by J L Belcher
“Hey dad, can I play with Kane and Leo again today? We were wanting to catch some guppies from the creek behind their place. Can we? Please?”
“Sure, I don’t see why not. I was needing to go talk to their mum today anyway.”
Dillon shovels his food in his mouth without chewing and swallowing, then tries to talk.
“Slow down and chew your food. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”
He takes a moment to swallow his food. “Can we go over there now? I’m finished breakfast.”
Max told him seven o’clock is far too early to go over there. After Dillon puts his plate in the sink then turns the cartoons on in the lounge room while Max cleans the kitchen and loads some clothes in the washing machine.
Three hours pass and it’s now nine am. Max knows exactly what he is going to say to Claire, or at least he thinks he knows.
They climb in the car, needing to make a trip into the station in town. Apparently some teenagers from outer town have been making a nuisance out of themselves. Now I have to deal with the reports made early this morning. Complaints about them upsetting some of the dogs by sneaking around the bushlands all hours of the night. Probably the same kids that I had seen what looked like a camera flashing out the back of Claire’s place.
Dillon has been sitting on the floor in the corner playing with his cars for just over an hour now, being as patient as a six-year-old can be.
“Did you want to start packing up now? I’m finishing up now and we can get going in about five minutes,” Max says. He’s just as eager to see Claire as Dillon is to see Kane and Leo. But first Max wants to pick up a few things from town before stopping in at Claire’s on the way home.
He gets Dillon to pick out a cake to take
Claire’s place. He knows it’s not going to be anywhere as delicious as Claire’s baking, but he’s hoping it’s the thought that counts. And he grabs some bread rolls and mince to make hamburgers for dinner.
After paying for everything, they drive straight to Claire’s place. Everything is locked up as usual. When they walk up to the front door, Max is sure he hears someone on the other side of the door making a quiet hushing sound.
“Hello.” Max knocks on the door, “Claire, are you there? Can we please talk?”
Claire lifts a finger to her lips silently asking the boys to remain quiet, then asks them to go to their room.
“But mum, it’s Dillon and Constable Larson,” Kane whispers.
“Shhh. Please go to your room,” she says then leans back against the door.
“Claire?” he calls out and knocks again. Nothing. No reply. “Please, I need to talk to you.”
“Where are they dad? Where can they be?” Dillon stands there beside his father with the cake in his hands.
“Maybe they’re all having a sleep.” Though Max knew better but thought it better to say that than saying he fucked up and Claire wants nothing to do with him. Max runs back to his car for a pen and paper and writes a quick note.
‘ Claire, we need to talk. I’ll drop
by later.’
She reads the note that is slipped under the door. After another minute she hears them walk away. Sliding down the door, she holds her knees to her chest and the tea start running down her face.
“Mummy? Why are you crying?” Leo sits down beside Claire and hugs her? “Don’t cry,” he whimpers.
Kane comes running down the hall crying and stands there wiping his eyes. “This is not fair. Why can’t we play with Dillon?”
Claire opens her arms and Kane dawdles over, collapsing to his knees to hug her.
“I just wanted to play with Dillon,” Kane cries into Claire’s chest.
“I know,” she hold his head to her and strokes his hair. “You will soon, I promise. Just give me a little time. Okay?”
Both Kane and Leo hold their mum tighter as all three of them cry. Claire wipes her tears away with the back of her hand and sits up straight.
“Hey! Who wants to help me make some cakes. Who wants a four-layer chocolate cake?”
Both boys jump to their feet. “Yes, me. I do,” they both call out in unison.
They walk into the kitchen and Claire gives each of the boys their jobs to do. Kane cracks the eggs and then Leo stirs the mixture. When the cake is placed in the oven they play different card games while they wait for the oven timer to buzz.
Claire was distracted with playing with the kids she didn’t hear a car pull up in her driveway. When suddenly there is a knock on the door and it startles her, but before Claire could say something Kane is spying through the curtain.
“It’s Constable Larson and Dillon. They came back.” Kane quickly opens the door and invites them in.
“Hey Buddy,” Max says, grinning while ruffling Kane’s hair. “Do you boys want to go play in your room so I can talk to you mum?”
They run off down the hallway with Leo close behind. Max walks into the kitchen and places the cake he bought earlier today on the table. He steps up close behind Claire and she keeps her back to him. He puts his hands on the bench on either side of her, trapping her as she washes the dishes.
Max leans in close and whisper in her ear. “You can’t keep ignoring me. I won’t let you.” He grabs one arm and turns her around and she keeps her head down. “Claire, look at me… Please.”
“I have to finish cleaning.” Claire insists
as she tries to spin around toward the sink.
“Claire, we need to talk about last night.” He takes Claire by the hand and he drags her to the dining table. Max pulls out a chair for her, when she sits, he drags her chair, so her legs are between his thighs. “I need to explain what happened last night. I know you were hurt. Felt rejected.”
“Max, please. I don’t want to talk about this.”
He continues, “That isn’t what I was doing. I never meant for you to feel that way. You had a bit too much to drink and I would never take advantage of you in that state.” Max lifts her face with a finger under her chin forcing her to look him in the eye. “I wanted you so badly last night. It was killing me inside when I went home. I nearly came back.”
Claire sees the honesty in his eyes. “Um… Can you…” she quietly mumbles in a timid insecure voice.
Max leans in and kisses her on her forehead. “Can I what? You can ask me anything, Sweetheart.”
Her eyes lower to his mouth. “Kiss me?”
Without answering, he slowly leans in, leaving a single small kiss on her lips. Then pulling away for an instant, before devouring her soft lips. He runs his tongue over her top lip, and she moans into his mouth.
The kids come running down the hall and into the kitchen. “Dad can we have some cake now?”
They break apart when the kids catch them. Then they start giggling and make kissing noises.
“Alright you lot. You’re out here for some cake, huh?”
“You brought a cake over?” Claire didn’t notice the cake on the table earlier. “You didn’t need to do that. I have a cake in the oven.”
Claire makes the coffee while Max cuts the cake and they have afternoon tea on the back patio. After the kids have eaten they run into the yard and start kicking a ball around, which left Claire and Max alone to talk more. They sit close on the outdoor lounge, Max’s thigh touching hers.
“Do you think Kane and Leo would mind if Dillon and I slept over tonight? That is if you want me to stay?”
Claire grins and says she’d like that, but she’s not sure how her sons would feel about another man sleeping over.
“Well… technically we won’t be sleeping, or not sleeping much,” he winks and gives her a lopsided smile.
“It might be best to say we will be sleeping, not… you know,” she giggles.
“Fine. We’ll do it your way,” he teases.
Max looks out at the kids laughing and chasing each other, and he’s wonders , what happens if they aren’t ready for another man in Claire life just yet.
“Do you have any plans for dinner tonight? Dillon and I were doing hamburgers. Do you feel like burgers too? I was planning on doing them on the barbeque at home.”
“Um…”
Before Claire gets the chance to answer, the oven timer goes off, and Max follows her inside.
“Do you want to tell me why I never see
you leave this house? It’s like you’ve quarantined yourself and the boys in here. Are you in some sort of trouble?”
Claire panics a little. No one is supposed to know who she is, or she’ll be told they’ll need to move again.
“Can we please talk about this another time.”
“Okay. But I’ll need to go home and pick a few things up. I think we need to work out how we’re going to bring up the idea about me,” Max uses his fingers as quotation marks, “sleeping over.”
When Max quickly dashes home
alone, he sends Claire a message asking if there was anything else they were needing.
She text back…
‘No. I don’t think we need anything else. xx’
Claire bites her bottom lip when she presses send.
Max laughs. He knows she’s just letting him know she had seen it when he accidently sent the ‘xx’ to her.
Max packs the hamburger buns, mince, and everything else he was planning on using tonight. Before he walks out the door he grabs a bottle of wine he bought in town today.
On his drive back to Claire’s, he notices a black car pulling into the property next door to Claire. He smiles to himself thinking it’s about time those boys come to see their lonely mother since their father had died.
Max pulls in alongside the house. Unsure how Claire’s kids will react with him staying the night, so he leaves the bag of clothes outside the front door. Then he enters the house, placing the bag of
groceries on the table.
He walks out onto the back patio where Claire is sitting on the steps watching the kids play.
“Have you talked to Kane and Leo about a sleepover tonight?” he asks as he sits beside her.
“I had a quiet word with them when Dillon went to the bathroom. They were more excited that Dillon will be sleeping over. But they did say it would be good to have you here to stop with my… um…”
“Your what? Claire?”
Before she had the chance to answer, she was saved when Dillon comes running over grinning and crashing into him with a huge hug.
“Thanks Dad. We’re gonna make a fort in the bedroom tonight and sleep in it.”
“Hey, that sounds like fun. Is there going to be enough room for me too?” Max teases as he tickles his son.
“Noooo. Kids only,” Dillon giggles.
“You’ll have to make one for you and mum to sleep in,” Kane says.
Max and Claire glance at each other
and grin. “Yeah. I think I’ll have to do just that.”
So it seems the kids are more than okay for Max to sleep in the same room as their mum.
Claire grabs some sheets and blankets from the linen cupboard for the kids to build their fort. Max brings in the bag of clothes that he left at the front door, dropping Dillon’s clothes on the kids bed and his clothes just inside Claire’s bedroom door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Straight after dinner the three kids run off to the bedroom and start building their fort. Claire and Max clean up in the kitchen, standing close enough to be rubbing shoulders.
Afterwards they sit together on the couch and watch a movie before heading off into the bed and calling it a night.
Claire is feeling restless and can’t settle. She tells him she’ll be back in a minute. She walks out wandering around the house, checking the windows and doors twice over doing her nightly routine.
When she turns to return to the bedroom, Claire sees Max standing in the hall watching her.
He wants to know what’s going on, but tonight isn’t the night for that. Tonight is all about caving in to our needs and
feelings and connecting with each other.
“Is everything all locked up?”
“Yeah. I just needed to check.”
Claire smiles up at him knowing she must have looked like some crazy person.
“I’ll be back in a minute. I just need to get something,” Max says then wanders to the kitchen and returns with two glasses and a bottle of wine. “Claire?” he calls out, then he hears the shower running then taps on the door.
“I’m in here.”
Max slowly opens the door, undresses and steps under the running water and wraps his arms around Claire’s waist.
“Hey beautiful,” he mumbles into her neck. “Are you ok?” he asks when he feels her whole-body tense.
“I’m good. You just surprised me. I
wasn’t expecting you to join me.”
“I’m sorry. Do you want to leave and let you shower alone?”
“No. Please stay.” She shutters when his hands slide up and his thumbs slightly brush against her breasts.
“Are you sure? You seem uncomfortable, kinda tense with me touching you.”
“Max, please stay. I guess I’m a little nervous. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any sort of sexual contact from a man.”
“Tell me. How long has it been?”
“Can we talk about this another time. Right now I want you to hold me. Touch me. Kiss me, please Max.”
Max doesn’t need to be told twice. Both his hands cup her breasts, and Claire moans as she leans back into him, resting her head in his shoulder. She raises her arms, running her fingers through his hair and pressing her chest into his hands.
Max kisses her earlobe then whispers, “You are a stunning woman.” He reaches for the soap and lathers up his hands then cradles her breast with one hand. His other hand slowly guides down her stomach and slips between her thighs.
“Oh god… Max.”
He slides a finger between her lips, rubbing against her sensitive clit. “Is this what you want?” he teases.
“Ahh… Please, yes,” she lets out a pleasurable cry.
Max quickly releases her breast and tilting her face toward him, covering her lips with his. Darting his tongue out, he explores her mouth as he continues the pressure on her clit. She rocks her hips back and forth, back and forth, riding his hand. Max slips a finger inside her and she cries out and Max captures it in his mouth. It doesn’t take Claire long to climax and her whole body convulses.
Just as her legs are about to collapse beneath her, he spins her around and tells her to hang on tight around his neck. Lifts her up and wraps her legs around his waist, he steps further under the running water, he presses her against the cold tiles.
“Claire, are you ready for me?”
“Yes, Max. God yes.”
Without another word, he slam into her balls deep. Claire gasps and her tears are hidden with the water running down her face.
“Did I hurt you?”
“It’s fine. I’m ok. It didn’t hurt too much. Just give me a minute before you
move.”
It doesn’t take Claire long to adjust to being full before she starts riding Max’s cock.
“Max…” she murmurs as she buries her face into his neck and moans.
“I know, Babe. I’ve got you.” he cups her ass cheeks, rocking her at a faster pace. “Cum for me. Don’t hold back.” Feeling her tightening around his cock, Max squeezes his fingers around her ass, rocking her faster and harder. The moment he feels her about to climax he kisses her hard on the lips as Max releases his pulsing surge capturing her screams.
Max turns the water off and steps out, lowering Claire to her feet on the bathmat. He reaches for a clean towel hanging on the rack, wraps it around her and carries Claire to the bedroom, he lays her gently down on the bed.
“You’re quiet. Is everything ok? You’re not having second thoughts about me sleeping over, or regretting what we did, are you?”
“Not at all. I’m not regretting anything.
It’s just that…” Claire hesitated for a moment.
“It’s just what?” Max sits on the edge of the bed and waits patiently for her to continue.
“I have only ever been with one man before and that was three years ago.”
“What? And no man has touched you since then?”
“No,” she mumbles and turns her face away from him.
Max cups her cheek and leans in to kiss her soft lips. “Claire, how could any man resist you? You are a very desirable woman. Each day that passes, every moment that we spend together I want you more and more.”
Tears escape her eyes and Max wipes them away with his thumb. “Why the tears, Sweetheart?”
“Your sweet words. I never thought I would find someone like you.” she never thought she would let another man into her broken heart. But this man has somehow squeezed in through the cracks.
He leans in again, leaving a lingering kiss as he mumbles against her lips, “I’ve been right here waiting for you to arrive.” Max grins and asks if she’d like a glass of wine.
“I don’t think that would be such a great idea, not after last time.” Just the thought has her cringing at her behaviour.
“Here, let me pour you a glass. I promise you’ll be fine with this one. I bought this one in town today. It’s non-alcoholic.”
Max pours the wine and he sits on the other side of the bed. They sip their wine then he takes her drink from her and puts both their glasses on the bedside table.
“Come here.” Max lifts Claire onto his lap so she is straddling him, and her towel falls away. “You are a stunning woman.”
He runs his hands up her arms and along her collarbone, then down to cup her breasts. Her breath quickens and goosebumps spread all over her body. Max leans in and takes one nipple between his lips and lightly bites her. Claire throws her head back and groans, arching her back wanting more from him.
Max gives her another bite, leaving several light kisses to soothe the area before giving the same attention to her other breast.
“Shhh,” he mumbles against her plump breast when she moans louder. “We don’t want the boys coming in here,” Max says.