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  I couldn’t help the laugh that came out of my throat. “You’re joking, right?”

  He shook his head. “In order for her whole family to be there, it needs to be Saturday.”

  “So Saturday it is.” It would mean the world to Evie to have everyone she loved in one room. “I take it that you and I will be spending the next four days planning an engagement party then?”

  “You are correct.”

  “It’s the next exit.” I leaned back in the seat, turning to look at him. The tattoos crawling up his neck looked especially sexy today. It was like now that I knew what it was like to have him inside me, my crush had been dialed up to a ten. “So I help pick the ring, then what?”

  “Oh, then we run back by the apartment so I can bend you over my bed and fuck you.” His hands gripped the wheel tighter, like thinking about it was making him hard. “After that, florist? I assume we need everything. Balloons? I don’t know.”

  “Yes to the florist and the fucking. No to the balloons.” Bleu’s gaze shot over to me, and I couldn’t help my smirk.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Bleu

  Maykin and I crashed through my front door, dropping our stuff on the floor and fumbling our way to the couch. I’d fucked her in the shower hours earlier, but with the way I wanted her? You’d have thought it’d been years since I’d been inside her.

  “Should we talk about condoms?” I was speaking against her lips, helping her get my pants down to my ankles.

  She took off her sweater and threw it across the room. It landed on the TV. “Isn’t it a little late for that?” She pushed me down onto the couch, straddling my lap after removing her leggings. “You’ve been inside me twice now, bare.”

  My hands went to her hair while hers went to my shoulders. “Are you on the pill?” I really hoped like hell she was on the pill. I didn’t want to wear a condom with her, ever.

  “Yes.” She kissed me, angling herself over me. I gripped her perfect ass and guided her onto my throbbing cock. I let my head fall back as soon as she was seated fully.

  “Holy fuck, baby.” I closed my eyes, moving my hands to her hips and making her move on top of me. “Ride me.” She moved like a fucking dream, making my balls tighten almost instantly. I was going to come embarrassingly fast this time. But I was powerless to stop it. She felt too good while she was in control.

  I used my thumb, rubbing her clit in tight little circles. “I need you to come for me Maykin.” I tightened my free hand in her hair, thrusting up into her while she was grinding on top of me.

  “Oh my god, don’t stop.” Her head dropped back and I moved my grip from her hair to the column of her neck. I angled her back, changing the feel for her. It only took a few more seconds for me to make her come. Her pussy fisted my dick, drawing me right over the edge with her. Both of us cried out our release—me whispering her name and her screaming mine.

  After we’d both calmed down, and learned how to once again breathe normally, she climbed off my lap and started to get dressed. I wrinkled my nose, pulling her pants out of her hands. “What are you doing? Clothes are bad.”

  She snorted and let me drag her down onto the couch. “I agree, but don’t we have more to do for the engagement party?”

  I shook my head. “We picked the ring, we found a florist, and you made an appointment for cupcake tasting. We’re done for today.” I wrapped her in my arms. “And I want to stay naked for as long as possible.”

  “Can we eat?”

  I pursed my lips, trying to remember what was left in my fridge from Maykin’s last guilt groceries. “I think we’re out of food, Midge.”

  She stretched her arm out, grabbing my cell from the coffee table. “Then let’s order in.”

  I frowned. “But if we have food delivered, one of us is going to need to put clothes on.” I hadn’t been lying. I wanted to keep her naked until the sun came up tomorrow.

  “Not if we add special instructions to ring the bell and then leave the food by the door.” She smiled, pulling up our favorite Greek restaurant.

  “You’re a genius.” I kissed the tops of her breasts, nuzzling in while I listened to her order our dinner. After she was done, I grabbed my cell and tossed it across the room. “Food won’t be here for thirty minutes.” I rolled us over, settling between her sexy legs. “Plenty of time for round two.” I slipped inside her, torturously slow.

  I wanted to live inside Maykin, and if her current little moans and whimpers were any indication, she was all for it.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bleu

  It was Thursday, and today was the last day of the puppy’s medication. It was also the day I had to get a secret delivery of booze shoved into a tiny closet at the shop while Evie was having lunch with Nicky in his office. Over the past week, I’d become a foster parent, a party planner, and a sex addict.

  I thought I’d been into fuckin’ before. But let me tell you, and the rest of the world, Maykin was a game changer. I loved being inside her body, and I loved laughing and hanging out with her afterward. She was still my best friend, and being able to kiss her whenever I wanted was a hella fantastic added bonus.

  “Okay, Evie just left.” Nicky came into my workspace, handing over all the leftover food they hadn’t eaten. I dug into the other half of Evie’s chicken salad sandwich. “Did all the liquor come in?”

  I mumbled, “Yeah,” around a mouth full of food. I chewed a little more and swallowed. “It’s all in the back closet.” Stacked precariously high and would probably all come tumbling out when someone opened the door. Meaning, I wouldn’t be the one opening the door. Hashtag someone else’s problem.

  Nicky hopped up on my chair, lying back with his hands behind his head. We both had about thirty minutes before our next appointments came in. “Thanks again for all your help, man. I don’t think I could have pulled this off without your and Maykin’s help.”

  I smiled tightly. “You couldn’t have.” Maykin and I had been running around like crazy people for the past three days. We picked out a ring, we ordered flowers, and we even went and tasted cupcakes. I loved food, but at the end of that day? I would have thrown up if I had to sample one more bite of icing.

  “Well, think of it as a mock run for your wedding.”

  I snorted, stuffing my mouth with jalapeño chips. “I don’t think Mayk is the marrying kind, bro.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?”

  I looked at him like he was crazy, because he was. “Why would that bother me?”

  “Uh, because that would mean that there is no future for you guys?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “You hear yourself, right?” I waved away his ludicrous concerns. “Just because we don’t want to get married doesn’t mean there is no future for us. Not everyone in the world wants to get hitched and pop out kids. I’d be completely fine spending the rest of my life exactly like this.” I started ticking off points on my fingers. “I get to tattoo all day, which I love. I get to work with one of my best friends, who I love. And I get to go home and fuck Maykin, who I…”

  Nicky raised an eyebrow when I let my words trail off. “Who yoooouuu? What? Love? Are you telling me you love Maykin?”

  I took a sip of Evie’s leftover iced tea, trying to clear the lump in my throat. “No. I mean I care about her, sure. But we just started, uh, whatever it is we’re doing. It’s too soon for love.”

  Nicky sat up, meeting my eyes and getting all serious and shit. “You’ve known Maykin for months, Bleu. And you guys have been inseparable since you met. Just because you only started sleeping together a few days ago doesn’t mean that your relationship hasn’t been headed this direction since the get-go.”

  I took a minute, processing Nicky’s words. He wasn’t wrong. Maykin and I had an instant connection. Had we basically been dating for the last several months?

  “I can smell your brain trying to work.”

  I threw a potato chip at him. “So maybe I love her, so what? Doesn�
�t mean we need to start picking out china patterns. Mayk and I are different from you and Evie.”

  “Bleu, I know you, man.” Nicky got to his feet. “I know you want kids one day. You’ve talked about being a father for as long as I can remember.”

  I did want kids, someday. Far in the future when I was a mature adult who had his shit together ninety percent of the time instead of the possible sixty percent I had going for me now. My dad hadn’t been around when I was growing up and I’d always craved that father/son bond. Nicky’s dad had been MIA as well, and we’d talked a lot about how we’d do things differently, how we’d be there, and be present for our kids. Every little league game or chess match, it didn’t matter. We would be there. And now he was throwing my sentimental ramblings back in my face like any good friend would.

  “How does wanting kids ten years from now translate to me needing to marry Maykin?” I threw the rest of the food in the trash, my appetite suddenly gone. “Tons of people have kids and don’t get married.” Or tons of people break up because they want different things out of life.

  “All I’m saying is that you two need to make sure you’re on the same page.” He opened my door. “I wasn’t afraid that the two of you hooking up would make things hard on Evie and me. I was afraid that you two hooking up would end up breaking your heart.” He put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly before he walked out.

  Well shit. I’d been riding a post-orgasmic high for the last four days, and Nicky sent me crashing to the floor with one conversation. I did want kids one day, but that didn’t mean that I needed to end things with Maykin tomorrow. Hell, maybe she wanted kids too.

  I stood and went to the sink to wash my hands. Things were fine the way they were. There was no reason to go and mess it all up. We’d been sleeping together for less than a week, and I needed to give things time. We’d cross the “future” bridge when we got to it.

  In the meantime, I was going to fucking make the most out of falling in love with Maykin Miles.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Maykin

  I was at the shelter. And I wasn’t washing a dog or flea-dipping a cat. I was in the kitten room. I’d been promoted and I was so fucking happy. When I’d walked in with Bleu that morning, Margaret at the front desk had actually smiled at me. I guess me coming to pick up the puppy the other night had finally won her over.

  I sat on the floor playing with kittens, holding them and scratching their ears and bellies. I was supposed to help them get used to human affection. This litter had been found in a cactus patch and was feral. But at least two of the six were fond of me. They crawled all over my legs and leaned in when I petted them. I made note of it on the clipboard I’d been given.

  “Hey, Midge, you ready to go?” Bleu stuck his head in the door, smiling when he saw me holding one of the kittens up to my cheek. “Or would you rather stay in here all day and cuddle the kittens?”

  I sat the gray tabby on the ground and got to my feet. “It’s a toss-up.”

  He reached for my hand and pulled me flush against his body. “Well, if we leave now, we have time to go to the apartment before I need to be at the shop.” He waggled his eyebrows and wound his arm around my waist, dipping me back dramatically and kissing my lips.

  “Mmmmm…still a toss-up.” I laughed as he swatted my ass and pulled me out the door. There was no question, I’d give up anything to spend a few minutes alone with Bleu.

  He was still my best friend, and he still made me laugh. We were the same sarcastic flirty people we’d always been together. But the second he got me alone, all bets were off. It was like something came over us. We couldn’t get enough of each other. I’d never had so much sex in my life, and I wasn’t complaining.

  “I’ve got to go grab the puppy and then we can go.” He made a left at the front desk, heading to the dog side of the building. We entered the little infirmary where his foster puppy was being kept until he finished his meds. “Oh hey, Margaret.”

  “You coming to get your guy?” She smiled kindly and opened the puppy’s crate, giving him a few kisses before passing him off to Bleu. The puppy wagged his tail and licked Bleu’s face, excited to see him. “He’s officially well.” Margaret reached out and scratched his ears. “He’ll go to his first adoption event on Sunday, and I’m sure he’ll find a home real quick.”

  My stomach dipped at her words. I’d gotten so used to seeing the little stinker every night. It would be weird to not have him snuggled in between Bleu and me while we slept. And I knew Bleu would miss him even more. He made sure to give the puppy some extra attention whenever he came to the shelter.

  Neither one of us said anything until we got back in the car. Bleu handed the puppy off to me, and he immediately settled into my lap. “I kind of want to adopt him myself.”

  “Why don’t you?” Bleu would make an excellent doggy dad. He’d been taking care of the little guy for the last week anyway.

  “I work long hours. We’re so busy at the shop right now.” He reached over and scratched the puppy’s ears. “And between that and still having hours to complete my volunteer work, I don’t have time to give him the attention he needs.”

  I wanted to tell him I could help. I wanted to tell him that between the two of us, we could make sure that he wasn’t alone often. But that felt too big. I was already at his apartment every night. Hell, we pretty much lived together. Adopting a dog together too? That seemed too fast.

  The last thing I wanted to do was mess up our relationship. I could man up and ask him how he felt about it. I could open my mouth like an adult and talk to the guy I was currently dating. But no, I was too scared. Too nervous of what his answer would be.

  ***

  I’d spent some time at Bleu’s apartment earlier, studying for a test I had the following week. I knew this weekend was going to be too crazy to get much done. I felt like these few hours alone were going to be the calm before the storm. Evie’s family would start arriving tomorrow afternoon, and we were keeping them hidden in the apartment until it was time to go to the shop.

  The flowers were getting delivered here tomorrow as well, along with the cupcakes we’d picked out. I was in charge of making Evie get a manicure today too, which was why I was currently sitting in a nail salon, trying hard to convince her not to get black nail polish.

  She’d have pictures of this weekend framed in her home one day, and she’d show them to her children. Her nails did not need to be black sparkles, no matter how rock and roll she thought it was.

  “Go with the super deep maroon instead,” I encouraged. “It’s basically black.” But not the all-the-way Halloween glitter black she’d originally picked. I handed the color I’d chosen to her technician, making the decision for her. She’d thank me one day.

  “How are things going with Bleu?”

  When I’d told Evie that I’d slept with Bleu, she’d squealed and jumped up and down like a damn cheerleader. She was happy and in love, and she wanted everyone around her to be as well. “Things are good.”

  “That’s all I get? Things are good?” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, give me something else.”

  I want to adopt a puppy with him but I’m afraid he’ll think it’s too much too soon, and that would hurt my feelings. If I was being honest, that is what I would have said to her. But open and honest wasn’t currently my strong suit. Which was hella unlike me. “The sex is amazing.”

  “Well, I kind of figured. Give me more than that.”

  “I don’t know. Things are good. We still laugh and hang out. We’re still the same friends we’ve always been, except now we have lots of sex.” I felt like I was belittling what I felt for Bleu. But what I felt for him was uncharted territory for me. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it, and trying to explain it to Evie would only make my confusion evident.

  “Are you thinking long term? Can you see this going somewhere?”

  “Jesus, E, you’re killing me here.” I took a deep breath, letting it ou
t slowly and trying to calm my nerves. “We’re going one day at a time, and yeah, I hope things keep going the way they are. But this is all really new and kind of terrifying for me, so can we please change the subject?”

  I wasn’t trying to be harsh or rude, I was trying to save myself a nervous breakdown. I wanted more and I wasn’t too naïve to see that I was falling for Bleu. But at the same time, I wanted to put on the brakes. I wanted to preserve our friendship, and my heart.

  “Sure.” She pursed her lips like she was trying to think of anything else to talk about. “Turns out two of my younger cousins run a multimillion-dollar medical marijuana company under our parents’ noses.”

  Well shit.

  As far as subject changes, that was a damn good one.

  Chapter Twenty

  Bleu

  Today was the day my oldest friend got engaged. I threw off our covers, laughing when Maykin groaned and the puppy let out an irritated huff. “Come on, people, we have lots to do.” I slapped Maykin’s ass, then gave it a good squeeze. And then quickly decided that even though we had a busy day, there was still time for a little fun first.

  “You want to conserve some water this morning, Midge?” I nipped at her bare shoulder. “Get dirty before we get clean?”

  “Mmmmm,” she moaned as my fingers found their way to her heated core. “That sounds good.”

  “You feel good.” I traveled down her body, placing kisses along her skin. My tongue darted out, flicking her clit before I let my mouth close over her for a moment. “You taste even fucking better.”

  Her hand found the top of my head and her back arched off the bed. She was so fucking sexy, she was a dream come true. No, she was a fantasy come to life. She was everything anyone could ever wish for or desire. And she was mine.

  I removed my fingers from her core and sank back on my heels, fully prepared to sink my dick inside her and…

  “The puppy peed on the bed.”