19.
C OREY
If I wasn’t so busy trying to restrain myself from pulling Janis into my arms and fucking her against the nearest surface, I would have been kicking my own ass for missing out on the beautiful woman standing before me for so long.
She’d obviously been hiding in plain sight with her quick wit, sarcasm, and cranky attitude, taking the forefront while she did everything in her power to camouflage that body.
And what a body it was.
Toned calves, thick thighs, full hips, a soft stomach, and breasts that were out of this world had been hidden beneath flannels, T-shirts, overalls, and hoodies for so long that I felt like the luckiest man in the world to be given an invitation to explore it all.
I smiled when I thought of our earlier conversations that revealed Janis’ complete lack of knowledge in our nation's history, and now, here I was, considering myself an explorer.
“Well, do I?” Janis asked as she took a step closer to me. I took my eyes off of the adorable freckle on her collarbone long enough to glance up at her face, but before I could say anything, she answered her own question. “I guess so, huh? Well, we’ll start with this. If you’re the boy scout I think you are, you probably slipped a condom into your wallet in preparation for this adventure. However . . .”
What the fuck, Forrester? Did you really leave the house without at least one condom in your wallet? How many stores did you fucking pass while cruising around town next to this beauty with the express intent of taking her to bed and making love to her repeatedly? You didn’t even stop to consider protection? Dumbass!
“You’re zoning out again, Donut! Eyes up here,” Janis ordered, and I realized that my eyes had drifted back down to her chest.
“I’m not even a boob guy!” I exclaimed in exasperation.
“What?”
“Don’t get me wrong. Some of them are great, but I’m more of a leg man. Even an ass man. But you took your shirt off, and I became aware that the only reason I’ve never been a boob man is because I hadn’t seen yours.”
“There’s a compliment in there somewhere, I’m sure,” Janis muttered before she took a deep breath and shook her head. “Back to the subject, Donut. Focus for a second, okay?”
“On it,” I assured her before I squeezed my eyes shut. “This might help.”
“Possibly,” she said drolly. “It seems like you’ve got two brain cells. One’s located in the head between your shoulders, and the other is between your legs, trying its best to bust out of those jeans. As much as I’d like to visit that area, we’ve got to get a few things straight.”
“Still listening,” I assured her, still with my eyes closed.
“I bought condoms specifically for this occasion because I’m allergic to latex. If you enter the cave of wonders wearing a latex condom, I’ll be highly uncomfortable for days . If that latex condom has a spermicide added to it, what’s commonly called nonoxynol-9, I’ll end up in the hospital and you’ll have to explain how I got there to my father.”
“Oh, hell no,” I said as I frantically shook my head, struck with terror at the thought of having a conversation like that with Hank Grissom. “Nope. Not gonna happen.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So, as unsexy as this conversation was, it had to happen just so you can get an idea of exactly what you’re walking into here.” I started to say something and Janis put her hand up before she said, “I am also on birth control, so we should be protected.”
“This safe sex conversation is longer than the one I had with my dad when I was thirteen.”
“Imagine how I felt when I had to be rushed by ambulance to the hospital where my parents were called so I could explain to them that I’d just lost my virginity and was apparently allergic to the most common and affordable contraceptive method.”
“Oh, no.”
“Dad was feeling very unpleasant that evening.”
“You know what’s most upsetting about this entire conversation?” I asked.
“What?”
“We’re standing here having a conversation in which your father, a man I have the utmost respect for and a good amount of petrifying fear of, has been mentioned more than once, and my dick is still hard.”
“Is there something I should know?” Janis asked sarcastically. She raised one eyebrow before she looked down at my zipper and asked, “So, that’s not all for me?”
“You little shit,” I hissed as I pulled her into my arms. “I told you that I was going to spank you for that mouth one of these days.”
“Do you need me to show you a calendar so you can pick a date?” Janis asked slyly.
“If you keep racking up the infractions, you won’t be able to sit for a week.”
“You fuck me the right way, and I’ll barely be able to walk tomorrow.” Janis grinned before she asked, “Think you’re up for it, Donut?”
Obviously, I had the same problem as Janis - I really didn’t like to be told I couldn’t do something.
My lips found hers, and like always, the world fell away when I kissed her. It got exponentially better when she kissed me back.
I took the opportunity to get my hands on all of that exposed skin I’d been admiring and ran my hands up and down her sides before I let them rest on her ass.
“It’s a work of art,” I mumbled as I let my lips trail along her cheek. I ran my hands along her hips and then cupped her ass as I kissed my way down her neck, seeking that freckle I’d noticed before.
Suddenly, Janis’s hands were on my ass, and she whispered, “It sure is.”
I laughed as I hooked my fingers in the waistband of her panties and pushed them down over her hips. She shimmied to get them to fall, and the feel of her ass moving in my hands gave me a vision of what it would be like to have her on her hands and knees in front of me.
I must have spoken my thoughts out loud because Janis said, “I’m ready when you are.”
I came to my senses and realized that I was missing a wonderful opportunity. I let Janis’ ass go and ran my hands up her sides to cup her breasts, running my thumbs back and forth over her nipples before I tugged at the material between them.
“Honey, mine has an industrial-sized closure on the back. Those cute little clips can’t contain the beasts for any length of time.”
I laughed at her description as I slid my hands around her to unhook her bra, and before I knew it, she had the straps down over her arms and was tossing it to the side. I took a step back so I could get a good look at her, completely naked in front of me.
“Don’t get too mesmerized, Donut. You’ve got a job to do, remember?”
“How could I forget?” I asked as I bent forward and wrapped my arms around her hips. I lifted her up and held her there as she wrapped her legs around my waist and then walked her over to the counter so I could sit her down on the edge.
Janis leaned back and rested her hands on the counter behind her, and I smiled at her before I leaned forward and gave her a long kiss. I kissed my way down her neck and across her chest as I cupped her breasts in my hands.
I studied them like the art they were and was surprised when Janis asked, “Did you know that a person’s nipples are generally the same color as their lips?”
I looked up at her mouth and then back down at her breasts and chuckled before I said, “Well, I do now.”
I bent forward as I lifted her breast in my hand, but Janis pushed my shoulder and said, “You’re still dressed.”
“I’m still dressed because I’ve got plans for this body of yours. If I’m naked, all I’ll want to do is sink deep inside you and stay there.”
“At least take off your shirt.” I reached over my shoulder and pulled my shirt off before she whispered, “Now say the thing.”
I smiled and then cleared my throat before I yelled, “This. Is. Sparta!”
“Fuck yes,” Janis whispered before she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and reached out to run her hands over my chest.
I let her explore as I did the same. I slid my hands from her knees over her thighs and stopped when my thumbs hit her pussy. Without a second thought, I took a step back and bent forward at the waist, putting my mouth on her pussy and diving in with my tongue to touch her clit. Janis gasped, and I heard her hands slap the countertop beside her hips before the angle of her body changed when she leaned back.
I took that opportunity to hook my arms under her legs and lift them up to spread them wide before I pushed one finger inside her.
Janis gasped again and laid all the way down on the counter as I worshiped her with my mouth and hands, taking direction from her frantic whispers. When I pushed a second finger inside her and twisted them so I could explore, I sucked her clit between my lips and hummed to make them vibrate against it.
Janis let out a loud shout and brought her legs together as if she was trying to crush my skull with her thighs. As she squirmed beneath me, I wrapped my arm around her leg and pressed down right above her pubic bone and did it again and again until her entire body tensed and she shouted a litany of curse words. I kept steady pressure inside her body as I stroked her over and over with gentle pressure. Suddenly, her entire body clenched, and she flooded my hand with her orgasm.
I kept going, never changing the movement or pressure until she did it again. After the third time, I slowed my movements and gently removed my fingers as I pressed on her clit with my tongue.
Janis was gasping for air as I kissed my way up her body while I undid my pants and pushed them down to take out my cock. Janis’ hand slapped at the counter beside her until it hit a white plastic bag and then she flicked it toward me before her hand stilled again.
I couldn’t help but smile as I pulled out the box of condoms. It only took a second to cover my cock, and as I bent over her, I swirled the tip around her clit a few times before I directed it to her entrance.
Janis was still out of breath, but she lifted her head and looked at me with wild eyes as she reached up and pulled me toward her for a kiss. I slid in easily and stayed still as we kissed passionately, waiting for her body to let me know she was ready. When her hips started squirming, I pulled almost all the way out and then thrust in again before I pushed myself up to stand straight. I wrapped my arms around Janis’s thighs and pulled her closer to the edge of the counter to give me some room to move and was happy to see that she trusted me not to let her fall.
When I thrust deep again, I got to see those gorgeous breasts move. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them as I fucked her in earnest with hard strokes. It was almost too much for me to bear for long, but when she moved one hand between our bodies to stroke her clit, I knew I couldn’t take much more.
Luckily, she knew exactly what she needed to orgasm again, and I was able to keep myself in check until her body clenched around mine like a vise. It was only then that I let myself go.
My cock was still twitching inside her when I leaned forward and slid my hands under her back. When I picked her up, she was limp and sated, but able to wrap her arms around my neck as she held on with her legs.
“Hey, Donut, you big stud. Take me to bed or lose me forever,” Janis muttered against my neck.
“Show me the way home, honey.”
Janis lifted her arm and pointed toward the hallway, and I smiled at her reference to that old movie my mom still loved.
The funny thing was that, even though I hadn’t taken her to bed before today, I had already felt like Janis may be my forever. But now that I’d tasted her and felt her body move with mine, I knew I’d never be able to let her go.
◆◆◆
JANIS
“Good morning!” When I didn’t get a response, I looked up to find Dixie and Piper staring at me in shock. Alarmed, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Are you okay?” Dixie asked.
“I’m great,” I replied, as I motioned toward the boxes of cupcakes on the table along the wall. “I already finished the order for you to take for the catering job tonight, and Piper, I owe you some money because I took a small bottle of that caramel syrup home the other day and completely forgot to let you know.”
Piper slowly turned her head to look at Dixie and asked, “Who should we call?”
“An exorcist?” Dixie replied.
“You’re right. I’ll send Jewel a message.”
“Most people that know Jewel think that she needs an exorcist. How is she going to help?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I feel great. I’m a little tired, but I’ve penciled in a nap for this afternoon because I’ve got some work to finish when we close.”
“Did the doctors change your meds?” Piper asked.
“They did start me on a new one after my last flare and up the dosage of the prescription I was taking before. Why?”
“That’s it. I’m calling my brothers.”
I looked at Dixie and asked, “Why? Seriously, what’s going on? Why the inquisition?”
The door opened again and Ginger appeared. She stopped between Dixie and Piper and asked, “Is it happening to you too?”
“Is what happening?”
Dixie put the phone to her ear, and the rest of us listened to her side of the conversation. “Are you working? Good. You need to get Jonas and come to the bakery. We think Janis might be having a nervous breakdown or something. I don’t know what’s going on, but something’s up. No, she’s not crying. She’s . . . cheerful. No, that’s what I meant to say. Yes, Lawson, I’m talking about that Janis. How many others do you know? Okay, see you in a minute.”
“I texted Lark,” Piper said, as she slipped her phone into her pocket.
“What is going on? Is my face too red? Oh, please don’t let me be starting another flare right now,” I muttered as I walked toward the bathroom to look in the mirror. I heard the girls talking out in the kitchen, and then the door opened and closed before they greeted someone new. One glance in the mirror showed that my cheeks were rosy, but differently than usual. My eyes looked bright, and my facial expression was even more relaxed than usual.
Good grief, girl. It’s like you’re wearing a neon sign that says, “I got laid last night, multiple times, and loved every single second of it.”
Because you did. Yep. Uh-huh. Sure enough. Get you some, girlfriend.
I was still doing my happy dance as I walked around the corner into the kitchen, but stopped short when I found that I had an even bigger audience. Dixie’s brothers, Jonas and Lawson, were there, waiting expectantly, together with Amethyst and her boyfriend, Vivi and Evi Erikson, and Gracy.
“Jewel couldn’t make it, so she sent Amethyst instead,” Piper explained.
“Are we playing a new game to see how quickly we can get the health department to shut me down?” I asked.
“Was she dancing?” Jonas asked.
“Is that what that was?” Amethyst asked as she wrinkled her nose and frowned as if she’d just smelled something bad.
Gracy shrugged before she said, “I thought she might be having a seizure.”
I burst out laughing and said, “All of you can just bite me.”
“Holy shit,” Vivi whispered.
Her twin, Evi, said, “It’s probably a tumor.”
“Let me check your vitals,” Amethyst said as she walked toward me with a concerned expression. “Are you feeling any pain? Shortness of breath? Dizziness?”
“It’s definitely a tumor,” Gracy said firmly.
“I knew it!” Evi boasted.
“It’s not a tumor,” I said in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. I giggled before I added, “Get to da choppa!” I couldn’t help myself and started cackling, but everyone else just became even more horrified. “What is wrong with y’all? That was funny!”
The back door opened again , and I turned my head to find Corey walking in carrying a houseplant. It had a huge pink bow on it and a stick with a card. I smiled when I looked back up at his face.
“Hey,” I whispered when he got close to me.
He leaned down and gave me a kiss before he said, “I didn’t take you for the type of girl that would want a bouquet, but I know you like plants.”
“That’s so sweet,” I said before I kissed him again. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you ,” he whispered in my ear as he pulled me in for a tight hug. “Did I make it in time to join you for a nap?”
“You did. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”
“You’re probably exhausted.”
“I am, but apparently, you know the secret to making me sleep well.”
“That boring, huh?”
“No,” I said before I nipped at his ear. I pulled away and whispered, “That awesome.”
“Holy shit!” Lawson exclaimed.
I had completely forgotten that we had quite a large audience and turned my head at the same time as Corey to look at our friends. They were standing, rooted in the same spots, but now their expressions weren’t confusion or worry. No, they looked as if they’d been rocked by a bomb.
“I think you broke Janis,” Jonas said in awe.
I glanced at Corey and saw him glaring at our friends, but I laughed it off and gave him a kiss on his jaw before I took the plant out of his hand. As I walked toward the sink to check the moisture in the soil, I pulled the card out of the holder and smiled when I read what he’d written.
Thank you for the best night of my life. I can’t wait for the rest of them as long as they’re spent with you.
I glanced over my shoulder and said, “That’s so sweet, Donut. Thank you.”
“He did break her!” Lawson said in a daze.
“Holy. Shit,” Gracy said loudly. “Corey figured out how to exorcise the demons!”
“Shut it, Tadpole,” I said with a smile . . . the same one I hadn’t been able to wipe off my face all day. “Don’t embarrass him.”
Evi and Vivi, identical assholes extraordinaire, bent forward at the waist and started chanting, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”
Dixie took it a step further and grabbed Corey’s hand before she leaned over and kissed his knuckles. “You’ve done the country . . . nay, the world , a great service, Corey Forrester.”
“Oh, shut up,” Corey said as he yanked his hand away. When everyone else joined Evi and Vivi in their chant, his cheeks reddened with embarrassment. “Y’all cut that shit out before you upset her.”
I looked over at Tiny, Amethyst’s boyfriend, and saw that he was filming the encounter, so I flipped him off. He just shrugged and said, “I’m an innocent bystander here.”
“Sure you are,” I grumbled. I sat the plant on the counter with a thump and glowered at my overly dramatic friends before I yelled, “Everyone out before I start swinging!”
“There she is!” Lawson cheered.
“I was really starting to get worried,” Amethyst said with a dramatic sigh before she pretended to wipe sweat off her brow. “I was about to call Jewel and tell her you needed a CT.”
“Shut up and leave, hag.” I glared at Ginger and asked, “Don’t you have some work to do up front?” When I looked at Dixie and Piper, I asked, “And the two of you have your own businesses to run. I’m positive that crowding my kitchen isn’t helping either of them.”
“Kiss her again!” Lawson ordered. “I want to see if that fixes it.”
“All of you get out before I go on a murderous rampage.”
“That’s my girl, Medusa! Get ‘em!”
It didn’t take long for everyone to scatter, although they were laughing while they did it, and I walked into Corey’s arms when he held them out to me.
“Are you ready for a nap?”
“Do we get to play around first?”
“I’ve got a pocket full of condoms, and I’m ready to roll.”
“Good job, Donut.”