SLIPPING INTO BED BESIDE DANI, I gently wrap my arms around her waist and pull myself closer to her, breathing in her sweet scent. She always smells like pie or bread or cookies, whatever she’s been in the kitchen baking while I’ve been gone. Usually, if she doesn’t stop by and bring me something, the first thing I do when I get home is check the kitchen for a treat. But tonight, I came straight to bed, needing to be close to her, feel her, hold her.
She’s home to me now. She’s what soothes my frayed edges, calms my fears, and makes things right in my world.
I used to think home was a place. Until I met Dani. Now, I realize home is more about people than a structure.
She stirs beside me and as much as I want to be with her, make love to her and use her to wash away the craziness of the day, I don’t want to wake her. So instead, I kiss her softly.
“I’m home, baby,” I whisper, kissing her forehead. “Go back to sleep.”
But I can’t. Even with the comfort of Dani curled up beside me. I can’t turn off my brain.
Maybe another reason I don’t want Dani to wake up is because I don’t want to tell her about the fight with Deacon yet. What if she agrees with him? What if she thinks it’s a bad idea? Will I back out on Alex?
I toy around with all of that for a while, checking the blue lights on the alarm clock a few times.
Over an hour passes before I come to the conclusion that if Dani didn’t want me to go into business with Alex, I wouldn’t. Because at the end of the day, all I want is her. So, if that were something that would drive a wedge between us, I’d say no in a heartbeat.
As the sun rises and the bright rays fill the bedroom, I pat the cold sheets beside me, searching for Dani. But she’s not there.
That’s when I hear the clang of pans coming from the kitchen and I smile.
Bacon.
Pancakes.
Because it’s Saturday, and that’s what we do on Saturdays.
Quietly shuffling out of bed, I slide on a pair of sweatpants and walk into the kitchen to find Dani spraying down a skillet and then using the can as a microphone. She’s lip-synching something from her pink earbuds and swaying her leopard-clad ass to the beat. The panties she’s wearing are my favorites. They show the cup of her ass and make it so hard to resist. Harder than normal.
And that goes for my dick.
But I tell him to simmer down, because I’m not finished watching the show. My own personal Sheridan Reed Show.
Her red hair is tossed haphazardly on top of her head and she stops for a second to strike a pose. This must be the grand finale, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m ready for a grand finale of my own.
When I begin to slow clap, she whirls around with a spatula in one hand and laughs, but I can tell I caught her off guard.
“What are you doing standin’ there?” she asks, her lips twisting into a smile and her cheeks begin to flush.
She’s embarrassed and I fucking love it.
“Oh, just gettin’ myself a show first thing in the morning. Best way to start the day, if you ask me,” I tell her, stalking forward while she takes a step back, bumping into the counter. “I was thinking maybe we could have a little encore and I can get in on the action?”
Her lips graze the stubble on my jaw as she leans into me. “That’s gonna cost you,” she says in a husky tone.
“I’m more than willin’ to pay up,” I tell her, scooping her up and sitting her ass on the counter. I take her free hand and place it on my cock so she knows just how willing I am.
She smiles slyly, biting down on her lip as she strokes up and down my length. “That seems to be substantial enough.”
“Oh, it’s substantial, alright.”
“Show me,” she demands, her feet coming up to work my sweatpants off my hips. I do the same to her panties, yanking them off and dropping them unceremoniously on the kitchen floor.
Pulling her ass to the edge, I rub my length through her wetness, making sure she’s ready for me. After a few seconds, Dani’s hands are on my shoulders, forcing me forward. “Just put it in,” she commands. “Fuck.”
“If you say so,” I tell her, a smile on my lips as I watch her eyes go wide when I comply.
Tossing her head back with a sigh of pleasure, she exposes her slender neck and I devour it as I thrust into her.
Kitchen sex is top of my list.
I love watching Dani fall apart and with her perched on the counter, I get a front row seat. The light coming in from the windows of our apartment paint her in a beautiful warm glow. Her mouth hangs open as she braces herself against me, allowing the ecstasy to take her over.
“You feel so good,” I tell her, wanting to stay here forever. Not just here, in this kitchen making love to the most beautiful girl in the world, but with her. Wherever she is, that’s where I want to be.
When Dani begins to shake from her approaching orgasm, I lose myself in her, following her with my own release.
I hold her to me while she descends from the clouds. Tilting her chin, I look into her dreamy, sated eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you.” Holding my face firmly, she kisses me with everything she has in her.
“What do you want to do today?” I ask, helping her down from the counter.
Picking her panties up off the floor and sliding them back up her gorgeous legs, she tosses her hair over her shoulder and smiles. “Besides round two?”
“Yeah, and pancakes, of course.” I fight my grin as I try to keep from tackling her to the ground. I swear, it’s a miracle that we live productive lives because if it was up to me, she’d always be naked.
“I don’t know. What’d you have in mind?” Turning the heat back on the stove, she goes about her business of making breakfast.
“I thought maybe I’d take you to Death Valley today. There’s a home game and we’ve got season tickets that always go unused.”
“Okay,” she says with a bright smile. “I’d love that.”
“Awesome.”
I just need to be with her. It’s been a crazy couple of months since Dani moved here. So, today, I want it to be about me and her. I know Death Valley isn’t the best idea for an intimate date, just me, my girl, and 100,000 crazy football fans but I promised Dani when she moved here that I’d show her all the things that matter to me. And LSU football is definitely one of those things we haven’t had the time to mark off our list. Today, being a day game, will be the perfect opportunity.
Thanks to my dad’s parking pass that I jacked from him after I found out no one was using the tickets this weekend, we didn’t have to park a country mile away from the stadium.
Holding Dani’s hand, I smile over at her, feeling so perfectly content.
“This is my favorite look.” Her smile widens.
“What look?” I ask, confused at her statement.
“This.” She motions with her hand, from my feet to my head. “LSU hat, t-shirt, jeans, boots—it’s what made me totally fall for you.”
“What?” This is the first I’ve ever heard of this, but I want to know more. Anything about Sheridan Reed falling for me is my favorite story.
“Yeah, the day you showed me around the plantation, you showed up just like this and I could hardly form coherent sentences.”
I laugh lightly, shaking my head. “And here I thought it was the first night we met in the parking lot of the motel.”
“Ugh,” she says and I can hear the roll of her eyes. “I might’ve thought you were hot, with your freshly fucked head of hair and half-dressed state, but no.”
I laugh, loving getting under her skin. I don’t like bringing up old flings, but sometimes it’s worth it just to see Dani’s temper flare.
“Why’d you have to remind me of that?” she huffs.
“So you’d do that.” I cock an eyebrow, pointing to the scowl on her gorgeous face.
“I swear, I don’t know why I put up with your shit sometimes.” The teasing tone is back in her voice and I pull her to me, giving her a very public display of affection. It elicits a few whoops and hollers from fellow fans, but most are too engrossed in their festivities to pay attention to us.
She’s wearing one of my LSU hats and one of my shirts tied up on the side.
Have I mentioned she’s the most beautiful girl in the world?
Well, she is, and today she looks exceptionally beautiful. Maybe it’s the bright smile on her face or the glow of her skin or just the fact that she’s standing here with me, getting ready to go into one of my favorite places on earth.
The parking lot is full of fans who’ve probably been tailgating since the sun came up and the smells of grilled meat and beer fill the air. Some fans come just to party in the parking lot and bring TVs to watch the game from outside. Never doubt the loyalty of an LSU Tiger.
“So, you know how the game works, right, Chuck?” I ask her, handing our tickets to the guy to scan them.
She smiles up at me again, giving me a nudge for the use of her nickname. I look down to see that she’s wearing her Converse and I make a mental note to keep an extra tight hold on her hand, just in case she starts tripping over imaginary cracks in the pavement.
“Of course.” She laughs, shaking her head. I’m assuming she’s having the same flashback I am, to the first night she walked into Pockets. She was this city girl invading my space. I didn’t want to admit the attraction I had to her from the first second I laid eyes on her. She collided with a tray of pockets. I helped her off the ground and recognized her from the night before. I had seen her in the parking lot of the local motel. I was finishing up with Val and she was checking me out. She might not admit to it, but I saw the way she took inventory of me. It wasn’t until the night at Pockets that I gave her the nickname, though. After the pocket incident, she came out of the bathroom and practically tripped over her own two feet. Her reasoning was because she was more accustomed to walking in heels. Something about training herself to not fall in them, but when she’s in her Chucks, her defenses are down and she’s not quite as graceful. So, Chuck it was. When she made it obvious that the name bothered her, there was no turning back. I admit, I like to tease. And teasing Dani is even better. She smirks and scowls and gets that evil look in her eye. It’s hot as shit. But now, I think she likes the nickname, as long as I don’t overdo it, I usually get by with a little nudge or shove.
Like, I said, it’s hot.
“Just making sure,” I tell her, squeezing her to my side, keeping her from the throngs of people piling in the stadium.
She laughs. “I was raised in the south, you know? I know football.”
“But do you know LSU football?” I retort.
“No.” She shakes her head. “When my granny watched football, it was always Alabama.”
I quickly cover her mouth and whisper in her ear. “That’s blasphemy.”
She laughs behind my hand.
“I’m serious, Chuck. Keep that shit on the down low. As of today, you’re an LSU fan. You’ve always been an LSU fan. Mike the Tiger was your favorite animal. May he rest in peace.” I pause for a second to save Dani from a group of drunk frat boys not paying attention and about to trample her. And then I’d have to kick their asses and we’d miss the whole game. When they get past us, I continue, “You dream of a gold and purple wedding. And on the day you were born the Tigers won.”
“They did?” she asks with a perplexed look over the top of her sunglasses.
“I don’t know, but that’s your story and you’re sticking to it.”
She cracks up laughing, tossing her head back.
“It’s go time, Chuck. Are you ready for Death Valley?”
She shakes her head at me, still laughing, but when we step out into the sea of gold and purple she gasps. “Wow.”
“Right?” I ask, sighing. “It’s a glorious sight.” That’s selling it a bit short for me. Stepping out into the bright Louisiana sunshine on a fall day at Tiger Stadium is damn near a religious experience. I definitely feel God shining down on us today, waving His Geaux Tigers flag proudly.
Dani and I find our seats, excusing ourselves until we get to the two open spots. She never looks at me again for the rest of the game. Her eyes are trained on the field and if they’re not on the field, they’re on the band. And if not the band, then she’s searching out the tiger. She’s completely engrossed and I fall in love with her a little bit more.
On our way back to the truck, I think about bringing up the situation with Alex, but I don’t want to ruin this perfect day. And I’m still nervous about how Dani feels about it so, I decide to save it until tomorrow.