Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Aster
Once I kissed her, I didn’t stop. All I cared about was tasting her.
Our kiss was frantic and hurried, slow and savoring, all wrapped up in one passionate fury.
I slid my hands beneath her ass and lifted her into my arms, her legs flying around my waist and holding on tight.
With her dress bunched up around her waist, the heat from between her legs breathed life into my cock.
I moaned and slipped my tongue inside, finally tasting what I’d craved for so long. It was better than I could’ve ever imagined, and selfishly, hungrily, greedily, I wanted more, more, more.
“Where the hell did the two of them go?” Caden’s sharp tone broke through our fog, and our kiss stopped as fast as it had started.
Both of us froze in place, our breathing heavy, our eyes wide.
I set her down gently but kept her in my arms, holding her tight against my chest. I wasn’t letting her go so easily just yet.
“Does it really matter?” Veda asked. “She’s safe with him, is she not?”
“Veda, you know how I feel about this, and?—”
“And what, Caden? You love Jolene. You want to keep her safe, I know, but don’t you think Aster is the best option for that? He’s one of your best friends. You know and trust him. Isn’t that better than her running off with some schmuck you don’t know?”
Caden grumbled. “I see your point. But what if he hurts her?”
“But what if he doesn’t? Besides, you can’t protect her from everything, my love. Falling in love comes with risks, but isn’t it worth it? Doesn’t Jolene deserve to find her person? Maybe it’s not Aster. Maybe they won’t work out. But we’re all adults here, and we’ll deal like adults.”
Caden sighed, and I felt Jolene relax in my arms. I made a mental note to thank Veda for talking some sense into him.
“Why are you so good at calming me down?” Caden’s voice softened.
“Because I know exactly what my man needs,” Veda answered, and kissing noises filled the air. Jolene giggled against me, and I tried hard not to laugh either.
“C’mon, let’s get back to the party. Jolene’s fine, trust me,” Veda said, and silence soon filled the air.
I let out a huge breath and burst into laughter, Jolene dissolving into her own fit of giggles. “Want to get out of here?” I asked her when I finally caught my breath.
“Yes.”
We snuck out of the party without saying goodbye, which I knew we’d hear about later, but I couldn’t wait a second longer.
I wanted Jolene in my bed, and I wanted her now.
Silence filled the truck as I drove back to my place, and I kept sneaking glances at her, not believing this was real. I’d tasted her at last, and I was about to have so much more.
I reached across the middle console and took her hand in mine, squeezing her fingers gently. She squeezed back and winked at me.
My dick doubled in size.
Five minutes later, I walked her through my door, and instantly, my mouth found hers once more.
“I’ve dreamed about this day for so long,” I said between kisses and groans, nips and nibbles. Hands roamed, and fingers fumbled at buttons, our frantic touches causing a frenzy.
Ding! Ding!
The doorbell pierced the air of the cabin, and we jumped apart. The dogs barked, and a loud knock sounded.
Jolene quickly buttoned the top of her dress and picked her jean jacket up off the ground, slipping it back on. “Are you expecting company?”
“No. Not that I know of.” I smoothed my shirt down, not bothering with the buttons. With a deep breath, I opened the door and found Caden standing in my doorway. A very pissed-off Caden.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m the only one who will be asking questions around here.” Caden pushed his way inside, his eyes bulging when they landed on Jolene. “I knew it! You two left together. Why?”
“As if that’s any of your business,” I snapped and slammed the door behind me. I’d grown tired of this charade.
“It’s all of my business! Jolene’s my sister!”
“No shit, Caden. But she’s also a grown woman who can make her own decisions. We want to be together.” I looked past Caden and directly at Jolene, whose own wide eyes bounced between the two of us.
When she didn’t say anything, my heart lodged in my throat.
“Aster, I love you, man, but I told you my sister is off-limits.”
“Why?” I challenged him.
“Because I said so, that’s why!”
“That’s not a good enough reason, and you know it.”
“Fine, you keep pushing for the truth so I’m going to give it to you. My sister deserves the world, and I’m not sure you can give it to her.”
My blood ran cold. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Aster, don’t do this?—”
“You already started it. So finish.” I stepped closer to him, my hands balled into fists at my sides.
“Enough.” Jolene stepped between us, and my anger instantly dissipated. I stepped back and let out a breath, trying to blink away the red-hot flames coursing through me. “ I get to decide who’s best for me. No one else.”
She moved to the side and faced the two of us. “I’m tired of hiding, Caden. I’m tired of sneaking around when I want to be with Aster. I don’t want to only be his friend. I love him. I’ve loved him for years now. And you need to accept that.”
Caden’s eyes flashed with the new information, but I didn’t pay him any attention. My focus stayed on Jolene, my queen, my whole heart, the woman I wanted to give the world to. She said the words I’d desperately wanted to hear for so long—she loved me.
I stepped forward and took her hands in mine, no longer caring that Caden stood beside us. “I love you, too. So much, baby girl.”
“I guess I have to accept it,” Caden grunted, and the two of us looked at him.
He threw his hands in the air and sighed. “I could tell you two loved each other. I didn’t want to admit it.”
“I promise never to dim her light,” I said to Caden while still keeping my eyes focused on Jolene. “No matter how broken I feel inside,” I said this more to her than him, but I wanted them both to know I’d never stop loving her.
“You could never dim my light, Aster. You only make me shine brighter.” Jolene slipped her arms around my neck, lifted herself onto her tiptoes, and kissed me hard. Right there, in front of her brother, without a care in the world.
“Alright, you two. I don’t need the show. You hurt her, and I hurt you,” Caden said, his finger pointing in my direction before he disappeared out the door.
I flipped the lock and grinned while staring down at her beautiful face. “At last, our dream has come true.” I lifted my gorgeous girl into my arms and carried her upstairs.
We were about to live out our dreams—even the dirty ones.