Southern Pleasure (Southern Heart 1)

I want tonight to be different. Up to this point, it’s him giving me pleasure. He never lets me reciprocate. Tonight, that changes. I block out the fact that we’re in his parents house. All I see is Evan, and all I can think about is having him unravel from my hands and mouth.

Gently, I push him back on the bed, rising up over him. I take control of this kiss, nipping at his lips. He literally takes my breath away and I need to break the kiss just to catch it. My hands roam over the peaks and valleys of his abs while I place open-mouthed kisses all the way to his collarbone.

“McKinley.” My name falls from his lips. The gruff sound of his voice makes me want this even more.

I kiss his chest and t

ravel further until I reach his abs. Let me tell you something about Evan. He’s a fucking work of art. His body looks as though it was sculpted. His six-pack abs quiver under the touch of my tongue. This man is as hard as steel and falling apart all because of me. It’s a heady feeling.

Feeling brave, I slide my hand over his erection straining against his boxer briefs. “Baby.” He runs his fingers through my hair. I love it when he calls me baby.

I continue my journey over the mountains he calls abs and my mouth gets closer to where I really want to be as my hand continues to trace his erection. My mouth reaches the waistband of his underwear and a jolt of excitement courses through my veins. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve thought about doing this to him thousands of times. Right or wrong, it is what it is.

Climbing to my knees, I slip my fingers under the waistband and lift it over his erection. He raises his hips, giving me the opportunity to slide them down his legs. I waste no time in taking him in my hand and roaming the length of him.

A gentle tug on my hair has me lifting my head. “Baby, you don’t have to do this.” His voice is husky and his eyes tell me another story altogether. I stroke him faster, which causes him to clench his jaw. Without releasing him, I move so I’m between his legs and sit back on my knees, still stroking him, increasing my pace.

I don’t speak, but lick my lips instead. “Fuck me,” he groans as I dip my head and taste him for the first time, one singular stroke of my tongue on the head of his cock.

I run my tongue up the length of him, stopping at the tip and taking him in. His hands find my hair and he holds on tight. Desire like I’ve never known fuels me to move faster, to take more of him. My hands and mouth work him in tandem. I can’t get enough.

Evan keeps his hand in my hair, but never once uses it to guide me. He lets me go at my own pace. I take as much of him as I can, causing us both to moan. “Baby, I’m close.” I don’t stop. I want to push him over the edge. “McKinley, I . . . can’t . . . oh God, that feels amazing,” he pants. I quicken my pace, and he pulls on my hair. “Baby, I can’t hold off.” I take him deeper. I can tell the minute he decides it’s okay to let go. Not twenty seconds later, I’m swallowing everything he gives me.

“Come here.” He grabs my hand and pulls me up to him. His mouth fuses with mine, his tongue demanding entrance. I’ve never had a guy kiss me after. He kisses me until we’re both gasping for air. His forehead rests against mine, chests heaving.

“I have no words for what that was, how that felt. You . . . wreck me.” He pulls away and adjusts us so my back is to his front. He wraps his arms around me and holds on tight. “Two days, Kinley. In two days, you’re going to be my wife.”

I can’t speak without him knowing how his words affect me. Instead, I lace my fingers through his and relax into his hold.

In two days, I will be McKinley Chamberlin.

Waking up alone after having her in my arms for the past week is not something I’m fond of. Yesterday, her family and my dad’s parents flew in. The house was full and Lexi stole the show. I love my little girl, but I couldn’t take my eyes off McKinley. She likes to talk with her hands and every time the diamond—my diamond—would sparkle. The women gushed over it; Aaron just gave me a nod, the men not saying much at all. This situation is unique. They don’t know when I bought the ring, I was thinking of her being mine forever. They didn’t see how it took me hours to fall asleep last night because she wasn’t there. They don’t understand that I fall harder every damn day. And they don’t get that the day she finally walks away, when this . . . ends, my heart will be shattered.

With the new members added to the fold yesterday, sleeping arrangements changed. My dad’s parents are staying here. The steps were hard for them, but they wanted to be close to Dad. There’s a spare room, so it worked out. Jerry, Sarah, and Aaron are staying at a local hotel. Sarah had the bright idea McKinley should stay with them since Dad’s parents were taking the spare room. She went on to say it’s bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other on the wedding day. I pulled McKinley aside and begged her not to go. Yes, I begged her. I would have given anything for her to stay with me last night. She kissed me like it might be the last time and left with her parents and brother.

I’m man enough to admit I missed the hell out of her. I told her I would. She chuckled and said, “You’ll be fine.” I am, but I’m not happy. I’m addicted to her, which might make me a whipped pussy, but I couldn’t give a fuck less. If that’s how it has to be, how I’m going to be with her in my life, I’ll take. I’ll take every fucking second of it as long as she’s with us.

Lexi is talking her cute-as-hell baby babble, letting me know it’s time to get my tired ass out of bed. Throwing the covers back, I make my way to the pack-n-play. “Morning, baby girl.” I reach for her and her little arms and legs go crazy. I kiss her cheek and she babbles some more. “I think we need to call Kinley, let her say good morning. What do you think?” She grins and shrieks. Sometimes, I swear she understands what we’re saying to her.

After a quick diaper change, I lay her on the center of the bed, grab my phone, and hit Kinley’s contact. It rings once before she picks up.

“Evan,” she says in greeting.

“Morning, beautiful. I have someone who wants to talk to you.” I don’t wait to hear what she says. Instead, I place the phone next to Lexi’s ear. At first, she goes still, until she hears Kinley’s voice. Her eyes look around, searching for her. Whatever Kinley’s saying excited her because those hands and legs start to go crazy again. I know it’s not what she says, but the sound of her voice. Lexi loves her; it’s easy to see that.

Pulling the phone back to my ear, I say, “She misses you.”

“I miss her too, both of you,” she adds softly.

“Last night was a terrible idea,” I grumble.

She laughs. “I know, but how could I tell my mother no. She’s set on this ‘no seeing each other before the wedding’ business. I don’t know if I’ll ever get married again, so I thought I would at least give her this.”

Get married again.

At those words, I want to yell into the phone that she will never be married to anyone but me. I want to demand she never think those thoughts again, but I don’t. Instead, I go with the only other form of honesty I’ll let myself give her.

“I miss you, babe.”