Frenched Series Bundle (53 page)

The guitarists struck a few buoyant chords, and the bride and groom took a moment to hug and kiss the wedding party before heading back down the dusty aisle, hand in hand, dancing and laughing and smiling as if they’d never stop.

#

Later, after dinner had been served and cake had been sliced, toasts had been made and dancing had begun, Nick took my left hand and squeezed it. We were sitting at a table near the dance floor watching Mia and Lucas sway gently in each other’s arms, and I said a heartfelt prayer of thanks that everything she’d wanted for this day had come to fruition. Every detail had been perfect. Even the weather cooperated, cooling down even more as the sky darkened and a breeze picked up, carrying the scent of sunflowers and lavender across the courtyard.

“What a perfect day,” I murmured. “I’m so happy for her. For both of them.”

“Me too.” Nick brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Is this what you’d like for our wedding?”

I smiled sideways at him. “Maybe. What about you?”

“I like the idea of getting married outside, but I don’t know about a destination wedding. That takes a lot of extra planning, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” I lifted a glass of champagne to my lips. It fizzed in my mouth and down my throat. “So maybe something closer to home. The farm?” I set the flute down and looked at him.

He tilted his head from side to side. “Maybe. But there might be another place we like more. Let’s wait and see.” He played with my hand on the table, admiring the ring on my finger. “So what will your parents say?”

“They better say they’re happy for me. Or else they’re not invited.” He laughed and tugged on my elbow, pulling me onto his lap. I went gladly, slipping an arm around his shoulders.

“Well, we know your grandmother will be glad about it.”

“Definitely. She’ll say all her novenas worked.”

“She’s going to take credit for this?” He pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. “Probably. Somehow.”

“Mmmm. You smell so good.” He rubbed his lips back and forth over my skin, inhaling deeply.

Beneath me, I felt his cock coming to life, and it sent a jolt of arousal straight to my core. “Mmm. Think we can escape?”

“I know we can.”

Sliding off his lap, I stood and let him lead me by the hand across the courtyard, away from the party, around the house and back toward the olive grove where the ceremony had taken place. We started out walking slowly, but as soon as we were out of sight Nick started moving faster. Soon we were running through the dark, slipping between rows of thick, curvy-branched olive trees. When we were deep in the grove, hidden from everything in the shadows of the moon, Nick turned and pinned my back to a wide tree trunk. “Lift up your dress.”

Breathless, I hiked up the filmy skirt of my dress, under which I wore the skimpiest lace panties I owned. Without even bothering to remove them, Nick licked his fingers and reached between my legs, sliding them inside me.

“Fuck,” I breathed, riding his hand as his thumb brushed over my clit through the lace. Yanking at his belt and then his fly, I freed his cock and wrapped a hand around its thick, hard shaft, let my thumb play over the head. He groaned as a silky drop oozed from the tip and I swirled it over his sensitive skin.

Our mouths were open, close but not kissing, our breathing hot and labored.

“Nick,” I panted. “I want it. Now.”

“Yeah?” He fingered me deeper, before sliding his fingers out to rub hard, fast circles over my clit.

“Oh, God. Yes. Please.” My legs were shaking.

“Lift up your dress.”

He moved my panties aside and thrust into me, pushing me hard against the tree. On the second thrust, my feet left the ground, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. His hands moved underneath my thighs, gripping hard and spreading me apart. The small of my back jammed against the ridges of the bark with every powerful shove of his cock inside me.

“I love it,” I breathed, clutching at his neck. “I love the way you fuck me. You make me come so hard.”

“Fuck yes,” he growled, going deeper. “I’ve wanted to get under that pretty dress all day.”

I bit my lip, aroused beyond measure by his ferocious desire. I stifled my cries in his neck as he took me higher, my insides growing tighter and tighter around him. My entire lower body went numb for a moment, suspending me between pain and pleasure, between tension and relief, between a breath and a scream. Finally, his orgasm burst me wide open, and I gasped with every thrust of his cock inside my dripping, pulsing core.

“Jesus,” I said a moment later. “I don’t know how I’m going to walk.”

“Good.”

I dropped my head back against the tree and looked at Nick’s face in the silvery dark. “Maybe you’ll have to carry me.”

He kissed my lips. “Anywhere and everywhere. As long as you’ll let me.”

“Hmm. How about forever?”

He touched his forehead to mine. “Forever.”

“Close your eyes.” Nick’s voice was soft, and his breath tickled my ear.

“Why?”

“I’m going to blindfold you.”

“In my parents’ driveway? In a convertible?”

“We’ll start with that. Maybe later I’ll do it somewhere else—if you behave.”

I laughed. “I thought you were taking me out for ice cream.”

“I’ll still buy you an ice cream cone if you want one. But first I want to give you a birthday present.”

“Now?” We’d only been back from France for about ten days, and my birthday wasn’t for another month.

“I know it’s early, but I saw this thing that I knew you had to have, and I just can’t wait to give it to you.”

“No complaints here. I love surprises.” I clapped my hands. “What is it?”

He reached into the back seat and handed me a small black bag that said Shinola. “Look inside,” he told me.

I peeked inside the bag and pulled out a photograph of two Shinola bikes side by side, and a tiny box. I opened the box and took out a tiny little key. “What’s this?”

“The key to the lock for your new bike.”

“Really?” I grinned at him before studying the

picture again. “How fun! And is that your bike next to mine?”

“Yes. Want to go pick them up?”

“Yes!” I glanced into the back seat. “But how are we going to get them home?”

“Leave it to me.” He wrapped a soft scarf around my eyes and tied it at the back of my head. “Can you see?”

“Nope.”

“Good.”

He started the car and backed out of the driveway, and I imagined the stares he got driving around town with a blindfolded woman in the front seat of his ’54 Mercury. And where the hell was he taking me? Were our bikes at the Shinola store? Wasn’t that downtown somewhere? Why would he have to blindfold me for that?

I tried to figure out where we were headed by the number and direction of turns we took, but pretty soon I realized he was taking so many turns, he was trying to get me lost on purpose.

“What the hell?” I said, grabbing onto the dash. “You’re making me carsick here.”

He laughed. “Sorry, but you’re too smart, cupcake. And this has to be a surprise. We’re almost there.”

In another five minutes, he slowed to a stop and turned off the engine. “You asked how we’d get our new bikes home,” he said, “but they’re already home.” He untied the scarf and I pulled it off, anxious to see where in the world we’d ended up.

My jaw dropped, and I sucked in my breath before clapping a hand over my mouth.

We were in the driveway of the house on Iroquois. Every hair on my body stood on end.

“Nick, what is this?” My eyes roved over all the details I loved about the home, finally landing on the SOLD sign on the front lawn. “This house is sold.”

“I know. I bought it.”

“What?” I stared at him, unable to wrap my brain around this. “
You
bought it? But Linda said that family that transferred bought it.”

“I know. That’s what I told her to say.”

I gasped and thumped him on the leg. “You didn’t!”

“I did. Are you mad?”

I looked at the house again. “I should be, shouldn’t I? I wanted to buy a house by myself.”

“But that was when you were going to live there by yourself.” He put his arm around me and pulled me close. “Now we’re going to live here, together.”

“Oh my God, Nick. I can’t believe it.” My heart was racing. “You said we should live in your apartment for a while, you big liar.” In fact, I’d already started packing. The sooner I got out of my parents’ house, the better. As expected, they’d been stunned at my engagement, but Nick hadn’t made me face them alone. Together we’d told them how we’d realized after seeing one another again that we were still in love and wanted to be married, having already spent far too long apart. I’m pretty sure they thought we were crazy and foolish, but I didn’t care. I’d never been more excited about my future.

“Had to keep you guessing.” He kissed my head. “But that’s all over with. And don’t worry—I’ll still let you do as much work here as you want to. I’ll even show you how to work a hammer.”

“Haha.” I tipped my head to his shoulder. “God, you’re an asshole. But I love you.”

“I love you, too. And Coco, we’re putting your name on the title as soon as possible. It’s our place. I don’t care who paid for it.”

“Really? You mean it?” I looked up at him.

“Of course I do. It’s you and me, cupcake.”

Happiness bubbled up in me. “Hey, maybe if we get the backyard in shape by next summer, we can get married here!”

Nick dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “Good idea.”

I slipped my arms around his waist, snuggling

into the nook as we looked at the home where we’d build our future.
This is where I’ll be every night for the rest of our lives.

It would take a lot of work—both this house and this relationship—but I knew it would be worth it. Everything I needed to be happy was right here in front of me.

THE END

Turn the page for a special bonus scene from Nick's point of view!

#

She wanted me to kiss her. Of course she did.

What girl followed a guy up to his bedroom, sat next to him on the bed, then leaned over like that, if she didn’t want to be fucked—I’m sorry, kissed?

It was almost laughable. After all, it was Coco who’d made the No Sex rule, as if she could spend the night with me and not be thoroughly ravished from head to toe. There was no fucking way—the woman next to me was even hotter than the college girl she’d been seven years ago, and that was no small feat. Did she know how fucking beautiful she was? Did she know how badly I wanted to rip that dress off her body and put my tongue there, there, and there? Did she know how hard I was? I’d have to try to hide it when I stood up, try to get down the stairs ahead of her. I glanced down at the rise of her breasts above the low scoop neckline of her dress and battled the urge to bury my face between them.

Look at her, licking her lips. Arching her back. Tilting her head. Staring at my mouth, the little minx.

The crotch of my jeans grew even tighter. She wanted it, wanted me, just like I wanted her. But I was going to make her wait for it. Make her say it. Make her demand it. Make her break the rule first. I smiled. “You totally want me to kiss you right now.”

Immediately, she leaned back and slapped my shoulder, color rising in her face. “I do not!”

“You did. You so did.” Shielding my erection with the iPad on my lap, I moved past her and tossed it onto the bed. I had to get downstairs. One more minute in my bedroom and she’d be on her back. “You licked your lips,” I said, starting down the steps.

She followed me, hot on my heels all the way into the kitchen, blustering mad. “That doesn’t mean I wanted you to kiss me. Because I don’t.”

“Oh no?” I whirled around and took her by the shoulders, dropping my mouth to within an inch of hers. I could play this game, too. “Then tell me not to kiss you. Say it’s against the rules. Say you don’t want it.”

She struggled, clenching her jaw and fidgeting in my grasp. Would she give in? My dick jumped at the thought of getting inside her, the muscles in my lower body going tight. But she continued to fight. “I don’t want it,” she said, her eyes daring me to do it anyway.

Not happening, cupcake. First you have to admit you want me as badly as I want you.
I released her. “Good. Because I don’t want it either.”

Suddenly her hand shot out and grabbed my crotch. There was no hiding the fact that my cock was hot and hard, bulging against my jeans. I was paralyzed by her touch.

A satisfied smile snuck onto her lips, her eyes flashing victory. “Liar.”

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. The Coco I’d known was adorable and feisty, but this woman was bold and sexy and fuck-me-now-asshole hot. Should I? Was she playing a game or did she really want this right here, right now? Battling the urge to throw her onto the counter and fuck her senseless, I tightened my hands into fists.

She dropped her hand and glanced at the cake ingredients lined up on the counter. “Well, don’t just stand there. We’ve got a cake to bake, remember?”

“Coco.” My body temperature and my cock surged higher.

“Yes,
friend
?” She leaned back against the island, more beautiful than any woman had a right to be.

I wanted her. Games over.

Inside a heartbeat I had her head in my hands, my hips pinning her to the counter. “Don’t.” Covering her mouth with mine, I kissed her hard and deep, sliding my tongue between her lips, desperate to get inside her any way I could. Her hair felt like silk in my hands, and she smelled good enough to eat.
I want to eat you
, I thought, feeling like the big bad wolf as I tried to get my hands under her pretty flowered dress.
I want to consume you.

“Nick.” She whispered my name as I kissed her cheek, her throat, her collarbone. Her hands yanked at my shirt, and I shrugged it off, dropping to my knees at her feet. Her dress was fitted, showing off the perfect shape of her legs, the curves of her hips and ass and waist and breasts. Fuck, her body was amazing. How many times had I thought about it since we’d been apart? And it was even better now with a little more meat on her bones. I ran my hands up the sides of her thighs, pushing the dress up past her hips. A tiny little dark triangle peeked through white lace panties, making my fingers dig into her flesh. I wanted to tear through that lace with my teeth.
Easy, easy. Don’t hurt her.

“Christ, this body,” I whispered, resting my forehead against the lace and breathing in her scent. My heart was beating faster than it did during a hard sprint. “I’ve dreamed about this.”

“You have?” Her fingers weaved through my hair.

“Yes. And this.” I planted a kiss on the triangle. “And this.” I tugged the panties down to her knees. “And especially this.” Holding her by the hips, I slid my tongue into the warm, wet crease between her legs and slowly stroked up to her clit, again and again. When her legs began to shake, I smiled.

“It feels so good, Nick.” Her voice was shaky. “I don’t think I can stand.”

“Fuck standing.” Suddenly I had a vision of her on my kitchen counter, those gorgeous thighs spread, her hot little pussy begging to be devoured and then fucked hard. I whipped the panties from her feet and stood, hitching her up around my waist. She threw her arms around my neck and clutched me tightly to her body with her legs. Her mouth opened wide for me, and my tongue moved against hers. Fuck, I’d forgotten what it was like to kiss someone this way, like you couldn’t get enough. But then, this was Coco—I would never get enough.

But I could certainly try.

I set her up on the counter and pushed her knees apart.