Wild Card by Ashley Munoz

Chapter Thirty-One

I wipedthe sweat from my brow and tucked the rag into my back pocket. I mowed and laid new bark chips along the outer edge of the yard, hauled fresh slabs of rock over for the retaining wall, and then applied a fresh coat of white paint over the entire thing.

I was trying to stay busy. I needed to stay busy.

I’d moved back home and had even tried sleeping in my childhood bed again. It hadn’t seemed like it would be difficult since I’d done it twice with Mallory, except lying there all night proved I was back to not being able to sleep in the house. It was worse now that the bed was tainted with memories of her. So, I slept outside in a newer camper trailer, courtesy of my Uncle Scotty, or so I assumed. I had mentioned to Kyle that I planned on sleeping in my truck until I could save up for one, and the next day the trailer showed up in the driveway.

My mom had finally given in and allowed me to start updating the interior of the house, as long as I didn’t mention selling, and actually, the more I was home, the more I realized I didn’t want to. My dad had built it for my mother when she was pregnant with Kyle. He’d planned out every detail, maxed out five credit cards, and taken out a small loan to finish it. I didn’t want to let it go. At night, when I lay awake, I imagined a life where I had my compass here with me, sleeping next to me every day, guiding me out of that storm that always seemed to swallow me when I entered the house. She’d grow old with me, and I’d never feel lost again.

I blinked, thinking of the previous night’s dinner when both my mother and Kyle had asked me about Mallory, whether she’d called or read the article. The first few times were like tearing away surgical tape over a scar. Each time after was like cutting it open. She hadn’t reached out. I had done the interview weeks ago, it had finally printed and uploaded to their site eight days ago, and it felt safe to assume she was following through with her plan to marry that fuckin’ guy.

I knew Mallory well enough to know she had tried to push me away the last time we were together. Fucking up had been part of our dynamic, and somehow, I’d found the one girl on the planet who seemed to have an infinite amount of patience for how long it took me to get a clue. I knew she realized the truth about Elias, and now with the article, I had truly tried to fix my fuckup regarding our deal…but there had been a look in her eye when I was about to tell her I loved her. It was like she knew she’d hurt me. She knew she couldn’t do this, so she pushed.

I still wasn’t sure what to make of that, but as far as I was concerned, she was mine, always would be. No ring or fake marriage would change that.

Ducking down, I grabbed a pair of hedge clippers and started toward the shed. There was still a decent amount of daylight left, and I needed to clip all the bushes in front.

Once I rounded the tool shack and walked through the small gap between the house and the garage, I heard the sound of tires crunching gravel. I cleared the gap, seeing a shiny black town car come into view.

Setting the clippers against the shed, I grabbed the rag from my pocket once more, wiping my face and hands. Whoever this was seemed rich as fuck. I didn’t want to greet them, sweaty and dirty.

The sun had been out for most of the day, but thankfully it looked as though a swell of clouds might give us a break from the heat. It allowed me to see whoever was exiting that car without having to wince or use my hand as a shield.

The back door of the town car opened a second later, and a head of russet hair popped into view, making my breath hitch.

She bent back down to grab something before standing straight again, then she was explaining something to the driver through the passenger side window. I shifted on my feet, unsure what I was supposed to do while she spoke with him.

A few smiles later, she turned from the car and headed in my direction, wearing a black pencil skirt and matching blazer that seemed more fashionable than functional. Still, it looked cute on her, especially with the loose-fitting white shirt she had underneath.

I wiped my hands again, this time on my jeans, hating how nice she looked in comparison to me. She had on jewelry, her hair was nicely done, and I thought she even had on pearl earrings.

She stepped closer, her high heels wobbling in the gravel, making me skip a step to help keep her balanced. She gripped my forearm right as her ankle twisted to the left.

“Looking every inch the powerful CEO, aren’t we?” I joked, even though the honesty of the words made my gut sink. She’d chosen a path I hadn’t seen coming, something I hadn’t even known was an option for her. It had snuck up and bitten me in the heart. The universe had flipped me the bird and was still laughing.

Mallory dipped her head, tucking glossy strands of hair behind her ear. Having her this close, touching her…it was the worst kind of temptation.

She let me go and hugged a sleek black tablet to her chest.

“Hi.” She smiled, her white teeth bright against her tan skin. She’d gotten some sun, and for whatever reason, the realization that time had passed made my stomach clench.

“Hi,” I replied, not sure how I was still standing.

“So…uh…this…” She looked down at the tablet. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Her voice shook as those green eyes slowly met mine.

The article.

“You read it?” I grabbed the rag from my back pocket just so I had something to do with my hands.

I expected if she did end up reading it, she’d just keep ignoring me like she had been for the past few weeks. I had no idea what to expect now. Would she turn me down gently? Go off to New York and marry Jeff?

She dipped her head, keeping her eyes on her feet. Her pink toenails peeked out through the opening of her shoes in a cute way and the heels made her calves look incredible, but it was her eyes I wanted on me. I hated that she kept hiding them from me. She’d come here for a reason; I’d be damned if she backed out of explaining what it was.

I was about to step closer to her, hook that chin with my finger, and force her face up, but her chest heaved and suddenly her head tipped back.

Her eyes were wide and full of…something similar to hope or anticipation.

“I’m in love with you, Decker James. I’ve loved you longer than I probably even know, and we went about all of this the wrong way, but…” She licked her lips, stepping closer. “If this ends with me in your arms and you in mine, I don’t really care about how it started. I just care how it ends.”

Her clothes were so clean, and I didn’t want to get her dirty, but she’d just admitted to loving me. My heart was racing in my chest, a new sweat breaking out on my skin, purely from need and longing. I could have stood there with her and demanded she explain why the fuck it took her so long to choose me, asked her what she had decided about Jeff. We could talk and talk…but Mallory and I were always better with nonverbal communication.

Fuck it.

I reached for her. Cupping her face with my hands, I tangled my fingers into her hair and pulled her against me. Once her lips were within reach, I slammed my mouth to hers.

She mirrored my movement, forcing her free hand to my chest, slanting her head to the side, and sliding her tongue against mine. Letting out a groan, her left arm ran up my chest and around my neck, holding me closer. I splayed my hand over her ass, and suddenly I needed her somewhere much more private.

Walking backward with her, I managed to move us until we were near the camper trailer. I fumbled for the door, finally finding the latch, and I tugged it, bracing my arms on either side of the door while maneuvering us inside. Once I shut us in, we were all teeth and skin.

“Remove this fucking thing,” I commanded, my tongue darting out to suck on the skin along her neck.

She leaned back, forcing us to disconnect, then set the tablet down and began stripping off her tiny black jacket. Her fingers went for my jeans as she began unbuttoning them.

Mine gathered at her back, sliding the zipper of her skirt down until I felt flesh.

I must have growled my approval when I realized she was only wearing a thong, because she began laughing when I snapped it against her ass.

Pushing my jeans down, I ripped my t-shirt over my head then discarded my boots, belatedly realizing I could probably use a shower.

She’d stripped out of her shirt and now her elbow was bent, trying to unclasp her bra from the back. I took a second to appreciate how sexy she looked with her full, gorgeous breasts barely held up by the black cups.

Goddamn, she was a work of art.

My lips descended on their own, my face diving into the cleavage of her chest.

“Keep this on, baby. I want my dick…” I trailed the space with my tongue. “Right fucking here.”

“Decker.” She sighed my name, and just as she was about to get on her knees, I stopped her.

“I need to clean up.” I brushed my thumb over her lips, tugging them down.

She gripped my wrist, shoving my thumb into her mouth, and began to suck. Her skin pressed into the soft, beige carpet at our feet as she finished getting to her knees.

“I want you, Decker, exactly like this—rough, dirty. I want to taste you, fuck you, have you, and I don’t want to wait.”

“Fucking hell,” I muttered, staring down at her.

Thankfully, the shades were all still shut around the camper, so no one could see us. She pulled my erection free from my boxers, it bobbed between us while her eyes rounded, and her lips parted.

I threaded my hands into her silky hair as she brought her mouth forward and licked from the root of my cock all the way to the tip. She let out a satisfied sound that vibrated down my length. She repeated the process a few more times, keeping those forest green eyes on me.

Her mouth finally took me in, deep and fucking perfect.

I hissed while she moved down and over my girth until she was gagging. She’d ease up, suck, and gag. My head tilted, my eyes going to the paneling along the top of the trailer. It felt so good.

“Fuck, baby.” I started rocking into her mouth a few times, but I was already ready to come down her throat, and I needed this to last longer.

Pulling free from her mouth, I reached down for her hand and walked her back toward the bed. She sat down, watching me with a hooded gaze, eyes still on my bobbing erection. Sliding back, her hands dragged her closer to the headboard of the queen-sized bed. Resting on her elbows, she watched as I threw my boxers behind me and crawled over her. I didn’t stop until I was nearly straddling her chest. I kept my weight off her as I shoved my dick in between her tits and began rocking my hips back and forth.

“So fucking big, baby.” I palmed her breast and moved my cock through her cleavage. Back and forth I went, my precum creating the perfect lubricant to move easily.

“I want to hold them for you,” she said breathily, leaning up to remove her bra.

Once her tits popped free, she grabbed one in the palm of each hand and pushed them together.

I started moving my thickness through her cleavage with renewed vigor. I had visions of white ribbons shooting out along her face and chest, her rubbing it in and sucking it into her pretty little mouth, but fuck…I still needed more.

Catching my breath, I moved my hand down her body until I was able to test how wet she was.

“Shit. Two fingers in and look how ready your cunt is for me.” I added a third and began to rub in slow circles.

She groaned and tipped her hips up until she was matching the rhythm I set with the ministrations along her clit.

“I need you, Decker. I need you inside me.” She gasped for air while her center ground against my hand.

I lowered myself over her, pushing her up the bed so there was more room. Her hair fanned out behind her, her nipples pebbled against the chilled air, and her taut stomach heaved up and down as she waited for me to enter her.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered reverently, and I meant it. She was perfect.

She was mine.

I kissed her, moving my lips against hers while I carefully and slowly pushed inside her.

She groaned into my mouth, gripping my biceps, pushing against me while I pulled out and back in. I repeated the process three more times until I was fully immersed.

“God, fuck…baby.” I pinned my forehead to hers, groaning into her mouth.

Her nails raked down my scalp. “Decker, I need you to move.”

I tilted my hips forward so slowly I thought I might combust right there.

“You’re tight, Mallory. So fucking tight.” I lowered my head, biting her breast then kissing the same spot, knowing she’d have a purple mark there tomorrow. “Do you even know what this feels like?” I moved until my lips were hovering next to her ear. “What it feels like to have your tight pussy milk my cock?”

She shuddered beneath me, her nails scraping up my neck and along my scalp. I was about to come from how good it felt.

To hold off, I kept slowly moving my hips forward, rocking into her. She clambered to fuck me harder than I was fucking her, even took my lip into her mouth and bit down while her heels came up around my waist. Then she was rumbling something sexy while she arched her back, pushing those perfect globes into my chest.

“Decker, fuck me,” she begged on a breathy moan.

I was gone. I gripped her waist, holding her for leverage, and then I fucked her in hard, unforgiving strokes. Her breasts bounced as we moved, her eyes closed while her mouth gaped.

“Harder,” she begged.

I gripped her chin and pistoned my hips in a way that was going to ruin her. I moved harder, more furiously than I’d ever moved, need completely hollowing out my mind. Mallory’s body shifted forward as I grabbed her leg and moved it to the side so I could go deeper. Only then did I slow down and rotate my hips forward, pushing my dick deeper until there was nowhere else for me to go. I hit the same spot over and over…and over…until…

Mallory cried out, moving her hips in cadence with mine. “Oh god. Oh god. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

She came apart with a scream right as I grunted into her skin and came inside her.

Our chests heaved up and down, straining for air as we lay tangled together. I rested my head against her stomach, where I pressed a gentle kiss. I imagined for two short seconds what it would be like to see that space swollen with my kid.

I blinked away the image, because Mallory was likely engaged to another man.

I didn’t talk while I lay there, stroking her skin, knowing we both needed to clean up, but I just couldn’t stop touching her.

“I can’t lose you,” I softly confessed to her.

My insides felt shaky as I wrapped my arm over her and tugged her closer. All I wanted was to stay here with her, forget about both our futures, and pretend tomorrow didn’t exist.

Her fingers ran through my hair, past my ears and down my neck. It felt so good I almost groaned.

“So, you’re living at home…but not inside?”

“My compromise.” I laughed lightly, knowing the look on her face without seeing it. She’d have that dark brow arched toward her hairline, a light smile playing on her face. “You came here with a driver,” I threw back at her.

“I did.”

It was my turn to quirk a brow. “What does that mean?”

She smiled, playing with my hair. “Check for yourself.”

I inched over the mattress a bit to peek through the blinds.

Two suitcases, a few boxes, and three small bags sat on the porch, but the town car was gone.

I spun my head to look at her. My heart might as well have jumped into my throat. My tongue felt too big for my mouth. Was she staying?

“What does this mean?”

“I asked him to wait until we were out of sight before he emptied the trunk…and I told him I would be staying here for the foreseeable future.”

“You’re staying?” I asked as though I couldn’t quite process what she had just told me.

She blinked and slowly sat up, resting on her elbows.

“I was supposed to meet Jeff tonight for dinner, but…”

“But?” I rested on my elbow, trailing my finger over her thigh. I had to keep touching her. She had to choose me.

“I’m here, and I don’t want to leave…but I promised my father I’d help him by taking over the New York office.” She winced, pushing some of the hair out of her face with her free hand.

I wanted to push her back into the bed and have her ride me while I explained why here was exactly where she should stay.

“Did you sign a contract to marry him?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. We were going to start signing everything tonight. But, Decker…New York is happening. If I don’t take it, Taylor will step in…and I won’t let her do that.”

This couldn’t just be chance. This was fucking fate, and it was my shot to keep her.

“If you have to go to New York…then take me with you. If you have to marry someone then…marry me. Be with me. Start your life with me.”

I didn’t look up for a few seconds. I was obviously still batting down those insecurities that she’d leave me.

She shook her head slowly, rubbing my thumb with hers.

“I’m yours, but we don’t have to get married, at least not until you’re ready…or you know, we’ve lived a little. And who knows…” She shrugged, keeping her hand on mine. “Maybe it doesn’t even need to be permanent. Maybe we can help my dad find a replacement.”

“I just want to be where you are.” I smiled.

“On one condition.” She suddenly twisted her lips to the side.

I searched her face, waiting for her to say we had to stop having sex or something else equally horrible.

“You let me pay off the mortgage for your mom’s house.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s not your concern—you can’t…”

“Yet you’d lay down your whole life to follow me to New York?” She raised that eyebrow again. “Look.” She moved until she was straddling me, clasping my hands in hers. “One day, I’d like to move here…settle here with you, watch you mow that back yard while I cook something in that kitchen. I want this to be ours and our future. I know that’s probably rushing things a lot, but it’s one of my fantasies. So let me do this, please?” She moved against my growing hard-on, her chest heaving as she began to work me up. It didn’t take long.

Images of little kids playing in the yard, laughing, filling the space with life…it was beautiful and everything I hoped for one day, and I wanted that with her. I wanted her to be part of it. If that meant she paid it off or bought it then fine, she could, as long as she was at the end of that dream, living it with me, going to sleep at night with me.

“Deal,” I said softly, watching as she held me in her palm then slid down onto me.

She waited, adjusting to my length while catching that gleam in my eye. Yeah, I’d made a new deal with her.

“Move your hips, baby,” I whispered, placing my hands on hers.

Rolling forward, she let out a tiny moan. “I need to make a quick phone call.”

“Yeah, you can get right on that.” I pulled her against my cock.

“You’re interfering,” she murmured, biting her lip.

“Fuck, baby. If this was interfering, we have a lot of interference in our future.”

She eyed me, leaning down to kiss my lips. “Promise?”

It was what I’d asked her that night in my bed.

“Yeah, I promise.” I jutted my hips up while pulling hers down. She came again, groaning her release while I watched her fall apart. It made my chest swell.

If this was what it meant to play the wild card, it had to be the luckiest card in the deck.

I was done for.

But I’d been finished for a long time. I realized as I watched Mallory crawl off me and move around my space that she was always supposed to be in it, always supposed to be pulling on my t-shirt after sex, always in my head, her lips at my beck and call, her body in my bed at night.

I realized I would follow her anywhere. I’d been trying to make pieces in my life fit ever since my dad passed, but now all of them belonged to her. Wherever she was, as long as she was with me, I’d be okay. I’d fit.

Her smile as she pulled out her phone and talked to her dad, her face as I grabbed her hand and just held it—she completely undid me. I knew then that for the rest of my life, this was all I’d want.