My father managed to choke back tears as he finished his vows, but lost the fight as Melanie recited hers. Their images blurred and I blinked away my own tears as they exchanged rings, dabbing under my eyes to keep my makeup intact. As I lowered my hand, Jack’s fingers wrapped around my wrist, then entwined with mine. I looked down at our joined hands as he rested them on his firm thigh, then up toward his face. Warm hazel eyes met my gaze and his mouth curled into a small smile. I sniffed and smiled back.
Jack tightened his hold on my hand and I rested my head against his shoulder and watched as the officiant declared the happy couple man and wife. Everyone stood and cheered as my father kissed his bride then led her down the makeshift aisle. I turned and watched them walk the short distance to the tables that were set up to create a reception area.
A backyard wedding with less than a hundred guests doesn’t qualify as a Hollywood blowout, but it’s exactly what I’d expect from both of them. My father steps into the spotlight when necessary, but he’s made it a point to keep his personal life out of it. And the fact that they’ve kept their relationship secret all this time shows how Mel feels.
Jack wrapped his arm around me from behind and kissed the top of my head.
“Sorry I was so late,” Jack said. “The game ran long and traffic was a bitch.”
I turned in his arms and smiled up at him.
“I’m just happy you’re here.”
“Me too.” He looked around. “This reminds me of Dan and Sabrina’s wedding. Just family and close friends in the backyard.”
“I guess it’s the easiest way to control the environment. There are too many unknowns and possibilities for details to leak with a venue.”
He chuckled. “I forgot I’m with the master planner.”
“Lucky for me, when I plan an event, I usually want everyone to know who’s going to be there so I don’t have to worry about leaks.”
During our little talk, the chairs had emptied out and the rest of the attendees had made their way to the party area, and more importantly, the food. Melanie’s mother is full-blooded Italian and she, her sisters, and her mother have gone all out with this wedding. Hell, Sunday dinner is an event at this house. The food for a special occasion like this could feed a small country.
“So who are all these people? I don’t see anyone I recognize so I’m guessing no Hollywood bigwigs are here.”
“Nope, strictly family and friends. My dad’s agent doesn’t even know about this.” I spotted two of Melanie’s brothers standing by the bar. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone starting with Mel’s brothers.” I smiled up at Jack. “They’re huge Anaheim fans. So if the subject of baseball happens to come up, please feel free to mention the fact that the Waves swept their team earlier this week.”
“You sure you want me to go there?”
Jack’s raised brow and sexy smirk made me want to drag him out of the party and get naked. Ten days apart is way too long. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that we have all night and part of tomorrow to spend together. Not to mention the flight home. Jack has chartered a private plane to bring us back east so we can really relax or...whatever. With the way I’m feeling right now, whatever is more likely.
“Trust me. I’ve taken enough abuse from them through the years. They deserve the payback.”
“Can I help with anything?”
Melanie’s mother, Angela, busied herself consolidating food and stacking empty trays. I’ve seen her do it hundreds of times at various gatherings. Past experience tells me she won’t let me help, but I have to offer anyway.
“No, I’m good. You know I have a system.” She turned her head and smiled. “But stay and keep me company. We can catch up.” She reached out and squeezed my hand. “How are you doing? With all this?”
I wiped the powdered sugar she left on my hand when she let go and returned to her task.
“I’m okay.” Looking at me out of the corner of her eye, Angela managed to call bullshit without saying a word. “I’ll admit, it’s strange and the whole thing freaked me out when they told me. But what can I do? Disown my father? Cut ties with my best friend? Never get to know my little brother?”
She surprised me with one of her world-famous hugs. “You’re an amazing young woman, you know that?” Pulling back, she kissed my forehead. “And I’m honored to call you my second daughter.”
With three sons, and only one daughter, Angela had always said she loved having me around because it helped ward off all the testosterone. As an only child, I loved being welcomed into their crazy family dynamic.
Angela winked and nudged her head in Jack’s direction. “Your young man seems to be fitting in just fine, too.”
I looked over at Jack talking to Melanie’s brothers and cousins. To say he’s fitting in is an understatement. They love him, despite the fact he plays for the Waves and not their team. He caught me looking and smiled, then tipped his drink in my direction without missing a beat in the conversation.
“Do ya think ya could stop playing’ googly eyes with yer boyfriend and dance with yer da?” My father walked up behind me and grabbed a cookie off the platter Angela had just filled and took a bite. “This is all amazing’, Angela. Thank ya for putting’ it on.”
“It’s my pleasure, Aaran.” She hugged her new son-in-law, who is only five years her junior. “Welcome to the family.”
He pulled back and smiled. “Thank ya. It means a lot.”
“Now go dance with your daughter.” Angela patted his shoulder. “Thank you for your help,” she said and kissed me on the cheek.
A slow, bluesy tune started as father led me to the makeshift dance floor and pulled me into a perfect frame. We danced in silence for several beats before he pulled his head back and looked me in the eye.
“Thank ya fer been’ here.” His husky voice tore at my heart. I know our months apart affected him as much as they did me. As long as I remember, it had been the two of us against the world, and even when I went to live with my grandmother and he built himself into a megastar, he was my rock. I know that if I ever needed him, he’d drop everything and be at my side in a minute.
“I’ll always be here,” I said. “No matter what.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug and we swayed from side to side as the song came to an end.
“Yer a good girl,” he kissed my forehead and pulled back. “Make sure he treats ya right.”
I swallowed and nodded. “I will.”
We walked to the edge of the dance floor as the familiar strains of Frank Sinatra filled the air.
I felt Jack behind me before his hand brushed my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.
“Excuse me sir, can I steal your daughter?” He asked my father then turned to me. “I believe they’re playing our song.”
My father kissed me on the cheek and stepped back. Without a word, he walked across the yard toward his bride.
Jack wrapped his arms around my waist and stepped closer, leaving me no choice but to loop my arms around his neck. The last time we danced together, you could have fit a truck between us and I’d breathed through my mouth to avoid inhaling his intoxicating scent. Now our bodies touched in all the best places and I rested my cheek against his shoulder as we swayed to The Way You Look Tonight, much slower than the beat warranted.
“This is much nicer than the last time we danced,” he said, echoing my thoughts. He kissed my temple and rested his cheek against the top of my head.
I nodded and, taking in long, slow breaths, settled in to enjoy his amazing smell and savor the moment.
Jack
I climbed into bed and set a gift bag on the pillow next to me. The shower shut off a while ago, so Hannah should be out any minute. I’d been half-tempted to join her, but decided against it. After ten days away, I want her stretched out on a big bed, not against a wall in some hotel shower. No matter how nice said hotel might be.
Melanie’s mother had offered us a room at h
er house. Thankfully Hannah turned her down. As welcome as the Reade family made me feel, I know alone time would have been in short supply if we stayed there.
The bathroom door opened and Hannah walked across the room all shiny and clean, her legs looking impossibly long below the hem of my T-shirt. I saw a quick flash of pink lace panties as she kneeled onto the bed. Facing the headboard, she pointed to the bag.
“What’s this?”
“A present.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “For me?”
I looked around the room and settled onto my side. “I don’t see anyone else here.”
Her eyes shifted between me and the bag. “I can’t believe you got me a present.”
“It’s nothing big,” I said. “But it’s something I thought you’d like.”
She settled onto the bed with her legs crossed and pulled the small bag into her lap then gingerly removed the tissue paper. Reaching inside, she slowly pulled out its contents. I watched her inspect them for several seconds and worked to tamp down my nervousness.
I’ve bought things for women before, but never something personal like this. Then again, none of my relationships were personal like this. And Hannah isn’t the kind of woman who’d want flashy jewelry or a trendy purse. She’s the type who couldn’t wait to get out of her designer dress tonight so she could jump in the shower to scrub away layers of makeup and a helmet of hairspray.
Hannah looked up at me, a smile lighting her face.
“These are amazing. Where did you find them?”
She picked up one pair of glasses then the other and inspected them.
“I went to dinner with the guys the other night and there was a consignment shop next door to the restaurant. These were in the window and caught my eye so I went back the next day to check them out.” I shifted onto my elbow and shrugged. “I thought you’d like them.”
“I love them,” she said. “I don’t have any ombre frames and these other ones are so unique. They look like plain tortoise shell, but tiny flowers make up the pattern.”
“I understood tortoise shell, but what the hell is ombre?”
Holding up the frames in question, she said. “When the color goes from light to dark like that.”
“I had no idea there was a name for that.”
“Well now you know,” she said and pulled off her black-framed glasses and placed them on the discarded tissue paper. Setting the “ombre” frames into place, she asked, “What do you think?”
“Nice,” I said. “Hold on.” Grabbing my phone, I turned on the camera and snapped a picture. “Now the other ones.” She swapped glasses and struck a pose. “Got it.”
She put on the glasses she could actually see out of and carefully wrapped the other two in the tissue paper, put them back in the bag, and set it on the nightstand.
“Let me see.” Crawling to the middle of the bed, she set her head next to mine on my pillow. I pulled up the pictures and watched as she flipped back and forth between them. Turning to me, she placed her hand on my cheek and looked into my eyes. “They’re perfect, Jack. Thank you.”
Leaning in, she placed her lips on mine, then lingered, deepening the kiss. I rested my hand on her shoulder and pulled back, holding her in place when she would have followed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I just wanted to warn you and give you a chance to back away.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“We’ve been on opposite coasts for ten long days,” I said. “FaceTime and phone calls have been like extended foreplay. So the next time we kiss, I’m not gonna let you come up for air until dawn.”
Her lips curled into a slow smirk.
“Sleep is highly overrated.”
After Hannah uttered those words, I hate to say I jumped her, but that’s basically what happened. Pushing the T-shirt out of my way as I slid up her body, I rested my hands on her cheeks then dragged my fingers through her hair before resting them on either side of her head. Tilting her face to one side, I pressed my lips to hers and took small tastes, nibbling and licking before opening my mouth fully and devouring hers.
Hannah gave as good as she got, meeting my tongue stroke for stroke. Her fingers dug into my scalp, holding me in place as our mouths opened and closed, taking and giving. I pressed against her, creating a tight suction, exploring and enjoying her every taste and texture.
She shifted her legs wider, pulling me closer to heaven. My hips moved, thrusting slowly against the heat surrounding me, her lace panties doing very little to dull the sensation. Without even touching me below the neck, Hannah had my dick peeking out of the waistband of my boxer briefs looking for attention.
The kiss went on and on, long and hard, our mouths fused together in a hot, sexual assault. Hannah’s hands slid down my back and squeezed my ass, pulling me harder against her. A muffled moan vibrated through her chest when I thrust forward, pushing the tip of my dick between her folds to press against her clit.
I swallowed her low groan then pulled back, tugging her bottom lip between my teeth until she opened her eyes and met my gaze. Releasing her, I kissed her again, slower this time, savoring her sweetness, trying to set a new pace. The woman normally erodes my control and being apart for so long hasn’t helped that. Hannah slid her right leg against my thigh and wrapped it around my hip, opening her to me even more.
So much for control.
I slanted my mouth over hers in a fierce, possessive kiss as our bodies thrust against each other. Her tight nipples dragged across my chest and I couldn’t wait to feel them against my tongue. Tearing my mouth from hers, I fought to slow my breathing and backed up until I knelt between her thighs. Her gaze dragged over me from head to abs. Zeroing in on the erection playing peek-a-boo with the waistband of my briefs, she reached out and tugged them down, catching my dick in a tight grip as it bobbed forward.
“Oh no you don’t,” I said and peeled her fingers away. Taking both of her hands in mine, I raised her arms above her head and wrapped them around her pillow. “Keep those there.”
“Jack.” Her voice came out somewhere between a whine and a groan.
I leaned forward and kissed my way from the corner of her mouth to her ear.
“Trust me. It’ll be better this way.” I nipped at her lobe then left a trail of open-mouthed kisses along her jaw, down her neck, and against her chest. Taking one nipple between my thumb and forefinger, I licked the other, then gazed up at her and sucked it into my mouth. She arched her back, but kept her hands in place above her head.
I licked, laved, and sucked, first one nipple then the other, her soft mewls urging me on. I could do that forever, but her thrusting hips became more insistent telling me she needed more. Pulling my mouth away with a pop, I kissed my way down to nip at her navel. Hannah watched my every move, her fingers white as she gripped the pillow.
Dipping my fingers into the waistband of her panties, I tugged them down her long legs and shifted away from her just enough to slip them off. I settled back into place and took a deep breath, inhaling her sweet scent. Using my thumbs, I held her open and stared at her glistening lips and engorged clit.
“You are so beautiful,” I said, my voice hoarse.
I had every intention of teasing her a bit, but that plan went out the window as soon as I heard her ragged groan. She needs this as much as I need to give it to her.
Sliding first one, then another finger into her wet heat, I curled them forward and pumped slowly, dragging against her G-spot with every pass. Her hips lifted in tiny thrusts and I rested my hand on her stomach to hold her in place, leaned in, and took a long, firm lick.
“Jack, please.” She panted. “Please.”
I pulled that tiny bundle of nerves into my mouth and sucked. Hannah’s pussy clamped down on my fingers then continued to spasm as I feasted. Her shaking thighs clamped the side of my head and I pulled back giving her time to take a breath. Aftershocks squeezed at my fingers as I slowly
pulled them out of her.
Resting my chin against her mound, I looked up the length of her body and couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. With her fingers digging into the pillow, she held it tight against her forehead, just above her tightly clenched eyes.
“What are you laughing at?” she asked, but sounded too exhausted to care.
“You can let go now.”
Leaning forward, I stroked her white-knuckled grip with my thumb. She peeked one eye open and, finger by finger, loosened her hold on the pillow until it flopped back into place on the bed. I lowered her arms until her hands rested on her stomach and massaged her fingers, working my way past her wrists to her forearms and biceps, then her shoulders. Stroking my way back down to her hands, I held them loosely in mine and kissed one then the other and smiled.
“You okay?” I asked.
She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out then nodded.
“You’re not stopping, are you?” she asked.
My answering laugh ended on a groan when she thrust her hips up, rubbing against my cock.
“As if I could stop.”
Shifting off her, I got naked and rolled onto my back, pulling her on top of me. I usually like to be the one controlling the action, but with Hannah, I love watching her, love being able to touch her while she moves over me.
My eyes rolled back as she reached down and lined me up at her entrance and slowly slid down my entire length. The feel of sinking into her bareback is still new and I grit my teeth to hold off the orgasm that’s never far away when I’m inside her.
I curled my fingers into her hips as she settled into a slow, steady movement. Her inner walls tightened, squeezing me closer to the edge with every stroke. Time to get this show moving before I totally lose control.
Sliding my fingertips up her sides, I cupped her breasts and dragged my thumbs across her nipples. She lost rhythm and grabbed onto my forearms to steady herself then pulled in a deep breath and let it out on a slow moan as she resumed her previous rhythm.
She froze in place when I pinched then rolled her nipples between my thumb and forefinger. Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed my wrists.
Waste of Handsome (Carolina Waves #2) Page 27
