Indulge (9 page)

I didn’t use them with Drake; he was my husband so there shouldn’t have been a reason to. I was sick to my stomach to learn he’d been unsheathed inside me while he was screwing another woman. That’s a mistake I won’t make again. “A necessity, I’m afraid.”

“Agreed.”

He slips my flip-flops back onto my feet before helping me down from the table. “Just so you know, I liked that a lot.”

“I did too. Immensely.”

Beau reaches for my hand, holding it on the walk back to the Jeep. He opens the door and takes my panties from where he tossed them on the seat. I’m a little taken back when he bends down to hold them out so I can step in. “Such the gentleman.”

He pats my bottom when they’re put back into place. “I hope you’ll allow me to take those off again later.”

“I’d be terribly disappointed if you didn’t.” Terribly disappointed, and despite the fact I’ve been given more orgasms by this man in the last two days than by any other man in my lifetime, I’d certainly like some more.

P
ing
! I’m awakened this morning to the alert of a text message. I lift my head to look over Beau’s body at the clock. Six-fucking-thirty, way too early for someone to be messaging me. I will be pissed off beyond all recognition if it’s Meredith bugging me about Beau again.

I grab my phone from the nightstand, and my irritation instantly melts. It’s one of my star students.

Mrs. Langston. I’m certain it’s going to be an ordeal retraining the students, and maybe even faculty, to call me Miss Bennett.

I sit up on the edge of the bed and unplug my phone from the charger. Beau’s bedroom is dark, so I fumble around, clumsily knocking the lamp over. My hands jolt forward and catch it before it crashes but not without sending my phone into the floor.

“Shit.” I hope I didn’t shatter the screen; it’s brand new. My cell provider is going to think I caught my husband cheating again if I show up with another busted phone.

“What are you doing, Peach?” Beau’s voice is gravelly.

“Apparently being a klutz. Sorry to wake you.”

“It’s awful early in the morning to be a klutz. Something wrong?”

“I don’t know. One of my favorite students just messaged me saying she was in a lot of trouble and needs to talk.”

Beau rolls over to look at the clock. “At six thirty in the morning?”

“In her defense, it’s seven thirty in Buford. But I’m still very concerned. I fear it could be bad.” Emery would never reach out to me over the summer if something wasn’t terribly wrong.

I grab Beau’s T-shirt from the floor and slip it over my head. “I’ll go into the living room so I don’t disturb you.”

“You don’t have to do that. This is my usual wakeup time; I’m not going back to sleep.” He gets up to visit the bathroom. “You can call her from the bed.”

“Mrs. Langston.” Emery answers on the first ring, saying my former name in a hushed whisper.

“Emery. What is wrong?”

“I’m in trouble. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She’s crying so hard I can barely make out what she’s saying.

“Okay. First, I need you to calm down so I can understand you.” The crying combined with her low tone makes it nearly impossible to hear.

The other end goes nearly silent. “Emery? You there?”

“I’m here.”

“Honey, you have to tell me what’s happening if I’m going to be able to help you.”

She clears her voice. “I’m pregnant.”

Sheez. I was sort of afraid of that. “How far along?”

“I don’t know. Maybe around five months.”

“You’ve not been to see a doctor?” I try to not sound judgmental but Emery knows better than this.

“No. I can’t. My parents will find out.”

“Sweetheart, your parents are going to know very soon whether you tell them or not.”

“I know, but I’m scared.”

I can already guess who the father is but I ask anyway.

“Ryan Shepherd.” Yup. Just as I suspected.

That’s too bad because Ryan is an immature little prick who prides himself on getting into girls’ pants. I noticed him giving Emery a lot of attention mid-semester but I never, not for one second, thought she’d fall for his bullshit. “Have you told him about the pregnancy?”

“Yeah. He says it’s not his.”

Of course, he denies it. Little shit did the same thing with Cameron’s pregnancy last year. She miscarried, but I still remember the way he celebrated.

Beau returns to bed and crawls in next to me. He traces his fingertip up my thigh until it disappears beneath his T-shirt I’m wearing. I push his hand away and mouth, “Stop. This is important.”

“Ryan is lying, Mrs. Langston. He knows it’s his.”

Looks like this baby isn’t going away. “Don’t worry about that. It only takes a DNA test to prove otherwise.”

“I have to tell my mom and dad and I don’t know how to do that. They’re going to hate me.”

I know the history behind Emery’s parents. They divorced a couple years ago, and it was nas-ty. Both are selfish human beings, thinking only of themselves, rather than the well-being of their children. I know that’s why Emery went in search of affection. Ryan Shepherd used his pecker to take advantage of the problems she was having at home. And look where it landed her.

I’d love to put my foot in that little bastard’s ass. Or chop off his overactive pecker.

“I’m scared.”

“Do you want me to be with you when you tell them?”

“Yes. Please.” I figure this was the reason for the call to begin with. But that’s fine. I will always be there for my kids.

“I’m out of town, but I’ll be back next week. I want you to call me on Monday night, and we’ll set up a day and time to meet with your parents.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Langston. I’m really grateful.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. Everything will work out. You’ll see.”

I end my call with Emery and toss my phone on the bed; I’m disgusted. “Ugh! It’s just as bad as I imagined.”

“Pregnant girl, I gather.”

“Yes. And she’s one of my brightest pupils. The most expressive kid I have in my creative writing class. Breaks my heart, especially since the boy who has knocked her up is a twittlefuck. And it’s not his first time to do something like this.”

“Having a baby at a young age is definitely a life-changing event, but it’s not the end of this girl’s world.”

“How old was Caroline when she got pregnant?”

“Seventeen, but she turned eighteen before she delivered.”

“Is she in college now?”

“Yeah. She wanted to quit school, but my parents insisted she graduate and go on to the local community college. She’s a smart girl. Got a three point eight so she’s transferring to UGA for the fall semester.”

“Good for her. Who takes care of Ashlyn while she’s busy with school?”

“We all pitch in. Whoever’s able to get freed up will take her.”

“You mean you and your brothers take care of a baby?” By themselves?

“All the time. Took some getting used to, but we do all right.”

It sounds like Beau’s family is unusually close. I wonder if they know he’s poly.

“Caroline’s lucky to have the love and support of your family. I’m not sure Emery’s will be as helpful. But that’s something for me to deal with next week.”

“Right. Because you have me to deal with right now.” He moves over me and kisses the side of my neck when I won’t open my mouth. I smell mint, meaning he brushed his teeth while he was in the bathroom. No way I’m having ass breath while he’s minty fresh.

I pat him on the shoulder. “Let me up.”

“No. I want you right where you are.” He pushes up the hem of the shirt until I’m exposed all the way up to my waist. He moves downward until his face meets my groin. “God, I love the way you smell.”

“You’ll love it more after I brush my teeth.” I made sure I brought my toothbrush when I packed my overnight bag last night.

“Nope. Won’t effect this down here one bit.”

One lick of his tongue is all it takes to turn my legs to mush. No way I’m able to leave this bed now. “Oh, God.”

He gets on his knees and pushes my legs back and apart. I arch, staring at the mirror above me in anticipation of his touch. I watch his head dip between my legs as I feel the second upward swipe of his soft, wet tongue through my center. The next sends another jolt of pleasure straight to my groin.

“Ohh . . .” I clench the sheet tightly in each of my fists. I’m lost to all senses but one, the feel of Beau Emerson’s mouth on me.

“Mmm,” he groans. “I love the way you taste. So fucking sweet.”

He licks me one last time before sucking my clit into his mouth. Sometimes soft tugs, alternating with a firmer pull. As much as I’d love this to go on forever, it can’t because I’m unable to last any longer. He’s taken me to that place—the one where a little is too much, yet never enough. I’m coming undone.

“Ahh . . . Ohh.” Once the rush of pure pleasure starts, I can’t stifle the incoherent garble escaping my mouth. I fist his hair and pull his mouth harder against me.

I recognize that new sensation I’ve only experienced with Beau—tiny quivers deep in my pelvis as I spiral down from the place he’s taken me. I come to my senses and release his hair when I realize I’m fisting it tightly. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I like it. Means I’m doing something right.”

“It means you’re doing everything right.”

He kisses my belly and breasts on the way up. “You are so damn beautiful.”

Beau’s the beautiful one—soft and hard in all the right places.
And he chose me.

This man wastes no time grabbing a condom from the box in the nightstand and returning to nestle between my legs; he’s anxious to fuck me. And I’m anxious to be fucked.

He enters me quickly. We find our rhythm, and my hips meet his stroke for stroke. There’s nothing gentle about what’s happening. This is hard-core fucking. And I love it.

Using my legs, I coax him to move faster. “Fuck me harder.”

I know he has beaten me to the finish line when he slows and thrusts deeply those last few times while groaning against my ear. “Uh . . . uh!”

His body burrows between my legs, his head resting on my chest. “I really enjoyed that.”

“Good, because I really enjoyed you doing it.”

That’s the last thing I remember before drifting back to sleep.

M
y eyes pop
open when I’m startled awake. No fucking way. That did not just happen . . . except it did.

I just sleep farted.

I turn to look at Beau to see if he heard me. “Yeah. You did it so you might as well claim it.”

“Shut up!”

I’m. Fucking. Mortified. Someone kill me now.

“Chill. Peach. We all fart.” He doesn’t even look in my direction.

He’s working on his laptop. “Come here. I want to ask you about something.”

I sit up and slide over to take a gander. Looks like real estate listings on the web. “You remember I told you I flip houses with my brothers? My job is to find and negotiate the prices. Wilder takes care of the financing. Judd and Hutch contract it, sometimes doing a lot of the work themselves. That all depends on the job and how sideways the budget becomes. The problem is the price of Buckhead real estate is astronomical. You have to use the best materials in a reno because it’s what residents of Buckhead expect and demand. While upscale furnishings will help sell a house, it doesn’t always bring a higher appraisal since they’re based on dollars per square foot. Spending more and getting no return cuts into profit.”

“That makes sense.”

“We’re thinking of branching out to middle-class suburbs. It’s far less a gamble to have three hundred thousand tied up in a reno rather than one and a half million.”

Whoa, Nelly. That’s a shit ton of money even if they divide it four ways.

“I’m looking at some properties in Buford, and I’m curious to know what you think.”

“Buford is a great place to locate if you don’t want to live in the middle of all the chaos in Atlanta. It’s quiet. Family-oriented.”

“I’ve found six short sales I’m interested in.”

“What’s that?”

“An alternative to foreclosure. Basically the property is sold for less than the home owners owe.”

Beau’s cursor hovers over one of the houses.
Click
! “This one looks really good. Doesn’t appear to need a lot of extensive work but of course that’s basing it completely on the listing, which can be deceiving. Do you know this neighborhood?”

It takes a minute for me to get my bearings. “Yeah. I know someone who lives in that subdivision. Nice neighborhood but it’s close to a busy highway. It’s really loud.”

“Those are definitely things you have to consider on a flip. Variables like that will prevent a house from selling, and each day it’s on the market is money coming out of our pockets.”

I think he values my input. It feels good to have my opinion considered.

He closes his laptop. “Enough about that. What do you want to do today?”

We did a lot of driving yesterday. I’d prefer we didn’t do that again. “How would you feel about something low-key?”

“I’m up for that.”

Beau’s the one who’s familiar with Montego Bay. “Any suggestions?”

“I want to take you to Luminous Lagoon in Falmouth, about a thirty-minute drive. It’s a night tour so we could hang in Montego Bay today, have lunch with the locals, and do a little shopping.”

Totally carefree day with Beau. I love it. “That sounds perfect.”

I peek at the clock. “What time you want me to be back?”

“Where are you going?”

“To my room to get ready.”

“Why do you need to go to your room? You brought your stuff over last night.”

I laugh. Silly boy thinks that duffle holds everything I brought. “This is an overnight bag to do me until the morning when I can go back to my room. All of my things are in my suite.”

“You aren’t going to be sleeping there. I’ll arrange for a bellman to bring all of your things here while we’re out today.”

That’s a little dominating. “Do I get a say?”

“You already did when you agreed to be with me this week.”

I consider showing my ass until I see the logic in what he’s suggesting. I won’t be sleeping in my suite this week and running back and forth is going to become a hassle. “I’ll be back when I’m finished getting ready. And done with packing.”

I look over at Beau and he’s grinning. It’s the sideways one so only one dimple shows.
Gah, I love that smile. It sends goosebumps up and down my skin.

He uses his finger to motion me closer. I step within his reach, and he pulls me onto his lap. He kisses my mouth hard and deep, taking my breath away.

He pulls back and looks at my eyes. “Thank you for moving your things over.”
Oh, this delightful man.

“We’ll see how thankful you are when you see everything I have.”

I get up and he smacks my ass. “Oww.”

“Don’t be gone long or there will be more of that when you get back.” Is it bad that I hope so?

I call my mom before getting into the shower. She puts me on speakerphone so I can talk to her and Willa at the same time. “Tell us everything.”