11. Easton
EASTON
Sitting here, surrounded by my family and having Cat at my side, gives me an inner peace I've never felt before. I've never felt as grounded. Turning my head, I stare at Cat and watch her laugh at something Quinn says and feel my lips lift in a smile because of the sound of her happiness.
"Hold up. There's more where that came from," Quinn grins. "What goes in hard and dry but comes out soft and wet?" he looks at Cat, waiting for her to guess.
Cat's eyes dart around. "Oh, um…" her cheeks turn a light shade of blush.
"Come on." Quinn searches everyone's faces. "No one?" He waits another couple of seconds before blurting, "Gum!" He laughs hard at his own joke. "You thought I was about to say a cock, right? You guys are some dirty-minded fuckers." He shakes his head.
"I got one for ya." Cat's grandad stretches his legs out, propping them on a large log in front of him.
"What does a bullfrog say when it's horny?
" he grins. I've heard this joke before, as I suspect a few others have as well, but we don't dare steal his thunder.
"Rub it." No sound is heard when he chuckles, but Arthur's shoulders shake.
"Daideò!" Cat gasps with a mix of shock and amusement in her voice.
"What, child? I may be getting old, but my funny bone is still intact."
Silence falls around us.
I lose myself in the flames of the bonfire, mesmerized by the flickering lights.
The dry, withered wood smells of deep, rich oak and pine as the logs burn.
Within the flames, where the fire burns hottest, bright flickers of blue glow.
The sounds of hissing, cracking, and sizzling mix with the croaking tree frogs and chirping crickets.
"Easton." Emerson jolts me from my hypnotic state, and I give her my attention. "You bring your guitar?"
I nod. "Never leave home without it."
"Play something for us?"
I go to stand, but Cat leaps to her feet. "I'll get it. You stay with your family." She turns to walk away, and I grab her by the hand, pulling her back to me.
"Come here," I tell her, tugging her down until we are face to face, her lips hovering above mine. I'm hyper aware of the sets of eyes on us, but I couldn't care less. Cat is mine. "Give me those lips," I tell her, and she presses them softly against mine.
"Another one bites the dust," Quinn quips as my eyes fixate on Cat's retreating backside on her way toward the house.
A few short minutes later, Cat returns with my guitar in hand. "Any requests?" I ask my biggest fans.
"Got anything new you've been working on?" Reid inquires, and one song comes to mind. It's unfinished, rough, and raw, but no other words float to the surface as the lyrics fill my headspace.
"It's not finished, but…" I strum the guitar strings feeling the chords vibrate through my fingertips. The music I play becomes the sound of my heart beating, and the lyrics my confession. My words fill the air effortlessly while my eyes never leave Cat's. This is me, unfiltered and exposed.
I was drowning in loneliness.
In nights of bitter cold.
Something in my life was missing…but I didn’t know what I was searching for.
Then you came along and shined your light on me.
My red-haired woman, you set me free. (You set me free)
From the moment I met you.
Since that very first kiss.
Your taste still lingers…upon my lips.
You chased away the sadness.
You brought me back to life.
Now I see my future reflecting in your eyes.
My red-haired woman, you set me free. (You set me free)
The last lyric drifts away with the fading of the last strum of the guitar strings.
Then, it's once again silent. The air I breathe feels heavy with the emotions poured out in the song, and I meant every word.
"It's a work in progress," I shrug. Tears are streaming down Cat's cheeks.
Leaning into her, I wipe them all away with my kisses.
"Well said, brother." Jake breaks the silence. "A man's strength and weakness both lay in the hands of the woman he loves." I catch the nods of the other men, including Cat's grandad.
"My Irene, God rest her soul, could bring me to my knees with just one look and give me the strength of an ox with a single touch." His eyes get a faraway look in them as he recalls memories of his wife.
I sit my guitar to the side and pull Cat onto my lap. "That was—" She doesn't finish her statement. Instead, Cat grabs my face in her hands and kisses me, and our family makes a show of our affection with cheers, and she smiles against my lips.
"Well, I'd say this is a beautiful ending to a perfect night with family and friends," Arthur says.
Logan raises his beer in the air, and the rest of us follow. "To the women who bring us to our knees and the love we'll risk it all for."
It's near midnight after everyone turns in.
I make a final sweep of the house with Cat as she checks the locks on all the doors.
We walk into the large living room. She pulls the curtains closed on one window then moves to the next.
"I really like them." She stares out into the night.
In the distance, lightning streaks across dark gray clouds forming, followed by a distant rumble as the storm rolls in.
"I should check on the horses one more time.
They can get a little worked up when bad weather is near. "
A whiff of earthy dampness engulfs us the moment we step outside.
The trees rustle as the wind whistles through the branches on our walk across the property to the stables.
I pull open the barn doors and follow Cat inside.
One by one, she checks the stall doors, making sure they are latched.
Finally, Cat looks to the ceiling. "Shoot.
The loft door is open." She crosses to the other end of the stables and begins climbing the ladder to the top.
"I'll get it," I offer, but she's already halfway up the ladder's steps.
"I'll be down in a minute." She states as I stare up at her ass. Fuck. My cock swells. A throat clears, and I tear my gaze from her pale pink panties. "You say something?"
"Did I?" I question if I spoke my thoughts out loud.
Cat climbs the last two runs, then disappears.
Like a moth to a flame, I'm drawn to her and ascend the ladder into the loft.
When I get to her, she's quietly standing in the opening of the loft door, looking into the night.
The warm breeze swirls around her, whipping her red hair and fluttering her summer dress. Her beauty captivates me.
I step up behind Cat, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her neck.
Cat moans as I drag my lips across the surface of her skin.
My hands fall down to her sides, following the curves of her body over the flare of her hips.
My fingertips trace the hem of her cotton dress before dragging the cloth up her thighs.
Cat sucks in a breath. "Easton." My hand slides between her thighs, and I feel the heat of her center.
I pull the scrap of material covering her pussy to one side and slide my fingertips through her silky slit. "Fuck. You're already wet for me." My cock throbs with a need to be inside her.
"Someone may see," Cat says, yet presses her ass back against me.
"Does the thought of being watched excite you?
" I coat my fingertips with her wetness and rub circles around her swollen clit.
Of course, the chance of someone seeing us is slim since the loft door opening doesn't directly face the house.
Nonetheless, adrenaline and a pure animalistic need to fuck her right here turns me on.
I pepper kisses across the top of her shoulder, pulling the strap of her dress down her arm, then repeat the process on the other side of her body while continuing to manipulate her bundle of nerves.
Her dress gathers at her waistline, exposing her tits.
I stop touching her long enough to step in front of Cat and drop to my knees.
My nostrils flare at the scent of her desire, and my mouth waters.
Reaching up, I tug on her dress, peeling it and her panties down over her hips, removing the clothing from her body.
I sit back on my heels to drink her in. Cat's skin glows beneath the moonbeams breaking through the clouds in the sky.
Her wet pussy glistens before me, and I can no longer deny myself what I hunger for.
Her.
"I've been picturing you naked all day." I bury my face between her thighs and feast. Her fingers thread through my hair as she whispers my name.
"Easton. Oh, God." Her nails dig into my scalp when I suck her clit.
I feel her pussy flutter against my tongue as I lap at her.
My hands take hold of her ass as she climaxes, and my woman's climax coats my lips while she rides the waves of her orgasm.
I spread her dress out on the floor and pull Cat down with me. "I need to be inside of you," I say desperately and quickly rid myself of my clothes.
"Please, Easton." Cat gazes at me with hooded eyes. She palms her breasts, pinching her nipples, then I watch as she slides one hand down her stomach and touches herself between her legs. Lightning illuminates the sky and thunder booms.
I begin stroking my cock while Cat rubs her clit, her eyes glued to my hand. "Fuck, you're perfect," I tell her. The instant she opens her legs a little wider and dips a finger inside her pussy, I almost lose my shit.
"Do not make yourself come," I demand, and her eyes lift from my dick to my face. "Take yourself to the edge but don't jump." My strokes become fevered as we masturbate together.
"Easton, I need to come," Cat begs.