by Lane Hart
“No, it wouldn’t,” I agree, suddenly feelin’ the depressin’ weight knowin’ I may never get to be with him again before I have to leave.
“Hey,” he says, raisin’ my chin so I have to look up at him. “After the I dos are done, you can be damn sure that I’m gonna take you downstairs and fuck your brains out in that dress.”
“Is that a promise?” I ask him with a smile.
“Yes. Last night we should’ve said twenty-four hours and not one night, don’t you agree?”
“Hailey, you’re up,” my mom calls from the livin’ room before I answer him.
“I better go,” I tell Mason, steppin’ backwards out of his arms. “I’ll see you at the altar,” I tease.
“Can’t wait,” he says before kissin’ my cheek because he knows better than to smear my lipstick on the both of us.
Leavin’ him, I grab my blue and white bouquet from my mom, go down the steps, and out the door to the path that will take me to the beach. I hear the sounds of the three violins over the noise of the crashin’ waves when I come out of the opening. Set up before me is an aisle using two rows of large, pink tinged conch shells. On either side are several rows of people in folding chairs all facin’ the open front gazebo with white and blue roses and greenery wound through the openings. My brother and Senn stand on the left of the beautiful alter with the gray-haired chaplain who will marry Linc and Claire today. Both guys are wearin’ spiffy black tuxedos that match Mason’s. The only thing missin’ from their outfits, like mine, are their shoes so we can all feel the sand between our toes.
I can’t help but smile, seein’ the one on my brother’s face as he waits for Claire. He rocks back and forth on his feet and tugs on his shirtsleeves, clearly impatient to see her. Glancin’ over at Senn, I can’t deny that he cleans up nicely, but seein’ him doesn’t make my heart race and my thighs clench like it does when I see Mason. He’s actually yankin’ on his collar like it’s chokin’ the life out of him. When Senn narrows his eyes at someone in the crowd of people, I realize Abby’s here. I can’t say I’m surprised since she helped Claire and Linc locate the local vendors using her wedding planning connections. Wonder if Senn’s spilled the beans to Linc yet?
I turn and watch Kylie when she starts down the aisle in a blue, one shoulder dress identical to mine. Once she’s in place next to me, the three violinists end the current song and start playin’ the wedding march. The chaplain lifts his arms for everyone to rise for the bride just before Mason and Claire step out of the sand dunes. There’s an audible gasp over the sound of the ocean waves and music at how stunnin’ Claire looks. She’s beautiful in her white Princess Zelda gown with fitted bodice and gold embroidery, her chestnut hair flowin’ beautifully down her back. There’s also a gorgeous man at her side, walkin’ her down the aisle.
“Who gives this woman to this man?” the chaplain asks.
“I do,” Mason says before he leans down to kiss Claire’s cheek and then offers her hand to Linc.
“Thank you,” my brother says to the bigger man. “I promise to always take care of her.”
“I know you will,” Mason says with a grin before he steps over behind Senn so that we’re facing each other. It’s hard to pull my eyes from his and pay attention to the ceremony after that. I only hear words here or there over the crashin’ waves, too busy being worried about what will happen in a few hours when I have to walk away from the first man I’ve ever loved.
I blink back tears and force my gaze to Linc and Claire exchangin’ rings and sayin’ vows. There’s no way to hold back my sniffle when I realize I don’t know if I’ll ever have someone to share my life with. God that’s depressin’.
The chaplain pronounces the couple man and wife, and then comes the big kiss. Linc dips Claire back with a helluva passionate lip lock, makin’ everyone cheer. When I glance over at Mason, he’s wipin’ his eyes. I remember what he said to Claire about wishin’ their mom and sister could be here. I can’t imagine how hard their absence must be for him and Claire on such an important day.
Finally separatin’, Linc whisks Claire down the aisle with a ripple of applause followin’ them, Senn escorts Kylie, and then Mason and I are up. He holds out his arm in offerin’ to me and I grab on tight, not wantin’ to let him go.
“Did you have sand in your eyes, too?” he asks softly as we walk back toward the dunes where pictures of the wedding party will be taken.
“Yes,” I lie. “Those gusts of wind can be a bitch.”
He laughs. “Yeah, they can. So do we have to pose for photos now or can I take you downstairs?”
“Photos first, I’m afraid,” I tell him.
“Fine,” he exhales heavily. “Pictures and then you’re mine.”
I didn’t tell him that I already was.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mace
There’s something about weddings that make me horny. Or maybe that’s just Hailey. Watching her walk around like a goddess in her long, sky blue dress with a sexy bare shoulder showing is almost too much for my cock and I to bear.
“All right, now just the bride and groom,” the dude taking photographs tells us as he directs Claire and Linc toward the shoreline.
“Finally,” I grumble as I give Hailey a look that says, get your ass inside now, woman, or I’ll take you right here in the dunes. She ends the conversation she’s having with Senn and starts down the path back to the house. And no, I’m not jealous anymore. I know the score, and he’s been released from her roster whether he knows it yet or not. She’s got me in the starting lineup, and until she gets on a plane tonight, that’s how it’s gonna stay. I’m still trying to figure out what happens afterwards.
I stalk after her and don’t stop until I’m in the basement, stepping into her room and locking the door. Only, when I turn around, she’s nowhere to be found. Huh. I assumed she was coming in here, but maybe I was wrong. I walk through and check the bathroom, thankful it’s empty and she’s not hugging the toilet, then continue through to my room. Whoa. I wasn’t expecting to find Hailey stretched out in the bed I haven’t spent much time in this week. “Lock the doors,” she directs me. I quickly take care of the bedroom door and the bathroom one just in case.
Climbing on the bed, I push the long fabric of her dress up as I go, until my mouth is covering the fabric of the black thong that I bought her. I tug it out of the way with my teeth so I can lap at her flesh. At the first taste of her arousal, I go crazy, penetrating her as deep as my nose will let me go, fucking her with my tongue so hard I barely have time to catch my breath. It doesn’t matter. I could suffocate between her legs and die a happy man.
“Oh God! Oh God!” Hailey moans when she clutches the sheets in both fists and comes for me with the force of a tidal wave. Unzipping my pants in record speed, but leaving her dress and my own clothing on, I guide the head of my cock to her dripping wet pussy and coat it in her juices before shoving inside her.
“Yes!” she cries out as I raise her long, lean legs up to my shoulders to get a better, tighter angle. I almost apologize for how rough my hips are driving my cock in and out of her, but then she’s telling me to go harder. She has no idea how close I am to fucking her like an animal, raw, dirty and completely out of control.
“Don’t hold back,” she says as if she knows I’m about to snap.
“You sure?” I ask.
“Yes.”
Pressing forward, I practically bend Hailey in half. Her knees meet her shoulders and then I have both of her wrists in one of my hands, pinned above her head. She’s trapped under me with no way out while I shove my cock into her so hard she moves a few inches up the bed each time. There’s nothing sweet about this round, and I’m definitely not making love to her. No, I’m trying to fuck some sense into her. I leave her mouth uncovered so I can hear her moans, probably partial pleasure and part pain. A part of me wants to hurt her like she’s hurting me. How can she even think of getting on a plane and leaving me? I want to tie her to
my bed, spank her, fuck her, hold her tight, and never let her go. When she looks up at me with love and need overflowing from her big blue eyes even as I pound into her, I want to yell at her to stop. She’s not allowed to look at me like that when she’s about to break my fucking heart.
I solve my dilemma by flipping her over, slamming into her from behind while keeping her wrists locked down with mine to force her face into the mattress. I wrap my other arm around her waist to hold her still as I pull back and then ram forward into her. Hard. Deep. Punishing because I don’t know what I’m gonna do without her. Will she start making herself sick again after she goes back to New York? Of course, she will, probably as long as she insists on staying in that stupid fucking profession. I want to be there with her to remind her every day how beautiful and perfect she is, and to make sure she’s not doing anything to hurt herself. But she won’t fucking let me.
“Oh God, May-Son!” she screams, urging me to take her harder since this will probably be the last time I ever hear her say my name while I’m buried inside her. I can feel her walls quivering, right on the edge of climax. I don’t ease up because this is all there is for us. This is all she’ll give me. Three thrusts later she’s squeezing me dry and yelling out obscenities louder than my own. I release her hands and collapse on top of her, with my arm still wrapped tightly around her waist, probably wrinkling her dress even more. I didn’t bother taking my clothes or hers off since we’ve got to hurry up and get back to the reception. Fuck, I dread leaving her.
“Mason…I can’t breathe.”
“Are you saying I’m fat?” I tease and raise up on my forearms to ease my weight off her, but I don’t let her go. Not yet.
“Yes. You’re a cow,” she replies before rolling to her back with a smile, putting us chest to chest.
“Moo,” I mutter.
“Your fat cock could be described as magical,” she tells me.
“So I’ve been told. Is it magical enough to convince you to stay?” I ask, and when she lowers her eyes, I swallow down the small shred of hope I had been holding onto. “Fine. Go back to New York. But you’re gonna miss me, and as soon as you’re ready to admit it, I’ll be on a plane.” I leave out the part about never having flown before, being scared shitless of heights, and only having a few hundred dollars to my name. None of that matters if it means I get to be with her.
“I will miss you,” she says, blinking back tears as I wait for the “but” I know is coming. “But I need to go and you need to stay here. Don’t you have a fight in like a week that will decide whether or not the IFC offers you a contract?”
“Yeah, in Las Vegas. City of Sin. Whoo-fucking-hoo.”
“Then you need to spend every second gettin’ ready for that, right? You can’t afford to be distracted before the biggest fight of your life.”
“Fuck the fight,” I snap at her, sitting back on my knees. “I’d rather be with you in New York.”
“Fighting’s illegal in New York,” she points out, as if I didn’t already know that shit. One of the few places in the world where I can’t fight and it’s where she insists on living.
“I can do something else.” Or fight underground like I did for years before Linc hooked me up with Havoc.
“Of course you can,” she says slowly like I’m a child. “But you’re a really great fighter. That’s what you need to be doin’; what you love.”
“If you would just stay-”
“I’m not stayin’!” she exclaims. “I hate this state, and there’s nothin’ here for me.”
“Right,” I say, climbing off the bed, trying not to be offended and failing. I’m nothing to her. That’s why she doesn’t want me to come to New York and why she won’t fucking stay. After zipping my pants, I retuck my dress shirt, leaving Hailey laying sprawled on my bed, hating myself a little more for giving in to her last night when I knew this shit would happen. She never had any intention of seeing me again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hailey
It’s time to get on the road and I can’t find Linc, Claire, Mason or Senn to say goodbye. Men are so fuckin’ frustrating. Mason’s been avoidin’ me since he left me on his bed, sore between my legs with his cum drippin’ down my thighs after he literally fucked my brains out. Afterward, I’d been so close to tellin’ him yes, to come stay with me in New York for a few days. Days that might turn into weeks, or months. I’d even considered movin’ back home. I miss my family, and would love to be close to them again. But if I did that, Mason would be too temptin’ to refuse. Right now, his career is about to take off, and I’m not gonna be responsible for holdin’ him back. After the reminder of his fight in two weeks, I overcame the selfishness and said the untrue words I knew would hurt him. Before I have to go I wanted to at least say goodbye. Now he’s nowhere to be found.
I thought I saw Senn come out of the hall bathroom and go into his room a few minutes ago, so maybe that’s where he still is. I hope that he apologized for whatever he said or did to the woman he knocked up. Abby was a boohooin’ mess when I saw her in the living room a few minutes ago, and very, very pregnant.
I knock on Senn’s door and after it sounds like he shouts, “Come in” I push it open. Drawn to the movement on the bed, I quickly realize…he’s not alone. Apparently, he’s found a way to apologize to Abby while he fucks her from behind. I get an unfortunate, very clear view of both of them without a shred of clothin’.
“Oh my God,” I mutter and lower my eyes. “I’m so sorry.” Orderin’ my frozen feet to start movin’, I back out of the room even though Senn tells me to wait. Wait for what? To stand there and see his grand finale? No thank you! “I thought you said come in,” I grumble in explanation before I shut the door.
Palm pressed to my warmin’ cheek, I weave my way through wedding guests, not sure where I’m goin’. Outside. Yes, I need to get out of this house. I’ve barely stepped out on the deck when Senn appears beside me, dressed haphazardly back in his button-up shirt and black pants, still breathin’ heavy.
“What are you doin’ out here?” I ask him. “Shouldn’t you be…well…you know.”
Shovin’ his fingers through his hair, he turns away and blows out a breath. “I’m sorry. Fuck, I’ve had to say that a lot today. But I am because you saw that after I was an idiot and didn’t lock the door. And I shouldn’t have slept with her while things with you and me are up in the air-”
“Senn, stop,” I hold up a hand and interrupt him. “It’s okay, really.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t know what I want or who I want. I’m so fucked up in the head and Linc is gonna probably kill me.”
“Seriously, don’t worry about it. Forget about me. You should figure out things with Abby. I mean, you two are gonna have a baby together, which is huge. That’s why I can’t believe you left her in there and are standin’ here talkin’ to me. I was just comin’ to tell you bye and…” I pause and inhale fresh air. “And actually I wanted to tell you I don’t think this is gonna work between us.”
“Because of what just happened?” he asks.
“No, because of what happened before…that,” I say. I really don’t want to admit I just fucked Mason. “What I mean is, there’s someone else for me, too, okay? And even if it doesn’t work out with him, there’s no way I can be with anyone else right now. Walkin’ in on you and her just confirms what I had already decided.”
“Really? So that’s it?” he asks, leaning his elbows on the deck rail next to me.
“Yeah, I guess so. And I need to find my parents and start headin’ for the airport.”
“Well, I’m sorry it went down like this,” he says. “Have a safe trip back and keep in touch, okay? I’m serious about needing your help with the whole baby thing.”
I agree and then accept his hug when he straightens and opens his arms. “Be good to Abby,” I say against his chest. “She’s gotta be terrified after what happened before…just take care of her, no matter what.”
“I w
ill,” he says.
“Keep me updated,” I tell him. “Bye, Senn.”
“See ya, Hailey.”
I walk away feelin’ really good about that decision. Back on the main floor of the house, I find my mom cuttin’ more slices of wedding cake and not lookin’ like she’ll be stoppin’ anytime soon. Damn the three-tier cake looks delicious, with more of those delicious white chocolate seashells on top. “Ah, Mom, I need to get goin’,” I tell her, seein’ on the clock on the wall that it’s ten minutes to five.
“Yeah, I know. Are you all packed up? Have a safe trip and call me when you get to the airport.”
“What?” I ask in confusion. “Aren’t you and Dad takin’ me?”
“Oh, no, sweetie. I thought you knew we decided to stay another day to help clean up and all.”
“Then are you gonna let me take your car?”
“God no! You still don’t have a license.”
“Then what the heck am I supposed to do?”
“Don’t worry,” she says with a smile. “Mason agreed to drive you back.”
“Mason?” I exclaim.
“Uh-huh,” she replies then gives me a quick hug. “Your dad’s out by the pool, so say goodbye before you go.”
“Okay, I will. What about Linc and Claire? I wanted to tell them bye, too.”
“I haven’t seen them in a while and I sure as heck wouldn’t suggest you go looking for them.”
“Oh. Yeah, I’ve had more than enough awkwardness for the day. Just tell them I said bye and I love them.”
“I will. Be careful and have fun.”
I nod as I walk away to look for my dad. I’m not expectin’ to find him talkin’ to Mason, who has his car keys in his hand like he’s waitin’ for me. Nice of him to tell me he’s chauffeurin’ me again today.
“Ready?” my dad asks with a smile when I approach.
“Ah yeah. Mom just told me that you two are stayin’.”
