Maybe This Time_A Whiskey and Weddings Novel

by Nicole McLaughlin

  Sure enough she’d imagined correctly. There he stood in front of a beautiful double-sink vanity, in low-hung jeans and no shirt. Thank you, Universe. What struck her the most was that he was … flossing. She grinned, watching the flex of his biceps and shoulders as he worked. How could a human look hot flossing? Somehow he pulled it off.

  “As if you weren’t perfect enough,” she said. He jerked a little at her voice, but his face was full of amusement. “You’re also a flosser.”

  He dropped the string in a small trash can and then stalked slowly toward her. “Isn’t everyone?”

  “Pshh.” She pointed at him. “Only the sexy people, apparently.”

  Now toe to toe, he looked down at her. “That theory doesn’t hold up unless you floss, because you are definitely one of the sexy people.”

  Sometimes she felt pretty, and she liked her looks. But often she just felt like that weird girl back in high school. Just trying not to make a fool of herself. Or at the very least, make it look like she was weird on purpose. But right now, she wanted more. Wanted to feel beautiful and sexy. And she wanted it from him.

  “Then make me feel like one,” she whispered.

  His hands instantly came up to cup her jaw on both sides, tilting her lips up to his. And he leaned down, his mouth pressing into hers so lovingly she wanted to cry. But tonight she needed something different, so she pushed back with a little more aggression, letting him know exactly what she wanted. Instantly he received the message and began to devour her, his mouth attacking hers with so much force she had to step back, her hands going to his waistband to hold on.

  Finding her footing, she kissed him back, and it was like a match sparked between them. Their lips fusing, tongues clashing, each seeking dominance over the other. His kisses trailed down her neck, up to her ear, sending all the heat in her body to one place.

  “I need this,” she said against his mouth. “I need you.”

  “I’m right here. Whatever you need,” he muttered, his teeth nipping at her lips one last time before he stepped away far enough to get a hold of her pajama top and pull it over her head in one quick motion.

  Jen had always had mixed feelings about her somewhat large breasts. They caused backaches, kept her from wearing cute bras, and made certain tops out of the question. But as TJ looked at her bare chest, all she could think was, Yes, look at me like that forever. She had heard his intake of breath, watched his throat as he swallowed. As he reached one hand up to gently run a finger along the underside of her left breast, his lips quirked. “This might be the best night of my life.”

  “Make sure it’s mine, too,” she responded with a smile.

  “It will be my pleasure.” He grabbed her hand and walked backward toward his bed. The minute he sat down, his hands grasped her torso and he yanked gently, insinuating her between his legs as his mouth instantly closed on her nipple. Jen’s head fell back as he slid his large hands over her ribs, under each breast, plumping them up toward his mouth as he sucked and licked.

  “Oh my God,” she said quietly, her hands threading into his hair. “Don’t stop.”

  “Never,” he muttered, moving to the other nipple. And he didn’t for several moments, as if he could die making love to her breasts.

  Jen had finally had enough. She wanted more. She shoved his shoulders, and he fell back onto the bed. Her eyes took in his beautiful chest, covered lightly with hair that led down his abdomen and then grew sparser as it disappeared under his jeans. And that was exactly where her hands went, to the fly on his pants.

  TJ angled up, leaning on his elbows and watching as she undid the button and zipper, and then gently pulled down on his underwear. She just wanted to see him, couldn’t wait any longer.

  He lifted his hips off the bed so she could get a hold of his jeans, and she tugged gently, her breathing growing shallower as dark pubic hair came into view. Pulling again, she got the pants halfway down his butt, far enough the see the very base of his shaft, and the outline of what lay beneath his light-blue underwear.

  Before she could take what she wanted, he rolled onto one elbow, reached into his underwear, and pulled out his erection for her.

  “Impatient?” she asked, amused.

  “You have no fucking idea.”

  Oh she had an idea alright, because her mouth was already watering at the sight of him. Just watching him grab a hold of himself like that was a turn-on. She needed it in a GIF on her phone, so she could play it over and over until she was an old woman.

  But for now, she would do what came naturally. What she’d only dreamed of. Leaning down, she angled her head just right in order to lick him long and slow from base to tip before sucking him into her mouth.

  * * *

  TJ just barely held in a deep, chest-aching groan, as he watched Jen’s mouth engulf the head of his dick. She gave it a hardy suck, and his ass came off the bed.

  “Holy shit,” he whispered, suddenly remembering that they weren’t alone in the house. She lowered her hot mouth, taking him in as far as she could, and his eyes nearly saw the back of his head.

  This was certainly not his first blow job, but this was Jen. And seeing her plump lips wrapped around him was almost more than he could bear. She returned to licking, her tongue running carefully up and down his shaft and then swirling around the top.

  “Yes, do that again,” he muttered quietly. She did, this time with more pressure, ending with another long slide inside of her mouth. At that moment, he couldn’t help pumping once. When she didn’t seem to mind, he braced his feet on the bed frame and did it again, slowly but a little deeper this time. Her eyes met his, and the site was pure bliss as her lips met the dark hair at the base of his erection. “You’re killing me, Jen.”

  After a few minutes more, he was so close it was painful. “Get up here, babe.”

  Releasing him, she stood, her mouth red. TJ nodded toward the little pajama shorts she had on. “Take those off.”

  “These?” she asked coyly.

  He grinned, as he worked his jeans and underwear off the rest of the way. “Yes, those. Please.”

  When she hesitated, giving him a haughty look, his only thought was, There’s my girl. He’d loved this new vulnerability to her he’d seen lately, but it was the fierce, sarcastic woman that he’d always been obsessed with. There was no better time to see that side of her than right now, while he was naked and at her mercy.

  “Do I need to entice you?” he asked.

  “Maybe so,” she said, taking a step back.

  “I’d be happy to.” Sitting up, TJ got off the bed and slowly kneeled in front of her. The first thing he did was run his hands up her legs—so soft, so strong—around to her ass. He cupped it, slipping the tips of his finger under the elastic of her shorts and panties. Her hands went to his head, weaving into his hair, and he tilted his eyes up to meet hers only to find that they were closed, her eyelids fluttering like fairy wings. She still hadn’t put any makeup on and it was like looking at a softer, more innocent version of the Jen he adored. No more, or less beautiful, just … pure.

  This was the Jen that only he could have. That was how he wanted it to be.

  Instead of pulling her underwear down over her bottom, he tugged her forward, forcing her front against his chin. Her eyes flew open, meeting his, and he placed a kiss on her mound.

  “Take them off,” she whispered.

  He smirked, slowly pulling the cloth down. First over her backside, exposing her ass. He gave each cheek a firm squeeze and then let his palms slide up to her hips where he finished lowering the pants completely. She parted her thighs a bit so he could get them off fully and toss them to the side. Then he just took her in. Perfectly groomed—not too much, not too little. Running a finger down through her folds, he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her skin. Another. Finally, he pivoted on his knees, turning her body with him until her butt was against the mattress.

  He didn’t need to tell her what to do, she laid right back
on the bed. TJ grabbed her feet, one in each hand and placed them up on the mattress to each side of her. He waited for her to protest—many women would at being so completely exposed—but she said nothing. The site had him hard as steel.

  “Jesus, Jen,” he said. “You are so beautiful.”

  This time when he ran his finger down her, it slipped inside, and she moaned.

  “Shhh,” he said, before leaning in and giving her a long, firm, lick from bottom to top.

  It wasn’t long before he was all over her. Lips, tongue, nose, pleasuring her however he thought would bring her to climax.

  This was the closest to an out-of-body experience TJ would ever come. The sound of her quiet moans and whimpers, the feel of her hands locked down on his hair, and the taste of her in his mouth. It was too good to be true.

  “Oh my God, right there, TJ. Please.” Her whispers were so quiet he almost didn’t hear her. But he stiffened his tongue, pushed her thighs back, and licked at her until she finally broke, her legs vibrating against his palms, her head jerking off the bed. He lifted his gaze to see her eyes pinched shut, front teeth biting down on her lower lip, and oh shit, it was so good to know that she was coming this hard because of him.

  When her head fell back to the bed, he slowed down, easing her from her orgasm. He placed soft kisses over her wet skin as he listened to her shaky breaths.

  “You ready for another one?” he finally asked.

  She laughed quietly and then lifted her head to look down at him. “I’m ready for as many as you can give me.”

  He smiled and then grabbed a condom from the nightstand as he stood up. She waited patiently, watching him, still in that erotic pose on the edge of the bed. Perfect, he would have absolutely love taking her just like that.

  She lifted up, leaning on her elbows and watched him roll on the condom. Stepping forward, he rested one hand on her knee, and with the other held his cock right at her entrance.

  “Ready?” he asked quietly.

  She laughed quietly. “Did you really just ask if I was ready? As if this position implied anything else.”

  He smiled. “This position”—he stroked the head of his penis through her folds—“is the most perfect sight I’ve ever seen in my life. It will forever be my go-to mental porn.”

  She gave a light moan, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. “Just please put it inside me. Right now.”

  “Say that again.” He slid in just an inch.

  They stared at each other, and she whispered. “Fuck me right now, Trevor James.”

  He shoved in the rest of the way, her slickness sucking him in, her heat enveloping him. She lowered her legs, wrapping them around his waist, pulling him in deeper. That was all it took to know this was what he’d always wanted. This was heaven.

  It wasn’t long before he was pounding into her as hard as he could while simultaneously trying not to make much noise. When he was close, and her legs began to shake, he leaned down and muted their cries of release by kissing her deep and thoroughly.

  His first thought after coming down from the high was that it had been well worth waiting for.

  Eighteen

  That Saturday, to TJ’s dismay, Jen had to bartend a wedding at the Stag, and unfortunately it wasn’t his night. It was Dean’s, which meant it was just him and Diane alone in the house. Although she wasn’t anywhere as outgoing and funny as Jen, TJ had always liked Jen’s mother. He hadn’t spent a lot of time around her, but a few times she’d been at the Stag over the years for one reason or another. She was a little sarcastic and salty, but usually in a likable way—if he didn’t count that morning at Jen’s when he’d overheard her being so awful. From what he could tell, the two seemed to have been getting along, so he hoped things would continue down that course.

  As for him spending an entire evening with Diane? That was different. Fine—he didn’t mind it—but he had no clue what to say or do. She’d spent the late afternoon taking a nap, and he decided to make them a couple of salads with some chicken on the grill for dinner. He planned to just see how things played out after that. He’d leave her to the TV, or maybe she’d just want to chill in her room. Whatever.

  It was a bit awkward that she must know that Jen had spent the previous night in his bed, considering when they’d gotten up that morning, Diane had already been up and made coffee. Jen’s bedroom door had been wide open, bed made and tidy. When TJ had pointed it out to Jen, she’d just shrugged it off. She was thirty years old. It wasn’t as if she needed permission to sleep with him. But still, it was her mother.

  It was a beautiful late August evening, so he’d suggested they eat out on the back patio. Things were going well. Diane had praised his cooking skills, which was unnecessary but kind, and now they were sitting outside enjoying the perfect weather.

  And then she surprised him with an insane question.

  “Do you intend to propose to my daughter?”

  TJ nearly choked on a piece of chicken. He took a quick drink of his water to give him a moment to collect his thoughts. “That’s quite a question, Diane.”

  She shrugged and took another bite of her salad. Chewing silently, she looked around his property. “You’ve got a lot to offer a woman. Seems like you built this house with a family in mind.”

  He pushed a piece of lettuce with his fork. “It was something I considered. Would have been stupid not to.”

  “And you like her.”

  “I do. I have for a long time.” No point in lying.

  “Do you love her?”

  He blew out a breath, took another drink, then turned to the woman clearly waiting for an answer. From what he could tell, Diane was a straight shooter. He didn’t see any reason to not be blunt in return.

  “I do love her. Of course.” And it was true, he hadn’t even struggled to say it, which shocked him. “But … I’m not sure what kind of love that is right now. I know it’s the kind of love that wants to help her through this fire ordeal. It’s the kind of love that … wants to have a physical relationship with her. But is it forever-and-ever, have-a-family kind of love? I don’t know.”

  He did have a feeling though, but right now it was all one-sided as far as he was concerned, so he wasn’t interested in exploring it too deeply. Plus he would never admit that to her mother before sharing his feelings with Jen.

  She nodded. “I respect that answer.”

  He nodded, pleased with himself. “Good. I appreciate that. I’m not sure what she’s shared with you, but this relationship between us, it’s new.”

  “She said the same.”

  They ate in silence for a few moments, enjoying the light breeze, the sounds of birds and frogs, and the rustling of the corn stalks. She cleared her throat. Great. She wasn’t done. He mentally braced himself.

  “I hope you consider it. Asking her.”

  “Is there a reason you’re bringing this up?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know how much Jen has told you about my health.”

  “Most of it, I think.” But he couldn’t be certain.

  “That my cancer is back and I haven’t received the best prognosis?”

  “Basically, yes.”

  “Well, then it should be obvious why I’m asking. It would ease my mind to know that someone loves her. Wants to be there for her when I’m gone.”

  That made sense, he supposed. “I think she would be disappointed to know you were planning for the worst.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but she only rolled her eyes.

  “You sound like her. She’s always telling me my attitude is affecting my health.”

  “I think there is evidence to support that. Maybe you should take it into consideration. Besides, this trial medication you’re taking could work, Diane. You have no idea what the future holds.”

  He took another drink and then picked up his fork again. Noticing she’d gone quiet, he leaned forward a bit. “I hope that didn’t come off as insincere, I didn’t mean it that way.”

&n
bsp; “No, of course not.” She wiped at her eye. Was she crying? Oh God, now he felt like an ass. A few hours alone with Jen’s mother and she was crying. Jen was going to kill him.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “I’m not doing the clinical trial,” she said quietly.

  He froze, hating what he thought she might be about to say next. “What do you mean?”

  “I didn’t qualify for it.”

  TJ blew out a breath. “Does Jen know that?”

  She shook her head. “No, she’d be so upset with me.”

  “So, what are you saying? You lied to your daughter?”

  Diane nodded. “I had to.”

  “No, no you didn’t. You have to tell her.”

  “I can’t!” The pleading in her voice, the panic on her face.

  He looked away, fuming inside. Why would she do this to him? Finally, he looked back at her. “Diane, Jen is a strong woman. She can handle it.”

  “She’s the strongest woman I know. That’s exactly why I won’t do it to her. Right now she feels optimistic, but she knows I could still get worse. I’d prefer to just take this second chance I’ve received and spend it with her in peace.”

  “What do you mean second chance?”

  “After the fire. TJ, I almost died in there. Almost let myself die. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  This was news to him. He wondered if Jen knew it. Would this be something else he wasn’t supposed to share? He shook his head. “You have to be honest.”

  “I can’t. She’ll want me to do another round of chemo, and I can’t.”

  “Why? Is it so awful that she wants you to live?”

  “Of course not, but my body didn’t handle it well. It was like hell on earth, and I refuse to go through it again. Besides, it obviously didn’t work because the cancer came back. How do I explain that to her and make her understand?”

  He put his hands out. “Like you did just now to me!”

  “She won’t listen.” Diane shook her head frantically. “Jen has spent the past year taking care of a mean and bitter woman. Hell, she’s been taking care of me in some respect for almost her entire life. I’ve been an addict, homeless, and God knows what else. Jen has been the solid person in our relationship. I’m a bitch, and this past year she should have been thinking about herself. Making her own way.”