by Sophie Stern
I bite and kiss down the outside of his thigh until I reach his knee. Then I go back and repeat my treatment on the other side, once again starting at his hip. His hands clench and unclench the comforter. I can tell he’s trying really hard not to grab my hair and direct me where he wants me to go, but it’s obviously a struggle. He obviously wants to.
He wants to be in control, to show me what he wants, to show me how he likes to be touched. I appreciate that he’s letting me have this moment tonight. So much of my life has been in an out-of-control spiral lately that right now I feel more powerful than I ever have before. I feel like a sexual goddess who has been unleashed to wreak havoc in the world.
Or maybe just in his bed.
I reach his knee and this time, instead of swooping back up to his hip again, I lick slowly up the inside. Gently, I taste his skin: salty and sweet and just a little bit musky. It’s hard not to rush in this moment. It’s hard not to just slide his dick down my throat and suck as quickly, as fast as I can.
I want to draw this out as long as possible.
The first time we slept together, I barely touched his cock before we were fucking. The sex was hard and fast and sweaty. Even the second time was hard and fast. This time, though? This time, I’m going to explore.
This time, I’m going to make him feel like begging for his release before I finally let him come.
This time, I’m going to give him a blowjob he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
I don’t really consider myself to be the jealous type. I know we’re all a little jealous and possessive in our own ways, but I’m not so naïve that I think Aidan hasn’t gotten head before. Even with that knowledge, though, something tells me the way I suck him off is going to be pretty fucking amazing.
I might not be the most experienced with blowjobs and honestly, I might not have the best technique he’s ever experienced, but I’m going to make him remember this.
Forever.
I bite the inside of his thigh. He’s still holding perfectly still, being a gentleman. He’s letting me take my time, letting me have this control. Knowing Aidan, he’s probably a little bit of a control freak in the bedroom. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll have me in handcuffs and a blindfold as soon as I’ll let him.
Tonight, though, I’m in charge.
I reach his balls, and he gasps when I reach my tongue out and begin to lick his sensitive skin. Moving slowly, I cover his balls with my tongue in long, tantalizing swipes. Then I suck one into my mouth and he gasps. I repeat the treatment on his other testicle before slowly licking up to his dick.
This is the moment of truth.
This is what we’ve both been waiting for.
This is where I show him what I can do.
I taste him.
Slowly, I lick up his shaft. Then I take his entire length in my mouth and he groans.
“Fuck, baby.” He finally moves his hands and runs his fingers through my dark hair. He doesn’t rush me or push me deeper onto his dick. He just massages my hair and plays with my locks a little as I suck him.
Play with him.
Show him what I really think of him.
Aidan tastes good, and I get really into the moment as I lick up and down his shaft, sucking him.
“Your mouth feels so good on me,” he murmurs, and he reaches to squeeze my breasts as I continue playing with his cock. Soon he’s panting, breathing heavily, and he grips my hair tightly. Then he pulls me back. His grip causes a little sting in my scalp, but I like the bite of pain he gives me.
“I want to come in you,” he says, and pulls me up to kiss him. Aidan continues rubbing my breasts, touching my skin softly with his hands until I’m even more aroused than I already am.
He rolls us so he’s over me, hovering above me, and he slips his dick inside of me.
“You’re so wet.”
“Just for you.”
He fucks me, slowly at first, then faster. I feel like a fucking princess as he dominates my body, taking me harder and deeper until I finally come with him inside me. Then he comes, too, whispering my name as he does.
I watch Aidan’s face when he comes. He closes his eyes, but I can’t stop watching the way he looks when he’s lost in this moment. He looks perfect and I feel perfect being here with him.
Then the moment ends and he looks back up at me with a sweet smile on his face.
“Damn, Mia. That’s the best fucking blowjob I’ve ever had in my life.”
Chapter 10
Aidan
Mia falls asleep quickly, but I’m awake for a long time just thinking. She curls against me and I pet her hair softly. She feels so right with me, so perfect. I feel like everything that’s been missing in my life is finally here.
And I’m so glad she’s the one I’m having a child with.
I’m so glad she’s the one warming my bed.
I’m so glad she’s the one I get to spend the rest of my life with.
I have every intention of spending the rest of my life making her happy. I want to please her, to show her how special she is, how important she is. I want her to know that I care about her. I want her to know that no matter what happens, I’m going to be here for her.
Our road won’t be easy. It won’t be simple. She’s a human and I’m a shifter. We’re going to have some ridiculous cultural differences to get over. Neither one of us planned to be parents, so throwing a child into our weird, unconventional relationship is going to be even trickier, but there’s one thing I know for certain: our baby will be loved. Our baby will be so loved.
I have no idea what time it is and since I got rid of my bedside alarm clock years ago, there’s no way to tell. I need to talk to someone, though, and it’s not Mia’s brother.
Richard.
I’m going to have to tell him eventually. I’m probably going to have to tell him pretty damn soon since he’s going to be in town tomorrow, if my memory serves correctly. I don’t think he’ll react as poorly as Mia thinks he will, though. Something tells me Richard comes to Honeypot for a deeper reason than wanting to be a good person.
Something tells me he’s got a shifter of his own here.
He at least has one he wants to make his own.
No, the person I need to call is someone much closer to me, someone very important. This is the guy I go to with all of my problems, my issues, my fears.
This is the one person who understands me no matter what I’m going through.
This is my other half.
Slowly, I pull away from Mia and sneak out of the bed. She’s on top of the comforter, so I grab an extra blanket and lay it over her body. She looks so sweet curled up and I hate the idea that she has to go back home for an entire two weeks. It feels like too long to me. It feels like hell.
Sneaking out of the room, I slowly pad down the hallway and downstairs to the living room. I manage to find my phone on one of the end tables and check the time. It’s a little after midnight, which means it’s the perfect time to call.
Settling in on the sofa, I grab my phone and call. He should answer pretty quickly, if memory serves correctly. The last time we talked, the Army had just switched him to nights, which means he gets home around 11:00. Since California is an hour behind us, he’ll be just getting off work.
He answers on the second ring.
“Hey, buddy,” the familiar voice says warmly.
“You won’t believe what happened to me today.” I jump right in. There’s no point in hiding what’s happened.
“Nice to hear from you, too,” he says with a hint of a growl, and I just laugh.
“I’ve missed you,” I say.
“Same, brother. Same.”
“When are you moving back to Colorado?”
“As soon as the damn military lets me. Don’t you worry about that.”
“I do worry about it. It’s been too long.” I don’t want to sound too pathetic. I don’t say I think about you all the time or the house feels empty without y
ou. The truth is that when Austin left Colorado, a little bit of my heart left with him.
“Yep,” Austin sighs and I can hear his frustration through the phone. Even if he hadn’t say anything, I would have been able to tell he’s feeling stressed. That’s the thing about twins, especially shifter twins: we can feel the other twin’s emotions. “So what happened? Must be pretty big for you to actually pick up the damn phone.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“You’re pretty bad.”
“I met someone.”
“It’s not that human from the party, is it?”
“One and the same.”
“I knew you had it bad for her. What happened? Finally call her?”
“Nope,” I say. I wonder if he can hear the smile in my voice. “She came to see me today.”
“I take it things went well.” Yep. He can definitely hear the smile.
“She’s asleep upstairs right now.”
“Way to go, brother. When’s the wedding?”
“Hopefully in a couple of weeks.”
Silence.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Austin asks after a long minute.
“Never been more.”
“What does she think about all of this? Isn’t it a little sudden? You know I support you, but this is a pretty big commitment.”
“Remember what dad said before he married Katherine?”
“Yeah,” he pauses. “He said you know when you find your mate. He said a shifter always knows and once you find her, there’s no point in waiting.”
Our mother left when we were babies and our dad mourned for her for years before meeting Katherine. I still remember being a little cub and meeting her for the first time. They hadn’t known each other more than a month or two when they got married. They both just knew. Even now, all these years later, they’re still completely in love with each other.
They’re still happy.
My dad and Katherine’s relationship gives me hope that no matter what happens, true love will prevail. No matter how hard things get, no matter how tough the journey might be, we will always be able to count on each other.
“That’s how I feel about Mia.”
“Still seems a little sudden to me, but let me know when you two plan to tie the knot and I’ll book a flight home.”
“That means a lot to me.”
“I’m only coming for the wedding cake, man. Tell me you’re baking it yourself.”
I laugh. Austin has always had a weakness for sweets. He always says he got lucky having me for a twin because I’d make all the sugary treats in the world and he’d get to eat them. Our father spent a shitload of money on fillings for Austin when we were kids. Even now, as an adult, I don’t think the guy’s slowed down when it comes to sweet treats.
“There’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to be a father.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
“Congrats, Aidan. Holy dragons.”
“I know. I always thought you would be the first to have kids.”
“Same. You were always more interested in baking cookies than catching girls.”
“Well, I finally caught one.”
“Sounds like she’s a keeper. I’m happy for you, man. Can’t wait to meet the little human who captured my brother’s heart.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet her, either.”
We chat for a few more minutes about Austin’s life in the military, then he has to go. It’s late and he needs to get some rest before he gets up early for physical training. Even though he’s a shifter and in fantastic physical condition, he has to meet all of the Army’s regulations when it comes to physical training, fitness, and running.
Apparently, running a couple of miles in your human form is pretty damn hard when you’re used to just shifting into a bear before exercising. Maybe that’s why the military requires it.
I end the call and sit in the living room for a few more minutes thinking about my brother. I can’t wait for him to meet Mia. He’s met Richard before, though it’s been a few years, and they got along pretty well. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mia will fit in perfectly in my family. My dad is going to adore her and Katherine is going to go nuts over a grandbaby.
Finally, I get up and go back to bed where Mia is still sleeping in a little ball in the center of the bed. Everything is going to be okay.
I can feel it.
Chapter 11
Aidan
“Everything is going wrong!” Mia cries to me on the phone. It’s her last day of work. Somehow, she managed to make it back home, turn in her notice of resignation, and finish up working at the bakery. Only today, it seems, everything has gone wrong for her, and my heart is breaking.
“Tell me what happened,” I say. I’m in the middle of mixing the batter for a batch of cookies. I’m trying out a new recipe I think Mia will really love. She’s been having weird cravings this week, so I’m trying to conquer all of them with just the right mixture of sugar and chocolate.
“A customer said I look fat,” she’s crying and my heart is breaking for her. I wish I was there, but I couldn’t get away from the bakery today. I’m planning on driving out tomorrow with a rented truck and helping her pack up her belongings. She’s on a month-to-month lease and gave her landlord a month’s notice, so we’ll move her stuff to my place, then go clean her unit. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but she’s been exhausted lately. The morning sickness is in full swing, too, so Mia hasn’t been feeling great at all.
“Baby, you aren’t fat. You’re growing a cub.”
“I know,” she says.
“What did you do?”
“I dumped pie in her lap.”
“Are you serious?” I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Mia is a feisty little thing and I immediately get the mental image of her dumping a piece of cherry pie into some poor old woman’s lap.
“So my boss told me I could leave early,” she says, only Mia sounds almost sad.
“Baby, are you feeling a little down about quitting your job?”
“No, not really,” she says. “I’m excited to work with you, honestly. It’s just a big change.”
“I know.”
“Maybe I should talk to my brother,” she laughs. “He could give me some great counseling advice.”
“Wait, you haven’t told Richard yet?” The last two weeks have been so crazy that it completely slipped my mind. I guess I just assumed she’d tell him.
“Nope.”
I take a deep breath and taste the batter. More salt. Just a smidge. I add it and keep mixing, wondering what I should say to her. I’m not upset she hasn’t told Richard, but I wonder what’s holding her back. Is Mia feeling absentminded because of the pregnancy or is she worried her brother is going to judge her? And how should I respond in a way that won’t make her burst into tears? That’s the most important question.
I love Mia, adore her, but I love Richard, too. We haven’t been as close the last few years, but I see him all the time in town and it’s not like this is something we can hide forever.
You can’t hide anything in Honeypot for long: not a relationship and certainly not a child.
Even if Richard didn’t notice Mia’s growing belly, someone would ask him how he felt about his sister dating the town baker.
Then there would be hell to pay.
“Why haven’t you told him yet, honey?”
“I’ve just been really busy with work and packing and dealing with landlord stuff.” Her words are fine, but her voice is tense and anxious.
“And?”
“You’re as bad as Richard.”
“I know. I did live with the guy for a year.”
“And I’m scared to tell him.”
“Why?”
“What if he gets mad?” She whispers. “What if he doesn’t like us being together?”
“Would that stop us, honey?”
&
nbsp; “No.”
“You need to tell him soon.”
“I know. I will. I’ll talk to him tonight when he gets back from Honeypot.”
I promise to come over in the morning with the truck to help her load up her belongings, then I end the call. Turning back to the cookies, I add a bit more flour and keep mixing. I’ve got a stand mixer and all the fancy gadgets – and good baker would – but sometimes I still like to mix things by hand. It’s relaxing. Mixing something gives me a chance to clear my mind and just focus on what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. It’s like meditation or yoga, but I get to eat a delicious cookie when I’m done.
The door out front chimes. I’ve got a customer.
“Be right there,” I call out and reach for my roll of plastic wrap. Covering the bowl of dough, I place it in the fridge to cool. You don’t have to cool dough to make your cookies, but it really does make a difference in the final flavor. When I first started baking, I tried to take shortcuts in my dough prep as a way to save time, but quickly learned it wasn’t worth ruining the end result. Not properly cooling batter can take cookies from “awesome” to “pretty good,” and that’s not something I’m willing to do. Not with my bakery.
I wash my hands quickly, then head out front. I’m not sure if Hope is stopping by to pick up some lemon tarts for the guys at the Blair Ranch or if Savannah wants to pick up some brownies for her son, but I’ve got them both covered. If it’s someone new, someone who isn’t a regular at the shop, I’ve got them covered, too.
When I step into the front of my shop, it’s not Hope or Savannah waiting for me, though. I know even before the tall figure turns around exactly who has come to Bear’s Bakery, and I don’t think he’s interested in buying cookies today.
“Hello, Aidan,” Richard turns around. “I think we need to talk.”
***
