Beauty and the Bayou: Boys of the Bayou Book 3

by Erin Nicholas

  He’d freaking put mosquito netting up over his bed.

  Her eyes filled with tears and she had to blink rapidly.

  She was falling in love with him already and they’d already had sex and it had been amazing, but she was afraid that had been nothing like what was about to come. Because he’d put mosquito netting up over his bed.

  And she was not falling in love with him.

  She was already there.

  He stared down at her. “This is going to get dirty.”

  She nodded as her breath caught in her throat and her core clenched. “Good.”

  He smiled and brushed her hair back from her face. “But I want you to know, that I think you are the sweetest, most amazing, sexiest, strongest, bravest, funniest person I’ve ever met.”

  Juliet felt both eyebrows rise. “Well…wow.” This guy was unlike any she’d ever met. She’d been at her most eccentric with him, and he thought she was strong and brave and amazing. Hell, he encouraged her eccentricity with the What-Ifs and the safety vest and the mosquito netting and the…everything. He made her feel completely normal in all of her craziness.

  “Thought I should say that first.”

  “First?”

  He gave her a solemn nod. “So that you know it before I say things like my tongue’s never been inside a sweeter pussy.”

  Surprise and heat coursed through her. She was in love with this guy. This complicated, emotionally knotted guy who lived in a crazy-assed place where she couldn’t imagine herself staying. And who made her laugh and made her feel all of those things he’d just told her he thought of her. No one had said those things to her, and for sure no one had made her feel them. Maybe she could imagine staying. Who would leave a setup like this?

  “I will absolutely keep those things in mind,” she said, stepping close and pulling his shirt up his torso. He lifted his arms so she could strip it over his head—and helped her since she couldn’t possibly reach that high. “But if you’re able to talk about my pussy like that, I’m not sure your tongue will be doing the job it’s supposed to be doing down there.”

  His eyes darkened and flared with heat. He reached for her, cupping the back of her head and pulling her close. He lowered his face until he was staring directly into her eyes and she felt his hot breath on her lips.

  “Not a bad point. So let me get these things said up front as well so that when my tongue’s busy and my mouth’s full, you still know them. Your pussy is the sweetest I’ve ever had my tongue inside, the sight of your tits bouncing while I pound inside you is the stuff I’m going to jack off to in the shower several mornings a week, the feel of your clit against my finger and tongue is something I’m never going to forget, and the sound of you saying my name as you come is going to be on a replay loop in my head as I go to sleep every night.”

  She stared up at him, breathing hard, her cheeks hot, but more turned on and stunned than she’d ever been. That had all been super dirty but also strangely romantic. “No pressure, huh?” she finally asked, trying to lighten the moment so she wouldn’t rip off his clothes and climb him like a tree.

  “No pressure,” he agreed. “You’re already the best I’ve ever had.”

  “The office was—”

  “Not what I’m talking about.”

  Her heart melted and her lips parted to respond, but before she could, he’d whipped her dress off over her head, reached behind for the clasp on her bra, tossed the dress and bra over his shoulder, and tipped her back onto the bed through the V in the netting.

  She landed on the mattress, turned on and in love and not caring that he could probably see both very clearly on her face.

  Sawyer stripped off his jeans and boxers and stood before her, huge and hard, with a hungry but affectionate look on his face. He stroked his cock, almost absent-mindedly as he studied her, his hot gaze taking in everything from the top of her head to the nail polish on her toenails. Then he grasped one ankle and opened her legs. He knelt by the bed, took her ass in his hands, pulled her to the edge of the mattress, and dragged his tongue up her inner thigh.

  Everything in her body went up in flames. Her scalp tingled, her nipples beaded, her palms got sweaty, her pussy clenched hard, and her toes curled.

  He kissed his way to her mound, then opened her with his thumbs, sliding the pads up and down her outer lips, just studying her.

  Juliet had never felt so hot and restless in her life. She shifted against the sheets and reached for him. Probably to push him closer, though she wasn’t entirely sure. She just needed to touch him somehow.

  “Juliet,” he said, not looking up.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to say this now, one time. Here are the ways you can move—you can lift your pussy closer to me, you can spread your legs wider, you can put your hands on your tits and play with your nipples, you can grab the sheets to hold on. Otherwise, you’re going to lie there and take everything I’m about to give you.”

  She almost came right then and there.

  Instead, she did…all of that. She grasped the sheet with one hand, lifted one to her aching right nipple, spread her legs and tilted her pelvis.

  “That’s my girl,” he praised gruffly. Then he lowered his head and took her clit in his mouth.

  He sucked hard, then licked, swirling his tongue over the sensitive bud. He sucked again, and Juliet felt her orgasm already winding tight in her core. He moved to thrust his tongue deep, tasting her with a satisfied groan that made her bones turn to liquid. Then he slid a thick, long finger deep, as his mouth returned to her clit.

  He ate at her, finger fucking her, then using his tongue, then using two fingers, changing it up constantly, winding her tighter and tighter, until finally the dam burst and she came hard with a cry, her entire body trying to pull him deep.

  He moved up her body, kissing over her belly, up her rib cage, sucking a nipple hard while rolling the other between thumb and finger, then tugging with just enough pressure to keep the ripples of her orgasm going. He dragged his whisker-roughened jaw up her neck sending goose bumps trickling down her body, then finally put his mouth against hers as he settled his huge cock between her legs. His kissed her slowly, stroking her tongue with his, making her taste herself, his hands gliding over her body, his calloused palms igniting her nerve endings and making her shift against him.

  When she was wiggling against him again, her orgasm faded, but her body craving more already, he palmed her ass and rolled them both until she was on top of him.

  Without a word, he handed her a condom.

  Juliet sat back on his thighs, taking a moment to study him. He was just huge. She’d never been with a guy this big. Not just his cock, but everything. He was tall and broad, his muscles were thick and powerful, his hands were big, his fingers long. A little shiver of pleasure went over her thinking about those hands and fingers. She was really grateful for those. She took in the hard planes of his shoulders, chest, and abs. She ran her hand over his pecs, down the washboard bumps of his stomach, and then took his cock in hand. She stroked him a few times. He wrapped a hand around hers, making her squeeze tighter, and she stroked him like that a few times, too, relishing how his stomach and thighs tensed and how his jaw got tight.

  God, she wanted to watch him lose it. She wanted him to come like this, losing his control, coming apart for her.

  She lifted her hands to her breasts and toyed with her nipples. His gaze followed, his hand continuing to work his cock. She tugged and pinched, squeezing her thighs against his.

  Then she slid a hand down her stomach to her mound.

  “Where’s the condom?” he asked, his voice rough.

  “Not time for that yet.” She rubbed the pad of her middle finger over her clit.

  “No?” He watched her moving her finger.

  She rotated her hips and saw him squeeze his cock tighter. “No.”

  “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I haven’t imagined coming all over those gorgeo
us tits,” he said.

  Juliet squeezed her knees again. “I’ve never gotten myself off in front of someone before.”

  “Yeah, we’re doing this,” he told her immediately. “Play with that pretty pussy.”

  She did. She did what she typically did when she was alone and without her vibrator, but instead of thinking about the most recent dirty romance she’d read, she just watched Sawyer.

  His dark eyes, his tense jaw, his huge hand wrapped around his throbbing cock, working it as he watched her. His hot gaze raked over her. He watched her pinching and tugging on her nipples, he watched her sliding two fingers deep and then circling her clit faster and faster and harder. Soon they were both breathing hard and Juliet felt the tightening of her pending climax.

  “Sawyer,” she said huskily. “I’m going to come.”

  He shifted, reaching for her and sliding a finger deep. With his huge middle finger filling her, thrusting into her, she came apart, calling his name, her knees clamping down on his thighs and her inner muscles clenching his finger.

  The next moment, he shouted her name and came as well, hot white ribbons hitting her breasts and stomach.

  He milked it until he was spent, then lay staring at her, his breathing ragged.

  After a long moment, he gave a deep groan and reached for her, pulling her against his chest and rolling them, until they lay facing one another. Then he kissed her, hot and deep.

  She’d never done anything like that and it felt like the most intimate moment she’d ever had.

  And hot. He wasn’t the only one who was going to be getting off to that memory.

  When he pulled back, he held her face and stared at her. “Holy shit, woman.”

  She grinned. “Sorry. I know that wasn’t the plan.”

  “Don’t you ever fucking apologize for blowing my mind.” He grinned. “Of course, we do have a lot of things to still get to. Guess we’re stayin’ up late tonight.”

  She nodded, biting her bottom lip. “Yeah, we’ve only a few more days to get to everything.”

  Why had she said that? Did she want an invitation to spend the rest of her time in Autre here with him? Well, yeah, she did. But was she reminding him about her inevitable departure…or herself?

  His grin disappeared and he swallowed hard. “Yeah.” He stroked a hand up and down over her hip. “My list of dirty stuff is long.” He paused. “You might just need to stay a little longer.”

  Stay a little longer.

  She hadn’t realized until that moment that that was the invitation she’d been hoping for.

  “Yeah, maybe I will.”

  As she snuggled in next to him, she couldn’t help one final thought—What if she stayed forever?

  9

  Iced tea wasn’t cutting it. She needed more caffeine this morning. Desperately.

  So desperately that she was walking across the grass toward the Boys of the Bayou office in only flip-flops rather than her work boots. Honestly, if she encountered a snake this morning, she wasn’t sure she’d care.

  Well, she’d care, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to work up even enough adrenaline to shriek.

  She’d spent the past week with Sawyer finishing the dock, hanging out with his family, dancing to zydeco music, learning to eat crawfish—no, she did not suck the heads—

  and making love all night long. Simply put, they hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep. In the hottest, most delicious ways possible.

  Then last night had been Chase’s final night in Autre. They’d thrown him a huge party, complete with a live band and even more crawfish and beer. Along with moonshine. Lots of moonshine. Or—as Juliet had decided to refer to it—the vile potion of the Landry descendants. The party had gone on until nearly two a.m. Then everyone had gathered by Chase’s rental car five hours later to send him off with hugs, advice, and invitations for him to come back anytime.

  Juliet headed into the main office. It was either going to be coffee or soda, whichever she could get her hands on first, but she wasn’t going to be able to handle the noise and crowd at Ellie’s this morning.

  Technically, it was nearing noon. Boys of the Bayou had shut down for the morning, clearly knowing how these parties went, and everyone had slept in. She still felt like she had cement in her head, and while the lunch crowd was smaller and quieter since a lot of people were working, Juliet didn’t think she could handle anything spicier than toast for another few hours.

  Sawyer had warned her about the potency of the moonshine she’d drunk last night.

  Kennedy had, too.

  Maddie had, too.

  She hadn’t listened.

  She let herself in, instantly smelling the coffee, and sighed. Coffee it was. She honestly didn’t care how she got the needed caffeine at this point and hey, the crazy Cajuns had been right about almost everything else so far. She should give their coffee a try. She glanced over to where Kennedy was slumped at the front counter. She lifted a hand, but Juliet wasn’t sure if it was a wave or a don’t-talk-to-me gesture.

  Juliet headed for the coffeepot, filled a cup, and took a sip. She grimaced. That was nasty. But she was desperate. She doctored it with cream and sugar and tried again. Better. Doable.

  Sighing, she turned and leaned against the counter, sipping slowly. She was hungover and tired, but she couldn’t help but smile thinking about the party and Chase.

  It sounded very much like he planned to spend at least part of his Christmas break back here in the bayou, and Juliet had felt her heart kick thinking that maybe she’d join him.

  He’d also been sent off with two huge bags. One was full of food and one was full of homemade creams and salves and potions for any and all ailments and situations—from stuck hinges to dirty bathtubs—that he might encounter as he headed off to medical school. It was almost as if they thought this was his first foray into the real world. Juliet smiled to herself at that. In many ways it was. It had only been two weeks, but she knew her little brother’s perspective on the world at large had changed significantly. He was more grounded. More confident. More aware that he had a place in the world and a responsibility to fill that place to the best of his abilities.

  Ellie had been the last one before Juliet to say goodbye to him. She’d taken his face in her hands, looked him directly in the eye and said, “I love you, boy. Don’t be an asshole.”

  He’d nodded seriously and said, “I love you, too. I won’t be.”

  “Call me when you get there.”

  “Promise.”

  “And I’ll send you pie next Thursday.”

  “And I’ll Facetime you when I get it and I’ll eat while we talk.”

  “Then don’t open it until seven and we’ll Facetime in the bar. Then Cora and Leo and everyone can be there, too.”

  “Perfect.”

  Then they’d hugged.

  Juliet had watched the exchange with wide eyes and a full heart. Chase hadn’t needed to rebuild a dock or develop some blisters or repay a debt. He’d needed a grandmother.

  He’d stepped in front of her next. “’Bye.”

  “’Bye.” She’d smiled up at him. “I’m so proud of you.”

  He’d given her a soft smile she didn’t remember seeing before. “Ditto.”

  “I’m going to miss you.”

  “Same.”

  “Be good,” she’d told him with a little smile.

  “I will. But you…don’t be good, okay?”

  “You don’t think I should be good?”

  “Let’s put it this way—I know you like to be prepared because that makes you feel safe. But there are some things you can’t prepare for.” He looked around. “There’s no way I could have prepared for all of this. But it was the best.”

  “So I should not worry about the stuff that’s not already in my accordion file?” she’d asked, her chest feeling tight.

  “Exactly. Because usually you have to fix it when things go off the rails. Here, there are a lot of people who will be there t
o help if that happens.”

  He was right. It hit her hard. There were people here who would help her with any plan that mattered to her. It didn’t have to be their plan, it didn’t even have to make sense to them. They’d have her back.

  Sawyer would have her back. And he’d make her feel smart and beautiful and sassy and brave the whole time.

  She’d pulled Chase into a hug and said, “Let me know when you get there.”

  “I will. And be sure you’re over at Ellie’s when I Facetime everyone later this week.”

  She grinned. It hadn’t seemed that Chase thought it was strange that she was staying on without him. “Sounds good.”

  He’d gotten into the car and they’d all stood together, watching him drive off, like a big, happy family. Juliet wondered if her dad and older brothers even remembered that Chase was starting med school on Monday. Her mom would. Chase would call her tonight, too. But if their father didn’t remember, Chase would be okay. He had a whole family full of people supporting him now.

  She finished her cup, swallowed the ibuprofen she’d brought with her, and fixed another cup. Ten minutes later, she was feeling a little better.

  “This was bad timing,” Kennedy said from behind her.

  Juliet turned. “What was—”

  Her question was interrupted by the door swinging open and two little kids came running into the office already talking.

  Kennedy’s entire demeanor changed in spite of her hangover. She lit up with a huge smile and slid off her stool. She rounded the counter and crouched to gather the little girl and boy into a hug.

  “Hey, guys! Oh my gosh, you’re here! I’m so excited!” She seemed completely sincere, too.

  Juliet wasn’t sure she’d seen Kennedy looking this friendly before. Then again, the kids were absolutely adorable and clearly ecstatic about being at the docks.

  As the kids were greeting her and telling her about their baby sister and a trip to the aquarium, a big, good-looking guy stepped through the door.