Southern Attraction

by Kaylee Ryan

  When I pull into the bar, it’s just a couple of hours before we open. Liv’s car is parked out back, so I park next to her and make my way inside. I shoot Jamie a quick text.

  Me: Made it home. Call me later. Miss you already.

  Jamie: Miss you too.

  With a heavy sigh, I shove my phone in my pocket and head inside. “Liv,” I call out.

  “Back here,” she replies.

  I follow her voice to the storage room. “Hey, you need some help?”

  “Nope. I’m just about finished here. Deposit was made yesterday for the weekend and the books are balanced.”

  “Damn, you do good work, little sister.”

  “I like it,” she confesses. “At least that part of it.”

  “We make a good team, huh?”

  “So how was your weekend?

  “Too damn short,” I grumble.

  “You all any closer to making this permanent?”

  “Don’t really want to talk about it.”

  “You been home yet?”

  “No, wanted to stop in and check on things. I’m headed there now. Thanks for holding down the fort.”

  “No worries. I’m here tonight, so why don’t you take another night off? You look like hell.”

  “Didn’t sleep last night.”

  “Go, I got this.”

  I place my arm around her and pull her into a hug. “Love you, Liv.”

  “Love you too, big brother. Go home and get some rest. This place will be here tomorrow.”

  I do as she says and drive home in a daze. I’m exhausted. Once I’m home, I drop my bags in the living room and leave them. I can deal with it later. I make my way to the bedroom, strip down to my boxer briefs and crawl into bed. It’s not long before sleep claims me.

  I startle awake at the sound of what I think is a knock at the door. I hop out of bed and race into the living room, seeing it’s dark outside. Shit, I was exhausted. I need to find my phone and text Jamie; I’m sure she’s messaged me and I don’t want her to worry. Another soft knock comes right as I pull the door open. I stop in my tracks and blink, hard. Opening my eyes, I blink again just to make sure.

  “Jamie.” Her name falls from my lips on a whisper. I’m afraid I’m sleep walking, so I pinch my leg and jump from the pain.

  “Hi.” She smiles softly.

  “You’re here?” I state the fucking obvious, but I’m a little disoriented.

  “I’m here,” she confirms.

  “Are you hurt?” My eyes roam over her body. “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m out of a job as of today and… well… this is the first place I thought of. This is where I wanted to be.”

  Her confession renders me speechless. I stand there and stare at this beautiful woman who came here for me. I’m where she wanted to be.

  “I’m so-sorry,” she stammers. “I’ll go. I should’ve called or texted. I’m just gonna go to Whit’s.” She turns and I reach out, grabbing her arm.

  “Stay.” My words are calm, but my racing heart is anything but. Her big green eyes look up at me, holding so much emotion. Everything I feel for her is reflecting back at me. I can no longer deny it any more than I can fight it. I’m in too deep. It doesn’t matter if she lives five miles or five hundred away from me; the pain will be the same if this doesn’t work out.

  Stepping back, I hold the door open and motion for her to come in. She squeezes by me and her familiar scent washes over me as I close the door behind us and lock it. Jamie turns to face me where I stand with my back against the door. I take a step toward her and pull her into my arms. Wrapping hers around my waist, she slides her hand under my shirt. Bending down, I capture her lips with mine, spinning us so her back is against the door. My tongue glides past her lips and her hands dig into my back.

  “Mike,” she pants.

  It’s like her words, her need, is the fuel to my own. Bending at the knees, I grab the back of her thighs and lift her. Instinctively she wraps her legs around my waist. I’m frantic, needing to be closer to her. She grinds her hips against my hard cock as I kiss her harder, bruising her lips.

  “Off,” she mumbles against my lips. Reluctantly I pull away to see what she needs. I’m fucking attacking her. “I need this off.” She tugs at her shirt.

  “Hold on tight.” I adjust my grip on her thighs and turn us toward my room, my knees eventually hitting the bed as I gently sit her on the edge. Immediately she lifts her arms in the air, and I don’t waste any time pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it. Bending down, I kiss her again. I never want to stop kissing her.

  “Lie back,” I demand. My voice doesn’t sound like my own; it’s deeper and laced with want. She does as I ask. Dropping to my knees, I kiss her toned stomach, every inch of her exposed skin. When I reach the button of her jeans, I pop it open, slowly sliding the zipper down. She’s wearing white lace panties, the same ones I saw her put on this morning before heading to work. Before I had to leave her.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” I whisper before placing a kiss above the waistband of all that white lace. I don’t stop until I reach her center. Instinctively she lifts her hips. Gripping both sides of the sexy fabric, I tug, following their descent with my lips, kissing down one leg and then the other.

  Sitting back, I take her in. Her long blonde hair is spread out on my gray comforter, her green eyes bright with lust. I need to feel her. Standing, I take the few steps to my nightstand, pull out a strip of condoms and toss them on the bed.

  “Come here,” she says, grabbing my arm and pulling me to stand between her legs.

  Her hands grip my boxer briefs and she pulls. I stand stock-still while my hard cock stands at attention, pointing right at her, asking for her to not leave him out. When she grips me, I close my eyes. Her hands on me is going to end this a hell of a lot faster than what I want it to. I open my eyes and look down just in time to see her soft pink lips wrap around the head of my cock. “Fuck!” I roar at the feel of her mouth around me. “Baby, you have to stop,” I say as I bury my hand in her hair. I should pull her away, but I just… a little bit longer. When she takes me deep, I have to back out of her embrace, my cock falling from her lips with an audible pop.

  Fuck this. I need to feel her, be inside of her. Reaching for the condoms, I tear one off and rip it open with my teeth. Tossing the packet somewhere on the floor, I sheath myself. Jamie moves back on the bed, and I follow after her. Her legs fall open and I take my spot between them. This is where I belong. My fingers glide over her wetness and I groan. She’s so fucking responsive to me.

  Palming my cock, I guide myself into her entrance. I don’t take my eyes off where I enter her for the first time. Slowly, painfully slow, I slide inside. “Tight,” I murmur. “So fucking tight.”

  She’s fucking squeezing me like a vice and I have to move, have to get her there. Rocking my hips, I begin to slide in and out.

  Her hands grip my back. “Yes.” She digs her nails deeper.

  Fuck me, I’m embarrassingly close to finishing without her. Sliding one hand between us, I place my thumb over her clit and she lets out a deep, throaty moan.

  “M-mike,” she pants.

  “I want to feel it, babe. I need you to come all over my cock.” I thrust harder, applying more pressure to her clit. Her head moves side to side as if she can ward off her orgasm. Dropping my weight to one arm, I place my lips next to her ear. “Give it to me, Jamie. Let me have it, have you. All of you. I need to feel you, baby.”

  “Mike!” she screams as she squeezes the fuck out of my cock, causing me to unload inside of her.

  My arms start to shake as I try to hold my weight off her. Sliding to my knees, I move off the bed and make my way to the bathroom to deal with the condom. What I find when I return has my heart tipping over in my chest. Jamie is lying under the covers, her bare shoulders exposed, her hair spread out on my pillow, and she’s wearing a relaxed smile. Not willing to be away from her another minute, I’m besid
e the bed in a few long strides and climbing in next to her. Sliding my arm under her head, I scoot her over and she rests her head on my chest. Where she belongs.

  We lay in comfortable silence as I run my hand through her hair until she finally speaks. “Sorry to just drop in on you like that.”

  “Jamie, you are welcome here anytime, all the time. But I have to ask, what are you doing here? Are you okay? You mentioned something about your job?”

  “I’m surprised you caught that much,” she laughs.

  “What?” I play dumb. I know exactly what she’s talking about. As soon as I saw her and realized she was actually here, I had to have her.

  “You know what.” She playfully pats my chest.

  “I’m sorry.” I shouldn’t have attacked her. I should’ve made sure she wanted this as much as I did.

  “For what? Giving me the best orgasm of my life? I don’t want apologies, I want promises.”

  I’m about to promise her the world, anything to stay like this with her forever, when she continues.

  “I need you to promise that there’s more where that came from. Please don’t tell me that things go downhill from there.”

  Gently I smack her on the ass. “I’ve got you covered, beautiful. Now tell me what’s going on.”

  So she does. I keep running my hands through her silky strands of hair while she tells me her news.

  “So wait. You’re here until the wedding?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, I mean, I think so. I need to check with Whit to make sure she’s okay with it.”

  “Why?”

  “I kind of need a place to stay.”

  I hold her a little tighter. “You’re where you belong,” I say, kissing the top of her head.

  Her big green eyes look up at me. “You’re okay with that? With me staying here until then?”

  “Jamie, I already told you I wanted you here next week.”

  “I know that, but this is a change in plans. I didn’t want to assume.”

  “Darlin,’ when it comes to me and you, assume all you want. Know this: I always want you as close to me as possible. Hell yes, I want you here. You can stay as long as you want—forever if I had my way.”

  “Forever is a long-ass time, Michael.”

  “Not long enough.” I kiss her again.

  “Shit!” She jumps out of bed. “I need to call my parents before they send out a search party. You”—she points at me as she fumbles with my shirt I discarded earlier—“are a distraction.”

  I watch her as she runs out of the room, her hair a mess from the fact that I can’t seem to keep my hands out of it. My shirt hangs off her and she’s never looked sexier to me.

  A few minutes later, she’s walking back into the room. “Hold up,” I say as she starts to climb back into bed.

  “What?” she asks. I can see the confusion in her eyes.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  She gives me a blinding smile and rolls those pretty green eyes before stripping off my shirt and climbing back into bed.

  “Much better. Now, you and me, two weeks… or longer. Are you in?”

  “Yeah,” she says softly. “I’m in, country.”

  I capture her lips with mine and give her a repeat performance. I did promise her, after all.

  As I lie in his arms, I stare at the ceiling. The sun is just now starting to rise and yet I’m wide awake. Yesterday comes rushing back to me. All I wanted to do was see Mike. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and tell me everything was going to be okay. Sure, I knew my job was coming to an end, but it’s still a chapter of my life that’s changing. I’ve never been much on change, happy with where life was taking me. I didn’t expect the welcoming I got, though honestly I don’t know what I expected. I was sure he wouldn’t push me away, but the relief, the need, that was unexpected.

  “Morning, beautiful,” his sleepy voice rumbles from behind me. I feel his lips press against my bare shoulder.

  “Morning.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, just thinking about stuff. I am unemployed now, you know.”

  “You don’t need to work if you stay here with me.”

  “Mike, come on.” He mentioned me staying here for the next two weeks last night and I readily agreed, but this sounds like something else altogether.

  “I want you here,” he says, kissing my shoulder again.

  I roll over to face him. “You have me for two whole weeks. What are you going to do with me?”

  He grins. “I may have an idea or two, but first, I’m serious, James. I want you here. For two weeks, two years, two decades, the rest of our lives. Whatever I can get, I want it with you.”

  What do I say to that? His words melt me to my core and I want to tell him I’ll never leave, but that’s not the real world. No, I have my family and a career in Chicago—at least I did. I’m sad that this chapter is ending and another is beginning, but this is my chance to seek out the career I always envisioned. Maybe even running a department. The change causes unease, but it’s what I’ve always wanted.

  It’s all falling into place, all except for Mike. I didn’t plan to meet him that weekend. No way could I have planned for the attraction I felt toward him. Only now, that attraction is something else entirely. Something more.

  “What do you want to do today?” he asks.

  “Don’t you have to go into the bar?”

  “Not right away. Liv was there yesterday and has it under control.”

  “I really need to call Whit.”

  “Why don’t we grab some breakfast, and then we can go surprise her?”

  “I think I like the sound of that.” I kiss the corner of his mouth.

  He tightens his hold on me. “We have to get up and get moving now.” He kisses me, his tongue tracing my lips.

  “We have time,” I say against his lips.

  “Nope.” He pulls back. “Now or we won’t be leaving this bed.” He swats me on the ass and climbs butt-ass naked out of the bed to walk to the bathroom, leaving the door open.

  I climb out of bed to gather my things to go next and realize my clothes are still out in my car. “Hey,” I say, walking into the bathroom. I’ve slipped his shirt back over my head. “Would you mind running out and grabbing my bags from the car once you’re dressed?”

  “I don’t know.” He peeks his head around the shower curtain. “If I don’t, does that mean I keep you naked”—his eyes rake up and down my body—“or in my shirt for the next two weeks?”

  “I can go out there like this, I just didn’t want to embarrass you if someone drives by and sees a half-naked girl in your driveway.”

  “No,” he practically growls. “I’ll get them. Where are your keys?”

  I watch as he tilts his head back and rinses the shampoo from his hair, the suds sliding across his rock-hard body. The shower curtain pulls open, breaking my trance.

  “Keys?” He smirks.

  Busted. “I… uh, I don’t know exactly. I’m assuming in the living room somewhere.”

  He grins. “I’ll find them. Towels are in the closet. We should run to the store and get your shower stuff so you have it here.” He says it like it’s the most normal idea as he runs the towel over his head.

  “Yeah, I have some in my bags.”

  “Still, I think we should.” With that, he throws the towel in the hamper and walks out of the room.

  Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I see happiness and his shirt. I lift it to my nose and sniff; it smells like him. It’s a smell I’ve come to crave. Stripping it over my head, I climb into the shower. I’ve just finished lathering my hair with his shampoo when he walks back into the room.

  “You want me to dig out your stuff?” he asks.

  “No, I can use yours today.”

  “You’re going to smell like a man.”

  “No, I’m going to smell like you.” I hear what I think is a mumbled “fuck me” and then silence.

 
Peeking around the curtain, I see that he’s no longer in the bathroom. I smile, knowing my words got him. I know him just as well as he knows me. He’s trying to keep his hands off me and for now, that’s what needs to happen. I really do need to go see Whit, and I’m starving since we skipped dinner last night. I also want him to go to the bar tonight. I don’t want him changing his life just because I showed up unannounced on his doorstep.

  Quickly I finish my shower and dry off. The bedroom is quiet, but my bags are on the bed waiting for me. I rummage around until I find an outfit and my toiletries, then head back to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

  I find him in the living room, remote in hand, staring at the TV. Looking up, his blue eyes sparkle. “Ready, darlin’?”

  “Yes. I’m starving. Where are we going?”

  “The diner. Have you eaten there?”

  “I don’t think so.” He holds his hand out for me and I take it. We stop by the front door, where he grabs his wallet, phone, and keys, and we’re off. “Where’s my car?” I ask when I see the empty driveway.

  He guides me across the driveway and toward the detached garage. “Garage.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I don’t park in the garage at home.”

  He shrugs. “The only thing in there is the lawnmower. I moved it over and your car fits perfectly. No sense in it being outside when we have a garage you can use.”

  We? I want to say something, but I decide against it. He’s made it clear that he wants me here. I don’t even think he realizes that’s how he said it.

  “Oh my,” I say, placing my hand over my mouth as I chew. It’s rude as hell to talk and eat with my mouth full, but damn these pancakes are literally melting in my mouth.

  “Good?” Mike asks.

  “Heaven,” I say after swallowing the huge bite.

  “The pancakes are good, but this?” He points to his plate of biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon. “This is the best thing on the menu.”

  “I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one.” I take another big bite.