Until the Stars Fall (Just the Way You Are Book 1)

by Abigail Kade

  “All right, I can take a hint, let’s get you fed.”

  We left the building and went back to the main house, which was really our temporary home now. Connor and I had talked about it when we had driven to Atlanta, and we had made our living arrangements official and permanent. We were committed to each other now, and I couldn’t be happier. As soon as the carriage house was finished, we would finally move in together and be our own family of two.

  Our sex life had continued to be amazing, too. We had wild rough sex just as often as we enjoyed cuddling and sweet lovemaking. We really had the best of both worlds. There was one thing that we hadn’t done yet though, and I had plans for my big lover tonight that he wouldn’t forget. We made it back home, and once we got into the main house’s kitchen, we found a note from James. He had been called to the hospital for an emergency so we’d have the house to ourselves. It was perfect.

  Connor found us some cold cuts in the fridge, so we worked together to make some sandwiches, and I found a new bag of chips in the pantry. Quick and yummy was just what I wanted tonight. After we had finished dinner, I left Connor to finish up in the kitchen, and I went to take a shower and get ready to seduce my man.

  When I was ready and dressed, I sauntered into the kitchen. Connor was in for a surprise.

  Connor

  As I cleaned the kitchen and put everything away, I thought about my business and my man. I was convinced I would never have been able to make the one a reality without the other. I owed Ladd so much, and I was thankful every day for having such a special man in my life. He was smart, funny and, to me, he was sexy as hell. I hadn’t been able to make love to him in Atlanta because our room had been right down the hall from Mom and Dean. I was hungry for him, and as soon as he finished his shower, all bets were off, especially since we finally had the house to ourselves.

  I had just finished putting our plates in the dishwasher when I heard Ladd enter the kitchen behind me. “Hey, babe, did you leave any hot water in the shower? It’s been so cold today, and I need to warm up.” I turned around to face him, and my jaw dropped to my chest. Holy Fuck! I was suddenly nowhere near cold at the sight before me.

  Ladd stood in the kitchen doorway shirtless and with no shoes on, but what he was wearing took my breath away. Ladd had somehow gotten a kilt in the McDaniel tartan of blues and yellows. It sat snugly on his narrow hips, the leather sporran slung low and swayed as he made his way over to stand in front of me. His skin glowed pristine and perfect against the brightly colored plaid wool, and I was instantly hard.

  “Good fucking God, Ladd. Where did you get that?”

  “You like?” he asked as he gave a little twirl around making the kilt fan out around his muscular thighs. Fuck, he was way too sexy for me to keep my cool.

  “I like so fucking much, babe. You look sexy as hell in my family tartan. Tell me, what are you wearing under that kilt?”

  “I guess you’ll just have to reach over and find out.” Ladd gave me an impish grin and stepped closer until his naked chest was flush with my t-shirt covered torso.

  I let my hand grab his hip and trailed it down the side of his thigh until I got to the bottom edge of the kilt. I let my hand ever so slowly slide under and then up, prolonging this moment of anticipation for both of us. My hand curved around to the back of Ladd’s thigh and continued up until I finally met a strip of material that did not feel like regular underwear. I felt around, groping and grabbing a little along the way and realized Ladd was wearing a jock, but it wasn’t like any jock I’d ever seen, I was sure.

  “What have you been up to, Ladd?” I gripped one of his bared ass cheeks and squeezed. “As much as I love you in this kilt, I want to see what you’ve got on underneath.”

  His smirk was priceless as he smiled like the cat that ate the cream. He’d be eating more than cream tonight if I had anything to say about it. That thought brought out my own smirk, and I smiled into Ladd’s neck, whispering, “Strip for me, Laddy, and show me what you have under there, you bad boy.”

  Ladd removed his sporran, placing it on the kitchen table, then began undoing the kilt’s clasps, finally letting the plaid fall to the floor. And once again, he held me absolutely speechless with his attire.

  “Jesus Christ, Ladd, you’re trying to give me a heart attack aren’t you, babe? Cause, those,” I pointed at his underwear, “Those, have got to be the sexiest fucking things I have ever seen.”

  Ladd preened under my admiration, and I took a minute to appreciate what I was seeing. Ladd, the kinky fucker, had gotten himself the tiniest pair of black lace panties I’d ever seen. They were stretched across the front and cupped his cock and balls in a gorgeously filthy pouch that I wanted to lick. I twirled my finger around in a circle, and Ladd took instructions, spinning slowly so I could see the entire picture. The surprises kept coming when he turned, and I finally saw that the panties weren’t just lace, but completely assless as well. That’s why I had thought it was a jock. This was so much better than any fucking jock.

  “Christ Almighty, Ladd, I want to do dirty, dirty things to you in that lace, baby. When did you get these? Are you really into this? Because if you are, I have no problem helping you feed this particular interest.” I couldn’t stay away any longer, so I walked up to him and got two huge handfuls of his pale lace framed ass.

  Ladd smiled with his eyes and gave a little giggle as his face and chest blushed his beautiful shade of scarlet. “Honestly, I’ve always wanted to try something like this, but I was always worried some guy would find out and make fun of me, or worse, hurt me. So I never had the nerve to try it until now. I knew that if you didn’t like it, you’d tell me, but you wouldn’t hurt me or belittle me. And now, I’m so glad I took the risk. I love the way they feel. It’s delicious and naughty, and I love the way the black lace looks against my pale skin. I feel sexy.” He reached down and roughly grabbed my hard cock, “And I love the reaction I’m getting.”

  Fuck yeah, he was getting a reaction. “Well, you’re right, I love them on you, and now, I need to take this to the bedroom and show you just how much.” I dropped my hands down to Ladd’s knees and lifted telling him to jump up. He swung his legs around my waist, and I stalked my way through the house to our room kissing the shit out of him along the way. Ladd had his hands in my hair, pulling and tugging my head from side to side trying to get the perfect angle for our hungry mouths.

  When I got to the bedroom and closed the door, I sat on the bed and then reclined, spreading my bulk across the comforter with Ladd looming over me. “I’m all yours, Laddy. Whatever you want tonight is yours.” Ladd grinned and began pulling my t-shirt up. I sat up for a moment so he could pull it off, then resettled onto my back. We always took our shoes off at the front door, so Ladd made quick work of removing my jeans, underwear, and socks, then settled back on top of me. He ran his hands slowly over his chest, along his neck and up into his hair, throwing his head back as he enjoyed his own caresses. I was mesmerized by this sensual side of Ladd. He was seducing himself, and I lay there and watched him work himself into a state of deep lust. He pinched his own nipples and moaned at the pain and pleasure, then cupped his cock through the lace and hissed at the foreign feeling. He had me so turned on, I couldn’t wait another minute, so I gripped his hips and urged him forward. “I need to taste you, baby, come up here and ride my face.”

  He didn’t need any more encouragement, climbing up to straddle my face and give me a face full of musky black lace. The first lick made both of us moan so loudly I thanked God we were alone in the house. It was my dirtiest fantasy to see Ladd’s cock and balls like this. The contrast of the soft fabric and his hard dick made my insides melt, and my own balls draw up tight. Ladd’s hands gripped my hair tightly on both sides and pulled me tight into him. I loved that tight grip as I licked and nuzzled and nipped him until the fabric was soaked and neither one of us could be silent or still. At last, Ladd pulled his hands away and moved back down my body. “I want to ride you,
Connor. Get me ready, so I can ride you, babe.”

  I didn’t have to be asked twice, so I moved him off me for a second while I reached into the bedside table and brought back the supplies we kept there. I suited myself up and slicked my fingers, then pulled Ladd down for a scorching kiss while I got him ready to ride me like he wanted. The panties stayed on by mutual agreement. They turned both of us on too much to get rid of them.

  When he was ready, Ladd pulled back from our last melting kiss and whispered, “One of my thoughts when I saw you that first time in the supply closet was that I wanted to ride a man like you. I wanted to hold all that strength under me and ride you like a bull.” He gave me his sexy as fuck smirk again, “Get ready to buck, Conn, cause I’m going for longer than eight seconds.”

  Ladd did not lie. He eased himself down onto my hard length gingerly, but once he was settled all the way down, he wasted no time in setting a punishing rhythm. His hands found purchase on my pecs, digging his short nails into my skin, keeping time with his thrusts. He undulated his hips back and forth fucking himself with abandon on top of me, driving me wild with the motion and his clenching hole. I was close so quickly it stunned me, and I had to warn him. “Ladd, you got me close already, baby.” I clenched my hands around his hips and just hung on for this ride.

  “Oh, God, Conn, I’m so close, too. Touch me, babe. Please touch me.”

  I wasted no time pulling the lace panties down, spitting into my palm, then circling my hand around his angry red cock. Ladd whined his pleasure when I started to pump him in the same rhythm he was working me. We were both lost to sensation, bucking against each other, reaching for our completion, but never letting go of one another. It only took a minute or two more, and we both hit our peak, coming at almost the same time. Ladd’s hot load spilled all over my hand and across my belly as I thrust hard into my Laddy and let myself go.

  Boneless and spent afterward, Ladd fell forward onto my chest and hugged me tight. “I love you, Connor. That was amazing.”

  “I love you, too, Laddy. Fuck yeah, it was amazing. You need to tell me where you got these little beauties because Christmas is coming up and I have a whole new category to put on my list.” Ladd snickered into my chest, then lifted up until he was resting on his forearms. He leaned down and nipped my chin once before answering. “I’ll give you the website if you promise to let me shop with you. I have a feeling shopping for satin and lace with you could be just as fun as actually wearing it.”

  “You are not wrong about that, babe. I always thought my only fetish where you were concerned was your bow ties, but obviously, I was wrong.”

  Ladd kept eye contact with me as he moved himself off me and onto the mattress by my side. “I knew you had a thing with my ties! You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime soon. Right now though, I think we both need a shower. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted. Clean me and put me to bed, Conn.” Ladd held out his arms, and I grasped his small but strong hands in mine. I did wind up carrying my man to the shower and washing away the day. Afterward, I cleaned up the bed and tucked us in, Ladd clutched tightly to my side. That night, I fell asleep knowing that the contentment I felt in my chest could always be mine if I only had the balls to ask for it. I made a vow to myself right then that I would talk to James the next day. I had some jewelry to order.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The last few months had been like a surreal experience for me. When I had moved to this quiet town all those months ago, still recovering from Troy and searching for something of my own, I never would have thought that by Christmas I would have almost everything I had wanted and more. Ladd was perfect for me, and we were still more in love with each other than we’d ever been even after all of the drama we’d had to endure. Now it was Christmas and to me, the last few months really did seem like a Christmas miracle.

  Parker Radcliff’s trial had been a little bit of a letdown. He’d eventually accepted a plea deal to avoid an attempted murder charge and had been sentenced to five years, with eligibility for parole in three. None of us were happy about it, but we were glad it was over. We had been staying in the main house guest suite until the repairs had been finished on the carriage house. I was excited to learn it had finally been finished yesterday and we’d made quick work to move ourselves back. Now it was Christmas Eve and thanks to the combined efforts of Aunt Helen, Aunt Lillian, and my mom, family dinner had been transformed into a combined family celebration at my new pub. They hadn’t gone completely overboard, but it was so nice having all of my family, both old and new in one place on this special holiday night.

  We’d kept the name The Falling Star for the pub and had commissioned Remy to make me the custom sign. It was hanging over the outside door and showed a giant shooting star with sparks shooting out behind it in all the colors of the rainbow. It was a true art piece and captured the spirit of the place. The inside was bright and sparkling, from the glass and crystal at the bar, to the light fixtures and the silverware on the tables, but it held true to its history with the classic mahogany bar and the refurbished moldings and plaster work. It was a perfect blend of old and new. Now, I just needed to find the staff I needed to run the place.

  But tonight was about family. Both my family and Ladd’s were here. It was the first time we had blended together, and I hadn’t been sure what to expect. So far everyone all seemed to get along perfectly and already acted like one big extended family.

  I looked up from my musings and noticed Lachlan making his way from the back to my place behind the bar. “Connor, your bathroom smells like someone shit an apple pie in there! Whose idea was it to have air fresheners in the bathroom that smells like food? I was torn between being hungry and horrified while taking a piss. No bathroom should be filled with that kind of conflict.”

  Remy came over and slapped Lachlan on the back, “Hey, Lachlan. Thank God! I told Ladd the same thing.” Lachlan and Remy shook hands and then both got mischievous smiles on their faces. “Let’s go take those things out of there and see what else we can find to replace them.” Then my brother and Ladd’s brother turned to head to the bathrooms.

  I yelled after them, “Don’t you dare take those air fresheners out of the bathroom, you two! I do not want my new place smelling like whatever you two choose to put in there.” But they just ignored me and kept walking. Nothing, and I mean nothing, good could ever come of that instantaneous friendship. I made a mental note to check the bathrooms before I left tonight.

  “Connor, how is the search for your staff for the bar going?” James asked as he came over with Rhett and Dean. “You’re planning on opening New Year’s Eve, right?”

  I nodded and tried not to look concerned. “I’m still looking, James. I have the kitchen sorted, and the servers are all set, too, but finding an experienced bar back and bartender is posing a big problem. Who knew there was a shortage of bartenders in the area?” I tried to joke about it, but I was envisioning a very long night and very long lines if I had to tend the bar all by myself.

  “Well, you’ll find someone, I know you will, Connor.” Dean chimed in. “You’re one of the luckiest people I’ve ever met in my life. Everything you’ve ever wished for you’ve gotten. Just make a wish, and it’ll happen for you for sure.”

  Rhett scoffed and said, “Wishes don’t come true, that’s just a bunch of superstition. If it’s not logic and science, it’s not real.” He chugged the last of the beer he had brought over with him and walked away to go talk to Isobel and Mom.

  “Don’t listen to him, Connor, he’s always a spoilsport like that. He’ll find someone someday that’ll turn his world upside down and then he’ll believe in magic and fate.” James sounded like he was handing down a prophesy, but he stopped with the seriousness and laughed it off just as quickly as it had come. We all made small talk for a while and then the men drifted off to other areas and other conversations.

  A little while later, I looked around and smiled when I saw everyone sitting around laughin
g and talking together like they’d been spending Christmas Eve together for years. I loved this sense of family. I spied Ladd over in the corner talking thoughtfully to James, and suddenly I needed my man. I stalked over to where they were standing but was caught up short when Ladd turned toward me, grabbed my hand and said to everyone assembled, “Everyone, I’d like your attention, please. I have something I’d like to say.” Everyone hushed quickly and gave us their complete attention. He laced our fingers together, turning to face me. “Connor McDaniel, I love you. I know I tell you every day, but I especially wanted to tell you tonight. I wanted to tell you how happy I am that you’ve finally made your dream a reality. The Falling Star is a beautiful place, and I know you’ll make it a huge success. But most importantly, I wanted to say how happy I am that you’re in my life, and I have a gift to commemorate everything we’ve gone through to get to this night.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. I looked over at James, and he just smiled at me, giving nothing away.

  “Connor, I want you to have this ring with my promise to you that you’ll always have a place in my heart, but you’ll also always have a place in our family.” He held my right hand and placed it onto my ring finger, then gave me a lingering kiss of promise and love. When he pulled back, I examined the ring and found it matched Ladd’s family ring perfectly. He had given me his heart, but he had also given me his second most prized possession, his family bond.