by Hadley Quinn
Her heart was going to beat out of her damn chest.
His mouth moved to the side of her neck, just below her ear, and he whispered, “I just wanted to say that kissing you is number one on my list of favorite things to do.”
Chills traveled down her spine. Chills. But when he kissed along her neck and toward her jaw, the tingles spread from her back to across her arms.
“And number two is touching your skin,” he added just as softly, his lips like a feather against her cheek. His fingers slid along her neck and into her hair, and the tingles started all over again.
He leaned his forehead against hers and looked her right in the eyes. The intensity in them stirred her heart again and she could feel it start to pound harder, if that was even possible.
“Number three is looking into your eyes,” he said, a tiny smile playing on his sexy lips.
She wanted to kiss them so hard it wasn’t funny, but she was literally speechless.
“Number four is hearing your voice…and your laugh…and seeing you smile. Everything about your mouth that I can’t physically touch but still infiltrates my heart and occupies it entirely.”
At some point between number one and number four, Sarah had lost feeling in her legs. The only thing that assured her she was still standing was the fact that she had barely moved an inch while he seduced not only her body, but her heart and soul.
“You know you could have had me naked and in your bed by now, right?” she barely managed to joke. “You don’t have to try so hard to impress me.”
He lightly laughed, hopefully because he knew she was just messing with him. “Are you complaining?” he asked with a teasing smile.
She had to swallow to get her voice to work again. “No, definitely not. I’m quite enjoying your list of favorites. They seem to match mine perfectly.”
His smile spread even wider. “Well good because that’s where number five gets added to the list. I’m going to love being inside you, feeling you move beneath me.”
That pulse between her legs buzzed stronger with agreement. His words were becoming torturous and Sarah desired relief. Thank heavens he kissed her again and then led her through a door a few seconds later. The bedroom was dark enough that she was glad he navigated their way to the bed, and once Tyse laid her down gently, he reach over and turned on a small lamp that was dim enough to be equivalent to candlelight. It was kind of perfect, not too light and not too dark, and Sarah felt at ease.
Tyse returned and continued to kiss her. She liked having him so close and it felt right being with him. She knew that she automatically put up walls when it came to getting close to people, but Tyse was the type that she wanted to knock them down for.
She was falling.
Hard.
He stopped kissing her and gave her a soft smile. “You know what I want to be inside of?” he asked as he studied her carefully.
Her smile was instant and she lightly laughed. “Um, I could probably take a guess.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well you could, but I’m pretty sure you’d be wrong.” He ran his fingers along her neck, across her collarbone, and down to her chest underneath her shirt. “Right in here,” he tapped. “This is the only place I need to be.”
“In my heart?” she whispered, truly touched by his words.
“Yep, this spot right here,” he answered, leaning down to kiss it. He looked up at her again and smiled. “I’m kinda sappy, I know.”
She laughed and shook her head. “No you’re not, you’re very honest. But you’ve already conquered my heart.”
“Have I?”
“Mmhmm,” she nodded. “So I guess that grants you entry to any other part of me.”
He cocked an eyebrow to consider it. “Hmm, if I’ve conquered your heart, there are other places I need to conquer next.”
“For sure,” she agreed easily. “So hurry up, why don’t you.”
“Hurry up? Ah, these things can take time,” he teased her. “I have to set out to explore the land, first. Then I need to assess my course of attack. Maybe I need to make sure my strategy is the best decision for this endeavor.”
She laughed and shook her head again. “Nah, I freely share my land with you. It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow, after all. There is no resistance here. In fact, I think I’ll give you a personal tour of the northern regions.”
She slid her shirt off slowly, and when she saw Tyse’s face again, she absolutely loved the smile on it.
“I’m sold,” he nodded, looking over her chest and stomach. He leaned forward and placed his lips against her shoulder and softly kissed toward her neck. “But I was already sold from the moment I looked into your eyes on the sidewalk,” he whispered against her cheek.
He pressed his lips against her mouth and continued to kiss her. Sarah’s heart and soul melted into one happy sigh as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. Seconds later she slipped his shirt off over his head, losing her breath for a moment as she studied his beautiful body.
After that she couldn’t remember whose pants came off first or how there was nothing but skin touching, but it didn’t matter. He kissed down her body softly until he was between her legs, sending jolts of electricity through her core. There was something about the way that Tyse pleasured her that was sweet, unselfish, and completely controlled. And he made sure he left her in a satisfied state before he moved up her body for their eyes to meet again.
There were no words after that, only two bodies melding into one as Tyse entered her slowly and gently. Sarah relaxed underneath him and enjoyed the feeling of him inside of her as they made love for the first time.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sunlight was pouring in through a section of curtain that hadn’t been shut all the way. Tyse glanced at Sarah next to him, curled up peacefully between a pile of the comforter and himself. His arm was around her but he removed it so he could pull the sheet up a little more to cover her upper body. Not that he wanted it covered, but he thought it was probably the polite thing to do.
She didn’t even budge. He’d been afraid of waking her up the past hour he’d been awake, but she’d remained still and practically silent. Having her there was a comfort in his life that he needed. It felt like the final piece to the puzzle had been added, but he hadn’t realized how large that piece actually was until now. It hadn’t been in his plans to settle down with anyone soon, but he also wasn’t against the idea now that he’d met Sarah. There were some things in life that came when you were least expecting them, and Tyse was well aware of that. He expected to be faced with obstacles now and then, but he also knew to expect some happy surprises as well. And just like accepting those learning moments when things are rough, he also knew to appreciate the good things when they came.
Life was balanced that way.
Sarah slowly moved next to him, so Tyse waited for her eyes to open. They didn’t for another minute, but when they finally fluttered open, just seeing her little smile when she looked at him was enough to send his heart into hammer mode. And for some reason, his head was subconsciously whispering, “please don’t break my heart” at the same time.
“Don’t tell me you lay there watching me sleep,” Sarah said to him.
He barely smiled and answered, “Only for the past hour.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Well then this is the first and last time I ever sleep over.”
He pretended to pout, but she was already in motion as she turned his way and nestled against him. He held her close, reveling in the joys of her skin being against his again. She began tracing her finger over the section of tattoo that covered his chest, but didn’t speak. No one needed to. Tyse felt peaceful and content, and he could feel that it was mutual between them.
After ten minutes had passed, Sarah got up to use the bathroom. When she returned, she gave Tyse a coy smile as she climbed back in bed with him, this time sliding over the top of him until she straddled his waist.
“Breakfast in bed,” she t
old him as she leaned down to kiss him.
He received her attention eagerly. He didn’t believe he could ever turn down affection from this girl. Just the way he felt from kissing her was reason enough, but having her entirely like the night they shared was more than just a physical connection.
“Speaking of food,” he said as she kissed across his chest and down his stomach.
She got to his erection and peered up at him. “Yes?” she smiled curiously.
He was going to continue his thought but completely lost it when he felt her tongue run from the base of his cock to the tip. She toyed with it for a few seconds before sliding her lips over the end and he felt the warmth of her mouth take him as far as she could.
He groaned, especially when she applied pressure with her lips and swirled her tongue back and forth as she took her time pulling upward. But as good as it felt to have her mouth on him, his desire to hold her again was even stronger.
“Hey, come here.”
She smiled and straddled his waist again, this time sliding him inside of her as she settled into him.
“Come where?” she teased as she kissed him again.
“Anywhere you want,” he smiled. He kissed her deeply, using his hand behind her neck to gently assist. “Forever.”
“Forever?” she smiled, pulling back just slightly. “That’s a very long time.”
“But not long enough.”
“Well I don’t think you can go any longer than forever.”
“Good. I want you tomorrow. And every day after that.”
“What if it gets old? What if you get tired of me?”
“Nah, you’re perfect.”
She gave him a doubtful frown. “Nope, not even close. Nobody’s perfect.”
“Hmm, maybe I think you’re perfect for me.”
Her smile slowly returned. “Even with my flaws?”
“Especially with your flaws. I’ll take it all.”
“You’re brave.”
“Am I?”
“For sure,” she nodded. “Because I snore.”
He laughed out loud. “Yes, you actually do,” he agreed. “Really loud.”
“Shut up!” she laughed, gently swatting his chest.
“Hey, I never complained, I was only agreeing!”
“Well it makes me really insecure,” she bit her lip playfully. “Did I keep you awake?”
“No, you didn’t,” he shook his head honestly. “I slept like a baby, I swear. And you only snored a little at the beginning.”
“Turn me on my side.”
“I did,” he admitted. “But not to silence you, just to spoon you.”
She eyed him carefully. “Yeah, right,” she smiled suspiciously.
“Hey, do not doubt my need for spooning, okay? I couldn’t help it. I just…couldn’t get close enough to you.”
The way she looked at him was unclear. He couldn’t tell if she confused or surprised, but she didn’t speak for several seconds. Finally she said, “Well I did wake up once and was really, really happy I was being held by you. I went back to sleep instantly because you were there.”
“Then I say we continue the routine,” he replied matter-of-factly. He wanted to sound confident and sure, but maybe she could detect the insecurity in his voice. He worried he was being way too forward.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked softly.
Surprised, he answered, “I can’t imagine not waking up next to you every morning after this. But I understand it’s really quick and we have time. I’m just letting you know how I feel. I don’t want you to question it.”
He waited for a response but didn’t get one. Then he replayed his own words in his head, debating whether or not she was terrified by what he was saying. It was way too early to be telling her these things. Was he a fucking idiot? Here he was, expressing how he felt about her and not once had she confessed anything of her own except that she liked sleeping next to him.
“I feel the same way,” she finally said, soft enough that he barely heard her. “I’m just…” She shook her head, like she wasn’t sure how to say what she wanted to say. “I’m just still trying to take all of this in,” she admitted.
“You mean us, or the circumstances around us?” he asked, needing clarification.
“Well,” she sighed. “You asked me not to take your family into account, and I’ve been trying not to. So no, I’m not talking about those circumstances. I mean you and me. It feels…”
She paused again, and several words popped into Tyse’s head. He feared she would say it felt wrong and that was the last thing he wanted to hear. He waited for what felt like way too long, but he wanted Sarah to finish her thought without his interjection.
“It feels amazing,” she shrugged with a tiny smile. “I know this is such an unlikely situation but…I just love being with you.”
Relief flooded his chest, although he didn’t like feeling so insecure like that. When was he ever going to feel confident that she wasn’t going to bail on him?
“I love being with you too,” he told her softly. “And you’re right, it does feel amazing. It feels right, no matter what the circumstances are.”
“Maybe that’s what makes this so…” She paused again, almost like she was embarrassed. “I can’t think of the right word,” she lightly laughed. “Maybe I should just stop talking.”
“Maybe you should just kiss me and show me the right word,” he teased.
She easily complied, adding “breakfast in bed” to Tyse’s favorites list pretty easily.
“Definitely a day of thanks,” he couldn’t help but mention when Sarah lay beside him thirty minutes later.
She lightly laughed as she cuddled up against him under the covers again. “Happy Thanksgiving,” she told him, kissing his chest.
“Definitely a happy Thanksgiving,” he agreed, holding her in his arms. “I’m not so sure even the pilgrims were this happy and satisfied on that day.”
She laughed again. “Well I can definitely see how exciting it was for the Mayflower to be docked on those wet shores. I can relate.”
Tyse couldn’t help but laugh again. “Are you referring to my dick as the Mayflower?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“The Mayflower? You can’t come up with a better name?”
“Hey, it was over a hundred feet long.”
He paused. “Okay, then.”
Sarah smiled as she laid her head on his chest. They laid in silence for almost a minute until she sighed peacefully. “Thank you for fighting for me,” she told him quietly.
And there it was, the words he needed to hear. All he wanted was reassurance that she wanted to be where she was, not because he wanted her to be. He had always felt it was what she wanted, but it felt even better to know he was right.
“You’re the best thing in my life,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “There’s no way I wouldn’t fight for you. You make every part of me alive.”
She leaned back slightly to smile at him. “Ditto, sport.”
***
For the first time ever, Thanksgiving was actually enjoyable to Tyse. He’d spent last year with Nicole’s awful, judgmental family and he was glad he didn’t have to again. But better than that, he got to spend this year with people that had become so important to him, he was beginning to feel like he’d finally found a comfortable place he belonged.
When he got to Teague’s, he was not at all surprised that he and Jay were watching football while the girls sat in the kitchen preparing a fruit platter. Tyse said hello to Kellie, Melanie, and Camryn, and since they invited Sarah to join them and she agreed, he dropped onto a couch in the family room with the guys.
“This all seems very…sexist,” Tyse smiled, motioning to the girls in the kitchen and then to the guys watching TV.
Jay only laughed, but Teague answered, “Hey, I was in charge of the fucking turkey.”
Tyse grunted and replied, “You caught it, killed it,
de-feathered it, gutted it, and cooked it?”
“Haha, prick,” Teague smiled.
“No, he beat on his chest and said, ‘Me put apron on today instead,’” Jay smirked.
They all laughed at that and then watched the game for a few minutes. It was then that Tyse realized who was missing.
“Hey, where’s Chase?” he asked, glancing around.
Teague’s expression went from intently watching the game to something slightly darker. “He’s not coming today,” he answered.
“Is he sick?” Tyse asked innocently. He knew Teague and Camryn always looked forward to having their nephew whenever they could, so that could be the only explanation.
“No, someone decided to play the ‘I’m a major tool’ card and not let him come,” Jay informed him.
Tyse looked between the two of them, not sure he understood. But when he noticed the look on Teague’s face, he suddenly understood perfectly.
“No way,” he said quietly.
“Yep,” Teague confirmed with a nod.
Tyse took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Because he wouldn’t heed the warning to stay away from Sarah, Max wasn’t going to allow his son to spend a holiday with Teague? They were really going to punish the people that were closest to Tyse?
“I’m so sorry,” Tyse whispered, leaning forward onto his knees to drop his head into his hands.
“It’s not your fault, man,” Teague tried to assure him. “I expect it from him. Seriously, I do. It fucking sucks that he’s using Chase in that way, but I’m not surprised. It’s nothing new. He’ll use whatever works to his advantage because he’s a selfish asshole.”
Tyse was without words. He shouldn’t have been surprised either, but in a way he was. Maybe he just hadn’t been around this family long enough to witness many of their underhanded moves.
