by Erika Wilde
Peyton laughed as Candace rolled her eyes. “Well, it was a lovely shower.”
Her cousin shook her head. “Enough about me and this circus going on around me, which will extend through next week. I hear you have a plus one coming to the wedding and that this guy could be ‘the one’?”
Peyton blinked at Candace in surprise, though her comment shouldn’t have shocked her, not with her mother beaming about Peyton’s relationship with Leo. “I take it you heard that from my mom?”
“Of course.” Candace grinned as she picked up a glass and poured lemonade into it from the dispenser on the table. “But really, to bring a guy with you all the way from New York, and for him to willingly come to a family wedding, well, that says it’s pretty damn serious.”
Peyton shrugged as she ate the strawberry macaron next, keeping her tone casual. “We’ve been dating for nine months, and my parents really wanted to meet him. It just seemed like the most logical time to do so. But yeah, he’s a great guy.” The latter, at least, was the absolute truth.
“Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next to get married,” her cousin teased. “I can help speed up the process and toss the bouquet your way at the reception if you’d like.”
Peyton laughed. “I’m good, really.” She hadn’t given much thought to marriage, mainly because she’d been so focused on living in New York, enjoying her career . . . and dating alpha-holes. Leo was definitely husband material and everything she’d ever want in a significant other . . . except they lived across the country from each other, and he was most likely still cautious after whatever had happened with Amanda. But she couldn’t deny that the thought of something more permanent with sexy, charming Leo did make her heart beat faster.
“So, how’s New York and your job as an apparel designer treating you?” Candace asked, changing the subject as she took a sip of her drink.
“It’s all good,” she fibbed, then took a bite of the chocolate peanut butter macaron, which was by far the best of the three in her biased opinion. “I love the city and being out on my own and doing my own thing.” She deliberately omitted that currently her career was nonexistent, though she was sending out resumes for job openings nearly every day from her laptop. Her savings would only hold out for so long, and she had rent and bills to pay.
Candace sighed. “I really do envy you. You moved to New York and followed your dreams. It all seems so exciting.”
The most exciting part for Peyton had been the freedom and independence away from her parents, though at times she definitely missed being away from family. “You’ve done well with your blog and podcasts,” she pointed out, finding that equally exciting.
“Yeah, it’s all been a labor of love, and the fact that it’s gotten to be so huge and lucrative is quite a surprise,” her cousin said with a laugh. “But it keeps me busy and I’ve made some great connections with high-end designers, as well as local ones, which has been fun.”
Before Peyton could reply, they were interrupted.
“Candace, we need you over here for a few minutes,” her maid of honor called out, waving her hand impatiently for Candace to join her and the other women who’d been introduced as her bridesmaids at the beginning of the bridal shower.
“Looks like my break is over,” her cousin said with a rueful smile. “After the wedding, let’s not be such strangers, okay? I’d even like to feature you on my blog sometime. Maybe do an interview with you and the apparel company you work for to give you both some exposure.”
Peyton forced a smile and prayed by then she had a new job, because her cousin’s offer was a generous one. “That would be amazing.”
“Then I’ll be in touch when my life finally settles back down after the honeymoon,” she promised, and went to continue her bridal duties for the day.
Chapter Seven
After spending the afternoon with Carson and his cronies at the country club playing a round of golf, then having a drink at the bar before heading home for the evening, Leo walked purposefully across the Bishops’ backyard to the guesthouse. With a plastic sack from a local drugstore dangling from his fingers, he was eager to see Peyton, and it wasn’t all because he couldn’t stop thinking about getting her naked and picking up where they’d left off this morning.
Sure, that was a big factor in driving his anticipation, but the other part had to do with the woman herself and how much he enjoyed being around her, which made him think about the exchange he’d had with her father at the clubhouse after their golf game, when Carson’s friends had left for the day and it had been just the two of them finishing up their drinks.
The conversation had started with Carson asking about his company, Prestige Car Services, and because Peyton had already told Leo that she’d stuck to the truth about his business, that topic had been easy enough to talk about. The other man had been impressed with how quickly the business had grown and liked that Leo was ambitious and responsible, and even though the discussion had been relaxed and casual, Leo suspected her dad was making sure that he was an honorable guy with goals, who was good enough for his daughter.
And that’s when Carson had posed another question . . . what is it about my daughter that caught your attention? In any other situation, Leo would have found the question odd and maybe even intrusive, but as he’d met the other man’s direct gaze, he realized that Peyton’s father genuinely cared about her well-being and needed to be reassured that Leo was a man he could trust with his daughter and her feelings. Just as Peyton had told Leo, her parents were definitely protective, but only because they wanted the best for her, and that included him.
Answering Carson’s question was easy enough, and he’d based his honest reply on what he’d liked so much about Peyton in college . . . and realized those same characteristics and quirks still applied in terms of his attraction to her. Her sassy sense of humor and her ability to make him laugh were high on the list, but the fact that she was also sweet and kind with a huge heart was equally appealing.
They weren’t technically dating, but as he approached the guesthouse, he realized that this thing between them felt like those exciting days in the beginning of a relationship, where you just couldn’t get enough of the person you were seeing. He wanted to spend time with her because she was fun and adorably amusing, and she made him forget that he’d been living with a bruised heart wrapped in resentment for too many years. That cynicism was slowly, gradually being replaced with an unexpected happiness that had taken him by surprise.
Then again, Peyton was a wonderful surprise, in every way imaginable.
The door to the house was unlocked and he walked inside without knocking, then stopped abruptly and winced when he heard Peyton belting out the words to the song “Battlefield,” her tone so loud and off pitch that the shrill sound literally hurt his ears. She was lying on her stomach on the couch facing away from the front door while she perused a page on the laptop opened in front of her, with her feet swinging in the air and her head bobbing as she sang the lyrics at the top of her lungs, without any music playing out loud.
That’s when he realized she had her earbuds in, which was why he couldn’t hear the actual song and why she hadn’t heard him come in. She shouted out another off-tune chorus, and he chuckled because she was so fucking adorable. After setting the plastic drugstore bag on the kitchen table, he came up behind her and trailed his fingers along the inside of one of her thighs to let her know he was home.
Startled by his touch, she shrieked and jumped off the couch, ripping the earbuds from her ears in the process. “Jesus, Leo!” She pressed a hand to her chest, her eyes wide. “You scared the crap out of me!”
He grinned unrepentantly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your karaoke session. Quite the voice you have there, Pixie.”
She smiled sheepishly, clearly knowing that she couldn’t carry a tune. “I was looking through job listings to see if anything new has been posted.”
“And?” he asked.
She shrugged, c
ausing her pert breasts to bounce, and that’s when he noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra beneath her T-shirt. His dick made note of that, as well, and twitched in his pants.
“Nothing today,” she said, releasing a disappointed sigh. “But it’s Sunday, so that’s not unusual. Fingers crossed I hear something this week for one of the positions I’ve already applied for.”
He knew he ought to offer some kind of verbal support, but he was so damn distracted by the hard tips of her nipples poking against the soft cotton fabric of her shirt. This morning, he’d felt them in his palm. Now, he wanted to taste them on his tongue.
Oblivious to his thoughts, she walked past him into the kitchen. “How did golfing with my father go?” she asked, peering into the refrigerator.
As he followed her, his gaze remained on her tight, firm ass, and the undeniable need to be inside of her grew hotter, stronger. “I really don’t want to talk about your father or golf right now, because it will kill the mood.”
She closed the refrigerator without retrieving anything and turned to face him, head tipped to the side. “What mood is that?”
Taking her hips into his hands, he gave her a wicked grin and backed her toward the kitchen table, until the curve of her butt hit the edge. “The mood to fuck you,” he said, not couching his words. “Which has been on my mind since this morning.”
“Yeah?” Her voice was breathless, and excitement lit her eyes as she eagerly pulled his knit shirt from the waistband of the khakis he’d worn for golf, clearly a fan of the idea. “Did you get condoms while you were out?”
He huffed out a laugh as he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head so he could feel her hands on his bare skin—and groaned when her fingers started unbuckling his belt and her knuckles grazed his belly. “I was with your father all damn day, and when we were heading home, I finally had to ask him to stop at the drugstore with the excuse that I needed to buy a new cartridge for my razor, because my current one was dull and I wasn’t getting a smooth shave.”
She giggled in amusement as she finished unzipping his fly. “Did he go inside with you?”
“No, thank fucking God.” Grabbing her by the waist, he easily lifted her until she was sitting on the table in front of him. “But I couldn’t walk out with just the condoms, so I kind of added some filler to my purchase.”
She cocked her head curiously. “What kind of filler?”
He reached for the plastic bag and showed her what he’d purchased. Piled on top of the condoms he’d bought was a cartridge for his razor that he really didn’t need, along with a couple of handfuls of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Pieces, and peanut butter Snickers. He wanted to make sure that if for some reason her father got a glimpse into the bag, or could see through it, there was more than just ultra ribbed Trojans inside. It was one thing having her parents thinking that he was having sex with their daughter, but flaunting it would be a tad bit awkward.
She rummaged through the contents. “Umm, some of my favorite candy. You’re a man after my own heart. Good camouflage with all the extra stuff, by the way. And wow, a value pack of condoms?” She looked up at him, eyebrows raised in shock. “That’s like thirty-five of them.”
He smirked at her as he dropped the bag onto the chair next to where he was standing so it was still within easy reach. “It’s going to be a busy week and I don’t want to run out.”
“Well, okay then.” She reached out and touched all five fingers to his chest and slowly caressed them down the front of his body, making his abs tighten and his cock throb. “By the way, I told my mom I was going to order in pizza for the two of us for dinner. Is that okay with you?”
Having her all to himself tonight sounded perfect. “More than okay, but right now, the only thing I want to eat is you,” he said, dragging the hem of her shirt up over her head and tossing it to the floor, leaving her upper body bare and her stiff nipples standing at attention. “Starting with your tits as an appetizer and your pussy for the main course. You on board with that?”
Her cheeks flushed at his explicit words, but she nodded enthusiastically, then moaned long and loud when he squeezed her breasts in his hands and pinched the tips with his fingers. “Yes, I’m totally good with that plan.”
Done talking, he dipped his head and pulled a taut nipple into his mouth, laving it with the hot sweep of his tongue, then sucking as much as he could of her breast into his mouth. With a sweet gasp, her hands speared into his hair, her fingers fisting around the strands as his teeth grazed each peak. A string of seductive, impatient sounds rose from her throat, and the need to see her spread out on the bed for him to enjoy and fuck made him release her nipple with a suctioning pop.
He met her desire-laden gaze and anchored his arm around her back, pulling her ass to the very edge of the table and forcing her thighs to spread around his hips. “Grab that box of condoms and wrap your legs around my waist so I can carry you to the bedroom,” he ordered gruffly.
She did as he requested, and with enough Trojans in her hand to keep them busy the rest of the night, she secured her arms around his neck and locked her ankles at the base of his spine as he effortlessly picked her up and headed to the back of the guesthouse. With every step he took, her breasts rubbed against his chest, threatening his ability to think straight. Thank God she still had her shorts on, because feeling her wet flesh sliding against his stomach would have been sheer torture and ultimately his undoing.
She playfully bit his earlobe, her damp breath feathering against his neck. “Mmm, I like your kind of alpha, Honey Bear,” she said in a teasing voice.
He smirked and squeezed the curve of her ass he held in his hands. “Good thing, because tonight, I’m calling the shots.”
She drew her head back just enough that he could see her raised brows. “I think you called the shots this morning, too.”
“When I had you pinned on the bed with my fingers inside you, definitely,” he admitted. “But in the shower, you were a bossy little thing.”
“Bossy?” she repeated incredulously. “I was saving you from being Mr. Noble and resorting to self-love, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember every-fucking-thing, Pixie.” Reaching the bed, he tossed her onto the mattress so she fell in the middle and bounced, then he quickly stripped off the rest of his clothes before peeling her shorts and panties down her toned legs and throwing them somewhere over his shoulder.
“No self-love tonight,” he mocked in a lighthearted tone as he moved up onto the bed where she lay beautifully, uninhibitedly naked. “I’m going to bury myself so deep inside of your tight, hot pussy you won’t know where I end and you begin. And when you can finally breathe again, I intend to make you come so hard you’re going to go fucking wild beneath me, and then I’m going to do it all over again.”
Her mouth went slack at his explicit words, her eyes darkening with anticipation. “This is the kind of alpha that’s been missing from my life,” she said, her voice a soft, sensual tease.
He planned to make sure she forgot every alpha-hole she’d ever dated. “Spread your legs nice and wide for me, baby,” he murmured, helping her along by pressing his palms against her knees, pushing them farther apart to make room for him in between those silky thighs. “I want to see everything, and I want you to feel everything. My mouth . . . my fingers . . . and my thick, aching cock.”
She moaned softly, and utterly exposed to him, she bit her bottom lip expectantly, her shimmering blue eyes telling him that she wanted everything he was promising.
He trailed his fingers over her mound and along that delicate, glistening flesh in between—so pretty and pink and so fucking wet for him—making her squirm restlessly beneath his touch. “I already enjoyed sucking on your nipples . . . now I get to taste all this sweetness waiting just for me.”
A whimpering, shameless sound escaped her lips, and he settled on his stomach, lifting each of her legs over his shoulders. Placing his hands on her hips to keep her still an
d under his control, he seared a path of hot, openmouthed kisses up the inside of one of her smooth thighs, the scent of her arousal assaulting his senses as he neared her sex. Lust surged through his veins and coiled low and tight in his groin, and any thought of going slow and taking his time savoring her vanished. Instead, he gave in to the need pounding through him and unleashed it on Peyton.
He didn’t just consume her, he devoured her—licking, sucking, and tongue-fucking her pussy until she was writhing and bucking wildly and her fingers were gripping his hair. Her thighs trembled against his shoulders as he pushed her higher, her body arching frantically as she cried out from the ruthless shock of pleasure he was driving her toward.
“Oh, God, Leo . . . please,” she begged, her words and voice filled with desperate, wanton need.
Giving her what she was demanding, he sucked her swollen clit, stroked his tongue along her slit, and thrust two fingers into her tight heat, pushing her toward the orgasm she was chasing. Her head fell back and her lips parted on a soft, unraveling cry as she finally came with a hard shudder. Her internal muscles reflexively tightened, then relaxed as the last tremors of her climax finally ebbed and she was left panting for breath.
Beyond inflamed, Leo knelt between her splayed thighs and quickly tore open the box of condoms. With anxious fingers, he managed to sheathe his jutting, excruciatingly hard cock with the protection before aligning his body up and over Peyton’s. He slid his hands up her back and hooked his fingers over her shoulders to keep her anchored beneath him—because if he didn’t, for as hard as he intended to fuck her, he’d end up driving her petite frame up toward the headboard.
The tip of his erection found that sweet spot between her legs. She moaned as he pressed forward steadily, and he growled deep in his throat as her body yielded to his girth until every last inch of him filled her, stretched her, mated with her. And Jesus, being inside of her was like being wrapped in a fist of the softest, smoothest velvet imaginable.