by KB Winters
Before I could find the right words to say to Charles, he looked up and I followed his gaze to see that Megan had stepped into view. She’d changed out of her graduation gown and was wearing a simple shift dress in a soft pink that clung to her curves and made her pout pop against her fair skin. Her hair was straight and hung past her shoulders, tantalizingly shiny and silky looking. Before I could stand to go to her, her youngest brother scooped her up and her other brother came around to help hoist her up. They were chanting her name and she was laughing out loud.
My heart hurtled back up from the depths it had been sitting at, thinking about my father, and Megan’s mother. Her warm smile and lighthearted laugh brought me back and I laughed along as I watched her brothers cheer her on.
“Robbie!” She squealed and waved her hands in a motion to signal that she wanted down, but her brothers kept chanting and she laughed too.
God, she’s beautiful.
“What are you waiting for?” Sam, Megan’s oldest brother, asked me. His eyes were twinkling and although we’d only been introduced an hour before, I knew he approved of me being there.
I could only hope Megan felt the same way.
I gave him a nod and went over to stand in front of Megan as she was set back down on the ground. She met my eyes and although her smile faded slightly, a hint of warring emotions played out across her perfect face, something told me that she was happy to see me. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She glanced around at her dad and brothers, all of whom were watching us like we were the starring couple in a reality romance.
“Is it okay?” I asked, my voice low.
She sucked in her bottom lip for a moment and cut another pointed look at her family, as though they held the answer. Or, there was something she wanted to say that they weren’t meant to overhear.
Charles stepped forward and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Without this young man, I’m not sure all of us would have made it here.”
A flash of pain and confusion rattled her and I knew she’d taken it the wrong way. “They didn’t get the tickets in time?”
Charles seemed to pick up on her emotions and added, “Mr. Christiansen called to find out what time the ceremony started. That’s when I saw your message about the tickets on the table, but I was all the way across town at a job interview and wouldn’t have made it back to get them. Mr. Christiansen called the school to let us show up without the tickets and without his help, Sam and his family would have never made it on time. He put them on his private plane to make it here in time.”
Megan’s eyes shone with tears as she turned her attention back to me. “You did that, for me?”
I nodded, emotion chocking back the ability to add anything.
She marveled at me for a moment, apparently her own ability impaired as well. Then, she shook her head, “But how did you even know it was today?”
“Because you told me. For a while there it was all you’d talk about, remember?” I smiled at her as she mentally wandered through just how much she’d talked about graduation. From the very beginning of our relationship, it had been the thing she’d been striving towards. “I couldn’t let your family miss it—and I couldn’t…either.”
She reached for my hand and offered a warm squeeze. Everything in me wanted to wrap my arms around her and pull her so close that from the outside it would be impossible to tell where one of us started and the other ended. I wanted her to absorb into me, to be fully mine. But I kept my distance, letting her hand slip from mine when she pulled it away. Although it was fairly obvious that I was more than her boss, her father was still using my title in place of my name which infused an air of formality into the group.
Megan stared at each face in turn before breaking into a huge smile and saying, “Thank you all for being here. So, so much. You all know how much I’ve waited for this day and now that it’s finally here, I’m so glad I get to celebrate with all of you.”
Everyone returned her smile, a thick cloud of emotion charging the group, and I knew that everyone was giving a silent moment of thought for the only person missing from the celebration: Megan’s mother.
A splash of tears fell on Megan’s cheek and I reached to wipe them away, but she turned her face at the last second and cleared them away herself. “Who’s buying me a drink?” She asked, breaking the tension with an easy joke. Everyone joined in and the thickness dissolved as we moved as a group towards the exits.
“Not to point fingers, but I’m pretty sure Grant’s the only one who can afford to take this crew out!” Robbie shouted in response and although Megan rolled her eyes, she laughed along with everyone else.
Her brothers and father were a few steps ahead of us, and Megan slowed her pace to match mine as we followed behind. “Thank you,” she said.
“For you? Anything.”
I could tell there was something else, something she was holding back, rolling around in her mind. I was about to ask her, but then she reached over and grabbed my hand, locking her fingers with mine as we continued. “So, where are we going for dinner? I have to warn you, we’re a bit of a rowdy crew.”
A rush flooded through me at her invitation. She wanted me to be a part of her day and to celebrate with her family. From everything I knew about Megan, her family was the most important thing to her, and the intimate gesture of her asking me to be a part of it—even just for the night—was not lost on me.
I shrugged off her question before flashing a coy smile. “I may have made reservations for just such a party. But you’ll have to wait and see for yourself.”
She smiled and her eyes were sparkling with a familiar gleam that I’d been missing. More than I’d even realized. I pulled on her hand, dragging her body close to mine as we entered the parking lot. I leaned over her petite frame, pressing my lips to her ear, “And then, after that, I’ve got some ideas for dessert,” I growled, pleased with the way her body shuddered in response.
* * * *
The dinner with Megan’s family turned out to be the most fun I’d had in a while. I’d arranged for the event space at a swanky downtown restaurant to be decked out in honor of Megan. A menu of her favorite foods had been specially prepared by the chef and at the end of the meal, a huge cake—nearly the size of her youngest niece—was brought out with sparklers blazing from each tier. Her family treated me as their own, and by the end of the night, everyone—even her father—was calling me Grant and including me in their family jokes and light teasing.
However fun the night was, there was one thought straining in the back of my mind…getting Megan all to myself.
“I think you’re gonna have to roll me outta here,” Megan whined at me as she leaned back in her chair. Her father and older two brothers had already left, leaving Robbie and Phillip, who I’d learned were quite the party animals, but they’d left in search of drinks a while ago. I cut a glance to Megan and she gave a demonstrative pat to her stomach, which looked no different than it had earlier. I’d spent the entire night studying her body, each curve, each line, each inch. “That cake had to have crack infused in it or something. I seriously couldn’t stop eating it.”
I laughed and shook my head at her. “Well, let’s get you back to my place and get you out of those constricting clothes,” I kept my voice low even though we were the only two left in the room. The horde of servers that had been assigned to our party had cleared the plates a long time ago and boxed up all the leftover food and cake. Megan and I had been lounging, nursing the last sips of our drinks, and while the conversation had been light and easy, it was like we were each trying to find an angle to slip into the deeper talk that we both knew was coming.
“You’re impossible,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Possibly true,” I replied, before polishing off the last of the smooth golden liquid in my tumbler. As soon as I set the glass down, a server appeared, asking if I’d like a refill. I shook my head and pushed away from the table. “What do you say we get out of here? I th
ink your brothers probably found other company for the evening.”
Megan glanced through the arched entryway of the party room, where the double doors had been left propped open, and though she couldn’t see the bar from her vantage point, she sighed and nodded. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with those two…” The comment was more to herself than me, but I grabbed her hand and assured her with a brush of my thumb over her knuckles.
“They’ll figure it out. Once upon a time that was me, and I’d like to think I turned out all right.”
Megan smiled to herself and finished off the rest of her wine before lifting her gorgeous eyes to mine. “Thank you for this. I’m blown away, really.”
“You’re welcome.”
She chewed her lower lip and dropped her eyes to her free hand that was fidgeting with the take out box that contained a portion of the remainder of her cake. I watched her trace lines along the top and down the side of the box, wishing I could break into her mind and find the secret thoughts she kept there. The night had passed in a blur of laughter and joy, as everyone in attendance was caught up in the celebration of the evening. But as I watched her something shifted, and a darkness clouded the space between us.
“Megan, what’s wrong?” I finally ventured.
She glanced over at me and blinked, rearranging her face into a forced smile. “Nothing. Everything is perfect.”
I cocked a brow at her, silently calling her bluff.
She looked back at the box and then sighed, a long and slow sigh that spoke volumes without a word. “Tonight was amazing, the party, and you’ll never know how much I appreciate you getting my family to my graduation. I mean, really, a private plane for my brother and his family? I can’t even tell you how much that means to me. Especially since it’s my own stubborn fault that almost made them all miss it…” her words faltered and she looked away for a long beat, regathering her thoughts. “After the fight with my dad and brothers, I kind of cut them out of the picture. Even Sam, and he’s always been on my side. I can’t believe I didn’t make sure to send out an invitation or anything. I mean it’s just so crazy. The past few months have been insane and I sometimes don’t even recognize the person I see in the mirror anymore.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, continuing to stroke her fingers with my thumb.
She sighed again, as though the conversation was wearing her out. “My family has always been the most important thing to me. I guess part of that was because I’m the youngest, and without my mom around, I’ve always been the one to take care of everyone, mostly my dad. I feel responsible to make sure they are all happy and taken care of and when I can’t…well, I don’t like that feeling.”
I nodded. I knew there were facets of it that I couldn’t understand. I’d grown up with money and my mother. And even after my father died I’d remained fiercely independent and never wanted or needed anything, but I knew what it was like to feel a disconnect and suffer that loss when a family gets ripped apart, whether by circumstance or death.
“I’ve been feeling so guilty and twisted up about lying and staying in that stupid hotel just to avoid them all. It was selfish and I know my dad’s been worried. And I never want to cause that…” she trailed off again, her rambling thoughts carrying her away from me. “It feels better now though.” She finally looked at me again. “We needed this. We needed a night to relax and enjoy. I haven’t felt this close to them in a while.”
Her words twisted my heart and I found myself unsure of what to say. I’d brought her family together for her because I knew it was what she’d wanted and that it was the only thing I could do to show her how I felt about her, but now that I had the chance to elaborate on those feelings and express them to her with words, I couldn’t. It was like they were all stuck in the back of my throat, unable to come forward and out of my mouth.
So, I kissed her. I poured every thought, emotion, and unspoken word into that kiss, hoping that somehow she would understand. At first, she shrank back, backing away from the power and heat, but after a flicker, she melted against me and let me take over and show her everything I needed her to see and feel. Our lips and tongues tangled in a heated dance that left us breathless within seconds. My hands were hungry for her skin and easily made their way up her thighs, under the thin layer of fabric that comprised her dress and went higher until I found her hot, wet center that was pulsing for my touch. She gasped and shot back against her chair as my fingertips grazed her over her silk panties.
I needed her.
“Grant!” She panted, her lips open against my ear. Her tone told me to back off, but her legs parted further and she pressed herself into me, her hips gyrating on her chair.
“Come on, let’s get outta here.”
Chapter Eleven — Megan
We barely made it back to Grant’s condo in one piece as we both clawed and swiped at each other, locked together in a frantic, hungry dance. Mouths melded, skin met skin as we tore off our clothes and thrown them aside, and by the time we burst through the door of his bedroom, I was already stripped naked and Grant wasn’t too far behind. His boxer briefs were the only thing left on his muscled body. He grabbed me and hoisted me up on his waist. My legs locked behind his back, my feet coming to rest on the gentle curve of his toned ass. His cock was rock hard and pulsing as I ground against his hips. He let out a low hiss and I moaned in response, wanting him so badly it hurt.
Seeing him in the stands as I’d crossed the stage had snapped something into place and everything had become clear. It was like finally getting the correct prescription from the eye doctor. The path ahead was clear and it led to Grant.
And then, to find out afterward how he’d brought my entire family together…
I nearly got choked up again just thinking about it. Seeing them all there, cheering me on, had meant more to me than I’d ever be able to express. No one had ever done anything like that for me, and although he hadn’t said anything, it was a pure act of love.
Grant Alexander Christiansen was in love with me.
I could feel it with every beat of my heart, and could see it with every look he gave me. Even as he growled against my skin and nipped at my earlobe, driving me a hundred percent crazy as he pressed my back against the wall, I knew it was true.
And the craziest part of all…I was in love with him too.
“Grant,” I panted, my bare breasts pressed against his chest, his firm muscles teasing my nipples with each point of contact.
“Hmmm?” He purred against my jaw, kissing a hot trail back to my waiting lips.
I tilted back my neck and he went right for my sensitive skin under my chin, licking, kissing, and sucking every exposed inch. “I’m yours.”
He stopped his crusade and pulled back to look at me, his eyes deeper and darker than I’d ever seen them before. “I’m yours, Grant,” I repeated the claim with more force this time.
“Yes. You are mine.” His voice was gravely with desire, but his eyes went soft for just a moment as they locked with mine in a silent understanding.
I closed my eyes and pressed a kiss to the space between his eyebrows and held my lips against his skin that was slightly salty with a thin layer of sweat. Before I opened my eyes I felt him slip inside me, slower than he’d ever gone, as though he needed to savor and memorize every fraction of a second as he filled me completely.
I sucked in a breath as he stretched me and I shifted to accommodate him. My eyes opened slowly and I gasped at the rush of sensations as we locked eyes once again. All the other times we’d been together I’d been blindfolded, or facing away never able to see Grant’s eyes up close like that. I watched him intently as he began to pulse in shallow thrusts in and out. I groaned out and leaned my head back against the wall, my eyes still with his.
“You’re mine,” he repeated, thrusting harder.
I clung to his shoulders, pressing my fingers into his solid flesh, feeling the play of muscles as he worked. “I’m yours,” I breathed, reas
suring him.
As we continued, each rising higher and higher to an entirely new level of heat and desire, I realized that I’d never experienced anything like it. Grant had been the first at so many things in my life, and as he continued with long, hard strokes, I knew that this was what making love felt like. There was still the passionate, primal undertone to the act itself, and it wasn’t at all gentle, but the way we connected made my emotions wrap around the physical sensations and thrills of the pleasure and gave every touch and feeling a deeper meaning.
Grant thickened inside of me and I knew he was close. I was tight and coiled, ready to explode over the threshold, and knew that as soon as he released I wouldn’t be able to hold back. Moments later, Grant’s eyes went wide, “Megan, you’re mine,” he breathed and we both fell over the edge together.
We were both still shuddering and shaking when he laid me across the bed and joined me. He had lain on his side, facing me as we both caught our breath.
The last thing I remembered was him brushing his fingers down my cheek and whispering, “You’re mine.”
* * * *
“Are you coming to the office today?” Grant asked after hanging up from the call down to the kitchen for our breakfast order the next morning.
“I have a job interview,” I blurted out as Grant had his back to me while stirring milk and sugar into my coffee cup. His shoulders tensed at the announcement but he didn’t say anything as he calmly finished his work mixing the steaming beverage.
Only when he turned to hand over the cup, did he speak. “Where?”
“Three Rivers Gallery. It’s a curating position,” I answered.