27. William
27
WILLIAM
“ W e’re gonna get caught,” Kristin said, panting against my lips as she unzipped my jeans, freeing my already-hard cock.
When we arrived for poker night, I’d killed my headlights and parked in a grove of trees beside the house. Everyone else had already gone inside, and I didn’t plan on letting Kristin out of the truck before doling out at least one orgasm.
Maybe two if we were fast
With my hand in her panties, my fingers worked her clit in a steady rhythm. “Get there, Sunshine.”
She tossed her head back, arching into me. “Need … your cock … inside me.”
I grinned against her neck and nipped at her skin. She’d have a little mark tomorrow. That image sent a fresh wave of desire straight to my dick.
Mine.
I rolled the condom on my dick and smacked her ass. “Get up here. Knees in the seat. Ride me.”
Kristin scrambled to straddle me in the driver’s seat. Already out of her jeans, she pulled her panties to the side. Somehow, not taking them all the way off made the whole scene ten times sexier.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she sunk down on my dick. Her pussy had become my favorite place in the world. Fucking heaven.
Kristin’s low moan had me aching to release deep inside of her. She let out a piercing cry that filled the truck. Her eyes scrunched shut and she bit her lip so hard I thought she was going to draw blood. “Will … I … I’m not gonna last long…”
“Good,” I snapped, drilling my cock into her core. I wasn’t far behind. “Because you’re gonna come. Then you’re gonna go play poker and pretend like I didn’t just fuck your tight little pussy while your friends waited for us.”
“God, yes,” she breathed as her forehead dropped on my shoulder. Her nails scratched at my back and neck. The little thing liked to use her claws.
I fucking loved it.
“Keep riding me, beautiful. Just like that.” I slid my hand between us and stroked her clit in a steady rhythm.
Her muffled whimpers turned into cries for relief as I let her orgasm creep closer and closer. “Please,” she begged. “I’m so close.”
I halted mid-thrust and cupped her sex with my hand instead of playing with her clit.
“Will!” she shrieked, clawing at my shoulders and neck. “Fucking make me come, damnit!” Her inner walls strangled my cock, desperate for relief.
“Ask and you shall receive,” I said, teasing her as I rammed my cock deep inside and bottomed out.
I fucked her hard and fast while rubbing steady circles on her clit. Kristin came apart in seconds, shuddering as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her cries of passion turned into a fit of giggles as I unloaded into the condom.
“Oh my God,” she said, panting. “That was amazing. ”
I traced my finger along her tattoo and planted a kiss on her forehead. “You’re amazing.”
Kristin held on to my shoulders as she eased off my dick, back into the passenger seat. She gave me a sheepish smile as she grabbed a napkin from the console and used it to tidy up.
I leaned forward to tie off the condom, then zipped my jeans up and hopped out of the truck. Maybe I could get her to go for round two in the bathroom.
She giggled when I opened her door. “Sex with you in the truck definitely tops my list of favorite things.”
“Sex with you anywhere is at the top of my list,” I said with a smirk. As we strolled around the side of the house, I reached down and squeezed her ass. “I kinda wanna pin you up against the wall out here and fuck you one more time.”
Kristin snorted. “God, no. Last time I walked out here during poker, Bridget and Chase were—well, I don’t know what I saw them doing.”
Around back, we found our way to the pair of french doors separating Luca’s man cave from the stretch of sand that served as their own private beach. I placed a hand on the small of Kristin’s back as we walked inside.
“There y’all are!” Mel exclaimed, bolting off the couch toward us. “You guys are never late. We almost sent out a search party.”
“Hello there,” Maddie said from her spot on the couch, tapping her fingertips together like a cartoon supervillain. Her tone was downright nefarious. “I was just telling Luca that I’m so glad we put in those security cameras at the front of the property. Facing the tree line. That mess with Erica a while back had us all scared to pieces.”
“Um, what is she talking about?” Kristin asked nervously, glancing between Maddie and Mel.
Maddie smirked. “Technology has come so far. Even in the dark, those cameras get a shot that’s clear as day. ”
Oh, shit. And just like that, my heart tumbled out of my ribcage, fell out of my ass, and splattered on the floor.
Hannah Jane was grinning from ear-to-ear. “Turnabout is fair fucking play, sweet cheeks. Remember that time you gave me shit for streaking through the inn in a robe?” She blew a kiss and winked. “We’re even now.”
Steve smirked. From his spot at the poker table he teased, “Might wanna get your shocks checked, Solomon. The way that truck was rocking…”
Bright red color flooded Kristin’s cheeks, heat flashing across her face like a solar flare. She cupped her hand over her mouth as if she might vomit.
I gave her other hand a reassuring squeeze and pulled her into my side.
Luca stuffed a rocks glass full of amber liquid in Kristin’s hand. “They’re just giving you hell, Kris. No one saw anything.”
I didn’t care if he was lying to our faces. I appreciated the lie.
Kristin downed a large gulp of her cocktail. I didn’t blame her. Hell, I was three seconds from beelining for a beer.
“Holy shit, DeRossi!” Kristin said, sputtering. “This is magical!”
Luca clapped, punched his fist in the air, and shouted, “Hot damn!” He jumped and let out a whoop. “You like it?”
Kristin drained half the glass. “I was just giving you shit all those other times. This one, though? Fuck.” She knocked back the rest of it. “I wanna make love to this cocktail. I want to fill a tub with it and bathe in it. What the hell is in this thing?”
Luca snatched the glass from her hand and strode toward the bar, motioning for us to follow.
He narrated the recipe as he mixed a new one. “Three tablespoons of apple butter … two ounces of bourbon … quarter ounce of Fireball…” He put everything in a shaker and mixed it over his shoulder for a few seconds before setting it aside. “…cinnamon sugar rim on your glass…” He ran an orange slice around the rim of the roc ks glass, then turned it over into a dish of cinnamon sugar. “…apple butter liquor goes in over ice…” He grabbed a ginger beer from the cooler and popped the top, filling the glass to just below the sugar rim. “Ginger beer on top, and a cinnamon stick and apple slice to garnish.”
He crossed his arms and looked so damn smug. Kristin finally praised one of his cocktails, and he was proud.
“You want one?” Luca asked, turning to me.
I chuckled and shook my head. “Just beer for me.”
“Okay!” Maddie shouted, summoning everyone from their respective conversations. “Thanksgiving’s coming up. Everyone here at noon. Bring whoever you want, just put your headcount in the group text.”
Everyone murmured in agreement.
I wasn’t sure what Kristin and the kids usually did for holidays. Did they travel to see extended family? Did they do the whole ‘friendsgiving’ thing?
She was locked up like Alcatraz when it came to talking about her parents, so we never talked about any other relatives either. Her parents were only a few years older than me, though. Surely, she still had grandparents around.
“Let’s talk rules, people,” Maddie said, clapping to punctuate each syllable.
The poker club shared smirks and stifled laughter, like they were all in the know of an inside joke. I gave Kristin a confused glance. She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, trying her darndest not to laugh.
“All undergarments shall stay on for the entirety of the meal,” Maddie said, pausing to glare at Hannah Jane and Isaac.
I took a swig of beer and latched on to the not-so-subtle message.
“There will be no finger banging under the table,” Maddie continued .
Mel snorted. “Really? Finger banging ? I didn’t know we were fifteen again.”
“Additionally, there will also be no fucking in the wine cellar. None of that shit! The bottles in there are expensive. You break it, you buy it. Unless you’re Isaac, I don’t think you’ll want to pay up,” Maddie ordered.
I leaned down, my lips grazing the shell of Kristin’s ear. “Yeah, I’m gonna need the story behind all this.”
Kristin giggled. “HJ and Isaac at Thanksgiving last year.”
Maddie overheard. “Yeah, these are all things that have actually happened. Now we have to lay down the law for you perverts.”
“And to think—she used to be the crazy one,” Chase said to Luca.
Luca grinned. “Still is. I just get her crazy all to myself now.”
“Hey, y’all!” Bridget said breathlessly, cutting into the conversation as she barreled down the stairs. “Sorry I’m late. What’d I miss?”
“Thanksgiving plans,” Mel said. “Is Kyle coming with you this year?”
Chase’s hackles raised at the mention of Kyle Kingsley.
“I, uh, I dunno,” Bridget said nervously.
Mel raised an eyebrow and shot Bridget a dirty look. I didn’t quite understand the meaning of it.
Bridget tugged at her long-sleeved shirt, pulling the edges over her fingers nervously. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it this year. Kyle said something about having some of his friends over for a meal.”
The tension between the two of them hung heavy.
Chase seethed in his corner of the room, making no attempt to mask his anger. Luna whined at his feet, thumping her tail and bumping his leg with her snout.
“I’m gonna take Luna for a walk,” he said, grumbling under his breath as he slipped through the double-doors with his dog .
An awkward silence ensued.
Finally, Hannah Jane pulled out a thick notebook and broke the tension. “Bee, I’ve got that vendor list we talked about.”
I hung back as Kristin and the girls crowded around the circular couch to talk wedding details with Bridget. Luca turned to me, then tilted his head toward the door. I followed him outside.
“What’s up?” I asked, shivering as the chilly air hit my skin.
Luca started to close the door, but Isaac caught the frame with his shoe. He stepped out with us, shutting the door behind him.
“You told her yet?” Luca asked.
Aw, hell. Not this again. “Look?—”
“It’s a yes or no question, Solomon,” Isaac said, crossing his arms.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Bullshit!” Luca clipped. “The clock’s running out. Either you tell her you’re the one who bought the inn, or I will. Isaac may have signed an NDA, but I sure as hell didn’t. I’m not letting you hurt Kristin by keeping this from her.”
Chase suddenly appeared with Luna on a leash by his side. “What the hell? You’re the one who bought the inn?”
I leveled Luca a searing glare. “If you don’t want Kristin to get hurt, you’ll let me do this when things at the inn are stable. You don’t have all the facts, so don’t go running your mouth. You know how tricky acquisitions are. Don’t fuck shit up for Kris.”
That made Luca and Isaac back off.
I ran my hand over my hair out of frustration. “I just need to hold off a little longer. There’s stuff going on at the inn that I need to get straightened out.” I paused, then added, “Besides, Kristin still acts like a goddamn baby deer around me half the time. I don’t wanna scare her off over something that won’t matter in a few months.”
Luna pressed her hind legs into the sand as if she was waiting for Chase’s permission to lunge at me. Friggin’ loyal dogs .
“Look,” I said as I held my palms out, hoping to stave off a beat-down. “Things between Kristin and I are good right now, but there’s more on the line than just our relationship. With the kids involved, it’s complicated. I’m not just courting her. I gotta win them over too.”
I pushed off the wall and stood toe-to-toe with Isaac. Luca stepped closer, but I shoved him back. “Don’t screw Kris and the kids over just to make a point. Trust me, I’m well aware of how much she hates the sale of the inn. I know she’s gonna be pissed when I tell her that I’m the one who turned things upside down, but she’d be fucking devastated if the inn goes under and she’s out of a job. I’m going to tell her. My word is good.”
Situation diffused.
Chase’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on at the inn? Why would it go under?”
Before I could answer, Bridget came around the corner. “What’s going on out here?” Her eyes darted between the four of us like a pinball machine.
Luca hit me with a sharp glare as he said, “Will is the one who bought the inn. Kristin doesn’t know. She’ll lose her shit when she finds out, and rightfully so.”
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” I growled as I got in his face. “You fucking ignored everything I just said.”
Luca shoved back. “I was making a point, Solomon.”
“I will lay you out, DeRossi,” I hissed, cocking my fist. “You don’t get to fuck with my girl’s life just so you can feel like a knight in shining armor.”
I was going to unleash on Luca for telling Bridget. I cocked my fist, ready to land a warning punch if things escalated. Before I could get my bearings, Chase had me pinned against the side of the house with his forearm pressed against my collarbone.
Bridget let out a shriek of alarm and bolted toward us. “Chase, don’t! ”
Luna broke free from Chase’s grip on the leash and bolted for Bridget. The dog ran circles around Bridget’s feet until she couldn’t get any closer.
“Good girl. Sit,” Chase said in a menacing voice. His steely gaze never left me.
Luna plopped her behind in the sand, swishing her tail across Bridget’s ankles.
Chase’s arm left my chest, only to be replaced by Luca’s finger in my face.
“Yeah, I told Bee, and you can’t do a damn thing about it,” Luca said before turning and pointing at Bridget. “I know she can keep her mouth shut. We’re giving you time to tell Kristin yourself. She deserves to know the truth, and she deserves to hear it from you. But don’t get it twisted—we won’t keep her in the dark forever. I guarantee you this, Solomon. If Kristin hears it from anyone else, she will not forgive you for it. This is your one chance.”
“You’re awfully quiet tonight,” Kristin said as we walked across the yard to where I had parked the truck.
I hit the unlock button on the keyfob, and the headlights flashed across the trees.
“You okay?” she asked as I opened her door.
Kristin stepped on the running board and slid into the seat. I leaned in and stole a kiss. Her lips still tasted like apple pie and bourbon. I wanted to be drunk on her.
I pulled away. “I’m great, sweetheart. Did you enjoy your night?”
“It was fun,” she said. “I so needed that.”
I hopped in the driver’s seat and Kristin rested her head on my shoulder. We pulled out of the drive and headed back to Havelock.
My brow furrowed. “What do you mean you needed it? ”
Kristin shrugged and fiddled with string hanging from the hem of her shirt. “Rich has been an absolute nightmare lately. I swear, the number of emails he sends out should be criminal. The company that bought the inn sent a rep to check things out. She’s around all the time now, so Rich has been breathing down everyone’s necks.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I could trick a polygraph without breaking a sweat, but I couldn’t tell if Kristin saw through me.
“The rep is a bitch, according to Hannah Jane. She wants to change everything.”
I stiffened and made a mental note to tell Elena to back the hell off. She was supposed to observe only. Then again, she’d never been the hands-off type. When Elena saw a void, she filled it. If left unchecked, she could wreak havoc from the inside out like the snake she was.
I should know. I was with her for nine years.
With that said, Hannah Jane was right. Elena was efficient at her job and whip smart. That was the only reason I didn’t ask her to find another job when we broke things off. Losing talent like that would’ve been a tremendous blow to the company.
Unfortunately, she was also a vindictive bitch.
With her lurking about, I was worried that she would find out that I was dating one of the housekeepers. I wasn’t ashamed of Kristin by any stretch of the imagination. I admired her work ethic and was incredibly proud to be with her. Unfortunately, Elena wouldn’t see her the same way I did.
She would see Kristin as prey.
“Tell me something,” I said, resting a hand on her thigh while I steered with the other. “What would you want to do if you ever left the inn?”
Kristin turned her head away from me and stared out the window. “I don’t know,” she said, quiet as a mouse. “I don’t have a lot of options. None that pay as well as the inn does.”
“Would you finish your business degree?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. But paying for classes and that would blow a massive hole in my budget. Besides, with as much as I have going on, I would never have time to study. It’d be a waste of money to pay for classes I can’t devote my time to.”
“Humor me,” I said gently. “In a perfect world, what would you do?”
Kristin considered for a moment. “I’d like to go back to school. Finish what I started. As stupid as it sounds, I really do love working at the inn. I just wish I could work on the administrative side of things. I’d rather set good policies and procedures rather than cleaning up messes caused by poor planning.”
“You should go for it,” I said.
“Yeah, okay,” she said, laughing under her breath. “I’ll go find a shooting star and wish. That’s about the only way all that could ever happen.”