Hale on Earth (Arrangement Series Book 2)

by Francesca Penn

  “I’ll write a list of things we’ll need. You guys will get it. And Karessa and I will stay back and prepare the kitchen.”

  Oran helps me move all the dishes to the counter and since I don’t have access to a dishwasher, I’ll be doing it old school.

  He grabs me for a goodbye kiss I wasn’t expecting and he pulls away with a smile just when I am about to melt.

  “You’re going down, Trophy.”

  Chapter 28

  Karessa

  I get to work washing the dishes. Ainslee shows up a few minutes later and begins rising and drying.

  “Thanks again for dinner. It was great.”

  “No, problem. It was nice doing something with Oran that didn’t involve dancing around sexual tension.”

  “Sexual tension?” Ainslee peeks up at me from her smaller frame.

  “Oh, yeah. I didn’t finish that part of the conversation. So, the bullshit prenup I’d mentioned at the bakery has a consummation clause. If we abstain for six months…” Ainslee drops a plate back in the sink making me jump. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m trying to imagine not having sex with Jagger for six-months. Shit, girl, must warn me before dropping tidbits like that. You’ve almost been married for a month and you to haven’t had sex?”

  “Don’t make me cry,” I joke. “No.”

  “And what happens at the end of the six months?”

  “The original terms say we can annul it, but Oran’s interpretation means we can renegotiate it.”

  “In other words, you’re not leaving so don’t fucking try.”

  I look down at her laughing. “How are you so accurate?”

  “Life with his best friend. Those gigantic assholes are as close as biological brothers.” She stops talking to regain her composure. She powers on to keep from crying. “I’m glad Jagger and Oran have each other.”

  “The greatest bromance of all time. Do you think they’re walking down the street arm in arm?”

  Ainslee laughter makes a tear fall, but relaxes her emotional state like I intended.

  “They’re probably cursing each other out just for fun. That explains why Oran disappeared when Jagger started kissing me at the hospital.” She picks up the original conversation. “He was probably sick of us then.”

  “Hospital? When did you go to the hospital? Are you okay?”

  We’re seated at the table with our drinks now that the dishes are done, we give each other our full attention.

  “Yes. Jagger had me on a week-long sex high and I’d forgotten to take my transplant pills. He’d rushed me to the hospital, and Oran was there. I figured you were asleep.”

  “First, if I knew that Jagger was that worried about you and Oran left help, I would’ve gone as well. This is news to me, but I know exactly why I wasn’t there.”

  “I didn’t expect you to be there, we hardly knew each other then.”

  “I know, but it’s a big deal. I would’ve been there if I wasn’t sleeping off being drunk after a pity party for myself. I remember waking up and Oran wasn’t there. He’d showed up about thirty minutes later and we fought, then I left for a week. That’s when I went to see you at the bakery.”

  Her gray eyes float around the room as she thinks, then looks back at me. “Wow. Is the prenup that bad?”

  “If I have sex with him and lock in that prenup, he’d get everything I own except my trust fund..”

  “Fucking Elmer. That sounds like some shit he cooked up.”

  “That’s what we argued about, I accused him of working with his dad.”

  Ainslee flinched. “Yikes, if Jagger accused me of working with my mother, I’d stab him.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you think Oran would enforce that prenup?”

  “Right now, I’d say hell no, but I’ve also heard about people being crazy in love one minute and trying to kill each other in court the next. I’d love to just remove the obstacle and focus on us. You know?”

  “I do, but do you think you’d make it six months? You two looked very cozy on the boat.”

  “I have no clue. I’m dying to jump the big tease, but I want to do it on my own terms since my hand in marriage was hijacked.”

  “I get that, you know I do. But I also see the way you two look at each other, and Oran has smiled more in the two days we’ve been here than the entire time I’ve known him. You two are good together. Looks like you need a Plan B.”

  “Plan B?”

  “Yes,” Ainslee confirms with a laugh. “A plan for what will happen if you give into temptation.”

  “We’d have to stay married fifteen years before I could get out with what I had before it started. Plan B would be together forever, I guess.”

  “And is there anything wrong with that?” she prompts.

  “At this point, no.”

  “Do you trust him?” I take another sip of my wine as I consider her question. “About ninety-eight percent.”

  “And the other two percent?”

  “He won’t tell me how they got him to marry me. Something had to have taken him from hell-no to what-color-shoes-do-I-need-for-my-tux.”

  “I can understand that. Maybe it’s a guarded secret or something that he can’t legally disclose. I’ve known Oran for a long time because my parents seem to like Jag’s family, and not once has he ever given me a reason to think he’s shifty or untrustworthy? Does that help?”

  “With what part exactly?”

  “You taking that leap of faith right onto Oran’s dick.”

  I almost choke on my wine laughing at Ainslee.

  Her expression turns contemplative as she fidgets with her hands. “I would’ve never thought I’d be crazy in love with Jagger, you saw our wedding, but I can’t imagine being anyone else’s wife.”

  “I think we all ignored your fights because part of us knew how it’d end. Now that you two agree, all the sparks are flying in the right way.”

  “He keeps surprising me for sure.” She swipes at her eyes with a smile. “I’m so sick of these damn tears.”

  “I’ve noticed you’ve been emotional today. Is everything okay? Feel free to tell me to mind my business.”

  Ainslee waves me off. “Girl, I was just so far in your business, I got a souvenir from the gift shop. You know about my heart, right?”

  I believe I know but don’t want to say the wrong thing. I was two when she was born. “You had surgery.”

  “I got a transplant when I was a baby. Did you know Jagger had a twin?”

  I sit up taller; I have a feeling where this is going, and my emotions are already misfiring.

  “No.” My answer is a surprised whisper.

  She nods but allows the tears to flow freely. “He told me on the boat.”

  “So he lost his brother but gained a wife,” I cry. It breaks my heart, yet it’s one of the most endearing things I’ve ever heard. “You have one hell of a brother-in-law. He kept you here for his brother and continues to protect you every day.”

  We’re hugging tear-stained messes by the time the guys return.

  “Break it up,” Jagger complains the moment he sees us. “I swear, the moment you leave women together they fall into their feelings.” He pushes us apart, but we both hug him instead. “This would be hot if they weren’t crying, Oran.”

  “Shut up.” Oran jokes then pulls me off Jagger. “Stop getting free feels, Trophy.”

  Ainslee straightens and wipes her eyes.

  “She wouldn’t need free feels if you were taking care of home, Oran.”

  Oran flashes both middle fingers to his best friend.

  “Jagger,” I gasp. “And thought we just had a moment.”

  “Was it good for you?” He smirks at me with a flirty light in his whiskey brown eyes.

  “Well, since Liam hasn’t been taking care of home…” Ainslee hugs Oran which causes him to laugh in surprise. “Very nice, Superman.”

  Ainslee moves when Jagger gives her the evil eye, but she smiles wi
th a mischievous spirit. “You two go away so you can’t see me make the cake. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

  Oran wraps his arm around my shoulder and ushers me away just as I hear Jagger grumble something right before Ainslee squeals.

  Chapter 29

  Oran

  This is war! My eyes haven’t left Karessa’s cut off, ripped blue jean shorts wearing ass since she came downstairs. She knows what she’s doing. I see my princess is also competitive. She’s not the only one capable of teasing. Sliding behind her. I squeeze her waist and whisper in her ear so only she can hear.

  “The last time you wore little shorts in the kitchen, I ate you like my meal.”

  I retreat with a quick ass squeeze. My mission was successful, she’s staring at me instead of mixing her batter. When she resumes, she forgets to oil her pans.

  Sucker.

  I almost feel bad when her top layer crumbles, and I almost told her she put twice the amount of raspberry necessary. I hold my tongue when she applies the cream cheese frosting while the cake is still warm. She must have heard my chuckle because now that it’s time to make the blue and orange fondant flowers for the finishing decorations, my fondant cutters are nowhere to be found.

  If I don’t incorporate all the aspects of Ainslee’s design before the time runs out, I can be either disqualified or lose major points. Improvising, I grab a knife to free hand cut. The flowers look terrible, and the look on Ainslee’s face isn’t helping.

  “I know what you did, Trophy.”

  Karessa’s laugh is sultry as she lies. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Hell.”

  “That’s fine, let your flowers be the only enjoyable thing about your cake.”

  Jagger chuckles from somewhere in the kitchen. “Burn.”

  I get the last miss formed flower on the cake just as one of Ainslee’s men yells time.

  Ainslee films the cakes while giggling because neither look professional. Even with the messed up flowers, mine still looks like a cake in the proper shape while Karessa’s look like a sunken dome.

  We have to cut six slices for the judges, Ainslee, and Jagger. Mine look like slices and Karessa’s slices keep falling apart. Raspberry filling oozes out of her cake, looking like a pastry murder.

  “Did you make cornbread?” I tease, pulling her close.

  “Shut up. I don’t want your hugs with your overly competitive ass.”

  Something on her apron pokes me, and I fish it out of her pocket against her protests.

  “Says the person who stole my fondant cutters. Cheater.”

  “I wasn’t cheating. Just leveling the playing field.”

  I throw my head back and laugh. I didn’t think she had it in her. “My. My. Mrs. Hale, you’ve been up to no good.”

  “I’ve been corrupted,” she challenges with laughter in her eyes.

  I kiss her forehead, her nose, then her lips. “I haven’t even begun corrupting you.”

  Flashes of light, pulls my attention away from my sore loser wife. Ainslee is there smiling with her camera.

  “You too are so cute.”

  Releasing Karessa, I turn to Ainslee. “Don’t make me ill. Cute?”

  “Yes, cute. I’ll send you the pictures. The judges have made their decision.”

  Karessa removes her apron to reveal the crop top she’d donned to match the little scrap of material she calls shorts then moves in front of the table where Miko and his boys sit.

  I’m not surprised when a panel full of straight men declares her the winner. I know she’s not. I tasted her cake.

  “The contest winner needs to be chosen by the cake on your plate, boys,” Ainslee sing-songs. “Not influenced by the half-naked person who made it.”

  “Hey!” Karessa says to Ainslee in faux hurt because even she knows she didn’t win by her own merits.

  “Oran won, we all know it,” Jagger points out without looking from his phone. “Ains, use your professional overrule power.”

  “I didn’t expect you to be on my side, but dang Jagger,” Karessa complains.

  He smiles at Karessa. “I’m just being honest. The dinner you made was delicious, your cake wasn’t.”

  “You baked it too long, sweetie,” Ainslee agrees.

  Karessa grabs a fork and takes a bite of her cake then drinks some water then tastes mine.

  “Fine,” she reaches out to shake my hand. “Congratulations or whatever.”

  Her fake ass praise amuses me. “As my wife, aren’t you supposed to root for your husband?”

  “Not when we’re competing, ass.”

  “You came in second place,” I deadpan with a soft knock to her chin.

  She leans in closer so only I can hear her. “If we were having sex, this would be the time I’d tell you you’re not getting any tonight.”

  I grab her chin and drop my voice to a whisper. “First, if we were having sex, there wouldn’t be a baking competition because we’d be fucking right now. Second, if you were taking my dick, not giving me some would never cross your mind. You’d be hooked.”

  Karessa bares her teeth, but her eyes shine with lust.

  “That’s how I lost in the first place, you big tease. Go take your victory lap, sir.”

  * * *

  They’re fucking again. I don’t blame them, if we were in the same situation, Karessa and I’d be just as bad. This week has been hard on my dick, or shall I say my dick has been so hard all week, I’m no longer capable of ignoring the problem. Going in, I’d refused to give myself relief, but I must if I want to go to sleep. Karessa sleeps behind me with her head resting near my back, and her arm is slung over my side. I smirk remembering her requesting to be the big spoon so my dick couldn’t poke her. Looking down, I see the evidence of her prediction. Karessa’s sweet body on my back doesn’t help. I’d prefer to do this in private, but I don’t want to wake her since she’s finally resting.

  Gently, I dip my hand inside my pajamas and pull out my throbbing dick. It’s so hard, touching it has me biting my lip. My eyes flutter closed after a few strokes, allowing the rhythmic thumping provided by our neighbors to serve as background noise as I fantasize about how it’ll feel to bury myself inside Karessa’s pussy. I swallow a moan as I grip myself tighter with each stroke. The image of Karessa bouncing on my dick in tune with the sounds from the other side of the wall is getting me close to the orgasm I need.

  “Oran?” I freeze, although my body is begging for me to continue. Karessa’s voice is soft and raspy. It’s not helping my condition because now I have sleepy sex fantasies. I’d love to fuck her awake. “Don’t stop.”

  I frown in the dark, trying to figure out if she’s talking to me or in her sleep. Her leg slides up mine until her inner thigh rests on my hip. The heat of her thighs and pussy warms my waist, and her breasts press against my back. Karessa’s soft hand skims the hem of my shirt. I didn’t realize how much I craved her touch until her fingertips connect with the bare skin at my waist for the first time. The simple contact pulls a surprised moan out of me.

  Karessa’s face is close enough to tease the back of my neck when she whispers, “Keep going.”

  Her encouragement makes my dick harder, and it pulses in my hand. My hips jerk a little once I continue. No longer hiding, the enjoyment of getting myself off increases beyond any solo session before it.

  My excited hiss when my thumb slides over my sensitive head has Karessa rubbing herself on my back, her breathing accelerates, coming out in small erotic puffs of air on the nape of my neck.

  “Karessa,” my moan is strained with lust because her nails grazing my stomach coupled with her soft lips pressing light kisses along my neck has me dizzy with excitement I’ve never felt while masturbating.

  “Fuck, Oran. This is so hot. I want to help…” She’s higher now, kissing along my jaw. “But I know you won’t let me.”

  “Later.” I say it rough and short. I’m too wound up to speak.

  “I know, Hell.” I’m almos
t sad when her hand moves from my waist but my dick jerks when she pulls my hair to make my head fall back.

  “You have no idea how I’m going to wear out your pussy,” I warn her as my orgasm crests.

  She smiles gently without releasing her grip on my hair. “I can’t wait. I am so damn wet for you, I’m considering joining you.”

  The memory of how she tastes and the sounds she made when my tongue was inside of her replays in my head.

  “No. Leave it for me.”

  Karessa tongue grazes my lips and teases the seam. Ripping away, l grab a tissue as my dick spits hot spurts of cum into it. It jerks longer than usual, spilling all the missed ejaculations out of me. The idea of leaving my cum inside of Karessa is a satisfying goal.

  “Listening to you cum is so fucking sexy,” she confesses.

  I tuck my dick back inside for safekeeping, drop the tissue on the ground, and roll over to Karessa before she can finish her thought. This time she’s ready for me and meets my kiss with equal frustration, our tongues fight for dominance. Karessa alternates between tugging at my hair or digging her nails into my shoulders and arms. I love it, but I need my taste. Rolling on my back, I take her with me, getting underneath.

  “Climb, Trophy.”

  “What?” I love how dazed she sounds.

  “Drop that sweet pussy on my face, Trophy. I need a late-night snack.”

  Karessa obeys promptly as I ensure her nightie and panties don’t join her on the top. I hold her in place, savoring the scent of her pussy hot for me like it’s a serum that feeds my soul.

  “When you had on that tiny bikini on the boat, sucking on your pussy was all I thought about the entire time.”

  “Real- oh fuck,” she coos when my tongue takes a dip.

  Her taste makes me wonder how I ever lived without it. One hand holds her thigh while the other spreads my treasure enough for me to stick my tongue deep inside.

  Her gasps roll into an aroused hiccup when I sweep my tongue inside her. Her head falls back as I continue to make sure it stays that way. Shit. I can do this forever if she’ll have me. I pause from eating her to urge her on more.