by Codi Gary
Sure, she’d shared her fertility issues with him, but Val half-wondered if she’d been hoping to scare him off. Something about being with Justin was different from being with the other men she’d slept with. He made her feel safe and cared for, and she found herself wanting more of that, but the idea also terrified her.
She slipped her hands into her coat pocket and led him up the walkway, smiling at Justin as she opened the door.
He reached above her head and held it open, so she kept walking, stepping over Gus as he got in her way. Kicking off her heels, she tucked her hair behind her ear, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous.
“Where are your forks?” Justin asked, setting the bags on her kitchen counter and shrugging out of his coat.
“Third drawer on the left.” Walking into the living room, she decided they needed a distraction. Picking up the remote, she called, “Wanna watch a movie?”
“Sure,” he said, coming around the corner and setting two containers on the coffee table, with just one fork between them. It was cozy and intimate, but she was still trying to chase away issues.
It’s still just sex, only it’s in a less anonymous environment. It doesn’t have to mean more.
She turned on the TV, flipping from channel to channel, ignoring the heat of his thigh pressed against hers. “What do you feel like watching?”
“Whatever looks good,” he said, flipping open the first container to reveal a slice of chocolate cake, caramel drizzled over the top.
Justin got up from the couch and went back into the kitchen, yelling, “Your glasses are . . .?”
“Cupboard next to the fridge.” She sneakily scooped a tiny bite into her mouth. Stopping on The Matchmaker with Janeane Garofalo, she settled back into the couch, licking away all traces of the delicious cake.
Justin sat back down and eyed the container. “Did you take a bite?”
“Nope.”
She suddenly found herself pulled against a very hard chest as Justin covered her mouth with his, flicking his tongue across her lips before slipping inside. He tasted every inch of her mouth until she was wet and aching between her legs, dying to just crawl onto his lap and—
“Little liar,” he whispered as his lips drifted down from hers and across her throat and shoulders. When he pulled her into a straddling position across his lap, the silky material of her dress was a thin barrier between the soft skin of her ass and the rough denim of his jeans.
Wrapping his arms around her, he picked up the cake and took a large forkful, sticking it into his mouth. “Mmm, that’s good.”
Knowing he was purposefully teasing her, Val’s desire overrode her worries, and she bent over and kissed the corner of his mouth where some chocolate lingered, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth and running her tongue across it. She released him slowly, licking her own lips.
Taking the cake from him, she stuck the fork in it once more, stealing another small bite before closing the container.
“Hey, I wasn’t done with that.”
She ignored him, climbing off his lap to put the desserts in the fridge. Val worried about Gus getting into the food while they were distracted . . . and she planned to keep Justin very distracted.
When she came back into the room, she dimmed the lights and went to stand between his legs. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she slowly raised a knee onto each side of his lap and then reached up to unhook the halter top of the dress.
Pulling the light material down to reveal her strapless zebra-print bra, she leaned over him and brushed her lips against his softly, seducing him while he just sat there, his hands at his sides, not even touching her. It was so different from the way he had simply taken her before that she opened her eyes.
“Is there something wrong?” she whispered, running her mouth and teeth across his jawline until her lips nestled against his ear. “Don’t you want me?”
“I was going to give you time. You seemed tense when we got here.”
His attempt to put her at ease melted the rest of her anxieties. “I’m good.”
His low growl was her only answer as his hands started gathering her skirt, pulling the gauzy fabric up until he could grip her bare ass, and a shiver crawled up her spine. She’d worn a simple black thong, a scrap of cotton easily discarded, and Justin did just that with a hard yank, ripping the fabric away from her body. Val jerked, the pulsating desire a beating drum between her legs, keeping pace with her pounding heart.
Justin’s hand slid around to find her open warmth, and she cried out as he thrust two fingers inside her, hooking them forward, teasing her G-spot until she was lifting her body up and down on his lap, riding his hand as he brought her whimpering to a climax, her muscles clenching tighter with every hot, liquid tremble that shook her legs.
Pulling her dress over her head, Justin turned her onto her back and lay between her legs, his mouth inches from her core, his breath on her damp flesh making her impatient. She wanted his mouth on her, wanted him inside her. Val started panting as he dipped his head down and nipped at her mound, pushing his tongue between her lips and finding her clit. She arched with the first pass of his tongue over her little nub, the friction causing her already sensitive flesh to tighten. He adjusted himself into position, moving her legs over his shoulders and spreading her with his thumbs, the cool air in the room hitting her exposed, wet flesh but in no way causing her arousal to ebb.
Before she could say anything, Justin’s head was between her legs once more, his mouth devouring her, fire scorching everywhere he touched. She was caught between wanting to pull him closer and push him away as his teeth nipped lightly, before he sucked and licked away the smarting sensation and finally clamping his mouth around her clit. She gripped the sides of the couch and moaned as her nerve endings caught fire, spreading through her body until she was feverish with wanting more. He licked her nub back and forth with lightning-quick strokes as he thrust his fingers inside her again.
This time her heels came down on his back as she screamed, crying out his name as another orgasm engulfed her, sweeps of hot and cold rushing through her body as she climbed and fell again.
With rubbery limbs, she stretched, her body humming and pulsing with the afterglow. Justin shucked his clothes above her, and she sat up slowly, reaching for his belt to help. Once she got his zipper open, he dropped his jeans and boxers, sat down, and pulled her on top of him. His lips caught her nipple, rolling the tight bud, and she arched her back, her body so tuned up it was almost painful. Sinking onto his cock, she rocked against him as he released her breast. When he grabbed her hips, lifting her in quick, shallow strokes that stretched her and filled her full, she realized that the high-pitched cries getting louder and louder were coming from her.
Biting her lip, Val let him control the pace and depth, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him against her, completely spent. His mouth latched onto her neck and bit and sucked her flesh hard. Just as his rhythm changed, becoming fast and uneven, he finally jerked inside her, and she felt the warmth of his release spread inside her.
The strong sense of connection shook her to her core as they stayed pressed together, their chests lifting with each breath. She ran her hands over his sweat-slick shoulder and kissed his damp cheek, his ragged breath against her chest as he sucked in air.
The jingle of keys in the front door sounded, and Val froze a second before she heard her sister call, “Hey, Val, I just forgot my ID. I’m going to stay with Ruth.”
Val did a silent prayer that Ellie’s ID wasn’t in the living room and called squeakily, “Okay, be careful.”
She heard her sister rustling around in the kitchen and finally yell, “Got it. ’Bye!”
“’Bye!” The door slammed, and Val slumped forward, trying to hold back the hysterical laughter that threatened to explode, but Justin had already beaten her to it with his shaking chest.
“Maybe we should take this to the bedroom.”
JUSTIN WOKE UP with Val spr
awled across his chest, her short hair tickling his nose as her breath made little puffs against the skin of his shoulder. With a satisfied grin, he lightly ran his hands up and down her back until she squirmed against him, murmuring inaudibly.
He liked waking up with her; he could admit it to himself, but he had a sense if he started talking about feelings with her, she would jump ship. For Val, relationships seemed to be a constant struggle with vulnerability. And it was no wonder, considering what an extreme dickhead her father was.
Justin’s first instinct was to protect her, to prove to her that relationships could be more than just a business transaction, but she wouldn’t like that. Val valued her independence, and the more he pushed, the more closed off she’d be.
Glancing over at the clock, he saw it was six, and gently tried to dislodge her, pulling the blanket up and over her body as he climbed out of the bed and grabbed his boxers. He didn’t want to sneak out, but he also wanted her well rested. If he had his way, he was going to convince Val that she wanted to see him again, sooner rather than later.
“It’s an awful shame you can’t just walk around in a pair of assless chaps,” Val’s sleepy voice teased from the bed.
Justin laughed as he stepped into his jeans. “I can’t show off my best asset to just anybody, can I?”
“Mmm, you’re right,” she said, sitting up in bed and stretching her arms over her head, letting the blanket fall below her breasts and stopping him cold. “Why are you leaving so early?”
“I have to get home and help my dad out before church,” Justin said, pulling his T-shirt over his head.
“Ugh, church.” Val groaned.
Justin chuckled. “I take it you’ll be skipping today?”
“You would be correct. I am sleeping in.”
He was tempted to crawl back in and do the same, but he’d already been gone several days and there was only a month or so left before the ground started softening. Shrugging into his button-up shirt, he bent over to kiss her hard and fast.
“I’ll call you a little later?”
She nodded and lay back down, pulling the covers over her head with a sigh. Justin left the room and snuck by Gus, who was flopped on his back, snoring loudly. He reached the door just as Ellie was coming in.
“Justin,” she said, smiling knowingly.
“Ellie, good to see you.”
She shut the door behind him with a laugh, like she had a secret, and he wondered if she’d seen more than she’d let on last night.
He just hoped if she had, she knew enough never to tell Val. He had a feeling she’d only take so much teasing from her baby sister.
Chapter Eighteen
* * *
VAL WOKE UP later to pounding on her front door and practically fell out of bed, reaching for her robe with angry jerks. Stomping down the hall to answer it, she swung the door open with a bark.
“What?”
Her father looked furious and perfectly groomed as he shoved his phone in her face. “Do either of you know what the word discretion means?”
Val squinted at the screen and saw a picture of Justin leaving the house. Taking the phone, she saw it was posted on the Rock Canyon Press Web site and shook her head with a smile. That Miss Know It All was sure good at her job.
“This is not funny, Valerie. It’s one thing to have a fling with him while you’re on vacation, but to do it here . . . it’s humiliating.”
“Not for me.” She hadn’t even looked at him when she’d responded, but she could feel the waves of rage intensify, and she didn’t care. She was too busy studying the picture of Justin. The angle of it was weird, like it had been taken from the side of the house, but she didn’t have any neighbors. She scratched her head as she tried to make out the headline.
A Hot Marine and the Wrong Willis Sister
The wrong one?
She started to read the article and chuckled out loud.
Well, folks, seems like Justin Silverton’s recent chivalry paid off, but not in the way we thought. The hottie with a body was spotted early this morning sneaking out of Valerie Willis’s home, and although the youngest Willis sister is reportedly staying there, we all know she was elsewhere last night. Which leaves only the recently divorced and fabulously scandalous Valerie. Another tip had both Justin and Valerie MIA over the weekend, and reliable sources placed them at the Steakhouse last night for dinner. So what do you think of the newest Rock Canyon opposites? Comment below!
“Well, I’ll say this for her: she’s scary good at her job.”
Her father wasn’t amused and grabbed the phone from her outstretched hand. “And as if your disgraceful behavior weren’t enough, I had to see this too.”
He swiped the phone’s screen and flashed her a picture of Ellie in a major lip-lock with a guy Val didn’t fully recognize.
“Okay, so you woke me up to tell me again how awful and disappointing we are? What else is new?”
“It’s Sunday and, rebellious actions aside, I figured the best thing to do was be seen in God’s house.”
“In case you missed the memo, I have no interest in being seen anywhere with you. You have little to no respect for me, and frankly, I don’t have much for you either.”
“Despite our current grievances, it’s important to show a united front. If I want to be ready for the senate, I have to gain the trust of the citizens of Idaho. I need my daughters’ support.”
Val resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The only time her father used church was if it would help him look good. There were years in her childhood when she hadn’t even set foot into a church unless it was for political or social gain.
“And I’m thinking sleep sounds like a better plan.”
“Valerie,” he said, his tone softer, “it’s not that I don’t respect you. It’s that I want what’s best for you. I mean, do you really see yourself spending the rest of your life as a farmer’s wife? Not to mention his father’s alcoholism; a predilection for addiction runs in the family.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Val snapped. “You don’t care about anyone but yourself, so don’t try to pull the concerned-father bit with me.”
Her father’s pleasant expression melted into a dark scowl once more. “Fine, you don’t need me or my advice. Go tell your sister to be ready in fifteen minutes.”
“Tell her yourself,” Val said, stepping back to let him in. She shut the door behind him and went to the guest room, knocking. “Ellie, Dad’s here.”
There was a crash and some rustling before Ellie peered out of a crack in the door. “Daddy? What are you doing here?”
“Get dressed. We’re going to church.”
“Seriously?” Ellie groaned before her eyes flicked toward Val. “All of us?”
“Your sister no longer considers herself part of this family.”
Ellie stared at Val and said, “Well, if Val isn’t going, I’m not either.”
“The difference between you and your sister is that you still need something from me, young lady.”
Ellie bit her lip, and Val saw the desire to rebel warring with good sense in her expression.
Val got the feeling if she herself didn’t go, Ellie would follow her lead and lose everything.
Cursing to herself, she said, “I’ll go.”
The relief on her sister’s face was worth the pleased grin Edward shot her way before she turned and went to get dressed.
The only thing that made Val smile was that Justin would be there.
The drive over was silent, filled with palatable tension as her father glared between her and Ellie.
“I just don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Edward said. “Why him? Of all the possible losers you could have dated, why pick the one you know I despise?”
Val sighed. “I’m dating a nice guy. What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s not enough that your boyfriend has the genes of a drunk? His father is a weak-willed alcoholic criminal, and the apple most likely won’t fall too
far from the tree.”
Val dropped her head back against the seat, wanting to scream. Whatever had gone on between their dads, it had nothing to do with Justin or her, and she wasn’t going to let him bully or manipulate her.
“And what’s the matter with my boyfriend?” Ellie asked tiredly from the backseat.
“I don’t even know who your boyfriend is, but knowing your taste, I can’t imagine he’s any better than one of the Silverton boys.”
Catching her sister’s eye in the mirror, Val made a face that sent Ellie into a fit of snorting laughter.
“Yes, I know, it’s funny to date derelicts, embarrass your father, and draw a negative opinion from the whole town.”
When her father parked the car, Val climbed out. “The only people who are going to talk about us are small-minded assholes who don’t know us, and frankly, I don’t give a fuck what they think.”
“You have the mouth and manners of a sailor,” he said crossly, walking toward the church. “Come along or we’ll be late.”
Giving him a sharp salute, Val said, “Aye aye, Captain.”
Ellie smothered another laugh, but their father ignored her.
As they climbed the church steps, Val caught sight of Mrs. Andrews in the doorway, speaking to another woman. Mrs. Andrews started to smile at them until she realized who they were, and then her face scrunched up like she’d sucked on a lemon.
“Hello, Edward,” she said, reaching past her companion to take his hand.
“Marcie, you look lovely.” Her father’s tone was sincere, but Val knew he thought Marcie Andrews was a pious bitch—his favorite pet name for her.
“It’s so good to see you and your girls here.” But the look she shot them was disapproving, and Val reached up to scratch her nose with her middle finger. Mrs. Andrews gasped and her father swung around, but her hands were back at her sides, her expression innocent.
