Sunshine & Whiskey

by R. L. Griffin

  “Okay,” I agree. I need to figure out a way to tell him at the last possible instance.

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Your Mouth

  Laura and I both fly to see our respective families for Christmas. It’s been a couple of weeks since the sex-lunch with Magic. He’s been so busy I haven’t had the chance to see him since. They are trying to get so much done before Christmas.

  The Atlanta airport is bustling when I get there the Sunday before the actual holiday. Jackson waves at me from the back window of my sister’s Volvo SUV. I’m staying with her this week. I’ll visit my house, but just to see Justin. He’s been paying my mortgage and the bills for me, so it’s been working out well for both of us.

  Cari is out of the car and around the back of the SUV as it rises. She wraps her arms around me.

  “You look amazing,” she says.

  “Really?” I look at her quizzingly.

  “Really.”

  “Like a weight has been lifted off you. California and a bajillion dollars looks good on you.”

  “Thanks.” I take the compliment. I open the back door and pepper Jackson with kisses all over his face.

  “Stop, stop.” He giggles.

  “I’ve missed you so much. You and Mommy need to come see me, okay?” I mess his hair then shut the door.

  “So Mom wants us to come over for dinner tonight,” Cari informs me as soon as she slides into the driver’s seat. “I told her you had other plans, you’re welcome.”

  “You’re the best.”

  “I know.”

  “You got your hair cut, I sort of love it.”

  “Sort of? How do you sort of love it?”

  “I guess really love it. It’s totally different.” She’s cut her long waves into a really short, chic bob.

  “Thanks.”

  Usually when women get a drastic hair cut it’s for some reason. You agree, right? Before I get a chance to ask about it, Cari launches into one of her long rants about the people at Jackson’s school. I smile at the familiarity. Leaning back in the seat I close my eyes and listen to her for the first time in a very significant amount of time.

  I wake up to my phone vibrating. It’s midnight in Atlanta, but only 9:00 pm in California, and I wipe my eyes to see Walker’s name.

  “Hey,” I answer. “You okay?”

  “Hey.” His voice is tentative.

  “Walker?” My eyes open, I’m awake now.

  “I needed to hear your voice, I’m sorry you were asleep.”

  “It’s okay, you’ve been so busy I’ve missed you.”

  “I wish you were here. We bottled the first batch of wine today and I kept thinking my dad would’ve been so proud.” His voice breaks with emotion and my heart swells for him. He’s doing something for his father and I helped with that. “We’re driving them out to different tasting rooms after Christmas. When are you back?”

  “Sunday,” I answer.

  “That’s too long. I miss your mouth when it’s doing dirty things to me.”

  “Oh, I miss your mouth too.”

  “Is my mouth the only mouth you’re missing right now?”

  I don’t know why, but I look at the phone.

  “I mean, I just…”

  “Yes,” I interrupt the painful retraction of that question.

  A relieved breath comes through the phone.

  “Walker, is my mouth the only mouth you’re missing?” We haven’t had this conversation. I’m truly aware of his reputation and I guess needs, but I haven’t really thought about it. I’m still trying to be okay by myself.

  “Oh, I miss more than your mouth,” he doesn’t answer. “I miss your collarbone, I want to lick it as soon as possible. I miss the right side of the back of your neck, it has three freckles that lead me up to your ear.”

  He has my body memorized.

  Wow.

  “I miss the curve of your hips and the tips of your nipples, but most importantly I miss your smartass.”

  “Oh good, I thought you were just admitting to using me for my body,” I joke. I’m reeling.

  “I miss everything about you, even the fact you’d rather drink whiskey than wine.”

  “Well…”

  “What do you miss about me? I need to make sure you miss me enough, if not I need to do a better job.”

  “I miss that you make me laugh, even when you aren’t trying to. I miss your forearms, they’re pretty sexy, especially when you’re using them to hover over me.”

  “I don’t hear you miss my dick, Megan. Do you miss my dick?”

  “Although it’s a little crooked, I do miss your dick.”

  “Ugh, you know my dick is not crooked. My dick is straight as an arrow. A really, really long arrow.”

  “Yeah, just like that.” I laugh. His dick isn’t crooked, but you have to keep men on their toes, right?

  “I want you to come home and let me show you how much I miss you.”

  “How about you block off your night Monday and I’ll let you show me?”

  “It’s a date.”

  “And Walker?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  “You didn’t answer me.”

  “Only your mouth,” he finally answers before he disconnects.

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Merry Fucking Christmas.

  My mom bends down to pick up the presents that are in front of the chimney and all I see are breasts. They’re new. I clear my throat and look away. My eyes find Jack’s and he’s laughing at me. Cari comes in and stares at our mother.

  “Um, Mom. No one wants to see those. Can you zip your onesie a bit?”

  “Oh, dear.” My mom stands up and zips up the zipper to her tight crushed velvet onesie.

  I have so many thoughts. I can’t even get them all straight. First of all, the people who make adult onesies should be shot. Second, the people who wear onesies should be forced to hang out only with each other and not make normal people see that shit. Third, my mom is insane. No one told me she bought new boobs.

  Good grief. She’s over sixty with boobs you can bounce a quarter off of. I would have thought Justin would have told me. When I texted him that, this was his response:

  What and have you miss the opportunity to see them yourself? I hope Cari got a pic of your face.

  I’m pretty sure my mom is not wearing anything under her onesie and that thought makes me want to throw up in my mouth. My eyes span the room, trying to find anything to look at other than my mother’s ass. Jackson is playing with a Superman pillow. He pulls a gift bag from a stack near him and pulls out what looks like tubes, one is blue and one is purple.

  My phone vibrates and I look down.

  Merry Christmas to the only person I really want to see today. Instead I’m bottling wine. We’re celebrating the second you get back.

  I respond quickly. I need to figure out how to tell him about my investment. Hopefully, he’ll understand.

  I’m so happy for you.

  My phone buzzes immediately.

  My mouth misses your mouth and your taste and shit I’m getting hard just thinking about being inside you.

  I feel all warm and fuzzy and start to text back when I hear Cari shrieking and Jack chortling.

  “Jackson, what are you doing!” Cari yells.

  “JoAnne, I told you to put that up,” my dad bellows at the same time.

  “Holy shit,” mutters Jack.

  When I find out what all the commotion is about I take a picture and put it on Instagram. The caption is “I hear this is the new thing.” In the picture is my sweet nephew with both his and hers tubes of lube open in his lap, his hands threading through is hair.

  “It’s so gooey,” Jackson pipes up.

  “OH. MY. GAWD,” my sister drawls.

  My mother sashays into the room and her mouth drops open. “Well, my word Jackson. What have I told you about going through JoJos things,” she scolds, picking up the tubes of lube and taking them into the kitchen.<
br />
  “Has she no shame?” my sister asks the room.

  My entire body is shaking with laughter. I may pee my pants.

  “She’s more concerned with keeping a few drops for tonight,” Jack adds.

  “Fucking gross,” Cari retorts.

  “You said a bad word Momma.”

  “I know baby, this is the time for bad words.”

  My phone vibrates in my hand.

  What? No response to that?

  Still laughing, I text back.

  Actually I was distracted by my family, but I wish I was there with your hard dick. Really. My family is crazy. :-)

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Outdoor Baths are Awesome

  After I hung up with Walker on Christmas Eve, I got on my computer and booked the Champagne Maison for Monday night. I ordered dinner in and champagne and whiskey. When you rent a hotel for $1,200 a night, they get you whatever you want. You didn’t know that? Me either, but I would’ve never spent that much money for a hotel before I won the lottery.

  I am wearing a black push up demi-bra. You know what that means ladies, the girls are on full display. My underwear is sexy and matches the bra. I’m wearing jeans and a low-cut black sweater with leopard print heels. My intention is for him to get one look at me and have to have me. I get to the hotel first so I can set up a few things and have dinner on the table when Walker knocks on the door.

  I open the door and he lifts me off my feet immediately and pushes me up against the wall. His kisses consume me. That cedar scent permeates my skin and clothes.

  Mission accomplished with this reaction. He nuzzles my neck. “Neck,” he says. He pulls my sweater down so hard I’m worried he’s going to stretch it. “Collarbone,” he moans.

  He grabs at my jeans and starts pushing them down before I realize what he’s doing. “What about dinner?”

  He sinks to his knees and drops a kiss on my right hip. “Hip.” Then he buries his nose in my abdomen. Rising from his knees he takes my sweater with him and lifts it over my head. “Oh my…” He carefully pulls my right breast out of the bra and runs his tongue around my nipple and then pulls it into his mouth. My head falls back.

  “Walker,” I moan.

  “You hungry?” he asks as he starts shedding his clothes.

  My eyes narrow at him. “You can’t come in here doing all that and then just stop for dinner.” I adjust my boob back in my bra as casually as I can.

  “Oh, I want you hot for me all during dinner, Megan. I want you to want to attack me by the time we finish eating.”

  I kick off my heels and slide my jeans the rest of the way off my legs. “I’m not hungry.”

  “I am. See...” He walks over to the table. “I’m going to show you how much I’ve missed you all night, then a few times in the morning before I have to do the final push and preparation for the party. I need to fuel up.”

  I grab my sweater to put it back on. He snatches my sweater from my hand and throws it across the room. “We’re eating like this.” He motions to our bodies. He’s in tight boxer briefs, sporting a significant erection.

  “In our underwear?”

  “Unless you’d rather be nude. I haven’t seen you in weeks, and I want to see you for as long as possible.”

  During dinner, which we consume so quickly I’m pretty sure I’ll have heartburn, his lips keep my attention. His forearms are also on display so my eyes drift from different places on his body, my thoughts dirty. As soon as I take what I decide is my last bite of food, I launch myself at him, my hand diving seamlessly into his underwear. He groans into my ear and bites it playfully. We have a quickie while I sit straddling him in the chair at the table. My back has some remnants from dinner.

  “What’s up with us fucking around food?” I joke.

  He gets up and carries me over to the balcony. “There’s a tub outside?” he asks. I nod against his chest. “Okay, hold on.” He sits me down and opens the door, the cold air bursting through makes me grab the blanket on the couch while I watch him run to the tub and turn it on full blast. His ass is hot, even with chill bumps all over it. Then he looks in the corner and turns on the fireplace I didn’t see was there. He holds his dick as he runs back inside.

  “’Fraid it’s going to fall off?” I ask.

  “I mean, it’s cold as fuck out there, it might freeze right off.” He rubs his arms up and down. I throw my blanket around him too. We stand at the window, side by side, our arms rubbing against each other and I want him again. I want to fall to my knees and take him in my mouth, so I do. His hands brace himself on the window and his hips keep rhythm with me, then he pulls out suddenly.

  “Tub’s full baby,” he moans. He pulls me up by my underarms.

  He nuzzles in my neck. “Your mouth,” he murmurs.

  I smile.

  The water is close to the top. I pad to the bathroom in the hall and grab the soap.

  “You ready?” he asks when I get back. “It’s cold.”

  I shrug.

  I make a dash for it, and holy shit the cold air hits every inch of my body, and jump in the piping hot water for relief. I moan at the comfort of it. Walker gets in on the other side so we’re facing each other. His legs sandwich my ass, and I have decided I like it when he touches me.

  “We should’ve brought out the champagne,” I whine.

  “Fuck that, I’m not getting out of here except to go and stay in there.”

  He grabs my foot and starts kneading the bottom with strong hands. I moan and lean back against the tub. He talks about the winery and getting everything ready. He warns that he won’t see me until New Year’s Eve, the date of the grand opening party. His fingers tracing circles on my foot sends hot flashes through my entire body and sinks into my heart. I could get used to this. This is the part I crave, the part where we are both falling and holding onto each other as we plunge head first into the dark abyss that could be love or could be hell.

  “This is my one exception to getting in a tub,” I say with my eyes toward the heavens.

  “What is?”

  “This tub. I wanted to get in this tub with you and look at the stars and think about all the possibilities there are.”

  “Possibilities for us?” His hands are moving to my calves and I’m getting turned on again. I close my eyes.

  “For anything,” I say.

  “What about for us?”

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  “You want to know a secret?”

  My eyes open and find his face. “Sure.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re different than anyone I’ve been with. You’re this confident woman who doesn’t need anyone. That’s extremely sexy.”

  “I’m glad you like me.”

  “Your accent alone makes my dick hard.”

  “Oh really? I’ll have to remember that.”

  He pulls me by my heels onto his lap. I struggle not to go under the water until I land on a very hard dick. I lean forward and ease my way onto it. It’s his turn to close his eyes. I grab the back of the tub for leverage, and I make him call my name under the sky full of stars and hope.

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Secret

  After a round of lazy morning sex, Walker traces shapes on my back. I know this is it. I need to put everything out there for him if we’re going to attempt to be together. I take a deep breath. I’m looking at the painting on the wall of the bedroom. Hopeful he’ll let this one roll off his back.

  “So, I need to tell you a few secrets.” I feel him stiffen and not in a good way.

  “What?” He pulls his hand from my back.

  “I won the lottery this summer,” I start. His hand lands on my ass, continuing to caress me.

  “Well, that’s amazing.” His voice is amused.

  I don’t stop.

  “I won over two hundred million dollars.”

  His hand stops moving.

  “After driving across the country, Laura and I opened a comp
any when we got here. It’s called Wunderlust…”

  “No,” he says as the realization of what I’m telling him settles on him. He pulls his hand away from me like I burned him. “You didn’t.”

  I turn to face him. “I did.”

  “You lied to me…” he says as he jumps from the bed and runs into the other room. I fall back into the bed. I don’t know what to do, go after him. Let him go. I close my eyes and hear the front door slam before I have the chance to decide. Well, let him go it is. He can’t stay mad, right? He’ll call me. We just had mind blowing sex and talked all night about the future of us.

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  Say it with me. Fuck.

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  The Mysteries of the Big “O”

  “Have you ever cried during sex?” I ask, running my spoon around the edge of my personal pint of gelato. I can’t be bothered with a bowl right now, and I’ll probably eat all of it anyway.

  “You mean because the orgasm is so good?” Laura asks then tips up her beer.

  “Aren’t all orgasms good?”

  “Yes, I mean all orgasms are good, but they aren’t all created equal. You know you have a gentle orgasm, where you definitely come but it doesn’t raise the hair on your arms. It’s like the rolling waves of a lake verses those of the ocean in the middle of a storm. I’ve had orgasms so vicious I’ve wanted to scream like it hurt. There is a range of coming and I love them all, but crying. No.”

  “I hadn’t either. I mean the orgasm was amazing, but I’ve had amazing sex before. I’ve had extraordinary sex.”

  “Do you think it’s because you’re in love?”

  “I loved Peter and never cried,” I answer.

  “So you cried last night?”

  I nod while spooning up another gigantic helping of gelato.

  “Like sobbing?”

  “No,” I answer. I stare across the room at the wall. “It was like what I felt for him was so intense that crying was my body’s only way of dealing with it. It was weird and never happened before.”

  Silence.

  “Well, orgasms come in different ways with the same person sometimes based on your mind too. You know I have the most earth shattering orgasms when I can get out of my own head. I can totally see how people do grocery lists while having sex sometimes, you know.”