Hold Onto the Stars by Tracy Broemmer

Chapter 22

The lasagna was a hit,but watching CJ eat the chocolate cake was sexy as hell. Peyton loved the way she would close her eyes as she chewed and moaned softly. When she realized he was watching her, she blushed and covered her mouth to laugh. Foodgasms, she told him. Adorable that she had foodgasms, and she was embarrassed for him to see her enjoy the cake so much. Peyton, dressed in his shorts only, and CJ in Peyton’s t-shirt and her thong, hung out downstairs with Junie for most of the evening, though he and CJ passed a lot of that time on the sofa, sharing chocolate kisses and wine.

She spent the night with him. The only thing that might have been better than making love to her was waking in the morning with her in his arms and starting again. After strawberries and yogurt in bed—who knew yogurt was more than a healthy breakfast food—he and Junie drove CJ home so she could change clothes, and then they went for a walk. Peyton suggested CJ keep a change of clothing at his house, for walks with Junie on mornings like this. His suggestion floored her; he noticed the way she nearly missed a step as they crossed Maine to go to Java by Jackie’s.

CJ didn’t say anything, but she nodded. She also smothered Junie with kisses before they walked inside, and then once in line, she leaned back into him like she was ready to let Oak Bend know they were a thing. Peyton, thrilled to love her, stood behind her and slipped his arms around her.

Eventually, he took her back to her place so she could shower. They hung out again that evening. He and Junie were pleased to accept her invitation to come over and cook out. CJ whipped up potato salad while he grilled burgers. Junie lounged in CJ’s yard with what appeared to be a lovesick smile on her face.

They spent Sunday together too. CJ took him fishing. Junie had the run of the area surrounding the lake. She roamed nonstop while he and CJ baited their hooks and cast their lines while sitting together on a blanket in the grass. They both missed a few nibbles as they were busy nibbling on each other, but Peyton didn’t care. He had no plans to keep anything he might catch, because he had no desire to clean fish. The fact that CJ baited her own hook and that she told him she did indeed know how to clean fish intrigued him. Maybe she took his interest the wrong way, because she reminded him a time or two that she was manly, due to having been raised by her dad. Peyton simply reminded her of the ways he had brought out the woman in her the two previous nights and told her he liked tomboys, and he liked her especially a lot.

She laughed at him, but she ducked her head and looked away.

The dresses she wore were sweet and feminine, but Peyton loved her in her work pants, too. They left so much to his imagination, and he had quite a fantasy life with CJ in the starring role. The cut-off denim shorts and skimpy white t-shirt for fishing were every bit as feminine, but the thoughts this outfit brought to mind were anything but sweet.

“What?”

Caught staring at her ankles, at her toes with hot pink polish, and remembering the way she’d slid her feet over his shoulders when he’d dipped his head between her legs, Peyton only grinned when he met her eyes.

“Do you have a thing for feet?”

Her soft-spoken words jolted him like an electric shock. He looked back at the water and reminded himself to behave.

“I like your feet over my shoulders when I’m licking your pussy.”

CJ gasped and licked her lips, but again, she looked away.

“Not happening out here,” she warned him. “Ever had poison ivy in places that don’t see the sun?”

“I take it you have?”

“Yep. Had to go to Violet’s mom and ask her to take me to the doctor. Couldn’t tell my dad.”

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen.”

The thought of Crosby spread out in the grass before him wearing nothing but shadows and sun burned through his belly and into his groin.

“I’m hungry,” he announced. Not a total lie. He was starved for more of her, and if he couldn’t have her out here by the lake, maybe they could wrap things up and go home.

“Yeah? I am too. Are we ready to accept defeat?” She nodded her head at the lake.

“If it means getting you outta here and back to my place so I can snack on you, I will admit to being the worst fisherman ever.”

“Hmm.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“What?”

“I was thinking we could go to Mickey’s Diner. They have the best milkshakes.”

“Well.” Peyton dropped his gaze to her breasts and wagged his eyebrows. “I beg to differ, but sure, we can do that.”

“You’re so bad,” she said with a laugh, but thankfully, she started reeling her line in, so he followed suit. “I like you bad, Peyton Quinn.”

They packed up their fishing gear and headed to CJ’s truck. Junie came running at Peyton’s whistle. She jumped into the bed of the truck with ease and flopped down to rest her head on her paws.

Mickey’s was packed, but CJ didn’t seem surprised or upset to see so many cars there. She pulled the truck into a shaded spot just down the block. Junie glanced at Peyton when he climbed out of the cab, but she dropped her head back down and closed her eyes.

“Will she be okay?”

“Yeah. She won’t go anywhere.” He grabbed a bottle of water from the cupholder and pulled a collapsible dish from the backpack he’d brought with him. “Let me just get her a drink.”

CJ leaned on the truck and watched Junie amble to her feet to drink the offered water. When Peyton gave her more, she licked his face, tail wagging so fast he could almost feel the air moving. Once Junie settled back down for a nap, Peyton reached for CJ’s hand and led her down the walk to the diner door.

“You okay with this?” he asked as they stepped inside. He noticed people dressed in their Sunday best, probably having brunch after church. Others were dressed in sporting attire, coming from a game or practice, maybe.

“Yep.” She nodded as a redheaded woman greeted them with a smile and two plastic-coated menus. CJ followed her to a booth and waved at a woman as she slid into the cracked vinyl seat. “Laci Hogan. She works at the flower shop,” she told him as he sat across from her. Peyton nodded at the woman when he saw her eyeing them curiously.

“Madge, this is Peyton Quinn.” CJ focused on the busty redheaded woman. “Peyton, this is Madge.”

“So, you’re the new hottie all the single girls are so worked up about.” Madge looked him over and finally nodded.

“Well, he’s not single anymore,” CJ said simply. “Two Mickey’s specials please.”

Stunned by her announcement, Peyton stared at CJ, mouth agape as Madge walked away, the menus tucked under her arm. Thankfully, CJ didn’t notice the dumb look on his face, so he replaced it with a ridiculous grin, probably sloppy enough to look just like his dog’s.

“See that woman over there?” She nodded at someone sitting behind him. Peyton peeked over his shoulder at an unassuming looking woman in the next booth and back at CJ. “Felicity Bell. She’s a horror author. Oak Bend’s claim to fame.”

“Really?” Impressed, he looked again. “Have you read any of her books?”

“Yep.” CJ nodded when he turned back around. “Slept with the light on after I finished the last one.”

“Think I could handle them?”

Eyes on the table now, CJ grinned and licked her lips. “Pretty sure you can handle anything you want, Peyton.”

“Including you?”

“Anytime.”

* * *

Monday meant returning to routine.No waking up with CJ in his arms. But something about having CJ in his life made it easy to get out of bed and get rolling. Travis had finished the garage; CJ had looked at his work Saturday morning and given her approval.

They talked on the phone every night. She went to a book club meeting at someone named Donna’s house on Tuesday. Peyton graded homework and invited Lily and Josh over to shoot baskets again. Leslie drove them, so they had a beer while the kids played with the dog and pretended to be interested in basketball.

By Thursday, Peyton was dying to see CJ again, so he and Junie walked to her house. She fed him dinner—stir fry—and plied him with a few beers. He woke up in her bed just before daylight and gathered Junie from the floor on CJ’s side of the bed, both of them kissing her before they tiptoed out of her room and headed home to shower for school.

By Friday, he was falling headfirst and hoping like hell she felt it, too.