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DEKE

I saw the hunger in Kelsey’s eyes after she sucked me dry, the lingering of her not coming, so I yanked her up from the floor and ripped her shorts off.

The rest was easy: ass on the counter, legs spread, and my mouth between her thighs.

I’d have taken her if I hadn’t just come myself and was still recovering.

Part of me was ready to take her again after she came.

My cock was on board, but I held back, afraid she’d pull those walls up again.

That’s why instead of fucking her, we ate dinner and talked until she was yawning.

That’s when I closed the house down, grabbed her a shirt of mine to wear, and piled us into bed.

“Hey, got a minute?” I ask my dad the minute he picks up the phone as I step onto the back porch. Kelsey’s still lying in my bed, sleeping, the sheets a tangled mess. The air conditioning is blasting, but there’s nothing that would wake her up. Thankfully, she’s not opening at the store today.

“I suppose, especially if it means there’s good news.” He lets out a laugh.

“Wish it were. Well, there might be if I can get Kelsey to listen to me. Damn woman is keeping me at arm’s length.” There was no way I was even attempting to talk late into the night. My luck, she’d fall asleep, and I’d have to retell shit all over again.

“Well, son, nothing worth having comes easy. You think your mom and I had it easy? Both of us working, a houseful of kids, doing our absolute best or what we thought was our best while still attempting to keep our marriage alive.” By the time it came to Leena and me, they were around a lot more, not having to work day and night, sometimes working two jobs if they had to during the holiday season to make sure we had everything we needed.

“I’m trying. Not easy when she’s fighting me every step of the way.

Shit happened that not a whole lot of people know about, and I’ll tell you about it one day, but Kelsey deserves to hear it first. I do know you’ll be happy to hear Asa and I are back on good terms. Not that I don’t expect him to kick my ass the first chance he gets.

And I owe Montana an apology.” Sucks that I let this shit build inside me for too many fucking years to count, but that’s life, and I’m the one who has to make amends, even if that means getting a fist to the mouth.

With any luck, Kels will kiss it better.

“Bring her home this weekend if you can. Make it a three-day weekend. Hang with us for brunch on Sunday, then head home earlier. That way, you’re not traveling too late.

Right now, the girl has too much on her plate where you two are.

Get her away from it, and she’ll let the tension go and be more relaxed to let you talk,” Dad states.

“Fuck, why didn’t I just call you first instead of Asa? His advice was to woo Kelsey, which I did. Not sure it actually worked, or I wouldn’t be asking you for advice.” I laugh, running my hand through my hair.

“That probably didn’t hurt to soften her up a bit.

Let me know when you’ll be in town. Everyone will be happy to see you.

It’s not the same without you here in Florida, but I also get it.

If things work out between you and Kelsey, we all know where you’ll land, and that’s okay.

We can still travel just as much as you do.

” I’m pretty sure if I had called Mom, she’d have used every reason under the sun to get me home instead of being the voice of reason.

“You’re not wrong. Alright, I’ll call Mom when the time comes. I’m thinking my woman will be waking up soon, and I have some smooth-talking to do, and fast.”

“You do that. Love you, son.” That’s one thing about Dad: it doesn’t matter who is around; if he has something to say to one of us kids, he says it.

“Love you. Thanks, Dad.” We hang up the phone, and I walk back through the house, throwing my phone on the counter, not stopping to make coffee.

It all can wait. On any other day of the week, I’d be making a cup of coffee, grabbing a few files, and walking out the door.

It’s not that I don’t have a capable crew; it’s more of a why stay at home when I can work?

Now things have changed. I walk into my room and see that Kelsey is slowly waking up, kicking the sheets off her body as she does.

“Deacon.” Her hand slides towards the other side of the mattress, searching for me, and there’s no way I’m going to let this go.

“Morning, sunshine.” I pick her hand up, holding it with mine as I slide in beside her.

“Where were you?” This is the side I’ve seen a handful of times, soft and sweet, not worrying about keeping us firmly in the friend-zone.

“On the phone, making plans. Think you can get this weekend off?” That perks her up. One thing about Kelsey, she’s always up for an adventure. I’m just hoping that this one she won’t blink twice at.

“Yeah, actually I can. Emily and I promoted Natalie; we both officially have weekends off now. What’s up?” I’m sitting up, back against the headboard, dragging her up so she’s in between my spread legs.

“I want to take you home, a vacation of sorts. I know you’ve been working a lot, and so have I. Maybe we visit with my parents, maybe we don’t. But for the most part, it’s just the two of us.” Kelsey’s sleepy eyes open wider, a look of surprise written all over her face.

“Well, I mean that can happen. Is this for show or no?”

“Fuck no, this is for you and me, not anyone else, okay?” I respond, my head dipping, ready to take her lips and maybe get the answer I’m searching for.

“Let me ask Em if she doesn’t mind closing Friday night. That way, we can leave early,” she replies.

“Whenever you can, sunshine.” I figured she’d put up more of a fight, but she doesn’t, which means I’ve got my work cut out for me in the form of talking, and something tells me she’s not going to let it go either. It’s a good thing I’m more than ready for anything Kels throws down.