by Lara Swann
“It really was.” I murmur, cuddling her close and smiling softly.
She yawns loudly and I ruffle her hair, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
“We’re going to have to take you up for bed soon though, sleepy-head.”
Instead of objecting, she just nods and yawns again - a sure sign that today really was tiring, in all the right ways. By the time the movie is over, she’s more asleep than awake and I carefully pick her up with just a glance over at Jessica. She gives me a knowing smile, her gaze warm as she looks at my little girl, and nods as I indicate taking her quietly up to bed.
Settling her down for the night is easier than it has been for a long time - a welcome contrast with how much energy the day required - and I come back down to find Jessica in the kitchen, clearing up the leftover pizza.
“Thanks.” I say quietly, still in my bedtime voice, as I slump against the kitchen counter beside her and let out a long sigh. “I’m exhausted.”
“I’m not surprised.” Jessica says, amusement lacing her voice. “I had no idea that entertaining a three-year-old all day could be quite such an…active endeavor. It looked like she ran you ragged.”
“And you too, at the end there.” I smile back at her, enjoying the warmth in her gaze as I laugh softly.
“I hope you didn’t mind…”
“No.” I say, before she can finish, wanting to dispel that slight hesitation in her voice. “It made all the difference to have you there too…believe me, I’ll take all the support I can get.”
She laughs, the sound going all the way through me as it brings her slightly closer.
“It was a wonderful day, Nathan. Emma is so…”
“…a cheeky, outrageous little thing? Far more trouble than she’s worth?” I suggest, but my voice has lowered and I’m not sure I’m thinking about Emma anymore. Instead, my eyes linger on her lips, the slight flush in her cheeks, and even though I know we’re too close - that I should back away and say goodnight already - I don’t.
“No…” Jessica says softly, her own gaze lingering on mine. “She’s…perfect.”
The word comes out with barely a sound and I don’t know what it is about hearing that, but I can’t resist anymore. I reach forward and within moments she’s back in my arms, only meters away from where we were last night. My mouth crashes down against hers and she’s already reaching up for more, breathing heavily as she steps into my embrace.
“Damn it, Jessica…” I growl, as my body comes alive again and pure heat runs through me. Desperate, unfulfilled heat. The kind that’s been building all day. I pull back enough to look at her, breathing hard, my mouth still only inches above hers. “I don’t know if I can do this…living so closely together…”
“It’s so fucking hard.” She mutters, her hands hooked into the top of my jeans, keeping her body pressed tightly against mine. “Harder than I thought…”
“We shouldn’t…but damn it…don’t know if I can keep my hands off you…don’t know if I even want to…”
She shudders against me, kissing me hard again and for a moment I’m just lost in it - her mouth, her touch, the slight gasp underneath me and the soft scent that surrounds me. Her hands roam over my hair, tugging my head closer, while my own roam over her hips and pull her against me.
“Why do we have to?” Jessica says, her voice heavy as we break apart for a brief moment. “I want…your hands…”
I groan at the thought, nibbling on her lip and sucking it into my mouth, my tongue tangling with hers as I deepen the kiss.
“Jessica…” I gasp, trying desperately to remember why it’s so important, to cling to the part of me that thinks this is a very, very bad idea, even as it feels like the best thing in the world.
“I know that it doesn’t mean anything, Nathan.” She says, her body grinding against mine even as she tilts her head back to meet my eyes - showing me that she means it, even if they are heavily diluted by the same desire I feel. “We’re not…married. This is just…temporary. But while we’re living here…together…why make it difficult? Why not…give in? Just for a little bit?”
Everything swims in my head - the desire, the hesitation, the confusing mixture of urges swamping me - until the temptation becomes too much to resist. Especially when she puts it that way.
“I…fuck it.” I say, pressing her back up against the counter and kissing her hard, my hands roaming over her body as I throw caution to the wind for what feels like the first time since Emma was born.
She knows it doesn’t mean anything. I know it doesn’t mean anything. So…what’s the harm? Really?
She’s right. It’s so much easier just to give in. Just for the moment. While we’re living together anyway and can’t avoid each other.
I pick her up in one quick movement, and her hand flies to her mouth to cover the startled laugh as I spin us around and head towards the living room. I’m briefly startled by the difference in proportion - I haven’t picked anyone up but Emma for a long time and Jessica is much taller - but I adjust quickly, especially as she runs her hands through my hair and leans down to kiss me again, eyes sparkling.
“I don’t think anyone has tried to pick me up since I was a kid.” She laughs lightly at me, her legs wrapping around me and squeezing suggestively.
“Oh fuck…” I groan, already wanting the promise of those legs in an entirely different position. “And I’m doing more than trying.”
I prove my point as I guide us into the other room and straight over to the couch - grateful that it’s already covered in case Emma spills anything on it - setting her down on it and following in one smooth movement.
She spreads her legs to create space for me, pulling me down on top of her and kissing me hard as her hand comes up under my shirt and starts roaming across my bare skin. It feels amazing and I’m quickly doing the same as we kiss and move desperately against each other, taken by the lust and heat and need that never got an outlet last night. We roll together on the couch like a couple of teenagers and I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this way - or that I’ve given into anything with quite such abandon - as I realize just how much access her dress gives me, sliding a hand up her leg and then over her hips, all the way up to…
“Ohhh!” She breathes, her body arching up at my touch and making my already hardening cock stiffen with attention.
Fuck, but she’s beautiful.
The thought takes me by surprise, some distant part of me registering that I’ve never thought that about her before, but I can’t stop to think now. All I can do is enjoy - and I do. With one clever bit of finger work, I undo the clasp to her bra, the tension falling from it as her breasts spill out into their natural form right under my face. I growl in anticipation as she helps me, bringing her hands back to shrug the straps off her shoulders and pull the bra out from under her dress.
The sight of the blue, lacy thing flying to the side distracts me momentarily, but then she guides my head back toward her, down to her chest and…oh fucking hell. My hands come around under her dress to tease and stroke her breasts at the same time as my mouth comes down over it, sucking through the fabric and lashing her nipples with my tongue, making her arch up against me as her breath starts coming in short gasps.
It’s intoxicating to watch and she writhes against me, her legs wrapping around my hips and bringing me closer even as her hands pull my shirt out of my jeans, undoing the buttons as her hands slide underneath. They find the top of my jeans and tug me closer still, until the hard outline of my cock is pressed up against her and she moans softly. That only makes me growl again, as I suck harder on her tits, rolling her nipples lightly between my teeth.
I can tell what it does to her from the way she urges me on - until with one quick movement, I hitch her dress right up and over her hips and bare her chest fully to my attentions. The thick, swollen nipples there make me groan, and I lower myself to take them into my mouth for real, making her breath hitch in her throat as the hot
test little whimpers escape her.
It makes me so hot and ready for her that when she starts sliding my belt open and pulling down my jeans, my cock threatens to spill out of my boxers almost immediately. She makes an excited, greedy noise as she tugs them down and then takes a hold of me, her hand like smooth silk against me.
It’s perfect and it almost undoes me, making me groan against her chest as I thrust hopelessly forward, my thick, hard cock wanting so much more.
“Fuck me, Nathan.” She gasps, insistent and needy, tugging me forward again with her legs, to where she’s almost totally bare before me. It’s too much to resist and I start sliding down her body, wanting to explore further, but she brings me back up almost immediately, pulling my head into her mouth and pressing her hips up against me.
“No…” She murmurs, starting to grind against me and sending hot need coursing through me. “I want all of you.”
“Oh god…” I say, my voice garbled as I hook my fingers in her panties, sliding them far enough down her hips that she kicks one leg out of them before bringing it back around me.
Then she’s totally there, available, open and eager in the best possible way - and I can’t even bring myself to glance down or savor it, too caught up in the lust burning between us, in the kind of primal need I haven’t felt for so long I can’t even remember it.
Fucking hell, I thought I was past urges like this…
Instead, I position myself at her entrance, feeling the moisture dripping from it and the warmth welcoming me in already as I tease her by gliding over those sweet, puffy lips.
“God damn it, Nathan…” She mutters, but it’s with the hottest kind of tangled desire I’ve ever heard, almost urging me on at the same time she’s cursing me. It’s enough that I lose myself in that for a few moments, despite the steadily building pulsing inside me, the desire I can feel just waiting for the chance to explode.
I take her mouth in mine at the same time I finally thrust forward, entering her with an ease that takes me by surprise and plunging all the way inside, my thick cock opening her up easily before me. She gasps, clinging to me as she arches up in response, before moaning in a such a deep, alluring way that I just want to do it again - and again - and again.
I do exactly that, losing myself in it as I thrust harder and faster, encouraged by her eager urging, by the way she gasps and clutches at me, obviously trying to be quiet but letting a few delicious noises escape anyway. I can’t think about anything else as the perfect warmth of her fits around me, squeezing tight and working me with everything she’s got.
“Fucking hell, Jessica…” I mutter, through kisses that become increasingly desperate and wild, our mouths crashing against each other in the same way our bodies do, and lust building higher and higher inside me, until it feels like a pressure cooker about to explode.
“Jessica, I…”
“Nathan…”
She grips my shoulders before I can say anything more, her fingers digging in as she arches back and lets out a silent scream I feel all the way down to my bones.
Fucking. Hell.
I growl something totally inarticulate, my mouth latching onto her neck as I bring her up against me, my hips working overtime as her pussy clenches and contracts hard around my cock and I thrust again and again, breathless and exhausted but so fucking desperate that—
I let out a wild groan, probably louder than I’d like if I had an ounce of willpower left to think about it, and slam into her, the explosion rolling up and out of me as I let everything loose inside her. I muffle myself on her skin, the delicate scent of her body intermingled with our joint sweat and…so much else…as we collapse back down together, gasping for breath.
She’s still clinging onto me, our bodies pressed tightly together as aftershocks ripple through her and I gather her into my arms, softly kissing along the curve of her neck. It takes a while for our breathing to slow as we lie there together, cramped together on the not-quite-big-enough couch but neither of us wanting to move as our bodies slowly sink into lassitude.
I reach over, finding her hand and linking it with mine as I let out a deep breath.
“Fuck, Jessica.”
“Yeah…” She murmurs beside me, echoing my breath. “Fuck…”
She looks over at me, dropping her head to the side and letting strands of that beautiful dark hair fall over it, not quite obscuring her wide smile or the sparkle in her eyes. Her body follows the movement and she twists around so that she’s on top of me, leaning in to kiss me with her hair falling around us in a curtain. Our lips linger together, our mouths grazing over one another as I look up into those eyes blown wide with pleasure and heat, before she finally pulls back.
Her hand trails down my cheek and I reach up to run my hand through her hair, tucking one side of it back behind her ear as she looks at me, a slight hint of wonder in her expression. One that matches my own.
“Thank you for that, Nathan.” She murmurs, leaning down to kiss me softly - and then, before I can react, sliding off me and standing up from the couch. I blink as she collects her bra from behind the couch, sending me the occasional lingering glance before walking away.
At the doorway she pauses, glancing back, her mouth curving up into a smile that seems to reflect everything we just did.
“Goodnight, Nathan.” She says quietly.
“Goodnight.” I repeat, twisting onto my side to watch as she leave, finding my eyes drawn involuntarily to the delicious curve of her body, the dress that’s still bunched up and barely falls past her hips, and the bra and panties she’s got held in one hand.
She disappears far too quickly and I fall back onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling as I let out a long breath, my mind still spinning at what just happened - at how fucking amazing I feel now - and how easy it all seems...
She just left. No expectations. No demands. Just mind-blowing sex and…that dark, illicit smile.
A few minutes later, I hear the shower start upstairs and my mind immediately turns to images of Jessica - naked, gorgeous Jessica - with water running down her skin…my mouth following…our bodies crashing together in heat and steam…
I don’t even try to banish the images. Instead, I close my eyes and give in. I don’t think this is going to be the last time we do this.
At least, I hope not.
Chapter Eleven
Jessica
A fter that, we don’t even try to resist anymore.
We can’t - not while we’re living together like this - and so instead we give into it with abandon, letting it happen as if we’ve both come to the same unspoken conclusion. It builds between us all day, with lingering glances and seemingly casual touches, and then at night we sneak into each others’ rooms, as if we’re naughty teenagers afraid of being caught out.
That only makes it hotter somehow. I think it’s the best sex I’ve ever had - mind-blowing, like every fantasy of mine has suddenly come true - and I can barely believe it’s actually happening. It is, though. I’ve got the lingering aches in all the right places to prove it, and I spend each day just waiting for the nighttime of passion.
I stop worrying about what all this might do to me in the end - that ‘stupid crush’ of mine turned out not to be nearly so stupid after all - and living together with that suddenly feels a whole lot easier, not harder. I know exactly what this is, and it’s worth every moment. Right now, it’s all I want.
I figure we’ll burn ourselves out on it eventually - but until then, I’ll take everything I can get, and just enjoy it.
And in the meantime, life is good.
The custody case - which I feel more and more drawn into as I spend more time with Nathan and Emma, waiting on edge with him for every update from his lawyer - seems to be looking up. Nathan’s lawyer is far more confident now that he’s ‘married’ and is making good progress collecting evidence supporting Nathan retaining full custody. It’s a relief for both of us and as time goes on Nathan finally seems to relax a bi
t, some of the constant anxiety and tension fading enough that he starts smiling and laughing more. It’s a wonderful thing to see.
Even the now-weekly visits that he and Emma have with Stephanie don’t seem to bother him in the same way they had. I don’t know whether it’s because he feels more confident about the case or if he’s just slowly adjusting to seeing her regularly again, but she doesn’t seem to get to him as much.
I haven’t seen Stephanie since she’s returned - with all this, I have no desire to, and I think Nathan would rather avoid the drama - but I find myself spending more time with Nathan and Emma, joining them with some of the activities they do and enjoying their company while we’re at home. Emma seems very enthusiastic for that and she’s such a sweet little girl that it’s impossible not to give into her…especially when it’s yet another excuse for Nathan and I to spend a little more time together.
At least we keep up some semblance of professionalism at work.
Years of working together helps with that, not to mention the distraction of the practice, appointments and other people there. Sure, there might be the occasional small moment in his office, when there’s no chance of anyone else seeing, but in general we’re far too busy running the place to succumb to more than a little anticipation for later that night.
Oddly enough, between it all, we seem to settle into some sort of routine - working together, living together, spending time with Emma and then fucking each other all hours of the night - and it works. It might be unconventional, but it almost feels too easy.
It’s only when my Mom’s birthday weekend comes by - sneaking up on me almost impossibly quickly - that I emerge from the little bubble we’ve created with a start.
“Are you sure you’re still up for this?” I ask nervously, the night before we’re due to head over to Springfield. We’ve already arranged for his Mom to take Emma for the weekend, but I still wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to pull out. “I could always say you’re sick, or—”
“Don’t be silly.” He says, his hand on my hip levering me closer to him, until my body is almost flush against his. We’re lying in bed face-to-face with each other, naked and idly touching, but tonight seems to be a night for talking more than fucking. “If you can be my wife for months to help me out, I think I can manage playing the role of your boyfriend for a couple of days.”