Over the moon, p.1
Over the Moon, page 1
Over the Moon
A Men of Styre Cove Novel
Tess Watters
Lockett Publishing
Copyright © 2023 Tess Watters
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real persons, places, or events are entirely coincidental. This title is for adults only. It contains explicit sexual acts, adult scenes, and topics that some might find offensive. Please read the content warnings and keep out of reach of minors. First Printing, 2023 Lochett Publishing
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Before You Read
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Books In This Series
About The Author
Before You Read
Please note that some events and scenarios outlined in this novel may not align with your values or tastes. The most important thing to me is that you enjoy this story and one way to do that is to be informed about what you might be getting yourself into. Please see the below content warnings and take care.
Profanity
Rough Consensual Sex
Stalking or harassment
Sexual Assault (on-page)
Infidelity (off-page/not main love interest)
Fatphobia
Chapter 1
Wolf
I swing into the last parking spot and put the truck in park, grateful that there was room, and I didn’t have to walk in from the main road. The drive here was silent, but I can almost hear what he is thinking: that meeting was a complete waste of fucking time. “Sorry, that ran later than I expected,” I say as I get out and shut the door.
Nate hops out of the passenger side. “You said that dealing with the Styre Cove Garden Society was going to be tedious, but Jesus, Wolf. How many times do we have to go over the same terms we signed off on last week?” he says with a snort as he rounds the front of my truck and meets me at the edge of the parking lot. I hope that was the final meeting before we break ground next week, I can be patient but it’s starting to wear thin.
“At least they didn’t try to change the floor plans for the lodge again,” I say as I watch Nate pull his phone from his back pocket and start scrolling through his texts. “And they had those little egg sandwiches you like,” I add with a smirk.
Normally I wouldn’t conduct business on the weekends, but the build for the SCGS is important. Their members consist of influential residents from the surrounding townships. Since I am new to the area, making these connections is invaluable. Therefore, if we need to meet on a Sunday, that’s what we will do.
The starting pistol went off two hours ago when we were still in the middle of discussions. Even though Nate, the chronically punctual man he is, has been on edge ever since he handled himself professionally. Nate was the first person I hired six months ago. He is career driven and family-focused, just like I am. The similarities between us are uncanny, really. Everything else on top of that confirms it was the right decision to hire him as my lead engineer and he is becoming a really good friend.
He raises his head. “Dad texted.” He gestures to his phone before he quickly puts it in his back pocket. “Aubrey is at the last checkpoint. Thanks for the drive, boss. Did you want to come say hi to Dad?” He points with his thumb toward the other side of the park.
What else was I going to do today? Nothing. “Sure.” Nate’s brother started running this half-marathon years ago, and from what Nate tells me, he and his dad always come to support.
Nate and I make our way toward the crowd of spectators on the other side of the wide-open picnic area of the park. It’s only a little after ten o’clock and already too hot for me. This park would be unbearable if it wasn’t for the breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean. I roll up the sleeves of my white dress shirt and take a deep breath of the salty air, allowing the smell of familiarity to calm my soul.
We reach the other side of the park, breach the crowd, and begin weaving our way to the reception area just beyond the finish line. This section is set up so friends and family can gather to watch their runners crest the hill for the last 500 feet of the race. Now in front of us, I can see the finish line where staff and volunteers are busy handing out medals, water, and providing any medical attention that might be needed.
Nate is quiet but I can feel his excitement as I watch a smile plaster across his face. “There’s Aubrey.” His connection with his brother makes me miss my brother and sister. It’s hard when they live across the country and that is something else Nate and I have in common since Aubrey doesn’t live in Maine either. I feel kind of excited as well. I am not sure if it’s the excitement of the crowd infecting me or that I get to meet his brother for the first time. As if he knew I was lost in thought, he gives me a slight elbow jab and then tilts his head to point toward the cluster of runners coming in.
I direct my focus to the approaching runners and see a man of average height with blond hair and a light complexion. That’s strange, Aubrey must take after Nate’s mother’s side of the family because I see no resemblance. Nate is built like a brick shithouse, with dark brown hair and an olive complexion. Aubrey is downright pasty in comparison. Maybe their parents ran out of toner? I chuckle at my lame-ass joke.
As if by force, my attention is pulled to the person directly to Aubrey’s right. They are running together; she is talking and laughing with him. Shit, I would keel over if I tried to run and talk at the same time. But laughing too? I would be dead. The closer they get the more of her I can take in. Her cheeks and chest are flushed, and her warm brown hair is tied up, whipping back and forth, opposite to her hip movements. There is a slight sheen to her skin that kind of glistens in the late morning sun, making me think about what she would look like underneath me covered in sweat. Her thick thighs wrapped around my waist, ankles hooked, and her nails scratching down my back. Whoa. Where the hell did that come from? My cock is now stiff, in a public park. Awesome. I take a few metered breaths and discreetly adjust myself. If I don’t get this under control, there is going to be a zipper imprint on my dick, and I might get arrested.
Aubrey and the sexiest-running-mate-ever cross the finish line together and receive their medals and water. Aubrey grabs two bananas from a basket and passes one to her. As she takes it, he pulls her to his side for a hug and they share an intimate glance. Something like a tightness presents in my chest. Now that he is closer, I was right, the men look nothing alike. He is slender, almost wiry, nothing compared to Nate’s muscular build. Nate waves them over to where we are standing.
They weave through the crowd toward us, high-fiving other runners that haven’t left the receiving area yet. I am having a hard time taking my eyes off her, watching her body move gracefully through the crowd. She finally looks my way and catches me watching her. Am I dead? Must be because I am not breathing. She is holding my attention like a building on fire. I can’t look away or break the connection. She smiles a cute, sweet smile as she continues walking toward me and she is picking up speed. Why does she look like she is going to jump into my arms? Did she somehow hear my little fantasy? Did I say it aloud? I manage to break the connection and glance to my left where Nate is standing. Does he notice what is happening here? Does he know who she is?
“You made it!” she says.
My fantasy woman jumps alright. Right into Nate’s arms.
What. The. Fuck.
Nate wraps his arms around her in a tight hug with a massive shit-eating grin on his face. I can feel my breath coming back into my body, so I know I’m not dead. I know what I am, jealous and confused. Does she belong to Nate? Damn it. How did I not know? I have been fantasizing about my employee’s girl while standing next to him the whole time. I am an ass.
As I stand there, trying to gain some control of my head and body, Nate’s brother is standing awkwardly in front of us.
Nate slowly lets her down and says, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, punk.” He pats the top of her head, and she wrinkles her nose at him as he takes her shoulders and turns her to face me. “This is my boss, Wolf. Wolf, this is my sister, Aubrey.” My jaw goes slack. What did he just say? She looks up at me and the connection is made again, lost in a sea of hazel green eyes. I try quickly to put together the facts I know about Nate and the bomb he just dropped when I am further distracted. I breathe deeply. Is that coconut? Focus, man.
“Wolf?” she asks. I pull my eyes from hers and they settle on her mouth. That sweet smile she had for Nate has somehow changed to something a little more ... devilish. “What? Were you born on
“Aubrey,” Nate says in a chastising tone that means she has crossed a line. This must happen a lot because she dramatically rolls her eyes at her brother. If she ever did that to me, I would take her over my... her laugh interrupts my dirty thought.
“Sorry, Wolf. I am just still under the influence of a runner’s high!” She raises her hands like she is about to be arrested. I would like to put some cuffs on her. She turns back to her brother and slaps his chest. “Dude! Did you see it? My best time yet! Next year I should probably run the full marathon.”
“You will need to train a lot harder, babe,” Imposter-Aubrey says out of nowhere – I forgot he was there. Aubrey physically deflates in front of me, and it hurts to watch. I can’t hide the disdain I feel as I turn my attention to him.
“Oh, Wolf, this is my boyfriend Derek,” Aubrey says in a surprisingly cheerful tone. Ouch! I think I got whiplash from how quickly she bounced back from that jab.
Derek puts out his hand to greet me and I firmly grasp it. Briefly, he shows a sign of discomfort. Jesus, the man shakes like a dead fish: lifeless and floppy. Just me greeting a trout. “Nice to meet you, Derek,” I say while looking him directly in the eyes. He struggles to keep eye contact and looks away quickly. Perfect, I internally cheer his weakness. If he fucks like he shakes hands, my woman is missing out. Did I just think ‘my’?
“Pumpkin!” I hear a familiar older man’s voice calling from behind me. Derek drops my hand as Jim Bishop, Nate’s dad, steps between us.
“Dad!” Aubrey says as she hugs her father.
“Eight minutes faster than last year, kiddo, and you don’t look gassed at all. Maybe it’s time to try the full run,” Jim innocently says. Nate catches my eye and I know that he noticed the jab too.
“Thanks, Dad, I think I will,” Aubrey says with conviction, and I believe her.
“We better get going. More runners are coming in,” Jim says, trying to move us along. “Let’s go over there,” He gestures to the open area we passed earlier. “You and Derek can stretch before we head home.”
“Good plan. My legs feel like jelly,” she says just before she takes half the banana in her mouth. Now is not the time to think about that, Wolf.
We move away from the receiving area to make room for the next cluster of runners and their families and find a spot for them to stretch. Nate and Jim start talking about something; the weather, the turnout for the run. I have no idea. I keep trying to focus on the conversation and not watch my employee’s sister stretch out her overworked muscles, but I am failing miserably. Sweat no longer covers her body but the flush on her cheeks and chest remains. My mind wanders to places it shouldn’t. Like how I would like to have her stretched out on my bed, wet and waiting for my cock. I now have a raging hard-on in front of the three men in her life, two of whom I respect. The zipper imprint is likely to be permanent.
Nate says my name and I turn to see him and Jim looking at me expectantly. Was I supposed to answer something? Nate looks past me to where Aubrey is doing some kind of yoga-stretch pose and then back at me, a single eyebrow raised. Shit. I decided right there that I need to flip the switch from sexual deviant to someone in control.
It turns out that while I was distracted, I was invited to a family barbecue.
Chapter 2
Aubrey
“Here is some ice, pumpkin.” Dad hands me one of those blue ice bags with the white top while I rest on the swing. It’s one of those swings that hang from the veranda ceiling with smooth wooden slats, soft throw pillows, and a knitted blanket for those cool summer nights.
My knee started to ache during the twenty-minute drive from the park and I want to get ahead of any issues before we fly out tomorrow. “Thanks, Dad.” I place the bag on my right knee and a small hiss escapes my lips from the cold. “Derek will help you with the barbecue,” I say as I look around for my boyfriend. Spotted, on the phone as usual. Dad follows my gaze to where Derek is pacing a hole in the grass near the garden. Sometimes I wish Dad lived further out in the country so we couldn’t get cell reception.
“Let’s not bother him.” I notice a small crease present between his eyebrows. “Nate’s in the shed now,” he says as he squeezes my left shoulder briefly and goes into the house. I know that Dad doesn’t like how much Derek works, always moving fast in hopes of getting the next big exclusive.
My train of thought is interrupted when there is movement in my periphery. “Watch your step, Wolf,” Nate says as he navigates the shed’s doorway and the twelve-inch drop to the ground. I know the barbecue they are carrying, one on each end is one heavy beast. Damn, those men make it look easy.
Nate has always been strong, and he built a lot of his muscle tossing bales of hay for the Coopers next door as we were growing up. That was over fifteen years ago but he still could toss a bail to the loft with ease. I have no idea about Wolf, but if he can keep up with Nate, he is strong as well.
They set the grill down on the stone area just to the right of the steps coming down from the veranda, only a few feet below me. “I hope your dad is planning on leaving this out for the rest of the season. It would be quite the sight seeing him try to get it out here on his own,” Wolf says as he wipes his hands on his faded jeans and tucks them into his front pockets.
“Oh, I know, but it will stay out until the end of October now,” my brother says as he turns and takes two big steps to reach the top of the veranda right where I am resting and icing. Show off. I have to take each step, one by one. Why didn’t I get any of the tall genes? Why am I here with a grand total of five feet and six inches?
Nate rubs my head as he walks by and into the house calling to Dad, “You got the steaks, old man?”
“You wanna live to eat them, boy?” my dad retorts as Nate chuckles. I close my eyes and smile, letting the feeling of home and the familiar wash over me. I sit in thought for a brief moment before the air seems to change around me. I open my eyes and Wolf is now across from me, leaning against the railing. His arms are folded over his chest and his ankles are crossed. God damn. His dark brown hair is shaved close on the sides but longer on the top. His white button-down shirt is snug against his pecs, the cuffs rolled up enough for me to see his corded forearms. Shit, that is my kryptonite. He is wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a pair of brown leather loafers. I wonder what he tosses. Bales of hay? He looks strong enough to toss me.
I look up at his face and I can’t quite place his expression. He is looking at me, all of me. I’m suddenly aware of what I am wearing, a navy-blue racer-back tank top and a pair of short cut-off jean shorts. My body flushes as his gaze slips from my throat, across my chest, the softness of my belly, hips, my too thick thighs, and then he stops. I hear a hitch in his breath when he sees the ice pack. “Are you hurt?”
It takes me a second to register what he said. “I’m sorry?”
“The ice pack. Is your knee all right?” he says with concern in his voice.
“Oh, um, yeah.” I close my eyes for a second and shake my head. “I am okay. My knee can be tricky, so I like to ice it after a run,” I say.
Wolf continues to look at me as if trying to decide if I am telling the truth. The flush from earlier starts to heat my face so much that I am sure it’s obvious how much his stare affects me. It’s the same look he gave me at the park. The same look that made me squeeze my thighs together to fight off whatever was happening to me. I have never responded to a look like that, not even with Derek. I think I need some space.
“Well, rest time is over.” I push the bag off my knee and stand up, a little wobblier than expected. His hand darts out and grabs my elbow to help steady me. The touch of his hand sends tingles up my arm and spreads to the heat already across my chest. Now steady on my feet, I look him in the eye and say, “Thank you, I am alright now. If you will excuse me, it’s time to make up the salad.”
