by Steph Nuss
“You’re the one who said no sharing,” she teased, smiling.
“And I meant it,” I growled into her ear. “You should hear some of the things the guys say during your roller derby bouts. It’s a miracle I haven’t murdered one of them yet.”
She laughed softly, as her hands started to undo my shorts. “How’s your hand?”
“It’s okay,” I said, opening and closing my right fist. “It throbs, but I’d gladly do it again.”
“I know you would,” she said, unzipping me. She pushed my shorts and boxers down to my ankles and began stroking me in long, gentle strokes. “How will I ever thank you?”
I thrusted into her hand. “I can think of a couple of ways.”
“You have to be quiet,” she said, in a seductive voice that only made me grow harder.
“I’m not the loud one,” I gritted, my voice catching as she rubbed her thumb over the tip.
Dropping down to her knees, she flicked her tongue out and curled it around my shaft before taking me to the back of her throat. Her hot, silky mouth sucking and tonguing my dick made me grip onto the railing tight as my heart raced inside my chest and pressure built at the base of my spine. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold off or if I’d be able to go again after this with all the whiskey floating through my system, but goddamn if I didn’t want to make this good for her, too. Her hands were on my hips, motioning me forward, begging me to thrust into her as her fingers crept down to my balls and she began fondling them. Moving my hips meticulously, I fucked her mouth, and with every flick of her tongue across my shaft, I felt my release creeping closer and closer. It took everything in me not to tell her how much I loved fucking her since we had to be quiet but I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Fuck, Bay,” I whispered, holding the back of her head. “I can’t. . .”
I slowed down my thrusts and she looked up at me with confusion swimming in her eyes. Backing out of her, I lifted her up off her knees, and she began to protest. “But you were . . . why didn’t you—”
“I’m still pretty drunk. I might not be able to again, and I want you to come with me.” Pulling down her shorts, I saw that she’d gone commando. “Fuck me, you’re not wearing any underwear.”
She giggled softly, yanking her tank off quickly. “Condom.”
“Condom,” I repeated, scrambling for my shorts. I reached in one of the pockets and pulled out a foiled packet.
“Thank God,” she murmured, taking it from me in haste and ripping it open.
I watched as she covered me with the rubber and then I grabbed her neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She moaned into my mouth and wrapped her arms around my neck. Reaching for her thighs, I lifted her up on the railing and positioned my dick right at her opening, never once breaking my lips away from hers. We tasted too delicious to stop now; with the cranberry and whiskey mixing so perfectly together, I felt like we were becoming drunker on one another by the second.
She broke away first, both of us breathing heavily. But before we could catch our breaths, I held her tight and plunged into her.
“Oh, God,” she cried softly, linking her fingers together at the back of my neck as I buried myself to the hilt.
The pleasure of being inside of her was almost too much; I damn near came the minute I felt her tighten around me. Opening my eyes, I let my gaze roam over her, and I was dumbstruck over how beautiful she looked tonight. With her body begging me to move, to take her to that special place we both enjoyed, all I could do was admire the way the moonlight played across her skin. She looked like an artist getting ready to sing with the spotlight stuck on her, and God, I wanted nothing more than to make her sing.
“Fletch,” she whimpered.
I brushed a piece of hair out of her face and gazed into her dark irises. “Do you know how breathtaking you look right now, naked under the moonlight?” Thrusting into her hard, a soft groan crawled out of her and I caught it in my throat as I kissed her.
Moving my hips, I found a perfect rhythm for us as she bit and clawed at my shoulders and back, doing anything that would keep her from being loud. It didn’t take long for the pressure to build in my spine again, the tight coil of my orgasm just seconds away from springing forth, but I wanted her to come with me.
Reaching between us, I thumbed circles around her clit, and she went crazy, bucking her hips faster and harder against mine as I increased the tempo of my strokes for her, hitting as deep as I could possibly go.
“God, that feels so fucking good,” she moaned.
“Yeah, it does,” I muttered, pumping into her and quickening my fingers on her clit. The pleasure felt so good, I could barely keep my eyes open any longer, damn near ready to succumb to it.
Her legs tightened around my waist, making her insides clench around me in a vise-like grip, and that was my undoing. Gripping her hips hard, I closed my eyes and drove into her harshly. She bore down on me in the same fashion, hands grasping, voices mumbling as our orgasms finally converged, leaving us both completely spent.
Leaning against the railing, I held her as we both came down, her breathing soft and unsteady against my neck. Once it evened out again, I stepped away and carried her into the bedroom. I laid her down on the bed, threw the condom away and then slid in next to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and tangling my legs with hers.
She covered my hand and linked her fingers through mine. “Fletcher?”
Nuzzling her neck, I placed a kiss right below her ear. “Yeah?”
She looked over her shoulder and asked uneasily, “We’re okay, right?”
I sighed. “This would be so much easier if we weren’t keeping it a secret from everyone.”
“I know,” she said, turning toward me. “But if they know, they’ll just interrogate us about it. They’ll ask us what we’re doing or where we see this going. I can just see Harper going nuts if she catches wind of us sleeping together. She’ll team up with Tessa, and they’ll have our wedding planned and names picked out for our children in no time. I don’t want to deal with any of that. I like what we have just the way it is.”
“I understand what you’re saying,” I said, caressing my thumb over her cheek. “But if the others can see a future for you, why can’t you see it?”
She looked me straight in the eyes and answered, “Because I’m realistic. Not everyone gets what my brother and sister have. I’ve watched plenty of my friends end up brokenhearted because they were too busy daydreaming about happily ever after and the future instead of focusing on the here and now. All I want to think about is right now, right here with you. Is that not what you want?”
“No, that sounds perfect,” I said, tightening my arms around her. When it came to matters of the heart, Bayler was scared of the future just like the rest of us. She could imagine her dream job and achieve whatever goals she set for herself, but she wouldn’t let herself fall in love. And that was probably a good thing since I didn’t know how to not break a woman’s heart.
Chapter Fourteen
Thankfully, I woke up before sunrise and was able to sneak back into my room before anyone else was up and moving. I had to force myself to get out of Fletcher’s bed. I didn’t want to leave his side this morning. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. Even with his knuckles split and bruised from the night before, the slight, boyish smile on his sleeping face let me know we were okay. The night had ended on a pretty good note despite the fight at the bar. I may have acted like I was pissed at the time, but it was all an act for the sake of our arrangement.
Since I wasn’t able to fall back to sleep, I got out of bed and dressed for the day. I put on a yellow bikini with crisscross, braided straps in the back and low-rise bottoms with the same crisscross pattern on the sides. I knew I could be active in this suit without having to worry about a nip slip. Over the swimwear, I threw on a gray racerback cover-up, and then knotted my hair up in my signature messy bun.
When I got down to the kitchen, I started making breakfa
st for the whole gang. I knew everyone would probably be hungover, with the exception of Harper, so a big, greasy breakfast was definitely in order. I fired up the stove and found all the pans and utensils I’d need, and then went about gathering ingredients. Fletcher had had the kitchen stocked before our arrival¸ so I knew he’d have everything I’d need. I grabbed the bacon and eggs as well as frozen potatoes and started cooking.
Pretty soon, the whole house smelled of bacon and eggs as I browned the potatoes around in a pan and munched on a piece of bacon. I was always starved the morning after a night of drinking, with or without a hangover. This morning, I’d woken up with a tiny headache, but it was nothing a little food couldn’t fix. I’d poured myself a glass of orange juice and mixed in a little vodka, and now I felt good as new.
Just as I finished the hash browns, I heard footsteps on the stairs, Tessa and Paige’s voices carrying. Tessa walked into the kitchen still wearing her pajamas, and Paige headed out the back door wearing running gear.
“She’s going running,” Tessa mumbled, rolling her eyes.
I laughed, taking a sip of my orange juice. “Sounds fun.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she said, opening the fridge. “It smells good in here. What’d you make?”
“There’re eggs and bacon and hash browns, and I’m getting ready to do some pancakes,” I said, pouring the batter onto the skillet.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, pouring herself a glass of apple juice.
“If you want, you can cut up some fruit,” I said, motioning to the cutting board. “I was thinking about doing a parfait.”
“Ooh, that sounds good,” she said, nodding. “I can do that.”
“Okay,” I said, excitedly. “It’s nice to have someone else around who likes to cook.”
“I know,” she laughed.
Harper, Maverick, Elly and Carter joined us, settling around the kitchen island as we continued to work. They started eating the food I’d already made, and once Tessa had the parfait done, they dug into that. Cash came down and took a plate of bacon into the living room. Justin rolled in a few minutes after him and created a tower of pancakes on his plate, smothering them in butter and syrup.
“So—” Maverick said, grabbing everyone’s attention just as Fletcher walked into the kitchen.
“Mmm, smells good in here,” he said, smiling eagerly at us. He got himself a drink and filled a plate with food. Tessa and I had just finished cleaning up the kitchen and were leaning against the other side of the island eating. As he walked by me, I could smell the delicious scent of his shower gel lingering on him. He looked incredible in his board shorts and white tee, his hair still wet from the shower. “What were you guys talking about?”
Maverick glared at me hard, but I turned my attention back to my food. “I was just getting ready to ask Bayler what happened last night?”
“Oh,” Fletcher said, clenching his right fist. He glanced over at me and then looked back up at Mav. “Look, I was just—”
“Ohmigawd!” Harper yelped, placing her hands on her belly.
“What?” Maverick asked anxiously, jumping out of his chair. “What is it, baby? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, smiling. Harper grabbed his hand and placed it on her bump. “She’s kicking. Do you feel that?”
“Yeah.” The smile on Maverick’s face grew wider as Harper flinched again and started to laugh. He placed his other hand on her belly. “Hey, baby girl.”
I glanced over at Fletcher and he smiled back at me, confirming what I already knew: our niece had just saved our asses from an interrogation.
“Aw, I wanna feel!” Elly said cheerfully, hopping down from Carter’s lap. Maverick moved out of her way, and Elly placed her hand on Harper’s belly. The moment she felt a kick, Elly started laughing. “It feels so weird but so good at the same time.”
“Right?” Harper agreed.
Elly smiled back at Mav. “Looks like you might have a little soccer player there, Mav.”
“Never!” Maverick replied. He squatted down in front of Harper’s belly and rubbed. “We talked about this, little girl. You’re going to be a tennis star. The white Serena Williams!”
The room busted into laughter at Maverick’s confession. I thought it was sweet he had big dreams for his girl, but Harper just shook her head, grinning. “She will be whatever she wants to be.”
“I know,” Maverick said, giving Harper a quick peck on the lips. “But a dad is supposed to dream big, baby.”
“Okay, okay,” Tessa said, shoving him out of the way. “I want to feel her kick!”
“Me too!” I rounded the island and made my way over to Harper. She took my hand and placed it on the spot where the baby had been kicking. I waited, staring at her huge baby bump in anticipation.
“Try talking to her,” Harper encouraged.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Hey, girlie. It’s Aunt Bayler.”
“And Aunt Tessa,” Tessa added, smiling. “We can’t wait to meet you!”
A movement fluttered across my fingertips, and my eyes widened as a distinct kick landed against my palm. “Wow, H, that’s cool.”
“It feels like muscle spasms and then a kick,” Tessa said, and I nodded in agreement.
“Anyone else want to feel while she’s up and active?” Harper announced, showing off her bump proudly.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Tessa exclaimed, reaching for her phone. “I jotted down a name I’d heard the other day.” She tapped around on her phone until she found it and then looked at Harper and Maverick wearing a big grin. “What about Halston?”
“Halston,” Harper repeated, glancing over at Mav who was adamantly shaking his head. “Nope. That’s not it.”
“Ugh, this is impossible!” Tessa proclaimed.
“What’s impossible?” I asked, laughing at her frustration.
“We have a bet going. Whoever guesses the baby’s name before she’s born wins a thousand dollars,” she said, shaking her hand. “And I keep guessing and they keep telling me no.”
“I wouldn’t even try guessing,” I said, narrowing my eyes at Harper. “You’ve probably picked something weird and spelled it even weirder.”
“That’s what I said!” Carter proclaimed.
Harper shrugged her shoulders. “Probably.”
“We have to get the spelling right, too?” Tessa asked in disbelief.
“Well, yeah,” Maverick said.
“I hate you,” she said, pointing at Maverick and Harper.
“What about Zola?” Elly asked curiously. “Zola Jones.”
“Zola’s cute,” Harper said, but she still shook her head. “But that’s not it.”
“You all might as well give up,” I said, as I loaded our dishes into the dishwasher.
“We never back down from a bet,” Fletcher said, taking the plates from my hands.
“Is that right?” I asked, laughing. He took over filling the dishwasher for me, and I smiled appreciatively, a little bit turned on by his willingness to help. “So, what’s your guess?”
He leaned against the counter beside me and eyed Maverick and Harper. “Tinley.”
“Ooh, I like Tinley,” Harper replied.
“But that’s not the name we picked!” Maverick laughed as he helped Harper out of her chair and they walked into the living room where Cash and Justin were still seated. “You boys ready to catch some waves today?”
Elly and Tessa left to change into their swimsuits, and Carter joined the crew in the living room. Paige wasn’t back from her run yet. As they all started talking about surfing, I turned my attention back to Fletcher, who was just finishing up with the dishwasher. “Tinley?”
He glanced over at me with an amused smile spread across that chiseled jaw I loved. He closed the dishwasher and started it up. “Yeah, Tinley. You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s actually a really beautiful name,” I replied, crossing my arms over
my chest. “I’m just wondering why you picked it?”
“After my parents died and I got a little older, Grams told me about how my mom talked to her about wanting another baby—a girl. She’d said Mom had the name Tinley picked out for a girl even before they knew I was a boy.”
“So, they wanted a Fletcher and a Tinley.”
“I guess so,” he said, with a huff of laughter. His phone rang and he grabbed it from his pocket. I immediately knew it was Rook by the melodic induction of an Eminem song as the ringtone. “I should probably take this, or he’ll just call back again in five minutes.”
“Okay,” I said, smiling. “Tell him hello for me. I’m off to the beach.”
***
“Hello,” I answered, watching Bayler’s ass as she went out the door, pulling her cover-up off her bikini-clad body. I could watch that woman undress every fucking day. The way she moved, her hips swaying slightly with each step, the lightly toned muscles in her thighs and arms on perfect display, left a man wondering what else she could do with that body. Luckily, I already knew, and I knew her body well. I preferred her naked, but a yellow bikini looked hot on her, too.
“Fletcher? Hello? Dude, are you listening to me?” Rook asked harshly on the other end.
“Sorry,” I said, shaking thoughts of naked Bayler away. “What’s up?”
“Are you still drunk?” he asked, laughing.
“No. Now, what’d you need?”
“Okay, so I have an idea for Vail’s birthday,” he said, excitement evident in his voice.
Moving out to the deck, I leaned against the railing. “Okay, shoot.”
“I want to throw her a surprise party at the beach house,” he replied. “We could invite a few of her girlfriends and some guys, and we could hang out at the beach, maybe have music and dancing, and, of course, food.”
This kid and his food, I mused, shaking my head.
“Bayler could do a really cool cake, and Mom’s already offered to make the food. The only thing I’m worried about is getting everyone to the beach house. I thought that we could rent a car to transport everyone, but I don’t know how we’re going to get Vail there without her knowing about the party.” He took a minute to catch his breath, and I couldn’t help smiling at his excitement. “I just really want to do something special for her. I talked to her a few nights ago, and she told me she’s never had a birthday party. I mean, with friends and stuff. She’s only had the kind of parties your family throws for you. We have to throw her a party, Fletch.”