Page 53 of Yours and Mine (Friends with Benefits)

“I know. I love you too.”

“I’ll let you go for tonight. But tomorrow, you’re mine!”

“Grrr!” Daisy made a wild animal sound and hooked her fingers into a claw shape, scraping the air.

He slapped Daisy on her ass before disappearing into the woods with Andrew.

“And don’t you dare peek from there! I’ll know if you do,” Daisy yelled toward them. Once she was certain the beach was clear, she turned our way. “Okay, ladies! It’s safe to come out now.”

I paddled with Molly toward the shore. “Thanks, Daisy. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“You would have turned into wrinkly old prunes,” she laughed.

We got dressed and added more wood to the fire. Soon the flames rose high enough to keep a constant warmth floating around us. As I sat there, following the orange sparks up into the night sky, I wondered how many more gatherings like this one we would have before the summer’s end. Little did I know, this would be the last one for the three of us.

Dear Nick,

It may seem odd, but I want to talk about sex. It’s on my mind all the time, and I think it’s because Daisy can’t stop talking about all the sex she’s having with Carter. Daisy’s beginning to remind me of a female rabbit in spring. She and Carter are going at it like two monkeys, and I feel like I’m missing out on all the good stuff with you. I mean, we had sex, but I don’t really know what you like, and I want to know. I don’t know what I like, either, but I want to learn about it with you. If I told you the things Daisy does with Carter, you wouldn’t believe me. And she said that she kept the best parts to herself. Daisy doesn’t know it, but Carter’s going to propose to her. Please keep this between us, although by the time you get this letter, they’ll already be engaged. I’m going to town tomorrow to help him pick out the ring. It’s exciting. I wish you were here.

I hope you don’t think it’s weird of me to write about the sex stuff. Probably better than me telling you about the cakes I’ve been decorating with your mom. I’m getting better at them too. In fact, I can’t wait to go to your mom’s bakery each morning so that I can try something new. Which brings me to another discussion I wish we could have had on one of our rooftops. I’m not going to college. I can’t see myself there and the only place I’m truly comfortable is the bakery. Are you disappointed? I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos about baking, and your mom has been a great asset as well. I can’t wait for you to taste my blueberry muffins. They’re to die for. Last weekend, I flew with your mom to San Antonio to create and decorate a special cake, and under her supervision I did it all! I baked, assembled, and decorated my very first special order for an exclusive client. Can you believe it? Little me? And the best part was that they loved it. I must say that it was beautiful. I’m attaching a photograph with the letter.

Miss you more than I did yesterday.

Love always,

Joelle

Chapter 13

My Dearest Joelle,

I would never be disappointed in you, and honestly, I never saw you as a teacher anyway, so I can’t wait to try your blubbery muffins, and much more. I’ll support you in whatever you choose, my love. Always.

So, you’ve been decorating cakes? Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised. I want to see every single one. The one you sent me is a masterpiece. Please take more pictures. I want to see every single one of your creations.

I can’t tell you what I’m feeling when I read your letters. I wish I was there on that rooftop with you, talking about our future, which of course includes the sex part. What do I like? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that anything involving your body would be more and better than I get through my dreams at night. Yes, I dream about you every night. I wake up hard, thinking about our night together. Do me a favor? Tonight, after you shower, put on your sexiest underwear and a t-shirt, climb in your bed, and touch yourself. I want you to feel what I felt when I touched you. I want you thinking about me and how my hand is on my cock when I think about you. Now I’m getting hard while writing this letter and I wish I had time for a quick shower myself so I could jerk off to the beautiful image I have in my mind of your naked body. You are my everything, Joelle. Counting down the days.

Yours always,

Nick

P.S. I hope you’re keeping these letters hidden.

The dayof the fundraiser I paced up and down the bakery, biting my fingernails. Last week, Carter had taken me on a secret trip to the city where I helped him pick out an engagement ring. Marge was just as excited as I was. She would be the one decorating the cupcake and setting the ring into the cream on top. I still couldn’t believe they were going to get married. But from what Carter told me, they both didn’t want to wait long.

“Hey, when you know it’s right, what’s the point of stalling?” he said, once we had the diamond ring in a bag. It was a perfect cushion cut that I knew Daisy would love. Nothing big, but just right.

Daisy and Molly were both starting college next week, so today was bittersweet. It would be our last outing together before everyone left town for school.

I tapped my foot on the porch, whose wooden planks echoed from my cowboy boots. Carter was picking me up in ten minutes. I had the cupcake ready in a box, and he was going to hide it in his trunk before we got Daisy. My yellow strapless dress fluttered in the wind, and I pulled the denim jacket close around me. Although it was still summer, the winds had shifted, and this evening the air felt cooler than earlier in the day. Marge came outside, smoothing her hands over her bare arms.

“Feels more like fall. Look at those colors.” She pointed to the setting sun. The bright oranges and pinks were like from a painting.

“It does. They’re saying we have a chance of thunderstorms later on.”

“You be careful, sweetheart. There could be an unexpected tornado coming with this storm.”

Although we’d never had a tornado in town, there were a few warnings every once in a while.

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