by Roxie Ray
Hayden was extremely tall for her age, and I wasn’t overly tall for mine. The result was that the child was darn near as tall as me already. I only had about a foot on her. I tried to pick her up, but Jace laughed at me. “I’ve got her,” he whispered.
He scooped her up in his arms and I gathered up Will and Walker. They looked exhausted as well. “All three are going to sleep like the dead,” I said as we walked to the car. Jace helped Hayden inside and strapped her in. I stood by and she mumbled something in her sleep that I didn’t catch but Jace froze before he replied to her, then shut the door.
He cupped my face, so I looked up at him. “Thank you for allowing us to tag along with you today.”
I trembled when his thumb caressed my cheek. “No big deal. I enjoyed it.”
He glanced at the kids, who hopefully weren’t watching, and pressed the lightest of kisses to my lips. “Text me when you get home,” he whispered.
I nodded and got in, waving as we pulled away. On my drive home, I felt this pull in my chest that I couldn’t explain but something inside made me want to just roll with it. It all felt right.
12
Jace
I drove the kids straight to Wayne’s. He got out of his truck as I pulled in. “Thank you so much,” he called. Will and Walker took off into his place as he and I got their booster seats transferred to his truck. “I don’t know how to thank you. With them on spring break, Wendy needed someone to watch them. We’ve got it lined up for my other jobs but this one was totally last minute.”
“Hey, you’ve had my back plenty of times. And they were easy. We went to the coast for a bit.”
Walker opened the door. “Uncle Wayne, you coming in?”
“You two go brush your teeth. Your mom’s working late so you’re staying here.”
Walker’s face lit up. “Yay! I love staying here.”
“Good. Now you and Will go brush your teeth and wash up.”
He slammed the door and Wayne sat on the porch steps. “What’s wrong? Were the kids too much?”
I should’ve known he’d see I had a lot on my mind. “No, not at all. They were great.” I sat beside him. “Hayden fell asleep toward the end and I carried her to the car. When I put her in, she whispered that she wished her dad were as fun as me.”
“Well, that’s good, right?” Wayne asked. “She’ll be on team Jace.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But I know what it’s like to have your old man walk out. I sensed her pain.”
“That’s why you’re going to be such a good stepdad,” he said.
“Well, that’d be the best-case scenario. I told her I hoped I could be a good friend to her and her mom. She mumbled yeah with a small smile before she fell back to sleep.”
“That was a good response.” Wayne sighed and looked out at the forest.
“The thought that I might let them down terrifies me.”
Wayne slapped my arm. “Jace. You’re a good man. I think you forget that sometimes. You’re not your father. You’re not even a reflection of him. Don’t sell yourself short.”
He kept telling me more things that encouraged me like that. By the time I got up to go home, I felt a lot better and thanked him several times. “See? You paid me back for the babysitting with some therapy.”
Wayne snorted. “I’m a chef, not a therapist.”
I intended on having a lazy Tuesday, but then I got a text from Porter asking if I had time to meet with him.
I’d been avoiding meeting with Porter. Seeing him would bring out emotions I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with. I had to mentally prepare for the reality of who he was to me, but it seemed he had no intention of going away. He wanted to know me, and I figured there was no real harm in it, especially if I didn’t invest too much energy.
Porter and I met up for coffee and breakfast. It was awkward for both of us and Porter admitted that he had been scared to reach out to me, but he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t at least try. It was a lot for both of us to process. I decided to put my discomfort aside and roll with it. We spent the morning learning more about each other.
“So, you know I own a bar,” I said. “What do you do?”
He swallowed his bite of muffin and took a sip of coffee. “Sorry. I’m an attorney. Family law.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. That’s impressive.”
He shrugged. “After what happened with Dad, and it was so hard for Mom to get the divorce with him disappeared, I wanted to be able to help people in bad situations.”
“All I did to deal with our father’s shittiness was sleep with a lot of women.”
Porter burst out laughing, and it broke another layer of awkwardness between us. We kept talking and learned about each other’s lives growing up, that we both loved some of the same things, like foods and movies. It was a little uncanny some of the similarities. Our laughs were somewhat alike, and we both had the same birthmark, a stork bite on the back of our necks.
All in all, it was a nice morning. Porter told me that his clan back in Cali probably missed him, so he’d be heading back soon but he wanted to hang with me again before he had to head back.
I found myself really wanting to stay in touch and told him so. The look on his face when I said it made me hopeful for our future relationship.
After breakfast I decided to surprise Hayden and Bri. I didn’t want to intrude on them, so I stopped by the bakery and had them deliver an array of donuts and pastries to them as well as some coffee for Bri. About an hour later, I got a text. You’ve got to stop spoiling me. I might get used to it.
My face broke into a huge grin, something that had been frequently present on it since I’d decided to pursue this with Bri. If this was spoiling, then it was my pleasure to keep doing it.
I only sent one more thing to them, and I ordered it online. It was a large bowling set, similar to the one on the beach. Just for Hayden.
But I didn’t try to see her again. I’d been pretty forward with the gifts, not to mention texts.
Then, Friday afternoon, she texted to tell me that the twins were spending the night with Anthony’s parents and that Skye needed a girls’ night out.
I’ll save you guys a VIP booth.
She replied with a bunch of hearts, so I guessed that was good.
All night, I was a nervous wreck, so excited to see her again. I hadn’t set eyes on her since Monday, and I’d been itching to. They didn’t come in until a little after ten. The whole time she was in there, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she talked and laughed with her friends. I could just see them in the upstairs VIP booth from the bar. Sometimes it floored me just how gorgeous she was. She smiled when she glanced at me, and my tattoo burned deep. Her smile was filled with genuine happiness to see me and my dragon half was just as pleased as me.
I had drinks sent to the ladies throughout the night and stopped by their table to make sure they were doing well. Skye was a little bit past tipsy, but I couldn’t blame her. I couldn’t imagine raising twins but then again, I didn’t think, after seeing those visions, that I’d be opposed to it… one day.
Bri’s eyes were a little glossy, telling me she was also in Tipsyville. “I’ll be taking you home when you’re done,” I told her. The ladies tittered.
She wouldn’t have been her if she didn’t argue a little bit. She tossed her head at me and pursed her lips. “If I want you to, you will.”
I laughed and ran my finger along her bare shoulder. “Yes, ma’am.”
As the night got later and the bar a little quieter, I made my way to the office to fill out some inventory work for the following Monday. I got a little wrapped up in it and almost didn’t hear the door open until my dragon nudged me with a sharp burn on my tattoo. I looked up with wide eyes as Briana entered the office.
“Hey,” I said in a low voice.
“Hey back.” She walked around the desk in her little black skirt and pink top and leaned against it, right in front of me. “Busy?”
“I was simply curious to see what your office looks like.” There was something mischievous in her tone.
“Oh, really? Well, here it is. Pretty bare bones.”
She looked around and smirked. “You need a woman’s touch.”
I growled and put my hands on her hips. “That much is true.”
Standing, I inhaled her scent as my face rose up the length of her body. As soon as I was upright, I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”
She bit at her lips when I pulled back.
“What’s going on?”
She sighed and looked up at me with wide eyes. “Kaylee called me a prude. So, I told her I could prove I wasn’t a prude and would come into your office and do… things with you.”
I burst out laughing.
Her skin flushed. “Hey, don’t laugh at me. I’ve only been with Hayden’s dad, and he wasn’t particularly adventurous. I feel inexperienced.”
I growled at the thought of another man touching her. My grip tightened on her hips. “I could show you some things if it’s something you really want and not just something you feel the need to prove to Kaylee.”
Bri’s breathing grew more labored. She stared at my lips as she spoke. “I wouldn’t mind being shown some things,” she whispered.
Damn it. My control was slipping. “I need you to be sure. You’ve been drinking and I won’t take advantage.”
“I have been drinking.” She put her hands on my neck and ran them up into my hair. “But I’m nowhere near drunk.” She pulled my head down and kissed me.
I deepened as her body went soft against me. I pressed closer and let my tongue delve into her mouth, tasting whiskey and… cola? “Are you sure you’re not too tipsy?” I whispered.
She groaned and pulled me closer. “Shut up and fuck me.”
I had zero intentions of fucking her on my desk. Maybe one day. But tonight would be about giving her all the pleasure I possibly could while keeping myself from sticking my dick in.
Putting my hands on Bri’s hips, I lifted. She figured out what I wanted and hopped up. When she was well-seated on my desk, I let my hands drift up her front and caressed her breasts through her shirt.
Oh, damn it. She wasn’t wearing a bra. I gathered the material of her shirt up and tugged, revealing her breasts and to my surprise, she did have a bra on. It was silky and cupped her breasts beautifully. Running my fingers along the seam, I pulled it down and one perfect tit popped out, the dark brown nipple puckered and begging for me to wrap my lips around it. Who was I to refuse a gorgeous, dusky nipple?
Cupping her breasts in my hands, I rolled her left nipple in my fingers as I exposed the right, then bent forward and sucked it into my mouth.
She tasted amazing, like warm seduction, if that could’ve been a flavor. Focusing on the movements of my fingers and mouth at the same time wasn’t easy, but I managed to do a rather good job of it.
Slowly rolling one side and teasing her areola with my teeth on the other side, I kept working at Bri until she squirmed and panted. “Jace,” she said, then moaned. “Jace, I need more.”
With my mouth still on her nipple, I trailed my hand down her stomach and over the short black skirt to her bare thigh. Bri’s hot skin did something to me and my dragon wanted me to roar with triumph that she was in my arms.
Unable to go slow, I sucked harder and slid my hands under her skirt to find she wasn’t wearing any underwear—and she was soaking wet. I moaned around her nipple and had to use my other hand to pull over my desk chair. I had to sit in front of her.
I had to taste her.
Collapsing in my chair, my mouth smacked off of her breast, leaving the nipple glistening. I looked up at her as I lifted her skirt. She had her head thrown back, but when I exposed her core to the room, she looked at me sharply.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and clutched the sides of the desk.
Sliding my hands around her hips, I tugged her forward, so she was nearly hanging off the edge of the desk, then I nudged at her knees, pushing them farther apart. Her sex opened up with an audible sound. She flinched when she heard it, but I shushed her. “That’s a beautiful sound,” I whispered. Then I ran my tongue up her slit and tasted her for the first time.
Bri sucked in a shocked breath and jerked against me, but I wrapped my hands around her hips again and held her still. “Spread your pussy for me.”
She hesitated with her hands on her thighs. I looked up at her with my chin nearly touching the dusting of hair at her apex. “Spread your lips.”
As Bri moved her hand again, her mouth dropped open and she looked down at me with heavy, lust-filled eyes.
I shifted my gaze to her core and moaned as she exposed her wet, pink inner folds to me, and I dove in. Licking and sucking, I held her hips tight so she wouldn’t buck as I drank her juices and teased her clit. Leaning in, I wrapped my arms all the way around her thighs so my finger could tease her clit while my tongue delved as deeply inside her as it would go, then moved to lick her sensitive nub again and moved one arm around so I could pump my fingers into her warm hole. While she held herself open, I sucked that bundle of nerves into my mouth sharply—And it took her over the edge. She came into my mouth, her core wetting again with her orgasm, which I greedily licked off of her, until she was only wet with my saliva.
My dragon roared for release and to bite my mate, but I pushed him down. He had to be satisfied with this for now. It was all we were getting.
Leaning back, I rolled the chair away and licked the last of her taste off my lips. My dick strained against my jeans, but it could wait. I’d take a long shower later and have plenty of fap material to get me through it.
But Bri jumped off the desk and dropped immediately to her knees. “What are you doing?” I asked. Did I dare to dream?
“I want to return the favor,” she said.
“No, you don’t have to do that.” I tried to pull her to her feet.
“I want to.” When she looked up at me with her big brown eyes, I couldn’t resist.
“I’m not going to argue with you. But at least come here.” I stood and leaned against my desk and pulled her up. “You’re not going to be on your knees on my floor.”
I had way too much respect for her than that. Sitting in my chair where she was comfortable, sure.
She scooted forward and swatted my hands away as I tried to unbuckle my belt. “I’ll do that.”
Damn.
I gripped the edge of the desk the way she had. She unbuttoned my pants in record time, pulling my aching cock out and licking her lips.
She looked nervous.
“You really don’t have to do this,” I whispered.
She arched one eyebrow at me as if I’d challenged her. “I want to.”
Her hands moved timidly over my dick, and I had to convince myself not to blow my load right that second. When she tentatively licked the end of my head, then licked her lips, obviously tasting me, I really almost lost it.
But when she wrapped her lips around my head and sucked me into her mouth, I moaned and collapsed onto the desk. Bri had to sit up straight to reach me properly, but there was no way I could keep upright.
She was inexperienced, that much was apparent. But with a little guidance, I soon felt like I’d gone halfway to heaven.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Like that.”
She sucked harder on my head and pumped her small hands up and down my shaft.
Then she explored a little and cupped my balls. “I’m going to come,” I moaned, lamenting how fast it was happening. But the only way to slow it down would’ve been if she’d stopped, and there was no way I’d willingly tell her to stop.
She sucked harder, pumping as she suc
ked and the tingle in my base intensified. “I’m going to come in your mouth if you don’t stop,” I said desperately, clutching the desk for my life.
And still, Bri sucked harder. She wanted me to squirt my semen into her mouth, down her throat.
And that image did it. My orgasm exploded, and I gasped, trying not to yell out into the office. “Briana,” I said in a strangled voice. “Shit.”
She kept sucking until I began to soften, then let go and looked at me awkwardly. I breathed hard and tried not to fall back against the desk out of sheer pleasure.
“Was that okay?” she asked in a shy voice.
I stuffed my deliriously happy cock back in my underwear and zipped up. “That was amazing.” I pulled her close and kissed her lips, tasting the salty tang of my seed on them. I couldn’t resist putting my tongue in her mouth one more time as our tastes mingled.
When I ended the kiss, she looked around the office a little awkwardly. “I guess I should get back to my friends. They’ll be wondering where I am.”
I nodded. “I’ll come out, hang around. Make sure you guys have fun. I won’t bother you, though.”
She turned to walk from the room, but I couldn’t stand it. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her back for one last lingering kiss. “That was amazing,” I said. “Thank you.”
She blushed and ducked her eyes. “I should thank you,” she said. “That was the best orgasm I’ve ever had.”
I moaned and leaned my head against hers. “Oh, that makes me want to show you even better.”
She laughed and opened the door. “Maybe next time.”
“Come find me when you’re ready to go home!” I yelled as she shut the door.
She did as I asked. I dropped Kaylee off after Anthony came and collected a well-past-tipsy Skye, then drove straight to Bri’s apartment. My truck was full of sexual tension. I wanted more of Briana, but I had to pace myself, even though my gums itched enough to bite her without sex.
