Bayou Stix Series: Bayou Stix Limited Edition Box Set (50 page)

We’re at the dress shop and I’ve just seen Lexi’s dress. It’s gorgeous. Strapless white and silver with a heart shaped neckline that fits and flares at her hips. It’s covered with thousands of beads that catch the light every time she moves. She’s breathtaking. It also fits her like a dream. She’s forgone a veil and is going to simply wear her hair up with a matching beaded headband.

Bradi shows me the style of dress she’s picked out too. It’s a ruched strapless dress that is very fitted, but knee length and a deep persimmon. I decide I want the same dress. As luck would have it, they have the dress in stock, in my size. Trying it on, we find that it’s a perfect fit!

We look in the wall of mirrors as we’re all in our wedding finery and I have to admit, we are quite a picture. Lexi’s red hair against the white of her dress, Bradi’s curves and blond and black hair against the bright orange and my short funky dark hair and hourglass figure with the same dress… we are beautiful.

Lexi tears up and Bradi and I try desperately to hold in our tears. Lexi hugs us both before we take the dresses off and get back into our regular clothes. We link arms and head out to meet Erik, Lexi’s business partner, former housemate, and best friend, at Java and Sweeties for lunch.

Erik has finger sandwiches, gumbo, which is a spicy stew of sorts with sausage and chicken, and tiny cakes on the table when we get there. He picks Lexi up and swings her around before hugging Bradi and then me. He leans back and takes me in. “Hello, Blue. You look very well.” He winks. “I guess a certain bad boy rocker is being good!”

I laugh and slap his arm. “Yeah, something like that.”

Bradi exclaims, “They can’t keep their hands off of each other!” Then leaning in close to me she says, “Tell us, Blue… just how
good
is Jessie?”

I feel my face burn and look to Lexi for help, but she’s all ears too. “Good Lord. Seriously? Don’t you all have your own sex lives to contend with?”

Erik laughs, “Oh, I certainly do.” He smiles over my shoulder. “In fact, there’s my love now.”

Lexi laughs, “These two will never leave you alone. You should just answer them.”

Bradi says, “Damn straight. My man knows how to play my body like an accordion, but he’s not a rock star. So, I want to know! And it’s Jessie! He’s so hot. I just know he’s hung. Talk to me, baby.” She winks and licks her lips. “I don’t want him, but I am
dying
to know about what he’s working with!”

My face is on fire, but I can’t stop the laughter. “Oh my God, Bradi. You ‘just know he’s hung’… How would you know that?”

She looks at me like I’m an alien. “Because I’m not blind, chick. He sure fills out a pair of jeans.” She points at Erik. “He said so too! Tell us girl. Inquiring minds want to know!”

I look at Erik, who’s looking sheepishly at his boyfriend Alec. Alec has his brow raised. Erik shrugs. “Sorry. But he
does
fill out a pair of jeans.” Alec laughs and says, “I can admit it, he does.”

I choke on my tea. “
Oh my God.
You aren’t going to stop, are you? Are you all ogling his crotch?!”

Bradi smirks at me and sits back with her arms crossed. “Nope. We’re all friends here. And it’s so obvious! Spill!”

Lexi laughs and takes a sip of her drink. “I’m just glad she’s done interrogating
me
.” But, she’s looking at me with mirth in her eyes.

“Fine. He’s big, ok!” I sputter out in embarrassment. My hands cover my face and I peek through my fingers at them.

“Duh, bitch! How big? I need a reference. Like banana big? Or like salami big?” Bradi uses her hands to demonstrate the size and is smirking with glee.

“Jeez, Bradi!” My face is probably purple by now with embarrassment. I am
not
telling them how big Jessie is.

“Damn…” Bradi starts laughing and humming. “Mmmm. I knew that delicious man was hung.”

Erik, Lexi, and Alec all laugh at the expression on my face while both Erik and Alec say, “Salami!”

Choking on my drink, I get out, “You are some dirty people!”

Bradi winks. “Yup, but you’re the one getting the salami from Jessie, so, I bet you’re a dirty whore too.” She picks up her drink and toasts us. “To dirty whores who rock in the bedroom. Cheers!” Then she turns to Erik, “Sooo, Erik…”

We all laugh and clink glasses. The rest of the afternoon is spent talking wedding before we decide to head back to Dade’s. Lexi needs to get Jude and I can ride home with Jessie.

It was a good afternoon. So this is what having girlfriends is like. It’s nice.

Jessie

B
lue just texted me to say the girls were on their way here. We’ve been busy and I think we’ve settled on the tracks for the new album. Now we’re just kicked back relaxing before Dade leaves to go get Clove from the airport.

The doorbell chimes and Jude jumps up and races to the front of the house. I shake my head at him, but my ears are perked up too.

Liam says, “He’s so fucking whipped.”

I chuckle. “Say that to his face. I dare you. But yeah, he is.”

Dade snorts, “Why are you talking, Jessie? Didn’t you just sit up straight and look at the door, too? You’re just as excited to see your woman as he is to see his.”

I glare at him. “Shut the fuck up. I’m not whipped.”

As the girls and Jude walk in, I smile. I hear Dade mutter, “Keep telling yourself that!”

Blue walks over to me and stops. She smiles down at me. “Hi.”

Pulling her into my lap, I kiss her. Once I break the kiss and she’s looking at me with glazed over eyes, I say, “Hi.”

Liam mutters, “Whipped!”

Dade and Cruz both laugh. I flip them all off.

Lexi unwraps her arms from around Jude’s neck and looks at the room, “Ok, well y’all know that Thanksgiving is in a few days. Last minute, I know, but you just got home, so, Thanksgiving at our place. Everyone is coming, got it?!”

I look at Blue and she says to Lexi, “Ok. Are you cooking? I can help. I actually do know how to cook.”

Bradi says, “Yup, we’ll be there. Micah and I already planned to help cook.”

Everyone else murmurs their agreement.

It’s settled. Thanksgiving at Jude and Lexi’s in four days. I hope she already bought a big turkey!

I spend the next two days with Blue, showing her around Baton Rouge. We walk through LSU. I take her to the Zoo. I take her to the observation deck at the top of the State Capitol. She squeals in excitement at the height and the dazzling views of the city and the Mississippi River from up there. We also picnic on the grounds and she’s mesmerized by the trees and flowers. I’m proud to be able to share my home with her and her joy in seeing everything gives me a strange feeling.

The day before Thanksgiving, I borrow Jude’s bike and we head to the Old State Capitol. She falls in love with it. “It looks like a castle. It’s so beautiful.” She graces me with a smile that makes my heart drop into my stomach. “Seriously, Jessie, Louisiana is so beautiful. This looks like something a king would live in. You’re immersed in culture and I love that you display your pride on your body.” She leans in to kiss me as she runs her hands up my arms. It’s Louisiana, so even in November, most of the time we can get away with wearing light sleeves. Today is a little warm, so my sleeves are pushed up and my tattoos are peeking out. The hair on my arm rises with electricity everywhere she touches. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Grabbing her hand and pulling her into my body, I embrace her. I whisper in her ear. “I wanted to show you my home. I’ve
never
wanted that with a woman before. What is it about you, Blue?”

Looking up at me with her gorgeous blue eyes, she murmurs, “I don’t know, Jessie, but I’m the same with you. You wake up something in me.” She kisses my mouth and pulls on my lip ring with her teeth. I moan and pull her closer. “But… I… Want… To… Know… Everything… About… You.” She licks my jaw and nibbles on my mouth with each word. Grabbing her and pushing her against the wrought iron fence, I grab her face and growl, “Ditto.” before devouring her mouth.

Once we’re both riled up and breathing like we’ve just run a marathon, she leans back and whispers, “Let’s go home.”

I can’t agree more… Blue just called my apartment home and as freaked out as that makes me, I can’t help the thrill that races through me with her words.

Taking her hand, we head back to the bike and towards my place. “As you wish, my lady.” Gesturing to the bike, “Your chariot awaits.” I take her hand and pull her behind me on the bike. She leans in. “Thank you, kind sir,” and wraps her arms around my waist, holding on tight.

We’re off.

Blue

It’s early morning on Thanksgiving Day and for the first time since I can remember, I’m going to be spending the holiday with friends and a sexy rock star that’s captured my heart. Looking over at the pillow next to me, I take in the sleep tousled hair and sexy stubble on his face. The bruises are almost completely faded now and Jessie’s beauty astounds me. Yes, he’s beautiful. He’s all man, but he looks like a sculptor carved him. No man should look this good. The piercing that fascinates me, calls to me and I reach out to trace his lip ring gently with my fingertips. He nips it and huskily murmurs. “Good morning, woman. Assaulting me in my sleep now?”

I laugh and lean in to kiss him. “No, just admiring your male beauty.”

He squints at me in the early morning light. “What? You were staring at me. I could feel it.”

“I was staring at you. I can’t help it. Jessie, you’re gorgeous. You know that.”

His cheeks turn pink. Is he blushing?

“I don’t know any such thing. But, uh, thank you.”

I laugh. A full, resounding, belly laugh. “Oh my God. Shut up already. Women throw themselves at you. You have never had a shortage of women. Ugly men don’t get that.”

“I’m a rock star.” He laughs. And he gestures to the tent under the sheets. “And I have a big dick. Women love
that
, not me.”

I snort. “True story. Rock stars with
big
dicks get the ladies. Only this rock star is no longer sharing his salami with anyone but me!”

Jessie looks at me sharply and then starts laughing. “Salami? Did you just call my dick ‘salami’?”

It’s my turn to blush. I start muttering, “Dammit, Bradi. I’m going to beat your ass.”

Jessie laughs even harder. “Bradi called my dick ‘salami’? Why is Bradi talking about my dick at all? Shouldn’t she be focused on Micah’s ‘salami’?”

We’re both crying we’re laughing so much. “Shut up. She asked ok. Erik wanted to know too!”

He bolts upright in bed with a shocked look. “Wait a minute… What? Erik wanted to know about my dick? What the fuck?”

The look on his face kills me. I fall backwards on the bed from the laughter. My stomach hurts. He leans over me. Grabbing his face and wrapping my legs around his waist, I just look at him. Then snickering, I reply, “Yes, he wanted to know how big you were. I didn’t want to tell them, but they are relentless. And don’t even pretend you don’t talk about me with the guys, Jessie Adams.”

He pulls back. “I don’t, Blue. Jude and you… yeah, well, he already knows and he’s with Lexi. They’re getting married in a few weeks. Liam…” He grits his teeth. “I’m not discussing you with Liam. No fucking way. And Dade and Cruz… they aren’t interested. They have their own stuff going on.”

Rubbing his stubble, I say, “Jessie… listen to me. Jude and I were
never
anything but friends. Yes, we fucked. But it was what it was and that is what it was. I’ve never had romantic feelings for him. Liam… yes, he’s gorgeous…” he tenses and tries to pull away. Tightening my legs and pulling him to within an inch of my face I hold him. “Liam is gorgeous. But… he’s too gorgeous. No one wants perfection. I don’t want perfection. And we’re
friends
. He’s honestly like a brother. I don’t now and have never wanted to sleep with Liam.” He frowns and I trace the frown lines with my fingertips and kiss the corner of his clamped lips. “Jessie, I’m serious. There’s one man I want…
ONE
… you.”

He stares at me for a long time, searching my eyes. Staring wide eyed, I put everything I feel for him into them. I can’t say it. He’s not ready to hear it. I’m not ready to say it… but my eyes tell him. He groans and captures my mouth. His tongue sweeps past my lips and gently explores my mouth. He stops and nibbles on my lips, before stroking my tongue with his. It’s so seductive. This is the sweetest kiss he’s ever given me. I think it’s the sweetest kiss, while also one of the hottest kisses, I’ve ever experienced. Finally, he pulls back and I’m a puddle of mush. Thank God I’m already lying down.