Chapter 10
chapter ten
Caeli.
“Today was fun.” I glanced at Brayden after he parked in my driveway but made no move to get out. Neither of us did. The longing to extend the day was palpable between the two of us.
“You sure? You spent most of the day thinking I was trying to poison you or toss you over a bridge into raging waters.” His smile was lazy and sexy.
“I did not but considering our rocky beginning, I had to, at the very least, be skeptical.”
He laughed lightly, turning his head toward me at the same time the warmth of his palm landed on my thigh. “You mean how you weren’t fucking with me , because I’ve been team Caeli since day one.”
“You’re such a liar. You wanted to put a hit out on me for parking our truck in your spot.”
“That was business, my interest in you was personal and I was personally interested in getting to know you.”
I unfastened my seatbelt and twisted my body so my shoulder rested against the back of the seat. I brought my legs up and tucked my feet beneath me. “Are you still personally interested in getting to know me?”
His heavy-lidded gaze traveled down my body. “Yeah, I am. I want as much as you’re willing to give.”
“How much are you willing to give?” My pulse jolted at what I was potentially asking for. We were both grown. I liked Brayden. We vibed and the connection I felt wasn’t just physical. He was intelligent, charming, and his demeanor was soothing. I could see spending more time with him becoming one of my new favorite things.
“I’ll give you whatever you want, Caeli.”
A slow, teasing smile eased onto my face. “That’s a pretty big commitment.”
“I’m a pretty giving man when the right person is on the receiving end.”
His words were calculated, smooth, but I also felt they were honest. This man would give the best of himself to the right woman. I wanted to be that woman.
“You’re dangerous.”
“Possibly but in the best way.” His fingers dipped between the frays of my shorts and stroked my skin. The feeling ignited a swarm of heat to pool in the pit of my stomach. “You have plans tonight?”
I smiled smugly. “You had me all day. You want my evening too?”
“I told you as much as you’re willing to give, but I’m patient and I won’t push. You’ll be mine, one way or another.”
See, dangerous.
“I’ll be yours or my time will be yours?”
“Both.”
I exhaled a slow breath. “I don’t have plans.”
“Let me make you dinner.”
“You want to cook for me?” I arched a brow.
“Yeah, if you’ll let me.”
I smiled softly. “I’m going to have to revisit my list of admirable qualities. Yours keeps growing.”
He laughed lightly. “You don’t have to compete.”
I narrowed my eyes and he offered a lazy smile. “Never mind. I see your point. Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.”
Brayden and I left the car and traveled up the driveway until we were on the porch, but he didn’t come inside. Much like we had been doing since our dinner last night at Greetings and Salutations, we both lingered, not saying what was on our minds, allowing our energies to connect and communicate. After a long moment of silence, he brushed a hand over his head then grabbed my waist, roughly bringing me to him. When we collided, he pressed a kiss to my forehead, prolonging the moment before he spoke. “I have a few things I need to take care of but I’ll send you my address. Meet me at my house at eight o’clock.”
“I didn’t agree.”
“I’m hopeful,” he stated with confidence, then stepped back, leaving me en route to his car. I watched him until he bent the corner while smiling with the assurance that I would be at his house tonight by eight o’clock.
As soon as I locked the door and turned to head to my room, I almost collided with my sister. I squealed, glaring because she startled me and was sporting a too smug grin.
“And the plot thickens,” she stated in an amused tone, to which I rolled my eyes and shoved past her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, you hated Brayden, to the point of waging full blown war against him, and now you’re on his team.”
After I reached my room, I yanked my shirt over my head and tossed it on top of my hamper. “I didn’t hate him and I’m also not on his team.”
The lies I told. I’m definitely Team Brayden.
Ami shoved a few items around on my dresser and hopped up, keeping a watchful eye on me as I moved through my room preparing to shower. Spending several hours in the sun during summer months was not ideal. I was physically drained and in desperate need of a shower followed by a nap.
“You were in full blown take him down mode, Lee. You can lie to anyone but me. I know you.”
I cut her a side glance and that goofy accusatory smile of hers expanded. “He was an ass when we first met.”
Plausible argument. She couldn’t say that wasn’t the case.
“He’s not anymore?”
I yanked open a drawer to find a fresh set of lounge clothes. My goal was to take a short nap before later. “He’s who he is, Ami. Stop trying to read into things.”
A man who had me eager to hand over all my time with each and every sexy smile he delivered.
“Mmhm, I’m going to let you live in denial.”
I grabbed an oversized tee and clean panties. “I’m not in denial.”
“Then admit you like him.”
I more than like him…
My shoulder lifted in a nonchalant shrug. “I like him. Now can we discuss the fact that you came in at an ungodly hour this morning and I’m pretty sure you weren’t alone.”
“There’s nothing to discuss. I was with Nox, we had an amazing time together. I’m actually waiting on a call from him now. Unlike you, I can admit that I like a man without someone having to interrogate me to obtain the admission. And for the record, I wasn’t alone but we only talked and fell asleep on the sofa.”
“You’re grown so you don’t have to explain or make excuses.” I smiled smugly and she rolled her eyes.
“Excuses aren’t necessary. I own my shit. I did what I did, said what I said, and liked who I liked. Period. I like Lennox. There's something about him that I haven't quite figured out yet. I'm going to keep hanging out with him until I do, though.”
“Mmhmm…” I unfastened my shorts, shoved them down my thighs, and tossed them into my hamper. "You are also very dramatic. You didn't have to interrogate me like that."
"You wouldn't have told me otherwise."
"I would have…eventually," I assured her.
We laughed.
"You are also very dramatic. You didn't have to interrogate me like that."
"You wouldn't have told me otherwise," I said.
"I would have…eventually," Caeli said.
We laughed.
"But I'm glad you like Nox. Just make sure he knows he better not play with you.”
"Depends on what type of playing you're talking about." Ami grinned a little too hard and we burst out laughing.
How did we end up here? Two sisters falling for two cousins who were as close as brothers.
A bright smile blossomed on her face. “And for the record, he knows and he doesn’t care because he’s not scared of you, Lee. He also has no plans of playing with me, so that should make you like him .” She hopped down off the dresser. “We’re hanging out tonight so I might be late.”
“You’re grown.”
“Mmhm, but you also don’t care how grown I am. You’ll worry.”
“You’re my sister and I love you. I’m supposed to worry.”
“I love you too, so have fun with your man tonight.”
I frowned hard. “What makes you think I’m seeing him?”
“Call it intuition. Be safe out there. You might find yourself falling for the enemy.”
She was gone before I could argue and there wasn’t much argument I could present. I had already fallen and willingly.
“ Y ou’re good with your hands.” I was flirting but so what. I was curious about those hands and not just with the skillful ways he built and refurbished things.
As we moved back inside, I turned to face Brayden as he closed the door that led to the newly-built, closed-in deck that he spent the past two months working on. It was small and cozy, offering a beautiful view of their well-maintained backyard. Further out, there was a fire pit centered between wooden benches on two sides and hammocks on the others. I was already envisioning winter and summer nights out here, laid up in one of those hammocks with him.
Damn, I had it bad already.
“I’m good with a lot of things and I’m more than willing to share those gifts.” Based on the slow crawl of his eyes traveling over my body, I understood exactly what those gifts were that he was offering to share.
So we’re matching energy?
All evening we were both extremely flirty. However, he kept his distance, choosing to steer clear of my personal space. The looks, the connection, the engaging banter took over and as much as I enjoyed the feel of his lips on mine earlier today, this little game of building and playing off the rising tension between us was just as satisfying.
“Should those gifts be a line item?”
He laughed lightly. The low rumble was laced with arrogance, as were his words when he confirmed, “I’ll let you decide when we cross that bridge.”
Decision made. We already crossed the bridge or at least spent time on one.
That wasn’t what he was implying but it was good enough to check off the list so I was deciding.
“Come on, I have a few more things to show you since you seemed to be so intrigued by my talented hands.”
“And this is the Brayden I know.” He paused right after the warmth of his palm met my back and grinned.
“Care to share what you’re implying.”
“The arrogance.”
He leaned in close to my ear. “I’m confident in the areas of my expertise, Princess. It has nothing to do with arrogance.” His lips were a whisper away from contact before he straightened his posture and gently nudged me toward a hidden door in the corner of the kitchen.
When I realized I was being led to a basement or cellar, I hesitated. “It’s dark down there and I’m not in the mood to be kidnapped and chained to a wall this evening, so I’ll pass.”
He chuckled, reaching around me to flip on a light. “You might enjoy being my captive so don’t count it out. And for the record, I don’t have to kidnap you, Caeli. I would be willing to bet everything I own that you would stay with me willingly. That, however, is not the plan as of now. I want to show you my workstation. I do most of the heavy lifting down here.”
I trusted him. Should I have, probably not, but I did. I did let him lead so if I needed to make a run for it, he wouldn’t be blocking my exit. The space was unexpectedly clean and there wasn’t much to speak of. Tools, a few old pieces of furniture, a large wooden table, and a workbench.
There were also two more tables, a bookshelf, and a large armoire. He explained the sanding process and how he added a few additional features by chiseling and carving into the old wood and showed me photos of how he’d found some of the pieces to explain the progress he made. I was impressed, to say the least. We then gradually made our way back upstairs to the living room where I fell in love with the TV stand which he explained he also refurbished.
There is something incredibly sexy about a man with skillful hands.
“This piece is wow.” I dragged my fingers over the smooth wooden surface of the custom entertainment center. Brayden detailed how he found it in the basement of the brownstone after the purchase and decided to bring it back to life.
He showed me the pictures of what it looked like before he sanded, stained, and replaced the hardware. Worlds apart. He also added brushed nickel legs which gave the piece some height to ensure the 52” TV had adequate visibility. I glanced at him over my shoulder and grinned. “I still can’t believe you did this.”
“I promise, that’s all me. If you don’t trust me, look on the corner and you’ll find my initials, BMY. They’re on everything I create.”
I turned and headed back to him, stopping between his widespread legs. He was sitting kingly in the center of the sofa, arms stretched across the rear. The position expanded his body, which gave him an air of confidence.
“I mean, I believe it’s you but I’m speechless. Everything around here that you’ve worked on is beautiful.”
When I arrived, dinner was done. Seared scallops, apple and pear salad with feta and ginger dressing, paired with sourdough bread which was purchased and not homemade but was still amazing. I assumed we’d have barbecue but he explained that he sometimes needed a break from the norm and selling barbecue from Smoked & Spiced was his norm.
Regardless, the food he made was perfect. He was perfect and I was falling at an uneasy settling rate for this very imperfectly, perfect man. Let’s face it, he had flaws. I was sure of it. Everyone did but I doubted his flaws competed with all the good stuff. I was sure of that as well.
“ You’re beautiful,” he said quietly, toying with the hem of my dress, rolling the soft satin material between his fingers. The low rumble of his voice brought a teasing smile to my face.
“I know.”
He returned a lazy grin but didn’t remove his eyes from me nor did he attempt to gain any leverage.
Annoyed, I released a sigh of frustration. “It’s late.”
It wasn’t late. Well not that late. Just after ten if I was calculating correctly. I hadn’t checked my phone since we finished dinner and started touring the house but the intense way he was staring had me anxiously rambling.
“I should go.”
“Do you want to go?” When he spoke, my body pulsed from the way his eyes slowly moved from my face down my body. When I felt the scratchy feel of his calloused fingers graze the softness of my inner thigh, my stomach tensed with the desire to have those fingers move higher up my thigh until they were gliding over the dampness of my panties.
“Do you want me to go?”
He smiled sexily and granted the wish I hadn’t spoken out loud. His fingers moved up my thigh, over my slit through my panties. I moaned at the same time my lids fluttered, only focusing again when I heard his voice.
“No, I want you to stay.” He leaned forward and hooked both of his hands in my panties at my hips and slowly dragged them down my thighs. “I want to see just how sweet my sugar princess really is.”
Oh fuck.
When I felt the soft material reach my ankles, I stepped out of them and exhaled when he moved me closer and his head disappeared under my dress. His tongue was soft and warm against me, sliding flat and wide over my pussy before he sucked on my clit.
“So fucking sweet. I knew it. Spread your legs wider.”
I obeyed the demand and he rewarded me by covering my pussy with his mouth, spearing his tongue through my lips. It circled slowly, then dipped deeper. I rocked back on my heels and gasped, curling my fingers into my palms.
“Bray…” I moaned and my hands landed on the back of his head, moving closer. My eyes slammed shut, enjoying the feel of his persistent tongue and lips. When his focus moved lower, to my opening, my stomach clenched and I felt the presence of his long thick fingers sliding into me.
I groaned and rocked my pelvis forward. When he sucked my clit between his lips and hooked his fingers just right to press against my spot, my hips jerked hard and I came with a rush of ragged breaths, heat blazing across my skin and down my spine.
When I had a visual of his handsome face, with traces of me glistening on his lips, my core clenched and tightened several more times. Amber eyes fastened to mine as he leaned back and adjusted his dick through the cotton material of his joggers.
After a long moment a slow smile tugged at his lips and his tongue slipped between them, swiping over the bottom one.
“Come here?”
I exhaled a shaky breath and moved closer. My eyes flicked to the impression resting against his thigh before I slowly climbed onto his lap. Brayden’s hands moved up my thighs and to my ass, squeezing firmly before he released one and palmed my breast, kneading into the soft flesh before he moved his attention to my piercing.
“Can I see them?”
I nodded slowly and he gathered my dress and dragged it up my waist. I lifted my arms to assist and my dress was removed, leaving me fully naked and for some reason, being exposed to this man didn’t bother me.
He pinched my nipples one by one. A jolt of pain pulsed through each one but transitioned into a wave of pleasure that he enhanced by dragging his tongue over them.
“You have two, I have five.” His eyes lifted to mine while he flattened his tongue, moving it over my left nipple once more.
“Five… piercings ?”
“Yeah…” He smiled and sucked on the tiny barbells that stabbed through my nipples.
“Five?” I said again and he leaned back, replacing his tongue with his fingers to create enough space for me to move my hands between us. When his eyes lowered, I accepted the gesture as an invitation to explore so I gripped him firmly through his pants and moved my fingers over the length of him until I located the metal at the crown of his dick.
“This is one.”
“Take it out and you can see the rest,” he said lowly, dropping his arms to the sides. When I had his dick in my hands, my eyes widened. It was big, thick and long, with a metal gauge through the top, coming out the underside. Each end was punctuated with metal balls, similar to the smaller versions I had through my nipples.
I’d never been with a man that was pierced before and the thought had my pussy throbbing. The pleasure I received from my own was an indication of what his would offer when his dick was in me.
“This doesn’t hurt?”
“No.”
“Does it enhance things for you?”
“Yeah, but it’s not really about me. You’ll enjoy it more.”
I stroked him slowly and discovered where the other piercings were. He said five. There were two just under the crown and two more at the base of his dick. Four gauges with balls at the end, slightly smaller than the one in the head. I moved my thumb over the tip of his dick and across the barbell. He groaned in approval, then one hand palmed my breasts and the other gripped the back of my neck, bringing us together for a kiss.
The sensation of his fingers on my nipples and his tongue in my mouth shot straight to my pussy which had me grinding against him. But the hard feel of his dick on my slick folds wasn’t creating enough friction. I needed more, so I began rocking harder until he lifted me and I felt the metal ball tap my clit. I pushed forward enough for the crown of his dick to reach my entrance then sank onto him, exhaling a sigh of satisfaction until my common sense returned.
“Condom. Fuck, we need a condom.”
“I’m clean. I can show you.” One hand left my body and landed clumsily on the sofa in search of his phone but my mouth crashed with his. Maybe this was reckless but I needed to feel him. All of him . I had been tested recently and apparently so had he. I wasn’t sleeping with anyone else so I rushed out, “Me too and I’m on birth control.”
I sank lower and felt full when the crown of his dick was completely submerged, followed by the friction from the first two piercings. He was so big I tensed from the stretch and steadied myself before sinking lower.
“Easy,” he murmured, steadying me with his hands at my waist. After a second he lifted me and brought me back down. I felt the barbell drag along the inner walls of my pussy as it swallowed him.
“Fuck,” he groaned, bringing a smile to my face.
I was so slick I managed to lift and sink down on him in one easy motion but the fullness of his dick completely seated had me sucking in a sharp breath which I released slowly.
“I told you to be easy.” His grin was cocky.
“I’m fine,” I argued, knowing he was certain I wasn’t.
He chuckled and I rocked back and forth, circling my hips. The piercings felt more defined each time I pushed forward and I was already addicted. Already climbing. Sex had never been so satisfying.
“You feel so damn good, Caeli. So fucking good.” He lifted me slightly and brought me back down, meeting the motion with a hard, fast thrust.
Oh fuck me…
And he did. Hard and fast, using the firm grip on my waist to help me up and down his thick, hard dick. My clit was throbbing, my body blazing, and my pussy was leaking.
“Fuck me, Caeli.” The growl of his voice had me complying.
I rocked my hips harder, while he leaned into me, sucking and tugging on my nipples and piercings. The combination of his mouth and hard thrusts had my stomach tightening. I rode him hard until I was cumming all over him while he came inside of me, burying himself as deep as he could go.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he breathed over my mouth before his tongue was exploring. I was so tender that my body trembled through another orgasm before I slouched against his chest.
The warmth of his palm moved up my back and I felt the softness of his lips on my neck before I had his voice again. “You good?”
I grinned lazily. “I’m better than good.”
“Shit, me too.”
“But I can be better.” I rocked forward and felt his dick twitch. When his mouth met mine again, the greediness in the way his tongue moved with mine let me know that this time would be more intense, but I welcomed every inch of him.