by L. K. Gandy
“Whatever you want Sawyer. You just have to stop biting that lip, or I’ll have to make you stop.” That got my attention.
“How would you do that exactly?”
“Not so quick! I can’t reveal all of my secrets just yet.” He winks at me before leading me toward the raving lunatics, also known as kids, as they rampage across the yard, cake smeared across their faces like war paint.
The sun fades away and the moon rises quickly in the sky, illuminating the yard. The party guests have left, and I’ve helped clean up the patio. How do tiny people make such a big fucking mess? There’s icing on the side of the house, tiny candles floating in the pool, figurines lining the walkway, a soccer ball is stuck in a tree, and I’m pretty sure a squirrel just became homeless from the looks of it. I’m throwing cups in a trash bag when I feel Branson standing behind me. The hair on the back of my neck raises, and my nerves are on high alert.
“I’m going to put Armie into bed. Would you like to come?” The hope in his eyes tells me exactly what I need to do.
“I’d love to.”
Walking into the house again I try to get a better look around without seeming too suspicious, but Branson has the sleeping boy in his arms before I’m able to. Following him down the hallway to the second door on the left I turn the knob when he motions for me. Armie’s room is filled with books and toys, but the most amazing thing of all is his bed. It’s fashioned from a black antique truck bed that looks like it’s emerging from the wall. As Branson lays him down, his eyes flutter open, and he looks at his surroundings before looking at the two of us in front of him.
“My dad has a big wiener. It’s like one hundred feet long.” He yawns and closes his eyes for a moment before he pries them back open. “Do you have a big peach?”
The laugh that escapes my mouth is not on the quiet side, and I have to use my hands to muffle the sound. This kid is hilarious!
“That’s enough of that, just go to sleep.” I can tell Branson is trying his hardest not to laugh, but he does chuckle loud enough for me to hear.
“Should I even ask what a ‘peach’ is?”
“You know, a peach. A girl wiener,” Armie mumbles barely at an audible level. His eyes are closed now, but he’s fighting to stay awake.
“Go to sleep buddy. I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll make chocolate chip pancakes when you wake up.” Branson kisses the top of his head and pulls the blanket further up his chest. Closing the door to his room Branson takes my hand and leads me to the living room.
“It’s only nine thirty. Did you have plans for the rest of the night?”
“You mean besides going home and sleeping?” I ask with a giggle. “No, I don’t. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, I asked you to bring a bathing suit for a reason.” The devilish grin on his face is contagious, and I feel myself returning it. “Why don’t you get changed and I’ll meet you outside?”
After changing in the bathroom I take my time walking through the house. I had noticed the pictures of Branson and Armie but I find something else I wasn’t expecting. There’s a handful of frames clumped together on a small wooden side table. I’m guessing this was a few years ago because Armie is a baby. The alarming thing is who’s holding him-it’s not Branson, or another family member that I’ve met. A tall, thin woman with curly light blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and plump lips smiles proudly with her arms wrapped around her son. She’s beautiful in a classy way. The two of them together makes my heart hurt a little- it’s not a feeling I enjoy.
I don’t want to keep him waiting so I walk through the kitchen with a towel wrapped around my waist. I picked my favorite black triangle top bikini with cheeky bottoms for tonight in hopes that I’d actually get to wear it. Stepping onto the patio I can tell he’s turned the lights off, but the glow from the pool gives off enough of a tinted blue green glow to see. Branson is underwater swimming from one end to the other, but hasn’t come up for air. I guess it’s not that hard for him, since he’s so tall. It probably takes him less than five seconds to finish one lap. I wait for him to surface before getting in.
Watching him come out of the water has to be one of the most hypnotizing moments of my life. Everything seems to be moving in slow motion. He moves in such a sensual way. Water falls from his dark hair into the lashes surrounding his vibrant eyes, trailing past his lips, down his throat to his chest and is lost from there returning back into the pool. His lips part as he takes in the sight of me, and his breath catches in his throat. Watching his muscles contract I can tell this man works out and often. SHIT. The definition, not only in his abdomen, but his chest and shoulders is remarkable. I can see through the water that his V is magnified, and I’m left standing like an idiot with my mouth open. I think my heart just dropped to my vagina.
“I guess you like what you see,” he says raising an eyebrow at me, bringing me out of my daze. I decide not to say anything. Instead I take my towel off and throw it on the back of the chair closest to me. The reaction I get from Branson is exactly what I wanted. His eyes are bulging, the muscles in his jaw are working overtime, and his chest is heaving with the labor of his deep breaths. Two can play this game.
“I guess you like what YOU see,” I reply in a mocking fashion.
“Come here.” The commanding tone in his deep voice demands that I obey his order. I’m drawn to him and make my way into the warm water. As soon as I’m near, his large hands wrap around my waist, pulling my body to his. The rush of water that splashes between my chest and his causes goose bumps to cover the surface of my skin. “Close your eyes.” Again, I listen. Closing my eyes causes my remaining senses to kick into overdrive. His smell floats in the air around me, invading my personal space. I can hear his breathing becoming more labored and feel the rising of his chest with my fingertips.
“Hands to yourself. You’re not allowed to touch me,” he says removing my hands from him and placing them at my sides under the warm water. “You’re going to stand here while I touch you, Sawyer, but you’re not allowed to touch me and your eyes have to remain closed. Do you understand?” I contemplate for a second, thinking about how this is bullshit. I should be able to touch him if I want to, but I agree.
“Yes.”
“Good. You’ll want to touch me, but try your hardest not to. Understand?” Before I finish nodding my head he’s pushed his body against mine, forcing me to the wall at the edge of the pool. The fingers on his left hand start teasing me at the base of my throat, slowly making their way down my collar bone, tracing the outside edge of my bikini top and my breast. Further down to my ribs, his touch causes me to jump at the sensation. I’m a ticklish person and tend to get violent with those who even try to tickle me, but my body knows its place right now, and I calm myself. His fingers move to my hips and his other hand joins in, gripping my thighs. I can hardly breathe. Feeling his hands on my bare skin ignites every nerve ending in my body. It’s a high I never want to come down from. An electric current is being generated between the little amount of space between our bodies and it fuels his fire to torture me more. It was magnetic. HE is magnetic. It’s like I’m starving and he’s the only thing that can subside my unruly hunger.
Lifting my legs around his waist he pushes himself further into me. My back scrapes against the concrete wall, but it’s a welcome pain. I can feel the length of him pulsing under my bikini bottom right where it needs to be. My head falls back, and I relish in the feeling of this man between my legs. I’ve pictured what it would be like since the first time we met. Seeing an opportunity Branson uses his hands to brace the two of us against the wall, and I feel him closing in as he cages me in his arms. His lips hover inches above my neck, and I having to squeeze my eyes together to keep them closed. The second they touch my skin I can’t breathe. I’ve never felt anything like this. His lips are soft but move against my skin like he owns my body.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to put my lips on you.” His assault on me cont
inues and I’m having to grip the wall to keep myself from grinding my nails into his back.
“Branson.”
“Mmm.”
“I need to touch you,” I plead.
“Open your eyes, Sawyer.” I do as he says. The glow from the pool lights reflect from our skin. His mouth is so close to mine I can feel his breath on my lips. I focus on them. They’re plump and slightly red from kissing my neck. He pushes himself into me again, and my eyes flutter. Fuck it. I was born to break rules. I circle my arms around his sides and dig my nails into his back.
“Ahh. Sawyer.” His mouth opens, and he rests his head on mine. “You’re making it impossible not to kiss you right now.”
“What’s stopping you?” The seduction in my voice works. I look into his green eyes before his mouth comes crashing down on mine. His tongue is seeking permission, and I gladly grant it. He tastes of fresh mint, and it’s intoxicating. His hands grip my body feverishly, making their way around my body pulling me into him. I slide one hand down his back, dragging my nails on his skin causing him to shiver while the other grips his thick hair keeping his mouth on mine. I can feel the skin on my back starting to cut open but it doesn’t faze me. Nothing in the world could keep me from this man now.
I slide my hand to his chest but don’t keep it there for long. I trail my finger down the center of his chiseled abs to the base of his navy colored shorts. Gripping his shaft on the outside of his trunks with my hands I stroke him.
“Sawyer, ahh.” His head falls, and he pushes his weight against the wall. I want more. I need to feel him. Ripping his shorts open I feel for him but he stops me. “You have no idea how much I want to feel your hands on my cock right now,” he whispers in my ear. Listening to him talk like this sends a chill down my body. “I just want to be able to pleasure you, too. Preferably in a place that I can lock a door and that doesn’t have a kid around.” Oh, right. The thought of Armie waking up and walking outside to find us like this sobers me up quickly. Branson sees the shock in my eyes and he kisses my lips softly. “We’ll continue this, I promise,” he says with a wink. We stand there for a while trying to catch our breath, but gazing into each other’s eyes does absolutely nothing to help either of us calm down. Pulling me out of the water he wraps my towel around my shoulders.
“You’re damn right we’ll continue it. You can’t leave a girl hanging like that,” I tease.
“Seriously?” he says holding his arms and looking down at his shorts. He’s still hard.
“Oh, well…I guess you’re right.” I cover my mouth trying not to laugh, but fail. “I’m going to go get changed and head home. Will you walk me out to my truck?”
“Did you think you really had to ask?” he says wrapping me in a hug.
“No, I guess not, but it’s nice to know that you will.” I smile at him and head back inside, but leave my towel on the chair so he can watch me walk away in my bikini.
“TEASE!” he yells after me.
Branson is waiting for me in the living room. He’s dressed in nothing but black gym shorts that hang loosely from his waist. Maybe I should go to the gym more often; he could be my workout partner. The thought makes me smile. Man, I crack myself up. Branson helps me into the truck, even though I don’t need it, but I let him anyway. If he wants to put his hands on me, I’m not stopping the man.
“Hey, your brother said something about today not being Armie’s real birthday. Is that true?”
“Yeah, it’s on Tuesday so we just had his party this weekend. Too many people were busy next weekend.” My mind works in overtime trying to think of today’s date. It’s the 8th, which means Tuesday is the…oh no. Please no. Not the hardest day of my life to try and forget. “Today’s the eighth.” It’s not a question but the tone in my voice implies that I’m looking for confirmation.
“Yeah, his birthday is on the eleventh. Are you alright? Is there something wrong?” Branson looks concerned standing between me and the door.
“The eleventh,” I whisper. Memories come flooding back, but I shake my head trying to rid myself of them. This can’t be happening. It has to be a coincidence; some sick game nature is playing on me.
“Sawyer? Is there something I need to know?”
“Maybe some other time, it’s getting late and I need to get home.” I lean down to give him a quick kiss goodbye, but he holds me in place with his hands on the back of my neck deepening the kiss.
“I’ll hold you to it,” he says with a smirk after finally letting me go. I’m a little lightheaded after that. “Please be careful, and let me know when you’ve made it home.”
“I will. Goodnight Branson.”
“Night babe,” he says before closing my door. How does hearing him call me ‘babe’ affect me so much? Heat travels through my body, settling low. Better calm my lady parts, we’re going home alone.
“DO WE REALLY NEED TO go out tonight? I look like a giant whale. There’s fat everywhere. I have found fat in places I didn’t even know it could exist.”
“You do NOT look like a whale. You’re beautiful, and you’re not fat either. I wish just one time you could see yourself through my eyes. You’d be humming a different tune,” Jaxx replies sweetly while he rubs my very round thirty-six week pregnant belly.
“I’d probably be tone deaf knowing my luck,” I say pouting. I’m more than ready to get this little guy out and get back to my normal self. There are so many things no one ever tells you about pregnancy. I think the most exciting thing I’m looking forward to, besides being skinny again, is being able to take a shit on a regular basis and not being constipated all the damn time. That sounds amazing right now. Plus, I’m tired of peeing. Who needs to do that every twenty minutes? Bullshit.
“You’re so dramatic lately. You’re beautiful. Now let’s go, we have reservations and it’s raining outside so it’s going to take us a little longer to get there.” Jaxx holds his hand out patiently waiting for me to get over my pity party, all one attendee of it.
Making our way out to the car I notice it’s not just raining, it’s POURING. We don’t usually get storms like this but when we do they tend to last for a while. The lightning strikes at a distance, but I enjoy it, I always have. Growing up I would open my windows during a storm and fall asleep to the sound of it. There’s something calming about them when you’re safe inside the shelter of your home. We are headed to my favorite Italian restaurant tonight. I’ve been having some intense cravings for it, which leads to annoying the shit out of Jaxx until I finally get what I want. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a pregnant woman, especially when she’s pregnant with your baby. We finally make it to the restaurant, taking advantage of the valet service. Jaxx uses the umbrella to guide us both into the building without getting too wet, and we’re seated quickly.
“You have no idea how excited I am about eating,” I say rubbing my hands together. I could give two shits if I look like a lard ass right now.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I do. You’ve been bugging me for weeks now.” He takes a drink of his water that was ordered when we sat down. Jaxx has cut down on his alcohol lately, mainly because I bitch about how unfair it is, and I threatened to cut off his nuts if he rubbed it in my face anymore. I think he got the hint. “I’m glad you’re not worried about being a ‘lard ass’ now that we’re here, since you were throwing a fit at home about being ‘fat’,” he says rolling his eyes and smiling.
“Thank you for putting up with me lately, I know it’s been quite a change. Hey, on the bright side, just a few more weeks, and things will be different.”
Jaxx takes my hand in his and smiles affectionately. “Things will be even more amazing you mean. I haven’t been putting up with you Sawyer, I love you. Putting up with you would mean that you annoy me, and that you’re a burden on me. Neither of those is true. You’re carrying our baby. That’s a feat in itself. I’d probably kill someone if I had to carry around thirty extra pounds and get kicked from the inside all day long. You’re so
strong baby.”
“Listen asshole.” He looks puzzled, but I continue, “it’s twenty-eight pounds. Don’t you dare put an extra two on me.”
“My apologies,” he says with his hands up and a clipped laugh before our waiter appears.
“Ma’am, I have your chicken parmesan right here. Be careful, the plate is very hot.” I watch as the plate of steaming heaven slides in front of my face. My mouth is watering, I feel like a dog that hasn’t eaten in days, but I wait for Jaxx to get his food before I devour my entire plate with the waiter in front of us.
“For you sir, I have the Italian sausage lasagna. Is there anything else I’m able to get for either of you?”
“No, I think we’re all set. Thank you very much,” I say trying my hardest not to be rude, but wanting him to leave so I can eat.
“Enjoy,” he says with a smile.
I give Jaxx a quick glance before I dig in. “Oh, my gosh,” I moan between bites. “This is amazing. I’ve wanted this for so long.” He laughs at me while cutting into his lasagna. “Seriously, you have no idea. It’s not funny.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Grow up. If I was talking about your Johnson the word ‘long’ wouldn’t be anywhere in that sentence,” I joke.
“Ouch, that one stung a little,” he says gripping his crotch, “we’re sensitive you know. Words cut deep.” I can’t help but roll my eyes at him. We banter back and forth throughout dinner discussing names for our little boy.
“Seriously, it’s so hard to choose just one,” I complain taking my last bite of chicken.
“I know, it’s even harder when you find one you like but realize that kids might make fun of him for it.”
“I’ll kick some ass if that’s the case. I don’t care if it’s attached to a five-year-old; that kid will get what’s coming to them.”
“You are NOT going to beat up a little kid. You talk to the parents first. If nothing changes, then yes, we’ll both beat some five-year-old ass,” Jaxx says matter-of-factly just before our waiter appears again.