Chapter Nineteen
Meghan
“I think we should do another toast!” Grandma exclaims as she joins our group at the pool table.
“I’m not sure I can do another shot, Grandma. I’m starting to feel all warm and fuzzy, and that’s the perfect level of drunkenness for post bachelorette party sex with my sexy, and might I add well-hung, fiancé,” AJ proclaims way too loudly, drawing the attention of everyone around us at Lucky’s. Since it’s early June, tourist season is officially underway, which means the bar is exceptionally crowded tonight.
“One more shot isn’t going to hurt, AJ,” Grandma says before turning and heading toward the bar.
“Seriously, make her stop with the shots. If I keep this up, I’ll pass out before Sawyer and I can get it on,” AJ grumbles.
“You could always just puke on his shoes. You know, for ol’ time’s sake,” I tease my sister, who infamously threw up, hitting Sawyer’s shoes, the night they met before they could make it up to his hotel room.
“You just had to go there,” AJ mumbles, pointing a finger at me.
I smirk in reply and take a sip of my mixed drink. We’ve been here for almost two hours and are expecting the guys to arrive anytime. Payton said the game ended a while ago and that they were heading our way. I’m actually really excited to see Nick, considering I haven’t seen him since we left work (and not together) yesterday.
Nick’s sister Natalie comes over and stands beside me. We’ve actually spent a lot of time together this evening. She sat beside me at dinner, and promptly filled me in on all of Nick’s embarrassing childhood stories. I actually really like Natalie, and have enjoyed chatting with her.
My head is starting to feel a bit fuzzy as the guys finally return from their baseball game. I watch as each one hightails it over to where their wife or significant other is. Sawyer practically mauls AJ, and if the look in their eyes is any indication, they’ll be doing it in the bathroom before the night is over.
Nick offers a smile as soon as he sees me. He heads my way, making my heart start to pound in my chest. He looks edible in his shorts and polo, the shirt accentuating the muscles in his shoulders.
Those shoulders are my undoing.
“Hey,” he says when he approaches.
“Hi,” I reply, my own smile plastered across my face.
“Having fun?”
“Yes. I’ve been chatting it up with your sister,” I tell him.
“Shit, do I want to know what kinda lies she’s telling you?” he asks, his voice playful.
“She didn’t tell me anything!” I proclaim, innocently.
“I doubt it,” Nick grumbles.
We stand there for a few minutes, watching everyone else. “Twelve years old and you still had a teddy bear? Really, Nick?” I ask, the bubble of laughter barely concealed.
“I knew it! That witch is getting it,” Nick declares, his eyes dancing. “In my defense, it was the one my Grandma had made me and she had just died.”
“Oh,” I reply, my shoulders sagging as I take in the impact of his words. “Well, now I feel like the witch for teasing you.”
“Don’t you dare feel bad, Meghan! Our grandma died when he was six!” Natalie bellows, making Nick’s ears burn red.
“I hate you,” he tells his sister.
“You do not.”
“I do. Wait until I tell your husband about the Zack Morris poster you had on your walls that I caught you practicing kissing on!” Nick sasses to his sister. Now it’s her face that turns red.
“Shut up, asshole!” she hollers, Stuart looking shocked beside her.
“Zack Morris was your first kiss?” her husband asks.
“I do hate you,” she says to her laughing brother, her eyes narrowing into laser beams.
“You love me,” Nick replies.
“I’m going to think up every embarrassing thing I can and tell Meghan.”
Nick just shrugs his shoulders. “I’m going to grab a drink. You ready?” he asks me.
“Yep. Malibu and pineapple juice,” I tell him.
He turns to head up to the bar with Natalie and Stuart following behind. Most of the guys are standing up there, so I know it’ll be a bit before he returns with my drink.
“I have news. I found out one of the authors I edited for received a movie deal. She was asked to write the manuscript and asked me to look it over for any major edits. I get to go to New York right after the wedding and meet with her!” Abby exclaims, sharing her big news with our little group.
“Really? That’s amazing news! I’m so freaking excited for you,” I reply to my sister, giving her a big hug.
“Wait, you told them? I thought you weren’t going to tell them tonight,” Levi says, coming up behind Abby, wrapping his arms around her, and placing a kiss on her cheek.
The look of alarm that crosses Abby’s face tells me something is up. Something big. Something that has nothing to do with her upcoming trip to New York. “What are you talking about?” I ask Levi, whose face goes from wide smile elation to panic.
“What are you talking about?” he asks, Abby looking like she wants to melt into the floor.
“She was telling us about New York, but something tells me that’s not what you’re talking about. Spill,” Payton directs, her big sister voice stern and bossy.
“Not tonight, okay?” Abby asks quietly.
“What’s wrong with tonight? We’re celebrating my upcoming wedding to Sexy Sawyer Randall. I’m going to be Mrs. Sexy Ass Randall in a matter of weeks, Abs. Doesn’t that call for celebration?” AJ says, her eyes squinting a bit as she stares down Abby.
“Of course, it does. That’s all we need to focus on tonight,” Abby counters, practically begging for a subject change.
Payton is still staring at her. All I can do is sit back and watch, because with our oldest sister on the case, she won’t let it rest until she has sniffed out the answer. “Spill.”
“No.”
“No?” Payton argues. “You can’t keep secrets from us.”
“Really? You’re going to call me out for keeping secrets when you’re the biggest secret keeper of us all?” Abby throws back in Payton’s face. The moment she does, two things happen. Abby instantly feels guilty, if the look on her face is any indication. And Payton looks like she stepped on a Lego. She goes from shock to anger to pain in a matter of seconds.
“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” I ask, turning to Payton for answers.
“See? It’s not so easy, is it?” Abby says to Payton, a smug look on her face.
“Someone just tell us what is going on. If you don’t I’m going to stand here all night, glaring at both of you, until you speak. And then I’m going to bitch because my feet are already killing me and my back hurts. I’ll end up having this baby in a bar, which is not anywhere close to my top ten destination places to have a baby, okay?” Jaime chimes in, rubbing her back.
“You’re having the baby?” I gasp.
“No, but I might if these two don’t stop keeping their secrets from us,” she counters.
“Fine!” Abby hollers, drawing all of our attention toward her. Levi grabs her hand and brings it to his lips in a show of love and support. We all collectively hold our breath and wait for her to speak.
“Oh, for Pete’s shakes, Abbers, just tell them that you’re engaged!” Grandma says from out of nowhere. Abby’s eyes are bigger than hubcaps as we all take a second to register the news.
“You’re engaged?” I ask, my face breaking out into a huge grin.
“Yeah,” she mumbles.
“Oh my God!” Jaime exclaims, grabbing our baby sister and pulling her into a hug.
“Congratulations!” AJ screams, jumping up and down and drawing Sawyer’s attention.
“What’s going on?” he asks, coming over to our group.
“Levi and Abby are getting married,” she tells her fiancé.
“You’re not mad?” Abby asks as soon as Jaime lets go of her.
“Why on earth would I be mad? This calls for more celebrating!” AJ adds, turning to Sawyer. “We need more shots! Shots for everyone!”
“You’ve had enough shots, my love,” he says, kissing her on the side of the head and whispering something in her ear that makes her giggle and blush.
“Yep, I’ve definitely had enough shots,” she replies.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Abby’s twin says when she offers her a hug. “And where’s your ring?” She grabs Abby’s hand, the ring noticeably missing.
“I didn’t want to ruin tonight so I left it at home.”
“You could never ruin tonight, Abs. If anything, you’ve only enhanced it,” AJ reassures her.
Nick comes over and stands behind me. “What’s going on?” he asks.
“Well, it appears that Abby and Levi are engaged, but she didn’t want to tell anyone.” I answer.
“Why?”
“Because she didn’t want to ruin AJ’s night or make it about her,” I say, casually shrugging my shoulder. It actually doesn’t surprise me at all. Abby always takes everyone else’s feelings into account, and this is definitely something she would do. It’s AJ’s night, after all, so she wouldn’t want to steal any of the attention.
“Ahh,” Nick says, his hand coming up and resting on my hip. The action makes my body start to tingle and warmth flood to the apex of my legs. He looks so damn sexy tonight. When I saw him walk in, it took every ounce of control I could find to act all casual and not go jump on him.
I really want to jump on him.
“Wait, but Abby said Payton was the biggest secret keeper of them all,” Lexi chimes in, leaving the insinuation out there.
“She’s right. Someone else has a secret,” AJ adds. Everyone turns their attention to Payton. Dean comes over looking a little bit like a perp in an interrogation room, under the harsh lights.
“This is AJ’s night,” Payton counters.
“Nope, you’re not getting out of this one,” AJ replies.
“And unless you’re jumping on a plane and getting remarried without telling any of us, we know it’s not that,” Lexi says, referring to the time they hopped on a plane, flew to Vegas, got hitched on the strip, and flew home without any one of us being the wiser.
Payton just stares us down, determined to not say anything. We’re at a standoff, a battle of wills, and between Payton and Lexi, I’m not sure either of them will ever give in. “Oh, come on,” Jaime argues, but it gets no response from the oldest Summer sister.
“Just tell them the bun is finally baking in the oven, Payters,” Grandma says, waving her drink around and sloshing it over the side.
Everyone stands completely still. No one moves. No one breathes.
“You’re pregnant?” I whisper, afraid that she’ll deny the claims. We all know how much Payton wants a baby, but with her PCOS, the likelihood of that happening is very slim. They’ve been going through rounds of Clomid, but the results weren’t successful. I know they’ve been talking about trying in vitro and have even checked out an adoption agency, but I didn’t think they had decided on anything.
Payton looks over at Dean, whose eyes seem to light up. When she looks back at us, her own green eyes are filled with tears. “I’m pregnant.”
Chaos ensues next. I’m pulled into a hug by someone of my size, squeezed to death by someone with a big belly, as we all scream and cry together. My heart is so full for the happiness and love each of my sisters have in their lives. We have three babies on the way, two that should arrive within the next month, and two weddings on the horizon.
“Wait,” Jaime says, wiping tears from her cheeks as she looks at Payton. “You took a shot.”
“It was water,” Grandma says, somehow managing to wiggle herself into the middle of our group hug. Payton gives her a look. “I overheard her order it,” Grandma adds with a shrug.
“Overheard,” Payton snips with an eye roll.
“It was a total accident,” Grandma insists. “And besides, Abby heard too!”
Abby blushes. “It was an accident for me. I was coming up behind you to order another drink. I saw Grandma crouching behind a guy who was standing next to you, and before I could ask her what she was doing, you placed the shot order.”
“I was not…crouching, I was…inspecting. Did you know Devin Montgomery has developed into a fine specimen of man-being?” Grandma says, her eyes lighting up with delight. “I thought about setting him up with Meggy Pie, but seeing that she can’t keep her eyes off the dentist all night, I decided to just let their sexual attraction play out. I wish I had popcorn. This one is proving to be way more exciting,” she says, and all eyes fall on me. And Nick, who clears his throat behind me.
“Anyway, so congratulations to you all,” I say quickly, trying to (unsuccessfully) draw the attention away from me.
“Can I just say that I’m very proud and happy to be your dad?” My dad stands off to the side, a wide smile on his face. “Weddings and grandbabies, my heart is overflowing.” His eyes fill with unshed tears. “I wish your mother could be here to join in the celebration. She truly would have been on cloud nine tonight. And even though the Summer name is slowly dying one by one, I’ve never been more honored to be a Summer as I am now.”
My eyes fill with tears, not only at his touching words, but also at the fact that our last name is slowly disappearing. After Abby and Levi get married, I’ll be the final Summer. For years I thought I’d be a Harrison by now, but sometimes fate doesn’t work out the way you plan. Fate is a cruel bitch, isn’t she? She sneaks in when you least expect it and robs you blind, stripping away your hopes and dreams and forcing you to rebuild from the ground up.
Nick grips my hip, giving it a gentle squeeze of support. It’s as if he always knows when I need a friend the most, and he never disappoints at offering me a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold. He stands close enough now that I can feel his body heat against my back. Maybe it’s the bit of alcohol I’ve consumed, or maybe the fact that I feel connected to him in a way I haven’t felt in so very long, but I wouldn’t mind if I felt that heat…everywhere.
Preferably without clothes.
While his hard body is pressing me into the mattress.
Is it hot in here?
“I don’t want to take any of the credit here, but I’m pretty sure it was the book that ensured proper egg fertilization,” Grandma says loudly, pulling me away from my despondent thoughts.
“Are you really going to try to take credit for our baby?” Payton asks, her mouth gaping open.
“Well, I’m not saying I was there, watching in the corner and whispering words of encouragement, but I did buy the book, you know. And I know you tried chapter seven.”
“We did n-” Payton starts.
“Chapter seven wasn’t nearly as good as chapter ten,” Dean interrupts with a shrug and a wink aimed directly at the elderly woman in the group.
“Oh, don’t I know it,” she replies with her own wink and smile. “Let’s celebrate! Oh, I wish I had something sweet,” Grandma adds, glancing around as if on the hunt for something to satisfy her sweet tooth.
“I had brownies,” Grandpa says, turning and glaring at Linkin.
“What’s that look for?” I whisper to Nick, who snickers behind me.
“I’ll tell you later.”
* * *
When the party winds down and everyone is heading out, I gravitate toward the man over with my dad. I’ve found them together, quietly talking a few times since their arrival at Lucky’s, which makes me both nervous and happy. What could they possibly be talking about?
Reaching the duo, I offer a smile as all talking halts. “What are you two talking about?”
“The weather,” Dad replies with a grin. “I’m going to take Sawyer and AJ home. Are you guys okay?”
“We’re good,” Nick answers. “I stopped drinking a while ago. I’ll make sure Meghan gets home safely.” The way he says it warms my blood and causes dirty images to parade through my mind.
“Good,” Dad replies, slapping Nick on the back. “Good to see you again, Nick.” Then he steps forward and kisses me on the cheek. “Love you, Meg.”
“Love you, Dad.”
When he collects the future Mr. and Mrs. and escorts them to the front door, Nick steps closer, his hand touching the small of my back. His fingers dip low, grazing over my ass and lighting a fire deep in my belly. Yearning starts to spread through my body, and I know I’m ready to see what happens tonight.
I already know what I hope happens tonight.
“Ready?”
“Ready,” I answer as he leads me out the front door. “Do you have your car?”
“No, I had planned to drive you home in yours.”
“Then how will you get home?” I ask when we reach my car. I turn to face him, leaning back against the passenger door.
“I may have to take your car,” he answers.
“Or…” I whisper, resting my hands against his chest and slowly sliding down until they’re resting on his abdomen. The slight buzz I had earlier is completely gone, replaced with a different kind of buzz.
“Or…” he trails off. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, and I can tell he wants to say something, but maybe doesn’t quite know if he should.
I should help him.
“Or, I could go back to your place with you, and you can take me home tomorrow,” I suggest, my fingers flexing against his six-pack.
Wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me into his body, his eyes seem to darken. “That sounds like an amazing idea.”
“A great one.”
“The fucking best.”
I hold my breath, hoping that he’ll kiss me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he opens the passenger door and helps me inside, before practically running around the front of the car to the driver’s side. When he slides into the seat, Nick hits his knees on the bottom of the steering column. He’s not that much taller than me, but I like to make sure I have complete control in my car with my seat close to the wheel.
The drive to Nick’s house is charged – sexually. He’s holding my hand and making slow circles on my palm with his pointer finger. The touch makes my heart beat faster and my underwear useless. I never knew one little graze like that could pack such a punch to the libido.
When we pull into his driveway a few minutes later, he opens the garage door. As soon as the car is shut off and the door closing, Nick jumps out and meets me at the passenger door. Stepping out onto the concrete, I’m immediately pulled into his arms.
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you for a week.”
“I’ve been wanting you to kiss me for a week,” I confess, a bit breathlessly, as his mouth moves to claim mine.
The kiss isn’t gentle, nor slow. It’s consuming and powerful. He takes the lead, threading his hands through my hair and gripping my head. My head tilts, allowing him the perfect angle to plunder my mouth with his tongue. My own hands reach around and grip the back of his shirt, holding on tight and refusing to let go. I can feel his very hard cock pressed against my stomach, practically begging to be taken out of his shorts.
And my word, do I want to.
After a few minutes, he rips his lips from mine. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what came over me,” he pants against my lips.
“I kinda like what came over you, actually. I was thinking,” I start, gazing up into his lust-hazed eyes.
“What?”
“Maybe we can continue this inside.” Deep breath. “With less clothes.”
His eyes turn to lava, and his breathing hitches. “Are you sure?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve never been so certain about anything in my life,” I reply honestly.
Nick watches me for a few moments, as if reading me like a book, before he brings his hands down to cup my ass, picking me up and bringing me into his body. My legs wrap around him as he slowly makes his way into the house, his lips kissing a blazing path down my neck as we go. I hear the door shut behind us, but pay no attention to anything other than the feel of him against me, his lips on my skin.
When we reach his bedroom, we fall together onto the mattress, my arms wrapping tightly around him as his lips meet mine. His hand moves down to my shirt, slowly pushing it upward and grazing his fingers across my abdomen. His touch is like fire dancing across my skin and seeping into my pores. It’s too much, and not enough, all at the same time.
His hands slide up and wrap around my heavy breasts. My nipples are hard as he gently glides a finger over each one, making me cry out. It feels so good.
“Does it?” he whispers, kissing along my jaw. At first, I don’t realize what he’s talking about, but then it hits me. I must have said it aloud.
“Yes. So fucking good,” I gasp as he does it again. This time, he pinches each nipple through the material of my bra, and I almost come off the bed. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this raw, this alive.
“Can I remove your shirt?” he asks, his eyes connecting with mine.
“I’d be a little sad if you didn’t,” I reply with a hint of a smile.
I help him shed my shirt, but I don’t stop there. I go ahead and unsnap my shorts, letting him know that they should go as well. His eyes are glued to my waist as I shimmy the denim down my legs and toss them aside. In one swift (and probably well practiced) move, his shirt is over his head and discarded.
I almost swallow my tongue.
This man is a work of art. He’s hard and toned and makes me want to trace each and every ridge of his incredible body with my tongue. Yes, definitely my tongue. And maybe my lips. Absolutely my fingers.
I watch as he unfastens his shorts, the fly hanging open and the material riding low on his hips. There’s no mistaking the material of his boxer briefs stretched tautly over the head of his cock. I can actually see it through the opening of his pants, and the prospect makes my mouth water even more.
Lying back on his bed in just my bra and panties, he pushes his shorts down his tree-trunk legs, letting them fall to the floor. My eyes are riveted on his incredible physique, taking in the perfection and committing it to memory.
Nick climbs over me, covering my body with his own and pressing me into the bed. The weight of his body only seems to add fuel to an already raging inferno inside me. My legs wrap around his waist, his hard cock pressed firmly into the place I need him the most. I can feel the wetness through my panties as he gently slides up and down, teasing my clit and making me see stars.
His lips find mine once more as he continues to tease and torture me. My hands grasp his back, reveling in the strong definition of his muscles. With each squeeze of my hands, he seems to come that much more undone. His hips go from a gentle glide to a thrust. “You’re driving me crazy,” he whispers, panting against my lips.
“I want you so badly,” I confess, sliding my hands down and grabbing his ass.
His eyes meet mine. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Nick sits up on his haunches and unsnaps my bra. My breasts tingle and burn with desire as he gapes openly. His hands move down my body until they reach the wet panties covering me. With his fingers hooked under the lace, he slowly (and I’m talking painfully slow) glides them down my thighs. He hops up and slips them the rest of the way down my legs before throwing them somewhere in the room. Then his hands reach for the waistband of his boxer briefs and he pushes them down his body.
I’m pretty sure I actually gasp when I finally catch sight of the magnificent cock that has been torturing me for the last several minutes. It’s large, straight, and hard as steel. I’m overcome with the desire to wrap my hands around it, glide my tongue along it, and feel it thrust inside me.
He reaches into the nightstand and grabs a condom. I watch as he rips the small foil package and covers his impressive erection. Warmth floods my pussy so much that I can feel it. I should be embarrassed by how wet I am – how turned on I am – but I’m not. Instead, I focus on the man who has made me into this sex-crazed feline, hell-bent on riding his cock like a prized rodeo cowboy.
When he joins me back on the bed, he doesn’t lie on top of me like I expect. Nick sits between my legs and gazes hungrily at the apex of my legs. With gentle fingers, he pushes two fingers through my folds, gliding them over my pulsing clit. I quickly realize that I’m three seconds away from exploding like a bomb, which would be the definition of embarrassing.
With a single finger, he slowly slides it into my pussy. I feel my body contracting around him, and I fight off the orgasm. I don’t want this to end so soon. But when he adds the second finger and swipes his thumb over my clit, I’m unable to hold back. My body detonates as the most intense orgasm sweeps through me. I’m floating on the clouds, blinded by white light, as euphoria washes over me.
As soon as my body starts to loosen, I feel him remove his fingers and move over me into position. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, closing my eyes.
“Why are you sorry?” he asks, going completely still above me.
“I’ve already gotten off. I wanted to wait until we could do that…together.” My cheeks burn with mortification.
“You think you’re done, sweetheart? We’re just getting started,” he whispers sweetly, coming down to place a kiss on my lips. “I’m nowhere near done with you.”
And then he lines up his cock at my entrance, his eyes locked on mine, and slowly pushes inside me. It stretches as he enters my body, almost to the point of pain. With just one thrust, he fills me so completely that I’m not sure where he ends and I begin.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his eyes searching my face for an answer.
“So okay,” I gasp as he flexes his hips before stilling completely.
Nick reaches for my cheek, brushing a lone tear off my skin that I didn’t even realize had escaped. I’m crying? Why am I crying? There’s no crying in…sex!
But this isn’t just sex. I know it. He knows it. This is something greater. This is the coming together of two friends as lovers. This is me ripping off the scab, revealing the deep wound beneath. This is him cradling that wound in his hands and vowing to help it heal.
This is the moment I let go of the past and take a step toward the unknown future.
“Please, keep going,” I beg, my body gripping his erection like a vice.
“Jesus, don’t do that or this’ll be over in about two seconds,” he grunts, closing his eyes and digging deep for his control. But frankly, I kinda like the idea of seeing out-of-control Nick. I bet he’s just as sexy as in-control Nick.
Let’s test that theory.
I place my hand over his pounding heart and slowly slide it up to his shoulders. His shoulders are freaking killer. He’s starting to sweat a bit, probably because he’s trying to keep hold of any piece of power he can over his body. That’s not going to work for me. When I wrap my hand around the back of his neck, I rock my hips and give my internal muscles a squeeze.
“Fuck,” he groans, a shiver sweeping through his entire body.
“That’s the plan,” I whisper brazenly.
His eyes clash with mine once more, and I know that thread has snapped. The control is gone. The beast is unleashed.
Nick pulls back and thrusts hard. Not hard enough to hurt, but with enough force to scoot me toward the headboard. Reaching up with my other hand, I grab on and hold on tight. His moves are stealthy, determined, and direct, and with each one, I feel myself climbing higher and higher toward the sky. I’ve never orgasmed back-to-back before, but at this rate, I’ll be ready to explode in no time.
He moves his hand to cup my breast, working and tweaking my nipple. The sensation is almost overwhelming when you add in the friction of his pelvic thrusts, and the fact that with each one he hits that magical place deep inside of me that makes me want to come out of my skin. I can’t believe how alive I feel.
I can feel my body start to tighten around him, and he must know the end is drawing near. His lips claim mine, hungrily and possessively, as he tilts my hips upward, making his cock feel even bigger and deeper. I can’t breathe. I close my eyes and just feel.
And it feels amazing.
I grip his back and nip at his bottom lip as another orgasm sweeps through me. This one is much more intense than the first as release washes over me, one name slipping from my lips as the moment consumes me.
Nick.
He reaches his own release, swallowing my moans of pleasure with his mouth and burying himself to the root inside me. We’re both left gasping for air and boneless as he falls on top of me, pressing me firmly into the mattress. I run my hands over his sweaty back, loving the weight of his body.
The magnitude of the moment hits me all at once, and before I know it, I can feel the unmistakable burn of hot tears on my cheek.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
But there’s no stopping them.
They’re unleashed.