After spending all day looking for Destiny, only to get a call from Bryson to ask if I wanted to come down to the bar and pick up my sister, who was three sheets to the wind with her two partners in crime, I was wound a little tight. All day, I’d been one step behind the three drunken amigos, or amigas in this case. Colton, Cara’s older brother, had told Trace that Harmony and Destiny were meeting Cara in Dallas to celebrate the good news she’d gotten from her oncologist this morning with a visit to a day spa.
By the time I’d gotten there, they were gone. One of the girls that worked there told me that she’d heard they were headed to an outdoor shopping area. So, I continued following the bread crumbs, only to come up empty handed. Then I’d got a lead from my mom, who said that Harmony had texted her that they were going to Don Julio’s for dinner, which was back in Wishing Well.
By the time I got there, Sabrina, who had dated my brother Sawyer all through high school, told me the girls had left about thirty minutes earlier.
My next stop had been to get gas at the Pit Stop, which is where I ran into Trace, who was shooting the shit with Hudson. That’s where I’d been when I got the call from Bryson, and the guys offered to come and help without me even asking.
When I’d walked in and seen Destiny practically falling off the stool, every fiber in my being had wanted to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of there caveman style. But, I knew that would cause a scene and put Destiny smack dab in her least favorite place, with all eyes on her.
My attempt to reason with her failed miserably, so, in the end, I had been forced to carry her out, like it was our wedding night and she was my bride. Which I was sure caught the attention of the other patrons, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances.
“Hmmm…” My attention returned to the present as Destiny twisted her mouth like she was thinking really hard, then clapped her hands as her face lit up with an idea. “Truth or dare!”
“No,” I snapped back. Truth or dare with an intoxicated Destiny was all kinds of trouble.
Ignoring my response, Destiny sat up straighter. “Okay, you first. Truth or dare.”
“Truth.” If we were doing this, no way was I going to go with dare.
“You’re no fun.” Destiny threw a pillow at me, one that I easily caught.
I wanted to argue with her, but I supposed from her perspective my behavior tonight had been on the buzzkill side.
“Fine,” she humphed as she crossed her arms. That action caused her cleavage to push up, which in turn caused my solider to salute.
Running my hands through my hair in frustration, of the sexual variety, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall that the couch backed up to.
“Oh, I got one!” She snapped her fingers and sat up on her knees. Pointing her finger at me, she leaned forward and I was afraid she might tip over. “Why didn’t you call me after we…you know…the weekend you…and me…”
“Had sex.” I offered.
“Yes. That,” she exclaimed with a clap of her hands.
The fact that, even drunk, Destiny couldn’t bring herself to say the words “we had sex” was so cute I could hardly stand it. I knew that she would probably hate me for saying it, but I couldn’t help myself. “Do you have any idea how fucking adorable you are when you’re drunk?”
Her face scrunched up. “I am not adorable when I’m drunk.”
Well, at least she was finally admitting that she was drunk. Small victories.
“Yes, you are.” Reaching out I brushed a stray lock of hair that had fallen in her face. It felt like silk beneath my fingertips.
With a scrunched nose she swatted my hand away and pushed against my chest. “Stop distracting me. Answer the question.”
“I want to talk about this, but I want to do it when you’ve had a few less shots.”
“Fine.” She shrugged as she lifted one leg and straddled my lap. “No more talking.”
“Destiny,” I warned, even as my hands moved to her hips.
Instead of heeding my warning, she shifted her legs so the heat of her core was pressed against my zipper, behind which my rock hard shaft was pulsing in pain. Her hands rested on my shoulders and my fingers tightened around her waist.
“If you’re not going to answer the truth question then you have to do a dare. That’s the rules.”
I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I knew that sex was off the table tonight, but I just didn’t have the strength to remove her from my lap. I was trying to be a good guy, but hell, I’d never been accused of being a saint.
“I dare you to…” Her fingers trailed up my neck and caused goosebumps to break out on my arms. My chest was rising and falling heavily as my breaths came in shorter pants as she leaned forward. Her coffee-scented breath fanned my face as she whispered against my lips, “Kiss me.”
Shit. Yeah, I was definitely no saint.
When I pressed my lips against hers Destiny let out a soft moan that sent an answering moan roaring inside of me. My fingers dug into her hip as I pulled her pouty bottom lip between mine, sucking gently before releasing it. Then, I repeated the action on her upper lip. My attempt to keep the kiss as chaste as possible was shredded the second I felt the wet heat of her tongue licking across my lips.
That was all it took for me to snap. Reaching up, I cupped her chin, tilting it to the side so I could control the kiss that was quickly getting out of control. Dipping my tongue between her lips she met me lick for lick as I took my time exploring her mouth.
With every pass of our mating tongues, urgency surged in me like a volcano about to erupt. Her hips began rocking as she seductively ground against me. I tightened my hold on her to try to keep her still, but instead my efforts resulted in her movements growing faster.
There was part of me—a voice deep in the back of my head—that was telling me I should stop this. But then another voice, a much louder voice, was assuring me that as long as we kept our clothes on there was nothing to worry about.
“JJ,” Destiny whimpered into our kiss as her body worked against mine to find release.
Hearing the desperation in the sound of my name coming from Destiny set off every primal instinct to take care of her needs. I may not be able to get off, but just because she was drunk didn’t mean she couldn’t. Still, I wanted to be clear about what she wanted, I needed to hear her say it.
Breaking our kiss, I asked, “What? What do you want?”
“I want…” she paused before opening her swollen lips and breathing, “I dare you to touch me.”
“I’ll touch you anywhere you want, but our clothes stay on.” My voice was raw and gravelly as I laid down the ground rules.
Her aqua eyes sparked with lust as her slender fingers circled my wrist. “I can work with that.”
My heart was like a jackhammer against my ribs as she slowly nudged the hand that was holding her hip in place between her legs. The soft fabric of her yellow sundress was bunched up at her waist revealing white silk panties.
As my knuckles brushed the damp satin surface covering her center my dick swelled harder than it had ever been as it jumped behind its zippered jail.
“Ohhh.” Destiny’s head fell back as she maneuvered my hand up and down her core.
We were both fully clothed but the sight of my large, tanned hand settled between Destiny’s creamy thighs as she used my hand like an erotic puppet master was, by far, the hottest, most erotic sight I’d ever seen. It was no secret that I liked being in control, in and out of the bedroom. So letting Destiny use my hand to get herself off was a first for me and I couldn’t deny that it was an overpowering turn on.
In fact, if I didn’t do something to shift the dynamics, there was a very good possibility that I would come in my pants, which was not something I planned on doing.
Taking back control, I slid one hand behind Destiny’s neck and pulled her mouth to mine. I kissed her deeply, thoroughly, ravaging her mouth as I flipped the hand between her legs so t
hat my fingertips could find her most sensitive spot. It was easy to locate, even covered in slick material. It took one pass of my fingers over her magic button for Destiny’s head to fall back as she cried out. She continued making soft sounds of pleasure as she buried her face against my neck. Her hands, which were now on my shoulders, grasped so tight I wouldn’t be surprised if her nails didn’t draw blood. The sting of her clutch shot straight to my rock hard shaft.
All it took was a few flicks of my finger over her clit before her stomach contracted and her inner thighs squeezed against my legs. I continued stroking her, kissing her as her entire body shook and her panties grew wet with her release.
After the final tremor rolled through her I moved my hand so that it was resting on her thigh as I reveled in the weight of her sated body melting into me. I loved the feeling of Destiny draped over me in total relaxation even though it was at complete odds with my body, which was strung tighter than it had ever been.
I ran my fingers through her silky hair as her breathing returned to normal.
When it did, I noticed something. She was snoring. I couldn’t help but smile as pride filled me. Sure, I knew logically that the alcohol probably had more to do with knocking her out than the orgasm she’d just experienced at my hand did, but my inner caveman was all about taking credit for it.
As I stood, cradling her in my arms to take her to bed, she stirred briefly and opened her eyes. Looking up at me she murmured something about this being the best dream she’d ever had.
I just hoped she still felt like that in the morning. And that she would see how wonderful it would be to make nights like these a reality for the rest of our lives.
Chapter 27
Destiny
“If you can’t run with the big dogs, you’d better stay on the porch.”
~ Grandma Dixie
As much as I tried to fight drifting awake, I grew more and more conscious of my surroundings. The air smelled like bacon and coffee. My mouth tasted like I’d been chewing on cotton balls, and my head was as heavy as a bowling ball.
When I tried to open my eyes, I was unsuccessful. I hadn’t remembered using Elmer’s glue for eye shadow, but apparently I had. Finally, after some extraordinary effort, I was able to peel my lids up. The sun was shining so bright through the slit in my drapes that I immediately regretted that action and pressed my face back to the pillow.
The next thing I knew, a loud meow sounded against my ear. Captain Pickle’s wake-up call prompted me to weigh my options. On one hand, I was pretty sure that, if I lay still enough, I would fall back to sleep, which sounded heavenly. On the other, if I didn’t get up and feed my grumpy cat, his next move would be to knead my face until I did. The thought of little paws pushing against my pounding head was enough to motivate me to get up.
In a surprising turn of events, sitting up was easier than I’d expected. As my eyes adjusted to the light I noticed that the dress I’d worn the night before was lying over the chair beside my window. Looking down I realized I was wearing my Lion King Hakuna MaVodka shirt with Pumba and Timon doing a conga line while holding cocktails. I might not have had all the mental puzzle pieces to make out a clear picture of my activities the night before, but I did have enough of them to know that my hangover was well deserved.
Harmony, Cara and I had taken celebration to a whole new level. I was sure Cara was hurting as much, if not more, than I was. Neither of us were drinkers, and we should have known better than to try to party like we were. Harmony would be fine—that girl could drink a sailor under the table. Which must’ve been why she’d taken pity on me and was in my kitchen, whipping up all of those delicious scents filling my bedroom.
It was kind of surprising that the smells weren’t sending me running to the porcelain throne. Just the opposite, actually. As I stood on shaky legs, my stomach growled.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, my hair was piled on top of my head in a messy bun and my teeth no longer felt like they were growing moss.
“Thanks for making breakfast,” I called out as I shuffled down the hall. “You’re the best—”
My words caught in my throat as I entered my kitchen and found JJ in jeans and a T-shirt, standing at the stove with his back to me as he turned the bacon. The white cotton of his shirt was pulled taut across his biceps and the muscular planes of his back.
Glancing over his shoulder, he winked. “The best, huh? I’ve always suspected that’s how you felt. I’m glad you’re finally admitting it.”
“You’re not Harmony.” Yes, I was stating the obvious, but my brain was still suffering the effects of the alcohol bath I’d given it last night.
JJ mimicked the same tone that I’d had. “You’re not Trace.” Then, holding two plates filled with waffles, bacon, and eggs, he crossed my tiny kitchen in one step and set the plates on the table. “Are we playing another game? I think I liked Truth or Dare better.”
Truth or Dare?
Oh boy. Flashes of the night before started filling my mind like a movie montage. JJ carrying me out of the bar. JJ driving me home. JJ making me drink coffee and water. JJ kissing me. JJ making me…
“You’re blushing. Does that mean you’re not up for another round?” he asked as he filled two mugs with coffee.
“I don’t… I wasn’t…” Why did I feel like I was having that dream where I showed up to school naked? My oversized shirt hit my legs mid-thigh. Wait, speaking of which. “Did we…? I was wearing…”
“Last night, after you passed out, I put you in that. Your dress was cute, but I didn’t think it would be too comfortable to sleep in,” he explained as he sat. Then he took a big bite of bacon, casual as could be.
“Oh.” I nodded as I followed his lead and slid into the seat across from him.
“And, no, we didn’t.” He covered his waffles in butter then handed me the knife. “Well, you did, but we were fully dressed the whole time.”
Fully dressed?
Ooooh, right. Now, it was all coming back to me. Me asking JJ to play Truth or Dare. Me climbing on his lap. Me using his hand to…
“What’s wrong, Pip? Cat got your tongue?” JJ’s left eyebrow rose.
“Oh! The cat!” I stood to head over to the counter to feed Captain Pickles, but before I made it one step, I saw him eating from his bowl on the floor.
“I fed him while you were in the bathroom.” JJ handed me the syrup.
“You did?” I asked as I sat back down.
“Yeah,” he said as if it were no big deal.
Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it shouldn’t have felt more intimate than all of the other things we’d done. But, somehow, it did. Somehow, JJ’s not only making me breakfast, but also feeding Captain Pickles felt…like more.
We sat in comfortable silence as we ate. I was grateful for the time to try to regain my bearings. JJ had taken me home last night and taken care of me—in more ways than one. And he was still there. Still taking care of me. And Captain Pickles.
I broke the silence. “Did you sleep here?”
“Yep. On the couch.” He motioned to the front room.
Trying to tilt the seesaw of emotion we were on in my favor, I teased, “Didn’t trust yourself to stay in my bed?”
His laughter filled the air. I loved that laugh, and I didn’t hear it nearly enough.
“No.” He shook his head as he continued chuckling. “I didn’t trust you. You’re pretty handsy when you drink.”
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It wasn’t that I was a prude. It was just that, normally, my sexual escapades were experienced in the safe walls of a monogamous relationship. Not…whatever was going on with me and JJ.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed. Last night was hot. Really hot.” His voice grew especially gravelly on the last hot, and it sent a tingle straight where his hand had been last night.
The last thing I wanted to do was address my tingle or where his hand had been, so I dipped my head and concentrated on the delicious meal sitting
in front of me instead. The rest of the breakfast passed in silence. I was just starting to relax when I placed my last bite in my mouth. JJ stood and cleared the plates. I was still chewing when he turned and announced, “We need to talk.”
The earnestness in his voice almost caused me to choke on my waffle. Thankfully, I managed to get it down without anyone having to do the Heimlich.
“Okay,” I agreed then took a large drink of water. “Let’s talk.”
“Would you be more comfortable on the couch?”
I thought about it, but somehow, having the table between us sounded like a good idea. Plus, now that the kitchen was forever ruined for me because I would have the memories of the morning JJ made me breakfast in his backside hugging jeans, there was no point in moving.
My voice sounded much smaller than I’d hoped when I said, “Here’s fine.”
He stared at me for a moment. I wasn’t sure what was going on in his head, but his stare was making my lady parts wake up and say hello. Thankfully, before I started panting like a dog in heat, JJ returned to his seat.
“You asked me a question last night, and I didn’t answer it. Do you remember what it was?” He rested his forearms on the tabletop and leaned forward.
Question. Question. Question. It wasn’t ringing any bells, but I figured that it must have been one of the many that had been taking up space in my brain lately.
“How you got your mom to make the fried chicken?” I guessed.
JJ grinned. “Nope.”
Taking another shot in the dark, I asked, “How you knew about my college boyfriends?”
The grin grew wider, and he shook his head.
Okay, I was going all in. “Why you moved back home? Why you sent me flowers? If you’re really retiring, then why? Why didn’t you tell me? Why di—”
Teasing Destiny (Wishing Well, Texas #1) Page 17
