Page 21 of The Last Person (Baker Girls #5)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

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Waking up with Hardy in my arms is surreal and breathtaking. He’s beautiful when he sleeps.

Actually, he’s stunning all the time, but there’s something about how peaceful he is that adds to his beauty.

My heart races as I lean in and kiss his neck, slowly moving my lips up to the spot below his ear, then across his cheek as he stirs.

When my mouth lands on his, it takes him a moment to kiss me back, but when he does, a happy moan reverberates in his throat.

He holds me close, staring into my eyes as he kisses me.

I’ve never had this kind of connection while kissing.

I’ve never had this kind of connection at all.

It’s what my soul has begged for. Not just the emotional depth of the connection, but Hardy.

It’s like my soul always knew what the rest of me hadn’t figured out yet… I was always supposed to be his.

My morning wood brushes his, and I shudder.

“Morning, babe,” he rumbles.

“I could get used to this.”

“Good. Get used to it. You’re stuck with me. I’m never sleeping anywhere but in your arms.”

I trail my lips down his neck, sucking the skin into my mouth.

I shouldn’t leave a mark on him, but I want to.

Lifting my lips, I stare down his naked body.

I want to mark the whole thing, claim him.

Like he claimed me last night. Feeling him fill my ass, knowing me clenching around him made him come… I groan remembering it.

“I never want you anywhere else, baby.”

He reaches out and strokes me while pressing his lips to mine again.

My heart is bursting as I wrap my hand around his cock. He’s really mine. I get to keep this.

Fumbling for the lube, I grab it and squirt some over both of us.

Our hands slip and slide as we work each other’s cocks, then his mouth finds mine, and we kiss. Rough, passionate kisses, our tongues twisting as we stroke each other, moving closer until we barely have room to move our hands.

His shuddery breaths make my balls tighten, and in moments, cum is splashing between us as we come all over the other’s hand and stomach.

We don’t let go or stop kissing. If we could, we’d get hard and do it over and over.

Normally I’m not this needy when it comes to sex. My sex drive isn’t this high. But with Hardy, I’m convinced I’ll never be fully sated. I could have him every day for the rest of my life and it would never be enough.

I sigh against his lips. I hope that’s exactly what happens.

He breaks our kiss, wiping his hand on the sheets and ignoring the sticky mess between us. We’ll just have to shower again. Wash each other’s bodies…

My dick twitches with interest, but that’s the most he can do.

Ryan laughs and looks down. “Getting excited again already?”

“Just imagining some fun for later.”

He kisses my neck. “I love fun.”

“What do you want to do today?” I ask, trailing my fingers over his ass.

“This? Lie in bed all day. Maybe curl up on the couch. Watch TV. I don’t care. As long as we’re together.”

“We can do that all of today and tomorrow. We don’t have to leave the apartment again until tomorrow night for that New Year’s Eve team thing at Wendell’s. Good timing on telling me. Now we get three days off to enjoy each other.”

“No,” he whispers, trailing kisses across my chest. “I should’ve told you sooner. Should’ve let myself fall sooner. I’ve been missing out on the depth of your love.”

Then his lips are on mine again, and I can’t fully process that word. Love. I can’t deny I love him. The question is if that means he loves me too. It’s almost too much to hope for.

Can all your dreams really come true at once?

“You’re thinking too loud,” he whispers, breaking our kiss and cupping my cheek. “What’s on your mind?”

“Just hard to believe this is real.”

He grabs a handful of my ass. “Believe it. You’re stuck with me and all my craziness.”

“I’ll take all of it. As long as you’ll take all my quiet moments where I get lost in my own head.”

“Share those moments and those thoughts with me, and we’ll call it even.”

Emotion flickers in my chest.

“It’s real,” he whispers. “I need you as much as you need me. Maybe more. We all know how needy I can be.”

I chuckle at that. “When do you think we should tell the rest of the world?”

He glances at the window. “Think it’s still out there?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Well, safe to say the kids know. Think we scarred them last night?”

I look over at the plants. “Nah. They know when to close their eyes and look the other way.”

“Unlike everyone else in our lives who will be waiting for this news.”

I groan at that. “One thing I’m not excited about. I don’t want to be a spectacle.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Always.”

“Then trust that I’ll know the best way and time to break the news to our friends and families.”

“And the team?”

He inhales deeply. “Yeah. We’re going to have to talk to HR.”

“How do you think they’ll react?”

“I don’t know. But legally, there’s nothing in our contracts that says we can’t date anyone in the organization, only that it has to be reported.”

“Look at you doing your research.”

His deep brown eyes lock with mine. “So we’re clear, even if it said no, I’d have done it anyway. You’re worth breaking the rules for. I just like to know what rules I’m breaking.”

“What about coming out? Once the team knows, it’s only a matter of time before news breaks. Football is one of the least forgiving sports for coming out.”

“Fuck all of that. I don’t care. I’m not going to hide who I am. Christy set the example for me when I was young. She showed me how important it is to be true to yourself. People who support you will step up, and you’ll realize you don’t need the people who step out.”

“That’s very wise.”

“Blame Christy, not me.”

Running my hand down his chest, I take him in, memorizing every detail of him like this. Peaceful. Happy. Mine.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to be loud about it. I know that’s not who you are. And if you never want me to talk about you specifically—”

I cut him off with a kiss. “Tell the world. I might not want to answer a lot of questions, but I never want to hide the fact that you’re mine.

And thankfully, we don’t have to deal with it for a few days.

A few days where we get to just be us.” I kiss his shoulder.

“Lie in bed.” I kiss his other shoulder. “Explore each other’s bodies.”

“Does that mean you’ll take my ass?”

I press a kiss to his lips. “We’ll work you up to it.”

My feet are up on the coffee table, there’s a mug of coffee sitting on the side table next to me, Dawson’s Creek is playing on the TV, and Ryan’s head is resting in my lap.

I’ve got a small notepad in one hand and one of my favorite pens in the other as I scribble words to make sense of later.

The peace in my heart has awakened new inspiration inside me.

Instead of poems about longing and the things I want but don’t have, my heart is bursting with poems about joy, love, and contentment.

Ryan’s arm is wrapped around my waist, his warm hand splayed over my skin, and I’ve never felt more awake. I’m alive in a new way. A part of me that was buried deep down has been set free, and my heart is both lighter and fuller.

It’s strange because in some ways, this is so similar to how we were before.

Sitting on the couch together, me writing or knitting and half watching whatever show he’s hooked on.

We often cooked together, ate together, and spent our downtime together.

But now there’s a new layer of intimacy over everything we do.

Whether it’s his arms wrapped around my waist as I brush my teeth, him pausing whatever dance he’s doing while we clean the kitchen to kiss me, or the closer physical connection when we’re sitting on the couch, everything is more.

It’s crazy looking back on it now and seeing all the ways we were stumbling over this line without realizing it.

I spent far too much time thinking he couldn’t want me, and I’m not sure if I was blinding myself to his feelings on purpose, or if I’m dumber than I thought.

How did I ever miss the intensity in his eyes when he looks at me? A simple glance strips me bare.

He runs his hand down my thigh and warmth swells in my stomach.

Does he know I’m rocking a semi beneath the pillow under his head?

When that hand moves back up my thigh, cups my balls, then grazes over my thickening cock, I have my answer.

I set my pen and notepad aside and run my fingers through his braids.

A second later, the pillow is gone, and he’s pulling my sweats and boxers down. He lazily swirls his tongue over my tip, and I sink down on the couch, splaying my legs wide.

He slides off the couch and gets on his knees between my legs.

Lust warms me. He hasn’t had his mouth on me like this yet. I blew before he had the chance last time. This time, he’s not teasing me.

He wraps his hand around the base of my shaft and takes as much of me into his mouth as he can. This is all new for him, and there’s something heady about that. My cock is the only one he’s ever sucked. Every sputter, gag, and muffled moan is mine to keep.

My balls are already tingling at just the sight of him on the floor in front of me. I love watching him suck my cock. He’s always the loudest, brightest person in the room, commanding everyone’s attention. So many people are willing to do anything for him. They’d get on their knees for him.

But I’m the one he’s on his knees for. It’s a wild high.

I lace my fingers through his braids, my fingertips caressing his scalp as he bobs up and down on my cock, diligently working to relax his throat and take me deeper.

Not that I give a fuck how deep he takes me. Anything he gives me is enough, but I know how competitive he is. He wants to do this for me. And he wants it to be the best head I’ve ever gotten.

Nothing could compare to him, but I’m not going to overinflate his ego. I’d rather spur him on. Tease him. Tempt him.

“I love the way you suck my cock, baby. I can’t wait to fill your throat with my cum.”

He moans around my length, and my balls tighten.

“You want that, don’t you? You want to swallow my cum? Know I’m the only one you’ll ever have like this?”

He nods, hands digging into my waist as he sucks me.

“I need more,” I whine. “Can you give me more?”

He shudders, but after a moment, takes me deeper.

“Good boy. Just like that.”

A whimper sounds in his throat, driving me closer to the edge.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears, and I force my eyes open. I don’t want to miss a second of this show.

The thrumming of my blood is louder now, and it’s hard to breathe. Every inch of my body is aware, on fire—

“Hey, guys—oh, fuck!”

I grab a pillow and shove it in front of my crotch and Hardy’s head as Mark walks into the room. “Shit.”

Mark throws his arm over his eyes, and even though I should move or say something, I can’t. Because Hardy’s not stopping. He’s sucking me harder. And I’m—I’m about to… I grab Ryan’s hair harder, trying to hold on a little longer.

“Thrilled for you guys. I knew it, by the way,” Mark calls as he walks back down the hallway, bumping into things as he goes.

My heart is slamming into my ribs, and my body is on fire. I throw the pillow to the side, watching as Hardy’s eyes flick up to me in challenge. Then he takes me even deeper, my tip hitting the back of his throat.

I hold back a strangled moan, my eyes heavy and my chest heaving.

The second the door closes, I unleash, moans spilling out of me as pure bliss washes over me and I fill Ryan’s mouth. He sputters for a second before swallowing it all down, and fuck… nothing has ever been hotter than watching Ryan Hardison drink my cum.

I slump back against the couch, eyes drifting shut as I pant for breath.

Ryan climbs onto my lap and kisses me, and the taste of me on his tongue makes me feral. I’m breathing so heavily it’s hard to kiss him, but I don’t care.

After a moment, he breaks our kiss, then wraps his arms around me and kisses my neck and my chest instead.

“Safe to say everyone else will know by tomorrow,” I mumble as some of my brain power returns.

He lifts his head. “Let them know. Let them all talk about it. I don’t care. We’re staying here in our bubble.” Then he kisses me again, and I let myself get swept away in our connection, something more profound than I ever thought I’d have.