by Brynne Asher
I try to sound calm. “No, just picking something up. How are you?”
“I’m great,” he pipes quickly, his face, body, and agitated voice telling me he’s anything but. His eyes are surrounded with dark circles and seem jerky to me when he asks, “You?”
“I’m good,” I return quietly.
“You look good,” he rattles.
I ignore that. “I’ve wanted to call you, but I didn’t know if you’d want me to. So obviously, I didn’t.” He doesn’t respond but shifts his weight, so I go on lamely. “But I wanted to.”
“You’re still with him,” he states.
I frown, tipping my head. “Yes.” And interject more firmly, “I am.”
“So you’re right. You shouldn’t have called.”
I nod and move to leave, trying to walk around him but he steps into my path, halting my progress. He’s closer than I want him to be when he leers down at me, saying nothing.
Trying to keep my voice strong, I say, “I miss you, Brian. I miss the way things used to be. You’ve given me no choice—you made this decision for the both of us. But I miss your friendship and I’m trying to keep that door open. Please let me do that.”
“You know what I want.” I see a sadness creep through his features.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly. “I can’t give that to you.”
He closes his eyes tightly and I can actually see him swallow, his whole being tight and tense.
“Brian—” I start, but he interrupts me.
I shut my mouth when he steps abruptly to the side. “Go. Just go.”
I pull my lips in to bite back my emotions before finally moving around him, escaping Walgreens as fast as I can. I move through the store quickly, digging through my purse for my sunglasses, because I know they’re coming and won’t be able to hold them back much longer.
I get to my car and after starting it up, reverse out of my spot as fast as I can without looking at the entrance to see if he followed. My phone starts to ring over the speakers of my car and looking to the dash, I pull in a breath and answer as cheery as I can. “Hey, I’m gonna be a little late.”
“What’s wrong?” Cam asks.
“I haven’t picked the kids up yet, I’m on my way now.” I try to sniff quietly. Damn the fancy Bluetooth in my new car. I’m sure he can hear everything.
“No, what’s wrong with you? You sound upset,” he says and I can tell he’s frowning. But it still kind of melts me that he can tell I’m upset over the phone.
“Nothing,” I insist and swipe my cheeks quickly as I drive to get Jordy and Cara.
“Paige,” he starts and I can tell he’s moved into his office at The Shed. The background noise has gone from whistles, yelling, and echoes to complete quiet. “I can tell something’s wrong. What happened?”
“I just—” I take another big breath to try and calm down. “I just saw Brian. He’s still so angry. I feel terrible. I wish I could fix it, but I don’t know what I can do. He seems different, I never thought this would happen.”
“Where did you see him?” he asks angrily.
“Walgreens. After I picked up my prescription, I turned around to leave and there he was.”
“What do you mean, ‘there he was’?”
“I don’t know, he just surprised me is all,” I explain.
“You think he knew you were there?” he keeps on.
“I doubt it. It was just a surprise seeing him. And he’s so cold with me, he’s not the same person he used to be. He made it clear he wants nothing to do with me as long as I’m with you. We’ve been friends for years. Years, Cam. We used to be so close, he’s one of the few friends I have outside of my family. But he’s laid down the gauntlet, making it clear what he wants and, if he can’t have it, he’s cutting me out completely. I still can’t believe it,” I say, breathing deep trying to control my tears.
“You think we need to worry about him?” Cam asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Darlin’, he seems intent on what he wants. Did you get a weird feeling? Is he threatening you?”
“Well, yeah. He’s given new meaning to weird vibes, but he’d never hurt me if that’s what you’re asking.” I pull into the parking lot. I decide to sit here and collect myself before seeing Jordy and Cara. I don’t need to scare them with a blotchy red face.
“I’m not so sure. The whole thing makes me uneasy,” he answers and I hear him sigh.
“It’s fine.” I try to put him at ease. “He’ll either come around or not. I’m in this position because I didn’t do anything months ago when I should’ve. It’s my fault and now I’m paying for it. I’ve just got to suck it up and deal with it.”
“Where are you now?”
“I just pulled in to get the kids, but I’m sitting here trying to get rid of my red face. I don’t want to scare them.” I blow my nose.
“Baby,” he says softly.
“I’ll get over it. I was in a good mood and now this. He ruined my birth control high,” I say.
He says nothing but I do hear him chuckle.
“Pisses me off,” I keep going.
“Okay,” he starts. “I was going to ask you with the kids when you got here, but how about a road trip?”
“A road trip?”
“Yeah. My littlest sister, Ellie, had a baby a couple months ago and we haven’t seen him. She and her shithead husband are going to be at my parent’s this weekend. The kids and I usually go down for a few days every summer before football training starts in August, but since she’ll be there with the baby, I’m thinking we’ll go earlier,” he explains.
“Oh,” I say.
He lowers his voice. “Paige, I want you to come.”
“You do?” I ask quietly, because this is different. He knows my whole family, even Tony is starting to come around and my parents really like him. They see he’s a good dad and a hard worker. He’s really hit it off with Jude, which has helped bring Tony around. I think they’re going to put together an old man softball team this fall. Maybe not old man, but more like a hot guy softball team. Zeke is even going to play.
But he wants me to meet his family? That’s a big deal, right? Meeting out of town family?
“We’ll leave Thursday and come home Monday. My middle sister, Jen, lives close so everyone will be there. I’ll even get you up on a horse,” he says, planning the weekend.
“I have an event Thursday. I can’t cancel and leave them hanging.”
“Can you leave Friday?” he tries.
“Yes.”
“Okay, we’ll leave Friday, come home Tuesday.”
I smile. “I can do that.”
“It’s settled. It’s a long drive, over twelve hours each way. You good with that?” he asks.
I keep smiling. “I love road trips.”
“Of course you do,” he says, but I think he said it away from the phone, like he was talking to himself.
“I’m going to get to meet the people who named you Campbell,” I keep on. “I can’t wait.”
“I told you not to talk about my name, but I’ll warn you, I got off easy. We all got family names. Jen is short for Jensen and they saved the worst for Ellie. They fucking named her Twichell, if you can believe that shit,” he explains.
“Twichell?”
“Yeah, and if anyone’s pissed about their name, it’s Ellie. She wouldn’t even put it on her wedding invitation. That didn’t make Kipp and Hattie very happy,” he says.
“Kipp and Hattie?”
“My parents. They’re crazy.”
“More than my mother?” I find this all fascinating.
“Your mother is polite about being crazy. My parents are just crazy,” he huffs.
“Maybe I should rethink this road trip,” I tease.
“I’m not worried about you, baby. If you can handle fucking Bekki and the bitchy mom club, you’ll be fine. They might be crazy but they’ll like you. My mother was over the fucking moon when I told her about you
. If anything, she’ll love you so much she’ll start to stalk you.”
I smile and decide I can’t wait to meet his family full of strange names.
“You okay now?” he asks, his voice softening and I realize he wanted to tell me about the trip to Texas when we got to The Shed this afternoon, but he asked now to make me feel better.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Good. Thanks for getting the kids, I’ll tell them about the trip when you get here. They love the ranch,” he says.
“It’s not a problem. I like picking them up.”
“My sweet Paige,” he says, soft-like.
“See you soon.”
“Soon, baby.”
“Bye,” I say and hit disconnect.
I pull down my mirror to make sure my scary red eyes are gone. Friday is just a few days away. I have a trip to plan for and I could really use a trip to the mall. Between packing clothes for Cam’s house over the past few weeks and doing laundry, I’ve lost some of my favorite pieces. I’m starting to think Cam’s washer is eating my clothes.
As I look into the mirror, I decide I can’t wait. I get out of my car to pick up Jordy and Cara so I can get to Cam as quick as I can.
A road trip is just what I need to get my mind off Brian.
I circle his cock with my tongue before taking as much of him as I can, being careful for my teeth. Even if he is rock hard, he feels like silk and I wouldn’t think teeth on silk would feel good.
Cam’s body is beautiful. It’s not only a shrine to physical fitness, but ever since he stripped down to nothing in front of me, I’m fascinated by the contours of his muscles and, now, his cock. I love the feel of him in my hands, especially knowing he’s hard because I made him that way.
Tonight, I talked myself into joining the Giving Head Club. He said I could do whatever I wanted and not to worry about doing it wrong, so I decided it was time to go for it. And as good as he gives me every time he lays his hands on my body, I want it to be good for him, too.
I was a stupid Nervous Nelly, but without giving him my eyes to preserve what little backbone I had, I worked my way down his body. When he realized what I was doing, he groaned a couple of hushed curse words and started running his fingers through my hair.
I can’t lie, I was clumsy at first. It was … well … odd. Really odd. I mean, there’s differing opinions amongst the girls in the Giving Head Club. I know some women who love it and I know some women who hate it. I even had a friend who only does it when she wants new furniture, which is weird, and even though I’m inexperienced, I feel sorry for her man. I mean, how often can you buy furniture?
If I’m honest, I didn’t hate it initially, however I didn’t love it. But once I found my Giving Head Groove, I was kind of proud of myself, and if my hands weren’t busy, I’d offer myself a giving head pat on the back. Or better yet, a blue ribbon, for bravery and giving head.
When he groaned or murmured “baby” or growled my name, I knew he liked it and I was doing it right. Once, I even peeked up from between his legs and his blue eyes were smoldering and hooded, watching me work his cock. He pulled my hair back with his fingers, cupping my head and never took his eyes off my face.
That’s when I decided I loved it. I felt powerful having that effect on him. The look on his face, his eyes ablaze, and the way his body tensed? I made him feel that way—he was going to fall apart because of me. I. Loved. It.
Sinking down on his cock as far as I can, his groan vibrates in my mouth.
His guttural voice come from above. “Enough.”
I ignore him and draw my head up, sucking on his tip before pulling him deeper. His fingers tense on my scalp and I feel him trying to restrain himself like he did with me in the beginning. With my hand at the base of his cock, I try and take as much of him as I can, feeling him hit the back of my throat.
“I said enough,” he repeats before his hands come under my arms. The next thing I know, I’m being yanked up his body.
“Hey,” I call breathy-like, as Cam flips me to my back. I look up and he’s ripping open a condom at the speed of light. “Why did you stop me? I just got up the nerve to try that.”
“Trust me, I know,” he growls, breathing hard, rolling on his condom.
I automatically frown and whisper, “I thought you liked it.”
He finishes with the condom and drops back down to me. Before I know it, he quickly thrusts inside and, just like always, it takes my breath away.
“Baby,” he says against my lips as he starts to move. “I fucking loved that. But I want you to like it and, if I let you go much longer, I’m afraid you might not like it. No way was I going to cum in your mouth the first time you go down on me. Maybe someday if you really want that, but not now and not anytime soon.”
“Oh.” I arch my back to try to move with him.
“Fuck. Nothing’s ever gotten me there faster than watching you wrap your pretty pink lips around my cock.” He starts to move harder inside me. “If I let you go two more seconds, no way would I have been able to stop you.”
“I’m glad you liked it,” I say, proud of myself and pull my knees up trying to get more of him. I love every inch and want as much as I can get. Over the last few weeks, he’s quit restraining himself. He moves with abandon now, as if he can’t hold back another second.
I hear him huff as he moves inside me. “You like that you drive me wild?”
“Yes,” I moan. “I love that I can do that to you.”
I feel his goatee against my temple. “You would love that.”
The next thing I know, he leaves me, but he doesn’t leave me. He’s up on his knees in the bed and yanks my legs up his chest, my feet resting at his shoulders. With one hand on my ass holding me tight, the other comes between my legs where we’re still connected.
“Don’t move,” he says as he starts circling my clit with his fingers.
I look up and his eyes are on his hand at our connection, watching what he’s doing. I can’t help it—I press my hips into him, my heels digging into his shoulders.
“Still, baby.” He squeezes my ass in warning.
I exhale and still, or try my best but it’s hard as he works me into a frenzy. And finally, there’s no way I can be still as my orgasm shatters through me while I’m impaled on his cock. But I don’t have to worry about that because he starts to move right where we are. And when he does with my fading orgasm, there’s nothing better.
He comes hard and fast, holding me at my hips while still on his knees. My only leverage are my heels at his shoulders, otherwise, it’s all Cam and his commanding strength.
When I look up, his head falls back and his muscles tense when he thrusts two more times before staying planted. He presses into me one more time before dropping to his hands on either side of my head. Then there’s nothing but Cam Montgomery all around me. He gathers me up before he rolls and I end up on top with him still connected, both of us breathing hard.
“You okay?” He asks me that every time we have sex.
“It has been over a month,” I say into his neck, my body feeling limp on his as I melt into his muscles.
I feel him exhale and he agrees. “I guess it has.” He doesn’t move, doesn’t pull out, but holds me tight. “Your dad called today.”
Okay, this is a weird time to bring up my dad. “Oh?”
“There was no reason to have a court hearing. My custody came through. Full,” he breathes and I push up so I can look down at him. My hair falls around us before he finishes, “And permanent.”
I smile. “Really?”
“Really,” he says, not smiling but intense. “She’ll be fighting her battle in court a long time. If they find her guilty, which your dad says they have all the evidence they need, she’ll go to jail. The only thing that will shorten her time is if she takes a plea, but she’ll still do time. My kids are completely mine.”
My smile softens. “I’m so happy for you. And for them.”
“For us
.” His intensity keeps on and his two words take my breath away. “I want you here, in my house, and my bed. My kids want you here. Today was another step in the right direction for me. My life has been on a shit road the last few years, but I finally feel like I’m taking a turn, a turn I see the four of us on for a long time.”
“Cam,” I whisper, overcome by his words.
He rolls and I’m on my back again. “I mean it, baby. You think you might want to travel that road with us?”
I blink back my tears, for the second time today, overcome with emotion, feeling one fall down my temple to the bed. I nod and his hand comes up to swipe my tear before he kisses me soft.
“So fucking sweet. I’ve never had sweet like you,” he whispers when he lets go of my lips. “I’ve got to get rid of this condom.”
Having no words. I nod and feel him pull out of me, leaving the bed.
I turn and watch him walk naked to the bathroom and think I’m lucky I’ve already fallen for the Montgomerys. If I hadn’t already, I would’ve just crashed and burned. Hard.
And I smile, because there’s no going back now.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Buttah My Butt
Paige
“Darlin’, what did you pack?”
“You mentioned a wide range of activities, Cam. It’s a lot to pack for.”
“I told you we’re only there for three days and two in the car. You don’t need all this.”
“Cam.” I put a hand to my hip. It’s early-early and we’re standing in his driveway with my suitcases and bags scattered about, ready to load. I only brought what he told me I would need. “You said we’re going to be riding horses and I know there’s got to be muck on a ranch. I had to bring enough for all that, plus the shoes. Then you said we’ll be swimming since your parents have a pool. That requires three swim suits, cover ups, and sunscreen. I hate putting on a dirty swim suit. And the way you described your parents’ church, it’s stressing me out so I brought two dresses to choose from. That means two pairs of heels, not to mention the jewelry. Then I need normal clothes and something to sit around in at night that’s comfortable, yet appropriate in front of your family. I bought hostess gifts for your mom and a baby gift for Ellie—I have to make a good impression. And my mom taught me you never show up empty handed, so I made cinnamon rolls to help with breakfast.”
