his lips against hers, forgetting about the two kids who are still playing with the flour and chasing after each other. With his hand firmly clutching her wrist to his chest, Ed licks the sweet dough off her lips and gives her a deeper kiss, causing her to moan softly.

Judy and Junior run around the corner of the kitchen island and stop abruptly at the sight. Gasping loudly, the powder in their hands drops to the ground as they call out, "Daddy?"

Chapter Text

When the kids call out their father, Ed and Lorraine jump apart and turn toward the twins panting heavily. The room is dead silent. So silent that you could hear a pin drop to the ground and it'll echo throughout the halls. 

Judy and Junior glance at each other while their father clears his throat. "Judy...Junior-"

"I told you Daddy loves Lori." Judy grins at her brother who giggles and nods his head in excitement. 

Lorraine tried to contain her smile as she bit her bottom lip. She glanced at Ed who frowned making her giggle softly. "And how did you know, honeybun?"

The little girl's lips curled into a tiny smirk at the nanny's question. "Of course, I knew, silly! Daddy always looked at you like you were his princess!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Junior giggled and clapped his hands. "Like-Like Prince Charming looked at Cinderella! Lori is your Cinderella, Daddy!"

Ed couldn't help but let out a chuckle, turning his head to look at his gorgeous brunette woman. Her cheeks were flushed a light pink at the words of the two children. He couldn't deny it. The kids were right about him looking at her like she was a princess. She was his princess. His beautiful, loving, sexy princess. Screw that. Lorraine Moran was his queen. And if he had to get on his knees and tell her that, he would in a heartbeat. 

"Oh, I doubt your dad looks at me like that." Lorraine playfully rolled her eyes. The kids rolled their eyes making her raise an eyebrow. "What? You think-"

"Oh, no. They're absolutely right." Ed smirked. "Princess."

Judy and Junior started giggling and ran over to the adults, wrapping their arms around their legs and hugging them tightly. 

"Is that why you've been staying with us, Lori?" Junior looks up at the couple with a big grin. "Cebause Daddy said you were only supposed to stay for a little bit."

"Yeah, and you've been here for a long time."

Lorraine laughs and runs her fingers through the kids' hair. She raises an eyebrow and says, "So...From what I'm hearing is that you guys don't want me here anymore. I did say-"

The kids looked up at her in shock. Their eyes growing wide. "NO!" They hugged her legs tighter. "You can't leave us!"

Junior starts crying making Lorraine giggle as she crouches down to their level. She smiles softly at them and cups their faces into her hands. 

"I'm only kidding, sillies." She studies their expressions, watching as their eyes fill with joy. "I'm never leaving." A laugh escapes her when the kids wrap their arms around her neck, hugging her tightly and giggling. Lorraine looks up at Ed who smiles lovingly at her. 

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In less than an hour, Lorraine and the Warrens cleaned the kitchen with a little assistance from Zach while Nate kept watch over them from the doorframe. They go into the living room and settle down on the couch to watch movies and eat some of the baked goods. Ed has one arm encircling Junior, who was nestled against his side asleep, and the other around Lorraine's shoulders. With a faint smile on her lips, Judy was partly asleep and buried her face in their nanny's chest.

The brunette sighed contently, snuggling further into Ed's side making him smile. "This is nice."

"Mhmm." He hummed around a mouthful of chocolate chip cookies. Lorraine scoffingly rolled her eyes as she glanced up at him. "What?" Her beautiful smile makes Ed's heart skip a beat, and then she leans in to plant a kiss on his lips.

"I love you."

Ed brushed a piece of her hair away from her face and cupped her chin, pulling her in for another kiss. "I love you."

Her eyes brighten and her smile widens. Lorraine is head over heels in love with this man. Even if he grows tired of hearing it, she will continue to tell him every day for the rest of her life. She'd wake up in the middle of the night just to tell him if she had to. Call him in the middle of the day when he's at work or in a meeting. 

The couple stares at each other in silence with eyes full of love. Ed continues stroking her pale cheek with his thumb, a small smile on his face. 

Marry me.

Though he knew it was too early, the words were on the tip of his mouth. Not for him, but too early for her. He wanted to marry her now. This very moment. He was certain she would say yes. However, it was simply...too early.

Ed opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Nothing came out. Just a small sigh. A content sigh. Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, the brunette giggled. She sighed a little too, then rested her head on his chest while his heart thumped strongly in her ear. He kissed her hair and rested his head on top of hers, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of his three loves in his big arms. 

Chapter Text

Lorraine had been having this weird feeling for a while. Since before Christmas, she'd been feeling like someone was watching her but, she couldn't tell Ed. Not yet though.

The kids are arguing in front of her about which cereal to get when she gets the feeling. Her eyes darted around, trying to find the source of who was watching them but, her eyes landed on Zach and Nate. Sighing, she turned to the kids and raised an eyebrow hearing their argument of cereal options. Both of them were good options, Cocoa Puffs or Fruity Pebbles. Lorraine's personal favorite was the Cocoa Puffs. She wasn't going to be choosing sides though. Not with the kids.

"Hey, hey. Why don't we get this instead?" She grabbed the box of Cookie Crisp from the top shelf and showed it to the twins who looked at her with a frown. "Don't tell me your Dad has never bought this for you." A scoff escaped her lips when they shook their heads. Looking at the two men, Lorraine shook her head. "Can you believe this? I mean- Surely, you guys have tried this. Right?"

Zach and Nate shot a glance at each other before shaking their heads at the brunette. She rolled her eyes in response and tossed the box into the cart.

"Unbelievable. What else have you guys not tried?" Lorraine looks down at the kids who walk beside her as she pushes the cart down the aisle. Judy hums in thought while her brother shrugs his shoulders.

Smirking at an idea, the little girl looks up at their nanny. "We haven't tried chocolate cake."

The woman looks down at her with a knowing look. "Don't lie to me."

"Aw, it was worth a try." Judy huffs and looks back down making the older brunette laugh and pet her hair.

"You tried. Now, c'mon. If we're fast enough, we can get Daddy to get us food before his meeting." The two kids squealed happily, excited to see their father after a long day.

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Ed sighed heavily as he left the meeting room. It wouldn't be another few hours until he could go home to his girlfriend and two kids. Unless someone decided to fuck up the whole situation with his brother and make him stay back later.

"Mr. Warren! Mr. Warren, I need your help on something." He heard a young man call out from behind him making him roll his eyes. Stopping before his office, Ed turns to face the man.

"What."

"Apparently there was a problem with one of the buildings and there is a Ms...Uh..."

Ed raised his eyebrow. "Ms. Who?"

"She said you know her as Mira?"

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"What does she want?"

The young man in front of him swallowed thickly and averted his gaze from his boss who was getting annoyed by the minute. "She-She said that she needs to talk about one of the companies that you share with her. There- There is a problem going on with it, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I- She wasn't specific."

Ed glared at the man, internally enjoying the way he physically cowered in fear. "Well, then figure out the specifics of her problem." The young man nodded and scurried away, leaving his boss with a satisfied smirk. Taking a deep breath, Ed finally grasped the door handle of his office and opened it.

"Daddy!" His face lights up at the sound of his kids calling for him and running toward him with their arms wide open.

"H-Hey!" Ed kneels on one knee and gathers his kids into his arms, peppering their faces with kisses while they laugh. "What are you- What- Where's-"

Lorraine giggles softly from behind his desk, where she is sitting on the long black couch. His eyes meet her beautiful blue orbs, making him smile.

"I have never seen you so speechless." She stands to greet him by his door as he stands straight. He chuckles and cups her cheek, bringing her in to kiss her lips making the kids giggle. "Hi."

"Hi, darlin'." His eyes crinkle on the sides from how hard he's smiling at the gorgeous woman before him. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, we were out shopping and decided to come over to have lunch with you."

"Hmm, so I can pay?"

"Of course not." She playfully rolls her eyes and looks down, winking at the kids before batting her long eyelashes at him. "Will you?"

Ed lets out a laugh and pecks her lips. "C'mon, my love. Let's go." He bends to pick Judy into his arms while Lorraine does the same to Junior, the four of them walking out of his office with big grins.

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"Are you gonna get married?" Junior asked before slurping on his apple juice. Ed choked on his drink while Lorraine paused taking a bite out of her burger. She patted Ed on the back as he coughed and looked at the kids who silently ate their food as if they didn't ask the most out-of-pocket question.

"N-No, honey-bun. We're-" She chuckles while rubbing the older man's back to calm his coughing. "We're not getting married."

Yet.

Ed coughed to clear his throat and mumbled, "Yet."

Lorraine looked at him with a smile, not hearing what he had said but hearing the mumble. "What?"

"Nothing, darlin'." He rubbed her thigh and smiled at her. Ed looked at the kids with a raised eyebrow and a small glare making them grin at him before returning to their meals. He turns back to the brunette smiling lovingly as she watches the kids and his heart melts. He'd never met a woman who loved his kids just as much as he did. Maybe even more. The woman he'd dated back a few years ago hated the idea of kids and he was glad he never got to share this moment with her but with the true love of his life.

Lorraine was the one. He knew it. He could feel it.

"Do you have to go back to work after this?" He heard the soft voice of the brunette asked. With a tired sigh, he squeezes her thigh and nods.

"Yeah. There's some things I have to deal with and the problem with my brother is getting worse."

"Mmm." Lorraine nods, taking another bite of her burger. She covers her mouth with her hand as she chews and looks at him. "Are you still going on that trip to Seattle? To settle things with him?"

Ed nods, leaning back into the booth seat and putting his arm around her shoulder. "Yes. And you're still coming with me."

"When do we leave? After New Year right? Remember-"

"I know, Rebecca wants us to celebrate with them and-"

"Who's Reb- Rab-" Junior looks at Judy, trying to figure out how to say the woman's name. His sister shrugs her shoulders as she sips on her milkshake.

"Becca?" Judy asks making the older brunette giggle.

"Rebecca, honey-bun." Lorraine smiles at the two kids. "She's like...I would say she's like my older sister."

"And we're going to see her?"

"Well, that's up to your Dad. If he-"

Ed raises an eyebrow at her and smiles at his kids. "We're going to see her. New Year's is in a few days. We can head up tomorrow so that you can meet the other kids."

"Other kids?"

Junior hums, "We get new friends?"

"A bunch of new friends. I think you'd like Cameron. Cameron loves to play around a lot and play-"

"Soccer?"

"He loves soccer."

Judy and Junior grin at each other and look at the couple, "Can we go today?!" Ed and Lorraine look at each other with raised eyebrows, shocked that the kids were excited to meet the woman's family.

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Rebecca squealed excitedly on the other line, making Lorraine wince. She pulled the phone away from her ear. She looked at Ed, who was working at his desk, chuckling at the woman's reaction. After their small lunch date with the kids, Ed brought them back to his office until he finished everything. The twins were sleeping on the small couch next to the door while Lorraine sat on the chair before the desk.

"You're coming?! Oh, that's so exciting! I can't wait to see you guys again! The kids are going to be so excited! You know, when you guys left they wouldn't stop asking about when you'd come back. They absolutely loved Ed!"

"Aww, well, tell them we're excited too. We can't wait to head up and-"

"Lori, can I cuddle with you," Junior asks from behind her as he walks up to her and rubs his eyes sleepily. He pouts at her making her smile and nod, opening her arms and accepting him into her arms, letting him nuzzle his face into her chest before falling asleep.

"Who was that?"

Lorraine's eyes snap up to Ed's.

Oh, shit.

They'd completely forgotten to bring up the fact that Ed has kids.

"Hey, um...I'll call you back later."

"Raine? Was that a kid? Who was-"

"Bye!" The brunette quickly hangs up the call and tosses her phone onto the other seat next to her before letting out a loud sigh. "Well, that's gonna be fun to explain to them later." She jokes making her boyfriend chuckle and nod his head. Lorraine hums quietly and caresses the face of the little boy in her arms while patting his back.

Ed watches her with a soft gaze, his elbow placed against the desk with his chin resting on his closed fist. He loved the way her lips formed into a small smile every time the kids snuggled with her. He could tell she loved them dearly. That was one of the reasons why he fell in love with her. He always told her how he'd first fallen in love with her smile or her laugh but, it was her heart. Everything about her was perfect but, her heart. Her heart was what pulled him toward her, almost like she was a magnet.

"Stop looking at me like that." His eyes snap up to hers, a smile forming on his face at the way she's looking at him.

He smirks at her. "Like what?"

Like you want to marry me.

Lorraine just lets out a snort and smiles, shaking her head to get rid of the thought. She looks at him again, blushing at the intense gaze he has on her as if he's watching her every move.

"Stop it."

Ed chuckles and looks back at his computer. His eyes quickly scan the page before rolling his eyes. He wants to go home. With his kids. His beautiful woman. His family.

Taking another glance at the woman and kids in front of him, he closes out of the document and logs out. Clearing his throat, he stands and puts on his long trench coat, feeling the brunette's gaze on him.

"Where are you going?"

"We're going home, my love." He whispers as he makes his way to her and takes his son out of her arms.

Lorraine raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him, taking his outstretched hand and letting him help her to stand. "But, what about-"

"My family comes first." He smiles lovingly at her. "C'mon, darlin'. Let's go home." Helping her up, he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her into his side. Ed closes his eyes and kisses her forehead before nuzzling his nose into her hair. He inhaled the smell of vanilla and roses. She always smelled sweet.

Ed rubs her back and hums. "Let's go, my love." He walks with her toward Judy, letting Lorraine carry her into her arms and they walk out of his office, finally heading home.

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She loved watching him. Just as much as he loved to watch her. Ed was walking around the room, taking off his coat and tossing it onto the leather chair in the corner of the room while she lay on the bed on her side, propped up on her elbow, her eyes trailing over his clothed body.

He undoes his tie and throws it to join his coat on the chair then starts unbuttoning the top three buttons on his shirt, sighing in relief at the coolness of the room hitting his neck. Ed moves to his belt, starting to unbuckle it when he feels her gaze. A deep chuckle escapes his throat making her bite into her bottom lip, her finger playing with a loose string on her sweater.

"Like what you see, darlin'?"

Lorraine lets out a throaty giggle, "Mhmm." She waits for him to turn around but, he doesn't. Instead, he continues to face away from her, letting her admire his muscular back through his black dress shirt. She starts whining, "Turn around, baby."

"And why should I do that?" He raises an eyebrow even though he knows she can't see him. He hears her let out an exasperated sigh.

"Mmm, because you love me?"

"And...?"

"And because if you turn around, you can take my ability to walk."

He snorts and shakes his head, looking down at the dark hardwood floor with a smile slowly forming on his face.

Oh, his dirty woman.

Ed turns slowly on the heels of his shiny, black dress shoes. Lorraine giggles excitedly and turns to lie on her front, her chin resting on her clenched fists.

"Now what?"

She pretends to think, already knowing what she wants him to do. "Hmm, start with your belt." Her teeth sink into her bottom lip again as his hands travel to his waist, his veiny arms flexing as he unbuckles the belt and slowly slides it out of the loops of his pants. He smirks at her and starts on his shirt again, chuckling at her hum of approval. Once he fully unbuttons his shirt, he notices the way she licks her lips, her eyes darkening as if she's about to pounce on him at any second.

"Mmm, c'mere." Lorraine wags her finger at him with a sly smile making him huff a laugh as he makes his way to her. The brunette gets on her knees and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him down and kissing him messily, a moan escaping her lips.

"Your turn." He grins at his woman who playfully rolls her eyes. Her fingers played with the bottom of her sweater before she slowly pulled it off, throwing it to the side to join his belt on the floor. Ed smirks at the sight of her without a bra and lets his hands run up and down her sides, feeling her soft skin underneath his rough hands.

Lorraine giggles when he tickles her lightly. "Stop it."

"What? Can't play with my gorgeous woman?"

"Whatever." The brunette laughs, bringing him down for another kiss. Ed grabs onto her ass and pulls her closer, feeling her. She smiles into the kiss and bites on his bottom lip making him groan in pain.

"Bite me again." Ed challenges her, his eyes darkening and glaring down at her. The brunette smiles innocently at him and pecks his lips, her fingers running through his hair.

"And what if I did?"

He raises his eyebrow at her, challenging her further. Lorraine kisses him again, this time she nibbles on his bottom lip before giggling as she backs off.

"Wha-" Ed gets cut off when the brunette pulls him onto the bed with a laugh by the crucifix chain she had bought him for Christmas.

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She fisted the bedsheets tightly, her knuckles turning white and her back arched like a cat as Ed fucked her mercilessly from behind. His hands held onto her hips, pulling her back onto him so she could feel him deeper.

"Oh, fuck." Lorraine moaned into the sheets, trying to be quiet so the kids wouldn't hear them. Ed groans at the feeling of her fluttering around his length, his hand traveling up her spine and grabbing her hair, pulling on the strands making her hiss. "Christ, Ed."

"Be quiet or the kids will hear you." He warns her, his grip tightening on her hair making her whimper. He wants to look at her. Wants to see the way her face lights up when she comes and her eyes roll back.

When he pulls out, Lorraine groans out in frustration, her face dropping onto the bed.

"What the f-" Ed grabs her waist and flips her onto her back making her gasp. She looks at him in confusion until she lets out a moan when he thrusts into her harshly. "Oh." Her eyes screw shut and her back arches, her fingers gripping onto the bedsheets.

"Look at me, darlin'." His hand grabs her chin, forcing the brunette to look at him. He pecks her lips, before sitting up with his hand moving down to her throat and gripping her softly, not too hard to cut off her air circulation. Ed holds her in place as he fucks into her, the bed starting to bang onto the wall. "Mmm, you take me so well. Don't you baby?"

Lorraine nods her head frantically, "Mhmm." as she wraps her legs around his waist so he hits deeper into her. Her eyes roll into the back of her head, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. 

She trails her hand up his muscular arm until she's gripping his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin. "Oh. That- Right there, baby." She gasps loudly when Ed hits that one spot in her, hitting it over and over and over again. Her other hand reaches up and grabs onto the headboard, her head thrown back with his fingers still wrapped around her throat. 

"Good girl." Ed groans, leaning down and kissing her neck. He inhales her scent making him wild, his hips snapping into her faster and harder. "Fuck, darlin'. You always smell so good." Lorraine whimpers beneath him, her legs shaking around his waist as they lock around him. 

A phone starts to ring from the nightstand making him groan in frustration but, he doesn't stop. His woman is about to fall apart underneath him and he's not gonna stop that from happening anytime soon. 

"I'm c- Ed. Don't stop. Oh, shit." Her breathing becomes frantic as her throbbing clit gets stimulated by Ed rubbing it in time with his thrusts and his cock hitting her spot over and over again. She doesn't know where to put her hands, she has them moving from his arm to the back of his head to dragging her nails down his muscular back. 

Ed hisses in pain, his teeth sinking into her shoulder. "Come on, baby." His fingers grip her throat tightly and she moans loudly, her ankles locking around his waist. "That's it, baby. Fuck, you're such a good girl, huh." Lorraine comes violently around him as she moans his name, stars appearing behind her eyes before her vision goes black. He notices her body go limp for a second and he lets go of her throat, stopping his thrusts, and cups her face. 

"Baby?" He lightly taps her cheek and panic starts to seep in when she doesn't respond. "Baby? Open your eyes, baby." Ed pulls out of her and sits up, lifting her limp body and cradling her in his lap. "Lorraine! Lorraine, my love, open your eyes." He checks her pulse and lets out a small breath of relief that he finds one. "Lorraine!" 

Jumping out of bed, he carries her to the window seat and props open the window, letting some fresh air into the room as he brushes her hair out of her face. 

"Open your eyes, love. C'mon."

The brunette slowly opens her eyes hearing Ed call out for her in a panicked voice. A cool air hits her hot skin making her shiver. Licking her lips, she manages to mumble out, "It's cold, Ed." Her head turns and nuzzles into his chest making him let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding. 

"Oh, god." Ed holds her up and pulls her hair back, letting her body cool down. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Her head feels heavy and everything is spinning. Her head falls onto his shoulder as she licks her lips again, her mouth feeling dry. "Why- What-..."

Ed rubs her back and kisses her head, relief settling into him. He leans back onto the wall letting her sit on his lap and lay her head on his chest. "You passed out. I- You- You passed out."

"What? When?"

"After..." How should he say this? "After you uh..."

It clicks in Lorraine's fuzzy brain and she lets out a small giggle, shaking her head. "When I said for you to take my ability to walk...I didn't mean literally." Ed chuckles and kisses her head again. She looks up at him with her big blue eyes making him look down at her, panic still in his eyes. 

Her heart breaks a little. He was scared. She'd never seen him so scared. "Aw, baby. It's okay." Slowly, she sits up and turns on his lap to face him, her arms encircling his neck and her knees straddling his thighs. She leans her forehead on his. "I'm okay, baby."

"Are you- Are you sure? What if- I- What if I hurt you or-or-"

"Ed. Calm down." She leans back and smiles lovingly. "You didn't hurt me, honey. It's okay. I'm okay." Ed stays quiet for a few seconds, his eyes scanning all over her to make sure she is telling the truth before he exhales slowly, tension leaving his body. Lorraine caresses his cheek with her finger, her soft eyes staring into his. "I love you."

His heart bursts. Tears threaten to fill his eyes but, he stays strong and smiles. "I love you more."

"Hmm, I'll let that slide for now." Lorraine giggles making him chuckle. Leaning in, she captures his lips into a hot kiss, her fingers running through his hair while he grips onto her waist. She gasps and lets out a giggle when she feels him grow hard underneath her. "Already, huh?"

 Ed chuckles darkly and winks at her. "Have you looked in the mirror? I'm always ready." The brunette grins at him and pulls him in for another kiss as her hand comes between them, grabbing his hard cock and pumping it a few times before lining him up with her entrance. The two of them let out a small gasp as he slid into her wet center. 

"Oh, God, you feel so good." She moans into his mouth as she sets a pace. Ed moans deeply and sucks on her bottom lip before grabbing her face with one of his hands and messily kissing her, all teeth and tongue.

With the window open, anyone standing outside could hear the loud moans coming from the brunette woman which would happen to include the bodyguards that stood outside the house who were looking at each other with knowing expressions. They finally figured out the reason for his sudden happiness, their boss had been getting laid. 

Her moans got louder as his thrusts got deeper. Lorraine bites her lip and sighs at the feeling of his hands all over her. She slowly throws her head back, exposing her neck to him which he took advantage of by biting, licking, and sucking at her soft skin. 

"Mm, that's my girl. You're doing so good, my pretty woman." Ed mumbles against her skin, his hands coming up to cup her breasts. He kisses down her neck and nibbles the skin on her breasts, leaving a trail of love bites. He loved marking her up. Even if no one can't see them, she'll know he belongs to him. And him only. 

He grabs her hips and lifts her, slamming her down onto his cock making her whimper. She looks down at him with a raised eyebrow and he smirks. 

"You can take it, darlin'."

"I know I- Oh." Her words are cut off by a moan coming out of her lips when his lips wrap around her nipple, sucking on the bud and tugging with his teeth. His other hand plays with her other breast, flicking the bud with his thumb. "Oh, God. Don't sto- Ed. Don't stop." Lorraine's fingers curl into his hair, pulling his head back. The two smile at each other, their faces full of lust and love. 

She leans down and kisses her lips while he palms her ass, grinding her hips into his making her moan. "I'm gonna-"

"Let go, darlin'." He mumbles against her lips. He was close too and he needed to come before they got interrupted again. Lorraine bounces harder and faster on him, bringing them closer to the edge of finishing. 

"Oh, shit! That's- Ed! Ohmygod-" The brunette lets out a loud moan while Ed groans out her name and finally comes, his seed shooting deep inside her. His head rests against the wall behind him as he runs his hands up and down her thighs, listening to the brunette catch her breath, her fingers drawing hearts on his chest.

The couple looks at each other and smiles. Lorraine sighs happily and slowly lifts herself off him, maneuvering until she's lying on top of him. She crosses her arms on his chest and rests her chin on her arm, smiling at him. Ed chuckles and brushes her hair back from her face, running his hand down her toned back. 

"You're so beautiful."

Lorraine giggles, "You tell me that every time."

"Because it's true." Ed chuckles, leaning forward and kissing the tip of her nose. "And I'll tell you every day until the day I die."

"Which I hope isn't anytime soon." She lifts her finger and traces the lines of his lips, smiling when he kisses the pad of her finger. He opens his mouth to say something when they hear yelling from outside. 

"Eddy-boy! You done fucking some bitch yet?"

For fuck's sake.

The brunette frowns at him, noticing the way his mood immediately changes into anger. 

"Hey! I know you can hear me! Let me have some of her since you're done!"

"Ed?" Lorraine asks softly, starting to sit up when he stops her by grasping her hips. "Who is-"

"No one. Just...Don't move and they'll leave."

"Who is it though?"

"ED! Get off the damn slut and let me get some too!"

Ed lets out a frustrated sigh and rolls his eyes. "My fucking brother."

Chapter Text

The tension between the two brothers was so thick that a butter knife could cut through it. Lorraine sat on the stairs, listening to them. They'd been arguing since Ed's brother had walked through the door. That was over three hours ago.

"You said you were coming down-"

"After New Year's. Do you keep anything in that tiny, non-existent brain of yours? Other than sex and women?"

Sam scoffs and flops into his seat at the kitchen island, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. "Of course I do!"

"You obviously don't." Ed mumbles, pouring himself a drink while his brother huffs. They stay silent for a few minutes, tension still in the air. Lorraine sits quietly on the stairs, waiting for the next argument to start. 

Taking a small sip of his hard liquor, he looks at his brother with a frustrated glare. "Why are you here, Sam?"

"What? Am I not allowed to visit my brother? My oldest brother?"

"Not after that shit you pulled a couple years ago." The older man shakes his head and continues to glare at the man. "You were never allowed in this house."

"Oh, c'mon! It was one time. The bitch left you either way." Sam rolls his eyes and leans forward to grab the glass Ed had just put down, but Ed grabs it away from him. 

From the stairs, Lorraine frowns to herself. Ed had never mentioned another woman. She knew that he'd definitely been with other women, but didn't think there were any he was serious about. 

"Yeah? And whose fault was that?"

Sam glares at his older brother, "Not my fault you couldn't please her as well as I could."

He wants to punch him. Kill him actually. With his bare hands, he's done it before, and he could definitely hide the body better than the last time, but this is his own blood. He couldn't do this to his own little brother. 

Ed takes a deep breath to calm himself down and finishes his drink. Slowly setting the glass onto the counter, he glares at the man sitting in front of him with pure hatred. "Get the hell out of my house. And don't come back."

"You're supposed to be helping me, though!"

"Does it look like I give a fuck, Sam!?"

Lorraine leans closer to the doorway, trying to listen closely when she jumps in fright from a tiny cold hand touching her shoulder. Snapping her head to the side, she lets out a sigh of relief when it's just Judy standing next to her. 

"Hey, pretty girl." She whispers, wrapping her arms around the little girl and pulling her into her lap. "You okay?"

"Junior and I would like a glass of milk, please," Judy mumbles sleepily as she rests her head on the brunette's shoulder. 

Now?!

Lorraine chuckles nervously and worries on her bottom lip, "Um...Now?" 

The little girl frowns at her, "Duh." Lorraine stares down at her without emotion before smiling and nodding, sending the little girl back up the stairs. She stands slowly, hearing her knees pop quietly from crouching down for a long period. Taking a deep breath, she quietly makes her way out of the stairway and into the kitchen, pulling on the pair of shorts she had, which now dawns on her that may be too short to be wearing in front of a man she's never even met. 

Ed and Sam are glaring at each other furiously now face-to-face, none of them knowing what to say next except swear words and threats when Ed notices Lorraine walks in from behind his idiotic, asshole brother. His eyes soften as they land on hers, a smile creeping onto his face. Sam raises an eyebrow. Kind of shocked at the reaction. He turns his head and feels as if his eyes are about to pop out of his head at the sight of the brunette. 

He whistles, "Damn. Now that is a nice piece of ass." Sam reaches to tap Lorraine's ass when his older brother grabs his arm roughly and pulls him close.

"Touch my woman and I swear to God, Sam. I will cut off your hands and stuff them down your throat so that you can choke on them."

Sam scoffs and backs away, putting his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright. Didn't know this was your woman...Or that you had one. A sexy one in fact." Ed glares at his brother before looking at his girlfriend with a smile and wrapping his arm around her waist. 

"You okay, darlin'?"

Lorraine hums with a nod, smiling softly at him as she places a hand on his bicep, knowing it usually calms him down when she touches him. "I'm okay. The kids want a glass of milk."

"Oh, she knows about the brats?"

Ed glares at the man, opening his mouth when the brunette squeezes his arm and shakes her head. 

Not worth it.

"Okay, I'll be up in a second." He taps her side and smiles at her. Lorraine nods and walks to the refrigerator to pour milk for the kids. Ed turns back to his brother, who eyes the brunette up and down, licking his lips. 

THWACK

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?"

"Eyes over here, ass wipe." 

Sam huffs and rubs the side of his head that Ed slapped, the two of them hearing Lorraine's quiet giggle. 

"Get out. We'll come to Seattle after New Year's. You can wait a couple of days for-"

"I- I flew all the way over here to see you and you're kicking me out?!"

Ed rolls his eyes, "I sure as hell didn't tell you to come here, now did I?"

"You're an asshole."

"And you're an idiot. Now go."

"I don't have anywhere to stay for the night!" Sam exclaims, making his brother sigh heavily. The older man rubs his temples and finally gives in. 

"Fine. You'll sleep down here." He gestures to the couch in the living room, making Sam gape at him with wide eyes. 

"Wha- This is a big house, I'm sure you have-"

"The couch or outside. Pick one." Ed grumbles as he turns and leaves the kitchen with Lorraine, who waits for him by the stairway. Sam groans and makes his way toward the couch, huffing as he throws himself onto it and grabs a blanket. 

"Bullshit."

"Be grateful I even let you sleep on the couch!" Ed yells from the stairs, making him wince. Lorraine giggles and looks up at him, "You're so mean to him."

"You've barely met the man and he already tried to touch your ass."

Lorraine stops and thinks about it before snorting, "Touche." The two laugh quietly and head into the kids' bedroom to give them milk before heading into their room down the hall.

___________________________________

A loud knock on the wooden bedroom door wakes Ed, initially making him groan loudly. He turns his head and nuzzles his face into the brunette's hair, wrapping his arms tightly around her and pulling her toward him. 

"Ed! Wake up! We got shit to talk about!"

Lorraine groans and covers her face with the blankets. "Tell your brother to go away, baby." She mumbles sleepily with a small whine. 

"Go away, Sam." 

When they don't hear movement, the couple lets out a soft sigh and quickly falls back into a deep sleep. Ed slips his hand under her shirt and cups her small breasts in his large hands while his other hand wraps around the soft skin of her abdomen, their legs tangled together. A few minutes later, Sam bangs his fists on the door again, making both of them jump. 

"Oh, for fucks- What?!" Ed yells out. Frustrated that his little brother keeps deciding to interrupt any free time he has with his woman. 

"We gotta talk about Dad's company! So get off that woman and wake up!" Sam yells back from behind the locked door. Ed groans and drops his head onto the pillow, grumbling something into the fabric, making the brunette giggle. She lets out a big sigh and turns in the man's arms, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his neck. 

"Go before he kicks the door down."

Ed huffs, craning his neck to kiss her forehead. "I'm gonna kill him. I swear."

"Great." She chuckles sleepily. "Do it before I will." Lorraine hears Ed laugh, making her smile, before he slowly gets out of their warm bed. He rubs his face and groans as he stands, stretching his arms above his head while yawning. 

"I can feel you staring."

"Get used to it." Lorraine winks at him, making him laugh as he walks to the bathroom, letting her fall asleep with a smile. He stands in front of the mirror and looks at himself, feeling the rough stubble that has started to grow. Ed sighed as he picked up his toothbrush from the holder by the sink and started brushing his teeth before taking off his clothes after deciding he'd shower first and then shave. 

After a few minutes in the hot shower, he stands in front of the mirror again and takes out his razor and shaving bowl, getting his shaving soap from the drawer below the sink. As he starts putting a small amount of soap into the bowl and mixing, he notices Lorraine standing at the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest and her hair messed up from sleeping.

"Hey, thought you went back to sleep."

Lorraine hums and stretches her arms above her head just as he did when he'd gotten out of bed. "Well, I couldn't go back to sleep with the thought of you naked in here." She eyes his body, making him chuckle. Her gaze falls to his abs and moves to his back, where they're flexing from his veiny arms. He'd kept the towel wrapped loosely around his waist, his abs on full display and his v-line peaking out from above the top of the towel. 

Ed watches her from the mirror, a smirk forming on his face. Her eyes meet his, and she blushes slightly from his gaze. 

"Can I...Help you shave?" She asks shyly, her hand coming up to the side of her face to brush a piece of her hair behind her ear. Something she always did when she was nervous. Ed chuckles and turns toward her, raising an eyebrow. 

"C'mere, darlin'." He holds out his hand for her to grab. "You never have to ask." He winks at her with a smile as she grabs his hand and pulls her forward, kissing her lips and making her giggle. Ed moves her to stand in front of him before hoisting her onto the sink to sit, stepping forward to stand between her legs. Excited, Lorraine grins as she picks up the brush and bowl with the shaving cream mix. Carefully, she dips the brush into the mix and applies it to his face, almost like she's painting on a canvas. He watches her intently, his hands resting on the counter on either side of her legs, leaning down just a bit because of their height difference. 

Lorraine looks at him and blushes, this time a bright red. She giggles and looks away to place the brush back into the bowl, picking up the razor and removing the safeguard. 

"Stop looking at me like that. You're making me nervous."

Ed chuckles deeply and nods, his gaze drawn to the mirror instead. His attention lands on her back as she begins to shave the stubble on his chin carefully. She was wearing his shirt, which was big on her and fit her like a dress, the length reaching her mid-thigh. He brings his hands up her thighs toward her hips, where he pulls her forward, making her giggle. 

"Stop. I'm gonna cut you and you're gonna start bleeding."

He shrugs his shoulders, caressing her hips with his hands. "Don't care." Ed looks at her, just as she rolls her eyes and looks up at him, wiping the cream from the razor with the towel in her lap.

"You will once it starts hurting." She replies with a playful scowl, making him smirk. His hands move to her ass and pull her closer, his fingers digging into her flesh. 

Lorraine laughs and places a hand on his shoulder to keep her balance when she feels herself about to fall off the sink. "Ed! Stop, I'm gonna fall!" Ed grins and holds onto her waist, keeping her steady on the edge of the sink. 

"What? No trust in me?"

"Not if you're pulling me off the sink." When he stops playing around with her, she returns to carefully shaving his face again, and the two settle into a comfortable silence. The sound of the razor on his stubble and their breathing fills the bathroom. 

Ed continued to watch her with a loving smile, brushing her hair out of her face when a few strands fell in front of her eyes.

She is so beautiful.

He kept thinking to himself. Everyday, hour, and second, he couldn't stop thinking about how stunning she was. Even waking up with her hair tangled and sleep lingering in her eyes. He couldn't wait to marry her. He just knows she's the one. Ed was going to ask soon; he just needed to wait for the right moment.

"You're thinking too loud," Lorraine says softly, shaving the last few bits of stubble left on his cheek before moving to his neck. She glances at him with a smile. "What're you thinkin' of, handsome?"

Ed smiles and slides his hands under her shirt, caressing her soft skin. "Nothin', beautiful." The brunette playfully rolls her eyes and shakes her head. 

"Look up, baby." He obeys her order and looks up, his thumb rubbing circles into the curve of her breast. He feels the cold razor carefully moving down the muscle of his throat and above his adam's apple. Ed swallows thickly, making her hum in annoyance. 

"Don't."

He huffs a laugh, "Don't what?"

"Swallow. Keep still." Lorraine glares at him, making him chuckle. He lets out a sigh and continues to look up, staying still and silent. "Am I boring you, Mr. Warren?" She asks in a teasing tone. 

Ed groans and grips her waist, "You can't do that. You just told me to keep still." She giggles innocently and wipes the razor on the towel. The brunette clears her throat and quickly finishes the stubble on his neck before turning to wet the towel under the sink and cleaning the leftover cream. 

"And...Done." She grins brightly, feeling his smooth face and pecking his chin. Ed smiles at her and cups her face, bringing her lips to his. 

"My personal barber now, huh?"

"And stripper too." Lorraine winks, making him laugh and wrap his arms around her while she does the same and looks up at him. "Just need to add the pole."

"Don't give me ideas, love."

The couple laughs and shares another kiss. Lorraine leans back and wraps her arms around his shoulders, kissing him deeper. Ed places his hand on the small of her back and pushes her forward, her legs spreading around his hips. The kiss gets hotter and messier, the two of them moaning and groaning. 

"Don't you have a- Mmm-" Lorraine moans when his lips travel to her neck where he sucks on her pulse point, leaving a purpling bruise. One of his hands braces himself against the mirror while the other pushes her hips onto his hardening length beneath the towel. "Ed. Pl-please-"

"Hold on, darlin'," Ed mumbles into her neck, his hand moving down to pull her panties down her legs when he realizes she isn't wearing any. "You naughty girl." His hands slip between her thighs, fingers dipping into her soaked center, making her whimper. "Wearing no panties knowing it was just the towel keeping me from burying myself in you." 

The brunette grips his shoulder and moans when his thumb brushes against her sensitive bud. "Oh, god. Please." Her other hand moves down to unwrap the towel from around his waist revealing his cock, hard and swollen, ready to be in her. She wraps her fingers around him and pumps his cock making him moan deeply, his head falling to her shoulder. 

After pumping him a few times, Lorraine lines him up with her entrance and moans his name when he pushes into her, making her feel full. He starts thrusting into her, setting a hard, steady pace which has her gripping his shoulder tightly. 

Lorraine's other hand flies down onto the edge of the sink, her nails digging into the corner of the tiles. "Yes, yes- Oh, god, you're so- Fuck-" She feels him slipping the shirt up, trying to take it off her body which makes her lift her arms above her head, letting him. Once her shirt is off, Lorraine leans back onto his hand with one of her arms around his shoulder and the other braced on the counter, exposing her chest to him. 

"Look at you." He groans, leaning down to capture a nipple into his mouth. "Fucking gorgeous. Couldn't wait to be fucked, huh?"

"Mhmm." Lorraine bites her bottom lip, her fingers curling into his hair and her legs spreading wider. From this angle, Ed was able to perfectly hit her G-spot over and over again, making her moan louder. She feels every vein of his, his cock pulsing inside of her making her flutter and grip him tightly. Ed moans around her breast, letting go of one nipple and moving to the other to give it the same attention. Her breasts are bouncing with every hard thrust he does, her back arching and pushing them further into his face. He takes her hand that's on the counter and laces their fingers together, pinning her hand to the mirror. 

They hear a crack behind the brunette, but they couldn't care less about that right now. It'll be a problem they'd deal with later. 

Ed leaves a trail of open-mouthed kisses across her chest, leading up to her neck, where he bites at her skin, making her whimper. She grasps his hair tightly and pulls his head, bringing his mouth to hers and kissing him messily. 

"Ah- Right there. Shit-" She starts chanting his name with every thrust, the two of them sharing air as their lips part, hovering over each other's mouths. "Oh, Ed."

"That's my girl." Ed hisses when her nails dig into his hand, leaving crescent marks. "You close, baby?"

Lorraine nods her head frantically, "Uh-huh. Keep- Oh, fuck." She lets out a high-pitched moan when his thumb swirls around her clit making her shudder. "You're so- You're so good to me, Ed."

"I know, princess." He kisses her lips and sucks on her bottom lip. "Let go for me. Make a mess on me, pretty girl." He snaps his hips into her harder, making her gasp and her eyes roll into the back of her head, throwing her head back. Her legs tighten around his waist, pulling him closer as she gets closer to finishing. 

"Come for me, Lorraine," Ed orders her, rubbing her bud in time with his thrusts, overstimulating her. The brunette gasps and lets out a loud, guttural moan of his name as she comes hard around him. Ed grins triumphantly and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her onto him as he pounds into her, the crack behind her becoming louder when her head bangs against the mirror. "Mm, fuck- God, you're so beautiful." He licks the small bite he left on her shoulder, resting his head against her shoulder and coming inside her with a groan. 

The two of them pant heavily, catching their breaths together. Slowly, Ed pulls out of her and cups his hand between her legs to stop their mixed come from dripping to the floor. He groans at the mess they made and kisses her cheekbone. "God, look what we did, baby girl." He pushes his fingers into her, keeping his come inside. "This belongs here. You belong to me." He looks at her as she nods her head, biting her lip and whimpering when he thrusts his fingers.

"Yes. I- Yes."

Ed smirks and kisses her lips, curling his fingers in her and rubbing her clit with his thumb making her gasp. "Only I get to do this, understand? No one else gets to have you like this."

"Mhmm." Lorraine nods and gazes at him with half-open eyes, a love-struck look on her face. He chuckles deeply and trails his lips over her jawline. "I'm-I'm yours, Ed."

"Good girl." He finds the rough patch inside her and rubs it making her moan, her eyes screwing shut as she comes again, her body jerking. "Oh, you like being my good girl, huh?"

"Yes, yes. I love it. Oh, fuck- I love you." Lorraine gasps for air as he pulls his fingers out, sucking on them to clean her off him. She groans and rests her head on the mirror, smiling tiredly at him as he gazes at her. Ed winks at her, pulling his fingers out of his mouth with a soft "pop" making her giggle. 

"Can you walk?"

Lorraine laughs and shakes her head, "I can't feel my legs."

"Mission accomplished then." Ed chuckles, making her scoff playfully and lightly smack his chest. He holds onto her waist and helps her off the counter, placing her in front of him. She wobbles slightly and grips his arm. Ed can't help but laugh at her. Lorraine looks up at him and glares. 

"Stop laughing at me." She pouts at him. 

He smiles softly and kisses her forehead, "Sorry, baby. Why don't you take a nice, hot bath and rest while I take care of the kids?"

"Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I? Plus, I don't want my idiotic brother to bother you." He caresses her cheek with his thumb, making her nod. 

It's not just that Ed doesn't want his brother to see Lorraine. He also doesn't want Sam to tell Lorraine about his past life. He knows how much his brother likes to tell everyone his business, so he'd like to stay on the safe side and keep her away from him. 

The older man lets her hold onto the counter while he walks to the tub and turns on the hot water, warming it up for her. When he turns back to face the brunette, he lets out a gasp, making her jump. 

"What?"

"Oh, shit."

"What is it?" Lorraine follows his line of gaze and gasps as well. They'd managed to crack the large mirror behind the sink. Ed remembers her head hitting the glass multiple times and walks over to her, taking her head in his hands to examine it. 

"Does your head hurt? Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy or light-headed? Why didn't you-"

She grabs onto his wrists and squeezes them with a small giggle. "I'm fine, Ed. Quit worrying. I didn't feel my head bang onto the mirror either way."

The older man raised an eyebrow at her and tilted her head up, a smile tugging on his lips. "You sure?"

"I'm okay." An idea pops into her head, making her smirk as she wraps her arms around his waist. "Actually...I'd be so much better if you took a bath with me." Ed chuckles and pecks her lips.

"Alright, darlin'."

___________________________________

Once he'd finished dressing up in his usual black suit attire and doing his hair, Ed kissed Lorraine on the lips as she stood in front of the mirror with a large crack right in the middle and did her hair before heading downstairs to where his brother was sitting at the dining table. 

"There you are." Sam grunts as he swallows a mouthful of eggs and bacon he'd made while he waited. 

Ed glares at him, "You don't get to come into my house unannounced at one in the morning and start acting like you're the damn boss of everyone in here. Especially banging on my door and yelling at me while I am sleeping with my woman."

"Oh, I'm sorry." His little brother replies in a sarcastic tone. "Did I ruin your ego in front of your hot girlfriend?" He turns toward Ed and receives a death glare, making him roll his eyes. "Sorry, sorry. Won't happen again, Eddy-boy."

"It won't be 'cause you're not staying here anymore. Once we're done with this stupid meeting, you will leave."

"Oh, come on, Ed!" Sam raises his voice. "You can't still be mad at me!"

Ed stood still in front of the coffee pot. He knew what his brother was referring to, and of course, it wasn't because of that -- well, maybe a part of it. 

"Finish your food and get in my office. Because of your stupidities, Dad might lose the damn company and he's not going to get mad at you, but at me and I'd rather not deal with this shit." Sam watches his brother pour his coffee into a black cup without another word before he calmly leaves the kitchen. Shaking his head with a scoff, the man quickly finishes his food and makes his way into Ed's office as well, leaving his plate on the kitchen island. 

___________________________________

Ed ordered food for Lorraine and the kids when they'd fully woken up. He hated that he wasn't having breakfast with them when they finally had free time from school, and he wasn't at work, but with his brother's unannounced one AM visit, it was all messed up. Instead, here he was in his office at home with Sam sitting next to him as they discussed what was going on with his side of their father's company, which was causing him a bad headache.

"I'm telling you, man, I don't know what happened."

"How? How in the hell do you not know what happened?"

"I-I don't know! I just- I never noticed, I guess." Sam shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as if what was happening wasn't important. Ed stares at him with anger burning in his eyes. Why was his brother such a goddamn idiot? 

Ed lets out a frustrated sigh and rubs his temples, "You know if it wasn't for Mom lying on her death bed begging me to take care of you, I would've killed you by now."

"Oh, please." Sam rolls his eyes and flops into his chair, playing with the leather stitching on the arm. "We both know that you still would."

"Don't tempt me." Ed grits out, pulling up the document that his assistant sent over from Sam's company. His brother leans into his side, trying to look over his shoulder, which annoyed the hell out of him. "Get off."

"I'm trying to see!"

"Then move the damn chair!"

Sam groans out loud and moves his chair forward. Of course, always had to act like a child. His kids acted better than this. Getting bored of this whole thing, Sam leans back into his chair and sighs. 

"Can we do something else?"

The older man snaps his neck toward his brother. "Something else? You wanna do something else? You're the one who came all the way here to go over this whole thing with me because you couldn't wait a few more days!"

"You're just mad because I slept with your fiancé four years ago!" 

Ed stands up and glares down at his brother. "I told you never to mention what happened ever again."

Sam scoffs, "What? Are you gonna be a pussy and walk out again? Not be a man this time?" He stands up, raising an eyebrow while he crosses his arms over his chest. His older brother took a deep breath and turned on his heel, walking out of the office in an angry storm. 

Lorraine was cleaning up in the kitchen when she saw Ed walking down the hallway from his office. Smiling, she wipes her hands on a towel and runs toward him. 

"Hey, are you done with your-"

Ed walks past her, completely ignoring her as he shoves her shoulder with his. The short brunette looks at him, bewildered as he continues to walk, never having seen this kind of attitude from him. 

"Ed?" She calls out, walking behind him and grabbing his arm. "Are you o-"

"Leave me the hell alone!" He shoves her hand off his and glares down at her before slamming the door behind himself. Lorraine stands in front of the door, shocked at his attitude. 

What the fuck was that?

Judy walked up to the brunette, "Lori? Is Daddy okay?"

"I don't know, honey. Let's leave him be for now, okay?" She smiles down at the little girl and holds out her hand. 

"Okay, Lori." The little girl takes her hand, and they enter the living room to finish their movie. She notices Sam sitting on the couch while Junior glares at him from the ground, sitting beside the coffee table. 

Sam looks up at her and smirks, "Well, hello again."

Lorraine walks past him and sits on the ground with Junior and Judy in her lap, the three of them ignoring him. He scoffs and shakes his head. 

Women these days.

She could feel his eyes on her, watching her like a hawk. It was making her uncomfortable. He had that kind of look in his eyes that he wasn't afraid to pounce on her at any moment now that Ed had left the house. Swallowing thickly, she smiled at the twins. 

"Why don't we finish the movie in Daddy's room?" The brunette runs her fingers through the kids' hair as they nod excitedly. She stood up, facing her ass away from the man sitting on the couch-- knowing he'd have his eyes on her ass the second she stands --and took the kids' hands, leading them to her and Ed's room.

Once they were inside, she locked the door and grabbed the remote from the TV stand -- which really wasn't a TV stand since the TV was mounted on the wall above -- and made her way to the large bed in the middle of the room. 

"Why is that man here?"

"Yeah, Daddy doesn't like that man," Junior says as he nuzzles his head into the side of her abdomen after she's settled between the kids, her back leaning against the wooden headboard. She raises her eyebrow, wanting more of an explanation. 

"Daddy and that man had a big fight a long time ago."

"Oh?" Lorraine pushes for more. "About what?"

Judy and Junior shrug and turn their focus back onto the TV, making the older woman sigh as she looks out the window. She hopes everything is okay with Ed. With what she's witnessed so far between him and his brother, she knows that it's probably not.

Chapter Text

The sound of broken glass hitting the ground filled the dark, silent world around him. Ed grabbed another glass bottle next to him and chucked it at the wall, grunting with the amount of force behind his throw. He stumbles slightly to grab an unopened bottle of beer, cracking it open with his keys and chugging the whole drink before throwing it at the wall as well. 

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Ed digs around his pocket and pulls out his packet of cigarettes. He grabs his lighter and lights one of the sticks, taking a long drag, the burn in his throat making him cough. Letting out a tired sigh, he leans against his truck and looks out at the nightly lights of the city. 

Sam always ruined everything for him and Josh, mostly him though. When they were kids, Sam would blame him for every little shit that happened. If there was spilled liquid on the ground, it was Ed's fault. If there were cookie crumbs on the couch, it was Ed's fault. If Sam failed an exam because Ed and Josh were playing instruments in the music room the night before, it was only Ed's fault. His mother never believed Sam because she knew what kind of kid he was growing up to be, but their father? Their father believed everything Sam said. Even if it was the most diabolical lie anyone had ever heard, Matthew Warren would always believe his favorite son.

A vibration in his back pocket brought him out of his thoughts. He pulled out his phone and squinted his eyes at the screen, his vision blurry from the amount of alcohol he'd drunk. He couldn't read the name on the screen and decided to answer with a gruff, "What?"

"Boss, are you okay? Lorraine's been blowing up my phone about you. Saying that you haven't been responding to her texts and..." Drew kept going on and on about how worried Lorraine was, making Ed's heart drop. 

Oh, shit. Lorraine.

"Shit. I have to...I need to go home..." The older man slurs his words, making the younger man on the other line stop talking. 

"Ed? Are you drunk?"

"'Course not." He lies even if it is useless to lie to a man he considers his best friend. 

Drew sighs and stands from the couch, "I'm coming. Where are you?"

"Uhhh..." Ed squints his eyes harder, trying to look at the sign a few feet in front of him. "Somewhere over the rainbow."

"Oh, for the love of...I'll find you. Thank god I managed to get you to share your location. Just sit tight, I'll call a cab so I can drive your car."

"K."

"Don't do anything stupid. You have a woman who loves you and your two kids waiting at home."

A smile forms on the older man's face at the thought of his three loves at home. "I won't."

_________________________________

Drew glances at his drunk boss every few seconds to make sure he's alright. When he got out of the cab, Ed was sitting on the hood of his car with his head in his hands and tears streaming down his face. He'd figured something had happened between him and Lorraine until the name Sam was brought up when Drew called Lorraine to let her know that he would bring Ed home. 

"I'm gonna marry her." Ed's voice broke the silence in the car. The younger man in the driver's seat chuckled softly and nodded. 

"We all know that."

Ed chuckles and looks at the photo on his lock screen; Lorraine had her arms wrapped around the two kids, the three of them smiling brightly at the camera. 

"I love her so much. She's the one, Drew." He looks at his assistant, who smiles at him. He doesn't wait for a response and continues to talk. "I've always known she is. She's- I love her. God, I love her. I've never loved anyone like I love her."

"Not even Mira?"

"Oh, god. Never. Not even close to the way- I never even- Her father forced her to marry me." The older man shakes his head and scoffs, rolling his eyes. He leans his head against the headrest and looks outside. "Our kids would look beautiful." He whispers, making Drew frown. 

"Uh...Mira's?"

"Fuck no. Lorraine! Lorraine and I's kids. We'd have the most beautiful kids."

"Ohh."

"Imagine that. A little girl who looks exactly like her with her big, bright blue eyes and her gorgeous smile. Running around the house and ordering everyone around just like her mother."

Drew huffs a laugh, "Sounds like Judy."

Ed nods slowly, "Yeah..." His mind starts running. Judy had her eyes. Her smile, nose, lips, hair. Her attitude. "Yeah. She does, doesn't she? Judy looks exactly like Lorraine!" He turns to Drew, startling the man. "You know she has a scar on her lower abdomen? As if she's had a c-section before. I noticed it the first time I was going to-"

"Alright!" Drew cuts the older man off. "I don't need the details."

"It can't be a coincidence. Right? I-I mean, I've been told Junior looks like me. I just thought it's because I raised him. But, how in the hell would that have happened? I've never met Lorraine before in my life!"

"Ed. You're drunk."

"No, no. Maybe I'm onto something."

"Or maybe you're just drunk."

Ed shakes his head, "No, you know who'd know?" He doesn't wait for an answer before he blurts the name, "Josh!" Drew jumps in his seat from the sudden shouting. "Josh would know because he's the one who brought the kids to me! Surely, he has some kind of paperwork or something that would tell me who their mother is!"

"I thought those were confidential." The younger man frowns as they stop at a red light, turning his head towards his boss, who looks deep in thought. 

"No, no. Now it's all making sense." He looks at Drew with a crazed look in his eyes. "You think she knew? That's why she got close with the kids very quickly."

"Ed, she's never even met those kids before."

"They came out of her! Obviously, she's met them before!"

Drew sighs and rubs his temples, "Man, calm down. You need to get your shit together before I drop you back home. You can't walk up to her and start accusing her of trying to steal your kids."

"I never said that. I love her. Why would I- It's green. Why would I accuse her of stealing my kids? They love her! I love her."

"Like you've said a billion times in the past few minutes." 

"Don't smartmouth me now." Ed glares at him, forcing Drew to smile.

"Sorry, boss."

He turns into the driveway and parks the car in the garage before helping his drunk boss out of the car and into the house.

They make their way up the stairs, heading toward Ed's room. 

"Where're the kids?" Ed slurs, making his young assistant shrug.

"It's almost twelve-thirty in the morning, Man. They're probably already asleep."

"Wow, I've been out all day?"

Drew looks up at him with a raised eyebrow, "Why do you think your future wife was worried?" The older man couldn't help but grin brightly at the nickname he'd given Lorraine. Reaching the door to his bedroom, he turns the handle only to find it locked. Drew tries to knock on it when his boss stops him. 

"There's a key on the ring of keys of my car keys." Ed fumbles out before laughing at how his words came out. "That was a lot of keys in one sentence."

"Yeah, and we need to get you to bed." Finding the key, Drew pushes it into the keyhole on the door and unlocks it, opening it slowly and quietly. 

The two men peek inside the dark room, the only light coming from the TV on the wall. Lorraine and the children were snuggled together on the bed, her arms around them as they all slept, their mouths releasing soft snores. 

"There she is," Ed whispers with a proud smile at the sight before him. "My gorgeous future wife and our kids."

Drew chuckled softly and patted the man's back. "I'll be downstairs in case you need help in the morning. Go sleep with your future." The older man smiled down at him and nodded before walking into the room, closing the door behind him quietly. He makes his way toward the bed, taking off his clothes until he's left in his boxers. Ed slips under the covers and wraps his arms around the brunette.

Lorraine hums as she wakes up. "Ed?" She calls out quietly, smiling when he hums in response. Lorraine turns her head and cranes her neck to look up at him. "Hey. Where have you been? I was worried about you, so I called Drew because you weren't answering me. Are you okay?"

Ed presses his lips against her warm forehead and sighs, "I am now." He looks into her eyes and smiles at her. She smiles back and pecks his lips. 

"I love you."

"I love you more, my love." He sighs contentedly as he rests his head on his pillow, his arms wrapped tightly around her and his face buried in her long, dark brown hair. 

_________________________________

"Daddy! Daddy! You're back!" Junior and Judy jump on the bed excitedly at the sight of their father fast asleep. Lorraine peeks out of the bathroom and giggles as she finishes brushing her hair. She sets down her hairbrush and flicks off the light switch before walking over to the bed, grabbing the two kids and carrying them into her arms. 

"I think we better let Daddy sleep, honey-buns."

Ed groans and slightly opens his eyes. "Morning." His gruff, morning voice makes Lorraine bite her lip. He notices the small reaction and smirks. A small groan escapes his lips when he stretches his arms above his head. "What time is it?"

The brunette hums as she glances at Ed's phone on the nightstand. "Just a little after eleven." The older man nods and looks at her, smiling as he moves to the side to let her and the kids sit down. She sits beside him and lets the kids cuddle on his other side. Lorraine caresses his forehead with her thumb, "You okay?"

"My head hurts."

"Yeah, well, judging by how much alcohol I can smell on your breath, there's no surprise there." She giggles, making him chuckle and turn to lie on his side, resting his head in her lap. They sit in comfortable silence for a while. Ed falls asleep with the feeling of Lorraine running her fingers through his soft, brown hair. She gazes at him softly and sighs, glancing over at the kids who have also fallen asleep. 

Funny to think that a year ago, she was drowning herself in booze and living on her best friend's couch. Now, she has a wonderful man by her side who loves her deeply and two amazing, beautiful kids who one day she would love to call her own.

Lorraine couldn't stop smiling, her heart full of happiness and love. She never imagined that she'd have the family she's always wanted. 

Her phone started lighting up on the nightstand on her side of the bed. 

Oh, shit.

She slowly reaches over to grab her phone, but Ed wraps his arms around her waist and locks her in place. She needed to take her pill before she forgot. Since they had never used protection, she began taking birth control after she started sleeping with Ed. She wasn't sure if he'd want another baby right now-- even if she'd love to have one now that she's financially stable and in a strong relationship-- so she took the responsibility of going on the pill. 

The alarm stops ringing on her phone, making her sigh. Glancing down at Ed and the kids cuddling with her, she smiles and decides she'll take the pill later. Lorraine places her free hand atop Judy's hair and runs her fingers through the girl's brown strands. Every time she was with the kids, it made her think of the babies she'd given up when she was younger and stupid. It was about five years ago, 'til today she couldn't remember what happened that night. All she remembers is that it resulted in her getting pregnant with twins. She never found out what she ended up having, she told the doctor to give them away as soon as they cut the babies out of her. 

When Ed would caress the scar on her lower abdomen, her mind would go back to the day she found out she was pregnant, leading her to run away from home for a little bit so that her family wouldn't disown her. Lorraine Moran? The good girl of the Moran family pregnant at 21? Without a man by her side?  She couldn't do that to her mother. They would've been the talk of the small town. And everyone knew her family. After giving birth and going back home, she'd tell her family that she went away for some life-pursuing reasons. Did they believe her? Not really, but it was the only excuse she had at the time. 

Lorraine didn't know she'd zoned out until Drew was standing in front of her, waving his hand in front of her face. 

"Oh, jeez. Sorry." The brunette shook her head to make her thoughts go away. "What's up?"

Drew smiles at her, "I see he's still asleep."

She giggles softly and runs her fingers through the older man's hair again. "Yeah. He woke up and his head was still hurting, so I'm letting him sleep for a bit more." Drew notices the way the brunette looks at his boss, making him happy. They're perfect for each other. Took them almost a year to get their shit together but, at least they've made it. Lorraine looks up at him and raises an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, did you need something?"

"Huh? Oh! Oh, I was just going to say that I'm dropping Sam to the airport, I think it'll be better if he's gone. And also the dogs wanted to come in. They were scratching the door when I came in." He nodded to the two dogs watching them from the door, making her giggle. She pats the space in front of the kids, and the dogs jump up excitedly, nuzzling their faces into the kids' legs. 

"Yeah, that sounds great." She looks back at Drew, who nods. He begins to leave the room when Lorraine stops him. "Hey. Thanks for bringing him home."

Drew smiles at her. "He loves you so much." He winks, making her blush. "Took him long enough to figure it out. Wouldn't want all this to go to nothing."

"It won't."

"Believe me, I know. If he ever left you, I'd punch him for you." He chuckles and leaves the room, closing the door behind himself. Lorraine lets out a small chuckle and sighs, leaning back into the headboard and turning her head to look out the window, her fingers still playing with Ed's hair and the other hand caressing Judy's arm. 

_________________________________

Ed slowly wakes with a soft groan. Carefully, he snaps his neck to the left to pop the joint, making him let out a small sigh of relief. He lays his head back down on what he thinks is a pillow until he feels his head slowly move up and down. With a frown, he lifts his head and notices he's lying on top of Lorraine with his head on her chest while she's fast asleep, her hand on the back of his head and the other curled around the kids who were snuggled into her side. 

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he couldn't help but smile and lay his head back onto her chest, sighing happily. Ed wraps his arms tighter around her, making her hum and move her head to the side, her fingers moving through his hair. His head was still pounding from the amount of beer he drank last night. And the fight with his brother. 

Shit! Sam!

Unwrapping his arms from around the brunette, he carefully gets off her and stands beside the bed. He stretches his arms above his head and groans at the multiple pops coming from his back and shoulders. He rummages around his closet and finds a pair of sweatpants and a tight-fitted black shirt before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth and look somewhat presentable for the day. Even if it was already three in the afternoon. 

Once he was dressed, he quickly checked on his girlfriend and the kids before heading out of the room with Zeus and Xena following behind, almost like guard dogs. They have grown bigger, a lot bigger now that he's noticed. They've had the dogs for a month now, and he's just noticing how big they've gotten. 

He walks into the kitchen expecting to see Sam sitting at the island eating something he made, but he's met with silence. Frowning, he walks into the living room and notices everything has been set up neatly, as if Sam had never been there. Panic settling in, he looked around the rooms near his office before noticing a note on his desk.

Eddy-boy, 

I've decided to deal with shit on my own until you have the time to come down to Seattle. Take your time (not a lot though) and make it safely to visit me. You picked a damn, fine woman. Don't let her go or I'll go after her and make her mine. 

Sammy-boy

Of course, he mentions going after Lorraine. Ed snorts and sticks the note back onto his desk with a shake of his head. Most of the time, his brother was something he never wanted to deal with, but at rare times, he actually loved his brother. Although when he mentions something about going after his woman, it makes him boil with anger. 

He sighs and looks down at the two dogs who stare up at him as they sit on their hind legs. "C'mon. I'll take you on a walk." He walks to the closet near the front door and grabs their leashes from inside, hooking them onto their collars. Ed almost steps out of the house when he remembers Lorraine sleeping upstairs with the kids. He walks to the kitchen and brings out a pen and sticky note. 

Went to walk the dogs and clear my mind. I'll be back before you realize I'm gone...Hopefully.

Love you.

The older man places the note on the counter and turns to leave, grabbing the dog leashes on his way out. 

_________________________________

Lorraine gets this weird feeling. Like someone is watching her again. She had woken up a few minutes ago to take her pill and use the bathroom after noticing Ed had left the room with the dogs while the kids still slept soundly on her side of the bed. The brunette was currently trying to clean the room when she felt someone's eyes on her. Looking around, she didn't see anyone except the kids on the bed and the bodyguards outside the house who were facing the gate. She frowns and shakes off the feeling, not wanting to make herself paranoid. 

She makes her way to the kids and wakes them up by gently caressing their faces. 

"Hey, sleepyhead. I think it's about time to get up." Lorraine whispers softly and smiles when they both groan and shake their heads, pulling the blankets up to cover their faces. She lets out a giggle and pulls the blankets back down. "No, no. You need to get up. Otherwise, we're not going to my family's house."

Junior opens one eye and looks at her. "And no Cameron?"

"Unless you wake up, no."

Junior gasps and shoots up, turning to wake his sister. "C'mon, Jude! We gotta wake up and get ready!"

"Ugh, fine." Judy groans and sits up slowly while rubbing her eyes. Lorraine giggles and stands, putting her hands on her hips. 

"Alright, now time to go downstairs and make something to eat before we clean your room." The two kids groan loudly at the mention of cleaning, making her laugh. She pulls on their arms and leads them out of the bedroom. 

It takes her a few minutes to make them some sandwiches, which the three of them stuff down their throats pretty quickly from how hungry they are. Lorraine glances at the twins and giggles at the mess of mayonnaise and mustard around their lips. She reaches over and wipes their faces clean before making them drink some water. 

"Hey, where did Daddy go?"

Lorraine hums as she swallows her food and shows them the note, "Daddy went to walk Zeus and Xena."

Junior gasps, faking an offended expression. "Without us? How rude!" The older brunette laughs loudly, making the twins giggle. She lets out a contented hum and places her sandwich on the white plate in front of her. 

"When we go to my family's house, there's gonna be a lot-"

"Is that where you grew up?" Judy cuts in as she plays with the bread crumbs on the plate. She looks at the brunette with a raised eyebrow. "Is that where your mommy lives?"

"And your daddy?"

Lorraine clears her throat and forces a small smile. "Well, yes. But...I don't have a dad, remember?" She's sure she's told them about her not having a father before, when Junior spoke to her about not having a mother. The twins nod their heads. "My mom lives in that house now with my older cousin, Daniel, who is basically my brother and-"

"You have a brother?"

"Technically, no. But he is like a brother. When my Dad left, Daniel's father came in and took care of me and my sister."

Judy nods, trying to wrap her little brain around the story. "So...You have a brother, but you don't, and now you have a sister?"

The brunette laughs and shakes her head. "I guess it's complicated, huh?"

"Very." Junior giggles as he finishes his food. Once he swallows, he looks at the brunette with a curious glance. "Lori...Why did your Daddy leave?"

"Y'know, honey...I don't really know." Lorraine shrugs her shoulders and rips at the paper towel she was using. She always hated talking about her father. Always making promises he couldn't keep. The one promise he always made to her was that he was going to change and become a better man for them. He lied, of course. 

The three of them heard the front door open before the two dogs started barking as they ran to Judy and Junior. Lorraine was thankful for the interruption since she didn't want to talk about this anymore. 

Ed walks into the kitchen and smiles. "Hey, I'd hoped to be back before you guys got up."

"Well, you failed." The brunette chuckles as she passes him a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator. "How was your walk?"

"Refreshing." The older man pecks her lips after he rounds the counter to stand by her side and take a bite out of her sandwich. "What were you guys up to?"

"Nothing. I was telling them about the small trip tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah. You guys excited?"

"Yes!" The twins exclaimed as they played with Zeus and Xena and ran into the living room to put on a movie. Lorraine sighs and turns toward Ed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders while he places his hands on her hips. 

"You okay? What happened yesterday?" She looks up at him with soft eyes, worry and sadness etched into her face. 

Ed smiles and shakes his head, leaning forward and planting a kiss onto her forehead. "Don't worry about it, darlin'." The brunette raises an eyebrow before reluctantly nodding her head and forcing a smile. 

"I'm gonna go pack the kids' clothes so we can leave tomorrow. Terry said it's snowing up there so...Pack something warm." He noticed the change in her tone and how there was a bit of annoyance in her eyes. He didn't want her to worry about him like this, but he just didn't want her to know his past just yet. Ed nods his head without a word and watches her walk away toward the stairs, not a glance back at him. 

He lets out a loud sigh and scrubs his face with his hand before making his way to the kids who were giggling as they played with the dogs and watched TV. Ed smiles at them and sits on the couch, watching them run around.

_________________________________

Lorraine mumbled to herself as she threw clothes into a suitcase for the twins. How could he act like this toward her? Leave without a word and not come back until late at night. She knows it's his business, but if they're going to work, he needs to know that he can trust her and tell her these things that are making him feel this way.

A frustrated groan escaped her lips as she threw one of Judy's dolls into the closet before she stopped in her tracks. 

What the hell is wrong with me?

She puts her head in her hands and takes a deep breath. If he doesn't want to tell her, so be it. She shouldn't be acting this mad just because of something he doesn't trust her to know. 

Ding

Lorraine turns her head toward Junior's nightstand, where she'd left her phone, and notices the screen light up before another message pops up. She grabs her phone and looks at the message.

Unknown: Leave him alone.

Unknown: He doesn't love you.

"What the hell?" Lorraine frowns and writes back to the unknown person.

Lorraine: I'm sorry?

Unknown: He never loved you

Lorraine: Who is this?

Unknown: Someone you don't need to worry about

She lets out a small gasp. There's no way. He couldn't be cheating on her already...Right?

Chapter Text

Carol groans and fumbles over Roger to grab her phone.

"Hello?" She answers groggily, not looking at the caller ID.

"I think he's cheating on me."

The brunette frowns and looks at her screen, squinting her eyes to see that it is indeed her best friend calling.

"I- What? Who?"

"Who?! Ed! Who else?! I think Ed's cheating on me!" Lorraine scoffs at her best friend's stupidity. Carol grunts as she sits up, rubbing her eyes and glancing at the clock on her nightstand.

7:33 PM

She hadn't realized that she and Roger had gone to bed so early.

"What are you talking about?" Her voice croaked. She cleared her throat, trying not to sound like she just woke up.

Lorraine stayed quiet on the other line. "...Carol. Did you just...Wake up?"

"Well...Yeah."

"Whatever. Anyways, I got a text just a few minutes ago from an unknown number, and they were saying things like 'he doesn't love you' and 'leave him alone'. When I asked who it was, they replied, 'Someone you don't need to worry about. ' What does that mean?!"

"Lor-"

"I mean, Ed left last night after a fight with his brother and didn't come back until like late last night, and when I asked him about it, he said I didn't need to worry about anything!"

Carol blinked. "Huh?"

"Don't you get it! What Ed told me not to worry about is the same thing that this person is telling me not to worry about!"

"Okay, hon. I think you need to calm down."

"I am calm!" Lorraine yells into the phone, making the brunette wince and pull the phone away from her ear. Roger grumbles in his sleep next to her and turns around, his back facing her and his face buried in the pillow.

"Lorraine. Hon, just...Breathe. Maybe it's just someone messing with you. You are dating the most eligible bachelor in the city who every woman wanted to get with or get a good fuck in but, look. He chose you. Ed chose you. When you go out, do you see him looking at any other women around, or does he stare at you the whole time?"

The line stays silent. Lorraine thinks to herself, remembering all the times they've gone out. "Well, yeah...I guess he does just look at me all the time."

"Then you have nothing to worry about!" Carol giggles softly. "Just take a deep breath and go talk to him. Maybe he has a hacker or someone who can find out who's messing with you. Okay?"

"...Okay." The other brunette mumbles before taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Carly."

"You're welcome, love. Now go get your man."

Lorraine giggles and hangs up the phone while Carol tosses her phone onto the nightstand and lies down next to her boyfriend. She sighs sleepily and snuggles into his side, falling into a deep sleep.

___________________________________

Making sure they've got a change of clothes for their lengthy trip, she zips up the luggage and puts it close to the door. Before leaving for her and Ed's room, Lorraine hums to herself and checks the room to make sure everything is tidy. She begins packing his clothes as well once she gets into their room, pulling a suitcase out of his closet.

She hears the door open and turns around to see Ed leaning against the doorframe with a small smile on his face, watching her intently.

"I'm sorry."

Lorraine raises her eyebrow, "For...?" She tries to pull more out of him, making him chuckle.

"For leaving yesterday and acting the way I did." He slowly makes his way to her. "And getting mad at you."

"Mhmm." She hums as a smile tugs on the corner of her lips. The brunette turns her back to him, pretending to be mad, still as she folds her arms over her chest. His stern gaze on her is intense. It felt like he was burning a hole in her back from the way he was looking at her. Ed's hand wraps around her waist, bringing her back toward him.

"Please, darlin'. I'm very sorry. I can't stand the thought of you angry with me." His chin rests on her shoulder after he presses a soft kiss to her neck. Lorraine's lips curl into a smirk. "Please, love."

Ed Warren? The cold, heartless man everyone knew was begging for her forgiveness over something so small. They hadn't even argued, and he's acting like this.

The brunette hums in thought. "I guess I can forgive you." She hears him grunt in response, making her giggle softly and turn her head. Their faces centimeters apart. "But...You can't be keeping things from me. We're in this together. I'm- I know you have things going on and probably don't want me to know your past just yet, but you can't be leaving like that without a word. I was worried and-and I didn't know if something happened to you and..." Lorraine turns her head away from him and nibbles on her bottom lip, thinking of how she should say this next part. Ed stays silent, wanting her to say her thoughts.

"If...If you can't trust me, Ed...Then why should I trust you?"

Oh no.

Ed turns her around and cups her face in his hands. "Oh, darlin'. I'm sorry. I don't want you ever feeling like this again because of me. I just...I don't..." He takes a deep breath and caresses her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. "You can trust me. You can always trust me. And-And I trust you too. I trust you with my life."

"Then what's going on?"

He sighs and sits on the black, round leather couch in the corner of the walk-in closet. Ed encircles his arm around her waist and pulls her onto his lap, moving her to sit sideways and bringing her legs over his thighs.

"A few years ago...I was engaged to this woman. Her name was Mira." His fingers twirl onto the ends of her brown strands while she sits quietly, listening to him. "I thought she was the one. I was ready to settle down and have a family with her, but...when the kids came into our lives, well- my life. She wasn't..." Ed looks at her. Her big, blue eyes looked down at him with a soft gaze and a small smile on her face.

She wasn't you.

Lorraine runs her fingers through his hair. "She wasn't ready for kids?"

Ed shakes his head. "No...She wasn't. We'd have fights, and she'd just leave in the middle of the night while I stayed home taking care of Junior and Judy. This one time, Sam came home because he was having trouble with his girlfriend or something. One day I left the kids here for them to take care of while I went to work for this big meeting." He stays silent for a few seconds, feeling the rage build up inside of him again at the thought of his brother. With Lorraine's fingers running through his hair, it was calming him down a bit.

"And...?"

"I came home to them going at it like fucking horny rabbits in the guest room."

She stills. She didn't think he would say it that way, but she knew what was probably going to come out of his mouth.

"That's why Sam and I hadn't spoken in years. And why we had that argument yesterday."

"Aw, baby. I'm sorry. Nobody deserves for that to happen to them, especially you. And for your brother to do that behind your back. It's understandable why you don't even want to hear his name anymore." Lorraine sucks her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn't know what exactly to respond to him. A smile graced her lips, and she forced his face towards hers. "Look on the bright side, though. If you had married her...You never would've met me." Her smile grew when he chuckled and smiled as well. "And I'm way better than her, hmm?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Uh-huh." She moved to straddle his lap and grinned down at him. "And if and when she sees us, I'll make sure she regrets ever cheating on you. I'll make her see that you are well taken care of by a young, hot girlfriend like me." Lorraine runs her hands up his hard chest, over his shoulders, and hooks them around his neck. Her lips peppering his face with kisses, making him groan when her hips grind onto his. Ed grabs her ass and moves her higher.

Jealousy runs through her veins when she thinks more about it. How Ed was with another woman before her. Touching her the way he is now, kissing her, loving her. Well, now he is hers. Her loss. Mira. That bitch. Lorraine moves her hips faster over the bulge in his pants, a moan leaving her parted lips. He leaves wet kisses over her collarbone, tasting and smelling her sweet lotion.

Suddenly, Ed lifts Lorraine off his lap and sets her next to him, grabbing a pillow to cover his lap when he hears the twins run into the room, yelling for them. The brunette looks at him with an annoyed expression and opens her mouth to argue with him when Judy calls for them.

"Daddy! Lori! Can we go get ice cream?"

They run into the walk-in closet and stop at the door, staring at the couple's current, disheveled state. Ed's hair was sticking up in random places, his shirt pulled to one side. Lorraine's neck was all red, and the top buttons on her shirt were unbuttoned, revealing her black lace bra.

The brunette clears her throat and sucks in a breath to calm her nerves. She rearranges her shirt and smiles at the kids. "Why don't we get food and then ice cream after, okay?" She looks at Ed, who nods, agreeing with her, and forces a smile toward the kids.

"Why are you hiding in the closet?" Judy tilts her head as she asks the question, her brows furrowing together.

Lorraine chuckles awkwardly, "Uh...We weren't hiding in the closet. We- I was helping your dad...Pack."

"Pack what? Daddy's bag is empty." The four of them looked at the said bag on the floor, which was indeed empty.

"We hadn't gotten to packing yet." Ed looks back at the twins, who frown.

"Yeah, cause Daddy has too many clothes to choose from." The brunette beside him giggles, making him chuckle and wink at the kids. The kids join her, giggling and nodding their heads.

"We wait in kitchen?" Lorraine nods her head to Junior's question before they leave, leaving her and Ed alone. She lets out a breath and drops her head onto the back of the couch, Ed doing the same.

"I can't wait to leave the kids with Becca's." She giggles, making him chuckle. He places his hand on her thigh and squeezes her tightly.

"Could go to that tree you used to read under."

Lorraine raises her head to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "And have the cows watch us fucking? I think I'd rather not." Ed lets out a laugh and pulls her onto his lap, discarding the pillow onto the ground.

"Oh, c'mon. It's not like they'd recognize the innocent little girl who used to sit with them and read."

She chuckles and playfully rolls her eyes, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Cows have excellent memory actually. And by the sound of my voice, they'd definitely know I'm the sweet, innocent little girl."

"Mm, by the sound of you screaming my name, yeah." Ed grins at her, his hands groping her ass making her scoff and stand up, playfully hitting his chest.

"Ass."

He smirks as he leans forward, pinching her ass as she walks away. "You definitely have a perfect one." Lorraine turns and taps his hand away with a laugh.

"Stop. Hurry up and get dressed. The kids are waiting." She couldn't keep her smile from growing as he stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his lips pressing against her jaw.

"I love you."

Lorraine giggles and turns her head to kiss his lips. "I love you, too. Now, c'mon."

___________________________________

"So. Here's the plan." Lorraine starts once she swallows her food, making the three Warrens turn their attention to her. "Tomorrow. We'll wake up at six, be ready by seven, so we can leave by eight. I've already packed-"

"Why so early?" Judy and Junior whined, their heads dramatically falling onto the table. "Can't we leave later?"

"No, we can not because my family is waiting for us and it takes a few hours to reach there." She watches their reaction and giggles at how they groan loudly. Leaning forward, she whispers, "If we get there early enough, Daddy and I will take you horse-riding."

"Horsies? You have horsies?!"

Ed chuckles, "She has four." The kids look at each other and start excitedly squealing, making the couple laugh. He turns his head to the brunette with a smirk, "They'll be the first ones to be awake now."

"Fantastic," Lorraine whispers with a smirk. "We have to finish our packing when we get back home." She knows they won't get much packing done with what she'd started before they left. Ed nods in agreement and leans forward, planting a kiss on her forehead. The couple returns to their dinner and watches the kids with bright, loving smiles.

Ding

The brunette glances at her phone and notices a new message. She disregards the notification and gives her attention back to Junior, who was asking her about her family.

Ding Ding

Lorraine lets out a small groan and pulls her phone out from her purse. She scrolls through the messages, and a frown forms on her face, which concerns Ed.

"Who is it, love?" He asks after chewing his food and taking a sip of his drink. Ed looks at her with a raised eyebrow when she doesn't respond. "Darlin'?"

"Oh," She glances at him and smiles, placing her phone back into her purse. "Nothing, baby." It was something alright, though. That unknown number was texting her again. She ponders telling him about it for a few minutes before deciding she doesn't want him to worry.

"You sure?"

Waving him off, Lorraine nods. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry." Feeling his concerned gaze burning into the side of her face, she looks at him. "Don't worry about it, baby. It's just...A scam number."

Ed hesitates before nodding and looking down at the food on his plate. His mind starts to wander, trying to figure out why she was suddenly being so secretive about the texts on her phone. Maybe she wasn't being secretive. Maybe he's just being paranoid. Right?

"Daddy." Junior calls out, making his father turn to him. "Can we get cake now?"

He chuckles and leans back into his chair, placing his arm around Lorraine's chair. "What happened to ice cream?"

The twins look at each other. Ed and Lorraine watch as they seem to be talking with their eyes for a few seconds before turning to the couple.

"We want cake." The two say at the same time. Lorraine giggles and calls the waiter over, ordering a slice of chocolate cake for the kids.

The waiter nods his head as he writes down the order. "Anything for you, miss?" He does a double-take at Lorraine, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "W-Wow." The young man doesn't notice Ed sitting beside the brunette, an evil look in his eyes.

Lorraine forces a smile and turns to Ed, smiling sweetly at him. "Do you want to share a slice of chocolate cake with me?"

"Of course, darlin'." He looks up at the waiter. "A slice for my woman and I." The waiter doesn't move a muscle, his eyes stuck on Lorraine, when he jumps suddenly at the sound of Ed clearing his throat.

"I-I'm sorry?"

Ed glares at the younger man. "Cake. For the kids and us." When the waiter still doesn't move, Ed gets more annoyed. "Now!" Lorraine covers her mouth to hide her giggle as the waiter scrambles away to get their dessert. She turns to her boyfriend and shakes her head.

"You're so mean." She rubs his chest, making him shrug his shoulders and caress her bare arm, a shiver going down her spine.

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you."

Lorraine snorts and playfully rolls her eyes. She turned back to the kids and grinned at them. "You excited for cake?"

"Mhmm! Mhmm!" Judy excitedly squeals. "And we go tomorrow for horsies!"

"Exciting, huh? You're gonna love Sally."

The little girl frowns, "Who's Sally?"

"Sally is my beautiful horse. She's a beautiful, blonde horse, and she moves so gracefully around the fields. It's like you're riding on a cloud." Lorraine sighed as she started picturing her horse, Sally, riding around the grassy fields, the wind flowing through her hair, birds and butterflies flying around her. Then, her mind wanders to the tree where she used to read. She's leaning against something hard, but it's not the tree. Someone's arms were around her, rubbing her arms and kissing her head. Ed. It was Ed. They were sitting under the tree together, his arms wrapped around her tightly as they gazed at the beautiful sunset in front of them.

Judy reaches over and taps the older brunette, startling her. "He brought cake!" She looked down, and there was indeed a slice of chocolate cake sitting in front of her on a cold, white plate.

"Oh! Look at that." Lorraine giggles and grins at the kids. The kids grin back at her before digging into their cake, stuffing their mouths quickly until there is chocolate frosting all over their mouths. Ed chuckles and shakes his head, grabbing his napkin as he reaches over the table and cleans their mouths.

"Slow down, babies. Your cake isn't going anywhere." Judy and Junior giggle shyly and swallow the piece of cake that was in their mouths. He looks at Lorraine, who moans softly at the bite of cake she takes. He raises an eyebrow at her, making her blush.

"It's so good." She takes a piece onto her fork. "Here. Baby, try it." Lorraine feeds it to him, and he hums, nodding his head to agree with her. "Right? Good, huh? The frosting is delicious."

Ed smiles at her and brushes her hair behind her ear, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. There was a smudge of frosting on the corner of her mouth making him chuckle before he leaned in and pecked her lips, his tongue poking out and licking the frosting. The brunette giggles and pulls away from him, wiping her lips with her napkin.

"Sorry, just a bit of frosting on your lips." Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes, making him grin. His fingers continued to play with her hair while she finished the cake, offering him bites here and there. The kids finish their dessert and push away their plates, grabbing their cups of water and gulping down the liquid.

"Cake was good, huh?" The brunette grins at the kids, who nod their heads.

Junior puts up two thumbs-up and flashes them a toothy grin. "It was super, super, good!" Their father chuckles and waves to call the waiter to get the check. The young water from before quickly makes his way over to them, taking the black card that Ed held out between his pointer and middle finger. He glares at him when the waiter looks down at Lorraine. Looks down, meaning looking down her blouse.

"Her eyes are up here." Ed grits out between his teeth, a deadly glare in his eyes once again. The waiter gulps and scrambles away with his card, making Lorraine laugh. She shakes her head at Ed's attitude.

She loves him so much.

___________________________________

After an hour of driving around, Lorraine turned around in her seat and chuckled softly at the sight of the kids fast asleep in their car seats.

"They're finally asleep." She turns back around and looks at Ed, who smiles, his eyes concentrated on the road in front of him. She slides next to him, wrapping her arms around his arm and hugging it tightly. "I'm so excited to go on our trip tomorrow. The kids are gonna have so much fun."

Ed smiles down at her, pressing his lips against the top of her head when she rests her head against his shoulder. She sighs contentedly and nuzzles her face against his arm, taking a deep breath and filling her nose with the smell of his cologne.

"How long do you want us to stay with your family?"

Lorraine hadn't thought about that. Frankly, she thought maybe they'd just spend a day or two there. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well..." Ed starts, running his mind to think of anything important that might be coming up. When nothing comes to his mind, he shrugs his shoulders. "We can stay there for the whole weekend if you'd like. And you're right. It'd be fun for the kids to get to know your family. If anything, I think they'll love them."

The woman grins at him, her eyebrow raising in interest. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I love your family." And it was true. Ed loves her family. It was the way they had quickly accepted him into their big family when they barely knew him. Plus, it was also probably because he didn't have much of a family of his own. He only had Junior, Judy, and his little brother Josh. Well, now he also has Lorraine.

Lorraine giggles, "You love my family?" If she wasn't already head over heels, jump off a ledge into a tank of flesh-eating acid, in love with him, she might've fallen more for him just now.

The older man glances at her with a small laugh. "Of course, I do. How could I not? I mean...Not as much as I love you, but I love them." It felt as if the car had gotten brighter just by the shining of her pearly white teeth when her smile got bigger. Lorraine giggled excitedly and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and kisses him all over his face. Ed struggles to stop the smile from forming on his face, as well as keeping his eyes on the road.

"Honey-" He starts laughing when she grabs his face, forcing him to look at her, and gives him a big kiss on the lips before letting him go. "This is exactly what they meant by distracted driving. Especially with kids in the car!" Ed tries to scold her, but with the way she was smiling at him, he couldn't help but shake his head, laughing. He sighs and reaches over, pulling her toward him by wrapping his arm around her waist.

The brunette giggles and wraps her arms around his neck again, kissing his cheek. "Sorry." She smiles sheepishly. Ed smiles and stops at a red light, turning his head toward her and smiling softly. He pecks her lips and runs his fingers through her hair, the two of them sitting in comfortable silence as they continue the drive home.

___________________________________

"Hey, babe!" Lorraine calls out, rummaging through Ed's closet while he was in the bathroom getting ready. When they got home last night, they carried the kids to their beds before heading into their room, getting into bed as well. The two of them thinking they'd wake up early enough to finish packing Ed's suitcase.

They were wrong.

Not hearing a word from Ed, she calls out again, "Babe!" Nothing. "Hon?!" Again, nothing. "EDWARD!"

The closet door burst open. A panting Ed stumbling through with his jacket half-zipped and his hair still wet.

"What! What!" He runs over to her, checking her over and grabbing her face to check for any signs of injury. "Are you okay? What happened? What-What-"

Lorraine stares at him. Realizing that nothing dangerous happened, Ed chuckles sheepishly. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Nope." She snorts. "Just confused. Why didn't you answer me when I called the first time?"

"I was waking the kids. They just finished getting dressed." He takes a deep breath and glances at the suitcase. "What-What did you call me for?"

The brunette sighs and looks around at the clothes in the room. "I can't find your hoodie. The one you wear all the time. I washed it a few days ago and gave it to you to put away, but I can't find it."

Ed chuckles and walks over to one of the drawers filled with clothes he had set aside that he knew Lorraine liked to wear. It had all his sweaters, hoodies, shirts, and sweatpants that she liked to wear when it got too cold or when she missed him if he was gone too long. He opens the top drawer and pulls out the hoodie, turning around and handing it to the brunette.

"Here you go, my love." The brunette gasps excitedly as she grasps onto the hoodie. She brings it up to her nose and inhales the scent of the hoodie, a smile on her face. Ed watches her with a loving smile on his face, his arms crossing over his chest. Lorraine tosses it into her suitcase and bends to zip it up, moving to his to zip it up as well before standing up and grinning at the older man.

"All done. The kids ready?"

The older man shrugs his shoulders, "Don't know. I was called by some woman to yell at me about a hoodie."

Lorraine playfully rolls her eyes, "Well, if you'd have left it on the bed like I asked you to the day I did laundry, I wouldn't have to yell at you."

"Mhmm." Ed hums and steps forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, making her giggle. She wraps her arms around his neck and pecks his lips. "Ready to see your family?"

"I can't wait!" She squeals excitedly. Honestly, she hoped that Hannah would give birth soon. She needs to get her hands on a baby. Her baby fever was skyrocketing to the roof recently for some reason. She was definitely ovulating. That would explain why she was horny all the time. Or maybe it was just because of Ed.

"Let's go so we can reach there before dark." Lorraine pats his chest and moves away before he can kiss her again. She bends to pick up the suitcases and feels a sharp sting on her backside. "Ow! Ed!"

Ed flashed her a grin and grabs their suitcases. "C'mon, baby." He laces their fingers together and they walk out of the bedroom, heading to the kids' rooms to grab them as well.

He couldn't wait for their small family trip to Lorraine's family home.

___________________________________

They were about four hours into the drive. Ed enjoyed the peace in the car as he and Judy quietly sang along to the songs playing while Lorraine and Junior slept. He takes a quick glance at Judy from the rearview mirror and notices discomfort on her face.

"You okay, baby girl?"

"Are we almost there yet?" Judy whines, throwing her head side to side, a tantrum starting.

"No, baby. We're not there yet. Still got a few hours to go." He tries to calm her down, but it doesn't work. Lorraine continues to sleep peacefully beside him, her head resting against his balled-up jacket on the window and her legs thrown over his lap.

Judy slams her hands onto the armrests of her car seat. "Daddy! I wanna go! Let me out!" The little girl starts throwing a tantrum, waking up her brother. She tries to pry at the seatbelt, getting more frustrated when it wasn't working. Tears start rolling down her face, and she groans loudly. "Daddy!"

Ed starts making his way off the road toward a gas station where they could stop for a bit and get some snacks and drinks. Glancing at the fuel level, he notes he should pump some gas too. "Okay, okay, baby. Hold on." Lorraine slowly starts to wake up as Judy's screaming gets louder. She jumps up and turns around in her seat, leaning over her chair to check on the kids.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry, pretty girl. What's wrong?" She strokes the little girl's legs, doing the same to Junior, making him fall asleep again. Lorraine smiles at her and leans forward a little more to run her fingers through the little girl's brown strands of hair. "Hmm? What's wrong, baby? Are you hungry?'

Judy sniffles and wipes her tears, looking at the older woman with red, puffy eyes as she nods her head. The woman giggles and nods, "Okay, my baby. We'll get something to eat. Just wait a little more, okay?"

"Okay, Lori." The little girl replies, settling into a comfortable silence as she stares out the window. Lorraine notices the teddy bear she'd bought for them for Christmas on the floor. It must've fallen when Judy started her tantrum. She picks it up and places it on the little girl's lap, making her gasp.

"There's Princess Roni!" Lorraine chuckles at the little girl and turns around, settling back into her seat. As she buckles herself in, she feels Ed place his hand on her knee. A show of thanks making her smile and pick up his hand, bringing it to her lips where she kisses her knuckles before lacing their fingers together.

They settle in comfortable silence as Ed drives toward the gas station while Lorraine's mind wanders about how and why Judy named her bear Roni.

"By the way...Who's Roni?"

Ed chuckles and squeezes her hands. "Veronica."

The brunette looks at him with a confused expression. "Huh?"

"Her middle name." He states, turning on his blinker and waiting for the truck to pass by before he turns into the gas station. "Judy Veronica Warren."

"Aw, that's a cute name." Lorraine giggles and looks back at the road. Panic starts to settle in when it clicks in her head. It was all making sense now. How similar they looked, her eyes, her attitude. It wasn't just that either. It was the name. When she'd given up her babies five years ago, the only request she had was that if it was a girl, she wanted her to have something of hers: Her middle name. 

Veronica.

Chapter Text

Lorraine

I ran into the filthy restrooms on the right side of the old gas station as soon as Ed pulled near the gas pump, not even waiting for him to shift the gear into park. The food I had eaten earlier was churning in my stomach the whole time until I barely made it into the stall. I didn't even care that the floors were probably covered in piss and shit, and- was that a used tampon on the ground? The thought of that made me even more sick as my head went over the toilet bowl again. Even with my knees on the ground, I still had the awareness not to put my hands on the bare toilet seat and instead on the walls. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but better than touching whatever germs were on the seat. 

Sighing heavily, I leaned back onto the stall door and took deep breaths. 

One...Two...Three...

Counting in my head to three was the only thing that usually helped me calm down, but right now? It wasn't working. 

Four...Five...Six...

My heart felt like a jackhammer the way it was pounding in my chest. I placed my hand over it, thinking it might jump out sooner or later. This was crazy. They couldn't be my kids. My babies. The ones I had given up years ago. Could they?

Fuck.

Maybe it was fate. The babies I gave up five years ago coming back into my life? Maybe God knew I needed them back? I'd been lonely and down for the past couple of months before I started working for Ed. I knew I'd been missing something in my life until I met Judy, Junior, and Ed. With them, I felt alive. I felt loved and full and-

"Lorraine? Darling, are you okay?" Ed's voice through the restroom door broke my thoughts, my heart jumping at the sound of his voice. I took another deep breath before I stood up and walked out of the stall I was in. "Lorraine?"

"I'm coming. Give me one more second." Maybe two actually. My stomach started churning again at the thought of the twins in the car. It's not because I didn't like them. I love them. With all of my heart and my soul. I always knew there was something more to them than just some kids I took care of every day and every second. 

I splashed cold water on my face before frowning in disgust at the dirt around the sink. Why were gas station bathrooms always so fucking dirty? Shaking my head, I grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and made my way to the door. Ed was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, looking as handsome as ever. I swear, this man could be in a garbage bag wrapped in tin foil and have fish skeletons all over him, and he'd still look like the sexiest man on this planet.

The corner of his mouth tipped up at the sight of me in front of him. Though his eyes showed concern as they scanned over me, most likely looking for any injuries or harm. 

"You okay?" His hand rested on my waist as I stood in front of him. "You were gone for a bit. Was starting to think you'd run for the hills." The small giggle I let out made him smile more, his hand coming up and caressing my cheekbone with his thumb. 

"I'm okay." I managed to get out even with the ball of emotion in my throat. I don't know if he knew what I've finally figured out. However, I should've already known. I'd had that strange pull at my heart the second my eyes set on those kids. His brows furrowed together in concern, the blues in his eyes going softer. 

"You sure, my love?"

To any other man, the small nod I gave back and the smile I forced on my face would've been enough to satisfy them. For Ed Warren, though, it wasn't. But, he didn't push it, which I was thankful for. I wouldn't know how to explain what I was thinking about right now to him. I was still in the stage of processing it. 

Ed let out a small sigh and smiled softly at me, pulling me closer to his chest and hugging me tightly. I let my head bury into his chest and take a deep breath of his manliness before lifting my head and pecking his lips. 

We made our way back to the car, where Judy and Junior were enjoying what looked like slushies. I snorted and opened the back door, grinning at them. 

"And where is my share?" I teased, poking at their sides, making them giggle. Their giggles were the cutest sounds I'd ever heard, like soft, little Christmas bells. 

Judy held her slushie out towards me, "You can have some of mine, Lori." I was about to take it when Junior huffed and pushed my hand away. I raised my eyebrow at him in a playful way when I noticed the way he glared at his father, who stood behind me, with the same but playful glare on his face. 

"Daddy! Go buy Lori slushy!"

I bit my lip to hide the smile on my face and the laugh that wanted to come out. This little boy acted just like Ed. But both were too stubborn to admit it. I turned to look at Ed, who raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," Junior's glare hardened. "Go. Buy. Slushie. For Lori."

"Or what?" I could hear the teasing tone in Ed's voice even with the glare on his face. 

Junior took a second to come up with a comeback before his lips twitched into a small smirk. A mischievous glint in his eye. "Or I make mess in car."

"You wouldn't dare."

Uh-oh

Judy and I watched as the little boy picked up his open bag of Cheeto Puffs next to his car seat and held it in front of him, tipping the bag to the side just enough where it looked like the contents inside would fall out, but it wouldn't.

I heard Ed's breath hitch from behind me, and the way his jaw tensed when I glanced at him. The little boy flashed a wicked grin at his father, knowing he had won when Ed turned around to buy my slushy. I let out the laugh I was holding while Judy squealed excitedly. 

"Nice job, baby. But don't do it again, or your dad might have a heart attack. You know how clean he always likes the car." I ruffled his hair, making Junior giggle sweetly at me. 

"Now you get your own slushie, Lori!"

I smiled at him and caressed his soft, chubby cheek. "Thank you, little man." I leaned over and pecked his cheek before reaching over and ruffling Judy's hair, making her giggle as well. 

A few minutes later, I watched Ed walk out of the gas station shop with a large cup of slushy and my favorite chocolate bar. He handed them to me once he settled into the driver's seat. The glare on his face was replaced with a knowing smirk. I grinned and leaned over, kissing his lips sweetly. 

"Thank you, my love."

"Anything for you, darlin'." He drawled before turning to Junior, who smiled innocently back. "You cheeky boy."

"Love you, daddy."

I could see the way those three words softened Ed. I bet his heart had just melted the way mine did just now. He smiles at the boy, "I love you too, Junior."

"And what about me, Daddy?"

Ed chuckled and turned further, looking at Judy, who had her arms crossed over her chest like the little spoiled princess we knew she was. "And I love you just as much, Princess."

Judy let out a squeal and settled comfortably in her seat with her slushy in one hand and her teddy bear, Roni, in the other. Ed looks back at me with eyes full of so much love, and the butterflies in my stomach went wild. 

_________________________________________

Hills and hills of bright green grass, fields of sunflowers and corn, and the cows grazing on the fields as their calves ran around freely made me sigh happily. I folded my arms over the car window sill and rested my chin on my arms, taking a deep breath of the fresh, clean air—the air we never had around the big city. 

I loved being able to be out like this. Even if I was the good girl of the family- well, in front of my mother mostly- I was always out and about. Either riding through the fields with Sally, reading under my favorite tree surrounded by all the animals on my farm, or sneaking out in the middle of the night and taking Daniel's car just to go out for a joyride. That's what I missed about my teenage years. Being carefree and having so much freedom. When Rebecca, Hannah and I went out during the night with Daniel's car, I used to put my head out the window and scream as loud as I could, the air flowing through my long, brown hair, the smell of all the flowers and grass around us filling my nostrils and the cool of the night, chilling my bones. I'd never get those years back, but sometimes I wish I could go back in time to relive those memories. 

Ed's gaze on the back of my head could've burned a hole by now—this man. I love him so much, but he worries about me too much.

"I can feel you staring."

"Well, with a beautiful woman sitting next to me. How could I not?" Cheesy. Absolutely cheesy. Even for him. I turn around and make a face, making him chuckle. He places his hand on my thigh and squeezes it for reassurance. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I smile at him and place my hand over his, intertwining our fingers. "I'm okay. Stop worrying about me, hon."

He snorts and shakes his head, bringing my hand to his lips to place a soft kiss on my knuckles. "Too late for that, my love." I couldn't help but giggle at his words. His being overprotective of me is one of my favorite things about him. "I'm always going to be worried about you. No matter what."

Ed was one of the most observant people in the room. Or currently, in the car. He could see what was happening in my mind just by the change of my mood or a flash of something going through my eyes. 

"It's...Nothing. I'm okay." I wasn't ready. Not yet. But I knew sooner or later, I'd have to tell him. The scar on my lower abdomen started burning, as if a warning that if I didn't tell him, he'd find out somehow about my secret. 

A flash of uncertainty showed in his eyes before it disappeared, replaced with love and the softness I'd grown to love. He smiles and nods his head, not pushing further again. "Okay, baby."

We stayed in comfortable silence for the rest of the drive. I hummed along to the music playing while occasionally checking on the kids in the back once in a while while Ed focused on driving. Going on a trip like this to a place where no one knew Ed, he felt comfortable enough not to bring Zach and Nate. Telling them to have the days off while we were away, which we both knew they looked like they needed. True, they had two days off while working as his bodyguards, but sometimes I could tell how much of a toll it took on them. 

Besides, Ed knew he was capable enough to protect us if any harm came our way. But we all knew it won't. Unless they were incompetent, then probably yes. But, with the way my lovely man looked at everyone, I don't think they'd even dare to breathe the air around us. 

_________________________________________

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the familiar two-story white country house I grew up in. I saw the horses out on the field, galloping around, their manes flowing in the wind beautifully. 

"Judy, Junior. Look. That's my horse, Sally. And then the black horse next to her is Raven."

I could tell Judy was fighting against her seatbelt to look out the window next to Junior. She gasped excitedly and kicked her feet against the car seat. "Oh, my gosh! Pretty horsies!" I giggled at her enthusiasm. "Hurry, Daddy! I wanna ride horsies!"

Ed chuckled beside me, making me snort. "Hold on, baby girl. We gotta meet Lori's family first, remember?"

"Family later, horsies now."

Yep. This child is definetley my daughter. I always loved my horses over my family. Not that i didn't love my family, but something about the calmness and beauty of horses made me love them more. Or maybe it was because I was free when I was around animals. 

Ed parked the car next to what I recognized as Brooke's new truck from the pictures Hannah sent me. They'd bought it a few days after we left as an early New Year's present. I got out of the Cadillac and opened the back door, jumping back when Judy and Junior ran past me and towards the grassy fields. How in the hell did they figure out how to get out of their carseats? It took me hours to figure out how to get them out the first time I put them in. 

"Wait! Wait for me!" I glanced at Ed, who was laughing as he shook his head, opening the trunk to get our bags out. I took off after the twins, catching up to them and snatching them into my arms. They started laughing uncontrollably when I started peppering their faces with kisses. 

"Lori!" Junior pushed my face away, making me laugh. I crouched down and made them stand on either side of me, my arms wrapped protectively around them. 

Sally nickers in the distance, a low sound coming from her, throwing her mane around as she prances around Raven, who watches her with intense eyes. Looking at the way the two horses acted reminded me a lot of Ed and I. Raven, the big protector, is obsessed with his woman, while Sally shows off in front of him, carefree about the world around her, knowing he'll protect her when danger comes near. 

"Wow." Junior gasps softly, leaning his little body against the white fence. His eyes were wide with wonder and awe. "They're so pretty."

"I know, baby. Aren't they so...Majestic and graceful? The way they move around each other and just to let the wind take them wherever they want."

Judy lets out a little sigh of content beside me as she leans against me, resting her head against mine. "Can we see your family now? I want to ride horsie." I let out a snort and kissed her forehead, standing straight and taking their hands in mine before heading toward Ed, who was watching us from the car. He smiled brightly at us and crossed his muscular arms over his chest, his biceps flexing under the tight black shirt he was wearing. 

"So? You like 'em?" He raises an eyebrow at the two kids who grin at him, running the rest of the way and wrapping their arms around his legs. 

"They're so beautiful, Daddy!" Judy jumps up and down, making me giggle. I wrap my arms around myself as a cold breeze flows by, a shiver going up my spine. "The-the girl horse looks like Lori and the boy horse looks like you, Daddy."

Ed and I look at each other and start laughing, the kids joining in after a few seconds. He ruffles their hair and moves to grab the bags while I lace my fingers with the kids' hands. I turn to face the house and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. 

"It'll be okay, love." I hear Ed mumble from behind me before I feel his lips against the back of my head. His nose nuzzles against my head, making me hum. I take another deep breath and nod. 

"Alright...Let's go, lovelies."

Lord, I pray you be my strength right now and help me through this. Let my family love these kids the way I love them. 

And more importantly, let my mother not disown me when she finds out they're mine.

Chapter Text

Ed

She was nervous. She didn't make it obvious, though. But I could see it. The way she rubbed her thumbs over the back of the kids' hands as she held them, her taking deep breaths and slowly letting them out, counting to three until her heart stopped trying to jump out of her chest. Not a lot of people would know these things about her. Only I did because I knew her better than she knew herself. 

I stepped forward slightly and whispered, "It'll be okay, love." Then pressed my lips against the back of her head. She took another deep breath, which I knew was going to be the one that calmed her down even more. Lorraine hummed softly in reply before nodding her head.

"Alright...Let's go, lovelies." I remember the day she started calling the kids that. It was cute. Precious even. I never let anyone else have a nickname for the kids...Well, if you were to call that a nickname. She always had a thing for pet names for the people she cared deeply for. 

Carefully, we made our way up the few steps and stood in front of the brown door with the black handle. I could already hear the kids screaming inside and footsteps running around inside. I couldn't wait to see the little boy, Cameron, who reminded me so much of Junior.

Lorraine opened the door, and we all stepped inside. She peered inside while taking off her shoes, which the rest of us followed.

"Hello." Her beautiful voice rang out and echoed down the halls. "Anyone-"

"AUNTY RAINE! UNCLE ED!" Cameron's voice traveled down the hall before his footsteps were heard as he ran toward us at the speed of light. I almost didn't have time to put the bags down when he jumped into my arms and wrapped his little arms around my neck tightly. "You're back! I never thought I'd see you again! There's so much I have to show you! Gramma made cookies and pies and cake and-" His voice stopped when his eyes landed on Judy and Junior, who stared at him in confusion, probably wondering why some random boy was hugging me. 

"Why are you hugging Daddy?"

Junior huffs, "Yeah. No one hugs Daddy except us." He let go of Lorraine's hand and folded his arms across his chest. Lorraine and I shared a glance and chuckled softly. I set Cameron down on the ground and turned to my kids. 

"Cameron, these are my kids. Judy. Junior. This is Cameron. This is Lori's nephew."

We watched as the kids stared at each other as if they were sizing each other up until Cameron gasped and ran toward them, hugging them tightly. 

"New cousins! Come on! Come on! You have to meet the rest of our cousins!" He ran off with the twins, his hands grasping their hands tightly, making me and Lorraine laugh. She let out a sigh, sounding like a breath of relief, and turned to me. 

"Well, that's one down."

I chuckled and rubbed her arm. "It'll be okay. Your family seems understanding."

"Yeah...Wait until they find out those kids are out of wedlock."

"Technically, I didn't have them out of wedlock. Their mother did. I was just the lucky one who got them." I smirked at my girlfriend, who rolled her eyes, but I knew she was biting back the smile that was trying to form on her lips. Lorraine sighed and brushed a piece of loose hair out of her eyes, placing it behind her ear. Her nerves were eating at her again. I could tell this time by the way her eyes were roaming around the room, and she nibbled on her bottom lip. 

"Hey." I cupped her face and forced her to look at me. "You're fine. You're okay."

She smiled at me and nodded, placing her hands on my biceps. I bent down to peck her lips when we heard a soft groan. 

"Her bedroom's upstairs, y'know." A familiar voice said from a couple of feet away. We turned our heads and noticed Theresa leaning against the wall, her arms folded across her chest as she smirked at us. "No need to have a show down here."

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't have been a show if you showed up." 

Theresa made a mocking face at me and Lorraine as she made her way toward us, opening her arms and hugging us tightly. She backed away and looked at me, slapping my arm. "Look at you! You've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you, and that was only a few weeks ago. What the hell has she been feeding you?"

I let out a loud laugh while Lorraine looked at her sister with a mortified expression. "Theresa! Oh, my god!" I could tell from the first time I met Theresa that she was the trouble-maker and the smart mouth of the family. 

"Good to see you too, Terry."

"Mhmm." She smirked at the two of us before snorting and turning away to grab our bags, making her way up the stairs. 

"And since when were you the helpful type?" I teased, taking Lorraine's hand in mine and following Theresa while Lorraine giggled. 

The younger brunette stopped at the top of the stairs and turned around with a glare on her face, "Just because you're family now doesn't mean you can start smart mouthing me." I smirked at her, making her groan out loud in annoyance, and continued walking. I looked down at Lorraine, who winked at me, meaning that I'm going to be bonding just fine with her sister. 

______________________________________

Once we finished putting away our clothes into Lorraine's old room, she left with her sister to get some last-minute groceries they'd be needing when Georgiana called. Tired from the drive, I wanted to take a small nap, but my mind kept me up with what the kids were doing since I hadn't seen or heard from them in almost an hour. I got up from the bed to look out the window and noticed Judy and Junior laughing and running around the field of snow in the back.

A bright smile lit up my face as I saw my kids run around with Lorraine's nieces and nephews. I loved seeing them bond with what will soon be their family. Marrying Lorraine will be a dream come true for me. The day I get to call her my wife is the day I know my world is finally complete. She was the missing piece to my puzzle. If I were to ever-

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I almost jumped at the sound of the voice interrupting my thoughts, but I could smell his strong, nose-bleeding cologne from a mile away. 

"How are 'ya, Daniel?" I asked without turning toward him, making him chuckle. A small smile appeared on my lips when Cameron and Junior started play-fighting each other, the two of them laughing loudly. 

He came to stand next to me and patted my back, looking out the window as well to watch the kids. He let out a small chuckle and looked at me. "Doin' fine. I'm guessing those two are yours?"

"My pride and joy," I replied with a large grin, finally looking at the man Lorraine considered her brother. He smiled and nodded his head. 

"Cute kids." We watched as Junior and Judy started screaming excitedly when the older kids started chasing them around, trying to tickle them. "You never mentioned having kids."

I shrugged my shoulders, slipping my hands into my pockets. It was true. Not a lot of people knew I had Judy and Junior in my life, but that was because I didn't like letting my personal life out into the world for everyone to know. It wasn't until Lorraine came into my life that I started to let the kids out more into the world, mostly because of school. Lorraine was the only other person, other than Drew and Josh, that I trusted with the kids.

"Not a lot of people know," I answered nonchalantly. I noticed the way he looked at me with a raised eyebrow, his expression curious. As if trying to figure out why I kept my life private. There was a reason. I did too much damage in my past to let it get out into the open. 

"Private. I like that." Daniel finally said with another chuckle. I nodded my head as I continued to watch the kids in silence. We probably looked like weird stalkers looking down at them from the top window. I guess one of the other kids noticed we were staring and told the others to look up and wave. We smiled at them and waved back. We were silent for a few more minutes. No awkwardness between us, it was a comfortable silence. I could tell that both of our minds were running. 

Turning to look at the man, I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry...Did you need something?"

Daniel huffed a laugh, "We were looking for you. Raine said you were taking a nap before she left, was just checking in on you."

I nodded my head. "Couldn't sleep." He nodded in response and looked back out the window. I studied his expression for a few seconds. He had questions. The way his jaw clenched, and he was biting the inside of his cheek. "Ask it."

He looked at me, shocked, while I kept my expression cool. Daniel shook his head with a smile, "No hiding things from you, huh?"

"Nope." I chuckled, making him laugh. 

"It's just...I know you and Lorraine have been together for about a year now. Maybe a little longer, and we've just met you a few weeks ago..." He trailed off as if trying to figure out how to word the next sentence without offending me in some way. I kept silent, wanting him to get what was on his mind out. "I know we're not close. Yet...anyway, but how come you never mentioned being in a previous marriage? I mean...Theresa said she looked you up online, but she never found- Oh, shit, I wasn't supposed to say that part."

I stared at him while he closed his eyes, regret forming on his face. I let out a small laugh and sighed. "There are four people who know the real me. That's my two brothers, my assistant, and now Lorraine." That was a lie. Lorraine didn't know everything about me yet. "Bringing my kids into a new family like this only happens when I know the people around them are trustworthy. Trustworthy to be in my life as well." I looked at Daniel, who nodded his head, his eyes set on studying my expression like I did. "I was never married. Almost though. But she cheated on me. I was honestly thankful. It was an arranged marriage, something about her father wanting to have my family's name to make sure her future stays a success like his older daughter, who married into the Hamilton family."

"As in...Hamilton Security?"

Good. He knew his people. I nodded in response and continued with my little life story. "The kids came into my life after that. My brother brought them home to me. I was just supposed to take care of them until he found a permanent home for them, but I grew attached to them. I was watching them grow every day. Every second. I was around them. I grew to love them as if they were my own. It only took them staying with me for about four months before I made the decision to keep them as my own children." I smiled as the memory of signing the adoption papers and holding the two beautiful babies in my arms appeared in my mind. The two babies who are now making snow angels at the childhood home of the love of my life, with two big grins on their faces. "It was the second-best decision of my life."

Daniel chuckled, "Second?"

I smiled at him, "First being hiring your cousin as their nanny." A look of realization hit Daniel's face, and he laughed. 

"Ah." He smiled at me as well and leaned against the wall, turning his full body toward mine. "I can tell you love her."

"More than anything, Daniel." Images of the beautiful brunette filled my mind. Her smile was already burned into my brain from the first time I saw her real smile. That woman had me wrapped around her finger, and she knew it. As if she knew I was thinking about her, I saw her run after the kids on the snow below. With her arms out, trying to grab some of the kids, they all screamed when they saw her and ran faster, laughter filling the outside air. We watched as she caught up to Cameron and Junior, grabbing them from behind and pulling them toward her, peppering their faces with kisses. We could hear the kids screaming before the others piled onto her, pushing her onto the ground. 

Daniel and I shared a glance before we laughed and made our way downstairs. Brooke was already downstairs opening the sliding door to the back when the sound of laughter filled my ears. The three of us quickly grabbed our jackets before joining Rebecca, Hannah, Theresa, Kate, and Olivia outside, who were taking pictures and videos of the kids with Lorraine. Hannah noticed me first, gasping loudly as she carefully waddled over to me. 

"There's our future-brother-in-law!" She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and kissed my cheek. "Oh, we've missed you! Brooke couldn't shut up about how he couldn't wait to see you so you men can drink together again." I chuckled and hugged her back, keeping my hands above her waist.

"Good to see you too, Hannah." I noticed Rebecca making her way to me next, hugging me tightly.

"When are you putting a ring on her god damn finger? We're waiting for another wedding 'cause these two are obviously not going to get married anytime soon," She teased as she nodded her head toward Brooke and Hannah, who playfully rolled their eyes. I patted her back with a laugh and walked over to Olivia and Kate, hugging them as well, before Lorraine ran up to me. I caught her just in time when she jumped into my arms, kissing my cheek. 

"Hi, baby! Hope Daniel wasn't poking into your business like he always does."

Daniel walked up to us, wrapping his arms around Rebecca's waist. "Are you calling me a stalker?" He asked in a mocking tone, making all of us laugh. I placed Lorraine on the ground and kept my arm around her waist while her hand stayed on my chest. The nine of us started catching up while the kids continued to play. Georgiana was still out with Richard, Marissa, and their kids, so it wouldn't be for another hour before they came home.

______________________________________

"Well, isn't that a nice sound to come home to?" Georgiana's voice flowed through the house before her face appeared at the sliding door. We all turned toward her and smiled brightly, her smile mirroring ours. She made her way toward me and Lorraine, giving us big hugs and kissing our cheeks. "I'm so happy the two of you decided to-"

"Daddy! Daddy! Look what we found!" Junior, Cameron, and Margaret ran up to us, showing us a few daffodils and daisies they found while running around in the snow. Judy ran up to us next, giving Lorraine a few of the flowers with a giggle. Lorraine smiled at her and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Oh! And who are these two?"

Lorraine and I glanced at each other. She had a look of worry, but I smiled and gave her a nod of encouragement. She cleared her throat and smiled at Georgiana. 

"Mom, this is Judy and Junior. These are Ed's kids. The kids I've been taking care of."

Georgiana gasps softly and carefully crouches down, with the help of Daniel, of course, who stood behind her. "Aw, well, look at the two of you. Very handsome and very beautiful." She pinched their cheeks, making them giggle, putting a bright smile on my face. 

"You, my sweet pea, are very handsome. Just like your father."

Junior giggled and said, "Thank you, ma'am." 

The older woman looked up at us with a smirk, "And very respectful, just like him." She turned her attention to Judy, who grinned at her. "And you-" She paused. Her eyes grew wide, and she quickly glanced at Lorraine. She visibly tensed in my arms, her hand like an iron clamp around my bicep, squeezing the life out of my muscle. Georgiana cleared her throat and smiled at my little Judy. She lifted her hand and caressed my daughter's face. "And you are a very beautiful, young girl, my little rose."

With a giddy laugh, Judy clasps her hands behind her back and starts swaying bashfully. "Thank you, Ma'am. And you are pretty, too! Pretty like Lori." Lorraine's mother lets out a laugh and stands up with the help of Daniel before bending to pick up Judy, "Well, then, my little rose and little sweet pea. Shall we go eat some cookies and pie?"

"Yay!" Judy and Junior clap their hands in excitement, making me chuckle. The others followed the older woman and the kids inside while Lorraine and I stayed out. I wrap my arm tighter around Lorraine's waist and look down at her. She looked more relaxed than before. Her grip on my bicep had loosened the second Georgiana was laughing at Judy's remark about her similarity to Lorraine. 

I brush her hair back behind her ear, making her look up at me. "You okay, my love?"

She lets out a small laugh, her breath coming out in a small, white puff. "I am now, hon. I was just...I didn't know how my mother would react to the kids."

"Well...If I saw the outcome correctly, I think...she loves them." I tease, making her giggle. She fully turned toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning up on the toes of her snow boots and kissing my lips. I smile into the kiss and pull her flush against my front, a squeal escaping her lips. We hear the snap of a camera a few feet away, interrupting our kiss as we turn our heads to the culprit. 

Hannah stood there sheepishly with her digital camera in hand. "Sorry...Continue! Forget I was here." She placed the camera back up to her eye and captured another picture of us looking at her with raised eyebrows. Lorraine and I glanced at each other before smirking and turning back to her, flipping her off with large grins just as she captured another picture. She gasps, offendedly, and glares at us. "Hey! That's not- I'm telling your Mom!" Still with a mock-hurt expression, she waddles away, leaving my beautiful girlfriend and I alone. 

"Now..." I sigh, wrapping my arms around Lorraine's waist as she giggles. "Where were we?" I tease as I raise an eyebrow. Lorraine hums and pretends to think for a second. 

"I think you were...Going to chase me around in the snow!" Lorraine exclaims as she breaks out of my hold, sprinting as fast as she could through the thick inches of snow and her boots. I let out a loud groan before I run after her. 

This woman. She really is going to be the death of me. 

______________________________________

It felt great to be around a big family like this again. The kids were flourishing with Lorraine's nieces and nephews as we sat by the fireplace, enjoying some hot chocolate and sweet treats that Georgiana had made. That woman wasn't kidding. She really did turn the kitchen into a home bakery. The counters had been filled with pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, and many more than all of us could eat. 

Lorraine was cuddled into my side, her mug set carefully on her lap with her fingers secured through the handle, while she joked around with Hannah, Rebecca, Olivia, and Kate. Meanwhile, I was in a deep conversation with Brooke, Daniel, and Richard about which pie Georgiana had made was the best. The other wives sat on the couch, probably gossiping about some shit they found out, and Theresa was getting more hot chocolate for herself and Cameron. The other men were somewhere in the basement, a place they called the "Man Den" since Georgiana no longer used the space.

"You're bullshitting me if you're saying the blueberry pie was the best."

I looked over at Richard with a raised eyebrow, "You sayin' it was shit?"

"Of course not!" He looked at me, horrified as his eyes scanned the room, looking for any sign of Georgiana, who'd gone upstairs to change. "I-I'm just saying- There are many more things she made that taste better than that. Don't tell her I said that, though."

Daniel, Brooke, and I looked at each other before bursting out into a fit of laughter, startling everyone in the room. Lorraine giggles beside me and rubs my chest before she gets back to her conversation with the other women. From the corner of my eye, I see Junior and Cameron running toward us with the two German Shepards, Hazel and Rufus. 

"Uncle Ed! Can we go outside and play with the dogs?" Cameron asks as he lands on his knees beside me, his arms wrapping around my neck. I chuckle and take a quick glance outside, noticing the snow falling. 

"I don't think so, bud. It's snowy and cold outside." I looked down at the young boy, who starts pouting at me. A sigh escapes my lips as I lift my wrist from Lorraine's lap, looking at the time. It was ten minutes to 8, a bit too late to go outside. "I..."

"Oh, please, Uncle Ed."

Daniel snorts, "Yeah. Please, Uncle Ed." He and Brooke start snickering, making me roll my eyes. I smiled at the two boys and nodded my head. 

"Okay, but I'll come with. Grab our-"

Cameron lets out an excited scream as he stands and grabs Junior's hand, running toward the hallway. "HE SAID YES! GRAB THE GEAR!" A whole trampede of kids starts running down the hall, bumping into the wall and each other as they scramble to get their boots and coats on. 

"What...What the hell did you say "yes" to?" I hear Isabella's disapproving tone from behind us. Uh-oh. 

I turned my attention toward her and cleared my throat. "Apparently, I agreed to a snowball war outside." Kate chuckled and waved me off, "They should be fine. The kids always do this when someone new comes home. They usually get mad when we say no. I guess you're the new favorite."

Brooke patted my back, "You should've seen the look Isa gave me the first time I let the kids out like this."

She narrowed her eyes at the two of us, anger flaring in her glare. "Yeah, cause the last time this happened, everyone got sick." Marissa, her bitch of a partner, shook her head at me. "Use your big brain next time, Ed. Did you even have a brain when you met Lorraine? Because if you did, you wouldn't be with this-"

"Hey!" Lorraine snarled, her eyes glaring daggers at the two women on the couch. "He meant well! At least the kids are having fun. I don't see the two of you doing anything to make your kids happy." She stood up and wiped her hands on her sweatpants. "Instead of sitting there acting like two useless queens, you can act like a mother and play with your children. And don't you dare bring up our relationship when we all know how your own relationship with your husband is going, Marissa." Her voice dripped with venom when she said the redhead's name. We all watched as Lorraine stormed out of the living room, grabbing her coat and putting on her boots before slamming the door behind her when she followed the rest of the kids out.

The rest of us sat quietly in the living room, the air tense and awkward. I could sense Marissa and Isabella glaring angrily at me from the couch. They both stood up with a huff and walked away, their feet stomping on the ground in harsh paces. 

Daniel snorts and nudges me with his elbow, "Don't worry about them. Isabella's always been a bitch since we were kids, and Marissa...Well..." He turned to Richard, who shook his head and looked down, an embarrassed look on his face. 

"She wasn't always like this."

Hannah snorts as she finishes her cup of hot chocolate. "What? A lazy bitch who doesn't do anything except act like a pretty princess? I remember her like that from the first day you brought her home." Rebecca, Olivia, and Kate hummed in reply, agreeing with her with a nod. Richard just sits quietly and shrugs his shoulders, looking out the window to avoid our gaze. I sighed and stood up with a wince, hearing my knees pop in disapproval from how long I was sitting on the ground. 

"Well...I'm gonna check on Lorraine." I smiled at the rest of the group, who smiled back and nodded. I passed by Hannah and took her empty cup from her hands, making her grin. 

"Why, thank you, kind sir." I chuckled in response and made my way to the kitchen, dropping off the cups before grabbing my coat and boots. 

______________________________________

Lorraine sat on the fence, watching the kids play before turning her head toward me when she heard the snow crunch under my boots. I sighed as I sat next to her, pulling her into my arms, making her hum. 

"You okay?"

She looks up at me, her eyes shining brightly from the moonlight above us. "I am now, my love." I smiled and kissed her forehead, rubbing her back. We sighed in content and watched over the kids, hearing them laugh and throw snowballs at each other. "Are you happy?"

I frowned at her question. It was an odd question coming from her. She knew I was always happy whenever I was around her and the kids. "What do you mean, love?"

"I mean..." Lorraine took another deep breath and nuzzled her head under my chin, as if trying to hide her face from mine. "Are you happy? With...Me and...Well, of course you're gonna be happy with the kids, but are you happy with me?" I could tell her anxiety was skyrocketing. Her voice was wavering as she spoke to me, and her hands were shaking as they continued to run up and down my chest. 

"Baby." I let out a soft sigh and leaned back, trying to get her to look up at me. She sniffled softly and shook her head, keeping her head on my chest. I hooked my finger under her chin and forced her to look up. "Love, why are you asking me this? Of course, I'm happy with you. You know how happy I am with you. Being with you is like being in a universe that I have found a home in." I wiped away her stray tears with the pad of my thumb. "Don't listen to what Marissa is saying. She's just...She's just jealous because she knows she can't have what we have. Why would you think I'm not happy with you?"

Lorraine shrugged her shoulders. Her lips were quivering as more tears built up in her eyes. "I-I don't know. I guess her words just got to me." Another tear slipped from her eye, making my heart break. That bitch. She had no right to make the most loving woman I know feel like this. Especially the woman I know grew up with a broken home and grew into the strongest person I know. I smiled lovingly and caressed her cheek, bringing her close to kiss her lips. 

"Don't let her get to you. I love you. And nothing would ever change that." She smiled at my words and kissed me again. Although I knew there was something more on her mind when her smile started slowly slipping away. Her throat bobbed from the way she swallowed thickly, and fear filled her eyes, making me look at her in concern.

"Are you sure? N-Nothing wouldn't change how much you love me?"

I frowned again and nodded, "Nothing, baby. Why?"

She went quiet, searching into my eyes for something. Something I didn't know. Lorraine took another deep breath and worried her lip. "I...I have something to tell you." She whispered, like a child hiding her worst fear from the person she loved.

Chapter Text

Lorraine

Fear was eating away inside of me. It was just Ed. The man I truly loved with everything I hold dear. The man I felt my soul connected to from day one. But with a secret so deep, it felt like I was holding the bottle of poison to end our relationship in my hand. I wasn't going to tell him. Not like this, but Marrisa's words scared me. She knew. She knew I was pregnant. I could tell in her eyes when she looked at me. It scared me. I couldn't let Ed find out about my deepest secret from anyone else. Especially finding out from someone like Marissa.

He looked at me intently and silently. The love and concern still shining in his eyes, brighter than ever before. Ed was always worried about me. Every day, he'd look at me like I was the most fragile thing in his life. I probably was.

My heart was racing. Pounding inside my chest like a sledgehammer. 

Okay. I need to do this. Now.

 I took another deep breath to slow my heart down, but it wasn't working. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. 

Ed noticed and maneuvered us around so that I was sitting in his lap, holding me like a baby in his arms while his fingers ran through my hair. Something he knew always calmed me down. Something only he could do to calm me down. 

Tears swelled in my eyes as I looked up at him. "I was pregnant." It came out in barely a whisper. Like a breath gone in the wind, but I knew he heard it. His brows furrowed together in concern, and he stayed silent, letting me continue to talk. And I did. I told him everything; How I was at Brent's wedding five years ago and had way too much to drink. How I was partying all night with a guy I couldn't remember. Not even his name. How I  almost hurt myself dancing the night away, making him chuckle softly. How I couldn't remember what happened after I went to the bar with this stranger and ended up in his room the next day. I hadn't even looked back that day to see what this stranger looked like. I was too embarrassed. Ashamed of what I'd just done. It was a few weeks later that I started throwing up every morning and getting nauseous at just the smell of my favorite tea that I knew I was pregnant. 

By the time I finished my story, I was crying into Ed's arms as he held me tightly, never letting me go. Not even once. He caressed my head and kissed me multiple times before taking a deep breath. I didn't know what this would do to us. If this were to ruin what we have. If this were to change how he looks at me. 

"It's okay, my love." He whispered softly, hugging me tighter. "It's okay." I could hear his heart beating; it was a calming thumping in his chest. Throughout my story, his heart beat hadn't changed. No speeding up, not slowing down. Just the same, rhythmical thumping as he stayed calm and listened. I don't know how long we stayed in this, him holding me as my crying stopped. I didn't want to look at him. My cheeks turned red from the coldness of the night, and the embarrassment hitting me. He must've sent the kids inside because the world got quiet, other than my sniffling and his heartbeat. 

Slowly, he lifted my head and kissed my cheek. "What- Did you..." I knew his question, and I shook my head. I took another deep breath and said, "I gave them up. I don't even know what I had. I loved them. I really did, but I knew if I took one look at them, I wouldn't be able to ever let them go. I didn't have the money. I was still living here with my mother and sister. I couldn't let people know that I was pregnant. Not without a husband. I couldn't do that to my mother, so I...gave them up."

Ed nodded and stayed silent again. I sniffled and held onto his hand, bringing it down to my lips. "I-I know that it's a lot and I understand if you don't-"

"Don't even bother finishing that sentence, Lorraine. I love you. Flaws and all. You gave them up for a reason. It was the best decision you could've made as their mother." He leaned down and kissed my lips, making me smile softly, my heart bursting inside of me. "Did you ever find out what you had? A perfect little girl who looks like you or a handsome little boy who has your brains." We both smiled and let out chuckles. 

"I, um...I had both actually." I whispered, looking away from his gaze once again. He was going to figure this out one way or another. 

His breath hitched. "What...What do you mean?"

I swallowed thickly. "Ed...I had twins. A beautiful baby girl and a handsome little boy." We both went quiet. The world seemed to have gone quiet, too. "The...The only request I made before they were taken away was that if I had a little girl...I wanted her to have something of mine." He waited for my answer. I slowly looked up at him, and my voice cracked, "I wanted her middle name to be Veronica."

Ed

It was like a train had hit me. Veronica. Judy's middle name. The boy and the girl, whose mother gave them up because she couldn't afford to take care of them, the young mother. It was Lorraine. This whole time. It was Lorraine. 

I felt as if my breath was stolen from my lungs. It all made sense. How close the kids became with her in just a few short days. How she cared for them. Wheels started turning in my head, trying to figure out if she knew.

"Ed- I-I swear I didn't know it was them." She sat up in my lap, her hands shaking as she held onto my shoulders. "I-It wasn't until you told me Judy's middle name that it hit me. I swear, if I had found this out earlier, I would've told you. I-I was just scared."

My brows creased together, both in concern and confusion. "When did you even find out?"

"When we stopped at the gas station. That's why I ran to the bathroom. It had clicked in my head who they were." Lorraine started crying again, and her voice wavered. She was scared. Scared of what I was thinking. If I were mad at her, or even worse, if I were going to end it all right here. "I-I couldn't believe it myself. I was- I was- Well, I was shocked. I- This whole time. I had been taking care of the very twins I had given up. It was like- Like-"

"Destiny." My words made her breath hitch. She looked at me in shock while I slowly started to smile. I was happy. True, if I were someone else and this happened, they probably would've left in a huge huff, breaking up with her and leaving her to suffer in her tears and her spilled secret. Not me, though. No. I love this woman. More than anything in the world and if she really is the mother to my kids. So be it. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

"W-What?"

"Don't you see? This! It was destiny! God's plan! He knew to bring us together. He knew we'd be the perfect family together. He-" My words were cut off when Lorraine grabbed my face with her cold fingers and slammed our lips together. I groaned into her mouth and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. I felt wet drops on my cheeks, and I chuckled, pulling back from her to wipe away her tears. 

"I love you. Oh, my god. I love you." She smiled a real smile for the first time since she started telling me about her. The real her.

I brushed her hair back from her face and pecked her lips. "God brought us together for a reason, my love. And I'm never letting you go." The way she looked at me made my heart flutter. My heart hadn't fluttered like this in a long time. We both let out sighs of content and stayed in each other's arms. Neither of us wants to let go and ruin the moment. 

One thing didn't make sense, though. A wedding after-party, five years ago, dancing the night away, drinks at the bar, a blurry night from alcohol. It sounded all too familiar. 

"Hon?"

"Hmm?" She hummed as she lifted her head from my chest, her eyebrow raised in concern. "Yes, my love?"

"This wedding...Where did it happen?"

Please say Chicago. Please say Chicago.

Lorraine's brows furrowed even more. "Um...Chicago. Why? It was Brent's-"

I was stunned once again. The pieces of my puzzle are all piecing together in my head. "Oh...my God. It was you." I look at her in shock. She was the woman from that night.

"What do you-"

"Love. Just..." I sat up straight, my back leaning against the fence to straighten me up as I sat her up as well. I held her face in my hands, making her eyes go wide. Not in fear, but in a startled way. "What- That night. Five years ago- Were you dancing on a table and fell-"

I could tell it clicked in her head as well. Her eyes lit up like a lightbulb had gone off above her head as she gasped. "In a bowl of chips. How did you...Oh, my- It was you!" She shook her head in disbelief. "A-all this time and it was...It was you all along." We were both in disbelief at this point. The woman I had fallen in love with just those few years ago had been living in my house this whole time. And to top this all off, she was the mother to my adopted- Wait.

"Wait- Wait- If you got pregnant that night-" We both stared at each other, not a word, not a sound coming out. Our breath stilled in the cold winter air. 

"Ed..."

No. It couldn't be. This time, I really couldn't believe it. The two of us don't even remember what happened that night. What was probably a passionate, steamy night- all of it a blur in our minds. I tried going back into my memories, trying to recall that night, but nothing; Just music and flashing lights, alcohol and cigarettes, dancing and- Her. 

God really did bring us together for a reason. He knew we needed each other.

A chuckle escaped from Lorraine's throat, making me look at her. She put her hands over her face. "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. This isn't- Wow." I chuckled as well, my head spinning from everything that just happened. Lorraine was the mother of my kids. I am the father to my kids. Not adopted. Biological. She was the woman I had fallen in love with. How crazy was that?

Lorraine and I looked at each other, smiles forming on our lips. She placed her hands on my shoulders and let out what sounded like a breath of relief. "How crazy is this?" She giggled and shook her head while I placed my hands on her waist, my smile turning into a full-blown grin. "How is it that we met five years ago, and we can't even remember what happened. I mean, except for the fact that I ended up pregnant and you somehow adopted the kids that were the result of that night?"

"God works in mysterious ways, my love." Hooking my finger under her chin, I pulled her in for a kiss, which she smiled into. She gasps and pulls away from me, making me frown. 

"You know what this means, right?"

"What?"

"Carol was right." I raised my eyebrow at her, waiting for her to continue. She let out a giggle and sighed. "Carol always said we were soulmates and how God brought us together for a reason because...Well, actually, I didn't even let her finish because I told her she was crazy."

I chuckled and ran my finger along her jawline. "I guess you owe Carol an apology."

Lorraine hummed before shaking her head with a smile. "Nah." We both laughed in response. What a night this turned out to be. I hadn't even realized how long we'd been sitting outside until I glanced at the time on my watch. 

"My love...If we don't want to catch a cold sitting outside here in the snow...I think we should head inside. It's about thirty minutes past ten."

"Oh, jeez." She snorts in reply. "Becca and everyone else probably thinks we ran off to-"

"LORRAINE! ED!"

Our necks snapped toward the front door, where Theresa was frantically waving at us. We scrambled to get to our feet, finding it difficult to find our balance from how numb and wobbly our legs were. Still, we managed to run up the steps toward the younger brunette.

"What?! What? What's-"

"Get the truck! Get the keys!" Theresa exclaimed before we heard a guttural yell coming from the living room. Lorraine and I looked at each other with knowing glances. Hannah. I nodded my head and ran inside to Lorraine's bedroom, fumbling around to grab my keys. Once I found it, I somehow flew down the stairs and sprinted out the door in record speed, starting the car. Rebecca and Brooke helped Hannah into my truck as she kept screaming in pain, clutching her stomach. 

Lorraine jumped into the front seat, barely closing the door when I sped off. I didn't even know where I was going or what direction the hospital was, but I just drove. Drove like my life depended on it.

"Just breathe, babe. Breathe."

"Don't fucking tell me to breathe! I am breathing!" Hannah yelled into her fiancé's face. Lorraine glanced over at me, biting her lip to keep herself from laughing. "DRIVE FASTER, EDWARD!"

Oh, shit.

______________________________________

Lorraine

Bursting through the doors, Becca and I ran to the nurses' station, trying to find a doctor or a nurse, whoever we could find first, while Ed and Brooke carried Hannah in behind us. 

Spotting a nurse with braids in front of me, I ran over to her, accidentally startling her when I grasped her shoulder. "Hi! Oh, sorry! My-Our sister is in labor and we-"

"Tell them to hurry, Lorraine!" Brooke exclaimed, wincing in pain when Hannah gripped his hand tightly in hers. The nurse looked at us with wide eyes before nodding her head, running to get a few other nurses, and grabbing a wheelchair. I turned on my heel when I heard both men shouting in pain and Hannah screaming. Her hands had a death grip around their fingers, and knowing a pregnant Hannah, she was going to make the men around her suffer if she had to suffer as well. 

Becca and I ran over to her, trying to calm her down as we waited for the nurse to find a wheelchair or a gurney. "Hey, hon? I know you're in labor, but I'd really like my boyfriend's fingers to still be intact when-."

Hannah growled at me, fire in her eyes as she glared. Clearing my throat, I hummed. "Yep. Sorry, babe." I looked at Ed with sympathy, and he winked before wincing in pain when Hannah squeezed his fingers again, this time tighter, it seemed. Finally, the nurse from before ran over to us with a wheelchair and helped us place Hannah into it before wheeling away, taking only Brooke with her. 

Just as he was about to follow them through the labor and delivery doors, he turned around and shouted, "I'll come out when we're done!"

"No shit, Sherlock." Rebecca teased with a playful roll of her eyes. The three of us stood together and waved at him. "We'll be right here, Brooke. Take care of her for us." He smiled before following behind a doctor. Rebecca, Ed, and I let out a breath of relief and turned to one another. 

"Ooh...Let's get you some ice, my love." I said once I took a good look at Ed's red fingers. He waved me off, "I'm okay, baby. It's just-" Before I let him finish, I raised an eyebrow as I grabbed his finger, resulting in him shouting in pain. 

I smirked at him when he yanked his hand away from me, a cold glare in his eyes. "Yeah. That's what I thought." Rebecca snorted beside us and shook her head. 

"You two are perfect for each other." She laughed again as she walked away, probably heading over to a vending machine to get a snack. From my knowledge, this hospital had the best vending machine snacks. I remember getting a whole bag of sweet caramel and chocolate-covered popcorn while waiting with Olivia when she was having their first kid, Hazel. 

Ed and I walked over to the nurses' station and had another nurse look at Ed's hand. After a while and a few bandages later, we were sitting in the waiting room with Rebecca, Daniel, Richard, and Theresa, who had sped over here after we left. 

______________________________________

I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep until I felt someone rubbing my arm, trying to wake me up. Startled, I sat up and started looking around the room, my heart pounding in my chest. 

"What! What?! Where's-" Ed grabbed my face and forced me to look at him. 

"Calm down, my love. Breathe." I took a deep breath, feeling my heart calm down until he let go of my face. I cleared my throat and shook my head, trying to shake away my sleep. "What happened? Is Hannah okay?" Ed looked at me with a bright smile when he helped me up. Taking my hand, he led me out of the waiting room, toward Hannah's room. Impatiently, I opened the doors quickly and looked at Hannah peacefully sleeping in the hospital bed with Theresa sitting beside her. Everyone looked at me with grins before turning their heads toward Rebecca in the corner. 

Becca turned around with tears in her eyes and a large smile on her face. Gasping softly, I quickly made my way toward Rebecca and looked over her shoulder. There in her arms was a small bundle wrapped in a blanket, a soft coo coming from the blanket. 

"Oh, my goodness. Look at her, beautiful like her mommy." I cooed, the perfect little girl lying in Becca's arms. I sniffled, unaware of the tear that had slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away and chuckled when the baby girl opened her eyes, bright green eyes staring back at us. "Oh, my...Look at those beautiful eyes. Becca let me hold her."

Becca playfully rolled her eyes and giggled, "Alright, fine. I guess you can hold her." Carefully, she placed the baby girl in my arms, and I gasped once more, the baby cooing softly, buzzing her face in my arms. I turned toward Ed, who was watching me with a bright smile. 

"Look at her, my love. Isn't she beautiful?" I walked over to him and stood beside him, letting him look down at the perfect baby. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him, where I felt his lips against my head. I giggled softly and looked at Becca, who was hugging Daniel as they looked at us. "What's her name?"

Brooke came into the room after a few seconds and looked around, looking for his new addition to his family. He chuckled when he noticed her in my arms and walked over to me and Ed. "Did you find out her name?"

I shook my head with a smile, "I was just asking."

He smiled at me, "Her name is...Lorraine. Lorraine Rebecca McEachern."

A warm tingling went through my insides, my heart jumping in my chest. Lorraine. My best friend's beautiful baby in my arms was named after me. My vision went blurry with tears as I looked down at my namesake. 

"Lorraine," I whispered in the softest voice, bringing the baby closer to my lips, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Oh, my beautiful baby. I love you so much. We love you so much." Remembering Ed, I giggled and turned to him, offering him the baby. 

Ed shook his head, "Oh- N-No. I'm-" My huffed and helped the baby into his arms, making sure he was holding her correctly. He visibly tensed in my grasp, making me giggle. "You'll be alright," I replied in a soft tone, looking up at him with the most loving eyes. He looked down at me, a flash of fear in his eyes before it disappeared when I placed my hand on his arm, holding the baby with him. 

"There you go," I whispered, feeling him relax and a smile form on his lips. "See? You got it. Isn't she beautiful?" He chuckled softly and brought the baby closer to his chest, making me smile with pride. The baby looked small in his large arms, as if she were one of Judy's dolls. I put my arms around his shoulders and kissed his shoulder, my hand rubbing his arm. 

I heard someone giggling softly, making me turn my head toward the hospital bed. Rebecca, Hannah, and Theresa were watching us with tears in their eyes, their arms wrapped around each other. I grinned before making a face at them, and they started laughing in response. My heart felt full once again. This is how a family is supposed to feel. Even if most of the family weren't here, it felt like home. It always felt like home wherever Ed was. I raised my head, looking up at Ed, who, in turn, looked down at me.

"I love you."

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "I love you more."

Chapter Text

Lorraine

Ed and I decided to stay another couple of days to help out with the baby and the rest of the kids who were staying with Mom, while everyone else left to go back to their normal lives. 

The kids couldn't keep away from Hannah and the new baby since they got home the other day. From the second Brooke walked through the door with the car seat, all the kids hadn't left their sides, always wanting to be with baby Lorraine, or Lora for short. If the baby was sleeping, the kids were sleeping. If she was awake, the kids were awake. Eating? They were eating. It was honestly the cutest thing I'd ever seen. 

Ed seemed to be fond of Lora as well. Always wanting to hold her whenever he could. I could tell it reminded him of the twins when they were babies. Even though Lora wasn't his and he was just her uncle, this baby was going to grow up with such an overprotective and loving uncle.

Seeing him with a baby in his arms did something to me. It made me overfilled with joy and affection, and...Turned on in a way. It was weird. I wanted him right now. He looked so handsome, standing in the kitchen as he spoke with Ricard and Jason with Lora in his arms, sleeping peacefully. Her nose was nuzzled into his chest as she cooed in her sleep, and her hand was clutching tightly onto his index finger, holding it close to her tiny mouth.

Lucky baby.

He was only wearing a tight white shirt and gray sweatpants, but it took little effort from him to look so handsome. 

I cleared my throat and entered the kitchen, going over to Terry. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders as she stopped chopping the beef on the cutting board. She giggled and placed her hands on my arms, turning and looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "You okay?"

"Can you do me a favor, hon?" I looked at her with a smirk. She got the hint and snorted, nodding her head in response as she kissed my cheek. 

"Have fun with your lover-boy." She whispered, making me playfully roll my eyes. Theresa quickly washed her hands at the sink and then wiped them on the towel over her shoulder. She went over to Ed and carefully took the baby from his arms, making him look down at her in confusion. She whispered something to him before walking away, leaving Ed looking at me with a raised eyebrow. He walked over to me and placed his arms on my waist. 

"What's wrong, b-"

I couldn't wait another second when flashes of the filthy things on my mind about him were on my mind, my panties so soaked I could feel the slickness run down my thighs, my body getting hot even with the house being cold.  Without letting him finish, I looked at my family. "Ed and I are gonna run to the store really quick. I need to get some groceries to make the strawberry shortcake."

Richard looked over at us from the table, "Oh, but I just-"

I quickly grabbed Ed's hand and my purse. "Bye!" Ed didn't have time to grab our jackets when I dragged him out to his car, the two of us already having our shoes on from when we were outside with the twins earlier. Once we were inside the car, he looked at me in concern.

"Hon? What's going-"

"Drive. I'll tell you when to stop." I panted, handing him the keys from my bag. Ed didn't bother asking any more questions, which I was thankful for, and started driving. He drove for a few minutes until I told him to pull over in an abandoned lot near a closed-off gas station. Putting the gear in park, he opened his mouth to say something, but I had jumped onto his lap before he could speak, slamming our lips together. It was times like these that I was thankful the windows were tinted. 

___________________________________________

I moaned loudly as my third orgasm ripped through my body, my body going numb just from his touch. He'd been getting me off with only his fingers, and I couldn't wait to feel him in me. Thick and full, filling me up. Just the thought made me whimper and ache for him more. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his lips to mine, kissing him sloppily with teeth and tongue. He let out a small hiss when I bit his lip, my fingers threading through his soft hair. 

"Fuck me. Please." I gasped when his lips trailed down to my reddened neck, full of his love bites. "I need- Please, baby."

Ed looked up at me, his lips swollen from the way I'd been kissing him, his pupils blown black with lust. "What do you want, my pretty woman?"

I leaned down and kissed his jaw, moaning softly when I moved my hips over his hard bulge. "I want you. I need you, Ed."

He chuckled darkly and kissed my lips, "I got you, baby. I got you." Ed pulled his sweatpants down just enough to get his hard cock out, the tip swollen and red, wet with pre-cum. I moaned at the sight, biting my lip as my head swirled with excitement and lust. He lifted my hips and set me on top of him, his cock entering my warmth, making the two of us gasp. I started moving slowly, feeling him hit the deepest parts of me, his hands gripping my waist tightly. 

"Yes, yes, yes. Oh." I moaned as I braced my hand against the window, my other hand wrapped around his shoulder. I felt his lips against my chest, licking and sucking every inch of skin he could get to. Ed pressed his hand against my back, pushing me forward to arch my back and lifting my hip with his other hand, slamming me down onto his cock, a whimper escaping from my lips. "Fuck- God, Ed. You feel so good."

"I know, love. I know." Ed groaned at the feeling of my nails raking through his hair. He looks up at me and smiles lustily, biting his bottom lip as he watches me bounce on his lap. I chuckled softly and grabbed his hand, bringing it to my lips where I sucked his thumb into my mouth.

There was a fire burning in my abdomen, my orgasm building quickly. My eyes rolled into the back of my head when I felt him hit that one spot inside of me, stars starting to form behind my eyes. I threw my head back and let out another moan, my grip on his arm tightening while my hand was slipping from the fogged-up window. I could tell the car was shaking from how hard I was bouncing on his cock, I couldn't care less though. We hadn't had sex in days because of how cramped the house is right now and the kids sleeping with us, and it was eating me alive.

Our breaths got heavier, the air in the car hot and clammy, my legs were trembling, our bodies were sweaty, but we didn't care. We were both reaching our orgasms, the two of us in a hot and heavy make-out session. The sound of moans and groans mixed with the smell of sex in the car. I was almost there, the fire in my abdomen growing hotter and bigger, my walls fluttering around him, his hand gripping my throat while the other rubs circles onto my clit, making me whimper and my thighs shake. 

"Oh, fuck-"

Ed's tongue slipped into my mouth, our saliva mixing as our tongues danced together. I had to grab onto something, anything. My hand had gone from the window to his shoulder to his hair and back onto the window, failing to stay in place from the window being wet with our body heat and breath. 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

I gasped in alarm, the two of us looking at the window and noticing a police officer patiently standing outside the door. "Oh, shit," I whispered, scrambling off of Ed's lap while pulling down my shirt, and Ed pulled his pants up. I grabbed a blanket from the backseat and placed it over my bare legs, also throwing my blanket over his lap to hide his still-raging hard on when he slowly rolled the window down, fixing his hair in the process. Quickly glancing at my reflection, I fixed my hair as well, trying to wipe away the sweat from my forehead and neck. 

Ed cleared his throat and forced a smile at the officer. "Hello, officer." His voice sounded breathless and heavy, making the officer look at us with a raised eyebrow. 

"Good evenin'. Just checkin' to make sure everythin' s'okay." He eyed the two of us carefully, probably judging us from the way we were trying to subtly catch our breaths and regulate our breathing, also eyeing the fogged-up windows. 

I looked at Ed, who nodded his head in response. "Everything is great, officer. We were just- We had a long drive and decided to rest a little before continuing on."

"Oh? Where to?"

"The city. We came to visit her family." I smiled at the officer when Ed gestured toward me with his head. The smile on the officer's lips disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He eyed the blanket on my lap and nodded once. I tried to stop the shaking in my legs when I repositioned them incorrectly. Ed noticed and placed his hand on my leg, squeezing them softly, and we smiled at the officer. I prayed he would leave quickly so I could get back to finishing what I started with Ed, my core still throbbing and wet. 

"Mhmm." He took another glance in the car, noticing the two carseats in the back. "Y'all got kids?"

"Oh, yeah. Five-year-old twins."

The officer chuckled, "Have a five-year-old at home. She's a handful. Couldn't imagine havin' to deal with two." Ed and I let out chuckles as well, at least the mood had lightened up. The man cleared his throat and patted Ed's shoulder. "Well, y'all have fun. I know how difficult it is to get alone time with kids, especially y'all havin' two. But, finish up quickly 'cause next officer on shift ain't gonna understand like I do." 

Ed flashed an awkward smile at the officer, "Thanks, officer. Have a good evening."

"I would say the same, but looks like y'all already havin' a great one." He winks at us before walking away with a chuckle. Ed rolled the window back up, and we let out a huge breath of relief. 

"Oh, my God." I covered my face with my hands in shame, making Ed chuckle and lean his head back against the headrest. "I can't believe that just happened."

His chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh, causing me to join in as well, the two of us laughing like hyenas in the car. I doubled over, clutching my stomach in pain from how hard I was laughing. 

Once we calmed down and wiped away the tears in our eyes, he looked at me, a smirk on his lips. "My love...What the hell happened to you?"

I groaned and looked away from him in embarrassment. My cheeks turned a bright red, and my ears felt hot. How the hell was I going to explain to my boyfriend that I got horny just by seeing him carry a baby? A baby that looked so small in his big...muscular...overprotective arms. I bit my lip and looked at him, lust filling my eyes once more.

He raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know. I don't know what came over me. I was just so...So..."

His smirk turned into a shit-eating grin, making me roll my eyes. "So...?"

"Ugh." I covered my face with my hands, laughing in shame again. "Don't make fun of me."

Ed let out a laugh and rubbed my knee before pulling me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist as I leaned back against the steering wheel. "You're lucky you cracked first." Huh? I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he chuckled. He caressed the side of my face, "If you hadn't dragged me out to the car, I was going to drag you into the barn and take you bent over a haystack."

Now, that sounded like fun.

I giggled and playfully rolled my eyes. "So...You're telling me that instead of us fucking in here, where it's all cramped up and hot, we could've had a whole barn to ourselves?" I smirked at my handsome man, who laughed, bringing me in for a kiss. I hummed and nibbled on his bottom lip, my fingers raking through his hair once again. "Ready for round two?"

He chuckled darkly as we parted, "Round two? Oh, baby girl. We haven't even finished round one." Ed winked at me, snatching the blanket from around my waist and throwing it into the backseat. I let out a giggle when he started nibbling at my neck, his other hand pulling down his sweatpants. 

___________________________________________

We were gone for about an hour and a half, and when we came back, most of my family was sitting in the living room watching a movie. Jason looked at us and waved, calling us over to the couch, where we sat. Theresa passed by and handed us a bottle of beer to share, a knowing look in her eyes making me blush, while Rebecca let us know that Mom and half of the kids had gone to sleep a few minutes ago. I peeked over the side of the couch Jason was sitting on and smiled at the sight of Judy and Junior curled up with Cameron, Hazel, and the two dogs, half-awake and barely paying attention to the movie. 

I leaned back with a sigh of content, snuggling into Ed's side as he sipped his beer before offering me some. 

I noticed Richard look at us with a smirk and made a face at him. Just as I was taking a swig of the cold beer, his dumbass decided to say with a shit-eating grin, "So...Where are the groceries?" Oh, shit! The groceries! The excuse!

I coughed mid-sip of the drink, causing it to go down the wrong pipe, and sat up straight, trying to clear my airway as I heard Richard and Jason burst into a fit of laughter while Ed patted my back and Rebecca took the bottle from me with a giggle. 

Once I caught my breath, I glared at the two men with my hand on my chest. "Store was closed when we got there."

"Ah...And it took y'all an hour and a half to figure that out?"  Jason teased, making me groan and take the pillow from behind me and chucking it at him. He caught it just in time and started laughing again with Richard. "You're lucky Daniel didn't notice how long y'all were gone."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Olivia snorted and nudged my leg with her foot from the other couch. Shaking her head, she said in a teasing voice, "Lorraine Veronica Moran. Having relations outside of marriage?" She playfully raised her eyebrow. "You do know that's a sin, right?"

Ugh, I hated it when they did this. Especially with Ed right behind me. But what could I say? They've done this to me ever since the first time they found out I had sex. And I was grateful they'd kept it a secret from Daniel, until now. He still hadn't found out I lost my virginity to his best friend, Michael. Who might I say, did not know what the hell he was doing.

I groaned again and turned, hiding my face away into Ed's chest, making him chuckle. His hand rubbed my back, and he kissed my forehead. "Shut up, Liv."

Once everyone's chuckles and laughter had died down, Brooke looked at us with a smirk. "Could've taken her to the barn, y'know. That's where Lora was conceived."

Hannah, who had been peacefully sitting next to him and nursing her baby girl, looked at him with a mortified expression. All of us burst into a fit of laughter again, startling the kids on the floor. "Brooke! Why the hell would you tell them that?!" 

"Sorry, honey." He mumbled, turning to make a face at us. I shook my head and nuzzled against Ed's side while he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to himself. 

Was it bad that I didn't want to go back to the city?

___________________________________________

Cameron, Judy, and Junior had been stuck to each other's side ever since the first day they met. Ed and I tried to get the twins to sleep with us in my old room for tonight, but with our arguments leading nowhere, we let them sleep with Cameron and his sister in the only guest room left in the house. 

I was stretched out on my old bed -- the bed surprisingly more comfortable than it used to be -- when Ed walked out of the bathroom in just his towel wrapped around his waist. Biting my lip, I turned to lie on my side and watched him, making him smirk at me. 

"Today's just my lucky day, huh?"

I threw the stuffed animal that was beside my bed at him. I snorted when it hit him square in the face and playfully rolled my eyes, turning once again to lie on my back and stare up at the ceiling, letting out a contented sigh. 

"What's wrong, my love?" I heard Ed's soft, gruff voice say as he rummaged around the room, looking for his clothes to wear to bed. As if he needed to wear anything; He's just going to wear boxers and his sweatpants to bed."You okay?"

"I'm okay, baby. I just..."

"Uh-oh."

I giggled and looked at him, watching as he pulled his sweatpants over his boxers-- see, I was right-- before heading towards me, his boyish grin on his face. He crawled on top of me, lying his body over mine with his head on my chest, making me smile. I tightly wrapped my arms around him as best as I could and threaded my fingers through his soft hair. His arms wrapped around my tiny body, his body like a protective armour around mine. He always found a way to make me feel safe, even when I didn't need it. 

"Y'know, when I was a little girl...I always dreamed of growing up and living on my own farm."

He let out a chuckle, "Yeah?"

A smile formed on my face, "Yeah. With chickens, horses, those cute little pigs, goats, and sheep, throw some rabbits in there, too. Hell, even cows." I continued running my fingers through his hair as I gazed at the off-white ceiling above. There used to be a beautiful, hanging tapestry I had pinned up there. Mom probably took it down after I left. "I dreamed of having that white-picket fence with my kids running around without a care in the world while my husband and I sat on the porch, drinking a cup of coffee as we watched them have fun. I'd have my own little garden with all kinds of flowers that my daughter and I would tend to, maybe even a vegetable garden." 

It was like a vision of my future flashed through my mind, except now, when I see it, it's Ed and I sitting on the porch, a baby in his arms, while Judy, Junior, and another little boy are running around on the grass chasing chickens. With us on the porch sat Zeus and Xena, watching another toddler in front of them play with the toys in his hands. It looked like Judy and I were outnumbered by boys, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

Ed lifted his head and smiled at me, "And...?"

I shrugged my shoulders, letting out another giggle. "And now...It's slowly getting pieced together." I caressed his face with my thumb, outlining the curves of his lips and the sharp point of his nose. He chuckled and leaned up, kissing my lips before sitting up. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he held his hand out. 

"C'mon." He whispered, pulling me up. We quietly walked around the room, grabbing our hoodies and putting on thick socks. I noticed he grabbed the pack of cigarettes from my purse and my lighter, making me chuckle. Of course, he wanted to go out for a smoke. 

We tiptoed down the stairs, wincing slightly as one of the steps creaked loudly under Ed's weight. The two of us stayed still for a few seconds, listening for any other sound of life in the house before continuing our way out the back door. He closed the sliding door softly behind him, and we sat on the floor in the corner of the large wooden deck Daniel had built two years ago. 

Lighting up a cigarette, Ed took a long drag before passing it to me as he pulled my legs onto his lap, softly rubbing my ankles. He rested his back against the wall and sighed. 

"Did I ever tell you how I grew up?" I shook my head in response, waiting for his answer. A small smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded. "I grew up in the countryside as well, but in Connecticut."

"Ooh, okay, cowboy." I playfully teased, nudging him with my foot and smirking. He chuckled and took the cigarette from my outstretched hand, taking another drag. 

Ed paused for a moment before continuing, "My brothers and I used to play on the fields all the time, chasing after the calves and lambs." He shook his head and chuckled as if he was picturing the memory in his mind. I gazed at him with a loving smile. I'd never seen him so relaxed when talking about his childhood. Granted, this is the first time I've actually heard a story from his childhood. "We used to go horseback riding all the time. I had this gorgeous black horse named Poseidon. Was the fastest, most powerful horse you'd meet. He was faster than lightning sometimes. Stronger than it too. We got him when he was just a baby when we got him. He couldn't even stand on his own yet. Josh and Sam's horses were alright, but mine?" He huffed with a smile, his gaze finally landing on me. "Mine was the best. He was the best at everything. He was...My best friend."

I had a feeling this was going to be a sad story from the way his smile was slowly starting to fade and his gaze had moved from mine to out in the clear sky above us, the breeze blowing through my hair, making me shiver slightly. 

"My mother was my everything, y'know? I was always her favorite. She'd drop everything when it came to me, even if she had to fight with my father. Judy Warren was...Well, she was my best friend as well."

Aw, I never knew Judy was named after his mother.

Ed looked at me again, his hand caressing my legs. It seemed like a coping mechanism for him, something that calmed him down whenever he was talking about something that upset him. 

"My father, on the other hand. He...He was a piece of shit." Ed chuckled darkly, a fire sparking behind his eyes. He took another drag of the cigarette and passed it to me."Growing up, he was never there. He wasn't around when we got Poseidon. So, he never knew how much I loved that horse and treasured it." He looked away from me, finding the silver chain around my ankle more interesting as he played with it. The look on his face changed, anger and pain etched into his eyebrows. His muscles tensed up, and his eyes hardened when he looked back at me. "I was thirteen when he did it."

My brows furrowed together in concern, my eyes softening as I watched his jaw clench and unclench. I knew what he meant, but I don't want it to be true.

Ed cleared his throat and took a deep breath, "I came home from school one day. I'd been so excited. I had just made the ice hockey team and aced my algebra test. I was going to celebrate by going on a ride with Poseidon." He went quiet again, and my heart yearned to take him in my arms and hold him. Nothing was stopping me, obviously, but I didn't want to move a muscle right now. My eyes flickered to his lips, where I saw him worry at them. He sucked in another breath and cleared his throat again. "I found Poseidon in his stall...A bullet hole between his eyes and another where his heart was."

I gasped softly, horror and shock etched on my face. I covered my mouth with my hand in disbelief, my eyes burning with unshed tears. My heart, heavy and aching for this broken man in front of me. 

"I forgot to take the trash out and feed the lambs before I went to school that morning." He stilled, his gaze on the ground in front of him, his fingers cold and frozen on my silver anklet. "So...To punish me, he...Shot...my best friend."

We sat in silence, the crickets chirping in the dark, winter night. The wind was picking up a little more, sending a cold breeze through the air, but we stayed still. Shock and sadness filled the quiet, intimate space between us. I put out the cigarette in the ashtray on the small, black deck box next to me, before crawling over to Ed, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, and kissing his head. 

"Oh, baby." I sniffled, feeling his arms slowly wrap around my waist, bringing me down to fully sit on his lap while my knees straddled his hips. "I'm so sorry. That's...That's traumatizing and-and wrong. So terribly wrong. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, my love." I leaned back and forced him to look at me, my eyes softening once more when I saw pain in his eyes. For the first time since I'd met Ed, I'd never seen his eyes filled with so much pain and sadness. The heartbreak and pain from his childhood he hid beneath, sheathed behind the love and happiness he shows to me and the twins, never wanting to burden anyone with his feelings. He had always been the listener, never the one listened to. 

That would change now. This is the last time he's ever going to feel like he has to bottle up his emotions, to look tough and powerful. No. From this moment on, I promise that this man will never have this look in his beautiful blue eyes. 

I brushed his hair back and kissed his cheek, the two of us staying silent once more. I want him to continue with his bottled-up childhood trauma, but I just don't want to push it. I want to be the one to listen this time as he talks, just like he always has been with me. 

"We moved to Seattle a few months later, my grandfather had passed away, and gave his house to my father. From then on, my life in the countryside was...As if it were a dream. No one had ever mentioned our little farm, the animals, the life we had there...Poseidon. I'd never ridden a horse or even thought of a horse until the first time we came here and I met Raven." A small smile formed on his lips again. "Raven reminded me so much of Poseidon. Probably why I bonded so quickly with him."

I chuckled softly and traced his jawline, observing the way his emotions flashed through his eyes and face. From happiness at the memory, flickering to pain, then anger, then...Nothing. He'd gone through so much growing up just because of his father. It didn't take a genius to figure out that shooting his horse wasn't the only traumatizing way Ed's father hurt him. 

We stayed outside, and it seemed like time had stopped. Ed was talking about his childhood, and I stayed on his lap, listening to him and giving him comfort when he showed signs of frustration. When I saw his hands clench, I would play with his hand, caressing his knuckles. When I noticed that his jaw muscles were tense, I would run my finger down the bottom of it, and when his eyebrows furrowed together, I would stroke them with my thumb. I found a blanket in the deck box and covered us with it, my back resting on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly as I continued to listen. 

His father sounded like the worst man on the planet- Actually, no. He is the worst man on the planet. This man didn't even sound like a father at all; he didn't deserve that title. The man who deserves that title is Ed himself. He was the best father to the twins. Always being there for them, always making them happy and putting a smile on their faces, doing anything and everything just for them. He grew up to learn from the mistakes his father made with him, and God bless him, thank god he never turned into his father. 

___________________________________________

The early morning had begun, and light started to make the world cold and luminous. Ed and I lingered in each other's arms as life began to blossom all around us. I caressed him and whispered sweet nothings to him after he told me about his childhood. Even though we hadn't slept at all, we felt alive and full of energy. When we both shivered at the same time, I suggested that we go to the barn and have some fun to warm up, and that's when I heard Ed laugh for the first time. His finger turned the silver ring on my index finger as he intertwined our fingers together and kissed my forehead.

I let out a deep, contented sigh. Happy to be wrapped up in my lover's arms and watching the world wake up. I've had so many daydreams about what I'd do with my lover when I was a teenager. This was just one of them. Many more of them included our kids or the animals on our little farm, or us on a vacation in a tropical island, or-

"I love you." He whispered, his breath hot against my ear, before his lips pressed against my hair. 

I giggled softly and bit my bottom lip, "I know."

Ed let out a deep, hearty chuckle and let out a sigh, his nose nuzzling into the side of my head. His arm tightened around my middle, pulling me impossibly closer to his large, warm body, the heat from him radiating onto me, warming me up. 

"Say it back."

I smirked as I hummed and gave a teasing shake of my head. I enjoyed making fun of him in this way because I knew he'd know I was having fun with him. I knew he rolled his eyes when I heard the small huff of a laugh come from him, his breath coming out in a small puff of air. 

"Please." I heard him whine softly, his fingers letting go of mine and wrapping that arm around me, squeezing me tightly. I let out a giggle when he smothered the side of my face with kisses, almost like he was tickling me. 

"Alright, alright." I turned my head and looked up at him, a bright smile on my face. "I love you. So much. More than you'd ever know."

Ed smiled back, making my heart flutter, the butterflies in my stomach soaring wildly. His smile was bright and loving, the smile I fell in love with the first time I saw it. "Yeah?"

I leaned up and pecked the underside of his jaw, sighing. "Yeah."

His hand moved to my face, his thumb caressing my cold cheek. "I love you more. More than anything in the world." He brushed my hair away from my face and pulled the hood up to block the cold air from my face. "You, my beautiful love. You are the light of my life. The angel in my life. When I would ask God to send an angel to be with us and help me through life, he sent me you."

Ugh, this beautiful-hearted, pure man. I love him more than life itself. 

"And I will forever be thankful that he sent me you." He finished and cupped my face, bringing my face closer to his and kissing my lips. I smiled into the kiss and kissed him back, my hand resting on his. I practically chased after his lips when he parted from me, making him chuckle. His finger brushed down the bridge of my nose as he looked at me with so much love. It was like his eyes were twinkling in the early sunrise, the spark coming back to them as they beamed a brighter blue than before. I sank into his arms with a small sigh, looking up at him with a smile. 

I was so in love. And God help me, I want to marry him. I want to spend my life with this man. Looking into his beautiful, bright blue eyes right now is like I'm watching my future through a crystal ball. Every moment with Ed feels like an answered prayer, a blessing far greater than anything I could have imagined. 

I cherish how our souls fit together so flawlessly, as though they were created by God himself. Ed's words repeat in my head, "God brought us together for a reason, my love," and I've never felt so certain about anything in my life.

This right here. Ed Warren. He is my future and the answer to my prayers. 

Chapter Text

Ed

Rebecca and Daniel's house pulsed with music, laughter, and the chatter of dozens of voices, all blurring into one. Their house had been decorated beautifully with gold streamers hung from the ceiling, balloons crowding the corners, and lights shimmering like stars. It was too much for me, but perfect for this special occasion. Somewhere in the middle of all this chaos, I'd lost sight of Lorraine. She was by my side when we were talking to one of her old friends from high school, and with the blink of an eye, she was gone. 

"Ten minutes 'til midnight!" Someone shouted over the music. I groaned and craned my neck, weaving through the strangers in this large house, their glasses of champagne and wine raised high. The living room was packed, with everyone standing shoulder-to-shoulder. I spotted a brunette with a dark red sweater and a small flower in her hair and grinned, walking over to her and grabbing her arm. The brunette turned to me, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise, letting go of her arm when it wasn't my Lorraine. 

"Sorry, excuse me," I mumbled before walking away. I kept catching glimpses of brunettes who looked like Lorraine from the back, only to be left disappointed each time when it wasn't her. I pushed and zig-zagged through the crowd, muttering apologies as I made my way through, my chest tightening with urgency. I didn't want to go into the New Year without her. I couldn't even find Judy and Junior, which made the urgency in my chest swell into panic, my breathing uneven as I scanned above the sea of heads in front of me. 

Lorraine

I held tightly onto Judy and Junior's hands as we nudged our way through the crowd in Becca's house. We'd been searching for Ed for about five minutes now, and there was still no sight of him. Which was impossible, knowing how large and tall this man is. How the hell can someone even lose sight of him?

"Ed!?" I called out, standing on the tip of my toes to look over the heads in the living room. It was no use yelling through the noise in this house when it would only get swallowed by the loud music playing and the chattering of voices. Someone bumped into my back, making me turn and laugh nervously. I was restless. With the countdown about to start and this being our first New Year's, I didn't want to start it without him. 

"Lori, why can't we find Daddy?" Judy asked, pulling on my arm, making me worry at my bottom lip. My eyes scanned through the kitchen, noticing it was full of women. I let out a frustrated sigh and kept my grip on the twins' hands, pulling them with me. 

"Don't worry, baby. We'll find him-"

It seemed like the noise grew inside the house. "Three minutes!" Someone bellowed beside us, making the three of us wince. 

Something pulled at my chest, like a magnet, taking me toward the archway between the living room and the front foyer. My walk sped up as my heart hammered in my chest. He just had to be there. I just know it. 

I turned the corner with the twins at the exact moment Ed walked from the other side of the archway. It was like the air was taken away from my lungs as I let out a big sigh of relief. We stopped short in front of each other, large smiles on our faces, both of us breathless. 

"We finally found you," I said, my relief melting into laughter as Judy ran to him, jumping into his arms. 

Ed grinned and slipped his free arm around my waist, pulling me toward him. "Just in time." Junior pulled on my arm and raised his arms, wanting me to pick him up. I giggled and gathered him in my arms, resting him on my hip.

The four of us made our way into the living room, finding Theresa and the others. They grinned and waved us over just as the countdown began, the room roaring with excitement. 

"Ten...Nine...Eight..."

Ed wrapped his arm tighter around my waist, pulling me flush against him as I felt his lips press against my temple. Judy and Junior couldn't contain their excitement, their arms in the air as they joined the countdown. I looked up at Ed as he looked down at me, our eyes glimmering brightly in the light above us. 

"...Three...Two...One!"

The room erupted in cheers as people pulled on the confetti canons, colorful paper exploding everywhere. Champagne glasses clinked and spilled everywhere, and in the middle of it all, Ed and I finally kissed, locking in a promise of a great new year ahead filled with many promises and love and happiness, and a future worth waiting for.

Ed pulled away from me and grinned, his hand coming up to brush away my bangs. "I love you."

I giggled and leaned up, pecking his lips once more, "I love you too."

_________________________________________

Ed

Her words tumbled out in a slurred whisper, "That was a perfect way to greet the New Year." 

I smiled, brushing slow kisses along her fingertips before guiding her hand to rest against my chest. The party had long since faded, hours had passed since the countdown-- the kids asleep, her family still lingering somewhere downstairs, but in the dim light of the guest room, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of us. 

Lorraine's laughter broke softly against my lips as she kissed me passionately, her body warm and soft against mine. The scent of champagne and tequila lingered on her breath, sweet and intoxicating as her mouth sought mine again and again. Her hand cupped my face, pulling me closer, as if even the smallest space between us was too much. 

Every kiss grew deeper, every touch of hers more urgent and demanding, like she wanted to burn this moment into my skin. Our bodies were tangled in the sheets from our wild, passionate moments from before, the rhythm of our hearts synchronized, thumping against each other.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." She mumbled, her breath hot against my throat as her kisses grew more consuming, more rawer. Lorraine licked and sucked at every inch of skin she could get to, leaving marks and bites to mark me as hers, something I usually do to her, but tonight, I let her do whatever she wanted to me. 

A deep, dark chuckle left my throat, my hand cupping her ass and squeezing softly, a smile forming on her lips as she looks at me. Sleep was soon to overtake her; I could see it in her eyes, but there was a wild, sultry look flickering deep in her blue orbs. She pulled her swollen bottom lip between her teeth, a look she gives me when she wants more. Craves more. 

"My love," My gruff, tired voice filled the quiet air around us, the only sounds before that being our slow breaths and the muffled voices downstairs. 

It must've been around five in the morning now, but everyone seemed to still be awake. Trying to make the new start of the year a blast filled with family fun, laughter, and drinking. 

Lorraine groaned softly, knowing what I was trying to suggest. She pouted sadly at me, her eyes seemingly getting bigger and bluer. A look she always gave when something didn't go her way- knowing I'll drop everything and give her what she wants. I let out a slight laugh, shaking my head. 

"We're leaving in a couple of hours, hon. Don't want me driving half-asleep, do you?" I murmured, cupping her soft face in my palm as I tried to reason with her. 

Her pout didn't budge. Instead, she traced lazy circles over my chest, her nail dragging just enough to leave a teasing sting. Goosebumps chased the path of her touch, heat sparking across my skin. 

This woman- insatiable, intoxicating, impossible to resist. 

I rolled my eyes, more fond than annoyed, and she giggled knowingly, already aware she'd won. With a quick shift, she swung a leg over me, settling against my waist as her lips crashed into mine in a hungry, sloppy kiss. Our fingers tangled, her grip firm as she pinned my hands above my head, nibbling at my lower lip like she owned me. 

And she did. She owned every part of me; my soul, my heart, my breath.

Her kiss grew hungrier, the press of her mouth demanding as she deepened it, her tongue brushing against mine before retreating just to draw me back in. The playful giggle she'd let out moments ago had turned into soft, breathless sighs that tickled against my lips. 

Lorraine rocked against me slowly, deliberately, as though savoring every inch of contact, teasing me with the promise of more. My pulse quickened, pounding in my ears, as her hair slipped forward to brush against my face, strands carrying the faint scent of her shampoo —sweet, familiar, maddening.

When she pulled back, it was only to hover above me, her eyes locked on mine, daring me to break first. Her fingers tightened around my wrists, keeping me pinned, though her touch was gentle, protective even in its play. I could feel the warmth of her body radiating through the thin barrier between us, heat curling low in my chest, tugging me deeper under her spell. 

I shifted against her, testing the restraint of her grip, but Lorraine only smirked, lowering herself just enough that her lips brushed the edge of my jaw, trailing fire along the line of my neck. My breath caught, my body straining toward hers, every nerve alight with wanting. 

"Baby-" I groaned when she rubbed her bare self, wet and warm, over my cock. Teasing me and testing me. It was madness. She was the one who couldn't wait any longer, wanting to keep going until sunrise. Which wouldn't be any longer. I wasn't complaining, though; the look in her eyes told a whole story. A story in which I knew was gonna be dirty, filled with her sweet, erotic sounds, her lips covering mine, and our bodies connected like our souls. 

"Thought you wanted to sleep, hmm? And now?" Her voice came out low. Seductive. Mocking. Her lips lingered on my neck, slow and unhurried, each kiss stoking the ache she'd already awakened. Lorraine knew she was driving me crazy, and she was loving it. Every. Single. Second.

It was killing me: the waiting, the longing, the intensity. 

I tugged at her grip, half-heartedly, wanting her to let go. Lorraine laughed low against my throat, that intoxicating sound vibrating through my chest, and finally loosened her fingers just enough for mine to slip free. I wasted no time, threading my hands around her waist, pulling her tight as our mouths crashed together again. The kiss was clumsy, hungry, both of us lost in the rush of it.  

Lorraine moaned softly when my hand slipped between us, grasping my thick cock and lining it up with her hot, throbbing center. Finally, we both let out moans, the relief that had been building up inside, finally free.

"Oh, Ed." A filthy moan left her lips, arching into me, her body fitting against mine as though it had always been meant to. She set a pace as she rocked and rolled her hips. I slid my hand down her back, rubbing and squeezing her ass. I encouraged her to lift her hips higher until only the head of my cock was inside her before she lowered back down, hard enough that she bit her lip and whimpered. 

Lorraine panted above me, leaning back and resting a hand on my thigh as she continued to ride me, her pace getting faster. More urgent. Her nails dragged over my pecs, another shiver being sent down my spine. She looked beautiful. Gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking. She was a goddess. God took his sweet, precious time creating this woman.

For a moment, it felt like nothing else in the world existed- just her warmth, her taste, her sounds. Just her and I in this universe together. 

A loud knock rattled the door before it burst open. She jumped off of me, her hair tumbling wildly around her flushed face as both of us looked at the door, Lorraine grabbing the blankets to cover us.

"Jesus!" Daniel's eyes grew wide, realizing what he'd just interrupted. He stood in the doorway, one hand still on the knob. "It's half-past-five in the god damn morning, and you two are-" He stopped mid-sentence and threw his hand over his eyes. 

The heat between us snapped, leaving only the sting of interruption and the sour taste of frustration. Lorraine buried her face into her hands, pulling the blanket higher over her chest, while I pulled the blanket over my face and sank into the bed, wishing it would swallow me and take me to hell. Our cheeks burned like fire, half mortified and half setting. I pressed my head back against her pillow, biting down a curse, my body aching with everything that had been building just moments before. 

"Daniel!" Lorraine hissed, her voice sharp enough to cut, "What the hell!? Get. Out!"

He probably lingered in the doorway with a smirk on his face, grinning through his mockery. "Happy New Year, lovebirds! Next time, maybe put a sign on the door." The bed shifted from Lorraine's weight as she moved around before I heard a thud. She likely threw a pillow at him from the missing space beside my head. 

The door slammed closed, and his footsteps retreated down the stairs. I could hear Lorraine panting still, pausing for a moment to swallow thickly before her breathing continued. Slowly, I pulled the blanket down far enough to look at her.  We stayed like that, breathing hard and listening to her family's quiet mumbling before laughter broke out downstairs. 

"Ugh." She groaned, dropping beside me with her hands over her face. For a long moment, neither of us said anything. Lorraine dropped her hands from her face, making me look at her with a small chuckle. Her cheeks were flushed with more than desire now- anger, embarrassment, and something wounded. 

I reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "It's okay, love." She turned to look at me, her jaw tight and tense. I smiled at her, waiting for her to say something, but she didn't. Lorraine's gaze bore into mine, and the two of us fell into a comfortable silence, admiring each other as I caressed her face. After a long pause, she finally let out a small giggle and moved toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling herself close to my warm body. I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her waist, feeling her tiny, slim body against my tall, rugged one. 

She nuzzled her face into my neck, planting a kiss on my flushed skin. "Five hours, huh?"

I let out a laugh, my hand caressing her soft back as I kissed her forehead. "Someone wanted to start the New Year insatiably."

Lorraine gave a little snort of laughter as she lifted her head, her smile spreading wide across her face. Her eyes gleamed with that wild, hungry spark I knew so well. "Can't help it when I've got a handsome man in my bed," she purred, her mouth curving into a dark smirk. Her gaze devoured me, leaving no doubt in her intentions." A man I can do whatever I want with...whenever I want."

She leaned up, catching my earlobe between her teeth with a gentle tug before letting out a low, teasing moan. 

A deep chuckle rumbled from my chest as I wrapped my arms around her slender waist and pulled her on top of me. "You little minx." My fingers curled around her throat, guiding her down to my lips as I kissed her with raw urgency. "Greedy girl. But...We've gotta sleep."

"Aw, are you tired already?" she teased, her smirk softening into playful mischief. "Old man."

I burst out laughing, clutching her tightly and rolling us into the tangle of her blankets. Our laughter mixed, filling the quiet night. I pressed kisses all over her face until she dissolved into giggles, and I thought, not for the first time, how much I loved making her laugh. How much I loved kissing her. And now that I could, I intended to take advantage of every single moment. 

"Mmm- Ed!" Lorraine squealed, laughing harder as my fingers found her sides. "Ed! S-stop!" Her laughter echoed off the walls, bright and infectious, until I finally relented and let her catch her breath. 

I rolled back onto my side, propping myself up on one elbow, my head resting against my hand. For a moment, I just watched her, committing every detail of her flushed, happy face to memory. She was the most beautiful woman on this earth- I said it often, but I'd shout it to the world if I could. 

Lorraine shifted and mirrored my pose, her head resting on her hand, a shy smile playing at her lips. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" I teased, brushing my fingers down her arm. Goosbumps followed in their wake, even in the warmth of the room. 

She shrugged her shoulders, a giggle escaping her lips. "I don't know," Lorraine whispered, catching my fingers in her hand and lacing them together. We just lay there in silence, staring at each other. 

Marry me...

The words echoed around in my head, bouncing off the walls of my skull. It'd been on my mind- Every day. Every minute. But, it had to be special. Not only for me, but for a woman like her. I don't know what I did to deserve a woman like her in my life. 

My thoughts were cut short when I saw Lorraine stifle a yawn, covering her mouth with her hand. Her gaze caught mine, and she giggled, laying her head on her pillow. 

"Go to sleep, my love," I whispered lovingly, caressing her face with my hand. Lorraine hummed and nuzzled against my hand, turning slightly and pressing a kiss to my finger. 

"And you, baby?"

I smiled, my eyes crinkling at the corners, and chuckled softly. "I will. I just like watching you sleep."

She snorted, playfully rolling her eyes. "Weirdo." We laughed together before settling into a quiet silence again. "Good night, love."

"Good night, princess."