Once we got back, Carla invited me inside and I brought Lucky too. We started putting away our groceries when my phone buzzed. Confused, I lifted it up and checked the screen. It was a text from my mom!
‘Remember to stay away from that man, Billie’ it read.
I sighed. The reminder of everything that happened between Quentin and I was something I’d been trying to avoid. I knew I needed to confront the problem, but it wasn’t as simple as my mom was saying. I couldn’t just stay away from him. It was impossible.
Unbeknownst to me, Carla had stopped packing her groceries away and instead, she was watching me closely. “Okay, Billie, spill,” she demanded.
I looked up at her with a puzzled expression on my face. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean,” she argued. “You’ve had a sad look on your face ever since I saw you. Don’t try to hide it. You can talk to me.” Carla reached out and patted my hand with her own. She gave me a reassuring smile and waited patiently for me to answer.
It was impossible to hold back. I was being pulled apart inside by my own indecision and I needed someone’s opinion who wasn’t my mom. “Okay, but you have to listen to the whole story,” I told her.
The blonde grinned. “Of course, darling. Take your time.” She directed me toward the bar stools in her kitchen/diner and we both sat down. Carla poured me a glass of orange juice and passed it over.
Feeling desperate, I finally blurted everything out. “I’ve been sleeping with my boss,” I confessed.
Carla’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. “You vixen!” she practically screeched as her face transformed into a big grin. “You mean that hot guy we saw on the tour?”
I nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Well, honey, that’s great. He’s handsome! And he’s got a job. What are you worried about, chick?” she asked as she leaned in closer.
“It’s my mom,” I began before taking a deep breath. “This is the part you have to listen to. It’s my story. My dad... I never met him. He was my mom’s boss at her old job in Texas and they had an affair. When he found out she was pregnant, however, he didn’t want anything to do with me. All my life, my mom always warned me about getting involved with people at work. She had to uproot her whole life and move to a different state to avoid the gossip. I… I don’t want that. I like it here.”
Carla was nodding along. “I get it. That is an awful story. I’m sorry about your dad.”
I shook my head. “I’ve not been upset about him in a long time,” I admitted. “It’s not that… It’s... “ I broke off as a sob escaped my mouth. “It’s him. Quentin is fun and sexy and sweet. He’s perfect for me and no matter how much I’ve tried to stay away from him, he always seems to reel me back in. It feels… It feels like fate.”
“That’s good, sweetie,” Carla said before rubbing my back comfortingly.
“It is, but… But my mom… She’ll never understand. She’s so against it because of her bad experience and every time I spoke to her about Quentin, she got so upset…” I trailed off as more tears fell. “I… I don’t know what to do.”
Carla reached out and turned my cheek so I was facing her. She smiled at me kindly. “Billie, forget your mom and forget your history. Tell me, right here and now, how do you feel about him?”
The question stumped me for a moment and I took a deep breath as I attempted to put my feelings into words. “It feels like… like he completes me. Like he’s happiness,” I finally explained.
Carla’s smile grew wider. She reached out and squeezed my hand. “Then you have your answer, don’t you?”
“Yes, I guess I have.”
26
Quentin
A typical Sunday morning for me involved serving whatever breakfast Lincoln had decided he wanted. The whims of a five-year-old are often hard to predict and so, we ended up having a lot of creative Sunday breakfasts together. Today, however, Lincoln was kind to me.
“Pancakes!” he declared excitedly as he danced around the kitchen. “I want Daddy to make me pancakes!”
“You got it, buddy,” I replied cheerily as I began rifling through the cupboards to collect the ingredients I needed. “Do you want to help me out?”
Lincoln’s eyes grew wide. “Really, Daddy?”
“You can’t use the stove, but you can help me mix the ingredients. How does that sound?”
“Yay!” Lincoln cried before racing toward me. I pulled the step ladder out from the closet for him to stand on so he could reach the counter. It was one of his favorite things to do since he often saw me cooking dinner and he loved to take part.
“All right then, buddy. What shall we do? Circles or squares?” I asked with a smile.
“Um… Dinosaurs!” Lincoln replied with gusto.
His enthusiasm was contagious and I couldn’t bear to tell him no. “I’ll try my best, buddy,” I told him with a chuckle. Together, we mixed up the ingredients in a big plastic bowl. I let Lincoln do most of the mixing with his little hands, laughing as he knocked the flour everywhere - including on his own face.
Just as I was pouring the first of the mix into a pan and trying to figure out which dinosaur shape would be the easiest to attempt, Lincoln chose that moment to give me a shock. “Daddy, can Billie come over for breakfast?” he asked in that sweet, innocent voice of his. “I want Billie to try my dinosaur pancakes!”
At first, I prepared to tell him no, but then, I took a deep breath and thought it over. After what had happened on Friday, I knew I was done fighting the feelings inside me. I was done pretending I didn’t want her. I was done trying to keep myself away from her. So, if Lincoln wanted me to invite her, that was just fine.
“Okay, I’ll call her now for you,” I told him with a smile.
His face lit up. “Really, Daddy? Yay! Billie’s coming! Billie’s coming!” He jumped up and down in excitement so fast that he almost toppled off of the top of the step ladder. I reached out in a panic to steady him.
“Easy there. Don’t hurt yourself,” I warned before finally turning and retrieving my cell phone. It was easy to find her number and when I clicked it, my mind was flooded with memories of our steamy phone call on Friday. I had to admit that the picture she’d sent me of her half-naked body had fueled a few late night masturbation sessions that I wasn’t overly proud of. My face heated, but I wasn’t backing out. I was in too deep already.
“Quentin? Is everything okay?” Billie said when she answered after a few rings.
“Everything’s fine,” I told her quickly. “Linc wanted me to call you and invite you for breakfast this morning.”
“Oh,” she replied, sounding surprised. “And is it just Linc that wants me to come over?”
I couldn’t help but grin. Billie always had a way of teasing me that I really enjoyed. “Why don’t you come over and find out?” I shot back.
“I’d love to,” she finally said. “I’ll be over in twenty, okay?”
“Great. Save your appetite. We’re making dinosaur pancakes,” I informed her.
Billie’s delighted laugh brought warmth to my heart. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” she replied. “Do you want me to bring anything?”
“You don’t need to, but you can if you want,” I told her with a shrug.
“Okay, see you soon,” she said before finally hanging up.
“We need to wait for Billie now or her pancakes will get cold,” I told Lincoln.
“Okay, Daddy!” he replied.
I helped him get down from the step stool and steered him toward the living room. He soon occupied himself with one of his chemistry sets that Billie had bought him. Knowing I was going to see Billie soon, I turned the stove off and walked toward the bathroom. As soon as I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I grimaced. I was a little scruffy looking and I wasn’t sure Billie would appreciate it.
Motivated by my desire to impress her, I shaved my morning stubble away and dabbed some cologne on my neck befor
e changing into a trendy but comfortable set of workout clothes. Once I was ready, I headed back to the kitchen and poured myself another cup of coffee while I waited.
As soon as the buzzer rang, Lincoln was up and running toward the door. I buzzed Billie up and as soon as we opened the door, Lincoln was hurling himself at her.
“Careful, Linc, I’ve got food here!” she cried with a chuckle.
“Food?” Lincoln asked as he took a step back away from her.
“Well, yeah, I thought it would be rude if I didn’t bring something,” Billie said with a grin. She looked down at Lincoln and then back up at me. “Sadly, the bakery didn’t have any pastries that were dinosaur-shaped. I had to settle for these.”
She held the box out for me to have a look and I was surprised to see an assortment of delicious looking pastries inside. The sight of them made my stomach rumble and I remembered that I hadn’t had breakfast yet.
“Thank you!” Lincoln cried before leaning forward and kissing Billie on the cheek.
Her entire face flushed at the gesture and since I wanted to see that sweet expression continue, I leaned in and kissed her other cheek too. “Thanks a lot, Billie,” I whispered in her ear before drawing back with a grin. She looked surprised but she smiled at me and my heart ached at the sight.
“These pastries really do look great, Billie,” I continued as I took the box from her. “Let’s get inside and get some food in this little monster’s tummy, shall we?” I bent down to tickle Lincoln’s stomach, much to his amusement. He ran away screaming in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Billie and I alone for a moment.
“I was glad you called, Quentin,” Billie whispered with a shy smile.
“Me too,” I confessed as I smiled back. “It’s really good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too,” Billie replied as she stepped inside.
I took her jacket and hung it up before ushering her in the direction of the kitchen where Lincoln was waiting impatiently. “Hurry up, guys!” he shouted.
“We’re coming, we’re coming,” I said before giving Billie an amused look.
We spent the next twenty minutes attempting to make dinosaur pancakes that ended in utter disaster. Before we wasted all of the batter, I made a few perfect circular ones and the three of us sat down at the table to eat our pancakes, pastries and fruit. Since both Billie and I enjoyed coffee, I made up a fresh pot and poured her a cup.
“Sugar?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m already sweet enough,” she retorted with a giggle.
I winced. “Ooh, that was a bad one,” I replied with a smile. “We need to get you some comedy lessons.”
Billie laughed. “And who’s gonna give them to me? You?”
With a grin, I leaned in a little and dropped my voice to a low whisper. “I have a few other lessons planned first,” I told her. “Ones where you definitely won’t be laughing.”
Billie’s ears turned pink and she didn’t respond. I was happy that I was able to render the sassy Billie speechless for once. Before I could make good on my promise, however, Lincoln had already finished his food and was running around the kitchen making a racket.
“Everything okay, Linc?” I asked him.
“I’m bored,” he complained.
“How about we go outside?” Billie suggested.
“Yes!” Lincoln agreed.
“All right then, Linc. Go get your jacket and shoes on,” I told him. He wasted no time hurrying toward the door where his things were kept. Billie and I finished eating in silence before grabbing our own things and heading outside with him.
For once, the air was a little cold and I could see Billie shivering a little. I pulled her closer and wrapped my arm around her waist to keep her warm as we headed to the park around the corner. As soon as we went past the gate, Lincoln was off like a shot. He started by running circles around the entire play area before eventually settling on the slide.
Next to me, Billie let out a sigh. “He sure does have a lot of energy, doesn’t he?” she remarked.
“Oh, yeah. Sometimes, I struggle to keep up with him,” I told her with a chuckle. “But it’s good for me, I think. Keeps me young.”
Billie nodded as she watched Lincoln getting closer and closer to us. “Billie, Billie! Look what I can do!” he shouted before poorly attempting to do a handstand.
“Looking good, Linc!” she told him before turning her attention back to me. “Have you ever thought about getting him a dog?”
Oh no, I thought, but it was already too late. At the mention of a dog, Lincoln’s head snapped up and he came running toward us. “I want a dog! I want a dog!” he shouted.
“Yeah, he’s been asking for one pretty much since he was able to talk,” I explained with a smile.
“Oh, sorry,” Billie said with a wince.
“Yeah, Daddy says I’m too young to take care of a doggy!” Lincoln said with a pout on his face. “But I still really want one.”
Billie crouched down until she was at eye-level with him. “Well, a dog is a lot of responsibility, Linc,” she told him. “They need a lot of attention and you have to feed them and bathe them and take them for walks. Maybe you can get one when you’re older?”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea, isn’t it, Linc?” I chipped in.
“I guess.” Lincoln pouted and kicked the dirt at his feet.
“How about I show you pictures of my dog instead?” Billie suggested and I balked. I had no idea Billie had a dog and it reminded me once more that there were so many parts of this alluring woman’s life that I hadn’t seen yet. I really wanted to though.
Billie had opened her phone and was showing Lincoln pictures of her dog. I was a little envious that I couldn’t see them from where I was standing, but I knew I could always ask her about them later. Instead, I watched as Lincoln’s face brightened and he gasped in surprise.
“Why does he only have three legs?” Lincoln asked.
“Well, Lucky was a rescue. She was hit by a car when she was a stray and she lost her leg. But now I take care of her and she’s very happy. It doesn’t stop her from doing anything at all. She still goes on walks, fetches balls, and sniffs other dog’s butts.” Billie paused as Lincoln laughed. “She’s a sweetheart.”
“Why didn’t you bring her?” Lincoln wanted to know and I couldn’t help but laugh at his constant questions. Poor Billie, I thought, but she didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Well, I wasn’t sure it was okay to bring her to your house. You know, some people don’t like dogs and other people are allergic to dogs,” Billie explained.
“I guess that makes sense…” Lincoln said, clearly disappointed. “Promise you’ll bring her next time, okay?”
Billie looked over at me. “Is there going to be a next time?” she asked me.
“Absolutely,” I told her with confidence.
“Then I promise, Linc.”
Seeing the easy way Lincoln and Billie interacted only set my heart aflame. I was falling deeper and deeper in love with her with every second that passed by. Now, all I had to do was find a way to make her mine for real.
27
Billie
Sunday with Lincoln and Quentin had been so much fun that I’d somehow managed to stay the entire day. It hadn’t been my intention at all. In fact, I’d not asked anyone to check in on Lucky so I had to send a few quick texts to Carla to explain the situation. Luckily, she was more than happy to help me out and she gave me the freedom I needed to stay as long as I wanted. Maybe I could stay forever, I thought for a moment before scolding myself. I couldn’t let myself get carried away. First, I needed to see how things went and I definitely had to make sure that Quentin was serious about me.
Yet somehow, breakfast had turned into an outing at the park. Then after that, we went back to Quentin’s place for lunch before Lincoln was dying for me to help him with one of his science kits. That alone took up the majority of the afternoon as the two of us got carried aw
ay playing together. I hadn’t even noticed that Quentin was quietly cooking up dinner in the other room until he called out to us both.
“Billie, Linc! Dinner’s ready!” he’d shouted. It was so domestic it made my heart ache and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face the entire time we ate dinner together. It wasn’t anything fancy, just grilled chicken and potatoes, but it was still the best meal I’d had in a long time.
After gobbling down his dinner with enthusiasm, Lincoln settled down on the sofa watching cartoons before finally succumbing to his exhaustion and falling asleep. When I noticed his sleeping form, I collected a blanket from the arm of the sofa and draped it over him before turning off the television. When I turned back around, I noticed that Quentin’s eyes were on me, following me no matter where I went. His gaze was heated and he licked his lips like I was a delicious piece of cake he was starving to take a bite out of.
There was heat in the air between us and I knew it was inevitable. Neither of us could fight it anymore. We had to give in, no matter the risks. With a lust-filled gaze, I headed back toward the kitchen where Quentin was. I didn’t take my eyes off him the entire time and once I’d passed back through the doorway, he practically pounced on me.
Shocked, I gasped as Quentin pressed my body back against the kitchen corner and caged me against the cool surface. His gaze was predatory as he stared down at me like he was planning on devouring me whole.
“So, we’re going to stop pretending we don’t want this, right?” he whispered seductively as his lips began to press kisses down my neck. All I could manage in response was a nod as his teeth began nibbling on my ear lobe.
“Good because you’re mine now,” he declared with a growl before finally pressing a hard kiss to my lips. It was rough as hell, all teeth and tongue, but I loved it. It made me feel desired and more turned on than ever before. My arms wrapped tight around his neck as I let his tongue explore my mouth. He was completing dominating me, pushing me back against the counter until I was almost laying back on it.
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