Page 28 of Summer Brew

I give myself over to him, trusting him completely. Just when the ache in my jaw is almost too much, he grunts, “Are you going to swallow everything I have for you?”

Unable to answer, I squeeze the base of his cock. His movements become sloppy before he grunts while I suck the head of his cock and he fills my mouth. I stroke his length with my hand, wanting every drop. When he wraps his hand around my fingers and slows my movements I almost melt into a puddle right there on the floor.

His breathing is ragged as he stares down at me like he’s not sure if I’m real or an apparition. He doesn’t look away while I start to pull his softening cock from my mouth and swallow. Loudly.

Keaton drags his thumb along my bottom lip before pushing it inside. My jaw falls open, his eyes satisfied and lazy. He lets out a grunt when he sees my empty mouth.

After hauling me up against his chest, he buries his face in the crook of my neck. “When I can feel my legs again, I’m returning the favor,” he murmurs against my skin.

My laughter is breathy while shaking my head slightly. “That was for you. My thanks, if you will,” I tease him.

“Thanks for what?” The question comes out as a rumble.

“Helping me?” It comes out more like a question than an answer and I wince slightly. “I feel really good about this step, more than I have before. You’ve helped me understand what I’m really doing instead of just blindly trying this or that. I needed that kind of help; I was totally out of my depth.”

“My Gem,” he says his nickname for me like I’m a treasure.

He does it so effortlessly that it takes my breath away. No one else has ever made me feel that way. Loved? Sure.

A treasure? Only him.

“I think you should have a tasting, no matter what the results are,” his words are gentle, like he’s coaxing me.

My eyebrows pull together while I look up at him, shocked. My voice is incredulous, “Why would I want to do that?”

“Because you hide this away like it’s shameful. It’s not and you spend a lot of time doing it. Let your friends and family support you,” he urges me.

I narrow my eyes, but he’s not going to let this go. Even though I do feel better about our approach, and all the reasons behind it, nervousness still zips under my skin and flips my stomach.

“I’ll think about it.” It’s the most I can give him.

His face lights up and he kisses my forehead. Damn it. Does he know forehead kisses make me weak?

He probably does. Now, I just need to decide about the tasting. Am I ready for it?

CHAPTER 10

GEMMA

I can’t believe Keaton talked me into this. The last thing I want to do is have a beer tasting party. Not tonight. Not ever.

The swarm of butterflies in my belly has been relentless and I’m sure this is the worst idea I’ve ever had. The absolute worst.

But the beer is finally ready. The first one using the method Keaton suggested; the one with some real research and science behind it. It feels like it’s taken forever.

I haven’t had a problem filling the time at all, not with Keaton in my life now. It’s almost like I have emotional whiplash.

For so long the biggest characters in my life have been my best friends. Now I have one more. The more time I spend with him, the more I’ve fallen for him and the more I’ve regretted the distance I put between us.

Even if I do think it’s what we both needed, at least at the time.

Still, I get a little pang in my heart when I think about the time we lost.

I shake my head slightly before looking over my shoulder when I hear my friends walk into the room. It’s a rare night the event space is open since there’s always an end of summer rush to make memories.

“Are you ready for tonight?” Meadow’s eyes are sparkling, but I can see the genuine concern in her eyes as she studies me.

“Sure,” I try to keep the word bright, but it lands flat.