by R. C. Martin
“Fuck, man,” Sage mutters, pulling me back into our conversation. “You’re not kidding around. You’re for real about her.”
“You’re not seriously just now figuring that out, are you?” I ask with a smirk.
“No, I mean, like—you love her and shit.”
I let my silence speak on my behalf. I won’t deny it. I’m not embarrassed about it. It’s the truth. Sarah’s above and beyond anything I ever dared to want in a woman.
For so long I had my head up my ass while I let Olivia mistreat my heart. I held on to her for years and, in the end, all I got was grief. I was a kid when I fell in love with her. I was blinded by our history and my hope that it would stand for something—that our relationship would one day mean as much to her as it did to me. But Olivia is selfish. She doesn’t know how to love. She always took more than she gave. I let her, until she took things too far and there was no more room for I’m sorry. She managed to strip away any and all meaning in those words.
Now I have Sarah. Sarah gives before she takes. She’s genuine and honest. She’s sweet and funny. When she looks at me, she’s got this way of making me feel like I’m important to her—like I mean something to her in a way that no one else does. I cherish that look because what I see in those big blue eyes is a reflection of what she means to me. I want her.
No. I fucking need her.
She’s become the air I breathe. I can barely sleep without her. I think about her all the time. When I’m with her, I have to be touching her. When I’m not, I can’t wait until the next time we meet. I see her every day and yet it still doesn’t seem like I’m getting enough.
Then, of course, there’s the way she gives herself to me. I’m learning her body. She’s gorgeous. I’ve thought so since the moment I laid eyes on her—but when she’s in my bed, stripped bare and vulnerable, she’s the sexiest and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the privilege of touching. The very fact that she’s allowing me to give her so many first time experiences, allowing me to tread in unchartered waters, it makes her mine more than she’s ever been anyone else’s. We haven’t had sex yet, but I’m not in any hurry.
When I make love to her, I intend to claim her forever. Once she lets me bury myself inside of her, there’s no turning back. I won’t let her go. I already know that she’ll ruin me for anyone else.
She already has.
“Part of me wants to give you a hard time,” says Sage. “But I can’t. You’re one lucky dude. Sarah’s the shit.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“I owe her big time for getting Millie to go out with me.”
“You really like this one. I’ve never seen you try so hard.”
“It’s like I said, man—she’s insane,” he says with a grin. “She’s wicked smart and sexy as fuck. Sarah was right, though. She’s got her guard up all the time. I’ve got my work cut out for me. But I know she’s worth it. I just have to get her to see that I am, too.”
“Good luck with that, man. Seriously. I hope it works out for you.”
“Thanks.”
We chat for a few more minutes before I head to the back to get things ready to close up. It stays pretty quiet out front, for which I’m grateful. I’m anxious to get out of here tonight. Even though things stay calm, it feels like it takes forever for nine o’clock to roll around. When it does, Sage and I hurry through the nightly checklist and head out at a quarter after.
When I get home, I decide to take a quick shower. The hot water relaxes me and when I step out, I’m blindsided by my exhaustion. I decide to lay down while I wait for Sarah. I leave the door unlocked and the bedside lamp on. I expect she’ll be here any minute.
I’m startled out of my sleep when I feel her crawl into bed with me. She’s turned the light out so I can hardly see her, but I can feel her skin press against mine and I know she’s come to me in nothing but something pretty and red. I pull her close and she hooks one of her legs over mine as she rests her cheek against my chest.
“Hey, babe, go back to sleep.”
“What time is it?” I mumble.
“Ten thirty. I’m sorry I’m so late. I decided to pack a few things—enough to stay the weekend. I hope that’s alright.”
“Sweet girl, you can stay as long as you’d like.” I try to keep my eyes open, but it’s a battle I can’t seem to win. “My bed is your bed.”
She tilts her head back and presses a kiss against my chin.
I can’t say for sure if I reach for her mouth with my own or if I just think about it before I’m asleep again. When the alarm clock sounds at a quarter to five, it’s Sarah who crawls over me to turn it off. The feel of her silky soft skin pressed against mine is a glorious way to wake up. Before she can pull away, I wrap her in my arms and pin her beneath me. Her groggy laugh makes me want to kiss her.
“Well, hello there,” she says with a smile. “Someone’s up.”
I wink at her before I press my erection between her legs.
“It’s not nice to tease me,” she murmurs, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair.
I love it when she does that.
I show my appreciation by rubbing up against her once more.
“Brandon,” she sighs, wrapping her legs around me.
“Tell me what you want, baby.”
“We don’t have time.”
I bring my mouth to hers and kiss her slowly. She returns my affection, stroking her tongue against mine, neither of us bothered by the fact that we’ve yet to brush our teeth. This is how every morning should start. I rub up against her again, this time eliciting her sweet moan. I drag my lips away from her mouth and down to her ear.
“Two minutes. That’s all I need, sweet girl, is two minutes. Tell me what you want.”
“Um…”
I tease her again, this time reaching to cup my hand around her pussy. I stifle my groan when I find her panties are already soaked through. “Fuck, Sarah—what do you want, baby? What’s got you so wet? Tell me. Do you want my fingers? Or is it my mouth you’re dreaming of?”
“Your mouth,” she finally whispers. “I want your mouth.”
A smirk tugs at my lips before I press a kiss against her lips. “It would be my pleasure,” I tell her before disappearing underneath the sheets.
She’s delectable. If my girl smells like sunshine, she tastes like summer. I decide to go a little slower—I take three minutes instead of two, savoring every drop of her arousal. The sound she makes as she comes undone is almost guttural, as if it’s coming from the deepest depths of her core. It’s wild and so fucking sexy. When my work is done, I trace my way up her body with soft kisses. She reaches for my face and pulls my mouth back to hers. I kiss her so that she can taste herself on my lips and tongue.
“What about you?” she wonders, pulling away abruptly.
“I’ll take a cold shower.”
She frowns at me. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
I chuckle as I sit up. “I appreciate your concern, but I think you underestimate how much enjoyment we both get when I go down on you.”
“Really?” she asks, propping herself up on her elbows. “You’re not just saying that?”
“I’d never lie to you,” I assure her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Do you think I would like it as much as you do?”
I watch as her eyes travel from mine, down to the bulge in my briefs, then back up to my eyes. I shake my head and stand before my mind is flooded with images of her mouth wrapped around my dick. “Now that isn’t fair. You can’t put ideas like that in my head, Sunshine.”
“I’m serious! I’ve never done it before.”
I groan, scraping my hands down my face. “You’re killing me. We don’t have time.”
She cocks her head and smiles at me. “You mean I couldn’t make you happy in two minutes? On second thought, make that five, since it’s my first time.”
Dammit—with that mouth, I probably wouldn’t last thi
rty seconds.
“Shit. Sarah, do you have any idea how hard it is for me to say no to you? I swear, a part of me is dying right now. A slow, cruel, painful death.”
She crawls out of bed and stands in front of me, hooking her thumbs into the top of my briefs before she starts pushing them down. “Then stop saying no,” she whispers.
She lowers herself to her knees and my heart is pounding so hard, I wonder if she can see it coming through my chest. I stare down at her, not sure whether or not I should believe that this is actually happening, and watch as she takes a deep breath.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to,” she insists, looking up at me. “I just got a little nervous, that’s all. Give me a second.” Her tongue slides over her top lip as she stares at my cock. It’s ready, waiting, and wanting. “So, um, you’ll come in my mouth?”
God—what did I do to deserve this sweet girl? The way she’s looking at me right now? I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for anything in my entire life.
“Baby, it’s your world. We can do this however you want.”
“Okay,” she says before taking another deep breath. “If it’s better for you, um, I think I want you to. Will I…choke?”
Fuck. My sweet girl. So pure. So innocent.
“Just relax your throat, okay?”
She nods before she wraps her lips around the tip and runs her tongue over my sensitive flesh.
I forget how to breathe.
She slides me further into her mouth and grips the base of my dick with her hand. Her pace is slow at first and I can tell she’s trying to get used to it. It’s not long before she’s sucking me like a fucking lollipop. I tangle my fingers in her wavy locks, desperately needing something to grip onto.
“Sarah. Holy shit. Sarah.” I’m like a broken record. They’re the only words I can find. She feels unbelievable and it’s taking every bit of restraint I’ve got not to fuck the hell out of her mouth. She doesn’t need my help—I know I’m going to blow soon.
It’s when she hums, signaling her own enjoyment while simultaneously coaxing my climax with the vibration of her voice, that I come unglued.
I thrust into her once, twice—unable to stop after a third time. She closes her eyes and grips my ass as she takes me deeper, gagging when I hit the back of her throat. I’m afraid that I’m getting too rough, but when she doesn’t pull away, I mindlessly indulge my cock.
“Baby, I’m almost there.” She hums again, sucking me even harder. “Shit, baby, I’m going to come. Holy fuck,” I mutter as I spill my release down the back of her throat.
When she’s done, she pulls away and covers her mouth with her hand as she drags in a few deep breaths. I can’t see into her eyes and I’m suddenly worried about how she feels. When she pulls her hand away and places it against her chest, she looks back at the clock and then smiles at me triumphantly.
“Three minutes. I did pretty good, yeah?”
I love you.
I want to say the words so badly, they’re burning a hole through my tongue. Of course I can’t say them now. I can’t tell her I love her while she’s still on her knees after giving me head for the first time. She deserves so much better than that.
But I do—I love her so damn much.
“What are you thinking?” she asks with a nervous frown. “That was okay, right? I mean—it was good for me…”
I reach down and slide my hands underneath her arms, pulling her up until her feet are dangling from the floor. She giggles and brings her legs up and around my hips. I hug her to me, holding her as tight as I can.
“That was better than okay—I don’t even—I can’t even—” She giggles again and I press a kiss against her lips. “You’re my favorite person in the entire world. And not because of what you just did. You’re just…you’re my favorite person in the entire world.”
She smiles at me as she props her forehead against mine. “You’re my favorite person in the entire world, too.” My eyelids droop when she sinks her fingers into my mane. “We should probably get a shower.”
“Yeah. You’re right. We’ve got to get out of here. You can go first.”
“Or—we could shower together…”
I don’t even pause to think about it before I’m carrying her to the bathroom.
We’re going to be so late.
NOTE TO SELF: IF you start kissing Brandon before you’re supposed to be somewhere, you’ll inevitably be late. Plan ahead in the future.
This morning, we were twenty minutes late to work. Not that either of us were sorry—it was so worth it—but we were scrambling a little bit once we got into the kitchen. Luckily, Saturday’s menu is a flexible one. We chose only the pastries that didn’t require an hour of bake time so that we could keep things moving. Like always, Brandon and I were totally in sync; and when it was time to open Little Bird, we were ready.
Now, as we sit in his car parked in front of The Brew Cycle, I’m not even sure I can remember what day it is, let alone the time. Brandon’s tongue is in my mouth doing wonderful things, and I’m sure if we pull away from one another too soon, we’ll both parish.
We can’t have that, now can we?
I’m about ready to crawl into his lap when we’re suddenly interrupted by a rap on the driver’s side window. I jump, startled by the intrusion, and we both turn to see who’s outside.
“In Titanic, they did it in the backseat, not the front. You’re doing it wrong,” says Aria with a grin.
I return her expression with a giggle.
Shit. I’ve been giggling a lot lately.
When Brandon looks back at me, his eyes traveling from mine, down to my lips, and then back up again, my giggle evaporates. His hazel eyes are dark with lust and the way he’s looking at me is both intimidating and sexy as hell.
He wasn’t finished…
“Get your asses out here and come drink with us! You’re late!”
My eyes flicker toward Aria and I give her a small nod. She smirks at me as she folds her arms across her chest, obviously filled with mistrust as to whether or not we can manage to pull away from each other long enough to come inside and join the others.
I smile at her, admitting defeat.
“Babe?” I speak softly, reaching my hand up to run my fingers over his short beard.
God, I love his face…
“Yeah?”
“Will you dance with me?”
For a moment, he doesn’t answer. Instead, his eyes dance around my face as if he’s trying to take a mental picture of what I look like in this fleeting instant. Then, without warning, he presses a quick kiss against my lips. “Don’t move.”
He steps out of the car and closes the door behind him. He says something to Aria as he makes his way around the front of the car and she laughs. He smiles back at her before he catches my eye through the windshield and gives me a wink. When he opens my door, he offers me his hand. I lace my fingers with his as I step out and all three of us make our way into The Brew Cycle.
“Look who I found?” announces Aria as we approach the table filled with our friends.
“Hey, guys,” greets Josh.
Millie waves and Sage stands, clapping his hand on Brandon’s shoulder. “Nice of you to join us. You’ve got some catching up to do. Pick your poison—I’ve got first round.”
We both order beer and he nods before heading to the bar. I notice how Millie’s eyes follow after him and smile. I really hope she’s starting to warm up to the idea of him because he’s really got it bad. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s thanked me for setting this whole night up.
All of us sit together chatting and drinking for a few minutes. As soon as I’m finished with my beer, Brandon leans toward me and whispers in my ear, “I thought my sweet girl wanted to dance?” He doesn’t wait for me to respond before he’s on his feet, offering me his hand. I take it and then look back over my shoulder as he begins leading me toward the dance floor.
&nb
sp; “Well?” is all I have to say before Aria’s on her feet, dragging Josh along with her. Sage and Millie aren’t far behind.
Tonight’s band has a sound that’s a mix between pop and country. Really, they could be up there playing anything and it wouldn’t matter to me. Any beat that has my hips swaying in time with Brandon’s is perfect to me.
Despite the warmth brought on by the crowd that's gathered on the floor, my skin is covered in goose pimples as Brandon holds me close. I think back to the last time we were here. The first time. I remember how desperate I was to be in his arms. Now, with my hands locked behind his neck and my chest pressed against his, with his hands at the small of my back, and his pelvis kissing mine, it feels both exactly the same and a million times different.
Unlike last time, the intimacy that I imagined before is now more real than ever. This isn’t just a dance, it’s a conversation. Here, now, he’s reminding me that I’m his; that I’m safe; that I’m cherished; that I’m wanted. With every dip and sway, I’m telling him that he’s mine; that he’s treasured; that he’s appreciated; that he’s loved.
We dance until I’m too thirsty to ignore my need and we make our way to the bar for another drink. Our friends join us and we head back to the table for a short reprieve. Brandon pulls me into his lap and I go willingly, enjoying the nearness of him while we immerse ourselves in different conversations.
When Aria has to go to the bathroom, she takes my hand and insists that I go with her. Because it’s practically a rule that girls go to the bathroom in pairs, if not packs, I don’t hesitate to accept her invitation.
“For the record, you and your man are so hot, you make me want to pull Josh into a stall and have him fuck me until I can’t remember my name.”
A blush fills my cheeks, evidence that I’ve been drinking. Alcohol or no alcohol, her comment makes my whole body warm.
“You know it too, don’t you?” she says with a smirk. I bite my lip and shrug, completely at a loss for words. “Honey—let him into your pants. I mean, all the way in. He wants you. He loves you. It’s the most obvious thing in the world! That’s what you said you were waiting for, right? Love?”
