by Ford, Aria
I missed him as a friend but resented the fact that Paul tried to sabotage what I was building with Mandy. He wanted her for himself, and given that she didn’t fall for his flirtations, Paul took it to another level and got between the two of us. He knew me since I worked here when Brandon was just a baby and all that I’d been through with that. He knew that I didn’t react to women at all before Mandy and had to know that she was special to me.
We were a team at work, paired for many new accounts while Mandy also taught tennis at the camp. Brandon still wanted to go, and he was advancing in the sport as time went on. It made me proud. It was pretty cool to see my mother hug Mandy every time that she saw her for that as well.
We all discussed the upcoming camp next weekend, and Brandon expressed excitement over it. Mandy grinned as he spoke and I saw the surge of pride in her eyes as she watched him. We had him packed and ready for a trip that Lacy was taking him to the aquarium and lunch. He was also excited about that, and I took a bite of mashed potatoes as he went on and on about their plans.
We cleaned up the table once we finished dinner and Mandy packed a little container of leftovers for both Brandon and Lacy. She always made a lot of food given the appetites that my son and I both had, and we even had some for later tonight after I worked my appetite up all over again.
There was something to be said for weekends alone with my girlfriend. We didn’t have to be quiet. I made sure that I took her all over the house on those days.
The dishes were loaded into the dishwasher when the doorbell rang, and Brandon jumped up from his movie to go and open it. I stepped forward and greeted Lacy with a smile as she walked inside. Her hair was blonde. I thought she looked good and healthy, and more than that; happy. I never saw her this happy before. “Hi. It smells great in here,” Lacy said as she inhaled deeply and wrapped a hand around Brandon as he tackled her leg.
“I am sending you home with some. Any chance to have a break in feeding this guy is precious.” Mandy walked out from the kitchen with a bag for Lacy. I wouldn’t say that they adored each other, but they got along for the sake of Brandon. I think that Mandy had been a little unsure of the situation with Lacy at first, but it was obvious that there was nothing between us. She was a good mom to Brandon, and they were forming a special bond.
Lacy told us that she’d have him home on Sunday evening and they walked out to her car, talking about everything that they were going to see the following day. I closed the door and pressed Mandy against it to kiss her the way I’d been thinking about all day. “I am going to ravage you now, woman.”
I spent a lot of time worrying about a family for Brandon. It was natural to think that Lacy and I could provide that when he was born and even briefly when she showed back up in our lives. It took a few days for me to understand that I could have Mandy and that we could be a family for Brandon while he had a life with Lacy as well.
“Mmmm, I can’t wait,” she said, her shyness fading as she wrapped her arms around my neck to kiss me deeply. She was a little hesitant about too much affection in front of Brandon, wanting to keep it tasteful for his young eyes. When he wasn’t around though, she was all over me.
We stumbled to the couch, and I pulled her on top of me, pushing up the pink dress that she’d worn to work that day so I could cup her ass. “I love you, Mandy.”
She stared down into my eyes and smiled as emotions passed through her eyes. Mandy looked so beautiful as she pressed her lips to mine, whispering that she loved me back. I kissed her lips, her jaw, and down her neck as Mandy leaned back to offer me more of her delicious skin. I could not get enough of her sweet body. I pushed her down against the cushions to unbutton her dress so I could taste her addicting nipples.
We made love right there after we were naked and unable to get to the bedroom. I held her close as I plunged inside of her, feeling Mandy so tight around me. She arched her back to take me deeper and moaned my name sensually.
I rolled beside her after we were both sated, holding Mandy close.
“God, I love making love to you.” Her voice was a whisper as she looked at me, her eyes shimmering in the light from the kitchen.
I had never loved a woman like I did her and deep down, I knew that I never would. I vowed to always let her know as I leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips. “I love it too, baby. You’re mine. Forever.”
“That a threat or a promise?” She gave me a cheeky grin.
“Both?” We laughed and snuggled up together. I wasn’t ever letting her go. She completed me.
Epilogue
Six months later
Mandy
I was soaring into the clouds as we left the tournament where Brandon had won his first trophy. He continued to love tennis, and I started working tirelessly with him, proud of his commitment to the sport. I looked at Stephen as he gripped his son’s shoulder and praised him, and we shared a long look.
This trip was to LA, and we’d brought Danielle and Mike along so they could enjoy the city along with us. Well, that and so we could have a date night while we were here. There was so much to see, and we wanted to have a nice dinner and maybe do some sightseeing.
They were behind us, raving about the win, and I laughed happily as we headed to our cars. After this, they were going to take him swimming at the hotel pool while we scoured the city. We piled into the cars and headed back to the Hyatt, getting Brandon in his suit and giving them a bag of fresh clothes for dinner later.
Stephen led me by the hand to the shower once we were along, pulling me into his arms for a long kiss as I moaned against him. I’d moved into his house three months ago, and we were a happy family. I loved my life. I’d taken on a tennis class through the parks department in addition to the YMCA. I still had the job and worked well with Stephen on projects, so I had more balance.
Paul lost his job after he caused a little too much trouble at the office with his backstabbing, and I was really starting to get to know everyone on a more genuine level. He’d painted a bad picture of me to everyone, but it mostly bothered me that he hurt Stephen. They were supposed to be friends, but Paul couldn’t take the fact that I wanted Stephen and not him.
We went into the bathroom, and he started the water so we could rinse off the sweat from the hot summer day before heading out to the town. I pulled off my cotton dress and joined him under the spray, smiling as he dropped to his knees and looked into my eyes. “I am all sweaty,” I lightly protested as he shook his head and pressed a kiss to my pussy. I leaned back and spread my legs as he teased my clit, bringing me to a release quickly.
It only got better with him.
After he was back in a standing position, towering over me, I reached down to stroke his cock. “Got anything else for me?” I teased in a shaking voice as he raised an eyebrow and pushed me against the wall. I felt him lifting me up before he slid inside of me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Is that what you were looking for?” he asked me in a gravelly voice as I sighed happily.
“Yes, sir, it is.” I leaned my head back as we made love slow and sweet. I cried out his name as we came together, smiling as he dropped me on shaking legs. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“I have never been happier than I am with you,” he assured me with another kiss before we lazily cleaned up. He excused himself first, telling me that he forgot clothes in the room as I shook my head. The shower felt lonely without him.
I finished rinsing my hair and got out of the shower. I grabbed a towel and carefully dried my hair, taking in the length in the mirror. I ran a comb through it before I dried off my body and wrapped it in a towel before opening the bathroom door. “Stephen?” He was kneeling in front of me in some jeans, unbuttoned and showing me a hint of what I’d just enjoyed. “What are you—”
I gasped as he held up a blue box and smiled up at me, looking like he was going to cry. “I spent a lot of time alone, Mandy. I thought that I didn’t have it in me to
have a son, a job, and a wonderful woman like you, but you’ve given me my life back. I feel like I have the world at my fingertips, but I want one more thing from you.”
“What?” Tears slid down my cheeks, and I dropped down in front of him, unable to stand any longer.
“Will you be my wife? Will you be a mother to Brandon and make us the happiest guys in the world?” he asked as I nodded and sucked in a sob. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” I wrapped my arms around him, and he pulled me close, kissing my wet hair. Once we’d kissed and hugged through tears, he opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond band with a delicate square stone centered in the middle as I blinked at him. “It’s so beautiful.”
“It pales in comparison to you, baby.” He slid it onto my left hand, pulling him in for a kiss as I realized that I had almost everything I wanted in life.
We could work on the other item after the wedding, and I closed my eyes after he kissed me again, losing myself in him. In my life. In my future.
The End
Preview of: Wet
Chapter 1
Tanner
Lindsey Scott seemed to be bored out of her mind, sitting at the table we had procured in the busy club.
“Do you want another drink?” I asked her.
I wasn’t trying to get her drunk, but I wanted to prove to her I wasn’t a jackass. I knew she thought I was more than a little self-absorbed. Shit, she had told me enough times.
She smiled at me. “That’d be great. Rum and Coke, please.”
God, she was fucking hot. I had known her forever and literally watched her blossom practically overnight. My best friend, Brian, was a little overprotective of his little sister, but even he could acknowledge she was very pretty.
I brought her drink back. “Here ya go,” I said, delivering it to her.
“Thank you. I swear, this is going to be my last one.” She giggled, talking loud to be heard over the thumping music.
I winked. “Sure it is. It’s okay to let loose once in a while.”
She rolled those beautiful brown eyes. “Yeah, yeah, Mr. Big Shot, best trainer in the state,” she teased.
I leaned in close to her, our shoulders touching. “You know I’m the best—at everything.”
Her head went back, and she opened that perfect mouth and laughed. Her long, bleached-blond hair cascaded down the back of the chair, and her slender neck was exposed. I fought the urge to dive in and lick all that tanned skin.
“You’re—”
“Don’t you dare say it!” I held up a hand. “Who just bought you a drink?”
Another sweet laugh revealed all those perfectly straight white teeth, “You’re right. You have grown, Tanner Brown. Look at you, all gentlemanlike, getting a lady a drink, knowing damn well there’s no hope you’ll get laid later.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you sure about that?”
Brian glared at me. “I’m sure about that,” he snarled, only half-joking.
“He doesn’t fool me, Brian,” Lindsey assured her big brother. “Tanner is the world’s biggest flirt who has this idea women will fall at his feet if he flashes that sexy little smile and turns those smoldering green eyes on them. I’ve seen this guy cry when he fell off his bike. His tricks don’t have the same effect on me.”
Brian nodded but looked at me. “Back off my sister, dude. There are about a million girls in here. Go flirt with them.”
I laughed, pretending it was all a joke, but deep down, I knew different. Lindsey was gorgeous, smart, and a kick-ass swimmer. Her body was rocking, and I could see myself getting to know her much better than I already did. It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed how attractive she was, inside and out.
“I gotta take a piss. I’ll be back.” Brian scanned the room before standing and leaving our small table.
“Have you seen Brittany?” Lindsey asked, scanning the room for her wayward best friend.
I shook my head. I’d been a little too absorbed in my best friend’s sister. “Nope, not since she hit the dance floor with that dude.”
She nodded, looked only a little concerned, and took another drink from her straw.
“How’s training going?” I asked, genuinely interested.
She put a hand to her forehead. “It isn’t.”
“What? Aren’t you trying out for the Olympics this year? You’ve been busting your ass for this for too long to give up,” I began lecturing.
She shrugged, “My trainer gave up and moved last week. No warning, no nothing. Just gone. I am so screwed.”
“I’ll train you,” I said without thinking. Could I handle it? I was beyond attracted to her and seeing her parade around in the typical one-piece bathing suit of a professional swimmer would probably leave me with a constant erection, but I wanted to do this for her. I could handle it, and she deserved a shot at making it to the top.
She smirked. “Yeah right.”
“I could. You know I could. I’m the best, after all. I’ll bust your ass into shape and make sure you get your spot on the team.”
She looked serious for a second before she waved a hand in the air, essentially waving away my offer. I knew she could afford my rates. Well, her family could. They were very wealthy, and because of them, I had found a way to make myself quite comfortable as well.
“Uh-oh,” she muttered, staring over my shoulder.
I turned to see Brian and another guy I didn’t recognize. Their noses were almost touching. I waited to see if it was going to erupt into a fight or if they would posture a bit before cooling their jets. The two men separated, and Brian made his way toward us.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“That dude is a douche. I bumped into him, and he wanted to fight me,” he said with disgust.
“Uh, Brian, he’s coming this way,” Lindsey interrupted.
I turned, and sure enough, big meathead followed by a couple of his buddies was headed to our table. Fucking awesome.
One of the guys stood directly behind me, effectively locking me in my seat at the table. His chest was pressing into my back. The guy Brian had squared off with was standing in front of him. Brian stood and got back in his face. Mr. Tough Guy’s buddy was standing behind Brian.
“Get the fuck off me,” I said, throwing an elbow back, landing it in the guy’s solar plexus.
He didn’t move.
I shoved back and spun around as I jumped off the barstool. I wasn’t a pussy, and no dumbass meathead was going to push me around.
“Guys, back off,” Lindsey said in a voice full of warning.
Before I knew what was coming, Tough Guy took a swing and hit Brian in the jaw. Brian swung into action and pushed the guy before throwing a punch and landing it in the center of the dude’s face. Blood erupted from what was probably a broken nose. Before I got the chance to do anything, the bouncers were on our table, surrounding Brian and the bleeding tough guy, dragging them both out of the bar.
I looked at Lindsey. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but I think we better get out of here.”
When I looked around, I could see Tough Guy’s buddies were hanging out and looking mad as hell. They were eyeballing me. Sure, I was always up for a good fight, but Brian would kick my ass if I got kicked out and left Lindsey in here alone.
“Finish your drink. They aren’t going to run us out of here.”
She picked up her glass and swallowed the contents in a long guzzle. That was going to go straight to her head and give her a nice buzz.
“Not exactly what I meant, but it works.”
I picked up my beer and took a long drink before putting the bottle down.
“We better make sure Brian isn’t getting jumped out there by himself,” I said, realizing the bouncers wouldn’t do anything once the men were outside.
“I need to find Brittany,” Lindsey said, jumping off the stool.
The tiny, tight pink skirt she was wearing had ridden up her thighs, revea
ling those perfectly shaped, muscular legs. I watched as she tugged it down before tugging down the fitted black shirt she was wearing. It, too, had ridden up, and her flat tummy was exposed just a hint. More tanned flesh. She looked up, her eyes met mine, and I knew she could see the desire. I couldn’t hide it.
“Stop,” she said, shooting me down.
“You’re hot, and you know it,” I told her with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s find her.”
“Text her and tell her to get her ass outside. I don’t want to try and find her in this mess.”
She nodded, and we made our way to the door. I placed my hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her through the crowd.
Once outside, we looked around and found Brian leaning up against the wall of the bar. “Took you long enough,” he grumbled.
“How’s your face?” I asked.
“Guy barely touched me, but we need to get out of here before his buddies come out and want to start more shit,” he grumbled.
Just then an obviously drunk Brittany walked out the door with a guy pressed behind her, his arms around her waist and his head buried in her neck. She was giggling and clearly enjoying the attention.
“We need to go, Brit,” Lindsey said.
“Go ahead, I’m going to hang out with—” she looked up at the guy draped on her back, “What’s your name again?”
“Dustin,” he mumbled, his mouth still on her neck.
“Dustin. Dustin and I are going across the street to get a drink,” she laughed.
“Whatever,” Lindsey said. “Be careful. Text me later. Dustin?”
The guy removed his face from Brittany’s neck, looked at Lindsey and gave her a lecherous grin that nearly made me hit him, “Huh?” he asked.