Chapter 15
“Why do you look so sad?” Bo asked a few days later at breakfast. “Aren’t newly in love people supposed to be glowing and shit like that?”
“You mean like you two?” I asked as I looked between him and Kylie, both holding tightly to each other’s hands as they ate their breakfast with the other.
“Yes, just like us,” Kylie said dreamily. “Your best friend is quite the gentleman. He also does this thing in bed where—”
I put my hand up to stop her before I had to hear anything else. “Please stop. I have enough on my mind without having that picture in there as well.”
“What’s going on?” Kylie asked, becoming serious.
I sighed and took a sip of my coffee, relishing in its warmth. “Things have been strained between Kacey and me ever since I met her sister. Last night was the first time in weeks that we didn’t spend the night together. Things felt off, so I told her I was going to leave and she didn’t stop me.”
Bo raised both eyebrows. “What happened when you met her sister?” I told them the whole story from Ariana’s words at dinner to the small tiff Kacey and I had when we got back to her house. Once I was done, Bo sat back and let out a low whistle. “Wow. That really is a lot to take in. Why didn’t you just tell her the truth?”
I shrugged. “It wouldn’t have done anything but hurt her. If Ariana is the jerk she seems to be, she’s going to slip up and Kacey will see it. I’d just like her to see it without having to be subjected to the degrading things said about her. Plus, maybe Ariana isn’t trying to sabotage things. Maybe she just doesn’t like me.”
Kylie shook her head emphatically. “I disagree. If she cared about Kacey, she wouldn’t have done that. Remember your girlfriend Tenley? She chewed like a cow and I couldn’t stand her. But did I ever tell you that? No, because she made you happy, at least happier than you had been. So, I dealt with Miss Cow Lips just for you.” I opened my mouth to argue about the differences, but Kylie put up her hand to stop me. “I also never told her that her chewing made me want to fake my own death just to get out of eating dinner with her, so if you were going to make that point, you can forget it.”
“Has anything been said about when she’s going to be allowed to see Bailey?” Bo asked, clearly trying to avoid a sister fight.
“No. Thank God. Kacey is still really leery about that.”
Kylie reached across the table and took my hand in hers. “I’m not trying to give you a hard time. I just care about you and want you to be happy. You were given a second chance with the love of your life. Most people don’t get that. I don’t want you to lose it because of some loser who doesn’t deserve either of your time.”
I squeezed her hand and forced a smile onto my face. “This is just a bump in the road for us. Trust me, I know I can’t live without Kacey. I’m not going to let anything tear us apart.”
Both Bo and Kylie looked relieved at this reassurance. Bo joined his hand with ours on top of the table. “On a happier note, it’s your birthday in a few days. Are you excited? What do you want to do?”
I shrugged. “Something small would be great. Maybe everyone could just go to Mom and Dad’s on Saturday and by everyone I mean you guys, Kacey, and Bailey. I think a nice relaxing day with all of my favorite people is just what I need.” And hopefully it will help Kacey and me get back on track.
***
I woke up on the morning of my birthday to the feeling of kisses being peppered across my skin. When I opened my eyes, I smiled up at the dark eyes already focused on me. Kacey slipped her naked body on top of mine and began kissing my neck while grinding her hips into mine. “So, I thought your first birthday present could be me,” she said between kisses.
“I think you already gave me that last night,” I flirted, happy about the light air surrounding us, so different than how it had been lately. I ran my hands down her bare back, then grabbed her ass in a way that had her squirming on top of me. “See. Already unwrapped and everything.”
Kacey laughed as she slipped her hand down between our bodies. “Well, since I’m totally re-gifting, I guess I better make it worth your while.” She moved a finger inside of me while running her tongue from my jawline and down my neck to my chest, stopping only to suck on my pulse point. She pulled back just enough to move her mouth to my ear, running her tongue along the outside before taking it between her teeth. “Tell me what you want, baby,” she whispered breathlessly.
I could barely form words because I was already so turned on. “I want… I want you to… make love to me.”
“Obviously,” Kacey said with a slight laugh. “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”
I didn’t want to tell her that it hadn’t felt like that lately. That since the awkward dinner with her sister, while the sex was great, it still felt like just sex. I was desperate for that connection that I had only ever had with her. “Please, Kacey. Make love to me.”
This time, she nodded her head seriously as if she understood exactly what I meant. She moved against me more slowly, connecting each part of her body with every piece of mine as she rolled up against me. This time when she leaned down to whisper in my ear, it was sweet rather than heated. “I love you, Kari.” She kissed my forehead, then moved her lips to my temple to place another kiss there, then her tongue traced a path along my neck and up to my ear once again. “You make me feel stronger and weaker all at once. You make me feel like I’m floating away and at the same time, keep me grounded.”
She kissed her way across my cheek, before settling her lips over mine and kissing me deeply. When she pulled back, she looked into my eyes once again. She positioned herself so she was now situated between my legs, her center pressed hard against mine, her wetness combining with mine. She let out a gasp that matched exactly how I was feeling from the unexpected contact. Without looking away, she began to rock against me, barely able to get her words out anymore. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved and the only one I ever will and…” Gasp. “God, I just… This is all I want for the rest of my life.”
I wrapped my arms around her, desperate to bring our bodies even closer. I pushed my hips up into her, relishing in the feeling of connecting with her at every level—body and soul.
I knew neither one of us would last much longer, but Kacey tried to get the last of her words out between shallow breaths. “I…love…you…happy…birth—” Her words were cut off by the orgasm that seemed to shoot from her body right into mine, both of us writhing together before melting into a single puddle on her bed.
Kacey laid her head against my chest and I took this opportunity to run a hand through her hair while I tried to steady my breathing. After a few minutes, Kacey lifted her head to look at me, her face serious and eyes sad. “I’m really sorry if it hasn’t felt like I’ve been making love to you lately. I know things have been strained with Ariana being back here, but I still see you, Kari. That will never stop and I hope I don’t make you question that again.”