The storm in me rages until a crack of thunder breaks my restraint. I unleash and pump, digging my fingers into her pebbled flesh. I gnash my teeth from the strength in which my orgasm grips me. The desperation, the speed and intensity combined for a mammoth explosion.
We slow and blink our eyes open, the world around us now dark. I smooth my hand over her silky hair and kiss her lips. “That was a little fast and furious.”
She smiles. “I’ve been squeezing my damn legs together since the hay bales this morning. I just about orgasmed when I tasted the cookies you all made. The sounds I made were very crude.”
“I know,” I joke. “But also, me too. I can’t wait to have this all out in the open. I hate hiding.”
Her eyes soften and she scratches my scruffy jaw. “I know. I’m sorry. Soon. I promise. I think Viv and Nix are breaking down. I can tell they recognize how hard this is on everyone.”
I nod my head and kiss her nose before smacking her ass. “Let’s go get that food. I’ve worked up an appetite, and we’re going to need to refuel for later.”
“I’m holding you to that, Mr. Jolly Rancher.” She eases off of me and I shove my finger between her legs, capturing a small amount of cum that wants to leak from her and rub her soaked pussy.
“Call me that again and I’m going to show you just how jolly I can be when I spank your ass.”
She clambers over to her seat, ass peeking out from under her sweater, and she looks back at me. “Promise?”
I promise to give her anything she wants for the rest of her life.Just say the word, darlin’.
15
HAYES
“Hey, you guys remember my teammate, Otis?” Phoenix stands next to me, cutting up strips of paper and handing them to Vaughan who writes everyone’s name on them before passing them off to me.
“Yeah. The funny one. He’s got one brown eye and one green eye, right?” Vaughan writes Cat’s name on a piece and pushes it towards me. I stare at it and get lost in a short daydream.
“That one, yeah. Well he was asking about New Year’s and I told him he was welcome to come hang with us. Is that cool?”
“Of course it is,” I tell him. “The more the merrier at the McCallan Ranch.”
I fold the small sheets of paper and pop them into a box decorated with Christmas wrapping paper. I see Cat’s and palm it before sticking my hand in the box. I pretend to drop it in, but really I tuck it safely under my sleeve. There’s no way in hell I’d let anyone else pick her name. She’s mine. Plus, I already got her gift.
“Awesome. Thanks. He’ll be happy to hear. Plus, he was asking about Viv’s cute single friend, Cat.” I freeze, my jaw clenching so hard it pops.
I see red and my nostrils flare. We need to put an end to this secret bullshit. I’m tired of always hearing one of the girls talking about a cute single guy they want to set her up with. If I have to hear about one more Steve or Tom who’s interested I’m going to punch a fucking hole in the wall.
“Oh really?” Vaughan ads, handing over the last name. “He gets a definite thumbs up. And as the ‘older brother’ my approval is the most important.”
“Why do you get a say?” My hackles are up and I grow more irritated hearing my brother talk about her.
“Because I have to look out for her. She’s my little sister-in-law and along with Dre, it’s our job to protect the girls from doucheholes. Otis falls into the thumbs up category.”
My vision burns and I have to bite my tongue to stop from blurting out that she’s off the market. We’ve had a secret relationship for almost six months and I’m fucking tired of hiding. I was okay at first because Vaughan and Cami just got married and we didn’t want to steal their thunder. Then it was the baby announcements, so we waited until that settled. But right after everyone had absorbed that, Nix and the Wranglers made the playoffs and won the World Series which was followed by his very public proposal to Viv. After a few weeks, I breathed a sigh of relief that it was finally time only for things to blow up between Bishop and Nix and now here we are, half a goddamn year hiding my love for a woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. All because she’s been too afraid.
I rip the box from the counter and stomp off outside where the others sit around the fire pit, sipping on hot cider and hot chocolate and laughing. We’ve decided on a secret Santa so we’re all gathered to draw names. I’m so fucking sick of anything to dowith secrets I almost rather just walk out and say screw it to the whole damn holiday.
I step into the circle and hand the box off to Cami then take my seat next to Cat, moving it slightly away from her. She eyes me with a furrowed brow but I don’t acknowledge it or her.
“Let’s start with Viv. Remember y’all. There is a strict limit on gifts, so no going over.” Cami points her finger at each person, but they only laugh knowing there’s no way that rule will stick. “If you pull your significant other’s name, you must draw again.”
She passes the box to Viv who reaches in with wide eyes and smiles until she unfolds the paper. She frowns, folds it back up and throws it back in the box. She dives back in, her fingers fishing in hopes of not drawing Nix again. When her smile returns, she gives the box to the next person. When it gets to me, I seriously contemplate just dropping Cat’s name in the box and picking a different name. But the jealous part of me doesn’t want anyone to buy even a piece of candy for her. She’s mine.
I stick my hand in and manipulate the paper from my cuff. When it’s tucked into my hand, I pull it out and pretend to read the name for the first time. When I hold it out for Cat, I can’t even look at her. I’m hurt and frustrated. I can sense her hesitation, waiting for me to look at her, but I refuse to break. I need a moment.
Names get drawn and we all break off in conversations, drinks and food plentiful so I drink my fare share and then some. Many times Cat has tried speaking to me but I just ignore her. I keep telling myself to lighten up because in reality, I can’t fault her because she’s gorgeous and men want her. But I can fault her for keeping our relationship a secret which allows other men to think they have a chance with her. If they knew she had a boyfriend this wouldn’t even be a problem.
I’m tossing back the dredges of another beer when I feel my arm being squeezed. My equilibrium is slightly off, so I stumbleas I’m pulled away. It’s dark out now and I feel woozy, so it takes me a moment to decipher who it is that’s lugging me away.
