The Last Strike by A.R. Henry
Chapter 19
“Stop fidgeting.”
I clasp my hands together in an attempt to comply, but it’s hopeless when my leg starts to bounce. I glance over at Weston to see if he’s noticed. The look he flashes me tells me he has.
“I can’t help it. Meeting new people gives me anxiety,” I whine.
The very unbecoming snort I get in reply makes my eyes narrow in his direction.
“You literally get a new set of students and parents every year with your job. You meet new people every time you and Ashley go somewhere. You’re going to have to do better than that. Now tell me what’s wrong.”
I let out a long sigh. Nothing seems to get past him.
“I do too get nervous meeting new people,” I try to argue, but I sound like a toddler lying to her parents about the cookie she ate earlier.
His silence is my only answer, and I know it’s because he’s torturing me. I can’t stand awkward silences and this bastard is using that against me. But I will not give in. I will not tell him shit.
About five seconds later I break. Asshole.
I cry out, “I’m awkward, okay! Are you happy now? I don’t do well in small groups where I know the attention will be on me. I especially don’t do well when I really, really want the people I’m meeting to like me. I probably have some kind of socially awkward people disorder, but I’m too embarrassed to have a therapist tell me to my face that I’m an idiot, okay?”
The look he gives me tells me that I’m being an idiot, but I’m not backing down.
“You know how clumsy I am! Just imagine my clumsiness transferred to word vomit, and that’s going to be me in about ten minutes when we’re walking in the door at your parents’ house!”
He’s still making a face, but he reaches over and takes my hand, rubbing small circles over my knuckles. The comforting gesture has me calming down almost immediately.
“Baby, you literally called me on my shit the night we met. You aren’t awkward. You’re going to be fine, and even if you say something embarrassing my parents will love you. But honestly at the end of the day their opinion doesn’t matter. It’s you, me, and my baby girl that I care about. You could walk in there and say something really embarrassing, sure, but they’re going to take one look at you and know.”
I wait for him to continue, but when he doesn’t, I ask, “Know what?”
He grins and brings my hand to his mouth planting a delicate kiss to my palm and says, “They’re going to look at you and know exactly what I saw the first time I saw you.” He kisses my hand again then brings it down so I’m holding his thigh. He puts both hands back on the wheel as he turns into a large neighborhood with a gate.
He leaves me hanging again, so I take the bait and hedge, “What did you know the first time you saw me?”
While he punches in the code, I try to calm my growing nerves by singing the Brett Eldredge song that’s playing on the radio. He leans back in the truck and waits for a second while the gates open. Finally, when we’re moving again, he answers.
“You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. You smelled like rain and took my damn breath away. They’ll look at you, but then they’ll see me looking at you too, and when they see how much I love you, they’ll know.”
I suck in a deep, shuddering breath, like I’m seconds away from drowning.
“’Cause it’ll be written all over my face.”
As we take the steps up Weston’s parents front porch, I’m going through everyone’s names in my head— His parents, Ted and Judy; His sister, her husband, and kids, Taylor, Scott, Grace and JB; His brother and his wife, Bryan and Maggie. Hopefully I can remember everyone’s name without mixing them up.
His parents live in a very nice neighborhood on the South side of Knoxville that’s right on the lake. Their two-story brick home reminds me of something I would have seen on MTV’s Cribs back in the day when I would watch it while doing my homework after school. It almost reminds me of the house in Home Alone except three times larger.
As we approach the front door it swings open revealing a woman who looks to be in her late fifties but is so well put together, I suspect she’s probably older. From the warm smile and open arms, I immediately know this is Weston’s mom.
“My baby!” She shouts, and I almost expect her to come running to tackle Weston, but she’s definitely too classy for that. I don’t mean that like she’s too good for that, but like she has good southern manners that prevent her from acting like a crazy Aunt at a family reunion, running up to her favorite nephew planting him in kisses.
“Hey Ma,” Weston says warmly and leans down to wrap his mother in a hug. They embrace for a few minutes, and I can feel the love from where I’m standing a few feet away. I hear someone clear their throat from inside before a deep voice says, “Let the boy go Judy, I’m sure his guest would like to come inside sometime before Christmas.”
“Oh, you hush Ted. I haven’t seen my baby boy in a while, and I needed a good hug,” she swats at the man standing behind her before turning her attention to me. She greets me with a warm smile then makes her way over to me wrapping me in her arms.
“Hello dear, I’m just so happy to meet you. Weston’s told me so much about you that you’re practically family now so just make yourself at home.”
We break apart and I give her a smile that probably looks more like a grimace. “Hopefully it’s all good things. I think your son hated me there for a while.”
She barks out a short laugh before waving a hand in my direction. “He told me you were just the sweetest little thing, and at first I didn’t want to believe it. My Weston is always so shy that I just couldn’t believe it when he started calling me all the time to talk about his daughter’s teacher, but I see it now.” She gives me a wink then says, “Now come on y’all we don’t need the neighbors to know all our business. Let’s go to the kitchen and you can help me with the dressing, okay Hun?”
Judy pulls me inside and when I pass by Weston on the way I swear his cheeks are pink, but I don’t get a good enough look before I’m dragged to the kitchen.
I don’t know what I was so worried about.
Weston’s family is amazing. They all welcomed me with open arms and after the initial first time-meeting jitters wore off I felt like I was part of the family. It helped when Amber dropped Cami off. I felt like I had a friend in the house, and I loved it. She stuck by my side when she wasn’t with her Mimi—her grandma name for Judy.
It also didn’t hurt that I heard the comments Judy made under her breath when she thought no one could hear, but she knew I would, when Amber was dropping Cami off. She didn’t even get out of the car to hug her baby goodbye, I thought I heard her say and I had to agree. I wasn’t sure when I would ever be blessed with a baby, but when I was, I would love him or her with my whole being. And I sure as shit would get out of the car to hug them goodbye when I was dropping them off somewhere knowing I wouldn’t see them again for even one hour.
So, let's just say that Judy and I made sure we smothered Cami a little bit after that. I knew from the looks I would see Judy give me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention that she knew what I was doing and that it meant a lot to her. I was blessed with parents that doted on me, and I knew that Weston’s parents were much the same, but that didn’t mean I was naive enough to think everyone had it like us. I knew, all too well from my job, that we were the outliers.
I see it every year, the kids who work just that much harder to get my attention in any way they can. It breaks my heart, so I do the only thing I can, I love them and hope they know that they are loved, at least by me, and they aren’t alone.
After dinner we played the board game that breaks families apart, Monopoly, and since Cami and I were a team, they went easy on us. Weston ended up winning, but after all the laughs we had it didn’t really matter. They weren’t a super competitive family, but when Weston bankrupted Bryan there were a few threats to show me his seventh-grade picture. The fact that Weston gave his brother a loan at that point should have been my clue that it was really bad, but I had no idea.
The braces and the frosted tips were priceless, but I didn’t dare laugh. The look Weston sent my way said if I so much as cracked a smile I would be paying for it later, and since I wasn’t a risk taker I simply shrugged and handed the photo back to Bryan, much to his annoyance.
After the game Cami passed out of the couch and Weston decided he would stay the night so he wouldn’t have to move her further than from the couch to the guest room. His mom said she would keep an eye on her while he took me home and told him that there was no need for him to rush back, with a wink. Not that that was overly suggestive or anything.
After I hugged everyone goodbye, we made the drive mostly in silence. When we pull in my driveway, I expect Weston to give me a quick goodbye, but he surprises me by turning off his truck.
When I turn to him with a questioning look, he gives me a sweet smile and says, “Come on Cherry Bomb, we can watch an episode or two of our show before I need to head back.”
“Are you sure? It’s okay if you need to go.”
“I’m sure, baby. I want to spend some time with you.”
So, we head inside, and I leave him in the living room while I go to my room to change. Just as I slip my dress over my head, I hear my bedroom door open. Weston stands there and the look on his face can only be described in one way. Hungry. His eyes are filled with pure desire and heat for me, and it’s almost so alarming that I start to take a step away, but he holds his hand out in a motion for me to stop.
I freeze as he takes step after step slowly until our breaths are mingling in such an intimate way, like we’re trying to fill ourselves with one another.
He lifts one hand to gently brush my loose hair from my face and uses the other to grip the side of my face along my jaw. “You are so goddamned beautiful. I spent the whole day trying to keep my hands off of you, and I can’t take it anymore. I need you Court.”
I slowly drag my eyes down to his mouth, taking a deep breath, then I raise my gaze back to meet his. I exhale a shaky, “Please,” that doesn’t sound anything but desperate and I don’t care. All I want, all I’ve been wanting, is for him to take me, claim me as his. I’ve known for a while now that I wanted him, and I can’t wait any longer either.
For a second, he doesn’t move then all at once he comes crashing down on me. Our lips meet and we clash together. His tongue thrusts in my mouth harshly. We’re fighting but we have the same goal. He gives me everything with his mouth, his hands roaming all over my body, exploring, not finding a stopping point, just exploring as much as he can.
Finally, his hands settle on my breasts, and he rips the lace cups of my bra down, so they come spilling out. He takes them in his hands and massages gently before taking my nipples in his forefinger and thumb, pinching them in a way that sets my whole body on fire, making me moan. The heat that was building below is completely aflame now. I’m burning with need.
When he pinches me again, I let out another deep, breathy moan letting him know exactly what he’s doing to me. With his hands still on my breasts he pushes me back until I fall onto my bed. We scoot back until we’re in the middle, and he asks permission with his eyes before unclasping my bra and sliding my underwear down and off my legs.
He leans back off the bed and I sit up on my elbows as I watch him undress before me. His eyes don’t leave my face, but I rake my gaze down his body until he’s standing before me only wearing his boxers. I swallow and my breath hitches as he ever so slowly hooks his thumbs in the waistband then slowly, slowly drags them down.
Holy shit. He has the biggest cock I’ve ever seen. My mouth waters as I drink him in and suddenly, I have the urge to taste him.
He must see where my thoughts have gone because he comes back over to stand next to the bed but doesn’t climb over me. I lick my lips as I look at him, and he commands, “Come here baby.”
I slowly lift myself into a sitting position before tucking my legs behind me and climb over to him on my hands and knees. Once I’m close enough I let my breath skim over his cock and satisfyingly, it twitches, letting me know how I’m affecting him. I glance up at him through my lashes to see him looking down at me with a look that’s almost pained.
“Do you want to taste my cock baby girl?” He tries to take control of the situation but we both know who’s in charge here.
“Mhmm,” I hum sweetly, not breaking his gaze.
“Open your mouth.”
I do as he says. I stick my tongue out so he can slide it in, and he immediately shoves it all the way to the back of my throat. I gag a little at the intrusion, but his moan makes me so hot that I start sucking him. I roll my tongue over his length and pull back with a pop before going back in. I bob up and down before reaching a hand out to play with his balls before he rips me off of him.
He pushes me back down on the bed, and before I can ask what’s wrong, I feel his cock rubbing my folds. I moan at the heavenly feeling and start thrusting my hips hoping to get more friction.
“Baby please tell me you’re on the pill. I need to come inside you.”
As soon as I nod, he plunges deep inside of me. We moan together as he pulls back all the way until just his tip is left inside then he thrusts hard. I lift my hips and he grabs my ass, so he can go further, deeper. I feel his balls slap against my skin every time he sinks in me. The only sounds I hear are the ones from our bodies coming together along with his grunts, and it’s such a turn on I can’t help how quickly I’m ready to come.
“I..I’m…” I pant.
“I know, baby. I know.”
He reaches down to rub my clit and I explode. My whole body tingles with a sensation I’ve never felt before him. The other men I’ve slept with could never get me off. I’ve always had to take care of that myself, so feeling this with Weston is like I’m floating up off the bed. I want to feel like this all the time.
Soon he follows right behind me and with a final thrust he grips my hips tightly like he’s trying to hold every drop of his come inside me.
“I can’t wait to get you pregnant baby,” he says huskily, and I almost come again hearing those words.
We both lay here for a minute, waiting for our panting to slow, and when he pulls out, he uses two fingers to rub my swollen pussy, gathering our juices before sliding his fingers inside me. He repeats the motion two more times before leaning down to kiss me deeply.
I’ve only ever read about a guy doing that in a romance novel and let me tell you it completely lives up to the hype. Damn that was sexy.
He breaks our kiss then whispers, “Don’t move Cherry.”
I whisper something back that sounds like a gargled mess, and I watch him disappear into my bathroom. He comes back a few seconds later with a washcloth and gently cleans me up. When he’s done, he plants a kiss to the inside of my thigh, and continues a path up my body until he meets my lips. We kiss slowly, telling each other what that meant through our mouths.
After a few minutes he stands and leads me to the shower he must’ve started a few minutes ago. He guides me in first and when joins me under the spray I let my hands glide over his hard chest. And when he pushes me up against the tile wall for round two, I don’t argue.
After our shower I can barely keep myself upright long enough to get dressed. Weston finds me propped against the vanity half asleep. He lifts me bridal style and carries me to the bed. He tucks me in, and pecks my lips three, four, five times before he groans, “I don’t wanna leave you baby, but I better get back.”
I think I say, “Stay,” but it comes out so quietly I’m not sure if he’ll hear it. I don’t wait to see before I succumb to the darkness.
Around two am I jerk awake to a car alarm going off in my neighborhood, and when I roll over to fall back asleep, I find Weston wrapped around me. I drift back to sleep, a giant smile on my face.