by Erika Wilde
She smiled at him. “I’d really like that, too.”
“Good, then it’s settled,” he said, not analyzing why he felt relieved. And ridiculously happy that she’d agreed. “We can tell your parents that I’m taking you out for dinner.”
“That works.” With those plans established, a naughty glimmer entered her eyes as she toyed with the side string holding her bottoms together. “So . . . want to go swimming with me?”
“No.” He lifted his gaze from her taunting fingers tugging on the ties, his tone unapologetically direct and pure sex. “What I really want is to strip that bikini off your body and fuck you.” God, would he ever get enough of her before she left him? “But if you’d rather splash around in the pool—”
He didn’t even finish the sentence before she was on her bare feet, her expression eager as she grabbed his hand and tugged toward the guesthouse, giving him her answer—she wasn’t interested in taking a dip in the pool. As she power walked in front of him up the short pathway, his gaze dropped to her ass. Jesus Christ, the backside of her bottoms barely covered her cheeks, and he had the possessive thought that there was no way he’d ever let her wear a bikini like this out in public. It was for his eyes only.
Once they were inside the house, the need to get inside of her as soon as possible had him taking charge. After shutting the door and locking it for good measure, he turned her around before she could head toward the bedroom and pushed her up against the nearest wall. He shoved all ten fingers through her silky hair, tilted her head back so it was poised beneath his, and crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her in the same edgy, desperate way that he wanted to take her body.
Seemingly just as wild as him, she panted against his lips, trying to pull the shirt from his pants, and he helped her along by yanking it unceremoniously over his head so it was no longer between them. Her fingernails lightly scraped down his abdomen to the fly of his pants, and he growled deep in his throat as frantic animal passion took over and finesse went out the window.
While she worked to get his zipper down over his erection, then pushed his pants and underwear down his hips, he got rid of her swimming suit top and lowered his damp, parted lips to her breasts. He took them into his mouth and sucked until her nipples were as stiff as the rock-hard dick Peyton was stroking in her palm.
She smelled like coconut oil, her skin sleek as he skimmed his hands along the curve of her waist until he reached the ties on her bikini bottoms. One hard pull had them unraveling and falling to the floor, and he didn’t waste any time burying his fingers between her legs, making sure she was good and wet and ready for the quick fuck he was about to deliver. She was drenched, her arousal coating his hand, and her soft flesh yielded to the thrust of fingers inside her.
She gasped in shock as they filled her, then gave a lustful whimper as he licked a path up the side of her neck and bit gently, just enough to add another layer of sensation to all the rest. Her hips gyrated toward his touch, and he pressed his thumb to her clit and increased the pressure and friction until her entire body was vibrating with pleasure and she clung to his arms, moaning raggedly as her first orgasm surged through her.
He barely remembered to grab a condom from the pocket of his pants before they hit the ground, and he kicked them aside, then quickly rolled on the protection. Good God, he was shaking, and he knew he wasn’t going to last long. He wanted Peyton too badly, needed her like she was his other half and he had to get his cock inside of her to feel whole.
Grabbing her ass, he easily lifted her light weight. He braced her upper back against the wall as he adjusted his hold on her legs so that they were draped over his forearms and he was able to press her knees toward her chest and spread her thighs wide, giving him complete control while she clung to his shoulders. The hard tip of his cock pressed home, and he clenched his jaw because it took everything in him to hold back until Peyton knew exactly what was coming her way.
“This is going to be hard and fast, baby,” he warned, his voice gruff.
“And so, so deep,” she added in a husky whisper, clearly realizing that this position was going to allow him to drive to the hilt.
He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, that, too.”
“Just the way I like it,” she assured him.
Her words were a sultry invitation that shattered the last of his restraint. He angled her higher, then plunged all the way in. And Jesus, every time with her seemed hotter and better than the last.
Peyton cried out as he impaled her, her throat arching back and her breath leaving her lungs in choppy gasps. When her tight body gradually relaxed to accommodate him, Leo started to move, gradually increasing the strength and pace of his thrusts, until he was taking her like a goddamn animal. But he couldn’t stop, because he was so fucking greedy for her. As he pounded into her, he looked into her eyes and found them hazed with passion, giving him the assurance he needed to let loose and go full throttle.
With an unraveling groan, he took her mouth in a voracious, biting kiss as he pistoned his hips, faster and faster, feeling his orgasm gathering with hurricane force as he nailed Peyton to the wall. She might be petite, but Peyton was just as much of a hellcat in his arms. Sinking her teeth into his bottom lip in return, she ground herself against him, rubbing her clit against the base of his dick as she chased her own release and chanted more, more, more against his mouth.
And then she was coming, pulsing around his cock, and nothing could have stopped the tsunami-sized wave of an orgasm that crashed through him, shaking him to the core. The pleasure of it was so intense he lost his breath, then his ability to stand upright. His knees buckled, and he slid down to the floor, taking Peyton with him, with her still straddling his lap while they both struggled to recover . . . except there was something about the racing of his heart that told Leo that this wasn’t just fun, fake-boyfriend-with-benefits sex anymore. This was sex with feeling, the kind that had the ability to fuck him over when she headed back to New York in four short days.
And he realized there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about stopping either thing from happening.
Chapter Nine
“Tell me more about who I’m going to meet today so I have an idea of who everyone is,” Peyton said to Leo as they drove toward his mother’s house for dinner and the baby gender reveal for his older brother.
She was still surprised he’d asked her to come along, but she was looking forward to seeing what his family interaction was like compared to hers since he had siblings and she didn’t. She’d always wanted a brother or sister and often wondered if that would have made a difference to having both of her parents’ focus on just her. She’d like to think that a sibling would have been a nice buffer and would have made her parents less smothering and protective as she grew up.
Leo eased the Mustang he’d been driving all week onto the freeway and gave her a quick glance, his expression relaxed. “You’ll meet my mom, of course. Her name is Grace and she’s been dating a great guy, Charles, who will also be there. As you know, my mom is a fucking warrior for beating breast cancer.”
Peyton smiled, remembering the story Leo had told her at his place that first night, about his mother having breast cancer and his real father leaving the family for a younger woman, instead of taking care of the wife who needed his support battling the disease and trying to raise three teenage boys. Grace sounded like an incredible woman, who’d raised Leo to be an equally incredible man.
“Then there are Aiden and Daisy, who are the reason we’re gathering at my mother’s tonight.”
“How did they meet?” she asked curiously.
“They work together. The two of them went away for a weekend on a business-related trip, and one thing led to another and, well, Daisy ended up pregnant,” he said, his tone wry. “Definitely not the traditional way of doing things, but the two of them are perfect together. I never thought Aiden would fall in love and get married, but he adores Daisy and is excited that they’re having a baby. He’s go
ing to be an amazing dad.”
She leaned her head against the back of her seat, easily imagining Leo being just as great with kids and wondering if he’d planned those things with Amanda. More and more, she wanted to know what had happened between them. It wasn’t something he ever talked about, and as much as she wanted to bring it up, she knew now wasn’t the time, when they were heading to his mother’s for an enjoyable evening.
“So, that leaves your younger brother, Dylan, right?” She knew this from seeing pictures of Leo with him on social media.
“Yep. He’s an app developer and has his own company that’s exceeded his expectations gross revenue wise and has designated him as one of San Diego’s ‘most eligible millionaires’ in articles and interviews, which he hates,” Leo said with a wry laugh at his brother’s poor misfortune as he exited the freeway and entered a residential area. “But it’s a perfect career for him, because he’s always been a techie nerd. And he’s bringing his best friend, Serena, with him tonight. She grew up in the house next to ours when my dad was still around, and we’ve known her all our lives. She’s like a sister to us and always comes to family stuff.”
“And how many of them know about my social media stalking and how it led to us?” she asked playfully, wanting to know just how embarrassed she should be when she met all of them.
“Dylan knows the whole story, which means he probably told Serena,” Leo said, parking the car in front of a cute cottage-type house. “But I asked him not to say anything to the rest of the family. As far as they know, I’m just bringing you along as an old friend from college who is visiting from New York.”
The fact that her stomach twisted a little at that casual designation of what they were to each other told Peyton how much of an impact this past week with Leo had had on her. Yes, he’d agreed to go along with fabricating a pretend relationship so she could keep things status quo with her parents, but somewhere along the way, she’d stopped thinking of Leo as her fake boyfriend and started thinking of him as hers.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she realized that her crush and years-long infatuation had taken a sharp emotional turn, and falling completely in love with Leo was right around the corner. Just from their time in chemistry class together back in college, she’d already known what a solid, loyal guy he was. But cohabitating with him on a daily basis had shown her so many other dimensions to his personality. The hot, sweet, funny guy who was caring and thoughtful and as authentic as a person could get. The panty-dropping, knee-quivering, mouth-watering alpha lover who’d already discovered all her sexual triggers and shamelessly exploited them. And then there was this man sitting right in front of her, the one who clearly loved his family and would do anything for them.
Leo was a part of her life for a week to convince her parents that they were in a loving relationship, and he’d already won them over by just being himself. And yes, she did feel bad that her mother and father were getting attached to him—which was something she hadn’t thought about when she’d put this plan into motion. But it was too late now. There were only a few days left with Leo, and it made no sense to tell her parents the truth and end this pleasant visit with their disappointment following her back to New York.
But despite how Peyton felt about Leo, and regardless of that blossoming seed of something so much stronger and deeper taking hold, she understood why he’d introduce her as a friend. He didn’t want to give his family any false impressions that he was seriously dating anyone. Because in reality, he wasn’t. And with their days together quickly dwindling, he was undoubtedly trying to keep things from getting too complicated.
So yes, his reasons for keeping things casual in front of his family made sense, even if she wished that things were different between them.
They both got out of the car, and he came around the vehicle and met up with her on the sidewalk, where they walked together up to the porch. He didn’t hold her hand—something she’d grown used to around her parents—and instead pressed his hand against her lower back. Touching her intimately but not in a blatant you’re mine kind of way.
After a brisk knock on the door to announce his arrival, he opened it, and just as they stepped inside, a pretty older woman, followed by a few other people, came over to greet them. Leo introduced her to his mother, Grace, first, and before Peyton could offer her hand, the other woman pulled her into a warm, welcoming hug.
“I’m so happy to meet you, Peyton,” she said, her words and tone genuine, and even though his mother had been told that they were just friends, there was an unmistakable glimmer of hope in her gaze as she smiled at Peyton.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well,” Peyton said with a smile.
From there, she met Grace’s beau, Charles, who had the kindest blue eyes and a charming demeanor, and both of Leo’s good-looking brothers, Aiden and Dylan, followed by Serena and a noticeably pregnant Daisy, whose complexion glowed beautifully. They made their way to the open-concept kitchen and dining room, which was decorated in pink and blue streamers and balloons. Sitting on the kitchen island was an adorable cake with half of it decorated in pink polka dot frosting and the other half in blue with a big question mark in the middle and the words, He or She, what will it be?
Leo groaned as he took in the baby décor. “Really, Mom? Don’t you think this is all a little overkill just to find out the sex of the baby?”
“I asked her the same thing,” Dylan said with a laugh.
Grace arched a delicate brow at her sons that made it clear who was in charge in this house. “I was starting to think I wasn’t going to get grandchildren out of any of you boys. So yes, I’m going to enjoy every moment of my daughter-in-law’s pregnancy and spoil that baby rotten when it’s born.”
Aiden sighed as he came up behind Daisy and wrapped his arm around her expanding waistline, then kissed her on the cheek, the gesture sweet and intimate. “We were just going to find out the sex of the baby and tell everyone and be done with it, but Mom insisted that we keep it a secret and have the doctor put the gender into an envelope, then she took it to the bakery for the cake. Right now, the people who baked the cake are the only ones who know if this baby is a boy or girl.”
“Just think how exciting it’s going to be when you cut that cake open,” Grace said as she went to the stove to check a casserole that looked as though it had just been pulled from the oven.
“We can’t wait,” Aiden drawled with exaggerated enthusiasm, which earned him a jab in the ribs from his wife’s elbow.
“Behave yourself,” Daisy chastised him lightheartedly. “And let your mother have her fun.”
“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” Peyton asked.
“Girl,” Aiden said the same time that Daisy said, “Boy.”
Everyone laughed at their contradicting answers.
Daisy rubbed her rounded belly, covered by a cute white maternity top that she’d paired with leggings. “Honestly, I know it sounds trite, but we just want a healthy baby.”
“Girl,” Aiden added to the end of her sentence, a teasing glimmer in his eyes.
Daisy turned her head to look up at her husband’s handsome face. “Well, you usually get your way, so I’m sure it will be.”
“I get my way only when it matters,” he replied, dipping his head near Daisy’s ear. “That’s why you’re wearing my ring on your finger, sweetheart.”
“Oh my God,” Dylan said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “You two are giving me a stomachache with all that sugary sweetness.”
“What you’re feeling is pure jealousy,” Aiden told him, taking no offense to his brother’s comment.
Dylan denied his sibling’s remark, but Peyton had to admit that she was feeling a little envious of this couple who was so blissfully happy and clearly in love, despite the fact that the pregnancy hadn’t been planned. Obviously, it didn’t matter, and these two were meant to be together, because it was clear that Aiden adored his wife.
Peyton liked her life in Ne
w York, and she loved her career. She’d never thought of herself as a white-picket-fence kind of girl, but seeing Aiden and Daisy sharing all those intimacies that couples in love exchanged made her long for something . . . more. And that was a first for her considering all the guys she’d dated and found lacking.
Her gaze automatically shifted to Leo, because she suddenly imagined that more being with him. Except there was no indication that, beyond this week, he wanted to continue anything with her. And even if he did, was it possible to pursue a relationship considering the distance between them?
“Okay, all you boys, Charles included,” Grace said, interrupting Peyton’s thoughts. “You all need to go out onto the deck and have a beer while we girls chitchat until dinner is ready.”
Grace shooed the men out the back slider, and they all went willingly. She returned to the kitchen to make a salad, refusing any help that was offered, which left Peyton, Daisy, and Serena to sit on the stools at the marbled island.
“So, Leo said that you met in college?” Grace asked, clearly inviting more conversation.
The two other women looked at her, just as curious to hear her response, but she wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t already the real truth. “Yes. We had a chemistry class together and were partners for our lab. He was dating Amanda at that time.”
Peyton immediately stopped talking. She had no idea why that last part about Amanda had even popped out of her mouth, and the silence that descended made her feel extremely uncomfortable and she instantly regretted every word. “I’m so sorry,” she rushed to apologize for her faux pas. “I know things didn’t work out between them . . .” Shit. She just needed to shut up.
