Breathe With Me

by Kristen Proby

  The air smells of sweet liquor and bad choices as the girls laugh and high-five each other. Mr. Grabby Motherfucker lays his hands on Stacy’s hips and she automatically moves them away.

  “Good girl,” Isaac mutters. “I’m going to kill him.”

  “This is fucking awesome,” Dom laughs. “So fucking awesome.”

  “My girl can sing,” Will says with a grin.

  “Dude, you’re fucking drunk,” Leo says with a smirk. “She’s horrible right now.”

  “Fuck you, she’s awesome,” Will insists.

  “Hey! Mr. Lovey Pants is here!” Meredith exclaims and points at Logan. “Jax! He’s here!”

  “Did she just call me ‘Mr. Lovey Pants’?” Logan asks incredulously.

  “Yeah, I think that’s what they call you when you’re not around,” I inform him soberly.

  “Well, I do have a lot of love in my pants,” Logan says smugly.

  “Dude, really?” Caleb snarls.

  “He’s going to fit in just fine,” Dom laughs and doubles over when Stacy waves at Isaac.

  “Baby! Hi! This is Stan.” We all walk forward to claim our girls. “All of the chairs were gone!”

  “I’m not Stan,” he says and winks at Stacy.

  “Who are you?” Isaac growls.

  “Ted.”

  “He looks like a Stan,” Stacy shrugs. “All of the chairs in the whole world were gone!”

  “If you don’t take your hands off my wife,” Isaac says coldly, “I’m going to fucking kill you. My brother is a cop and I’ll get away with it. I won’t tell you again.”

  Ted pales and swallows hard, then smiles at Stacy and boosts her out of his lap. “Nice to meet you, darlin’.” With that, he scurries away.

  “I missed you so much!” Mer exclaims and launches herself into my arms. “It’s been days and days since I saw you.”

  “I saw you about four hours ago, baby.” I laugh and kiss the top of her head, then tilt her chin up so I can kiss her soft lips.

  “Did you know Mr. Lovey Pants was coming?”

  “I did. It was a surprise.”

  “Awww,” she says and lays her head on my shoulder, watching her friend. “Look at them.”

  Logan and Jax are dancing, their foreheads pressed together as Meg and Will sing a horrible rendition of “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher.

  Luke lifts Nat in his arms and kisses her long and slow, making Jules gag. “Stop it!”

  “No,” Luke says then goes in for more kisses.

  “Christ on a crutch, Williams, your room is right upstairs!” Nate wraps his arms around her, pulling her against him, but she continues to taunt Luke until finally Nate simply shuts her up by kissing her himself.

  “There’s a lot of kissing going on around here,” Brynna murmurs.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” Caleb says and takes her hand in his, leading her toward the door.

  “I’m getting orgasms!” Brynna calls and waves at all of us. “Can we do that sixty-nine thing you’re so good at?”

  “Me too!” Jules announces. “Well, apagasms.”

  “Julianne,” Nate murmurs in exasperation.

  “What? I am!”

  Sam and Leo are at the bar, Sam is in Leo’s lap, but they’re not talking to each other while Matt joins Nic behind the bar and eyes the apron tied around her waist.

  “We’re taking this with us,” he informs the bartender and leads Nic out of the club without a backward glance.

  “You can put Nat down, Luke,” I say to my brother, but he simply shakes his head and kisses her temple.

  “Nope. I’m taking her back to the room. Goodnight, everyone.”

  “They’re dropping like flies,” Meredith murmurs. “Did you know that when a guy has an orgasm it starts in his spine?” she says with wide eyes.

  “Uh, I’m a guy,” I say with a laugh.

  “I know, but I didn’t know that. Did you?”

  “I guess that’s one way to put it. I hadn’t ever really thought about it.”

  “Thank you!” Jax says as he and Logan join us. “These drunk as fuck women were asking me all kinds of questions about sex. Men don’t think about sex. We just have it.”

  “You were very informational, Doctor Dangerous,” Meredith slurs, making us laugh.

  “Were you now?” Logan asks him, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I want to hear all about this later.”

  Mer’s hands roam up and down my back as she snuggles close to me, resting her head on my chest. She turns her face to rub her nose against my sternum and glides those sexy as sin hands down over my ass.

  “I love your ass,” she says so only I can hear.

  She’s hot as fuck tonight in another short dress, but this one is looser than the one she tortured me in last night. It’s a red V-neck, showing off her amazing cleavage and hangs loosely from below her boobs to just above her knees.

  “You sent me a boob shot,” I murmur back.

  “It was Brynna’s idea. We had to remind you guys what you already have so you wouldn’t fuck any of the whores that came onto you when you were away from us.”

  I laugh and push a loose tendril of her hair behind her ear.

  “Well, first of all, we weren’t going to forget what was waiting for us, and number two, we were too busy playing poker to fuck anyone who might have hit on us.”

  “Whores,” she mutters, as if she’s picturing the imaginary women in her head.

  “Whores!” Stacy agrees then turns to her husband. “Can we go fuck now?”

  “Don’t have to ask me twice. Peace out, guys.” Isaac immediately takes Stacy’s hand and leads her out of the club.

  “I’m going back to play poker,” Dom says and waves at us as he leaves. “I’m on a winning streak.”

  “We’re leaving too,” Jax says with a smile. “Thanks for keeping the secret. It was a great one.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “See you tomorrow!” Mer calls after him. Sam and Leo are deep in conversation now.

  “Want another drink?” I ask my already drunk woman, with no intentions whatsoever of actually giving her any more alcohol.

  “Nope.” She grins widely and bites my chin.

  “What would you like to do, drunk girl?”

  “Strip you naked right here and take advantage of your hot body.”

  I stare down at her then bust up laughing. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

  “Damn. You’re no fun.” She sticks her bottom lip out in a pout, and that’s it. It’s over.

  I’m done.

  I nod at Sam and drag Mer behind me to the elevator and punch the button to go up.

  “Are you gonna strip me down in the room?” she asks and buries her face in my neck. “God, you smell good. You’ve always smelled so good. I could just keep my face right here for, like, twenty years and be okay with that. As long as you’re naked.”

  “You’re killing me,” I mutter and bite my lip against the throb in my dick and the chills that Mer is sending through me as she nibbles on my neck.

  No way in fucking hell am I going to make it up to our room without making her come.

  The elevator finally arrives and is blissfully empty.

  “Thank Christ.” I push her up against the wall of the small car, push the button for our floor and then attack her. “You can’t know how fucking sexy you are.”

  “You’re the fucking sexy one,” she replies and yanks my shirt out of the waistband of my pants then plants those hands on my abs. “Jesus, Mark, your body is incredible.”

  “You make me do shit that I would never do with anyone else. You make me forget myself.” I hitch her leg up around my waist and tug her thong to the side, giving my fingers access to her wet pussy. “Your pussy makes me crazy.”

  “I want your cock, Mark.”

  “In a minute,” I reply. “I want to make you come before we reach our floor.”

  “Oh God,” she groans as her hips circle and push agains
t my fingers, finally crying out, biting my shoulder as she erupts on my hand. “Holy shit.”

  The doors open and I scoop her up and carry her to our suite. “I’m not even close to done with you.”

  “Thank God.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  ~Meredith~

  Am I going to throw up? I lie still and take stock of my stomach, head, body. All seem to be in working order. My stomach isn’t rolling, which is a good sign because with the amount of alcohol I consumed last night, I should be violently ill. I never drink like that.

  My mouth is as dry as can be, I’m sure I have dragon breath, and if I don’t pee right now, I’m pretty sure my bladder is going to explode.

  I roll out of bed and shuffle into the bathroom, take care of business, then splash water on my face and brush my teeth, scrubbing the foul remnants from last night out of my mouth. When I’m finished, I rub my eyes, then take a good look at myself in the mirror.

  Holy. Shit.

  Mascara is smeared down my cheeks¸ my blond hair is a messy tangle and I have hickeys on my breasts.

  I close my eyes and feel myself go wet when I remember how Mark worshiped my breasts last night, his words of appreciation for the boob pic I sent him, how they turn him on.

  Who knew a boob pic would have that reaction?

  I want to go wake him up with my mouth on his body, but he can’t see me like this so I start the shower and get in before it heats up, shocking my body awake. I wash my face and scrub my body then stand under the stream and wash my hair.

  Just as I’m finally feeling human again, the door to the shower opens and Mark steps in and silently wraps me in his strong arms, hugging me close.

  “Good morning,” I murmur against his chest.

  “’Mornin’,” he replies, his voice still rough from sleep. He’s warm and smooth and perfect for leaning on right now. “How are you feeling, baby?”

  “Better now that I’ve scrubbed every inch of me.” I grin up at him and feel my heart stumble when he returns my smile with sleepy blue eyes. “How about you?”

  “I woke up missing you.” He kisses my forehead and turns us so he’s in the water. “And I think I smell bad.”

  “We got very dirty last night.” I go to work washing him and watch my hands glide over his tight body, the muscles in his stomach, his amazing arms, his hips. “I see I put a few marks of my own on you last night,” I murmur when he turns and I see the nail marks on his back.

  “You were enthusiastic,” he says with a chuckle.

  “Back at you.”

  “I’m always enthusiastic when it comes to you.”

  “Back at you again.” He spins back around and washes his hair, then leads us out of the shower and tenderly dries me off, his hands gentle and thorough, making my body come alive again. Instead of leading me back to the bed when we’re dry, he guides me to the vanity and turns on the blow dryer and dries my hair, strand-by-strand, brushing through it with his fingers, quietly watching his own hands in my blond strands. He’s quiet this morning, thoughtful, and he’s taking care of me.

  When my hair is dry, I turn the tables on him, blowing his hair dry. He watches me with amused eyes, his hands on my hips, until every hair on his handsome head is dry.

  “Meredith.” He takes the dryer from my hand and sets it on the counter, then circles his arms around my waist and tips his forehead down to rest on mine.

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  I grin and drag my fingertips down his face as he lays his lips on mine, gently sweeping them back and forth, nibbles the corner of my mouth, nuzzles my nose. My nipples pebble as his hands glide up to my ribcage, but he doesn’t move farther up to cup them. He continues to simply kiss me, our naked bodies aroused and pressed together, against the bathroom vanity. When he kisses my nose and forehead again, I drag my hands over his hips and am about to circle his hard, thick cock when he catches my wrists in his hands and holds me away.

  “I want to touch you,” I whisper.

  “Not yet.” He nuzzles my nose again, a small smile on his lips to soften the rejection. “I just want to kiss you.”

  “Really?” I cock a brow and glance down at his cock. “That’s not what it looks like.”

  Without another word, he turns and leads me back to the bedroom, lifts me onto the center of the bed and joins me. But instead of climbing on top of me and making love to me, he lies next to me, facing me, presses his hand to the small of my back and pulls me into him and claims my lips again with his, kissing me slowly. It’s lazy and gentle. Our legs tangle, I bury my fingers in his hair and hold on as he sweeps those amazing lips back and forth across mine, then slips his tongue in my mouth, as though I’m a delicacy he wants to nibble on.

  I love the different facets of this man. He can be crazy with lust, as he was last night, and make me feel like if he doesn’t fuck me immediately he’ll die. Or he can be like right now. Taking his time, seducing us both, basking in the love we feel for each other.

  His fingertips draw circles on my back, over my shoulder and down my ribs, and then follow the same path again, sending shivers through me.

  “Cold?” he whispers and tugs the covers over us, completely covering us, heads and all, without missing a beat. I drag my foot up and down his leg, loving the way the soft hair feels against the arch of my foot. His cock is pressed against my lower belly, pulsing with his need. I shift slowly, hitch my leg over his hip and tilt my hips, filling myself with him, making us both gasp. He cradles my face in his hand, his mouth shaped like an O as I barely move but contract my muscles around him.

  “I love you too,” I whisper. Our gazes hold, and we are connected in every way, from head to toe as we make slow, quiet love. “So much more than I can ever say.”

  His hand glides down my neck, over my breast and side to anchor on my hip, guiding my small movements. The angle has the base of his cock pressed against my clit, and I bite my lip as I watch him, knowing I’m getting so close.

  “You’re so fucking tight, Mer. God, so wet.” He bites his lip too, but doesn’t look away from me. “Are you close?”

  “So close,” I whisper. “Oh God, Mark, I’m gonna—”

  “That’s right.” His hand tightens on my hip and that’s all it takes to urge me over the edge. It’s the quietest we’ve ever been, the sweetest lovemaking, so easy and lazy, but I have a feeling it’s the most meaningful it’s ever been. For both of us.

  He blinks slowly and follows me over the edge, trembling with his orgasm, but not making a sound as his body shivers, clenches, sweaty and tight. His hand slips around to cup my ass and his lips are on mine again, nibbling lazily.

  “Mine,” he whispers against my lips.

  ***

  “Nice of you to join us,” Luke says dryly as we make our way out onto the patio near the pool. The tables are shaded by wide, colorful umbrellas and brunch is being served.

  “They’re in love. Leave them alone,” Brynna says with a grin.

  “How is everyone feeling?” I ask as Mark holds my chair out for me and I pick up my menu. Jax leans over and kisses my cheek, then shoves his orange juice in my hand, which I thankfully consume in two gulps.

  The whole clan is wearing sunglasses, which makes me laugh. Except for Logan, who has his trademark thick-rimmed glasses perched on his handsome nose. He winks at me.

  “You’re not hung over?” Jules asks in surprise.

  “I was a little, but I’m fine now. Nothing a shower and brushing my teeth didn’t fix.”

  “And maybe a little sex,” Nic says with a wink. Matt kisses her temple and rubs his hand rhythmically up and down her back.

  “So what’s happening today?” Dom asks before stuffing a big hunk of waffle dripping with syrup into his mouth.

  “Lazy day,” Will says with a half smile. “I think we’re all recovering from last night.”

  “I have a meeting,” Leo says quietly.

  “What meeting?” Sam asks with
a scowl.

  “The guys want to go over a few potential songs for the next album.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but Sam is clearly not happy.

  “No,” she says and shakes her head adamantly.

  “No?” he echoes with a raised brow.

  “No. We’re here to celebrate with our family, not to work. You work enough when we’re home.”

  “It’s just for a few hours, Samantha.”

  We all share glances with each other, quiet as Leo and Sam glare at each other. Mark tenses beside me, so I take his hand in mine and squeeze it reassuringly.

  “What is your problem?” Sam finally demands.

  “What are you talking about?” He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs in exasperation.

  “You’re moody. You work all the time. You think I don’t feel you pulling away from me?” Her voice is edged with panic now, and Luke looks like he’s about to speak up when Leo’s hand drops and his head whips up to stare at her.

  “Are you kidding me? I think we need to have this conversation later, when we’re alone.”

  “No, we’re going to have it now. Right here.” She pulls her sunglasses off and throws them on the table. “If you’re trying to break it off, just fucking do it, Leo. This distance from you is killing me.”

  “I don’t want to fucking break up with you, Goddamn it!”

  “Then what’s wrong with you?”

  “I want to marry you!”

  We all sit in stunned silence, watching as Sam’s mouth gapes open in surprise.

  “You don’t want to get married, I get it.” Now he throws his glasses on the table, and the misery in his eyes brings tears to mine. “You’ve been saying for almost two years that you’re happy with the way things are, and we don’t need a piece of paper to let everyone know that we love each other. Fine.”

  He throws his hands in the air, then shakes his head. “I’ll take you any way I can get you, Samantha, and that’s the fucking truth. I love you, every damn day, I love you. I’m never going anywhere. You’re it for me. But I do want to get married.”

  “I don’t want babies,” she whispers, her lips barely moving. Leo laughs and shakes his head.