“What are we doing here?” I ask in a hushed voice. We’re alone and no one can hear us, but something about being clouded in darkness feels like the quiet is necessary.
“I was just thinkin’. Instead of hay bales outside, you could have a whole set up in here.” It takes me a minute to catch on. I mean, it had been a whole year since Millie and I planned weddings last summer. But hearing Beau had been thinking about it too melted my heart. If I didn’t already know I was in love with the oldest Davis boy it would have been this moment that won me over.
“I think I can see it,” I say, turning slightly to take in more of the inside of the barn with new eyes.
“You planning on being married off again this summer?” he asks, glowing eyes never leaving mine.
“Mill and I hadn’t talked about it, but if Sterling is still willing to be my groom, we can try it out in here.
Instantly his expression grew hard and I could have sworn I heard him growl deep in his chest. “No!”
I jump slightly at his harsh tone and raise an eyebrow in question. He closes his eyes and when they open the darkness has subsided, but the intensity remains.
“I mean, no. If you’re getting married off it’s going to be to me.”
“But I always marry Sterling.” I say trying to still my beating heart.
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because, if I’m’ your groom I’ll have an excuse to do this—
I’m just about to ask what, when he leans even closer to me and his soft lips gently touch mine. I’ve been kissed before—after the homecoming dance last year my date laid one on me, but it was nothing like this.
No, this kiss with Beau is sinful. As his lips first touch mine I’m slightly still in shock and when he pulls away after a moment, I’m afraid I may have I ruined my chance with Beau by not moving. He presses his forehead against mine, his lips so close, I can feel the deep breath escaping his mouth on my lower lip.
“We’ll go as slow as you want, Buttercup. I just couldn’t go another summer without tasting those sweet lips.”
Opening my eyes, I stare deep into his. My dark to his light and the connection I’ve always felt for this boy is mirrored in his gaze. Feeling bold in the shadowed darkness, I rise onto my tiptoes and brush my lips against his again. He doesn’t need much more encouragement once my hands wind behind his neck, fingers threading through his hair.
His tongue comes out to trace my bottom lip. I’ve never kissed this way before, but I’ve seen my gross brother lip lock plenty of times and I know instantly that’s what I want with Beau.
I open to him and feel his tongue touch mine for the first time. Twisting and twirling, exploring my mouth till mine joins in a tangle of movement that feels better than I ever imagined.
Beau is the first to pull away. We’re still so close, breathing the same air as we try to catch our breath. I’m about to speak when we hear my brother close by calling for Beau.
“I should go before he comes in and flips,” he says.
“Right.” I’m instantly deflated. I know kissing doesn’t make you boyfriend and girlfriend, but my silly hopes had been lifted anyway.
“Hey,” he says lifting my chin to look him in the eyes. “I’m going to talk to Deacon and tell him you’re my girl. I just don’t want him to think we’ve been going on behind his back.”
“I’m your girl?” I ask—the only part of his statement I can comprehend.
“Damn right you are. The whole town will know it, too, if I have anything to say about it.”
My cheeks pink and my heart flutters. The smile that splits my face is almost painful I’m so happy.
“You know I’m gunna marry you one day, right?” he asks pressing a kiss to my forehead before jogging toward my brother’s voice before I can answer
“Cal, what do you think?” my granddaddy asks pulling me from my thoughts.
I’d been so lost in my memories I didn’t even remember parking and walking inside. This hasn’t happened in years and I know it’s because I saw him last weekend, but I really need to get control of myself. I love Mason. Not Beau.
A pang of guilt washes over me as I turn and look to my fiancé. “I don’t know, what do you think, Mason?” His nose is buried in his cell phone. He looks up as if I’ve pulled him away from something more important than our wedding. Suddenly, I don’t feel quite as guilty.
“Darlin’, you know I don’t care about the details, that’s all you and Millie. I’m just planning on showing up when and where you tell me in whatever you’ve laid out for me to wear,” he says then returns to his phone.
I force myself to smile as I look at the packet laid in front of me, but I don’t miss the disapproving look on my granddaddy’s face as we move onto the details of the ceremony.
Yeah, Granddad, this isn’t how I thought the planning would go either.
As we lay down in bed after dinner, I feel more exhausted than normal. My shoulders are tight and my head pounds with tension. I thought I’d feel exhilarated after finalizing the details of our wedding, but it’s really turned out to be the opposite.
We, more like I, went through everything from place settings to color schemes for decor as well as flower arrangements and food tastings. In theory it sounded great having Mason there while we made all the final decisions, but he hadn’t helped at all. Which meant I was left to make every stressful decision while Mason sat there buried in his phone.
In my head I had played out this whole scene of feeding each other and joking around like we used to, but apparently that’s not how these things work in the real world.
Mason walks out of the bathroom, strips off his white shirt and slips into bed behind me. His strong arm lays over my waist and he pulls me close until I’m tight against him as the little spoon. My behind pressed firmly to his front. He’s not normally a snuggler, so I guess this is my consolation prize after the day we had.
Then, Mason’s hand splays flat against my stomach and I can feel the stiffness forming against my bum. His lips brush light kisses against the back of my shoulder making his way up to my neck. It feels amazing and I can’t help my body’s reaction to the sexual stimuli.
My nipples peak and my hips grind against Mason’s lap of their own. A soft sigh falls from my lips as he finds the tender spot where my neck meets my shoulder. Turning my head slightly, he lifts to his elbow and crashes his mouth to mine.
We’re locked in a passionate war of lips and tongues when he shifts to lay between my legs, hovering over me. It all happened so quickly. One minute we’re making out the next he’s spread my legs and taken residence between them grinding against me with his own invitation.
“Mason—” I’m cut off by another kiss. He’s never been this forceful. Since we got together he’s respected my need to wait, it’s only been in the last month that he’s been insistent on pushing the limits we’ve always respected. Lifting my hands to put between us, I push and say his name a little more forced this time.
He groans and flops onto the bed beside me. “I know. Not until we’re married. Got it. Night, Callie.” His words aren’t mean, but he says them with venom in his mouth. With a humph, he turns to give me his back and closes his eyes.