Nathan closed his eyes, trying to remember all the photos of him or his brothers with their sisters. In just about all of them, he or one of his brothers had his arm around one or both of their sisters. This was normal, right?
His eyes were still closed, and he was still concentrating on remembering when he first heard it. Heavy breathing. His eyes flew open, and he stood perfectly still, but he didn’t immediately hear it again. Glancing back toward the bedrooms where he thought the breathing had come from, he waited but heard nothing.
Just as he was putting the album back, he heard it again, only this time it was followed by a pained moan. A female moan. Nathan nearly dropped the album but managed to catch it and set it down as the moaning continued. “What the f—?” He started to mutter under his breath as a thought suddenly came to him. Sam’s been depressed for months. I’ve actually been worried about her.
He rushed to the hallway that led to the bedrooms, remembering all the calls he’d been on for suicides or suicide attempts. The victims were usually found in bed, dead or clinging to life. “Sam!”
It all happened so fast:
He reached her bedroom door.
He froze in place at the sight of Sam in bed, completely naked, legs sprawled open.
A final moan flew out of her mouth as she buried a baseball bat into herself.
Her eyes flew open when he tried to take a step back and the fucking floor creaked.
She scrambled out of bed, absolutely mortified, and slammed the door in his face.
“How the hell did you get in here!” She shrieked from the other side of the door.
Nathan opened his mouth, but no words came out. Here he thought her walking in on them the other night had been as awkward as it would get. He couldn’t even put two words together now as he stood there staring at the bedroom door, completely at a loss for words.
Chapter 21: The Surprise
Aiyanna
The front door flew open just as Aiyanna made her way up the front walk. Sam rushed out in tears, clutching her gym bag in one arm and her purse in the other.
“Sam? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, trying to rush past her, but Aiyanna touched her arm and she slowed.
Nathan was at the front door now too with the strangest expression on his face. Aiyanna couldn’t make it out, but he, too, looked upset. “What happened?” She asked him then turned back to Sam.
“Let him tell you,” Sam said, unable to even look her in the eyes. “I just need to get out of here, please. I’ll call you later.”
Sam rushed off across the street to where her car was parked, and Aiyanna watched as she screeched away. Aiyanna turned back to Nathan. “What in the world?”
Nathan still wasn’t saying anything, so she walked up the stairs, and he held the screen door open for her. “I’ve been meaning to bring up the possibility of you moving in with me. This might be a good time to discuss it.”
Aiyanna stared at him. Normally, the idea might’ve excited her, but she felt too confused at the moment. She thought she knew all his smirks, but she’d never seen this one. It was slightly playful, slightly pained. “What happened?”
He shook his head. “I thought she wasn’t supposed to be here.”
“She said she was spending the night at her mom’s.” They walked further into the house as Aiyanna put her bags down on the sofa, still totally perplexed but growing more concerned by the moment. “It’s what she told me when I spoke with her earlier. Why was she crying?”
Nathan took a deep breath. “Okay, I knocked on the door several times just to be sure, and no one answered. So I unlocked the door and let myself in like you told me to. The entire place was dark, and I was just looking around at your pictures.” He pointed at the mantel. “Then I thought I heard heavy breathing coming from the bedroom and then moaning. Like pained moaning. I remembered what you said about being worried about Sam being depressed, and my mind did that auto switch to first response rescue. I rushed to the bedroom, thinking I’d find her there with some kind of self-inflicted wound.”
Aiyanna clutched her chest. “Did you?”
Nathan brought his hands to his face, let his head fall back and groaned with a laugh. “Well, she was doing something to herself alright. But it wasn’t pain she was moaning about.”
It took a second to register what he meant then it did. Aiyanna brought her hand over her mouth, feeling her stomach plummet. Her face was instantly on fire. “No.” She gasped.
“Babe, I tried to back away before she noticed me because I fucking froze at the door the moment I realized what I’d just walked in on. But the floor creaked, and she jumped out of bed and slammed the door in my face. I felt terrible, but I swear I had no idea that’s what I’d be walking into.”
Aiyanna shook her head, the mortification overwhelming her as if she’d been the one walked in on. She pulled her phone out of her purse. “I believe you, and this isn’t the first time something similar has happened. Scott walked in on her, too, once way back. She was mortified then too. It took her days to be able to face him again.”
Checking for texts from Sam, Aiyanna shook her head. She felt terrible for Sam. These kinds of humiliating things always seemed to happen to her. Aiyanna tapped together a quick text and sent it off.
He feels really bad. We’ll just pretend this never happened. I won’t even tell Scott about it. Please don’t cry or feel bad, okay? We don’t ever have to talk about it unless you want to. Just text me to let me know you’re okay.
“God, I feel so bad for her. She has the worst luck all the time.”
Nathan reached out for her, pulled her to him, and kissed her long and deep. No matter how many times he did this, her legs would always go weak. When he finally pulled away, he smiled down at her sweetly. “I’d planned on running out and meeting you in the same dramatic fashion you did that first time.”
He chuckled and Aiyanna giggled, welcoming the warm and fuzzy feeling. Anything beat the mortification she’d been feeling for Sam.
His expression went a little more serious. “You ready for this one?”
“What?” She peered at him nervously.
“Just before I read your text today about you running late, I was on the phone with my sister Em. She said she’d thought she noticed Sam getting a little too flirty with AJ at the party last week.” Aiyanna felt her eyes go wide, but he smiled as if to calm her. “Em spoke with AJ today and confirmed not only was it true but she followed him into the men’s room.”
“She what?”
Nathan nodded. “I told Em Sam was drunk and that she normally wasn’t like that, but she was still a little miffed about it. You know because it’s disrespectful to his wife and all.”
“What did she do in there?”
Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed. “She didn’t say and I didn’t ask, but I’m sure my sister would’ve mentioned if she’d done anything else.”
“Was AJ upset?” Aiyanna started to back away with a gasp, but Nathan pulled her back to him. “Oh my God. Was his wife?”
“Neither is upset, and trust me, if AJ was mad, I would’ve heard something from him by now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He kissed her nose. “AJ’s never been one to hold back what he’s thinking for the sake of tact or hurting anyone’s feelings. If he were pissed, I’d know.”
Aiyanna crinkled her nose, feeling a little better. “I’ll hold off on telling Sam just yet. Let her get over today first. But I can guarantee you she’ll likely never wanna face your brother again after I do tell her. She’ll probably avoid facing you for a while too. So you can tell your sister odds are that’s the last they’ve seen of her. For a very long time anyway.”
Aiyanna sighed. Geez, the impression her friends were making on Nathan so early on . . . Nathan tilted his head and peered at her strangely. “You do something to your hair?
For the first time that evening, she smiled. “Yes,” she said touching
it. “I actually had it done yesterday. Scott and I went to the mall to shop for your surprise. He helped me pick it out. It got a big thumbs-up from him, so I’m hoping you’ll love it. But I decided since this is a first for me I should get done up for the occasion. You like?”
Nathan leaned in, touching his face against it. She loved the way he always acted like her hair was the softest most heavenly thing to inhale. “I love.”
Aiyanna smiled, shaking off the unease of how this evening had begun, because she’d looked forward to it too much to have it ruined over this. She pulled away and reached for one of the bags she’d put down on the sofa. “First things first, though. I doubt I’ll ever be able to top off Chinese New Year’s or the torta you made me, but Temecula is known for its wineries. One of our favorites has these to-die-for cheese-fruit-and-cracker platters. It’s why I was running late. I stopped to get one.” She turned to Nathan as she started to the small dining room. “I know you’re thinking what’s the big deal about cheese and crackers? But they have such a variety of the fanciest cheeses from all over the world. We have fun pretending to be all sophisticated even though we can’t pronounce half of them.”
Laughing, she proceeded to set up the tray for him on the dining room table, even as he stopped and interrupted her every few minutes by kissing her neck or wrapping his arms around her from behind. Aiyanna giggled the whole time, pretending she didn’t completely adore being groped by her sexy boyfriend.
“Okay,” she said once she had it all set up, turned on some music, and poured him a glass of wine. He sat down at the table.
“Where’s yours?” he asked, looking down at the glass.
“I’ll have one when I get back.”
Nathan’s head jerked up. “Where you going?”
Aiyanna smiled as her insides stirred with all kinds of craziness at just the thought. “This isn’t your surprise, by the way. I have to get it ready in the bedroom, but you can enjoy a glass of wine with your cheeses from all around the world while I get it.”
She leaned down to kiss him, but of course, he didn’t let her off so easily. His hands were around her waist immediately, and he pulled her onto his lap. Aiyanna giggled, straddling him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her neck with a groan. “Do you really have to leave my side?”
“Yes,” she said, letting her head fall back as he sucked her neck, then straightened out and faced him. “But I promise you I won’t be long and really think you’re going to love it. Just promise me you won’t try to sneak a peek.”
He smirked but promised. After a few more kisses that already had her tingling and wet, she finally pulled away and rushed to her bedroom. Thoughts of Sam were impossible to snuff even as she rushed around the bedroom, pulling open drawers and working fast. She had a feeling her insatiable boyfriend might not keep his promise if she took too long.
Try as she might to forget even as she slipped into the black lace baby-doll lingerie she’d bought just for the occasion, she kept thinking of Sam. How does that happen to someone twice in a lifetime? The first time Scott had only moved back in a few weeks prior. It’d been Sam’s day off and Scott had come home for lunch unexpectedly. Anna didn’t dare ask Nathan exactly what compromising position he’d found her in. Just thinking about it made Anna blush. But Scott had told Anna the details of what he’d walked into in the front room. She’d been completely naked on the sofa, watching porn, using a vibrator.
Aiyanna shivered at the very thought. How anyone gets over something so embarrassing was beyond her. It did take Sam some time that first time, but now that she’d been on the depressed side to boot, Anna wondered how long it’d be before she’d even be home again.
After pulling both thigh high stockings on and securing them with the garter straps, she looked in the mirror and smiled. She’d never worn one of these naughty outfits. She was so out of it when it came to this stuff she’d never even heard of crotch-less panties.
The music getting louder in the other room was her cue to hurry up. She pulled out her black patent leather stilettos—also bought special just for Nathan—and slipped into them. Thank God for those weeks of walking around like a baby giraffe. She strolled across the room effortlessly in the four-inch heels, feeling sexier than she ever had in her life.
Glancing in the mirror, she saw how sexy she actually looked. The flyaway baby doll top barely covered anything. Even what it did cover, the chiffon material doing the covering didn’t leave much to the imagination. What surprised her most was the sheer glow on her face. It reminded her of the glow on Kelli’s face the morning she met her. Could it be that feeling this utterly in love could have you glowing? She’d definitely been walking on air ever since the day at the cabin when Nathan declared his desire to continue their relationship once they got back—and not just a physical one.
Smiling one last time, she took a deep breath and started to the door. Once she opened the door, she could hear the song playing and knew why the volume had been turned up. Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me” was playing, and she had no doubt Nathan’s magic hips were already moving.
She walked out into the hallway, trying not to make too much sound with her heels. When she reached the doorway to the front room, she saw him standing and looking at a photo collage on the wall. He held his wine glass in his hand, and his hips were moving. All it took was one step into the room and he turned to her.
He began to smile, but then his eyes took her in from top to bottom, and he seemed to freeze. She waited for a moment before saying anything, hoping he would first, and then he did. The sweet smile he’d worn early for a split second was now replaced with a sinful smirk. “Fuck yeah.”
Aiyanna giggled, taking a few more seductive steps into the room. “I take it you like it?”
Nathan watched her as she walked to him, that wicked gleam in his eyes still there as they devoured her. “Actually, I was talking to the shoes,” he said, looking down at them. “They are asking me to fuck you, right?”
“Yes, they are,” she murmured, feeling very naughty and loving it.
He put his glass down, and they met halfway in the middle of the room. His hands were immediately all over her, over her ass, the garter straps, and her breasts, and his mouth devoured hers. “God damn,” he said against her mouth, and she could already feel his erection pressed against her. “How the hell did I get this lucky?”
“You?” she asked, running her hand over his big muscled arms.
His hand came back down the side of her thigh and then in front. He slipped it between her legs, where no doubt he could feel how wet she was already. His tongue did that to her. All it took was one leg-weakening kiss from him to have her ready to go and he knew it. His hand stopped when he realized she wore crotch-less panties and he groaned. “Baby, I gotta see this.”
Confused, she followed him as he tugged her toward the sofa in the front room. He sat her down on the sofa and stood before her. “Spread your legs.”
Feeling her heart speed up, she did as she was told, spreading her legs for him slowly. She watched as his eyes dropped down between her legs, and he smiled as his lashes fluttered for a second. Then his eyes flew open. “Scott saw you in this?”
“What? No!”
“You said he helped you pick out the surprise. This is it, right?”
“Yeah, he went with me to the mall,” Aiyanna said, alarmed at how quick his expression had gone so hard. “I bribed him to shop with me by offering to buy him In-N-Out afterward. He helped me choose which one from all the ones they had, but I didn’t model it for him.”
Nathan shook his head almost as if he were annoyed with himself. “Sorry, sorry. Of course you didn’t. Forget I even mentioned it.”
He dropped down to a knee then another and spread her legs wider. The smolder was instantly back in his eyes again as he stared down between her legs. “Fucking perfect,” he said, touching her wet pussy with his finger. Aiyanna breathed deeply at his touch. “You don’t have to ta
ke my surprise off and I can take care of you.” He slid a finger in her then brought it to her mouth. Aiyanna licked it as he watched her. “You want me to take care of you, baby?”
She nodded, her heart already pounding. When she was done licking his finger clean, she nudged it down and he smiled. He brought it back down between her legs and slipped two fingers in there this time, making her moan and lie all the way back against the back of the sofa.
“Want me to lick this beautiful pussy, Anna?”
“Yes, please,” she responded without thought or shame.
Seconds later she was arching her back at the amazing feel of his tongue on her. “You’re so wet,” he said against her pussy. “So wet,” he added with a groan.
Then his tongue was inside her and she moaned. His tongue was nowhere near as big as he was, but it felt damn good. Nathan had been the first and only to do this to Aiyanna, but she’d since concluded he was excellent at it. Very possibly better than most. Even without any other experience to compare it to, there was no way every guy could be this inexplicably good at it. He knew exactly where to focus his tongue and for how long. How hard to suck and just when to ease off to torment her and make her beg for more.
He was doing it again. Just when she was squirming and readying herself to cry out in pleasure, he’d pull his tongue away from her clit and sink it into her instead.
“Nathan.” She moaned, lifting her ass up a little, trying to chase his tongue back onto her clit because she’d been so close. “Nathan, please!”
“Please what?”
“Please make me come.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She felt his tongue slide up from her entrance to around her clit, circle around what was already beginning to throb, and then lap her clit until she was crying out and holding on to his hair as the incredible climax ripped through her.