Wetness Protection

BLAINE

Jesus, why did he have to be so damn sexy in the morning? His sexy hair looked in need of a haircut, but it did work on him, in fact, my fingers itched to run through it and wipe away from his forehead. I’d never known that even my soap smelled good on him that it never did on me.

Crap! What in the ever-loving heck happened to me? I’m a single mom for god’s sake. I needed to focus on my son and not to some hot— jerk. A huge jerk who wanted to bury his manhood to anyone had a hole.

I was taken aback by what he said before he left me alone. My room was my little sanctuary, but I couldn’t just push him out even the tension already thickened in the room that made my heartbeat quickened in my chest. Blame it on my dry spell.

Jeez, calm down!

His bright and warm cerulean blue eyes never missed meeting mine. He was playing catch with Ben. Why did he have to be so nice to my son? I didn’t want Ben to feel sad when it was his time to leave. I’m sure Ben would understand if he was not going to see him again, but of course, he would probably ask why he had not seen Xandry around.

I released a shaky sigh and closed the door behind me.

“Is everything okay?” He sauntered closer.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” I answered flatly.

“You just heaved a sigh, sweetheart.” He looked sincere, brows knitted.

“Don’t sweetheart me, Alexander, twenty-three.” I regretted once those words left my mouth because he just chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

Funny, huh?

“How did you know my age, Blaine Noelle?”

“Jeez, how I hate that name.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. It just reminded me of my ex who called me Noelle because Blaine was too masculine and plain for him.

“Why? It’s beautiful. You’re just like Saphoera, she doesn’t like her name as well.”

My brow arched. “Saphira? Like from the Eragon?”

“Yeah, but spelled differently.”

“I mean who’s Saphira?”

“My twin, sweetheart. Saphoera Hannabelle. My parents had fun naming their children. My mom’s Samantha Lorraine, Dad’s Alexander Phoenix. They kinda mixed them together and gave me his first name my granddad’s name Henry. Saph was from my grandmas.”

“Wow, but stop calling me sweetheart. I don’t like Ben thinking that we’re close Alexander Henry Williams.”

“Nah, it’s Alexander Henry Archibald Williams.” He grinned like an idiot. A hot exuded idiot.

“That’s sounds ancient.”

“Give me the keys and let me drive. My great grandparents were originally from England.”

“That tells it all.”

“That’s what Mom said when she just started dating Dad.” He smirked, something on that smirk that held promises which made my heart skip its beat.

I threw the keys to him and he effortlessly caught them with one hand. I guessed he used to play catch. Or what other games does interest him? I placed Ben in the back seat and fastened his seat belt before I got to the passenger seat beside Xandry.

My mouth gaped when I saw them fist-bumping like they didn’t just meet yesterday. It made me so damn worried.

We arrived at my parents’ house in silence, only the country song humming from the radio that kept him from not hearing to my thundering heartbeat.

Uncle Max and his sons were already on the porch. Finley and Riley strode to us as soon as our car parked in front of the house. Xandry stiffened, jaw clenched, and readied to launch his whitened knuckles that unknowingly gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.

I quickly unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door. “Finley!”

Finley served as one of the Marine-corps who’d been deployed to Hawaii. He was always closed to me like a big brother and had been very supportive of my decisions the moment he heard about my pregnancy, and he just broke a few bones of my ex.

“Look at you, baby girl.” He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up causing me to yelp in surprise.

“I miss you, Blaine. Where is my little boy?” Finley scanned the truck and landed his eyes on Xandry who was already silently getting out.

“My turn, bro.” Riley pulled us off easily. He chose to help his Daddy running the bar instead of following Finley’s dream to serve in the military.

“Who the fuck is he, Blaine? And why the fuck is he driving your car?” Finley’s voice thundered.

“And don’t effing say about eff when there is a kid around, ass-gator!” Xandry hissed, trying not to let Ben heard what he said as he moved toward my cousins. They were of the same sizes and height. Holy hell with all these testosterone exuded guys.

“I’m just her F—”

“A sperm donor?”

A sharp breath escaped my mouth. “Xandry!”

Before I could recognize my own voice, my cousins laughed out loud, high-fived each other and said, ‘I like him’ in unison.

“What?” I grunted in disbelief as I watched Xandry’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Finley.” He extended his hand with a wide smile, making a few lines at the corner of this his eyes visible.

Xandry looked down at his hand, still confused.

“Leave him alone, Finley!” Uncle Max yelled from the porch.

“I’m Xandry.” Finally, he gripped Finley’s large hand like his and did the same to Riley.

I released another sigh and opened the door to Ben.

“Uncle Vin, Uncle Ri!” He jumped into his uncle as soon as he was freed from the seat belt.

“Careful, Ben.”

“Let’s get inside, man. We’re about to start the barbecue,” said Riley, leaving me alone beside my car utterly dumbfounded.

***

I chose the round table away from the grill smoke with my best friends Olive and Charlie. 

My cousins lit the fire of the two huge grill stands. These two guys knew how to grill like in a five-star restaurant. Mom made her famous salad, pecan, and peach pie. Auntie Miranda prepared some veggies too.

Bianca was laughing with Cam, Carissa, Auntie Miranda, and my mom while Daddy, Pyke, Kyland, Uncle Max, and Xandry chatted with the local beers on the table. My parents always invited close friends and relatives when we had a family gathering, and I was used to be around with our people.

“Holy ball of effing fire, who invited those bitches?” asked Charlie with wide eyes.

My blood rushed quickly to my brain when my gaze landed on the two bitches walking toward my mom’s table. “Who invited them?”

“I asked first, Blaine. Answer me,” Olive’s voice vibrated with anger.

My anger toward them had never been dropped off. Genesis and Jasmine were total bitches since high school until now. I heard Genesis was sleeping with my ex while I was pregnant with Ben. It didn’t matter that time because I cut my contact with him, but damn it if it didn’t hurt since Genesis was my friend once. Couldn’t she at least respect me? Then, here came Jasmine who hurt Finley beyond repair and never supported my cousin’s dream in the military. She broke up with him a month after he left for enlistment through a letter because she didn’t believe in a long-distance relationship and all her blah blah blah.

“Oh dear, Lucifer hail in hell come to me and burn Genesis’ ass on fire, blind her eyes for gawking at my best friend’s man,” Olive continued bubbling.

I and Charlie locked our gaze in disbelief, then looked at Olive whose nose was flaring.

“Best friend’s man?” Charlie asked with raised brows.

“Not you, Charlie,” Olive corrected without breaking her glare at Genesis.

“She will get charred just by your eyes and no need to call for Lucifer, Olive”

“Oh, God, you know I have a thing for a British accent. I love Tom Ellis,” Charlie announced.

“I know, and why it is related to what we are talking about?” I tilted my head to Charlie’s side.

She rolled her eyes. “Your mom said, Xandry’s great-grandparents were from England,” emphasizing the last word.

“And so?”

“Oh my, God. You’re so dumb! You should start watching the Game of Thrones, The Crown, and The Last Kingdom, duh! And oh, Meghan Markle got married to Prince Harry and they’re expecting their first baby. See? Prince charming does exist.” Charlie rolled her eyes.

I sighed with exaggeration and narrowed my eyes at Charlie. “Game of Thrones is a fantasy. And did you forget that it’s his last day today? And you should probably don’t break your gaze at him because tomorrow you won’t see him again. Duh!” I dropped the duh with exaggeration and rolled my eyes back at her.

“So, you don’t mind if I will ask him for a make-out session at the barn after the dinner?” Charlie asked, arching her brow to see my reaction.

My eyes slightly widened and my jaw dropped. Not only that, I felt a burning sensation in my chest. “Sure, I don’t care. He’s not my visitor anyway.” I shrugged and looked at Xandry who already in front of one of the grill stand to chat with Finley.

I closed my mouth and swallowed down the lump forming in my throat. I couldn’t think of Xandry’s full red lips kissing my best friend. My frown deepened when I noticed at the corner of my eye who was walking toward Xandry offering him a tong. Xandry smiled at her and muttered something causing Jasmine to flirty smile back.

“Damn if he isn’t the hottest-sweetest-wetness inducing man I’ve ever seen,” Olive declared.

“And damn if I don’t need a wetness protection program starting today.” Charlie was laughing with Olive made me snort.

“Did I sense jealousy?” Olive bumped her shoulder to me.

“Why would I get jealous?” I asked with ugly laughter that got everyone’s attention.

Damn it! I mentally face-palmed and repeatedly cursed under my breath.

A flush crept across my cheeks. A heat pricked my skin in embarrassment. My two stupid friends giggled beside me while I covered my face with my hand and sunk down on my seat.

“Oh, dear. I’m definitely gonna lick those abs.” Charlie gripped my hand stronger than necessary that grabbed my attention.

“Holy mother of heaven,” said Olive.

I stiffened on my seat when Xandry walked toward our direction, wiping his face with his shirt, now his well-defined eight damn-licious abs on full display, making my mouth water lavishly.