Chapter 34
Chapter
Thirty-Four
REED
T he soundtrack of Pearl’s laughter and rain slapping the pavement was one Reed would remember on his deathbed.
Pure, incandescent joy radiated from him as he pulled her to the bookshop in the rain.
They were absolutely soaked, and Reed couldn’t wish for a better summer afternoon.
“Wait,” she gasped, pulling to a stop. “My shoes are rubbing on my heels because they’re wet.”
“No problem.” He leaned down and tossed her over his shoulder, clamping a hand over her skirt. She squealed, predictably.
Fuck, I love that sound. Note to self: toss Pearl around more.
People walking with their umbrellas stopped and stared as he leisurely walked with her on his shoulder, soaked through and laughing.
“This is ridiculous,” she called over the rain.
“It’s how I love you,” he called over his shoulder, fishing for keys in his pocket as he walked toward the bookstore.
He unlocked it and set Pearl down as he turned the knob, but a gust of wind blew open both doors the minute the lock unlatched.
Wind swirled in the entryway as the rain pelted them, and the stack of permits Reed had left inside Bookish fluttered in a vortex around them.
Reed barely noticed the papers swirling in the doorway, however, as they each stared at the unexpected, thrilling, perfect person in front of them.
Water dripped down Pearl’s bangs and he brushed them away from her eyes. He leaned down, kissing her again as the rain pelted through the door. The water drops on her lips were cool. The taste of vanilla drifted on his tongue as he traced her bottom lip.
“What is wrong with you two?” Aaron called as he walked by under an umbrella against the wind. “Get inside!”
They burst out laughing and shut the doors, pushing against the wind of the storm on the slippery wet marble.
“We should clean this up,” Pearl said as she walked toward him, looking as hungry as he felt.
The bookshop was dark from the thunderstorm, but Reed still turned off the lights.
“Later,” he said, locking the door. His hands were already on her waist as he tugged her toward him.
His hand was in her hair as he kissed her, sucking her pouty lip into his mouth. Biting it, craving it.
He walked her backward toward the nook. He’d wanted to see her unravel there on his cock since her massage. He pulled the curtain closed on the nook window. They’d be hidden from view now.
His jaw clenched with the cutting need inside. “Say it again,” he moaned as his hand cupped her soaked breast, squeezing it.
“What?” she murmured, groaning and pressing into his hands.
“You said you were hopelessly in love with me.” He captured her lips again, needing them like air. “I need to hear you say it again.”
“I love you, Reed. More than you can know. More than I can show you,” she gasped as they kissed. He moaned into her neck, savoring the words.
Never again. Never again will I spend an entire day without her.
He pushed her soaked shirt over her head, revealing the knee-buckling sight of her tits in a lacy black bra. “I’d really, really like you to try and show me,” he said with a smile, sitting on the bench in the nook and pulling her between his legs.
He dove his face between her breasts, licking between the soft curves. The tops of her breasts were wet and slippery from the storm, and he lapped up every drop. He grabbed her ass for leverage, and Pearl raked her long nails through his hair, pushing his face in harder.
This is heaven.
Fucking heaven.
His tongue swiped under the cup of her bra. He growled, yanking it down like he’d wanted to when they were trapped.
“I’ve wanted to do this to you”—he sucked a wide nipple in his mouth and his cock twitched with the need to come—“right here for months.” He breathed through his nose as he sucked hard, pushing his face into her so her tits covered his face.
“I wanted to ride your cock so hard when you gave me that massage.”
“Gorgeous,” he moaned, moving to the other one, wanting it in his mouth. “You could have robbed me and taken a kidney and I’d still probably come from how much I wanted you.” He sucked the other pointed nipple into his mouth, wanting to consume her.
A pulse of need tugged at his cock, begging him to come.
She moaned as he swiped his tongue back and forth, back and forth in his mouth. A hand snaked under her skirt, and his hands landed on a bare upper thigh.
He pulled back, momentarily shocked.
But she has on tights today?
His confusion must have registered on his face because she held up her skirt to show him.
“Wore my come-fuck-me garters today. For confidence.” Pearl bit her lip with a mischievous smile, and her eyes were half-lidded in desire.
His heart fully stopped for two seconds.
A hand came to his mouth as he looked at the impossibly sexy, unexpectedly erotic view of Pearl’s bare tits, wet from his mouth and the rain, thigh-high tights with black garters, and silky black transparent panties.
“Just…stay. Just like that.” He sat back, hand clutching his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment just to be able to breathe.
He opened them again and a “ Fuuuuck me ” escaped him. Her laugh was lusty and somehow got him even harder.
“No one on earth deserves you,” he said as his fingers snapped the leather garters around her thighs. “Least of all me. But I’m too selfish to stop.”
He brushed his palms against her bare skin, swiping his thumbs under the garters. He’d memorize this. Would picture it every night.
“I can take them off.” She shrugged with mock innocence.
“No.” His eyes shot to hers like fire and she laughed again, enjoying torturing him. “Never, you little brat.” He kissed the tops of her thighs, pressing his face into her.
“Please,” he murmured against her skin, looking up at her devastatingly gorgeous face. Those big eyes fanned with dark lashes, button nose and pouty lips. “Please turn around so I can worship you properly.”
She bent down and kissed him, pressing him back against the wall of the nook. Her lips were hungry, possessive, and her hands raked against his chest.
Her forehead pinned to his. “Are you okay, though? Aren’t the wet clothes overstimulating for you?” She bit her lip with need, but her eyes held genuine concern.
Tears tugged at his eyes at how overwhelmingly sweet she was. More than he’d ever thought.
He’d just ordered her to turn around and have her pussy eaten, but she cared about his needs first.
“Hold these, please.” He handed her his glasses, staring at her hungrily, and a little sob melted out of her.
He yanked his sweater vest over his head, never breaking eye contact. Then, one by one, he undid the buttons on his shirt.
“If we ever need money for the store, I’ll just film thirst traps of you doing this,” she said, squeezing her thighs together and pinching her nipple.
He huffed out a laugh and peeled the wet shirt off his shoulders. Ah. Static he hadn’t even heard in the back of his brain went away.
“Better.” He nodded and put his glasses back on, not taking his eyes from hers for a moment.
He dragged his lips against her palm, kissing it. “Thank you, my love.”
He grabbed her thighs and spun her around. “Now, gorgeous. Spread your thighs and bend over.”
Tossing her skirt over her ass, he sighed over the view.
Two thick, biteable, peachy cheeks with garter straps digging across them to her thighs. A black thong down the middle.
He bit her ass cheek, unable to help himself, and she squealed.
“Your next tattoo idea,” he murmured, and she laughed as he bit the other side, hard enough to leave a mark.
Mine .
He spared a quick kiss for her heart tattoo before pulling her panties to the side.
Ravaging hunger drove his face into her, and he moaned as her taste hit his tongue.
So wet. She was soaked and he lapped every drop up with wide, firm strokes. Her clit was begging for attention, so he flicked it with his tongue. A high squeal squeezed out of her, and her moans built and built as he devastated her clit.
“Yes, yes,” she panted, clutching the armchair. “Fuck me, please. Reed, I need you.” Her ass pushing back against his face as he sucked and licked was almost too much for him. The view was too good.
Hard strokes on his cock over his soaked pants were an appetizer. He wanted to fuck her so hard. But he wanted more squealing.
He continued, flicking his tongue over her as fast as he could, wanting to torture her. Her face wrenched with pleasure as she fought her orgasm, even as she pushed against his face for more.
Her cries were higher and breathier. “Please,” was the long plea that broke his resolve.
He stood and wrenched open his belt, sliding his cock into her, hard. She gasped as he yanked her hips against him and held them there, breathing through his nose to last longer than one pump.
“Goddamn, it’s too good,” he murmured, looking at the ass he squeezed in his fingers, balls-deep in her. “This perfect ass jiggling as I fuck you is too good.”
“Harder,” she moaned, clenching around him. His vision went starry as he threw his head back. Water from his hair rained down his cheeks, a cold contrast to the hot, tight perfection around his cock.
He smiled as he dug his fingers in tighter, pulled back, and fucked her harder, enjoying the view of her ass smacking against him. “Wanted to do this for months. Just like this.”
In a trance, he could only think of the white-hot pleasure of her pussy as he mercilessly pounded into her, letting the beast inside take control. “There’s nothing”— smack —“better”— smack —“than this.”
She pinched her nipple as guttural moans wrenched out of her. Need them . He licked his lips with feral hunger.
He pulled out and sat on the nook, tugging her around so she’d straddle him. She sank onto his cock, kneeling on either side of him, and his lips crashed into hers. “I love you,” he muttered as one hand clenched her ass, slamming her harder into him.
His love for her was feral, protective, heart-wrenching. This combination of beast-like claiming and deep, soulful connection was entirely unexpected.
Entirely perfect, like her.
Long fingers combed through his hair as she held his face, staring into his soul as she rode him. She ground her hips into him with every stroke, little sobs slipping through with each push. “Not a word”—a moan cut through—“strong enough.”
She panted, wrapping her arms tight around him.
He buried his face into her neck as he pressed her against his chest. This was his heart outside of his body. His person. His truest love.
He squeezed her tight with each thrust. Need to taste her.
He pulled back, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, swiping a thumb along the tight cord of her neck. He pressed every feeling into his kiss as he claimed her mouth. Every hope and dream with the press of her soft lips. His tongue spelling unspoken promises against hers. Of their future, how much he loved her, how he’d do anything for her.
“You,” he said, pulling back. Her pretty face was flushed, smiling and perfectly framed by his bookstore.
Their bookstore.
Every inch dripped with their love and fights and laughter. He never wanted to be anywhere else than right here with her, forever.
His purpose and his dream in one heartbreakingly beautiful frame.
He kissed her right over her heart, his lips a supplication to the universe to protect her always. “A thousand love stories across a thousand lifetimes could never compare to you.”
Starry hazel eyes shimmered at him until a tear slid down her pretty cheek and she planted her forehead against his. “I need you for the rest of forever,” she whispered.
It was too much. Mine , his hips said as they thrust again and again up into her.
He needed her, craved her more.
He ground her against him harder and harder. Their cries grew louder into each other’s mouths, feral and beautiful and raw. Nothing hidden, nothing held back as they fucked and moaned and took and gave with a ferocity only known to true love and trust.
Harder and harder they ground, sweat pouring down their cheeks until finally, with gasping breaths, Pearl screamed out her climax into his mouth and he finally let go, releasing the tight hold on his need and filling her, making her his .
A cacophony of overlapping conversations surrounded Reed, and Pearl squeezed his hand.
He was practically levitating, he was so happy.
“Could you pass the creamer?” Jack said with his hand held out to Reed. “I’m gonna need about seven more cups because this little wanker was up all night.” Frank, Reed’s nephew, was bright-eyed and awake, despite the early hour of 4:30 in the morning, and was strapped to Jack’s chest.
The entire Parker family—Rose, Gray, and Gray’s son, who was visiting before his school started, Violet and Jack and baby Frank, Lily and Nash, Reed’s parents, Luca and a very sleepy AB—all sat around the table of Pop’s Diner at the crack of dawn.
Pop had made a special exception to open early just for them. Reed had felt only a little bit embarrassed asking for the accommodation, but Pop had been happy to oblige.
Reed could see Frank’s photo staring at him from behind the register at the diner, and his throat caught.
How special a man would he have been to have his picture still up two years after he’d passed?
He still didn’t know much about him, but he felt close to him here, somehow. He hoped Frank was a little proud of him for working through his issues and said a silent thanks to him for maybe having a hand in Reed meeting his three sisters.
A gust of wind blew open the door. The thunderstorm had continued overnight and Gray jogged to the front to close it.
“Okay, so you need a game plan,” Lily said, opening up the menu. “The apple pie pancakes are legend.” She leaned over, explaining the local highlights to Reed’s dad.
Violet was trapped in a conversation with his mother. Reed mouthed, “Sorry” to her, but she smiled and waved him away.
Jack pushed his seat back to get up, took baby Frank from the carrier, and handed him to Nash.
“I need to go wash my hands. Calling for backup, Uncle Nash,” Jack said as Nash took the wiggling, happy baby.
“Does everyone have the group chat? And their headphones?” Rose said, raising her phone with the air of a four-star general. “Ralph, Alice, you can’t let us down,” she said, staring daggers at Reed’s parents.
Like admonished schoolchildren, they held up their phones and earbuds. Nash patted the baby’s back as he leaned over to talk to Gray about basketball.
“You still up for a game of two-on-one with this guy tomorrow?” Gray said, nudging Reed.
“I’m really bad at basketball.”
“Don’t worry,” Nash offered with a teasing smile. “Gray is, too. I'll take it easy on you guys.”
Pop came out to say hello and took their orders.
“What’s up with the B-team this morning?” Gray teased Pop, who chuckled. “We like Margie better.”
“I’ll try to flirt just as good as she does,” Pop said in his gravelly voice. “It’s nice to see all you kids together.” Pop winked at Reed. “Frank would be real proud. And you’re my first customers today, so you’re the first to know the news.”
Pop wiped a hand down his face. The table came to a standstill. “Somebody finally took me up on my offer and bought the place.”
“No,” Violet said with a sad sigh.
“Oh, it’s not sad, sweetie. I finally get to go hang out with my lovely wife and retire off into the sunset.”
“Who bought it?” Gray asked.
Reed’s eyes scanned the table, registering the sadness. This place must mean a lot to them.
For some reason, Nash wouldn’t meet Reed’s eyes, and he instead fussed with his nephew in his arms.
Well, that’s interesting .
“Some big company.” Pop shrugged. “But it’s been on the market for seven months and it was time. I’ve laid out some stipulations, so I’m hoping we’ll keep all the good stuff and get rid of all the bad stuff.”
“Like the pickled fish,” Lily said, shuddering and glaring at Violet.
“That was one time and I was pregnant ,” Violet said, throwing her hands up.
They talked over coffee, Reed’s hand never leaving Pearl’s back or thigh or hand. Pearl had brought pancakes for AB so she could have her own since they hadn’t quite worked out the perfect recipe yet for her gluten-free pancakes at Pops’s.
“You happy?” she said with a smile as she kissed his cheek. She still wore the black lipstick, even at 4:30 in the morning. He’d decided to accept his fate as a man who would permanently have some black lipstick stain on him for the rest of his life.
“Indescribably. You are a genius, my love. Thanks for this moment.”
She kissed him again soundly. “That was a lovely haiku.”
He whispered into her ear, “I’ll save the dirty one for after breakfast.”
A sleepy AB crawled into Pearl’s lap, and she tugged her close as Pop and Gray brought out dishes.
One by one, the Parker, Bishop, and Berry families all put on their headphones and started talking in their group chat as they ate their breakfast.
Gray (Bro in law)
So, no pickles on your eggs this morning, Vi?
Violet (Sister)
ONE time. ONE TIME and I was SO pregnant!!!!!
Dad
These pancakes. Thx for the rec Lily
Lily (Sister)
Any time Ralphy boy. Next time, try the vegan egg casserole
Dad
Oh, are you vegan?
Rose (Sister)
Tell them about the time you wreaked havoc on the diner, Lily.
Lily (Sister)
One time, I wreaked havoc on the diner.
Rose (Sister)
Smartass.
Violet (Sister)
Pop said he had nightmares about live chickens running through here for weeks!!!
Lily (Sister)
Coincidentally, I had vegan options on the menu soon after
My Love
i didn’t know you were so punk, lily. respect.
Jack joined them back at the table and put on his headphones.He reached for the baby, and Nash waved him away.
Nash (Bro in law)
Eat. Someone as athletically inclined as me can do both.
Jack (Bro in law)
You lose ONE game of two-on-one basketball and you never hear the end of it.
Rose (Sister)
Did I ever tell you how Nash got the scar on his cheek? Because he was a loooooser.
Nash (Bro in law)
Pro-tip: never play Rose in anything sharp she can throw at you.
Violet (Sister)
This is so fun!!! We should do this all the time!!!!
Reed
Based on my new love affair with these biscuits and gravy, it will need to be a regular thing.
Mom
Luca, how’s your business going?
And so it went, the conversation weaving in and out of topics on the text thread, everyone joking and laughing as they ate.
He and Pearl had paired their playlists as he tried to remember this amazing feeling: being surrounded by everyone he loved and people accommodating him without question, without guilt, all because he’d just asked.
And because the woman beside him gave him the courage to do it.