by Laura Ward
“Shh,” he urged. “Turn around. I have to see you.” His breath was hot in my ear.
Moving onto my back, I froze when I saw him. On his knees, stroking himself, the light from my window lit over his face. Jaw tight, eyes half-lidded, his mouth agape. Jon looked as beast-like as I’d ever seen.
And I loved every bit of it.
And then his tongue was there. Right where I ached for him. My hips rocked as he licked my core in long strokes. The sensation built, but he pulled away before I could build higher, making me whimper.
He sat up, reaching into my nightstand, where he had hidden a box of condoms. Our ragged breaths, the sound of a wrapper ripping and then the quiet whoosh of the condom being rolled seemed to be the only sounds in the world.
He moved over me, one hand next to my head, the other guiding himself inside. I gasped as he entered me, fast and hard, and so, so good. His now free hand slid under my ass and he lifted me, tilting my hips and moving in and out, faster and faster. My gasps increased, and I was so proud I had enough discipline to keep from calling out from the pleasure he was bringing me.
Jon grunted, a low, pained sound, and he rocked into me over and over again. As inexperienced as I was, it felt like he was hitting a spot, a sensitive area that was causing something inside me to grow. I could feel the sweat on his chest as we slammed together. My eyes squeezed shut, and my body shook as the momentous feeling in me grew.
Something big was happening. I wouldn’t be able to hold back. I would have to scream. My eyes plead with his for what, I wasn’t sure.
Jon knew. He turned my head toward his hand and placed his thumb over my lips. I took it in and sucked hard, arching my back, head pressed against my pillow, as a wall of pleasure exploded around me. He came too, his body rigid and jerking.
He fell forward, rolling us to our sides, his arms wrapped around mine.
“Congratulations.” He spoke into my ear, and little tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “I couldn’t say it until everyone went to bed, but no one is prouder of you than me. You did it.”
I turned in his arms to face him. “We did it.” The tip of my tongue burned to tell him how I felt. That I was so in love with him, it hurt. But if he didn’t feel the same way, everything we shared the last few months would become a soiled memory.
Instead, I stayed quiet, and I kissed him, closing my eyes and falling into a blissful, content sleep.
And when I woke in the morning I was alone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jon
WEDDING PREPARATIONS WERE in full gear for Dean and Grace. When the Chicago Bears got a new head coach this year, they were given permission to start off season training early. As soon as Dean learned he would be in training starting in April, all hell broke loose. The wedding had to be moved up a month to March, and it took the entire family to make that happen.
But they made it happen. In two days, Dean and Grace would wed in a heated tent in his parent’s backyard. Of course, the original date would have meant better weather, but Dean didn’t care. He just wanted to make Grace his wife. Dale and Dorothy were thrilled to host their son’s special day. Since Dean and Grace were paying for their wedding themselves, they kept the guest list small but planned for a high-end evening for all of us.
I was happy for my friend. He was a changed man because of Grace and Finn.
And all those changes were good ones, except for one.
His focus on protecting his family meant that he watched my every move around Daisy and it was starting to piss me off.
The other thing pissing me off these days was the mail. Or lack thereof. I checked the Goldsmith’s box every damn day to see if NYU had gotten back to me. Acceptance to law school in New York City could be a chance… a way… We could possibly be together. Maybe not right away, but when Daisy was ready. All of it was pointless, though. If I was accepted, I would have heard back by now.
Fuck.
“Jon! Let’s roll.” Ricky yelled from the family room.
“Bye, Sunshine.” Sneaking into Daisy’s room to kiss her goodbye when her entire family was home to prepare for the wedding was stupid. But the past months with her had been the best of my life. Leaving for the night without a kiss seemed impossible.
She stood on her tiptoes, a slow, lazy grin forming on her face. She had become even more comfortable in her own skin. Regular and fantastic sex would do that for a person. I loved seeing her that way, and I loved that I was the one to give it to her. I just wished I could give that to her tonight, too.
“Bye, handsome. You look so sexy. You’re gonna have to fight the girls off at the bar.” She stuck her lower lip out in a pout, and I bent down and sucked it into my mouth, before releasing it and kissing her fully.
We didn’t waste a second. Her tongue found mine, her familiar taste one that I now associated with want, need, and sex. And love? Was I in love with Daisy? I never loved a girl before. I wasn’t sure if I ever truly loved my mom or if she ever loved me back. How did I know what that felt like? And how did I know if I even wanted it in my life?
With all those questions came one clear thought. If I were to love anyone in the world, it would be Daisy. The idea of loving her didn’t scare me, it settled me. Grounded me.
“Jon! Finish up in the shitter and let’s go!” This time it was Landon calling for me.
I pulled away with a soft chuckle. “Gotta go. Look, this may be your brother’s bachelor party, but that boy is way too pussy whipped to let any girls hang out with us. This will be a night of boys and booze. That’s it.”
“Have fun. Miss you already.” Her voice dropped, and she studied the floor. Fuck, I hated to see her bummed in any way.
I snapped my fingers as I formed a plan. “Meet me at the lake tonight when we get back. I’ll text you when we’re leaving the bar.”
A smile grew across her face. “My favorite place.” She kissed my cheek and then pushed me out the door.
~~~
“Another round! The Bone Ranger needs to drink tonight!” Landon yelled, circling his finger in the air for the bartender.
We sat at a table by the pool tables and darts, hoping to grab the next free one.
“How does it feel to be on your last guy’s night out as a single dude? In just a few days, you’ll be hitched to the same woman for the rest of your life, man. Uno pussy. How’s Puff the One-Eyed Dragon gonna deal with that?” Ricky leaned forward to ask Dean.
“Man…” Dean grinned, an all-knowing smile that he shared with Landon before turning back to us. “You have no idea. With the right girl, you don’t need any other pussy. Sex with the chick that you love is unlike any other. You and the Ho-wrecker in your pants just can’t begin to get it.”
Ricky sobered, turning to the side. I wondered if he had met the right girl, he was just too stubborn to admit it.
Me, I knew exactly what Dean meant. Sex with Daisy was the best of my life. I’d never need another girl if I had her.
What the holy hell? Was I contemplating what it would be like to have sex with only one girl for the rest of my life?
“Thank fuck.” I lifted my chin at the waitress who delivered our beers just in time before I started writing poetry and singing shitty Celine Dion ballads.
“Dean’s right on, you wanker spankers.” Landon clinked bottles with Dean before gulping down half his beer. “Emma’s all I’ll ever need in my bed.” He looked around before adding. “I bought her a ring today.”
“What?” I asked, beer paused midway to my mouth.
Ricky grinned. “No shit?”
“Congrats, man!” Dean slapped Landon’s back as the three of us chorused our cheers to our best friend.
“I’m gonna ask her on the drive home from USC in May, right after graduation. I’ll be ready to work and take care of my girl.” Landon sat back in his chair as happy as I had ever seen him.
“You’re getting married?” A gruff voice asked from behind Landon.
He jolte
d, whipping around in his chair to face his father. “Hello, Dad.” Landon’s voice was flat and emotionless as he faced the man who disowned him almost five years ago.
John Washington looked like he aged twenty years in that time. His brown hair was thinning and gray. He’d lost weight, which was a good thing considering the pot belly he used to rock, but his face was pale and sallow. In his hand, he clutched a glass that was filled high with what looked like bourbon or whiskey.
“Can we talk for a minute, Landon?” Mr. Washington asked.
Landon bristled. “This is Dean’s bachelor party. I’m not leaving him. Whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of my boys.”
His dad heaved a heavy sigh. “May I sit?”
Landon waved his hand in the direction of the empty chair.
John pulled out the chair and sat, taking a long sip from his drink. “Hello, boys. I’ve missed seeing you play ball together.”
Dean, Ricky and I nodded, none of us smiling or even attempting to make him feel comfortable. He was an asshole of a father to Landon. He didn’t deserve that from us. Not after he kicked Landon out for losing his college scholarship. His parents should have supported him, not made his life worse.
Landon’s dad stared at his glass before turning back to his son. “You and Emma are getting married?”
Landon narrowed his eyes as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I’m trying to figure out if you deserve an answer. I’ve tried to reach out to you for years. You’ve wanted nothing to do with me. You threw me out of your home. Why do you want to chat now? And here of all places.”
His father took a deep breath. “I was wrong. I was so stupid. Your mom has begged me to talk to you, but I’ve resisted. I think not having you around, it was easier to play mind games with myself. To pretend you were away at school and there wasn’t this rift between us. But now you’ll be coming home, right?”
Landon nodded.
“I can’t live in the same town as my son and his wife and not speak to you. I was furious back in high school that your temper took away your scholarship to IU. Since you were born, I had a dream that we’d play ball for the same college. So, I was pissed. But I took it too far. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life without my son in it.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Before the fist fight that dissolved any last hope of a father-son relationship after high school, I had stayed at Landon’s house almost as much as Dean’s. His parents were loaded, so there was always tons of food. But they were also self-absorbed and ignored Landon, choosing to throw money at him instead of any affection or interest. I’d listened to this man dismiss and belittle his son for over a decade. Second chances had to be earned, and he had done nothing to warrant one.
“No offense, Mr. Washington, but why should he forgive you?” I butted into the conversation, my own familial issues also in the forefront of my thoughts. “You were always shitty parents. Even as a kid, Landon was alone all the time. Now he’s met a wonderful woman, he has a place to call home with her family, and he has us. We’re the family he never had growing up. What exactly does he need from you?”
A deafening silence surrounded us. In the background, glasses clinked, and music played, but all I heard was the sound of my words reverberating in the air.
Mr. Washington drained his glass of liquor. “I know what you all think of me. I get it. I was young and selfish. And you’re right, Jon. Landon doesn’t need me. But I need him. I need his forgiveness, and I need my family back.” He stood and approached Landon, placing his hand on his shoulder. “The thing of it is, that as you boys probably understand now, adults don’t know everything. We make mistakes. We’re human. I fucked up. Royally. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my days without you in them. Your mom and I want to get to know Emma. We want the chance to love our grandchildren. I don’t deserve it, and you don’t need it. But I do.”
He turned and left the bar, walking out the front door and into the parking lot.
We all looked at Landon.
“You okay, man?” Dean asked.
Landon’s face was blank, a mask in place to hide his feelings. “I’ll be right back.”
For a minute, I thought he was following his father, but he turned toward the hallway that lead to the restroom.
“Can we get another round?” I called to the bartender. “We gotta turn this bachelor party around,” I said to Dean.
“Nah,” Dean grasped my shoulder. “This is real life, man. And what you said to Mr. Washington was right on. We are each other’s family. I’d rather help Landon through this night than get wasted and play fuckin’ darts.”
The waitress brought beers, and I passed one down to Ricky. He sat with his head in his hands, elbows on the table.
“Ricardo? What’s eatin’ you?” Dean asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
Ricky was quiet for a minute, but then brought his fist to his mouth. He looked like his thoughts were strangling him. “Dean, I’m sorry, but I gotta bail. There’s something I have to do.”
Dean looked at me as Ricky stood up, threw money on the table and shrugged on his beat-up leather coat.
“Not a problem. Drive safely,” Dean told him.
Ricky slapped us each on the back. “See you tomorrow for the rehearsal,” he muttered and then jogged out the door.
“They’re dropping like flies tonight.” I handed Ricky’s untouched beer to Dean. “Drink up.”
Landon lumbered back to the table, his head down and hand rubbing the back of his neck. He pulled out a chair, sat back and pounded his beer. “I talked to Emma,” he said, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.
“And?” I asked.
“If he really means it, I’m gonna forgive him. Talk with him. Give him and Mom another shot.” He spoke firmly and with confidence.
“All right. If that’s what you think is best,” Dean said.
I finished off my beer, my mind racing. “How are you able to do that? I mean I heard him, but all I could think about was my mom. She was shitty too, in her own way. I just don’t know if I could forgive her like you are.”
Landon was quiet, pulling the label off his bottle of beer. “But think about what my dad said. They’re human. They make mistakes. They sin. So do we. And if your mom came to you like my dad did to me and said what you’ve been waiting your whole damn life to hear—that she wants you. That she wants to know you and love you. I’d bet my right nut that you would forgive her, too.”
Landon was right. Even as a grown ass man, if my mom chose to be with me over one of her boyfriends, I’d be thrilled. I’d begin to let my anger go if she apologized and acted like she loved me because she was the only parent I had. A life without any parent in it to share the important times seemed cold.
We were quiet again for a few minutes, each of us lost in our thoughts. When I felt some clarity, I walked to the bar and ordered three shots of whiskey.
“Here,” I handed each of them a shot. “To manning up. To forgiveness. And to watching our brother marry the love of his life.”
We clinked glasses and downed the shots.
“Ready for a game of pool, Sir Spanks-A-Lot?” I asked Dean.
And as one does at a bachelor party, we continued with smack-talk and immature dick nicknames until we gave Dean a night worthy of our years of friendship.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Daisy
Jon: In Uber now. Meet you at lake in 10
Me: Can’t wait!
The night was cold, so I slipped on a thick parka and grabbed a quilt from the hall closet. I wasn’t sure how heavy things would get on this chilly night, but I wanted to be prepared. I grinned and slipped a condom from my nightstand into my pocket.
The house was quiet as I snuck down the stairs and out the kitchen door. As I made my way to the lake, all I heard was the rustling of leaves under my feet and the sound of a faraway owl.
As soon as I got to my favorite spot, I spread the thick qu
ilt on the ground, tossing the condom packet in the center. Then I walked to the shore of the lake. The moon was full tonight, providing a lot of light that reflected majestically on the surface of the water.
“It’s nowhere near as stunning as you are,” Jon spoke into my ear at the same time he wrapped his arms around my waist. “How was your night?” He rested his chin on my shoulder.
“Good, I think. Mom and I talked more about New York. She and Dad might be coming around.” I turned to face him, nuzzling his neck and taking in his smell mixed with a hint of beer from the bar.
“Daisy, that’s fantastic.” Jon tilted my face up to his. “You’re doing it. Proving to them that you can go away on your own and you’ll be fine.”
“It all started with you believing in me.” I looked into his eyes, and despite the chill, I was warmed from head to toe. “The way you look at me, at my body. The way you respect my intelligence so much that you asked me to help you study. Jon, you have always supported me. Thank you is not enough.”
Jon’s eyes flared, and he brought his mouth to mine. His tongue licked the seam of my lips, and I opened for him, sucking on his tongue and pressing my hips against him. He tasted like beer and minty gum.
Our kiss deepened, our moans filling the night air. “I want you so bad, Jon. Here, tonight. At our lake.”
He responded with heavy eyes and a devilish grin as he unzipped my parka. As he lowered his face, he sucked on the skin right above my collarbone while massaging my breast over the top of my shirt.
“WHAT THE FUCK?” Dean roared from across the blanket, and Jon and I froze.
I tried to move away, but he held me to him, hugging me tightly. “It’s okay, Sunshine.” His whispered words were meant to soothe, but the panic that was rising within me was unstoppable.
Dean prowled closer to us, and in all my life I had never seen him so enraged. His face was bright red, and his hair stood on end from where he must have tugged the ends as he watched us make out. His eyes were huge, and his jaw was tight. “Explain, Daisy.” He bit out, spit escaping his mouth with each word.
