I laugh harder than I have in a long time and smile so much my face hurts. I know my happiness isn’t because of what I’m doing, even though kayaking is a total blast. I’m happy because of who I am with. Sage is one of those people who is just easy to hang out with. He puts you at ease, takes the stress away, and makes you smile, even when you don’t think it’s possible to.

And he is also the guy I’m pretty sure I’m already falling in love with. I just hope with time he can feel the same way about me.

*

Sage

SLIPPING ON MY dress shirt, I do up the buttons then the cuffs and grab my watch, putting it on before walking out of the closet. Listening to the sound of Kim singing behind the door of my master bath, I smile then laugh. She sounds horrible, but it’s still cute to hear her so happy. I head toward the door and grab my shoes, leaving for the living room, where I take a seat on the edge of the couch to put them on.

We were out on the lake longer than I expected us to be, so by the time we got back in and put away the kayaks, Willow and Harmony left to get ready for dinner, which reminded Kim about our plans for the evening. I know she’s nervous about being around everyone tonight, but I’m relieved. For a long time, I’ve hated going to family functions or get-togethers knowing Kim could be there with one of my cousins. If she were there, I would’ve had to be in the same room with her and not touch her, not talk to her. Fuck, I could barely look at her. It was like torture every time.

But tonight, tonight is different. There are no rules anymore. I can touch her whenever the fuck I want.

Standing from the couch, I head for the kitchen but stop dead when Kim walks out of my room and down the hall toward me. Her hair is half down and pulled away from her face, making her eyes and cheekbones stand out. The dark burgundy turtleneck dress she’s wearing looks amazing with her complexion and skims her body like a second skin, ending just above a pair of knee high black leather boots.

“Fuck.” Seeing those boots, I know going slow just went out the fucking window. I want her. No… want is too tame a word. I fucking need her.

“Is this too much?” she asks, stopping before me and holding her arms out to her sides. “I don’t want to look slutty. I didn’t even think about the fact this kind of screams ‘slut’ with the boots.”

Jesus, my woman is crazy.

“You don’t look slutty, but I’m definitely thinking about you in those boots and nothing else.”

“Sage,” she snaps, and I lean in, wrapping my hand around her hip, feeling the soft material of the dress under my palm.

“Never mind, the sweater’s hot, too. The first time I fuck you,” I lean down, nipping her earlobe while grabbing her ass, “it will be up around your waist, your boots around my hips, and your ass on the counter in the kitchen.”

“You’re not helping me feel better,” she growls.

I lean back to look at her then move my hands to hold her face gently. “You look beautiful.”

“Are you sure? Your mom and dad—”

“They couldn’t give a fuck less what you wear. They already know you and like you. You have nothing to be nervous about. This is my family and the people you’ve been hanging out with for a long time.”

“I guess you’re right. It just feels different,” she says quietly, dropping her eyes from mine.

Giving her jaw a squeeze, I wait until she looks at me once more before I speak. “The only difference is you’re mine now, and everyone knows it. Nothing else has changed. Everyone is still going to be loud and inappropriate. My mom will probably ask about what our plans are, and my aunts will probably hem and haw about planning another wedding. But it will be all good.”

“Wedding?” Her eyes widen, and she visibly swallows.

I laugh. “You know July, June, and Ash, babe. So you know exactly what happens when the women in my family get together. They all start plotting.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t go.”

“Oh no, you’re coming. Even if I have to carry you over my shoulder. I have plans for your ass tonight when we get back.”

“You have plans for my ass when we get back?” she repeats, blinking up at me. “I’m not sleeping here tonight. I have to work tomorrow at the shop.”

“Fine, then I’m staying at yours. Or we’ll pick up some clothes from your place after dinner and come back here.”

“You know you are seriously bossy, right?” she prompts, rolling her eyes. “You never say ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ or ‘How do you feel about that?’ It’s always ‘I’m paying’ or ‘We’re doing blah, blah, blah,’” she mimics in a deep voice, shaking her head, and I fight back a smile. “It’s really annoying.”

“So you didn’t enjoy sleeping in my bed?” I raise a brow.

She frowns. “I didn’t say that.”

“I’m guessing you also hated going out on the lake this morning.”

“Don’t be a jerk,” she snaps, glaring at me.

“I’m not. I’m proving a point. You’re telling me it’s annoying when I’m bossy, yet you sure as fuck have been enjoying yourself.”

“Don’t cuss at me.”

“Jesus,” I growl, running my hand over the top of my head in frustration. “Are we seriously going to start fucking arguing about this shit right now?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know!” she cries, throwing her arms in the air.

I know what she needs. Hell, I know what we both need, and I plan on giving it to both of us as soon as we get home from this fucking dinner tonight.

“I’m freaking out, and then there’s you.” She waves her hand out at me. “You look all hot and muscular, and I can’t stop thinking about what happened this morning, which is making me want to jump you. And I know that wouldn’t be good, because then we would be late, and everyone would know exactly why we were late. And then I would be embarrassed. So please, cut me some slack.” She ends with her chest heaving and her eyes on mine.

“Come here.”

“What?” She frowns, and I hold out my hand toward her.

“Come here.”

“Why?”

“Trust me,” I urge, and she places her hand in mine. Leading her to the kitchen, I turn her to face me then slowly slide my hands up her hips, bunching up the soft sweater as I go.

“What are you doing?” she pants, but I don’t answer.

As soon as I have her dress up around her hips, I skim my hands down over her hips, feeling for her panties. Coming across the smooth material, I wrap them around my fingers and pull them down, lowering to my knees and muttering “step out” when they reach her ankles. Holding onto my shoulders, she does as I asked, and I lean in, placing a kiss to her stomach above her pubic bone. Hearing her pant and smelling her arousal causes my already hard cock to twitch and my hands to tighten into fists. I shove her panties into my pocket and wrap my hands back around her hips, lifting her to the counter and hearing her gasp as her ass hits the cool top.

“Lean back and spread your legs for me,” I growl, fighting myself to stay calm. This will be a test of self-control if I’ve ever had one. The idea of eating her turns me on, and I know I’ll want to fuck her. I know the second the taste of her hits my tongue I’m going to want to fuck her until neither of us can walk. Only I can’t do that—not now anyway. But I can get her off and help her relax a little so she’s not so on edge.

“I don’t think….” she whispers, tightening her knees together, and I shake my head.

“Don’t think, just do. Lean back and spread your legs for me,” I demand, and her eyes widen and the tip of her pink tongue comes out to touch the edge of her lip.

Seeing that, I lose what little bit of self-control I was holding onto. Forcing her back to the counter, I grab her knees and spread them open. Dropping my eyes to her already glistening pussy, my hands fucking shake and my mouth waters. I trail one shaky finger up her inner thigh and move my eyes from the skin below my finger to her face, wanting to see her reaction to my touch. The moment my fingers slide through her folds and over her clit, her eyes slide shut and her head tips back, exposing the elegant slope of her throat as her back arches.