by Angel Devlin
“Wow,” she breathes.
“What?”
“I didn’t have you down as one to go all alpha caveman on me.”
“Leah,” I sigh, exasperated with her amusement. “You just showed every man in this place how tiny that little G-string is you’re wearing and now every single one of them is imagining fucking you.”
She glances over my shoulder and shifts her eyes around the room.
“No one’s even looking this way.”
“Trust me, they were. And they will be again if you bend over like that. Come on.” I go to pull her away from the lane and get her the hell out of here but she holds firm.
“We’ve only just started. I promise not to bend over so much, how’s that?”
My teeth grind as I picture just how much she put on show for everyone to see only seconds ago. Can I sit here and allow her to do it all over again? Leah’s standing with her hands on her hips and a defiant look on her face.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.”
“Fucking hell.”
Her hands land on my chest and she pushes until I’m forced to fall back down onto the bench and watch.
By the time she takes her last go, beating me by a mile, I’m just about ready to explode. A group of young guys took over the next lane to us about twenty minutes ago and I know every single one of them stops to watch every time Leah takes to the lane. I didn’t need to turn to acknowledge it, their sudden silence said it all.
“I can’t believe I won,” Leah squeals as we leave, hand in hand.
“I was distracted.”
“Oh come on. What’s the big deal? So what? I showed off a little more than I was planning to. I’m leaving with you, aren’t I? And if you’re a lucky boy I might show you my bedroom later.”
“Yeah?”
“Only time will tell. What’s next? I’m starving.”
Getting back into the car, I take us a little out of the city to an event Kaylie told me about.
“What’s this?” Leah asks, her brows drawn together as I pull up into the car park and get out, retrieving a box and blanket from the boot.
“I’m not totally sure. My sister recommended it.”
“Okay, well lead the way.”
We follow the path and eventually emerge from the trees to find a huge field with people scattered around sitting on their own blankets and enjoying their own picnics as a band play on the makeshift stage at the other side of the park.
We find a patch of grass and I lay the blanket out before opening up the basket and excitedly pull out all the dishes I prepared earlier.
“Did you make all of this?” Leah asks, staring down at it all in amazement.
“Yep, with my very own magic hands.”
“I’ll be interested to see what else you’re going to do with those magic hands later.” She purrs.
I put the food down and we make out on the blanket until I hear her tummy gurgle. We eat and then she says the words I’ve waited to hear all night.
“Do you want to come back to mine?”
14
Leah
The car journey home can’t pass fast enough. I’m desperate for him to be inside me. A quick phone call to his sister and he had permission to be out all night. Kaylie was staying over anyway and she said it would be nice to enjoy a quiet night with all the gorgeous leftovers in Jenson’s fridge.
The minute we’re through the door, Jenson grabs my hand and begins to drag me up the stairs. “Which way?”
“To the top and to the right. My bedroom is over the back garden.”
I wish he could have seen the house as it used to be, full of life like his. Instead, the essence of the house has been stripped away. It’s a blank canvas for its next owner, or it will be when I’m finished.
Thank goodness I’d tidied all my crap away thinking this could be a possibility. There are freshly laundered sheets on my bed. Not that Jenson seems to have taken in any of it: not the bare walls, not the room. He’s completely engaged in the moment and I realise I should be too. Not worrying about what he thinks of my home!
I wrap my legs around him and clutching my arse cheeks he lowers me onto my bed, rolling me over and lifting my dress to expose my G-string.
“This arse is mine, you hear me? Not all the dudes at Bowl Me Overs.” He bites each cheek in turn.
“Oh my god. Seriously? You just bit my arse and claimed it? What a Neanderthal.”
He flips me back over and beats at his chest. “Woman, mine.”
I sit up, reach over and tug at the end of his shirt. “You’re wearing far too many clothes, Jenson Hale.”
It’s not long before we’re wearing nothing at all.
Jenson nibbles at my neck, trailing tiny kisses the whole way down, sweeping across my collarbone, to the other side of my neck. I shiver, goose bumps erupting everywhere. He teases my nipples in turn and then trails down further and further until his mouth is feasting between my thighs and I’m screaming his name.
When he finally enters me, his gaze is fixed on my own. “Keep your eyes open.” He orders as he thrusts deep inside me.
“It’s hard.” I complain, my eyes wanting to close to experience all the heady sensations.
“Oh I know,” he quips.
In revenge I swirl my hips a little taking him deeper.
“Fuck, Leah. I can’t get enough of you.”
A fact he proves by us getting very little sleep until a resounding knock comes on the wall.
“For God’s sake, quit shagging.” A female voice booms out.
“Oh shit. Your own spare room adjoins this one. Please tell me your sister hasn’t been listening to us banging all night,” I say mortified, hiding my face in his chest. Mmm, it smells all spicy. I lick his sweaty, salty skin.
“Now stop that or I’ll scar my sister mentally for life.” He chuckles in my ear. Then gathering me into his warm embrace, he tucks my head underneath his chin and we fall asleep until my regular set alarm lets us know that it’s morning.
“I am not going around to meet your sister.” I fold my arms over my chest.
“Please yourself. I know Kaylie. She’ll just come around here.”
“What?”
Jenson shrugs. “There’s been no woman in my life, no regular woman that is, since my ex. She’s very protective of Amelia and she’ll want to give you the once-over.”
“This just gets better and better.” I groan.
After showering, I change into a pair of navy trousers and a white blouse. Jenson looks at me strangely. “Can I voice an objection? Where are the itty-bitty shorts?”
“Objection overruled. I’m meeting your sister. I’m not going around in my paint-splattered decorating attire.”
“Well, can I put in a request that you wear it tonight? Can I dip my brush in your paint pot?”
The doorbell rings.
“That’ll be Carl.”
I’m expecting Jenson to go all alpha again, but instead he just says nothing while I go downstairs to let him in.
“Morning, short stack. Can’t smell any tea. Can’t work unless I have my fill of the hot stuff.”
A deep voice booms from behind me. “Me too. Sorry, that’s why she’s running behind.”
I’ll kill him. I feel my face burn.
Carl guffaws and making his way through the door he sidesteps me to hold out a hand to Jenson which is met and shaken. “Carl Taylor. Plasterer and Building Services. Though you’ll know that if you’ve eyes because it’s sign-written on my van. Just want to say thanks, mate, for interviewing my cousin today. Means a lot. Found out the reason she lost her job was her ex-boss was hitting on her. Least I know that won’t be happening in your place. Seems you’re otherwise engaged.” He tilts his head at me.
“Shit, yes, the interview. I need to get back to mine and get ready. You coming?” he asks me.
I now have the perfect excuse not to go. “Nah, I need to make this needy guy a gallon of tea.�
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“My sister won’t be happy.”
“Sister?” Carl asks.
“Yeah, she’s looking after my daughter. She’ll want to meet this one.”
“Well, just so happens I have a flask of tea in the van and also I do know how to use a kettle, so bye, Leah. Get out from under my feet, will you? Bloody distracting seeing you looking like you’re going for a job interview. I’m missing the shorts.”
A mini growl erupts from Jenson.
Carl winks at him. “I’m a hot-blooded male. You might be tapping it, but I’m not blind.”
“Yeah, those shorts are really something aren’t they?”
“Oh my god, you seriously are not talking about me in this way.” I stomp my feet and head out of the front door.
I can hear Jenson still laughing behind me.
“Stop stomping. You look like Amelia when she can’t get her own way.”
I swing around at him. “You’ll be getting none tonight.”
His smile is delicious and flames lick up my insides. “But that’s not true is it? Because I go to Disney tomorrow, so I think you’ll want to ride me all night long.”
I laugh out loud and he looks confused for a moment until he turns around to face his sister standing at the opened door.
“I’m going to vomit. Right here on the step. Vomit everywhere. Can you please stop?” She smiles at me. “Leah, right?”
I nod, blushing furiously once more.
“Come in. Amelia’s just run upstairs to get changed as I bought her a new Rapunzel dressing up outfit.”
As we follow Kaylie through to the kitchen, she’s chattering about how fast Amelia is growing and how she doesn’t think this outfit will last that long either before she’s either grown out of it or got bored of Disney princesses.
“As long as she doesn’t get bored of them before tomorrow.”
“You’re joking, Jenson. She’s talked of nothing else. Actually, that’s not true.” Kaylie pauses and turns to look at me then her brother. “She talked an awful lot about Leah too. Apparently, you’ve been filling Leah’s holes.” She raises her brows a few times in an ‘oo-er’ kind of way. “I’m presuming she’s not been witnessing things she shouldn’t.”
“He helped me plant some trees in the front garden.” I scrub at my hair. “Oh God, what a first impression I must be making.”
To my surprise Kaylie walks up to me and gives me a hug. She’s a good half a foot taller than I am so the sunlight disappears for a moment.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the woman who is putting a smile back on my brother’s face.” She lets me go and heads back to the countertop. “Coffee or tea?”
“Coffee please. I can’t stay long though, I have the plasterer next door, and a carpet fitter coming.”
“How long before it’s ready for sale?”
“I’m expecting to be able to call the estate agents early next week.”
I can see Jenson’s body tense at my response.
Kaylie places a coffee on the table for all three of us and we take a seat. “So then what?”
“Kaylie! That’s not our business.” Jenson warns.
“It’s okay.” I tell him. “Then, I don’t know.” I decide to confess all. “My parents got into debt with con artists. You know those firms who tell you they’ll release you your equity? They signed a loan agreement without reading the fine print. I have to sell the house to cover what they owe. I’ll be lucky if there’s anything left for even a deposit on anything else. So, I need to look for a job and depending on what I get, then I’ll look for a rental. I’m stuck really until the house is sold. I don’t want to leave it vacant because I can’t afford for anything to go wrong like squatters or burglars.”
“Why haven’t you told me any of this?” Jenson snaps.
“I haven’t really wanted to face it.” I say honestly, but now it’s coming towards the end of the refurb, and soon I’ll be able to draw a line under it all.
“So what sort of work are you looking for? I’m sure Jenson will have something for you at InHale.”
“I have an Early Years degree. But of course all the teaching posts for the new academic year will no doubt be filled now. Like I said, I’m a little stuck until the house sells, but I’ll probably see if I can get a temporary teaching assistant position.”
“I’m a primary school teacher!” Kaylie almost shouts.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’ll ask the head when I’m back, see if we have anything coming up.”
“I’d really appreciate that.”
“Daaddddyyyyyy. I need you to be the prince please.” Amelia stands in the doorway dressed as Rapunzel, swishing her long wig.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
Amelia giggles and runs in throwing herself into Jenson’s arms.
“Well, do you know where Amelia is, Princess Rapunzel, because I want to say goodbye to her before I go to work?”
Amelia pulls her wig off. “It’s me, Daddy, silly.”
“Oh gosh, so it is.”
“You look beautiful as Rapunzel, Amelia.” I tell her.
“Thanks, Leah. Did you and my daddy have a sleepover?”
“Erm…”
“Did you tell ghost stories? That’s what happened when I stayed over at Tasha Jenkins’ house. Her big brother came in and told us a ghost story and we didn’t sleep all night.”
“I think Daddy must have told Leah ghost stories because they didn’t sleep all night either.” Kaylie says in an innocent voice while smirking.
“Right, I’m off to get ready for work. I’ll leave you three to it.” Jenson swallows down his coffee and swings Amelia around, placing her on the seat he’s just got up from.
I watch as he leaves the room. Now I feel really awkward.
“So, Amelia. What are you having for breakfast today?” Kaylie asks her.
“Pancakes please.”
Kaylie shakes her head. “Nope, not today. I know you’ve been having pancakes all week.”
“But I love pancakes.”
“You need some vitamins. What about porridge with sliced apple?”
“Oooooh, nooooooo. I want pancakes. Leah, make me pancakes.”
Way to put me in an awkward spot.
“I think the eggs have run out, Amelia. So maybe the porridge, or some toast?”
“There’s a shop down the street. Let’s go buy some more.”
I can see Kaylie’s exasperation.
“Maybe, I could go get some?” I say quietly.
“No. She needs to learn she can’t have her own way all the time.” Kaylie snaps.
“God, yeah. I guess so. I don’t really know about her diet…” I trail off. In the meantime, Amelia has run up to her bedroom saying she’s not eating at all.
“I’m sorry.” Kaylie says. “I’m just trying to be someone who shows Amelia she can’t always have things her own way. Jenson spoils her. I mean he’s bound to and well, to a large extent, so do I, but I just want to make sure she’s not living on sugar every morning.”
“But your brother is a chef, surely he knows her nutritional needs?”
Kaylie slumps.
“God, you must think I’m such a bitch. I’ll go get some eggs. Can you watch Amelia? I think I’m just having a bit of a moment.” Her eyes fill with tears. I jump from my seat and walk around to her.
“Is everything okay?”
She nods, but tears roll down her cheeks. “I’m so happy Jenson has met you. I know it’s really early days but it just reminds me of how alone I am. I’m Amelia’s auntie but I know I’m going to have to step back at some time, that a woman will come and take on the mother role that I’ve been doing my best to cover as her aunt. God, I’m talking shit I know. I’m so sorry. This wasn’t how I wanted to introduce myself.”
I walk over to the side and pass her a piece of kitchen towel.
“Kaylie, I’ve known Jenson less than two weeks.”
“I know.”
She sniffles, “But I can just tell that this is different.”
“Kaylie. I like your brother a lot, but it’s two weeks. Next week my house will be going up for sale and then I have no idea what’s going to happen. I might get a job in another city. Plus Amelia is always going to need her auntie.”
Kaylie nods.
“Now, go and deal with Amelia and you’re right, she does need to know she can’t have her own way all the time. I’m going to leave you to it and get back to the house, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Leah.”
“Don’t be sorry for fearing change. I’m right there with you. In a few weeks time I could be anywhere.”
“You’re planning to leave?”
I spin around to see Jenson in his work clothes with Amelia on his back. She’s forgotten her tantrum and is beaming at being on her dad’s shoulders. Jenson’s face however looks like an approaching thunderstorm.
“I don’t know.” I shrug my shoulders. I can only be honest. “Right, I’ll catch you all later.” This morning has proved all kinds of awkward and to be honest right now I can’t cope. It’s enough I have all this crap with my parents’ estate on my plate. I can’t be doing with a man I’ve had a few dates with’s bad mood, his sister’s meltdown, and Amelia’s tantrums. It’s just all too much. Grabbing my keys off the table, I walk out of the house and back to my own, where I let Carl’s banter distract me.
15
Jenson
As I sit at my desk waiting for my potential new barmaid to arrive for her interview, Leah’s words about leaving from earlier are on repeat in my head. Would she really up and leave after what’s been between us?
It makes me wonder if I’m more invested in what’s developing between us than she is. I guess it’s only natural seeing as I’m so much older than her. She has every right not to be thinking about the potential to become Amelia’s stepmum and here I am having crazy thoughts about her being just that.
“Jesus,” I mutter dropping my head into my hands. I’ve known her what, a week, and here I am thinking about marriage and a future.