Under The Willows (Jackson Bay #1)

by Ciara Shayee

  That’s the clincher for my boys, the jacuzzi tub in Mom and Dad’s bathroom. Danny, however, isn’t sold. He’s way done. By the time we’ve all pulled on jackets to ward off the chill creeping on off the ocean, he’s given up the whining and turned to wailing and kicking, the latter of which was a phase of Jaxson’s that I really don’t miss.

  The walk to Mom and Dad’s house from the beach doesn’t take long, thirty or so minutes at most, but it’s in a different direction than Burger Co. So is Blue, so Rosie and Everly give out hugs before trotting off toward the bar, arm-in-arm. With Danny still kicking and screaming, Gianna decides to just head home.

  Eyeing Kellan, I motion to the boys so he knows I’m just going to say my goodnights before we head to the restaurant. With a nod and a smile, he tells me he’s got to check on the truck, anyway. “I’ll meet you back here.”

  “All right,” I murmur, unable to resist watching his strong back and broad shoulders as he walks away from us. The girly sigh that escapes me is completely unintentional—and thankfully goes unnoticed. “Okay, boys. Come give Momma hugs.”

  “Are you comin’ home later?” Finley wonders, all three of my babies piling in for a group hug.

  “In a little bit, kiddo. I’ll be there when you wake up.”

  “’Kay.” Whispering, he adds, “Do you think Nana or Papa will read us a bedtime story?”

  Widening my eyes, I catch Dad grinning over Finley’s shoulder. “Are you kidding? Papa does the best voices for bedtime stories. He’s even better than me. I bet he’ll read you a story if you all behave and ask him super nicely.”

  If you aren’t all asleep before your heads hit the pillows, that is.

  After “I love you’s” and kisses, the boys head off with Mom and Dad. Sebastian ends up carrying Danny, whose noise has died down to a dull roar. I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t out before they even make it home, bless him.

  Looking over my shoulder, presumably at Kellan by the truck, Mom pulls me into a hug. “If you need a ride home, just call me or your dad, okay?”

  “I will, Mom, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  Pulling back, she offers me a smile. “I know. I’m sure KP will look after you.”

  I sure hope so.

  Biting my lip, I hope the dim lighting makes it hard for Mom to see my flushed cheeks. If she notices them, she doesn’t say anything.

  “Of course.”

  “All right. Well, we’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Night, Mom. Thanks for taking the boys.”

  “You know we love having them.” Wistfulness steals over her face. “We’re soaking them up as much as we can before you move out.”

  “Mom…” Groaning, I run a hand through my hair and tug my denim jacket tighter around me. Along with the jacket, the lightweight shorts I pulled on earlier keep me plenty warm, but the heat that spreads through me when a large hand comes to rest at the small of my back turns my blood into lava.

  “You ready to go?” Kellan’s breath washes over the back of my neck, a shiver rippling down my spine.

  “S-sure!” Ignoring the odd look Mom shoots me, I flash Kellan a smile and hope to heck that my voice isn’t as shrill as it sounded in my head.

  “Thanks for letting me join you all, Beth.”

  “Any time, KP, honey.” Looking between the two of us, Mom smiles. She glances over her shoulder at Dad with the boys, then sighs. “I’ll let you kids get on. That restaurant won’t put itself to bed.”

  She, Dad, and the boys wave as they head off with Sebastian, Gianna, and Danny in tow. I blow out a long breath, chancing a glance up at Kellan only to find that he’s already looking at me. His eyes shine in the low glow of the lanterns. I’ve always thought he had the prettiest eyes. They’re a bunch of different shades of green, fluctuating depending on his mood and the lighting. And his eyelashes…damn. I know girls who’d kill for lashes as long and thick as his.

  The first time I realized my friendship with Kellan might actually be a crush, I was fifteen. Carlie was head over heels for her boyfriend—the man she’d eventually marry, have a child with, and divorce—and spent every last second doodling her future surname on every possible notebook or diary. One day, while lost in my daydreams while our boring algebra teacher droned on at the front of the classroom, I caught myself absentmindedly doodling ‘Mrs. Patterson’ across the bottom of my workbook cover.

  By the time I was eighteen and leaving for England, every crooked Kellan Patterson smile made me blush crimson and giggle like the lovesick fool I’d turned into.

  Of course, the little issue of him being Dad’s best friend and having a family was a major buzzkill. Still, it didn’t stop me dreaming.

  He used to smile a lot back then, though. Now, not so much, and when he does, they aren’t the same heart-stopping grins he used to wear almost 24-7.

  “Shall we?”

  “Sure.”

  *

  “See ya later, boss! Bye, Piper!” Jones calls, waving as he heads out the front door of Burger Co. with Lily and TJ.

  “Bye, man. Enjoy the rest of your night. Thanks for manning this place.”

  Jones waves like it was nothing, then we’re alone. Swinging my feet, I smile and twist my glass between my fingers.

  “Can I get you a refill?”

  “Please.” Grinning, I hand over my glass. “I’m getting a weird kind of déjà vu, you know.”

  Kellan snorts, pouring me a refill from the pitcher of spiked lemonade on the bar. It’s Mom’s recipe—homemade lemonade with vodka-soaked slices of lemon. It’s pretty tame, but the slight tang of alcohol adds another delicious note to the drink. “The roles were reversed last time we were here, if I remember rightly.”

  “That’s true.” My good mood sours just a little as I remember how our previous night like this went south. A gentle, warm touch under my chin makes me haul in a silent gasp. Lifting my gaze, I find Kellan fixing me with an apologetic stare.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. For being an ass.”

  Pursing my lips, I unsuccessfully fight a smile.

  “What? What’s funny?”

  “You were an ass,” I agree easily. His brows furrow. “It’s okay. I’ll forgive you if you get me a slice of that Oreo cheesecake Jones was just raving about.”

  Kellan chuckles and nods, handing over my drink. “That sounds like something I can do. I’ll be right back.”

  Nodding at the sound system behind the bar, he tells me to pick something to play while he grabs dessert. While he’s in the kitchen, I sync my cell up to the speakers using the password taped to the side, then pull up one of the automatically generated playlists. I figure ‘Chilled Acoustic’ works just fine for two friends having a drink and dessert together.

  “Aw, man…” I almost drool when Kellan reappears just as I sit back down at the bar, and for once, it’s not the man eliciting the drool, it’s what’s in his hands.

  “Oreo cheesecake for the lady, and chocolate fudge cake for me,” he says, setting the plates down on the counter before sitting on the stool next to me.

  “Oh, wow, Kellan. They both look amazing!”

  The slightly smug smile on his face makes me smile. He’s good, and he knows it. It’s sexy to see a man be so confident in himself and talents, not that Kellan needs any help being more attractive to me. I should have learned my lesson after the last time we were both here like this.

  Being alone with Kellan is not a good idea for me. Everything about him is a draw, from his bicep-hugging tee to the uncharacteristically bashful smile he shoots me now.

  Scooping some of the cheesecake onto my spoon and savoring it on my tongue with a hum, I feel my cheeks blazing when I accidentally release an embarrassingly loud moan. It’s that good.

  “Is, uh…” Kellan mutters gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Is the cheesecake okay?”

  Is he…

  When he glances at me, I get a glimpse of th
e look in his eyes and a frisson of heat ignites in the pit of my stomach.

  “It’s delicious,” I murmur, my eyes glued to his. The cheesecake is delicious, but I can’t help but think he’d be even more so.

  “Good.”

  “Are you, um…are you going to eat yours?” I ask a few mouthfuls later, when he’s still watching me and hasn’t made a move on his own dessert. It’s difficult not to laugh at the adorable tint of pink that colors the tips of his ears as he nods and pulls his plate toward himself too fast, his spoon flying onto the floor.

  “I’ll get it,” I quickly offer, slipping off my stool. A long-forgotten part of myself—a confident, pre-mom version of me—rears her head, a wicked smile curling my mouth as I turn away from Kellan and take my sweet time bending over at the waist to pick up the spoon. A quiet groan is my reward, and when I turn, Kellan’s tense jaw and burning gaze is enough to give me the shot of confidence to do something I’ve dreamed of since I was sixteen years old.

  Harnessing every bit of bravery in my body, I set the spoon on the counter and step closer to Kellan, holding my breath as my eyes slip shut and I lean in. His lips are softer than expected under my own as I apply a little pressure to test the waters, his beard coarse but unexpectedly nice against my skin as I will him to respond, kissing him gently once, twice, three times.

  Please, Kellan.

  My wish is granted just as disappointment, nerves, and embarrassment get the better of me. Pulling back with an apology on the tip of my tongue, I only get a breath away before Kellan’s large hands land on my waist to tug me between his legs, his lips finding mine and coaxing them into the most maddening, intoxicating kiss of my life. A groan rumbles from his chest when my hands reach up, one tangling itself in his hair, the other resting on his solid thigh.

  All the air rushes from the room, the atmosphere electric, his scent flooding my sense; citrus and sandalwood and something inherently Kellan I can’t put a name to.

  Stretching up on my tiptoes to reach him isn’t easy though, and I guess leaning down to me isn’t comfortable for him either. I gasp as he uses his grip on me to lift me into the air. I squeak and grab his shoulders to steady myself as my feet find purchase on the stool footrest, putting us face to face.

  His dark jade eyes capture mine, and I can’t take it. I need to taste him again, so I do. When his tongue slips against my lower lip, begging for entry, I can’t refuse him, I won’t ever refuse him. As our tongues sweep against each other for the first time, I feel my grip on reality floating away from me.

  This can’t be real.

  “Piper…”

  Except it is. He groans my name under his breath as I twist my fingers into the soft hair at his nape, the others gripping the fabric of his tee. His muscles are firm under my hand and against my chest, his obvious strength as much of a turn on as his drugging kisses and the almost primal sounds he’s making. With his firm thighs bracing my legs, his hands begin to roam. One slides down to cup my ass, the other skates up my spine to cup the back of my neck. Electricity hums between us, heat pooling in my belly as he uses the hand on my ass to pull me closer still.

  The music is drowned out by breathy moans, whispered pleas, and the squeak of the stool protesting our combined weight.

  With just flimsy cotton and his board shorts between us, there’s nothing to stop me from feeling the hard length of him against me. Melting, I grip his hair and shoulder tighter, pressing against him in all the places that feel good. His hold on me helps, his movements just as desperate.

  We’re a writhing mess of lips, hands, and heat. It’s so much more than I ever imagined.

  So much more, so much better, just so much. It’s overwhelming but I can’t stop—won’t stop.

  His kisses set me on fire, his touch raising goosebumps all over my body.

  “Kellan, I need…”

  “What, Piper? What do you need? Tell me.”

  Leaving my lips, he presses hot, wet kisses over my jaw, to my ear, down my neck. Sucking lightly on my collarbone, he promises to give it, whatever I want, to me.

  “You,” I finally pant, holding his mouth to me with my fingers woven between the strands of his copper hair. “Please, please, I need you.”

  For a brief, heart-stopping moment, I think he’s ending it. He lifts me away from him, my legs wobbling as my feet hit the floor. Before I can say anything, he’s lifting me again—over his shoulder, this time.

  “Kellan!” I yelp, clinging onto his broad, firm shoulders.

  Lightly swatting my butt, he strides across the room toward the door that leads upstairs. I’ve never been up there, but I know there’s some kind of apartment above the restaurant. It’s where Kelly lives, though, so I’m confused when he goes straight through and marches up the stairs with me still slung over his shoulder.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  When we get to the top of the stairs, I realize there are two doors. We go into the one on the right. Kellan doesn’t bother pausing to switch on any lights, he just moves through the room like he knows it well. My eyes don’t adjust in time to figure out what the room actually is before I’m being tossed down onto a—thankfully soft—bed.

  “Oh…”

  The low glow of the moon streaming through the windows beside the bed helps me get my bearings as my eyes adjust. We’re in some kind of studio apartment. I just about make out a tiny kitchen behind Kellan before he recaptures my attention by stripping off his shirt.

  To be fair, if I looked half as good as he does with his shirt off, I’d be pretty happy to strip off, too.

  He’s broad, muscular, and his chest is dusted with fine, dark hair. I’ve always liked a bit of body hair on my guys. Without any kind of preamble, his cargo shorts are unbuttoned and dropped to the floor. In just his briefs, standing proud at the foot of the bed with the moonlight illuminating the dips and ridges of his defined torso, he’s more handsome now than he’s ever been before.

  My lips tingle; one of my hands unconsciously lifts to touch them. His eyes follow the movement and his mouth curls up into a small grin. “You’re overdressed, Piper,” he murmurs, the want in his voice my undoing.

  As I sit up and reach for the hem of my tee, thankful that I ditched my jacket when we got here earlier, I hesitate. I’ve had three kids; my body isn’t what it used to be. I have stretch marks and a less toned stomach than I’d like.

  “Hey.” My eyes lift to Kellan’s face as he kneels on the bed before crawling up to rest on his haunches over my legs. The sight of him, crawling toward me, makes my head swim. Reaching out, he cups my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “So beautiful.” If the look in his eyes hadn’t been enough to convince me, the conviction in his words would have.

  He believes that I’m beautiful. Whether I do or not, he believes it. It gives me the confidence to smile shakily and lift the tee up and over my head, tossing it over the side of the bed. His eyes drift down, his jaw tensing as he takes me in. for the first time in years, I feel truly desired. His heated gaze drinks me in like a parched man wandering the desert.

  “Christ, Piper. Look at you.” Gently, he urges me to lay back. Curious and at his mercy, I let him guide me onto my back, watching as he bites his lip and blows out a breath before shooting me a wicked smirk and scooting back so he can lower his face to my stomach. My eyes are glued to him. I’m utterly incapable of looking away.

  As he trails hot kisses from hip to hip, as he nibbles me at the curve of my waist, as he runs the tip of his nose up the center of my torso before coming to a stop between my breasts…

  My breath comes faster, my need for him only heightening.

  You’re sin, you know that?

  That’s what he told me a few days ago, but he was wrong.

  He’s sin. Pure, primal, panty-destroying sin.

  When Kellan drops an open-mouthed, lingering kiss on the swell of one breast, I realize not all of t
he noises I can hear are coming from him. A moan rushes from my lips, his greedy hands growing bolder.

  One holds me steady at my hip, anchoring me to the bed, to this moment. The other glides up, hesitating momentarily, before cupping my breast. When I groan, arching into his touch, he chuckles and tugs the cup of my swimsuit top down, his lips taking its place.

  Oh, God.

  It’s never been this good. Never, ever.

  “That’s a damn shame,” Kellan mumbles against my skin, making me realize that I spoke out loud. After pulling the opposite side of my top down to expose my other breast and give it the same attention, he glances up at me with fiery jade eyes. “Can I take your shorts off, Piper?”

  “Yes,” I pant, my entire body a livewire connected to the energy his body is generating. My chest heaves with a shaky breath as he kneels back and takes his time sliding my shorts down my legs, his thumbs rubbing circles on my skin as he goes. When they’re finally off, thrown somewhere behind him, he takes a moment to drink me in.

  With just our underwear between us, there’s no hiding the bulge in his briefs. Swallowing hard, I take a moment to drink him in. He drops down over me with a groan that turns me to mush, then steals another bone-melting kiss and makes sure I can feel every delicious inch of him right where I want it. My hands can’t decide where to rest—his shoulders, his back, his ass. They finally settle on his back when his dick rubs against my clit just right and sends pleasure shooting through me, my nails raking over his shoulder blades to elicit a guttural moan that has the ache in my core becoming impossible to ignore.

  “Kellan, enough.” He freezes, his hot breath fanning over my face. “I mean, enough teasing. Please, tell me you want this—”

  “I want you,” he interrupts, leaning up on one bended elbow. His grimace confuses me, though. “I don’t have any protection. I wasn’t expecting…”

  Nerves flutter through my veins even as desire rages within me. “I get the shot, and I got tested after I separated from the boys’ dad…”

  Kellan’s brows furrow, but I can see the want, the hope. I can’t deny that the idea of having Kellan without anything between us is a heady one.