The Keaton Series Boxed Set

by B. A. Wolfe

  I felt an ounce of weight being lifted off my shoulders as his words escaped him, hearing from him what I thought about myself. “I think about that too. That maybe, getting lost was all part of this master plan for my life and that I got lost for a reason.”

  I took a deep breath and searched his face. I was waiting for him to respond but he didn’t. He wasn’t going to bring it up, so I would have to just ask him.

  “Why did you have the look in your eyes? Why were you scared?”

  He closed his eyes for a split second, his Adam’s apple moving as he gulped. “Some stuff happened years ago and I just remember being scared, not knowing what was going to happen in the future. But as I got older, I just learned to let things go and go with the flow.”

  “What are you hiding? What’s going on?” I asked him, my heart pumping harder, needing to know what happened.

  “You’ll just have to trust me, when I’m ready to talk about it I will, but right now all I can think about is you. I don’t know what it is, but you drive me wild inside. You make me want to protect you from everything; even though I know you’re strong enough to take care of yourself. I just want to be with you, letting you know every day how amazing you are, giving you the courage you need to kick back when life tries to throw another hurdle your way.”

  He placed his hand against my cheek. I couldn’t help but lean into it, feeling the warmth of his hand against my skin. My heart was racing so fast I thought it was going to beat out of my chest. “I want to kiss you so bad right now.”

  Those were the words that I had only dreamed of hearing. “Jase, I would love for you to wrap your arms around me and kiss me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted in a guy. Now you’re here right in front of me telling me you want these things too, but it feels like the timing is just all wrong,” I said with a crack in my voice. I reluctantly pulled my cheek from his hand and stepped back until I was several feet away from him. I put my hand to my chest as I could feel the pain inside aching for him. I couldn’t get close though; I couldn’t let my feelings take over for someone who I knew deserved better.

  “If you wait for the right time for anything, it will always be too late,” he said quietly as he motioned with his head for me to walk back to him. “Come here.”

  I slowly took in a breath and brought my eyes up to his. They locked me in; they were gleaming as though this was exactly what he wanted. I couldn’t deny it was what I wanted too. My heart was screaming for me to walk faster to him. I took another deep breath as I raced to him, jumping in his arms the second I was in front of him, his arms wrapping around me as I did. I looked into his eyes for only a moment before I felt his soft lips pressed against mine. My whole body went limp as he cradled me against him, feeling for the first time the true notion of being wanted. Not just physically, but that a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing I had Jase with me, holding me tightly.

  I felt his grip tighten as his tongue found mine, massaging it tenderly as he held onto me like his life depended on it. He walked us back to his truck and sat me down gently on the bed of it. I kept my legs wrapped tightly around him as he stood in front of me, taking his cowboy hat off and putting it down next to me. I slid my hands back in his hair and wrapped my fingers in the gorgeous wavy hair I had wanted to touch since I saw it. His lips sadly left mine, but only for good reason as he planted his soft kisses down the delicate curve of my neck until he reached my bare shoulder, blanketing my arms and back in goose bumps. I never was more grateful for wearing a strapless dress than I was right now. I turned my neck to see his face as he stopped with his lips still pressed to my skin. My heart was all but pounding out of my chest as his eyes connected with mine. “Cold?” he asked quietly as he lifted his lips up enough to talk.

  I shook my head no. “It’s you,” I whispered as my pulse raced. My breathing was becoming even more rapid each second that I watched his lips hovering over my shoulder.

  “Hmmm,” he said. He slowly lifted his head and placed a finger on each arm, softly running them up creating more goose bumps as his fingers reached my neck.

  He arched his brow as he looked at me. I knew what he wanted to hear. “Still you,” I said quietly, watching his lips curl up knowing he did that to me.

  He brought his lips back to mine as he took both hands and tangled them in my hair, causing a moan to escape my throat. I took my hands and pulled him even closer, wanting to pull him up onto the bed of the truck with me. He got the hint and let me go, hopping up and going to the back to lay down, patting his chest before putting his arms behind his head. “Right here,” he said, taking an arm out as he patted his chest.

  I crawled over, snuggled myself next to him, and laid my head on his chest, loving the feel of his hand caressing my hair. I could hear his heart beat in his chest; it was as fast as mine was. My lips immediately grinned, as I knew our emotions matched. It couldn’t have felt more right than to be here with him. I was suddenly angry with myself for trying so hard to get out of this town, when all I wanted now was to stay as long as I could.

  We laid there for a while without talking, just listening to the wind blow through the wheat behind us, but it wasn’t long enough. I could have stayed in his arms all night.

  “We should get back Sweetheart. It’s getting late,” he said softly as he continued to push my hair back.

  I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to fall asleep right here tonight, but as I moved from his chest, I realized how hard the truck bed was and how uncomfortable it was for him to lie on.

  “If we have to,” I said as I sat up, looking at him. His hand found my cheek after he sat up.

  “I don’t want to, but my back is killing me,” he said.

  “We didn’t really think this one through, did we?”

  He shook his head before pulling my face toward his for what I assumed was our last kiss tonight, not knowing what was in store for us after this moment. His lips roughly pressed against mine as though he was hungrier than before. The urge for more was growing faster than before and suddenly kissing wasn’t enough. I rose to my knees and grabbed the back of his head, pushing our lips together even harder, deepening the kiss as I knotted my hands in his hair. He let his lips tour down as he made his way to my collarbone, tickling my neck with his stubble brushing against my chest. He pulled me onto his lap as he kissed his way across my chest to my other bare shoulder. I let my head fall back, enjoying the feel of his moist lips marking my skin with his kisses.

  I brought my head back up, ready to steal more of him, when I felt his pants vibrating and it suddenly took me back to reality.

  He closed his eyes, putting his forehead against mine. “Damn it,” he said almost out of breath. He looked down and reached in his pants to grab his phone, answering as he pulled it out.

  “Hello?” he answered, still keeping his head against mine.

  “Yeah we’re good.”

  “No, just took a little detour before heading home.”

  “You too, talk to you later man.” He flipped his phone closed as he moved his head back.

  “I guess that’s our sign to stop,” I said to him before planting a kiss on his cheek. I grabbed his hat from beside me and placed it on his even messier hair than before.

  “Moose was just checking up on us, making sure we were okay.” He grabbed my cheeks pressing his lips to my forehead.

  “He sounds like Mel,” I said.

  “A little less feisty but just as protective. It’s getting late, let’s get out of here,” he said as he helped scoot me across the bed of the truck before lifting me down off the tailgate.

  I wasn’t in any way ready to come off of the incredible high I was on from Jason’s lips, but my body was slowly running on fumes, as I was positive it was far past midnight.

  He came around opening my door for me. “You know,” I said. “I do know how to open a door.”

  “You know,” he said, mirroring my tone. “I wasn’t raised that way, I will open your door for you as long as
I still have arms to do it with.” With that, he helped me in the truck, made his way to the driver’s side, and drove us home. I would have been sad that we were leaving the spot that would now hold a special place in my heart, but when I felt his hand reach over to grab mine, the sadness was replaced with comfort and happiness.

  Twenty-Two

  IT WAS HARD TO SLEEP; I was tossing and turning more than ever before. The butterflies in my stomach were in full force as I recollected about each kiss Jason gave me; on my lips and on my bare skin. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the beeping on my phone. I saw the light illuminating my room as I reached over to grab it; it was a text from Jason. I was suddenly extremely grateful I let him plug his number into my phone after we left the garage earlier today.

  Are you asleep yet?

  How could I be sleeping? His lips just rocked my world; my heart was racing too much to be sleeping.

  Not a chance.

  Me either.

  I put my phone down and got out of bed. I didn’t know what else to do so I let my body decide. It would have argued with my brain either way. I let my infectious craving for his lips guide me downstairs to his room as I quietly crept to his door.

  I took a deep breath and tapped on his door. He swung it open immediately as if he knew I was on the other side. The room was dimly lit, but I could see just enough. He was standing there in nothing but boxers; I couldn’t help but look him up and down from head to toe. His mouth was open and his breathing was heavy as his chest rose and fell quickly, matching mine. It didn’t take long for the hunger inside to take over. He stepped forward and grabbed a hold of me, pulling me close to him as he took us over to his bed. I didn’t know where we were going to take this tonight, and quite frankly, I just didn’t care; all I knew was I needed to be with him. It could have been Jase, it could have been my hormones, but every part of me was craving his touch. I got a taste and I needed more.

  “Cassie,” he whispered.

  “Shhh,” I whispered back. I put my finger over his mouth. I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say, we had done enough talking for the night.

  I stepped up closer to him, raising myself on my tippy toes so I was closer to his lips as I pressed mine hard against his. I heard a small moan escape him as he tangled his hands in my loose hair, pulling us onto the bed.

  We fell onto the bed and I positioned myself with my back against it as Jason hovered over me, his arms on either side. I took my hands, placed them on his scruffy face, and pulled him closer to me. Somewhere between being pulled onto the bed and Jason hovering over me, our lips had lost each other; this was not going to work for me. I didn’t even have to pull hard as his lips curled up and lowered down to my face. “I’ve never seen you like this Sweetheart,” he whispered into my ear as he nibbled on it.

  I was sure a soft moan escaped my lips as he took my ear into his mouth. “I’ve been holding it in,” I told him.

  “I can tell,” he said quietly before running his lips down my neck then into the curve of my shoulder. It was making me shiver from my neck all the way down to the aching spot between my legs. He was trailing his way down my neck when I suddenly realized I needed to take off what was keeping him from continuing further down.

  “Wait,” I breathed out. Jason lifted his lips from my skin as I wiggled my arms enough to slip off the cami I was wearing, throwing it to the side of the bed. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

  “Damn Cassie, you are going to be the death of me.” He opened his eyes back up, piercing them into mine. I needed more.

  “Please keep going,” I begged him.

  “You don’t have to beg, but it’s so damn sexy when you do,” he said softly as he brought his lips back to my skin, taking his time as he moved further down to my bare chest. He slowly grazed his lips across each breast before making his way down, trailing kisses until he got to the top of my yoga pants. He was driving me wild; I was having a hard time not ripping all my clothes off. This was not normal for me, but I loved every moment of it. He was bringing out a side of me that hadn’t existed before, and I hoped it didn’t go away.

  I grabbed his upper arms and rolled us over so I was on top of him. I could feel that this was just as good for him as it was for me, as his excitement was sitting between my legs.

  “Enjoying yourself?” I asked in the sexiest voice I could find.

  “You have no idea. Now get down here,” he said as he pulled me down to his lips, biting down on my lower one before smiling and finally pressing our lips together again. Kissing him was what I always imagined it should feel like. Not wanting our lips to ever be apart because they felt too good pressed together. I knew deep down kissing had to be that amazing or people wouldn’t be so passionate about it. I completely understood it now and I could finally say the feeling happened to me. Jason, he made it happen, he was the spark that lit my lips on fire. I couldn’t help but go insane inside as his lips continued to kiss me like his life depended on it. I slowly released my lips from his and began placing kisses on his chin, running them all the way down from his chest to the very top of his boxers. I slowly raised myself up and loved seeing the satisfied grin plastered on his face. I put my hands on his shoulders and caressed them all the way down, feeling his chest form goose bumps as I did. I took my index finger and traced a line along the top of his boxers, making a soft moan rumble through him. I lowered myself back down on top of him; his hands grabbing my back as our bare chests collided together. I leaned my mouth close to his ear, whispering into it. “I know you green light this.”

  That must have sparked something in him because I heard a growl escape his throat as he rolled us back so he was now hovering over me once again.

  “Just so you know, I’m not this guy. I’m not normally the guy who has a hard time controlling himself. You seriously have me going crazy right now,” he said with a heavy breath.

  “Just so you know. I like it.”

  His lips were back on mine as he slipped his tongue back in devouring mine; his hands touring my body, not missing one square inch as he massaged my peaks gently then rough, making my body not know what hit it.

  I rubbed my hands up his arms that were still holding him up over my quivering body and felt something rough on his left arm. I broke from our kiss and looked at it. I realized that I never noticed it before, but it was as though something was under his skin. It was probably because every time I looked at him I was too fixated on his damn gorgeous eyes to look at anything else.

  “I had something happen when I was younger. Don’t mind it, it’s just a scar.” He shrugged.

  He was sweet, protective, and had a scar to show for himself. I was in heaven. “It’s sexy,” I said. It looked painful and if he didn’t want to talk more about it, I wasn’t about to push him. This moment was too intense for that.

  “I like to think so,” he said back before moving his lips that I craved over mine as he sucked my lower lip into his mouth, making my whole body quiver. I grabbed the back of his hair and gripped the curls tightly, forcing his lips even harder on mine. I heard another growl escape his throat as I did. His enjoyment was making me want more. I slid my hand down his chest, taking my time as I felt his skin tingle under my touch. I let my fingers tease the top of his boxers again but this time slipped them under his waistband. I felt another moan from Jason as we continued kissing. Before I could make it any further, he pulled his lips off of mine.

  “We need to stop Sweetheart,” he said, breathing heavier than before. “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop and we need to.”

  “I don’t want to stop,” I confessed as I slowly removed my hand from his boxers.

  “I want you, badly, but I also don’t want to complicate things more for you. If lying here with you is all we do, I will be the happiest man alive. Getting to hold you tightly in my arms, feeling your cheek on my shoulder, your lips against my skin, that’s all I need. I could do this until I died and never once would I want anythin
g more. Well,” he said. “I would, but what I meant was I don’t need anything more with you to be happy. You are amazing as you are and anything more with you is just the icing on the cake.”

  I swallowed hard, trying to absorb his words, trying to place where he was taking this. I knew what he was trying to say but it also had a way of making me feel like he didn’t want me.

  “Okay. There’s that look. Sweetheart, every guy wants it, but knowing when it’s right is what makes the moment of making love so special. It has to be something that you give, not something that I take.”

  “Wow. How is it you’re still single?” I asked him, because that right there just made me turn into a puddle of mush.

  He was right. I wanted it right now, but how would I feel in the morning? I didn’t need another walk of shame. Something inside told me this wouldn’t be like that, but I also didn’t want to regret anything. I had never in my life been with a guy the way I was with Jason. The one-night stand with Parker was a sloppy drunken mess. My ex would have never been like this, and this was the first time my heart didn’t stop racing, anticipating his next move, craving his hands on my skin and never wanting his lips to leave mine. It was as though he knew every single thing I wanted, because he wanted it too. It didn’t go far, but it didn’t need to; my body received the craving fix it needed, for now.

  He moved beside me, extending his arm out for me to fit perfectly next to him as I laid my head on his chest. I snuggled myself closer to him as he pulled his comforter over us. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep with the beat of his heart in my ear rocking me to sleep.

  Twenty-Three

  “GOOD MORNING.” I HEARD his voice beside me. I opened my eyes all the way and suddenly remembered I was still in his bed. I rolled over to see him, feeling guilty that I didn’t even ask to stay in his room and I just fell asleep, but that feeling went away the moment I saw his smile. It was warm and made me feel anything but guilty.