by Piper Rayne
My heart rate increases, and my palms are sweaty. After all these years, our time has finally come. I cross the petal path and emerge from the foyer. Stella glances up and straightens her back. She’s wearing a light pink dress that falls to her ankles and poofs out at her waist a bit. The top dips all the way down to her belly button, revealing a sliver of her tantalizing dark skin.
My mouth waters the closer I get, hoping I’m the lucky bastard who gets to unzip her out of it tonight.
“Hey,” I say like the tool I am.
“Hi.”
We stand toe-to-toe, each of us soaking the other in for a moment.
“Kingston Bailey, will you go to homecoming with me?”
She’s got to be shittin’ me. I’d go to the moon with her.
“Why?”
She takes my hand in both of hers. “I want a redo. I want to start over. I want you to take me to homecoming.”
“Why?” Damn it, I probably sound like I have a stutter. Just say yes, dumbass.
“Because I love you.”
I inhale a deep breath and let it out slowly. It’s not the first time she’s said the words, but it’s the first time she’s said them like that. How long have I waited to hear those words from her mouth?
The urge to take her mouth with mine is strong. Take her in my arms and never let her go. But then my heart weighs in. Is this another moment in time that’s going to leave us in limbo after?
“Stella,” I say, sighing.
“I know what you said last weekend and I get it, but I’ve done a lot of thinking and some self-discovery. I’m not going to lie. You scare me. The way I feel for you scares me the most. I don’t want to be broken like I was when my dad died.”
With a frown, I run a hand through my hair then open my mouth to respond.
“No.” She puts her finger to my lips. “I accept it. All of it. Because I’m done denying myself you. You are worth the risk.”
My hand gently wraps around her wrist and I lower it to our sides, not letting go. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She nods. “I just want you. I’ve loved you since… forever.”
“And when I say I want to parachute down a mountain?”
“I’ll be biting my nails at the end and loving you pretty hard when you return to me. But…” She takes my head in her hands. “You better come back to me.”
I cover her hands with mine. “I’ll always come back to you. I always have.”
She rushes into me and I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Damn, I never dreamt it would feel this good.
My heart soars and I grip harder. My hands run along the smooth skin of her bare back. Resting them on the back of her head, I draw back. “I think we need to seal this promise with a kiss?”
“Me too,” she says hesitantly.
My hands cradle her cheeks, our faces growing closer. The tip of my nose runs along hers, and we both inhale a breath. My body buzzes with nerves I’ve never felt except around Stella. How do I make sure a kiss that we’ve both dreamed about this long will be worth it?
“King,” she whispers.
“Uh-huh.” My eyes are closed and my nose slides down her cheekbone. My lips rest by her earlobe as she sighs.
“Are you nervous?”
I nod, never letting go of her head. “So fucking nervous.”
She smells like she always does, but it’s much more potent when I’m this close to her.
“You’re so beautiful.” I hook my finger under the strap of her dress resting on her shoulder, delaying the kiss.
“Thank you,” she says softly.
My lips drag down her jawline until they hover over her lips. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
She giggles. “Okay.”
“This is what you want, right?” I clarify once more.
“King?”
“Yeah.”
“Kiss me.”
I bend my head until my lips land on her full, soft ones, the lightness of our touch barely registering as a kiss. My heart pounds and I press my lips to hers again, this time not holding back, waiting for her to get used to me. Our mouths collide and it’s like fireworks are shooting off around us. The chemistry between us is hot and all-encompassing. My tongue slides along the seam of her lips, invading her mouth, meeting her tongue. Shivers rush up my limbs and I take charge of the kiss, setting the pace, unable to get deep enough.
After a couple minutes, she pulls back and touches her lips. My heart drops like a boulder in the deep of the ocean. She regrets it. She didn’t feel what I did. Fuck. I never thought once we were actually together, she wouldn’t feel our connection.
“I know I asked you to homecoming and I have all this music loaded on my phone so we can dance and set the mood, but I’m not sure I can wait. Want to strip out of these clothes, get into our bathing suits, and slide into the hot tub?”
Yeah, she’s perfect for me.
“Why bother with the bathing suits?” I shrug off my jacket and kick off my shoes, leaning forward to kiss her one more time. Now that my lips have been on hers, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to not kiss her when we’re this close.
“Can we slow it down?” she asks quietly.
My hands stop. Shit. You’re gonna blow this, Bailey. I step closer, her breasts pushing against my chest. “Sorry. We can go as slow as you want.”
Her forehead falls to my chest and her hands rest on my waist. “I just need to breathe for a moment. I was worried… I was scared you wouldn’t…”
I run my finger under her chin and raise her head to look at me. “Let’s start with a clean slate. We’re just two people who came up to a cabin and want to get in the hot tub.”
She giggles and nods. “Okay. I’m going to go change.”
I step to the side for her to get by, and she walks through the rose petals. “Stella?”
She turns to face me at the top of the stairs.
“You’ll wear that dress for me again sometime when I can strip it off you?”
She smiles and nods. “Promise.”
I watch her disappear down the stairs before I turn off all the candles and grab my bag, not bothering to go to my room. I change in the foyer—then realize I need to message Lou before he gets here.
Grabbing my phone from the pocket of my discarded jeans, I pull up Lou’s contact.
Me: Hey man, sorry to do this but do you mind not coming to the cabin tonight?
Lou: What the fuck? Why not?
Shit, I know he’s paid his share and it’s an asshole thing to ask of him, but it’ll be all kinds of awkward if the three of us are here. I’ve waited so long to have this with Stella—I want tonight to be perfect.
Me: Stella’s here and things are developing. I’ll totally pay you the money back for this weekend. I’ll even take your shifts or whatever.
Lou: You’re a dumb ass.
Lou: I wasn’t coming up anyway. It was all arranged.
Lou: Stella’s one step ahead of you.
Lou: You got played. :P
I stare at the phone. She’s already made sure we’re up here all alone. Just as I’m about to message Lou back, she comes up the stairs in a plush white terrycloth robe, her locs piled up on top of her head in a bun.
“If you’re naked under there, I might just lose my willpower.”
She laughs and slides down one side for me to see the white strap of a bathing suit. Well, a guy can dream.
I break the distance, take her hand, and plant a quick kiss on her lips. I guide her to the sliding door.
“It seems like a waste.” She looks down at the unlit candles.
“No. It was romantic. I swooned.”
She playfully hits me on the back with her other hand and I chuckle, opening the patio door, allowing her to go out first. The water is bubbling, steam rising into the cold air, and the color-tinted lightbulbs change color underneath the water.
I step in first, pretending not to be freezing my ass off
. The warm water a welcome relief to my chilled skin. I lean back in one of the curved seats and her hands shake as they reach for the tie of the robe.
“Stella?” I ask, inching across the water. “Are you nervous?”
“It’s just. You’ve never seen me and…”
I grab one of the ties and pull her forward. “I promise you, I’m going to love whatever is underneath this.” I tug on the tie.
“What if I have three boobs?” She raises her eyebrows.
“Do you honestly think I would have a problem if you had three boobs? Talk about motor boating.”
She smiles but doesn’t laugh. I slide my hand under her robe, feeling the silkiness of her swimsuit, and rest it on her hip.
“Relax. It’s me.” She says nothing about my hand, so I chance pulling the tie of her robe again.
She stares at me as the robe slides open. I’m breathless at the sight of her white one-piece swimsuit that shows off her amazing curves and contrasts beautifully with her ebony skin. Her nipples poke through the fabric, teasing me.
She slides the robe off her shoulders and steps up onto the stairs to get in. “It’s freezing.”
“Get in here with me.”
As soon as she’s in the water, I wrap my arms around her, and our lips lock in a kiss that would’ve warmed me up without hot water around us. My hands don’t stray too far, not wanting to push her past her limits. When I lean back, she straddles my lap and I glance down to see her amazing tits right there for the taking. I desperately want to lean in and run my tongue along her cleavage.
“God, Stella, I’m so fucking hard.” My voice sounds as rough as sandpaper.
“I can tell.” She grinds against me.
Stella’s never been one to not communicate when she doesn’t want something, so I take my chances. My hands fall to her ass, pulling her closer. She moans and wraps her arms around my head, her lips finding mine.
Oh, tonight is going to be a good night. The best night ever, in fact.
Twenty-Five
Stella
Never have I felt this good. I don’t have a ton of sexual experience, but enough to know this is different. This is earth-shattering, good old-fashioned making out. Kingston’s lips never stray too far from mine. His tongue explores my mouth, his hands run along every surface of my body.
He was so tentative at first that I wondered how we’d get this started. There’s been so much anticipation. So many years of starving my body of his. I can hardly believe we’re here, living out the fantasies we’ve both imagined alone in our beds late at night.
“Jesus, you’re so soft and delicious.” He slides down one strap of my bathing suit, kissing my exposed flesh, then positioning it back in place.
His hands have yet to venture to my breasts or between my legs. The ache between my thighs grows, wanting and needing him to quench it. My hips roll along his hard length, spurring my need for an orgasm.
I can’t get close enough. It’s like I’m trying to burrow myself into his flesh. I’d be embarrassed if it didn’t feel so damn good or he wasn’t doing the same. Tender touches, noses and cheeks running the lengths of our faces, wet tongues, and lips caressing skin.
I want to pull down his board shorts and sink down on him. Tear off my swimsuit so his hands are on my tits as I ride him without any worries. But my brain won’t turn off.
That annoying seed of doubt is there. Am I fulfilling what he dreamed it’d be all these years? Does he like what he sees? What he feels?
Then I sit back, and our eyes catch under the moonlight. The colored lights of the hot tub add to the effect on his gorgeous face. And it’s there, his eyes so full of want and lust. That seed of doubt dies.
I crash my lips to his and he meets me full force, his strong hands splayed across my back as if he’s afraid I’ll try to pull away. He’s crazy. I’m going to become a stalker. Kingston Bailey’s stalker. How did I ever run away from this man when it feels so right for us to be here together?
“Kingston,” I say, holding his head to my collarbone as he casts a line of open-mouth kisses across my flesh.
“Uh-huh,” he mumbles.
“Touch me.”
He draws back and my skin aches for him to treat it like the treasure he has been. “I don’t want to rush you.”
“I’m not a virgin.”
He chuckles. “I know, but I guess a small part of me wants to savor you. I’ve waited so long.” He runs his knuckles over my breast. My greedy pebbled nipple demands more of his attention. “I want to know exactly what gets you hot and aching. But if you want me to grab your tits…” His hand slides out from the water and cups my breast over my swimsuit, his thumb rolling over my nipple. “I have no complaints. I’m happy to oblige.”
I laugh, but his other hand cups my other breast and my back arches on its own accord as a strangled moan falls from my lips. He’s good with his hands all right.
“Just so you know, you won’t be wearing this swimsuit when anyone else is here. This is a Kingston special.”
I straighten my back and cock an eyebrow. “Are you already telling me what to do?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll replace it with a new one. You’re not opposed to skirt swimsuits, are you?”
I shake my head, but he swallows my laughter with a kiss.
As though the talking took too much time away, we devour one another again. His lips glide along my jaw, neck, and collarbone. His heavy breaths tickle my ear. My grinding on his length speeds up, and his finger hooks the strap of my swimsuit, tugging it down so my breast pops out. He arches me farther back as he takes my breast into his wet mouth. His tongue swirls around my nipple, and when he blows out a steady stream of air, my nipple could cut glass.
“Let’s get out of here,” I whisper. The needy tension is too much to bear.
His mouth pops off my breast and he looks me in the eye. “Stay in my bed tonight?”
He poses it like a question, and it’s easy to see he’s still unsure about where this new us will lead.
“Yes,” I answer.
Again he pulls my chest against his, but now it’s my bare breasts to his chest and the heat forming between them is deliciously hot and the ache between my thighs grows to epic proportions. His lips, his mouth, his hands, his hard length are perfection and I’m not sure I’ll ever not crave their attention now that I know how they feel.
I slide off his lap because I want to see him, feel the weight of him over me, nestle his length between my thighs as he thrusts into me. I want skin-to-skin contact, and the ability to explore without the constriction of water and the cold air above.
I only make it halfway across the hot tub when he comes up behind me and pins me to the side. His big, rough hands cover my breasts, squeezing and pinching and pushing them together. “Tell me I get to have you tonight?”
My hands reach around and mold to his ass, pushing him into my own. His hard dick pokes out of his board shorts and settles between my ass cheeks. “I’m not a tease.”
“Yeah, but I won’t be upset if you wanna take it slow. I just have to know now.” His tongue licks up the side of my neck and I shiver.
I swivel around and his arms lay over the side of the hot tub. My body floats to the surface, wrapping my legs around his waist. “I’m yours tonight and always.”
“Music to my fucking ears.” He kisses me again. This time there’s no frantic need. It’s long and lingering and sublime.
Turning quickly, I climb out. “Holy shit, it’s freezing.” I grab my robe and bolt into the house.
Kingston’s wet footsteps follow right behind me. He reaches for me, but I run toward the stairs, my feet sliding on the hardwood. Right at the turn, he’s there with me, and I giggle, not sure why I’m playing a game of cat and mouse with him. He almost has me until three stairs from the bottom. One foot flies out from under me and my ass hits each stair with a thump until I land on the bottom.
“Oh shit, are you okay?” Kingston rushes down t
he rest of the stairs while I get back on my feet. He takes me in his arms and rests his hand on my ass. “Want me to make it all better?”
I laugh and shove him. “If you had put daddy in that sentence, you would’ve doused my imminent orgasm with a firehose.” I rub my ass because it hurts.
He swoops me up bride style and walks me to his room. “Yeah, no worries, that isn’t a turn-on for me.”
“Good. We have one thing in common.”
“But I do have a firehose I want to show you.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Oh my God, that’s so cheesy.”
“Save calling me God for a little bit, okay?”
I swat him in the chest, and he lowers me so my feet are on the floor. His hungry gaze runs down my body, causing heat to rush through my veins. “You’re so beautiful, Stella.”
“Thank you.”
He steps closer, his finger sliding under the hem of my swimsuit by my ass. “Can I take this off?”
I nod and bite my lip.
His thumb reaches up and he frees my lip from being pinned down by my teeth. “There’s no need to be nervous. This goes as long or as short as you want. If you don’t like something I do, you tell me. Got it?”
I nod and smile instead of biting my lip.
He pulls down the strap of my swimsuit and drags it down my arm until I slide my arm out from under it. Doing the same on the other side, he leaves me topless, but he doesn’t stop there, tugging the wet fabric off my body until I’m stepping out of it and his face is in front of me at waist level.
His finger runs through my folds and I moan. When he stands to his full height, his fingers continue to play with my clit, his free hand splayed on the back of my head to kiss me. He applies more pressure between my legs, and if he isn’t careful, I’m going to come.