by Lisa Simmons
"Abigail got it," Gemma chided him, shooting me a conspiratorial grin along with a wink. I was nowhere near getting it but I'd go along with Gemma if that was what she wanted.
"Yeah, I don't know what your issue is," I added, barring my teeth in a wide, over-enthusiastic grin. I leaned forward on my elbows at the table, sitting on my feet pulled up beneath me. He turned to glance at me with his eyebrows raised.
"Oh yeah?" he asked sarcastically, grinning at me. "You're a master card player, all of a sudden?"
"You bet," I replied, nodding once. He pursed his lips together in a close-lipped smile as he shook his head. His lips were stained a darker pink than usual thanks to the wine and I found myself enchanted by them for a few seconds.
"You think you know a person," he joked. His hand reached forward to playfully squeeze my chin, shaking it lightly while scrunching his nose up at me. I giggled again. He could probably tell I was feeling the alcohol by the light giddiness that had started to creep into my posture and voice.
A high-pitched squeak came from across the table, yanking me out from under Reece's spell to look at the source. Anne watched us with watery eyes, as if her emotions had finally gotten the better of her. All night, she'd been watching us on the edge of tears and the wine didn't seem to be helping.
"Mum, come on," Gemma said with a roll of her eyes. "You can't keep getting all emotional every time they so much as speak to each other."
"I know, I know," she said, waving her hands in front of her face as if to dry her tears. Robin looked at her and shook his head with a gentle smile on his face as if he found her endearing. I had to admit, it felt good to know she was emotional because she was happy and that I might have had something to do with it.
"I'm just so happy you're here, Abigail," she said with a watery smile. "It's so lovely to see Reece like this."
"Like what?" Reece questioned, frowning in confusion at his mother. I grinned at his profile, finding his slight pout absolutely adorable.
"Happy," she said simply, shrugging lightly at him. Gemma laughed quietly before throwing back the rest of her wine, emptying her glass.
"Annoyingly happy, actually," she teased with a sly grin.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Reece said sarcastically, sounding the farthest from sorry I'd ever heard. I jumped slightly when his hand landed on my thigh, his touch surprising me. He shot me a slight smirk because I'd jumped, which I returned with a grin. My skin felt hot through the layer separating us, his touch sparking the heat that simmered still in my veins from earlier. The alcohol in my system was setting off endorphins in my body, making it very difficult to think of anything but his hand on my leg.
"I just wish you'd brought her to us sooner," Anne said, reaching to collect everyone's cards as it became clear we'd all given up on the game.
"That's partially my fault," I admitted, sticking up for Reece while he took the opportunity to finish his wine. I'd lost track of how many each of us had drank, but it was becoming more and more clear that I was sufficiently drunk as my words slurred together and a light dizziness settled over my brain.
"Oh?" Anne asked lightly.
"Yes," I nodded, hiccupping once. "We had-"
I was about to tell her how I'd had to break up with him when he squeezed my leg lightly, cutting me off. He leaned forward to put his elbows on the table, leaning closer to me.
"We just took our time," he said, shaking his head minutely at me. They didn't need to know the details of how we'd arrived here, especially about our forced break up.
"Well there's nothing wrong with that," Anne said with a soft smile, not catching Reece's intervention. It was probably a good thing everyone was drinking or she might have noticed.
"I agree," I said, grinning slightly drunkenly at her. I was almost positive "taking our time" was a phrase that did not apply to our relationship in most aspects, but she didn't need to know that. In terms of becoming official, we had most definitely taken our time, so it would work.
A loud yawn sounded from across the table and I turned to see Robin's mouth wide open. I glanced at the clock hanging behind him to see it was getting pretty late.
"I think this old man needs to get to bed," he announced, smiling gently at us all. Anne patted his hand and nodded, suddenly looking very tired as if just realize how late it was.
"I think I do as well," she agreed, standing gathering up the bottles of wine on the table to carry them back into the kitchen. Gemma stood and took the wine glasses, all of which were now empty.
"Abigail, dear, if you want you can stay in the guest bedroom. Otherwise I'm fine with you staying with Reece. I know you're adults," she said sweetly, glancing at me over the sink as she quickly rinsed out the glasses Gemma delivered to her.
"Thank you, Anne," I replied, pleased to have her permission. Robin rose from his seat and moved behind us, clapping Reece gently on the shoulder before heading toward the hallway.
"Good to have you home, Reece. And lovely to meet you, Abigail," he added with a smile. "See you for breakfast, sweet dreams."
"You too," I called as he disappeared down the hall. Everything seemed so nice and lovely and warm that I couldn't stop smiling.
"You staying the night, Gem?" Reece asked his sister. Seeing as she was a few years older than Reece, I assumed she didn't usually live with her parents. I couldn't find it in me to focus much on her answer as Reece's hand on my thigh continued to distract me even though he wasn't really doing anything. The heat of it melted into my skin and shot through my nerves, awakening my body even more than the buzz from the alcohol already had.
"Yeah, I'll stay in the den downstairs," she said, her words barely making it through the thick haze settling over my body. Reece said something in return that I did not catch as his hand slid suddenly up the inside of my leg, his fingers brushing my center so casually it was if he hadn't realized he'd done it. I sucked in a quiet gasp that thankfully his mother and sister did not hear from the kitchen. He turned to glance at me, his eyes alight with mischief that clearly told me he knew exactly what he was doing.
"Sounds good," he said, replying to his sister as he tore his gaze from mine, turning away from me once more. I shifted in my seat and tried to mask the way I was feeling, but I didn't know how successful I was thanks to the alcohol. They chatted a bit more, their words going over my head as Reece's fingers grazed over me again, this time lingering a bit to put pressure on me before returning his hand innocently to my knee.
It took everything in me not to jump him at that second, the tension building up in the pit of my stomach as my body craved his. It wasn't fair for him to tease me like that when his family was just across the room. I had a horrible suspicion he was winding me up so I wouldn't be able to say no so easily when we were alone later. He'd said earlier he wanted to fuck me in his childhood room and he was making sure I wouldn't be able to resist.
How lovely of him.
"Okay, goodnight you two," Gemma said as she walked by. She ruffled Reece's hair as she did so, sending the dark waves sprawling over his forehead. He frowned and shoved his free hand through, pushing them once again off his face.
"Goodnight," I said, sounding positively drunk. The combination of alcohol and Reece had ruined me. Anne emerged from behind the counter, a content expression on her face. Reece squeezed my leg one last time before standing. I copied him, my head swimming slightly before recovering at the movement. I was surprised when my body was enveloped in a hug from Anne, my reactions slowed just a bit as I hugged her back.
"Thank you, Abigail," she whispered quietly enough so Reece wouldn't hear. I wasn't exactly sure what she was thanking me for but I could feel it in her hug how much she meant it. I smiled over her shoulder as I squeezed back.
"My pleasure," I whispered in response. Reece watched me, his eyes locking with mine while he shook his head with gentle amusement. She released me before tugging Reece into a similar hug. He ducked down to return it, his head clea
ring hers completely. She must have said something to him as well because he rolled his eyes before pulling away from her.
"Okay, mum, time for you to go to bed," he said gently. He looked like he was humoring her.
"Yes, you're right. I've had far too much wine but I wanted to keep up with you all," she said with a slight chuckle. "Goodnight. See you at breakfast!"
"Goodnight," I responded, curious as to what she'd said to Reece. She released him and turned to leave with a final bleary smile. Reece turned to me and raised his eyebrows while drawing in a deep breath.
"None of you can hold your alcohol," he teased, taking a step closer to me. So he had noticed my drunken state.
"I don't know what you mean. I'm just fine," I lied, the way my words slurred together contradicting the meaning. He chuckled and brushed his fingers along my collarbone, smoothing my hair behind my shoulder as he exposed the skin.
"Sure, babe," he whispered as he dropped his lips to my clavicle, pressing his mouth into the freshly exposed skin. I sighed and titled my head back, relieved to finally have his lips on my skin after hours of torture. He smoothed his hands down my sides before cupping my backside and hauling me against him, all while his lips moved over my skin. When my legs collided with the table, I jolted out of the haze I seemed to be constantly fighting. His words drifted back to me from earlier, but I had a different idea.
He'd been teasing me all night, whether on purpose or unintentionally, but he had to pay for it.
I raised my hands to his chest, pushing lightly to detach his lips from my neck. He blinked in surprise before a confused look swept over his face. I giggled drunkenly, loving the way my limbs felt lighter than air thanks to the wine.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.
"What happened to the bedroom thing, hmm?" I replied, biting my lip into my mouth as I stepped closer to him, dragging my hands up his stomach. His eyes dropped to my lips as he let out an audible groan.
"You said no," he muttered hopefully, as if praying I'd thought differently. I smirked through the lip bite, shrugging at him.
"Changed my mind," I whispered, leaning forward enough to nip at his lower lip so lightly it almost didn't connect. My hormones were going crazy thanks to his teasing touch and the alcohol.
I wanted him.
My hand trailed over the front of his jeans, the fabric already strained from his growing size. I palmed him over the fabric and watched with indulgent delight as his breath hitched slightly, making his lips quiver minutely only an inch from my own.
"Fuck," he murmured, leaning forward only for me to duck out of reach, leaving him hanging inches in front of me.
"Not uh," I whispered. My back arched into him and our lips were practically touching as we resisted the temptation. "Upstairs."
He all but threw me over his shoulder as he tugged me backward, leading me up to his room. I smirked at his back, pleased I still had the ability to drive him up a wall after being together so long. We reached the landing at the top of the stairs, Reece's hand claiming mine as he led me through the dark.
When we passed the first bedroom, he pointed silently as if to indicate that was where Anne and Robin stayed. I noted the room and counted three doors separating their room and Reece's as we moved through the doorframe. Three rooms were all that separated us from his family. I took it as a challenge and prayed the alcohol consumed would make for a house of heavy sleepers.
As soon as the door closed, Reece spun and pressed me into the wood, pushing his body into mine and placing his hands on either side of my head. He ducked down to kiss me, pushing his mouth roughly into my own and letting his tongue lap against mine instantly. I returned the kiss hungrily, my hands ripping at his belt to undo it as quickly as I could manage. I'd gotten pretty good at it, apparently, because his jeans were on the floor in a matter of seconds, leaving my hands free to rip his shirt over his head.
He leaned back enough for the fabric to clear his head, breaking our kiss momentarily only for him to crash back against me the moment he was free. He fisted my hair in his hand while he kissed me roughly, pushing my back against the wood. I felt the smooth, firm muscles of his abdomen as my hand pushed over it, pausing only briefly to trace around the band of his boxer briefs before pushing beneath them. He was already firm and thick in my palm as I felt his length, enjoying the delicious groan he let out at the contact.
His hips pushed forward, thrusting himself into my hand while tearing his lips from mine to trail eagerly down my neck, leaving a path of wet, hot kisses along my skin. My fingers wrapped around him, stroking him a few more times before pulling my hand away to push against his chest once more. For the second time in only minutes, his face appeared bewildered in front of me. His wild eyes changed, however, when I continued to push him backward until we'd reached the bed. His legs hit the side of it where he resisted my pushing until I finally managed to shove him hard enough to shove him onto his back.
He smirked deeply as he reached for my hips, attempting to pull me forward onto him but I shoved his hands away. I bit my lip and took a deep breath, channeling all the tingling and heat in my body to psych myself up.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, his voice thick with need. His chest was already rising and falling faster than usual. I didn't answer as I reached for the hem of my shirt, my fingers tickling over the fabric while I held his eye contact. His eyes seared into mine before dropping to the strip of my stomach revealed when I slowly lifted my shirt over my head, abandoning the fabric to the floor.
He drew his lower lip into his mouth, biting down as lust darkened his eyes. My hands tickled over my skin on my lower stomach as I let them fall to the fastenings of my jeans, my fingers working slowly to undo them. Reece's eyes watched my every move, his gaze fixed on every inch of skin that was revealed. The fabric pushed slowly down my thighs, dragging my underwear with it, and I let my hands trail over my skin while he drank it all in. I watched his face the entire time as I stepped out of the jeans, my body positively enthralled by the look on his features.
He groaned quietly at the sight of me standing before him, his lip still tugged into his mouth as his hand pushed down his thigh in frustration, his touch dangerously close to his own center. My eyes tracked his hand as it twitched in desperation as I reached slowly behind me to undo the clasp of my bra. The fabric fell from my shoulders, leaving me completely naked. Again, his fists clenched on his thighs and his eyes darkened even more.
"Do you want to touch yourself, baby?" I whispered, stepping closer to him but staying out of his reach. The alcohol was making me braver than usual.
"I want to touch you," he replied, his voice dripping with need. I sucked in a breath as his eyes raked over my body, desperation clear in his gaze. Despite his statement, I watched in delicious agony as his palm smoothed over his front, putting pressure on the strained material of his boxer briefs. I tried to keep my breathing even, but the sight of him touching himself nearly made me launch myself at him and rip off the remaining clothes he was wearing.
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us to come to stand between his thighs. He reached up to touch me immediately but I pushed his hands away, shaking my head.
"Don't touch me," I whispered, holding his burning gaze. My hand reached forward to run my thumb along his lower lip, which was slightly swollen from our kissing and the way he kept biting down on it. He huffed in frustration as he looked down my body once again. I gasped quietly when he leaned forward to press a kiss on my lower abdomen, the touch sending a shockwave of heat through my body.
"Okay, baby," he replied, looking up at me from beneath his brow.
"Lie down," I commanded, my voice quiet but strong thanks to the need to be stealthy. He didn't obey at first, staring at me as if in slight shock, but moved once I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed firmly. His broad shoulders collided with the covers and his stomach muscles strained as he lifted his
head to watch me.
My heart pounded in my chest, feeding off the adrenaline of finally being the one in control. Usually we got so wrapped up in each other that it didn't matter, but I wanted my chance. His eyes never left mine as I crawled up the bed, my head ducking down to drag my lips across his abdomen. I could see his chest expanding with every shallow breath he took and was pleased to see it increase even more when my fingers dug under the waistband of his final layer. I tugged down, freeing him from the tight constraints to allow him to spring forward. I pulled the fabric down his thighs before managing to remove them and throw them to the floor.
My hand pushed up his thighs, the soft bristles of his leg hair passing smoothly under my palms. I dropped my lips once more to leave a trail of kisses over his sharp hipbone, tracing the v of muscle with my tongue until I let my breath wash over his cock. He sucked in a sharp breath when I ran the flat of my tongue up the shaft, starting at the base until I reached the tip. My lips closed around the tip and I let my tongue trace lightly around the circumference before pushing forward, engulfing as much of him as I could until he hit the back of my throat.
His hips bucked upward at the depth and I heard him curse above me, which only encouraged me further. My hands flattened out over his hips, holding them down as I bobbed my head up and down, taking as much as I could each time I did so. His hands fisted the blankets on either side of his hips as he groaned, enjoying the warmth of my mouth around him. Every time I slid up and down his length, I sucked a little more until his hips were positively thrashing beneath my hands. I slid my tongue up his length one last time, circling it around the tip again before pulling him from my mouth.
"Reece, baby, you have to sit still," I whispered, kissing his hipbone once again. I dragged my body up his, making sure to rub over his center as I did so. His face was flushed and his eyes were wild, pent up from being teased without actually coming.