Teach Me Like That (LMLT Book 2)
Table of Contents
Teach Me Like That
Copyright
Extras
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Teach Me Like That
Love Me Like That Book 2
Kegan’s Story
Copyright
Kegan: Love Me Like That Book 2
Copyright © 2016 Marie James
Editing by Mr. Marie James & Hale’s Harem Betas ;)
EBooks are not transferrable. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Extras
Teach Me Like That Playlist
Cover Design: Essen-tial Designs
Photographer: Jim Cauthen
Cover Model: Justin James Cadwell
Dedication
Just FYI, Renee Hoffard claims Kegan Cole as hers! (But I won’t tell if you want to keep him for yourself!)
Prologue
Kegan
“I need you.” Kadin’s broken voice echoes in my head as if on a continuous loop since the phone call ten minutes ago. He’s never one to ask for help, and I can’t even hide the pride I feel when my older brother reaches out for me.
His wife London had gone into labor just after midnight. She’s full-term, so that isn’t the issue. Kadin explained that they went to the hospital, and everything was normal. This is their third child, so they’re pretty much pros by this point. They weren’t even going to call family until morning time, but there have been some complications.
I couldn’t get much from Kadin other than the baby’s heart rate dropped, and London was rushed in for an emergency C-section. Since they didn’t have time to prep her, she’d been completely sedated, and Kadin wasn’t allowed in the room.
He’s frightened and terrified he’s going to lose his wife, again. That pain is heightened by the signs of distress the baby was showing when everything went completely haywire in the delivery room.
Since I’m only a few miles from the hospital, I’m walking into the waiting room to meet Kadin within twenty minutes of the call. Hell, I was half-dressed before he even hung up. He refused to let me call our parents and give them an update because they were at the house with the girls. As far as they know, everything is completely normal, and there are no problems.
My brother stands from the hard plastic chair the second he sees me. Without care, he wraps me in a hug. I squeeze him back, knowing he must be completely distressed if he’s not worried about looking manly and just handing over one of his usual brotherly ‘rough pat on the back’ hugs.
“Has there been any news?” I ask as we break apart.
He shakes his head but doesn’t verbalize anything.
I know he’s terrified. His first wife Savannah was killed in a car accident years ago. He was nearly at the end of his rope when fate intervened and threw London into his life. This man has suffered more loss than anyone else I know, and I’m certain he wouldn’t handle more grief very well.
Unsure of what to do, I just sit beside him, hoping he takes comfort in my presence. I’m not going to placate him with false assurances or promises of a positive outcome. How can I? I have hardly any information to go on, other than my normally stoic brother seems to be falling apart before my eyes again.
I don’t know what he saw in that delivery room or what comments were made by hospital staff, but it can’t be good if he’s sitting here like his world has already ended.
“Mr. Cole?” We both hear the voice from a door on the other side of the room.
We stand and walk toward the smiling nurse.
“Mr. Cole?” she says again looking between us.
“Yes,” we both answer.
Kadin looks over at me like I’m a fucking idiot.
“Sorry,” I murmur, clearly out of touch a bit with reality as well.
“How’s my wife? My son?” Kadin asks. His voice isn’t any stronger than it was on the phone call he placed just over an hour ago.
“Both are doing very well. They’re in recovery, and you can go back to see them soon.” The nurse gives him a reassuring smile.
Relief washes over me as I clasp his shoulder with my hand at the good news. I feel the tension in his muscles ease a bit, but not completely. I know he won’t settle completely until his entire family is home and safe.
My head is throbbing more than usual. Watching my mother try to wrangle Anastyn and Lennox is like suffering a hangover without the reward of the fun night before the pain hits. They’ve been limiting visitors while London recovers from her surgery, so I’ve been in the waiting room with my mother, father, and the girls for the last couple of hours. I never should’ve called them.
I knew Kadin would be hard pressed to pull himself away from London’s side once he was able to go back and see her. We’ve received texts and pictures from the bowels of the hospital where the other Coles are located, but I haven’t seen my brother’s face since he walked through the double doors to see his wife and son.
I honestly can’t believe the hospital staff hasn’t kicked the girls out yet. They’re like banshees or feral cats, bouncing all over, squealing like pigs. I don’t know how London and Kadin deal with this on a regular basis.
Thankfully, after what feels like an eternity, Kadin emerges, appearing more put together than he did a bit ago. Seems all is well in that branch of the Cole family tree.
The girls begin squawking even louder when they see their father. If this is how normal five and six-year-olds act, you can count me out. I’d be in jail for gagging them and locking them in a closet; I’m certain of it. Knowing I’m going to get to see my nephew, the first male to be born since my gorgeous mug made it into the world, is the only thing that has kept me in this hospital.
I won’t admit it out loud, but having another man in the family is something I’ve been looking forward to since the piñata popped at Sunday dinner a few months back and London and Kadin were covered in blue confetti.
I love being an uncl
e to the girls, from afar… very, very far away. Women confuse the hell out of me, but little girls make me want to curl up in the fetal position and hide in the corner until their parents come home.
I’m certain being an uncle to a boy is going to be so much more rewarding than tea parties with no alcohol and plastic crowns that dig into my scalp. Once he’s past the awkward toddler stage, it’s going to be nothing but hunting, camping, and fishing; man things that will never include the colors pink and purple or dining with fake food with stuffed animals.
If I had to wager by the glint in Kadin’s eyes when he bends down to hug the girls, he’s looking forward to the manly stuff as well. His smile covers the entire expanse of his face. He was born for this, made to be a dad. I’m happy for him and proud to have him as my older brother.
His life? Settling down with one woman and making tiny little replicas of ourselves? No thanks. There are way too many women in the world, too much variety to just settle down and pick one.
Chapter 1
Kegan
The last thing I need after a wild night of partying and an even more entertaining couple of hours with Sasha… Sarah? Shasta? It doesn’t matter. We had a great time. Back on track. My phone ringing at six in the morning is not the wake-up call I need. The perfect wake-up? A tight mouth wrapped around my…
The phone continuing its demand breaks me from my thoughts. I reach over to my bedside table without even opening my eyes.
“Hello,” I grumble into the phone that has interrupted my very limited rest time.
“You awake?” my brother asks with too much cheer in his voice.
“Do I fucking sound awake to you?”
His chuckle makes me want to hang up on his ass.
“I need a favor.”
I sit up in bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes. It’s rare that he calls me for help, especially before the sun is fully over the horizon.
“Whatever you need, man.”
“I need you to come to the house and take the girls to school,” he says.
“Except that,” I complain.
He pulls the phone from his ear and speaks to London.
“What about mom?” I ask. It’s not that I don’t want to help him, but those girls scare the shit out of me. They team up and become unstoppable. There’s a real chance they’ll hit me over the head, steal my truck and credit cards, and head to the nearest toy store. I cringe every time I think about being alone with them. The last time I watched them, I somehow ended up locked in the closet for an hour while they drank chocolate syrup from the damn bottle.
“She and dad are on a long weekend,” he explains.
“And why do you need me?” I know I sound like an asshole. I know he never really asks much of me. I know I should be a better brother. Those girls, though.
“Easton isn’t feeling well,” he begins.
I stand from the bed and head to the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with my boy?” I ask as I load my toothbrush up and turn on the shower.
“He’s cranky and has a low-grade fever. He’s just turned six months old, so I’m sure he’s just teething or something, but London is freaking out. I don’t want her to have to take him to the doctor alone. The only appointment they have available is first thing this morning. It’s only the first week of school, and I don’t want the girls to be late,” Kadin says. I can tell he’s distracted because he keeps pulling the phone away from his mouth and speaking to others in the room with him. “This is the only time we can get him in. If we don’t make this appointment, she’s going to carry him to the emergency room, and there’s no sense in that.”
“I’m your man,” I tell him around my toothbrush. I’ll be there in just a bit.
“I owe you big time, Kegan.”
“Don’t worry, big brother. I’m keeping a running tab.”
I can’t really complain about Kadin calling so early. My alarm went off while I was in the shower. I lost maybe fifteen minutes of sleep; no big deal. The mere three hours I got before the phone rang? Status quo for me. My mind is clear, and my body is sated and loose, but a couple hours between the sheets with a no-strings-attached woman is enough to keep me going almost all week long.
I go out a lot. I love to have a good time with several of the guys on my crew. It’s been the norm for us for years.
A beer or two and going home with a beautiful woman? That’s my idea of a perfect night. With alcoholism running rampant in my family, I never take my consumption to an extreme. Plus, I can’t drive myself home if I’m drunk. I always go to their place or a hotel, since not being able to escape is not a situation I ever want to be in, not after that one time in college.
I pull up to Kadin’s country house just a little after seven. Pudge, Kadin’s dog, thumps his tail loudly on the porch as I walk up. I reach down and scratch his head. He’s just as exhausted as I would be having to deal with Anastyn and Lennox day in and day out. He licks my hand in thanks and goes back to snoozing.
The door swings open before my knuckles can make contact with the wood.
“Hey, man,” Kadin says taking a step away from the door.
I smirk at his jeans and t-shirt. My brother is the CEO of Cole International, our family’s company. He took over quite some time ago, but has just recently in the last five or six years started acting like the powerful businessman we’ve always known him to be. I’m lucky enough to actually be able to get out into the field and work with my hands building the custom log cabins we’ve become the go-to company for.
Kadin despised his ‘promotion’ in the beginning, but I think he’s pretty grateful for it now that he’s a serious family man. I’m not saying corporate tasks and shit are easy, but they don’t compare physically to the work my crew and I do. He’d never be able to get the upper hand on the girls if he was exhausted from working in the sun all damn day.
“You’ll need to put their booster seats in your truck,” Kadin says walking away and heading into the kitchen. “We have an extra set in the hall closet,” he says over his shoulder.
I leave him to help the girls finish breakfast and grab the little pink car seats from the closet.
Just what I need in my jacked up Dodge pickup; girly as fuck car seats. They match perfectly with the heated leather seats and mud tires.
By the time I have the cock-blocking pink seats in my truck and turn around, Lennox and Anastyn are barreling down the front steps and jumping into the truck. I turn and give Kadin a look of despair.
“Where am I taking them?” I ask closing the door once the last little plaid skirt settles into her seat.
“Edgewood Academy,” Kadin responds.
I cock an eyebrow at him, giving my head a little shake to get more information out of him.
“Seriously? You went there with me last year when we were looking at schools for the girls.”
“Got no clue, man.”
“Pretty sure you banged the headmistress,” he says with a smirk.
I narrow my eyes at him, my recollection failing me this time.
“T&A?” he says quietly, looking over his shoulder to make sure London isn’t within earshot. I grin at him. He’s completely dedicated to his beautiful wife, but the man still has eyes in his head. “Blonde?”
“Ah,” I exclaim with my eyes widening and a smile spreading across my face. “Super nice tits. Thick ass. Hell yeah!” I say rounding my truck as Kadin chuckles and turns to go back inside.
I’m not one of those guys that does the hit it and quit thing. If a woman is great in bed and doesn’t get those romantic stars in her eyes, if she doesn’t set off any ‘need for commitment’ bells, I’m known to give her a second ride in my truck.
The headmistress at Edgewood Academy, from what I remember of her, was very… enthusiastic, but wasn’t interested in anything but my cock the couple of times we hooked up. The perfect woman as far as I’m concerned.
Before I can pull out of the driveway, Kadin comes running to the tru
ck with two handfuls of bright purple fabric bags.
“What the—” I look in the rearview mirror and smile when Anastyn narrows her eyes at me, daring me to finish the sentence.
I roll down my window even though I know what he wants.
“London reminded me that these need to go to the classroom with the girls,” Kadin says handing over the bags.
“How in the world are they going to carry them to class after I drop them off?” I ask situating them on the passenger seat. “They weigh a good twenty pounds.”
“You have to walk them into their class, Kegan. This is a private school. You don’t just drop them off down the block and wish them luck. They’re in kindergarten, not flipping middle school.”
“Amateur,” Anastyn’s sweet voice says from the back. Kadin bites his lip to keep from smiling. Six years old and that girl has a mouth on her many people can’t seem to control.
“Two different classes?” I ask pulling my death glare from Anastyn.
“Same class,” Kadin says. “Anastyn’s birthday was after the fall cutoff. Since they’re only ten months apart, they’re in the same class.”
I nod in understanding, immediately feeling sorry for their teacher. One on one the girls really aren’t that hard to handle. Together? Well, let’s just say, Mary freaking Poppins would walk out on her first day!
We aren’t even out of the driveway before Anastyn begins talking.
“Guess what, Uncle Kegan?”
“What’s that?” I say looking at her in the rearview mirror.
“We’re getting a cat!” Lennox interrupts.
I shake my head. “No way. Your dad is allergic to cats; that’s why you have Pudge.”
“Yes way,” Anastyn argues. “We heard daddy telling mommy how perfect her kitty was.”
A quick glance back finds Lennox nodding in agreement with her older sister.
“I think they’re hiding it until Anastyn’s birthday in a few weeks.”
“How about some music?” I ask turning on the radio while trying to divert their attention. London and Kadin need to seriously watch what they’re saying or sound proof their room. I shouldn’t have to suffer through conversations like this.