Jensen
THE RAIN SOAKS THE WINDSHIELD FASTER THAN the wipers can clear the glass as I park my truck alongside the front entrance of Roxy's. The saturated colors caught in the glare of the headlights blur and then smear as the wipers swipe with fervor across the windshield.
When Teddy doesn't move to exit the vehicle, I prod, "Go, baby. I'll meet you in there."
"Aren't you the gentleman?" She grins at me before climbing out of the truck.
I circle the full lot a few times trying to find a closer spot, but apparently the residents of Lake Hope all decided a rainy night is best spent congregating at the bar. Finally, I relent, parking in the next available spot, and I pull up the hood of my sweatshirt before hopping out of my truck and darting through the parking lot. I'm drenched in seconds, the legs of my jeans sopping up water from the puddles.
When I spot Teddy huddling under the awning of the building, shivering and bouncing from foot to foot, I stop abruptly in front of her. The awning barely protected her from the rain coming in sideways from the gusts of wind, and I can feel the dampness on her clothes as I grasp her upper arms.
I'm about to scold her for not going inside, but she interrupts me with a sly smile. "That was hot watching you run through the parking lot. My boyfriend is hot." She tugs down my hood and runs her hand through my damp hair.
I pull her into my arms. "You should have gone in, Teddy. You're all wet now."
I silence her rebuttal with my mouth, kissing her hungrily, my hands falling to her ass and squeezing.
"You know, I really should have gone in. I wasted all that time doing my hair since you said you like my hair down and now it's ruined," she says after breaking away from the kiss.
"You wore it down for me?"
"Yeah, baby," she answers, pressing a light kiss on my lips. "You said you like it down."
I squeeze her ass again, pulling her body flush to mine. "Maybe we should just go home and get out of these wet clothes, and I can get my mouth on your tits again." I palm a boob over her damp sweater in demonstration.
Her head falls back in a laugh. "You're obsessed, J. You probably like my boobs more than you like me."
"Nah," I disagree, "they're just one of the many things I like about you." I gently squeeze her throat bringing her mouth to mine for another hungry kiss. Just as I take her bottom lip between my teeth, someone gags behind us. I turn to see my little sister sticking a finger down her throat, pretending to puke.
"Ew, gross, you guys," Sutton says, holding an umbrella over her head. "If you're done with the sickening PDA, we should go in. Yeah?"
She folds the umbrella up, shaking off the excess water, before walking through the door I hold open for the women.
Roxy's is especially lively tonight, the roar of the voices shouting over the music immediately assaulting my ears. I have the urge to pull my girl back out into the quiet night, tuck her under my arm and escape home to my empty apartment to snuggle under a warm blanket together and watch a movie with our dog. Instead, I allow her to lead us through the crowds of people, her small hand enclosed in mind.
Our usual spot in the back corner of the bar is buzzing. A few high-top tables have been shoved together to accommodate the big group. It looks like just about everyone showed up tonight.
Before Teddy can find a seat, I spin her around to face me, collecting both her cold hands in mine. I rub them together and blow on them to warm them up. "You're freezing, baby," I whisper into her ear above the noise. Her body is tense with shivers. I run my hands along her arms, trying to coax her body to relax. "The offer stands. We can still sneak away."
"Nice try," she says, kissing my cheek before standing on tiptoes to whisper in my ear, "but my tits will still be here later. We can be social for a bit."
She leaves me to sit in a chair next to Rylie, and they immediately fall into excited chatter. Probably discussing that horny book club. I snort as I grab the seat next to Teddy. She must decipher the meaning of the snort, because she turns to look at me long enough to roll her eyes and returns her attention back to her friend.
"I was right about Jensen, by the way," she announces. "He definitely does not approve of Paperback Riders. Tried to convince me to decline the invitation."
"Jensen Anderson," Rylie booms, slamming a fast onto the table, rattling the mugs and causing beer to slosh over.
"Hey!" Finn shouts. "Cut it out, Wylie Rylie. What's got your undies in a wad anyway?"
"Your brother thinks he gets a say in my best friend's social life just because he gets to stick his tongue down her throat now," Rylie loudly explains.
Teddy throws her head back in laughter. "Settle down, Ry. I already told him he isn't going to ruin this for me. Besides, he's not the boss of me." She gathers her hair over one shoulder, absently braiding the damp strands.
"Holy shit!" Finn exclaims, gesturing at Teddy. "Something tells me his tongue down her throat isn't the only thing he's doing anymore."
"What?" Rylie whips her head around, studying Teddy and her exposed neck. Her eyes widen and a smirk breaks across her face. "Holy shit is right. My Teddy Bear got herself a hickey."
Teddy's hand flies up to her neck, covering up the evidence, as her cheeks heat a dark shade of pink.
"Well, well, well," Sutton purrs. "Did Teddy finally coax my brother into frisky territory? Judging by the way he was defiling her outside, I'm guessing they rounded a few more bases recently."
"Not a homer yet," Kelly pipes in, his eyes flicking between me and Teddy as he studies us.
"Fuck off," I spit at my family and friends, flipping them off, which causes everyone to erupt into laughter.
Teddy groans, her head falling onto the table with a loud clunk. "When is it time for a new topic?" she grumbles. It's hard to understand her with her face pressed onto the table. "Can we move on from my sex life already?"
"Oh, you have one now?" Finn asks, thoroughly enjoying my girlfriend's embarrassment. "I thought that's what we've all been so invested in. The Jensen + Teddy Countdown to Sex."
I chuckle despite myself, and I rub a comforting hand down Teddy's back. This is obviously the wrong thing to do because she abruptly sits up and points an accusing finger at me.
"This is your fault. Why are you laughing? I'm not finding this funny." She hops off the stool and glares at me. "We're in a fight," she declares and storms off in the direction of the bathroom.
"You're the one that said we had to stay," I yell after her. "I wanted to go home. Remember?"
Without turning to face me, she lifts her hand and flips me off. I laugh, watching her weave through the crowds. Fuck, I really like her. The thought slams into me and I swallow hard.
If I'm being completely honest, the feelings are much stronger than like. Veering toward dangerous big feelings territory. My guts are twisted up as I allow the revelation to settle over me, and I force myself to focus on the conversation at the table.
I'm only half listening as Charlie recounts a story, Finn piping in from time to time, as my eyes keep darting across the room in search of Teddy. I half-heartedly note Sutton disappear, but I don't pay attention to where she goes.
A few minutes later, Kelly stands up, his body rigid with tension. "Who are those fuckers by our women?" he demands, anger seething in his voice.
I follow his eyes to see Teddy and Sutton at the bar, their bodies angled toward two unidentified men. Sutton's hands are gesturing animatedly as she talks, and Teddy throws her head back in laughter. The men wear amused expressions as their eyes roam up and down my girlfriend and sister's bodies.
With my jaw clenched as tightly as my fists, I stomp across the room, noting that Kelly is hot on my heels. The men don't notice us until we're a few feet away, and I note the way their body language shifts the moment they clock us.
I step behind Teddy and wrap my arms around her, possessively eating up all her personal space. I kiss her cheek and say, "Hi, baby. Tell me neither of these jackoffs is Chuck."
She laughs at the callback to our conversation from a few weeks ago and then elbows me. "Behave," she warns.
Kelly drapes an arm over Sutton's shoulders. "There you are, baby girl. Been missing you." He presses a kiss to her head. She tries to free herself from his embrace, but he holds her tightly against him while leveling a hard glare at the men. They take the hint and mosey off into the crowded establishment.
Sutton breaks free from Kelly's hold and tries to knee him in the groin, but he blocks her efforts, chuckling deeply.
"What are you doing, asshole?" she spits, her cheeks flushed with anger. "Do not touch me. Do not kiss me. Do not cockblock me. Or pretend you're protecting your best friend's little sister. And absolutely do not call me baby girl."
"Shit, my little Sutton Button is fiery today!" Kelly sings, an amused smirk lighting his face.
"Kelly, you ass," Teddy intervenes. "Leave her alone."
Kelly directs his amusement in my girlfriend's direction. "You're just salty about your hickey being discovered, Chipmunk."
"Shut it, Kelly." I shoot my best friend a warning look. "Teddy kicks harder than Sutton. And do not fucking call her Chipmunk."
This silences Kelly as the meaning slowly ticks into place. He runs a hand along his face, erasing the amusement. "No, J." He shakes his head. "Just no."
When Teddy realizes that Kelly has put two-in-two together on why I'm suddenly banning the childhood nickname, she groans. "Jensen! For the love of God! Is nothing private?"
"What am I missing?" Sutton asks, looking between the three of us for an explanation. Suddenly her eyes widen, understanding dawning. "Gross, Jensen. You do not use that kind of nickname during sexy time. Everyone knows this."
"Thank you," Teddy agrees with my sister. "And, for the record, since everyone thinks they have front row seats to our relationship, I told him no. I didn't like it either."
Sutton snatches Teddy's hand and leads her away. "Let's go, Teddy. Before these fucktards piss us off more. That one," she points to Kelly, "can't seem to help himself. It's like he has some sort of mouth disease. In combination with a personality disease."
Teddy laughs loudly. "It's called stupidity, Sutton. He's just stupid."
I chuckle as Kelly and I follow the women. "Fuck, the girls are extra spicy tonight."
Kelly wags his eyebrows. "Just the way I like them."