Thirty-Five
“You do realizethat you’re certifiable, right?” I said as I joined Jenna next to the pool. “Feeding this many people.”
Jenna grinned at me. “It’s all in the delegation.”
We both looked over at the grill where Rylan and Zeke were busy with an insane amount of meat. Nearby was a long table weighed down with chips and dips, potato salad, scalloped potatoes, fruit salad, cheese, crackers, cold cuts, buns, fresh vegetables, pies, brownies, Jell-O, condiments, and about half a dozen other dishes that I couldn’t recognize from my seat.
“Mom look!” Diana called from the pool. “Look what Aunt Stacey taught me!”
When she was sure we were watching, she flipped onto her back and floated. Less than an arm’s length away was Stacey, hand out to help if Diana faltered. While both of Jenna’s sisters had met the family back in March at Diana’s birthday party, Stacey had been coming by twice a week since school had let out last month. Both kids got along with her, but Diana had become obsessed. Everything was all about her Aunt Stacey.
“That’s great,” Jenna said with a sincere smile.
“I’m surprised Jeremiah’s not in there with them,” I said.
“He and Danielle are in a serious competition at the moment.” Jenna gestured toward the driveway. “They’re playing Antelope.”
“Antelope?”
She laughed. “Apparently, spellinghorsewasn’t enough of a challenge.”
“Let me guess, that was Danielle’s doing.” Scott took the seat on the other side of Jenna while Michael sat down at the edge of the pool and dangled his feet in the water. “She’s become obsessed with going to the national spelling bee next year. She’s becoming extremely competitive.”
“I wonder who she gets that from,” Michael said dryly.
As the two men continued to banter, I found my gaze wandering. Suzette was sunbathing a couple chairs away and judging by the looks her brother and Zeke were throwing at her, she was going to end up getting wet, soon. I knew Zeke’s new boyfriend was around here somewhere too, as were Stacey’s parents. The Johnsons had been a little more reluctant to join a family holiday, but Jenna had managed to convince them that they wouldn’t feel out of place. Things between them and her were much better as time went on.
The only person missing was Clay, but it wasn’t because something was wrong. In fact, I’d talked to him a couple days ago, and he was doing better than he had been in a long time. He’d promised that he’d come by as soon as he returned to Colorado, which should be soon.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I felt the familiar sensation of being watched. It wasn’t, however, an unpleasant one. I turned toward it and found Jalen staring at me, heat in his eyes. I’d had a couple cases I’d needed to finish up before the holiday, so it’d been several days since the two of us had done anything more than texted and talked for a few minutes.
When he’d picked me up, the kiss he’d given me had made me want to stay in for the night, but we’d already promised Jenna we’d come to her Fourth of July picnic, and we’d been running late. I didn’t plan on doing anything to prevent today from being perfect for my friend, but I was already eagerly anticipating all the decadent things he’d promised me on the way here.
* * *
I stoodat the foot of the bed and took a moment to admire my work.
Jalen sat with his back against the headboard, his arms stretched out along the top with each wrist tied to a post. I’d put the blindfold on him first, knowing from my own personal experience that it would heighten the experience. Then I’d undressed him, restrained him, and left him waiting, stark naked and looking gorgeous.
I climbed onto the bed, keeping my eyes on him as I inched closer. I put my hands on his ankles and slid my palms up as I went. The hair on his legs was coarse against my palms, and his muscles flexed beneath his skin. I loved his body. He was magnificent. The sort of man whose physique deserved to be made from stone and admired in a museum somewhere. But also the sort of man who would dismiss such a statement as completely ludicrous. He knew he was attractive, but I doubted he understood the extent. In my opinion, that made him even more incredible.
By the time I stopped, his cock was thick and full, curving up toward his stomach and I knew that when I took it in hand, it would be heavy, both soft and hard at the same time.
He was like that too. Soft and hard at the same time.
“Are you going to stare at it all night or what?”
“You should be more patient,” I said as I stretched out between his legs.
“I am being patient,” he argued.
I wrapped my hand around the base of his shaft, and he let out a low oath. My tongue teased the tip, and his head fell back, hitting the wall with a thunk. I didn’t often have him at my mercy, and I intended to take advantage of the opportunity. He moaned as I slowly fisted his cock, using my tongue to ease the friction of skin on skin. His hips jerked, and I stopped, tightening my hold until he stopped moving.
“Wait until it’s my turn,” he warned.
My pussy clenched in anticipation, and this time it was my own impatience I had to reign in. I shifted to get a better grip on the base of his shaft and then finally gave him what he wanted. Leaning down, I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock. Sucking hard, I took more of him into my mouth, an inch at a time until he couldn’t go any deeper.
“Fuck…” he groaned. The muscles in his thigh jumped and bunched under the hand I was using to steady me. “Your mouth is going to kill me.”