Taking Care of Business

by Lauren Dane

  'I'm forty-two. I've lived long enough to know what I want and to say so.'

  'OK. So, in kind, it was hope you saw on my face. I, well, you know my concerns about your ex. I just don't want a third person in this relationship. Unless it's Gerard Butler, in which case, I'm on board. I'm not worried you'll want her back, I'm worried you never left. Not really. And I know without a doubt I cannot tolerate that. It's emotional infidelity. I can deal with stuff to do with your kids, but the pickle-jar stuff has to end. At this point I can't even go back to fucking you casually and not caring about pickle jars. I care about you too much to not be bothered by another woman having such sway over your concerns.'

  He took a deep breath and she heard it through the wall of his chest along with the steady thump of his heart. 'I did leave, damn it! People keep saying how it was unclear but, fuck, I divorced her seven years ago! I haven't made a single romantic or amorous move towards her in longer than that. I've dated more women than I can count.' He paused when she pinched his side. 'Ouch. OK, so that was a dumb thing to say but, shit, I don't know why everyone is making it my fault.'

  'I'm not making it your fault, Dix. But everyone thinks you're unclear because, despite divorcing her, you go on vacations with her, you open her fucking pickle jars, you mend things around her house and you treat her like she's still your wife. That's confusing enough to me and, well, Eve doesn't strike me as a super-modern woman.' Which came out way nicer than her mental dialogue about the woman.

  'I'm guessing she just figured you'd fuck your way around town but as long as you checked her tyre pressure and changed her windshield wipers you were still her husband. And, you know, to be fair to her, that's what husbands do.'

  'I'm a nice guy! How am I the bad guy for being nice? By changing those wiper blades my kids are safe.'

  She pulled away to face him and rolled her eyes. 'Stop it! Stop making this about your daughters. Because, hello, when my car needs new blades, guess who changes them? Not my dad. Not my ex-boyfriends. I do. Because it's not that complicated. She's not a moron. She has all her fingers, right? You said her consultant business makes good money so if she's too stupid or simply doesn't want to change them she can afford to go down to the lube and tune or whatever and pay the twenty bucks. Like other parents do. This isn't about your kids at all. The point is, you never really left your caretaking role with her. Divorce or not.'

  'So what is and isn't a problem with you? I mean, do I need to run everything past you now?'

  'You're a tool.' She curled her lip. 'I know you're feeling attacked and defensive but don't insult me. I've said several times I expect you to care for your kids. But if your ex-wife thinks you're coming back to her after seven years of divorce, it's not an issue of my expectations. I've told you what I have a problem with, butthead.'

  The anger on his face softened into amusement. 'Point taken.'

  'What does she think? Did you tell her about me? About us?'

  In that moment Dix saw Kate's vulnerability, saw what she'd been trying to hide. He kissed her just because he could. 'I did. She knew actually, heard my call and asked who you were. That's new and she picked up on it, I suppose. I explained you were different and also that there was no coming back for me. I'm not sure why divorce and seven years of me living away from her didn't seem clear enough, but you were right. It's partially my fault for not simply letting her stand on her own feet. I suppose she became one of my children, or maybe she has been since day one.'

  This relationship thing was hard work. The woman he sat with and poured his guts out for would expect nothing less but everything and it felt right that she'd have high expectations. Like he was worth it. Funny that.

  He took a deep breath and watched her as she simply, calmly took him in before nodding.

  'OK then. So, um, are we, like, dating?'

  'More than that, Kate. We're together. I did tell the girls I was seeing you. I told them I was in love with you and I hoped you felt the same. I'd like you to meet them before school starts. They're curious about you, I expect you are about them too. Or I hope you are.'

  'You love me?'

  'I'm usually smoother with the ladies, you know. But you've been unexpected in every sense. Got in under the radar and, before I realised it, yeah, I was in love with you.'

  She furrowed her brow for a moment. 'I told my mother about you this week when she called to harangue me about . . . whatever it was she complained of. I can't remember, it's all white noise. Anyway, she doesn't approve of you being divorced and you having kids means I'll die childless and alone and they'll steal from me if you actually do marry me and kick off. Just so you know.'

  He paused and then began to laugh. 'OK, so I can see why you aren't close.'

  'And you're too old and likely to become impotent and then you'll use Viagra and become a deviant. I should be so lucky that you'd just become impotent and won't want sex at all.' She snickered. 'I'm sure you can't wait to meet them now. My dad said nothing except when I asked if he took Viagra and became a deviant. Then he sputtered. It's about all you get from him. He likes to sputter. I just think full disclosure is good. I don't open their pickle jars and I'm going to tell you up front, I now expect you to change my wiper blades because, while it's not hard, I always break nails and it sucks. But I can open my own jars and if something breaks I can call a handyman.'

  Panic ate at his insides as he struggled to pay attention to her meandering chatter about her parents. Did she love him or not? God, all he got from her in response to his declaration of love was a furrowed brow?

  'I can see by that mildly panicked look on your face you're concerned about telling me you love me and I didn't immediately retort I loved you too.' She cocked her head and then launched herself at him, laughing. 'Of course I love you. Dumbass. Do you think I'd put up with an old, possibly impotent future deviant with a penchant for attracting crazy women who think you love them even when you don't touch them if I didn't?'

  'You're such a romantic.' He laughed and pulled her snug against him.

  'Practical too.' She ground herself against his cock. 'I'm here, you're here. Your penis is here. Kismet.'

  'Should I take that to mean you'd like to have sex?'

  'I need to grab it while I can, apparently.'

  'Can't wait to meet your mom.' He stood and she stayed wrapped around him.

  Kate held on as he walked down her hall and into her bedroom. Kate couldn't quite believe she'd just told him she loved him. He made her want to be softer in some ways, harder in others.

  Instead of tossing her to the bed like he'd done before, he laid her down gently. She swallowed hard, her hand pressing to her lips.

  Grabbing a pillow, she propped herself up to watch him undress. 'For an old guy you have such a gorgeous body.'

  He grinned lasciviously as he tossed his shirt over his head and went to work on ridding himself of his pants, boxers and shoes.

  She got to her knees and whipped the dress off and wriggled out of the panties.

  'I need to taste you again,' he murmured as he climbed on to the bed.

  'You already did. It's my turn.' She grabbed his cock, warm and hard in her hand.

  'You can have your turn later. You should let the visitor have special privileges.' He tipped her back to the bed and followed, kissing her, his tongue sliding into her mouth with surety. She loved that about him, his confidence in his own sexual allure.

  They stayed like that for some time, just kissing, slow and deep, the fire between them building and building. Finally his mouth moved from hers and touched her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks and along the line of her jaw.

  She touched every part of him she could reach –the muscled planes of his back and shoulders, the dip of his spine just above his ass. His hair was soft against her palms, his neck muscles hard as she skimmed over them.

  The slight shadow of a beard abraded the skin of her neck as she arched to give him access. His tongue laved the sensitive spot just beneath her e
ar, teeth sliding across the tendon where neck met shoulder.

  'I can't get enough of you,' he said, his lips brushing over the top of her left breast. His tongue slid across the nipple, stroking a wet caress, leaving sharp sensation in its wake.

  Some men didn't know what to do with a nipple. They twisted it like a radio dial a few times and headed for pussy. But Charles Dixon appreciated and understood the multitude of things nipples –hers especially –liked. He licked and nuzzled, nipped with his teeth, sucked hard and soft until she writhed beneath him, desperate to get contact against her sex.

  He chuckled and relented, kissing down her ribs and across her belly before settling between her thighs again. He took her ankles and pushed her knees up and wide until she lay spread open wide before him.

  It took her breath away just seeing the way he looked at her then.

  'You've got the prettiest cunt, Kate. Swollen and pink, glistening with your juices. Your cit is hard, peeking from the hood, just begging for a taste.'

  Before she could encourage him in that direction, he dipped his head and did just that. The flat of his tongue pressed against her clit, sliding from side to side.

  He feasted as he held her wide, took every bit she had and turned it back, giving her more.

  She grasped handfuls of the duvet in her hands to keep from yanking him bald.

  One of his fingers filled her, then another. It wasn't enough, she needed his cock. Still, she gasped out her pleasure when he turned his wrist and found her sweet spot, stroking it as he fucked her that way.

  'Oh God, more, please,' she begged.

  A third finger joined and stretched her, his mouth opened over as much of her cunt as it could and she drew in a deep breath and bit back a cry when he made her come.

  He let go of her ankles and grabbed her wrist, moving her hand to her sex. 'Play with your clit while I get a condom,' he said as he moved back.

  She managed to open her eyes and watch him dig through a pocket of his discarded jeans, all the while sliding her middle finger over her cit ever so gently as tiny aftershock climaxes echoed through her.

  'Why not let me suck your cock?'

  He was hard enough he had to angle his cock to roll the condom on. He groaned as he looked up at her. 'Because I want to fuck you right this very moment. God, you're hot when you do that.'

  She spread herself and raised a brow. 'This?'

  'Later . . . Later you're going to masturbate while I watch. Now I'm going to have you.'

  She flipped on to her belly, sliding her knee up and arching her back. 'This way?'

  He groaned again. 'Christ, you're sexier than anything I've ever seen. That'll do nicely.' He moved in and she nearly whimpered in relief when the head of his cock brushed against her sex and began to slide inside.

  Burrowing her arm between her body and the bed, she found her clit again, occasionally reaching down further to stroke over his cock as he pressed into and pulled out of her body.

  His weight anchored her and the way he held her pinned brought her body up over her fingers with each plunge into her cunt.

  Each thrust stroked her clit against her hand as his cock filled her, stretched, firing nerves and sending pleasure flooding through her body.

  Every part of him felt good, the slide of his cock invading and retreating, the slap of his balls, the wiry hair on his thighs against the backs of her legs, the way one of his hands encircled her wrist, holding but not harming. His body on hers, possessing, warming. Little gusts of his breath stirred the wisps of hair on the back of her neck.

  Her nipples slid over the cool nubbed fabric of the duvet. Her skin was hypersensitive to the differences in sensation surrounding her. It all added to the nearly overwhelming richness of what was happening.

  This was fucking, raw, feral, rife with emotion, but it was more too. She wasn't scared. She'd already admitted to herself and to him that she loved him and now she'd have to trust he'd handle his ex and keep his promises. The man to whom she'd entrusted her heart and body, while arrogant, had proved to be honourable and true every time she turned around.

  'Kate, I'm going to come. Then I'll rest and you can suck my cock all you like,' he whispered against the back of her neck.

  'Mmmm, not a bad offer at all.'

  She pressed her finger more solidly against her cit and tightened her muscles. He moaned in response and quickened his pace. She came in deep rolling shudders and shortly after heard his tortured whisper of her name as he joined her, pressing hard over and over and over again until he stilled and rolled off with a final kiss to the back of her neck.

  When he returned, they snuggled for a while. 'I'm staying over and I think you should give me a key too.'

  'You're very bossy.'

  He snorted. 'You should know. Tomorrow morning let's go for breakfast and then you can help me pick up some new sheets for my bed. I have all sorts of domestic crap I need to do.'

  'I'm touched you'd offer me pancakes before offering to share domestic crap.' She grinned into the skin of his side. 'Why is the hair under your arms so soft?'

  'One of life's great mysteries I'm sure. Right up there with why I'm suddenly struck with how good your pussy smells when I'm right in the middle of a meeting and then I get hard and have to think about algebra for a while. Meet me halfway for dinner next week?'

  Surprised by his change of topic, she laughed. 'Boy, once a girl lets you in, you just blow the doors off, don't you? But OK. I'm hanging out with Leah next Wednesday but we can meet up another day.'

  'Since I've blown the doors off and all, why don't you come to my house next weekend? Stay over? The girls are with their grandparents for a few weeks. Then you can meet them next month. If you're OK with it.'

  She took a deep breath and agreed. It wasn't that hard really. Just a nod and suddenly she was there. In a relationship with a man she loved. Cool.

  36

  Another week. Another trip to Wegman's. The automatic doors opened for her and Leah headed first to the store's prepared-foods section. She loved to cook, and when she was with Mike had made a practice out of perfecting delicious meals catering to his pleasure. The sensual delights of food had been one of the best parts of their relationship, mostly because the act of him feeding her had seemed submissive to him but had actually fuelled her fantasies of being catered to utterly.

  In the past couple of weeks, though, with just herself to take care of, Leah most often opted to pick up side dishes and easily heated entrées from the store. The plastic containers went straight into the microwave and meant she didn't even need to wash dishes. It was a little bit hellish on her budget, but it was also an indulgence she permitted in lieu of other extravagances.

  Tonight she was in the mood for sushi. The selection at Wegman's was impressive, considering it was a grocery store and Pennsylvania was an inland state. The spicy tuna looked good. So did the spicy salmon.

  Leah put both packages in her basket. Friday night was date night, and she had no date. Wasn't that reason enough to treat herself? She picked up a few more items, and paid for her purchases, already looking ahead to an evening of quiet at home. Just her sushi and a good movie. Later, a hot bath and a new book.

  The parking lot remained full, nearly every spot taken, but she didn't mind the walk. With the sun going down, the day's heat had begun to dissipate.

  She heard his voice before she saw him, a deep chuckle she'd imagined a thousand times over the past two weeks. She almost turned and fled before she could see him, but curiosity wouldn't let her. Hitching her canvas shopping bag over her arm, Leah walked around the back of a large SUV that had been blocking her view.

  They were still about four cars away, but Leah stopped as suddenly as though her feet had gotten mired in the heat-softened asphalt.

  'No,' he was saying with that laugh and, oh God, that smile. That brilliant, gleaming smile she wanted to be for her alone. 'No way.'

  'Give it to me!' The tiny blonde made a grab for whatever he ha
d in his hand. Her T-shirt swelled voluminously with the mounds of breasts too bouncy to be anything but real.

  She tossed her hair and took another swipe, but Brandon moved his hand out of reach.

  'Nope.' His arm, impossibly long, stretched up, up and up, his hand cradling a package of something Leah still couldn't see. He put his other hand on the girl's forehead, holding her back without much effort, but gently, as she tried again to grab away the unseen prize. 'Forget it.'

  He wasn't hers. Hadn't ever been. Yet there was no denying the way Leah's throat closed as her heart leaped into it, or the way her fingers tightened convulsively on the handle of her shopping bag as she kept herself from waving to capture his attention.