Chapter Fourteen
Bailey
I was strong. Really. And I could resist Keston if I wanted to.
But I didn’t want to.
Firm lips fit perfectly to my own. A velvety tongue slid inside and caressed with soft yet demanding strokes. Those strong hands gently drew my T-shirt over my head and tugged my briefs off, releasing my rigid cock, which had been half-hard since Keston had slipped under the covers beside me.
Questioning eyes met mine, and I nodded, knees trembling as his wet mouth engulfed the length of my aching dick. My fingers dug into his muscular shoulders, holding on as he sucked me to oblivion. Thunder and lightning boomed and crackled as rain lashed against the window.
“Keston,” I moaned, trying not to cry out, but failing miserably at the touch of his flickering tongue licking and teasing me. My hips rocked, but he held me firmly, his blunt nails scraping along the cleft of my ass before he entered my hole. “Fuck, what’re you doing to me?”
He continued to tease, keeping me on the edge, the thrust of his thumb matching the pull of my passage until I couldn’t keep the wildness from blowing me apart and I came, a red haze bursting behind my eyes, blinding me.
When I came to, Keston was watching me, and I jumped him, noting the delicious-looking bulge in his briefs.
“Come to papa,” I crooned and peeled the briefs away, revealing his gorgeous, thick cock.
“Mmm,” I sighed, taking him fully, drowning in his scent.
Who the hell was I kidding? I craved this man as if I were lost in the desert and he were my oasis.
But Keston was no mirage. He was a living, breathing man, and at the moment, all mine.
I sucked him hard, drawing him deep to the back of my throat.
I grasped him and used my hands and lips on him, loving how he tore at the sheets and fell apart underneath me.
Warm come filled my mouth, and I swallowed it all.
I joined him in the bed, lying next to him.
Keston’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his eyes were closed, but I knew he was still awake, and I had something to say.
“There was never anyone else upstairs in my apartment. Not then. Not now. Not after my first time with you.”
His eyes opened, and he rolled on his side. “Really?”
“Really. I didn’t—I don’t want anyone else.”
A mix of confusion and longing filled his eyes, and I wondered how long it had been since he’d been loved.
A bolt of lightning cracked nearby, shaking the house on its foundation, brightening the room in a flash. “Shit,” I screeched and jumped up. Keston grabbed me, and I held on to him, maybe a bit tighter than necessary, but hey. No one had ever called me a fool. I kissed his neck.
“Are you scared or just using this as an excuse to maul me?”
“Be quiet.” I snickered. “Let me have my moment.” Keston stayed silent but tightened his arm around me, and I settled into his arms with a contented sigh. “Are we okay now? How about we agree to no more making assumptions? If we have a question about anything, we ask.”
“Okay. I have one.” Keston’s nose ran down my cheek. “What’re we doing here?”
I opened my mouth to give a flippant answer but decided to hell with it. Maybe it was time for me to lay my heart on the line.
“I don’t want to be with anyone else but you. I’d like to know you better. And I hope you might feel the same.” Never having been so open and forthright with a man, I held my breath, my hopes sinking as each second passed without a response.
“I-I don’t know how to date. I never have.”
And my heart broke for him. “But you were in a relationship.”
He grew stiff and withdrew. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
“You were younger and happier.”
“Yeah. I was.” In profile, his mouth was a harsh line.
I covered his hand with mine. “We don’t have to call it dating. We can say we’re figuring it out. What do you think?” My heart thumping, I left the question hanging, and relief washed over me when he nodded.
I snuggled under the duvet and curled into Keston. He stretched out and closed his eyes. I fell asleep to the sound of the steady rain pattering against the roof.
**
Saturday morning, we all sat at the long wooden table with our plates.
Lauren and Grady had platters of bacon, sausage, and hash browns ready and waiting.
We could make eggs as we liked—the stove had six burners and frying pans on each.
There were piles of bagels and a plate of lox, cream cheese, red onions, and tomatoes set on the table.
Keston and I had separated at the stairs, with him heading to the stove for eggs.
I took an everything bagel on my plate and proceeded to build my breakfast.
“Wild storm last night, huh?” Weston crunched a piece of bacon.
“Yeah. The lightning freaked me out.” I spread my cream cheese and placed onions and tomatoes on one side, lox on the other.
At the island, pouring himself coffee, Grady chuckled. “I was dead asleep. I didn’t hear a thing.”
One of Lauren’s friends, a coworker named Faith, shuddered. “I thought the house would fall down. It took me forever to fall asleep.”
“Mmm, us too.” Weston chewed his bacon, but the devil was in his eyes. “I heard lots of moaning and groaning.” With an innocent expression that didn’t fool me in the slightest, he said, “It sounded like it came from your room, Bailey.”
Instead of answering, I took a big bite of my bagel, lox, and cream cheese, chewed and swallowed. Keston and I might’ve decided to see where this thing between us was going, but I’d be damned if I was going to clue Weston and the rest of the house in on our personal life without talking to him.
“Gee, West. I wouldn’t know. I went to bed early.”
“Yeah, but did you go to sleep?” His green-gold eyes twinkled.
Keston surprised me, sitting by my side and pressing his thigh to mine but remaining silent.
“What did you do, Weston? Listen at the door?” I took another bite of my bagel.
“Don’t give him ideas.” Brenner’s lips kicked up. “But we didn’t need to.”
Enjoying the warmth of Keston’s bulk, I nudged my knee to his and took a sip of my coffee. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Must’ve been the wind.”
Weston’s eyes narrowed. “Spoilsports,” he muttered, and Manny snickered.
“Pay attention to your boyfriend, Weston. Leave Bailey alone.”
Weston picked up another piece of bacon and waved it in the air. “Listen. Bailey had no issue wanting the juicy details of my relationship with Brenner. I’m just repaying the favor.”
I ate the rest of one half of my bagel before wiping my mouth and giving Weston and Brenner a sunny smile. “No comment.”
We finished our breakfast, and Grady gave us directions to the apple orchard. Grady and Lauren were taking Lauren’s friends in their car, and Weston and Brenner had Manny and John in theirs.
“I’ll take Keston,” I said.
“I bet you will,” I heard Weston murmur behind me.
In the car, Keston put the GPS on. “What’s with Weston? He’s up your ass about your personal life.”
I followed the directions, which had me turning off on a gravel road. “I can’t get too mad at him. I was the same about him and Brenner at the time they got together, and even after. The three of us went to school together. It was my first time away from home, and I went a little wild.”
“Lots of boyfriends, huh? I can see it.” Keston cast an admiring glance my way. “You must’ve been pretty hot with those big blue eyes and cute ass.”
“Oh, yeah. That was me. A real hottie.” I tried to temper my sarcasm.
His brow furrowed at my nonanswer, but I kept quiet. Another ten minutes of driving, and we reached the orchard. I pulled up next to Grady’s car and cut the engine.
We got out of the car and picked up baskets. I took a small one because unlike everyone else there, I was neither a baker of apple pie nor part of a couple where my partner was.
We separated, and I half expected Keston to spend time with his brother and his fiancée, but he stuck with me, pointing out which apples were the best for pies versus applesauce.
He pulled an apple straight off the tree and crunched it. “Good. Get some of these for sauce.”
I blinked. “Sauce? You make apple sauce?”
His tall figure, hair black as a crow’s wing against the blue, blue sky, stood in front of me. I imagined the sweet juice of the apple on his lips. Keston’s blue eyes darkened, and he took a step toward me, holding out the apple.
“Taste.”
I reached out but found myself yanked into his arms, his mouth covering mine.
The half-full basket dropped to the ground, sending apples rolling at our feet, but I didn’t care.
Not when Keston sucked my tongue. My hands tangled in his hair, anchoring him to me.
I couldn’t get enough of this man—his taste, scent, heat.
I was drowning in an ocean of desire, caught under the waves of hunger and need.
He clamped a hand on my ass, squeezing while rocking into me, and I wanted to climb him like one of these trees and pick his fruit.
With great reluctance, I disengaged my lips from his. “If you don’t stop, I’m gonna come in my pants, and that won’t be fun.” But he still held me close, and the unexpected tenderness gave me hope that maybe we had a chance to make this work.
“Is this what dating is like?” he murmured. “If so, I think I’m okay with it.”
Unable to resist touching him, I skimmed my fingers across the sharp angle of his jaw, then traced his lips. “I think so too.”
Our friends’ voices filtered through the orchard, and we picked up the apples that had fallen out of the basket. By the time they found us, we’d recovered and didn’t look like we’d been ravaging each other.
Grady saw us first and waved. “Ready to go?”
I lifted the basket. “All set.”
The country store was everything I’d expected, cute and kitschy, and I couldn’t resist buying some little mementos.
A picture frame in the shape of an apple, a little box of fudge, and some honey sticks.
Weston and Brenner bought pies, fudge, and were busy taking selfies, which of course I had to photobomb.
“Cute, Bailey.” Brenner stuck his phone in my face and called out, “Hey, Keston.”
He looked up, and Brenner took a picture. “Niiiice,” he nodded.
“Show me,” I demanded, and he turned the phone for me to see.
It was a great candid shot—me laughing, with Keston at my shoulder, serious as always, but with the hint of a smile playing in his eyes.
“Text that to me, please,” I asked.
We had lunch at a charming restaurant by a lake and ate while deer browsed in the woods. Afterward, we split off, and Keston and I walked with Grady and Lauren.
“Have you decided when the wedding will be?” I figured Grady would want to have it soon.
Lauren stared out at the lake. “As soon as possible. My mom isn’t well, so I want to make sure she’s able to enjoy herself.
I just have to coordinate with my sisters.
Annabella lives in Connecticut and Dolores in North Carolina.
Neither could get away for this weekend—Belle is away on business, and Dolores is sick, so we’ll have our own get-together next week.
But to answer your question, we were talking about maybe end of January or beginning of February.
Not Valentine’s Day because that’s too gimmicky. ”
Grady put his arms around her. “I’d marry her tomorrow. It doesn’t matter to me. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
It was sweet to see a couple so happy and in love.
In the distance, I saw Weston and Brenner by the woods, walking hand in hand.
Brenner caught Weston by his neck, and as they kissed, I couldn’t help watching and being envious.
I’d finally come to the realization that this life—coupledom, familiarity, love—was what I desired.
Coming from an irrevocably broken home, I’d had no one to model my behavior on and had spent the past twenty years finding solace and comfort in strangers. No more.
Keston nudged my shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” My automatic answer, but was it the truth? Could someone whose mother had abandoned him because she’d been bored ever be okay?
“You’re a pretty bad liar.” Keston reached for my fingers and tangled his with mine.
“And you would know, right?”
His lips thinned. “You’ve heard my story. I have a right to be.”
“So do I.” The unexpected emotional state I was in caused the words to tumble from my lips, and I instantly regretted it. We were having fun, nothing heavy.
We locked eyes, and he squeezed my hand. “Looks like we have some talking to do.” My attempt to pull away was met with a bone-crushing grip. “Nope,” he murmured. “No fucking way.”
It didn’t matter. I’d had a lifetime of hurt that would take more than one night of talking.
“Sure. Whatever you want.”
Grady and Lauren finished with their purchases, and as Grady loaded the bags in the car, she posed a question to our group. “How about stopping at a winery? There’s a great one only about a ten-minute drive from here. Does that sound good to all of you?”
“You’re the bride-to-be, Lauren,” I called out. “What you say goes.”
She blew me a kiss and elbowed Grady. “You hear Bailey? He’s my new BFF. I’ll text you all the address.”
Laughing, we got into our cars, and I started the engine. Keston remained quiet until we drove into the winery’s parking lot. “I meant it, Bailey. You know my backstory. I know nothing about yours. Only what I assumed.”
“Which is what? No, let me.” I gripped the steering wheel. “Mommy and Daddy loved me, we had plenty of money, and I never wanted for a single thing. Privileged and pampered. Am I right? Well, guess what? Buzzzzz. You’re wrong.” I opened the door and walked away, and he scrambled out to follow me.
“Yeah? How?”
We were a few yards away from the rest of the group, who’d gathered at the entrance. Lauren had a guide waiting for us. “I’m not doing this here, Keston. Not now, in front of everyone, during Lauren and Grady’s party. It’s their weekend.”
“Then later. Or after we leave. Next week. Whenever. Because you’re gonna tell me. I can wait.”
He walked away, leaving me wondering what I was doing.