Beyond the Cherry Trees: The Cook Brothers Series

by Heather D'Agostino

  “Un huh,” I swallowed as I looked from the sandwich out into the distance. The sky was darker now, and if I didn’t know where I was, I’d be afraid that I wouldn’t find my way back to my parent’s house tonight.

  AS LATE AFTERNOON turned into evening, Tyler and I sat in quiet conversation. We still didn’t talk about the future, but it was nice to talk to someone that was as driven as I was about their job. He told me about several cases he’d worked on and about some of the other lawyers he worked with. He got a weird look on his face when I asked if any of the partners at the firm were women. When I reminded him about the woman he was with at the charity ball, he made some comment about how she was a nobody. She didn’t seem like a nobody, but I wasn’t going to push him. It really wasn’t any of my business.

  After we’d finished all the food Tyler had brought, he moved us so he was sitting on the ground with his back leaning against the log. I’d moved between his legs and was currently resting my back against his chest.

  “You know something?” He leaned in next to my ear.

  “What?” I murmured as I tipped my head to the side.

  He leaned his chin on the spot where my neck and shoulder meet before murmuring, “Time has done nothing but make you more beautiful.” I stiffened slightly in his arms, but he just held me there as he continued. “I mean it Mia. When I saw you that day on the sidewalk… you looked like an angel. Then when you were at the ball, I wanted to wrap you in my arms and never let go. I’ve always thought you were pretty, but now you just have this glow about you. It’s like now that you’ve truly made it, you just radiate beauty and happiness.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I murmured.

  “You don’t have to say anything. Your smile, eyes, body, they all tell me what you’re thinking.” His hand moved from where it had been wrapped around my middle to turn my mouth toward his. He didn’t leave me any time to react before he pressed his lips to mine.

  My body roared to life as his mouth moved across mine with a sure and steady pressure. His tongue probed its way in before he began taking tentative swipes at mine. I started to turn my body so I could wrap my arms around him, but he held me in place. “You trust me, right,” he mumbled against my lips before giving them a nip. “We’re all alone. Just relax.”

  I wasn’t sure what he was getting at, but as he deepened the kiss, I could feel myself melting into his body. His chest was rising and falling behind me, and even through all the layers of clothes, I could still feel him hardening behind me. I pressed myself back against him, and he growled as he tightened the grip that he had on my hip. “You want me, don’t you,” he panted against my cheek. “You feel me back here, and it’s getting you wet.” His voice was harsh as his lips began ghosting down my neck. I’d never heard him talk like this. When we were younger he was so sweet, and our innocence always shone so bright. Now his experience was leading the drive.

  “Ty,” I gasped as the hand on my hip began to burrow under my coat. It was as if his fingers were on a mission, and when they finally got under the layers covering me, I let out a breathy moan.

  “I’m gonna take care of you,” his voice was strained, and I wasn’t exactly sure what he planned until his fingers started inching under my snow pants and then the leggings. “I bet you’re dripping, aren’t you?” He nipped my ear as I moved my hips against him again. “Are you wet for me, Mia?” When I didn’t answer, he stopped his movements. His fingers were just millimeters away from breeching my panties, and I couldn’t help but release a groan. “Answer me!” he growled.

  “Yes, only for you,” I whimpered.

  “I’m gonna help you with that.” His words stopped momentarily as the tips of two fingers met my dripping center. “Oh fuck!” he growled as he shifted so he could get his hand lower. One finger swiped over me before he spread the wetness and added a second finger. “How many men have done this?” he demanded as he started to toy with my clit. The zing that rushed through me caused my back to bow. “How many, Mia?”

  “Only you,” I gasped as I ground myself against his hand. “Please Ty,” I begged. I couldn’t tell you the last time I’d had an orgasm. For the last two years, I’d given myself the pleasure that my body craved, but as I felt myself building, I knew that nothing I’d done for myself could ever stand up to what this man was doing to me at this very minute.

  “Only me?” He slid a third finger down and pinched the bundle of nerves before dipping two inside of me. “You mean,” he paused as his eyes met mine, “I’m the only one that’s touched this sweet little pussy?”

  I nodded while my teeth clamped down on my lip, and embarrassment washed over me. Ty had never been so crude, but when his fingers started moving again, I let the thought go. “God, I wish I could see you, taste you, and fuck you. This is torture, Mia. I can feel you clenching down on my fingers, and it’s slowly killing me to know that it could be my dick.” His fingers began to speed up, and when he plucked at my clit again, that was all it took. White spots filled my vision as a wave of warmth rushed over me. The fire blazing in front of us was nothing in comparison to what I was experiencing. My body shuddered as I closed my eyes and went limp against him. Ty’s fingers were still there. They were moving slowly, back and forth, as my orgasm subsided and I slowly came back to Earth. I felt a goofy smile slip into place and heard him chuckle behind me. His lips moved along my neck before he paused at my ear. “That was the last time that you feel pleasure without me inside you. Next time, we’re going to be in a bed, and I’m going fuck you seven ways to Sunday.” His teeth grazed the skin of my jaw before he pulled his hand from my pants.

  If I wasn’t hot enough already, I watched him as he lifted the three fingers he’d had buried inside me and stuck them in his mouth. His eyes closed as a contented hum came from deep within him. My body stirred as I watched him slowly suck his fingers clean. “Sweet Jesus, you taste like fucking heaven,” he groaned as he reached down to adjust himself. I turned away slightly, embarrassed that he was being so open at the moment. I’d never been like this with him when we were together. Sex was always in a bed and at night. I wasn’t the adventurous one, and Ty never seemed to have any issues with it. After experiencing this, I knew that if we were going to move forward, I was going to have to be more open. I would have to get past my worries, and show Tyler that I could be like the women who were now gracing his bed.

  Swallowing my shyness, I turned to face him. I awkwardly moved to straddle his hips before leaning into his ear. “Next time, we need to be indoors so I can repay the favor,” I murmured as I ran my nose up the column of his neck, pausing by the shell of his ear to suck the lobe into my mouth. “I want to taste you too.” I heard him hiss out a breath.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking for sweetheart,” he growled. “I’m ready to say ‘fuck the cold’ and let you take it right here. The only thing that’s holding me back is the fact that my balls might fall off, and I kinda like having them,” he chuckled before he turned his head to look me in the eyes. “It’s getting kinda late. Ready to head back?” I nodded as I stood and Tyler went to work putting out the fire.

  We packed up our things, and as we climbed back on the snowmobile, I couldn’t help but put a little bounce in my step. Today turned out nothing like I had thought it would, and going back to dancing in two weeks was the farthest thing from my mind. Right now, the only thing I could think of was the damp panties that were pressing against my sated center and the promise Tyler had made about next time. Next time was sure to ruin me for anyone else. Tyler Cook was a skilled man, and I was looking forward to benefiting from those skills.

  MY TIME IN Cherryville was going by faster than I liked, and before I knew it, Christmas had arrived. I had to leave to head back to the city the day after, and the thought of leaving Mia had my stomach doing all sorts of crazy things. We’d spent almost every day over the last week together. Some were spent in town, but most of the time we were snuggled together on a couch at one of
our respective houses. I’ve watched so many DVDs and Hallmark movies that I think I have most of them figured out as soon as they start. That’s Mia’s thing though. She loves movies, and sitting with her snuggled into my side is enough of a reason to suffer through it.

  Today is Christmas Day, and after I finish spending the morning here with Taylor and Morgan, I plan to go over and see Mia. We haven’t discussed me leaving, and I’m not sure how she’s taking the news. She could come with me, but I don’t know if she’s ready to go back to the city. She still has four more days before she can stop wearing the boot. She has an appointment with the doctor she saw after the injury and if he oks it, she can start walking without it. She still can’t dance, but she can stretch and do some light exercise.

  “Uncle Ty!” I can hear CJ bounding up the steps before he skids to a stop in my doorway. “Santa came!” he squeals as he grins at me.

  “He did?” I chuckled as I watched him impatiently bounce on his feet.

  “Hurry up! Mom says we have to wait for you.” He’s tapping his foot on the ground, and I can’t help teasing him a little.

  “I’m kinda tired. Maybe we can wait a little while? I was trying to go back to sleep.” I laid back down and rolled over putting my back in his direction.

  “Uncle Tyyyy!” CJ whined as he shuffled into the room. “Come on!” He shoved at my back and before he could step back, I rolled over and tackled him onto the bed. He erupted into giggles as I began torturing him like I used to do to Mia.

  “Ok, ok. I give,” he gasped between laughs.

  “Really?” I teased before releasing him and standing. “Come on,” I motioned as I began walking toward the door. “Let’s see what Santa brought me.”

  WE SPENT THE morning opening gifts, and when we finished, the adults went into the kitchen. CJ was happily playing with his new toys on the floor by the tree. Taylor was cooking pancakes while Morgan was making herself of a cup of tea and us men coffee.

  “He really likes that new bike,” I mused as Morgan handed me a steaming mug.

  “I sure hope so,” Taylor laughed from his spot in front of the stove. “That damn bike has caused a lot of tension between us.”

  “Huh?” I ran a hand through my bedhead.

  “That bike is why we’re together,” Morgan giggled quietly. “CJ was working for me to pay for it. If he hadn’t, Tay would have never made it back into my life. CJ’s the reason we’re together.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Taylor moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. One hand dropped to rest on the barely there baby bump that was slowly growing each day.

  “I would.” Her voice was soft, and the smile that graced her lips left no mistake how much she loved my brother.

  “If that’s the case, maybe I should’ve sprung for the minibike instead,” Taylor chuckled.

  “Remember that one we had?” I laughed as I thought back to all the trouble we got into with the thing.

  “All I remember is you trying to jump the creek and breaking your leg instead. Trev and I got blamed because you were only nine,” Taylor shook his head as he released Morgan and went back to the stove.

  “That’s my point.” Morgan rolled her eyes as she turned and pressed a hip into the counter. “My son is not getting a motorcycle or anything else that’s dangerous.”

  “You better hope that bean in there is a girl then.” I pointed at her belly as I sipped my coffee. “Trev didn’t start getting into trouble until Tay got old enough to egg him on, at least that’s what Mom always said. If CJ gets a brother you two better watch out.”

  Taylor glanced at me from behind Morgan’s back and narrowed his eyes as he slowly shook his head. “I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about,” I back pedaled just as my phone started ringing in the other room.

  CJ came bouncing into the kitchen with my phone in his hand. It stopped ringing before he handed it to me, and then vibrated showing that whomever it was had left a voicemail. “Who’s Chrissi?” CJ asked innocently as he handed me the phone.

  The smile I’d worn fell from my lips as the room went quiet. “Just somebody I work with buddy.” I took the phone from him and ruffled his hair. He must have been satisfied with that answer or he wanted to get back to his toys because he quickly spun and skipped out of the room.

  “Why is someone from work calling you on Christmas?” Morgan wrinkled her forehead as she appraised me. I looked behind her to see Taylor slowly shaking his head in warning.

  “I have no idea,” I shrugged.

  “Have you been with her?” Morgan pushed, and I coughed as I choked on the sip of coffee I’d just taken. “Sorry. It’s none of my business.”

  “No,” I sighed as I released a deep breath. “I guess I have to start telling people, but this is not to leave this room.” I pointed at her as I slowly lowered myself onto one of the stools in the kitchen. “Chrissi and I,” I paused as I thought about how to work this. We weren’t dating, we’d never been together like that. “She and I kinda slept together… a lot,” I groaned.

  “So you were a booty call.” She shook her head at me as she leaned over and placed her elbows on the kitchen island. She shook her head again before letting it drop into her hands and sighing.

  “Yes,” I muttered. “I guess that’s a nice way to put it.”

  Morgan gripped her hair as she murmured, “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more?”

  I moved closer so I could keep my voice down as I murmured, “She’s kinda pregnant.”

  “What do you mean, kinda? There’s no kinda about it,” her voice rose. “Did you knock her up and now your avoiding her?” she gasped. “Tyler!”

  I felt the sting before it sunk in that she’d actually hit me. I cupped my cheek as my eyes watered before I growled and the anger took over. “What the fuck was that for?” I shouted, forgetting all about the fact that CJ was in the other room.

  “Hey!” Tay growled. He moved to stand beside Morgan and faced me, “Don’t talk to my wife like that. You’re wrong here and you know it,” he pointed the spatula he was holding at my chest.

  I could feel my temper rising, and I knew I needed to get away from them. Leave it to Chissi to ruin Christmas morning for me. I shook my head as my blood boiled right below the surface. I knew Morgan was right, and the fact that she’d dealt with an unplanned pregnancy in the past hadn’t even dawned on me. Red was all I saw, and I knew that if I didn’t walk away right then, I might punch my brother. It had been years since we’d gotten angry enough to come to blows, but right now, the idea of Morgan saying something to Mia was fueling me.

  I turned and stormed away as I heard Taylor soothing her. I stomped up the steps, threw on some clothes, and rushed out to my car before any more words could be exchanged. I needed to see Mia. I needed her to ground me; to make me feel like everything was going to be fine. I couldn’t tell her about this, but I needed the reassurance that when I left in the morning things with her were good.

  TYLER AND I had spent almost every day together since the afternoon on the snowmobile. It was a lot like old times, but something was different. Tyler was different. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he seemed to be hiding something. I’d only asked him about it once, and he swore it was nothing. Work had been crazy before he left for his visit, and the case he’d been working on was supposed to go to trial while he was here. I couldn’t believe that he’d leave the city at such a crucial time, but he assured me he was worrying over nothing, and his other partners could manage just fine without him.

  When he showed up at my door Christmas morning I was startled. We’d talked about spending the morning with our families and seeing each other that night. I knew he was leaving soon, but I’d be following soon after. It wasn’t like we were going to be separated for very long.

  When the knock sounded, my father stood from the kitchen table. We’d been enjoying our breakfast, and my brother was telling us about the girl he’d convinced the night be
fore to be his girlfriend. He’d been asking her for a while, but she finally agreed at the church service the night before. When my dad rounded the corner back into the kitchen, Tyler was trailing him.

  “Morning,” Ty waved as he clinched his snow hat in his fists in front of him. He looked nervous and worried.

  “Hey, I thought you weren’t coming over until tonight.” I watched as he shuffled his feet. It was almost as if he was trying to avoid looking at me.

  “Can we talk? Alone?” He stepped back into the doorway as he watched me slowly rise from my spot on the other side of the table.

  “Ok,” I nodded as the words seemed to tumble out of my mouth. He was making me nervous. I knew he’d been hiding something, and it seemed he was finally ready to tell me whatever it was. “Give me a sec,” I hobbled around the table, slipped a snow boot on my good foot, and grabbed my coat. “Wanna go out on the porch?” I pointed to the door. He nodded, and I led the way closing the front door behind us.

  Once we were outside, he motioned to the swing at the end. “Can we sit?” I nodded slowly as I moved over and lowered myself, all the while watching him curiously.

  “What’s going on? Are you ok?” I swallowed. This had bad written all over it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted the answers to my question now that he was starting to pace in front of me. “Ty?” I grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving. “You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “Shit. I’m fucking this up,” he growled as he ran his hands through his hair roughly tugging at the ends. He took a few deep breaths before turning to squat in front of me.