Kelly

A BANGING DOOR FOLLOWED BY SCREAMING CHILDREN filters in from the open bedroom window, punctuated by the distinct sound of a basketball slapping against cement. When the noise of a ball hitting the backboard comes shortly after, I burrow my face into the hair of the woman curled up next to me, and I groan.

"Kelly," Sutton grumbles, rolling onto her stomach, hiding her head under the pillow. Her voice is muffled when she says, "We forgot to close the window last night. You always close the window, or you'll be woken by the McNeelys."

Squinting an eye open, I'm instantly hit with the glare of the early morning sun through the window. "Shit. It's bright."

I hook a hand under Sutton's body, dragging her back to me, and she flings her arms over her face to block the light. The movement causes her shirt to rise up, and I stare just beyond where it's bunched up at her waist at the skin I spent a lot of time becoming acquainted with last night. I feather my fingers over the exposed skin just above her panties, traveling up under the shirt until I'm palming her tit. It fits perfectly in my hand, a nice handful.

"You know, baby girl," I whisper into her hair, tweaking her nipple. I remove one of her arms off her head and then the other, grinning down at her sleepy face once it's revealed to me.

This might be one of my favorite faces of Sutton. Scrubbed free of makeup, creased with wrinkles from resting against her pillow while she slept, hair a chaotic halo above her head.

"What, Kelly?" She blinks as her eyes adjust.

I remove my hand from under the shirt, tugging the hem up to her neck, exposing her tits to me. I suck a hard nipple into my mouth, pulling it between my teeth, and she arches her back on a gasp.

Getting to know how Sutton's body reacts to certain things has quickly become my favorite game. I'm dedicating myself to becoming an expert of what pleasures her.

After nipping the other nipple, I prop myself up above her and sweep the shirt over her head, holding it to my chest. "This is one shirt of mine you can't keep. I'll need to wear it home."

"I'm partial to the button up variety anyway."

"Noted," I say distractedly while my roaming hand wanders south, stopping at her panty line, the tips of my fingers ducking under the band.

Her breath catches, and I watch her face as I sink my hand further down her panties and ghost over her pussy, my fingers sliding up the folds on the way back up. She's so wet already and I've barely touched her.

Last night was just the preview of what's to come. I've fantasized about being with her in every way imaginable, and now I'm going to take my time fulfilling each and every one.

"We're doing the morning breath thing," I announce gruffly, my lips hovering above hers. "No arguing. I'm not waiting any stupid amount of time after we wake up to kiss you. Got it?"

She rakes her hands through my hair, yanking me down. "Got it." The words are punctuated with her lips on mine.

My hand in her panties stills, my ability to multitask interrupted by the way Sutton greedily claims my mouth, hungry swipes of her tongue against mine.

I pin her hands above her head as I break free from the kiss, our chests heaving together as we catch our breath. "You're so fucking beautiful, Sutton."

She smiles shyly below me, pink tinting her cheeks. Before long she'll be used to me saying it since I plan on telling her all the damn time.

Just as I duck my head to take her nipple into my mouth, the bedroom door flies open, and Vivi appears in the doorway calling Sutton's name. Her steps falter, halting her entrance into the room, and shock registers on her face. Snapping her eyes shut, she spins around, screaming, "No! No! No! Why?"

She stomps out of the room and down the hall, her voice fading the further away she gets until her cries are a muted background noise.

Sutton and I lock eyes and instantly burst out laughing. I fall to the bed next to her, burying my face in her neck, my arm draped over her naked chest. "Shit," I mumble into her hair.

"Kelly!" Her voice is a screech as she rolls over to face me. "There goes the secret. Not that I'd be able to keep it from her anyway. Everyone else, yes. But not her. She can read me like a book. It's my stupid face. It tells all my secrets."

A rambling Sutton is fucking cute. Pressing my fingers to her lips, I shush her. I trace my finger down the length of her nose and then boop it. "So Viv?"

"She won't say anything. Don't worry about it."

She sits up, taking the sheet with her, concealing her naked body from me. Since that won't do, I hook a finger on the edge of the sheet, ripping it off her, and it pools around her waist. "We don't do shy. You're gorgeous. Get used to this."

With widened eyes, she shoves me back, putting some space between our bodies. But she doesn't cover herself up again.

"You're bossy. I mean, even bossier than before we—" She waves a hand in the air between us.

"Before what, baby girl? Before we fucked?" I smirk, enjoying the way her cheeks heat.

"Don't be crude. I was going to say before we got together, but then I realized I don't know what to call this and I wasn't trying to start some awkward conversation where I tricked you into something."

"What would you be tricking me into? I thought we agreed last night that this is real?"

She starts to pull the sheet up but catches herself and sighs. "Look, Kelly. I'm all about being comfortable with my body, but this feels like a conversation involving clothes."

When she tries to crawl out of the bed, I tackle her onto her back, pinning her down with my body. "Look, Sutton," I mimic her tone. "As far as I'm concerned, we already had this conversation. You're mine."

"So that translates into being the boss of me?"

"Yes."

Hooking her legs around my waist, she manages to flip me off her and rolls off the bed, landing with a thud on the floor. Without missing a beat, she snatches my flannel and jumps to her feet, wrapping it around her shoulders as she backs away from the bed. She has one arm in and is working on the second arm when I crawl out of bed and stalk toward her. Squealing, she spins away from me, struggling with the second sleeve.

I grab her around the waist from behind and twirl her until she's facing me, securing her body against mine. "Let me help."

Although I'd prefer we'd never wear clothes again, I help her slip her arm into the sleeve and begin hiding her body from me one button at a time.

Once she's clothed, I cup her cheek and dip down to seal her lips with mine. "You can call this whatever you want, Sutton. As long as it means I get to keep kissing you, I don't give a shit."

"Lover? Mate? Life partner? Better half? Sweetheart? My man?"

Smooshing a finger over her lips to shush her, I groan. "Just call me your damn boyfriend, brat."

She smiles against my finger, and I can't help myself, I smile right back at her. "I like that."

"Yeah?"

Truth is, I like it, too. I like it a whole fucking lot.

"Come to my house tonight. I'll cook for you."

"You cook?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself. And pack a bag."

She crooks an eyebrow. "A bag?"

"Yeah, a bag. Tomorrow is Monday. It'll be easier for work in the morning if you pack a bag."

"So you're wanting me to spend the night at your house?"

"Yes, baby girl. Will you please spend the night with me?" Waking up next to this girl once was not enough. I want to do it over and over again.

Draping her arms around my neck, she pushes up onto her tip toes and answers my invitation with her lips. And her tongue. And then her teeth as she nips at my bottom lip. "Ok, boyfriend. I'll pack a bag."

"You can skip the jammies. You won't be needing them."

-

LEXI'S HEAD POPS UP FROM HER NAPPING spot in front of the deck door, ears perked. A few seconds later, there's a knock on the front door. The arrival of my guest causes a riot in the pit of my stomach, and I grip the ledge of the kitchen island, taking a few deep, centering breaths.

I can't recall a time I've ever been this nervous for a date. I'm not sure I've ever cooked for a woman before either, come to think of it. Since living in a small, gossipy town makes it hard to keep this new relationship quiet, it would be impossible to take Sutton out to a restaurant here.

I think the upsides to having her alone in my house far outweigh the downsides anyway. Like the clothing optional rule I'm itching to create and strictly enforce.

My dog beats me to the door, her bushy tail fanning back and forth impatiently as she waits for me to open it. The minute I do, Lexi jumps across the threshold greeting Sutton with slobbery licks on her hands.

"Hey, Lexi-girl. Aren't you a sweetie?" I watch, speechless, as my girl pays adoring attention to my dog.

She's dressed casually tonight, a tight pair of jeans with holes in the knees and a light pink, ribbed crop top.

"What about me?" I pout from my perch against the doorframe, finally finding my voice.

She laughs, stepping around Lexi to invade my space, the scent of her shampoo or perfume or whatever it is that always smells so good clinging to her. I erase the remaining distance between us by snagging an arm around her waist, pulling her body tight against mine, immediately ducking my head into her neck to breathe in the scent.

"You always smell so good, baby girl."

She pulls back to look up at me, a shy smile greeting me. "Hi."

Dropping a quick peck to her nose, I smile back at her. "Hi."

I notice her car in the driveway, and I inwardly groan. "I'm thinking we might want to move your car into my garage since it'll be here overnight." Translation: hide it from prying eyes.

I absolutely fucking hate the idea of hiding us. There's nothing I want more than to proclaim to the entire planet that this girl is mine. But it's a delicate situation that needs to be handled carefully.

She hands her keys over without comment and leads Lexi inside. "Hey," I say, stopping her before she gets too far. "Where's your bag?"

"In the car." A mischievous grin overtakes her face, and I can tell she's struggling not to laugh. "I was waiting to see how tonight went. I might want to sneak out early."

"Fuck that. I'll grab it when I move your car." At this, she does laugh. I shake my head, grumbling how she's a brat under my breath as I make quick work at pulling her car into the empty stall in my garage.

When I come back inside, I find my girlfriend eyeing the ingredients on the kitchen island. She looks up when she hears me. "What are you making me?"

Instead of responding, I spin her around, pinning her against the counter with my body flat against hers. With my lips hovering over hers, I whisper, "Hey, baby girl. I missed you." Then I mold my lips to hers in a slow, sensual kiss, our tongues swirling lazily against each other's.

When she moans and arches into me, I pull away, stealing one last peck. "Drink?"

"Um." She blinks rapidly as if struggling to catch up. "Yeah. Sure."

She's so fucking cute. And irresistible. I'm going to have a hard time keeping my hands off her tonight.

At the fridge, I call over my shoulder, "Beer? Wine? Water?"

"Beer is fine."

After grabbing two beers, I set them on the counter next to her and then lift her up to sit on the island. I divvy up the beers and then open her legs so I can stand between them, holding up my beer to her.

She holds her bottle up but doesn't clink it to mine yet. "What are we drinking to?"

"Sexy sleepovers?"

She laughs, smacking me in the chest. "Try again."

"Clothes optional dates?"

"You're ridiculous!"

"You can't blame me, Sutton. You're sexy as fuck."

She hooks her legs around me, digging the heels of her feet into my butt. "You're one to talk, Mr. Tall Dark and Tatted."

"So it's settled then. To sexy sleepovers and clothes optional dates." I clink my bottle against hers before she has a chance to argue and take a large drink of the cool liquid.

She rolls her eyes on a laugh and then takes a drink, setting the beer aside on the counter. Combing her hands through my hair, she grabs a fistful at the back of my head and brings my mouth to hers. I can taste the beer on her tongue, and I groan into her mouth. When I try to pull away, she tightens her hold on my hair and runs her teeth over my bottom lip, biting down softly.

"Fuck, baby girl." I bury my face in her neck, licking her skin.

Her nails rake against my scalp and I hum in pleasure. "Kelly?"

Her quiet voice hooks my attention and I raise my head to look at her. "Yeah?"

Her blue eyes dance between mine and she bites nervously at the insides of her cheek. "Exactly how long have you felt like this about me? You said some stuff last night that makes it seem like it's been a while. Since you already know how long I've liked you..."

I run my hands up her thighs, dipping under the cotton of her shirt until I'm cupping her tits over her bra. "I've pretty much been looking at you since these suddenly appeared one day." I squeeze her boobs for emphasis. "But considering our age difference and who your brother is, I pretty much hated myself for it. And it didn't help that Jensen must have caught me looking too long one day pretty early on because he issued the whole hands-off-sister bro code when you were still a teenager."

"Shut up." She palms my forehead to push me away. "You're lying. You did not like me as a gangly teenager."

"Sutton, I don't think you're remembering your teenage self correctly. You were always pretty, but I never once thought of you as anything other than J's sister until one day I was at your house when J was home from college for a weekend. Or maybe it was after he moved back home. I don't remember exactly. But I hadn't seen you for a while, so imagine my surprise when this beautiful blonde bombshell came strolling into the kitchen. Shit, I knew I was fucked then. And you only got more and more beautiful, and I got more and more fucked."

"But you've always been so mean to me."

"Because you always pissed me off."

She laughs. "How?"

"By fucking flirting right in front of me. By wearing sexy as fuck outfits at a bar where a bunch of jackasses get their fill. For constantly being a brat. I'm pretty sure you did all of those things to piss me off anyway. Almost like you liked getting a reaction out of me."

"More like your attention probably."

"Baby girl, you had my attention. That was never the issue."

Just then, her stomach growls, and we both look at the offending body part and burst out laughing. I help her off the counter. Handing her a cutting board and knife, I put her to work chopping the vegetables for the fajitas.

We work side by side as I prepare the meat, filling each other in on our days.

"So you talked to Vivi? How'd that go?" I pause to swivel my gaze to her. She sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly, a sharp giggle squeaking out.

"Uh, yeah. I got an earful about washing her eyeballs out with bleach and a lecture on locking my door or implementing a system, like a sock on the door or something like that. She was mostly going on about being traumatized by seeing a naked man on top of me with my tit in his mouth. I don't think it registered until much later that she should be more alarmed at the who was in my bed than the walking in on us part."

I can't help myself; I glance down at said tit remembering how we were interrupted before I got to fully enjoy Sutton's breasts this morning. She must catch me staring because she swats at my arm and narrows her eyes at me.

"Maybe she could consider knocking instead of barging into someone's private space. Or pay better attention to her surroundings. My truck was parked in your driveway for fuck's sake."

She waves the statement away with the knife before returning to the bell pepper in front of her. "Don't worry about that. Viv is a bit of a prude. Pretty sure she's far too scarred with PTSD to ever barge in on us again." She snickers as she slices the pepper.

"Let's fast forward to the part where your sister agreed to keep her mouth shut." I smack her ass, giving it a little squeeze, before I step behind Sutton, pressing my body into her back. With a hand on her stomach, my thumb and pointer finger tucked under the hem of her cropped shirt, I bend so my face is at her ear. "Our secret's safe, yeah?"

She shivers in my arms, and I smile into her hair, very much liking her reaction to me. I nibble her ear, trailing my nose along the column of her neck.

"We're safe." Her voice is a raspy whisper. The knife clatters onto the counter, and she grips the edge of the island as I continue to tease the skin of her neck, kissing and biting my way up to her chin, where I grip it softly to angle her head back to meet my lips.

She pulls out of the kiss first, pushing me away with her body, a silent request for space. I crowd her for a second longer as I place a kiss on the top of her head, and then I return to my station on the island.

"She's a vault. Vivi," she clarifies. "She won't say anything. Although she did call us idiots and basically thinks we're a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. So, you know, sisterly love and all that shit."

Before I can respond to that bullshit, my phone pings in my pocket. Out of habit, I pull it out to see a text from Jensen. "It's your brother." I swipe to read the message and I cuss. "What the hell, baby girl? You said I'm like lice?"

She throws her head back and laughs, and the sight is so distracting that I almost forget why I'm supposed to be offended.

"Jensen is an asshole. He said he was going to tell you I said that. I'm just surprised it took him so long. But you're taking it out of context. He was getting weird about me talking to you instead of him. So I just let him know that you're like lice and no matter how hard I try to get rid of you, you just won't go away."

"And how the fuck is that context any better, you brat?"

When she laughs again, I yank her face to mine so I can taste it. Her laugh dies the moment my tongue breaches her mouth. "But you did get one thing right. You can't get rid of me."

"See? Lice." She smirks, utterly pleased with herself as she scoops the piles of cut vegetables into a bowl.

I pinch her chin between my fingers. "See? Brat." I press my smiling lips to hers for a quick kiss before releasing her to finish preparing the meat.

"J was acting weird, though. I think he suspects." She taps the mouth of the beer bottle against her lips as she thinks. "Do you?"

"Yeah, he's definitely suspicious. He warned me the other day about not playing games with you."

"Shit, really?" She directs her wide eyes at me, the blue glimmering in the fluorescent lighting. "But do you really think he'd care, though? I mean, he'd eventually be ok with it, right?" She's biting the inside of her cheek again.

I shrug, not one to sugarcoat. "I don't know, baby girl. Everyone else seems to think he'll get over it eventually. But it feels pretty real when he tells me to stay away from you."

"Wait. Who's everybody else? Who have you been talking to about us?"

"No one. They talk to me." I set aside the food prep for a minute to give her my full attention. I take her hand in mine, looping our fingers together. "Sully, for one. The other night when I went out with him—you know, right after I kissed you that first time and then I hid from you because that was the single most confusing and terrifying and amazing fucking thing to ever have happened to me." I suck in a breath and huff it out in a laugh. "Jesus, we should probably talk about that. But Sully—when I went out with him that night, he was pretty convinced Jensen might kick my ass and be pissed at me for a while but then get over it."

She cups my cheek with her small hand, and I lean into her touch. "You think he'd actually kick your ass? Punch you? Yeah, probably. But he'd just get one good swing in and then stomp off like a big man-child baby."

I chuckle. "I really don't know, baby girl. Teddy seems to think he'll get over it, too."

"Teddy? You're talking to Teddy about us?" Her voice rises a few octaves, prompting me to squash any of her worries.

"It's not like I had a choice. She's nosey. She followed me out to my truck the other night when I went to talk to J. But, yeah, she pretty much told me not to be an idiot and to go get my girl."

"And did you? Go get her?"

"Something like that." I reach around her to cup her ass, hauling her body to me. "You're here, aren't you?"

It's hard to argue with that logic. She's here, but now I need to figure out how to get her to stay. And keep a decades old friendship intact in the process.