Not Enough: Is love ever enough? (The Enough Series Book 1) (14 page)

Our breathing evens out and our heart rates return to normal before
Austin lifts his head and kisses the underside of my jaw.

“Ry, you make me so happy. Do you know that?” His voice is
quiet and groggy. I can tell he is tired. Of course, I can’t imagine why he
would be tired after the marathon of sex he laid on me.

I feel the same way about him. “I want to make you happy
baby.”

He smiles, but he doesn’t move. “I love you Ry.” His
breathing evens out, and he is out.

I can’t help doing a little mental happy dance. I make Austin
Black happy, and he is asleep on my shoulder. “I love you too Aus,” I whisper
to the best thing to ever grace my life.

I lay there awake for a few more minutes realizing we are
still horizontal on the bed and now that our body temperatures are returning to
normal, it is getting chilly. Instead of moving or waking my peaceful man, I
pull the comforter from the top of the bed down and the bottom up to cover us
as best I can. Once I have us wrapped in a mock cocoon I wrap my arms around
the man I love and drift off into a deep and serene sleep. Austin Black will
either be the greatest thing that ever happened to me, or my ultimate demise.

I wake up
shocked to find I am now vertical in bed with my head on a pillow and
Austin wrapped around me. I can’t help smiling he must have moved
us during the night. It is just after nine a.m., and I am surprised
to be awake. As I lay here comforted by the strong arms wrapped around me, I
take stock of the soreness in my body. It feels like I have been
through the workout of my life. Although, I have never enjoyed a workout
more. 

My phone is chirping from the bathroom where I left it last
night. I bet it is a message from J checking up on me. Reluctantly,
I slide out of Austin’s grasp careful not to wake him and make my way to
the bathroom to silence the annoying beep of my phone.

I slide the screen open and see three new text messages
two from J and one from an unknown number.

J: *We will be home in 20, just FYI J* 2:20 am

J: *Are we doing brunch like usual? I’ll cook… lol* 8:45 am

Yeah, Jeremy cooking is laughable that boy can’t cook soup
without ruining it. We always do a huge brunch after a night out drinking and
then lounge around all day watching TV. I know I can’t go home while Austin is
still asleep, and I don’t want to wake him up so I decide we are now having
brunch at his place. Hope he doesn’t mind. Plus, I have been dying to play in
his amazing kitchen. I text J back detailing the new plan:

Me: *Yeah, but let’s do it at Austin’s, say 2 hours* 9:10 am

That should give me plenty of time to assess what Austin has
to cook and to prepare a decent meal. I smile to myself. It is going
to be a good day. I splash water on my face, pull my braid
out, and put my hair up into a ponytail. My bag is downstairs so I throw
on my panties from last night and Austin’s t-shirt, which smells of him
and makes my heart flutter. Since I haven’t had a proper shower wearing
last night’s underwear isn’t too gross, right? Phone in hand, poised to leave
the bathroom, I notice the blue light is still signaling an unread text. I
open the screen to check it:

 Unknown: *U think u can replace me bitch but u can’t*
12:45 am

Strange, that text would have come through not too long after
Austin, and I got home. Since it is an unknown number, I chalk it up to a wrong
number. I cannot imagine anyone who would send me that text on
purpose. Who would I be replacing? Ignoring it seems best because
nothing will ruin my good mood today.

I make my way out of the bathroom and head for the
kitchen but not before stopping to take a long appreciative look at the
sleeping god who rocked my world last night. He is absolutely gorgeous
wrapped up in his sheet with his hair a mess and a slight smile on his face.

I want to walk over there and kiss him so bad, but I don’t
want to risk waking him.  Boss and I make our way down the staircase and
across the living room in relative silence. I let Boss out before heading into
the kitchen to see what I have to work with.

My phone buzzes in my hand. I get an uneasy feeling until I
see it is from J.

J: *Sounds good if u r sure he doesn’t mind* 9:15 am

Me: *Hope not, he is still asleep. It will be fine. C u @ 11*
9:16 am

J: *I’m starving. C u then* 9:17 am

I rummage around the kitchen and find everything I
need to make bacon, eggs, biscuits, gravy, and hash browns. Jeremy will be
ecstatic. He loves breakfast food more than anything. I get started by peeling
and chopping the potatoes and then start on the dough for the biscuits. While
looking for a cheese grater I find the built in stereo and turn it on to find
it is equipped with satellite radio. I locate the hair band station and resume
my prep work. As I am singing along to Journey’s timeless rendition of Don’t
Stop Believing I feel Boss walk up beside me. It startles me when I realize I
didn’t let him back inside.

Soon I turn to find Austin sitting on a barstool his head
propped on his hands watching me with a huge smile on his face. Well, this is
embarrassing. My cheeks begin to flush as I return a small smile.

He walks over and traps me in his. “Do you have any idea
how fucking sexy you are?” If he finds this mess and my bad singing sexy, he is
either smitten with me, or he has lost his mind.

I return his embrace. “Morning gorgeous, I made you
coffee and I am making brunch for us and the boys. I hope you don’t
mind it is kind of tradition with us after a night out.” I look up at
him through my eyelashes to see a smile in his dreamy blue eyes.

“Ry, I don’t care what you do as long as you are here with
me. You can cook for the entire city for all I care.” I give him a
quick peck, which he turns in to a tantalizing seduction.

He wraps my legs around his waist with his
hands firmly gripping my ass. His arousal presses through the thin
lace of my black thong causing my insides to clinch in anticipation. “Austin,
this has to be quick. J and Bode will be here in just over an hour.”

 I'm sure he heard me because he finds my clit with
two fingers and rubs with intensity. I cover his shoulder in small
nips and bites as my arousal grows. “Hope you aren't attached to these
panties,” he mumbles into my mouth as he rips the thin lace from my body.

He walks us towards the wall and as my back hits the hard
surface, he yanks his pajama bottoms down before sliding his hard shaft
into my wet tunnel. This sex differs from last night as he pounds
into me with power. My body builds towards a climax and I claw at his
shoulders to pull myself closer to him. He bites my nipple through his t-shirt
and sends me spiraling out of control. I close my muscles around his cock to
ignite his climax. He pumps into me a few more times before emptying himself in
my wetness.

He turns us so that his back is to the wall before
sliding down to the floor with me draped across his lap. I want to stay in this
position forever. I could easily close my eyes and fall asleep with
my head on his shoulder, but I need to get up and finish breakfast. J
would not be impressed by finding his little sister half-naked on the kitchen
floor straddling her boyfriend.

“Hey Aus,” he lets out a low moan, “I have to get up baby.”

He nuzzles his head between my breasts. “In a minute Ry, I
need to hold you for a minute longer.” I cannot
resist to that plea. We sit there for a few moments before he seems to
regain his composure. “Now that’s how you start the day! Let’s do this, how can
I help?”

Smiling at him, I unfold myself from his lap. “First,
you can help by finding me some underwear since you so rudely did
away with these,” I say holding up the remains of my favorite black, lacy
thong.

He pushes himself up off the floor, adjusts his pajama pants
so they hang deliciously off his hips, and then shrugs his
shoulders with a cat ate the canary grin on his face. “What can I say Ry, they
were in the way. But, I will go get you another pair. However, I cannot
guarantee they will not meet the same fate as the last,” he says with a
cocky grin. 

“Austin Black you are insatiable,” I say shaking my head
still surprised someone like him wants me the way he does. I make my way to the
sink to wash my hands and resume breakfast preparations in awe of my newfound
happiness. He turns to leave the room, hopefully in search of my
panties, giving me a divine view of his sculpted back and shoulders. I mentally slap
myself back to reality. I could lose myself watching him and if I had my way,
he wouldn't be allowed to wear a shirt, ever. Damn, he is sexy!

Following my
more than welcome distraction, I am down to forty minutes before J and Bode
will be expecting food. I grab the few remaining ingredients I need and place
the biscuits in the pre-heated oven. Now, I need to find a frying pan and get
the bacon started. Cool air hits my still sensitive sex startling me as I
search the lower cabinet for pans. As I root around in the cabinet I try to
pull my t-shirt down to cover my exposed behind. Failing I feel a soft slap to
my ass followed by an appreciative moan.

“Is this an invitation for round two,” he asks in a husky
tone. His hands on my bare ass distract me as I debate the possibility of round
two.

Responsibly, I stand up and remove his suggestive hands. “No,
that was not an invitation. Where are my panties,” I try to say sternly.

“Oh, baby if I can get that view I might just do away
with all of your lacy underthings.” He gives me an appreciative once over
before reaching over and handing me a pile of clothes. “Here go put these on
before I lose all of my self-control.”

I glance at the stack of clothes in my arms. “Austin, I asked
for a pair of panties, care to explain the rest?” I am holding my panties,
matching bra, a pair of his sweatpants, and a sweatshirt. I am pretty sure I
know why he brought me all the extras, but I am going to make him fess up to
it. I raise my eyebrow suggestively while pressing the pile of clothes between
our bodies.

his hand glides through his hair and I can tell he doesn’t
want to voice his reasons for the extra articles of clothing. “Well, I
can’t have you parading around here in that with J and Bode here.” Yep, I was
right, but he isn’t getting off that easily.

I rise up on my tiptoes placing my mouth next to his ear, “Oh no, and
why can’t I wear this? It’s nothing they haven’t seen before,” I say in a low
breathless tone.

His jaw clenches at the mention of them having seen me in
little clothing and he takes a controlled deep breath. I don’t like being told
what I can and cannot do, but this alpha male jealous side of Austin is hot.
Exhaling his deep breath, he retorts in a serious tone, “They may have seen it
before but that was before it was mine.”

He pauses for a moment before catching me in his darkened
gaze, “I. DO. NOT. SHARE.”

I know it bothers Austin that Bode, and I had an
intimate relationship. Bode was my first sexual partner when we were still in
high school. We dated off and on for nearly two years, but we were always
better at being friends than anything more. I really think we just used each
other as placeholders during a rough time in our lives, which is why we are
still friends. Hell, we haven’t been anything more than friends in nearly a
decade. Bode and I are close. He is like a brother to me. It doesn’t bother me
to admit that I love Bode albeit in a purely platonic fashion.

I'm sure I shouldn’t tease Austin in this situation, but I
just cannot help myself. I cock my head to the side so I can see deep into his
eyes. “Yours huh, you really think so?”

Doing my best to maintain a serious face, I see a hint of
uncertainty flash through his blazing blue eyes before he exclaims, “Yes, mine.
Do you have a problem with that?”

I wrap my arms around his strong core and plant a kiss in the
center of his bare chest. “No baby, I’ve got no problem with it.”

He relaxes in my arms. “Alright you tease go get dressed.”

I decide to meet him halfway with my wardrobe choice. I put
on the black lace panties and matching bra before sliding his comfortable gray
sweatpants on. To compensate for the length I roll the waistband over a few
times. To complete the ridiculous outfit, I throw on a tight black tank top
with spaghetti straps. Back in the kitchen, I give Austin a wink and smile
acknowledging my blatant defiance. He just shakes his head. “Come on, Ry, you
are killing me here.”

With the last of the food ready and on the table, I hear
Austin open the gate for my boys. I bide my time straightening up the kitchen
and realize I am burning nervous energy. I don’t know why I am suddenly nervous
I have cooked for J and Bode thousands of times. However, this nervousness
isn’t about my cooking ability.

No, I am nervous because this will be the first time all the
men in my life will be spending real quality time together. I desperately want
them to get along because I would never be able to choose between my family and
the man who makes me feel alive.

My unease settles when I see Austin welcome them into his
home. I peer around the corner anxious to see how this plays out. It is a
pleasant surprise when they strike up a conversation with ease. There doesn't
even seem to be any animosity between Austin and Bode. 

J excuses himself. I hop back around the counter and try to
appear busy. J and Bode are both dressed in comfortable workout pants and
t-shirts. They both look like they just rolled out of bed. My brother walks
over, slides his arm around my waist, and places a kiss to the top of my head. “Everything
going ok baby girl.”

I lean into his comforting embrace. “Yeah everything is
great,” and right now, it truly is. I could not ask for anything more.

After a wonderful breakfast, I left the boys to clean up the
kitchen while I went for a shower. I took my time enjoying the luxurious warmth
and pressure of Austin's shower. The past forty-eight hours have been a
whirlwind to say the least, and I needed some time to catch my breath. While I
am ecstatic Austin and I are giving us a chance I am still leery of the happily
ever after sentiment considering I was harshly burned the last time I believed
in that fairytale.

Generally, on Sundays I get a good workout in, lounge around
a bit, and prepare for the upcoming week. Bearing in mind our earlier escapades
in the kitchen, I guess I can check workout off my to-do list.

The first step out of the shower is cold before I wrap up in
a towel. My bathroom routine is interrupted by Austin’s ringing phone. I try to
make over to answer it but fail miserably when I neglect to see Boss sprawled
out in front of the bathroom door. I end up face down on the floor barely
covered by my towel and being licked to death by my loyal puppy dog who apologizes
for his part in my current situation. I can’t help laughing at the
situation and be grateful no one was around to see my gracefulness in action.

Pushing up off the floor, I rewrap my towel around me when
that damn phone begins ringing again. Careful to avoid a repeat of my last
attempt I step around Boss and lunge to his bedside table. “Mom” is flashing on
the screen. I decide to answer it if only so she can hold while I get Austin. “Hello,”
I say as calmly as I can even though I suddenly have a million butterflies in
my stomach. I feel very exposed and never imagined the first time I spoke to
any of his family, let alone his mother, I would be half-naked and still
dripping from a shower. At least it is over the phone and not in person, I
suppose.

“And who may I ask is answering my son’s phone,” she asks
with anger in her voice.

I suddenly realize I don’t even know her name. This was a bad
idea. I can’t imagine why she is angry, but I try to answer her in the sweetest
tone I can manage. “Ma’am, I am Rylee. I am a friend of Austin’s. If you
give me a moment I will get him for you.”

I hear a loud huff as she begins to respond. “Look little
girl, I will not allow you to damn my son’s soul with your sinful ways.” What
the hell did she just say? My nervousness is suddenly replaced with anger. It
is not as if I told her I am the one who screwed her son six ways from Sunday
the past 24 hours, but her comment certainly implies she took it that way.

I take a deep breath to calm myself not really knowing how to
respond to this woman. Austin has never really told me much about his mother so
I don’t even begin to know where to start with her. “Um ok, I’ll get Austin.”

I press mute and yell down the stairs for Austin to get his
fine ass up here. She is still on the line and it sounds as if she is praying.
I hastily unmute the phone to tell her Austin is on his way before
re-muting the device.

I will admit I am not an overly religious person, but I do
believe that what is between two consenting adults is their own business. I
certainly do not believe I am damning Austin to hell. As I stand here waiting
for him, it occurs to me that his family may never approve of me. His mother’s
accusation is proof enough. All I can think to myself is 
there it is
 the
reason this relationship is doomed to fail, like all others.

I am standing next to the bed shivering and holding Austin’s
phone like a bomb ready to explode when he finally shows. He looks at me with
concern as he notes the sadness in my expression. I shove his phone towards
him. “It’s your mom, and fair warning apparently I have damned your soul.”

His beautiful blue eyes fill with shock and if I am not
mistaken terror as he takes the phone from my outstretched hand. As I tighten
my towel around me, he tries to pull me into him but I just bow my head and
walk away feeling defeated.

Once I am back in the relative safety of the bathroom I towel
dry my hair and put on some clean red lace undergarments. I am not really in
the mood for sexy lingerie, but I didn’t bring any others. It is ironic in a
way, I suppose, I could get myself a pointed tail and some devil horns to complete
the outfit. Seeing as how I am damning him to hell already what harm could it
do? Smirking to myself, I apply some of my favorite cucumber melon body lotion
before pulling on my tight black yoga pants and red workout top.

I didn’t think to grab any make-up so I take one last look in
the mirror only to see Austin walk in still on the phone. He gives me an
apologetic smile, and I stare at him in the mirror as he continues to stalk
towards me. Once he reaches me, he pulls me in close, wraps his free arm around
my torso, and spins me into him. I can feel the unease and tension radiating
through his strong embrace and I instinctively kiss his chest causing him to
squeeze me tighter. We stand there holding one another and I begin to feel him
relax a bit.

“Mom, I am not having this conversation with you,” Austin
states with a huff. “What I choose to do is my business.” This statement makes
me perk up; maybe just maybe he won’t allow an ultimatum to be forced upon him.

Being this close to him, I can hear his mother scolding him
for not being at church and for having a girl at his house. It was all fairly
mundane and pointless banter that I assume most teenage boys hear from
their parents regularly, the only problem is Austin is a grown man. I am
getting tired of listening to her ridiculous nagging and want to hurry the
conversation along.

Just as I am running my hand down his rippled chest, I am
struck by her yelling, “You have already taken the life of my only grandchild.
How much more destruction and shame are you going to cause?”

Austin’s entire body goes rigid at her words and his face is
emblazoned with rage as he looks down at me. I step back away from him in an
effort to allow him the space and privacy to deal with this. As I step back, I
see sadness take hold in his eyes that would have brought me to tears if I were
not in such a state of shock. I am at a loss for how to handle this situation.
On the one hand, I know there is absolutely no way Austin could kill anyone.
This has to be a mistake, does it not? No, the man I love could never hurt
anyone I have to believe that.