I was going to fuck her on the kitchen table where we ate birthday cake when we were thirteen.
And my dick got harder just thinking about finally having her beneath me, wanting me, moaning my name.
She started moving into me, and I almost thanked God, because I was ready for a taste.
“Lay your knee on the table, baby.” And I helped her bring her leg up and lay her inner thigh flat on the kitchen table while her other foot stayed pinned to the floor.
Fire spread below my stomach and a swirl of lightning shot down between my legs.
God, she was spread for me, her opening right at the end of the fucking table, and I was dying for her.
So I wasted no time and knelt down, burying my mouth in her hot center.
My lips found her clit and sucked.
“Jared,” she gasped and squirmed, and I pulled back to lick her length.
“You taste so good,” I breathed against her and then sucked her in again between my teeth.
Her breathing intensified, and her body moved like she was in the best kind of pain. I sucked and licked, feeling her need growing. Feeling her body come apart in my mouth.
And then I finally plunged my tongue inside of her.
“Jared, please.” She threw her head back and cried.
And fuck, I was ready, too.
Standing up, I pressed my cock into her and kneaded her hips. “Tell me what you want, Tate. Please. What do you want from me?”
“I…Jared…” She fought for words, her breath was gone and her need was off the charts. Just like mine.
“Jesus, you’re so beautiful.” I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Tell me. What do you want from me?”
Sweat glistened in the dip of her spine, and the room felt on fire. Our soaked skin, the taste of her on my lips, everything created this new world that I never wanted to leave.
She’d be lucky if I let her out of bed long enough to go to school.
“What do you want from me?” I growled, jerking her back into my groin again.
“Hard,” she cried out. “Do it hard.”
And my heart jumped into my throat.
Grazing her skin, I slipped my finger back inside of her to make sure she was still wet. She’d be sore after her first time, and I wanted to make sure she could take what she was asking me for.
So wet. Hell, yes.
Letting out a ragged breath, I yanked off my towel and fished in my wet jeans for my last condom, tearing the wrapper open with my teeth. Smoothing it on, I grabbed her at the hips and plunged inside of her.
Hard.
“Holy shit,” I groaned under my breath.
So tight.
“Jared,” she whispered. “Yes.”
My heart was racing a mile a minute, and it took me a few seconds to calm down. I’d never felt anything so good as having her like this.
I dived into her wet, hot sex, but the heat spread over my entire body.
The heel of her foot hanging off the table wrapped around the back of my thigh, pressing me into her, and I couldn’t wait anymore.
She wanted it hard, but it was only the second time in her life she’d had sex, and I didn’t want to hurt her.
“Hard?” I wanted to make sure.
Her whimper begged. “Yes.”
So I rocked into her, slow at first and then faster. Before long, I was grasping her hips, pushing inside of her until I couldn’t go any further.
But she wasn’t content to just lay there and get taken, either.
Not Tate.
She pushed up on her hands, and I almost fucking came right there.
Fuck.
Her palms were flat on the table, holding her torso upright, and her back was arched. I stared in awe at her posture in front of me as she took more control and backed into me as I slammed inside of her.
Tate. Hell, yes.
Every second, the pace and pressure increased, and goddamn, she was wet. I held her hips, wishing like hell I could get my hands everywhere, but I needed to hold on. She was pushing harder and harder into me.
As always, Tate found a way to fuck me back.
Such a handful.
I leaned down into her back, keeping my pace steady, and cupped one of her breasts, wanting one in my mouth.
Kissing her neck, I pressed my tongue to her, tasting her salty skin. My hand glided over her stomach and then dived between her legs where my fingers circled her clit again. God, it was so hard now. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and feel every shake and spasm as she came apart in my arms. I wanted to be inside her head and body, knowing what it felt like when I made her fucking crumble.
“Jared. It feels so good,” she whimpered unsteadily as our bodies slammed together time and again.
“Yeah, it does,” I breathed in her ear. “Because it’s yours and mine, and no one takes this from us.”
Not even me.
She was mine, and this perfect thing between us was never going to be ruined again.
“Jared!” She threw her head back and screamed. “Oh, God….”
“I love you, Tate.” I pounded into her harder. “Come for me.”
And she stopped breathing and crumbled, coming like the thunder outside the house as she cried out, tightening around me and sending me over the goddamn edge, too.
Jesus Christ!
Fire and pleasure poured through my body, and I came right after her, collapsing on her back as we both fell back down to the table…and Earth.
We lay there panting, too spent to even move. At least for me.
“I really hate you.” Her voice was weak but had an edge that told me she was joking.
“Why?”
“The massage, the oral, the kissing, the talk…I don’t think I needed to know that you did that with other girls, after all.”
“I didn’t,” I said right away.
“What?”
“I never did any of that with any other girl.” I lifted my head up and looked down at her.
She tried popping up, too, arguing. “But…but I told you to tell me—”
“You wanted to know what other girls got of me. Well, that’s what they didn’t get.” My voice was firm but soft. I needed her to hear me. “I never touched their bodies like that or held them. I never cared about them enjoying it. They didn’t get any part of me worth having, Tate. Especially, K.C. I never touched her like this.” I stroked her hair. “You own me body and soul, and everyone is going to know it. Sometimes I’m going to go slow with you, and sometimes I’m going to fuck you. But it will always be love, Tate.”
Always has been. And always will.
I didn’t know if she believed me, so I just waited, worried like hell that she didn’t feel how much I ached for her.
Holding herself up by her hands, she arched back up to meet me and sniffled.
Shit. I swallowed.
She was crying.
“I love you,” she whispered, turning around.
Her face was falling apart. She was holding back more tears than she was letting out.
Grabbing onto both sides of her face, I pulled her into me. “I don’t deserve it, but I will. I promise.”
Her small, sweet smile and hooded eyes were so exhausted that I was afraid to let go of her as I pulled out.
“Ow,” she whispered, sucking in her breath through her teeth.
“Yeah.” I placed my hands on her hips, supporting her. “Ease down. You’re going to be sore.”
“I already am.”
“Stay here,” I told her, handing her a towel and wrapping the other one around my waist. “I’ll go run the shower and come back down to get you.”
“I can make it upstairs,” she laughed.
“Stay.” And I walked off.
After running the water and checking the temperature, I ran down and picked Tate up in my arms.
“So I guess the birthday spankings are out,” I joked as I carried her upstairs.
She rolled her eyes. “What is
it with guys? Madoc already offered at school yesterday.”
“He did what?” I halted at the top of the stairs.
She wound her arms tighter around my neck and leaned in, taking my earlobe between her teeth.
I let out a hard breath, and Madoc was forgotten.
“The water should be good.” I pulled back the curtain and set her down in the tub.
“Turn on the shower part,” she said sleepily, sitting down on the floor and hugging her knees. “It sounds like rain.”
I pulled out the knob, watching the water spray down on her legs, and then I yanked off my towel to climb in behind her.
Sitting down, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back against my chest.
“You know,” I spoke in her ear. “I stayed in your room for a month while you were away.”
“What?” She twisted her head towards me, and I hugged her close.
I didn’t know what it was, but all of a sudden I wanted her to know everything.
“When I got into trouble, and my mom left to get sober, your dad took me in. Set me straight again. Well, straighter, anyway. I slept on your floor.”
I tried to keep my voice light, but I was choking on the words. “I hated that you were gone, Tate. I picked fights with everyone. I skipped classes. Even the love I have for my brother couldn’t pull me out of it. When I controlled you, I had one fucking thing in my life that made sense. That made my blood rush. I looked forward to tomorrow when you were around. If I could zone in on you, then I wasn’t thinking about everything else that hurt.”
Tate laid her head back on my shoulder and peered up at me, wide-awake now.
“Why wouldn’t you sleep in my bed?” she asked softly.
I touched my lips to hers, soft and warm. “Because you wouldn’t have wanted me there.”
I was a sick man.
I could humiliate her, isolate her, and hurt her, but sleeping in her bed while she was away was too invasive? Yeah, I couldn’t explain it, either.
She leaned in, trailing kisses along my jawline. Shivers spread out across my arms when she whispered against my neck. “I definitely want you in my bed. And I love you.”
Closing my eyes, a big, fat smile spread across my face. If only Madoc could see me now.
Or maybe not…
“Say it again.”
“I love you,” she said louder with a laugh in her voice.
“More,” I taunted.
“I love you.” She kissed my cheek. “I love you.” Another kiss. “I love you.” And she kept teasing me with her soft, wet kisses until I caught her lips and kissed her hard.
We’re never leaving this shower.
“How are you feeling?” I asked when I’d let her go.
“Good.” She nodded and wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe we should see what it’s like in water.”
Heat and every other fucking source of energy inside of me shot downward, but the crushing disappointment hit me like a brick.
“Can’t,” I mumbled. “I don’t have any more condoms.”
Maybe Tate had some.
Wait… she fucking better not.
“Jared, I want a picture!” my loud-mouthed and unusually invasive mother shouted as I raced up the stairs.
Picture?
I shook off my annoyance as I looked for my car keys on my dresser. Tate and I were headed to Homecoming.
Scratch that—Tate, Madoc, and I were headed to Homecoming. They were both waiting outside when all I really wanted to do was punch him in the gut, send him home, and skip town with Tate for the weekend.
But…the asshole did have a hand in making me jealous, forcing me to act, and he was a good friend.
Most of all, though, Tate wanted to go. I owed her that.
“No pictures. Jesus,” I cursed, shaking my head as I snatched my keys and rushed downstairs.
But my mother was waiting at the bottom. “Oh, no you don’t.” She grabbed my arm to stop me as I tried to walk past her.
I turned, trying to appear annoyed, but I was a little amused at how naturally she wore the mother role.
Ever since our heart-to-heart at the fish pond, we’d found some common ground. We still weren’t all hugs and kisses, but we spoke gentler and showed more patience.
“What?” I couldn’t hide the smile that peeked out. “I don’t do pictures…Mom.”
Her eyes widened with a sparkle, and she cleared her throat before straightening my black tie.
“Alright, but I do have something to say, and you’re not going to like it.” She kept her eyes trained on her task of fixing my tie and steadied her voice with a firm tone. “Honey, I couldn’t be happier that you and Tate found your way back to each other—”
Oh, Christ.
I started to turn away.
“But,” she said loudly, pulling me back around to face her, “baby mommas don’t usually marry baby daddies.”
Every word was bit out like I was too stupid to understand.
I cocked my head to the side and looked down at her, indulging her need to make a point I already understood.
Don’t get Tate pregnant. Yeah, thanks. I got it!
Her eyes peered up at mine, threatening. “You’ve been over there almost every night—well, every night, actually—and if you make me a thirty-six year old grandmother, I’m going to kill you.”
She was joking.
I think.
Anyway, my mother had nothing to worry about. Tate and I were careful, and she’d been keeping me off of her all week anyway. She didn’t want to get distracted from classes, and I hadn’t been pushing it.
Tonight, though? Yeah, she was in for it.
Letting out a sigh, I gave my mother a quick peck on the cheek and slid out the front door.
Tate was standing on her front porch, looking gorgeous as hell, talking to Madoc like they were friends.
I shook my head, not believing the turn of events. She’d broken his nose, kicked him in the junk, and traded words more than once with him.
But she was like her dad. Solve the problem and move on.
And Madoc was more than ready to move on. He had been excited for the dance, and was dressed to impress. We looked almost exactly the same, but whereas I wore all black, he changed his suit up with a purple tie.
Tate still looked the same—beautiful and glowing—but a little more dangerous. I half-expected to get in a fight over someone flirting with her tonight. She was wearing a tight, nude-colored, strapless dress that fell mid-thigh. I could see so much of her skin that it was pretty clear what she looked like naked.
Walking up to Tate, I kissed the soft spot under her ear. “Sorry that took so long. My mom was giving me a talk.”
“About?” she pressed, as Madoc came over and took her other arm.
“About not getting you pregnant,” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth but kept my eyes forward.
Even though I wasn’t looking at her, though, I could see her stiffen, and I heard her clear her throat.
And I shouldn’t have told her that.
I really needed to put a halt to my honesty streak, but there was still something I needed to tell her, and I’d been on too much of a high the last week to face it.
Later, I told myself.
“Are we ready?” Madoc asked from her other side.
Her clutch on my arm relaxed, and I felt her exhale a breath.
“Totally,” she nodded at Madoc. “This is the start of a great friendship.”
“It could be the start of a great porno, too,” Madoc shot back, and I clenched my fists.
“Son of a bitch!” I yelled, half-annoyed and half-joking. “You’re going to get it tonight,” I warned, but they both just laughed.
The Homecoming dance was exactly what I thought it would be. Pictures, punch, and poor-ass music. The gym had been decorated in a New York theme, which Tate loved, and I was extremely fucking delighted that Madoc had joined us, after all.
He filled in where I fai
led.
Dancing in public? Check.
Cutsie pictures with loving poses? Check.
Polite, futile, nonsensical chatter? Check.
I played along, but situations like this were like eating a mouthful of lemons. Madoc made it more fun for Tate at least.
And her?
She read me like a book.
She was light on the public displays of affection and heavy on the eye fucking.
I couldn’t wait to get her home.
But we had another appearance to put in first.
“Are you sure you want to go?” I asked her as we walked hand-in-hand up the Beckman’s driveway.
Tori and Bryan Beckman, twins and our classmates, were having an after party, and Madoc insisted that we get our thumbs out of our asses and get crazy.
“I’m fine,” she whispered. “Not tired at all.”
I raised my eyebrows and shook my head. I wasn’t worried about her being tired, but I didn’t want to bring up last year’s incident, either. That’s what I was really worried about.
A year ago, before Tate had left for France, I’d let Madoc dump her car keys in the pool here and watched as she dived in to fish them out.
She’d been humiliated, and I figured this was the last place she’d want to be.
In fact, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be here myself.
Not only did I have our own after-party planned, but the longer I waited to come clean about the rest of the story, the more it was the only thing I thought about. I’d been sitting on it all week, and it was time to bite the fucking bullet.
I needed to tell her about Jax.
Walking through the ceramic-tiled foyer, we followed Madoc down the carpeted stairs into the huge dipped living room.
The big room already bustled with at least sixty or seventy of our classmates, and the music pounded so hard, I could feel it through my shoes.
My arm stretched behind me, and I looked back, noticing that Tate had come to a complete halt.
I let out a sigh. Shit.
Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she swallowed, clearly nervous. Like a deer in headlights.