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

by Abigail Kade

  Monty and Ladd came back after a few minutes, and I caught the end of their conversation, “bullshit, complete and utter bullshit, Ladd. I don’t know what that inspector was smoking, but that’s not black mold, that’s soap scum for Christ’s sake. I’ll do your air quality test, just to cover you, but you won’t have anything to worry about.” Monty came over to me and gave me one more firm handshake, “Sorry, this’ll close you down for a day or two, but at least you’ll have a clear report to go forward.”

  “Not a problem, we’re good on time, so I appreciate you getting this done for us.”

  “Anything for Ladd and the family, Gwen loves Helen, and that makes all the Eldridges family in my book. I’m gonna go grab the guys and head out. Ladd, you’ll meet us over here in the morning to let us in?”

  I reached into my pocket and removed the extra key I usually held on to for my guys. “Here, you can have the extra key so you can come and go. Ladd trusts you, so I do, too.”

  Monty took the key with a deep nod and a quick, “Thanks, man, that means a lot.”

  Ladd gave me a big smile and then walked with Monty down the stairs to say hello to all the guys he seemed to know. I gathered my clothes and packed up everything I would need for the next few days and then made my way down the stairs to get going. I saw the last of the guys closing the door as I was reaching the foyer. I set my bags down and had just turned to go find Ladd when the front doors opened with a bang and in walked Parker Radcliff. The fucker strolled in unsteadily like he owned the place with a smug smirk on his face despite the bandage over his nose. I smiled, remembering the satisfying crunch under my fist when his nose had broken. I was not going to let this douche ruin my afternoon.

  “Looking good there, Parker. I love the bruises. Purple is definitely your color.” I observed which had Ladd barking out a quick laugh as he walked into the foyer from the bar. He had to bite his lower lip to keep the rest of his smile contained when he noticed Parker’s face turn red with anger around the dark bruises surrounding his bandage.

  “Laugh it up, asshole, go ahead while you can. You won’t be here long, so I’m not worried about anything you have to say. I’m here to inform you that you’ll be having a second inspection day after tomorrow. If any of the problems aren’t finished by then, the city will shut this project down.” He was slurring his words a little, and I could tell he’d been drinking.

  “What the hell business is it of yours when our inspections happen?”

  “Well, you see, I’m the new acting attorney for the city, and I’m taking a special interest in this project. I wouldn’t want there to be anything that might cause any legal problems for the city now or in the future. I’m going to be keeping a very close eye on everything you do. You know, just to make sure you don’t cut any corners or violate any laws. I want to make sure everything you do is perfect. My parents have been all over my ass since you attacked me in that restaurant. They think it’s my fault and they’re threatening to pull my trust because you made such a scene in public. I swear to you that if they follow through, it’ll be all your fault and you’ll rue the day you ever fucked with me.”

  Fucking asshole!

  I was pissed, but Ladd was giggling nonstop, and soon I was laughing right along with him. Parker became livid, “What the fuck is so funny?” he screamed as he balled his hands into fists and made long strides across the room toward Ladd. I moved to intercept him because there was no way that douche bag was getting within punching distance of my boyfriend.

  “I wouldn’t if I were you, asshole,” I growled, and he stopped on a dime.

  “You better both stop laughing at me. What the fuck is so funny?”

  Then I heard Ladd through his giggles, “Rue the day, oh, my God. Connor, who says rue the day besides chief inspectors in old black and white B-rated movies or those villains in the old cheesy westerns that used to come on Saturday mornings?”

  I couldn’t help it because he was absolutely right. I busted out laughing again, and Parker had heard enough, I suppose, because he turned, unsteadily, and left, banging his fist on the wall beside the front door before storming out. As we both calmed down, the weight of what Parker had said finally hit. I had no words and Ladd looked a little shell-shocked when we realized Parker had just threatened the development of this building because he was holding a nasty grudge. Ladd pulled out his phone and called Taylor to tell him about the new situation. They decided to sleep on it and talk about it the next day, but each agreed this was going to be a very difficult situation.

  After our long as hell day and no break for lunch, I gathered up my bags and told Ladd I would follow him out to his house after I stopped at the store for a few things. I planned on cooking him dinner to thank him for letting me stay with him, and lucky for him I was a decent cook. My mother had made all of us learn how to cook before we left home, especially the boys. She said everyone—especially single men—should know one month’s worth of recipes by heart so they could cook for thirty days with no take out. It had been a godsend when I’d moved out on my own because seriously, eating out every night got expensive.

  Tonight, I had decided to go simple and make baked chicken, broccoli, and roasted potatoes. Nothing fancy, but it was delicious. Plus I was mindful of Ladd’s need for a clean space and this recipe required minimal prep and only needed two pans. I didn’t want him to think I was a slob and kick me out before I even had a chance to unpack.

  I got everything I needed at the store, made it to the carriage house and got unloaded in record time. It seemed I was anxious to feed my new boyfriend, even if I hadn’t called him that yet. As I got everything ready in the kitchen, I noticed Ladd watching me from his perch on the barstool at the island. He seemed amused about something, “What are you laughing about over there? I’ll have you know I was taught my cooking skills by the fabulous Maeve Douglas, and she’s never lost a student yet, although it was touch and go there for a while with Lachlan.”

  Ladd actually laughed out loud now and pointed to my prep surface next to the sink. “I’m not laughing at your prep. I’m laughing at you being so careful not to make a mess. I know it’s because of me, but really, I have to tell you it’s okay. I know cooking is messy and I’m okay with it. As long as everything is clean when we’re done, you can relax and just cook right now. There’s really no need to put every potato peel in a bag as you peel them. If you keep it up, we’ll be eating this dinner for breakfast.”

  “All right, smart guy, I’ll loosen up, if you’ll make me a glass of tea while I cook.” Ladd got off the stool and headed to the fridge, and I threw one of my offending potato peels at his head. He felt it hit, and reached up to grab it, then turned around and threw it right back at me.

  “Asshole, just because I gave you permission to get messy, don’t abuse the privilege. Besides, I grew up with younger brothers. You don’t want to start prank wars with me.” I stopped chopping the peeled potatoes and just stared at him laughing in his kitchen with a mess all around him, and he was perfectly fine with it and with me. I was one lucky son of a bitch.

  “Hey, quit lollygagging, your landlord is hungry over here.” Ladd teased as he handed me my tea, then perched his perky ass back on the stool. I wanted my hands on that ass sooner rather than later, but I needed to tread carefully there. We hadn’t done more than kiss and cuddle so far, and now that I was staying in his house for a few days, I wasn’t sure of the plan. I knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure what was on Ladd’s mind. So, I’d just play it cool for a little bit and see what happened.

  “Yes, sir! I’ll have you fed and happy in no time.”

  Ladd looked me square in the eyes and said simply, “I’m always happy with you, Conn.” Fuck, playing it cool was going to be so damn hard.

  Chapter Eleven

  After dinner I suggested we sit on the sofa and watch a movie in the living room. When I crossed the room, I noticed Connor had put his boots on the shoe rack by the front door when he’d come in ea
rlier. They were right next to my loafers, and I had to chuckle.

  “Connor, what size shoe do you wear?”

  He gave me an odd look and answered, “A fourteen why?”

  I stared at his huge clodhoppers next to my dainty size nine loafers, “Because your boots make my shoes look like they belong to a child.”

  Connor walked up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders, his chin resting perfectly on the crown of my head. He ran his hands down my arms, over my hands and laced our fingers together. It felt so nice to have his solid form behind me like this. He stood up for me, he tried to keep me safe at every turn, and I reveled in the feeling. I leaned all of my weight back into his chest, and he took it all without blinking an eye. He lifted our entwined hands and arms and wrapped one around my upper chest and the other around my belly. I had a thousand butterflies inside right now, all fluttering around and making me dizzy with excitement.

  He had me completely encased in his strong embrace and I felt bound to him and by him. I wiggled back and forth a little bit to see how much room I had and Connor growled his distinct rumble that always made my dick tingle. I did it again, and this time I felt his obvious hard-on growing in his jeans against the lower curve of my back. The base of his cock sat right on the upper slant of my ass like it was made to fit there. I continued to wiggle as much as I could, marveling as he continued to groan and his cock continued to lengthen and press against me. Finally tired of my teasing, Connor gripped me in a bear hug until I couldn’t move anymore and growled into my ear.

  “There is absolutely nothing childlike about you, Ladd. I like men and everything about you is all man.” He nipped at my ear, then continued talking as he nibbled and licked my ear and neck. “I like your scruff on your chin when you haven’t shaved in a day or two.” He lifted a hand and ran his nails over my chin, scraping the whiskers gently.

  “I like the ridges in your abdomen I’ve felt but never seen. I’d like to follow them with my tongue and see where they lead.” My breathing was labored now, his words and gentle touches sending me from turned on into burning down the fucking house territory. But best of all, his words were taking me out of my head and into a place where all I needed to do was feel. It was a place I’d never been before. I was free to feel every lick and every chill up my spine and every flutter in my belly and—oh, Jesus—every firm grip on my dick!

  “I especially love how hard you are for me right now. It’s all for me isn’t it?” I nodded because my brain was officially offline. The side of my face scraped the permanent scruff on his jaw deliciously, and the new sensation had me getting even harder sending another tingle to my balls.

  “You’re completely out of your head now aren’t you, Ladd? That’s what that asshole didn’t realize, did he? I’ll bet not one of the people you’ve been with ever realized that, did they? They all thought you needed to be in control, calling the shots, when just the opposite is true, isn’t it? You don’t want to be in control. You want to give it all up, don’t you?”

  My God! Connor really understands what I’ve been needing my whole life.

  He was still stroking my cock and nibbling my neck, the back of my hairline, my ears all of this time, and I was beyond hard at this point. This man had hit every one of my buttons so far, and we hadn’t even gotten anywhere yet.

  “You need someone to take you away and take care of you, don’t you?” I moaned my reply because I no longer had the ability to speak. His hand continued to massage my cock back and forth, then up and down in a filthy rhythm that had me thrusting into his hand in time with his movements.

  “I can take care of you, Ladd.” He squeezed me, then lowered his hand to my balls, cupping them delicately before squeezing them in that same delicious rhythm again. He had me so close, and I hadn’t thought about anything else but him, his hands and his words, since we’d begun. All I could feel, hear, and smell was Connor. He had overwhelmed my senses and turned me into someone else, someone new who could enjoy sex without getting lost in my head.

  “I’ll tell you a secret.” Connor breathed his whispered words against my ear again. “I’ve always wanted to take control with someone. I’ve dreamed of finding someone special that would trust me enough to let go completely and let me lead. I fucking love the idea of being responsible for all you feel and experience. Now listen carefully because I’m going to ask you a question and I need an answer.”

  I let out a long low whine and bucked up against his hand that had quit massaging my cock and balls. I needed his hand back. How did he expect me to concentrate on anything important now? I could barely stand on my own without him supporting me. What the hell could he want to talk about that was so important we couldn’t wait until later? Much, much later.

  I whined again when he moved his hand away from my groin altogether, and I tried to arch out to get his touch back where it belonged. He pulled me firmly against his chest again and made soothing noises to calm me down.

  “It’s okay, just listen. Do you trust me, Ladd? Now, don’t answer quickly just because you want to finish what we’ve started and you think it’s the right answer. I really want you to think about my question because this is important. I really, really like you, Ladd, and I like what we’re building between us. I’ll lay it on the line, I want you to be mine, all mine, but I need you to want that, too.” He gave me a few more strokes now, too light to do anything but feel good and make me beg for more. “Especially where we’re headed tonight. Right here and right now, I could theoretically do anything to you I wanted.” He squeezed my balls so tight they pinched, and I let out a pained groan. Then the pain turned to unrelenting pleasure, and I whined for more as he continued, “I’m bigger and stronger and I could make you do anything with my force and will. I understand our differences, and I love those differences, but I need to know we’re on the same page. I would never make you do something you didn’t want to do, but I want to help you find the pleasure you’ve been in search of for so long. So I need your answer before I can go any further.” More strokes, more teasing and more pain into pleasure followed along with his words. “Do you really, truly trust me, Ladd? Do you trust me with your body? And would you someday soon maybe even trust me with your heart? I need to know your answer, Ladd, because, no bullshit, you already have a piece of mine.”

  I felt a tear from my right eye fall down my cheek, and I just let it slide. Connor’s words had pushed open a door inside my chest that had been padlocked long ago, and I never thought to open again. He wanted to care for me. He was asking me to one day let myself love him. He used no lines, no smooth moves, and he said no bullshit. It was just Connor, this honest, good-hearted romantic bear of a man was holding me in my living room like I was made of the most precious glass and was asking me for my trust. I had found the answer to that silly wish I’d made on a star weeks ago with Connor, and I was going to grab it with both hands and never let go.

  I must have been thinking longer than I thought because Connor started to back away from me then, “I’m sorry, Ladd. I shouldn’t have said all that. I don’t want you to feel like I’m pushing you into anything, especially all of my crazy bullshit.” He attempted a laugh, but it fell far short. He let go of my hand and tried to untangle our fingers to step away from me. The hell if I was going to let that happen.

  He kept rambling as he tried to untangle himself from my grip.

  “Fuck it. I’m sorry I said anything. I should have kept my mouth shut. Shit, I knew it was too soon. I mean we haven’t known each other that long. I get it if you don’t feel that way about me, too. If you’ll let me have my hand back, I’ll go to my room and leave you alone now.”

  When I finally turned around, his eyes turned the size of saucers, and he looked mortified.

  “Fucking hell, I made you cry? What the fuck, Ladd? I’m so sorry! God, I’m worse than that asshole Parker. I never meant to make you cry.” His accent was coming through thicker with every word the more upset he became. That delicious Sc
ottish brogue was leaching into his words and was making my dick twitch again. I needed to get us back on solid ground so we could commence with what he’d started, so I reached up with my free hand and placed my fingers on his soft lips. The contrast between his dark beard and the satin skin of his lips was so sexy.

  I slid my hand across his cheek, cupping the side of his face with my hand, marveling at how my small pale hand looked against his solid square jaw. I lovingly cupped his cheek and finally raised my eyes to meet his, letting all of the trust and affection I felt for him show in their depths. His eyes took me in completely, traveling slowly around my features cataloging every nuance and as he did, his scowl smoothed and eventually turned into a small smile of his own. When I caught his eyes once more, I spoke my heart to a man of my own for the first time in my life.

  “I trust you with my life, Connor McDaniel. You’re right, about everything. We might have only had one official date, but if we’re both honest, we’ve been dancing around this relationship for weeks now. You’ve become a good friend in that time, more than a good friend. You’ve met my family and my friends, and you didn’t run away screaming.” He laughed, and I loved the deep rumble as it vibrated through my chest pressed up against his own.