Lover's Road (Forever and Always #11)

by E. L. Todd

  Microscopic bubbles of moisture coated her eyes. The luminescence from the lights highlighted the bend in water. Tears continued to build, swelling in size but never falling. She couldn’t hold my gaze so she looked down. Hazel acted strong all the time but I knew she was vulnerable and scared. She was just like everyone else, just like me. We were friends to each other when we had no one else. I opened up to her and she opened up to me. Getting back together with Monnique wouldn’t change the foundation of our friendship. “That means a lot to me…” A quiet sniff escaped her nose.

  I wrapped my arms around her and held her for a moment. She rested her face against my chest, taking a deep breath as we embraced. When she was calm, she stepped away and wiped her tears.

  “Lunch tomorrow?” I asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Cool.”

  She turned down the hallway. “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  When she was gone, I walked back inside and headed to the bedroom. Monnique was already in bed, wearing one of my t-shirts and a thong. Annoyance rose inside me when I looked at her. Normally, I was aroused every time I looked at her. And happiness swelled inside me when I realized she was in my bed and no one else’s. But that wasn’t the case anymore.

  She opened her eyes when she realized I was in the room. “Come to bed.”

  I sat down but didn’t pull my clothes off. “I’m not sure if I can.”

  She sat up then looked at me, the darkness casting shadows on her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “You really have to ask that?”

  She didn’t justify that with a response.

  “Monnique, I love you. I mean it. I want this to work because you’re the only woman I want. But Hazel is my friend and she will always be my friend. I’ll never stop hanging out with her, even if it’s just she and I, and I’ll never change my mind about that. You can trust me. If I wanted to sleep with her, I would have done it already. But you’re going to have to deal with that. If you can’t, we’re done. So think about it before you answer.” I didn’t touch her or give her gentle affection. I held my ground.

  “But she wanted to sleep with you…”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ve been around plenty of other girls who’ve wanted the same thing. I see Scarlet on a daily basis and she did sleep with me. Be mature, Monnique.”

  “I just don’t want to fight for you.”

  “Fight?” I asked incredulously. “Above all things, Hazel is my friend. When I told her we were back together, she supported that decision and didn’t try to change my mind. Honestly, the only person you’re fighting is me. I’m the one that still has doubts about this relationship. I’m the one that fears I won’t be able to truly forgive what you did. Forget about Hazel. Concentrate on me.”

  She turned her head slightly, her deep breaths loud in my ears. “So, it’s her or me?”

  “If it has to be that way, then yes.”

  “Will you spend a lot of time with her?”

  “Not more so than Ryan or Scarlet.”

  She still seemed nervous about the whole thing.

  “If this is going to be a problem, you should just go…”

  Monnique looked at me. “I’ve been the love of your life for the past year. If you’d really pick her over me, it questions my meaning to you at all. And, in fact, it makes me question the platonic aspect of your relationship with Hazel entirely. You claim she’s your friend, but it seems like she means a lot more than that. I agree I shouldn’t be jealous and possessive, but I also should be respected. If this girl is more than just a friend, then it’s not in the best interest of this relationship for you to continue seeing her.” Her voice wasn’t angry, but it carried her command.

  “Monnique, I don’t have feelings for Hazel.” How could I make that more clear?

  “Promise?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you ever?”

  “No,” I said firmly.

  She eyed my face. “So, when she offered herself to you, you weren’t enticed at all?”

  Now this got tricky. “I was flattered she offered a no-strings-attached relationship.”

  She kept staring at me. Clearly, I didn’t answer her question. “And you weren’t tempted? You didn’t even think about it?”

  A complicated question with a more complicated answer. “I’m not gay, Monnique. Hazel is a beautiful woman, and it is an option I considered. I was desperate to get over you and I was willing to try anything. But the idea of being with anyone else but you made me sick. And in the end, I said no. That’s the important part.”

  She shook her head. “So, if I were attracted to Ryan and considered sleeping with him, you’d be just fine with that?”

  “As long as he didn’t touch you, I couldn’t hold that against you. And I know you’ve worked with good-looking guys in the past. Even though you were attracted to them and I knew you were, I never feared you’d leave me for them. It’s not any different with Hazel. I have self-control. It was strong when we were apart, and now it’s unbreakable because we’re together. And I’m not the cheating type.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You cheated on Elizabeth with Scarlet.”

  God, I was never going to be redeemed for that? “She and I were in an unhealthy relationship. There was no love or sex happening between us. It doesn’t justify what I did, but I’m glad it happened. Because it led me to you.”

  “And what if I lead you to Hazel?” she snapped.

  “You’re the love of my life, Monnique. Your engagement ring is sitting in my nightstand. Maybe you’ve been engaged before, but I haven’t. So that means something to me. I wouldn’t marry just anybody.”

  A loose strand of hair fell from behind her ear. It hung in front of her face until she tucked it back.

  “So, what do you want to do?”

  “You didn’t give me much choice.” Her voice was a whisper.

  “Then do you accept it?”

  “If I hadn’t made a stupid mistake, I wouldn’t put up with this. But I did… So yes, I accept it.”

  “You’re sure?” I asked.

  “All I know is I can’t lose you,” she said firmly. “And I don’t intend to.”

  I scooted closer to her. “I hoped that would be your answer.”

  Her lips pressed against mine, lighting me in a blaze like usual. She caressed my lips softly then pulled apart, her heavenly touch gone. Her fingers grabbed the end of my shirt and pulled it off. When my chest was bare, she ran her hand across it, feeling the grooves of muscle. She pressed a kiss to my shoulder, making me shiver, and then moved down to my pants. When they were off, her mouth moved to the area between my legs. I loved getting head. It was fucking awesome. But Monnique didn’t have to do that every time we were together.

  I guided her back to the bed then leaned over her, my waist between her thighs. My lips sought hers and we shared a heated embrace. I loved kissing her. The first time our lips combined, I was shocked by the chemistry we shared. No one had ever set me on fire before. Her nails gently clawed at my back, giving faint scratches on the skin. She pulled her underwear over then directed the tip of my cock to her folds. When I felt her warm skin, my cock twitched. I wanted to be inside her, to feel the tight wetness I loved so much, but I wasn’t ready. I needed more time. My fingers moved to the spot and I touched her the way she loved. She breathed into my mouth, her nails digging deeper. I activated her trigger and made her writhe on the bed, loving the feel of my fingers inside her.

  “Cortland…”

  I loved hearing that. I rubbed her clitoris until she was completely done, panting like I just rocked her world. With a flushed face, she pressed her tits together then looked at my waist.

  She had curved and voluptuous breasts. I could never tell what I loved more, her ass or her chest. They were both sexy as hell, naturally gifted at making me hard. I knew what she wanted to do now, and I certainly wasn’t going to say no.

  I moved up her chest then directed my cock
inside her mouth. I moaned when I moved in her throat. She took me like a pro, never gagging or pulling away. She sucked me good and hard until I was soaked. I pulled out then placed my cock between her slippery breasts. I moved up and down, watching her breasts jiggle. Monnique licked the tip when it came near her chin. I moaned while I watched her. Tit fucking was hot, and my dick was ready to release as soon as we started. When I felt the explosion deep inside, Monnique placed me in her mouth and swallowed everything.

  That was so sexy.

  When I was finished, I pulled out then gave her a long kiss on the forehead. While I was still upset about our break up and why it happened, Monnique was my whole world and I couldn’t live without her. We’d work through this and regain what we lost. Because I wouldn’t accept anything else.

  9

  Sean

  I was nervous.

  The results from the fertility clinic would change everything about my relationship with Scarlet. If there was something inhibiting us from having children, I hoped I was the problem, not her. Otherwise, she’d hate herself forever. I’d rather have her hate me.

  I kept a straight face and pretended everything was okay. Scarlet sat beside me in the car, and I held her hand for the drive. My dad stayed home and cooped himself up in his room. He wasn’t good company lately.

  Scarlet stared out the window, her sunglasses shielding most of her face.

  “You want to get ice cream afterwards?” I asked.

  “Like I’d ever say no to ice cream,” she said with a laugh.

  I squeezed her hand. “I’m getting a sundae with fresh cookies inside. Yum.”

  “Oooh…that sounds so good.” She got excited over the smallest things.

  I was glad I successfully got her mind off the visit to the doctor. When we entered the parking lot, she took a deep breath but didn’t speak. The look of bravery was still on her face.

  I held her hand while we walked inside. I never thought I’d be inside a building like this. For my entire youth, I spent more time trying not to get girls pregnant than anything else.

  We checked in and the woman handed me a cup. “Make your deposit in here. The room is the second door on the left. Magazines are inside.”

  What? She expected me to come inside a cup?

  Scarlet smirked but didn’t laugh.

  “Um…can I just bring something in from home?”

  “Nope.” She answered the phone then ignored us.

  Scarlet chuckled. “Just do it, Sean.” She moved to the empty seat in the lobby and sat down.

  I moved to the spot beside her and stared at the cup. “In a room where every other guy has done the same thing?” God, that was disgusting.

  “Come on. This should be a vacation for you.” She grabbed a magazine and flipped through it. “You can jerk off as long as you want and no one will judge you for it.”

  “But I don’t want to jerk off,” I said firmly.

  “I’m sure there are some hot porn videos in there. If not, you have your phone.”

  I stared at the cup again, cringing. When I jerked off, I was looking at pictures of Scarlet or I saw her through the webcam at work. I didn’t beat my dick to random women in videos or magazines. Why would I when I was married to a supermodel? I used to masturbate when I was with Penelope, but I thought that was normal. Now I couldn’t imagine doing that. “Scar, I don’t want to do this.”

  She rubbed my shoulder. “It’s really not a big deal, Sean. You’ll be done in five minutes.”

  I leaned toward her, my hand moving to her thigh. “Come with me.”

  She smirked. “Sean, we aren’t on a plane right now.”

  “Let me look at your tits while I rub one out.”

  “You have plenty of pictures on your phone,” she said pointedly.

  “I want the real thing.” I placed gentle kisses on her neck. “Come on…”

  “I don’t think they’ll let us do that.”

  “Maybe a hundred dollar bill will change their mind.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Money doesn’t solve everything.”

  I squeezed her thigh. “Please. I want to stick my cock between your breasts until I come. It’ll be over in seconds.”

  Her cheeks blushed. “I’m sure they have a video of that.”

  “I don’t want a video of a fucking whore,” I hissed. “I want my whore. You’re the only one who excites me anymore.”

  She eyed me suspiciously. “I doubt that.”

  That stung. “Why?”

  “All guys check out other women.”

  “But not in a sexual way. I can’t lie and say I don’t know the difference between a beautiful woman and an ugly one, but I don’t think about fucking them. You’re the only one I fantasize about. No one compares to you, baby.”

  Her eyes softened but she didn’t speak.

  “Now let me tit fuck you.”

  “We might get in trouble.”

  “I don’t give a shit. I’m the one paying them a fortune.”

  She eyed the front desk then looked back at me. “Okay.”

  I grinned. “Thank you.”

  “God, this is worse than the plane.”

  I took her hand and we crept to the door. Without being noticed, we slipped inside. The room was dark and there were couches spaced around. Dirty magazines and videocassettes were on the table. Knowing hundreds of other guys beat their dick while sitting in here made me sick.

  I sat down then unzipped my pants. My cock was limp and I waited for Scarlet to work her magic. She pulled off her top and her bra. The sight of her big tits immediately stiffened my shaft. She kneeled in front of me and placed my cock in her valley, gently moving up and down. I squeezed her breasts together and rocked my hips, fucking her breasts.

  “This is so much better than porn…” I bit my lips while her tits jiggled.

  She gripped my thighs and watched me move into her, the pleasure radiating through all parts of my body. She grabbed the cup and held it at the ready.

  “I’m about to come…”

  She grabbed my shaft and jerked me off, holding the cup at my tip. I stared at her breasts while I felt the explosion. I squirted into the cup, catching the sides and the corner of the container. There were a few splashes on the head of my dick, so she licked them away.

  “Hmmm…” I liked it when she did dirty things like that.

  She stood up and picked up her bra from the floor.

  I grabbed her tits then kissed each one. “Thanks, girls.”

  She smirked then pulled on her top. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”

  “Definitely not.” I adjusted my clothes then waited for her to finish.

  We walked out then dropped off the specimen at the counter. The secretary was too busy to notice what we just did. Scarlet had her own exam, so we sat down and waited for her appointment.

  A man sitting near us was holding a cup identical to mine. “So…Can we all take her in there with us?” He was middle-aged with wrinkles on his forehead and chin.

  Scarlet reddened in embarrassment then looked away.

  I glared at him. “She’s my wife.”

  “Oh…” He nodded slowly. “So, she’s not included?”

  I was about to choke him. “No.”

  “Damn…”

  I clenched my fists and considered killing him.

  My wife read my mind. “Sean, let it go.”

  “He thought you were an office whore.”

  “Well, I kinda am,” she said with a laugh.

  “Now that the tests are running, we should figure out your options.” The doctor sat behind his cherry wood desk and rested his hands on the surface. Scarlet and I were sitting in separate armchairs. I held her hand on her armrest.

  I nodded. “What are they?”

  “Well, depending on the results, they could vary. If both of your sex cells are working appropriately and Scarlet’s body has an inhospitable environment, you can always hire a surrogate mother to carry your child.”r />
  I squeezed Scarlet’s hand and looked at her. “Would you want to do that, baby?”

  She was quiet for a moment. “Would you?”

  “I’m willing to do everything and anything. You’re the one with the final say.”

  Scarlet tucked her hair behind her ear. “We could do that.”

  The doctor studied her face. “Mrs. Preston, there’s a very good chance that none of these options will ever be used. I’m just preparing you for the worst.”

  I knew Scarlet wanted to carry our baby the natural way. The hurt was in her eyes. “It’ll be alright,” I whispered to her.

  “Well, I would like a surrogate, but I feel uncomfortable hiring a stranger to do it. How do I know this person will take good care of my baby?”

  “There are special programs to locate these people,” the doctor said. “But you can always ask a friend you trust if you need to.”

  I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles. “Have anyone in mind?”

  “I know Monnique and Janice would do it if I asked.”

  “That’s a lot to ask of someone,” Dr. Peterson said. “Don’t take that lightly.”

  “You don’t understand our family,” I said with a smile. “They’d go above and beyond.”

  He nodded. “There are other options as well. You can always hire a donor if one of you is unable to participate in fertilization.”

  “No,” we both said automatically.

  I looked at her, a smile on her lips. She held the same look. I didn’t want my baby to be half of someone else but her. Clearly, she felt the same way.

  “And lastly, there’s a adoption.” He twirled his thumbs together. “Some couples are strongly against this route for obvious reasons, but it’s still a worthy choice.”

  I looked at Scarlet. “It’s your call, Scar.”

  She nodded. “I’m not against that. There’s plenty of children in the world who don’t have parents.”

  Dr. Peterson turned to me. “And with your income and celebrity, you’d get on an adoption list immediately. Potential parents can wait years before they are picked. That wouldn’t happen with the two of you.”