Decker (Torey Hope: The Later Years #1) (10 page)

“You ready to head out, Bug?” Decker didn’t take his eyes off her and Katie felt her body heat to dangerous levels. She wasn’t sure if tonight was the night, but she definitely wanted to spend some time alone with him.

“Yeah, let me just head to the restroom. I’ll be right back.” On her way to the restroom, a smile played at her lips and she detoured to the jukebox. Making her selection, she grinned like a loon and headed to the restroom.

Right as she was washing her hands, she heard her song come blaring through the speakers. She waited about thirty seconds, hoping Decker had picked up on the song. She had trouble keeping a straight face as she walked back to the table and saw the other three guys laughing hysterically. Decker’s jaw was ticking, but his eyes were smiling. Raising her eyebrows, masking her face perfectly, she address the four men. “What are you all laughing at?”

The other three just kept laughing and shook their heads; Decker leaned in and whispered hotly against her ear, “‘Cherry Pie? Really, Bug? You’re bad, so very bad.” Knowing her gig was up, she just laughed and shuddered against his mouth on her ear.

Goodbyes were said, hugs were shared, and the group dispersed. Decker knew exactly where he wanted his night to end.

“So, if we’re communicating through songs, I have one for you.” Decker spoke gruffly, but he smiled at her as he thumbed through his phone for the song he wanted.

“Trouble Maker” by Olly Murs and Flo Rida came on and Katie couldn’t help but throw her head back in laughter.

When they came up to an intersection, Decker hesitated. Right would take them to her place, left would take them to his. “Kate, I really want to go to my place, but I don’t want to rush things. We’ve got work tomorrow; I want our first night together to be one where we have all night and all day because I don’t plan on us getting much sleep. So, I’m going to take my
Trouble Maker
home for tonight and go home to my hand and a cold shower.” They laughed as he turned to the right.

Sitting in her driveway, Katie saw her grandma at the window. They laughed at the older woman’s antics. Kate knew her mother saved them the embarrassment of Grandma beating on the car window by leading her to the kitchen for hot tea and a game of cards.

“I don’t want to be presumptuous and if you were just playing around tonight, that’s fine, but were you telling me you’re ready for something a little more with me, Kate?” His strained whisper warmed her heart; she felt his need, but knew that he would stop if she asked him to slow things down.

“Yeah, it was my attempt at being funny, but I know you’re the one I want to be with. I’ve never felt this way about
any
guy. So, not tonight, but sometime. We don’t have to plan it, that feels a little too much like Prom Night or something. But, I want it to happen and I want it to be with you. No pressure, just when the time is right.” She leaned in to kiss him and sighed as his mouth took hold of hers. He pulled her to sit across him and pushed her up against the window to deepen the kiss.

“Soon, sounds good. Maybe I should exercise my tongue with some cherry stems so I can keep up with you. I know the exact place I’ll be performing tongue tricks as soon as I have you naked.” His hands grazed over her heat sending shivers through her with his words.

Knock, knock, knock

Kate jumped, banging her head against the ceiling of the car. A yelp of shock and pain escaped as she scrambled over to her side of the car.

Lowering the window, Decker smothered a smile when he saw her diminutive grandmother standing beside his car with her hands on her hips.

“Is this the type of
business
you conduct young man? I better not see that hand of yours anywhere near my Katie’s virtue again. You may have a nice package and a lot of potential, but I need to know you’re not just here to dip your
business
a couple times and then take off.” Kate groaned with mortification and Decker bit his tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

“No, ma’am, no business dipping going on here. Kate’s virtue is safe.” He spoke teasingly, but then sobered. “Grandma, I have real feelings for your Kate, and I’ll be good to her, promise.” Grandma seemed satisfied with Decker’s response.

“Well, you seem like a nice young man, but there’s no need to rush things. Katie, head on inside, you can see your man tomorrow.” She waited until her granddaughter opened the car door and stepped out before turning and shuffling away. As she retreated, Decker heard her mumble, “There better not be any dilly-dallying at work; talk about ‘on-the-job benefits’.” Throwing his head back in laughter, he raised the window and waved at Kate as she smiled and walked up the steps with her grandmother.

**********

After a shower, he settled into bed. He realized that in the past he would have worried about the delay at work all day, but spending time with Kate had shown him there were some things more important. His worrying would have done nothing to speed things up; he was glad he’s spent the evening with her and the guys.

He smiled as he texted her.

He chuckled as he pictured Kate’s cheek flaming.

He laid back on his bed, laughing. Grandma made him laugh. Thinking of his
package
and
dipping his business
as spoken by Grandma probably should have been a turn off; but when it came to Kate, nothing turned him off.

And with that, Decker rolled over in an attempt to sleep.

The rest of the week had gone fairly smoothly; the construction was back on schedule and the programs at The Center+ were setting up nicely. Decker confirmed with Kate that she was up for spending the whole weekend with him. He didn’t assume they’d take the next step, but he wanted to be in the right place if it did come to that.

On Thursday, knowing Kate would be coming over after work on Friday, he stopped by his parents’ house on his way home.

“Decker! I’m so glad you’re here! Can you stay for dinner?” His mom, Libby, met him in the kitchen as he rattled around in the fridge for something to eat.

“Yeah, I can stay, Momma. Call Sawyer and see if he wants to come by.” He polished off a piece of cold pizza, knowing his mom would be fixing supper soon.

“Well, if the twins are here, I’m calling Kendrick and Zach to see if they are available; I want to see my baby boy too.” Audrey patted her nephew on the cheek as she entered the kitchen. “Hello handsome nephew of mine.” Chuckling, Decker hugged his aunt.

An hour later, after Kendrick and Zach had declined the invitation due to prior engagements, the twins and their parents and Audrey gathered in the kitchen.

“Hey, Momma, can you give me your recipe for cherry pie?” Decker tried to act nonchalant, but Sawyer’s snort gave him away.

His father, Nate, raised an eyebrow and squinted his eyes suspiciously.

Libby frowned from her position at the sink as she rinsed a cup, “I can make one for you. Why do you need the recipe? And why cherry? You’ve never really liked cherry pie.”

“Oh, he likes it just fine now.” Sawyer couldn’t help but snicker at his brother’s discomfort. Humming he mumbled some words under his breath,
“She’s my cherry pie….”

If looks could kill, his twin would be six feet under.

Nate shook his head and stood. Walking to his wife’s side by the sink, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. Chuckling, he poured a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter to watch the show.

Blushing, Libby spoke, “Decker Morgan, you better not be being anything less than a respectful gentleman. I better not find out you’re pressuring a girl into something she’s not ready for.”

“Momma, it’s not like that. Kate and I have been dating for a bit, and it’s sort of a joke between us. I thought it would make her smile if I made her a pie.” Decker regretted bringing this up in front of everyone.

“Awww, Libby, I think it’s sweet. Your baby boy wants to trade cherries with his girl.” Audrey chuckled and headed out the backdoor. “Later, all. Love you. Boys, tell that son of mine to visit his mother more often.” She left with a smile and a wave.

Sawyer cleared his throat catching Decker’s attention. When Decker looked at him, Sawyer nodded slightly and Decker realized that his brother was going to tell his parents his secret.

Libby finished writing the recipe and handed it to him.

“Momma, Dad, can we talk?” Sawyer’s voice was shaky; Decker was glad to be here for him. He pulled a chair out and sat down next to his brother.

A look passed between Nate and Libby. He reached for his wife’s hand and they sat across the table from their boys.

“First, I’m sorry it’s taken me this long. I need to tell you something important; I’ve waited because I don’t want to cause problems for you or anyone in the family.” Sawyer hesitated as he watched his mom’s eyes sparkle with tears and his dad place an arm around her shoulders.

“Go ahead, son. There’s nothing you can tell us that would change anything.” Nate nodded at his son.

“I’m gay.” Each time he said the words, it seemed to get easier. He wasn’t ready to tell the rest of the family yet, but he couldn’t go any longer without sharing with his parents.

Libby dried her tears and smiled at him.

“Momma, why don’t you look shocked? Dad, why aren’t you surprised?” Sawyer had expected more of a reaction from them.

“Oh, baby boy, we’ve known for a while. Well, I wouldn’t say we’ve
known
, but we’ve suspected for about 10-12 years now.” Libby’s smile was shaky, but she didn’t appear devastated.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Sawyer questioned.

“Your mom brought it up to me several years ago. I think in the beginning we both hoped she was wrong, we didn’t want you to have to suffer through the emotions and reactions. Then, when we were more sure about it, we talked and decided it was something you needed to come to on your own and all we could do was be here loving you until you were ready to talk to us.” Nate stood and walked to his son. “I love you no matter what. I don’t like the idea of you being hurt or ridiculed, but nothing will ever change the fact that you’re my son and I love you.”

Libby sniffled and hugged Sawyer into her arms. “You’ll always be my baby boy and I will support you until my dying breath. I hate that not everyone in your life and in this town will be as open about your sexuality, but you’ve got us on your side, no matter what.”

Nate reached out and pulled Decker into their group hug.

Knowing they had to get to work early tomorrow, the four of them said their goodbyes. Nate walked his boys to the door. “I have to tell you boys, I’m getting too old for this shit. I just wanted a quiet evening with your mom, maybe a little bedroom action…” When the boys winced, Nate gave them a look, “Really? You can’t stand the thought of your mom and I having sex? Well, I just learned that one son is gay and the other son plans on popping some girl’s cherry. I think we’re about even.” Nate threw his head back and laughed at his boys’ discomfort as the twins chuckled nervously. No matter the age, offspring never want to hear about their parents’ bedroom activities.

Friday afternoon droned on forever as Decker thought ahead to Kate being at his place all weekend. He didn’t know if things would progress any further than they already had, but he was looking forward to just spending time with her. He had never just hung out with a woman before; he always needed a plan, an itinerary, but he had a feeling he and Kate could fill their hours just fine.

“Hey, Bug, I’m going to go run and then cut out so I can make sure the house is decent for you to come over. The guys are supposed to help keep it neat, but you never know with them. If you’re still up for spending the whole weekend, pack a bag and come over any time after 6:00 p.m.” He spoke as he ambled into her office, straight over to her, and pulled her out of her seat. By the time he finished speaking, she was in his arms and he was leaning in to kiss her.

His heart beat faster as her lips danced with his. The tiny whimper in the back of her throat got him every time. Sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, he palmed her backside with his hands and pulled her front side flush against him. He knew she could feel how much he wanted her by the way she ground herself against him and moaned into his mouth.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm, if this is what this half of BDSM is doing, I’d love to see what the other half is up to! Damn, Deck, I didn’t know we’d added cinematography to our programs, but if you’ll give me a camera I’ll get your porno flick made for you. Don’t worry, Katie, I’ll make sure it’s tasteful.” Kendrick laughed as he sauntered through the adjoining door from Decker’s office. “Since the ‘no dating colleagues’ rule just got rewritten to ‘fuck your colleagues every chance you get’, I think I better go see which of the employees would most like a hook up with me.”

Smiling against her lips, but never breaking the kiss, Decker raised his middle finger at his cousin while he angled Kate’s head so he could kiss her deeper.

“Damn lucky bastard,” Kendrick chuckled as he walked out. “See you lovebirds at home. We can pop some corn, crack open some beers, and cuddle on the couch.”

As Kendrick left, Decker ended their kiss. “One thing about living with those guys, there may be an issue getting some privacy this weekend. It wasn’t something that occurred to me before because I wasn’t bringing girls home, but those assholes will purposely hang out and bug us the whole time.” He smirked as he spoke, but Katie could tell that he wasn’t too angry; he loved his brother and cousins with all that he had.

Leaning into him for one last kiss, she whispered, “Your door locks, right? We have all weekend; we can hang with the guys and retreat to your room for privacy as needed. Now, go run and I’ll be there at 6:00 p.m.”

Decker smiled and winked, thinking ahead to all he needed to do at home, as he kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

**********

After a two-mile run, a shower, and a quick stop at the grocery store, Decker was home and elbow deep in his first foray into the baking world. While it had seemed like a cute, funny, romantic gesture at first, he was feeling unsure of himself yet he was determined to make a damn cherry pie.

He was cleaning up the kitchen, enjoying the scent of cherry pie filling the room, when a knock sounded at the door. Checking the timer to be sure the pie wouldn’t burn, he ran to answer it. Pulling open the door, he found his girl looking beautiful and a bit unsure of herself. He smiled and gestured for her to enter.

“Hi, Bug. I’m glad you could make it.” A kiss to her mouth and then he took her bag, setting it on the stairs. “We’ll put your bag somewhere later; I want you in my room, my bed, but if you’re more comfortable in the guestroom, that’s okay too.”

“Thank you, Decker. I want this weekend with you more than anything, but I’ve never spent a night with a guy, let alone a whole weekend. I know I’m a consenting adult, but I’m nervous. I’m also a little worried that it will look bad for you at work.” She spoke with concern, somewhat for herself, but mostly for him.

“Kate, the rules at work for no dating colleagues were basically ‘strongly suggested’ in the staff handbook, although no one ever got fired for it. The rules were self-imposed on myself because I didn’t want the distraction or the hassle. But, Katie-did, if I didn’t have the chance to talk to you and see you every day, or if I had to hide my feelings for you at work, I think I’d go insane. No one is going to care that we are dating, as long as we do our jobs, and you and I both know we do a kick-ass job of that. I am still a rule follower and strict in other areas, but when it comes to you, I can’t help but bend a bit.” He started to kiss her, but the shrill beep of the timer interrupted him. “Stay here, look around, I’ll be right back.”

Rushing to the kitchen, he grabbed his oven mitts and pulled the pie out of the oven. It looked perfect; golden brown crust, dark red filling, bubbly edges. “Damn straight it’s perfect, I don’t settle for less than the best.” He laughed at his own arrogant comment, but, he couldn’t help it. He was damn proud of making this pie all by himself.

“What smells so good in here?” Katie had reached the kitchen.

“Nope, out. It’s a surprise for later.” He sat the pie to cool on the counter; later, when they came in to get something to eat, he’d have to move it so she wouldn’t see it.

At the very last moment, a thought crossed his mind. Grabbing his phone he texted his cousins and brother.

There, that should keep them from breaking out forks and sitting around the table eating his masterpiece. Although, if he were honest, he fondly recalled many late nights in high school sitting with the three of them devouring pies his mom or grandmas had baked.

Decker couldn’t help but laugh at the comments that flooded his phone in response to his text. He should have known they’d turn it to a sexual-innuendo-laced joke.

Decker smiled at his brother; not only were they giving him some privacy, his brother was probably spending the night with the guy he was interested in. His heart swelled; his brother was happy, he was spending the weekend with his girl, and the work on The Center+ was back on track. Life was good.

Walking into the living room, he found Kate cuddled on the couch looking through a photo album. “I remember so many of these pictures and events. What a fun walk down memory lane.” She smiled up at him as she closed the book.

“Are you hungry?” He asked her, referring to a meal, but the darkening of her eyes and the shy smile she gave him told him that her mind went somewhere else entirely. Laughing he shook his head, “You naughty girl. I was talking about getting something to eat.”

“I know, I know. I just can’t help myself around you sometimes.” She grinned and kissed him. “I’m starving; my slave-driver boss had me working so hard today that I barely had time to scarf down a yogurt.” She winked and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Mmm, I’ll show you a boss who
drives you hard
.” He kissed her roughly and groaned as his phone chirped.

After reading the text, he chuckled and ran a hand over his face. “Looks like our dinner options just broadened. Seems the other guys are at my grandparents’ house for Taco Night. So, we can go out, fix something here, order in, or go to Taco Night.”

“Will you be upset if I choose Taco Night?” She had a giddy expression on her face.

“No, Bug, I won’t be upset. You’re a fan of tacos, huh?” He had to laugh at her excitement.

“I’m a fan of your grandmas’ Taco Night for sure! Sawyer and I had broken up, but we were still friends; he’d had a really crappy day. Some guy he’d thought was gay and liked him had started dating the head cheerleader and Sawyer was crushed. He asked me to come over to cheer him up; he really needed a shoulder to cry on. Anyway, he took me to Taco Night at Grandma Cindy’s house and It. Was. Awesome! She had every single topping imaginable. I had so much fun building my own tacos. I think I made five of them because it was so much fun, but I could only eat two of them. I was embarrassed for wasting so much food; I think Kendrick, Sawyer and Zach all ate my extras.” Her eyes sparkled as she recalled the evening from long ago.

Decker’s face had fallen a bit. She reached out and cupped his cheek, “Hey, baby, what’s wrong?” So many thoughts went through his head.
I’ve never liked pet names and now I’m feeling warm and tingly over my girl calling me baby. I want to spend the night with her in my arms, but I’m excited to take her to my family’s Taco Night. What in the hell have I gotten myself into?

Instead of speaking those thoughts, he sighed, “I don’t know. I guess I’m feeling sad that Sawyer didn’t think he could cry on my shoulder over his crappy day. I’m also sad that I don’t remember that night; my brother and cousins got to know you and spend time with you, and I was probably at the library studying or writing business plans.”

“Decker, I don’t think either of us would have liked each other much back then. You were gorgeous, but so serious and unapproachable. I wasn’t the ditzy type, but I definitely hadn’t grown into my self-confidence; I don’t think I would have had the nerve to be myself and try to break you down. We were doing what we needed to be doing back then; things happen for a reason.” She leaned in and kissed him, snaking her tongue out to taste his lips while her hand roamed south to palm him. “The present is what matters now. You and Sawyer are good. You and I are good; we are in the right place for
us
. Let’s not focus on what we may have missed out on, let’s focus on what we’ve got the chance to experience now.” Kissing him deeper, she giggled as he growled deep in his throat and walked her backwards until she met with the wall.

With a last tease of his tongue and final sound kiss on her lips he spoke gruffly, “Come on, Bug, let’s get you some tacos.”

He replied to the text to let them know they should set two extra places.