by Autumn Marks
“Did you place me all the way down here on purpose? So I couldn’t touch you…and distract you?” he asked, his eyes full of mischief.
He was at the other end of her rectangular table. She thought it’d be easier for them to talk during dinner. But Brandon had a mind of his own. He moved his plate right next to where Emily’s sat and took the seat closest to her. His body was so close, if she moved a certain way their legs would brush up against one another’s, bare skin to bare skin. “That’s better,” he said, then took his seat.
Emily took her first bite of pork chop and grits and gave herself an imaginary pat on the back. The smoky tomato sauce with the pork chop and creamy grits were a heavenly combination. But it wasn’t her opinion that mattered here. She was eager to know if Brandon would like it. She watched as he got himself a bite with all three components of the dish. While he chewed, she waited for some sort of response from him. But he was determined to make her wait and the smile on his face told Emily he was enjoying it. He was paying her back for making him wait for what he wanted.
“Well?” she asked.
“It’s amazing. The grits are good, maybe not North Carolina good, but if you made them again, I’d happily eat them.”
She’d take it. From an unskilled Northerner trying to replicate a generations-old Southern dish, it was as high of praise as she would get, and expected, for her first attempt. “Thanks. I’m glad you like them.”
The conversation had come easily to them through dinner, Brandon asking questions about her job, the worst clients she’d ever had, the best ones she’d ever had. In turn, Emily asked questions about some of Brandon’s favorite and least favorite students, and if any of them had ever contacted him to give him an update on life after high school.
When the two of them finished, Brandon thanked her for dinner and took her plate for her while she cleared their glasses from the table. The two of them found a rhythm while putting away the food and cleaning up the dishes from the meal. Brandon seemed at ease in her kitchen. Without her having to say anything, he knew what to do.
When they were done cleaning up, they stood facing one another, his gaze sliding down her body. The air crackled between them, both of them very aware of each other’s bodies—and what they were about to do with them. He stood there and with each second that passed, Emily’s heartbeat quickened, her lips suddenly becoming dry.
“I made some brownies for dessert,” she said, her words coming out more like a question. She knew where his mind was already and doubted he’d be in the mood for brownies.
Brandon shook his head. “You’ve made me wait long enough for my dessert. I want you. Now.” He closed the distance between them and crushed his lips to hers in a searing kiss she felt straight to her core. She gave in to him entirely, letting his tongue roam against hers, tasting his beer, the last thing he’d had before kissing her.
He pulled away. “Where’s your bedroom? Unless you want to do this here,” he said, his voice husky with desire.
She took his hand in hers and led him up the stairs. He paused at the doorway to her bedroom, asking with his gaze if he could enter. This was her space. Her sanctuary. Him being up here spoke volumes about her comfort with Brandon. She wanted to share this space with him. She knew that whatever happened tonight in this room, she would never be able to look at it the same way again.
But she was willing to take that risk—with him.
She kept hold of his hand and led him into her bedroom where they stood at the foot of her bed, her sheets already messed up, saving themselves the trouble. Emily sensed Brandon’s demeanor had changed. Downstairs he’d been ready to have her on the dining room table if necessary. But up here, he seemed to recognize this was her private space and wanted to respect that.
Emily unbuttoned his shirt, one by one, revealing his toned chest a little more each time. Once his shirt was fully removed, she smoothed her hands down his chest, tracing the contours of each muscle. Was there ever a more perfect body than his? And he was all hers. A grin spread across her face.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked.
“I was thinking about how lucky I am.”
“Lucky how?”
“I get you…all to myself.”
“I’m the lucky one here.” He leaned in to kiss her, but Emily ducked away.
“Nuh-uh. I’m not done undressing you yet.”
Brandon huffed. “I could’ve had this done by now.” But his smile gave him away. He’d let her have this moment.
Her hands moved to his shorts, unbuttoning them, then easing them down his hips over the bulge protruding from his boxer briefs. She rid him of his underwear next, leaving him standing there naked, his excitement for her very obvious.
With her eyes on his, she kneeled down and watched the way his eyes darkened as he anticipated what was to come. She slid her tongue along his length, then took him in her mouth, slowly, methodically, inch by inch, eliciting a groan from him. It was Emily who had the power now, in complete control of Brandon’s pleasure. He sucked in a breath when she brought him to the edge, then he exhaled once she slowed down.
“Are you trying to make me finish?”
Emily took him out of her mouth. “So you’re saying you want me to stop?” she said with a smirk.
“If you want to make this last, yes.”
She stood up and Brandon kissed her once more, then unzipped her dress and let it pool at her feet. She stepped around it and brushed it to the side. When she’d been deciding what to wear for tonight, she’d paid just as much attention to her bra and panties too. She’d chosen a black, lacy set which Brandon seemed to appreciate, judging by the way he was looking at her. He skimmed his hands down her breasts, down her stomach, all the way to her core which he rubbed through her panties with his thumb.
“It’s my turn to please you.”
“I thought I was in charge here,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper while he continued touching her.
Brandon held his hands up. “You’re in charge.”
“There’s something I want to try tonight. I’ve never done this before. But I want to…with you.”
“What’s that?”
She’d always been afraid to try this, thinking she wouldn’t like it—would be bad at it. But she felt comfortable enough to try with Brandon. “I want to be on top.”
He nodded. “I have one request.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“You leave this on,” he said, pointing to her bra. “It’s so damn sexy on you.”
“Deal.”
Brandon retrieved a condom from his shorts pocket while Emily shimmied out of her panties. He lay back on her bed and she settled herself over him. With his help, she guided him into her, her body consuming every inch. When he was seated deep within her she started to move. Her movements were awkward at first and as his hands helped her along, she found her rhythm.
But after a few minutes, her confidence waned. Was she doing this right? Was he enjoying it? She was definitely enjoying the feel of it, but was he getting anything from it?
“What’s wrong? You’ve changed. I can feel it.”
Is it really that obvious? “I don’t know if I’m doing it right,” she said, her hands splayed on his chest.
He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed. “I don’t think there’s a wrong way here. Try not to think so much about it. Do whatever feels best for you.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Are you enjoying it?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re doing it right.”
She picked up her pace again, her body tensing as her orgasm built within her. With a few more quick movements, her release took over, her body no longer feeling like her own. The warmth spread through her, dissipating while she moved to work it out.
“I haven’t finished yet if you want to keep going.”
She certainly did. That first orgasm was just the starting point as a second one wasn’t far behind. As
she moved her hips and eased him in and out, her body tensed again, her movements quickening. With his fingers still intertwined through hers, she squeezed his hands, craving his strength while her second orgasm spread through her entire body. A soft moan escaped her lips when Brandon lifted his hips, pushing himself deep within her. His entire body went rigid under her, his release pouring out of him. He sighed with what Emily assumed was contentment and released her hands.
She sat there with him still inside her and leaned forward for a kiss, then another. She’d always wanted to try that and enjoyed it so much more than she thought she would. She was a bit tired and her legs tingled, like she’d been on a treadmill for too long. But she’d do it all over again—in a heartbeat.
She lowered herself down from Brandon’s body and rested on her side next to him.
“Where’s your bathroom?” he asked.
“Right across the hall.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said, then left the bed. Just over a minute later he was back and lay down on his side facing her. “Did you like it?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile. She’d shout it from the roof if she had to.
Brandon grinned, his blue eyes almost sparkling. “I liked it too. Watching you take control up there is quite the turn-on.”
“I’ve been thinking about your best man’s speech,” she blurted out without thinking. It wasn’t the smoothest segue and certainly didn’t make sense in context, but the thought had come unbidden into her mind and she had to get it out.
“I don’t want to think about that now.”
“I want to write it.”
“You’re already writing it.”
“No, I mean by myself. I want to write it and surprise you.”
“You know it’s not a speech for me, right?” he asked.
“I know. Think of it as a dual-purpose speech.”
“I don’t know how you go from having great sex to thinking about this speech,” he said with a chuckle, “but okay. You can write it.” There was a pause between them. “Got anything else you want to discuss? Algebra problems? The Civil War?”
She giggled and elbowed him in the side. “Shut up.” She flipped over and pretended to be annoyed.
He pulled her up against him. “Are you mad?” he asked, the concern evident in his tone.
“No.”
His body seemed to relax. After several minutes of lying in each other’s arms, he smoothed down her hair and kissed the back of her head. “I need to go let Ollie out in a little while.”
It was his way of telling her that he was going to be leaving soon. They’d already discussed he wouldn’t be staying overnight because she had to be at the office early the next morning for a meeting with her fellow agent. She flipped back over to face him. “Please stay with me a little while longer?”
He looked at her earnestly and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he said, “I’m here for you, however long you need.”
Chapter 25
Emily parked her car outside the wedding venue and texted Brandon, letting him know she was here and would have his speech to him in just a few. But she sat in her car, staring out at the cars surrounding her, making no move for the door handle.
It wasn’t that she didn’t know the place or was unfamiliar with her surroundings. This venue was the same one Stephanie had used for her wedding.
No, her hesitation stemmed from somewhere else.
She checked herself over in the visor mirror, not that she needed to. She’d looked in the mirror probably fifteen times before leaving her house. There was no way anything could’ve changed between her house and here. But she smoothed down a few stray hairs anyway. She’d left it down for tonight, taking her chances with the humidity, because Brandon seemed to prefer it that way.
She pulled her strapless dress up making sure things were all in place, even though she knew there wasn’t a risk of anything falling out. She’d taken great pains, literally, to tape things in place so nothing would move.
But this dress…
This dress was worth the pain and then some. She’d made a special trip up to Columbus to pick out this A-line, yellow tea-length party dress. Add in a pair of sexy heels, and she was feeling mighty confident in herself—confident in her looks anyway. That part she knew she’d nailed.
Her evening bag sat on the passenger seat next to her. She grabbed it and pulled out two papers that were folded, concealing their words. She’d written two versions of a best man’s speech tonight and was wrestling with herself over which one to give Brandon. It’s too soon. You’re coming on too strong, she’d told herself many times on the way over. It’s not going to end well.
Her stomach turned in knots and she bounced her leg, her nervous energy needing somewhere to go. As seconds ticked on, Emily was still undecided over which one to give. She knew which one she wanted to give. But then doubt kept rearing its ugly head, forcing her to reconsider.
She checked her cell phone, then did a double take. No way. There was no way ten minutes had passed. Just to be sure, she checked her phone a third time and sighed. She was late. Brandon was counting on her and she needed to get over herself and get a move on.
Her gaze flicked back and forth between the papers in her hands. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and made her choice.
It was now or never.
Where is she? Emily had texted him ten minutes ago saying she was parked and had his speech in hand. Did she park on Mars?
Brandon had told Trent he would only be a minute. But that minute had turned into ten. The entire wedding reception was being held up by him and if Emily didn’t get here soon, he was going to have to wing it—which he wasn’t thrilled about. Trent and Katie deserved better than that.
He rubbed a hand across his forehead, his hand coming away slicked with sweat. This single-breasted suit was practically cooking him in the sweltering heat. While everyone else was inside the barn keeping cool, he was outside in the damn oven that was summer in Ohio.
Finally, he saw her. She was easy to spot. That pale yellow dress she was wearing was eye-catching for all the right reasons. It looked like it was made for Emily the way it hugged her body. As if he wasn’t hot enough, the sight of Emily made blood flow to all the right places. She rushed toward him and even though he’d been irritated just a second ago, seeing her made it all dissipate.
She was perfect—and perfect for him.
“I’m so sorry,” Emily said. “I lost track—”
Brandon shook his head. “Forget about it. It doesn’t matter.” All that mattered was that she was here now. He held Emily at arm’s length and took a moment to appreciate what stood before him. “You look amazing. Absolutely stunning.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.” He closed the distance between them and palmed the back of her head and brought his lips to hers. He brushed against them lightly. “I’d kiss you harder, but I don’t want to ruin your lipstick.”
“We’ll have plenty of time to ruin it later.”
If they continued talking like this, he wouldn’t make it through the door. “Did you bring the speech?”
Emily opened up her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She placed it in his hand. “Don’t open it yet. Not until it’s time.”
“Thank you for doing this. Although you didn’t have to do it on your own,” he said and stuffed it in his pocket.
“You helped somewhat.” While Emily’s work week hadn’t provided much time for the two of them to get together, they did manage to see each other a few times. During those visits, Brandon had provided small details about Katie and Trent from high school that Emily wanted to incorporate in her speech.
“Barely. But come on. We’ve got a wedding to get to.” He opened the door for her and Emily went through to the reception hall while Brandon found the rest of the wedding party.
Trent, Katie, and Katie’s matron of honor and best friend, April, wer
e standing close to the opening of the reception hall making small talk while waiting for him to return.
“I’m sorry for the delay,” Brandon said, keeping his apology short and to the point. He wasn’t going to offer up any more information and risk letting it slip that he hadn’t actually written the speech.
“It’s okay,” Trent said. “We were just talking about our sophomore year in high school when Mr. Carne played a porn to the history class instead of his video on the Revolutionary War.”
Brandon laughed. “I remember that.”
“Did they ever find out who switched out the tape?” April asked. April had graduated the same year as the rest of them. Now she managed the grocery store in town and was married with three boys.
“I don’t think so,” Katie said. “Although I heard it was Brett Campbell who did it.”
“I could see him doing something like that. I couldn’t stand that guy,” April said. “He was such an ass.”
Trent looked around at their small wedding party consisting of four, then looked at his wife. “Should we get started?”
Katie nodded.
Brandon took up his place in front of Katie and Trent and linked arms with April.
April touched Brandon’s bicep with her other hand. “I could get used to being on your arm. Think we can make this a regular thing?”
He grinned. “Sorry. I’m taken.” Taken. It felt good to say that.
“That’s okay. I can’t run away with you anyway. My husband would miss me too much,” April said. She gave him a good once-over. “And you don’t look like you could survive my kids.”
Brandon chuckled. “I agree with you there. After I spend a few hours with my five-year-old niece, I’m ready for a nap.”
April patted Brandon’s arm out of pity. “My kids would eat you alive.”
When Brandon and April’s names were called, they began their walk to the head table while the close-knit crowd of about seventy-five people stared back at them. He spotted Mickey seated near the front, who greeted him with a smile. He searched and searched for Emily, not seeing her until he reached the head table. His eyes locked on hers and he committed her location to memory so when he read the speech she wrote, he could focus on her.