The first thing I woke up to was a kiss against my cheek. Porter’s faraway voice whispered how beautiful I looked in the morning sunlight and my heart warmed with happiness. I turned over and captured his lips lazily, my eyes still closed with a need for sleep.
But then Porter’s hand slid down my stomach.
“Mmmm, someone’s feeling frisky,” I said groggily.
He kissed the tip of my nose. “We did fall asleep last night without burning off that excess food.”
I giggled. “You saying you don’t like my curves?”
He gripped my chin and that forced my eyes open. “Did I ever say that?”
I shook my head softly. “No, you didn’t.”
He gazed into my eyes. “Then, stop putting words in my mouth. Your body is gorgeous, and I wouldn’t change a damn bit of it.”
I smirked. “Then, come prove it, big boy.”
He growled before he captured my lips and rolled me onto my back. His body parted my legs, and I was happy to succumb to his devious means. My hands slid up his back, feeling his chiseled muscles pulsing beneath his skin. And as our tongues danced sleepily inside my mouth, I relaxed against the mattress.
Before he slid his morning girth within me.
“Oh,” I gasped.
His face fell to the crook of my neck. “Oh, yeah. That’s the stuff.”
I locked my legs around him and raked my nails down his back. I clung to him as he rolled against me, my headboard banging against the wall. I kissed his shoulder. I lapped at his neck. I sucked a hickey on his bicep simply because I could reach it. I spiraled out of control as electricity and pleasure washed through my system, cleansing me of my sins as he pumped faster.
Thrusted quicker.
Pounded harder.
“Holy fuck, I’m gonna come,” he grunted.
I panted against the shell of his ear. “Come with me. I’m so close, I want you to come with me.”
I clung to him as my body released itself. I shivered and shook, my pussy quivering around him as he filled me to the brim. His growls overwhelmed me. The feeling of him coating my walls reassured me that, clearly, this was what heaven felt like. I spiraled into an endless abyss where nothing existed except me and Porter. Where nothing could get to us or harm us in any way.
And when he blanketed my body with his own, I let my fingertips slide up and down his spine.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
He chuckled and kissed my shoulder. “Morning, gorgeous.”
I smiled. “I would ask what you want for breakfast, but uh, I think you might have already taken what you wanted.”
He kissed my neck. “And don’t you forget it.”
“Trust me, I wouldn’t want to.”
He leaned up and kissed the tip of my nose. “But really. What would you like for breakfast?”
I snorted. “I think we need a shower before we start talking about food.”
“Hey, I can always talk about food.”
“You and me both.”
He took my hands and helped me sit upright. “Wanna talk about breakfast while taking a shower together?”
I snickered. “You know damn good and well that if we take a shower, we won’t do any talking.”
He smirked. “The hungrier we get, the more breakfast food we can order from that diner down the road.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “I like where this is going.”
He stood to his feet and helped me up. “Seems like we have a plan, then.”
He led me to the bathroom, but I had a different idea in mind. He turned on the shower and slid the foggy glass door back before he ushered me inside. One of the things this house did right was the master bathroom. It not only had a tub that could easily fit two people, but the walk-in shower could easily fit four. I spent many nights with my mother in the shower, holding her hair back while she vomited down the drain with hot water pouring from the waterfall showerhead from above.
But I was ready to start making very different memories in this place.
“What are you doing?” Porter asked.
I batted my eyes at him as I slid to my knees. “What ever do you mean?”
His back leaned against the wall. “You know you don’t have to.”
I wrapped my hand around the base of his still-hard dick. “But what if I want to?”
I gazed up at him as my tongue slipped out, and he hissed as I licked the underside of his cock. From his balls to his tip, he grunted softly as he bucked his hips forward.
“Mmm, so impatient,” I teased.
He gripped my hair. “Don’t you keep me waiting, sweet girl.”
I smiled innocently. “I don’t know what you mean, big boy.”
He pressed my face against his cock. “Open those lips, gorgeous. Let me feel you wrapped around me again.”
I happily did as he asked and the sounds that poured from his mouth shot me into the skies. I felt as if I were soaring around on cloud nine, seeing the world from a completely different perspective. I opened my mouth as wide as I could and felt his dick sliding against my tongue. I hollowed out my cheeks, sucking as tightly as I could while the tip of his cock teased the back of my throat. I gagged around his girth. Spit dripped down my chin. And with every thrust of his hips, I grew wetter.
While he grew thicker.
“Holy Jesus,” he growled.
I hummed around his girth in praise as my hand migrated to his balls.
“Oh, God. Yeah. Squeeze ‘em, baby. Just like that.”
I sucked him back and bobbed my head, watching as spit trails left patterns on his skin. I massaged his balls and let my tongue wrap around the head of his dick while his hips thrusted and bucked. His sounds grew desperate. His hand clamped tightly in my hair. And as I opened my throat, he slid all the way back.
Until my nose nuzzled his tightly-wound curls.
“Holy fuck!” he exclaimed.
I gagged and moaned, vibrating his skin as his toes curled. He shoved my head down his cock and I relaxed as much as I could, feeling his load trickle all the way down my throat. My eyes watered as I matched my breathing with his threads of arousal shooting from his tip. The warm sensation dripped down to my stomach, filling me with him before he pulled my head away. He slid until his ass touched the ground and his legs wrapped around me.
And as I sank against his body, I felt him shaking with the aftershocks of his orgasm.
“My God, what have you done to me?” he asked breathlessly.
I giggled and kissed his jawline. “I guess the same thing you’ve done to me, I suppose.”
He wrapped his shaking arms around me. “Never come that hard in my life.”
Pride washed through my veins. “Good. Because I hope to make you feel like that forever.”
He kissed my temple. “You mean that?”
I tilted my head back and found his stare. “Yeah, I really mean that.”
He kissed my forehead. “What do you say to a movie marathon today?”
I smiled. “A lazy day in with brunch, cuddles, and you? Sounds like heaven to me.”
He chuckled. “My thoughts exactly. And I bet if we place our order quickly enough, we can still get their morning special of ‘buy one get one’ for their stack of pancakes.”
My stomach growled. “Oooooh, pancakes. With their strawberry syrup.”
He shifted around. “All right, that’s it. We can clean ourselves off another time. I gotta get this food ordered, otherwise the hanger’s gonna set in.”
We stood together before I laughed. “I get hangry, too, so I totally get it.”
I turned off the water as he stepped out of the shower, rummaging around for his phone. I took the time to at least dry myself off, even though Porter was drip-drying over by the bed. I heard him talking to the diner, placing an order fit for a fucking court of kings. I didn’t care, though. He was an eater, and so was I, and all I hoped was that we would share meals like this for the rest of our lives.
“All right,” he said as he hung up the phone, “food should be here in about an hour. And I’m pretty sure I ordered enough for us to have leftovers later on when we get hungry again.”
I tossed him a towel. “Sounds great. Now, dry off before you soak this carpet anymore.”
He caught the towel and ran it through his hair. “You know this carpet could use a decent soak and clean anyway.”
“Well, I don’t have anything to clean the water away, so let’s turn on the fan before we leave the room.”
He paused. “Has it at least been dusted?”
I nodded proudly. “Josie and I got a hell of a lot done when she came over to help. Yes, it’s been dusted.”
He tossed the towel back to me. “Then, allow me to do the honors.”
He walked over with his chest puffed out like a damn peacock and flipped the light switch. I shielded my eyes as the bright white light kicked on, but the second the fan started turning it made this hideous squeaking sound that almost sounded like metal gears within the fan itself were grinding together.
Porter quickly turned it off before walking over silently and throwing open the bedroom windows.
Then, he turned to look at me. “Think you need to replace your fan.”
My eyebrows rose. “You think? After that kind of a sound, you only think?”
He shrugged. “Better than, ‘replace that fucker before it blows up.’”
I pointed at him. “I like that version better.”
He smiled. “Then, you need to replace that fucker before it burns this damn house down.”
And as I stood there, watching him search around for his boxers, only one thought crossed my mind. A thought that filled me with desire, elation, and a love for what was to come in our futures.
I could do this with him for the rest of my life.
PORTER
My arm tightened around something soft and familiar. I inhaled my first breath of the morning and smelled lilacs and dewdrops. I grinned as my brain reminded me of yesterday and all the fun I’d had with Astrid.
Complete with falling into bed with her, spent and panting.
“Mmm, morning handsome,” she said groggily.
I rolled my hardened cock against her ass cheeks. “Morning, gorgeous.”
She giggled as I kissed her shoulder. I didn’t want to wear her out any more than I already had, but damn it, I loved sleeping next to her at night. I loved waking up to her and feeling her body heat radiating toward me as our naked skin blanketed the other. It was the most sensuous experience of my life, and I never wanted to have it with anyone else.
And I knew, at least some day, Brooks would be on board with everything as well.
“Already thinking this early?” Astrid asked softly.
She twisted, turned, and wiggled around until her tired eyes met mine. I smirked as I reached out and brushed a bit of sleep away from her eyes. Even with her nasty-ass morning breath and the slight crust of drool that attached itself to the cheek pressed against her pillow, she was the most gorgeous human being I had ever laid my eyes on.
And finally, after years of wanting nothing other than her, I finally had her in my arms.
Forever, if I could help it.
“Just looking at you,” I said.
She blushed. “And why would you be doing a thing like that?”
I cupped her cheek before my hands slid into her hair. I gripped her tendrils and brought her face closer to my own, listening as she gasped. I glared into her eyes, hoping my words cemented themselves into her brain for the rest of her life.
Then, I drew in a deep breath. “Because you’re breathtaking, and don’t you ever tell yourself anything different. All right?”
She kissed the tip of my nose. “I promise.”
“Good.”
I wrapped her up and pulled her on top of me as her giggles filled the air. I covered both of us with a blanket and felt her straddle me as my morning wood slid between her legs. I wanted nothing more than to penetrate her. To hold her close against my beating heart and fuck her while she bounced on top of me. But I knew she was still tired. I felt the soft pulsing of her breath in the crook of my neck as her body slowly relaxed against my own.
So, I cloaked her back with my arms and let her fall back asleep.
Her soft snores filled the space around us, and drool slowly dripped onto my skin. While most men would’ve found that disgusting, I found it endearing. It meant she felt safe with me. Safe enough to trust me with her most vulnerable state. There was a reason asshats like the Black Douchebags struck whenever people were sleeping in the middle of the night. There was a reason they never crossed enemy boundaries until the darkness cloaked them.
It was easy to catch someone off-guard when they felt they were protected. But in this particular case, Astrid was actually protected.
And it would stay that way so long as I was alive.
“I love you so much,” I whispered.
Astrid cleared her throat. “Love you, too.”
I smiled softly. “I always have, in some ways.”
She snickered against my skin. “I had the biggest crush on you when I was a teenager, and I’m not sure that crush ever went away.”
She raised her head and peered down into my eyes as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked lovely in the morning sunlight, naked body and all. I slowly rolled her over until I was hovering above her, my cock hammering at the need to be buried inside of her. She parted her legs as her eyes darkened. My gut clenched as I lined myself up with her entrance.
Then, my fucking phone rang.
And I recognized the ringtone.
“Damn it,” I grunted.
Astrid sighed. “Can you ignore it just this once?”
I rolled over onto my back and reached for my phone. “It’s your brother.”
She propped herself up. “What? Why is he calling this early?”
I pulled my phone in front of my face. “It’s almost ten in the morning.”
“Wait, seriously? Let me see.”
I quickly flashed her the clock on my phone before my finger hovered over the green button to pick up the call. But I couldn’t press it.
“I talked to him last night, you know,” Astrid said softly.
That caught my attention and the call went to voicemail. “Wait, what? When?”
She shrugged. “You fell asleep before I did last night, so I gave him a call. We talked for a little while before I eventually got tired.”
I propped myself up onto my elbow as I faced her. “What did you two talk about?”
She drew in a deep breath. “I think it would help Brooks a lot if we sat down and talked with him together about what’s going on. Front to back, starting with the crushes we both had when we were kids. I think if he hears the whole story, he might feel better about things.”
I held up my phone. “We could always call him now.”
She shrugged. “I’m game if you are.”
But Brooks beat me to it. And as his name popped up on the screen of my phone again, I picked up the call.
Before putting it on speakerphone. “Hey there, man.”
Brooks’ gruff voice came through the phone. “You two up yet?”
I chuckled. “We’re getting there.”
Astrid nudged me when Brooks growled, and I rolled my eyes. “Come on, dude, it’s not like I’m hurting your sister. I’ve had a crush on her ever since—”
Brooks interrupted me. “Save it for breakfast. You two are coming over. Raven’s cooking up a storm, and I’m starving.”
I looked over at Astrid and she answered my pending question by slipping out of bed and heading to her closet. So, I braced myself for the morning to come.
“We’ll be there in thirty,” I said.
Brooks hung up without so much as a goodbye, and I wondered how this was going to go. But with Astrid at my side? And on my side? I knew I could do or tackle anything. I eased out of bed and rummaged around for some clothes before dressing myself in what I usually wore: some jeans, my boots, a t-shirt, and my leather cut.
However, when I turned to face Astrid, she looked damn near delectable in the summer dress she had put on.
“You like it?” she asked.
She gave me a little twirl and the skirt fluttered out just a tad. It came up to the middle of her thighs, and if she had twirled just a little bit harder I would’ve known what kind of panties she had decided on for the day. I licked my lips as she giggled. My cock pressed against the zipper of my jeans. I had no idea what the fuck this woman had turned me into, but I knew one thing.
I’d be ripping that dress off her body later.
“You look amazing,” I said.
She beamed with pride. “Thank you. I’ve got matching shoes, too. I love it when a patterned outfit has a matching set of patterned shoes. It’s always been my thing.”
I committed that little tidbit to memory. “I’ll meet you downstairs. I’m gonna go chug something with caffeine in it.”
“Oh, oh! There’s some leftover coffee from yesterday morning that I stuck in the fridge. It’s in a red tumbler on the top shelf.”
“Perfect. Meet you downstairs in five.”
After finding the coffee and choking down the day-old, cold-ass diesel fuel, I waited for Astrid by the front door. She came down the stairs with her purse slung over her shoulder and her hair pulled back into a half-ponytail and her ears glistening with small pearl earrings. She looked outstanding. Much too good to be at the side of someone with my kind of history.
But when she came up to me and kissed my lips, it reminded me that she had chosen me.
And who was I to deny her what she wanted?
“You’re perfect,” I whispered.
Her hands slid down my chest. “Let’s get going, big boy. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back.”
I grinned. “I like your style, gorgeous. Let’s go.”
We started for Brooks’ place and I reveled in the way Astrid clung to me as we rode on my bike. No sense in taking two vehicles when we weren’t trying to hide what was going on. And the truth of the matter was that Brooks needed to get used to seeing this anyway. He needed to get used to us being an item. Because if we didn’t want to tiptoe around in our own damn hometown, we needed to get past the fact that it might take him a while to get onboard.
So, when we parked my bike in front of Raven’s townhome, we held hands while walking up to the front door.
Before Astrid knocked on the door.
“Coming!” Raven called out.
However, when the door ripped open, it wasn’t Raven standing on the other side. It was Brooks.
And his eyes fell to our interlocked hands before his face turned burnt red.
“Brooks, take a breath. You look like your head’s about to pop off,” Astrid said.
Brooks glared at me. “It just might.”
Raven rushed up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down. This isn’t supposed to be hostile. And if it gets hostile, I’ll usher them out myself.”
Astrid sighed. “Hey there, Raven. It’s been a while.”
Raven smiled softly. “Astrid. Good to see you again. How have you been?”
Astrid held our interlocked hands up. “I’ve been great. What about you?”
She massaged Brooks shoulder. “I’m doing really well, despite my attack dog posturing. You guys come on in. I’ve got the table set for breakfast.”
We all made our way to the kitchen table and Brooks sat down right next to me. I peeked over at him as Raven took up the space on my other side, and it frustrated me that I couldn’t even sit beside Astrid while at the table. I slid my feet against hers, though, underneath the table where they couldn’t see.
Then, Brooks drew in a deep breath. “It’s gonna take me some time to get used to things.”
Raven nodded. “As it should. I know this is a bit much sometimes for you.”
Brooks locked his eyes with me. “So, you moved into the house or something?”
I didn’t waver. “Or something.”
Raven cleared her throat. “Remember what we talked about, sweetheart.”
Brooks leaned back against his chair. “Yeah, yeah. I remember.”
Astrid finally spoke. “What did you two talk about? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Raven shrugged. “Just that if he doesn’t cut this shit out, he won’t only be losing his sister, he’ll be losing me.”
I whistled lowly as I glanced over at Brooks. “High stakes for this kind of shit.”
Brooks ran his hand through his hair. “You’re fucking telling me.”
Astrid giggled. “Good on you. It’s about time someone smacked some sense into my hard-headed brother.”
Raven giggled. “It takes a hard smack because of that thick skull of his, but I think I got through.”
“Uh, thanks,” Brooks said flatly.
I chuckled as I reached for food, but Brooks swatted my hand away. My eyes flew to his and I found him turned fully to face me, and I knew I needed to brace myself. Raven dished up food on our plates as my best friend held my stare, and I wondered what was tumbling through his mind.
Maybe he was plotting my demise.
Or his revenge.
But then, the words that came out of his mouth told me we’d be okay. Even if things didn’t feel okay in the moment.
“Porter, you got one chance to get this right. But if you fuck it up? If you hurt Astrid in any way, even if you didn’t mean to? And she comes to me for help about it? I will chase you out of this town. I will chase you out of this crew, out of this state, and out of this fucking country. And I won’t stop chasing you until you believe you’re safe. And then when you feel you’re safe? That’s when I’ll strike. Maybe you’ll be in a grocery store, and boom! Gun to the head. Maybe you’ll be sleeping, and boom! Knife to the dick. I’ll chase you, and hunt you down, and I won’t stop until your head is mounted on my fucking wall. You got that?”
I nodded. “I will always take care of your sister. I promise you to always do what’s best for her, no matter what it does to me. Always.”
He nodded. “Great. Now, let’s eat and talk about literally anything else because I’m starving and pissed off and I don’t need my blood vessels bursting one at a time.”
And as we all dug into our food, I found Astrid smiling at me from across the table as her foot nestled softly against my own.
Reminding me that, no matter what, we’d always be okay so long as we had one another.
