Don't Date Your Brother's Best Friend

Sarah Jo kissed me, swallowing my cries as I came hard and fast, pouring out into her in hot spurts. Having her raw, in my lap, face to face was an experience I’d never forget. It was fiery and primitive and so very intimate. I crushed her in my arms, kissed her and kissed her.

“You win. I screamed your name,” I said hoarsely.

“I want my reward then,” she said, “I’m all wound up again from having you inside me, from having your ring on my hand, and being in your bed. From knowing it’s our first night and all the other nights are ahead for us. Please.”

“You never have to beg for me,” I said.

Still shaken from my sharp release, I withdrew from her, pulled her down on the bed. I kissed my way down her body, draped her knee over my shoulder. I buried my face between her legs, kissing her open-mouthed. She jerked in surprise and moaned. It was a guttural sound that I wanted more of. I worked my way up to the tight bud that was so sensitive. With the tip of my tongue, I flicked the underside of her clit. She twisted, moaned, tried to pull away from me as if it were too much. I wouldn’t let her escape. I held her hips fast in my big hands and went at her, worked her over with my mouth until her legs were jerking and shaking. I grazed her sensitive bud with my teeth, then sucked it fully. She screamed, bowed up off the bed and cried out. When I moved back up her body, I gathered her shaking form into my arms and crushed her against my chest. I kissed her messy hair. She clung to me.

“That was intense,” she said breathlessly.

“You know, you didn’t scream my name. I may have to try again,” I said playfully, kissing her neck.

“I haven’t even recovered yet. Give a girl a minute,” she said, nestling against me, “I wouldn’t say no to a nap in your arms.”

“All right,” I said. I took her hand, the one that wore my ring, and kissed her hand. Then I laid it against my heart and held her as she drifted off to sleep. It was such a deep comfort, a relief to sleep in her arms, to hold her and protect her the way I’d always wanted to do. She was mine, body and soul at last.

Truly, nothing else mattered.

Epilogue

Sarah Jo – One Year Later

“Tay, I’m taking the last of the coleus for ground cover, can you write it down on the order for next week?” I called out. Taylor nodded and made a note on the clipboard as she leaned against the door frame.

“You do realize you could make the notes, and I could load the plants,” she said wryly.

“I know, but I want the truck loaded this way so when I lay it all out on site, it’s in order,” I said.

I bent down to get another flat of bedding plants to put in the truck. Then I pressed my hands into the small of my back. My sciatica was a real bitch, but my complexion had never looked better. Pregnancy had its ups and downs for sure. I stretched the best I could and then wiped my hands on the front of my overalls. Leave it to Layla to find me maternity overalls for work.

“I think that’ll do it,” I said to the driver. Then I dropped onto the bench outside the shop.

I loved my job. We’d bought the Langford’s nursery and gotten Taylor Ford to move her flower shop into the property with us, so we offered cash and carry plants, drop in koi pond shells, landscape design, funeral flowers, valentine bouquets, the whole works. We were on our way to dominating the market in the whole county for all the plant and floral needs. I loved working with Taylor, and so much of what we did was a dream come true. I loved seed catalogs and wholesale nursery web sites and planning our stock for the season.

But nothing was as good and perfect as being Mrs. Maddox. My old friend, my secret lover, had made me his wife. And coming soon was baby Charlie-Anne, named for my mama Carla Ann. As the truck pulled away and I chatted with Taylor about what we had on tomorrow’s schedule, Luke pulled up in his truck and hopped out.

He gave me a kiss and then turned me around so he could rub my back. Which made him the greatest man ever.

“You need a ride home, babe?” he asked.

“I figured on staying another half an hour or so till we close up,” I said.

“Go on,” Taylor said with a smile.

“Where we going?” I said to him.

“You know how you’ve been craving onion rings? Well, I’ve got us a table at Cecil’s and a double order of those coming with your T-bone steak already ordered. It’ll be ready in an hour, so you’ve got time for a hot bath before we go.”