The Heart of Us, page 13
Easton pulls out his phone and adds the wine to his app. “Get in close, and hold your glass. I want to add a picture to the entry.”
His warm body presses against mine, and he lifts his phone. I smile, noticing my face is already flushed. After he snaps it, Easton shows me.
“It’s perfect,” I mutter with a grin.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Can you text it to me?” I ask.
“Sure thing. I can actually AirDrop it to your iPad.”
“Oh okay, awesome.”
I quickly grab my tablet and set it down next to his phone. He presses a button, and the picture is delivered immediately. It opens up on the big screen, and I smile at how happy we look. If anyone else saw this, they’d easily assume we were a couple. I lock the iPad and set it to the side, though I feel like I could stare at that picture all night long. This is a memory I’ll never forget—I’m thirty-seven and experiencing my first date.
I gulp down the half glass of Riesling and enjoy how smooth it is. “I taste peaches and something else.”
“Apricot,” he confirms. “It’s very citrusy but finishes nicely.”
“Totally. So what do we have next?” I turn to look at him as his arm brushes against mine.
His voice is deep and raspy. “You choose.”
“That one.” I point at a clear bottle with liquid the color of tea.
“Nice choice. We have a Disznoko Eszencia Tokaj.” He hands me the bottle to look at, and I didn’t expect it to be so heavy.
“Originated from where?”
“Hungary, I think.” Easton uncorks it and adds some to our glasses. He swirls his around and smells it, then I follow his lead.
“Wow, this smells amazing.” I swallow it down, and I nearly gasp at how delicious it is. “Holy shit.”
He chuckles. “I know. What would you say it tastes like?”
“A hint of caramel and honey. I can’t quite place it, but it’s really good. Very rich. I can see why it’s considered a dessert wine.” I swirl the liquid in my glass, then gulp the rest down. I can feel the alcohol moving through my system, and my entire body feels like it’s on fire. Not sure if it’s Easton and the way he looks at me like I’m the most beautiful person in the world or the wine. Either way, I’m not complaining because it feels good to be with him like this without a worry in the world.
“Oh, I almost forgot…” He stands and walks to the fridge, then pulls out a tray. When he comes back, he removes the lid from a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. “The chocolate really makes it taste different. Take a bite.”
Easton holds the strawberry in his hand for me, and I lean in, meeting his eyes as I bite down on it. Juice runs down my chin. He grabs a napkin and wipes it off as I finish chewing.
“Now take a sip,” he instructs, and I can see the fire behind his eyes. I do exactly what he says, and the flavors are explosive. I close my eyes and let out a moan, enjoying the taste of the dark chocolate mixed with the sweet undertones of the wine.
When my eyes flutter open, Easton is staring at me, the strawberry still in his hand. He swallows hard, then quickly changes the subject. “How about we open one more?”
“That would be great because right now, I want more of these two.”
He chuckles and pushes forward a bottle that looks like it came off a pirate ship. “How old is this?”
“It’s an 1812 J. S. Terrantez Madeira from Portugal,” he says. “Piper said it had a different taste, but it was good in its own way.”
“You’re telling me this bottle of wine is over two hundred years old? Is that safe to drink?”
He snorts. “You’re cute.”
“I won’t be if this wine gives me the shits,” I blurt out.
A roar of laughter escapes him. “Wine can last a long time. But if that happens, we’ll suffer together.”
Easton pours us each some, and I smell it like I did previously, then take a small sip. “Okay, that’s delicious.”
“I’m actually surprised too,” he admits. “It’s got a floral taste.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to place it. There’s something else too. Clove?”
He nods in agreement. “Yeah, and maybe apricots.”
“It’s weird but strangely good. I’ll have another one of those,” I say, plucking a strawberry from the platter. Easton rejoins me at the bar, and he turns his body toward me.
“Which was your favorite?” He lines the bottles up next to one another.
I tap my finger on my lips and reposition myself to face him. Electricity bolts through me when I meet his gaze.
“I’d say the first one. I like how light and sweet it is. It’s not too heavy like the second one or strange like the third one.”
He nods, agreeing. “Same. How much do you think it cost?”
“You said Piper bought these, right?”
“Yep.” He grabs the Riesling and nearly fills our glasses.
“Five hundred dollars?”
As he takes a sip, his eyes are glued to mine. He shakes his head. I hear the unspoken words and wonder if he’s actually reading my mind right now. Sure, the conversation is moving forward, but I can’t concentrate on anything but him.
“More?” I ask, his knees brushing against mine.
“Much, much more,” he says, snatching a strawberry.
“I have no idea. Probably a thousand.” I drink more of it, knowing it wasn’t cheap, and knowing I wouldn’t have gotten this experience any other way. I could barely afford new clothes, and simple luxuries like this weren’t ever in our budget when I was married.
“Twenty thousand,” he says, and I nearly choke.
“Oh my God, Easton. We’re drinking something that cost more than the first car I bought. You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. The second one is fifteen hundred, and the third one costs a little over thirteen grand.”
“That’s too much. I feel terrible. I don’t deserve this.”
Easton grabs my hands. “You’re worth it. Piper actually suggested we open these.”
I sigh. “Then I guess we better drink every last drop, considering we opened nearly thirty-five thousand dollars’ worth of wine.”
“As I mentioned before, her love language is buying expensive things for people because money doesn’t matter to her. If it makes other people happy, that’s what she wants. My brother found a good one.”
I suck in a deep breath. “I’m just not used to anyone being so generous. Or as kind to me as you have been. Did you tell her that you were planning a date night?”
He chuckles, his breath brushing against my cheeks because we’re sitting so close. “No. She texted me and told me to help myself to all the wine. I thought this would be the perfect occasion to crack it open.”
“Thank you.” I can’t help the wide smile that spreads across my lips, and I hear Elton John’s “Something About the Way You Look Tonight.”
“Want to dance?” Easton asks.
I stumble as I stand, but he catches me in his arms and laughs.
“You good?” he asks.
“Yeah, great.” I smile.
He takes my hand and leads me to the living room, where we dance barefoot. Gently, I place my hands behind his neck, and his firm grip grabs my hips. We sway to the music, and I get lost in the moment with him holding me close. I don’t want this moment to ever end. An intense sensation rushes over me as I think about the night and where it’s led us.
Easton spins me around just as Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” starts. Emotions bubble to the surface, and I find myself smiling. Happiness like this is something I’ve missed, but I know it won’t last. He sings along, and I feel his grip tightening on me.
Falling for my younger boss was never a part of the plan, but I can’t deny the way I feel deep inside. I’ve gotten the impression he’s attracted to me and would be interested in something more than friendship, but given my situation, he’s held back. The same reason I’ve been holding back too. But at this moment, it’s like none of that messy stuff matters.
As the song ends, Easton pulls away with a lust-filled smile. I look up into his green eyes as my heart races, and my breathing becomes ragged. He has me under his spell, and I can’t pull away. Slowly, Easton leans in, and my eyes flutter closed as I anticipate his next move. When his soft lips press against mine, I’m floating into unknown territory. Our tongues twist together, and I fist his shirt. One of his hands threads through my hair, and I moan against his mouth.
“Tatum,” he says as I devour him. Our bodies are so close that I can feel his hard cock pressing into me. I feel a need and desire I haven’t felt in so long that my heart races with anticipation.
A few steps, and I could push him onto the couch. I imagine straddling and riding him.
“Fuck,” he groans, and knowing how turned on he is encourages me to keep going. I want to. I need to. But I also know we have to stop. It’s the responsible thing to do.
Though it pains me to do so, I pull away and meet his gaze. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“No, no,” he cuts me off, but I think he also realizes we’ve crossed the line.
My lips are swollen, and though I want more of him, I don’t want to make it awkward. Especially since we’re kinda stuck together for a while longer.
“I should go to bed,” I tell him and study his face.
“Okay. Let me clean everything up, and I’ll walk you upstairs,” he offers.
“I appreciate it, but I’m fine.” I give him a smile, wishing I knew what he was thinking. I force a yawn. “I’m gonna pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.”
He chuckles, but I know there’s something more he wants to say. “Sweet dreams, Tatum.”
“Thank you for the perfect night. It’s something I won’t ever forget.”
Easton smirks. “Maybe we can do it again sometime?”
“I’d like that,” I admit, my heart fluttering as I walk away from the only man who’s sparked something inside me. I really did drink a lot, but I was in complete control of my actions. Easton was too, or he wouldn’t have let me walk away. We both know we were lost in the moment, even if we both wanted it.
When I walk into my room, I slip off my dress and look at myself in the mirror. My lips are swollen, and my face is flushed. My hair is a little messy from where he tangled his fingers in it. Just the thought of him consuming every inch of me is enough to drive me crazy.
I lie down on the bed and slip off my panties, then get comfortable under the blankets. Sliding a hand between my thighs, I rub small circles over my clit. My pussy throbs as I imagine Easton’s fingers on me, touching, licking, and devouring every inch. The fantasy overtakes my mind as the sensation builds inside me.
Soft moans escape, and I can’t remember the last time I had an orgasm. My body begs for the release as I slowly slide one finger inside. It’s not enough, so I insert another, then press my free hand over my mouth as guttural groans ring out.
Heat rushes through me as I return to my hard bud. My breasts rise and fall as I teeter on the edge.
“Mm…Easton,” I whimper, wishing he could hear me moan his name. I imagine the way he’d fuck me raw and break me in all the right ways. I know he’d be an amazing lover just by how attentive he is with the most basic things.
As I imagine his tongue flicking against my clit, the orgasm rips through me. My muscles tighten, and as I spill over, my body convulses into rapid shakes. It takes every bit of strength I have not to scream out. When I finally come down from my high, I realize how sweaty and worked up I am. Easton’s gotten under my skin in the best way possible, and there’s nothing I can do about it. As scared as I am to admit it, I think I’ve slowly fallen in love with him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
EASTON
DAY 16
The sun beams through the windows, and I look at the clock on the bedside table and see it’s just after seven in the morning. Last night in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tatum and how she felt so right pressed against me. She leaned into me, twisted our tongues together, and for a moment, I thought she was going to give us what we both wanted. As soon as she said she should go to bed, I knew kissing was as much as she could handle right now.
The electricity I felt as our mouths connected is something I’ve never experienced before.
Knowing there’s no way I’m falling back to sleep, I climb out of bed and say good morning to George. He scurries around his cage, and I wiggle my finger between the bars before giving him a treat.
Afterward, I walk down the hall and see Tatum’s door is cracked. When I peek inside, she’s still asleep. Her golden-brown hair is splashed across the pillow, and if I weren’t so chickenshit or concerned how she’d react, I’d climb under the blankets and hold her to my chest. Then I’d tell her how goddamn beautiful she is. Instead, I go take a cold shower.
Standing under the stream, I close my eyes and replay last night in my head. Tatum kissing me and fisting my shirt in desperation. She wanted me, and fuck, I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t ready to carry her to my bed.
I roughly grab my erection and stroke it as fantasies play out in my mind. I imagine her perky nipples in my mouth and licking down her stomach to her wet pussy. I grip harder, placing my other hand against the wall and steadying myself. My breathing grows more ragged until my balls tighten. It doesn’t take long before the orgasm rips through me, and I release a groan of pleasure.
A few seconds later, a knock taps on the door.
“Yeah?” I call out, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat.
“You alright?” Tatum asks from the other side.
“Fuck,” I whisper, not realizing how loud I was.
“I’m fine,” I tell her, trying to keep my voice steady.
“I thought I heard you yell something. You sure you’re fine?”
I can think of a million ways of how she could help me, and we could start with her perfectly plump lips around my cock. “I’m good, but thank you for checking on me.”
“No problem. I’m going downstairs.”
“I’ll meet you in a few minutes,” I respond, grabbing the bar of soap and washing my body. After my dick has settled and I’ve rinsed off, I grab a towel and dry off. Once I’m good to go, I wrap it around my waist and head to my room.
“Shit,” I say, remembering my jeans are in the dryer. Since I only have a limited amount of clothes, I’ve been having to do laundry every couple of days. I go downstairs, and as soon as my foot hits the hardwood, Tatum looks up at me from the table. She’s holding her cell phone out, so I assume she’s FaceTiming her sister.
“Yeah,” she says, and I can hear Oakley chatting about something.
Tatum’s gaze slides down my chest to my stomach, and then she studies the imprint of my cock, before meeting my eyes again. I arch a brow and smirk, but keep my thoughts to myself. As I walk away, I can feel her eyes on me. I slip on some jeans and a T-shirt.
When I return, she ends the call and focuses on her iPad. I make an espresso and sit in front of her. She swallows hard as she watches me. There’s something behind her gaze—want and desire. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s two seconds away from devouring me whole.
I clear my throat. “How did you sleep last night?”
She hesitates for a second as a touch of blush hits her cheeks. “Great. Once I crawled under the blankets and settled in, I was out.”
I picture her upstairs, lying naked under the sheets, and think about how soft her skin would feel against mine. I’d do anything to feel her soft skin and worship her the way she deserves. “That’s good.”
After I take a sip of my coffee, I offer to make her breakfast. Tatum sets down her iPad, and I hold up a hand before she can argue.
“Let me. It’s hard to fuck up avocado toast with an egg. Even for me,” I reassure her.
“But not impossible,” she rebuttals. “That would be great, though. Thank you.”
I go to the kitchen and quickly prepare everything, then set the plates down on the table. Tatum grabs forks and napkins, then we sit. We make small talk, both of us ignoring the fact that our tongues were in each other’s mouths last night. Pretending that we didn’t want to bring this to the next level when it was more than obvious we did. Skirting around the elephant in the room becomes more difficult when the attraction is so damn undeniable.
Tatum laughs. “My sister was in a mood today.”
“Oh yeah? How so?” I ask. As she talks, I can’t help but notice how the sunlight reflects off her hair. Her complexion is smooth and perfect, and I love the way her lips tilt up when she says something amusing. When I look into her crystal blue eyes, I feel as if I’m lost at sea and never want to be found. Selfishly, I don’t give two shits when my apartment gets rebuilt because it means I get to spend more alone time with Tatum. Without her here, I’d probably be going crazy and be bored off my ass, but now I’m dreading the day we leave. Eventually, we’ll have to get back to our regular schedule, but I hope I have enough time to crack open her hard exterior before that happens.
“You know what I mean?” she asks, taking a bite of avocado toast with an egg on top.
“Yeah, definitely.” I was so lost in my thoughts staring at her that I wasn’t listening. She doesn’t notice, though, because her gaze stayed locked on mine the entire time.
After we’re done eating, I clean up and meet her back at the table. She’s fully invested in something on the screen.
“Whatcha reading?” I ask, noticing she swipes through book pages.
“How to Get Away with Murder,” she states flatly.
I tilt my head at her and narrow my eyes. “Should I be hearing this? I don’t want to have to testify against you.”
Tatum snorts. “Nah. It’s just a self-help book.”
My brows shoot up.
“Kidding! I’m reading a romance book that sounded interesting.”
