Chapter 28
“And that’s a wrap!”B. Night shouted into the megaphone, and everyone cheered.
After he finished his speech to the crew, he walked over to Aires and me. “I loved every second of making this masterpiece with you two.”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity. I don’t know many who would have given me the chance after all my legal trouble.”
He placed his hand on Aires’s shoulder. “Like I’ve said since the beginning. I don’t care about your personal lives, and you both remained as professional as they come, so I don’t regret my decisions.”
I smiled. “We had a great time, and I can’t wait to see the final product.”
“I’ll be in touch about the movie premiere. We’ll have a big shindig at my house after.”
We hugged goodbye, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad it was over. When we arrived at the house, we packed up our bags, and seventeen hours later, we walked through the doors of my new home.
I didn’t have to turn on the light since the sunset shone through the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that overlooked the water. I was so in love with this home from the moment I saw it, and now that I was finally there, sharing this memory with Aires was fulfilling in ways I didn’t think were missing.
“This place is almost as stunning as you.” Aires walked toward the slider, opening it to inhale the fresh air and ocean.
It was one of my favorite things about this place. It reminded me so much of my family’s homes I grew up in. Most of them lived on the water, and their homes weren’t far from this place. My mom and stepmom worked on decorating it for me, and it was perfect. I couldn’t be happier with the way they made it immediately feel so cozy and welcoming.
It was a coastal design, and the calm and cooling colors nicely accentuated the space. As I followed him, I saw the note my mom left on the counter.
Welcome home, Bailey Bug.
I hope you’re making wonderful memories in this home. We’re so proud of you.
All our love, the family.
Aires hadn’t taken his eyes off me. He leaned against the slider frame with his muscular arms crossed over his chest, wearing a hoodie, jeans, and a backward hat.
What is it with men and backward hats that make us go completely feral?
Aires loved his hats. He had an arsenal of them in every color and sports team he was a fan of. They had always been his thing. He wore them so much that the writers of The Kids Club added it into our show. Ever since then, he rarely went without. They were basically glued to his head unless it was just him and me.
I think it was like a security blanket for him. He could avoid having to talk to people when he was wearing it like a ball cap. I loved that he only took it off with me. It was as though he was showing me the real him.
“Your family leaves you notes?”
“Yeah…” I bowed my head. “It’s just one of our things.” I set it back down on the table and made my way over to Aires.
For the next hour, we explored the house. Countless pictures lined my walls. All of our memories hung proudly on display. My home was so inviting. You could feel so much love everywhere, and I knew that was their intention with the design.
I couldn’t help but think of our future. Wondering if this kind of future was in the cards for us. I didn’t have too much time to dwell on it when we went down to the beach. I twirled in a circle, letting my dress spin with me. I was happy. For the first time in a long time, I was truly happy.
He grabbed me by my waist and spun me around with him.
Around and around we went, and I laughed, loving to feel this carefree with him. I swear I blinked, and we went from playing on the beach, splashing along in the water, to the morning of my great-grandparents’ party.
They didn’t know we were in town yet. I wanted to spend a few days alone with Aires without any interruptions. I showed him all the spots I used to hang out in and the schools I attended. Sharing a big part of my world with him. I even took him to the dock where my uncle Austin married my aunt Daisy.
I was careful not to run into my family, and thankfully, I wasn’t caught in my little deceit. Aires didn’t waste any time by making love to me all over my house. He said we had to break in every spot.
Now we were sitting in the chauffeured SUV on our way to their party. It was a medieval-themed party, and I dressed in a maroon goth gown made of lace and tulip for a huge princess skirt. I had a black cross choker on, and I went heavy with the smoky eye makeup and dark nude lipstick.
Aires wore a goth-style suit lined with maroon edges on the lapels, and his vest matched my dress. He looked so handsome with his black tie and collared shirt.
“Stop fidgeting, Bay,” he ordered in a demanding tone with his strong hand pressing down on my bouncing leg, holding it still.
He inhaled a deep breath, grabbing my hand to tug me over to his lap.
“My dress…” I resisted, but in the end, he won.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” he whispered into the side of my neck.
“We’re back to this, are we?”
“I do owe you a dress since I ruined yours at the party.”
“Small price to pay if you ask me.”
He smiled against my mouth. This man always had to have his hand on me and didn’t even try to deny himself the liberty of touching me whenever he wanted.
I loved that.
He pulled my hair back, away from my face, softly rubbing his thumb along my pouty lip. There was a reason I wore a dark lip stain, fully aware Aires claimed my lips often.
“What do you need from me, huh?”
I smiled, blushing at his simple question. He cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at me for what felt like forever but was probably merely seconds. He didn”t falter. With a mischievous grin, he reached under my dress and cupped my pussy before he ever so slightly caressed my clit through the silk of my panties.
Only then did he notice I wore a black garter belt with thigh-high stockings.
“All this under your pretty dress?”
“For you,” I rasped, kissing him. “You like?”
“I more than like.”
“Good. Was this your plan all along to distract me from being nervous?”
He rubbed a little harder, parting his mouth with mine. “Is it working?”
“Fuck…” I murmured. “The driver…”
He peered around me to look at him. “I don’t share.”
“You know… oh God… how are you so good at that?”
“I’ve memorized your body, especially your pussy.”
“Yeah…” That was all I could say as he started picking up his pace. “But for real… the driver…”
“He can’t see.”
“Thank God for that… extended cab…”
“Not God, just Aires.”
“I’m going to come…”
“I know.”
It didn’t take long for me to fall apart as he didn’t let up on his rhythm, faster and faster until I had no choice but to give him what he craved. With our lips on each other’s, it felt like he was coming apart with me. We were that in sync with one another.
Once I finished crashing off my high, he cleaned himself off by sticking his fingers in his mouth.
“Aires,” I muttered. “You’re shameless.”
“I had to take care of my girl’s anxiousness the only way I know how.”
We arrived at their restaurant that evening, and vehicles filled the parking lot. Cars even lined the road, and some were parked on the beach. This restaurant had been in my great-grandma Alex’s family for generations, and she’d owned it for as long as I could remember.
So many of my firsts happened in this restaurant for me…
My first steps.
My first words.
I spent a lot of my childhood there. My mom always helped my grandma Mia as a hostess while my great-aunt Lily provided the live entertainment for years. My other aunt Skyler, who was married to my uncle Noah, retired from the limelight a few years ago, and sometimes she performed her greatest hits there. Same with my daddy.
Long story short, my entire family entwined in one way or another, and each had their own stories to tell where heartbreak and happiness went hand in hand.
A photographer snapped our picture as we walked in. The place was decked out with decorations. They’d transformed their restaurant on the water into a medieval castle, and I was grateful I didn’t miss out on another important family function.
“You ready?” I asked Aires.
“Are you?”
I excitingly shared, “I am.”
I wish I could have told you I was prepared for what happened next, but I wholeheartedly didn’t have a clue about the bomb that was soon to be dropped on my head.
However, for a few hours, we lived in utter bliss and the land of Delulu that I was now…
The official spokesperson for.