Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“Where did you get that shirt?” Wyatt asked when we sat on the couch.
I shrugged. “Old boyfriend. It’s really soft.”
Wyatt calmly took my plate and set it on the table. He urged me forward and ripped the shirt off me. Then he took his off and put it over my head.
“No stuff from old boyfriends while I’m around. If you want to keep it, I won’t tear it to shreds, but I really want to right now.”
“Ooh, I’d love to watch that,” I teased.
He stared at me with heated eyes. His lips twitched. He grabbed the shirt from where he’d put it behind him and put both hands in the collar. His muscles flexed and bulged. He gritted his teeth. The shirt finally tore, the harsh rip of the fabric snapping turning me on.
When it was ripped down the middle, Wyatt tossed it behind the couch. “Wear my shirt.”
He turned to the TV and picked up his plate. I just stared at him.
“That was really hot.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. Eat your dinner. You’re going to need that energy tonight.”
With an uncomfortable, needy tingle between my thighs, I ate my dinner. Between the two of us, we finished off the pizza. Then Wyatt stared at the TV, more or less ignoring me. I was starting to get annoyed. He was there to see me. Not my television. What the hell?
He even promised naughtiness, and all he was doing was watching TV.
“You ready for bed?” he asked when whatever show he was so into was over.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Why? Is there something you wanted to watch.”
“Nope. I’m good.”
I pushed off the couch and went to my room. I closed the bathroom door so I could brush my teeth and use the bathroom. When I came out, he was looking at something on his phone. I took off my pajama pants and slid under the covers, hurt and annoyed.
Love sucked. My emotions were seriously heightened. I never cared if a guy wanted to watch TV instead of talk to me. Usually I had other things on my mind. I needed to get over it and not let it bother me. Wyatt was there. He cooked me dinner. I didn’t need his undivided attention constantly.
He crawled under the covers with me, slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. He kissed my shoulder and rested his lips there.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Sitting there and ignoring you. I shouldn’t have come over here tonight.”
“Why?” I asked. I did not like the tone of his voice.
“It’s been a long week. I think these events are good for the town, but they’re tough on me and the staff. I don’t think Olivia has been home before six all week, and her kids are off school. I feel like a shitty boss.”
I looked back over my shoulder so I could see him. “You’re not a shitty boss. Sometimes you have to do what’s best for the most people instead of the fewest. It’s hard when the fewest are the ones you’re in the closest contact with.”
He rubbed my belly. “True. I’m sorry I ignored you though. My brain sort of shuts down on Friday night sometimes. Especially after a week like this.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I get it.”
“Yeah, but you’re pissed.”
I laughed. “I was. But it’s unreasonable for me to expect you to be constantly ‘on’ with me. We can chill out on the couch and have it be perfectly fine.”
“Thanks, babe.”
He kissed my neck. Then brushed my hair back and kissed my ear. His tongue pressed to my pulse point. His fingers dipped beneath the band of my panties.
“I’m feeling more like myself now though. Something about having you in my arms makes me forget how tired I am.”
His raspy whisper skittered down my spine and met his exploring fingers between my thighs. He grew hard against my spine.
“You feel so good, Peyton.”
“So do you.” His fingers dipped into me, setting my hips into motion. “Yes.”
“I love being here with you. Put your leg over mine. Oh, yeah, like that.”
He added a second finger inside me, then swept his thumb over my clit. I cried out, more than ready just that fast.
“Oh, yeah, Peyton. Talk to me.”
“Keep going,” I breathed. “Feels good.”
“I”m not gonna stop. I love how wet my fingers are inside you. I can’t wait to feel you come on my hand. I love feeling you, Peyton.”
He kissed my neck, and I turned, wanting his lips on mine.
He kissed me, his tongue thrusting between my lips as his fingers pumped into me.
A stroke of his fingers, a lick of his tongue, a swipe of his thumb.
All three blended into one sensation, one need, for more Wyatt. More of everything from him.
I broke our kiss to scream, yelling his name as I came hard. His fingers didn’t let up, filling me over and over until I needed to come again.
“Wyatt! Oh, yes!”
“Fuck, Peyton,” he groaned.
One second he was there, the next he was gone, leaving me panting on the bed. I heard the rip of the condom wrapper just before the covers were yanked off me. Wyatt crawled onto the bed behind me, pulling me up onto my knees. He guided my panties off, then dipped his fingers into me again.
“I can’t wait to slide into you, Peyton. I love your ass. You look so fucking sexy like this. Is it okay?”
“Yes,” I moaned, his teasing driving me as crazy as his deep voice.
His fingers slid out and were replaced quickly by his cock. He pounded in deep, taking me by surprise.
“Too hard?”
“No. Perfect.”
“Oh, fuck. You’re perfect.”
His fingers gripped my hips, holding me just right. Every stroke hit deep inside and drove me crazy. By the time he was close, he was sending me over the edge again.
“Damn, Peyton. I can’t stop. I’m coming with you.”
“Please,” I moaned, loving that he was right there, too. I slammed my hips back as he stroked forward. He moaned, squeezed my hips, then growled.
“Peyton. Fuck! Yes!”
He swelled and exploded inside me. He stayed still, letting me feel the throb of his cock as he released into me, filling the condom between us.
He collapsed onto my back, breathing as heavily as I was. Our breath mingled until it was normal again and Wyatt kissed me.
After the bathroom, he wrapped me up in his arms and held me close to his chest.
“Thank you. That was amazing. It’s always amazing with you.”
“I agree.”
“I need to ask you something.”
“Hmm?” I asked, the three orgasms and long week taking their toll on my energy levels.
“I’m having a lot of fun with you.”
“Mm hm.”
“I really like you, Peyton.”
“Me too.”
He was quiet for a minute, giving my exhaustion a chance to sink further into me. I thought he was asleep, or close to it.
“I think I’m falling for you, Peyton,” he whispered.
“Mm hm,” was all I could say. I thought it was a dream.
* * *
I didn’t ask Wyatt about his late night confession the next morning. We were both exhausted after a long night of sex, and I did not want to confess that I had a dream where he basically told me he loved me.
Wishful thinking, much?
We went to breakfast, then Wyatt made good on his promise to spend the day with me. We went ice skating again and to dinner. At the end of the evening, he asked if I’d come back to his place.
Of course, I did.
We spent the entire weekend together. Monday morning he dropped me off at work with the promise that he’d pick me up at the end of the day so we could go out for New Year’s Eve.
Laura came in shortly after I did, looking surprised. “I didn’t see your car.”
I shook my head. “Wyatt dropped me off.”
“You let him?”
I laughed. “I know. I know. But I’m trying to let go of more things. Like insisting I have my own car just in case.”
“Wow. He’s really made some good changes in you.”
“Thanks. I think.”
Laura grinned. “It was meant to be a compliment. He’s good for you.”
“I think so, too. Which is one of the many reasons I’ve already reached out to a few doctors.”
“No. Way.”
“I did. I’m not ready to sell a part of the practice yet, but I want some help. I need some help. Especially since you’ll be gone soon.”
“We don’t know that,” she argued.
“I do. They’d be insane not to hire you. I’m tempted to offer you a ridiculous salary to keep you here, but I know that’s not what you really want.”
“How ridiculous?”
I laughed. “I know you’re not serious. I wish it were as simple as paying you more. You need to be happy.”
“So do you.”
I nodded. “I’m working on it. I had this dream Friday night that Wyatt said he was falling for me. We were in bed after amazing sex, and I thought he whispered it to me. If he actually did, it would have been really sweet.”
“How do you know he didn’t?”
I waved my hand. “He wouldn’t. He doesn’t love me.”
“Maybe not, but maybe he does. I don’t think you can say it was a dream for sure.”
“It doesn’t really matter. He didn’t tell me. Not when I was awake and paying attention.”
“Have you told him?”
I sighed. “No. I just don’t think he’s there. I don’t want to scare him off.”
“Don’t wait so long that you lose him either.”
I nodded. “I won’t.”
* * *
Wyatt picked me up after work and we went to Bite Me! We all decided to have girls’ night early since it was New Year’s Eve. I brought a bottle of wine, and Wyatt brought his mom’s spaghetti. Charlie and Abby were supplying desserts for everyone, but we all agreed to bring in dinner and drinks.
Wyatt and I walked in to the chaos with big grins.
Becca was chasing Elise around the room, both of them giggling.
Vicki and Tara were talking and looking at each other’s rings.
Charlie and Carrie were setting food up on the long counter past the display case.
It still looked like Christmas, and I found I didn’t mind at all.
Which meant Wyatt definitely won.
We all wished each other a Happy New Year and fixed plates of food. We joked that Bite Me! would lose its sugary sweet scent if we kept bringing food there.
“I think it’ll be back to normal with a batch or two of cupcakes,” Charlie teased.
We ate and drank and talked. Everyone wanted to know about Tara and Vicki’s wedding plans.
“We’re set on Valentine’s Day,” Vicki said. "We know it’s a Thursday, but it works well for us. We’re going to do something in the early evening and it’ll be small.”
“I love that,” Mandy said. “You could probably have it at XD if you wanted. I don’t know if that’s something that would interest you, but if you’re thinking small, it might work. We’ve had parties there before.”
“Actually,” Vicki said, “that might be perfect. We’ve been trying to decide where we should have it. A lot of places are either too big or too small. We’re thinking no more than fifty people.”
Mandy nodded. “It’ll be plenty big enough for that. We’ll talk to Xander and Drew, but they won’t care. As long as you’re okay with getting married at work.”
Vicki shrugged. “I love my job. I think it would be cool. Plus, that’s where Hunter and I met.”
“Aw.”
“What about you guys?” Vicki asked Tara. “Hawaii?”
Tara nodded. “It looks that way. He’s really excited about it. Sawyer said he’ll talk to his new boss about getting on their schedule when he gets there. They do full service destination weddings. He thinks it’ll work well for us. And he’ll be able to shoot our wedding for us.”
“I’m just glad he finally came around,” Abby said. “He did not like you at first.”
Tara nodded. “I know. I think he’s my biggest fan these days.”
“He really is. Graham and I are loving the idea of going to Hawaii.”
“We are, too,” the others agreed.
Carrie pouted. “I doubt I can go. It sucks. You guys will have to take lots of pictures for me.”
“Yeah, how’s the pregnancy going?”
Carrie shrugged. “Good. I’m feeling better. That first trimester nausea was a pain again.”
“I think I spend too much time with pregnant women. I’ve been nauseous lately, too,” I said with a grin. “When I get up in the morning, I feel like I’m going to be sick. When I finally eat, it goes away, but I can’t wait until I’m hungry. I feel sick all the time. It’s so frustrating.”
“That’s how I feel in the first trimester,” Carrie said. “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”