Until Sage (Until Him 2)

Seeing them, I pick up my own paddle. “How do I do this?” I ask, and the boat glides to a stop.

“First one side and then the other. You start us off and I’ll fall into rhythm with you,” he says, and I nod then take the long paddle and begin to put one side into the water. It takes me a few minutes for me to stop going in circles and to get the hang of it, but when I finally catch on, Sage starts paddling with me and we fly over the top of the lake, chasing after Willow and Harmony.

I laugh harder than I have in a long time and smile so much my face hurts. I know my happiness isn’t because of what I’m doing, even though kayaking is a total blast. I’m happy because of who I am with. Sage is one of those people who is just easy to hang out with. He puts you at ease, takes the stress away, and makes you smile, even when you don’t think it’s possible to.

And he is also the guy I’m pretty sure I’m already falling in love with. I just hope with time he can feel the same way about me.

*

Sage

SLIPPING ON MY dress shirt, I do up the buttons then the cuffs and grab my watch, putting it on before walking out of the closet. Listening to the sound of Kim singing behind the door of my master bath, I smile then laugh. She sounds horrible, but it’s still cute to hear her so happy. I head toward the door and grab my shoes, leaving for the living room, where I take a seat on the edge of the couch to put them on.

We were out on the lake longer than I expected us to be, so by the time we got back in and put away the kayaks, Willow and Harmony left to get ready for dinner, which reminded Kim about our plans for the evening. I know she’s nervous about being around everyone tonight, but I’m relieved. For a long time, I’ve hated going to family functions or get-togethers knowing Kim could be there with one of my cousins. If she were there, I would’ve had to be in the same room with her and not touch her, not talk to her. Fuck, I could barely look at her. It was like torture every time.

But tonight, tonight is different. There are no rules anymore. I can touch her whenever the fuck I want.

Standing from the couch, I head for the kitchen but stop dead when Kim walks out of my room and down the hall toward me. Her hair is half down and pulled away from her face, making her eyes and cheekbones stand out. The dark burgundy turtleneck dress she’s wearing looks amazing with her complexion and skims her body like a second skin, ending just above a pair of knee high black leather boots.

“Fuck.” Seeing those boots, I know going slow just went out the fucking window. I want her. No… want is too tame a word. I fucking need her.

“Is this too much?” she asks, stopping before me and holding her arms out to her sides. “I don’t want to look slutty. I didn’t even think about the fact this kind of screams ‘slut’ with the boots.”

Jesus, my woman is crazy.

“You don’t look slutty, but I’m definitely thinking about you in those boots and nothing else.”

“Sage,” she snaps, and I lean in, wrapping my hand around her hip, feeling the soft material of the dress under my palm.

“Never mind, the sweater’s hot, too. The first time I fuck you,” I lean down, nipping her earlobe while grabbing her ass, “it will be up around your waist, your boots around my hips, and your ass on the counter in the kitchen.”

“You’re not helping me feel better,” she growls.

I lean back to look at her then move my hands to hold her face gently. “You look beautiful.”

“Are you sure? Your mom and dad—”

“They couldn’t give a fuck less what you wear. They already know you and like you. You have nothing to be nervous about. This is my family and the people you’ve been hanging out with for a long time.”

“I guess you’re right. It just feels different,” she says quietly, dropping her eyes from mine.

Giving her jaw a squeeze, I wait until she looks at me once more before I speak. “The only difference is you’re mine now, and everyone knows it. Nothing else has changed. Everyone is still going to be loud and inappropriate. My mom will probably ask about what our plans are, and my aunts will probably hem and haw about planning another wedding. But it will be all good.”

“Wedding?” Her eyes widen, and she visibly swallows.

I laugh. “You know July, June, and Ash, babe. So you know exactly what happens when the women in my family get together. They all start plotting.”