He walked to the front door, opened it, and called out to her. “Need help with anything?”
She smiled brightly. “Nope. I’m good. But I love the front door greeting.”
She didn’t know. And he had to admit it was sort of a relief. Today had already been rough with the apartment visit. And they’d been busy the past few days at work bottling a new set of barrels, meaning he hadn’t been able to talk with her as much as he liked to. At home they’d both been exhausted, falling asleep while watching the news. He was ready to hold her.
He closed the front door behind her, then waited for her to set down her purse and toe off her shoes. The minute she turned back to him, he got ahold of her.
“Oh my,” she said, grinning up at him. “What’s this about?”
“Just missed you. That’s all.”
“I’ve been gone three hours,” she said, amusement in her voice.
He squeezed her tighter. “Three long hours.”
The feel of her arms pulling him closer made him smile. They stood like that a long moment, just soaking each other in. Then he heard it. A sniffle.
Angling his head, he tried to see her face, but she just shoved it deeper into his chest. “Jen, babe, what is it?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
TJ pressed his lips against her temple. “It’s been a hell of a day.”
Her head nodded in agreement and he stroked her hair, pulling it away from her face. Slowly, she looked up at him, her eyes shiny and red. “I need you,” she said.
He smiled down at her. “And I need you,” he replied, before pressing a kiss to her nose. Then her lips. She didn’t hesitate to kiss him back and he threaded his fingers into her hair to hold her close.
Finally she broke away, her breath labored. “Right here in the entryway?” she asked quietly.
“Wherever I can have you.”
Her eyes were wide now, sparkling in the light of the chandelier above their head. He watched as her fingers began to undo the buttons on her shirt. Within seconds, the material was falling open, exposing her beautiful body.
TJ licked his lips, wanting to get his mouth on the plump swells of her breasts. Her bra was black lace, and he could see her hard nipples straining against the flimsy fabric. Lifting his hand, he ran a thumb over one, watching it pucker even tighter.
Her shirt fell to the floor as she reached behind her to undo the bra. As it sagged forward, he pulled the straps down her arms and dropped it at their feet.
“I’m pretty sure your body was made for me, Jen.” He placed a hand on each breast, once again running his thumbs over her nipples as her hands went to his fly. If she was ready to get right to it, he had no problem with that.
Pulling his shirt over his head, he watched as she reached for his pants.
“Hold on,” he said, before going for the emergency condom in his wallet. After retrieving it he dropped the wallet on the floor. “Okay.”
She smiled and then pushed his pants down his legs. Impatient, he finished the job, chucking his underwear along with it. When he was finished, he noticed she’d removed her own shorts and underwear. She stood there in front of him, fully naked. He wished he could take a picture of her like this. In his home.
Just … his. All his.
“The lights are on.” She nodded toward the sidelight window next to the door.
After rolling on the condom, he stepped closer, his fingertips trailing up her arm. “Only things out there to see us are some cows.”
“What if someone drives by?”
TJ leaned down and gripped her butt before pulling her up against his body. Then he took a few steps and rested her back on the wall. Instantly she wrapped her legs around him, pressing her heat against his lower abdomen, and he swore he could feel her wetness.
“If someone is lucky enough to drive by, then they’ll see me fucking you against the wall.”
Grinning, she leaned forward and kissed him, her heat consuming him, her tongue filling his mouth. He kissed her back, loving the feel of her breasts smashed against his chest. With her legs locking them in place, he brought his left hand between them and gently pinched her nipple. She gasped.
“Did that hurt?”
“A little,” she said, breathless. “Do it again.”
He did and she cried out, a sound so sweet he almost came from the sound of it. This time he lifted her breast up and attached his mouth to it. He wanted to get inside of her, wanted to suck on her nipples, and hold her up. As if she could read his mind, she put her hand under her breast so he could continue lapping at it.
His now free hand went right to his dick. Adjusting his stance, he sought her warmth, and pressed up inside her.
“Oh yes,” Jen said. TJ sucked harder on her nipple and then felt her other breast brushing his cheek. He pulled back to see her pressing them together.
“Shit, that’s hot, Jen. Give them to me.” She arched her back harder, her shoulders pressing into the wall, and he leaned down again to suck her into his mouth.
He was doing his best to stroke in and out, hoping it felt good to her. But when he glanced up at her face, her eyes were pinched shut, a tear rolling out of one eye. He froze.
“Jen, babe, what’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly panicked. Stepping forward, he flattened her back and ran a hand over her forehead to push her hair from her face.
She shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong,” she said, looking at him.
“Then why are you crying?” He’d hoped this was making her feel better, not worse.
Biting at her lower lip, she touched his jaw with her hand. “This just feels so good,” she whispered. “You feel so good.”
The tightness in TJ’s chest almost felt fatal. This woman. He wasn’t sure if he could feel any stronger for her. The intensity of it was going to kill him if he didn’t get it out.
Grabbing ahold of her, he pulled them away from the wall and very carefully took them down to the rug. She stared up at him, her knees falling open, and he angled his body down onto hers.
She lowered her hand and he felt her grip him, and then guide him to her entrance. The achingly slow slide into her body had them both moaning. There had never been anything so good, so hot, and so beautifully tight as Jen gripping his cock.
He touched her face once more and leaned his forehead on hers. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he settled for one. “When I’m inside you … that’s when I know you’re meant to be mine.”
When she made no sound, he went still and looked down at her. Their eyes locked. “I’ve wanted you for so long, Jen. Waited. Watched other men come on to you, and it killed me. Tell me,” he said. “Please, this time … tell me you’re mine.”
She lifted her hand to cup his face. “I’m yours.”
Twenty-One
TJ glanced at his watch. His parents’ party had started an hour ago, and while he didn’t mind being late, it had been quite a while since Jen had gone upstairs to get ready.
He switched off the Royals game he was watching on TV and headed up the stairs. He heard the water shut off and then the sound of her shoes on the bathroom tile. He still loved the sounds of her moving around in his house. Finding her in the kitchen, doing laundry. It all made him happy.
Walking into the master bath, he saw her and froze.
“How do I look?”
This was a loaded question, so he gave himself a minute. But not too long, or she’d worry. “You look beautiful.”
“You sure?” Her eyes got a little squinty, and he tried to figure out the best way to say what needed to be said.
“Jen, you always look beautiful, but I need to say something. So don’t be mad.”
“I know, I know. This is not me.”
He sagged in relief. “No, it’s not you. At all. I didn’t even know you owned a sweater like that. It has pearl buttons.”
“I know that. I borrowed it from Charlotte.” She glanced down at the little yellow cardigan she’d p
ut on over her white lace sundress—which was one of his favorites. It was sleeveless and a little snug on her breasts. It fit her body like it was custom-made. He wanted her to wear it alone. “I just … thought it was better if my tattoos were covered.”
TJ’s eyes went wide. “What the hell for? And you curled your hair. You never do it like that.” Instead of wavy like usual, it was more round and bouncy. Even her eye makeup was different. Softer. Lighter.
She sighed as he continued to assess her. “Well, do I look ridiculous? I was doing it for you.”
“Jen, no.” He stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders. “Don’t you change a single thing about yourself for me. Or because of my family. I mean it when I say you look beautiful right now. But I want you to look like you do every other day. That’s the you I love.”
Her eyes darted up to his, and he processed what he’d just said. Her only reply was to nod her head and turn back to the mirror.
“Did I just hurt your feelings, because that is not what I wanted to do.”
“No,” she snapped. “But if your mom hates me, I’ll blame you.”
He walked up to her side, cradled her chin in his hand, and tilted her eyes up to him. “That’s not going to happen. But even if it did, I don’t care. Your happiness is the only thing that matters. Got it?”
She nodded.
“So, you do what makes you feel comfortable. If you want to wear this sweater, you’ll look perfect, but I love seeing your tattoos. Just something to consider.”
He left the bathroom and went to sit on the bed and wait for her. It wasn’t long before she came out. She’d ditched the cardigan, but everything else—makeup and hair—looked exactly the same.
“This is how I will feel comfortable being there. Please understand that.”
He nodded. “Okay. You look wonderful.”
Fifteen minutes later they were pulling up at his parents’ house, the one where he’d grown up. It was large, but not ridiculously so. But the property was rather vast, with a pool, a pool house, and a basketball court. He was sure it looked incredibly ostentatious to Jen. And maybe it was, with its colonial columns and overly manicured landscaping.
“They have valet parking?” she asked.
“Just for this event. It’s an annual tradition. A lot of people come for food, booze, and gossip. All under the guise of celebrating the love of my parents.”
“Hmm. Sounds like rich people stuff.”
TJ just smiled as he pulled up to the valet line. After they got out, he took Jen’s hand. They walked up the sidewalk and around to the backyard. The sounds of laughter, voices, and presumably a DJ met them before they made it back to the party where about a hundred people milled around. Kids played in the pool and ran around the yard, while the adults sipped beer and cocktails and talked about mindless bullshit. TJ was already itching to leave.
“I can’t believe you grew up here,” she said, leaning into him. “I knew you were wealthy. If I’d have had any idea this was what you went home to, I might have been even more annoyed with you.”
TJ leaned down to kiss her head. “Not sure it would have been possible for you to be more annoyed with me back then.”
“You’d be surprised.” They walked a little further through the guests. “This is so different than where you live now.”
“That’s the whole point,” he said, loving that she’d said that.
“Trevor,” a voice called out. TJ turned and forced a smile for his sister.
“Hey, Elizabeth,” he said, leaning in to hug her. His relationship with his older sister wasn’t so much bad as nonexistent. Elizabeth liked to talk about herself and didn’t see much need to keep up with TJ’s life beyond what was shared by their mother.
“I haven’t seen you since Christmas,” she said. Liz was an attorney and always “busy.” Her eyes darted to Jen. “Is this why?” She stuck out her hand to Jen. “Hi, I’m Elizabeth. Trevor’s sister.”
Jen took her hand and shook it. “I’m Jen.”
“Nice to meet you. How long have you two been dating?” Liz asked. “I thought Mom mentioned you’d broken up with someone recently.”
TJ didn’t miss the way his sister’s eyes looked Jen up and down, so he knew Jen hadn’t missed it either. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be judgment in Liz’s appraisal. More curiosity.
“I don’t fill Mom in on everything.” He’d even missed a couple of his weekly calls this month, and she hadn’t even reached out to check on him. Go figure. “And Jen and I actually live together.”
TJ felt Jen stiffen beside him. They hadn’t decided what they were going to share or how he was going to introduce her, but he saw no reason to be anything but honest. He rested his hand on her lower back and rubbed.
Liz’s mouth dropped open. “Wow! Moving fast. Congratulations.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d let me spread that news.”
“Of course. I understand,” Liz said. “I still need to get over and see your new house.”
“It’s very nice,” Jen interjected.
“I bet. TJ always had good taste,” she said, turning to Jen. “Well then, maybe we’ll all see one another at Christmas next time. Sorry to rush away, but I’ve got to find my kids. I’m sure my husband is not looking after them. It was nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Jen said.
TJ decided that could have gone a lot worse, as he watched his sister walk across the patio to yell at one of her girls in the pool. The sight of his nieces shocked him. They were so grown up, and suddenly TJ hated that he wasn’t very close to them. He sent Liz’s daughters cards on their birthdays and gave them presents for Christmas, but that was about it. They didn’t rush over to see Uncle TJ at get-togethers like this. Then again, they didn’t do it to Uncle Seth, his brother, either. Whose fault was it that none of Laughlins were that close to one another? Maybe it was everyone’s. Himself included.
“She seemed nice enough,” Jen said quietly.
“Yeah, I guess. We’re just not close. Never have been. Let’s keep moving. It’s dangerous to stay still too long.”
He grabbed her hand and they headed for the bar set up by the pool. TJ knew if he wanted to introduce Jen to his parents, that would be the place to find them. Sure enough, his mother was within six feet, nursing a martini and chatting with two women.
“Mom,” he said, lightly touching her arm. She turned.
“TJ, oh you’re here.” She reached out and hugged him with her drinkless hand, a halfway enthusiastic effort. Literally. “I was starting to wonder where you were.”
Was she really? He had a hard time believing she would have even noticed if he hadn’t showed. He pulled Jen closer to him. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Jen. Jen, my mother, Ellen.”
“Jen! Oh … how lovely,” Ellen said, her smile actually sincere. “Aren’t you beautiful?” She looked at TJ. “She’s so beautiful and colorful. You’re like looking at a garden. Ohhh…” TJ watched in shock as his mother—overcome with some sort of emotion—put her glass down on a nearby table and pulled Jen in for a two-armed hug. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but he couldn’t deny the feeling of pride he felt at watching his mom’s reaction to Jen. He’d been prepared to not care what she thought. Prepared to explain to Jen how his parents were. But the deep-down truth was that he did care. He’d wanted his mother to see what he saw when he looked at Jen. But never in a million years had he expected her to. Hopefully it wasn’t because she was drunk.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Laughlin,” Jen said.
When they pulled back from the hug, TJ’s mother was still beaming. “Call me Ellen.” She glanced at TJ again. “TJ … I’m just so thrilled. She’s the most precious thing I’ve ever seen.”
Jen’s wary eyes darted to his and he grinned at her. “That she is. I agree.”
“Have you two gotten some food? Come on, I’ll show you.” After leaving her drink where it was, he watched his mom grab Jen’s hand and lead her t
hrough the mass of guests. A couple of times she stopped to introduce Jen to someone, repeating the same phrase. “Isn’t she lovely? This is my son TJ’s girlfriend, Jen.” And often added something along the lines of “the one who owns the Stag in Maple Springs.”
Several people said hello to him and congratulated him on the success of the Stag. Eventually they made their way up by the house, and Jen and TJ both made a plate from the catered barbecue buffet line.
“Don’t you leave before I get a chance to chat with you again, promise?” his mother asked them.
“Okay, Mom,” he said.
“This is so nice,” Jen whispered. “I grew up eating greasy barbecue out of a paper sack from the gas station.”
“Don’t they say the best barbecue comes from the dives?” he teased.
“Maybe, but this looks pretty tasty.” She held out her plate and glanced down at her dress. “Although I’ll admit that I’m a bit nervous about eating ribs in white.”
“You want to go eat in the house?”
“Can we?”
“Of course. I grew up here.” He led her into the kitchen where a few caterers bustled around. “It’s busy in here,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about it. Come over here.” They found an open spot at the breakfast table and sat down.
“Can I get you something to drink?” a young woman in a uniform asked them, setting down some napkins.
“No, thank you. We’re just fine.” TJ offered the woman a smile and then turned to Jen. “I’m going to grab a couple of waters. Is that okay?”
“Sure. Thanks. Better hurry or I’ll eat your food, too.”
He placed a quick kiss on her head and then walked over to the refrigerator. When he opened it, there wasn’t a water bottle in sight. He glanced at Jen. “Be right back.”
Heading through the house, he made his way to the garage, noticing that his mother had redecorated a bit since Christmas when he’d been here last. Not a big surprise. Besides the layout, nothing was the way it was when he left for college many years ago.
Maybe This Time_A Whiskey and Weddings Novel Page 21