by Toni Aleo
“What are you doing here?” I say, closing the distance between us and wrapping my arms around her as her eyes go wide. But I don’t care. I need to feel her against me.
“Surprise?” she says softly before I lift her off the ground, pressing my lips to hers. It’s a quick kiss though, and she awkwardly taps my shoulders for me to put her down. Rolling my eyes, I put her on her feet, and before she can say anything, I kiss her again, this time drawing out the kiss as her hands rest against my chest. When I finally pull back, she looks up at me with shock in her eyes as she talks out of the side of her mouth. “Your family is watching us.”
“Oh yeah, we are,” Jace says. “And I would like to say—” he pauses for dramatic effect “—told you so!”
When I look back down at her, she’s glaring, and I laugh. “I don’t care,” I say with a shrug. “He won’t say anything, I promise. Come here, meet my family.” Lacing my fingers with hers, I bring her into the living room and introduce her to my sister and Angie. She’s awkward as all hell, but I expect it from her. When Jude pulls her in for a hug, she relaxes some as a grin pulls at her lips. When I introduce her to Claire, she grins.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she says as she and Claire shake hands.
“I’ve heard loads about you, too,” Claire replies back, a sweet grin on her face. “It’s great to finally meet you.”
“You too,” Baylor says before crossing her ankles and linking her pinkie with mine and looking back at me. “It’s great to meet everyone.”
“Well, you haven’t met me yet!” my mom hollers, coming into the living room, wiping her hands on her apron. Baylor tenses up as my mom looks her up and down before she glances over at me with a “Please help me” look on her sweet face.
Laughing, I wrap my arm around her waist and say, “Mom, this is Baylor, my…um…” Baylor looks up at me with inquisitive eyes and I just grin. “My girlfriend.”
“Oh! Hello!” Mom gushes before pulling Baylor in for a tight hug. Well, really, Mom is doing the hugging. Baylor is just standing there with her arms to her sides. When they part, Mom cups her face and just smiles. “You are gorgeous. Good job, Jayden Mitchell.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, tucking my hands in my pockets. “She’s great.”
“I can’t wait to find that out for myself. Come on, Claire and Lucy, let’s all go in the kitchen to get to know her.”
Baylor’s eyes widen even more as Mom takes her into the kitchen, and when she looks back at me, I laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m coming too,” I say, but once we get in the kitchen, she really doesn’t need me. She fits in seamlessly as they all get to know each other. I don’t even know what she was worried about, but then I think it has to do with my mom. She can make even a rock feel like it’s part of the family. That’s why I never really understood why my dad didn’t love her. She’s so easy to love and to enjoy. She’s funny and she’s sweet as pie. And she can cook her ass off.
As much as it bothers me, I know I need to let it go. She’s better off without him. Stronger.
“You should come to the wedding, Baylor,” I hear Claire say as she sets the table with Baylor. “It’s on Valentine’s day, and I’m officially inviting you.”
Leaning back in my chair, I watch as Baylor looks at her, surprised. “Oh, well, yeah, I’d love to,” she says with a small smile as she hands her the forks.
“Good, I’m sure you’ll come with Jayden, but just in case, it’s at two and at the Fontanel Mansion!”
“I’ll be there,” she promises. “Can’t miss out on seeing that man in a tux.”
“Girl,” Claire says. “Right? They are so gorgeous. All of them.”
“Yeah,” she agrees with a grin before she looks back to see that I’m watching her. She then mouths, “Only you.” And I laugh as I nod.
“Sure,” I call to her, and she laughs before setting the spoons down in their spots.
“She’s great, Jayden. I like her a lot,” my mom says, bringing my attention to her.
Meeting her happy gaze, I nod. “Yeah, I think so too.”
“She’s a little awkward,” Lucy says with a grin. “But you’re a weirdo, so it works.”
Wrinkling my face at her, I stick my tongue out as my mom says, “Either way, you two are cute, and I agree with Jace. You can tell that you two are together.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I know, but she wants to keep it on the down low until after the season is over.”
“Why?”
“Her dad doesn’t want her to have any distractions, and she thinks he’ll think I’m that.”
She nods. “You are, you’re perfect,” she says, cupping my face as Lucy laughs.
“Perfectly stupid,” she teases, and I flip her off again as my mom rolls her eyes.
“You guys are so mean to each other. All of you,” she says, sprinkling some sugar in the green beans. “I don’t know why. I’ve done nothing but show y’all love.”
“Yeah, but you always told us we are all your favorites, so we are fighting to see who withstands the other three,” Jude says from beside me.
“Yeah, like the Hunger Games, Sinclair-style,” Jace says with a nod. “I’d so win.”
“The hell you would,” I snap.
“You’d die first,” Lucy adds.
“Yeah, ’cause Mom isn’t there to win for you!” Jude adds in too.
“Now, y’all leave him be. Come here, honey,” she says, wrapping her arms around his middle and hugging him close, which makes all of us laugh.
“You guys are just jealous,” he says, holding her tighter as she grins against his temple.
“No, you’re a freaking momma’s boy, Jace,” Markus says then, and Baylor nods.
“Like for real,” she adds.
“Fu-Screw you guys!”
Baylor laughs as she leans against me, her fingers dancing along my neck. Grinning up at her, I decide I need to get her alone. I want to give her her gift. Now.
Standing, I lace my fingers with hers and lead her out of the room.
“Not too long, Jayden,” Mom calls as we disappear into the hall. “Dinner is in ten.”
“He only needs five,” Jude says, and I roll my eyes.
“Ugh, you mean two?” Jace teases, snickering as my mom yells at him to shut up.
“You guys are so dumb,” Lucy says.
Peeking my head back in the kitchen, I say, “I knew you were my favorite.”
She gives me a sinister grin. “You didn’t let me finish. We all know you can only last thirty seconds.”
That has everyone rolling, even my mom. “Mom! Really?” I yell as Baylor’s body vibrates against mine. “You guys suck.”
Taking ahold of Baylor’s hand, I pull her down the hall as she laughs until we reach my room. Pushing the door open, I lead her in and then slam the door. Looking over at her smiling face, I frame it in my hands and press my lips to hers. As our mouths move together, we fall onto my bed, her leg hooking over my hip as I press my growing erection into her hot center. It’s been a long week without her intoxicating kisses, and I want to get my fill before she leaves.
As we part, she bites my chin before looking at me. “I can’t believe you told them I was your girlfriend.”
“You are, though,” I say, moving my fingers through her hair.
“But what if your mom talks to my dad or some crazy shit?” she asks, her fingers gliding along the edge of my ear.
Closing my eyes, enjoying the sensation, I shrug. “I’ll tell her to keep it quiet,” I say, nibbling down her jaw as her hair fans along my face. “Don’t worry.”
She doesn’t say anything else as my lips trail down her neck, and then she whispers, “I liked it.”
“Good, you taste so good,” I mutter, nibbling more and nuzzling my nose along her neck.
“No, I mean, I like that you called me that.”
Pulling back, I push her hair out of my face and grin up at her. “I’d scream it from the rooftops if you’d allow m
e to.”
Bending her head against mine, she sucks in a breath as she nods. “Soon.”
Sucking my teeth in annoyance, I shake my head. “I really thought you were gonna agree to it.”
“Not yet,” she says. “He thought I was dating Markus.”
“What? Your dad?”
“Yeah,” she scoffs. “Then he went on about how I can’t be distracted right now. I can’t tell him yet; there was an opening to do it, but then he said that, and I couldn’t.”
“But you wanted to?” I ask because, for some reason, it matters.
She nods. “Yeah, I did. I do and I will.”
“Okay, so first chance you get?”
“I’ll tell him,” she says almost like a promise softly against my lips.
“Good,” I whisper back, moving my nose against hers. “Do you want your gift?”
“I have it,” she whispers back, and my heart just, ugh, it just hurts with love for this girl. It’s the perfect time for her to say it, to whisper it against my lips. But when she only kisses me, I try not to be disappointed. Rolling onto her, I continue kissing her as I reach into my dresser for her gift. When I have it, I pull back, holding the little box between us.
“It’s corny as shit, but I think you’ll like it,” I warn as she opens the box, the little charm falling onto her chest but the other stays in the box.
“Me with you?” she asks reading the heart, but then I pick up the other charm and hand it to her. It’s a larger heart that the smaller one fits inside of. “You always have…oh, me with you.”
When she looks up at me, smirking, I smile back. “It is very corny.”
I nod in agreement. “Yeah, but I figured when we are apart, it’ll be a reminder. I’m supposed to take the bigger one and you keep the smaller one. Since it’s my heart.”
Running her thumb along the bigger silver heart and then the smaller one, she grins up at me. “It’s perfect, Jayden. I love it.”
For a split second there, I thought she was gonna tell me she loved me.
Reaching up, she kisses my lips before reaching in her boot and pulling out a long, wrapped box. “Mine isn’t that corny, but it’s something to remind you of me.”
“I don’t need a reminder,” I say with a wink as I sit back on my haunches, opening the box. When I open it, I find a Fossil watch, one I had been looking at but didn’t have the money for a couple weeks ago when she and I went Christmas shopping.
“Read the back,” she says softly, and when I turn it over, it’s engraved.
Know that every minute I spend with you is a minute I treasure. Love, Baylor.
“Not corny, eh?” I tease as my throat gets thick with emotion.
“Okay, maybe a little,” she says with a smirk, and I grin back.
“It’s…” I say, but then I stop because it just hits me straight in the chest. The girl won’t admit for shit that she loves me, but then she does something like this. Her actions, man, they speak louder than she realizes. That’s the reason I stay, that’s why I keep on trudging on, because she does love me. I know she does. “It’s perfect, baby, just like you,” I say, laying the watch down and capturing her lips with mine. As I lay her down, my body covering hers, I don’t care that dinner is in ten minutes or that my family will probably tease me mercilessly.
Because I need to show her how much I love her.
With my actions.
Pushing her sweater up, I place a kiss between her lace-clad breasts as she gasps for breath before pulling her sweater up and over her head. Oh yeah, she wants me too. Undoing her pants, I go to pull them down but then see that her boots are in the way. Sitting back on my heels, I unzip them before pulling them off her legs and throwing them over my shoulder. Reaching her pants and panties, I pull them down, my lips trailing the skin I reveal with every tug. Kissing back up her thighs, I press my lips to her wet lips, running my tongue along her clean-shaven pussy before dipping my tongue inside her.
“Jayden, no, I want you inside me,” she whispers, and my cock jumps in my shorts. Kissing her center once more, I hover over her before my feet hit the floor and I push my shorts down, my cock springing up toward her. “By the way, I like that shirt,” she gasps, her breathing erratic, her breasts rising and falling with each shuddering breath.
Tearing my gaze from her gorgeous naked body, I look down at my shirt, momentarily forgetting what I was wearing. Jude had just given it to me this morning. It had the word “BIG” and then a picture of a rooster underneath it.
“Thanks, Jude got it for me,” I say, throwing it off and reaching for a condom.
“’Cause that’s not odd for your brother to get you a shirt that says ‘big cock’ on it?” she teases as I crawl back on top of her, pressing my body against hers. Unable to think of a retort since I want her so badly, I capture her mouth with mine, moving her leg back so I can press my hard length into her. She gasps against my lips as I sit back, directing myself inside of her. Filling her completely, I close my eyes, my nose pressed against her cheek as I still, her body clutching mine. Moving out of her slowly, I thrust back into her, her breath against my ear as I continue the motion, my release within reach.
Pressing my palm into the bed, I move her leg back, my thumb biting into the back of it as I watch myself disappear inside of her and then reappear. She sucks in a breath, squeezing me, her nails biting into my back with each thrust. When she cries out, she turns her mouth into my arm to block the sound, biting softly as her hot pussy squeezes my dick. When she arches back, sucking in breath, I run kisses down her chest, capturing her nipple, flicking my tongue against it as she continues to squeeze me with her orgasm.
She is unbelievable. Flawless and everything I could ever ask for in a woman. She makes it hard for me to breathe at times, and watching as her body flushes with color, her back arched, her breasts pressing against my chest, I know that there will never be anyone else. As I trace her jaw with kisses, she turns her head, her lips meeting mine, and I really can’t hold it back anymore. I want to stay in her forever.
As my orgasm rocks through my body, I press my mouth roughly to her jaw, sinking my teeth in, not hard but enough to give me some kind of stability as my body trembles against her. As I suck in lungfuls of breath, her hands trail up my back, over my shoulders, and into my hair as she turns her face so that our mouths meet.
“Maybe it isn’t weird he got that shirt,” she mutters against my mouth. “It’s really a public service announcement.”
Grinning, I move my nose along hers. “I was gonna say that, but I couldn’t think. You drive me nuts, Bay.”
“Yeah,” she agrees, her pussy clenching my cock. “I have a hard time thinking around you too.”
Nibbling at her lips, I like that she feels that way. It further proves my point that she loves me. I know she does, and as I stare into the depths of her hazel eyes that are more green today than brown, I wish she’d just say it. Urging her with my eyes, I move my thumb along her jaw and I feel it; she’s gonna say it.
Holding my breath, I watch as her lips move but nothing comes out. Closing her eyes, she shakes her head and opens them. She’s trying so hard, I can see it, but why doesn’t she just say it? It’s easy.
Do it!
I can feel her heart pounding against mine before her hands tuck up under my chin and her lips come to rest against my jaw. “Merry Christmas, Jayden,” she whispers then, and I wait. Maybe she’ll say it, but a good second passes and she even looks at me expectantly.
Letting out the breath I’m holding, I smile. “Merry Christmas, Bay.”
As a grin curves her lips, her eyes boring into mine, I know she wants to say it and it’s killing me that she just won’t.
But she will.
I know it.
After poking the puck from the oncoming offense, the player overskates it and I rush to get it, sending it up to Jace, who takes it into Vandy’s zone. Turning with the puck, he sends it back to Kuntz, who then sends it to me. I
slap shot it, hard, but it goes wide by a foot and Baylor rushes to it, sending it to the slot where Jace is. And with a quick wrister, he sends it to the back of the net over the goalie’s left pad.
As he throws his arms up, I grin. This is arguably Jace’s best game to date. He’s murdering out here. He’s scored four times now, and as he showboats across the ice, throwing his arms up in the air as he waves them back and forth, I roll my eyes. Kid is on fire and he knows it. After he hugs Baylor and Markus, I look over to where I know scouts are watching, and all of them are nodding their heads. That’s good. Very fucking good. Skating to Jace, I tap his helmet as we head to the bench so a new line can come on for the face-off.
This is a big game for us. If we beat Vandy, we are first in our division, which is something we all want, of course. We want to make sure to be number one when we go into the play-offs, which is only two months away. I think we are the best team, but playing the best is what will decide that. The score is tied, both of us at five goals, but it’s time to change that. We need to pull ahead, and I’m gonna make sure that happens. As my teammates rush the goal, they are getting great chances, but Vandy’s goalie isn’t letting anything in.
“Their D is weak on the left,” I call down to Baylor, Markus, and Jace. “Go left.”
They are all breathing hard, out of breath, but they nod before Kuntz and I trade out with McMinn and Archer. Taking the puck, I send it up to McCarthy, but the puck isn’t laying straight, my fault, and the defense steals it, sending it up to a forward who thinks he’ll get past me.
Think again.
Knocking him on his ass, I take the puck and send it up just as Jace hits the ice. Taking it, he dekes around one playing before passing it to Markus. He then skates into their zone, Baylor on the left, while Jace screens the goalie. Passing it to Kuntz, Markus goes to screen too, just as he sends the puck to Baylor. She dekes around one of the defensemen, acts as if she is going to drop it back to me, but spins and shoots, shortside, hitting the back of the net.
