“Fuck,” he said pulling away giving him space for his movements to pick up in speed and roughness. “You’re not leaving my bed tonight.”
A bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he battled with his control. His face pinched together in concentration and I flexed, bringing him closer. “Fuck,” he moaned as jets of his cum filled me.
His body fell to the side of the bed and he took me with him, unwilling to lose our connection. “Stay.”
I kicked myself for causing Pierce so much pain that he worried even now that I’d slip out in the middle of the night. “I already told you I’m never leaving. Besides, your mattress is way better than mine.”
Pierce laughed, a full-blown joyful sound I’d only heard once or twice before, and I swore I noticed the tension leaving the room as we lay together accepting one another and our future. “Thank fuck because yours sucks.”
I playfully pushed on his shoulder, pretending to smack it. “You only slept on it one night and we barely did any sleeping.” I didn’t talk about that time, but if we were going to be a couple soon, I’d have to admit the whole story to Tabitha, so she could correct her count.
We were quiet for a moment, both enjoying being with one another. His skin warmed mine, and I never wanted to leave. “I love you, Pierce Kensington.” Wow didn’t think I’d ever say those words so easily and often. “I’m sorry it took so long.”
He kissed my neck and nibbled on my ear lobe. “I love you, Katy Kadish. And who gives a fuck how long it took to get here? We have our entire future ahead. That’s what matters now.”
22
Pierce
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Katy said, rolling her fingers back and forth over the top of her jeans as she sat in the passenger side of my car.
I stopped at the sign on the corner of Bayside and Main street and turned to her. “It’ll be okay.”
We hadn’t even been an official couple for twelve hours yet, but we both understood we needed to get ahead of the gossip chain in Pelican Bay. If we left the townspeople—especially Pearl—to their own devices, they would concoct a crazy story. We had to set the narrative to our future and guide the direction and conclusions people drew before the evening’s phone tree.
That’s why first thing Monday morning, after lazily getting out of bed, we agreed to announce our new status as soon as possible. Hopefully my cousin Jerome wouldn’t be too ticked when I didn’t make our 11:30 lunch meeting. I’d brief him on the status of his building later. In email.
Jerome would either support me on finally winning Katy, or he’d completely snub her and call me a Kensington Dumbass—our grandfather’s favorite insult. Only time would tell. Either way, I’d handle it.
I made the turn onto Main street as Katy spoke again. “People will think you finally lost your mind and kidnapped me.”
What in the freaking hell?
Just when I thought I had the woman half figured out, she said something completely off the wall. I pulled into a parking spot in front of the bakery and shut the car off, locking the doors before she could escape.
“Katy, don’t be ridiculous. No one will think I’ve lost my mind. Besides, if I kidnapped you, why would I take you to the bakery before killing you?”
She held her hand up defensively. “Whoa, who said anything about killing me? But still, everyone knows you’d feed me before burying me somewhere. It’s the polite murderer thing to do.”
Seriously, there was no point in arguing with this woman. Why did I think if we ever had a relationship, I would be the winner in any of these discussions? We weren’t even a full day into the thing, and I was questioning my choices.
No, nothing could be more perfect with Katy. As I stared at her on the other side of the car, I smiled. I would put up with the crazy conversations to have Katy by my side.
“Regardless, no one will think that.”
She shook her head, her blonde hair falling off her shoulders. “We’ll see.”
I unlocked the car, but Katy shouted, “Wait!” And I hurried to lock it again.
I faced her so she could see my expression when I spoke next. “If you yell psych, you’re in so much trouble.” For a second fear trickled down my spine. She wouldn’t. Right? Katy wasn’t such a monster she would pretend to have a relationship with me just to screw with me. Right? Right? Ugh! Why didn’t she say something!
Relax, Pierce. Deep breaths.
Her eyes weren’t lying when she said she loved me.
She smiled and one side of her lips tipped up higher than the other. “You really think I would do that?”
“No,” I said trying to reassure her and myself.
