The Blue Collar Bachelors Box Set: The Complete Blue Collar Bachelors Series

by Miller, Cassie-Ann L.

  “That’s a damn shame.” For a second, I wish I could be that guy. But it's complicated. I'm complicated.

  I'm in no position to offer her the kind of relationship she deserves. So I lean in and steal a kiss.

  Yes, it’s a stolen kiss because this amazing woman can never be mine.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Reese

  Leo reaches over a sleeping Brenton and grabs the bowl of popcorn from my lap. The TV lights his face in flashes of blue and red. He winks at me as he hums the movie’s theme song through his nose. I grin wide. He doesn't look like the type of guy who would know the soundtrack of Frozen but he is. He hits every note in perfect timing.

  He's such a good dad.

  Add that to the growing list of things I like about Leo Montgomery. That kid is the center of his universe. He'd do anything, sacrifice anything to make sure Brenton is happy and healthy. It's crazy that he doubts himself and the job he's doing. Brenton couldn’t ask for a better father. I wish there was a way to make him see that.

  When the movie ends, the only sound in the room is the child's soft snores. The light of the blank screen shines on Leo's face as he watches me.

  I don’t want them to go tonight.

  Three hours ago, Leo showed up to pick Brenton up but I lured him inside with promises of fried chicken and Netflix.

  It was his idea to watch a movie together after dinner. He seemed hesitant to make the suggestion, like he wasn’t sure I’d want to spend my Friday night with him and his kid. But hanging out with them is seriously one of my favorite things so I couldn’t say no.

  We made popcorn and hot chocolate and cozied up on the couch. Naturally, Brenton went straight for the Disney movies but halfway through, his heavy lids fluttered shut.

  And I don't know if you’re allowed to do this with your lover—spend Friday night watching cartoons with him and his kid—but I'm so intoxicated by this man. I’ll take any opportunity to spend time with him. I'd probably ride along to a colonoscopy with him just to be close.

  Now, he's sitting at the other end of the couch, giving me a look that makes my heart pound. He smiles and just like that, the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on edge. I bite down on my bottom lip and he gives me a knowing stare. He brushes my hair over my shoulder. "What are you thinking, Cupcake Girl?" His low whisper settles in the throbbing space between my thighs.

  My breathing stutters. "Maybe we can put Brenton down in the guest bedroom..." The suggestion barely makes it past the lump in my throat.

  Leo twirls the ends of my hair around his finger. His voice is thick but playful as he shrugs a shoulder noncommittally. "Maybe..."

  We share a lusty grin in the dimly-lit room. He rises to his feet and so do I. As I turn in the direction of the stairs, he comes up behind me and loops an arm around my waist. He pulls me flush against his hard, throbbing body. I feel his erection digging into my spine. "Wait for me in your bed. I want you naked on top of the sheets when I get there."

  A wave of yearning rolls up from my toes all the way to my pussy as he lets go. He wiggles his brows at me then leans down to tenderly scoop the sleeping child into his arms. I watch him climb the stairs. The way his shoulders bunch with restrained power under the cotton of his t-shirt makes me ache.

  I’m a horny fool for this man.

  When I get to my bedroom, I’m nearly breathless. I peel off my leggings with shaking fingers. I unbutton my shirt and shrug it off of my shoulders then lay it on the dresser together with my bra. I climb into bed, on top of the sheets and set out a roll of condoms.

  I'm so wet. Long strings of my desire pull away from my core as I move my panties down my thighs. I'm almost ashamed. I don't know if I should want him this bad. I don't know if just the thought of him inside of me should make my body react this strongly. But here I am naked and soaked, waiting for him in my bed.

  The door creaks open and my heart gallops in my chest as Leo appears in the dark shadows of my room.

  He locks the door.

  There's a fire in his eyes as his gaze sweeps over my body, spread out for him. "God—you're beautiful." His words rumble across my skin like thunder. My arousal pours out like rain. "Those big, pretty tits. That soft belly. Those curvy thighs." I feel lightning in my veins as he steps closer to the bed, tugging off his shirt. He slides his hand under the elastic of his pants and strokes the rod of steel between his legs. "Touch that pussy for me, Reese. I want to see you make yourself feel good."

  My cunt clenches hard at the command. I've never shown myself to anyone like this. But I want him to see me. I want him to see what it looks like when I think of him.

  My fingers sweep down my pelvis and settle between my thighs. I'm flooded by my own desire. It flows out of my pussy onto the sheets. My movements are shy at first. I'm so aware of his eyes on me, of his breath accelerating. I roll the pads of my digits over my wet clit. I'm touching myself with both hands. All my fingers are drenched. I'm so sensitive down there.

  Bursts of electricity shoot to my breasts. I draw one hand there, pinching my nipples between slick fingertips. I squeeze my eyes shut and moan.

  Leo is panting, groaning. I hear the rough jerk of his fist sliding back and forth on his cock. Listening to him brings me so close to the edge. "You're the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he whispers hoarsely. "Such a pretty girl. With such a pretty pussy. All wet just for me."

  If he keeps talking like that…If he keeps…Oh, shit…If he keeps talking like that…

  My fingers move faster, pressing and rubbing on my clit until I’m lost in the frenzied quest for release. He moves closer to the bed and I feel his fingers traveling up the inside of my spread thighs.

  Shit…

  Just as I’m about to explode in bliss, his fingers close around my wrist and he pushes my hand away. “Open your eyes, Reese. I’m going to eat your sweet pussy and I want you to watch me.”

  My eyes blink open and I see him at the foot of the bed. His boxers are low on his hips now and he jerks his cock roughly. He pushes his underwear all the way off and crawls onto the mattress. Gripping my wrist again, he brings my fingers to his mouth. He sucks three of them between his lips and the hot suction makes my clit into a jealous, whiny bitch.

  Unable to control the words slipping off my tongue, I moan. “Fuck, Leo. You’re so hot.”

  I catch sight of his cocky grin right before his face disappears. Now, his head is between my thighs, his tongue working restlessly at my core. I convulse against his mouth, losing my fingers in his hair, holding him in place. I tell him how much I love it, I tell him how good he’s making me feel. I squeeze my thighs to his cheeks, trapping him there until I’m flying over the edge, losing my mind with pleasure.

  I am completely boneless once the orgasm is through with me. I need a moment to recover but he’s still touching me, his fingers dance in my wet channel as his thumb brushes over my clit.

  He chuckles, his eyes on me as I writhe helplessly. His cock is sheathed now. He flips my limp body unto my belly and with his arm banded around my waist, he yanks my ass up toward him.

  "Face in the pillow, loud girl." He pushes my head down roughly and I moan, loving the way he manhandles me.

  With a hand firmly on my back, he drives his cock into me. My pussy stretches, swallowing the crown. My stomach tingles as he feeds his shaft through my slippery tunnel. I gasp into the pillow, letting my frustration out into the down feathers. And Leo is behind me, smoothly working his hips against my ass. He’s so big, so hard. I shudder at the combination of pleasure and pain.

  He grumbles softly and falls forward, wrapping his arm around my belly. He hunches over me, his hard chest pressed flush to my back, my ass crushed by his rhythmic pounding.

  Oh god…

  Leaning over my shoulder, he presses his cheek to mine as one hand smooths down my torso and settles between my thighs. The other hand grips the sheets beneath us. He strums my clit, each swipe of his fingers resonating throughout my bon
es.

  I’ve always wanted a man to fuck me this way, to take complete control of my pleasure. To close his fingers around my throat and sink his teeth into my skin and clobber my pussy like he’s drilling for diamonds. But in all my fantasies, I’d hand over, not just my body, but my heart, too. The man in my fantasies had all of me.

  But Leo doesn’t want that. He’s only in it for the sex. I promised him I was okay with that. So now that I’m starting to catch feelings, I have no right to complain.

  I shove my pesky little emotions into a box and tuck them away, some place I’ll never find them. I focus on the moment, on the cock ripping through my body, pushing me, yet again, to the edge of devastating pleasure. He angles my face and our lips clash. It's a soft but eager battle. And I feel it all throughout my limbs.

  I’m so close now. My hips move frantically. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. All I can do is chase that orgasm as if my life depends on it.

  And when I catch up to it, I fall, tumbling toward a bottomless crater of pleasure. I come so hard. Leo is gasping above me, hurtling toward his own climax. His chest flexes against my back. He chokes back a groan and his cock jerks all the way to the root. His body goes tight and he swears against my cheek as the aftershocks of my orgasm echo into his body.

  He falls to his side, pulling me down with him as he lands on the mattress. Nearly lifeless, I tug his arms around me, locking myself up in his embrace like a vise. I roll over so that I’m smiling up into his face. He tenderly brushes my hair from my face and grins.

  “You okay?” he whispers.

  My heart thumps like crazy and the intimacy is overwhelming. I bury my face against his pecs to hide my flushed cheeks. “Yes.”

  God—I like this guy…

  I’m like a schoolgirl with a crush. This is embarrassing.

  When I pull back, Leo scans my face and his expression tells me he knows exactly what I’m thinking. He doesn’t exactly look thrilled.

  Fuck!

  We agreed that feelings wouldn’t get involved, that this was only about sex. But the warm, yearning feeling in my chest is anything but neutral at this point.

  He runs a knuckle across my cheekbone and rolls across the mattress. Before I can register what’s going on, he’s on his feet. He’s pulling on his boxers and his pants. He’s tugging his T-shirt over his head.

  I should say something. I should assure him that I’m still very aware of the terms of our agreement. I should remind him that this was my idea, that I can handle being just bed buddies and nothing more.

  But none of that is true.

  My heart is raw and open. Vulnerable. Things are changing between us. There’s no way he doesn’t feel it too. I want to scoop him into my arms. I want to take care of him. And Brenton. I want to be more in his life. I shouldn’t want these things, but I do.

  Still, I’m not stupid. I know that vocalizing these things will only push him away. Yes, I want more but I definitely don’t want to loose the little bit that we have right now.

  He shoves his fingers into his hair and a chill immediately sinks into my bones. I watch him walk to the window. He needs space. It’s a cold reminder of the reality of our situation.

  Just sex. No hand-holding. No sleepovers. No sweet nothings in the dark.

  “I’m gonna go get some fresh air,” he tells me.

  It suddenly feels very chilly in here. And I feel exposed. “Yeah,” I say as I pull the blanket high on my chest.

  His shoulders are bunched with tension and his forehead creased. He throws me one last glance before he walks out of the room. Feeling like shit, I crawl out of bed and pad over to the dresser to grab some pajamas.

  I glance out the window and Leo is there, sitting on the bottom step, sucking on a cigarette. Even from all the way over here, I can see how tense he is. I can’t help but want to fix him and his life even though I have no right to.

  Lying in the dark, I stare up at the ceiling. I don’t get any sleep. My eyes flick constantly to the alarm clock on the bedside table. It takes forever for 3:30 to finally show up. I get up and pad quietly into the bathroom, careful not to wake Brent. I shower and pull my wet hair into a high bun. As I brush my teeth, I avoid looking into the mirror because I know what I’ll see. I don’t want to see my desolate expression. I don’t want to see the ‘I told you so’ in my own eyes. Because I wasn’t supposed to get this deep into this man’s life.

  I glance out the window. Thankfully, Leo isn’t sitting out there in the cold anymore but now, I’m not sure where he is and I have to leave for work. I can’t leave until I find him because Brent is asleep in the guest bedroom.

  I grab my purse and keys before I tiptoe downstairs. My search for Leo comes to an end at the bottom of the stairs. He’s lying on the couch, chest rising and falling evenly.

  And I can’t pretend it doesn’t sting that he chose the lumpy sofa. He chose not to spend the night in my bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Reese

  Sophia bounces through the front door of the Broken Cupcake just after lunch, looking absolutely radiant.

  “Hi!” She waves excitedly as she makes her way over to the counter.

  I come around the cash register and give her a quick hug. “Hey—wow, you look gorgeous!”

  “Why, thank you!” She quirks a narrow shoulder coyly and grins, basking in the compliment. Her gleaming hair falls in soft waves around her face and her candy pink skirt suit is perfectly tailored to her slim body. Her mood has definitely improved since the last time I saw her. All signs of insecurity are gone and she’s back to being a princess happily living out her fairy tale. She furrows her brows. “You’ve got food dye on your nose.” She grabs a napkin and blots delicately at my face.

  Of course I do. Of course I’m a haggard mess in the face of Sophia’s unflawed femininity. Such is the sad story of my life.

  “Thank you,” I snort as I double-check my disheveled reflection in the glass of the cupcake display case. “What are you doing here?” I ask as I return to my station behind the counter.

  “I spoke to Nova and she said that she was passing by so I decided to come pick up some cupcakes for the construction workers. They’re doing such a good job. I thought it’d be a nice treat for them.”

  Sophia may be a bit high maintenance but she’s undeniably sweet, a great person. “That’s nice of you. They’ll like that.” The melancholy I feel on the inside bleeds into my voice.

  Leo’s on my mind now. I imagine him over at Sophia’s house, sweat beading on his temples, slick muscles bulging as he pushes a wheelbarrow or swings a hammer or does any number of the stereotypical activities that are routinely performed in female fantasies about construction workers.

  I wonder if he’s thinking about me. I wonder if there’s any chance that he may change his mind about the possibilities for our situationship. I love exploring his body, submitting to his raw sexual power, watching the look on his face as he climaxes inside of me. But now, I want his heart…even though I know it’s too much to ask.

  I hear Sophia clear throat dramatically. My head snaps up and she’s looking at me with a curious expression. “Uh, the cupcakes…”

  I shake my head and bring my attention back to the present. “Right, right…” I grab a large box and start arranging cakes inside. “And by the way, why the hell are you so radiant right now?” I give her another onceover.

  Her eyes twinkle at me. “Joshie and I had a pre-wedding spa appointment this morning,” she tells me. “We may or may not have taken our relaxation to the next level after the hot stone massage.” She giggles.

  “Lucky you,” I mutter. I should be happy for my friend. Instead, I’m sort of jealous. She has clarity. She has a man who put a ring on it. Even if he’s somewhat of an arrogant, vexatious ass-kerchief. She knows where she stands with him. But with Leo, I don’t know what’s going on in his head. The only thing I know is that I’m falling deeper and deeper into what I feel for him.

  A wis
tful breath escapes Sophia’s painted lips. “Too bad he had to leave early. Business stuff came up. A luxury boutique in Manhattan just placed a small order for his nail clippers.” She beams with excitement. “This is a big deal for him. A chance to finally prove to his father that he’s a real businessman, y’know? No one else believes in him. That’s why I’ve got to give him my full support even if it means we can’t spend as much time together as I’d like.”

  It’s a struggle not to roll my eyes at her unrelenting dedication. “When have you and Josh ever spent five minutes together without business interrupting it?”

  Her eyes narrow at my snarkiness. “What’s your deal today?” she asks with a pout.

  Shit—I think I’ve hurt her feelings which is not what I intended. “Sorry, Soph. I’m just a little...preoccupied.”

  “Is your ‘lover’ not delivering all those slutty, little orgasms you were expecting?” She draws elegant air-quotes around the word. I almost laugh. From her tone, I can tell that she’s still not on board with Leo and my situation. And now I’m starting to think that she may have been right all along.

  I sigh. “It’s getting complicated.”

  Nova strides in through the front door just in time to hear that. “Theresa Hartley, please don’t tell me that you’re developing feelings for your fuck friend!” She drops her guitar case down next to her scuffed combat boots.

  The group of teenaged girls sitting at a table nearby spin my way. “Nova, keep it down!” I whisper-yell.

  She ignores me. “Reese, the whole point of a fuck friend is to simplify your life. To afford you the joy of sex without the heartache of relationships. Sort of like having a human vibrator. It’s not okay to form emotional attachments to your sex toys.”

  At Nova’s rather colorful analogy, Sophia huffs through her nose and looks away, shaking her head.

  “I know, I know.” My shoulders drop heavily. “But I can’t help it. He’s just…he’s fucking fantastic, okay? And I can’t help but want more from him. A girl’s self-restraint can only withstand so much. But he’s so broken. He’s been hurt, badly. I’m just scared.” I sigh. “There’s this little voice at the back of my head, constantly warning me that he’s just on the rebound, that all he really wants is the sex which is fine because that’s what I signed up for. Except it’s not fine because I’m falling for him.” I’m winded and frustrated now.