As I bustle around in the kitchen the noise I make wakes my mother who joins me and points at the coffee maker. “Get that thing going, sweetie.”
I pour water in the coffee maker. “A bit too much to drink, Mom?”
“When one’s last kid graduates college, one tends to celebrate,” she says as she props her elbows on the bar and rests her chin on her hands. “Now do tell me about that adorable man who held you all night.”
I smile at her. “His name’s Kip. Oh, yeah, you know that part. This part you don’t know, I didn’t tell anyone who he was last night because there were too many people, but he’s a rock star. His dad is that rock star from that huge English group from the eighties.”
Mom’s eyes close, and she shakes her head a little. “Are you shittin’ me?”
“His band played at the charity event yesterday.” I pour her a cup of coffee and go back to check on the bacon. “It’s odd really, he says he feels different with me. I want to blow him off so bad, because he has to be slick from all the years of women throwing themselves at him, but something won’t let me.” The oven beeps and I pop in a tray of biscuits. “He’s on his way over here now.”
“Oh, shit, really?” Mom jumps off her stool and grabs her coffee. “I can’t let him see me like this. He’s the kid of that super model too then. Shit! I look awful!”
I laugh as I watch her run from the room. Back to making breakfast I go as I pull the bacon from the pan and make gravy with the drippings. The first egg I crack coincides with the doorbell, evoking a smile from me.
The sight of my father, wearing only his underwear, coming from the hallway to answer the door makes me shout, “Daddy, no! Go get dressed, breakfast is nearly done, and that’s the guy from last night. He’s going to spend the day with me.”
Dad turns on his heel and goes back to his bedroom. I shake my head at how unsophisticated my family is. Opening the door I find Kip standing with a handful of flowers. “Hi,” I say as I step back to let him come in.
Placing the flowers in my hands he catches me off guard with a quick kiss on my cheek just before he runs his arms around me and lifts me off the floor in a big hug. “Good morning, Peyton, you look just as gorgeous as I thought you would.”
With a roll of my eyes as he places my feet back on the floor, I move back into the kitchen. “Thanks for the flowers. Come with me, Romeo. I’ve almost got breakfast ready and you can set the table.”
“Nice tan. Do you spray tan or go to a tanning salon?” he asks. I glance back at him to find him running his eyes down my legs.
Reaching for a vase I stretch up to reach one off the top of the refrigerator. Kip moves in front of me, sliding his body along mine, and taking it down. “Thanks,” I say. My heart speeds up and I hope he can’t hear it thumping in my chest.
“How about you let me put these in water so you can get back to doing whatever it was you’ve been doing to create this awesome smell.” He fills the vase with water as my eyes flow over him. A white T-shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts he wears with running shoes. They fit him well and show off his large biceps and muscular legs.
“You must work out a lot.” The words escaped before I realize he’ll figure out I was checking him out.
A soft chuckle he makes. “Gotta keep the money maker in good working order.”
Another eye roll I make. “The things you say, Pop Rock. No visible tats, Bad Boy?”
He smiles. “I think they should mean something and so far nothing has meant enough to me to commemorate it on my flesh.” He picks up a stack of plates and turns to me. “Are these the plates you want set on the table, love?”
I give him a nod and he begins placing them on the large table. “Thank you, Kip.”
“You take care of yourself pretty good too, Peyton. Keeping up that tan, and rocking body, you don’t fool me,” he says.
The whisk makes a metallic tapping sound as I stir the eggs in a large bowl. “I don’t go to a gym or a tanning salon. The sun is what has my skin this color and the things I do for fun keep me in this shape, which is a bit on the plump side if you ask me.”
One of the plates makes a loud thump as he puts it down, then looks at me with his mouth open. When I look up to see what happened he says, “Plump is not a thing I would call you. Perfect, now that word I’d use. I love the fact you’re not skin and bones. Natural is what you are, and you’re naturally gorgeous.”
“I just about rolled my eyes for the third time in fifteen minutes, Kip.” I say as I pour the eggs into a large skillet. “These lines you use are useless on me.”
Moving near me, he reaches past me to open a drawer. “You keep your silverware here?” he asks as he sniffs my hair. “I like that shampoo.”
A short laugh I make. “Yeah, I like how you smell too. We’re made for each other.” I stir the eggs and find him slipping his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck.
“We just might be you know,” his words are warm on my neck and I giggle.
“Oh, Romeo, how will I ever get through this day and load of crap?”
After grabbing a handful of forks he walks away. “Tell me, Peyton, how many boyfriends have you had?”
“A lot less than you’ve had girlfriends.”
“I have never had a real girlfriend, so I bet you’re wrong,” he says as he places the last fork on the table. “You have a family of six?”
“Mom, Dad, my three older brothers and me.” The eggs I place on a platter and take to the table. “I’m the baby of the family, so don’t get your knickers in a twist when my brothers give you the business. I mean they’re serious, but still try to take it a lot better than the other two guys I dated did.”
My hand slides up to his cheek and I pull his forehead to mine and look at him. “Can I ask you to do something?”
“Anything.”
“Please don’t tell me things you think are going to get me into bed. We both know this thing can’t go further than these three days, and I don’t want to get my heart broken,” I say. “You asked me how many boyfriends I’ve had. The answer is two, both dumped me for other girls. It made me feel like men lie to get what they want then walk away once it doesn’t happen, chasing after the next conquest.”
“Will it help if I tell you they’re not lies? Because they aren’t.”
A sigh comes from my lips and I pull my forehead from his. “You’re incorrigible.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat makes me jump away from Kip. I find my parents have come into the room. Dad says, “I don’t think Peyton introduced us properly last night, Kip. My wife let me in on the secret, just to let you know.”
Kip’s eyes flash at me. “Secret?”
“I told Mom who you are, who you really are,” I answer as I go to get a bottle of juice from the fridge.
“She was afraid your guests would mob me if they knew.”
“They may well have done just that,” Mom says and takes a seat. “This smells great, Peyton. Thanks for making breakfast. I hear your brothers grumbling so they’ll be in to eat in a few minutes. They all told me they could only stay one more night before they have to get back to their own lives.”
“Thank God,” I say as I come back to the table and fill the glasses with orange juice. I pull out two chairs and gesture for Kip to sit next to me. “I hate sharing a bathroom with those slobs.”
I place bacon on both my plate and Kip’s as he watches me with a smile on his face. I spoon some eggs on both then drop a biscuit on each of them. “Gravy?”
He laughs. “You’ve done everything else. Why not?”
The gravy boat I pick up. “On your biscuit or beside it?”
“However, you wish to serve it to me,” he says and watches as I pour the gravy over the top of the opened biscuit.
“This is how we eat it around here.” I look up to find my brothers staggering down the hallway. “Well, look who is up.”
My brothers sit down at the table and Levi looks at Kip. “And you’re the g
uy who had his hands all over my baby sister last night. Please do not tell me you stayed here last night cause I’d hate to have to kick your ass with this hangover I got going on.”
“My ass is safe,” Kip says as he glances at me. “Your sister’s honor is intact as I went back to Austin to my hotel room last night.”
“Glad to hear that,” my brother says. “I’m Levi, Peyton’s oldest and obviously best looking brother. Dad said your name’s Kip, is that right.”
Kip nods as he takes a bite of the gravy covered biscuit. “Oh my God, Peyton, this is delicious.”
I smile. “I thought you’d like it. It’s a southern tradition. Let me introduce you to the other two pains in my rear end. That guy over there scratching his beard at the table like he knows better than to do is my second oldest brother, Blake. Next to him is the third oldest, Tyler. They’re over-protective too, but not as bad as Levi is.”
Kip nods at them. “Nice to meet you all.”
“Yeah, you too,” Tyler says.
“What is it you do for a living?” Blake asks.
I pat Kip’s leg. “I got this. He’s in a band.”
Levi eyes Kip. “Have I heard of this band?”
“It’s just my name really,” Kip answers as he dabs at his mouth with a napkin. “Kip Dixon.”
Levi chuckles. “Do you really expect me to believe that? I’ve seen that guy and you ain’t him. Are you trying to pull the wool over my baby sister’s eyes? She’s pretty easy to fool and naïve as Hell.”
“He is Kip Dixon! You jackass.” I wag my finger at him. “He played a charity concert at my college yesterday and he sang to me on stage. It’s really him, he wears make-up and hair stuff when he’s performing, and that’s why you don’t recognize him.”
Levi cocks his head as he looks a lot harder at Kip. “What’d ya sing to her?”
Kip looks at me and smiles. “I sang, ‘Ask Me to Kiss You’ but she didn’t.”
Blake laughs. “She knows better than to kiss a stranger.”
“I found that out. Your sister is a very good girl, you’ve trained her well,” Kip says with a laugh.
I blush. “Can we talk about anything else?”
Blake takes a bite of bacon then narrows his eyes at Kip. “Just what are your intentions with my baby sister, rock star?”
Kip shrugs his shoulders. “I just want to hang out with her. She’s different, so natural and normal. Treats me like she’d treat anyone else. I don’t get that often, or ever really.”
Tyler nods his head. “Bet you’re spoiled rotten.”
“I’d not say rotten,” Kip says. “I’ve never wanted for anything if that’s what you mean.”
Blake laughs. “He means girl wise. It’s a fact you’re a player.”
Kip’s brows raise, and he looks at me. “I get why only the two boyfriends now.” He turns to look at Blake. “I’m not a player as I’ve never had a relationship. Maybe a woman here or there, but not like it’s made out to be.”
Levi rolls his eyes. “Yeah, cause everyone is on the up and up in Hollyweird.”
Blake gestures to me with a fork loaded with scrambled eggs. “She tell you what we did to the two mother fuckers who broke her heart?”
Mom drops her fork, making a loud bang. “Blake Reed, control that mouth of yours!”
“Sorry, Mom,” he apologizes then looks back at Kip. “Did she?”
Kip’s taking a drink of juice and swallows hard as he looks at me. I smile at him, “My brothers kinda whopped their asses.”
Kip chokes and my brothers all laugh. I take my napkin and wipe the juice from Kip’s chin. He looks at each one of my brothers as he says, “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not trying to hurt your sister. I’ll not do anything to warrant an ass whooping.”
I eye my brothers. “You’ll be sorry if you beat this one up. He’s famous, his family can sue you or get you arrested. Don’t be stupid, do you hear me?”
Levi looks at me and points at Kip. “He does anything, you better tell me.”
My eyes roll to my mother. “Can you help me out at all? I mean you two just sit there and let them do this all the time.”
My parents both shrug and then Mom says, “They’re a force to be reckoned with. Don’t ask us to do battle with them. We learned a long time ago our intrusion is useless.”
Kip pats my leg. “They care about you, pet. It’s nice.”
My eyes fall on his and I smile. “You’re too nice.”
Mom gets up and takes her plate to the kitchen. “You cooked, Peyton, so I’ll clean up. You kids get out there and fish or something.”
My eyes light up as I look at Kip. “You wanna fish or ride horses?”
Lightly his finger touches the end of my nose. “You going to bait my hook?”
I shake my head. “No, you’re going to bait mine, and if I catch a fish you’re going to take it off for me.”
Levi stands and walks towards his bedroom. “I’ll get changed and go with ya’ll. I’ll bait your hook, Sissy.”
Kip and I get up as I shout after my oldest brother, “The Hell you will, Levi. You leave us alone!” I take Kip’s hand and pull him along with me. “Mom, don’t let them bug us, please.”
Mom stacks plates in the dishwasher. “I’ll get them busy cleaning those gutters they promised me they’d do while they’re here. That’ll keep them out of your hair.”
I smile at her and tug Kip out the back door. “They’re awful, I know. You probably want to leave now.”
His arm slips around my waist and he pulls me into him. “I don’t want to do anything of the sort. Now take me fishing, I’ve never done it on my own.”
“Neither have I,” I say as my arm slides around his waist. “My brother’s always did it all for me. So you and I can learn how to do it on our own.”
Kip smiles. “Everyone should know how to fish on their own anyway.”
While I’m thankful my parents are finding so much work for my brothers to do they’ll have no time to bother Kip. I am surprised Kip would put up with their threats for a girl he has no future with.
Kip
After fishing for a while and doing fine on our own, catching a fish each. We threw them back as neither of us wanted to clean them. Peyton took me horseback rising through their place until it got too hot, then we went for a swim.
Now we lay on a large chaise lounge by the pool where we both are dozing in the cooling evening air. Never have I been more relaxed with a woman. She’s the easiest person to get along with. Everything seems effortless.
I stroke Peyton’s back as she lies on her stomach next to me. “This has been the best day ever, Peyton.”
She turns her face to look at me. “You and I both know you’ve had way more exciting days than this one, Pop Rock.”
I can feel her breath cease as I trail my fingers over her cheeks. I say softly, “Did I say the word exciting, pet?”
With a shake of her head, she props her head up on her hand to look down at me as I lie on my back. She runs her fingers over my tightly muscled stomach. “I should admit to you I think it was a pretty fantastic day as well.”
The sun sets behind her, reds, oranges, and yellows fill the space around her. “Being with you is so easy. I’ve never felt more a part of someone,” I say.
She smiles. “You’re easy to get along with. I’m sure you’ve felt connections before. There’s nothing special about me.”
I take a curl of her hair and twist it between my fingers. “There is no end to what all is special about you.”
Stroking my abs and leaning over me, she begins to get closer. She gives my lips a quick glance. Steadily she moves down to me. My hand goes to the back of her neck as I lick my lips and anticipate her lips on mine.
“Hey!” a voice calls out. “Aren’t you making dinner? That’s what Mom said.”
Peyton jerks up and I see Tyler standing next to us.
Now how did he manage to sneak up on us like that?
&n
bsp; “Shit!” she says. “You scared me, Tyler.”
Tyler lightly punches me on my bicep. “I bet I did. You two come on inside and be sociable.” He hands me my shirt and Peyton a towel. “Cover up now, we don’t want any of the goods on display now do we?”
I get up and pull the shirt over my head as Peyton grabs the towel from her brother’s outstretched hand. “Thanks, Tyler,” she says then sticks her tongue out at him.
Tyler runs his arm around his baby sister’s shoulders. “Anytime, Sissy. I got your back.” Peyton sighs and allows her brother to lead her into the house, followed by me.
Don’t believe I’ve ever come up against such protective brothers before!
I change clothes and find Peyton cooking away in the kitchen. “Let me help you, pet.”
She hands me a bowl and grabs some things to make a salad from the fridge. Gesturing to the counter, she says, “The cutting board is over there along with the knives.”
He laughs as I walk over to grab a knife and the cutting board. “Salad, maybe I can get this right.”
“Ever cook before,” she asks.
I wink at her, igniting a smile. “Would you actually call what I’m about to do cooking?”
She shakes her head. “Uh-uh, but have you even made a salad before?”
I scan the area for her brothers before I grab her from behind and hold her to me as I whisper in her ear, “No, you’re my first one.”
Giggles fill the air as she wiggles in my arms. A kiss I leave on her neck before I let her go. It’s stopped her giggles and made her cheeks pink. The urge to push all this stuff off the counter top and place her on it is overwhelming.
I see her watching me out of the corner of her eye as I carefully pull the lettuce leaves off and tear them with my hands before placing them gently in the bowl. A layer of hand torn lettuce leaves, followed by cherry tomatoes I cut. A purple onion I chop into rings.
“Kip, who writes the songs you sing?”
“A lot of different people,” I answer as I continue to make the salad look as good as it can.
The noodles done, she pours them into a colander in the sink and tosses them with olive oil. “Do you write any?” she asks.
The Shameless Billionaire Series: Billionaire Romance Box Set (An Alpha-Male, Billionaire, Bad Boy, Bad Girl, Romance) Page 32
