Page 46 of Wake Me Up (New England Bay Sharks #5)

“H ow’s it been going with Jasper?” I ask Gramp while I fill some cream horns. I remind myself to leave out a few for Aviana because they are her favorite.

“Well, I’ll tell you this much: the dipshit doesn’t wear his hat backward anymore.” He scoffs. “I nipped that in the ass real quick.”

I could argue with my grandfather that just because the poor kid wears his hat turned backward doesn’t mean he’s a loser, but I’d be wasting my breath because once Gramp has made his mind up about something, it’s all over.

“Yeah, okay,” I mutter instead, popping the cream horns into the case before heading to finish up my next item on the list—frosting the cookies. “You’re just a ray of sunshine, Gramp. Did anyone ever tell you that?” I grin, fighting back a giggle.

He mumbles something before grabbing his jacket and slowly pulling it on one arm at a time before carefully zipping it. “Fifteen minutes left till closing time,” he utters, shuffling toward the door. “Lock up, would you? I’m going home early.”

“Yes, sir.”

I watch him walk out the door and shake my head, wondering what’s got him so salty today, but then I remember it’s Gramp, and he genuinely enjoys being wound up all the time—or pretending that he is.

One by one, I frost the sugar cookies in the different and unique ways that have become so popular here. Aviana is finally back at school, and to be honest, I’m really enjoying being back in the bakery, where I can create things that are both yummy and cute.

The door chimes, but I don’t look up right away, as I’m mid-cookie-decorating, and I’m not about to mess up now. Even though the kids would be happy if I did because I take the crappy-looking ones to them.

“Is this any way to treat your customers?” Tripp’s deep voice drawls, and a smile creeps onto my lips as I finish up what I’m doing in a hurry—no doubt screwing it up.

“It depends. Are you a paying customer?” I tease before turning toward him.

I take in the sight of him for the first time in five or six days. First, he was out of the state at an away game, and then last night, he had to meet an old friend for dinner.

The old friend was a dude. I made sure of that.

“I’ll pay for a few cookies by eating your cookie.” He cocks his head to the side. “Deal?”

Rushing toward him, I leap into his arms, thankful that there’s no one else in here. He twirls me around before kissing me.

“I missed you,” he says, his stubble tickling my flesh as he moves his lips to my neck. “You smell so fucking good.”

“Missed you too,” I answer sweetly. “Did you have a good time with your friend last night?” I wink. “Well, hopefully not too much fun.”

“I did.” He gently sets me down on my feet before motioning toward a table with a few chairs at it. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?” He must read me like a book because he adds in, “Don’t worry; it’s nothing bad, I swear.”

I look toward the window and see no one seems to be heading inside. “Sure.” I nod, walking toward the table. “It’s been dead today anyway.”

As I sit down and he takes the seat across from me, I have no idea what this could be about, but if he tells me not to worry and that it’s nothing bad, I believe him.

His hands reach for mine, and he cups them. “So, I’ve told you a bit that my body hurts sometimes, right?”

A deep frown forms on my face, and he squeezes my hands.

“Stop worrying, dear God, woman.”

I sigh, nodding my head. “Yeah. You’ve mentioned it before.” I cringe. “And I can tell because, sometimes, you move a certain way, and it’s pretty obvious that you’re in pain.”

“Yeah. I’ve been playing hockey for a long time, and it’s just … well, my body has kind of had enough, I guess.”

He’s nervous while he talks, which isn’t something I’m used to with him. Tripp keeps his emotions in check, but right now, even his voice holds a heavy weight to it.

“My friend Cade—that’s who I met last night. While we were at dinner, he told me that he just got hired as the head coach for NE University.”

“In Massachusetts? I actually have a few friends who went there.” I think back to all the good things I’ve heard about it. “That’s a great college. D1, right? That’s amazing for him.”

It’s super cool that his friend got hired at such an incredible college, but I’m unsure of why Tripp is telling me this right now. I was worried he was going to tell me something was wrong with him health-wise, but now, I’m not sure where he’s taking this.

“Yeah, it really is.” His voice is off, like he’s thinking about something. “He, uh … he invited me to dinner to ask if I’d want to be an assistant coach.” The words rush from his lips quickly, and he pulls one hand away from mine to drag it up the back of his head nervously.

“Did he?” The words sound like a squeak, and maybe that’s because I’m afraid that this is when he tells me he’s leaving.

He probably wants a divorce so he can ride off into the sunset and go coach college hockey and meet young women whose skin isn’t starting to sag .

Yeah, that’s definitely it.

I slowly pull my hand away from his and drop my hands onto my lap, fidgeting nervously. “So, are you going to go then?” I can’t bear to look at him.

It’s been six weeks since Aviana’s surgery, and in that time, he’s been around my kids so much more.

He’s like a part of our family. And now, he’s going to leave.

“Well, it depends on how you feel about it.”

When I hear him say those words, my eyes fly to his to see if it seems like he’s bluffing.

“Really?” I peep.

“Yeah, of course,” he says, clearly aggravated.

“I’m not going anywhere without you. I understand that this is your home and your family is here.

So, if you don’t want to leave, I wouldn’t blame you.

But it is just under two hours away from here, so the travel to see your parents wouldn’t be all that bad. ”

I stare at him with a completely blank look on my face. I think he’s saying that he wants me to go with him, but that would be crazy. We haven’t been together , together for that long.

I open my mouth in an attempt to speak, but he stops me.

“Before you tell me no, I do want you to have all the information.” He speaks quickly, like he’s afraid I’ll make my mind up before he can get everything out.

“There’s a school ten minutes from campus with an amazing hockey and baseball program, and I talked to the athletic director and he said he’d love to have the boys on their rosters.

” He smirks. “I may have told him how fucking talented they are, and he ate that shit up. But, it’s not a lie.

They’d be lucky to have them in their programs for sure.

” He points at me. “And before you say there’s nothing there for Aviana, you’re wrong.

Ave has told me so many times she wishes her school did plays.

Well, guess what. The school in Mass has a whole-ass drama department, and you know Avy would be in all her glory. ”

I can’t stop staring at him. He really went through the trouble of making sure that my kids would be happy with the move before even bringing it up to me.

At first, I’m shocked, and then I’m happy. Suddenly though, I look around the bakery, and it hits me that Gramp probably thought I would take this place over. How can I take off when I’m supposed to do that?

Tripp’s eyes burn into mine, and he gives me a knowing look. “I know, baby,” he whispers. “I know you won’t want to leave your grandfather, and that’s okay. If you can’t leave, that’s okay. If you’re not going, I’m not going either.”

“You can’t say that,” I say softly, taking his hand in mine. “You can’t play hockey forever, Tripp. This may be the next chapter for you.”

Unfazed, he shifts his lips into a crooked grin. “No, darlin’. You and the kids are my next chapter. All of my next chapters. Anything else I get to do will just be a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”

“Tripp, if this is something you want to do, you need to do it,” I whisper, trying to keep my voice from cracking. The very thought of him leaving Maine makes me feel like someone is ripping my heart out, but I’ll survive .

I always do.

“Come here,” he utters, nodding toward his lap.

I inhale before shifting my gaze to the clock.

The bakery closes in a few minutes, but I’m shutting down early.

Standing, I walk to the door and turn the sign before locking the door, turning out the lights and pulling the blinds closed.

Right now, the last thing I want to do is deal with customers or people passing by, looking in at us.

I make my way to Tripp and plop down onto his lap, where he grabs my leg and lifts it so that I’m straddling him. I run my palms against the stubble on his cheeks and sigh.

“Well …” I whisper.

“Well, nothing.” He runs his hands up and down my thighs. “If you’re staying in Maine, I’m staying in Maine.”

“And what will you do here when you retire, Tripp?” My eyes dance between his sadly. “NE University is a huge opportunity. One you won’t find here.”

“I know,” he says faintly. “But I’m not leaving you and the kids behind. You guys are my family.”

“I just don’t know what to do.” I shrug, tears blurring my vision. “This bakery needs me. Gramp Frank needs me.”

“I know, baby.” He tilts his chin up, brushing his lips across mine.

His cock twitches against my leg, making me ache for him, and before I know it, I’m rubbing myself against his growing erection while my eyes remain locked on his.

“I love you,” I breathe out. “So much that I would let you go so that you could chase this dream.”

“And I love you enough that I say fuck that dream if it doesn’t have you in it.”

He runs his hands up my sides, lifting me up before pushing me back down and grinding me against his cock. My nipples harden under my shirt, and right now, I’m so thankful that my grandfather has always been against installing the security cameras I’ve suggested.

“Take out your pretty cock for me, would you?” I say sweetly against his lips, loving when I feel his dick jump underneath me from my words. “I need to feel my husband inside of me.”

Holy fuck. My wife called my cock pretty and asked me to take it out for her.

Right away, I’m lifting her ass off my lap and pushing her to stand over me while I pull my sweatpants and briefs down enough for my cock to spring free.

I push her leggings down to her ankles before grabbing ahold of her hips and yanking her back down onto me.

My cock nudges quickly into her heat, pulling a loud whimper from her lips, followed by a fucking scrumptious moan.

I’d love to pull her shirt off, but I know if someone really wanted to peek through the sides of the blinds, they could look in here. This has to be fast. But I’m sure as hell going to make her come hard on my dick.

“Fuck, I love how you feel, wrapped around my cock, darlin’,” I grunt, keeping my hands on her hips as she begins to ride me. “And I fucking love how good you ride my dick.” I grind my teeth together as her hips thrust. “Just like that, baby. Just … like … that.”

She grips my shoulders, fucking me with so much aggression that she may break this rickety chair under my ass. She’s so collected and classy in everyday life. I think my favorite thing is when she takes control and fucking dominates my cock, using me like a toy to make herself come.

She looks down at me, lips parted before she drags her finger across my cheek and inserts it into my mouth. “Such a good boy to sit here while I ride your dick,” she says, dragging in sharp breaths. “I’m going to come all over your cock.”

“Yeah?” I growl, reaching one hand around the back of her head and shoving our mouths together. “I want to fucking feel it,” I grunt against her lips. “I want to feel that pussy fucking drip all down my thighs.”

With my other hand still on her hip, I drop it down lower, gripping her ass cheek and giving it a slap.

She moans, tossing her head back, and I decide to take it a step further.

She may think she’s in control, but she’s about to lose a bit of it.

I bring my fingers to her lips and shove them into her mouth forcefully .

“Soak my fingers, Freya,” I command her. “Get them nice and wet so that I can finger your ass while you come on my hard cock.”

She doesn’t just suck on my fingers. She fucking spits on them, all while she lets out a slew of loud moans.

Bringing my hand down her body, I snake it around to her ass. Little by little, I insert a finger right inside her tight hole. Her riding becomes staggered, and by the time the tip of my finger is inside of her and her pussy begins to throb around my dick, I’m a fucking goner.

I continue to play with her ass while my cock explodes deep inside of her heat. Her rocking becomes sporadic, and she grips my shoulders so hard that I think she draws blood.

“Blowing my load right inside your pussy. Right inside what’s mine,” I bite out, my body twitching.

“Yes,” she screams, thrusting her chest into my face while she throws her head back. “Fuck … yes.”

Suddenly, she leans forward, biting down on my shoulder blade. It fucking hurts, but I like it.

I feel dizzy, and I have to squeeze my eyes shut because I feel like I may actually fall out of this chair. My wife just blew my fucking mind, and the icing on the cake was her allowing me to play with her ass like the good little slut she is.

Her body collapses against mine, and I feel her legs shake. It takes us both a few minutes to regain our bearings, but finally, she lifts her head up and grins down at me.

“I love you,” she chokes out, gasping for air.

“I love you more.” I reach up, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “So fucking much.”

I know this conversation isn’t over yet. We still have a lot to talk about. But for now, my cock is spent, and my wife looks thoroughly satisfied. I’m a happy man, as long as we all get to stay together.

And I’ll make sure that we do. Always.