I can feel Bentley’s stare burning into the side of my face as I watch Jazz carry her plate over to the living room and take a seat.
“What? ” I keep my voice low enough so it can’t be heard over the TV.
“Nothing,” he replies, matching my volume. “Just didn’t realize you two were freely dropping L-bombs now.”
I raise a brow. “Didn’t realize I needed your permission.”
Bentley flips me off. “Fuck off, dude. You don’t need to be a dick. I was just making an observation.”
We stare at each other for a few beats. Since that night between the three of us, Bent hasn’t stepped over the line once. Not unless he’s purposely pushing my buttons, anyway. I know he’s moved on from any notion of making Jazz his girl, and I honestly think he knows he misinterpreted his feelings for her. So, why does this whole I love you thing matter so much to him?
“Why do you care, anyway?”
“Because you’re my dawg and Jazzy’s my girl.” Bent rolls his eyes when I glare. “I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it. I’m happy for you, man. Both of you.”
Bentley holds out his fist, so I give it a bump with my left hand. And just like that, the tension is gone.
“You gonna tell me how the other hand got all banged up? What’d I miss in the last twenty-four hours?”
“Dude, you missed a lot . I’ll fill you in after we eat.”
“Aw, hell, I have a feeling this is gonna be some story.”
I laugh. “Yeah, something like that.”
“You guys coming?” Jazz calls over her shoulder. “I’ve got Die Hard all cued up and ready to go.”
Bentley’s jaw drops. “Wait a second... we’re watching Die Hard? ”
Jazz’s brows scrunch in concern. “That’s okay, isn’t it? Kingston told me to pick out a Christmas movie.”
Bent’s lips twitch. “And you think Die Hard is a Christmas movie?”
“Uh... yeah,” she says. “It’s like, the Christmas movie.”
He turns to me. “Dude, if I were you, I’d be at motherfucking Tiffany’s the second they open for business.”
*
“Okay, kiddo, we’re here.”
“I’m going to take the blindfold off now,” Jazz adds.
Jazz insisted on covering her sister’s eyes right after we pulled off I-5 into Anaheim, to hold on to the surprise as long as possible. Jazz helps Belle remove the blindfold, just as we’re pulling in front of the Disneyland sign.
“Look, honey!”
Belle blinks a few times after the obstruction has been removed and looks to where Jazz is pointing. Her dark chocolate eyes widen, and her face splits into a grin when she figures out where we’re at.
“Disneyland?! ” she screams. “That’s my birthday present?”
Jazz laughs when Belle squeals. “Yep. We have two whole days and nights to see everything! Do you like it?”
“I love it!”
I glance in my rearview and see Belle practically vibrating in her booster seat as I drive around looking for a spot. Thankfully, we’re here early enough that it doesn’t take me too long to find one.
“What do you want to do first?” I ask.
“Princesses!” Belle shouts. “I wanna see all the princesses!”
I turn around in my seat. “Okay, princesses, it is. But before we do that, we have to get your special birthday badge, so everyone knows that you’re an eight-year-old now. We can’t have them thinking you’re still a little seven-year-old .”
Belle’s head shakes. “No way. I’m way bigger now.”
Jazz’s tear-filled eyes meet mine. Thank you , she mouths.
I nod, taking a deep breath in when she smiles. Fuck, she’s beautiful.
The three of us make our way to the entrance, waiting for our turn at the gates. Once we’re inside the park, Jazz insists on getting tons of pictures in front of the train station, gushing over how cool it is that the floral Mickey Mouse has a Santa hat. After that, we stop at City Hall to get Belle’s birthday pin, and then watch her face light up as the first cast member we see calls her by name and wishes her a happy birthday.
After checking the schedule, we have an hour to kill before any princess meet and greets begin, so I drag the girls into Fantasyland to get their requisite Mickey ears.
“Kingston, no, I don’t need one,” Jazz insists when I tell her to pick out a hat. “You’ve already done so much.”
I bump her shoulder with mine. “You can’t go to Disneyland and not get a set of Mickey ears with your name on it. Everyone knows that, Jazz.”
Belle points to a pink princess hat, complete with a tiny crown in between the ears. “Yeah, Jazz. Everyone knows that. Duh. ”
Jazz laughs as she retrieves the hat from the shelf. “Okay, okay. Looks like I’m getting a set of Mickey ears.”
New hats in place, we go through another round of pictures, this time in front of the Walt statue. Jazz insists on getting a selfie with me, and right before I click the button, both girls plant a big kiss on each one of my cheeks.
Jazz smiles when she sees how well the photo turned out. “That’s my new screensaver.”
Mine, too.
She forwards the pic to her phone, and then we’re off to see the princesses. The entire day is filled with lots of squealing from Belle and countless smiles from Jazz, while I simply take it all in. Well, minus that one part when Jazz was trying to hold her lunch in on the teacups. Ainsley and I have had several nannies take us to Disney over the years, but I can’t ever remember having fun like I am now. It almost feels like I’m experiencing it for the first time, through a child’s eyes. We end the evening in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, watching the fireworks. Belle falls asleep in my arms about halfway through the show, completely zonked out.
“How can she possibly sleep through this?” I ask Jazz, dumbfounded.
She laughs. “Kids, man. They’ll pass out anywhere. When their little bodies are done, they’re done .”
Jazz loops her arm through mine and rests her head on my shoulder as we watch the finale. As pyrotechnics light up the sky, it’s almost too easy to forget what we have waiting for us back home. This, right here... I could stay in this moment forever.
Chapter 20
JAZZ
“You are the sweetest, most thoughtful man alive.” I pepper kisses along the length of Kingston’s jaw. “Thank you for such a perfect weekend.”
He growls when my teeth clamp down on his earlobe. “Fuck, I need inside of you. Keeping it PG for two days straight has been killing me.”
I pull back with a smile. “All the more reason for us to get extra dirty tonight.”
Kingston’s eyes glow with excitement. “How dirty?”
I walk backward, stripping my clothes off along the way. I’m down to nothing but a thong when we reach Kingston’s bedroom, so I turn around and grip the edge of the mattress, bending over. I look over my shoulder and see his lust-drenched gaze devouring every inch of my skin.
I slowly slide my panties off and kick them away. “You gonna stand there staring all night?”
“Fuck.” Kingston bites his knuckles. “I don’t know where I want to start first.”
I wiggle my butt. “Does this give you an idea?”
One second he’s five feet away, and in the next, Kingston’s large hands are pushing me into the mattress, spreading my ass cheeks. I squeal when I feel his tongue where no tongue has gone before.
“Soooooo good.” My moans are muffled by the comforter, but there should be no doubt how much I’m enjoying this, based on how enthusiastically I’m pushing back into him.
Kingston points his tongue and swirls it around while he inserts a finger into my pussy, pumping it in and out. He does this until I feel like I’m going to combust, then he suddenly pulls away and flips onto his back, feet planted on the ground while his upper body is on the mattress between my spread thighs. He swipes his talented tongue through my folds, while the finger that was just inside of me moves to my backside. Kingston's finger presses against the little rosebud while he suctions his lips around my clit and pulls. Right before I fall, he eases that finger inside my ass, pumping it in and out as I ride his face through an orgasm. I tense when he adds a second finger, causing the skin to burn.