The It's Kind Of Personal (Complete 6 Book Series)ies

by Anna Brooks

  He maintains a serious face and presses his lips to hers, a little more rough this time, then pulls back and mumbles something in her ear. She nods and wraps her arms around his waist, leaning on him.

  “Well, now that that’s out of the way,” Brandon interrupts, “Merry Christmas.”

  The rest of the day goes by amazingly well. Brandon gave me the latest Kindle and a new pair of earrings. Instead of the diamond studs he got me last time, these are long dangly ones with real turquoise. I bought him tickets to a spring training game. We all sat around and laughed, and I particularly enjoyed telling Charlotte stories about Travis as a kid. He laughed good-naturedly with his arm around her, rubbing her belly the whole time. I haven’t known her long, but I’m thankful they found each other because they both are amazing people and deserve happiness.

  Now Char and I are in the kitchen doing the dishes. We made Elizabeth and the guys stay in the other room. The manners I have means doing dishes and making sure the person who cooked doesn’t clean. Elizabeth instilled those in me. It may have been a while since I had to do something like this, but I didn’t forget.

  “I can’t get over how freaking adorable you are pregnant.”

  “Oh, please. I certainly don’t feel adorable. I feel fat and moody.”

  “Aww. How’s Travis doing? Is he helping you out?”

  She looks at me and rolls her eyes. “Your boyfriend is a Parker. Do you even need to ask that question?”

  “I suppose not.”

  Steve taught his boys chivalry. It really was a stupid question.

  “So?” she asks.

  “So what?”

  Char looks at me and rolls her eyes again, knowing that I know what she’s talking about but trying to avoid it. “You’re moving in together?”

  “It would appear so.” I smile and hand her the last plate to dry.

  “That’s so exciting!”

  “I know,” I squeak.

  “Who woulda thought?”

  I shut the water off and wipe my hands on the towel. “Not me. I never would have thought it was possible. I did dream about it, though.”

  “Guess your dreams have come true.”

  “Yeah. I guess they have.”

  Chapter 15

  Brandon

  TODAY IS THE DAY Mary is finally moving in with me. There was a bit of a delay in the closing paperwork, and she didn’t want to leave until Betty did. So what was supposed to happen a month ago is finally happening today.

  I moved all my shit back to my apartment last week, including a very pissed off Kat. She’s become attached to Mary these past few months and seems to have forgotten I was the one who brought her ungrateful ass in off the street.

  She hisses at me when I walk through the door with a box of Mary’s things.

  “Yes. I know. You hate me. Mary’ll be here later today; you can chill your ass out until then.”

  She tilts her head as if she understands me then runs away and jumps onto the window ledge that looks out to the parking lot.

  I’ve made a space in my closet for Mary’s clothes. Her crap already clutters the bathroom, and the last of her stuff is in the box in my hands. I carry it to the table in the living area and begin to take items out so all she has to do is find a place for them to go. My studio isn’t huge, but there’s plenty of room for both of us.

  A bright orange shoebox is the last thing that needs to come out. I accidentally open the lid when I grab it. My hands shake and my knees become weak, so I sit on the floor and stare at the contents in awe.

  She kept all this stuff.

  My first home run ball, tons of pictures, flower petals, jewelry, and movie ticket stubs. A shiny gold band is almost lost in all the papers. I pluck it out and try to put it on my finger, but it doesn’t fit anymore. The memory of the day I tried to give it to her rushes back . . .

  “Here. I want you to have this.” I hand her my class ring, but she pushes it away.

  “I can’t take that. Everyone will think we’re dating.”

  “Is the thought of dating me repulsive or something?” I joke but am really holding my breath for her answer. We don’t have that much longer until school is out, and I can’t wait until it’s over so she can finally be my girlfriend. She practically is now anyway, only without the title. It amazes me that she hasn’t picked up on my subtle clues about wanting more with her.

  “No. It’s just . . .” She twirls her hair and looks down.

  I put a finger under her chin and tilt her head up. “Just what?”

  “It’s stupid.”

  “Nothing you think or say is stupid.”

  Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she pushes my hand away and plops down on my bed.

  “You’re leaving soon for college, and I’m stuck going to the little community college up the street. Everyone knows what those rings mean. I think you should save it for someone else.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” She can’t really think I’d want anyone other than her, can she? I mean, we haven’t talked about it, but I know there’s more between us.

  “You’re my best friend, Brandon. And I know you love me. But you should give that to a girl you’re in love with.”

  I smirk at her and lean down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. “Sure. I’ll do that.” When I give it to her, maybe then she’ll understand.

  A week later, I shoved it in her pocket when she wasn’t looking. I always worried that it fell out or something, but now I know she had it and kept it this whole time. It gives me a small amount of consolation to know that she kept these things, that she really loved me, missed me, and thought about me. Her words are enough, and I trust everything she says, but seeing it with my own eyes validates her feelings.

  I put everything back and lock my door behind me. It’s still a little early for Kelsey to be awake if she was up all night working, but I knock anyway.

  The first thing I notice when she opens the door is how dark it is inside her apartment. The curtains are all pulled down and the windows are covered with sheets. Her eyes are red and puffy and her hair is a tangled mess.

  “Hey. You okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah. I’m umm . . . sick. I’m just sick. What’s up?”

  “Mary is moving in with me tonight and I wanted to see if you were going to be around so I could introduce you guys. She really doesn’t have many friends and I want her to feel comfortable here. I figure you might be able to go out to lunch or do your nails or whatever shit it is girls do when I’m at work.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “Nails? Have you seen my hands?” She waves them in front of my face. “I paint and make sculptures and stuff for a living. Nails are the last thing I’d waste my money on.”

  “Okay, Jesus. Whatever. You know what I mean.”

  “I need to take a nap then I’ll stop by later this evening and introduce myself.”

  “All right, thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  I start to walk away and turn back to her when I reach the top step. “You sure you’re okay? I can stop and pick you up some soup or something.”

  “That’s sweet. But I’m all right. Thanks, though.”

  * * *

  Watching Mary say goodbye to Betty is heartbreaking. She sobs in her arms and Betty cries right along with her. I remain standing by my car in order to give them privacy. After several minutes, Betty says something that makes Mary laugh, and Betty waves at me while my girl walks with her head down to the car. She doesn’t say a word or even look at me when I open the door so she can get in.

  After I pull onto the main road, I hold her hand and rub my thumb along the top of her dry skin. Her hands are rough from all the cleaning she’s done. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she whispers. “I’ll be fine. It’s just sad. I’ll miss her.”

  “I know you will. But it’s not like you’ll never talk to her again.”

  “She’s going to have so much fun on her cruise.”
/>   “I bet.”

  Mary glances at me and sighs. “Thank you. For all of your help and being so supportive of me. I’m sorry it took me so long to get my shit together.”

  “Hey.” I lift her hand to my mouth and press a kiss to her palm. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

  I pull into my space and we walk hand in hand to my, no our, apartment. Before I open the door, I hold her face in my hands. “Welcome home, Mary.”

  “Home.” She turns her head and kisses my hand. “Thank you.”

  Kat runs up to her and Mary scoops her up, nuzzling her face in the fluffy white fur. “Hey, kitty. Did you miss me?”

  “Yeah, she did. She’s been acting like a little bitch.”

  Mary holds her a little tighter and shakes a finger at me. “Don’t call her a bitch.”

  “Well.” I shrug. “She hisses at me and runs away when I come into her space.”

  “Aww. Don’t be a jerk. She’s the sweetest little kitty ever. Aren’t you? Yes, you are.” She coos at her, and I roll my eyes then head to the fridge to remove the take and bake pizza I picked up earlier today.

  “I’ll throw the pizza in the oven and we can eat as soon as it’s ready.”

  She sets Kat down and looks around.

  “Wanna tour?” I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her against my chest.

  “Please.”

  “Obviously, this is the kitchen.” I wave my hand in the direction of the stainless steel appliances. “And since it’s a studio, you can see everything from here. It’s not fancy, but I like the space. The bathroom is on the left over there and the storage space with the washer and dryer are through that door on the right.”

  “It’s so cool. I love the brick walls and wooden beams on the ceiling.”

  “It’s a converted warehouse, so they kept a lot of the original structure with the bricks and added the wooden beams for support.”

  “Wow.” She walks around and I lean against the kitchen island. Just having her here brings me a sense of peace I don’t think I’ve ever felt.

  “Anything in here is yours. I’ve already hung all your clothes up in the closet.” I point to the tri-fold doors next to the bed. “This is your place now, so make yourself at home.”

  She nods and runs her hands along the black leather couch. The frame she picks up off my dresser is enough to make her smile.

  “I never put that away. I woke up and went to bed every night seeing your face.”

  She sets it back down then sits on my bed, running her palms over the soft fabric. Seeing her there makes my dick hard. Thinking about what I want to do to her makes it painful.

  “You got a new comforter?”

  The gray cotton is still a bit wrinkled because I didn’t wash it after I took it out of the package. I left the old one in the motel.

  “Yeah. You like it?”

  “I do. The whole place looks like you. Manly. Dark. Sexy.”

  She walks over to me and wraps her arms around my neck. Without words, she runs her fingertips along the back of my head and pushes it forward until our lips touch. I grip her hips and pull her flush, pressing my hard body into her soft one. She moans into my mouth and the bite of her nails sets me off.

  Sex with her is indescribable. We’ve been fucking a lot, and no matter how much I’m inside her, it’s not enough. I thirst for her taste, crave her body, and am powerless against her touch. She overwhelms me in the best possible way.

  I lift her by her ass, spin us, and slam her into the wall, pinning her with my hips and ravishing her mouth. I grind myself into her and lift her shirt up to expose her breasts. Through her lace bra, I suck a nipple into my mouth and pinch the other. Watching her come undone has become an addiction. I think about new ways to get her off when I’m at work, when I’m driving, and especially when I’m sleeping. The dreams I have are so fucking real, I swear I still feel her when I wake up.

  “God . . .” she cries out, gripping my head.

  I switch sides, and she rewards me with the same throaty moans. I’ve never been so turned on by a pair of tits before. Hers are so fucking perfect. Round and plump, just big enough to fit in my hands. Hands that itch to touch her, tease her, pleasure her. Not wanting anything between us, I lift her away from the wall and remove her shirt and bra. She reaches down and takes my tee off, discarding it on the floor.

  Only a few steps away, I lay her on the kitchen island and frantically work on the button of her jeans. She helps me get them and her thong off and spreads her legs, setting each foot on a stool.

  “Hell, yeah. Spread those thighs for me. Let me see you. How wet are you for me?”

  She has a sassy mouth and a hot temper, but when she’s turned on and writhing underneath me, the only noise that leaves her throat are cries of ecstasy . . . and I fucking love it.

  I run my fingers between her folds and circle her tight little opening. She slams her palms on the countertop, knocking over the dish that holds my keys.

  “You like that?” I circle it again and her hips fly off the counter.

  I continue playing with her, teasing her, running my index finger all the way down between her ass cheeks and applying gentle pressure to the tight bud I’ve been dying to touch. She squeezes her legs together, and I nudge them back open with my shoulders.

  “No. Keep them open.” She lets them fall. “Has anyone ever touched you here?” I press in a little further so just the tip rests inside the tight pucker.

  “No. God.” She twists her head and unsuccessfully tries to grip the tile.

  I leave my finger where it is and insert my thumb into her pussy, growling at how wet and tight she is.

  “Damn, baby. You really fucking like this, don’t you?” I press my finger farther in.

  “Yes! Oh, shit!” Her walls start to get tighter, and I can’t take anymore, so I use my other hand and pull down my track pants to grab my rock hard dick.

  “Sit up,” I command. “Touch yourself. Rub your clit and make yourself come.”

  She doesn’t sit up but twists her torso and hesitantly rubs small circles while she watches me stroke my dick. Pre-cum is already leaking out, and I twist my hand to gather it before increasing the pace.

  “I’m close, baby. Rub it faster.”

  Her eyes close and she starts rocking her hips into my hand, making my finger and thumb go inside her a little more with each thrust.

  “That’s it. Work yourself . . . God, that’s so hot. You’re fucking beautiful.”

  She clamps around my fingers and arches her back, her cum coating my fingers even more. I explode in my hand and rest my head on her stomach, letting both of us come down.

  “Wow,” she whispers.

  I sit up, kissing up her stomach until I reach her mouth. “Yeah. Wow. You good?”

  “I’m more than good. That was . . . I have no words.”

  “Imagine that.” I chuckle and give her one more kiss before I wash my hands and bring the towel back to wipe between her legs.

  She hops down and pulls her pants on when there’s a knock at the door. Her panicked face meets mine.

  “I’m sure it’s just Kelsey. She was going to stop by tonight.”

  Her eyes widen and she frantically grabs the rest of her clothes and runs in the bathroom.

  “Hold on a minute!” I yell and get dressed before splashing some water on my face and opening the door.

  “Hey. Is now a good time?” Kelsey asks.

  “Yeah, come in. Mary will be right out.”

  “Cool.”

  “You feeling better?”

  “Huh?”

  “Earlier you were sick.”

  “Oh, yeah. That. I’m fine. What’s that smell?”

  I sniff the air and curse then run to the oven. “I forgot about the pizza.” Smoke billows out of the oven and I throw the burned pie on the counter. “Well. There goes supper.”

  “Oh no, it’s burned?” Mary laughs, emerging from the bathroom.

  “Hi.
I’m Kelsey.” She sticks her hand out and Mary takes it.

  “Mary. Nice to meet you.”

  “You, too.”

  “Do you still feel like pizza? I can order one,” I ask Mary.

  “That sounds good.”

  “Yeah, pizza’s great!” Kelsey chimes in. “You order and Mary and I will go chitchat.”

  She walks to the couch and Mary shrugs, following her. I order some more food and join them, sitting next to Mary and wrapping my arm around her.

  “So, how do you know Brandon?” Kelsey asks.

  “We grew up together.”

  “Really? I bet you’ve got some good stories then.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Mary smiles and taps her finger to her lips. “I could tell you about the time he got caught by his parents with a stack of his mom’s lingerie catalogs.”

  “No, you couldn’t.” I pull her into me and tickle her side.

  “Okay, okay. I won’t.” She gives me a peck on the cheek before returning her attention to Kelsey. “Has he ever told you about how good of a baseball player he was in high school?”

  “No.”

  I really don’t talk about it to anyone. After Mary had left, my life kind of fell apart, and that included baseball.

  “He was. Even had a full-ride scholarship to state.”

  “You never told me that. What position were you?”

  “Pitcher.”

  “Wow. That’s awesome. So what happened? Did you play in college?”

  Mary tenses beside me. She asked about college the other day and I told her the truth. When she ran away, I didn’t want to move in case she ever came back, so I ended up going to the community college and got my degree in Criminal Justice. I rub her back and whisper, “It’s okay,” so only she can hear me, then address Kelsey. “Sometimes you have to sacrifice something you want for someone you love.”

  Chapter 16

  Mary

  BRANDON FELL ASLEEP A while ago with his arms around me so tight I could hardly breathe. I love it. He makes me feel like nothing in the world can touch me. If I could just lie here with him for the rest of my life, I would. I’d make up for the years apart, loving him every second of every day. Prove to him that I never stopped.