Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

Everett

“ I s this the carnival with the chili bake-off?” I ask nobody in particular as we walk into the fairgrounds.

“No, that one is next month,” Gemma offers.

“Trust me, you won’t be able to miss the buzz around that in the weeks leading up to it,” Grace adds. “It’s all anybody in this town will be able to talk about.”

“Wow, that big of a deal?”

Gemma chuckles. “You have no idea.”

“Everett, will you go on rides with us?” Sutton asks, glancing up at me.

“Heck yeah, I will. I love carnival rides.”

“Me too!” he exclaims. “Mom won’t go on them with me.”

“Way to throw me under the bus, kid,” she says with a laugh .

“None of them?” I ask, flicking my attention to her. “Not even the Ferris wheel?”

“Definitely not the Ferris wheel.” She shakes her head. “They’re so damn high. I don’t know how y’all do it and actually enjoy yourselves.”

“Ah, scared of heights?”

“You should’ve seen her the one time we went on one together,” Sutton says. “We were in Gatlinburg, and I swear she was going to pass out. It stopped when we were at the top, and she looked like a ghost.”

Sutton laughs, and I can’t help but join him.

“Screw both of you,” she mutters, shoving my arm, a smile playing on her lips. Her hand on my skin is an electric current, one I instantly want more of.

And the worst part of it is, I don’t think it will ever be enough. Gemma isn’t a one-and-done type woman. I already know that to be true. She’s not the type of woman you walk away from willingly. She’s the type you find yourself rolling around in the sheets with as the morning sun spills in through the blinds. The type who has you wanting to slow down and savor everything she has to offer.

She’s the type of woman I’m getting attached to, and that very well could be a problem according to the rules she laid out for us.

Walking around the grounds for a while, eventually Gemma’s brother and his wife arrive, and we all split up. The girls take off to go look at the booths set up around the area and to do a little shopping, while us guys decide to hit up the rides.

Beau and Sutton go on a roller coaster first, but it’s a kid specific one, so Graham and I wait on one of the benches while they go do that. It’s not my first time meeting Gemma’s brother, but it is the first time I’ve talked to the guy one-on-one. My stomach twists with what can only be described as nervousness, although I’m not sure why. I’ve met her sisters already, and I’m pretty sure they like me. I don’t know why the idea of making her brother like me would make me more nervous, especially when she seems to be the closest to Grace and Georgia.

“Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?” I ask him as we both keep our sights set on the boys in line.

“A girl.” The grin that splits his face is contagious. “Ellie Mae is what we’re naming her.”

“That’s so exciting. Congratulations, man.”

“Thank you. So, how you liking Blossom Beach?”

“I’m enjoying it so far,” I reply honestly. I’ve noticed this is a major topic of discussion here, when people find out that you’re from out of state, especially if they find out it’s a busy city you moved from. They love talking about their small town, and prior to moving, I may have found that odd or annoying, but having now lived here, I find it endearing. There’s so much to love here.

“So, what’s the deal with you and my sister?” he asks, glancing at me with a crooked grin and a playful glint in his eye. “Sutton has nothing but nice things to say about his teacher who is also his neighbor.”

The question makes my heart stall. “She’s been a great friend and neighbor since I’ve moved in,” I explain truthfully. “I’ve really come to enjoy hanging out with her and Sutton.”

“Yeah, but y’all aren’t just friends, are you?”

Rubbing the back of my neck with my hand, I feel my face heat and my pulse speed up. I have no idea what the right thing to say here is. Does she tell her brother stuff like this? I know her sisters know about what we’ve got going on, but does he? The way he’s grinning at me says he may have an idea.

“If I’ve got any say in the matter, we won’t be for long.”

It’s the most honest answer I can give him, and it’s the first time I’ve ever voiced that out loud. Graham’s eyes widen for a moment before he schools his features, like maybe he wasn’t expecting that.

“I won’t lie,” he drawls. “Never thought I’d see the day Gemma let herself go there with somebody.”

I cock my head to the side, brows knit together. “Why’s that?”

“I assume she told you about Dylan?” I nod. “Well, after he died, it’s like Gemma adopted this sense of hyper-independence, like she couldn’t stand the thought of counting on anybody else. Other than Georgia and Grace, who practically forced their help on her, she wouldn’t really let anybody else in.”

“Are you two close?”

“Not like she is with Grace and Georgia, but yeah.”

“I can’t imagine what that must be like to lose somebody like that.”

“Gemma is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.” The pride in his voice when he talks about his sister is moving. “But she deserves to not have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders all the time. And she deserves to be appreciated for all that she brings to the table.” His eyes lift to meet mine. “So, whatever it is that’s going on between you two, don’t hurt them.” Them. “She’s been through enough hurt to last a lifetime, and so has my nephew.”

Holding his gaze, I say, meaning it with my whole chest, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Oh my god, that was so fun!” Beau shouts as they run up to where we’re sitting.

“We gotta go on the bigger one!” Sutton says, his eyes wide and his cheeks wind chapped.

Graham and I share a look before we both chuckle and stand up.

“Well, let’s get on with it then, shall we?” I ask.

The next couple of hours are spent hitting every single ride they have to offer. Sometimes twice. This carnival isn’t very big, so it’s not that hard to do, but the kids are starving by the time we’re done, so we meet the girls near the food.

Gemma’s chocolate eyes meet mine, holding my gaze as her lips curl into a grin. “Have fun, Mr. Windward?”

We’re standing in line to get hot dogs for everybody. Glancing around to make sure none of the kids are watching me, I dip my head down and murmur into her ear, “I sure did, but I think I’ll have a lot more fun with you later.”

A visible shudder runs down her spine as her grin widens. She peers up at me from beneath her lashes, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “And what did you have in mind?”

“I don’t care what we do, as long as it involves you naked and trembling under or on top of me.”

Gemma bites down on her bottom lip. What I wouldn’t give to be the one to do that right now. “If only my son wasn’t here, we could reignite that little exhibitionism kink of yours.”

A bolt of arousal zips down my spine, settling deep in my balls. “Yeah? You’d want to drop to your knees and take my cock down that pretty little throat of yours with the risk of being caught?”

She hums, her eyelashes fluttering.

“Or maybe it would be me dropping to my knees, draping a leg over my shoulder as I eat your cunt until you come all over my tongue.”

“Fuck,” she practically pants. “We need to make that happen at some point.”

“Really?” A grin splits my face as I raise my eyebrows. “Does that turn you on?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” she admits, the pink on her cheeks darkening. Leaning in close so the people in front of us can’t hear, she adds, barely above a whisper, “I’m so fucking wet for you, Everett. I would do just about anything you asked me to do, as long as it meant you putting your hands on me.”

Fuck me. This woman is going to be the death of me. Eyes dipping down to take in her full, pouty lips, my cock gives an appreciative twitch at the memory of her wrapping them around me and sucking me down last weekend. And how much I want her to do it again.

“God, I want to kiss you right now,” I admit huskily.

“Me too.” Her eyes glint as she smiles up at me before promising, “Tonight.”