Chapter 13
Even though she gave me the green light, and I gave her ample time to prepare, Mikey still takes a second before she kisses me back. It’s hesitant, almost shy, and I can’t help but smile against her lips when she presses hers against mine harder.
Fuck me.
It’s better than I ever imagined. I’ve been dying to kiss her since the first time I saw her, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would feel this good.
This right.
The rightness of this—us, her—settles in my veins.
My plan wasn’t to kiss her tonight. We’re still getting to know each other, and I can tell she still has some walls up, but after hearing about her ex…
I have to show her he was a damn idiot. The worst. He’s so utterly wrong about her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.
My vision went red with every new piece of information she shared about him. She has every right to be hesitant about letting someone else in after what she’s experienced, and I’m endlessly grateful she isn’t pulling away from me now.
Quite the opposite, actually.
Mikey twists her body and gingerly drapes her arms over my shoulders as I softly caress her bottom lip with my tongue. She moans quietly, parting her lips and letting her tongue tease against mine.
My cock is already rock-hard just from kissing her, desperate for relief, but if this is all we do tonight, I’ll be more than satisfied.
I need to know if she’s as affected by this as I am. Is her heart threatening to beat out of her chest? Does she feel the sparks between us? The connection we have? Does she feel how incredibly right this is?
Because I sure as fuck do. I knew the minute I met her a year ago she was special, and kissing her only proves it. This kind, gorgeous, funny, hard working woman is meant to be mine, to own my heart.
I pull back, and Mikey’s dark eyelashes flutter open, her teal eyes glassy. Her lips are swollen, and the area around her mouth is slightly red from my beard. Her cheeks are flushed, chest heaving.
She looks sensational.
I can’t stop myself from tracing my thumb over the apple of her cheek and down across her lips.
“Why did you stop? Was I bad?”
How could she ever think that?
“No. No, sweetheart. That was the best kiss I’ve ever experienced. I stopped because I wanted to check in with you. Make sure you’re enjoying it.”
“Oh.” She squirms a little. “Yes. I was enjoying it. A lot.”
“Good.” I lean in and place a kiss right under her ear. “How much were you enjoying it?”
Mikey tilts her head to give me better access as I press gentle kisses down her throat.
“Does this count as one of your questions?” Her breath hitches as I reach the juncture of her shoulder and her neck, tugging the collar aside to nip gently at her skin.
“Not unless it’s the only way you’ll give me an honest answer.”
“I…” she trails off, gasping when I pull away from her and swiftly move her so she’s straddling my lap. She lets out a yelp of surprise when she feels my hard cock pressed against her.
“As you can tell, I very much enjoyed our kissing.” I gently thrust up against her.
“M-me, too.”
I know, sweetheart. “If I reached into those sweats, would I find your sweet pussy wet, Mikelle?”
She gasps again. “I like that… when you say my full name.”
“Good, because I like saying it. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Now, answer the question, please.”
She gives me a timid nod, like she’s embarrassed about it.
I can’t have that.
I grip her chin gently and force her to look me in the eyes.
“I will stop all of this right now if you’re uncomfortable.
I never want you to feel pressured into doing anything you don’t want to do.
I’ll go to bed right now and be happy as a clam I had the privilege of kissing you.
So, you tell me right now, do you want to stop? ”
Mikey’s eyes search mine. For what? I don’t have a clue. “I don’t want to stop,” she says in a heated whisper.
“Then we won’t stop. Are you going to be sweet for me and answer my question?”
Her cheeks flush even redder. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, my pussy is wet.”
“Fuck, yeah, it is. Thank you for telling me.” I crash my lips against hers again. It’s been too long since I felt them, even if it’s only been a few minutes.
Mikey matches my urgency, her arms looping around my shoulders as she gingerly settles herself more on my lap. My cock is trapped between my stomach and her covered pussy, and the friction of her squirming is going to make me come in my pants.
“Can I taste you, Mikelle?” I murmur against her lips. “Can I worship you the way you deserve? Show you how fucking incredible I find you and your delectable body?”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to, but goddamn do I want to. I’ve been dying to know how you taste.”
“Well—”
Knock, knock, knock.
The front door swings open, and Ruby waltzes in with her arms full. Mikey scrambles off my lap like we’re two teenagers caught making out. I miss the weight of her. I miss her warmth.
Ruby and I will be having a long conversation about boundaries.
“Hey, you two! Oh, you already had dinner. Well, I guess you can have this lasagna another time.” She sets down the glass dish on the counter.
I adjust my cock so it’s tucked into the waistband of my pajama pants, hopefully making my erection less noticeable. Mikey’s eyes track the movement, widening slightly.
Yeah, sweetheart. This is all for you.
“Ruby, what are you doing here?” I stand, making my way to the kitchen, motioning for Mikey to follow.
“I figured you’d need dinner since you have a guest. Oh!
And I figured you might not have clothes, Mikey, so I stopped by my friend Stella’s and grabbed some from her.
” Ruby’s eyes scan Mikey’s body before she gives me an unimpressed look.
“Really, Saint? You’re making her wear your smelly man clothes? ”
“I don’t smell! I wash them, and I shower, thank you very much. I didn’t think to ask anyone else for clothes.”
Ruby scoffs and turns her attention to Mikey, handing her a hot pink reusable grocery bag. “Stell and you are about the same size, but she’s a few inches shorter. I’d have given you some of my clothes, but this guy took all the height before I was born, so I’m much more vertically challenged.”
I snort. Ruby is barely five-foot-two. Mom was only five-foot-four and had no idea where I got my height from.
If looks could kill, Ruby’s glare full of daggers would end me. “Anywho, I also thought I’d stop by to see if you need any help with prep for tomorrow. Didn’t know if you’d need your toga ironed or croissants folded.”
My little sister is a fucking menace.
“Toga?” Mikey asks, her eyes bouncing between us.
Ruby’s lips twist in a sinister grin. “Oh, Saint hasn’t told you about our town’s lovely tradition?”
“Well, he told me about the parade and festival… Is there something else?”
“There are those things, yes, but the best part is, my big brother gets to dress up as Cupid and play matchmaker all day.”
Mikey’s nose wrinkles. “What does that mean?”
“I’m so glad you asked! Saint gets to put on a costume—wings, toga, sash, bow and arrow—and pair people up all day.
My big brother’s got some type of magical gift that helps him know when two people belong together.
People come from all over to ask him to find their match.
It’s gotten to the point where there are so many of them, they have to have wristbands so Saint knows who’s there for his services.
Tomorrow night, there’s an adults-only dance at Kiss & Tell where he’ll start pairing people.
Mikey’s eyes whip over to me, and I shrug. I don’t feel embarrassed about it anymore like I did my first year.
“They don’t fill out a questionnaire or anything? You just, what, go off of vibes?” Mikey clarifies.
“Basically, yeah.” It sounds so simple, put that way, but I can’t explain it.
“How did this start?”
“Six or so years ago, I was on the committee for the festival, and one of the members threw out the idea of having someone dress up as Cupid and lead the parade. Somehow, they decided I was the perfect person for the job. I didn’t want to say no, so I wound up going with it.
During the festival, I noticed a woman standing alone on the sidelines, but she kept glancing at a group of guys around her age.
I don’t know how to describe it, but I just knew.
I knew she and one of the guys would work together.
I walked over to him, pretended to shoot him with an arrow, and then took that arrow and pretended to shoot the woman.
They started talking, hit it off, and I got invited to their wedding a year later,” I explain.
“And it wasn’t just a one-off?”
I shake my head. “The next year, that woman brought her friends and asked if I could help them find their matches. I didn’t want to at first because I wasn’t sure I could do it again.
I spent the day riddled with anxiety that I would let them down, until I saw one of the booths.
The chocolatier had two sons, and when I saw them, something clicked.
I took the two women over, did the arrow thing again, and both couples hit it off.
Word spread like wildfire after, and now people come here specifically for my services.
Including the first three, I’ve been invited to eight weddings. ”
Mikey’s jaw drops open in shock, and Ruby looks amused. “And yet,” Ruby says, “he can’t seem to find someone for me. Or himself, for that matter.”
I narrow my eyes at her. She knows damn well how I feel about Mikey. Hell, Mikey knows damn well I want her. Ruby’s trying to rile me up on purpose.
“No one is good enough for my baby sister, Rubes. I have high standards for your future husband, and no one in town has proven to be good enough for you yet.”
Ruby’s lips purse, and I swear I catch a flash of hurt in her eyes. It’s gone as quick as it came.
What was that about?
“Right, well, I hate to break it to you, S, but I’m a big girl, and I can date whomever I want. I’m not waiting around for you to pick someone for me.” She glances at the clock. “Well, I should get going. Mikey, you should come get ready for the dance with Stella and me tomorrow after the parade.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll be staying, but thank you for the invite.”
“I truly hope you’ll change your mind. Stella and I would love to have you make our duo a trio.”
“I’ll think about it,” Mikey promises. Ruby surprises both of us by giving her a quick hug. Mikey goes stiff before she reciprocates then melts into her.
Ruby is loyal and has the biggest heart, so once she’s declared you her friend, she won’t let you go. It makes my heart want to burst that she’s accepted Mikey so quickly.
“I’m going to walk Ruby out,” I say to Mikey. She nods, and as I walk past her, I trail my fingers gently over her arm and give her hand a squeeze.
Ruby leans against the driver’s side of her car with a smirk on her face. “You two looked cozy when I walked in.”
“Thanks for interrupting,” I grumble. “No more coming in unannounced.”
“Fine. Don’t scare her off, please. I like her. Convince her to stay for the dance tomorrow.”
“I can’t make her stay if she doesn’t want to, but I’ll try my best. I want her to be here, too, for the record.”
“I know you do, S. Your emotions are written all over your face. You basically have ‘I heart Mikey’ tattooed on your forehead. Don’t stress about the baking tomorrow morning.
I’ll come over early and help.” Ruby softly punches me in the arm before she gives me a hug and gets in her car to drive away.
When I get back inside, Mikey is typing something on her phone, leaning against the counter. I press myself against her back, pleased by the way she melts into me.
“Sorry about the interruption,” I murmur against the side of her head.
“It’s okay. It’s probably for the best. We wouldn’t want to do something we regret.”
I don’t like the sound of that. I can feel her starting to pull away from me. I spin her around and cage her against the counter. “Would you regret having my mouth on your pussy?”
“I—no. But you barely know me. What if—”
“I know you’re incredibly kind,” I interrupt, placing a kiss on her lips.
“I know you’re extremely smart,” a kiss to her nose, “I know you’re patient and have a big heart.
” I kiss each of her cheeks. “I know you’re resilient and strong.
One of the strongest people I’ve ever met.
” I cup the back of her neck and press my lips gently to her forehead before pressing my forehead to hers.
“I know you’re beautiful. The most exquisite woman I’ve ever seen.
I may not know everything about you, but I want to know you. All of you.”
“You don’t mean that,” she whispers, searching my face for a lie. She’s not going to find one.
“I do mean it, Mikey. With everything in me. Let me show you.” I skim my hands up over the flare of her hips slowly, waiting for her to stop me.
“Okay.”
I tap her ass. “Up you go.”