Young Love (Bloomfield #4)

by Janelle Stalder

  With an exaggerated sigh, accompanied by a good eye roll, I grabbed his hand. “Fine,” I said as he pulled me up from the step. I pointed a finger at him, ignoring the way his smile lit up his face. “But no waltzing this time.”

  He chuckled. “No promises.”

  Chapter 18

  Grey

  I knew the second the door opened I was in for it.

  The shit-eating grin on my sister’s face was exactly what I had been afraid of on the ride over. I don’t know what had compelled me to invite Honor along. I just knew I hadn’t wanted to leave her just yet, so this had seemed like the best solution.

  In the car though, I realized just how strange this was for me. I never - never - brought girls to my parent’s house. If I had thought it would be no big deal, the look on Jillian’s face told me otherwise.

  I gave her a warning stare as we walked in.

  “Hey, Honor,” she said, flashing me a look that said she was way too happy about this.

  “Hi, Jillian,” Honor said with a smile.

  “Jeanie is going to be so upset she missed you.”

  “Why? Where is the little she-devil?” I asked.

  “A sleepover,” Jillian answered.

  “During the week? What kind of hippy parents are you, Jilly?”

  She slapped my stomach. “It was for a school thing. So, you two are neighbours, huh?” She said, folding her arms across her chest as she regarded us. If I could have walked away, I would have. But somehow she had managed to trap us in the front hall.

  “I almost didn’t believe it when Jeanie told me you had been at Grey’s.”

  “Yeah, we live next door to each other,” Honor said, her cheeks growing slightly pink.

  “I didn’t realize y’all were such good friends.”

  There was an awkward, tense silence that surrounded the three of us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Honor shift from foot to foot, and suddenly I felt really bad for bringing her here. My sister was going to get it when we were alone. Little shit disturber.

  Honor cleared her throat. “We have a lot of the same friends, so...”

  I turned to look at her as she shrugged, her gaze on my sister instead of me.

  “Is that your brother?” Our mom shouted from the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief. Giving Jillian a hard stare, I went to walk around her.

  “Yeah, Ma, I’m here,” I replied. I sensed Honor and Jillian follow me as the three of us made our way into the kitchen.

  “Oh good,” Mom said, her back to me as she vigorously rolled the dough in front of her. “Your daddy has officially gone insane.”

  “Oh? Why’s that?” I asked dryly, leaning against the opposite counter. A strange feeling filled my chest when Honor instantly came to stand by my side. I also didn’t miss how Jillian was watching us still.

  “He swears he has those damn raccoons trapped beneath the shed. Says they’re taunting him now. I’m sure the neighbours are going to start talking if he doesn’t stop yelling at the damn things. You need to help him get rid of - well, who is this?”

  Her gaze stopped on Honor as she turned her head, her lips instantly turning up into a wide smile. I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes.

  “This is Honor, Mom,” Jillian said. I narrowed my eyes warningly at her. “She’s Jeanie’s dance teacher, remember?”

  Mom was wiping her flour covered hands on the apron she wore, her pleased face lighting up as she took Honor in.

  “Why, of course. How could I forget such a pretty little thing?”

  Jesus.

  “You’re here with my Grey?” She asked, gesturing between us.

  “We’re just friends, Ma,” I said, unable to hide my irritation.

  “Of course you are!” she said with a grin. “Why don’t you go on outside? Here you can take the boys some snacks,” she said, handing Honor a tray of cut up vegetables and fruits.

  “Okay,” she said softly, following my sister out.

  I went to follow them when my mom placed a hand on my arm.

  “She’s a little young for you, ain’t she?”

  I looked down at her, those raised eyebrows asking all sorts of questions. I sighed. “We’re just friends, I told you that.”

  “And I believe you.”

  I shook my head. My mom was ridiculous. When she said she believed you, it basically meant she was calling bullshit.

  I walked to the back door, pausing there to glance back at her.

  “She’s mature for her age,” I said for some reason.

  Mom chuckled as she went back to her meat pies. “No doubt she is.”

  Outside the night air was still mild. The patio lanterns were all lit, creating a cozy, friendly feeling on the deck. Dad and Uncle Frank were practically falling over themselves to make room for Honor, who stood with a nervous smile and pink cheeks as she sat in the offered chair.

  “Grey,” Dad greeted loudly. “I didn’t know you had such pretty friends,” he said with a smile at Honor. “Where you been hiding this one?”

  “Any girl that looks as sweet as you shouldn’t be hanging around with that nephew of mine,” Frank added.

  My cousin Dean was there too, his eyes flicking between me and Honor with interest. I held them when they landed on me, giving him a silent warning not to start in on me too.

  Jillian’s husband, Jack – yes they were Jack and Jill – was talking to Honor from beside her. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, since he knew her from Jeanie’s dance school, but thankfully he didn’t give me any looks like everyone else had. For once, I was grateful for my brother-in-law’s easy going manner.

  “We’re playing poker, darling,” Dad said, grabbing her attention.

  “Oh, I didn’t really bring any money,” Honor replied, shifting in her seat.

  Everyone chuckled.

  “No worries, we don’t play for money. We play with chips,” Dad explained, holding up a ruffled potato chip. “Maureen doesn’t approve of gambling.”

  “Oh, okay. Then deal me in,” she said with a sweet smile directed at him. I swore Dad was five seconds away from melting. I shook my head to myself as I took a seat beside Dean, across from Honor.

  “Thatta girl,” Dad said, dealing out the cards.

  It only took two hands to realize that Honor absolutely sucked at Poker. I couldn’t help but laugh as she lost all her chips in no time. She gave me a hard look when she caught me laughing at her.

  “You have the worst poker face I’ve ever seen, doll,” I said with a chuckle.

  “I do not!” she argued.

  “You really do,” Dean said. “I think professional cards is out of the question for you.”

  She huffed, her lips twitching even as she pretended to be offended. Mom came out with some homemade iced tea, handing them out to each of us.

  “How are you doing out here with all these men, sweetheart?” she asked as she set a cup in front of Honor.

  “Hey!” Jillian protested.

  Mom just waved her off.

  “They’re making fun of me, Maureen,” Honor said, giving me a sly look as if to say ‘ha, ha, I’m telling on you’. I just smirked at her. As if I cared.

  Mom tisked. “Don’t pay them no mind. They’re just showing off because there’s a pretty face here.”

  “Hey!” Jillian said again.

  Mom ignored her, walking back inside the house.

  “You’d think I had a beard or something,” Jillian grumbled.

  Dean leaned across the table, eyes narrowed on her. “Well…”

  “Don’t you dare,” she warned, chucking a handful of chips at him.

  “Jill,” Jack complained as Dean laughed, scooping up the thrown chips and adding them to his pile. “You just gave away your money.”

  “Like that will do him any good,” Jillian said. “We all know Dean sucks anyway.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  As everyone continued to banter and play, I couldn’t help but watch Honor the entire time.
I was trying to be discreet, but when my eyes met my dad’s at one point, I knew he’d been watching me watch her the entire time. There was a sparkle in the old man’s eyes that made me shift uncomfortably in my seat.

  From that point on, I did my best not to stare. Although, I don’t think I did a very good job of it. It was hard not to when she seemed to fit in so well with the rest of my family. Everyone accepted her easily, and she even started to hand out her own insults to everyone’s obvious approval.

  It was the first time that I felt a sense of ease surround me that I’d never felt before. It was almost as though everything was a puzzle, and I had finally found all the pieces. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling that way, especially when I was still resolved to stick it out with Kelly a bit longer, but I couldn’t deny how right this all felt.

  After we ate, and shot the shit for a bit longer, Honor and I stood to leave, much to everyone’s disappointment. I had a feeling it wasn’t me they were going to miss.

  “I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon to look under the shed,” I told Dad as we shook hands.

  “I don’t need your help,” he said, waving me off. “I have those little terrors right where I want them.”

  I glanced over at Mom, whose wide, stern eyes told me I’d better be back like I’d promised, despite what he wanted. We said the rest of our goodbyes, Mom even standing up to embrace Honor in a tight hug.

  “Don’t be a stranger now,” she said. “Any friend of Grey’s is a friend of ours.”

  “I won’t, Mrs. Anderson,” Honor said with a smile that was significantly easier than it had been when we arrived.

  “Maureen, dear”

  She nodded. “Maureen.”

  When we were finally in the car again, I let out a breath of relief. I looked over to see a tiny smile playing on her lips as she stared out the window.

  “You did well in there,” I said as I backed out of the driveway.

  Honor laughed. “Thank you. Your family is fun.”

  I snorted. “That’s one way to put it.”

  “Trust me, Grey. I know all about crazy family members. Yours are nothing.”

  “If you say so.”

  We drove through the night in silence after that, my body growing tenser the closer we got to the apartment. I didn’t want our night to end, just like before. But there was no reason why we shouldn’t part ways once we got back.

  I wracked my brain for something I could say to her, but my mind was muddled with too many thoughts I wasn’t used to. Before I knew it, we were pulling into my parking spot and I was shutting off the engine.

  Honor turned in her seat to face me. “Thanks for bringing me tonight, Grey,” she said. “I had a really fun time.”

  I couldn’t even bring myself to return her smile as my eyes ate her up, as though this would be the last time we were alone once we left this car. “Good,” I said, my voice unusually hoarse.

  Her smile slipped as our gaze held. I saw her throat contract as she swallowed and it took everything in me not to lean across the space separating us and kiss her.

  “I should probably get inside and get some work done,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper now.

  I nodded, my own voice lost to me.

  We both got out of the car and walked into the building in silence. As we climbed the stairs to our floor, I went behind her, my entire body watching her slim hips as she ascended in front of me. How was I supposed to just leave her at her door and go inside my apartment alone? How was I going to sleep in my bed knowing she was alone in hers on the other side of the wall?

  Everything inside me screamed not to let that happen, but I knew it was the only right thing to do. When we reached our floor and started down the hall, I felt a sense of panic the closer we got to our doors. I felt like a teenage boy on his first date, not knowing the right thing to do or say to the girl.

  This was fucked up.

  Honor reached her door and turned to offer me another smile that seemed a little more hesitant than it had in the car.

  “Thanks again,” she said as she unlocked and opened her door.

  “You’re welcome,” I replied, standing there like a complete idiot.

  “Have a good night, Grey.”

  “You too, Honor.”

  She walked inside her apartment, shutting the door behind her as I still stood there, a statue frozen in the middle of the hall. Shaking my head, I went to my door, unlocking it and heading in. I leaned back against it as it shut, banging my head on the wood.

  “I’m such a fucking idiot,” I said out loud.

  I’d finally found a girl that I wanted, not just for a night, but wanted around me as much as possible. A girl who made me whole somehow, and who I actually wanted to bring around my family. I’d found someone who was all the things I normally steered clear of – young, smart, good – and yet, all those things didn’t deter me from her the way they normally would have. I just wanted her, no matter what.

  “Fuck it,” I said.

  Turning, I opened my door again and made the short trip over to hers. Just as I was raising my hand to knock, her door opened, and a flushed, wide eyed Honor stood there, her lips open slightly, her chest rising and falling with her quick breaths, as we stared at one another for a heartbeat.

  I moved first. Taking one step, bringing me insider her place, I slid a hand into her hair, cupping her face gently, as my other arm banded around her waist, pulling her against me. Our lips met in a clash of need and desire. Our moans mingled just as our tongues did, and I knew right then there would never be another girl who felt as right in my arms as Honor Jacobs did.

  Kicking the door shut behind me, I lifted her easily into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist in a tight grip that had my blood boiling. Our centers met, and there was no hiding how she made me feel. Her hips rotated, driving me insane as she dragged her softness against the hard bulge between us.

  Those slim, delicate fingers of hers wrapped themselves around my neck, gripping tightly as we deepened the kiss further. There was no stopping either of us, our breath becoming one as we drank each other in. It felt as if we’d been denying ourselves this for years, all that pent up energy exploding the second we touched.

  “My room,” she murmured against my lips.

  I didn’t hesitate as I carried her there, dropping us both down onto her bed the second I felt the front of my legs butt against it. Holding some of my weight off her, I devoured her lips, branding the feel and taste of them into my memory. By the time I was done, I wanted her lips swollen for days from my kisses. Whenever she looked in the mirror or touched them, I wanted her to think of me. Only me.

  In a whirl of movement, we both removed our shoes and clothes until we were in the middle of her bed, her soft, naked body beneath me just as I’d dreamt of since the moment I’d met her. I pulled back from our kiss to take her in. She was perfect. She was mine.

  Kissing a trail down her chest, I swept my tongue across one of her nipples, her gasp the only reward I needed. Those fingers dug into my shoulders as I sucked the pink peak into my mouth. Her heels pressed against my ass, urging me in a silent plea to bring her to the height of passion. It was a challenge I was more than ready to accept.

  Moving to the next breast, I showed it the same attention, loving the way she tossed her head back and forth, little whimpers and moans escaping her mouth. I wanted inside her badly, but I also wanted to make this as good as possible for her. I wanted her remembering me all day tomorrow as she thought back to the wicked things I had done to her body.

  Lowering down her body, I placed her legs over each of my shoulders and kissed her in her most intimate of places. She cried out my name, her body bowing off the bed. I didn’t let up, licking and sucking until her entire body shook with her release. The only word on her breath was my name, exactly as I wanted.

  I moved even lower, learning her taste, committing it to memory.

  “Grey, please,” she begged as my tongue entered
her. “Please, please, please…”

  I would have chuckled at how incoherent she sounded if I wasn’t close to madness with need. There was nothing more beautiful than Honor losing all control. Grabbing the condom I’d placed beside me when I’d taken off my pants, I made quick work to roll it on before climbing up to take her mouth in a searing kiss again.

  She groaned into it, her legs hooking around my hips, urging me to enter her. I did so in one quick thrust, causing us both to pull away from the kiss to gasp at the feel. She was tight and hot around me. It was too good.

  I began a slow pace at first, soaking up the exquisite feeling of her wrapped around my cock. When we both couldn’t take it any longer, I held myself up and increased my pace, thrusting into her hard enough that her bed banged against the wall. Her eyes met mine, and we stayed that way as I pushed us both to the breaking point again, never looking away as we both fell over the edge.

  Chapter 19

  Honor

  My eyes blinked open to see the early morning light filtering through the curtains. I looked over at the clock and saw I still had ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off. I hated waking up before the alarm.

  With a groan, I snuggled further under my covers, loving how warm I was. Why was it so warm in here? I thought a second before the other side of the bed dipped and a large, muscled arm wrapped around me, pulling me tightly against a hard chest.

  Holy shit.

  Holy.

  Shit.

  That hadn’t been a dream.

  I looked down at Grey’s arm, and everything we’d done the night before came flooding back. We’d made love, not once, but three times, before finally falling into an exhausted sleep. The man was insatiable. And he made me feel the same way.

  I’d had sex with other guys, but none of them were as skilled as Grey. I didn’t even know I could have that many orgasms until last night. My cheeks burned as I remembered all the things I’d said and done, begging him again and again. I’d acted like a cat in heat.

  Turning, I smothered my face into my pillow. What had I done? Grey was still dating Kelly. Oh God, I’d cheated with someone. I was the worst kind of person ever. Why hadn’t I stopped it? Why hadn’t I ignored him when I heard his door open again, and his steps approach?