First Love (Winning at Love Book 2)

by Gillian Jones

  “I feel so full.”

  I pause, allowing my body to adjust to this new sensation.

  “You okay?” Keaton asks, his voice rough.

  “Perfect.” I pull up, then go back down a little, working him in even more.

  “Yes. Shit, Kam. You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. The way your pussy’s taking me in inch by beautiful fucking inch…you’re so beautiful. Can’t keep my eyes off of you,” he says, and it’s like a detonator. I moan so loud, and I bear down on him. I feel a slight pinch, and I wince a little, but it doesn’t last, and it’s nothing compared to how good this feels.

  “It’s just me and you,” I repeat Keat’s words. When our eyes latch, he gives me a sweet smile.

  “Me and you,” he says, gripping the back of my neck and pulling me in for a kiss. I purr with the change in angle. God, he feels good.

  “That’s it, Kam. In and out. That’s fucking it, you’re doing so good,” Keaton hisses. Encouraged, I push him back down and start to pick up the pace. His hands reach down between us, and he starts to rub my clit. There’s a dip forming in my stomach, a feeling I’ve never felt. It’s a climbing, and it’s getting faster and faster, higher and higher, as I go faster, lifting myself up and down on Keaton’s willing body. I can feel my legs start to shake.

  “Oh Goddd!” I say, when Keaton starts to thrust upwards from beneath me, his mouth sucking on my nipples.

  “That’s it, baby. You feel phenomenal, your pussy squeezing me like that.” Keaton shifts us so he’s got a bit more control, and it feels like perfection as he drives into me, and all I can do is hold on for the ride. Before long he’s pushed us both over the edge. My orgasm cascades over his cock in rhythmic spasms, and I feel him exploding, hot and deep inside me.

  First me.

  Then him.

  It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before, nothing I could have ever imagined, but it’s something that now I don’t think I could ever live without. Cockboom!

  We lay in each other’s arms after Keaton cleans me up. He offers to draw me a bath, but I’m too tired to care, really, and I don’t want any space between us. I only want Keaton to hold me. Which he does, happily. Keaton holds me wrapped in his arms, and I can feel his scruff scraping against my shoulders, neck, and collarbone as he trails sweet kisses all over me, whispering softly into my skin, making sure I know how amazing he thinks I am. He continues to pepper me with kisses while questioning how he got so lucky, but mostly he tells me over and over how thankful he is that I gave him such a beautiful gift. Eventually, he positions us so he can kiss me. And he does, he kisses me for a long time, and it’s perfect—Keaton’s kisses are slow, passionate, and so beautiful I almost cry.

  “I’m now bound to you, Kamilla Sutherland. And I’ve never wished for anything more than to feel what I do with you,” Keaton whispers softly, some time later, when I think he thinks I’m sleeping. I feel a rush of emotion come over me. Not only is my body entangled with his, my heart is officially fully entwined with his heart. And for the first time since I can remember, the idea thrills me instead of frightening me.

  *

  “Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” a too-chipper—and shirtless!—and way-too-sexy-for-the morning Keaton says, as he carries in two cups of coffee and what looks like a pastry box.

  “You’re lucky you brought reinforcements. It’s way too early,” I whine, pulling the pink Decently Yours box from Keat’s hand and making him laugh when I open it like a kid on Christmas morning.

  “Smart man.” He taps his temple with his index finger.

  “Clearly.” I smile back. “You were up early?”

  “Yeah, couldn’t sleep, so I went for a run, stopped at the bakery, then came home and had a shower,” he says, taking me in, then tacks on, “You talk in your sleep a lot, eh?” My cheeks immediately heat. I always have. More so when I have something on my chest I need to get off. So, I’m a little surprised I did last night, considering everything was beyond perfect.

  “I know I do. Sorry if I kept you up,” I apologize, feeling awkward. It was my first time in his bed and I feel like ruined it.

  “You did keep me up.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He pauses. “Your words kept me up thinking.”

  I turn to face him in mid-bite of my slice of London Fog loaf.

  “Oh god. What did I say?” I cock my head, my stomach filling with butterflies, wondering if maybe I said something wrong.

  “You kept saying ‘I love you, Keaton’. A whole bunch of times, all throughout the night.”

  OhmygodIamneversleepingagain!

  It’s worse than I thought.

  I had wanted to say it last night, but I didn’t want to be both a virgin and a cliché. Yet, as I look at him this morning, the panic starts to flee. Keaton doesn’t seem freaked out. I’m not going to apologize either, because it’s true. I do. I love Keaton.

  I decide to go with it.

  “It’s probably because it’s true, Keaton. I do love you. I can’t name a time when I didn’t,” I say, setting down my cake on the dark nightstand in order to face him properly.

  “Yeah. It’s why I couldn’t sleep.”

  My heart sinks. Maybe I was wrong, and he’s freaked. Suddenly, I feel exposed, naked. I draw the navy duvet higher, hoping it will somehow protect me. I can’t look at him. I try to busy myself with a loose thread that’s not really there.

  “Kami.”

  “Yeah?” I look up at him, and see a small smile starting to curl his lip.

  “What you said kept me up because I was worried you’d wake up and I would miss the chance to say it back. And I needed you to know. ’Cause I do. I’ve loved you for more than half my life. And it was time I told you,” he says, his voice sincere and his eyes so full of love that I can feel it right down to the tips of my toes. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whisper, as I lunge into his arms, the tears I’d tried to keep at bay winning the battle, because I’ve never heard words which mattered more to me than those three words as they fell from Keaton’s mouth.

  47

  Premonitions and the Power of Sunday Brunch

  Keaton

  The last few weeks have flown by. Not only is my sister Eastlyn now engaged to my best friend McCoy, but Kami and I have drifted into a domestic routine of our own, living life as an official couple. Texting on and off all day, sleeping in the same bed most nights, we’re carving our path as an us, and with each step things get better and better. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.

  We officially came out of hiding last week, finally putting my sister out of her misery, and much to the pleasure of everyone else around us. Basically, our news was received with many utterances of “It’s about damn time,” especially from my mom.

  “Mom, calm down, it’s only been a few days. Put it away!” We hear Eastlyn not doing a very good job of whisper-shouting from the kitchen of our parents’ house, and it effectively tears me from my thoughts.

  “And so it begins.” My dad raises his “I’m a whisk-taker, I married a baker” mug, the one I bought him a few Father’s Days ago, and adds with a chuckle, looking McCoy’s way, “Welcome to the family, kiddo.” McCoy, Kami, and I all laugh from where we’re sitting around the dining room table.

  It’s Sunday, which means brunch. Only this time, Kami and McCoy are here with us, and will be for the foreseeable future, because I plan on never letting Kami go.

  “Mom! Oh my god, you’re going to scare him off if he sees the size of that thing!”

  Kami giggles beside me, and I love that I can reach down and place my hand on her thigh and keep it there. Something I take full advantage of whenever possible.

  I lean in to Kam and utter for her ears only, “Oh, this is going to get good.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing. All this food and entertainment…I’m in heaven,” Kami whispers, bringing a “Cake Is for Life, Not Just Birthdays” mug to h
er mouth, her eyes sparkling—reminding me what a lucky son-of-a-cake-baker (something she often calls me) I really am.

  “Oh, shush,” we hear my mom say from behind the kitchen door. “It will be wonderful. He’ll be pleased as punch, happy most of the planning is already done,” my mom says, and I can’t help a huge smirk crossing my face when my mom leads a red-faced Eastlyn into the dining room, the official Eastlyn and McCoy Wedding scrapbook clutched tight to her chest.

  “Aww, East,” I say, “it’s okay. As if Coy doesn’t already know it exists? He knows we’re all batshit crazy already, so I think you’re safe.” My dad and McCoy laugh. “And I wouldn’t worry, McCoy’s clearly just as nuts,” I say, jutting my chin at the huge rock on Eastlyn’s finger, before raising my “I’m all about that bake, all about that bake” mug in salute. I take a sip of my coffee, steam billowing off the top. “Let’s plan this puppy.”

  “Hey, I’m a catch!” my sister scolds me.

  “You sure are, Sprinkles. The greatest one,” McCoy says, while I mock-gag until my sister swats me across the head as she takes her seat beside my future brother-in-law.

  “How is this not something I do every single Sunday? I regret the times I’ve declined,” Kami ponders, and we all laugh.

  East sighs. “Not you, too. Do not get caught up in this…” she gestures in my general direction with her fork, “…this thing’s antics.”

  “Eastlyn Hatfield, that thing is your brother. Be kind,” Mom scolds, and I stick out my tongue, thinking my mother won’t see.

  “Keat. Don’t make me get up,” my dad threatens, making Kami and McCoy snicker.

  Kami chimes in, “Don’t you worry, Eastlyn, I’m completely on your side moving forward, Solidarity!” Kam proves her loyalty to my sister by also giving me a cuff on the head, before leaning in and kissing my cheek, shrugging and whispering, “Sorry. Had to. Girl Code.”

  “Heeyyy! I heard that!” my sister fake-whines, and gives Kami a crooked smile. “I knew this would happen, I knew you’d start taking his side,” Eastlyn deduces, only making Kami laugh harder.

  “I love you both, I can’t help it,” Kami says, looking from me to my sister. I move my arm around the back of her chair, needing her closer. She’s so fucking sweet.

  “Take that. She loves us both,” I say, being the shit I am.

  “This being loyal to one Hatfield thing is harder than it looks,” McCoy chimes in. “Plus, Eastlyn makes it so easy to mess with her, sometimes,” McCoy adds, and this time it’s him who gets the swat.

  “You’re lucky I’m in love with you or else…” my sister scolds. Her eyes then dart from me to Kami and back. “You know? I’m changing my mind, after all. I don’t think this is such a good idea. The three of you together spells disaster for me. You’ve gotta break up,” East says around a mouthful of croissant, “I can’t in good conscience keep enabling this situation.”

  “What’s up with that scrapbook, Ma? Let’s see what you’ve thought up over the years.” I turn to face my mother, who’s sitting at the opposite end of the head of the table, a delighted grin on her face.

  She stands, tosses her napkin on the table, then claps her hands. “Yes, let’s take a look! But first, let me go grab the baby book, too. You and Kami might want to start planning, too, yes?” she says.

  “Shiiiiit…” I drop my head to my chest, and laugh.

  “Baby book?” Kami repeats.

  Eastlyn practically jumps out of her seat, she’s so excited, the little devil. “Sounds like a fantastic idea, Mom!”

  “East, for god’s sake, don’t encourage her,” I say.

  She waggles her eyebrows at me, and subtly gives me a decidedly evil smile. “I’ll grab us more coffee and the desserts, then we can all settle in for a long afternoon of planning! Won’t that be nice, Keaton?” Eastlyn says, running to the kitchen then back, hands full.

  “Brat. Such a pain in my ass,” I say.

  I snap my head up, as my mom scurries back into the dining room, carrying another large scrapbook.

  “This calls for a celebration of epic proportions…it’s all finally happening,” she says, hugging “our” baby book close to her heart. “A wedding and a baby! I’m so happy.”

  “Jesus, Ma. Calm down,” I say, rubbing my hands down my face as Kami sits beside me waiting for me to explain.

  “Oh, what, the grass not so green over there anymore?” Eastlyn says, tossing a piece of pineapple in her mouth.

  “Keaton? Who’s pregnant?” Kami whispers, and I can only think of one way to break this down.

  “This is the best brunch,” McCoy says, topping up his coffee cup and giving me a shit-eating grin, kissing the top of my sister’s head.

  “Welcome to the House of Crazy, babe. And who’s pregnant? According to Mom, you are…or will be soon enough.”

  I spend the next few minutes enlightening my girl on Katie Hatfield’s premonitions. The first, my sister’s wedding, and the second? Kami and I giving my mom and dad their first grandchild.

  Thankfully, Kami simply tilted her head back and laughed, rolling with it.

  Not only did Kami graciously spend the next few hours humouring my mom, she also had part of me wishing she was pregnant with my child, and that we weren’t only humouring my mother.

  It was a thought that surprised and excited me, a fuck of a lot.

  48

  To Begin, Begin

  Kami

  The bell above the door to Inkredible chimes, signalling my arrival. I smile, seeing Becks behind the counter—but this time she’s smiling. Unlike the what…the twenty-nine times before? Before, she used to simply stand and shake her head, looking all kinds of doubtful. But today, she’s all kinds of radiant, although I know she’d probably punch me if I told her so.

  “Hey, Kam. Today’s the big day, eh? You really think you’ve got it figured out this time?” Becks says, grinning, while tucking a piece of her now fuchsia-coloured hair behind her ear.

  I shrug, stepping in closer. It’s been a few months since I’ve tried to sneak in undetected, and I’m here to try again today. “Figured it might work this time. I have to try everything I can think of, right?”

  “Maybe you need to start with sexual favours. Seems to work for me and José,” she offers, making me blush when she refers to her husband. Not sure I’m a good enough seductress to pull something like that off yet. Although, Keaton can’t seem to get enough me, so maybe I’ll tuck that suggestion in my back pocket in case Keaton turns me away again.

  “I told you last time he’d have to give in one day,” I beam, “and I have a feeling it’s going to be today.”

  Becks nods, then hedges, “But if not, definitely withhold sex. That’ll teach him. Works on José every time,” Becks says, with a wry grin.

  “Today really could be it. We’ve been texting a lot, and there’s been no mention that he’s on to me. I’m so excited!” I say, waving my phone in the air like so many times before. Only this time, it feels different. It feels right.

  “Don’t get too excited. We’ve been here before. He might just want dinner,” Becks deadpans, and I burst out laughing, my mind going right into the gutter. Jesus, that man has turned me into a hornball.

  “He’d better not. I might literally consider inflicting pain on him this time.”

  “Trust me, Kam. Blue balls is it’s own exquisite torture, go that route. Withhold and tease.” We both laugh as Becks hands me the iPad. She glances down the hall towards Keaton’s workroom “Well, he hasn’t come out, so go for it. So far, so good.”

  I take the iPad and get to work filling it out.

  “‘Kami Sutherland’ this time, eh? And his last appointment of the night? Could definitely be a setup for dinner, Kam. Not gonna lie, the beast usually feeds around six. He already told me I could leave, and the other guys are all gone, too. I hate to say it, but I’m still not convinced,” she clucks, but I refuse to share her thinking.

  “Nope. It’s happening. I’m goi
ng to be getting an official Keaton Hatfield original inked on my body tonight. And I’m so excited!” I squeal, practically bouncing up and down. Becks’s face remains deadpan, and I get the impression she’s not a fan of excited squealing. I clear my throat and try to settle down, but don’t do a very good job. I really am so excited!

  Then just as it has so many times before, it happens again.

  That. Damn. Sound.

  Ding!

  “I’ll kill him,” I whisper under my breath, while shifting side to side in my black flip-flops.

  I loathe what that sound can represent. If he cancels on me again, I might just consider Becks’s suggestion. Tit for tat, after all, right?

  “I’m thinking good thoughts for you, I’m thinking all the good thoughts,” Becks says, crossing her fingers. Her eyes suddenly snap from mine to the MacBook in front of her. Her eyes widen, then squint, and she leans in close to the screen.

  “You’re going to wanna see this,” Becks says, looking again at the computer before turning it around to face me.

  My breath catches.

  My eyes widen.

  I feel a rush of adrenaline.

  In the scheduling line at six o’clock, my name has disappeared. In its place is a message:

  Send my gorgeous girl back here, and get the hell gone, Becks.

  I can’t wipe the grin from my face, and I start bouncing again.

  It’s happening.

  Finally.

  “I knew today was the day!” I say, meeting Becks’s palm with an over-exaggerated high-five.

  “About damn time. I’ll tell ya, if he’d refused you one more time, Tristan and I were going to suggest a disguise.”

  “I heard that. I should fire your asses for even thinking such a thing,” comes Keaton’s deep voice from the hallway leading from the workrooms, making both Becks and I jump.

  She simply rolls her eyes. “As if. Who would run the place with me gone? Tris, sure, he’s replaceable. But me? I’m the brains around here,” she says, giving Keaton a knowing look.