by Wright, Elle
The night of the big blow-out, my mother’s husband—a man who was not my father—berated me for the better part of an hour because I dared to push back against their expectations of me and my behavior while in their house. That was rich, considering my mother had purchased that same house with money Senior had given her. Because she’d agreed to never tell his wife—or anyone else—about me.
I plopped down on the couch, tucking my legs underneath my bottom. “The crazy part? While he was yelling at me, I stood there and let him because I was waiting for her to defend me.”
My mother… She hadn’t said a word. Not a single word. Which led to other choice words from me to both of them right before I’d stormed out. That night, I’d stayed in a hotel room and Juke had calmed my nerves. He always helped me find my way through the clutter. Whether I was sitting at the bar telling him about a decision I made or I was telling him a deep, dark secret.
He sat next to me. “Did she apologize to you when you went back?”
I nodded. “She did. And she told me she loved me.” By then, it was too late. The damage had already been done. “But I don’t think I’ll go back there anytime soon.”
Pulling me into his embrace, he pressed his lips to my temple. “I’m sorry.”
I snuggled into him, loving the way we were with each other. “It is what it is. I told her I loved her, and that I’d always be there if she needed me. Then, I left.”
We sat quietly for a few minutes. Until my stomach growled.
Sitting up straight, I patted my stomach and laughed. “I’m hungry. And I have no food.”
He winked. “Luckily, I thought of everything.” Without another word, he ran outside to his truck. Moments later, he came back with a bunch of bags in his hands. “Dinner.”
A couple hours later, we were seated on the floor in front of the fireplace. I’d laid my blanket down and poured us some red wine. Juke hadn’t lied when he’d told me he came prepared. He’d brought reinforcements, groceries for the week. We’d prepared a quick dinner together—spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and a tossed salad.
“Dinner was delicious.” I took a sip of wine. “You really did think of everything.”
He grinned. “I had a feeling the weather wouldn’t cooperate with my plans.”
“What exactly did you have planned?”
He studied me over the rim of his glass. His heated gaze flickered down to my lips before slowly traveling lower. And lower. When his eyes locked on mine again, he said, “I’ll save it for another time.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Question.”
“What is it?”
“So… In your plans, did you envision spending the night?”
The half-smile, half-smirk he blessed me with made my heart race. “Ronnie.” He gripped my thighs and pulled me to him. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over mine. “Do you want me to stay?”
Oh my. I nodded. “But I thought you were old-fashioned,” I blurted out.
He laughed. “I am. I wanted to take you out, wine and dine you. Spoil you.”
“You already do,” I said. “I’ve never had anyone take care of me the way you do.”
“You make me want to take care of you.” He brushed my stomach with his thumb. “Ronnie, if I stay, things won’t be the same tomorrow. I’m not the guy who fucks and flees.”
“Good.”
“This means something to me,” he admitted. “You mean something to me.”
“I feel the same way.” I smirked. “Juke, today was perfect. Starting with you riding to my rescue, all the way up to this moment. And, hopefully, beyond.” Juke kissed me then. Devoured me really—with his mouth, with his tongue. When he eased back, I pulled him forward and into another kiss. “Thanks for being such a gentleman. But just in case you need to hear this, I’m completely okay with skipping the fancy dinner on the town and getting to the hot sex part.”
“You’re so beautiful.” Juke nuzzled my cheek. “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”
“Oh my God, you’re killing me!” I grumbled, slipping my hand under his shirt. I scraped my fingers over his stomach, enjoying the way his muscles flexed under my touch. “You keep saying things that make me want you more.”
He tugged at the hem of my shirt. “Take this off,” he commanded softly.
Ah, shit. I cheered in my head as I lifted my shirt up and off, tossing it behind me somewhere.
His warm lips traveled over the bridge of my nose, down to my chin, then, my neck. He traced the fabric of my bra with his tongue, pulled it down and scraped one of my nipples with his teeth before sucking it into his mouth. Oh, but he didn’t stop there. He brushed his mouth over my stomach, dipping his tongue in my belly button. I heard the sound of my zipper, but it didn’t register that he was sliding my pants off until I felt his breath on my legs.
His hands were everywhere, but his tongue… Oh God. Masterful. I was helpless to formulate a coherent thought that didn’t involve him. My body was a livewire, ready to blow at any moment.
Juke kissed his way back up my body to my lips. He settled between my thighs and deepened the kiss. I moaned when he brushed his hand over my core. I purred when he slipped one finger—then another—inside my pussy. I trembled when he pressed his thumb to my clit. And I screamed when a delicious orgasm rolled through me.
When I could finally breathe normally again, I opened my eyes. He stared at me, an amused smile on his perfect lips. I tugged at his shirt. “Take this off,” I ordered saucily, tossing his earlier command back at him.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “I think I want you to do it.” He rolled off of me, pulling me on top of him.
Straddling his lap, I unbuttoned his shirt slowly, kissing the expanse of his chest as I did. I winked at him, before I took his pants and boxer briefs off, intent on tasting him. But he pulled on my braids lightly, halting my movement. My gaze locked on his.
“I want you on my dick,” he whispered. “Now.”
Grinning, I climbed on top of him, rubbing against his erection until he groaned.
“Condom. Wallet. In. My. Pocket,” he said, though clenched teeth.
I scrambled to pick up his jeans, my nerves raw and the anticipation killing me. He helped me, taking the pants from me, grabbing his wallet, and pulling the condom wrapper out. I snatched the condom from him and sheathed him, then lowered myself onto him. Slowly.
“Damn,” we both said at the same time.
He sat up, unhooking my bra. Now we were skin-to-skin, connected in every way possible.
“Shit,” he groaned pushing into me. Harder. Deeper. “You feel so good.”
My mouth fell open on a wordless sigh. Finally. Feeling him against me, pulsing inside me, was enough to send me over the edge right then and there. But I wanted this to last. We stayed like that for a moment, giving me time to adjust to his size.
Soon, I rocked into him signaling I was ready. We started slow, lips fused together, arms wrapped around each other, moving to a rhythm that seemed innate. Like we were meant to be like this with each other. With each thrust, I surrendered all the tiny, broken pieces of myself to him. With each thrust, he slowly put them back together again.
I didn’t want it to end, but I was teetering on the edge, unraveling. The pace quickened. He pushed, I pulled. He gave, I took. And when I came, I came long and hard. So hard, tears spilled from my eyes. He followed soon after, groaning my name over and over again.
Collapsing against him, I giggled. “That was so much better than that damn forehead kiss.”
He fell back against the blanket, laughing. “I can see I’ll never live that down.”
I lifted myself up, grinning at him. “Never,” I teased.
Juke ran a finger over my bottom lip. “I can also see I’m going to have to spend a lot of time making it up to you.”
I wiggled my ass, loving that he was getting hard for me again. “Yes, please.”
“Careful now,” he warned. “You might be starting
something you’re not ready to finish.”
“I’m definitely ready. For everything.”
He placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “In that case,” he smacked my ass, “I want a do-over.”
As we began the dance again, making love our way, I realized… I never want him to stop.
Chapter Eight
Tie Me to the Bedpost… Forever
VERONICA
Sometime in March
I groaned. “Don’t stop.”
Juke pushed into me, taking me from behind, making love to me in a way only he could. “I’ll never stop,” he whispered against my ear. He brushed a finger over my clit.
Above our heads, the Northern Lights danced across the sky. It was perfect. Stargazing, the unique backdrop, and him.
“Come for me, Ronnie. I need you.”
I. Need. You. The magic words. I cried out his name as my orgasm shook through me. Soon, he was right with me.
I turned around in his arms. Grinning, I whispered, “It’s still dark.”
“Not for long.” He tipped my chin up with his finger and kissed me. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”
I shrugged, burrowing into his warm body. “You. And eat.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
It was our third night in Alaska. Juke had surprised me with first class tickets for a seven-day trip to The Last Frontier state. We’d spent the first night in Anchorage, then took a short flight to Fairbanks. He’d thought of everything. I didn’t have to do anything but show up.
From our private fiberglass “igloo”, we had an amazing view of the Aurora Borealis. Although there were plenty of activities to do, we’d mostly stayed in and enjoyed each other. Our igloo had everything we needed—a bed, a bathroom, and a few other amenities.
I traced his goatee. “This is amazing, baby.”
I peered at the sky, through the curved windows. The lights moved quickly. Flashes of different colors—blue, green, pink, purple—stretched across the sky. It seemed endless.
Emotion clogged my throat. “Beautiful,” I murmured, my eyes riveted to the scene above me.
Juke had given me a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. He was my own personal genie-in-a-bottle, granting my every wish. He rarely took time off. That he would take an entire week off for this meant the world to me.
I tore my gaze away from the lights. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here.”
His eyes softened. “You should know by now that I’d literally do anything for you.”
I knew that. He’d proven it time and again, in ways that I’d never even imagined. For me, it was the little things. It was the way he made my coffee in the mornings or how he knew when I needed a foot rub or a listening ear.
Over the last few months, we’d created our own rules for our lives—together and apart. No expectations. We’d just lived in the moment and enjoyed our time together. But I felt like we were on the precipice of something else. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew things were about to change soon. I wasn’t scared, though. In fact, it was just the opposite. I was ready.
Last month, I decided to leave my job at Wellspring Water Corp., with Parker’s blessing, to start my own business as an Educational Consultant. One of the reasons I went into teaching was to positively impact kids. I’d missed that part of my life.
“Ronnie?”
His voice brought me out of my reverie. I smiled. “Yes.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’m so grateful for this moment, for this time with you. I’ve had so many firsts since I left Indiana. But this… This will go in the record books as one of my top experiences.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, Ronnie. I love seeing the world through your eyes. I love you.”
I gasped. “What?”
“I’ve lost a lot in my life. My parents, my grandparents. I don’t let people in easily. But, somehow, I knew it was safe to let you in, to open my heart to you, to trust you with it. I don’t regret that decision at all. You make me laugh, sweetie. You let me cry. You listen to me, even when I’m not talking. I’m so in love with you.” He cupped my cheek with his palm. “I love your wit. I love that you call me out on my shit. I love that you’re comfortable with me. I love that I make you nervous sometimes. I love your laugh. I love that you’re dramatic. I love that you care about my feelings. I love that you don’t try to change me. I love that you apologize when you’re wrong. I love that you accept apologies when you’re right. I love that you love to play in the snow.”
His words… My response lodged in my throat. Because I knew that if I said anything right now, it would come out more like a sob than a sentence.
“On your birthday,” he continued, “you told me that you’d never had anything just for you.”
I giggled nervously, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I did,” I managed to get out. Because he’d just told me he loved me and my heart was beating out of control with that revelation.
He grabbed my hand and placed it against his heart. His heartbeat was strong, and in sync with mine. “Feel that? This is just for you. I’m just for you. Making sure your wishes come true is my pleasure—and my promise.” A tear finally fell from my eyes and he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. “You’re my moon and my stars. You’re my sun. You matter to me.”
“Oh, God.” I was ugly crying now. That conversation in the sunroom seemed like a lifetime ago, but he’d remembered everything I’d said. And while we’d only been together for a few short months, I knew I loved him with everything in me.
“Some might think we’re moving too fast, but I only care about what you think.”
I drew in a shaky breath. “Juke, I…” I swallowed. “You started out as my bartender, then you became my friend. Now, you’re my everything. It’s not too fast. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m so glad it did. I love you, too. I’m for you.”
He cradled my head in his hands and pulled me into a tender kiss. Resting his forehead against mine, he said, “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
“We totally are,” I agreed. “And you know what else?”
“What is it?”
“I’m happy now.”
* * *
New Year Bae-Solutions
Eight Naughty Nights by Nicole Falls
Seven Month Drought by Sherelle Green
Six More Minutes by A.C. Arthur
Five Midnight Moments by Sheryl Lister
Four Page Letter by Angela Seals
Three Wrong Dates by Kelsey Green
Two Hot Kisses by Yahrah St. John
One More Drink by Elle Wright
Her Little Secret
Sex therapist, Paityn Young, couldn’t get much sex in her city. So she developed her own line of naughty toys to get the job done. Now, she’s bringing her talent to LA, hoping to launch her new company. Only her new business consultant has her thinking about more than just her product line.
As a favor to his boss, Bishop Lang agrees to help Paityn develop her new business. The only thing he knows about her is that she’s off limits, but the moment he sees her, he realizes staying away might be harder than he thought. And his own personal journey may take a backseat to the blossoming relationship developing between them.
Excerpt: Her Little Secret
Women of Park Manor
If Paityn could ban two words, fuck and shit would be it. One made her think of toilets. The other? Well, let’s just say she didn’t need to be reminded of something she hadn’t been blessed to do in years. And for the last ten minutes, she’d listened to her sister string those same two words together in varying combinations.
“Girl! Enough!” Paityn shouted, cutting her sister off mid-curse. “Road rage is really a thing. Get help.” Pulling two sets of new sheets out of the dryer, she walked into one of the spare bedrooms and dropped the bedding on the mattress.
“Shit, I need to vent,” Blake yelled. “It’s your fu
ckin’ fault I’m in this predicament. Michigan traffic doesn’t make me want to kill someone.”
Unable to help herself, Paityn giggled at her younger sister’s antics. “You’re a mess.”
“Hey, I can only be me,” Blake said.
The loud blare of the car horn followed by another colorful curse had her shaking her head in amusement. Some things would never change. Trump was still an asshole, she still couldn’t eat beans to save her life, and Blake Young still had a potty mouth.
“I’m hanging up,” Paityn told her sister. “I have stuff to do before you get here.”
When “the brats” told her they were coming for a visit during the Memorial Day holiday, Paityn was ecstatic. Since her cross-country move, she’d seen her sisters countless times thanks to technology. But air kisses and virtual hugs didn’t replace real face-to-face contact.
“Paityn?” Bliss called through the phone. She noted the rasp in her baby sister’s voice, as if she’d been sleeping. “Are you making something for dinner? I’m hungry.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She walked the other set of sheets to the third bedroom and dumped them on the bed. “I’m making reservations. At this new Cuban restaurant Rissa told me about.”
“Damn,” Bliss muttered. “Will you at least cook breakfast in the morning?”
“You’re so greedy,” Blake said. “You just ate a whole foot-long sub and half of mine.”
“I can’t help it,” Bliss shouted.
“I’m starting to think you’re only here because you want me to cook for you.” Paityn hurried to the kitchen and opened the oven. The homemade peach cobbler she’d prepared was almost done, Blake’s favorite.
“No, I’m here because I miss you,” Bliss said, just as Blake shouted another obscenity at a driver.