Well, lucky for her, that just made all our packing that much easier. I started putting things into boxes, asking for her opinion on where she wanted things to go. All of the boxes were marked from her previous packing, saying what was where so that she’d been able to keep track of it, and there wasn’t a whole lot of stuff, so it was all going quickly.
Stevie laughed as I moved around like a tornado. “Oh my God, you’re impossible,” she laughed. “Where’s the fire?”
I couldn’t help myself. I strode over to her and pulled her in against me. “Would you kill me if I said that it was in my pants?”
“No, but I’d have to laugh at you for that horrible, horrible joke.”
“Mmm, but it’s right there…”
“You are…” Stevie started to say, but I decided I’d had enough of her teasing me. I slid my hand into her hair and kissed her, deep and thorough.
Stevie melted against me, moaning a little as I teased her with my tongue, darting it in and out until she whimpered and I went all in. I kissed her until I had to pull back for breath, my lungs heaving, my body aching all over with need for her. I really did feel like I had been set on fire.
“C’mere,” I growled, and pulled her in for another kiss.
Stevie sighed into it, looping her arms around my neck. I could smell the sweet coconut scent of her shampoo, and feel the softness of her skin from the shower.
I wanted to get her home, to have her back with me properly, but I also couldn’t resist having her here and now, getting to be with her again.
Our other times had been so frantic, full of dizzying lust, but now… now I relaxed into the kiss. Stevie was coming back with me. We had all the time in the world.
As we stumbled back towards her bed I began to peel her clothes off slowly, taking my time. Stevie hummed in pleasure as I put my mouth to her again and again, seeking out every curve, every inch of skin. I wanted to know her body by my mouth and hands alone. I wanted to taste her like the finest five-course meal.
Stevie laughed a little in surprise as I got to her ribs. “Ticklish, are we?” I murmured.
“Maybe a little,” she replied, sounding sly.
I filed that thought away for later and got back to touching her. Finding the different spots that made her murmur, made her gasp, made her cry out and tug at my hair and shoulders.
Her hands were all over me as well, exploring me in equal measure. At last I got her onto the bed and she rolled over, straddling me, staring down at me with a soft smile.
Fuck, she was so goddamn beautiful. Every curve was on glorious display, her breasts hanging full and heavy and just begging for me to put my mouth on them. Stevie rolled her hips impishly, dragging her wet folds along my cock, not taking me inside just yet—just teasing.
I shuddered. I wanted to take it slow today, and fought against every instinct in me screaming to fuck her hard, to thrust into her in one long stroke and make her wail so loudly the neighbors complained.
Instead, I let her take her time. Let her tease me.
Today wasn’t about wailing. It was about whispers.
28
Stevie
It felt like something soft and fragile was building between us. Something that was deeper than the wild lust we had shared.
Of course, my own feelings had always been more than just sexual desire. And I was pretty sure, pretty hopeful, anyway…that Michael was on the same page. But we had been giving into our lust for each other like horny college students, and now… this was different.
I rode him, sinking down onto his cock inch by inch, gasping, feeling like all the air had been pushed out of me. He green eyes bore into mine, gleaming almost like a cat’s, and I felt lost in them. Drowning.
His hands wrapped around my hips, steadying me, his thumbs rubbing slow, soothing circles into my skin. He was looking at me like I was a goddess. Like he couldn’t quite believe I was even real.
It made me want to cry. To laugh. To fuck him until I was screaming with it. And yet… I did none of those things. I let myself sink onto him and moved as slow and steady as the tide, the water dragging me under, until it was surrounding me. Until he surrounded me.
From this position, everything was so much deeper. It was like I could feel him in every vibrating inch of me. Like he was inside my bloodstream. Every time I sank down onto him it split me wide, and I felt just on the edge of too-full. I loved it. It made me shiver, made me feel claimed. And oh, how I so wanted to be claimed by him.
I sank onto him again, and again, losing track of time. It was just about his body and mine, and the slowly building pleasure in my spine, rising and rising like a wave until at last—
It crashed over me and I inhaled sharply, shaking, bracing my hands on his chest to keep from collapsing. I could feel his muscles quivering underneath me and Michael groaned, finally moving, taking back control—his hips thrust up into me, sharpening my orgasm, making me feel like I was a live wire, a bare piece of zinging electricity—
He came inside of me, marking me up, hot and delicious. I felt claimed in the best kind of way, knowing that he was inside of me like that, like I would feel him in me, evidence of our bond, our joining.
I sank down onto his chest and Michael wrapped his arms around me. “You’re perfection,” he whispered.
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to hear that or not, but it made me smile, made my entire body warm, as the last aftershocks of pleasure faded from me and I slipped into slumber. I wanted to stay like this forever.
We both napped, although that wasn’t our intention, and then I coaxed him into the shower, laughing when he splashed me with water. He insisted on washing my hair for me, his thick, dexterous fingers working through the strands, massaging my scalp. I felt pampered all over again.
Afterwards, we dressed and packed up both of our cars with my things. I didn’t need the U-Haul this time since I had two cars, and only one driver in each, so there was room for more things in the back and passenger seats.
Oh, God, I hoped that Andy was okay with my moving back in. A friend of his had been crashing with him in the meantime and helping out with rent but I knew that wasn’t supposed to be permanent. Something about the friend fighting with his boyfriend, I didn’t know the details. We had enough room for the friend to crash on our couch if it came to it…
“I should give Andy a call,” I said as I closed the door to the trunk of my call. “Make sure that he’s good to go. I really hope that I don’t have to stay with my parents for a few days but I’m sure it’ll be fine… I can put my furniture back in our place, anyway, it’s not much and Andy didn’t replace anything.”
Michael was giving me an odd look. “I don’t want you moving back in with your brother. I was hoping that you would move in with me, stay with me, in my house.” His voice dropped down low. “In my bed.”
I stared at him in surprise. He wanted what?
Of course I was turned on, God, yes, so fucking turned on. I wanted to be in his bed, I wanted to be his, I wanted to live in his house and make it mine, too. I wanted to share my life with him.
And the fact that he wanted that, the fact that he was asking me to do that, that he was even expecting it… that meant so much to me. It thrilled me right down to my core.
But there wasn’t just the two of us to consider. There was also Brooke.
“What about Brooke?” I asked.
Brooke still lived at home, and in this economy I couldn’t blame her. Why shouldn’t she? She had a nice big house, and a dad who was relaxed, and she didn’t have a boyfriend or anyone she was trying to bring home.
“She’s going to think it’s weird that I’m suddenly moving into your house,” I pointed out. “Not just your house, but your bed.”
“I don’t care,” Michael said, his tone holding that strong note of conviction that I so admired ninety percent of the time. But right now, it was worrying me. I was worried that he wasn’t thinking through all of the consequences of this.
“Brooke is going to understand.”
I shook my head. “It’s not that easy. She doesn’t know about our relationship. I never told her. We weren’t properly dating, and so I didn’t want to tell her about us, especially not without your permission. She thinks that Cameron is the father, for fuck’s sake. That’s going to be a real jolt for her. I’m going back to Andy’s place, and I’m sharing with him, just like before.”
Michael didn’t look all that pleased about it, but he didn’t put up a fight, either. “We can compromise,” he said. “For now. You can stay in our spare room, the guest room, and we won’t tell Brooke until you’re ready.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, my chest loosening. “I appreciate that, Michael, really I do. I just don’t think…I think we have to be careful about how we break the news to Brooke, that’s all.”
“Fair enough.” He stepped closer to me, his hands falling to my hips. “I have to warn you though, I’m not going to be able to be patient for long.”
“Oh?” I asked, half teasing him.
He shrugged, smirking at me. “Where do you think Brooke got her inability to keep secrets, anyway?”
I groaned, but I didn’t want to fight him on this. We would figure out a way to tell Brooke—I didn’t want to hide my relationship from my best friend or my boyfriend’s daughter. It wasn’t fair.
Was Michael my boyfriend? Was that the right word to use? It sounded a bit… juvenile, honestly. Boyfriend felt like something you called your significant other in high school, not when your significant other, your lover, was twenty years older than you were and you were both professional adults.
In any case, I knew that we’d have to tell Brooke eventually. I just… wanted it to not be all at once. I wanted to break it to her the right way, at the right time, so that she didn’t feel lied to or betrayed.
Michael kissed me, soft and slow, making my knees go weak, and I knew that I wanted to be with him. And we were going to find a way to make it work, with Brooke, with everything.
I let that hope buoy me up and carry me as I got into the car and drove back south - back towards home.
29
Michael
I didn’t like keeping secrets from my daughter.
I hadn’t ever liked it, of course, and I’d always been honest with Brooke about things. But especially after what her mom did, I took extra care to never hide anything from her. I was honest with her when I was struggling in the wake of Virginia’s betrayal. I was honest about how the restaurant was doing. All of it.
So while I could understand Stevie’s fears about telling her, I wanted to let Brooke in on everything right away. Why couldn’t she be happy? She was getting a little sibling, something she’d always wanted, even if it was about ten years later than expected, and her best friend was going to be even more a part of the family than before. And Brooke had always been encouraging me to move on and find someone. I also knew for a fact that she’d been trying to get Stevie to see someone for ages, bemoaning to me several times the fact that Stevie refused to go out and try to meet potential dates.
I felt even worse when we got back and Brooke nearly cried with relief at seeing Stevie. “Oh my God!” she shrieked, nearly tackling Stevie in her enthusiasm to hug her.
“Ah, Brooke, hon, careful, the baby,” Stevie said, laughing and gently loosening Brooke’s grip on her.
“Oh my God, sorry, sorry!” Brooke took Stevie’s hands in hers. “I’m just so excited and glad and you’re here!” She looked at our two cars laden down with stuff. “And you’ve got all your things?”
“I’m moving back,” Stevie said. “Andy’s got someone staying with him. Michael, your dad, said that I could stay in the guest bedroom with you guys? I’m coming back to the restaurant.”
Brooke shrieked again and hugged Stevie tightly. “I’m so glad, I’ve missed you so much! Go on inside and put your feet up, oh my God!”
After Stevie did what she was told, Brooke grabbed me and hugged me just as tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I know that you did that for me—and I know I’ve been upset with Mom and all but you really didn’t have to, and I’m so grateful. Thank you.”
Fucking hell. Now I felt even worse about lying to her.
Brooke pulled back. “And I think it’s really generous of you to help Stevie like this. I’m so grateful for all of your concern, and thinking of me, and—and I know she’s tried to put on a brave face but she really could use the help and I know she’ll be so much happier with us here than she was at that other place. You’re the best dad in the universe.”
She kissed my cheek, and then ran inside to grab Stevie again.
I felt so guilty it was like an animal was chewing on my stomach. Fuck.
We all had dinner together, making it together almost like a family, and my heart ached to see it all play out. I could easily see it happening for the rest of our lives, although, I hoped Brooke would move out eventually and find her own place, make her own family as well. But for the time being, the three of us, eventually the four of us once the baby was born… I loved that idea.
Brooke was a decent cook, although frankly not as good as Stevie or me, but she was good at following directions and helping with the prep, chopping up vegetables, that sort of thing. We laughed and joked together as we got it all together.
When we finally sat down, Brooke had a million questions for Stevie. I wasn’t surprised.
At first the questions were just easy ones. Brooke wanted to know all about her other job, and what it had been like, and what had made her decide to leave. Stevie explained how much she’d hated the job and how she had leapt at the chance to return once I assured her that the restaurant was doing well under her new menu.
“I felt so guilty,” she explained. “I thought that I’d ruined everything. And even once you told me that I hadn’t, I still wasn’t sure. I felt like after leaving as suddenly as I did, I didn’t have a right to come back. Michael was really kind and explained to me that I was more than welcome back and that you all missed me.”
Brooke didn’t seem to object to or even notice that Stevie was calling me by my first name instead of ‘your dad’ or ‘Mr. Madison’. Of course, I had always encouraged her to call me by my first name and we were coworkers now, so it would make sense for her to call me Michael, but… I hoped that it meant Brooke was all right with seeing Stevie and me in a more casual relationship. A more intimate one.
But then Brooke got onto the more awkward questions.
“What about the baby?” she asked. “What about Cameron?”
Oh, shit.
Stevie looked like a deer in the headlights. The temptation to reach over and take her hand, to reassure her, was so strong that I almost gave into it. I clenched my hand around my knee instead, digging my nails in.
“If you go back to work at the restaurant he’s definitely going to find out that you’re pregnant,” Brooke explained. “And he’ll have to know he’s the father.”
That little problem could easily be solved by my firing him. I was happy to do it, but I suspected that Stevie wouldn’t appreciate my attempting to solve her problem that way. Besides, it wouldn’t actually be fair to Cameron. An outrageous flirt he might be, but he hadn’t actually knocked her up. I had. I couldn’t punish him just to carry on a lie.
“There’s no reason for him to know,” Stevie replied. “I could’ve hooked up with someone in Sacramento. I’m not really showing yet. And it’s none of his business.”
She sounded like her usual self, full of conviction. I wished that it was as easy for me to lie. I kept biting my tongue, my jaw clenched so tightly that it was aching by the time dinner was finished.
I couldn’t keep this up. I just couldn’t. I wasn’t going to keep lying to my daughter and I wasn’t going to deal with the absolute mess that was her thinking Cameron was the father. Brooke could never leave well enough alone…if she saw Cameron and Stevie interacting at the restaurant, she’d consider it her duty to
go to Cameron and tell him herself. Then he’d tell her that he and Stevie had never slept together, and it would all blow up in our faces.
That night, after Brooke went to bed, I snuck into the spare room. I had to talk to Stevie, we had to deal with this.
Stevie gave a sharp gasp of surprise as I entered, closing the door quietly behind me. “You can’t fucking sneak in here!” she whispered.
I couldn’t help but feel a rush of heat as I saw her, wearing nothing but soft flannel pajama shorts and an oversized shirt that slipped down off her shoulder. “We need to talk.”
“Well we can do that without…this, what if we got fucking caught?”
“Good, then. I hope we do.” I went and sat down on the bed. “I already hate the lying. This is my daughter. Your best friend. I know that you don’t like it any more than I do.”
“Of course I don’t like it, but it’s not exactly lying, and…”
“You’re splitting hairs. It’s obscuring the truth. By omission, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. Brooke doesn’t know the truth and she needs to.”
“I’m not going to dump it on her and ruin my friendship with her.” Stevie put her hands on her hips, which really shouldn’t have been as adorable as it was.
“I’m not willing to let this lie stand forever. The longer it goes on, the more hurt she’s going to be when she finds out the truth. Then your friendship will be ruined whether you like it or not and so will my relationship with her.” I sighed. “This baby is going to be Brooke’s little sibling. I want her to know that and she will know, one way or another.”
“I just need more time,” Stevie replied. “Please. This is all happening so fast - with the restaurant, with you, with the baby - I just - I can’t do it all at once, I can’t deal with all of it.”
Best Friend's Daddy (Forever Daddies Book 3) Page 20