by A. C. Wilds
“I’m going to need you on the bed now. I can’t wait any longer. What you did in the car, the way your tongue ran up and down my shaft, is driving me wild just thinking about it. I want to taste you, suck on your clit, and make you moan my name.”
Our tongues clash as he picks me up again and throws me onto the bed. I bounce on the fluff of the blankets, but before I can adjust myself, he’s on me, pulling my legs down and open. An order I’m more than happy to cooperate with.
“Are you ready?” He trails kisses up my legs and pulls my panties down. My thighs begin to quiver with anticipation. His left hand flattens on my stomach, holding me down, and then his mouth is on me. He’s not gentle.
He sucks my clit into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the sensitive nub. Ribbons of pleasure course through me. I buck, trying to get him to give me more, but all he does is laugh and press down on my stomach.
“No moving or I stop.”
His command thrills me, and I think of all the things he could make me do.
“I want more. You’re taking too long.” I pout, trying to break his control.
“You want it fast, then? Hard? Want me to suck your clit until you see stars and then fuck you until you come undone?”
“Yes . . . to all of that.”
He doesn’t waste another word. Instead, he dips his head, closing his lips around my clit and sucking. An orgasm rips through me, making the room spin. I’ve never come so quickly before.
Chest heaving, I grip the blanket as I try to come back down from the high, but Carson doesn’t let me. I wriggle in his hands as I hear the tear of a condom wrapper. I can’t wait much longer.
I’ve barely taken a breath, then his cock is at my entrance and he slams into me. I call out, balling the sheets in my fists. My body stretches to accommodate him, but it’s still sore and tight.
“Holy shit, Bliss. You’re . . . I have to move. Hold on, okay?”
I can only shake my head, because if I open my mouth, I won’t be able to stop myself from screaming his name all night long.
His hips begin a slow, pained rhythm, and my body responds, coating him with my slick wetness until he’s able to go all the way inside me. He groans when he’s fully seated.
“Fuck me,” I whisper, clutching his face in my hands. He kisses me long and hard, then pulls up. My legs twist into the crevice of his arms, and he pulls me closer.
My ass lifts off the bed as he slams into me again. The angle and the swiftness of his movements have me reaching for something—anything—to hold onto. The sensations are too much. He’s too much.
“Bliss,” he hisses out my name, teeth clenched and sweat dampening his skin.
“Oh, god. Carson. Don’t stop. Fuck!”
My pleas urge him on, and his thrusts are punishing as he pounds into me. Flesh smacks on flesh. I’m so close now.
He twists my legs to the side, and the sudden change in movement brings me to the edge. An inferno builds inside me, then the waves come crashing down as my pleasure releases.
I scream out, unable to keep anything in. Bracing my legs to his chest, he gives one final pump and releases inside me.
“That was unbelievable,” he murmurs as he collapses on top of me.
“I’d go with otherworldly. I think I lost a part of my soul there for a moment.”
He laughs and flips onto his back, pulling me against him. “Let’s stay like this for a few minutes. Then I’ll show you the best way to have shower sex. It’s going be your new favorite thing to do.”
“Very confident in yourself, I see.”
“You have no idea.” He tangles my mouth in a kiss, and I think the darkness inside me lightens a little.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
BLISS
I stand at the window of the restaurant, looking out across the water. The waves crash onto the sand and the lights of the town look like stars on the shoreline. The party is in full swing behind me, but I can’t take my mind off last night.
Carson’s touch and the way he held me after. I’ve never felt a connection like that before. He made me feel like I was everything. Our pulses were intertwined with each other, dedicated to the act of giving each other pleasure.
A shiver runs down my spine, and I lean my head against the cool window. He was gone before I woke up, and I don’t know what this means for us. This is a happenstance love. It wasn’t supposed to happen here, on vacation, all these miles away from home.
“Here you go, love.” Ashton’s voice startles me out of my daydream.
Taking the glass of champagne from his hand, I offer up a small smile. I want so badly to move forward, but I’m not sure where this will lead. I’m too damaged and broken.
“Don’t think too hard. You’ll get wrinkles.” He scrunches up his nose in mock disgust.
“Hilarious. I was just . . . you know what, let’s forget it and dance. You can dance, right?”
“You’re dodging. Tell me what’s got you lost in thought.” He crosses his arms, his drink dangling over his left forearm. He’s amazingly handsome in his navy-blue suit that’s tailored to fit his body. Every girl swooned when we came in.
“It’s nothing. I’m not in the mood to party, that’s all.” Pulling my chair out, I plop down and place my napkin on my lap.
“Something is seriously wrong. How did your date with Carson go last night?” he asks, taking the seat next to me. We’re surrounded by family and friends, but no one is paying attention to the black sheep of the Meyer family.
“Amazing.” I pick imaginary lint from his jacket, averting my eyes.
“But?” He grabs my hand and forces me to look at him.
“I’m not good for him. I come with too much baggage. The way he makes me feel isn’t a fleeting feeling. It’s right, pure.”
“Whoa. I didn’t see that coming. I mean, Carson is like my brother and the best dude I know, but Bliss . . . It’s really like that?”
His shock cements it more. Carson and I are not meant for each other. He’s healed here in Bordentown. Carson’s life is here on the beach with Ashton. I’m a socialite from L.A. Shopping is my job and drinking my side hustle.
I groan and lean over, resting my head on his shoulder. He rubs the back of my neck while I contemplate the severity of what I just confessed.
“Tell me what to do, because right now I don’t have a plan. I’m lost.”
“I’m not good at relationship stuff. The longest I’ve invested in something is with you, and you turned out to be just a friend.”
I laugh into his chest, then raise my head and place a kiss on his cheek. “You’re a good friend, Ashton. Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”
“Go easy on him,” he whispers. Ashton is more than a pretty face, and one day someone is going to make him realize that.
“It’s why it can’t work. I’m a mess and bringing someone into it . . . I’ll destroy us.”
The clanking of glass sounds throughout the restaurant before he can answer. Someone hands my father a microphone and takes his place in front of the tables. His eyes shine as he watches everyone gathered for Royce and Cassy, but all I see is Tilly. Her face and those eyes.
A tear slips out before I can hold it in. God, I can’t believe she’s missing this. Our big brother married at last. My wine glass appears in my hand and I down the contents in one gulp.
Emerson smiles at me from across the table, and I’m filled with embarrassment. She witnessed the hot mess at the brunch. The tightness of her posture tells me she’s expecting it again.
I set the glass down and get up. On shaking feet, I make my way out toward the bathrooms. I can’t hear him talk. My father. The man who commands the family, giving everyone a role, making sure we stay in line.
I yank the door open and rush for the nearest stall. Slamming the door shut, I rest my head against it, blocking out the world.
I don’t want to ruin this for Royce, but it’s all too much. The last gathering all these peopl
e were at was Tilly’s funeral. All the ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ and ‘My condolences’ play on repeat whenever I see one of them.
“Bliss?” Emerson says from behind the door.
I clear my throat and wipe the tears from my cheek. “Yeah.”
“You okay in there?”
“I’m fine, just had to pee.”
It’s a lame excuse, but I can’t come up with anything else.
“Mind if I wait out here for you? I want to talk to you about something.”
Shit! This is going to be another intervention conversation, no doubt set up by Cassy and Royce. I know Cassy is trying to be my friend, but this is crossing the line a bit.
“I’m not doing drugs in here, if that’s what they’re worried about.”
I flush the toilet and jerk the door open, moving to the sink. Pumping the soap a little too hard, I turn the faucet on hot. My hands pink up before I shut off the water and dry my hands with the towel the attendant offers.
“Didn’t say you were. Just thought you could use a friend.”
All the fight drains right out of me. I wish she wasn’t nice. I’m much more equipped with being the mean girl.
“I’m fine, really. This is all just a lot. I’m sure Cassy told you we lost my sister. Being around family doesn’t go well for me.”
“I get that. I’m not a stranger to fucked-up families.”
I laugh as I turn back to the mirror, using the end of the towel to wipe the smudged mascara from underneath my eyes.
“I won’t cause a scene if that’s why they sent you in here. I just needed to get air. I’m sober.”
“They didn’t send me, promise. I’m here to listen.”
She holds open the door, and we walk out into the hallway. Gesturing to the right, she leads me down the hall to a side room. When I open the door, I see what I missed by being late today.
The bridal suite is decorated with Cassy’s wedding colors. A large vanity sits in the corner. Makeup spills from clutches and totes stuffed in the corners with clothes and shoes sticking out.
Two cream couches sit on either end with a coffee table between them. A bottle of champagne on ice rests next to four unused glasses. A decanter of orange juice and tomato juice sits next to it.
“You guys were here early?” I ask, a pang of jealously hitting me. Once upon a time, I had girlfriends, but now I only have drinking buddies.
“We did hair and makeup trials here before the dinner started. I thought you knew?”
She smooths out her dress and walks to the couch, where she pours us each a glass of champagne before taking a seat. I plop down on the opposite couch, not caring about the way my mother would roll her eyes at my actions.
“I didn’t. I don’t think anyone wants me around after what happened at brunch. I can’t say I blame them. I haven’t been the best sister or daughter lately.”
“Have you thought to talk to them? Your brother seems like a great guy. I don’t know much about your mother . . .” Her voice trails off. If you don’t have something nice to say . . .
“My mother is hard to deal with. She’s taught us that being proper is better than having feelings. When Tilly died, she didn’t even cry. Not a single tear. It’s hard to love someone who doesn’t care that her daughter died.”
“People grieve differently.”
“But not for their children. She was our sister, her daughter. She carried her for nine months and didn’t even smudge her mascara. Tilly’s funeral was one for the ages, though. She made sure no flower was out of place and no hors d’oeuvre was room temperature.”
I take a sip of the champagne, toeing my shoes off and flexing my feet. The shoes are gorgeous red bottoms but not made for running into bathrooms.
Silence descend upon us before the door to the suite opens. A beautiful girl with springy blonde curls bounces in and tackles Emerson.
“Mommy! You were gone for forever!”
Emerson laughs and kisses the little girl’s head before pulling her up on her lap. A striking man stands in the doorway. His dark hair is the perfect amount of mussed to be cute.
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were having girl time.” He flashes Emerson a smile, and it’s like time stops. Their love is pronounced for all the world.
“It’s okay. Grant, this is Bliss, Royce’s sister. Bliss, this is my husband, Grant, and Gwen, our daughter.”
“Nice to meet you, Grant. That’s a really pretty dress you have on, Gwen.”
She crawls off her mother’s lap and twirls for us. “It’s a swishy dress. The kind you can make really big.”
I choke back a sob and tears pool in my eyes as I think of Tilly and me playing dress up in our room. Little girls pretending it was their wedding. She always made me play the groom, but I never minded. We were inseparable. I did whatever made her happy.
“I love a swishy dress, and yours is the swishiest,” I say.
I place my glass the table and brush a curl from her face. If I don’t leave, I’m going to break down in front of two strangers.
“Thanks for the talk, Emerson. I’m going to go find my date. Left alone too long, he’ll have a line of girls following him around. Nice to meet you, Grant.”
I leave the room, rubbing at the pain in my chest. I should have never come. I should have stayed away. I belong in L.A. Not around all this happiness. All this love.
“THAT WAS one hell of a party. I mean, your family is like fucking super rich.”
Ashton is leaning on me, his rum and Cokes having finally gotten to him. All that sugar must have him feeling pretty good right now.
“Yeah, a bunch of rich assholes. Did you see how Todd, my second-cousin, kept staring at my boobies? He’s so gross.”
“You do have a nice rack,” he says, peering over.
I smack his shoulder playfully and he grabs my hand. We walk down the street filled with nothing except the night sky and the sound of the ocean.
“I want to feel the water under my toes. Can we sit on the beach for a while? Tomorrow is going to suck so hard. I’d like to have my last night here with someone who matters to me.”
He kisses the top of my head, pulling me in the direction of the crashing waves. The boardwalk is quiet, all bustle of people gone. Peace washes over me as we make our way through the sand. It’s unusually cool now that the sun is gone.
He pulls me down onto the beach, then takes his jacket off and places it around my shoulder. We sit, huddled together, and listen to the waves. It’s too dark to see clearly.
“This is my happy place. I don’t think I could ever do the city thing like you or Carson.”
“What do you mean?” I know Carson moved to Bordentown, but I didn’t take him for a city guy. I figured he’d come from a generic California town.
“Carson’s from L.A. His parents live there.”
A spark of hope flashes inside of me, but then I remember that he left his parents. There is no way he’s going back. Our lives are different. We’re too different for this thing between us, whatever it is, to work.
Ashton’s phone beeps in his pocket. Leaning back, he answers the text, the soft glow of his phone the only thing that illuminates the night.
“Who’s that?” I ask casually. I shouldn’t pry, but that little butterfly eats away at my insides.
“This new girl Meg. She’s a friend of Andrea, another lifeguard. We’re meeting up tomorrow night.”
“Wait, the wedding is tomorrow night.” A rush of fear shoots through me. How could he forget?
“No, it’s not. It’s Sunday,” he says, but he doesn’t sound so sure of himself.
“It’s Saturday night. Ashton, we were just at the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner always happens the night before the wedding.”
“I’m a guy. We don’t know these things!”
“Can you cancel? I feel like such a jerk for asking you that, but I don’t have anyone to take.”
“She’s in town till Sunday morning. Then she’
s off to Japan. How about Carson takes you?”
“What? He can’t take me. It’s—he’s . . . no, he can’t.”
“You two are going to have to face this eventually. If what you said earlier about it being real, then you owe it to each other to explore that.”
“I’m leaving after the wedding. I can’t stay in Bordentown. It won’t work.”
“It’s only a hundred miles. That’s like a two-hour drive. It’s nothing. Making it work would be easy. And if you think this is the “L” word, you’ll want to take the chance.”
“I’m broken, Ashton.”
I get up and walk over to the edge of the water. My feet hit the cool waves, and the breeze lifts my hair, taking with it the last heat my neck was holding on to. I’m about to collapse inside.
“Bliss.” He grabs my shoulders and spins me to face him. I hold on to his forearms as if he’ll anchor me in place. Let me stay a little longer in this perfect world where there are no dead sisters or mean mothers.
“He’ll get hurt, and he doesn’t deserve that. He’s built a life here. I’m still trying to find mine.”
He pulls me in for a hug and rubs my back. “Sweetheart, you’re so fucking worth it. And this is coming from a guy who wants nothing to do with that gross “L” word.”
He gives a mock shudder, and I laugh into his chest. I don’t want to leave him either. Two guys have touched me in different ways in such a short amount of time. It doesn’t feel real.
I don’t know how long we stand there, staring at the moon over the water, but by the time I reach my hotel room, my tears are dried and a bit of the weight is lifted off my chest.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BLISS
Wedding day. The light shines through the windows, and I stay in bed for a moment, mentally preparing myself for what’s ahead—a day full of happiness and love. My brother deserves that. I feel like a bitter cow because I can’t feel that happiness and love for him.
There’s a banging on my door. Dragging myself out of bed, I grab a robe and throw it over my tank-top and shorts. The air-conditioner is on way too high.
The banging continues, only this time louder. Someone better be on fire.
