by Kennedy Fox
“Ethan!” she scolds, almost choking on her food again.
“I mean, you only screamed and moaned for hours, so that must be it.”
“I loved you long before I saw it,” she confirms. “Though, it definitely adds to the appeal…”
“Is that so?” I set my plate down on her nightstand and crawl over to her. “Wanna tell me again how much you love me?”
“Can a girl eat?” she asks as if she’s annoyed, but I see the little way the corner of her lips tilts up.
“Of course. Don’t mind me, though…” I move down the bed, spreading her legs open.
“What are you doin’?”
“I’m still hungry, and all my food is gone.” Kissing up her thigh, she widens them as I stroke my nose along her slit. Her panties were long gone last night, and thankfully, she never put them back on. “Fucking hell,” I mutter as I lap my tongue over her.
Harper adjusts her body so she’s more comfortable, then sets her plate down. I smile in amusement at how distracted she became as she fists her fingers in my hair.
“That feels good…” she hums when I continue licking her pussy. Her back nearly flies off the bed when I finger-fuck her while sucking her clit. As I bring her near to the edge, her hips go wild. Knowing she’s close, I pull back her swollen lips and flick her clit faster. “Yes, right there. Oh God. Yes, yes, yes.”
I growl as she shakes and unravels against my tongue. When I look up at her, I can tell she’s trying to scream, but she nearly lost her voice last night. Instead, it releases as a desperate screech, and my dick hardens when she meets my gaze. Her eyes are filled with hunger and need.
“Take off your shirt, baby.”
I stand to remove my clothes as she tosses it to the floor.
“You’re gonna knock me up,” she says breathlessly as I thrust deep inside her.
“Fuck, the thought of you carrying my baby drives me wild.”
“You really are possessive,” she taunts, rocking her hips into mine.
“I can’t help it, love. You make me this way. This animalistic, possessive desire to make you mine and make sure everyone on earth knows it is because of you.” I nibble on her ear before lowering my mouth to her neck. “I want to mark you for them to see.”
“Yes, do it,” she begs. “I want you to.”
Without hesitation, I suck on her neck as I drive fast and hard into her. She wraps one leg around me, and I somehow fill her deeper.
“God, you’re beautiful.” I press my lips to hers in a white-hot kiss. “But most importantly, you are on the inside and outside. It was so damn easy to fall for you.”
Harper’s eyes fill with tears, and I immediately slow my pace as fear surfaces over something I said. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
“Then why are you crying?”
She grins, wiping her face. “They’re tears of happiness.”
“Oh, Harper…” I lower my mouth to kiss her tearstained cheek.
“It feels like a dream. I never thought it could be this way.”
I grip her chin and softly press my lips to hers. “It’s finally the way it was always meant to be.”
Chapter Twenty
HARPER
It’s been six weeks, and I still can’t believe I’m actually engaged to Ethan. Not to mention everyone thought I was joking when I told them we were really getting married. Once I flashed the ring, like Ethan suggested, they believed me. Of course our parents were thrilled and said they all saw it coming for years.
His grandmother has already started asking about grandbabies, as we expected she would. She doesn’t let anyone slide when it comes to expanding the family, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to having kids with Ethan.
After the proposal and the announcement, our lives have seemed to somewhat go back to normal. Now, instead of denying my love for Ethan, I proudly kiss and touch him regardless of who’s around. Every free moment we’ve had, we’ve been glued at the hip. I still hustle all day making soaps and packaging orders, but since Ethan sleeps over almost every night, we get to see each other after he’s done with work. Most evenings are spent eating on the couch and watching movies. Then we slip into bed, and when Ethan wakes up early for work in the mornings, I get to kiss him goodbye and wish him luck with the goats. Though our relationship is still new in terms of how long we’ve been together, it seems like we’ve always been this way—deliriously happy. It’s a dream come true, and I don’t know how I got so lucky to be marrying my best friend for real this time.
So much has changed, but I don’t regret lying because it brought us together.
I’m almost tempted to send Shayla a thank-you card.
Just kiddin’. Screw her.
The front door to my cabin opens, and Ethan walks in, smiling wide when he sees me. “Almost ready? Don’t wanna be late.”
He drove over to pick me up after finishing his morning chores and getting ready for our traditional Thanksgiving lunch. After we eat, we’ll go to the B&B for the traditional dessert buffet with everyone.
I slip on my shoes. “Yep, I’m ready! Wondering if I should wear leggings, though, since I plan to eat a ton of turkey and pie…”
He chuckles. “You can always undo the top button if your jeans get too tight.”
“You already tryin’ to get me out of my clothes, huh?”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his mouth to mine.
“Mm, guess we can be a little late,” he muses, then deepens the kiss.
I smile against his lip, unbuckle his belt, then push down his jeans. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”
Urgently, Ethan undresses me. He swipes my hair out of the way and trails his lips down my neck to my collarbone. My breathing becomes ragged as my body instantly responds to his touch. As we cross the room, he removes the rest of his clothes. Our clothes make a trail leading straight to the bed.
I lie down on the mattress, and he scoots me to the edge.
“Goddamn,” he whispers, placing his head between my thighs and devouring me like his last meal.
My head spins as I get lost in the pleasure, clawing my nails on his shoulders as he brings me closer to the edge.
Ethan slows his pace, allowing the orgasm to build, and right as I’m on the brink, he pulls away, flashing a devilish grin.
“There’s no time for teasing, Ethan Bishop!”
“You’re a greedy little thing, aren’t you, love?” He smirks, and before I can say another word, he returns to licking and flicking my clit as he finger fucks me. He knows my body so well that it takes mere minutes to make me come. As I ride out my release, he slams his cock deep inside me, giving me everything I need.
“Yes...right there,” I mutter as my head falls back. “I can never get enough of you,” I confess between breathy moans. I’m so damn glad I’ve got my modest little cabin where we can be alone and enjoy one another without interruption or fear of someone overhearing.
We scoot farther up the mattress, and Ethan slows his pace. He releases a deep husky growl, and I know he’s almost there. Ethan buries his face in my hair and sucks my neck as he spills inside me. Before rolling over, he slides his lips against mine.
“I love you so much, sweetheart.”
“I love you too,” I say. “Now we should probably get going before we’re interrogated for not being on time.”
He chuckles with amusement. “You’re right.”
We allow our heart rates to return to normal, clean up, then get dressed.
I glance at Ethan after I’ve fixed my hair. “We look so guilty,” I say, brushing my fingertips over his swollen lips.
He leans in and kisses me. “’Cause we are.”
“I’m blaming you if your mom says anything about us being late!”
He laughs with a shrug, then leads me to his truck.
When we arrive, Elle and her family are already there. We walk inside and greet everyone. Elle han
ds the baby over to me, and I hold Elisa while items are being moved from the kitchen counter.
When Ethan’s parents leave the kitchen, Elle arches a brow at us. “I know exactly why you two were late.”
“Just workin’ on that niece or nephew you begged for,” Ethan mocks.
“Oh my God.” I groan in embarrassment. Ethan flashes me a wink before bringing a large bowl of sweet potatoes to the table.
“Time to eat!” Emily calls just as Evan finishes carving the turkey.
“Ethan!” Olivia gives Ethan a hug, and I find it sweet how much she adores him.
“Hey, Ollie Bear!” He wraps an arm around her. “You stayin’ out of trouble?”
She nods. “Yes, because I’m not a troublemaker! I’m still Mrs. Kenzie’s favorite.”
“Ohhh, so you’re the teacher’s pet then?” Ethan teases, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
“How’s the wedding plannin’ going’?” Elle asks as we all take our seats.
“Slowly but surely. I’ve been looking online to get ideas,” I say. “I’m thinking of an outdoor spring wedding so then it’s not too hot or cold.”
“That’s a great idea. Can’t go wrong with spring in Texas, plus there’ll be some beautiful flowers in bloom.”
After Mr. Bishop says the blessing, I give Elisa back to Elle so she can put her in the bouncy seat. Once we’re all settled, we pile our plates full and dig in.
“Everything is delicious,” I tell Mrs. Bishop.
“It really is. Glad I came hungry.” Ethan flashes her a smirk.
It doesn’t take long before we’re all patting our stomachs, complaining how stuffed we are. We chat for a bit before getting up to clear the table. I help Ethan bring the dishes in the kitchen while Elle and Connor chat with Emily and Evan in the living room. Olivia stays with us and is a great little helper.
After we’re done, we meet everyone in the living room and tell them we’ll meet them at the B&B since Ethan wants to get there early. I’m actually somewhat nervous about the rest of the day because it’ll be the first time we’ve been around all of his family at once since we announced our engagement.
Ethan interlocks his fingers with mine and kisses my knuckles as we drive over. “You’re quiet. Whatcha thinkin’ about?”
“Just a little anxious about going to the B&B today.”
“Nah, don’t be. You’ve basically been a part of the family since we were kids. All they’re gonna care about is when you’re gettin’ knocked up.”
“The sooner, the better.” I waggle my brows, testing him to see if he freaks out or not.
“Yeah? You’re ready to start a family with me?” He gives me his signature boyish grin that I love so much.
“I’ve been ready. You know I think back to what you told all those people at the conference, about how many kids you want to have. Was it four?”
Ethan chuckles. “Four or ten. Whatever we can have and handle. I love my sister, but I always wished I would’ve had more siblings, kinda like my dad. He was lucky. He had three brothers and a sister, and they were all somewhat close in age. Can you imagine how much fun it would’ve been growing up with a house full of rambunctious children?”
My eyes widen. “Ten kids! We better get busy then. I’m not gettin’ any younger.”
“Guess that means I’m gonna have to keep you knocked up for the next decade.”
“Multiples run in your blood, so maybe we can knock two or three out at a time,” I taunt.
“Jesus. Didn’t think about that.”
I snort just as we pull into the driveway. There’s already a handful of cars and trucks lined up. As soon as we get out, Ethan wraps his arm around me. “Let’s give ’em something to talk about.”
We make our way to the buffet line to check out the desserts although I’m still so full I don’t know if I can eat another bite. There are cakes, cookies, a huge assortment of pies, homemade candies, and more.
Maize comes around the corner carrying a fruit cake and smiles. “There’s the lovebirds.”
“You’ve completely outdone yourself this year,” I tell her. She rearranges some things to make room for the cake, then pulls me into a hug.
“Really happy for you two. Just be prepared to be bombarded about babies.”
“Don’t worry, we are.” Ethan shrugs as if he’s not fazed in the least.
“Did someone say babies?” Grandma Bishop saunters our way. “I promise to go easy on you and won’t mention it until the wedding day.”
She winks, and we break into a fit of laughter.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. Harper’s already agreed to have ten kids, so you’ll be set for a while,” Ethan tells her.
“Ten? Well. See there...” She turns to Maize, then continues, “Guess you got some catchin’ up to do.”
“Grandma!” Maize groans. “I think you still have some other grandchildren to pester about popping out a couple before it’s my turn again.”
Kane and Knox come in, and they’re followed by Grayson and Luke.
As soon as Knox is close, I ask him where Hadleigh is.
“She’s on the way,” Kane answers instead. Usually when the twins are at a Bishop event, she isn’t too far away. She usually eats lunch with her family first if she’s not working.
Moments later, Kenzie walks out of the kitchen and smiles when she sees us.
“Look at you two. Bangin’ looks good on y’all.” She snickers as she elbows Ethan.
Funny enough, we’re used to jokes like this, except this time they’re true.
“You’re just jealous,” Ethan says.
Kenzie rolls her eyes, but as soon as she sees Grayson, she groans. “I get so tired of seeing him everywhere I go!”
I still can’t figure out what their deal is, and neither can anyone else, but I keep that to myself. I’m afraid to even ask, given how fired up she gets anytime he’s near.
Grayson waves at Kenzie, and she flips him off before turning her back to talk to Maize.
“So y’all gonna tell me who won the bet?” Ethan crosses his arms over his chest as he looks at his cousins and ranch hands.
“What bet?” I ask, furrowing my brows at the way everyone’s chuckling.
“That’d be me,” Kenzie announces proudly, spinning around with pride. “Five grand. I’m celebrating with a huge New Year’s party.”
Ethan shakes his head. “Y’all should be ashamed.”
“Someone fill me in…” I say urgently.
“We all placed bets when you and Ethan would finally hook up.”
My jaw drops. “Wait. The first time or officially?”
Ethan immediately turns toward me and laughs. Everyone else’s eyes widen and come closer.
“Wait, does that mean Kenzie didn’t win?” Grayson taunts.
“Back off. I’m not givin’ it back.”
“You know the rules,” Kane adds. “We said their first time.”
“So when was that?” Kenzie asks.
“Not sure this is appropriate at Thanksgiving…” I dodge the question, and Ethan notices my discomfort, grabbing my hand and pulling me away.
“That’s what y’all get for betting on us,” he muses.
“Wanna grab some desserts?” Ethan asks me when we’re finally out of the circle of attention.
I nod. “I guess, but if my top button flies off, you know why.”
Ethan chuckles. There’re so many options I don’t even know where to start, but I grab a sugar cookie and a mini pecan pie. Ethan and I make our way over to an empty table and sit. He leans in close and gives me a kiss.
“Have I told you how much I love you today?” he asks, just as his parents walk in.
I shake my head and grin.
“It’s more than words can ever describe. Love you so damn much.”
“I love you more,” I say, leaning into him.
The room fills with aww’s, and it’s then I realize everyone’s attention is back on us, but I don’t care thi
s time.
I love Ethan Bishop with all my heart and always have.
It’s just now everyone knows it.
Chapter Twenty-One
ETHAN
“Wow, you two are fire together,” Hadleigh says as she helps us put our real engagement pictures with the save the date invitations into silky smooth envelopes. We decided to meet at the B&B since there’s a lot of space and unlimited snacks.
“Fire?” Kane arches a brow. “More like…boring.”
“You’re just jealous,” Harper tells him.
He snorts. “Jealous of what exactly?”
She glances at Hadleigh, then gives him a pointed look. Whatever silent conversation they just had did the trick because he doesn’t say another word. All I can do is chuckle. I learned a long time ago that you win some and lose some when it comes to the twins. Today, Harper won.
“This picture is so cute,” Hadleigh says with a soft smile. “You look so in love.”
“’Cause we are,” I add.
Knox makes a gagging noise, but we ignore it.
It’s the photo of us kissing under the mistletoe at the B&B. We went for a rustic, Southern vibe for our engagement photos. Considering Christmas is only two weeks away, it was now or never with getting these in the mail. It’s why we’re stuffing envelopes in an assembly line.
Harper agrees and stares at the picture with googly eyes, then glances my way. Seeing the love she has for me warms my heart. Words can’t describe how grateful I am to know her, to love her, and to soon be marrying her.
Kane snags a cookie off the buffet line.
“No sticky fingers,” Hadleigh scolds when he sits next to her. “Wipe your hands before you touch anything.”
“I feel sorry for your future kids,” Knox says, barely helping.
She narrows her eyes. “Right back atcha.”
“Glad I was invited to the party,” Elle mocks with Olivia trailing near her.
“My favorite eight-year-old niece in the whole world,” I say when I see Olivia dressed in a cowgirl hat and boots. She runs toward me, and I pull her into a hug.