by Lacey Black
“What are you doing here?” she asks, eyes shining brightly which honestly shocks me. I expected her to be a bit more, I don’t know, scared? Worried? Guilty?
“I was just on my way back to the office and saw these. I knew you had to have them,” I say, extending the wildflowers towards her. Her hands are steady as she takes the small bundle of blooms.
Before she has a chance to say anything, I lean forward, claiming her lips in hard, possessive kiss for Gavin, God, and everyone else on the east coast to see. I don’t open my mouth, just keep my lips plastered to hers as if making a claim, pronouncing our status as an unbreakable couple.
I don’t let the kiss deepen, even though I’d love nothing more than to ravish her lips and her body with my own. Instead, I pull back and gaze into her semi-foggy green eyes. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
As if she’s unable to speak, she gives me a small head nod. Satisfied that I’ve rendered her speechless, I turn and head back the way I came. I don’t turn around, even though I’m dying to. I keep walking, tossing a smiling Payton a wave as I amble by.
Jumping back in my truck, I pull away from the flower shop and head towards my office. Mary should be getting ready to leave for the day, and I’ll need to tie up loose ends before she goes. I’m surprisingly lighter as I pull into the first available parking spot behind my building. Even though I found Jaime with the douche, something in her eyes and the way she smiled left me feeling happier, brighter.
Full of hope.
Now, even more than before, I can’t wait to see her tonight.
***
I’m spreading sauce along the pizza crust when I hear her car pull into the driveway. My heart rate kicks up with elation in a way that only Jaime can incite. It takes every ounce of self-control I can muster to keep from running to the front door and throwing my arms around her. But for as much as I long to hold her and kiss her, I know that there are things we’re going to need to discuss first.
She knocks on the door and pushes it open when I holler. Her scent precedes her. She’s all flowery from spending her day at the shop, but also has a distinctive scent that is seared into my brain. She’s fucking heaven.
“Hey.”
Damn, that one word spoken from her lush lips renders me completely speechless. She’s standing there wearing a tight cotton tee in a deep red, sexy as fuck cut-off shorts, and a pair of black flip-flops. My pants are suddenly so tight, I’m afraid circulation is going to be cut off to my favorite appendage.
But what really catches my attention is the duffle bag thrown casually over her shoulder. I zero in on it, my mind filling with all the possibilities that could be in there. First and foremost: something to wear tomorrow.
“Hi,” I finally reply after the silence gets too heavy.
Jaime gives me a knowing smile, yet neither of us moves. She’s even more gorgeous than she was last Sunday when she left here. I take in every detail of her appearance, committing it to memory, so fucking excited that she’s here, yet fearful that she’ll leave at the same time.
“Pizza, huh?” she asks, her eyes zero in on the covered dough before me.
“Yeah, I thought we’d throw it on the grill,” I start, turning my attention back to the bowl of mozzarella cheese. “Throw your bag anywhere. There’s beer and a bottle of Merlot still in the cabinet that you left here a week or so ago.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her drop the bag on one of the kitchen chairs, and head over to the fridge. I expect her to pour herself a glass of wine, but instead she surprises me and grabs a beer from the fridge. Twisting the cap off, she moves until she’s standing directly beside me. My pants tighten even further as she brushes against me. The hairs on my arm stand up, my body like a live wire ready to zap anything and everything that gets in its way.
Reaching for my bottle, Jaime removes it from the koozie and throws it in the trash, replacing my empty drink with a full one. Before she places it back on the counter though, she takes a long pull. Her lips are plump and wet as they wrap around the lip of the luckiest beer bottle in the world. Our eyes remain locked as she slowly removes the bottle from her lips and hands it towards me. A drop of brew glistens on her plump lip, drawing my attention like a strobe light. Without even wiping my hands, I take the bottle and put it to my own lips, loving the fact that they’re touching the exact same place as Jaime’s just a few seconds ago.
My cock is so hard it could break the concrete sidewalk outside. Jaime’s breathing hitches and her eyes dilate to little black orbs of desire as she watches me drink. Who ever knew drinking could be so damn erotic, but hell if I’m not turned on more than ever before. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I haven’t seen her in a week or the fact that her scent is permeating through the lusty fog suddenly consuming my brain.
As I’m setting the bottle down on the counter, Jaime gently pushes aside the ingredients for the pizza. “So, I was thinking,” she starts before hoisting herself up on the countertop before me.
My eyes devour her movements. My body moves to fill the void between her legs. “What were you thinking about?” I ask huskily.
“About your question,” she states matter-of-factly as she takes hold of my hips and moves them until I’m snuggly against the apex of her legs. Best place in the world.
“Which question was that?” I ask, toying with her just a bit. I know exactly which damn question she’s referring to. It takes every ounce of self-control I can muster to keep my hands planted firmly on the countertop. My palms twitch to touch the line of smooth skin that runs up the insides of her thighs.
As if losing her own battle with self-control, Jaime runs her fingers from my hips up my torso and around to graze against my chest. My body is so tight with desire that I’m sure she can feel the tension in every muscle she touches.
“The one that references our pending living arrangements,” she replies quietly, her eyes following the path she makes with her fingers.
“Ahh. I do recall that particular question.” Vividly. I’ve thought of nothing since.
Jaime dances her fingers up my chest and around my shoulders. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls until I’m heavenly plastered against her body. Her luscious tits are flattened against my chest, the hard length of my cock nestled against her stomach.
“And I have an answer for you,” she whispers breathlessly.
“You do?”
“Yes, but first I want to tell you about my visitor today.”
I feel my body tense, but not in the way it was earlier. “Tell me.”
“Gavin drove to town to apologize. He wanted to do it face-to-face instead of over the phone the way he did when he broke off the engagement.”
Jaime takes a deep breath, but keeps her arms locked around my neck, as if anchoring her body to mine somehow makes it easier to talk about the past. But I can still see the pain in her eyes. The difference is, now, I see something that looks like acceptance and forgiveness.
“He said he felt horrible for treating me the way he did, ending it the way he did, but he was so confused. He knew in his heart he couldn’t go through with the wedding and said he actually realized it before that week, he was just too afraid to acknowledge it. I suppose I can completely understand that, you know? I guess now it felt like we were better friends than we were lovers.”
Just hearing that word lovers coming out of her mouth makes my jaw tick. Call me possessive, I don’t care. Being reminded that Jaime has had other lovers before me causes every jealous bone I have in my body to rev to life. It’s stupid, I know. There were women before her, but none since. There will never be another. She’s it. I feel it.
“Anyway, he started to have feelings for someone else. He said he tried to deny it, but couldn’t. The night before he broke it off with me, he worked late. I was fine since my family was in town and us girls all went and got pedicures. Apparently, there was a coworker that was there with him and the next thing he knew,
they were kissing.”
Wait. I search her face, looking for any sign of distress or anguish, but I still see nothing. “He cheated on you?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Not really. I mean, it was a kiss, but that was as far as it went. At least, that’s what he said, and I believe him.”
“So he kissed some office skank and then broke off the engagement?”
“No.”
“No? He didn’t break up with you?”
“No. It wasn’t an office skank.” Jaime takes a deep breath before continuing. “It was a man.”
“He kissed a man?”
“Yeah. He realized that he was gay.”
“Gavin is gay?”
“Apparently after we broke up, he spent some time soul-searching and realized that he loved me as a friend, but not as a man loves the woman he’s pledging to spend the rest of his life with. He was fighting his attraction and feelings for the same sex, probably always had been.”
“Wow,” I reply, taking it all in.
“Yeah. I guess he and Chad started seeing each other recently. He says they’ve really hit it off and he’s happy.”
“And Chad is?”
“The coworker.”
“And you are?”
“I’m okay. I feel like I’m finally able to put this all to rest. I know there was nothing more I could do to make him happy or make him love me more. It wasn’t me, and I’ll be honest, ever since it happened, I always thought it was my fault, that I did something wrong.”
“You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. I’m sorry he hurt you, that you had to endure that heartache.”
“I’m finally able to see that now. I mean, I was there, I knew it, but he gave me the closure I think I desperately needed. Being with you, well that was when I knew what happened with Gavin was supposed to occur, because we were supposed to happen.”
Instead of confirming what I already know, I choose to kiss her lips instead. It’s an affirmation that yes, we were supposed to happen. When I pull back, her eyes are dancing with exhilaration.
“So, back to that question you asked me,” she says, pulling me in close once more. Her lips dance along the shell of my ear, her tongue darts out as if stealing a taste.
“I’m all ears.” My voice sounds foreign, even to myself.
She turns and looks me straight in the eye. Green eyes dance with excitement as I wait to hear that single word that will set me on the path I’m ready to travel. A path that I’ll travel with Jaime, maybe even for the rest of my life.
Her lips graze across mine, her breath rushing out in quick pants. “Yes.”
Gazes locked, I slam my lips into hers fiercely. There’s no teasing or tenderness in this kiss. It’s full of want and passion. It’s full of love. My love.
Suddenly, I’m removing her shirt, exposing a soft pink bra made of lace. Her nipples are already erect and straining through the delicate material, beckoning for my touch and calling for my mouth.
I run my tongue along the lace-covered peaks. Blood swooshes through my ears, drowning out the sound of her joyous moans. Tugging the material, I reveal two perfect tits, the nipples wet from my mouth. “Say it again.”
“Yes,” she whispers once more.
Hearing that word sparks another onslaught of red-hot lust. I need nothing more than to rid her of every piece of clothing she’s wearing and bury myself to the hilt inside her body. Claim her. Possess her. It’s all I can think about, everything I want. Her. I fucking need her.
“You know what that means, right?” I ask, unbuttoning and removing her shorts.
“An endless supply of orgasms?” she quips, the sexiest smile spread across her bee-stung lips, as she references one of the items from the list I texted her.
“You fucking know it,” I laugh.
Things turn serious quickly as she tugs on my shirt and throws it somewhere in the kitchen behind me. My lips descend to hers once more as her hands work vigorously at removing my shorts. She pushes until she can’t reach any further, so I help her rid me of everything below the waist.
Standing naked in my kitchen, I feast my eyes on the glorious woman sprawled before me on my counter like some all-you-can-eat buffet. She’s still wearing her bra and the matching lace panties, though not for very long.
Sliding my hands up the silkiness of her thigh, I take the delicate lace between my fingers. “Are these expensive?” I ask huskily.
“Yes.” She’s every bit as breathless as I am.
“I’ll buy you another pair,” I state as my hands rip the undergarment to shreds.
Jaime’s gasp echoes through the kitchen, but my eyes zero in on the Promise Land between her legs. Wet and slick, she’s beckoning me like a lighthouse on the coast. With her legs wrapped around my waist, I lean forward and run my tongue along her seam. She tastes better than anything in this world, all musky and sweet.
I place my hands across her waist and devour her with my tongue. Jaime grinds against my face, her body seeking out every ounce of pleasure I offer. Parting her folds, I stroke her pulsing clit with my tongue, sucking it gently into the warmth of my mouth. She convulses beneath me, so very close to the edge of rapture.
With my free hand, I slide a single finger along her entrance, teasing and drawing out a bit more pleasure. “Ryan, please.” Her words are panting pleas, a prayer of need and desire.
“Do you want to come?” I ask, her internal muscles tightening around my finger as I slowly push inside.
“Please,” she begs.
I slide a second finger inside as far as they’ll go, curling them upward as I gently suck on her clit. The action sends her soaring above the clouds, screaming her release for everyone to hear. Continuing to gently stroke her, I release her clit and kiss my way up her abdomen. Jaime flops back on the counter, boneless and spent.
“Still with me?” I ask, showering her chest with a little more attention. Her only response is a grumbled groan of satisfaction.
“I’m not done with you yet,” I warn her before standing up. My height and the position of the counter lines me up perfectly for my next move.
With my hands gripping her hips, I gently move her towards the edge of the countertop and right onto my hard cock. She’s still tight and pulsing as I slowly push inside of her warm, wet body. I move until I can’t go any farther, and then I revel in how amazing it is between us. Every. Damn. Time.
“God, you feel so fucking perfect.”
Jaime seems to awaken beneath me as she arches her back and pushes down with her ass, ensuring I’m completely seated within her. My body is burning with the need to move, but I force myself to remain perfectly still for just a few more minutes. I’m captivated with how right she feels, how we feel together.
“You’ve gotta move,” she pleads. Her words pull me from my own trance, and I’m pulled into the depths of her deep green eyes. They’re so alive and full of love right now in this moment.
“I love you.” Bending down, I claim her lips with mine before she can respond.
Then, I move.
I stand up, grab her hips, and steadily pump into her with long, fluid strokes. Jaime grips the edge of the bar behind her and holds on tight as I guide us towards release. Her body moves with mine, gripping and milking my cock from within. I reach with my left hand and pinch a perky nipple between my fingers. Jaime’s internal muscles grip me tighter. She’s close.
Swirling my hips around, I slam into her. The angle hits that sweet spot within her body, and after a few more pumps, Jaime’s tumbling over the edge in orgasm. She cries out my name, her nails biting into my forearms, as I lose myself in my own release. White light fills my vision, and the air in the room evaporates making it difficult to breathe. All I can do is feel. Feel how tight and wet she is while she’s coming on my cock. Feel how amazingly perfect her body feels wrapped around mine. Feel how fucking much love I have for this one woman.
My woman.
Stretching over the top of her, I find her sweet lips. Her mouth is open with little pants of warm breath peppering my face. Slowly, I steal kiss after kiss, savoring and tasting her. I know right then that I’ll never get enough of her kisses. I crave them as much as I crave her.
“Come with me, beautiful,” I say.
“Where are we going?”
“To shower. Together.”
“What about supper?” she asks while I help her sit up and slowly pull myself from her body. Right now we’re a sticky mess, and all I can think about is getting my hands on her while I help clean her up.
“It will keep,” I reply, throwing the bowl of cheese and other pizza toppings in the refrigerator.
Then with her cradled in my arms, I carry her back to my bedroom, finally absorbing her decision to move in with me. Just the idea of waking up beside her every morning and falling sleep with her leg draped over my own every night is enough to put a huge smile on my face. We’re definitely going to need a bigger place. STAT.
But first things first: I’m going to devour the woman I love in the shower.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jaime
Three months later
It’s funny how quickly the weather turns from warm and comfortable to brisk and cool. The mid-October air is chillier than normal, but that hasn’t stopped us from sitting on the deck of the new home Ryan and I purchased together. He insisted that both of our names be on everything from the mortgage to the utilities. We’re a team, he says repeatedly.
Tonight will be our first official night under our new roof. It didn’t take too long to find a house that we both agreed on, and our offer wasn’t countered by the Morgensons. Thirty days later, we were signing on the dotted lines (so many dotted lines), becoming homeowners for the first time.
We spent the last month fixing it up. Ryan put his master carpentry skills to work, designing and completing a beautiful new kitchen and bathrooms. The rest of the rooms in our two-story home just needed a little paint and TLC. We discovered beautiful hardwood floors beneath the brown shag carpet, and on his days off, my dad helped Ryan sand and refinish them. Josh has even been over here almost nightly to help in any way he can. They’ve become good friends through the whole home remodeling project.