“You going to give me a hint?” She smiles at me and it steals the air from my lungs.
I laugh. “Don’t like surprises much, huh?”
“I hate them. Just tell me.” She’s watching me, and I can see the lack of amusement in her eyes.
“My place,” I tell her.
“Your house?” Her brows lift with surprise.
I nod once. “Is that okay?”
She looks nervous now. “I don’t know, Drake. I thought we were going to a restaurant—someplace public.”
“Nothing is open; you know that. You said so yourself.” I want to grin from using her words against her, but I manage to hold it back.
She laughs and shakes her head. “Then why don’t we wait for another night?”
“Because I want to have dinner with you tonight. Don’t worry, I’m an excellent cook.”
She sits back in her seat and enjoys the ride down the dark country roads.
When we get to the house, I park the truck and go to open her door. She’s already opened it and is sliding out.
“I can tell you’re from the city,” I chuckle.
“How’s that?”
“You didn’t wait for me to open your door.” I close it and hold out my elbow for her to take.
She looks amused, but slides her arm around mine. “I’m not the kind of girl who needs a man to do things like open and close doors or lead me somewhere. I’ve been doing these things for a long time all on my own.”
“That’s not the point,” I argue.
“Okay, then what’s the point?” I can hear the challenging tone in her voice.
“It’s just the country way, Celeste. Women don’t need men for anything. We know that. These are just the little things we can offer to make your day a little easier, and make you feel a little more special. That’s all. Manners. Hospitality,” I say. We’re on the porch now, so I lean forward and open the door, allowing her to walk inside ahead of me.
“Care for a drink?” I ask, walking to the kitchen and flipping on lights as I go.
“Sure, but no whiskey. This isn’t a business meeting,” she jokes.
I laugh and open the fridge. “Wine?”
“You have wine?” she asks, eyes stretching wide.
“I do. I don’t know why, but . . .” I pull out the bottle and place it on the island as I search around for wine glasses. After searching every cabinet, and coming up empty-handed, I grab two whiskey glasses instead. “I hope this is okay. As you can guess, I haven’t had wine in a long time . . . or company, for that matter.”
She giggles but accept the glass of wine. Gently, she knocks it against mine. “I’m sure it will taste just fine.”
We both take a sip and instantly regret it.
“Can wine go bad?” she asks, scrunching up her nose.
I quickly spit mine into the kitchen sink. “I didn’t think so, but this is horrible. Give me that.” I reach out and take her glass, pouring both down the sink. “I told you it’s been a while since I had wine!”
We both laugh as I dig around for something else. “I know you’re a city girl, but how about a beer?”
“Anything has to be better than wine that tastes like vinegar,” she laughs out.
I take out two bottles. I open one and hand it over before doing the same with mine. We both take a sip at the same time.
“Much better,” she says, nodding her head.
“My kind of woman,” I say without thinking.
Her eyes jump up to mine and we both stand awkwardly for a moment. Neither of us knows what to say or do from here.
“So, what’s for dinner?” she asks, breaking the silence.
I jump into action, open the fridge, and root around until I come up with chicken breast. “Chicken?” I ask, looking back at her.
“Sounds good.”
I close the fridge. “I’ll go fire up the grill.”
I walk out the back door that’s just off the kitchen and get the grill going. When I walk back in, she’s busying herself in the kitchen. The island is covered with various items.
“I figured I’d help, if you don’t mind.” She looks over her shoulder at me, a small smile in place.
“I don’t mind at all,” I tell her as I start seasoning the chicken.
She’s standing at the island while I’m standing at the counter behind her. We’re back to back. “So, you cook often?” I ask, needing conversation.
“I did back home. I’ll admit, though, that I prefer to spend my money on a nice apartment and shoes rather than food. Plus, it saves my ass from doubling in size, since I eat more when I cook for myself.”
“What do you like to cook?”
She thinks it over for a moment. “I like making salads, grilled veggies, and anything with rice—like, I could literally live off the stuff, but truthfully, I don’t eat it much. You know, due to the carbs and all. I like chicken and turkey, but I’m not big on pork.”
“No bacon?” I question with a laugh.
She giggles. “Not really. I’m more of a sweet breakfast person. The sweeter the better, in my opinion.”
“Ah, so you’re like the kid who sucks the syrup out of the bottle,” I tease.
She laughs. “You do that one time and you never live it down,” she jokes, but we both chuckle.
I grab a pair of tongs from the drawer and turn to take the chicken out, but freeze when she turns at the same time. We’re eye to eye. She smiles, causing her cheeks to blush.
“Sorry, go ahead.”
“No, I insist.”
She nods and moves toward the fridge. She opens the door and bends down low, grabbing a tomato. When she bends down, I can’t keep my eyes to myself. I have to take her in. When I feel my body start to come to life, I shake my head and move outside with the chicken. Finally alone, I start to wonder what the point of this whole dinner date is. I’m not the take a girl out to dinner kind of guy. Not anymore, at least. I guess I used to be, back when I was trying to win over Casey. Back then, of course, we went out from time to time, but after we’d been together a while, we just kind of settled into our routine.
There’s something about Celeste that draws me in. I thought it was her body, plain and simple, but when we’re together, we laugh and have a good time even when it’s work-related. Maybe something else pulls me to her and has from the beginning. Maybe she’s meant for me. All this time, I thought Casey was the only woman I could ever be with, but Celeste seems perfect in every way.
I walk back into the house and Celeste turns to face me. “I got the salad ready,” she says, but stops when I step up to her.
“I can’t wait until after dinner for this,” I say, leaning in and pressing my mouth to hers. At first, her lips are stiff and uninviting, but almost instantly, she gives in. She kisses me back. Her tongue tangles with mine and her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me in deeper. My left hand rests on her hip while my right hand moves gently up and down her back. The kiss is long and deep.
Slowly, I break it off, not wanting to take things too far—just wanting to give her and myself a little taste of what could be. When I pull away, her eyes are wide—sparkling with something I can’t place. Her lips are red and glistening from our kiss, and they’re parted with her heavy breathing.
“Drake, I . . .” she breathes out.
“I know. We shouldn’t be doing this,” I say, using her words from before.
She shakes her head. “No, that’s not what I was going to say.”
I release her and she leans against the island. “I know we should keep our distance for more than one reason, but I’ve never thought of someone as much as I’ve thought about you. Something just draws me to you—something I don’t quite understand but something I can’t ignore nonetheless.”
“So . . . us . . .” I say, motioning back and forth between us.
She shrugs one shoulder and smiles. “You think it’ll work out?”
My mouth opens but no sound comes out.
> “I mean, just keeping things casual?”
“I think we can do anything we want, Celeste,” I say, moving back toward her. As I pick her up against me, her mouth returns to mine. I set her on the island and her hands tug at my shirt until I pull it off in one swift motion. Her fingers graze over my shoulders and biceps. Her touch is so soft, it causes a chill to run up my spine. Goosebumps prickle my skin wherever she draws a path with her fingertips. My hands start moving over her hips and under the hem of her shirt, pushing it up as they go.
“I’ve never been with a man like you,” she says, mesmerized, as her fingers continue to trace over my body.
“A man like me?”
“Big and rough. A man who knows how to do anything. A man who has a body built by hard work. A man so . . .” She doesn’t finish the sentence; she just pulls me toward her mouth. I don’t need a second invitation. I kiss her deeply as I pull at her top.
“What about the food on the grill?” she asks, breaking the kiss.
“Fuck it,” I mumble, needing my mouth against hers.
She giggles against my lips and pushes me away. “We have all the time we need for this. Let’s have dinner first. Otherwise, we may end up burning down your house.”
I groan. “Fine. I’ll check the grill,” I say, grabbing my shirt and moving toward the door. My heart is hammering away in my chest and my breathing is labored from being so close before being turned away. At least I wasn’t turned down this time. I made her see there’s more than just sex. I can’t wait to sit with her and enjoy this meal. I want to know all there is to know. It’ll make our time together that much sweeter.
When the chicken is done, I take it inside. She’s already set the table with two plates, our beers, and a candle in the center. Next is a bowl of salad and a basket of rolls. “Wow, where’d you find all that?”
“In the cabinets,” she answers, serving the salad.
I place a chicken breast on each of our plates and we take a seat. “So, tell me about this ex of yours. The one who ruined you.” She offers up a little smile.
“Ruined me?” I ask with a lift of my brow.
She shrugs. “That’s what I’ve heard . . . from literally everyone.”
I shake my head. “I wish everyone would mind their own fucking business.”
“Well, are you going to tell me?” she asks, cutting a piece of chicken.
I tear off a piece of the roll and stuff it in my mouth. “Casey was my only real love. We were together for years. We’d even talked of starting a family.”
“So, what happened?”
I shrug. “I don’t know, really. I don’t know why she just all of a sudden decided to run off. I guess she wasn’t as happy as I thought. She was meant for more than just living the small-town life.”
She nods. “You never thought of going with her?”
“Nope, this is my home. I don’t even know what I’d do anywhere else. I was born into this life. It’s all I’ve ever known: the brewery and taking care of the land.”
“So even though you have billions of dollars, you never even considered taking a vacation?”
I shrug. “I’ve considered it, of course, but if I left, who would take care of things here?”
“What about Harrison?”
I laugh. She’s making perfect sense, but to get me out of my home and out of my routine would take a miracle. I like my life and where I’m at. No need to run around to find a life I don’t want. “Tell me more about you. How many men have been in your life?”
She snorts. “Wow, straight to the point! Not many. I had a serious boyfriend back in high school. We dated for the first couple of months in college, but never seeing each other caused us to break up. Then I didn’t date again until my senior year. There were a few guys, but nothing serious.”
“So you’ve never had your heart broken?” I ask.
She presses her lips together and offers a sad smile. “You have to be in love to get your heart broken.”
I reach out and place my hand over hers. “Love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Trust me. It hurts.”
She pushes her chair back and stands. I can’t do anything but watch as she moves closer to me, sitting on my lap. “That’s why I think what we’re doing is the perfect option for both of us,” she says, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my lips. My hands immediately go to her hips, pulling her down against my growing erection. She lets out the softest of moans against my lips and it only makes me harden more.
Finally picking up where we left off earlier, my hands push her shirt up her stomach. She reaches for the hem and yanks it off, tossing it onto the floor. Her light pink lace bra is calling my name. It makes her tanned skin glow under the candlelight. My lips move off of hers, down to her jaw, and finally to the swell of her breasts while my hands work at the clasp.
When it falls away, I suck a hard nipple into my mouth. She reclines, back arching as soft moans and whimpers leave her lips. Her fingers thread into my hair, pulling at the roots.
“Drake . . .” She breathes out my name and it sounds amazing leaving her lips—like nothing I’ve ever heard before.
“What, Celeste?” I whisper against the soft skin of her breast.
“Take me to bed,” she nearly begs.
I scoot my chair back and it scrapes against the hardwood floor. I stand with her in my arms and carry her down the hallway to the bedroom I’ve refused to enter ever since Casey left. Tonight, this room gets a new memory. It’s time I replace the bad ones anyway.
I lay her down on the bed and kick off my boots. I watch as she slides out of her pants and shimmies them down her legs. Only seconds go by before I crawl up her delicious body, exploring with my tongue as I go.
9
Celeste
IN his arms, I feel safe—like nothing could ever hurt me. I’ve never been the type of woman who finds comfort in the arms of a man I don’t know very well, but with Drake, it’s different. I know we met not that long ago, and I realize that deep down, I really don’t know him. But on some level, it feels like I’ve known him my entire life. The way he looks at me with such passion and determination, the way he touches me—even innocently—it just feels so right, like we’ve been together many times before. He knows what I need without me having to say it. He innately knows how to touch me and kiss me just the way I like. He knows me on some deep level, even though I can’t put my finger on how.
He’s between my parted knees, bare from the waist up. He kicked off his boots before climbing onto the bed, but his jeans are still in place while I’m completely naked beneath him. The way the denim rubs against me is teasing. His mouth is on mine, kissing me fiercely—his beard tickling my soft skin. His strong hands are rough and calloused from long days of working the land. The way they scratch against my hips causes goosebumps to prickle my flesh.
“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you, Celeste. From the day you walked into my barn, I’ve thought of nothing but moving between these sexy-as-fuck thighs of yours,” he says as his lips move down to my neck. “And now that I’ve had you, I’m never going to stop.”
I can’t reply. All I can do is let out a needy moan as he descends my body, peppering my skin with kisses as he goes. His tongue comes out, running across my collarbone. His teeth nip at my chest. Finally, he sucks a nipple into his hot mouth. My back arches into him, needing more. His hands move to my waist, pulling me upward as he moves to the other breast. He licks, sucks, and nibbles before moving down to my stomach.
“I haven’t been able to think of anything other than how good I knew you’d feel wrapped around me.” He softly bites at my hip, making me call out. “How sweet I knew you would taste.” With those words, his tongue runs across my slit. My hips buck upward, but his hands quickly move to them, holding me in place. “Fuck, you taste so good,” he whispers before flicking his tongue against my sensitive nub.
My fingers grasp the blanket beneath us, needing something to hold on to as my e
yes flutter closed in ecstasy. My knees are already shaking on either side of his head. “Drake, please,” I beg, needing more, needing him inside me, filling me.
He senses my need and slides a finger inside me, though his mouth never quits. The moment he sucks my clit and his fingers touch that magic spot, I’m seeing stars. My releases washes over me—hot and heavy like a summer storm—claiming everything in its path. My hips are moving back and forth against his face as I ride out my climax, calling his name in gasps. I release the blanket and thread my fingers through his dark hair, pulling until he moves away. I drag him back up my body until his mouth is on mine once again. I can taste myself on his tongue, and more than anything, I want to taste him.
While I’ve never been the bossy, take-charge type in bed, I’m different with him. I know what I want and I feel like he wants me to take it. I push against his chest until he allows me to roll us over. Breaking the kiss, I sit up, and my hands start working on his belt. It clanks loudly in the darkness, filling my ears and making every hair stand on end in excitement. Quickly, I work his jeans down past his hips, where he springs free. His massive length looks impressive when I wrap my small hand around it, working him up and down. A drop forms on the tip, calling to me. With my eyes on his, I lick my lips, causing a sexy growl to radiate from deep within his chest.
“Fuck,” he whispers, tightening his hands into fists at his sides. “You’re so fucking sexy when you work me over, baby.”
I shoot him a knowing grin before lowering my mouth to his thick cock. I lick the drop first, then move him into my mouth completely. He sucks in a hissing breath as his hand flies to my head, tangling into my hair and gently pulling at the roots. I move him in and out of my mouth as my nails bite into the skin of his thighs. He lets out a deep moan as he lifts his hips off the bed, pushing further down my throat. When I double my pace, he doubles his breathing.
“I can’t take it anymore. I have to be inside you. Now,” he says, somehow flipping us over and placing himself at my entrance. Before I know what’s even happening, he rolls his hips and slides into me. We become one with nothing between us, and I’ve never felt anything better. He moves with precision, like he’s learning my body with each thrust. He bucks his hips against mine with a growl, as his hands maintain their firm hold on my hips.
Billionaire's Unexpected Bride (Slade Brothers Book 1) Page 12