by Toni Aleo
Cupping his face, she whispered, “Karson, there are going to be highs and lows, but no matter what, when I look at you, I feel nothing but the highs. You honestly make me the happiest person on earth. My family will come around once they see how happy you make me and how much I love you. I believe that. Maybe for Thanksgiving, we’ll have our new house and our families will come and it will be amazing, you know?”
Her heart wanted those things more than anything and she knew Karson did too, but her brain ruined her hopes, reminding her that it was never going to happen. Her dad would rather walk through glass than be anywhere near Karson King and his family, but maybe he would change his mind. It was still a month until Thanksgiving. A lot could change in thirty days.
Hell, her whole life had turned upside down in five.
Karson tightened his arms around her and kissed her bottom lip, his fingers dancing along the ass of her jeans. “I want that more than you’ll ever know. I just want you to be happy.”
She smiled, meeting her lips to his. “I am as long as I am with you.”
“Then, Mrs. King, prepare for a life full of happiness.”
“Good, ’cause I’ve lived without it for a long time.”
“Time to change that,” he said against her lips, his eyes full of love.
“I am starting to like change.”
“Me too,” he said, taking her mouth in a hot assault. Threading his fingers in her hair, he laid her back, kissing her thoroughly and most lusciously. Arching into him, she wanted to take their kiss to another level but felt like she couldn’t with their roommate only a room over.
Pulling away, she said, “You know we aren’t having sex when he is home.”
“Why the hell not?” he asked skeptically. “That’s insane.”
“I feel weird. It’s rude for me to be screaming your name while he’s in there just hanging out. What if he starts whacking off or something? That’s gross. Ew, yeah, the mood is ruined. Get off me,” she said, pushing him off while his body shook with laughter.
“You’re killing me,” he said as she sat up, fixing her shirt. “He doesn’t care and won’t whack off to the sounds of our lovemaking.”
“Still, don’t want to chance it. Ew,” she said, shuddering again.
Cupping the back of her neck, he brought his lips down on hers and everything else was forgotten. Kissing Karson was pure magic. That was the only thing she could think of as her lips moved with his. When his hand slid between her legs, she angled her center into his fingers, crying out into his mouth. When he smiled, her lust cloud disappeared and she remembered that they couldn’t do this.
Pushing him back again, she said, “Get away!”
He laughed as she stood, straightening her clothes. “I am going to kick him out so I can get that hot pussy in my mouth before we go meet the Realtor.”
Heat flooded her panties as she grasped the wall for support. Shaking her head, she said, “As much as I want that, I need to go meet my new roommate and be nice. He probably thinks I’m a bitch or something.”
“Never,” Karson promised as he stood and took her in his arms. “You’re too sweet.” She smiled as he kissed her softly before parting to open the door. “I promise he’s a good guy.”
“I mean, he has to be if you live with him,” she said with a grin as they headed toward the living room. But as soon as they entered it, she wished she would have just stayed in the room and let him devour her.
Because standing only feet away from them was JT.
Fucking the naked chick from behind over the couch she had just cleaned.
“For the love of God,” Karson yelled as Lacey gasped beside him, covering her mouth and turning away. Who could blame her? Boobs were bouncing, ass cheeks were clapping, and really, no one wanted to see their roommate like that.
“Almost there guys, hold on,” JT said, waving them off.
“Oh my God, he did not just say that,” Lacey said before rocketing back into the bedroom.
Again, who could blame her?
“Are you fucking kidding me? Are you doing this to fuck with me?” Karson yelled as his best friend stilled, slapping the girl hard on the ass.
He was going to kill him.
Sucking in a deep breath, the girl arched her back, meeting her mouth to JT’s for a long, disgusting kiss. Why was he still standing here? Watching as JT moved out of her and seeing way more than he wanted of his best friend, Karson looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. “I’m going to kill you, Thomas.”
JT chuckled. “Dude, when the itch hits, gotta scratch it.”
Glaring, Karson met his gaze as he pulled his boxers up and the girl laid her naked ass on the couch. He was going to have to buy a new couch now. “You’ve never done this before, and we’ve been living together for years, so I call this you being an asshole and trying to fuck with my girl. And that makes me mad. What the hell?”
“Dude, you’re being a chick, Melody is leaving and it won’t ever happen again, well, that is until you two leave,” he said, stretching his arms over his head.
“Oh, I am?” the girl asked and JT nodded.
“Yeah, we’re done. See ya later.”
Her face scrunched up as she stood. “Wow, you are a dick.”
“Proud of it, darling. See you later,” he said as she passed by him. He smacked her ass with a shit-eating grin on his face. She must not have liked that because she flipped him the bird before disappearing down the hall.
“What is your problem? Lacey was coming out to get to know you.”
JT laughed. “Well, she got an eyeful, huh?”
“For real, JT? What the hell is going on?”
He shrugged. “Dude, I was getting it in real quick, no big deal. Stop being such a prude about this.”
He wasn’t being a prude! He wanted to know why his best friend was being an asshole. “Do you not like her? Is that why you are doing this?”
“I am not worried one bit about your wife. I don’t even know her.”
“Are you trying to set boundaries, show us that this is your apartment? Is it about what I said earlier, about you keeping it in your pants?”
He paused and Karson knew that was just it. Jordie Thomas was a prideful man, also a “do whatever the hell he wanted kind” of man. Usually, Karson liked that about him, but today, he would kill the guy and not think twice. This was already a hard transition for Lacey; he didn’t need his best friend acting like a douche.
Setting him with a look, JT said, “Why are you asking so many questions? Fuck, Karson, marrying this girl’s turned you into a pussy!”
He was so tired of being called a pussy.
“You know what, forget it. Don’t let it happen again, and stop being an asshole!”
“Whatever, dude,” he said, falling on the couch and reaching for the remote. Looking back at Karson, he snapped, “Don’t you have houses to look at?”
Wait. “Dude, are you jealous?”
“Please.”
“You are!” Karson said, pointing at him. “What the hell?”
“Dude, you run off and got married, no worries about the apartment we share or the fact that you’re my best friend. You didn’t even tell me anything, and now you’re moving out. It’s shitty.”
“Who is the pussy now?” Karson asked.
“Fuck off,” JT sneered with a shake of his head.
Falling onto the couch beside him, Karson looked at the TV as he said, “Even though I am moving doesn’t mean you won’t still be my best friend. You’ll always be my friend, Jordie.”
He was going for sincerity, but he feared he might have come off kind of patronizing.
“Don’t be a jerk. I’m not a chick.”
He was acting like one, Karson thought, but JT was like a bear. And you don’t poke bears.
“I know it’s a lot of change, but it’s time for me to be a man and love the one I love. She makes me happy.”
“I know,” JT said with a nod. “It’s just
I don’t like being alone, but I don’t let people in. The first person I did let in is leaving now.”
That stung a little. JT was a hard-ass, had been the whole time Karson had known him. His dad had killed himself when he was little and his mom tried her best, working three jobs, but all anyone saw when they looked at the Thomas family was trailer trash. He was the kid from the other side of the tracks, and because of that, he had a thick skin no one could penetrate. Even with his mom now married to some rich guy who owned some big ski resort, Jordie still hated the world. It was sad, but Jordie was a good guy. They’d clicked from the beginning.
Sometimes people grow and move on though, and it was time for Karson to do that. He just hoped one day that Jordie would too. He’d hate for him to grow old and lonely, but if he didn’t let people in, he would.
“I thought we’d be bachelors for life,” JT said softly, his eyes still locked on the TV.
Karson smiled. “Then why did you push me to buy her a ring.”
“’Cause I knew she made you happy, and even though I’m a selfish dick, I want what’s best for you. Even if it is you moving on while I’m still in the awesomeness of bachelorville.”
“Thanks, man,” Karson scoffed. “You act like I’m dying or something. We can still hang out if you don’t fuck chicks in the living room and scare my wife off.”
JT laughed as he nodded. “Yeah, maybe. Sorry about that.”
Jordie didn’t say sorry much, so when he did, Karson took it to heart. “It’s cool. She’s really amazing, and I’d like you to get to know her.”
“Yeah, let’s go to dinner tonight.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said, getting up to go retrieve his wife. “Now we gotta go look at houses.”
“Good luck with that,” JT said, meeting his gaze, and Karson grinned.
“Thanks, bro,” he said, cupping JT’s shoulder briefly before heading toward his room. When he opened the door, Lacey was at her laptop, her brow furrowed and chewing on her lip. It reminded him of when they were back in college, and warmth filled his chest. She was so beautiful and all his, as long as his best friend didn’t scare her off. Or her family broke them up.
Smiling, he fell on the bed beside her, and she looked down at him and shook her head.
“Is he done?”
“Yup, got off and everything. Told you he wouldn’t whack off,” he said with a grin, but she obviously didn’t think he was funny. “He said he is sorry.”
In so many words.
“Whatever, I don’t care. We are finding a house today.”
He smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
Looking at the screen, his brows shot up. “Is that you?”
On the screen was his beautiful wife in a see-through lace number that covered all her naughty bits, but still, she was naked and fucking hot.
She nodded, looking down at him. “Yeah, it’s for a campaign we’re doing. Love Yourself in Lacey’s Lace.”
It was catchy, but…
“So people—men—are going to see this?”
Her lips pursed. “I mean, I guess, but it is geared toward women.”
“Well, yeah, but Victoria’s Secret is geared toward women, and I’ve enjoyed their ads quite a few times.”
Her lips pursed as she looked at him. “Okay, are you uncomfortable with this?”
“A little,” he admitted. “You can see every inch of your breasts, the tattoos, your body that’s supposed to be just for me. Would you be okay with me doing an undies ad, my junk out for the world to see?”
She paused, chewing her lip. “That’s different because sex sells. This is to make women feel beautiful in their skin. Each of us is different, and we all pose in my pieces, looking fabulous.”
He nodded slowly, but still jealousy ate at him. All he saw was some asshole checking out his wife. “I don’t know. I think I don’t like it.”
“Okay,” she said, closing her laptop and meeting his gaze. “What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t like it,” he said with his hands out, confused by the question.
“So, what? Are you trying to say I can’t do it?”
“Whoa,” he said, holding his hands up. “I don’t tell you what to do, Lacey. I let you know my opinion, and you take it into consideration. If you are happy with it and think it will help your business, you do you. But I’m a jealous fool, and all I can think is that dudes will be staring at your hot bod. I support you, no matter what.”
“Really?” she asked softly. “Grady told Rachel she needed to Photoshop herself out of it.”
“Well, I don’t know how their marriage works, but in this one, we will talk it out. Plus, I know you are doing it to help people. Not to just flaunt your body around.”
She giggled. “Lord knows, I don’t have the body to flaunt.”
His face scrunched up as he set her with a look. “You have the body to flaunt. You are made of beautiful curves and hotness, Lacey. Don’t ever think otherwise. You are beautiful.”
“You have to say that,” she said, leaning into him with a grin. “But thank you.”
Now that bothered him more. “No. I don’t. I say what I want, and I mean what I say. You are fucking gorgeous, and I love you. Those two statements can never be overused on you because they are the truth.”
Her face warmed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and chest. “I love you too. Thank you for being you.”
“I won’t be anyone else but the man who loves and supports you. I know that things have been shitty the last couple days, but I am the one person you can depend on.”
She nodded, her hand cupping his neck. “I know and the same goes for you.”
He smiled as he ran his nose along hers. He loved her more than anything, and he was ready to love her the way she deserved. He was ready for this amazing life that was at the tips of their fingers. It was going to be a good life.
Together.
Forever.
Even though forever was nowhere near enough time to love this girl. He needed lifetimes, but he only had this one, and he was going to make it the best there ever was. Holding her close to him, he smiled as his eyes locked with hers. He could see their whole future together, and it was a good one.
A house, maybe a dog or cat, and then kids.
It was time to get started.
“Good, now let’s go find us a house.”
“Whatchy’all think?” Jamie, their Realtor, asked with a big bright smile. She was very Southern and very happy. While Karson thought she was cool, Lacey seemed a little annoyed with her. “Isn’t it awesome!”
Everything was awesome to Mrs. Jamie Jones.
But even Karson thought the five-bedroom, six-bathroom, two-million dollar home was awesome. It was very elegant but had the Southern charm that came with Nashville. The rooms were huge, and Lacey loved one that had French doors and a patio attached. She’d said it would be her office, and Karson knew that this house was a top contender. She hadn’t said that about any of the billion other houses they had looked at. The living room was massive; the open floor plan led to the kitchen in an effortless way, and it was stunning. He could see them raising their kids and growing old here.
“It is beautiful,” Lacey said with a tight-lipped smile, then in a lower voice she whispered to Karson, “But the price is a little scary. Two point three million. That payment is gonna be huge.”
“Not really. It’s in a great neighborhood, it’s only twenty minutes to the arena—that’s fantastic—and it’s big. We can have massive parties, and also my captain lives on the next road over and loves it here.”
“Still the price is kind of up there,” she said, making a face.
“How much was your apartment? That had to be a good million?”
“No, it would have been seven hundred thousand, but I didn’t buy it, I rented.”
“Okay, so you lived there for how long?” he said, wanting to prove that she’d thrown money away. This was going to be an inves
tment in their future. They could give this house to their kids when they were ready to travel the world.
“My dad paid the rent for the first two years, and I paid for the last two,” she said, looking up at him. “I couldn’t afford it until I paid my dad off, and since he knew where I would be, he paid for it.”
Karson hadn’t known that.
“Okay,” he said slowly and really didn’t understand that. She seemed to be well-off. “You have money though, right?”
“Okay, I’m gonna let y’all talk for a good little second. I’ll be back,” Jamie said, and without waiting for them to answer, she left them alone in the living room.
Lacey looked at him with a questioning gaze. “I mean, I have some. Right around thirty thousand saved, but that’s my emergency fund for the business. I haven’t built back up my personal savings yet.”
“This was really something we should have talked about before we came,” Karson said softly.
“Yeah,” she said slowly. “It’s just the price makes me nervous. Like, how much would the payments be?”
“Around nine thousand a month,” Jamie said, popping her head around the corner. She was obviously listening to them, and when Karson glanced at Lacey, he was sure she was having a heart attack. “Being a successful business owner and then an awesome hockey player, y’all can do that.”
Lacey’s face scrunched up as she took in a deep breath.
“Also, it’s vacant, so as long as everything is sound with your paperwork for the loan, y’all can close early.”
“I would buy it outright,” he said and both women gaped at him.
“What?” Lacey asked.
“Outright? Oh, then y’all could move in as soon as the paperwork is signed!” Jamie said with a little more pep in her voice.
“Hold on. Excuse us, please,” she said to Jamie.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said, going back around the corner.
“She can still hear us,” Karson said with a grin.
“I don’t care,” she said, waving him off. “What do you mean, you want to buy it outright?”
“I don’t have debt. I don’t like it.”