Chapter 8 #2
“Usually at least once during the summer,” I replied. “But sometimes we’d bring our sleeping bags over to my grandparents’ house, and all of us kids would sleep in tents outside.”
“Dragon and Brenna’s?”
“Yep. Since we were on club grounds, we could act like we were camping, but they could sleep inside in their bed.” I smiled. “The perks of living in a gated compound.”
“With guards,” he added. “Have they always lived in that house?”
I nodded. “When my grandma moved home with Aunt Trix, they moved in there, and then Grandpa moved in with them. My dad grew up in that house.”
“Isn’t Trix Dragon’s?” he asked in confusion.
“Yeah, she is. It’s a long, convoluted story.”
“Worked out in the end.”
“Yep, it did. They ended up having my dad and lived happily ever after.”
“You want more?” Bas asked the minute I’d finished my last bite.
“No thanks, I’m full.” I set my feet on the floor to take my bowl to the sink but stayed put when he took the bowl out of my hand.
“I’ll bring it in.”
“I can clean up after myself,” I told him as he walked across the room.
“Drink your beer and relax,” he ordered.
“I’ve been relaxing all day,” I complained, picking up my beer. “I’m starting to go stir-crazy.”
“No news on the job search?”
“Not so far,” I replied, eyeing him as he walked back toward me. “I’ve put out feelers, and I searched online today, but I didn’t see anything that I’d want to do long-term.”
“You think you’ll try and find the same thing you were doin’ before?” he asked, sitting down beside me.
“I’m not sure,” I confessed. “I liked what I was doing, but I think I’m done traveling so much. I was moving from state to state every few months—or few weeks—and it was fun for a while, but it was beginning to get old.”
“Hard to put down roots.”
“My roots are here,” I said simply. “Eugene is home.”
“You think you’ll be able to find somethin’ local?” he asked, pulling my feet onto his lap. He took off my boots and socks and set them next to the couch.
“Ideally, yes,” I replied as he began to rub my feet. “But I might be able to find something where I could work remotely from here and just go to the office a couple times a month.”
“Still a lot of travelin’.”
“Yeah, but I could have my home base here.” I tipped my head back against the couch and sighed. “Any offer would look good at this point.”
“You’ve been home a week,” he reminded me, pinching my big toe. “Stop stressin’.”
“Yes, because telling someone to stop stressing always works to keep them from stressing,” I argued, wiggling my toes.
“You’ll find something. Right now you’re livin’ with your parents—”
“Don’t remind me.”
“So, you’re in a good position to wait for the right job, not just the first one you find.”
“You think I should hold out for the perfect job? It doesn’t exist.”
“I fuckin’ love my job,” he argued. “Perfect for me. See how that works?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Why don’t you start your own business?” he asked. “Make the perfect job.”
“My own consulting firm?”
“Sure,” he said, nodding.
“You have no idea what I do—did—do you?”
“Not a fuckin’ clue,” he said, chuckling. “Somethin’ with numbers?”
“Yeah,” I replied, pulling my feet from his lap so I could move across the couch. I swung one leg over his thighs so I was straddling him. “Something like that.”
“You’re smart as fuck,” he said as I leaned in to kiss him. “I know that much.”
“I’m flattered.”
“Your dad never shuts up about it,” he said against my mouth.
I snorted and then covered my face in horror.
“Do it again,” he ordered, his eyes wide.
“Shut up.”
“Do it.”
“I’m not going to snort again!”
“Maybe not on command,” he said gleefully. “But it’ll happen.”
“Oh my god, would you stop?”
“Just when I least expect it.”
“Sebastian!”
“Make my fuckin’ day.”
“I’m so glad I could make your day by making pig noises,” I said sarcastically, dropping my hand from my face.
That’s when I realized that his hands had been slowly sliding up the inside of my dress and his warm palms were pressed against my bare hips.
“There is no way that turned you on,” I said in disbelief, even though I could feel the proof of his arousal beneath me.
“I’ve been turned on since you got out of the car,” he said with a smile. “You got any objection to me fuckin’ you in this dress?”
“Why the hell do you think I wore it?”
Lifting his hips, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, taking out a condom that he set on the arm of the couch. He held my gaze the entire time.
“Pull down the top,” he ordered softly.
“It has a zipper—”
“You’ll manage,” he said confidently, his hands sliding back under my dress.
Reaching up, I pulled the straps off my shoulders and tugged the dress down my torso while his thumbs slid down the creases between my hips and thighs. Eventually his thumbs met in the middle, finding my clit with unerring accuracy.
I shuddered and yanked on the dress until my breasts popped out the top, my nipples tightening as they hit the air.
“Good girl,” he murmured, his thumb sliding softly back and forth over my clit. “Lift up a little.”
Sliding my hands from his shoulders to his hair, I leaned up enough for him to unbutton and unzip his pants. While he put the condom on, I ran my lips across his jaw.
“You shaved,” I whispered, pulling the lobe of his ear between my teeth.
“Like havin’ a beard, like a clean shave, don’t like growin’ that shit out,” he replied, pulling away from my mouth so he could place a wet sucking kiss on my shoulder. “It itches, and I don’t wanna give you razor burn.”
“I don’t mind it.”
“You shouldn’t be sore after I eat your pussy,” he said simply. “Just after I fuck you. Guide me in, baby.”
Reaching down between us, I notched him in and waited.
His eyes flared as he gave me a nod.
My breath hitched as I pressed downward, relishing the stretch as my walls closed in around him.
The night before I’d been so far gone that I hadn’t been paying close attention to the fit of us, but I couldn’t ignore it now.
I only made it halfway down before I had to pull away and try again.
The next time I dropped my hips, Bas’s hands found my breasts.
Just as I was about to pull back up again, he pinched them hard and tugged while thrusting upward.
“Fuck,” I moaned as my clit met his pubic bone.
“Better?” he asked, against my throat.
“More,” I ordered.
I rolled my hips as he thrust from beneath me, both of us working in tandem. His fingers pinched and flicked and rubbed my nipples so lightly that I wanted to scream. I kissed his chin. His mouth. His neck. His shoulder.
One of his hands fisted in my hair and tugged until I arched backward enough that he could pull one of my nipples into his mouth. Then the other.
Every inch of me tingled, from my toes to my scalp.
Then he bit down, holding my hips still as he ground against me.
I think I yelled his full name as I came.
I struggled to catch my breath as he kissed me, his tongue sliding against my own as he thrust a few more times and followed me over the edge.
I sat there on his lap, my eyes closed, panting, as he ran soothing hands over my breasts and soft kisses over my cheeks.
“I knew this dress was the right choice,” I said finally, lazily opening my eyes.
“It’s a nice dress,” he agreed with a little huff of laughter.
I climbed off his lap with a sigh. As soon as I’d gotten to my feet, he held me in place and reached around my back to unzip my dress. I let it fall to pool at my feet as he reached down to take off the condom.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, kissing my forehead before jogging up the stairs.
Stepping out of my dress, I padded into the kitchen to put away the food we hadn’t eaten and clean up the dishes. It was the least I could do since he’d made us dinner. That’s when I realized that all of the blinds downstairs were closed. Turning in a circle, I checked each of the windows.
He’d made sure we had privacy.
Probably a good thing, since I hadn’t thought twice about potential neighbors seeing me riding him with my tits out.
I was crouched down looking in the lower cupboards for something to store the casserole in when Bas came back downstairs.
“Fuck me,” he muttered in surprise. “Baby, what are you doin’?”
“Looking for your storage containers. Don’t you own any bowls with a lid?”
“Naked?”
“Well, you finished taking off my dress,” I said, standing back up. “I didn’t want to put anything else on until I’d had my turn in the bathroom.”
“Go ahead,” he said, grinning as he jerked his chin toward the stairs. “I put your bag on the dresser.”
“I’ll be right back to help clean up,” I assured him. I yelped in surprise as he smacked my ass when I passed him.
Upstairs, I grabbed a little pink nightgown and brought it in the bathroom with me.
After using the facilities and cleaning up, I fixed my tangled hair and checked my teeth.
Then I swished with his mouthwash for good measure.
I hadn’t noticed Bas having weird breath after dinner, but I’d seen the onions in that meal. I wasn’t going to chance it.
When I came out of the bathroom, Bas was sitting on the bed in a pair of loose shorts and a T-shirt. The lamp on the dresser had cast the room in a warm glow, and a quick glance toward the stairs told me he’d turned all the lights off down there.
“I was going to help you clean up,” I said in exasperation as I walked toward him.
“Stuck the food in the fridge already.”
“What about the dishes?” I asked, rounding the bed.
“I can do dishes later. I’m not wastin’ the time I’ve got you here with me.”
“Solid logic,” I conceded as I crawled up next to him.
“You used my mouthwash again,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m sorry.” I tilted my head to the side. “Are you protective of your mouthwash?”
“Harp, I just had my tongue in your mouth ten minutes ago. Why’d you think you needed mouthwash?”
“There were onions in that concoction,” I replied loftily.
“God forbid,” he teased.
“Plus, beer.”
“I like when you taste like beer.”
“Noted.”
“Reminds me of our first kiss.”
“That was a good kiss,” I said, getting settled next to him. I crossed my legs like a pretzel and put my hands in my lap to hold my nightgown down.
“It was a fuckin’ great kiss.”
“Who would’ve guessed that a week later I’d be sitting in your bed after banging you on the couch?”
“I wouldn’t have guessed, but I was seriously fuckin’ hopin’,” he said with a laugh. “Until you disappeared.”
“Yeah, well…” I sighed.
“What was that all about?”
“I told you,” I reminded him uncomfortably. “I thought you and Lou were together.”
“You climbed on my lap when you thought Lou and I were together?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Okay, maybe not together, but something,” I clarified. “I felt like a complete asshole.”
“Shoulda just asked.”
“Yeah, I should’ve paused in my grinding, pulled my tongue out of your mouth, and demanded to know what your relationship with Lou was.”
“Woulda saved you a whole lot of worry,” he pointed out. Suddenly, his jaw gaped wide, and he yawned for a full ten seconds. “Fuck, sorry,” he said after a moment. “Long day.”
“And I kept you up late last night,” I reminded him, scooting over to tuck myself against his side.
“Worth it,” he replied. “Haven’t been sleepin’ good anyway.”
“Why not?” I asked, tipping my head back to look at him.
“You remember I got that appointment with the lawyer Saturday?”
“Yeah. In Portland.”
“Right. I’m a little nervous,” he said, almost like it was a question. “I know it’s not anythin’ bad. I’ll go in there and sign some paperwork. Not a big deal. But, I can’t figure out what she woulda left me.”
“In a couple days you’ll know.”
“Yeah. A couple months back one of my old foster brothers came to town and found me,” he said, his arm tightening around my back. “Couldn’t figure out why he was here. Didn’t really give him the chance to talk. Now, I’m wonderin’ if he was tryin’ to warn me about Bernice bein’ sick.”
“You didn’t give him a chance to talk?”
“Swung first,” he said dryly. “Asked questions never. We didn’t part on good terms. I wasn’t happy to see him.”
“Clearly.”
“It’s just all bringin’ up shit I woulda rather left behind me.”
“The past always comes back to bite us in the ass,” I told him, giving him a sympathetic kiss on the underside of his jaw.
He was quiet for a little while. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, enjoying the smell and the feel of him beside me. The man was solid. Not just his body, but his entire personality.
“I knew I shoulda gone back up there,” he said after a few minutes of quiet. “I thought about it after I patched in with the club. But, by then it had already been so long that I wasn’t sure if she’d want to see me.”
“And that would’ve been worse,” I replied softly.
“A million times worse,” he said. “A lot of shit happened before I left, and it felt like gettin’ out of there was my only option. Lookin’ back, seventeen-year-olds are fuckin’ stupid.”
I chuckled as his fingers started running languidly through the ends of my hair.
“All of it has been fuckin’ with my head a little.”
“Understandable,” I replied.
“It’s better when you’re here,” he said, tugging on my hair until I looked up at him again. “Hard to think about anythin’ but you.”
“I have that effect,” I joked.
“Especially when you’re wearin’ a thin little nightie and I can see your nipples.”
“Distraction was my main goal when I chose this particular sleepwear,” I replied with mock seriousness. “You’re welcome.”
He hummed in acknowledgment. “You’re good for me, Harp.”
“I could be even better for you,” I said questioningly, sliding my hand under the hem of his T-shirt.
“Not sure how that would be possible,” he said, his mouth descending on mine. “But I’m willing to let you give it a shot.”