24. Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Jamison
S he didn’t have to tell me twice.
I watched Darcie for a couple seconds. She wasn’t paying a bit of attention to us. She was so involved in whatever they were playing on the play set to even notice. “Come on. I have just the place.”
I grabbed Lilly’s hand and led her down the path between my mom’s house and Kora’s. This used to be all my parents’ property, but after my father passed away, Mom split it between my brothers and me, but when Bryson and Darlene wanted to live closer to town, Mom sold this parcel to Kora. I have the five acres on the opposite side of Mom, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever build on it, and Rowan has five acres next to me.
“Are you taking me to the barn?” Lilly asked.
I chuckled as a memory of us hiding out in the old barn years ago surfaced, stealing our time together in private. “Sort of. The property is Kora’s now, and she tore down the old barn and built a new one for her goats. It’s much cleaner.”
“Good to know.”
I opened the gate, and the goats came bounding toward us. “Meet Kora’s babies. Percy, Jackson, and Baby Goat.” Percy and Jackson were white with black and brown patches, and Baby Goat was midnight black.
“They’re so friendly,” Lilly said as she petted and scratched the goat’s heads. When she glanced up at me, her eyes glittered with laughter. “They’re adorable. Madeline told me all about them from last weekend when they camped out. I guess they came over here to help Kora.”
“Sounds about right. I wouldn’t be surprised if the goats follow us back to Mom’s. Anyway.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the barn. The goats got bored and skipped and leaped away, head butting each other as they went.
Inside the barn, the air smelled of hay and straw, with neatly stacked feed containers lining one wall and a shelf filled with tubs and buckets on the other. I led Lilly to the opposite side, and she leaned her shoulder on the wall.
I stood in front of her and took her in. My heart picked up speed. She was beautiful. I reached out and brushed my hand across the side of her face, her smooth skin, and down her arm. I pulled her close, her body warm against mine, and our lips met in a passionate kiss.
This was what I needed. The warmth of her lips and the taste of her tongue. Immediately, heat erupted deep in my gut as our tongues meshed and danced together. All the doubt and confusion from earlier evaporated in that second.
Being here, with Lilly, calmed my nerves and stilled my heart. I curled my fingers into her hair and pulled her deeper into my kiss. She moaned, and it was the sexiest sound my ears had heard in the longest time, well at least since Tuesday, and the heat in my gut settled in my groin causing a tightness in my pants.
A hunger ate at me. I kissed her neck, and my tongue traced a path down her neck and to her cleavage, which was just barely visible at the neckline of her shirt.
I massaged her breasts, and when I felt her nipples tighten against the material, I groaned against her skin.
“Jamison.” She whispered my name and pressed her hand against the hardness under my pants.
I was rock hard. “Fuck. Lilly.”
She stepped away, her chest rising and lowering with each breath.
“You are so beautiful,” I said as my eyes ate her up.
A wicked and sexy smile grew on her face. She pushed me onto a bale of hay and stepped away. She slowly pulled her pants off and dropped them on the ground. She wrapped her arms around my neck, kissed me hard, and straddled my lap.
“Here? Seriously?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah,” she answered. “Just like old times.” Her voice was raspy, as she pulled my cock from my pants and slid me into her.
“Damn.” I sucked in a breath as her warmth wrapped around me. She pulled her shirt over her head, and my hands kneaded her breasts, and I licked her hard nipple.
She rocked and found a rhythm. I opened my eyes and took in her body as she took control. I leaned her back just enough so I could rub her. I wanted to feel her come apart around me.
She picked up her rhythm, and her moans became breathy.
“God, yes.” I moaned. With Lilly over me, her face a picture of perfection, it didn’t take long before I erupted.
“Jamison.” She yelled my name and crushed her lips to mine. Our kiss was desperate at first, then became softer as we both finished together.
Lilly was breathing hard; her eyes were fixed to mine. “Damn,” she said breathlessly.
I closed my eyes to take in the ends of the numbness I felt and placed a soft drug-like kiss on her cheek.
Lilly wrapped her arms around my neck and stared into my eyes.
I brushed her hair behind her neck. “That was unexpected, and . . .”
She cut off my words and locked her lips to mine. It wasn’t as desperate as before, but soft and gentle.
When the kiss ended, our foreheads touched, and when my eyes finally opened, hers were there staring into my soul. I caressed her cheeks, my breathing finally under control.
“Thank you for bringing me out here,” she said as she lifted herself slowly from my lap.
“You are so welcome,” I said accepting her hand and pulling myself up. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she stood there partially naked. The light from the setting sun coming through the window, cast a golden glow throughout the barn and made her hair and skin glow. Everything about her was perfect and beautiful.
We slowly dressed, then I wrapped my arms around her waist. I stared into her eyes and ran my fingers through her hair.
“What? What are you thinking about, Jamison?”
I backed away just enough so I could see her better. “You, us, this.” I passed my hands between us. “When I’m with you, everything seems to lock into place. Seems right,” I breathed out.
She opened her mouth to say something, but I stopped her with my fingers on her lips. “I’ve been a little overwhelmed with feelings since our talk, but I know without a doubt what I want.” I gazed into her eyes. “And I want us together.”
Her mouth ticked up in the sweetest smile. She kissed me lightly, and I savored it and breathed in her coconut and rose scent.
“Good, because that’s what I want, too,” she said.
We said bye to the goats and walked back down the path to my mother’s house hand in hand, the smell of grilled pork chops in the air.
I walked with confidence I hadn’t felt in a long time. My heart was light, and I wrapped my arm around Lilly’s waist. She was mine. I was hers. Everything felt right, like it hadn’t been for years. But I stopped before we got into the yard. “Maybe we should wait to make this official,” I held up our hands, “until we tell the girls.”
Lilly stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed my lips. “I agree,” she said. “This might be a lot for them. But remember, you belong to me.” A wicked smirk filled her face.
“Trust me woman, I won’t forget.” The kiss she placed on my lips caused me to adjust my pants before we entered the yard. I winked as we made our way to the line of people at the food table.
“Hey, man,” Lance draped his arm over my shoulders. “Where’d you go off to? When I got here, I couldn’t find you.”
I caught Lilly’s gaze, and she bit her bottom lip. Damn if that didn’t send blood pooling south—again. This woman was going to be the death of me. I shook my head slightly and hid the smirk which threatened to give me away.
Luckily, I didn’t have to come up with something to tell him as he continued on his own. “I talked with Jayla tonight. It seems Ella Raye is looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at the jamboree. She’s really interested.” Lance elbowed me in the side as he picked up a plate. “I think you should give it a try.”
Lilly gave me the side-eye as she put a pork chop on her plate. I didn’t want to talk about this now, or here. I had to try to get out of it. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why? You’re single, and she’s pretty. I think you’d get along well. It’s time, bro.”
He wasn’t wrong, and I knew it was time I moved on, but I sure as hell wasn’t interested in moving on with her. I scooped some potato salad on my plate. “Want some?” I asked Lilly.
“Just a little,” she answered.
We finished filling our plates and sat at the overly crowded table. I sat on one side of Lilly, and Lance was on the other side of me.
“What do y’all think?” Lance said to everyone at the table. “I’m trying to set Jamison up with Ella Raye. Bryson, you know her.”
Bryson raised his brow and made eye contact with me, then flicked his gaze to Lilly. “I know her,” Bryson said. “She’s sweet, but she’s loud and always the center of attention. She might be a bit much for Jamison. He likes the quiet and focused ones.” Bryson took a large bite of his sandwich.
“I’ve gotta agree with Bryson,” Kai jumped in. “I think Jamison needs a quiet woman. A single mom might be good. Someone he’d have something in common with.”
Okay, this was getting to be a bit much. Was Lance really the only one who didn’t know about me and Lilly?
“That would be sweet,” my mom said. “A single mom with a daughter about the same age as Darcie would be perfect.” My mother leaned across the table and picked something from Lilly’s hair. “You have a piece of hay in your hair Lilly.” She studied it before dropping it to the ground. Her brow raised. “Hmm. Curious.”
“I wonder how one would get hay in their hair,” Diane said, her wine glass almost to her lips.
“Interesting,” Kaye answered with a smirk.
Charles and Tom chuckled loudly.
Shit. I glanced toward Lilly. Her eyes were wide, and Rose and Kora snorted with laughter. Damn my mother and the book club.
I could feel my heart thumping and blood pressure rising.
I had to put a stop to this and get everyone’s attention off us. “Thanks, everyone, but I think I can decide who’s a good match for me on my own. Once I find her, I’m sure y’all will be the first to know.”
“I bet we will,” Bryson said.
I glared at my brother and wiped my hands on my napkin. The kids were eating and focused only on each other at the picnic table under the tree, thankfully not on this conversation. “Right now, I’m happy with how things are.” I put my hand on Lilly’s hand, which was on my thigh under the table.
She squeezed it. Good. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to bite the bullet and come clean. If we did so right now, I’m sure we would have to start planning our wedding. “Anyway, it sounds like you and Jayla are getting close, Lance. You’ve talked with her how many times this week? What else have y’all done?”
Bryson and Kai jumped on the new conversation piece, the book club ladies got involved, and the attention was off Lilly and me. I turned to Lilly with a smirk and gave her hand a squeeze.
We sat and talked at the table for a while, enjoyed peach cobbler and apple pie with ice cream, and Lilly and I stole touches and caresses in private under the table when no one was paying attention to us.
“Okay, ladies, it’s time for us men to put up the tent for the kiddos. Guys, come help us out,” Charles announced as he got up from the table.
“You’re being a little sexist, aren’t you, Charles?” Kora asked as she stood.
“Now, babe, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.” Kai wrapped his arms around Kora’s waist and pulled her into his lap. “It’s just a man’s way of getting out of doing the dishes and meal cleanup, which is the worst job ever.”
“True.” Bryson jumped up. “I’ll get the tent. Come on, Kai.” Kai kissed Kora before following behind Bryson.
I jumped at the chance to join them and followed them into the garage.
“So, tell us, Jamison. How did hay really get in Lilly’s hair?” Bryson asked as he got the tent.
Kai said, “I’m sure they went to play with the goats and Percy knocked her to the ground.”
“Yeah,” agreed Bryson. “I’m sure that’s how exactly how it happened.”
Lance glanced at us. “I was wondering the same thing. You appeared out of nowhere with Lilly.”
Shit. Not exactly what I wanted to talk about right now. “Lilly mentioned Kora’s goats. Madeline talked about them, and she wanted to see them, so I took her to the barn.”
“I bet you did,” Bryson muttered when he came over to me.
I shot him an eat-shit look.
A crash got our attention. We turned, and Lance stepped over cots and stormed out of the garage.
Bryson laid his arm across my shoulders. “Well, I guess he figured out you’re fucking his sister.”
“Shut up, dick.” I punched him in the arm, grabbed the cots Lance threw down, and left the garage.