Chapter Twenty-Three
Reese
Kelly and I laughed the entire way home, replaying Kalani's promise to send the video of Jer shaving his mustache tonight.
We parked in Kelly’s car park, and I felt more at ease than I had in years.
“Okay, I need to know,” I said, wiping away the laughing tears. “Who the heck is Uncle Benny? Does his shrimp have magical healing properties that only work on Saturdays?”
Kelly’s laugh was loud in the small space of his truck.
“Nothing even remotely interesting like that. Uncle Benny is a local who has a shrimp truck on the North Shore. Famous around these parts.” Kelly’s eyes hadn’t lost their sparkle since we’d left trivia.
“We all love his shrimp, but the North Shore is an hour-long drive, without traffic. Add in the congestion that a Saturday brings, and you’re looking at a round-trip of four hours of your day gone, just to get some shrimp.
We normally only get his shrimp once or twice a year if you’re willing to make the drive. ”
“That’s it?” I asked, bewildered.
“Don’t knock it until you try some!” Kelly threw his hands up defensively.
“You know, I haven’t made my way up to the North Shore. Maybe we could go soon,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.
“I’m willing to take you, even on a Saturday,” Kelly joked as he followed suit.
I climbed out of the truck and walked over to my car. The moon was bright overhead, illuminating the surrounding area. I leaned my back up against the car and stared up at the moon in awe. The light wind caressed my skin, causing the hairs on my arms to stand up.
Kelly leaned his back up against the car, his arm just slightly grazing mine. It was such a small amount of contact, but it sent an electrical current through my whole body.
Kelly was quiet as he gazed up at the sky, but my eyes were now locked on him. I loved that Kelly never tried to fill the silence the way others around always seemed to. He was comfortable with me, even when I didn’t have anything to say.
“Kelly?” I whispered, even though we were most likely the only people awake on the block.
He turned to face me, his arms framing my body. It brought me back to that night at his family’s house when I’d felt the full press of his body against mine.
“Yes, ku’uipo?” That was the second time he’d called me that tonight.
“What does ku’uipo mean?” I tried the word on my tongue, hoping I pronounced it correctly.
He blushed slightly at the question as he ran a hand through his light locks. “It’s a term of endearment. It’s a Hawaiian term for sweetheart. If you don’t like—”
“No, I do,” I cut him off. “I just thought I’d heard your dad call your mom that.”
“I’m sure you did. My mom is big on words of affirmation, and physical touch, for that matter.” He smiled at this. “You’ve probably noticed how she always greets us. It’s called honi.”
He slowly brought his face close like I’d seen his mother do, but the surrounding atmosphere became charged as his nose made contact with mine. Ever so gently, he rubbed his nose against mine as his fingers interlaced with mine.
“It’s supposed to be a sign of respect, and you inhale together.” He inhaled deeply, and I felt the air whoosh out of me.
I couldn’t think clearly as he rubbed his nose back and forth against mine, and a fire started low in my belly.
I forced myself to take a breath in, but it sounded shaky even to my ears.
This simple gesture I’d seen countless times on this island felt like the most intimate act I’d ever been a part of.
More intimate than any sex I’d had in the past.
“Kelly,” I whispered again as I felt his hands find their way up to the sides of my face. He had moved his nose away from mine as he made languid kisses along my jawline. A low rumble escaped from my throat.
“Yes, ku’uipo?” He had one hand holding me carefully at the nape of my neck while the other grazed down my body to the small of my waist.
My brain was switching off from his touch, but I had something I needed to say before I lost all control over my thoughts.
“Thank you for today,” I got out, still a little breathy. “I’m sorry that I came over unannounced—”
“Reese.” He pulled back quickly, the spell we had been under clearly broken. Way to go, Reese. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I’ve never just shown up like that before.” I felt myself becoming self-conscious of my earlier behavior, and I tried to pull my arms back in, but Kelly held me steady—refusing to let me retreat.
“You can always come to me. I want to be there for you. You never have to face things like this alone.”
I had always faced trauma and tragedy alone, and I was scared to trust him.
How many times had I trusted someone before, only to have them let me down?
It felt almost second nature to come up with an excuse to distance myself.
This was the time to do it, before I got too used to how Kelly felt in my life.
Almost as if he’d heard my thoughts, he brought his nose to mine again. I closed my eyes against the pressure of him and would have tipped over had he not been holding me.
“I don’t care how messy things get, Reese,” he whispered so softly I almost thought I’d imagined it. “You’ve woven yourself into my heart in a way nobody else ever has. It could be sixty years from now, and if you needed me, I would be there.”
I pulled away slightly, and he let me, giving me the space I needed. I could walk away right now and save myself from the heartache that Kelly Iona would inevitably bring when I left Hawaii behind. This was the turning point in our lives. I could take a chance on us, or I could leave right now.
I thought about how patiently he had held me earlier.
It felt freeing to truly lean on someone who cared about me.
With my mind made up, I leaned forward, and unlike the kiss in the hallway, I leaned in slowly, unrushed.
I gently placed my lips on his and let the world melt away as he kissed back, matching my pace.
God, the feel of his body against mine felt unreal. My body formed to his like I was made for him. I was soft in all the places he was hard.
I opened my mouth and invited his tongue in. They intertwined between kisses, and I loved how sweet he tasted.
A moan escaped me.
“Fuck, Reese,” he groaned against my mouth.
In one swift swoop, he effortlessly picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, firefighter style. A laugh escaped me at the sudden action.
He charged inside, and an eager Ted greeted us by licking my face. Kelly set me down to save me from the onslaught of puppy love and opened the back door. He crossed into the kitchen, opened the freezer, and pulled out a frozen dog toy covered in peanut butter.
“Sexy,” I joked.
“This should keep him busy for some time.” He threw the toy into the backyard, and Ted happily abandoned us.
He slammed the door closed and made his way to me. I hadn’t even noticed that I was already moving towards him, too.
We collided again, but this time, he lifted me to sit on the kitchen island. I reached for his shirt as we made quick work of taking it off.
Kelly’s body was all tanned skin and light freckles that danced across the slight hair of his chest. I ran my fingers over his shoulders and down his back. He shivered under my touch, and I reveled in how that feeling traveled down my spine.
“This has to go.” Kelly’s fingers found their way under my shirt, and I lifted my arms as he pulled it up and over my head, leaving me in only the sports bra I’d worn to work.
God, of all days, why did I wear this old thing?
“Reese,” his voice brought me out of my mental shaming. “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Do you have any idea how much I’ve thought about doing that exact move when you sit on my goddamn island? You’ve been driving me fucking crazy.”
He traced my collarbone with his mouth, and I melted into him as all my insecurities vanished in a flash.
He cupped one of my breasts while the other hand traced the slight peak of my nipple. I wove my hands through his hair and moaned as his mouth found the small amount of cleavage peeking over the top of the bra.
He slipped his hands underneath the bra right before he slipped it off. He stood back for a second, taking in my full and heavy breasts. My nipples tightened with the flash of cold air.
“Fucking gorgeous, Reese,” he smiled up at me, his face looking almost feral.
He moved in, taking one nipple into his mouth and sucking tightly around it.
He palmed my other breast and then moved to take that nipple between his forefinger and thumb, rolling it back and forth in a way that had me almost screaming.
“You like that?” He looked up at me from between my breasts as he rolled my nipple again.
“God, I love that.” I hadn’t even known how much until that moment.
“I want to hear you scream for me,” Kelly groaned. I could feel a pool of wetness forming between my thighs, and I arched into him.
“I want to go to the bedroom,” I said, practically panting.
Kelly helped me down as I intertwined our fingers, leading the way. I plopped down onto his bed, but Kelly sat down on the edge.
“We don’t have to go further than this if you don’t want to,” he said softly. “Everything I said, I meant. I wasn’t trying to—”
“I know you meant it,” I stopped him; his face looked so earnest and kind. “And I meant what I said about wanting to be in the bedroom.” I slipped my pants and underwear off, laying myself bare for him.
“Goddamn,” Kelly scanned my body briefly before kneeling between my thighs.
He pressed kisses to my inner thighs as he made his way closer to my center. “Tell me what you like.” His breath warmed my thighs.
“I...I don’t know. I’ve never...”
“You’ve never had someone worship you?” He looked determined.
I watched as his head dipped down and took one long and slow lick at my core. I felt dizzy at the contact.
He parted me as he slipped a finger deep inside. My eyes went back in my head at the sensation of being stretched.
Slowly and steadily, he took that finger and thrusted it in and out of me, the wetness obvious by the crude noises my body made. My core tightened, and I panted when he slipped a second finger in, doubling the sensation. His thumb swept over my clit and was in sync.
I could feel the pressure building. It was already threatening to explode when his tongue parted me once more.
He thrusted his fingers as his tongue sucked and licked. I peeked down and found his eyes locked on me, and all bets were off.
I screamed in joy and ecstasy as my toes curled.
“That’s right, baby. Come for me. Come all over my mouth and my fingers as I fuck you.”
Holy shit.
Just when I thought the orgasm was quieting down, Kelly reached up and grabbed a peaked nipple, twisting it again as he sucked on my clit.
All at once, the burning in my belly was back, and I exploded again, shocked by how fast he could get me to come again.
“Fuck, Kelly,” I growled as my fingers locked into his hair.
When the sensation had settled, I sat up, reaching for his shorts. I pulled them down along with his underwear as the long length of his cock sprang free.
I clutched the smooth skin in one hand and gave him one powerful stroke.
“Holy fuck!” Kelly groaned.
I pushed him down on the bed and straddled his waist, his hard cock stuck beneath my thighs.
I pressed hard kisses to the side of his neck, my hair framing us in. I looked up to see his face in awe and smiled a million-dollar smile.
I kissed my way down his hard and muscled body, my wetness streaking him as I went.
I placed both hands on his chest as I pressed my pussy right up against his cock, teasing him.
Taking hold of his cock, I brought it close to my entrance and then teased him more as I rubbed it back and forth, never allowing it to go entirely in.
“Goddamn, Reese!” My name was like a prayer on his lips. “I want to fuck that sweet little pussy of yours so badly. I’ve been dreaming about it for months.”
His confession took the wind out of me for a brief second. He had been thinking about me like this for months?
“I have a condom,” he said as he reached for his nightstand. He pulled out a shiny pack of condoms, ripping one off as if he was about to go mad. He quickly tore open the packaging and slid it down his shaft.
I took hold of his cock again, but this time, when I pressed his head to my entrance, I allowed it to make its way in.
I reveled in the feeling of fullness as I slowly sat down on his cock.
At this angle, I could control how deep he went.
I took him inch by inch, allowing myself time to get used to his size.
It had been a long time since the last time I’d even had sex, let alone with someone as well-endowed as Kelly.
“You’re taking my cock like such a good girl,” his dirty mouth moaned.
I had never been into dirty talk, but that was before Kelly. The way he spoke turned me on even more, making me more and more soaked. With anyone else, my arousal would have embarrassed me. But I could tell Kelly loved it.
Once I was positioned with his cock fully in me, Kelly started rocking his hips, slowly at first, then faster.
He slid one hand up from my waist until it rested on my breast. He caught hold of a nipple, giving a slight squeeze.
“Yes, Kelly!” I yelped.
“I love hearing my name come from your mouth,” he panted.
I started to rock up and down on him, and he placed a thumb right where my clit met his pelvis.
“Come for me again. Come on my cock,” he ordered, and I felt my vision go black.
He touched my body, not like it was the first time, but like he was a master at it. I rocked back and forth against the feeling of his thumb until I came apart again.
This time, he swung us around to where he was now on top, grinding into me as we both whimpered together.
“I won’t last much longer, baby. Your pussy is just too good. It’s so fucking tight.”
“Come in me,” I found myself saying. “I want you to come in me.”
That was all the permission he needed as his grinding became wilder. He thrusted three more times before he collapsed on top of me.
I clutched him to me, rubbing my hands up and down his bare back. He placed small kisses on my ear before moving to my jaw again.
I tasted myself on his tongue as his lips pressed against mine. He was still inside of me when I found myself pressing my forehead against his. He smiled widely at this. I pressed my nose against him, rubbing ever so gently.
“You’re my ku’uipo,” I said.
“You’ll always be my ku’uipo,” he said as he took me into his arms.