by J. Daniels
“Crucial? You make it sound as important as our wedding vows.”
“It is,” she insists with a firm tone.
I grumble and roll over, rubbing my face into the comforter. The faint smell of citrus calms me down a bit, but not enough to agree to this absurdity. “Mom, this is what Reese and I want. It’s our wedding. I’m sorry if you don’t agree with our decision, but it’s final. No dinner. If people get hungry, they can go hit up a drive-thru.”
“Oh, that’s just ridiculous, Dylan. A drive-thru? How tacky is that.” The sound of her exhaling loudly fills my ear, followed by the crinkling of paper. “Fine. No dinner. I suppose I’ll have to pack some snacks for your father to munch on during the actual rehearsal. You know how he gets when he goes without a meal.”
I chuckle into the comforter just as the sound of my loft door opening catches my attention. I roll over quickly, keeping the phone against my ear as Reese emerges behind the door. He closes it and I hold my hand out, palm up, silently asking him what he’s doing here. It’s almost six o’clock and he’s usually at the office by now. He smiles his response before he walks toward me. He’s dressed in his usual work attire, a dress shirt, tie, and khakis, and it gets me like it always does. The man does office-wear like no other.
“Hey, Mom, I gotta go. I’ll see you tonight at the fitting, right?”
More papers rustling comes through the phone before she answers, prompting me to roll my eyes. “Of course. I’d never miss it. Maggie and I will meet you there at 6:30 p.m. Goodbye, sweetheart.”
“Bye, Mom.”
I press end and drop the phone onto the bed before lifting my gaze to Reese. “Handsome, what are you doing here? Don’t you have numbers to crunch?”
He steps around my screen that divides my one large room into two and stops just in front of me. “I do. But I couldn’t stop thinking about something.”
“Oh? My sparkling personality?”
He laughs, reaching out and opening my towel. His eyes linger on my breasts for several seconds before he lifts his gaze to meet mine. “Do you think one of the times last night took?”
I watch his eyes shift back down and trail lower. “Um, I don’t know. Maybe. You definitely gave it your all. Is that really what you can’t stop thinking about?” ‘Cause your body language is screaming something else entirely. Of course, Reese always looks at me like this. I’m certain that even if we were in church, he’d be able to melt the panties off me right in front of Jesus.
He nods, keeping his eyes on my body. “I want that so bad. I’ve never wanted that, Dylan. You don’t understand. I’ve never thought about having kids before. Hell, I’ve never thought about getting married before.” He leans into me, forcing me to lie back onto the bed. I reach for his tie, wrapping it around my hand as he holds himself above me. “But when I look at you, it’s all I can think about. Marriage. Kids. Everything. I want it all with you. And I don’t want to wait.”
Oh, Reese. I raise my eyebrows, loosening my grip on his tie. “To marry me or to have kids?”
“To have kids. I’m dealing with the other thing.” He leans down and kisses the corner of my mouth, once and then once again before slowly moving down my body. “Don’t make me wait, love. I need to see you like that.”
I moan as he brushes his lips against my rib cage. “Like what?” I know what. I just want to hear him say it. Because what the hell is hotter than the man you love wanting you to carry his child? Nothing. Especially coming from this man.
“With my baby inside you.”
I reach down and thread my fingers through his hair. “Are you going to be late for work so you can make that happen right now? Because I’m all for another round of baby-making sex with you if that’s where this is headed.” Suck it up, vagina. You can be sore tomorrow.
“No, that’s not exactly why I’m here. Close, though.” He drops to his knees and drapes my legs over his shoulders. His hands grip my hips and he slides me closer to the edge of the bed, his lip curling up into a sly grin. “I’m going to be late for work because on top of not being able to stop thinking about last night, I also can’t stop thinking about the taste of your pussy. And I was too busy yesterday fucking you all over the condo to get any of it. So lie back, keep your legs open, and give me what’s mine.”
“Jesus. I love when you order me around like that. Seriously, please do that all the time. Just not like to do your laundry or anything.” He swipes up my length with his tongue, prompting me to fist the comforter. “Oh, God.” His fingers dig into my hips as he flicks against my clit in a pulsing rhythm. At the feel of his teeth on my swollen spot, I arch off the bed and dig my heels into his back. “Reese. Jesus Christ.”
“Mmm. You like that. You want it rough?”
I push his head down to silence him. I’m shaking, my thighs convulsing against his cheeks as he ravages me like it’s his first time tasting me. Of course, he always goes at me like this, like he’ll never get enough of me. He alternates between my clit and my pussy, stroking and sucking until he begins to fuck me with his tongue. I can’t take it. I’m begging him to stop, to keep going, to do whatever the hell he wants. I’m a blubbering idiot right now because that’s what his mouth does to me; it wipes all coherent thoughts from my head. And when I feel his finger dip into me briefly before trailing my wetness down to my backside, I lose my mind completely.
“Yes. Oh, God, please. Right there. Right fucking there.”
He buries his face between my legs, humming against me while he presses his finger against my ass. This move of his, one I never thought I’d be into until he was the man doing it, this move makes me see fucking stars when I’m coming. He doesn’t do it all the time, but when he does surprise me with this stellar addition to his orgasm-taking routine, my body vibrates for hours afterwards.
“Goddamn, you’re beautiful when you come. Did that feel as good as it looked?”
“Hmm,” I reply, unable to form a proper response as I slowly come down. My lifeless body hangs limp on the bed and over his shoulders as he plants gentle kisses to the inside of my thigh. I look down the length of my body and catch his smile. “Anytime you want to be late for work to do that, please, go for it.”
He stands, licking his lips and holding his hands out to me. “I need to get going. Thanks for my fix.” He pulls me to my feet, the towel covering me falling to the floor.
“You stole my line,” I say against his mouth as he kisses me sweetly. “You good? No hand or mouth action required?”
He reaches down and adjusts himself in his khakis with a wince. “Actually, I think I need some recovery time after last night. Ask me again in eight hours.”
I giggle as I bend over and grab my towel, securing it underneath my arms. “Don’t forget, I have my fitting tonight so I won’t be home until late.”
He eyes me up suspiciously. “Do you really think you need to remind me about anything involving you?” Grabbing the back of my neck, he pulls me into him and plants a kiss to my forehead. “Bye, love.” He releases me, turning and walking toward the door.
I enjoy my spectacular view, nodding in appreciation. The man’s ass is a thing of wonder. Muscle upon muscle; it’s insane, even through his pants. I don’t know what exercises he does to work that perfectly-sculpted entity, but it’s working.
I’m brought out of my fantasy when he opens the door. Lifting my gaze, I see he’s caught me in my obsessive gawking. I’m not ashamed, not in the slightest. I smile the biggest, cheesiest grin I can muster and he laughs. “Bye, handsome. Five days.”
He shakes his head, turning back around. I don’t miss the smile on his face as he disappears behind the door, my words no doubt playing on loop in his mind.
Because they definitely are in mine.
Five days.
After stepping into some jeans and one of my favorite tees I left behind, I slip into my ballet flats and head back into my bathroom. I yawn as I pull my hair up into a messy bun, tugging a few stray pieces ou
t and tucking them behind my ears. After the all-nighter marathon sex, my five-mile run, and the orgasm that just rocked my body, I’m suddenly feeling ready for a nap instead of the day that’s ahead of me. I apply the usual minimal makeup I wear daily and walk back into my living space, grabbing my phone off my bed. It’s almost time for the shop to open and I have a massive amount of baking to do, considering I didn’t get any done this weekend. And if I don’t get started on it now, we’re sure to run out of treats by lunch time.
As I pull out my mixer and set it on my worktop, the doorbell dings and seconds later, Joey comes rushing into the back.
“Extra-large, double shot of caramel for my favorite cupcake,” he sings, depositing my piping-hot cup of coffee on the wood and pulling up a stool to watch me. He’s dressed in one of his favorite baby-blue polo shirts that brings out the color in his eyes, his blond hair still damp from his shower.
“Oh, man, I seriously love you.” I grab it and immediately take a sip, moaning as the hot liquid coats my throat. “Brooke’s supposed to be here any minute and I’ve got a shit-load of baking to do, so unfortunately, you’re going to be in charge of showing her the ropes.”
He keeps all grumbles to himself, taking a sip of his coffee. “Whatever. As long as she doesn’t try to grope me, I’m sure I can tolerate her for eight hours.”
The doorbell dings and we both glance up, seeing Juls emerge in the doorway. She’s chicly dressed in a tight, black dress with sky-high heels, her hair wrapped in an elegant twist. “Morning, lovies.” She glances around the kitchen and her smile disappears. “Where the hell is Brooke?” Joey and I both shrug as I open my bags of flour, pouring a generous amount into my mixing bowl. “Oh, for Christ’s sake. I’m going to kill her.” She pulls her phone out of her purse and stalks out into the main bakery, leaving Joey and me alone with our amused expressions. A flustered Julianna Thomas is not something we’re used to seeing.
“Ten bucks says she’s late,” Joey says confidently.
I cock my head and turn on my mixer, wiping my brow with the back of my hand. “Ten bucks says you’ll snuggle with her again if the moment arises.”
He narrows his eyes at me as Juls reemerges moments later.
“It went straight to voicemail. I’m sure she’s on her way.”
I start throwing the ingredients for my banana nut muffins together into my mixing bowl, feeling Juls’ eyes on me. I glance up. “What?”
She pouts and moves closer to me, placing her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry. I know we agreed to wait to take a test together, but I slipped up last night and blurted out to Ian I thought I might be pregnant. As soon as I said it, he rushed out and bought me a test. There was no stopping him. I’ll still take one with you, though.”
“Umm, excuse me?” Joey asks, tapping the counter top impatiently with his fingers. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I turn the mixer off and smile at Juls, ignoring Joey’s comment. “I took one, too. I’m sorry. The same thing happened with Reese. He was dead-set on me taking one last night. Mine was negative.”
“Mine wasn’t.”
My mouth drops open as Joey squeals next to Juls. “What? You’re pregnant?” There is no hint of sadness or jealousy in my voice. Even though I was disappointed last night in my test results, the news my best friend just dropped on us fills me with the same excitement I felt at the possibility of being pregnant myself.
She nods her response, putting her hands up to her face and covering her crimson cheeks. Joey and I both engulf her in a giant hug, and she wraps an arm around each of us. “I took several just to make sure. I thought Ian was going to make some sort of public service announcement last night. He’s beyond excited.”
“Oh, my God. Juls, this is amazing,” I blink and send the tears down my face. “You’re going to be such a kick-ass mommy.”
“Helloooo,” Joey interjects, stepping between the two of us and dropping his enthusiasm. “Both of you cock whores thought you were pregnant and didn’t tell me? What the fuck? I thought we were besties.”
I shove him off with my hand. “We are. We just didn’t want you to get all excited for nothing.”
Juls turns her attention to me and grabs my hands, her smile fading and replaced with a look of concern. “I’m sorry you’re not pregnant, sweets. I know you were excited about the possibility.”
Of course Juls would think about me when she should be jumping up and down like a maniac. She always puts others before herself. And she probably thinks I’m sensitive to this topic, but I’m not. I couldn’t be happier for her.
I squeeze her hands gently and smile. “It’s okay. Reese is in full-on ‘get me pregnant’ mode, so I’m sure it’ll happen soon enough.”
“Oh, shit,” Joey mumbles, gaining mine and Juls’ attention. His eyes widen and he grabs his coffee cup off the worktop before elaborating. “Reese is going to be crazy when you get pregnant. I can’t imagine him being any more possessive over you than he already is, and you’re not carrying his baby yet. He’s nuts when it comes to you. Unreasonably nuts at times.” He pauses, glancing around the kitchen. “Mmm. Do we have any cashews back here?”
“Over on the shelf,” I scoff, dropping Juls’ hands and turning around to grab my muffin tins. “And he’s not that possessive over me.”
“Yeah, right,” Joey says at the same time as Juls’ “yeah, okay.”
Joey chuckles softly, popping a few cashews into his mouth as I place my tins onto the worktop. “Face it, cupcake. That gorgeous man is going to put you on lock-down when he knocks you up. And when that time comes, your wardrobe won’t be the only thing he dictates.”
I restart my mixer, licking the splash of batter off my finger. “I like possessive Reese. It’s hot.”
“It’ll be real hot when he gives you a food list you have to eat from. Or when he asks you to stop working.”
I snap my head up at Joey. “I’m not quitting my job. Reese would never ask me to do that. He knows how important my business is to me.” Juls reaches over and stops the mixer, dipping her finger into the bowl. I swat her hand away. “Raw egg, prego. Back up.”
She grunts and retracts her hand. “Damn it.”
I shake my head, walking over to the racks and pulling out the container of muffins I made before closing on Friday. Grabbing a banana nut one, I hold it out to Juls and she excitedly takes it. “And it’s not like I do manual labor. With Brooke starting, hopefully sometime today, I’ll be able to plant my butt on a stool and bake away back here. I won’t even have to be on my feet that much when I’m pregnant.”
Juls bites into the top of her muffin, leaning her body against Joey who has reclaimed his stool. “She’s right, JoJo. It’s totally doable. And Reese may be possessive over her, which I agree is mad hot, but he’d never ask Dylan to give up working. This is her love.” She glances down at her watch, straightening up. “I gotta get going. I’m meeting with the caterers this morning to make sure the menu is finalized. Text me when Brooke arrives.” She plants a kiss to the top of Joey’s head and blows me one before turning on her killer heels and heading for the door.
“If she arrives,” Joey murmurs, winking at me before he heads up front.
I knock out several dozen cookies, cupcakes, and pastries, which helps keep my mind mostly off all things wedding. But not entirely. One, I am crazy excited about it and two, my mother calls three times in a forty-five-minute time period. I let her rant in my ear while I baked, ignoring her last-minute suggestions, because these aren’t tiny, doable suggestions. These are major. Like why in the world aren’t we having a full-blown Catholic service in the middle of our ceremony. Why? Because a Catholic wedding ceremony is anything but brief. I sat through one of those a few years ago and almost fell asleep. And there is no way in Hell Reese will wait that long to give me his last name; she should know that. He’s going to have a hard enough time as it is waiting the thirty-five minutes it should take us to run through everything. In fact, I’
m predicting his hair will look a right mess by the time the preacher pronounces us man and wife.
And I can’t wait to see that.
Joey occasionally pops his head into the back while I bake to see if I need help, and to remind me that Brooke still hasn’t shown up. I’m all about giving the girl a chance, but I am not the type of boss who tolerates lateness well. An occasional few-minute slip-up? Fine. But not a few hours, and definitely not on your first day.
As I’m cleaning off the worktop, having finally finished all the baking I’m planning on doing for the day, the shop door opens and Joey’s voice comes booming from the front.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up.”
I move quickly through the doorway, stopping at the sight of Brooke’s nervous expression. “Oh, my God, Dylan. I’m so sorry. I swear to God…”
I hold up my hand and cut her off midsentence. “If you’re late again, you’re fired. This is serious, Brooke. And you could’ve at least called me.” Stepping behind the counter, I grab the new employee paperwork I’d set out for her to fill out two hours ago. “Here, go in the back and fill this out.”
She eagerly reaches for the paperwork and rounds the counter, wrapping me up in a massive hug. “I forgot to set my alarm. And I forgot to plug my phone in to charge. I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Good,” I reply.
Stepping back, she holds onto my arms and smiles warmly at me. “I do have one question though.” I tilt my head and wait patiently, hearing Joey’s soft grunt of disapproval from behind her. “Any wiggle room on the pay?”
“Ha!” Joey squawks.
Her eyes widen at my stern look. “Get your ass in the back and fill these out before I change my mind.”
“Right. Sorry.” She turns and brushes past Joey, earning herself an evil look.
“Fucking disaster. Seriously, let’s keep her in the back away from the customers. Lord knows she’ll probably only drive away all the business.” He reaches into the display case and pulls out two muffins, offering me one. I take it and begin peeling off the wrapper.
