24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Blaire
G etting ready for Sunday dinner at Dallas’ family’s house comes with a mix of emotions. Hiding our relationship from everyone at work is fairly easy. But at his parents’ house, in front of his entire family, that’s a whole different ball game and one I’m not sure I’m up to facing. The last few weeks I’ve found myself craving his attention, his comfort, his touch, his dickhead quips, and the way he pushes my buttons. I know I’m falling for him in a way that I don’t think I’ll recover from if it ends. He’s opened me up to an entirely new world—one I’m thriving in.
I finally feel at home here and I can’t help but feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Hopefully, Dallas and I can figure out what we are and a plan to move forward before this combusts.
Despite Dallas’ protests, I drive to the Hayes family home by myself and park my little car out front. Nerves catch up to me as I walk across the driveway, the packed snow crunching under my feet. I take a moment, standing in front of their door and steadying my breathing, giving myself a mental pep talk that everything is fine and there’s no way anyone will find out. I knock twice and only wait a moment before it’s opened.
“Hi, Blaire! I’m so glad you could join us again! I love having a full house,” Amy, Dallas’ mom, greets me. “Come in! Everyone is downstairs in the rec room.”
I slip off my snowy boots outside the door before walking through the entryway behind her, following her into the kitchen.
“Thank you for having me. I made these, I hope they’re okay. I’m not nearly as talented as Ivy, but the recipe I used on the back of the Tollhouse bag seemed legit,” I say with a nervous laugh as I hand her a tray filled with chocolate chip cookies.
“Tried and true! I’m sure they’re delicious. Thank you, sweetie.”
“I know you said everyone is downstairs, but do you need any help with anything?”
She looks at me for a moment with a big smile on her face before answering, “I would love some. Here, wash up, and then if you don’t mind rolling out the pastry dough I have right here?” She points to several bowls with plastic wrap over them. Four stone pie dishes sit in front of a plastic mat with various circles etched into it.
“It smells amazing in here, what are you making?”
“One of my favorites, Liam’s favorite, too. Chicken pot pie. Comfort food today.”
My mouth waters.
After washing my hands, I get to work rolling out each pie crust and pressing them into the pie dishes.
“You seem to be settling in nicely in Aspen Ridge, do you plan to stay for good?” Amy asks after a few minutes of silence.
“I am, I really love everything AR has to offer. I love my job?—”
Dallas barrels into the kitchen, interrupting me, yelling something unintelligible behind him, but when he rights himself, he stops in his tracks, looking at the scene in front of him. I stop rolling out the dough, both of us frozen in a moment where everything else around us disappears.
My lips turn up in a smile as I mouth the word “hi” to him. He smiles back with an expression that looks a whole hell of a lot like satisfaction, or maybe something different, as his eyes bounce across the kitchen scene. Whatever it is, it’s unfamiliar, but it wraps around my heart and squeezes.
“Hi, baby,” he mouths back before turning to the fridge and opening it. “Hey, Mom, do we have any more of that Elysian Bifrost?”
“If you’re not seeing it with your own two eyes then we’re out, son.”
“And you wonder where I got my snark,” Dallas closes the fridge and says in my direction. I can’t help the snort that comes from me and I quickly cover my mouth with my hand to hide the laugh that follows.
“Go ahead, laugh. But it’s true whether she’ll admit it or not. Everyone thinks she’s the sweetest thing in the world, but she can be a snarky one, just like her son.”
“I suppose you’re not wrong. The only difference is I’ve learned when and where, and you, my son, never learned any tact.”
“You talkin’ about Dal?” Liam says upon entering the kitchen with Charlotte hanging by her ankle upside down in his hand. I cover my mouth and laugh at the sight. He’s so incredibly good with that little girl, it’s shocking to me that he’s not her biological father. It’s clear he loves her like she’s his own. As someone who spent years wishing for that type of relationship, I know she’s going to value it for the rest of her life.
Their mother gives Dallas a pointed stare that reads, told you, and I laugh some more.
“Something funny, princess?”
“Just glad to see that your ogre personality isn’t reserved for just me.”
“Did you just compare my mom’s personality to an ogre? She’s a goddamn angel!”
I pale, realizing quickly how what I said can be taken.
“Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry, that is not what I meant,” I say to his mom.
The three of them laugh and my face changes from deathly white to a bright red tomato.
“Blaire, he’s just giving you a hard time. His sense of humor matches the other traits, I’m afraid.”
“You’re the worst,” I tell him.
He looks at his brother and mom to see they’re occupied before mouthing “you love it” to me. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling as I rewash my hands and return to my task of rolling out the pie crust.
After the pot pies are assembled and set in the oven to bake, I follow the noise that leads me downstairs to a finished basement. All of the Hayes siblings are playing a game of beer pong as I walk into the large, open room. I make my way toward Hannah and Ivy, who’s resting her hand on her tiny baby bump. She’s just starting to pop out and she’s so cute.
“Quite the sight, huh?” she asks.
“It’s wild here, they’re all so full of life.”
“They are. It’s always been like this. Rowdy, loud, crazy,” Hannah says.
“I secretly love it. What’s the dynamic with Kinsey, do they let her win?”
“Oh, god, no. Never. They make that girl work for it, so she’s tough, but if you think you’ve seen protective from Sawyer with me, it’s nothing compared to what Kins has had to deal with from the four of them.”
“Can you imagine having four older brothers?”
“Hell no. Are you an only child, too?”
“As far as I know,” it slips from my lips before I can stop it, and I try to stay calm, hoping she’ll read it as a joke.
“Ha. Same. We definitely don’t need any more Turner genes running around. I hope this baby is all Hayes.”
I couldn’t agree more about my genes. The Hollis line should surely die with me, even if I do crave a family of my own.
“He or she is going to be so loved, that’s for sure.”
We spend the next thirty minutes watching the five of them go back and forth playing beer pong, all of them getting louder and more heated as the rounds go on and on.
“Fuck off! You’re a bunch of goddamn cheaters!” Liam yells as he walks in our direction.
“How can you cheat at fuckin’ beer pong, lint licker?” Dallas yells back.
Liam keeps walking until he stands next to me and Ivy, looking irritated as all hell.
“They’re cheats, huh?” Ivy asks.
“They’re assholes. All of them.”
“But, lint licker?” I have to ask, knowing that I’m probably going to regret it.
Ivy covers her mouth and laughs as Sawyer walks up to her. He grabs her wrist and pulls it away from her face. “What did I tell you about covering up your laugh?”
“Not to?” she asks while still laughing.
“That’s Liam’s nickname. You haven’t heard it yet?” Sawyer asks.
“Apparently not. How did he get such an awful one? No offense to you and the other two, but,” I turn to face Liam before continuing, “Liam’s the most level-headed one out of all of you, so how does he end up with the worst nickname?”
“Cause they’re all assholes and they don’t like that I’m bigger than them.”
“Size doesn’t mean shit. How many times have I taken you? I’m happy to do it again right here,”
Liam steps up to Sawyer, getting right in his face. I take a step back, giving them space since these boys like to be so physical with each other. Sawyer pulls Ivy behind him, and I can’t help but glance in Dallas’ direction. He’s standing at the far end of the ping pong table with his arms crossed, his eyes focused on me and the situation three feet away.
“What the fuck is your problem lately? You got some shit you need to work out, then you let us know, but we’re not here to be treated like shit by you, so what’s it goin’ to fuckin’ be?” Sawyer raises his voice, and Liam doesn’t back down, instead, he jerks toward him, which was the wrong thing to do. Sawyer tackles him, bending down, his arms wrapping around his waist and taking him back several steps. It all happens so fast. Liam bends over Sawyer’s back, throwing a punch into his side. Dallas and Carter move quickly to their brothers, while Kinsey, Hannah, and I move toward Ivy, all of us stepping back to stay clear of them while they fight.
“Get it out of your system, little brother,” Sawyer huffs.
“Fuck you!” Liam spits.
“Dinner, heathens!” Amy calls from upstairs.
Everyone except Sawyer and Liam, who are currently locked around each other in some weird positions on the ground, look at each other, unsure whether or not to leave them here. Dallas walks over and ushers us up the stairs, making the decision for us.
“Liam’s been looking for a fight. He’s working through some shit. He’ll be fine once he burns some energy. Go get started, we’ll be right up.”
“Dal . . .” Ivy hesitates, Sawyer and Liam banging around behind us.
“He’ll be fine, Iv. Don’t worry about it.”
“They’re fine. Annoying, but fine. Let’s go eat. It smells delicious.” Once we’re at the halfway point on the stairs, Kinsey turns and bolts back down, yelling, “Liam! Mom made your favorite!”
Dinner gets started with everyone but the four boys who stayed downstairs to work through whatever issues are weighing on them. One of the pies is passed around, each of us taking some out before passing it on.
“It’s nice of you to join us again, Blaire,” Dallas’ dad, Craig, tells me, and my cheeks warm. His voice has a bit of a slur from his strokes, but he is the most genuinely sweet, kind, soft-spoken man. It’s hard to believe he could have an overly protective, growly side like his sons.
“Thank you, sir, it’s so nice to be here again. You have such a lovely family.” I finish my sentence as the four boys shove each other through the narrow entryway into the dining room like a group of wild teenagers.
“Lovely, huh? My children are feral animals, Blaire, you don’t have to be so formal. We know better than anyone that it’s utter chaos.”
“Except for me, I never do anything wrong because they’re all too busy taking center stage,” Kinsey adds.
We all eat and catch up. I don’t bother asking about why Reid is a no-show again, because I know he can’t bring himself to come.
After dinner and cleaning up, I excuse myself to the bathroom. Not having closed the door all the way yet, Dallas pushes it open and steps in, locking it behind us and trapping me in here with him.
“What are you doing? Get out!” I panic.
“Princess, I have been cornering you in bathrooms for months.” He drops to his knees in front of me and rubs his hand up my legs, stopping at my thighs. “You should expect nothing less by now. Now let me see that pretty pussy,” he says as he looks up at me from his knees, already starting to hike up my dress and pull down my tights.
“Dallas, we can’t, someone will find us.”
“Better come quick then. You know I can get you off with my mouth in under a minute.”
Without waiting for my reply, he lifts and hooks my leg over his shoulder, spreads me wide with his thumbs, and suctions his mouth around my pussy, nearly making my knee give out. I love when he does this. I lose myself to the sensation, his lips pulsing little sucks around me. I brace myself on the bathroom sink, letting him devour me the way that I know he loves. Footsteps walk past the room, and I stiffen, covering my mouth with my hand. Looking down at him on his knees, he is completely unfazed. Two fingers press inside me, curling toward my stomach, and within another moment, I’m coming. Wetness pools between my legs, soaking around his fingers. He licks me through it before pulling his fingers out and putting them in his mouth, sucking my arousal off of them, in an erotic display of obsession.
“Fucking delicious.”
“You’re the worst, ever,” I say through panted breaths. “I need to get back out there before someone comes looking for one of us.”
He pulls up my panties and tights and fixes my dress, putting me back together. I turn to look in the mirror, making sure my face doesn’t scream recent orgasm by mouth, when Dallas stands directly behind me. His hands move to my waist, pulling me lightly flush against him.
I meet his eyes in the mirror, before looking over both of us, loving what I see reflected back at me.