Hold on to Her (Only Her Series Book 2)

by Olivia Stephen

  She giggles along with me, and then stills her hips. My body instantly misses her movement.

  “We’ll cut out a bit early and get this place tended to, and then it’s me and you and a date at the bar, yeah?”

  A very snarky grin makes its way to Sarah’s face, and damn if she hasn’t crawled into my heart and set up camp there. She makes me crave her like I’ve never craved another woman in my entire life.

  The last set drags on, and I know it has everything to do with the fact that I have a date with Sarah on the bar once this place empties out. Soon enough, we’re on our last song of the night and the crowd begins to thin out. Within the next thirty minutes, the bartenders, servers, Cole, and I work to get the place in order, close everything down, and then everyone heads out after another busy night.

  “Let’s go, Sammy! Get your ass in gear, babe!” Cole yells out, and judging by the scowl on Samantha’s face, she’s none too impressed.

  “Kiss my ass, babe! It’s Sam, not Sammy!” she yells back, pushing open the door with force and walking out without Cole.

  “She just doesn’t get it, does she?” he asks to no one in particular, shaking his head, as he follows her like a lost puppy out the door.

  “That right there is gonna get interesting,” I whisper to Sarah, then yell out to Cole. “Hey! Lock the door on your way out, Casanova.”

  Cole turns, giving me a middle finger salute. “Clean up your mess on the bar when you’re finished, asshole. People eat and drink there, ya know.”

  Sarah looks at me, head tilted, lips pursed.

  “What? I didn’t say a thing. Can we please not think anymore about Cole right now. I’m losing my mojo here, babe, and I’m trying like hell to break in this new bar top with you.”

  Leaning back against the bar, I pull her between my legs, her hands running up and down my chest, heating skin she’s not even touching. She pulls my shirt over my head and carelessly drops it on the floor. A seductive smile spreads across her face and she breathes deep, and winking flirtatiously. Her dress is lifted up over her head in one fell swoop, leaving nothing but a black lace bra and panties covering her...the barrier between paradise and me. In a matter of seconds, I grab her under her arms and lift her so her ass is perched on the edge of the clean, shiny bar, her legs spread wide, just waiting for me to get my fill.

  It’s only a matter of seconds before Sarah is divested of her bra and panties, all while I kiss her senseless. My tongue licks lazily along her stomach and down to what I call the promised land, making her squirm, where I lick and suck and devour her until her body is thrashing in the midst of a powerful orgasm.

  The faint trace of stubble on my jaw leaves red scratches on the inside of Sarah’s thighs, but it only fills me with pride. Kinda like a caveman, marking my woman, which makes me laugh.

  It doesn’t take long for her to reach for me, pulling me toward her, rubbing and grinding up against me, causing all the blood in my body to pool south, making my already hard cock feel like fucking cement. She moves her hips in circles, searching for more, and I can no longer wait to be inside her.

  I line myself up with her wet opening and push right into paradise. This isn’t slow and soft lovemaking. This is passion and heat and fire. My thrusts are fast-paced, rocking Sarah back and forth on the bar top so forcefully, she grabs hold of the rail and holds on.

  “Shit, Sarah. You are so wet, so warm, baby. I can’t get enough of you.”

  Her only responses are whimpers and moans. I’ve rendered her speechless.

  Yep, it was that good.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Liam

  This is it. I have to have this conversation now, as much as I don’t want to. Sarah’s just gotten off the phone with her mom and thankfully Mr. Witten is doing remarkably well. Sarah had been working on schoolwork when her mom called, and I’ve been getting caught up on some paperwork from the bar I brought home to finish. Concentrating on these numbers is becoming increasingly difficult the more I think about what I’ll say to her. With my laptop and a folder of papers put away for now, I walk to the sofa to sit by my girl, hoping for the best.

  “You about finished?”

  “Just finishing now. Help me get these papers in my bag and I’ll put away my laptop.”

  Once everything is cleaned up, I grab a beer from the fridge and get a glass of wine for Sarah, sitting close to her, hoping to keep her grounded.

  “Sweetheart, a few weeks ago when Roman and Tatum came to hear me play, Roman took some video of Cole and I playing some of our original stuff. He’s a musician as well, and it so happens his father is a record executive. Roman showed his father the video and he would like Cole and I to go to Nashville to talk with a rep there. I haven’t a clue what will happen in that meeting, or who all will be there. We’re just going to hear what they have to say and what they may be interested in. It could turn out to be a wasted trip, for all I know.”

  Sarah is silent, but her body language is speaking volumes. I frame her face with my hands, leaning in to kiss her gently. Her body is tense and there’s an uneasy look in her eyes. “You have to know I love what we’re building here between us, and also with the bar. I’m not making any decisions about anything without you. Not sure how long we’ll be there, but I suspect only a few days. As soon as I know, you’ll know.” My voice stays as calm as I can make it, hoping she’ll clue in on that.

  “Yeah. Um, that’s great, Liam. I hope that works out for you. I know your music is important to you.”

  “You’ve become more important. I love you, remember?”

  She’s shifting on my lap, twiddling those fingers again and pulling at the hem in her shirt, which is her tell. She’s nervous, I know it, because her voice cracked twice, and her eyes never once met mine. Looking uncertain, she withdraws her hand from mine and I instantly feel the loss of it. I put her on my lap on purpose because I could hold on to her better if she tried to get up to leave too quickly. She’s finally settling into this committed relationship with me, but because of her past, I expected there would be a good chance she’d take off after hearing this news.

  “I know you’ve got school, but I’d love for you to come with us.”

  “Liam, you know I can’t take time off school. You said yourself you don’t know how long you’ll be there. I just can’t go running off in the middle of the school year to Nashville, to see if my boy...I mean, to see if you’re going to get some record deal. That’s your dream anyway, not mine.”

  “My dream, Sarah, was always to become a songwriter. This meeting may lead to that, it may lead to some kind of record deal, or it may end up being nothing, which I’m inclined to believe the latter because cracking the music industry is not just having the talent. It’s a lot of being in the right place at the right time and some good luck too. To be perfectly honest, Cole is the one who is counting most on a record deal. He’s got bright lights and money and women on his mind right now, and not in that order. And honestly, if that is something he’d like to pursue, I would support him all the way. It doesn’t mean that’s what I have to do too. My other dream was to meet an amazing woman someday, and start planning a future. Right now, I can see that particular dream coming true.”

  “What do you want me to say, Liam? I’m happy for you. I really am. It’s just...”

  “That the timing sucks?” I question.

  “Well, yeah, the timing sucks.” The defeated sound in her quiet voice pierces my ears and I don’t like it.

  “Look, I’ll call you every night, we’ll Face-Time, or Skype, or whatever. It’s just a couple days, I’d imagine. And you know what they say about absence and the heart?” I try to tickle her and get her to lighten up some, and I know she’s trying, it’s just the smile is forced, not heartfelt. “Sarah, I am not leaving you. I’m coming back because this right here,” I say, wiggling my finger between the two of us, “this is the real deal, and now that you’re finally mine, don’t even think for one minute that I would e
ver give this up. We will make it work. I promise.”

  For the first time since we started this conversation, Sarah smiles. A genuine smile, not a smile-because-that’s-what-I-should-do smile. I breathe a sigh of relief and pull her closer to me, situating her legs so she’s straddling my lap. My lips hover over hers briefly.

  “You’re amazing, you know that?”

  “Eh...I’ve heard that a time or two,” she jokes.

  “Oh, you have, have you? Well, let’s see how amazing you really are then.” My tongue sneaks out to lick the perimeter of her luscious lips.

  “Liam, are you propositioning me?”

  “You call it whatever you want to call it.” My lips meet hers again and in a few short moments, we’re lost in each other for the second time today.

  Sarah and I leave to go to the Winter Carnival her school is hosting tonight. She’s signed up to work the cotton candy station and when she told me that, my mind conjured up all sorts of images of Sarah covered in sticky sweetness and my tongue licking off all that goodness.

  This, however, is an elementary school function, so I need to keep the X-rated version of the cotton candy station in the back of my mind.

  Raina coerced Zane into helping, and I’m not exactly sure how she did it, but she roped Cole into working this event too, and I, for one, can’t wait to watch him in action. He’ll fit right in with the ten-year-olds. God help us all, he’s running the bouncy house. He asked Sam to come with him, but she’s having none of what he’s offering right now. Besides, she’s back at the bar, large and in charge, for the night. With the three of us here, at least one manager had to stay back and keep the place running.

  We all arrive at the school at the same time and walk in together, finding our stations and setting up. Before we even hit the main entrance, Sarah had to remind Cole three times this was a family event and to leave the sailor language at the door. And she had to do that when Cole announced, “Fuck, let’s do this,” as we opened the school doors.

  These were the kinds of events I always looked forward to as a kid. We’d get all hyped up on sugary treats then head home to crash, our asses dragging the next morning as we tried to pull ourselves out of bed for the school day.

  “So, this carnival thing. Do you get lots of kids?” I ask Sarah.

  “Oh, we definitely do. They’ve been looking forward to it for weeks now. We’ve read carnival stories and did carnival math, and learned about how spinning sugar turns into cotton candy in science, so I think we’ve done a great job turning this into a learning experience too.”

  One of the first things I noticed about Sarah in this environment, with her fellow teachers and all the kids, is how relaxed she is. This place, these kids, they take her mind off all the bullshit she’s been through and allow her to shine. To do what she does best.

  “Miss Witten! Miss Witten!”

  Sarah braces herself for a flailing seven-year-old approaching at a speed that may possibly reach Mach 10.

  “I knowed you’d be here. I jus’ knowed it!” The little girl bounces up and down on her toes, grabbing Sarah around the waist.

  “Alyssa, sweetie, I told you all week I’d be here, remember?”

  “Oh, I remember, I really do, I think I jus’ forgot, can I have some cotton candy?” There are no breaks in her sentences, no pauses, not one breath taken. It all comes barreling out at once. This little one’s smile lights up the entire place and she holds on to Sarah like she’s Santa Claus or something.

  “Well, do you have the ticket I gave you?”

  “Sure do, here ya go. Who’s this guy?” the little one asks, pointing straight at me.

  “Alyssa, this is Liam. Liam, this is Alyssa.”

  Once I stop my head from spinning after that brief but confusing conversation, I kneel down, shaking Alyssa’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Alyssa. That’s a pretty name.”

  “Yep. You gonna marry Miss Witten?”

  Sarah’s lips pull into a tight line, and she tries quite hard to stifle a grin, dropping her head so I don’t see the redness appear on her face.

  “Alyssa, Liam and I are good friends.”

  “Okay. Miss Witten, I have to go to the bouncy house now, I have a ticket for that too.”

  “Hey Alyssa, make sure you talk to the man who is working the bouncy house tonight. His name is Cole. He loves talking. He talks a lot, so be sure to stay there a while, okay?”

  “Okay, Li...um...Li. Okay, just Li, that’s it,” she says, struggling to remember my name.

  I can’t help but howl with laughter as soon as little Alyssa leaves to find the bouncy house. I can see why Sarah is so taken with these kids. It’s a wonderful age. It makes me sad to think of all she will be missing by not being a mother, either to her own, or to a foster or adopted child. I try to understand why she’s scared. She was so young when she miscarried, though, and I think if she would talk to someone about it, get her feelings and insecurities about another pregnancy out in the open, it may just help her see that trying to have another baby someday may just be a risk worth taking.

  My mind drifts to a time when she would be pregnant with my child. God, I can just see her now. A beautiful round belly, soft curves. As good as she is with these kids, she would be the most nurturing and caring mom, I can feel it. I just know. And she’d deliver that baby like a champ. Oh, she’d scream at me, no doubt. That’s a given. I smile at the sound of my stubborn girl giving me hell for knocking her up. “Liam!” she’d yell over and over, squeezing my hand as she delivers our baby.

  “Liam!” It sounds so real, like I really hear her voice.

  “Hey, Liam!” And when I turn, there she is, snapping her fingers in my face, frustration on hers. “You gonna stand there all day with your head in the clouds or are you gonna help me make cotton candy?”

  “Shi...I mean, shoot. Sorry about that. Lost in thought.”

  “I’ll say. Now get me the good stuff and let’s get these kids all sugared up.”

  The night passes quickly, most likely due to the fact that we made upwards of seven hundred pounds of cotton candy. And I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I’m covered in this shit. Sarah has little pieces of blue and pink strewn through her hair, yet she’s never looked more beautiful to me.

  “Jesus, these kids have too much energy. Why do kids have all this energy and grown-ups have none? Seems a bit lopsided if you ask me,” Zane groans as he and Raina walk up to the cotton candy machine Sarah and I are cleaning.

  “Don’t pick on the kids, Zane. They’re probably on a sugar high from all the cotton candy Sarah and Liam fed them.”

  “No kid of mine will ever touch that shit. I guarantee you that.”

  “Well, baby, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Raina walks closer to Zane, reaching for his hand. Every head turns to Raina as one lonely tear falls down her face, and when she smiles at Zane, he gets it. It sinks in. He’s gonna be a father.

  “You m–me–mean...” Zane stutters.

  “Yes, I do. I’m pregnant.”

  The loudest scream that’s ever been recorded on this planet comes out of Zane’s mouth. He picks up Raina, twirls her around, probably throwing her into a bout of vertigo. Jesus, she’s pregnant and he’s spinning her around like a wind-up top.

  “Oh, my God, baby, really? Shit, I shouldn’t spin you around, should I? I’m sorry. You’re really pregnant?”

  “Really, really. Eight weeks along.”

  “Oh, Raina, I’m so happy for you. I knew Zane had those super sperm.” Sarah pushes Zane out of the way and leans in to give Raina a hug, rubbing her hand up and down Raina’s back.

  Everyone laughs at Sarah’s comment and gathers around to congratulate the happy couple on their news. And when I turn to look at Sarah, what I see is not what everyone else sees. Everyone else sees a smile, sees her clapping along with the group. I see profound sadness. The tears building in her eyes aren’t happy ones, although she’ll tell you they are. The slump
in her shoulders is just because she’s tired, she’ll tell you. When she drops her head, she’ll say she’s thinking about how excited she is for Raina, and how she’s wondering if it’ll be a boy or girl. Yeah, she’ll put on a front to make everyone else believe she couldn’t be happier, because no one else but me, and of course her family and shithead Daniel, knows she miscarried at eighteen. If Raina knew this, she’d never have announced her pregnancy like she just did.

  The mask of happiness that’s slid down over Sarah’s face? It’s just that. A mask. Fake. And I wonder if I’ll be able to pull it off, or if we’re back to square one.

  I take Sarah’s hand, squeezing it in a show of support.

  “All I can say is I’m glad I don’t have that shit to worry about,” Cole interrupts. “After tonight, I might just wrap my dick in bubble wrap so I don’t have to worry about kids. Like ever. These little rug-rats wouldn’t leave me alone. And this little girl, Lyssi or Lyssa or something, Jesus, she talked my ear off all night.”

  “You do realize they’re drawn to you because you act their age, you know. I mean you basically have the same mental capacity.”

  “Raina, that’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me. You’re a teacher, babe, so I think you really need to start working on using your nice words.”

  “Awww...didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, big guy,” she shoots right back.

  “Keep up the sarcasm, go ahead,” he says with fake annoyance. “I can take it. I’m leaving now, so I can go home and order some bubble wrap, or at the very least, double strength condoms. Lock down this shit now.”

  We’re all walking out the door of the school and Sarah and I break off toward my car. I can tell Sarah’s mind is a mile away. As we reach the car, I stop, pulling her to lean on me as I rest against the door.