Until the Stars Fall (Just the Way You Are Book 1)

by Abigail Kade

  But at this moment, I wanted to show him, just a little, how he was affecting me. I let my eyelids get sleepy and put all the heat I was feeling in my gaze. Then, pulling up my inner slut, I ever so slightly opened my mouth and lapped my tongue out, licking his finger that was still held over my lips. Connor groaned and slowly pushed the tip of his finger through my lips. All of his focus narrowed to my mouth as I closed my lips around the tip of his finger and began sucking like I imagined sucking his cock. Honest to God, I had experienced full-blown sex that had been less intimate than this one moment. Our eyes locked for just a second, then Connor pulled his finger out with an audible pop and quickly stood, running his hand through his hair leaving it sticking up in every direction. He looked so cute all messed up and horny.

  He mumbled to himself, “Fuck, this is gonna be harder than I thought.” Then he put his focus back on me, pointing his finger in my direction. “We’re having lunch, and then I’m picking you up at seven tonight, and we’re going to dinner. Text me your address.” His frown was so cute and sexy. I couldn’t help but smile up at him.

  I felt light and playful, so I gave him a mock salute, “Yes, sir, Mr. McDaniel.”

  Connor said something under his breath, then chuckled, “And make no mistake, Ladd, no matter how sexy as sin you are, we’re taking this slow, you hear me? Don’t you try to seduce me with your wicked charms, Mr. Eldridge.” He rumbled that deep laugh of his and the smile on his face was infectious.

  Connor sat back down, and we finally ordered our lunch. I couldn’t help flirting a little with him, but we mostly just talked about neutral things like his brother’s adventures house sitting for his mom and stepdad. Lachlan sounded like as much trouble as Remy which was really saying something. After we were finished and I paid the bill, Connor gave me a quick goodbye, which included a sweet peck on my cheek. After he left, I sat looking out over the water for a little while longer as the patio began to fill with the regular lunch crowd. It was a beautiful morning, but the sun was moving, and I would need to move soon, too. I thought about everything that had just happened, and I was extraordinarily optimistic. I knew there were risks, like with anything, but I was ready for something real. It was going to be difficult to be good with this incredible attraction we seemed to have. Yet even though it was going to be hard, I had a feeling that it was absolutely going to be worth it.

  Chapter Six

  The first date was always a scary thing for me. You never knew how it would go, if you’d have a good time or if it would go all to hell. But tonight, I had high hopes for my first date with Ladd. I’d been hard and hurting the whole time I’d been out on that patio. When he’d taken my finger in his mouth all I could imagine was Ladd on his knees loving my cock like he was loving that finger. I nearly came from the image in my head. Ladd had been appearing nightly in my wet dreams for the last few weeks and having him actually do anything sexual to me in the daylight, was almost too much.

  Ladd was simply irresistible, and I’d finally given up fighting the attraction. Thank fuck he had finally decided to give in and say yes. I was so worried he’d say no, or look at me like a crazy person when I started pouring out my heart and soul to him over sweet tea. I’d felt like a big fool, but Ladd had been right there with me, thank God. Now we both seemed to be on the same page at least, and we could really get to know each other. I couldn’t wait.

  I was at a local shop getting something special for my date when I heard my text notification and grabbed for my phone thinking it might be Ladd. It wasn’t.

  Troy: Hey, how have you been?

  What the actual fuck? What were the odds that my ex would text me on the very day I took my first step toward something new? The cosmos had a mean sense of fucking humor. I wasn’t sad or lonely anymore. I’d had six months to miss this asshole and wonder what I did wrong. Then another three months to realize I didn’t do anything wrong. He was the asshole, not me. Yeah, his barbs about me not being enough had hurt, but lately, mostly since meeting Ladd, I realized how petty and small Troy had really been. Thank God I had dodged that bullet. I was so over him and everything he put me through. So fuck no, I wasn’t playing this new game of his.

  Connor: I’ve been great! How have the two guys you fucked while we were still together been?

  I laughed out loud, getting a few looks from around the store, and I imagined how his face would turn purple when he got really mad. It served the cheating fucker right. I didn’t owe him a damn thing anymore. I had someone else to impress tonight. With that thought, I let it go. No more looking to the past, it was time to start a new future.

  I got my package and left to go pick up my date. I really hoped Ladd liked my surprise. I thought it would be perfect, but what if I was wrong. God, I didn’t think I’d be nervous, but I really was. As I drove to the address Ladd had texted to me, I started noticing the houses on each side of the road getting farther and farther apart. The yards became sprawling lawns, and then the driveways began sporting iron gates with keypads for entry. When I finally got to the drive for the address I had input in my GPS, my eyebrows hit my hairline in shock. This place was a compound. I pushed the guest buzzer on the keypad and a man’s voice I didn’t recognize answered.

  “Yes?”

  Okay, I could do this, “Uh, yes, sir, this is Connor McDaniel. I’m looking for Ladd Eldridge.” Why the fuck was I sounding like a sixteen-year-old talking to my date’s old man?

  “Ah, yes, Connor, I’m Ladd’s uncle, James. Come on in. Drive straight through to the main house. I’ll call Ladd over from the carriage house.” And with that, he clicked off, and the massive iron gate began to open.

  Now, truth, my family was well off. My mother and stepfather had built their company into a very successful business in real estate and development. I was used to a certain amount of wealth and could even hold my own in formal settings if I had to. But seriously, our house had never had this kind of security or obvious opulence. To say I was intimidated and second guessing my choice of attire for the evening was an understatement. I had chosen my only pair of khakis—I didn’t do dress pants—and my one solid color button down. The color of the shirt was a deep blue-green. My mom had given it to me for Christmas last year in hopes that I would get out of my jeans and t-shirt rut. Tonight, I was glad she had.

  I pulled up to what James had called the main house. It was like something out of Architectural Digest. It was a historic Creole home with a sweeping staircase that led up to the second story where a deep covered porch spread all the way along the front and wrapped around each side. I presumed it wrapped around the entire house. I walked up the stairs which must have been twenty feet wide at the bottom, then narrowed as I reached the landing.

  The ceiling of the porch was painted a pale blue which made the stark white of the house itself glow. There were rocking chairs, wicker sofas and chairs, and even a swing artfully arranged on the porch inviting guests to sit and visit awhile. It was grand and cozy all at the same time. I knocked on the ten-foot tall double front door and was startled when it almost immediately opened revealing a very handsome, slightly older man with red hair the same exact color as Ladd’s.

  “Connor?” I nodded at the question. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m James. Please come in, Ladd should be over in a few minutes, he’s…”

  “Running a little late?” I chuckled as I shook the hand James held out, and he laughed with me.

  “Absolutely, you obviously know my nephew well, then. Please come in and make yourself at home. I’m just setting up some drinks on the back porch. Come on out back.”

  I pretended to be completely fine and not freaked the fuck out as I followed James’s wide shoulders through the central hallway toward the back of the house. I stopped a few times to look at the pictures lining the walls. There were family pictures tastefully framed and lovingly placed all the way practically from floor to ceiling. I noticed the timeline starting with older black and white images of what must have been Helen and her
sister and brother, who would have been Ladd’s grandfather. As I walked along, I saw newer color photographs of two red-headed boys who were obviously James and Ladd’s father, John. Those pictures eventually moved into pictures of Ladd and what must have been his twin brothers Remy and Rhett. My favorite of them all had Ladd in a cap and gown, a huge smile on his face, surrounded by his uncle and brothers. Both of the twins flanked him and were resting their elbows on his head showing how much taller they were. The photograph was goofy and funny, but you could clearly see the absolute love they all had for each other.

  I moved along the path James had taken out the French doors onto the back porch and stopped in my tracks. I stood there in the doorway just staring out at the most beautiful view I’d ever seen. The lawn beyond the porch railing was vibrant green still as it was only September and it would remain warm until well into November. The grass looked painted it was so perfectly manicured. The land gently sloped down to a white sand beach with the calm, clear waters of the Bay gently lapping at the shore. There was a pier to the right that also had a boat lift and a second story sun deck that looked like it had sofas and chairs on it. To the left was a fishing pier, with what looked like a sink and cleaning station under the covered portion near the end. This place was amazing. And very intimidating.

  If Ladd had grown up with all of this his entire life, what was he doing with someone like me? I could never compare to anything like this. I was strictly a jeans and t-shirts guy. I looked closely at James as he got the beer he’d offered me, from the outside kitchen-bar no less, and noticed he was dressed much like Ladd. Dress shirt, trousers, and perfectly polished loafers. I didn’t even own a pair of loafers. I was still wearing boots tonight, although I’d picked the leather pair and left the steel-toed work boots at home. Troy had always complained about my lack of fashion sense. His new men were rich and gorgeous. What would happen when Ladd realized I was just a regular guy? Would it bother him like it had Troy?

  James handed me my beer, in a frosted mug, interrupting my inner demons’ dialogue. “Have a seat, Connor. Ladd mentioned you had come to town to renovate the Mason building. I can’t tell you how glad I am something’s finally being done with the place. It’s been empty far too long. I know the downtown community is going to be thrilled it’s finally going to be brought back to life. What do you have planned?” I was glad to be back on familiar ground, so I launched into my plan for the building, the pub, and the apartments.

  James seemed very interested in my plans, even going so far as to suggest some people he could introduce me to, including local organic farmers to use for my farm to table fare I had planned for the pub. “Wow, thanks so much, James, that would be amazing. So, you seem to know all about me now, tell me about you. What do you do?”

  “Ah, I’m not nearly as interesting. I’m actually a maxillofacial surgeon. I specialize in facial trauma patients in my clinic here in town. I also volunteer in New Orleans with an LGBT center whenever they need me. They see so many domestic violence and hate crime injuries. I volunteer my time so they can use their resources on other things. I’m happy to help. I just wish I could do more. So many young people have nowhere to turn. After everything with Ladd, Remy, and Rhett, I promised myself I would always do what I could so the center in New Orleans could help as many in need as possible.” I was puzzled by what he meant about Ladd and his brothers, but I didn’t have a chance to ask as Ladd chose that moment to come out onto the porch.

  I jumped up as soon as he approached my chair, giving him a peck on the cheek without thought. He gave me a questioning look, but he rewarded my impulse with a bright smile. We made small talk with James for a little while, then walked down the front stairs to my truck. Ladd turned around before opening the door, looking up at me in silent apology. “I’m so sorry about the inquisition.” He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “I had no idea Uncle James would hijack you like that. I had an incident with the last guy I went out with, and after that, he thought he needed to take more of an interest in my love life apparently. So, for what it’s worth, sorry about all that.” He waved his hand at the house we’d just left.

  “It’s a little much I know. I live over in the carriage house.” He motioned over to a much smaller building to the left side of the house partially hidden behind the low sweeping limbs of a live oak. “I prefer the smaller space, plus I got to decorate it in my own style when I moved in after graduation. The main house was fine when we moved here, but all that formality can get old. Maybe when we come back here tonight, I can show you inside.” He glanced up at me through his lashes with a coy smile.

  “Oh, I would love that. I can’t wait to see your decorating style, trust me.” I reached over, crowding him up against the truck door for a moment before opening it. I realized then that he was going to have trouble getting into the truck without help. My truck was huge, and I had put in a lift kit because of all the off-road travel I did. If I was going to keep seeing Ladd, and I had every intention of continuing this for a good bit, then I was going to have to add a step rail for him. For now, I simply took it upon myself to help, so I gripped him around his waist and lifted him.

  He let out a small yelp, then began giggling as I sat him in the seat. “Do you do that with all your dates, or am I special?” he asked when I got myself settled in the driver’s seat.

  I made a point of looking him in the eye when I answered, “You are definitely special, Ladd.” That earned me smiling eyes and a blush. So far I was kicking ass at this first date thing.

  As I got the truck started, I reached into the back seat and grabbed the package I had brought for Ladd. I handed it to him with the explanation, “I thought about getting you flowers, but I didn’t know if you liked them or were allergic. So I decided I’d get you this. I’m almost sure you’ll enjoy it.” I mentally crossed my fingers I wasn’t horribly wrong.

  Ladd opened up the bag and let out an actual squeal. I’d never seen him smile so hard before and the sight made the nervous feeling in my chest swirl. I wondered if his happiness would always have this much of an effect on me. Then I wondered what his sadness would make me feel. I decided I never wanted to find out. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy his obvious love of all things jelly bean.

  While he dug into the bag of gourmet beans I had gotten at the candy store in town, I told him why I had gotten them. “I saw the jar on your desk and figured you must like them. Are they okay? If you don’t like them, I can get something else.” But I didn’t need to worry.

  “Oh, no, they’re fabulous. I’ve been meaning to go into that place, but I’ve been putting it off. You got me exactly what I would have picked for myself.” As I got the truck headed back toward town, Ladd angled the bag toward me, “Want to sample a few with me?”

  I shook my head, “No thanks, they’re all yours. I actually don’t have much of a sweet tooth really, never have. I don’t eat candy for the most part.” The cab of the truck got very quiet. Glancing over at Ladd, I saw he was giving me a look of complete disbelief.

  “You don’t eat candy? Like, at all?”

  I shook my head “No, not really. I do like chocolate, mostly chocolate cake and occasionally chocolate chip cookies, but candy has never been something I liked.”

  The incredulous look on Ladd’s face was cute as hell. “Wow, that might have been a deal breaker if you hadn’t told me about the chocolate. I can work with chocolate, I guess, but it’s my mission to find you at least one candy that you like. I’m going to be your candy pimp for the near future, so be prepared.”

  I couldn’t contain my chuckle even though I tried to disguise it as a harrumph. “Yeah, well we’ll see about that. My brother Lachlan has been trying to find something that he could get me addicted to for years with no luck, but have at it if it makes you happy.” He nodded his head with determination like I had just given him a military assignment. God, he was cute.

  We got into town, and I parked in front of the restaurant with a few minutes to spare bef
ore our reservations. Ladd was looking at the front of the building with a little trepidation, and I wondered what that was about. But when he looked over at me, he had pasted his business smile on. That wouldn’t do at all. “Have you been here before?” I asked. Maybe he had and hated it for some reason. He shook his head slowly like he was thinking how to explain his reaction. He pulled in a deep breath, let it out, then hesitated again. What the Hell?

  “No, I haven’t been here.” Then he stopped. I thought for sure he would explain his reaction. When nothing but silence continued, I realized that was all he was going to share. Okay then.

  “Well, ready to try something new?” He nodded again, just as slowly as before, cautiously maybe. What the actual hell is wrong with him? He was fine a minute ago. “Are you sure you’re all right? We can go somewhere else…”

  “No, it’s fine. You went to so much trouble. Like you said, let’s try something new.” This time he had a more genuine smile on his face. I got out, then went around to his door, opened it for him and gave him a hand down out of the cab. Yep, I would have to look into getting step rails in the near future. We walked in and were greeted by the stuffy host. He gave me a slow up and down, then with a slight frown found my name on the reservation list and escorted us to our table.

  The place was very fancy. I wasn’t used to eating at places like this. We had been well off growing up, but we’d always lived simply. Mom cooked almost every night, and family dinners were very important to her and Dean. She loved having one time a day that she could see all of her kids and catch up with our lives. I loved it, even if I would never tell her that when I was younger. When I had kids, I wanted to have family dinners like that. I peered over my menu at Ladd and could see us sitting around a dinner table, one or two little redheads sitting between us. I gave myself a mental shake and focused back on the menu. I was getting way ahead of myself.