by Lex Martin
My breath catches as he swirls tight circles against that throb between my legs.
All of a sudden, I’m falling apart. Everything tightens as I squeeze my eyes shut and groan. And just when I think it’s too much, he sits up and wraps his arms around me, sending his cock deeper.
I scream. I can’t help it. He pulses his release in me as he fuses our mouths together to muffle my sounds.
After a moment, he collapses back and pulls me with him.
I’m panting and out of breath. “That was…”
“Oh, yeah….”
“Wow…”
We’re gasping and sweaty, and I’m so awash in euphoria, all I can do is mumble, “Thank you,” against his chest.
He laughs. “Did you just thank me for sex?”
I nod, glad he can’t see my embarrassed grin.
He smacks my ass, and the shock of it makes me squeeze my thighs together, sending a groan through both of us as I tighten around him.
Slowly, I slide off and stretch out next to him. Hello, empty spot between my legs.
With a groan, he gets up. His footsteps pad across the room, and my heart sputters as I wonder if he’ll come back. If he’ll sleep in here with me tonight. If he’ll stay.
Which is stupid. So, so stupid.
Of course he’s not going to sleep with me. I may not have any experience with casual sex, but I know you’re not supposed to actually sleep together after the act.
A sudden sting in my eyes has me blinking back the heat.
You can’t cry, Katherine. He told you what he wanted.
I swallow the lump in my throat and slide under the covers, hating how empty my bed feels. I turn toward the wall, bracing myself for the disappointment, but a few minutes later, his footsteps return, and the blanket lifts as he slides in behind me.
One warm hand grips my hip and pulls me to his hard chest as his bare thigh slips between my legs. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
Just when I think this can’t get any better, he presses a soft kiss on my neck and whispers, “Get some sleep, babe.”
I close my eyes with a contented sigh. Whatever this is, I want it. For however long I can keep it.
I’ll worry about what will happen to us when he leaves later. For now, I’m going to live in the moment.
Because I don’t think I’ll forget about this one for a long, long time to come.
34
Brady
The nursery guy, Hank, walks us over to the counter where he pulls out a giant binder of seeds and plants he can order for me. Katherine glances at me and gives me a shy smile.
That look she gives me. It’s enough to make my skin burn with an awareness of her.
I want to touch her.
Leaning over the counter, I try to focus on what Hank’s saying, but I’m distracted after what happened last night. And again this morning.
Fuck, this morning.
I can still smell her sweet perfume. Feel her soft skin on mine. Feel how she moved under me. Over me. Around me.
Taking a deep, steady breath, I focus on Hank’s unwieldy ear hair to get control of my growing erection.
But Kat’s presence is too much. I can still taste her on my tongue and remember how she moaned against me when I sucked on her pretty pink nipples.
Finally, I give in and drift my hand over her wrist. Her breath catches, and I let my fingers travel down to her palm where I squeeze her gently. We’re hidden behind the counter, so Hank can’t see what I just did.
It feels wrong to touch her in public. I’m not sure why. Neither of us said anything about hiding what’s going on between us, but I know I should be cautious. This is a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and when I leave, I don’t want her having to deal with anyone’s small-minded ideas about what we’ve been up to.
For the first time, the thought of leaving seems truly bittersweet. I can’t deny how good it felt to wake up with this girl wrapped around me. And I’m not a sleepover kind of guy. Gwen and I hooked up for months, and I never felt the urge to stay in her bed when we were done. Or God forbid, hold her when we were done. But when I got up last night to clean up, I couldn’t fathom not crawling back into bed with Kat.
Sleeping with her felt amazing, almost as good as waking up with my morning wood pressed firmly against her curvy ass. And when she arched into me with a sleepy moan, I couldn’t help but go for round two.
God bless my baby niece for sleeping through the night. And bless Mrs. Mac for dropping by and offering to babysit for two hours so we could hit up the nursery.
“Which is it?” Hank asks, breaking me from my thoughts.
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat the question?” I should be paying closer attention. It was my idea to come here after all.
Kat tries to hide a grin. Is she replaying last night in her head too?
Hank points at the picture of the plant. “Is it four from center or five?”
I frown, feeling like I should know this shit after working for my dad these last several months. Thankfully, Katherine responds. “Five feet from center.” Then she whispers to me, “The distance between the rows, starting at the center of the plant.”
He nods and scratches his bald head. His eyebrows lift. “How’s your pH balance?”
Again, I have no fucking clue, but Kat answers again. “Seven point five.” She glances at me. “I just checked last week. The back field is six, but I think we have a little lime we can put down.”
Hank nods his approval. “You should be all set for the spring.”
He ambles off to gather a few supplies, and I stare at this beautiful girl in front of me. “How do you do that?”
Her head tilts. “Do what?”
“Save my ass. Every time.”
She laughs. “Just doing my job. Don’t be melodramatic.”
“Bullshit. You’re amazing at everything—knowing the plants, taking care of Izzy, caring for the animals. Seriously.”
She shrugs. “You know I love the farm. It’s easy to care of the things you love.”
Those hazel eyes dart away, and I don’t miss the deepening hue in her cheeks. I nod and ignore the tightness in my chest at those words. And then I kiss her forehead. “You’re too good for me. Just so we’re clear.”
“Don’t I know it.” She laughs, sounding relieved I didn’t make more of what she just said. But I know the sincerity behind those words, and I’m not a dick enough to think they’re directed at me.
Hank returns with a few different pairs of shears, and I let Kat pick out the ones we buy because she obviously knows more about this shit than I do.
We order a few supplies for the farmers’ event, and as we’re checking out, I watch her chat with Hank and enjoy their easy banter. She asks about his wife and listens as he complains about his herniated disc. She tells him about Izzy walking and wanting to get into everything. He tells her his wife loved her lemon-lavender bar recipe.
I’m watching them with a smile… until I remember why we’re at the nursery in the first place—so I can prep the farm to sell it.
Getting my realtor’s message the other day that he’s had several people express interest in the farm had me both leaping for joy and dreading the day I sell. Because while nothing about the lifestyle is easy, I see why my brother loved it so much. Everywhere I look, I see his life and what he was trying to build with his new family.
And I feel like a rotten bastard for wanting to hand it over to the highest bidder. To a perfect stranger.
But the reason my stomach is in knots is because I loathe the day I have to tell Katherine it’s over. Because that day is coming.
We’re not officially on the market yet, but Kent says he wants me to carry on with my plan to make any cosmetic changes the farm needs. Then he noted I should prep the fields for the upcoming harvest in the event this process takes longer than expected.
“It could take a few weeks or months or longer,” Kent said, not
wanting to get my hopes up.
Weeks. The word made my heart sink. Which is fucking insane. I spent one night with Kat, and already it’s muddling what I know I need to do. What I have to do. Because I don’t have a choice.
35
Katherine
The sound of an engine starting and sputtering across the dinner table makes my lips quirk up.
Brady has a spoon full of mashed potatoes he’s been trying to get Izzy to eat for the last five minutes, but every time he gets it near her mouth, she tightens her lips with an impish grin. So he’s gone to full-out airplane mode, pretending to fly her food like a little Cessna coming in for a landing.
When she finally relents and gobbles it down, he cheers her on.
“All right, baby! Fist jab!” He holds out his clenched hand, and his niece thwacks her hand into his with a giggle.
Oh, Lord. I hold in a laugh.
Brady might not have held a baby before he arrived here, but you’d never know that now. To look at him, you’d think he was a pro. Well, except for the occasional toxic poop that gets him crying to me for help.
After dinner, he swabs her little face with a warm washcloth and starts loading the dishes into the dishwasher.
“I can do that,” I offer as I sip my coffee.
“Nah, I got it.” When he finishes with the last dish, he heads down the hall where I hear him run the water in the tub. A few minutes later, he strides in, scoops up the baby and leans her over to me. “Give your hot Aunt Kat kisses so we can get you ready for bed.”
I chuckle as Izzy slobbers on my cheek.
“You want some help with her bath?”
“Nope. I think I can handle it.”
I’m smiling up at him like a big fool when he leans down and kisses me. Aside from that quick PDA at Hank’s nursery, Brady has been pretty hands-off all day. I haven’t known what to think. Whether we’re done or if we’re headed for another dirty sleepover.
This kiss, though, this kiss blooms the seed in my chest, the one that I’ve been trying to stamp out—the seed of hope.
Of hope for more than just one night. For more than a sexy fling. For more than something casual and meaningless.
Even though that’s what I promised him.
Brilliant, Katherine. Really freaking brilliant. Summa cum laude and this is where you end up.
He saunters off with the baby, and my smile fades as the truth settles in.
My heart skitters around in my chest as I tell myself not to hold out hope. Sex between friends. That’s what this is. I’ll never be his girlfriend. We’ll never be more.
It’s what you promised him, dimwit.
I crumple my napkin, my heart already protesting our arrangement.
The irony couldn’t be any more glaring. My ex pushed for us to be more, to speed things up, and I bucked every step of the way. I didn’t want to move too fast. Didn’t want to rush things. But with Brady, I feel sucked in, like he’s the tidal wave, and I’m the sand.
I should look on the bright side—he stayed in my bed last night. I fully expected him to bolt. Isn’t that what guys do after sex? But Brady is a good guy and held me tightly after. I haven’t slept that well since before Mel and Cal died.
Trudging to my room, I feel a heaviness settle in my stomach as I hear him playing with Izzy in the tub.
Some day soon, this will end. Brady is taking Izzy to Boston. Get used to the idea. Don’t get attached.
I don’t bother to turn on the lights as I strip out of my jeans and slide off my bra and collapse in bed. I can’t bring myself to see if Brady wants to hang out tonight or to debate what it means if he doesn’t. Vowing to get my shit together and start looking for a job tomorrow, I pull the covers over me and curl up against my pillow.
My eyes flutter closed. In the background, the baby monitor hums the quiet sounds of Izzy getting tucked in.
I’m going to miss this. Being here. Playing with the baby and seeing Brady every morning as we wait for the coffee to percolate. Having them both all to myself.
Finally, I start to drift off despite the raw restlessness that aches in my bones.
The creak of the door breaks through my dreamless sleep.
“Hey,” Brady whispers. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were going to sleep. Are you okay?”
I automatically reach for him, and he scoots me over and tugs me to his chest where I snuggle against him. He’s cozy and warm, his heat radiating through his t-shirt and sweatpants.
“Hmm.” I don’t want to tell him more. I don’t want to voice my fears.
His hand runs up and down my back, and I shiver closer.
“You cold, baby?”
I nod, and he pulls the blankets higher. We’re resting chest to chest, and he’s hard against my thigh.
“Did you come in for a booty call?” I murmur sleepily.
He chuckles. “No, not really. But my dick has a mind of its own when you’re around.” He strokes my hair, and I’m so relaxed, I could purr. “I actually just wanted to see if you’d like to hang out and watch The Walking Dead, but you’re all sleepy and warm and sexy as fuck.”
I laugh and snuggle closer, tossing my leg over his muscular thigh. “Mmm. That actually sounds really good. I love zombies.”
We might have just agreed to watch TV, but neither of us attempts to get up.
His hand travels under the back of my shirt and my skin tingles under his warm touch. We’re just lying here against each other, but already I can feel every cell in my body awaken.
I arch my hips, needing friction for the sudden throb between my legs. He does that. Makes me ache. Getting the hint, he grabs my hips and pulls me fully on top of him where I stretch out like a lazy cat.
My hands dip under his t-shirt to glide over his smooth muscles. I lean down and run my nose along his neck. He smells like soap and warm man.
Reaching up, he pulls out my ponytail, and my hair cascades around us. He’s watching me, his dark green eyes hooded, his lips slightly parted.
I don’t know where my bravado comes from, but I have to ask… “Did you think about me today, about this?” It’s a shameless question but an easy one to ask in the dark.
“Only every fucking minute.” He threads his fingers through my hair and pulls me close so his lips brush against my ear, giving me chills. “I can’t stop thinking about you riding me,” he whispers as I press my weight down on his erection. “All day. Half thought about pulling the truck over behind Hank’s nursery to test out the suspension.”
Smiling, I try to calm the beating of my heart. “Why didn’t you pull over?”
He stills. “Babe, you deserve better than a quick fuck in the enclosed cab.”
I hold my breath, afraid to give in to the hope blooming in my chest. Brady, we could be amazing together, I think, wishing I could say the words.
But then he flexes his hips, and the contact against my core feels so good, I moan. His grip tightens on my skin. “I swear I didn’t wake you up to get laid.”
I laugh, sitting up to strip off my shirt. “Sure you did,” I joke.
He reaches up and strokes my cheek with his thumb, the calloused pad of his finger trailing against my skin. “Kat, I’m serious. We can stop right now. I just came in to spend time with you. We don’t have to have sex.”
The fear I’ve carried around me all day begins to uncoil. He wants me for more than one night. I swallow. Maybe this isn’t meaningless for him. Only a guy who respects you, a friend, would say something like that.
And that right there makes me want to give him my heart. As stupid as that may be.
I don’t say anything in fear of uttering the wrong words. Instead, I lean down and brush my lips against his.
We kiss, and it’s gentle. He tastes minty, and I want to breathe him in. Fill myself with his scent and warmth.
When his lips part, I slip in and run the tip of my tongue against his. He doesn’t rush me, doesn’t push for more.
I tangle my fingers
through his thick hair and whisper, “How about we get naked and then watch TV?”
His whole body rumbles beneath me as he laughs. “I like the way you think.”
He strokes my shoulders and breasts, and I arch into him, wanting to feel him everywhere.
What happened to the good girl who made a guy take her on several dates before she even considered going to first base? Yeah, she took a hike the moment Brady blazed into my life like a wildfire.
He fists my hair, making me tilt my head over as he holds me still. Arching up, he rubs his nose against my neck, sending goose bumps down my arms. “You always smell so good.” He breathes against me, the heat scorching my skin.
I close my eyes as he opens his mouth and nibbles the curve of my shoulder. That tender spot behind my ear. The slope of my jaw.
Mentally, I take a snapshot so I can remember this. I want to remember everything. So when this is over, when he’s gone, I’ll still have a little piece of our time together.
He makes an appreciative noise in the back of his throat as he squeezes my breast and slides me higher so he can bring me to his mouth. “You have a beautiful body.” The sound of him sucking my nipple sends a bolt of lust through me. “I can’t lie. I really enjoyed waking up with you this morning.”
Yo tambien.
“Well, if you play your cards right, maybe you’ll get another naked wake-up call tomorrow,” I rasp as I rotate my hips over him.
“I like the sound of that. Maybe then I won’t have to jerk off in the shower while I think about you.”
I laugh at his admission. Closing my eyes, I can picture him in the shower. The way the water travels over his beautiful tattoos, how his thighs flex, the way every atom in my body lights on fire as I watch.
Clearing my throat, I run my hands down his hard chest. “I have a confession.” His eyes meet mine. “I may have accidentally walked in on one of your private bathroom sessions the other day.”
I’m not sure what I expect him to say, but his mouth tilts up in a devilish grin. “Really?”
I nod, feeling suddenly shy, so I glance down. He grabs my chin so I have to look at him. “And?”