Finally Yours (Love & Wine Book 1)

by Claire Raye

  He’s slow and deliberate, his fingers finding me, working in and out until I feel like everything around me is going to shatter into a million pieces. I can’t hold out any longer.

  “Please, Jack,” I beg, my words a desperate plea. “I need to feel you…” And before I can finish my sentence his hands cup my face and he slides inside me in one movement. Both of us gasping in unison at the sensation and he stops, holding perfectly still as we take each other in.

  I need the moment of quiet, my body needing to get used to the feeling of having Jack inside me, something that is still so new no matter how many times it happens. I never want to forget what this feels like. The way my body feels like it’s on fire, the way my mind commits his every movement to memory and the way my heart tightens, clenching hard in my chest as a reminder of what it feels like to fall for someone so fully.

  My once shattered heart is slowly healing because of Jack.

  My legs wrap around Jack’s hips, pulling him closer and he begins to move, slow at first, knowing neither one of us wants this moment to end.

  Our mouths are connected the way our bodies are, exploring and tasting each other as the need and want blooms heavy in both of us.

  Desperation begins to take over and my nails are dragging down Jack’s back, marking him as I moan his name, begging for him to fuck me as his hips grind hard against mine. His movements become erratic and less controlled, he’s rough and needy.

  It’s only seconds before my body clenches around him, pulling an orgasm from each of us, along with the last pleading desires from our lips as we lie sated and breathing heavily on my bed.

  I can’t remember the last time I ever woke up like this. Honestly, I’m not certain I ever have. Nothing in my life has ever felt this right.

  “Plans for today?” Jack asks, his fingers absentmindedly twirling a few strands of my hair around his finger.

  “I have no idea,” I respond still somewhat breathless and Jack laughs.

  “I’m so good at this that I’ve blown your mind,” Jack gloats and what once would’ve annoyed me, now has me smiling and teasing him right back.

  “Oh, you’d like to think it’s your amazing body that has this effect on me, huh?”

  “I don’t think it, I know it. The way you moan my name…” Jack starts, his lips once again trailing along my neck, “tells me that it’s my dick that you want, always.”

  He wasn’t kidding when he said dirty talk and that accent are a deadly combination, and I find myself moving against him again.

  But that idea is short-lived because we are once again interrupted by the sound of a door slamming and small feet pounding on the wood floor.

  “Aunt Lulu!” comes Olivia’s singsong voice as she searches my house for any signs of me.

  There are so many things I suddenly regret as I lay here naked in bed with Jack, but the biggest of them all was teaching those two how to find the house key I keep hidden under the doormat.

  “Put some clothes on,” I whisper-shout as I shove Jack out of the bed and I scramble for my robe. “And don’t you dare come out of this room unless you want the firing squad out there to hit you with a million questions.”

  “Aunt Lulu!” Olivia screams louder this time, because like all kids she thinks if she screams louder it will suddenly make me appear. Which it actually does because I emerge from the bedroom to find Oscar and Olivia standing in my kitchen with Olivia wearing Jack’s work boots.

  “Where’s Jack?” Oscar asks, looking around like he’s going to appear out of nowhere. “He’s not in the shed and it’s late.”

  “He’s not here,” I defend immediately and Olivia gives me the stink eye.

  “Why are his boots here?” she asks, shuffling her too small feet around in the clunky boots.

  “I don’t know,” I respond, stumbling over my words and knowing they are totally on to me.

  Damn, these two are good.

  Both of them stand there eyeing me and knowing I’m lying through my teeth, but how the hell do you explain to two seven year olds that you’ve spent the night with someone and you don’t mean a sleepover. The questions will be endless.

  “Some more parts for the crusher just got delivered and I had the guy bring them to the shed,” Oscar says like he’s running the place. “And Mom wants to know where you are.”

  “Okay, thanks,” I reply hoping it will send them on their way, but neither one of them budges.

  “What’s going on?” Oscar asks, his eyebrows up and the skepticism loud and clear in his question.

  “Nothing, why? Just woke up late. Gotta get moving, right? You said Mom was looking for me.”

  “Woke up late?” Olivia scoffs as she clomps around the island in Jack’s boots leaving little bits of dried mud in her wake. “You never wake up late.”

  “You sick?” Oscar asks. “One time when I threw up at school, I slept late too.”

  “No,” I answer back, finding it hard to hold back the laughter that builds inside me.

  These two are piece of work.

  “You two need to head out of here so I can get dressed, got it?” I say, trying to be firm but struggling as I picture Jack hiding in my bedroom while these two badgers won’t give up.

  They don’t move and I finally concede to them.

  “Listen, yes, Jack is here,” I say, letting out a long exhale, my hands on my hips. “He’s probably just about to get in the shower because he spent the night.”

  “Did you watch a movie?” Olivia asks, the boots now gone from her feet with one left by the sink and the other by the entrance to my hall bathroom.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Was it a date?” Oscar now asks.

  “Sorta.”

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Olivia questions, her voice going up in a teasing way as she says the word boyfriend.

  I pause for a moment, choosing my words wisely because whatever I say here will be brought back to Ellen and twisted in a way that only a seven-year-old can do.

  “Yes. Jack is my boyfriend.” I keep it short and simple. They understand boyfriends and girlfriends, not in the way that I was just shacking up with Jack, but rather in the way that they know I like him. I’m not sure how else to explain my relationship with Jack to them. I’m not certain that boyfriend is the right word, but for them it works. It’s easy.

  “Finally!” Oscar shouts, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically as he turns on his heel and walks over to the front door.

  While the conversation with Oscar ends there, Olivia is a little more difficult.

  “Are you going to get married? Can I call him Uncle Jack? Does he live at your house now? Why is he allowed to wear muddy boots in your house but I’m not?”

  “Whoa, take it down a notch, sister,” I tell her, my fingers twisting one of her pigtails into a bun. “Jack is still my friend. We just like to spend time together. That’s all.”

  “I want you to marry him,” Olivia states firmly before shrugging her shoulders and following the path her brother just took.

  Now that the Spanish Inquisition has vacated my house I head back to the bedroom, but as I push the door open it nails Jack right in the side of the head.

  “Shit, Lu, be careful,” he says, rubbing the spot on his face where the door hit him.

  He’s standing there in his underwear, clearly not concerned about putting on some clothes as the kids questioned me in the kitchen. I can picture him with his ear pressed against the door trying to eavesdrop on every word of our conversation.

  “Were you listening through the door?” I ask, giving him a teasing pinch to his side.

  His hand closes around my wrist as I move it away, and Jack pulls me into his arms. The smile on his face is spread so wide and his eyes crinkle up in the corners. I can practically feel the happiness radiating off him.

  “So, I’m your boyfriend, huh?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jack

  “So, it’s official now, is it?”r />
  I look up and find Ellen standing just inside the shed, a huge shit-eating grin on her face as she looks at me.

  “Jesus, word travels fast around here.”

  Ellen laughs, stepping toward me. “The beauty of working in a family business, Jack,” she says. “Don’t worry, you’ll be married by lunch and have her knocked up by dinner.”

  I shake my head, unable to stop the smile. “Good to know,” I tell her. “And for the record, those kids of yours would make fantastic interrogators.”

  Ellen laughs again. “Ugh, I know,” she says. “But just so you know, I like this thing you’ve got going with Lauren,” she adds, serious now. “Despite her protests, she does actually like you. You make her happy and it’s good to see. She deserves it.”

  I nod. “Making her happy is all I wanna do,” I tell her.

  “I know,” she says. “Just be kind to her, okay? She’s been through a lot.”

  Our eyes meet but Ellen goes no further and as much as I want to ask, I don’t, certain she’s not going to tell me anyway. “I will,” I say instead. “I’m not fucking about here.”

  Ellen nods. “So,” she continues, her eyes never leaving mine because clearly, this isn’t over yet. “What does this mean long-term?”

  I shrug, trying for casual, as though the fact I live in Australia is somehow no big deal in all of this. “I don’t know yet,” I admit. “We haven’t worked out the logistics.”

  “You know she’ll never leave this place, don’t you?”

  I stare back at Ellen, wondering if she too doubts my intentions or the intensity of my feelings for her sister. I wasn’t lying when I told Lu I wouldn’t leave her, but I’d be lying now if I said I had everything worked out for how this whole thing was going to work.

  I don’t and to be honest, I’m not sure I even know where to begin with any of it.

  “I know, Ellen,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t have all the answers yet, okay, but like I said, I’m not fucking about here.”

  Ellen nods once more, before smiling at me. “Okay, enough with the interrogation,” she says.

  I chuckle, relieved that I’ve passed her test, for now. “I can see where your kids get it from,” I joke, just as my phone chimes out with a text.

  Ellen waves a hand in dismissal before turning and walking out of the shed. I pull my phone from my pocket, smiling at the message on my screen.

  Lu: you had your talking to from Ellen yet?

  Me: just now  word travels fast around here

  Lu: ugh, those kids haven’t shut up all morning…sorry…

  Me: don’t be, I like that people know we’re boyfriend and girlfriend  it’s so retro

  Lu: well I’m not certain ALL the staff know yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.

  This morning, after Lu had finally managed to get Oscar and Ollie out of the house, I’d confronted her about the fact she’d told them I was her boyfriend, effectively admitting this thing between us was really happening.

  It was cute watching her get all embarrassed about it and even though I was totally on board for us being outted, I could understand how it might be awkward for her. After all, she’s the boss and technically, I’m her employee. I can imagine that people will start talking and assuming I’m getting more than just sexual favors here.

  Me: it’s all good Lu, I’ll see you later xx

  Lu: x

  I slide my phone back into my pocket and get back to work, but it chimes out with a new text. Pulling it from my pocket, my smile quickly fades though, when I see who it’s from.

  Mel: Jack, please stop ignoring me. We need to talk. PLEASE!

  I shake my head, muttering a fuck’s sake as I finally do what I should have done the second I discovered what was happening and block her number. No matter how much she might want to talk, I’m not interested because I don’t see how anything she could say can excuse what she did.

  I should block Matt’s number too, but I don’t, grateful at least that he seems to have given up on trying to contact me. I’m not sure I can ever actually forgive him, but we have longer history and somehow that stops me for cutting him out of my life permanently.

  The rest of the day passes quickly, a couple of the workers giving me strange looks when we cross paths because I’m sure they’ve heard the rumors by now, but no one actually asking me about whether they’re true.

  After I finish up for the day, I head home for a quick shower, before going over to Lu’s armed with Tim Tams and a bottle of wine.

  “Hey,” she says, smiling as I walk in through the back door.

  I dump the wine and biscuits on the counter, pull her into my arms and plant a hard kiss on her mouth. “Hey yourself,” I say and Lu smiles against my mouth as she slides her hands up under my t-shirt. “Yes,” I murmur. “I like where this is going.”

  She pulls back, whacking me on the arse. “Dirty boy.”

  I grin, pulling her close again as I lower my mouth to her ear. “I thought you liked the dirty part,” I whisper, nibbling on her neck. “Seemed to be working for you this morning.”

  She groans now, her body melting into mine as I kiss my way along her jaw to her mouth, my hands sliding down to her arse and pulling her hard against me. Lu deepens the kiss, her hands pushing my t-shirt up as though she wants to take it off me.

  “Lulu Somerville,” I say. “Are you just using me for sex?”

  “Maybe,” she murmurs.

  I scoff, pulling back a little. “I feel so used,” I tease, grinning at her.

  She smiles up at me. “Yeah, but I bet you like it,” she teases back.

  I grin now, squeezing her arse before letting go. “You bet I do,” I say. “But before you completely have your way with me, let’s eat.”

  “Building up your stamina?” she asks.

  I wink. “For ravishing you all night, you better believe it.”

  Lu giggles and I give her another quick kiss before releasing her and grabbing the bottle of wine. I pour us both a glass before opening her fridge to inspect the contents.

  Lu jumps up on the kitchen bench, her legs swinging as she watches me move about her kitchen, a relaxed smile on her face.

  “You okay if I make us some dinner?” I ask.

  She nods. “Of course, want me to help?”

  I shake my head. “Sit there and entertain me,” I tell her. She cocks an eyebrow at me, a sexy smile tugging at her mouth that has me laughing and shaking my head at the same time. “Now who’s the dirty one?”

  Lu laughs. “Okay, fine,” she says, pretending to be annoyed as she rolls her eyes dramatically at me. “Tell me about Australia then.”

  “What do you want to know?” I ask as I start to chop ingredients for a pasta.

  Lu shrugs. “I don’t know, where were you living before you came here?”

  I shoot her a quick look, wondering if she intentionally used the past tense when she asked me that. “Adelaide,” I say, deciding to let it go. “Been working at a place in the Barossa for almost a year.”

  “And you gave that up to come here?” she asks, taking a sip of wine.

  I shake my head. “No, it kinda came to an end anyway,” I say, even knowing that’s not the whole truth of why I left. “Was time to move on and the job here happened to come up at the same time,” I add, smiling at her. “Almost like it was meant to be.”

  Lu smiles, a tiny flush on her cheeks. “Does it bother you moving around all the time?”

  I shrug. “No, not really,” I admit. “It’s good getting to experience different places and try new things.”

  “Must be hard to maintain relationships,” she says, eyes on her lap now. “Never being in one place for very long.”

  I stop, putting the knife down before stepping between her legs. “Lu,” I say quietly, my hands sliding onto her hips. “That’s not what’s happening here.”

  She stares back at me, a sad look in her eyes. “But it must affect things,” she sa
ys, hooking her legs around my thighs. “I mean it must have ended other relationships for you.”

  I lean in and press a kiss to her lips. “No, not always,” I say, even if moving wasn’t the only issue my previous relationship faced.

  “How did your last relationship end then?” she asks, fingers sliding into the belt loops of my jeans.

  I swallow hard, my eyes never leaving hers. “She wasn’t the person I thought she was,” I say, knowing that’s partly true at least.

  “What do you mean?”

  I smile now, kissing her again. “She wasn’t you, Lulu,” I whisper, before silencing any more questions.

  Lu moans into my mouth, her fingers in my jeans pulling me closer as she tightens her legs around mine. “Jack,” she says, the word low and husky. “How are we going to make this work?”

  I pull back, brush my fingers over her cheek, before cupping her face. “We’ll find a way, Lu,” I say. “I promise, okay? I really want this with you.”

  She stares back at me, her eyes searching mine before she eventually nods, her whispered, “I want this too,” floating between us.

  Our conversation over dinner returns to the easygoing way we started the night. We eat out on her back deck, cracking a second bottle of wine as Lu attempts to mimic an Australia accent.

  “Oh my god, woman,” I say, laughing. “That is terrible!”

  “What?” she asks, also laughing. “I sound just like you!”

  I shake my head. “Ah no, you do not. You sound like a bogan American.”

  “Bogan?” she asks. “What the hell’s a bogan?”

  I grin. “Like your version of trailer park trash.”

  “Oh!” she says, standing as she starts to clear the table.

  I push my chair out, grinning as I reach for her and pull her down so she’s straddling my lap.

  “I do not sound like trailer park trash,” she scoffs.

  I slide my hands up her thighs, my fingers slipping beneath her shorts. “Yeah you do,” I tease. “But for the record, it is adorable.”