Close to You

  Holy fucking shit! I’m getting married.

  “You must be Cami,” a middle-aged blond woman says with a smile as she approaches me and shakes my hand. “I’m Lori, your consultant. We spoke on the phone.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I reply, surprised that my lips even work.

  “Are these your bridesmaids?”

  “No,” I reply, still feeling a bit guilty about this. “My fiancé and I decided to just have one person stand up with us, and I could never choose between these four, so I’m having my sister as my matron of honor.”

  “It’s perfect,” Addie says, pulling dresses out to study them. “You need to stop feeling guilty. None of us are mad at you.”

  “If I say I’m mad at you, can I pick out the dress?” Kat asks with a laugh. “Just kidding; I’m totally not mad.”

  “You look a little intimidated,” Lori says with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

  “This is all happening a little fast,” I say with a smile.

  “How long have you been engaged?”

  “Two days.”

  She raises a brow. “And when is the wedding?”

  “In eleven days.”

  Now her jaw drops. “Afraid he’ll change his mind?”

  “No.” I laugh now, starting to loosen up a bit. “It’s a long story.”

  “Okay, well, the important thing is that you’re here now. You gave me a description of what you think you’d like over the phone.”

  “She wants to try on a few different things,” Addie informs Lori from across the room.

  “They’re making me,” I correct her, rolling my eyes.

  “Trying on a few things is a good idea,” Lori assures me. “Wedding gowns are very different from other dresses. Plus, this is the fun part.”

  “I found one,” Kat announces.

  “I’m not wearing black,” I reply, rolling my eyes.

  “Don’t judge,” Kat says, scowling. “It’s pretty.”

  “Help,” I whisper to Lori, who just laughs.

  “This is just like Say Yes to the Dress,” Riley says. “I love that show.”

  “Do you have a Randy?” Addie asks hopefully.

  “Unfortunately no,” Lori says, laughing at the mention of the man in the TV show, “but we will make up for that with some champagne.”

  “I really like it here,” Kat says with a satisfied smile.

  “I hope you have cider for Cami and me,” Addie says.

  “Certainly,” Lori replies.

  After drinks are poured, Lori leads me back to a dressing room, carrying three dresses that the girls chose. I immediately shake my head when she holds up one that Kat pulled off the rack.

  “No. I’m not a frilly person.” I stare at the fluffy dress, then sigh. “But because it’s Kat, I’ll try it on for her.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Lori helps me step into the dress, zips me up, and when I turn to the mirror, I have to admit, it’s not bad.

  “Let’s go show them.”

  I walk barefoot into the showroom and climb onto the pedestal, facing the girls.

  “It’s pretty,” Mia says, her head tilted.

  “It makes your ass look fantastic,” Riley adds.

  “I think it’s awesome,” Kat says with a wide smile. “And it’s totally not your style.”

  “No, it’s your style,” Addie tells her with a grin. “So now we know what to go for when it’s your turn.”

  “Marriage is in the same category as babies for me,” she says, shaking her red head. “So I’ll just admire it from here. Thank you for putting it on.”

  I swish in a circle, enjoying the way the fabric feels against my legs. “It’s actually a fun dress. It would feel good to dance in.”

  With that, I go back to the dressing room and change into a mermaid-style dress that Addie chose. I want something more demure, appropriate for a courthouse wedding, but I have to say, the bling on the bodice of this dress is awesome.

  “This is perfect for your figure,” Addie says when I return to the pedestal. “It hugs your body perfectly.”

  “And the sweetheart neckline makes your boobs look bigger,” Riley says.

  “But it’s too much dress for my small wedding,” I reply with a sigh. “I like it, but it just isn’t the one.”

  “I think I saw one,” Mia says, jumping up off her couch and handing her drink to Kat, who immediately takes a sip of it because she’s already finished her own.

  “Girls, I wish you could drink so you could taste how bad this stuff is.”

  “Yet you’re inhaling it,” Riley says. Kat simply shrugs as Mia returns with a dress covered in lace.

  “Oh, good, she can be a doily,” Addie says, rolling her eyes.

  “Actually, I think you’ll be surprised when she puts it on,” Lori replies with a smile. “That’s a nice choice.”

  “Okay, let’s do it.”

  Once I’m changed, I return to the girls, and rather than face them, I face the mirrors, my eyes pinned to myself.

  “Wow.” Now, this dress is exactly what I had in mind. It hugs my curves in all the right places, the hem hitting the toe of my shoes. The sweetheart neckline still shows off my boobs, and the simple lace cap sleeve give it a soft touch.

  It’s not puffy or too much.

  “What do you think?” Addie asks. I can hear sniffling behind me, so it must look great from the rear as well.

  I turn to look at my girls, who all have soft smiles on their pretty faces. “I really like this one.”

  “It’s great,” Riley says, wiping her eyes.

  “You look so happy,” Mia adds, also wiping tears. “And I just realized that you’re going to be my sister by marriage.”

  “I know,” I reply, not even bothering to stop the tears rolling down my cheeks. Addie is in full-on pregnancy sob mode, and Kat is the only one simply sporting a wide, happy smile.

  “It’s perfect,” Kat says. “It’s you.”

  “Let’s add this,” Lori says, clipping a veil in my hair and turning me back to the mirror.

  Holy crap, I’m getting married.

  “Cami,” Riley says, standing dramatically. “Are you saying yes to this dress?”

  I laugh, wipe a tear from my cheek, and say, “Yes!”

  “We are so good at this,” Addie says before blowing her nose in a tissue. “Like, really good at it.”

  “What, being friends, or finding wedding dresses?”

  “Both.”

  “THEY MADE ME try on some of the most hideous dresses,” I tell Landon that night as we lounge on my couch. His head is in my lap and I’m combing my fingers through his soft, dark hair. His eyes are closed. “Even after I found my dress, they made me try on others that were just ridiculous. I’m sure the saleslady was happy to see the back of us.”

  “I’m just happy you found something you like,” he says, then sighs in happiness when I use my nails to scratch his scalp, grip his hair in my fist, and give a little pull. “That feels good.”

  “Mm,” I reply. “Then we had lunch, and I was tired after that, but the others insisted that they needed pretty new dresses for the big day too, so we spent a few hours in the mall.”

  “Did they find something?”

  “Yes, they all found some great stuff. At one point, Kat tried on this jumpsuit and walked out the dressing room and was all like, ‘I’m gonna go like this.’ and Addie said, ‘Oh, no, you are not going to fuck up the pictures wearing that.’”

  I chuckle at the memory.

  “Sounds like you had fun.”

  “We did.”

  “Good.” He turns on his side, facing my belly. “Don’t worry, buddy, Mommy and her friends might be a little crazy, but I have your back.”

  Mommy. My breath catches at his words. Oh my God, I’m going to be someone’s mommy.

  If that isn’t enough to strike terror in my heart, I don’t know what is.

  Suddenly Landon pushes his hand under my T-shirt and dr
ags his fingertips up my rib cage, making me catch my breath for a whole different reason.

  Jesus, all he has to do is barely touch me and I’m on fire. He leans in and kisses my bare stomach, pushing my shirt up, gesturing for me to lift it over my head and toss it aside.

  “Your skin is so soft,” he says quietly, his lips traveling over my ribs and up to my bare nipples. “I love that you weren’t wearing a bra.”

  “I took it off when I changed clothes when I got home,” I reply, and tip my head back against the couch, when he tweaks one nipple with his fingers and the other with his tongue. “It came in handy.”

  “Very,” he replies. His hand dips under the waistband of my yoga pants, but before he can make me too crazy, I move, urging him to sit up, and I straddle his lap, grinding my still-covered core over him. “Fuck, I never stop wanting you.” His voice is raw and his breath is coming in short pants. He drags his nails up my back and buries his fingers in my hair, fisting them and pulling.

  “Oh, yeah,” I moan.

  “You like that?”

  “You know I do.” He lets go and I look down at him to find him grinning wickedly.

  I love it when he looks at me like that. Very good things happen when he’s in this mood.

  Wicked things.

  Naughty things.

  I can’t wait.

  “I want to suck on you,” I murmur against his lips. Suddenly he palms my ass, flexing his fingers hard, and lifts me. I wrap my legs around his waist and hold on as he walks to the stairs.

  “I have a better idea,” he replies, then kisses me as he climbs the stairs and gets us both settled, naked, on the bed.

  “We’re never going to have sex on the couch.” I pout, then laugh when he bites the ball of my shoulder.

  “Eventually,” he says. His tongue glides over my collarbone, and then he places a wet kiss at the hollow of my throat. “But for right now I want to make love to my fiancée in our bed.”

  “I support that wholeheartedly.” I gasp when his hand glides down my stomach and his fingers find their way to my pussy. “You’re really great with your hands.”

  “Just my hands?”

  “So far.”

  “Hmm.” He licks my neck, tugs my ear between his teeth, then proceeds to kiss me madly. His hand is playing me like an instrument, and I’m making sounds I didn’t know I was capable of. My hips are moving, rocking against him, and just when I’m about to fall over the ledge, he stops. “Not yet.”

  “I’m so close,” I say, reaching for him. He captures my hands in one of his and pins them over my head.

  “I’m in control here,” he says, his voice hard, but his eyes are happy and bright with lust. His gaze slowly slides from my face, down my torso to my wet pussy, and back up again. “You’re stunning.”

  “You’re sexy as fuck and I want you.”

  “God, I love it when you talk like that.” He lowers his pelvis to rest against mine. His cock is hard and heavy, resting against my wetness, and he begins to move in small pulses, rubbing the head against my clit. “How does that feel?”

  “Shit, Landon.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I don’t know how,” I reply honestly. I can’t form words, and if he stops now, I’ll die. I bite my lip and gasp as my world splinters, sending me into an intense orgasm, and just when it’s almost over, he rears back and pushes inside me, burying himself to the hilt, and the orgasm starts all over again.

  “Landon!”

  “Yes, baby,” he growls. “Look at me.”

  I open my eyes. I’m blind at first, but then there he is, above me, watching me with those ice-blue eyes, so full of love and lust and admiration. He releases my hands and lifts my left leg, hitching it over his shoulder, and opening me up so wide, plunging so deep, I can hardly stand it.

  “You are so fucking sweet,” he whispers roughly, and begins to pound me in earnest, our hips rocking and meeting in a rhythm as old as time. I can’t take my eyes off of him now. His muscles are flexed, sweat has beaded on his brow and neck, and he’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.

  Just when I think it can’t get any better, he slips his hand between us and circles my clit with his thumb, and suddenly my muscles flex, squeezing him, and I come undone, shaking, trembling, unable to control myself.

  He cries out as he comes, pushing into me once, then again, and holding himself there as he empties himself into me.

  When he covers me, bracing himself on his elbows, we’re both out of breath. I can barely move.

  “Love you so much,” he whispers, his hands in my hair. I find the strength to drag my hands up his back and down his arms, and then circle back around to his ass, where I give him a little squeeze.

  “I love you too.”

  Chapter 18

  ~Landon~

  I’m in heaven. There is a cat, curled up and purring, next to my hip and a beautiful woman draped around me, her head on my chest and arm around my waist. We’re snuggled up under the covers early in the morning one week later.

  “I don’t want you to go,” Cami says softly. She hugs me tighter, clinging to me, and buries her sweet face in my neck.

  “I’ll only be gone for a couple of days, baby.”

  She nods, but I know she’s not convinced. This will be my second trip down to San Diego for meetings about the new flight school.

  My traveling makes her nervous. I don’t know how to reassure her that it’s not permanent. That traveling full-time no longer interests me.

  I guess only time will truly prove it to her.

  I move to get out of bed, but she coils tighter, throwing her leg over mine now, and holds on tight. “Three more minutes.”

  I chuckle and kiss her head. “I don’t want to miss my flight.”

  She tips her head back so she can look up at me and pouts. “Stay.”

  “Turn your dimple off, sweetheart,” I say with a laugh, and trace the spot in her cheek. “You know I can’t resist it.”

  “That’s my evil plan,” she says, and drags her hand down my stomach to my cock. “Don’t you have a little time?”

  “Once we get started, it’s never for a little time,” I reply, and take her hand in mine, then kiss her fingers. “I do need to jump in the shower.”

  “Okay.” She kisses me softly and burrows down in the covers when I roll away. Scoot meows moodily, not happy to be moved, then snuggles in next to Cami and falls back to sleep.

  I walk into the bathroom and shave quickly before starting the shower and stepping into the hot, steamy water. Just when I finish rinsing the soap from my hair, I feel cool air rush around me and hear the door of the shower close, and then a soft, warm body wraps her arms around me from behind.

  “Hi,” Cami says softly before placing a kiss on my shoulder.

  “Hi yourself.” Her hands glide down my stomach, then she clutches my cock firmly in her small hand and begins to jack me off slowly. “Oh God, that’s a thing.”

  “This is a thing?” There’s a satisfied smile in her voice.

  “Oh, yeah.” I swallow hard and take her hand in mine, pour shampoo in her palm, and guide her back to me, making me slick so she glides easily. “You can go harder.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You can’t hurt me,” I say, barely able to talk now. Her grip tightens and she presses herself to me, her other hand joining in the fun, and my knees want to buckle.

  “This is fun.” Her voice is happy. “But I need more soap. I’m not sliding as easy now.”

  Rather than give in to her request, I spin around and boost her up against the wall. She immediately wraps her legs around my waist, and I slide home. My forehead is against hers. I kiss her hard before fisting my hand in her hair and pulling her head back so I can bite and suck on her neck. I’m fucking her, as hard as I can, against the cold tile of the shower, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. She’s digging her nails into my shoulders and the noises coming out of her sexy mouth dr
ive me on, fucking her harder and harder until my balls tighten and lift and I come harder than I can remember ever doing before.

  As I come down to earth, she’s squeezing me, her muscles spasming from her own orgasm.

  “That was fun,” she breathes. “I should join you in the shower more often.”

  “You have an open invitation, sweetheart.”

  I lower her to her feet, make sure she’s steady, then quickly clean up and leave her in the shower so I can hurry up and get out of here.

  “Did I make you late?” she asks.

  “No, I’ll make the flight.”

  “I’ll drive you to the airport.”

  Leaving her is hard enough. I hate it. But watching her drive away at the airport would be pure torture.

  “I’d rather you didn’t drive to the airport during rush hour,” I reply, and smile when she steps out of the shower, looking all damp and flushed, and well fucked. “And this way, my car will be waiting for me when I get home.”

  “Okay.” She puckers up and turns her lips up to me. “Kiss me before you go.”

  “Happily.” I grip her shoulders and lift her to her tiptoes so I can kiss her senseless. “How was that?”

  “That was good.” Her eyes are glassy. “Really good.”

  “I’ll give you plenty more of those when I get home. Be good.”

  “You be good.”

  I grin. “I’m always good, baby.”

  I’VE BEEN IN San Diego for twenty-four hours and I already miss Cami so much it hurts. Jesus, I’ve become a heartsick moron.

  And you know what? I don’t give a fuck.

  After a long, intense meeting this morning, I’m ready for a break and a call home. I dial Cami’s cell and frown when she doesn’t answer.

  That’s not like her.

  I try her home line and she answers on the fourth ring, sounding sleepy.

  “Did I wake you up?” I glance at my phone, frowning when I see that it’s one in the afternoon.

  “Yeah, I was taking a nap.”

  “I’m sorry, babe. I was just calling to hear your voice.”

  “How’s it going down there?”

  “Not bad. There’s a lot of information to absorb, and the meetings are long, but it’s great to be around these guys again. It feels really good.”