by Mj Fields
Chapter Forty One
When I pull into Lucas’s driveway, he’s standing there, and he may not be a basketball star, but all I can think is nothing but net when I see him in nothing but ball shorts and flip flops.
When I hop out of the Jeep, he looks at his watch. “You’re a minute late.” Then he grabs me and rubs his hand down the front of me slowly.
“Sorry, I wanted to shower before I came.”
“Did you forget shoes?” He laughs.
I look down. “Apparently, I did.”
“Jump on.” He turns and bends down.
“I would love to.” I jump on his back, smack his ass, kiss his neck, and then I bite his ear. “How was work?”
“Do you really care?” He laughs as he steps inside.
“I will in about an hour.” I jump off his back, run upstairs, and dive into his bed.
He walks into his room, shuts the door, and locks it. “No outfit?” he asks, dropping his shorts.
“Not right now … unless you really need me to get dressed.” I unhook my bra and toss it at him.
“Please don’t.” He grabs my ankle and pulls me to the edge of the bed. “Lay down. I owe you one … or two.” Then he drops to his knees.
Panting, I lie next to him, in desperate need of another shower, but moving? Not an option right now.
He lies on his side, watching me trying to catch my breath, still toying with my nipples.
I finally ask, “How was work?”
He tells me about his day, with almost as much enthusiasm as he talks about football. He clearly loves his job.
“Check this out.” He jumps out of bed.
“I’m checking it out.” I smile as I drink him in.
“Give me fifteen minutes, baby.” He kisses me then grabs his briefcase, sets it on the bed, opens it, pulls out an envelope, and hands it to me.
I open it. It’s some sort of voucher for a ten-day vacation in Mexico. “Awesome. When are you going?”
He laughs. “When are we going. I’d like us to go right before I have to go to school.”
I pout. “I don’t think my parents will let me.”
“Okay, then Christmas break?” He nods, taking the envelope and putting it back in the case.
“I don’t want to disappoint them.”
“Could you at least ask?” he snaps.
I roll over onto my stomach and bury my face in a pillow.
“Tessa, what the—”
I push up and sit. “I hate flying.”
“Any other excuses you want to pull out? Fuck, if you don’t want to go with me, just say so.” He’s pissed.
I stomp my foot on the bed and watch as he pulls his shorts on. “I want to; I just really think they will be upset. Lucas, look at me.”
He doesn’t.
“I want to go with you. I really do. Will you sit down and talk to me, please?”
He sits in front of me, and I can’t help but gawk at those back muscles. I scoot toward him and wrap my legs around him. Then I reach around and rub down his hard, ripped abs. “You’re so delicious.”
“Really? Is that all you want me for?” he snaps.
Unable to stop myself, I laugh. “Did you really just ask me that?”
He glares over his shoulder at me then turns away and runs his hand through his hair. Then he lays back, squishing me against the bed.
“Sunday night, after you dropped me off and left me completely out of my mind wanting you,” I say with all the dramatic flair that I can muster as I wrap my arms around him and work my fingers up his abs.
He rolls off of me.
Continuing, I tell him, “I went downstairs after you were done sending me boobies pages.” I pinch his nipple, and he holds my hand flat to him so I can’t do it again. “I went to get a drink and heard music. Then I looked out the kitchen window and guess who was making out in the hot tub?”
“I don’t know. Who?”
“My parents.” I wag my brows.
“Seriously?” he asks, pushing up on his elbow.
I smile and nod.
“So, my little Tessa doesn’t want to cause waves?”
“No, I don’t.”
“And that’s why you don’t want to go away with me?”
“I’d love to, but not right now. I want to see where this leads them with as little curveballs thrown at them as possible, and then I would love to. You and me laying on the beach all day and playing all night sounds like heaven. I’m not going to make you wait, though. Take Ryan before school starts.”
“No, I want to go with you. I can wait.” He kisses me, and this time, it’s slow, gentle, and sweet as he reaches over and grabs a condom.
I snatch it from his hand. “We don’t need this anymore.”
“Nice.”
Holding himself over me, he rubs himself against my entrance and hisses. “Jesus L. Christ, you feel so—”
“Never again,” I moan as he pushes inside me.
“Tessa,” he groans.
“Closer, more, better, harder, hotter.” Each word I speak drives him to go deeper, harder. His groans, grunts, hisses more intense.
“Nothing between us ever again, Tessa Ross. It’s me and you. Nothing and no one else.”
When he comes inside me, the feeling is so much more powerful. When I feel his cum seeping out of me, I wrap my legs tight around him, wanting to keep it as part of me forever. And when I feel it run down the crack of my ass, I love it.
He links his fingers with mine and raises our hands above my head, looking down at me with a more intense look than ever before.
“I love you,” we both say at the same time.
Eight letters, three words, one meaning.
We shower together but, for some reason, I need more time- time to bask in the newness. Lucas heads down to get dinner ready, at his insistence, so I could get some time alone.
He walks in with grilled salmon, while I finish putting together a salad and making rice.
“Can I tell you some plans I have floating around in my head?”
He pops a cherry tomato into his mouth and nods his head.
“On Monday, Jade and I start classes from four until six.”
“I think it’s great you’re doing that with her, but baby, you’re working at summer rec all day, and then—”
I shove another tomato in his mouth and continue, “Doing this, I’ll get my prerequisites done for nursing school.” I avoid eye contact. “It’s a three-year program. If I want to do something else after, I can, but I think it’s a good thing. After the first semester here, Jade will have had the baby, and then—”
“Would you consider a college up near SU?”
Smiling, I nod. “I really think my parents are going to get back together, Lucas, and that would make it feel less like I’m abandoning Kendall and Jake, so yeah, definitely yeah.”
He grabs my face and asks, “Then would you consider getting a place with me?”
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with football, uh-huh.”
He kisses me hard. “Then let’s do it.”
Lucas works Monday through Friday from six until about four thirty, and he is determined to stay later some nights to try to avoid working Saturdays. I work from seven until three then head straight to class from four until six. I stop by his place at least three days a week on my way home, which happens to be the nights that Jade stays with the Lanes. The other two days are devoted to wedding prep.
Weekends, we spend together, but it is flying by. I have two weeks between the end of our summer session until the fall session begins. I plan to help Dad on the farm as much as I can, but he’s been skipping out earlier and is much less stressed than he normally is. Oddly, the summer storms have been far less frequent than last year.
We’ve planned a couple weekend trips that will be after Molly’s wedding and before school begins.
Lucas and I don’t see each other as often, but we are closer than ever before.
; This weekend is Ben’s party, and I hope that things don’t change because of it. I don’t just hope; I pray.
Chapter Forty Two
John, Alex, Tessa, and I walk into Ben’s party. It’s a much bigger bash than ours was, and a much different feel.
Drinking is allowed, and the Sawyers take keys at the door and have hired limos to give rides to those who may have had too much to drink. Part of me wonders if their diligence has to do with Tommy’s deaths, but I don’t have to ask. How can it not?
Hell, I even brought a card, shoved the same hundred in it that his family put in mine, and added another, just to be a dick.
Ben’s family farm is much different from what I imagined. His house is as big as my father’s. On the outside, it looks like an old barn built in the woods. Out back has a huge patio area with a stage. Fucking Benji. In the clearing behind the house, a pond. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, and I can imagine, even though I don’t want to, that Tessa belongs in a place like this. It all sits on about thirty acres. Beyond those thirty are hundreds more of farmland.
“Nice place, Ben,” I say as I shake his hand.
“Thanks for coming. Hey, Tess.” He hugs her and, yeah, I want to pound his face in, but then he hugs the rest of her family, as well.
Tessa spots Lauren and drags me over to say hello. There’s a band playing, and people everywhere are dancing.
The girls whom she stands with whisper and look Tessa up and down as we approach, and I immediately think it’s a bad idea. I want to tell them that they’ll never look as good as she does, but I’m guessing they already know that, and that’s why they’re being twats. I’d like to tell them about themselves and why exactly Tessa Ross is so much fucking better than they are. Me saying such wouldn’t normally be a problem for me, but I promised myself to be on my best behavior, so I look away from the snatches and keep my eyes on the prize—Tessa.
“Hello, Lauren.” She hugs her.
Lauren gives her a half-hug back. “Long trip, isn’t it?” She smiles politely, as if she has to.
Not going to say she’s a bitch, because we’re probably holding the same damn leash on our little green monsters.
Tessa smiles. “It was nice, actually.”
I watch her eyes as she seems to pick up on the scrutiny, and when she bows her head a bit and her hair falls in her face, I push it behind her ear and think, Let them look, baby.
I kiss her cheek and ask, “Hey, baby, want to come dance with me?”
“Of course.” She smiles and follows me out to the dance floor as the band plays. It’s country, and I’m just glad it’s not Ben.
“That was really awkward.”
“Yes, I noticed,” I say, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer.
“Did you see those girls checking you out? I thought they were going to jump you.”
“Nope. Besides, fuck them.”
The band plays about three slow songs, and those bitches, Benji, this place, are but a blur. When they end, I tuck her in front of me to hide my semi, and we walk off the dance floor; her laughing at me, me trying to find a way to drag her somewhere and fuck her. Not going to lie; I’d waste a couple drops of my cum just to pull out early and leave some for Benji.
“You guys want a drink?” Ben’s annoying as fuck voice comes from behind us.
We turn, and I nod. “Sure, show us where to grab one.”
He points over to the red tent.
“Do you shoot horseshoes?” he asks.
Oh, for fuck’s sake, I think, but I give him a polite and say, “No, never have.”
“Good. Meet me down there so I can kick your ass, Links.” He smiles.
Tessa looks over her shoulder at me, and I give her a big, obnoxious smile. Then, looking at him, I press a kiss to her bare shoulder.
“Sounds fun.”
We get our drinks, both opting for water, and head down to the horseshoe pits.
“How about you and Tessa against Lauren and I?” Ben asks.
“Sure. Why not?” I give him a lame-ass thumbs-up.
“We don’t have to,” Tessa whispers.
“You any good?”
“I strive to be good at everything I do.” She grabs my butt and winks.
Tessa gives me the short version of how the game is played.
“Come on, Ross.” Ben waves her toward him.
“You will be here with Lauren,” she explains, kissing my cheek then heading down to Benji.
“You ready to get your ass kicked, Ross?” He hands her the horseshoes.
“No. Are you?”
He smiles. “Ladies first.”
She throws, and the first is a ringer. The next two yield one point.
Ben shoots and knocks her ringer off then gets two more points.
“Oh, that’s too bad, Tess.” He laughs.
“Just warming up, Ben.”
“Go ahead,” I tell Lauren, and she shoots first, her girls cheering her on.
I look at Tessa and roll my neck. A blonde friend of Lauren’s stands behind me, giving me tips, which I ignore.
My last throw, she legit puts her hands on my hips. “Stand like this.”
“Hands off,” I sneer at her as I look at Tessa, who isn’t impressed.
When I hit a ringer, she hugs me. “Good job.”
“Step off. You smell like beer and desperation.”
Lauren laughs, and the blonde huffs.
“Is that bugging you, Tess?” Ben asks her loud enough that I hear.
“He can handle himself.” She then hits two ringers and smiles at him. “Your turn, Ben.”
The blonde who is shit-faced hands me a beer, and I take it because the other option is to wear it.
Ben hits one and gets a couple more points.
I set the beer down and pick up the shoes, handing Lauren hers.
Lauren shoots, gaining no points. I hit one ringer, and the fan club behind me grows. They all take the opportunity to congratulate me, and I know damn well they’re doing so to piss off my girl.
Tessa picks up her horseshoes, and Ben picks up his.
“Shoot, girl.” He smiles.
Again, she hits two ringers, and Benji hits two, as well.
Lauren shoots one and misses, and Tessa has to jump back to avoid it.
“Might want your girls to give you some tips,” I say instead of telling her that she better pay the fuck attention.
Her next throw, she gets a point. Tessa smiles at her encouragingly.
Then Tessa scowls and says something to Ben that I can’t hear, because the vultures are getting louder. Then he hip-checks her before he shoots.
They both gain points, and I straight up have no idea what the score is, but I’m ready to walk.
Lauren’s last throw hits Tessa in the toe, and I run down to her. “You okay, baby?”
“I will be as soon as we win.” She smiles tightly and hides her sandaled foot. I know she’s pissed. “Okay?”
I know damn well she won’t give up, so I give her a quick kiss and whisper, “Anytime you want, we can go.”
“I’m good. Just wondering if I may be the last sane woman on the planet.”
I walk back reluctantly, and the game continues.
Lauren takes this moment to yell down, “Sorry, Tessa!”
“I’d be done with that shit if I were you,” Tessa says loud enough for her to hear, and I fight not to laugh.
“What did she just say?” Lauren gasps.
“Not sure, but I think she said we’re going to kick your lame asses.”
Silence surrounds me in time for everyone to hear Tessa tell Ben, “All right, your call, but check her out, Ben. She and the group molesting my boyfriend’s ass with their eyes are a bunch of bitches.” She then shoots three ringers.
All three of Lauren’s shots, Tessa has to dodge.
“You need to watch what you’re fucking doing.”
“Oops, my bad. Too much to drink.” Lauren snickers.
“Nobody
likes a bitch, Lauren,” I tell her on my last shot and, apparently, we win.
The blonde grabs me and plants one on me.
I push her back. “Not cool, bitch.”
I see my girl storming toward us, and Ben grabs her and hands her off to me.
“You got this?”
“You know I do,” I say, pissed off.
“Lauren, what’s wrong with you?”
“Her!” she yells.
“She’s my friend, Lauren, and was invited, unlike the trash you brought with you,” Ben says with a smile. “That shit was not cool. We’re done, and you’re leaving.”
“Hey, Tessa, you happy?” she yells “You can have him now!”
“Lauren, she doesn’t want me. Jesus, she’s in love with her boyfriend. She’s a good friend of mine; you know that. Now, let’s get you out of here. I don’t want a scene.”
She glares at Tessa, and Tessa flips her off.
“That is a naughty finger.” I laugh and kiss it.
“Sorry about this, Lucas,” she says, wincing when she takes a step.
I look down and see her foot is bleeding. “What the fuck?”
I start to pick her up, but she shakes her head. “I can walk.”
I swoop her up, anyway. “Not this time, baby.”
“Hello, Tess,” Ben’s mom says as I carry her in. “What happened to your foot, honey?” She hurries to a cupboard and grabs a first-aid kit.
“Horseshoe injury.” Tessa laughs. “But we won, so it was all worth it.”
I set her on the counter and grab some paper towels to clean off the blood. “Toe’s sliced open.”
“Oh Tess … that’s right on your nail bed. Does it throb?” Mrs. Sawyer asks.
She smiles but winces. “Sure does.”
“Here, take a couple of these.” She dumps some pills into her hand then grabs her a glass of water. “I hope you don’t lose that nail, Tess.”
“I better not. I won’t be able to wear flip flops or any open-toed shoes. That’ll piss me off.” She covers her mouth then whispers, “Sorry.”
“No, I would be pissed off, too,” Mrs. Sawyer agrees.
Ben walks in. “You okay, girl?” He grabs her foot. “Ouch.” Fucker bends down like he’s going to kiss it then stops. “Shit, sorry.”