Haley & Bentley (Falling for Bentley #2.5) Read online

  I guess Christmas break we saw each other more, but with Emerson, our time is mostly spent with him. Now the second half of the school year has started, and I offered to help with the talent show fundraiser our school was hosting, so most nights I’m not home until six or six thirty. Just enough time to catch the end of dinner and spend an hour with Emerson before he goes to bed. The rest of my night is usually spent planning, making individualized programs for struggling students, or grading.

  Since football season has ended, Bentley really has taken on the parenting roll with Emerson, which is wonderful to see, but I’m feeling jealous he gets to spend so much time with our son.

  When Charlotte or Maggie take Emerson, it’s usually because Bentley and Travis are busy checking in on the cows, fixing up farm equipment, changing oil in the vehicles, or moving stuff around on the farm and maintaining the yard; all before Travis leaves for his first year of agricultural mechanics.

  By the time we hit our bed, we are both so tired we quickly fall asleep with the television tuned to the Discovery channel. I’m beginning to miss him.

  Lost in thought, I sat at the kitchen table, and watched the sunset through the patio doors with an empty glass of Grams’ sweet tea in my hand. Emerson and I spent the day there, baking bread and a few other goodies for the freezer. My son was fast asleep, which he always is, when we left the ranch. I never know who’s more tired at the end of the day, him or Papa.

  The house has been really quiet for the last few nights with Bentley helping Curtis with a home renovation contract he is running behind on. I looked at my watch and saw it’s seven thirty. I didn’t want to start a movie because when Bentley came home, I’d want to stop and visit with him to see how his day went. I really didn’t feel like reading, and all my school stuff was caught up, so I decided to grab a nice warm bubble bath, and maybe by the time I’m finished, Bentley would be home.

  Adjusting the water temperature, I added some bath salts and bubble bath and lit a few candles. I went to the hall closet and grabbed one of my favorite fluffy bath towels and left it on the bathroom counter, walked into the bedroom and undressed before grabbing my robe and iPod.

  I slipped the robe on then went to the kitchen for a glass of water to drink in my bath. As I went to hang the robe on the door, I felt something in my pocket. Confused, I pulled it out discovering my pink waterproof personal toy. I haven’t used this thing in ages. I turned it on, surprised the batteries still worked. I looked at the toy, then at the tub, and shrugged. It’s been a while since Bentley and I got it on, I may as well.

  Sliding into the warm tub felt like heaven. It’s very easy, I discovered, for a mother to miss these moments to herself. I closed my eyes and fully emerged myself in the water before coming up and resting my head on the back of the tub. I lay there for a few minutes before the quiet kicked in again. Opening one eye, I noticed I forget to push play on the iPod. Rolling my eyes, I got out, making a huge puddle on the floor, and pushed play before settling back into the tub.

  I sang along softly with the best of them as I swished the water around with my hands and slid them over my silky body, enjoying the smell of coconut emanating from the bath salts. Even with my eyes closed, I could see the flickering of the candles around the bathroom. I took a deep breath and relaxed into the tub with my toy.

  After adding hot water for the second time, and Bentley still wasn’t home, I decided it was time to get out. I dried myself off and moisturized my entire body before slipping my robe back on. I towel dried my hair, slid into bed, and quickly fell asleep with a much-needed relaxed body.

  I woke up to Bentley nibbling my neck and rubbing the side of my hip and down my leg through my robe. “Hey, did you just get home?” I rolled onto my back to face him. He kept nibbling and mumbled, “Mmm-hmm.”

  I smiled as I reached out and grabbed a hold of his hair. “Your hair is wet. Have you been home long?”

  Bentley moved closer and kissed down my neck and started to open my robe with his index finger, “I’ve been home long enough to check in on our son, let the dog out, shower, and discover this little toy on the edge of the tub.” He opened his hand that was opening my robe and showed me my toy before dragging it between my breasts.

  Embarrassed that I was caught, I quickly tried to get it from his hands. “Give me that.”

  Reaching his arm higher so I couldn’t get it he asked, “Why?”

  “Because you don’t need to be knowing about it.” I reached again, but was unsuccessful.

  “Baby, what were you doing with this?” he snickered, leaning over my body once more, trying to lay kisses on my chest.

  I pushed him away, pulled my robe closed, and crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a you better give it back and shut the hell up look. Bentley started laughing. “Babe, are you embarrassed?”

  I closed my eyes. “Just give it back, please.” I opened my hand, expecting him to put it there. I waited a few moments before I opened my eyes. Once my eyes were fully opened, he pulled me up to his mouth and kissed me, hard.

  “Haley, this is hot, knowing what you were doing before I got home.”

  “Well, you were not supposed to find out, never mind see it.”

  “Do you have more?” he asked with a huge grin on his face.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m not responding to that.”

  Bentley dropped the toy on my nightstand and crawled into bed, opened my robe completely, and settled on top of me. “Want to know what I think?” he asked between kisses.

  “Not really,” I said playing with his hair again.

  “I think you have more, but you’re too nervous to tell me.” He kissed each breast before moving down the middle of them to my stomach.

  I let out a heated breath, more for the enjoyment of what he was doing than anything he was saying. “I also think you’ve been feeling neglected lately and forgot to share that with me.”

  “We just haven’t had any time.”

  “But as a soon-to-be husband, I should be making the time, and I haven’t.” He nipped my hip before kissing it. I tugged his hair letting him know he bit me a little too hard. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, for making you feel neglected.”

  Bentley pulled himself up, resting on his forearms. Brushing my bangs out of my face, he kissed my nose. “Did you think of me when your eyes were closed?” he asked, closing my eyes lids. “Did you feel my fingers when you pinched your nipples?” he whispered, tweaking them.

  I squirmed to get out from under him, but his strong arms held me in place. “When you could feel things starting to build, did you think of my massive cock?”

  Having enough, I pushed Bentley off me and closed my robe then shifted to sit up in bed. “It’s not funny; quit making fun of me.”

  Bentley crawled behind me, wrapping his arms around my body. “It’s certainly not funny. In fact, when I saw it in the shower, and realized what it was, I thought it was fucking hot. I even jerked off in the shower thinking of you using it.”

  “You did?” I asked surprised.

  “Hell yeah, I did.”

  I turned to face him, slowly letting go of my annoyance. He cupped my cheek, “Baby, why didn’t I know you had these toys?”

  “Because they are private…to me.”

  “Where do you keep them? I don’t remember moving anything in here that could be holding treasures.” He raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s not like I keep them in a pirate’s treasures chest.”

  “You should; one with a hell of an X on it in red.”

  “Bentley, can we please stop talking about this?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.

  “Only if you answer two more questions.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled, knowing it was the only way he’d stop pestering me.

  “Do you have more?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you use them often?”

  “Not as much since I met you and got pregnant.”

  “But you do use them?
”

  “That’s three questions.”

  “Humor me, babe.”

  “Sometimes.”

  “And where do you keep them?”

  “If I tell you, do you promise not to go searching for them?”

  “Promise,” he smirked. I knew not to trust that smirk; that smirk bought us more cows.

  “In the house.”

  Bentley leaned his head back and growled. When he finished he grabbed my feet and pulled them down the bed before pouncing on top of me. I let out a fit of giggles having missed playful Bentley.

  “God, baby, I missed the smell of your skin and the taste of your lips.”

  We spent the next twenty minutes kissing, exploring each other bodies with our hands and fingers. I wanted nothing more than to spend the whole night wrapped in his arms.

  “I have been dreaming of you like this all day. I couldn’t get home fast enough to hold you.” Bentley kissed my neck. “I’ve missed touching you…being close to you as much as I can.”

  I cupped his face in my hands and made him look into my eyes, “Make love to me.”

  “Until the sun comes up.”

  I smiled, still looking into his eyes.

  “God, I love you,” he said before taking my breath away.

  He lifted my arms above my head, singing softly in my ear, “Hold on tight, don’t let go. I want to feel you in my soul. Until the sun comes up, let’s make love.”

  I LAY ON Bentley’s chest, watching the sunrise from our bedroom window, twirling my fingers in his chest hair. We must have been lying there for an hour, saying nothing, just lost in our own thoughts.

  I hope he knows what he does to me. Every part of me wants him, needs him, and craves him. Every time I look into his eyes, I fall in love all over again. If he only knew the beating of his heart is my home, even on that night we first made love.

  “Every time you twirl my chest hair around your fingers, I can feel your love for me.” I turned my head to look at him, wondering how he could know exactly what I was thinking. I put my head back down as Bentley began to run his fingers through my hair.

  “That’s because I do love you.” I know it was simple, but it didn’t need any more.

  “Haley, I have never in my life felt this close to anyone. I love you will never be enough. I want to hear your dreams, see your dreams, and touch your dreams.”

  The tears refused to remain at bay. I closed my eyes and let them fall. “I love you Bentley; today, tomorrow, and forever.”

  “God, I hope so, Hales.”

  BENTLEY AND I decided we didn’t want a bachelor and bachelorette party, much to Carleigh and Travis’s dismay. They acted like we were putting them out. Both Bentley and I were fed up with their insistence.

  “Travis, I am only going to say this one last time. I do not want a bachelor party.”

  “Why?”

  “I just don’t. I don’t need a reason. I’d rather steal a night out with Haley somewhere, than spending it driving your drunk ass around.”

  “Well it’s dumb if you ask me. First Curtis goes off and gets married before we can throw him one, and now you don’t want one.”

  “I’ll tell you what, little brother. When it’s your time to have one, I will throw you the wildest bachelor party ever.”

  “With topless waitresses?”

  Bentley shook his head as he laughed, “Yes, even with topless waitresses.”

  I stepped back onto the deck with Emerson on my hip. “Dada!”

  Emerson leaned down so Bentley could gather him in his arms, “Hey buddy, did you have a good time with Papa Ben?”

  “Yes.”

  Travis stood and took Emerson from his brother, “Come see Uncle Travis. I’ve missed you since I’ve been in school. What have you been doing?”

  “Cows!” Emerson shouted and Travis laughed.

  “Glad to hear you’ve been watching them for me. You’re going to be a great help when you get a bit older, you know.”

  “Me help!”

  Travis ruffled his hair, “You bet, bud.”

  The phone in the kitchen rang. I left the boys to continue their cute conversation.

  “Hello?” I asked picking up the phone.

  “Hey, Haley, its Jerad. I wanted to let you know we got a late start leaving the city; we are about an hour behind.”

  “That’s okay, don’t rush on our account. We’ll put the steaks on when you guys get here.”

  I heard rustling in the background before Carleigh started speaking, “We’re late because Jerad was getting the best blow job of his life.”

  “Carleigh, really?” I said, smirking, knowing her comment was going to annoy Jerad.

  “Why would you tell her that?” I heard him ask from the background.

  “Because it’s the truth.”

  “She doesn’t need to know that.”

  I tried holding in my laugh, “It’s okay, Jerad, I understand a good blow job is hard to pass up.”

  “I knew she’d get it,” Carleigh said before taking over the phone call.

  “Why do you do that to him?” I asked with a laugh.

  “I like to see him blush, and it gets him worked up. It’s fun and I’ll probably get a spank for it later.”

  “You do realize you are spending the night here with my son sleeping in the room next to yours, right?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.” I could hear her smirking.

  “You always do. Drive safe, see you in a few hours.”

  “If we stop again, I’ll text you.”

  Hanging up the phone, I stopped by the fridge to grab two new beers before heading back outside.

  “That was Carleigh and Jerad, they are running about an hour behind.”

  “That’s fine, Whitney just texted she’ll be a bit longer at the diner anyways,” Travis said, moving Emerson around on his lap, making him jump up and down.

  I passed Bentley his beer and set Travis’s on the table.

  “Emmison drink?”

  “What would you like to drink, bud?” Bentley asked getting up.

  “Mowk.”

  “M-i-l-k.” Bentley pronounced properly.

  “I’ll get it,” I said.

  Bentley put his hand on mine. “I got it, I’ve got to take a leak anyways,” Bentley said and ushered me into his patio chair and kissed me before going into the house.

  “THANK YOU FOR dinner Haley, it was great,” Loran said as she dried the dishes.

  “Thanks for helping with the dishes, ladies.” I smiled while putting a plate into the cupboard.

  “I really need the recipe for your Grams’ sweet tea,” Whitney said as she walked into the kitchen with the last of the dirty dishes.

  “Actually, the recipe will be tucked into the wedding favors; we’re getting koozies made.”

  “Mrs. Wells is actually giving out her recipe? I don’t believe it.” Loran fanned herself dramatically.

  “I was surprised when she suggested it, too.”

  “Travis and the guys will be so excited when I make it for them whenever they pop over.”

  “Whitney, you know Grams’ will always taste better, right? Even if we all make the same tea?”

  “I know, but I’m still excited.”

  “Babe, where’s the pad of paper we have the wedding things planned out on?” Bentley yelled from the office.

  “In the file folder marked wedding. It’s sitting on top of the printer, why?”

  “Curtis wants to see them.”

  “I tell you, that guy is overly excited when it comes to weddings. I swear if I didn’t marry him, I would have thought he was gay,” Loran laughed about her husband.

  “We better get out there then, before Curtis makes it a bigger affair than what we want,” I said turning to the living room.

  “Twenty-five people, that’s all your having?” asked Travis, stunned.

  “That’s all Haley wants; a small private wedding,” Bentley answered as I sat bes
ide him.

  “He’s right, I want something small, with only the people that mean the world to us.”

  “Is that Darryl Buchanan’s name on the list?” Curtis asked almost squealing.

  Everyone looked at him and started laughing.

  “You’re beginning to weird me out with all this acting like a high school chick going into heat,” Bentley teased before I thumped him in the head with a couch cushion.

  “Let’s get down to the main points,” Loran said getting us all back to track. “You have your dress and the bridesmaid have theirs, right?”

  “Yes, my dress is in, and I’ve had my first fitting already. I believe the girls have everything they need, too,” I answered.

  “Okay, we can mark that off the list,” Loran said, taking the paper from Curtis and checking it off. “Next, Bentley, do you have what you are wearing yet?”

  “Yeah, I went last week to finalize our attire.”

  “Good,” Whitney smiled.

  “What are we wearing?” asked Curtis.

  “We are wearing black slacks, white dress shirts with grey vests, and I’m going to be wearing a shiny green tie.”

  “Sounds nice,” said Whitney.

  “Justice of the peace—is that booked?” Loran asked, still looking at the checklist.

  “Yes, Grams and I talked to the priest at church last Sunday to see who he would recommend, and he actually offered to do it.”

  “Perfect. Food?”

  “We are going to have wine and appetizers after the ceremony.”

  “Cake?”

  “I asked Grams to make her pumpkin pound cake.”

  “Hales, are you sure you don’t want a real wedding cake?” Bentley asked me again.

  “No, I really don’t. I know you guys won’t understand, and I know Grams doesn’t as many times as I’ve tried to tell her. Anytime I came to visit as a kid, or something upsetting came along, Grams always had this cake waiting for me because she knows it is my favorite. This cake has been there through thick and thin, and I want it there on the happiest day of my life.”

  Bentley pulled me to his side and kissed the top of my head, “I didn’t realize the cake meant that much to you.”