Hey Sunshine (25 page)

Annabelle and Duke faded out, and the camera took on a grainy quality as it zeroed in on two intertwined hands, one of mine and one of Fox’s. The music swelled slightly and I realized it
was
Brad Paisley, singing about a girl who was his everything. I watched, mesmerized, as Fox’s thumb smoothed its way over my skin, tracing the veins of my wrist as he held me close to his chest. Even though only our fingers and a bit of my shirt were visible, I could feel in that moment exactly what it was like to be in his arms. I wanted to be there right now. The camera panned back to another night sky view outside the window and, through a trick of the glass, the fire and the barest hint of our silhouettes were reflected, bringing everything together before fading to black.

I sat for a moment, thinking of a hundred reasons why I should stay put and a million more why I shouldn’t, before jumping up and practically running out of the house.

* * *

“You should’ve called. I would’ve come to you,” Fox said when he opened the door.

“You should’ve known I couldn’t wait.” I didn’t hesitate, I just stepped forward and he caught me. His mouth descended onto mine, and somewhere in the fog of what I would always consider our first
real
kiss, he kicked the door shut and we crashed back against it.

Instinctively, I rose onto my toes, wrapping my hands around the back of his neck and running my fingers through his mane of hair. He took his hands off the door, dragging them down my sides, over my hips, until he reached the backs of my bare thighs under my skirt. My breath caught when he lifted me easily, our eyes locked on each other, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed me even more tightly against the door. His mouth roamed up under my chin, moving along my jaw with wet, hot kisses.

“Deja vu,” I managed to gasp.

“I like how this door looks with you up against it,” he murmured into my neck.

“Consider it my new favorite place.” I arched and his hands slid up under my shirt, smoothing his way from my waist to just under my breasts.

His lips found mine again, coaxing my tongue to slide in sync with his, and I shuddered into his mouth when his fingers expertly flicked open the clasp of my bra and freed my breasts. If my legs hadn’t been wrapped around his waist, my knees would’ve given out the moment his rough palms slid over my nipples, shattering my nerve endings with his touch.

“Avery.” Fox’s voice was deeper than I’d ever heard it, raspy and low with the promise of everything his body currently teased.

I felt the solid warmth of his arousal, jerking and pressing tightly against my center. Shamelessly, I tightened my thighs around him and ground into his hips. “I want you,” I breathed, twisting his hair into my hands and licking deep into his mouth. “Now.”

Fox pulled his face back to look into my eyes, his own hooded and heavy with lust. “Not here,” he growled.

In one swift movement he latched his mouth to mine, spun away from the front door, and headed toward his bedroom with my body still wrapped around his. We burst through the doorway and onto his bed, his arms cradling me on top of him and cushioning our fall, our mouths still fused together. The room was dark, with just a soft light coming in through window, and the blankets were rumpled and twisted. The bed smelled like him, like warmth and soap and that unmistakable cedarwood.

I broke away and sat up, straddling his waist. He slid backward to rest against the headboard, propping himself up slightly as he watched me, a half smile on his beautiful lips.

“My turn,” I said, pushing his shirt up so I could see his smooth, tanned skin. The muscles under my fingers twitched and his chest rose with a sharp intake of breath as I slid my palms downward to where our bodies met. He sat up quickly and pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it into the depths of the dark room. I leaned into his neck, breathing in – I’d thought about touching him like this forever.

My lips trailed over his collarbone, tasting the saltiness of his skin. I closed my teeth over his shoulder muscle and he groaned, stroking his hand down my back and burying his lips in my neck.

Slowly, I pulled away, reaching for the buttons on my thin sleeveless shirt, undoing them one by one until my unclasped bra was visible. His hands reached for my skin the minute I tossed the clothing aside, cupping my breasts and smoothing his thumbs over my nipples before following with his mouth. My breath caught and I gasped as I felt his erection jump where my core pressed against it.

Automatically I rocked my hips into his and he reacted instantly. The room spun and suddenly I was underneath him, my wrists clasped over my head in one of his large hands while his tongue drew a wet trail from one nipple to the other, pausing to suck and nibble at my skin. I arched up to meet him, loving the sensation caused by his teeth combined with the rough heat of his sandpaper jawline.

His other hand slipped down between my legs as he nudged my knees apart with his own. I spread my thighs willingly, drawing in rapid breaths as his fingers teased over lace before sliding down into my heat. Every muscle in my body tensed with the sensation of his finger deep inside me, and when he added a second one it nearly sent me over the edge.

“Fox,” I gasped.

He raised his head from my breast and the look in his eyes took away what little breath I had left. “Your skin is so soft. I want to taste it all.” Slowly, slowly, he kissed his way down my stomach, leaving a sheen of wetness in his wake while his fingers continued their delicious, relentless movement. When he released my wrists so he could drag my skirt down my legs and remove his own jeans, I tangled my fingers into his thick hair and pulled his face to mine for another kiss.

His lips covered mine, his tongue swirling around my mouth, then he sucked my bottom lip into his teeth before releasing it quickly and sliding back down my body. I felt his hot breath sweep my inner thigh, closer and closer to my center, and when his mouth joined his fingers I was gone. My gasps turned to moans and my fingers tightly clutched the sheets while he explored the center of my body with his lips, teeth, and tongue.

I was rushing quickly to the brink, my nerve endings screaming with sensation when Fox pulled me back up into a sitting position straddling his lap so we were facing each other. My head spun and I frantically grasped for his shoulder to steady my world as he reached behind us into his nightstand and I heard an unmistakable foil crackle.

Fox supported all my weight, sweeping my hair off the nape of my neck and turning my face to meet his eyes. I could feel his erection throbbing between us, pressed to my stomach, but his hands on my face were calm and gentle.

“Avery,” he began, his voice deep with restraint. “I’ve wanted this since the day we met, but you weren’t mine to want.”

Between the heavy arousal pulsing through my veins and the lulling drug of his voice, my brain was a tangled mess of lust and what felt suspiciously like love.

“I am now,” I told him.

His eyes widened, then narrowed quickly. With one hand he moved my head to bring our lips together, sweetly at first and then with more force, while his other arm lifted me and placed me directly over his shaft. I knew I should take my time but I sank down as quickly as possible, relishing the incredible stretching, craving the feeling of him filling me like his fingers had moments before, but this was so much more.

My eyes closed and I broke our kiss, my head lolling on his shoulder when he rolled his hips against mine. Once I'd recovered from the initial burst of pleasure, my fingers found his hair again and I mashed my mouth to his, our bodies rising and falling together as he thrust up and into me and I came down to meet him.

In a matter of minutes, my sharp whimpers against his lips gave way to cries that I tried to bury in his sweat-slicked shoulder. He held me tightly while started to I clench and shudder around him, shifting to lay me back on the bed. He cupped a hand behind my head, supporting himself on an elbow while his other hand grasped my upper thigh to open me at an angle where he could drive in even deeper, stroking a spot where no one had ever touched me. The waves building inside me were too much to bear, and I cried out his name over and over as the pleasure crashed through my body.

His body stiffened, his thrusts became quicker and he pushed into me one last time, a loud, deep groan escaping his lips as he buried his face deep into the crook of my neck.

I wrapped my arms around his back, sliding my fingers over the slippery, smooth muscles, and waited for our hearts to slow. After a few minutes of lying there together, Fox shifted slightly, trying to spare me the full weight of his body, but I held on tightly and he chuckled, a low rumble that I felt through his chest.

“Don’t get up,” I pleaded when I felt him try to move again. “Not yet.”

He pulled his face away from my neck and I was rewarded with a slow, satisfied smile. “I’m not sure I’m able to anyway.”

The idea that I’d rendered this strong, capable, sexy man immobile was incredibly hot, and my core clenched involuntarily. We were still joined, and Fox felt it and laughed. “Again already? You’ll kill me,” he joked.

“You’ll love it,” I countered.

“I’ll die a happy man.”

* * *

Fox and I managed to finally roll out of bed hours later, just before lunch. I had to go pick up Annabelle at the ranch, but luckily neither of us had a diner shift that day because every time we tried to put our clothes back on, they just came right off again.

The fact that we both had today off wasn’t lost on me – Joy was making the schedule lately and she had a tendency to meddle, but I wasn’t complaining. Any free time I wasn’t spending with Annabelle was time that I wanted to spend with Fox.

“Will I see you later?” I asked him as I buttoned my shirt for the fiftieth time. “Tonight?”

He raised up onto his elbow from where we’d been lying together on the living room futon couch, trying to watch the same movie for the last few hours. We kept cuddling, then kissing, and then eventually ending up naked, so neither of us had actually seen the movie. I didn’t care.

“If you want me, I’ll be there,” he said.

Even though I knew it was a bad idea to get within his arms’ reach if I wanted to get out of there fully clothed, I sat down next to him on the futon. “I always want you.”

He sat up further, kissing me sweetly on the mouth. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”

A thought occurred to me. “Fox… I’m not sure what to do about Annabelle.”

His brow creased. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… now that we, you know, and if you stay the night, what if she…” I stumbled.

His dimple popped. “Avery. You’re overthinking this. We can find time to be alone, and nothing has to change when I come over. I care about Annabelle, and I want her to be comfortable. We’ll take it one step at a time, okay?”

I nodded, feeling better.

He kissed me again, and I felt myself start to melt into him. “Not too slow, right?” I asked, and he chuckled against my lips. “Because we’ve already done that.”

“Get out of here.” He got to his feet and pulled me with him. “Before I don’t let you leave.”

I was still smiling when I pulled up to the ranch and the three dogs ran out to greet me on the porch. Annabelle was right behind them, wearing a towel cape and holding a wooden spoon.

“Hi, Mama!” she cried. “I’m a kitchen fairy! I made cookies!”

I scooped her up into my arms. “That’s wonderful! Can I have one?”

She considered my request for a moment. “Did you finish all your lunch?”

Damn it.
“No…” I admitted. Fox and I had kind of forgotten to eat.

“Then I’m sorry,” she said sadly. “Those are the rules.”

“Maybe Grandma will make me a sandwich,” I told her. “Then can I have one?”

“Okay!” She danced happily into the house, the dogs at her heels.

“Mom?” I called.

“We’re in the kitchen, Avery!” came the reply.

Annabelle and I walked into the kitchen and found my parents sitting at the wooden table having a cup of coffee. I glanced around and saw that Annabelle’s cookie adventure was mostly contained, likely due to my mother’s obsession with a clean countertop. The aforementioned cookies were resting on a rack near the oven and they smelled delicious. I was definitely going to try and get my hands on one without Annabelle catching me and enforcing her ‘no cookies before lunch’ rule.

I grabbed a cup and poured myself some coffee before joining them at the table. I had gone by my house to shower and change before I came out to the ranch but my mom gave me the oddest look over her mug, which almost caused me to look down and make sure I’d worn a shirt. My father was oblivious, reading the paper and sipping his coffee.

“How was Annabelle?” I asked them. “She seems like she had a great time.” I could hear her in the living room, singing a song about cookies to the dogs. Now was my chance to get up and grab a few before she came back.

“She was a delight, as usual,” my mother said. “Why weren’t you home this morning?” she asked suddenly. My hand froze halfway to the cookie tray and I spun around.

“What?” Her question caught me totally off guard and I could feel my face pinking up.

“This morning. I called to see if you wanted me to bake an extra batch of cookies for you and Annabelle to take home. I never know what you have to eat at your house.”

She was pissed. I could tell by the subtle dig at my grocery shopping practices. I wasn’t sure what to say. No part of me regretted the night I’d spent with Fox, but I wasn’t necessarily ready to defend it to my parents right at this minute.

“Did you try my cell phone?” I asked, stalling for time to think.

“No,” she said. “I called you at home, because at eight a.m. on your day off I couldn’t imagine where else you’d be.”

“Why were you making cookies at eight in the morning?”

“Don’t change the subject, Avery.”

“I was out,” I said lamely.

“With Fox?” she pressed. “Again?”

I sighed. I was an adult, I had a date, I'd secured appropriate care for my child, and I could do what I wanted. “No, Mom. More like
still.
”