Chaps & Cappuccinos

by A. J. Macey

  “I’m sure I look ridiculous,” I countered, following Reid around the couch and into the kitchen where my jacket was draped over one of the chairs. “I’m going to head out, get some sleep in my own bed before school tomorrow,” I explained to the three of them when we reached the table. After kisses and goodbyes from Kingston and Jesse, Reid walked me to my car now that the sun was starting to set. It was peaceful to see the reds, purples, and pinks all blend together with oranges and blues across the Nebraska sky, Reid’s arm over my shoulder and his warm torso pressing into me adding to the contentment filling me.

  “Text me when you’re home?” he asked when we finally reached my car.

  “I will. Before I go though, I just…” I swallowed the lump that was slowly forming in my throat. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you since we talked about all that stuff a week or so ago,” I started, my words soft.

  “Yeah, Cali girl, I’m good,” he reassured. “Had a rough couple of nights of sleep at first, but it’s been good since then.”

  “You can always call me at night if you can’t sleep, babe,” I reminded him, leaning my cheek into the soft material of his Nebraska Cornhusker hoodie and looking up at him. “I’m sure there are plenty of things we can talk about to help keep the nightmares away.”

  “God, I love you,” he whispered, kissing me briefly but fiercely, the passion behind it making my toes curl in my boots. “And I will, but only if you know you can do the same. I’m here for you—we’re here for you—any time, day or night.”

  “Sounds like Stella.” I laughed at the similarity. “She gave me a very similar speech earlier when we put Jesse’s easel up. It’s cute.”

  “Well, can’t say I don’t want to be like Stella and Kaleb when—if—I grow up. I want what they have. With you, and by default the others,” he confided, a thread of excitement winding through me at him talking about the future again. “A relationship that stands the test of time. Ya know?”

  “I do, and I want that with the three of you too.” It took everything in me not to squeal like a little girl, but I managed somehow.

  Woo, one point for me finally being normal!

  “Good, then that’s what we’ll have,” he exclaimed proudly, giving me one final kiss goodbye before letting me go. On my drive home, there was only one thing on my mind.

  The future.

  And what a bright future it’ll be… once we make it through graduation.

  13

  March 15th

  “We’re in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself.” - The Doctor.

  #LoveTheSmellOfBooks #WordsHavePower #SundayFunday

  “I’ll be back in a little while,” I called out as I pulled on my jacket and threw my bookbag strap over my shoulder.

  “Where are you going?” My mom’s suspicious tone filtered out of her office, the sound of her typing following immediately after.

  “The library,” I fibbed.

  I mean, I am going to the library, just not right away.

  But she doesn’t need to know that.

  “With?”

  “All my friends, we’re studying for midterms,” I lied, cringing as I unlocked the front door, hoping I sounded genuine. I wasn’t the best liar, and honestly, up until now, I hadn’t really needed to be, but I knew she wouldn’t be too pleased if I said it was with just the boys.

  So, insert lying.

  What a great trusting foundation between us, I thought sarcastically.

  “Be back by seven,” she commanded. “You can stay out later during the week since it’s spring break, but I expect you home for dinner tonight.”

  “Yes, Mom. Is Sam coming?” I questioned, secretly hoping he would. There was no way in heck I wanted to sit through a tense dinner with just my mom, not after the Grand Canyon-sized rift between us had appeared.

  “No.”

  Dang it.

  “All right, I’ll make sure to be back by then,” I reassured, practically running out of the house. As I pulled out of the neighborhood, my phone started to ring. “Hello?”

  “Hey, sweetheart.” My dad’s voice filled the car as I turned down the music, and the last of the tension from the conversation with my mom melted away at such a normal interaction. “How’s your Sunday going?”

  “Not bad, heading to the library to study a bit and check out some books since this week is spring break. Want to get the last of my schoolwork done so I can relax. How’s it going on the coast?”

  “Pretty good. Having a taste test today with a few more brews as well as some of the barrels that are going to be pulled out for a wedding coming up in a few months. Going to be an extravagant event so we’re hoping to have the brewery up and running by then,” my dad explained, the soft music in the background telling me he was also driving.

  “Fun! Going to have a big party to celebrate?”

  “Nah, we’re just going to do something small with a few of the staff before officially opening. The opening itself will be pretty big, but we’re aiming to officially open to the public after the wedding.”

  “Sounds like the wedding is a big deal. Who’s it for?” My jaw dropped when my dad named two celebrities. “Wow, that’s awesome! Hopefully not too stressful.”

  “Ha, every big event is stressful, but I was calling because I was wondering if you would want to come out for the official opening. It’ll hopefully be before fall semester of college starts, so I figured it’d be a nice vacation. The boys can come too. I’d love to meet them.” I was speechless for a long moment, shocked by the offer.

  “I would love to, and I’ll have to talk to them, but I’m sure they’d be up for it too. They’ll have to talk to Kingston’s parents about it though.”

  “Mere and I will cover the costs of the flights if they want to come, but I’m pulling into the vineyard now, so I’ll let you go and get studying done. I love you, sweetheart.”

  “Perfect timing because I’m almost there.” To Kingston’s house, but he didn’t need to know the specifics. “Love you too, Dad.”

  Pulling into the drive, I threw the car in park and hopped out. King, Reid, and I did have plans to study and tackle the last of our assignments, but we weren’t actually going to the library for another couple hours when it was closer to the end of Jesse’s volunteer shift. Right as I was about to ring the doorbell, the door opened, Stella giving me a playful half-glare. Every time she tried, the twitch of her lips gave away that she wasn’t actually mad.

  “No need to ring the doorbell, just get your butt in here before it rains,” she teasingly ordered, stepping out of the doorway. “The boys are up in Reid’s room.”

  “Hey, guys,” I greeted after I reached the open door to Reid’s room, and I was pleased to see that the last of Reid’s things had been unpacked. “What’re you two doing?”

  “Looking at college stuff,” Reid explained, leaning over the back of his desk chair so he could see me, his curls flopping off his forehead and hanging toward the carpet. “You look pretty today.”

  “Thanks,” I beamed, leaning down to kiss him Spider-man style. Kingston waited patiently for me from where he sat next to Reid on a chair he must have rolled in from his room. “What exactly are we looking into for college?” As I asked my question, I shifted, giving Kingston a quick peck before chucking my bag onto the bed.

  “Come and sit, explore the world of wonder,” Reid said dramatically in a deep, mock announcer voice, patting his lap for me. A giggle bubbled out of me at his silliness, but I obliged, eyeing the computer screen as I did so.

  “Degrees and dorms?” There were two screens pulled up on the monitor, one half-filled with lists of programs and degrees, while the other was freshman living requirements.

  “Yup, deciding on what I want to try and start with,” Reid mumbled, his attention focused intently on the screen. “We’ll all have gen eds we’ll need to do. I figured we could take a few of those t
ogether if we wanted, but I know I’ll have several extra math and science courses that I’ll have to take before any of the more advanced classes.”

  “I’ll probably stick with gen eds for the first semester, try and knock out a bunch of those,” King added. “What about you, Babydoll? Have you had a chance to think about it?”

  “Psh, I’m just trying to get to high school graduation at this point.” I sighed, flashing them a dry smile. “Though, gen eds sound like the best option. If I have prerequisites for something, I’ll probably do one of those just to get started on them. Don’t want to overwhelm myself though.”

  “So it’s decided, classes together!” Reid bounced in his seat, the jarring motion making me laugh. “For living stuff, we’ll have to be on campus for the first year, but I was looking into rentals and apartments the other day… you know… if you were maybe wanting to do that sophomore year.” Although his excitement remained clear, his voice became a bit shy, even hesitant, as two pink patches bloomed on his olive cheeks along with his offer.

  “I’d love to, as long as we’ll have enough money to cover it,” I added, leaning forward to scan the dormitory page. “Oh, that’s pretty cool! It looks like there are suites where you share a common space but the actual rooms are separate. That’s nice. Will the three of you guys put in for roommates?”

  “Figured I would share with Jesse if possible.” Reid hitched a thumb to Kingston. “He’s the most level-headed one so probably would be best if he had someone new as a roommate.”

  “I don’t mind meeting new people.” King shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’ll probably be with you guys most of the time anyway.”

  “What about you?” Reid asked.

  “I’ll probably see if Aubrey and Zoey are going to UNL. I know they applied there and a couple other places. If so, maybe I’ll ask one of them, but I think it might be nice to meet someone new. Even if it’s kind of scary,” I murmured the end of my statement. It was nerve-racking, but I’d already moved cross-country a month into my senior year and I was surviving that, so I could survive a new roommate.

  “Ugh, we should probably knock out the last of these assignments,” King groaned, pointing to the time. “We have about an hour and a half until we should head on over to get Jesse, and I foresee this essay taking a while.”

  Oh joy, homework on spring break.

  Ugh.

  I flipped my book closed with a triumphant dance. Take that, chem homework. My celebratory moves must have been amusing, Reid and Kingston laughing as they followed suit.

  “We heading to the library now?” I asked as I stuffed my book back in my bag.

  “Not quite yet, I need to shower first. I meant to this morning but ended up sleeping in until I had to take Jesse,” Kingston said, getting up from where he’d been working next to me on the bed. “It shouldn’t be more than ten, maybe fifteen minutes.”

  “We’ll be here,” Reid assured, his words muffled as he had his pen stuffed between his teeth, eyes focused on his bookbag. Kingston shook his head at Reid’s distracted response and headed to his room. As soon as he did, Reid popped up out of his office chair and closed the door quietly. A smirk curled his lip when he turned to me, his gaze heating when I gave him a confused head tilt. “Alone at last.”

  Three little words and my heart started to pick up pace.

  Just Reid and me. Alone.

  “Mhm,” was all I could make come out of my mouth, the sound soft and almost musical as he strode toward me confidently. My heart started to gallop, my senses sharpening until even a soft breeze felt as if it almost burned. There were no nerves, no awkwardness as he kissed me, gently lowering me backward until I was trapped between the messy bedding and his solid body. Shifting my legs, I opened them slightly, silently giving him permission to settle between my parted thighs.

  Our gentle kiss was sweet, but a gasp left me when Reid suddenly nipped at my lower lip, sucking it into his mouth to ease the sharp sting. A pool of heat started to build in my core, a strange bout of confidence surging forward with the sensation. Burying my fingers in his dark curls, I pulled him tightly to me, repaying the favor with a bite followed by a lapping tongue.

  His deep groan rumbled his chest, hips rolling forward until I could feel just how hard he was getting against me. The movement sent a bolt of lightning cascading through my body, each nerve tingling in anticipation. Before I could continue to tease him with more nibbles and tangling tongues, Reid shifted off of me to lie next to me on the bed. He never let go, trailing kisses across my jaw and down my neck as he moved with ease.

  Everything ached. I wanted more, to touch and feel, to explore him again like we had at New Year’s, but I held myself back. Kingston would be back soon, and I didn’t want to have any awkwardness between us. Try as I might though, there was still a little sliver of me that wanted more. Curling into Reid, I slipped a hand between us. Cupping the bulge that strained against his jeans, I stroked lightly, Reid’s breath hitching against my throat as I did.

  Fumbling slightly, it took me a few tries to get his belt and button undone with one hand, but Reid let me work through it on my own. His free hand trailing over my hip and thigh continued to distract me, but his movement slowed when I finally wrapped my fingers around him.

  “Mmm,” he murmured, his tone deep and breathy in my ear as his hips jerked forward. Silky smooth skin brushed my palm as I pumped my hand. Reid was rock hard, and based on the little whimpers he made, enjoying my leisurely and exploratory pace. I wanted to do more, to feel confident and powerful with how I could make him feel, so I started to move faster.

  Shifting, I pushed off the bed, nudging Reid to flip onto his back. His brows knitted together, but he stayed silent when I flashed him a little grin. It’d been a few months since Jesse had given me tips and tricks, but in that moment I felt like I could do it without any guidance. As I settled between Reid’s thighs, I tugged the waistband of his pants and underwear down far enough that his length sprang free.

  “Cali—” he started, but when I shot him a stare and a cocked brow, he stopped his protest, letting me continue. Returning my hand to his shaft, I held him steady and lowered down.

  I flicked my tongue out tentatively, brushing against the soft skin of Reid’s length. It jumped in my hand, his fingers digging into the bedding as I continued. After circling around the bulbous head, I dipped my head down, taking him into my mouth an inch at a time. I moved slowly, a hint of nervousness pooling in my chest at the fact that this was my first time doing this with Reid, but when he groaned, the wiggle of worry melted.

  Bobbing up and down the way Jesse showed me, I worked Reid up, my pace picking up speed and confidence as I went. When my neck and back started to ache, I pumped my hand that held him steady, bringing Reid closer to the edge. Finally, I risked a glance at him. Reid’s lips were parted and his eyes were closed, hands fisting the sheets.

  The sight was all it took, a burst of energy fueling me to move faster despite the burn in my muscles. I wanted to watch Reid as he came, knowing that I had done that. It didn’t take long, a few more passes of my hand and mouth with a swirl of my tongue, before I reached the top and Reid shuddered. I knew I could have pulled off, letting it spill onto his stomach where his shirt had shifted up, but I didn’t. I wanted to give Reid the same that I had given Jesse, so I held steady as the spurts shot into my mouth.

  “Holy… wow,” Reid breathed as I sat up, swallowing quickly. “That was… amazing—you’re amazing. All right, that’s it.” An eager smile curled his lips at the end of his words, an almost hungry look filling his hazel eyes.

  “Wha—” I started, confused as to where he was going with his statement, but before I could get my question out, he shot up and wrapped his arms around my waist. The buckle of his belt jangled together as he shifted, but he seemed not to care about his undone pants as he maneuvered us. Reid laid me back against the bed once more, not waiting before kissing his way down my chest and stomach.
>
  “My turn,” he murmured, his lips brushing my hip. Goosebumps pebbled across my skin, the heat from his breath sending a wave of anticipation through me. Unlike my fumbling attempts to get his belt and jeans undone, Reid had my jeans peeled down and off my legs in no time.

  Good thing I’d taken my shoes and socks off when I got here earlier.

  Shit, I moaned, my original train of thought vanishing and the curse word so effortlessly filling my mind as Reid’s tongue tracing the crease of my hip made the fire burn brighter. I had been horny and wanting to have some time with him since Kingston left the room, but this had taken my initial plan to do something small and thrown it out the window.

  Not that I was complaining or anything, because holy crap.

  My eyes squeezed shut, and I smashed my lips together to keep from crying out as Reid’s tongue lapped at the lace of my panties. Somehow, with the barrier, it felt even more sensual, and Reid continued to circle and swirl over the lace until I felt as if I was about to explode.

  Yanking the edge of my panties to the side, Reid took his ministrations to the next level. A finger slipped in, his tongue moving almost twice as fast as his hand. The contrast was blindingly satisfying, and as I neared my release, my back arched and a soft moan escaped me despite trying to keep it contained.

  “That’s it, Cali girl,” Reid whispered, and the rough stubble on his jaw scraping over my sensitive clit was the final straw. I came apart, my vision bursting with lights and sparkles as I shuddered. It burned in the most perfect way, the fire engulfing me as I rode through the waves. With his mouth still on me, his fingers slipped out. It only took a moment before he shifted, slick lips meeting mine. Reid’s body pressed into me as he kissed me, his length already hardening once again even though he didn’t try to take it further. It took a long moment to come down, our kiss continuing until I finally peeled my eyes open.