Remedy

by Kaylee Ryan

  “I work tomorrow.”

  “Again? You worked last weekend.”

  “Yeah, we’re short staffed. Besides, the money helps.”

  “No hot date?” I ask her.

  “Not tonight, sadly.” She laughs.

  “Right. Well, I need to go change. You want to join us?” I offer. I know Grady might be disappointed, but he won’t be mad. That’s not the kind of guy he is.

  “Nope.” She pops the P. “I’m calling it a night soon. It’s been a long-ass week.”

  “Yeah, Grady put in a ton of hours. He’s exhausted. That’s why we decided to just watch a movie. He’ll probably fall asleep five minutes in.”

  “Yeah, right. There is no way he’s going to sleep with you there.”

  “We’ll see. We should take bets.”

  “Sure. I bet you bathroom duty next week, since it’s my week, that you don’t even come home tonight.”

  “We’re not there yet,” I tell her.

  “I didn’t say you’d have sex with him. I said you wouldn’t be home.”

  “Fine. If I win, you do my bathroom duty the week after.”

  “Deal.” She stands and holds out her hand for me to shake. “You kids have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow when I get home. I’m going to bed.”

  “Night, Tab.”

  She waves over her shoulder as she disappears behind her bedroom door.

  Rushing to my room, I change into a pair of black yoga shorts and a tank top. Sliding my feet into some flip-flops, I head to the kitchen. I snatch two bags of microwave popcorn and the tub of strawberry ice cream from the freezer. I know strawberry is his favorite; it’s mine, too. After grabbing my phone and my keys to let myself back in, I lock the door behind me and walk the short distance to his door and knock.

  “I thought you changed your mind,” he says when he opens the door.

  “No. Tabby was home, so we chatted for a few minutes.” I don’t tell him about our ridiculous bet that I already know I’m going to win. “Here.” I hand him the two unpopped packages of popcorn and the ice cream.

  “Strawberry.” He smiles.

  “Yep.”

  “Something we’ve always had in common.” He leans in for a kiss, and of course, I meet his lips with mine. “Make yourself comfortable. I have the movies pulled up. Pick whatever you want.”

  I watch him as he walks into the kitchen. Slipping out of my flip-flops, I place them beside the door and settle on the couch. I scroll through the movies and can’t really find anything that catches my eye. I’m still scrolling when Grady brings in a big bowl of popcorn and two bottles of water.

  “Find something?” he asks, taking the seat right next to me on the couch.

  “Not really,” I say, yawning.

  “I have a few things on the DVR. You can check there, too.”

  Clicking over to the DVR, I see Forged in Fire. “My dad and Caleb love this show.”

  “Yeah? My dad told me about it, too.” He chuckles. “I don’t have much time for TV, but the one episode I did watch was pretty interesting.”

  “Can we watch this?”

  “Anything you want. I’m just glad to have you here.”

  It’s impossible to not let myself fall when he says things like that. I choose the oldest episode and hit Play. Without a thought, I snuggle into his side. His arm wraps around my shoulders as he holds me close. Closing my eyes, I just take in the moment. The feeling of being in his arms again. I let the idea that this could be more, that we could be more settle. It’s always been Grady for me. No one else even compares. I’ve tried to push him out of my heart, but the feat turned out to be impossible.

  We’re almost at the end of the first episode when I notice that Grady’s breathing has evened out. Tilting my head, just barely, I see he’s fallen asleep. I should get up and go home, but I’m not ready to leave him yet. Regardless of the fact that he’s sound asleep, he still holds me tightly in his arms. Just one more episode, then I’ll go to my place.

  I startle awake, feeling as though I’m floating through the air.

  “Shh, it’s me. I’ve got you,” Grady whispers softly.

  “What are you doing?” The room is dark.

  “Taking you to bed.”

  “I should go home.”

  “You should stay,” he says, not stopping.

  I assume he’s taking me to his room. “Grady, we said slow,” I remind him as my mind tries to catch up with what’s happening.

  “Just to sleep,” he says, setting me on the bed. His hands cup my face. The room is dark so I can’t see his face, but I can feel the want pouring out of him when he speaks. “I just want to hold you, Collins. Hold you like I should have that night. All night long, waking up with you in my arms. We can take this as slowly as you want, baby. I know how our story unfolds, but tonight, just… I want to hold you.”

  I lie back on the bed and groan at the softness. “Then she wins,” I mumble.

  I feel the bed dip beside me, then the warmth of his hand resting on my belly. “Who wins, baby? There is no one but me and you.”

  “Tabby.” I huff out her name as if she’s the devil herself. Did she know how soft his bed was? Is that why she was so smug? No, that couldn’t be the reason. Damn my best friend.

  “Tabby?” he asks, amused.

  “Yeah, she bet me and this… me being here in your bed.” I open my eyes, and I can just barely make out his features. He’s close. I place my hand on his cheek, his five o’clock shadow tickling the palm of my hand. “Me being here means she wins.”

  “Not that I’m complaining, I’m thinking I like the fact that you lost this bet, but what exactly did you bet on?”

  “She said she would see me tomorrow, that I would stay. I said no, that we’re not there yet. Then you bring me into your room and lay me on this big fluffy cloud, and she wins,” I sigh dramatically. Suddenly more awake as he aligns his body with mine, his hand still rests on my belly.

  “What does she win?” he asks with a chuckle.

  “Bathroom duty. I’m on for two weeks.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “What?”

  “I said I’ll do it. I’ll clean the fucking bathroom every day until you move in with me.”

  “Move in with you? Cocky much?” I laugh, now fully awake.

  “Yes. Until then, I’ll keep your bathroom spotless if that keeps you in my bed at night.”

  “Just one night. This thing is crazy comfortable.”

  “I know.” I hear the laughter in his voice. “Now, slide under the covers.”

  Doing as he says, I wiggle until I’m underneath the blankets. He slides under, too, and snuggles up next to me. My back’s held tight against his front. “Goodnight, baby,” he whispers huskily, kissing my neck.

  “Goodnight.” Closing my eyes, I let the warmth of him surrounding me lull me to sleep.

  Blinking my eyes open, I smile when I see she’s still here, still wrapped up tightly in my arms. A glance at the window tells me that it’s still early morning as the sun has barely started to rise. Sometime in the night, my hand that was resting on Collins’s belly worked its way under her shirt. Not just her shirt, but half of my hand is under the scrap of material she calls shorts while the other half remains on her lower belly. Her skin is so fucking soft and warm. My cock that is nestled next to her is hard as steel.

  What a way to wake up.

  Gently, I stroke her skin with my thumb. I don’t want to wake her up; she was exhausted last night, but damn, I can’t resist the silky-smooth feel. This is how it should have happened that night. I should have stayed there in the camper, with her held tight against my chest. I’ve imagined this moment for years, but nothing I ever imagined could have prepared me for this, this feeling of my heart swelling as it beats rapidly against my chest. In no way could I have realized that by simply waking up with her in my arms, she would become the center of my world. I knew I wanted her, that’s never changed. If I’m honest, I wanted
her long before the night we crossed the line. There was not a single doubt in my mind that I wanted to be with her, but this… this is something so profound, a magnitude I could never have imagined.

  I’m irrevocably in love with her.

  She moves just a little, causing my pinky to brush over a small patch of curls. Without thinking, I do it again, this time moving my hand lower. Unable to resist, I brush my thumb over her clit, causing her to moan. I freeze when I realize what I’m doing. She’s told me more times than I can count that she wants to go slow and here I am taking advantage of her.

  “Don’t stop,” her sleep-laced voice whispers.

  “Collins.” My voice is rigid, pleading.

  “Grady.” A lazy smile tilts her lips. “Don’t stop.” She wiggles to roll onto her back, giving me full and absolute access to her.

  Another slow swipe of my thumb over her clit follows. “Good morning, beautiful,” I whisper in her ear.

  “It’s about to be.” She lifts her hand to run her fingers through my hair.

  Resting my head on her chest, I take my time, slowly running my fingers through her folds. With each swipe, her wetness coats my fingers. Her shirt has ridden up, exposing her creamy skin. I place my lips just below her belly button in a tender kiss. So many times I’ve imagined her in my bed, and I want to cherish her now that she’s here, take my time, kiss every delectable fucking inch of her.

  I want to feel all of her.

  But I need to go slow.

  I can’t push her for more. She’s not ready, and the last thing I want to do is push her away when all I’ve done since I’ve been home is tug her toward me. This moment right here, it’s a gift, one I will cherish. Her fingers stroke through my hair as I guide one digit inside of her. She moans, her hands stilling, as does my hand.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she breathes. Her hands begin their exploration of my hair.

  Slowly, I move my finger in and out of her. She’s wet, so wet, and when she asks for more, I oblige and slide in another digit.

  “This is worth bathroom duty,” she pants, and I can’t help but chuckle.

  Lifting my head, I look at her. “Yeah?”

  Her eyes are glassy with need and desire when she answers, “Definitely.”

  “You know, if you were here in my bed every night, I could wake you up like this every day,” I say as I pump my hand a little faster.

  “Mmm.”

  I move down the bed and place my lips on her skin once again, just below her belly button. My tongue tastes her while my lips cherish her, all while keeping my rhythm, moving my fingers in and out of her. She’s writhing beneath me, which only fuels me on. I can smell her desire, and suddenly, nothing else matters but tasting her. Moving yet again, I slide off the bed. She groans when my hand slips free, and I smile. Gently tugging on her legs, moving her to the edge of the bed, I look up at her about to ask for permission, never wanting to take something she’s not offering. But the look in her eyes, the way her chest is rising and falling rapidly with each breath, tells me what I need to know.

  She wants me.

  She wants this.

  “I’ve missed you, Collins,” I say before dropping to my knees. Placing one leg over each of my shoulders, I’m now eye-to-eye with her pretty, pink pussy. I can’t believe I walked away from her.

  Never again.

  She’s mine.

  I’ll fight for her.

  Fight for us.

  My fingers slide back into her wet heat, and my mouth covers her clit. My mind clears of everything, the past, the future, work; there is nothing but her and the taste of her on my tongue. I lose myself in her, her taste, the feel of her warmth wrapped around me. Her legs clamp around my neck as her walls squeeze my fingers. She’s close. I don’t let up, making love to her clit with my mouth, my fingers buried deep inside of her.

  “G-Grady.” My name is not a scream but a plea from her lips as she falls over the edge.

  I don’t stop until I feel her legs loosen and her body relax into the bed. Reluctantly pulling away, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and carefully remove her legs from my shoulders. After climbing back on the bed, I lie down beside her, both of our legs hanging off the edge. “Morning, beautiful.”

  She chuckles. “Morning.”

  “How did you sleep?”

  “Like a rock, you?” she asks with a lazy smile.

  “Sleeping with you in my dreams the last three years is no comparison to waking up with you in my arms.” Her eyes sparkle at my admission and a slight blush coats her cheeks. “What do you want to do today?” It’s my only day off this week, as I have to be back at the hospital tomorrow morning at ten, and I want to spend it with her.

  “I’m actually supposed to go over to Caleb’s. I promised Emily I’d come over and let her run the final wedding plans past me. I wasn’t sure, I mean, today is your only day off. I thought maybe you had plans.”

  “Hey.” I cup her cheek, forcing her to look at me. “You.” I lean in and kiss her nose. “You are always in my plans. No matter if it’s one day off or a week. I want to spend it with you.”

  “I know we said we were together, but I guess I just didn’t want to assume.”

  “Assume. When it comes to me and you, assume. Always assume that I want to see you. You can bet on the fact that I want to spend all my time with you. You can be certain that you are the most important person in my life. Also, for the record, I don’t want to hide us, Collins. I want the world to know how I feel about you. Nothing else matters.”

  “So, call Caleb. I’m not ready to tell him, but if you all are hanging out, at least we will be together, kind of,” she says, scrunching up her nose.

  “I won’t be able to kiss you or touch you. I’m not so sure I have that kind of restraint.”

  She laughs. “I have faith in you. Besides, the alternative is not getting to see me until later. We’ll at least be together.”

  Before I can reply, my phone rings. Grabbing it from the nightstand, I laugh when I see Caleb’s name. I show her the screen before answering. “Hey, man.”

  “What are you doing today?” he asks.

  “It’s my only day off this week, not sure yet.” What I want to say is that I’m keeping your sister hostage in my bed, so tell your fiancée she’s not coming.

  “Feel like coming over and helping me put a desk together? Em bought a new desk for the guest room. She and Collins are going over wedding plans today, again.” He chuckles. “So, yeah, manly things need to be done, and I need to be out of the way.”

  “Yeah, I can do that. What time is all this going down?”

  “Collins is supposed to be here around noon, so that works.”

  “Sounds good, man. I’ll be there.” We talk a few more minutes before hanging up, and I toss my phone on the bed. “Looks like we’ll be at your brother’s place today.”

  She smiles. “Good. I was kind of bummed I might not get to see you.”

  “We have a few hours before we have to be there.”

  “I’m going to run next door and get a shower.”

  “Or,” I say, leaning in and kissing her. “You could shower here,” I murmur against her lips.

  “I could,” she agrees, pecking my lips. “However, I don’t have any clothes or any of my stuff like shampoo and bodywash. I can’t go to my brother’s smelling like you.”

  “Fuck, that’s hot.”

  She laughs. “Yeah, I don’t think you’d feel that way when Caleb’s on your ass about it.”

  “It’s going to happen, Collins. One day he’s going to find out about us, and we’re going to have to face it.”

  “I know, but not yet. Just give this some time, okay?”

  “Okay,” I begrudgingly agree. I want us out there to our families, to my best friend. I’m ready to start our lives together to move toward the future I want us to have. We can’t do that if we’re hiding, but I understand. I’ll give her some time.

&n
bsp; “Thank you for—” Her face heats.

  “Never thank me for that, for bringing you pleasure. It’s not a chore, not a job. It’s all my pleasure, too.” I lean in and kiss her lips. “Can you stay a little longer?”

  “I should really go, start some laundry.”

  “You can go grab clothes and whatever else you need and come back here and shower and get ready. In fact, bring whatever you want to keep here.”

  “We’re not moving in together.”

  “Yet.” I grin.

  She just shakes her head. “I should go. I’ll see you later, at Caleb’s.”

  “Can I drive you? I mean, we’re neighbors after all. We could tell them we met in the hall and I offered to drive you.”

  “Grady, I don’t know.”

  “Come on, Collins. It’s simple and a nice gesture.”

  “Fine. I need to go so I can get ready.”

  “Come here.” Sliding my hand behind her neck, I pull her into a kiss, one that she’s sure to remember. It’s a kiss that tells her exactly how I feel about her.

  “Text me when you’re ready to go.”

  She nods, standing and pulling her sleep shorts back on. I rush to her side and place my hand on the small of her back, walking her to the door. When she opens the door, I make sure mine is unlocked so I can get back in and follow along with her, just mere feet away.

  “I could have made the walk of shame on my own.” She smiles up at me.

  “No. There is no shame here, baby. Nothing but respect, passion, and love.” The last word is whispered. “So much fucking love, there could never be any shame.” I kiss her temple.

  She nods. “See you in a few hours.”

  I watch as she disappears behind the door before turning and heading back to my place. Once inside, I flop down on the ugly-ass floral couch and replay the night and morning. There is nothing I would change about my time with her. Well, maybe her having to leave, but we’ll get there. I can feel it.

  Once inside my apartment, I dance around like a crazy person. Last night was more than I could have hoped for, just being with him and then this morning… Let’s just say that it was worth months of bathroom duty.