Breathe With Me

  “Talk about Meredith.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “What’s going on with her?”

  “She’s my girlfriend, Sam. I think that was pretty obvious when you saw us at Will’s house.”

  She nods and chews on more chips. “She looks good.”

  “Yeah, she does.”

  “She has balls.”

  I nod and grin at my sister. “She stood up to you.”

  “Like I said, she has balls.” She shrugs and sips some water. “I have trust issues, though.”

  “You have trust issues with everyone.”

  “That’s not true. I trust you. Leo. The family, even the crazy Montgomerys.”

  “Look, I know that you have your reservations, but I’m a grown man, Sam. I got this.”

  “She hurt you,” she whispers and stares down at her bag of chips. “You were a mess for years.”

  “I’m not a mess now.”

  “I don’t want that to happen again, Mark.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt by your rock star boyfriend either, you know. What are we supposed to do? Stay single forever so no one gets hurt? Maybe it’ll work out.”

  She nods and then shrugs. “I wasn’t a bitch to her.”

  “I appreciate that. I’d also appreciate it if you continued not being a bitch to her, especially this weekend in Vegas.”

  “You’re bringing her?”

  “Yes.”

  She nods again and blinks, thinking it over. “Okay. It could be fun.”

  “You’ll probably like her.”

  “Let’s not go crazy now.”

  I laugh and snatch my bag of chips out of her hands before she eats the whole damn bag. “You talk a big game, but you’re just a big softie.”

  “I am not!” She gasps and glares at me. “How dare you call me that?”

  “Because you are. You just want us all to think you’re badass.”

  “I don’t have to sit here and take this from you.”

  “Blah blah blah…” I roll my eyes and pull her off the stool. “Come on, let’s watch a movie.”

  “Only if you order pizza.” Her phone rings and she answers. “Hi, Mom. Yep, I’m actually with him right now. Okay.”

  She hands the phone to me and cackles like a witch as she passes me in the hallway and drops into my recliner.

  “Hi, Mom.” I’ve been on the phone more today than I have been in the last ten years combined.

  “Hi, darling. I’m having dinner here tomorrow and I want you to bring Meredith.”

  “On a Wednesday?”

  “You’re all going on your little adventure in Vegas this weekend,” she reminds me. “I want to see Meredith. Bring her over. Luke, Nat and the babies are coming along with Sam and Leo too.”

  “She gets home from LA tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll ask her when I pick her up from the airport.” Sam chooses a cheesy ’80s movie on the on-demand menu, making me roll my eyes.

  “Don’t ask. Just bring her. I mean it. I always loved that girl.”

  “Okay. Do you want to harass Sam now?”

  “Sure. Love you, sweet boy.”

  “Love you too, Mom.”

  I pass Sam her phone and steal the remote from her hands.

  “Mom! Mark just stole the remote and I had it first!”

  “Seriously? You’re tattling?”

  She sticks her tongue out at me and talks to Mom about dinner tomorrow while I give in and settle back to watch a bunch of kids in detention on a Saturday. At least the music’s good.

  “Molly Ringwald was kind of hot,” I say when Sam ends the call with Mom.

  “Judd Nelson was hot,” she says and kicks her feet up.

  “How late is Leo gonna be?”

  She shrugs and doesn’t meet my eyes.

  “Sam?”

  “He’s been working late a lot,” she says. “I don’t know when he’ll be done.”

  “Is everything okay there?”

  “Sure.” She offers me a fake smile but it falls from her face when I simply sit and watch her. “I think so. He’s been quiet this week, and busy so I haven’t had a chance to ask him what’s going on.”

  “He loves you.”

  “I know. I’m just worried about him.”

  “Keep me updated.”

  “Okay. Now shush. This is the part where Judd Nelson pushes his face into Molly’s crotch. It’s hilarious.”

  “I didn’t realize it was porn.”

  “You’re gross.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Hey, man.” Logan claps me on the shoulder and shakes my hand. We’re standing in the airport, at the baggage claim carousel that has Mer’s flight number listed for pick up. They landed five minutes ago, and I can’t wait for her to get her sexy ass down here.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Good, thanks.” Logan nods and pushes his glasses up his nose. “I thought I was going to be late. Traffic was horrible.”

  “Came from work?” I gesture to his suit and tie.

  “Yeah. I took off early today and I’m taking the rest of the week off.”

  “Good for you. Do you have plans?”

  “Jax has been gone for a few days, and he’s leaving again on Friday for Vegas, so I thought I’d take some vacation time to hang with him.” He smiles shyly and loosens the top button of his dress shirt.

  “Actually, I was going to talk to you about this weekend. How do you feel about meeting us down there? Jax and the girls would love it.”

  Logan smiles softly. “I was going to ask you if it would be inappropriate if I surprised him. I was thinking about coming down Saturday afternoon, if that’s okay with you and your family.”

  I smile widely and shake my head. “If it were Mer, you couldn’t keep me away. Feel free to come down. I’ll give you my cell number and I’ll keep you updated on where we are on Saturday so you know where to find him.”

  “Thank you. Isn’t the news of Starla asking Jax and Mer to go back on tour crazy?” He shakes his head and grins, but my heart stops. Meredith didn’t mention this to me. She’s going back on tour?

  When? Is she planning to break things off again, or does she think we’ll do the long-distance thing while she’s gone for fucking months at a time?

  “They’re here!” I turn at the sound of Mer’s voice just in time to catch her mid-air. “Oh my God, I missed you so much.”

  She wraps herself around me and kisses me hard before burying her face in my neck, right where she needs to be. My hands are full of lush woman as her scent floats around me, and my nerves settle some.

  “Hi, baby. How was your flight?”

  “Too long.”

  I glance over in time to see Jax and Logan with their foreheads together and a soft smile passing between them.

  “I’m happy to see you,” I whisper and kiss her cheek just as the carousel begins to spin.

  “Me too.” She kisses me again, her lips linger on mine for a long minute.

  “Here’s your bag, lollypop,” Jax says as I lower Mer to the floor. “And we were only gone for three days. Not three months.”

  But you’ll be gone for three months in the near future?

  “Bite me,” Mer says with a big smile.

  “It was a long three days,” Logan adds as he links his fingers with Jax’s and raises them to his lips. “Let’s go.”

  “Don’t wait up,” Jax says with a grin. “Not that you’ll be at home anyway.”

  “No,” I agree with a smile and take Mer’s bag, leading her toward the parking garage. “She won’t.”

  Jax winks at both of us and then the two of them set off in the other direction.

  “It’s so nice that Logan came to pick Jax up,” Mer says.

  “Mmm.” I don’t mention Logan surprising Jax in Vegas. It’ll be a surprise for both of them.

  “It was nice of you to pick me up too,” she says and kisses my shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, bab
y.” I pay for our parking and toss her bag in the Jeep and soon we’re on the freeway, heading toward Mer’s apartment. “My mom is having dinner at her place tonight at around six. I believe she might have threatened to disown me if I didn’t bring you with me.”

  “I’m a mess,” Mer says and looks down at her yoga pants and loose T-shirt. “I’m dressed for a flight, not dinner with my boyfriend’s family.”

  “You always look beautiful, but we have time to swing by your place for a while.”

  “Okay.” She takes my hand in hers and holds it tightly, and just that small touch has my cock on full alert. “How is your week going?”

  “Not bad,” I reply. “Work is busy, as usual. I’ve done a little more work on your house.”

  “Your house,” she replies immediately, making me grin. She can pretend all she wants that the house isn’t hers, but since the other night, there’s no question in my mind.

  It’s Meredith’s house. And I’m going to live in it with her for the next sixty years.

  That is, if she doesn’t dump me on my ass to go back on tour with a pop star.

  Fuck me.

  “Our house?” I shoot her the smile that always makes her melt and she bites her lip. I’m going to bite that lip when I get her back to her apartment.

  “Your house,” she whispers.

  She’s not fooling anyone.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” she says when we get up to her apartment. “I have airplane grossness all over me.”

  “I’ll help.” I pull her behind me to her bathroom and start the shower to let the water heat up, but instead of immediately ripping her clothes off her, I take my time. I pull her shirt and bra off and spend a few minutes kissing and nibbling her shoulders, around her breasts and down to her navel. She tugs my shirt over my head and gently sweeps her fingertips over my skin, sending goose bumps over me, making my cock even harder for her.

  Jesus, I’m fucking addicted to her.

  My lips trail down her stomach to her smooth pubic bone as I peel her leggings down her hips and thighs, and then hold her hand as she steps out of them.

  “Two nights without you is too long,” I murmur and kiss her inner thighs, cup her bare ass in my hands and squeeze as she plunges her fingers in my hair and holds on tight.

  “Definitely too long. You still have your pants on,” she says.

  “I don’t give a shit about my pants,” I reply and prop her leg over my shoulder, opening her up to me. I brush a fingertip gently over her swollen clit and through her pussy lips, making her gasp.

  “I do.” She’s panting now and has my hair clenched in a death grip. “I want you out of them.”

  “I will be,” I murmur and lean in to kiss her swollen flesh. “Fuck me, you smell like sex.”

  “Not yet,” she says and lets out a small chuckle. “But I’m hoping to very soon.”

  I look up into her ice blue eyes as I lick her from her wet opening to her clit and back down again, then sink in and go to town on her, making her cry out as her legs begin to shake.

  “I’m going to fall!”

  I shake my head no and brace her ass in my hands, not letting up until she comes long and loud on my mouth. Her juices are dripping down my chin. She’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted and the noises coming from her make my cock throb.

  I stand slowly, peppering kisses up her tight body, then quickly strip out of my jeans and boxer briefs and lead her into the shower. Mer immediately reaches for my wash-cloth and shower gel and busies herself washing me, dragging the soapy cloth over my body, around my pulsing, hard cock, slower than fuck just to make me crazy, I’m sure.

  When she’s finally done, I turn the tables on her, slowly washing every inch of her perfect skin.

  “If I say I’m sorry for torturing you, will you go faster?” she asks breathlessly.

  “No.”

  She chuckles and then moans when I drag her shower puff between her legs, washing her pussy.

  “You’re extra dirty here.”

  “That’s your fault.” She gasps and grips my biceps to keep from losing her balance as I press just a little harder. “God, that feels good.”

  I kiss her cheek and down to her neck, biting softly but not hard enough to mark her. Her fingertips dig into my arms when I drag the soapy puff through her folds one last time before dropping it to the floor so I can rinse her off.

  “How is it possible that you feel more toned than you did just last week?”

  “I probably am,” she replies before kissing my chest. “The routine for Starla was more rigorous than anything I’ve done in the year I’ve been home. It toned me back up. Does it bother you?”

  “Nothing about you bothers me. I love it when you’re curvy and I love it when you’re leaner. Fuck, M, I’m addicted to you any way I can get you.” I turn off the water and dry us both off then lead her to her bed.

  “I thought we were going to talk,” she murmurs as I lower her to her bed and cover her body with mine.

  “Later.” I slide my hand over her breast and down her ribcage to her hip. “The thing you need to remember, sweetheart, is you’re mine. Only you.” I kiss her neck and collarbone. “This is the only body I fantasize about.” I leave open-mouthed kisses over her breasts, pull on her tight nipples, then leave a mark right over her heart, where no one but me can see it.

  Suddenly, she pushes on my shoulders, reversing our positions and braces herself on my chest. “That’s good to hear,” she says breathlessly as she raises up on her knees and lowers herself onto my cock. “Because I feel the same way. It’s only you, M.” She guides my hands over her breasts and down to her hips where I grip her tightly and lead her into a steady rhythm, watching with fascination as she rides me. She runs one tiny hand of hers down her stomach to her clit while the other hand cups her breast, pinching her nipple as she rides me with abandon. Just when I think she can’t get any more beautiful she completely beguiles me, throws me for a loop and knocks me off balance.

  She bites her lip and tips her head back as she increases her pace, her hips rolling over mine quickly now.

  My fingers dig into her hips, pulling her down onto me harder with every thrust.

  “Jesus Christ, M.” I groan. She opens her eyes and pins me with her gaze as she bears down, clenches around me harder than she ever has and comes hard, shivering and bucking against me.

  “Oh God!”

  “Holy fuck!” I cry and sit up straight, wrapping my arms around Mer’s waist and hold her close as I come with her. My cock explodes inside her as her pussy contracts around me, milking every last drop from me.

  “I think you missed me,” she whispers and lays her head on my chest.

  “I think you’re right.” I lie back and cuddle her against me. She was right, we do have to talk, but it’ll wait. For now, I just want to hold her close and breathe her in and not worry about her being jealous or the possibility of her leaving me.

  “Sex with you is more exhausting than eight hours of dance with Jax,” she mumbles. I grin and kiss her hair softly. “And did I see you leave a love bite on my boob?”

  “You did.”

  “Aren’t we too old for that?”

  “No one can see it but me.” I tilt her head back so I can look in those baby blues. “I enjoy marking you.”

  “You are a caveman, you know that, right?”

  “With you, yes I am. And I won’t apologize for it.”

  “I wasn’t asking you to.” She wiggles closer to me and sighs contentedly. “Do we have time for a nap?”

  “Sure, baby.”

  “We’ll talk when we wake up?”

  “It’s a date.” I kiss her forehead and smile when she moans softly and I feel her body melt against me, limp in sleep. Before long I feel my own body relaxing and my eyes drift shut as Mer’s rhythmic breathing pulls me into sleep with her.

  ***

  “Shit, we’re going to be late!”

  I jerk awake to find Me
r jumping out of the bed.

  “Wake up, Mark! We overslept. We have to be at your mom and dad’s in twenty minutes.”

  “Damn,” I mutter and scrub my hands over my face. “Well, at least we already showered.”

  “And got dirty again.” She laughs.

  “Can I persuade you to take another shower with me?”

  “No. Get dressed, horny man.”

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of us having loud, crazy sex in my head.”

  She laughs and throws my shirt at me. “You’re insatiable.”

  “With you, yes.” I tug on her waist, pulling her into my lap so I can kiss her neck. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  “Well you’ll have to wait,” she whispers and kisses my cheek. “Because we’re going to be late.”

  She bounces out of my lap and finishes dressing. I don’t move, I just sit with my shirt in my hand and watch her pull on a long black skirt and black and white top, then step into black sandals. She brushes her hair out and leaves it loose around her face, then applies the smallest amount of makeup, but it makes her eyes even bluer and her lips shine.

  “You’re not dressed.” She props her hands on her hips and watches me with amused eyes. “Mark?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re not dressed.”

  “You’re so fucking beautiful it hurts to breathe.”

  She blinks in surprise and crosses to me. “Are you okay?”

  I take her hands in mine and kiss her knuckles softly, then stand and hug her close. “So fucking beautiful,” I whisper and tilt her head back and place an easy kiss on her lips, before I pull away to dress.

  She looks shell-shocked as I quickly dress and lace up my shoes, then take her hand in mine and lead her to the car.

  “What was all that for?” she asks.

  “It wasn’t for anything. It’s how I feel.” I shrug and lace our fingers as I drive us to my mom and dad’s house.

  ***

  As we pull up to the house that I grew up in, Sam and Leo pull in behind us in Leo’s black Camero.

  “You’re late,” Sam says and glares at me.

  “What does that make you?” I ask and clap Leo on the shoulder as he laughs at Sam.

  “Fashionably late.”

  She offers Mer a real smile, and Mer returns it happily.