by Jacob Chance
Tanner tugs on his earlobe. “It just didn’t work out.”
“I’m really proud of you guys,” Sophie compliments as she continues to make eggs. “There’s nothing wrong with being selective when picking out a partner.”
I laugh. “They’re finding someone to fu… enjoy, not marry. If you could see some of the women Tanner has carefully ‘selected’ to sleep with, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Maybe their tastes are becoming more discriminate.”
She’s optimistic, I’ll give her that.
“You’re assuming Tanner has any taste.”
“Hey, I’m not that bad.”
“I can’t sit on this any longer,” Sam cuts in. “The only taste you have is for food. When it comes to women, I don’t know what happens to you, but it gets ugly.”
“That’s one way to put it. And before we say something we shouldn’t, let’s remember there’s a little boy here who hears everything he’s not supposed to,” I weigh in.
“Who’s ready to eat?” Sophie calls out the words that are like music to my ears.
“I’m starving. You’re an angel for cooking us breakfast.”
She raises a brow. “I’m also an angel for getting up with your son at six this morning. And for not kneeing you in the balls after your comments last night.”
“Why didn’t you come get me?” I ignore her comment.
“When I heard he was awake, I went to check on him. He asked me if we could take a walk on the beach.”
“Did you say no?”
“I told him okay and we went for our walk. It was a great time too. Joey, show your daddy the seashells you found on the beach.”
“Look, Daddy.” He holds up a white shell and then a small, brown periwinkle shell. “Very nice. Maybe we can go find some more after we eat.”
I don’t want to be jealous of the time Sophie spent with Joey, but I am. I’m also jealous that I missed out on spending time with both of them, which is a dangerous way for me to think. No happy little family is going to be the result of the three of us spending time together.
“Help yourselves. I’m not dishing it out onto your plates for you. My duty is done.” She turns around and pads across the room.
“Where are you going?” I call out.
“To the beach. Oh and don’t forget to clean up when you’re done.” She wiggles her fingers over her shoulder at us as she disappears from sight.
17
Miles
Sam chuckles. “Boy, you’ve got your hands full with that one.”
“How so?”
“She’s amazing. Pretty much everything you could want in a woman.”
“You’re right; she’s great,” I agree.
Tanner sighs. “If you don’t want her, I’ll take her.”
“She’s not an object that we can pass around or decide who gets ownership.”
“I didn’t say she was. She’s the kind of girl who makes you think about settling down.”
What the hell am I hearing? I can’t believe what Tanner is saying.
Has he lost his mind?
“I’m stunned that you’re saying these things, Mr. love them and leave them.”
“Yeah, that’s always been my motto, but I’m not getting any younger. Seeing you with Joey and Sophie makes me wonder if it’s time to find a nice girl to settle down with.”
I turn to Sam. “Are you hearing this?”
“I am, but he and I have talked about this more than once. We’re single for a lot of reasons, work being the main one. But I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life. My job with the Bureau is stressful and I’d like to have someone to come home to.”
“You guys are blowing my mind. I feel like I’m in a parallel universe with another version of both of you.”
“What are you going to do about Sophie?” Sam inquires.
“I’m not doing anything about her. She’s going off to school in another month and I’ll probably never see her again.”
Tanner shakes his head. “You’re one dumb son of a--” His eyes flick to Joey before he continues, “bee.”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
“If you let that girl get away you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“You just said the key word yourself: girl. She’s only nineteen. Her life has barely begun and I’m not going to saddle her with an almost three-year-old and a bitter older man. It would ruin her plans for college.”
Tanner rubs his chin. “Boy, being selfless really sucks. No wonder why I’ve never tried it.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for us to take this walk? What if the guys don’t hear Joey crying?”
“He’s fine. He’s sound asleep for the night.”
“But what if he wakes up and you’re not there?”
“He won’t. He’s always been a great sleeper. Look, I realize you don’t know my friends that well, but Tanner is a firefighter. He’d never let anything happen to Joey. And if you’re worried about his lack of maturity, Sam is there with him. He works for the FBI, and if they think he’s trustworthy I think we should.” I poke her in the side teasingly.
She giggles. “Okay, okay. You’re right. Joey will be fine.
I catch her hand, slotting our fingers together. “Come on. Let’s take that walk.” We start at an easy pace. The smooth, cold sand pleasantly cushions our soles. Waves crash against the shore and the white foam moves closer to our feet each time as the tide rolls in.
“We’re not going to get trapped down here at high tide are we?” She sounds nervous.
“No, don’t worry. Even when it’s high tide, the water doesn’t go all the way up to the dunes. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it. But if it keeps rolling in, I’m going to turn around and head back to the house.”
I stop moving and pull her to me until she’s in front of me. Releasing her hand, I cup her cheeks and stare into her gleaming eyes.
“I don’t want you worrying about silly things.”
“Getting stuck in the tide isn’t silly to me.”
“Don’t you trust me to protect you? I want you to know I would never let anything happen to you.”
“I know but--”
I connect my mouth to hers, successfully putting an end to her nonsense. My tongue sweeps across the seam of her generous lips before they part, allowing me entrance. Her hands land on my arms, palms sliding up and down my bare skin, rocketing a tremor through me.
I tug her closer until she’s bound to the front of my body and wish for a way to make our clothing disappear. I’m desperate to have her naked body coiled tightly around me as I sink into her for the first time.
Kissing her wasn’t my intent when I brought her down here. Oh who am I kidding? I absolutely planned to kiss her. It’s been over twenty-four hours since our mouths were joined and that’s way too long. But what I intended as a sweet, unhurried, reassuring kiss has turned into a volatile duel of tongues.
Her hands move to my shoulders, nails digging into my skin through the thin t-shirt as she urges her pelvis into mine. I help her with a hand on her ass, driving her forward into my hard cock. She wraps a leg around the back of mine, gasping into my mouth as I grind into her clit. Christ. What is it about her that has me behaving like a teenager? Everytime we touch, we lose control and it turns into more. I have no restraint when it comes to Sophie. I’m ready to go off like a Roman candle after one scorching hot kiss.
Our tongues war as we battle to get impossibly closer. A shrill whistle followed by cheering and laughter reminds me of where we are and why we shouldn’t be doing this. I tear my lips from hers, my chest heaving from our heated kiss, and set her away from me. Sophie stares at me, her brown eyes so dark in her upturned face.
“Why can’t I stay away from you?” I husk. “I remind myself you’re off limits a thousand times and it doesn’t seem to matter. Here we are right back where we can’t be.”
She
throws her hands up, aggravated by my words. “Maybe you shouldn’t stay away from me? There’s a reason we keep doing this.”
“Just because we both desire something doesn’t mean it should happen. I don’t want to hurt you, Sophie.” My hands reach out to touch her once more, but I draw them back, instead raking them through my hair. “If we do this, if we take this further, there’s no avoiding that you’ll get hurt. I’m not someone you should be wasting time on. You know this as well as I do. You just won’t admit it.”
“Why do you keep telling me I’ll be the one to get hurt? What about you? Did it ever occur to you that you might fall a little in love with me? Or am I just some girl who’s good enough to watch your son, but not worthy of you falling for?”
My hands grip her upper arms as I lower my face, my eyes riveted on her troubled ones. “Of course I might fall in love with you. Jesus, I’m crazy for you already, but I’ve already had my heart broken. I’m battleworn and I have the scars to prove it.” I caress my fingers down the soft curve of her cheek. “You’ve never had your heart broken and I know it’s inevitable that someday you will, but I don’t want to be the one to cause it.”
Her hands come to rest on my chest as she tips her face up to mine. “I’d rather be with you and have it end in heartbreak than to not have you at all.” A tear hovers on her lower lashes before falling down her cheek. She swipes it away before I can.
“You say that now, but you don’t mean it.”
“Fuck you. I’m an adult and I know what I want.” She pokes me in the chest. “I’m sick of you speaking for me as if you know what’s best for me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m only trying to do the right thing.” I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
“The right thing would be to take advantage of our connection and make the most of whatever time we can have together. I’ve never felt this physical force tethering me to someone else before. I don’t want to ignore it. I want to enjoy every moment we can and look back on it fondly when it’s over.” She slides her palms up over my shoulders. Her fingers glide over the nape of my neck, testing my resolve before burrowing into the back of my hair. “Please, Miles.”
God, I love hearing my name whispered pleadingly on her lips. I’m tempted to say no and make her beg me just so she’ll say it again. But I’m not a masochist.
I want her as much as, if not more than, she wants me. Teasing her would only be testing myself and I’m not sure how much longer I can remain strong. We’re two subatomic particles about to smash together. I’m not sure either one of us is ready for the resulting chaos.
“Please, Miles.” In the end it’s the need I hear clawing in her voice that has me resignedly nodding my head. I feel it too. There’s a sense of urgency to be with her in every possible way and it’s not subsiding. Each moment spent in her company only makes it grow stronger.
“Yes?” she whispers hopefully.
I graze my teeth over my bottom lip and give a sharp nod. “Yes, but there are rules you have to agree to.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t say that until you hear them. You might not want to agree to my terms.”
“Let me hear them.”
“You and I can start this sex only relationship, but it ends when you leave for school. That is an absolute must for me. I won’t have you go off to college pining for something that will never be.”
“What else?”
“We’re exclusive. I haven’t been with anyone since Sandy. That’s a total of ten years. When we split I was tested for everything and I got a clean bill of health.”
“I’ve only slept with my ex and we were each other’s firsts. And we always used condoms.”
“Are you on birth control?”
“I am.”
“Are you good about taking it? I’m not ready to give Joey a little brother or sister.”
“Yes, I take it religiously. I have plans for myself, too, you know? I’m not ready for that either. And I’m pretty sure you should know me well enough to realize how responsible I am.”
“It’s true. I know it. So, we don’t need condoms then?”
“Nope.”
“Good. I don’t have any with me and there’s no way in hell you’re making it through the night without being mine. I hope you’re ready to be fucked all night long.”
18
Miles
“Really?” she squeals, launching herself at me. I catch her in my arms and she wraps her legs around my hips.
“Goddamn right,” I say, holding her tight as I trek back to the house. “Here’s your chance to change your mind. Once I get you in my room, all bets are off, Soph. I want you to be sure.”
She nips the underside of my jaw with her sharp teeth. “I’m one hundred percent sure. What more do you want? Do I need to tattoo it on my ass?”
“Speaking of tattoos, you don’t have any that I missed do you?”
“Nope, not yet. I’m saving my skin for when I go off to college. I’m going to get a drunken tattoo some night.”
“You better not,” I say with a growl.
“Oh, but we’ll be through, remember? You won’t have a say.”
I know this little sprite is taunting me by throwing my own stipulations back at me, and damn if it isn’t working. The thought of her experiencing all that college has to offer without me makes my stomach uneasy.
Marching up onto the back deck of the condo, we see Tanner and Sam sitting at the table nursing a couple of beers.
“Before you ask, I checked on Joey not even five minutes ago. You’re in the clear.” Sam winks, giving me a thumbs up letting me know I’m good to proceed with my plans to fuck Sophie senseless.
We breeze by without more than a nod from me. I know Joey’s in good hands and these guys have to be ecstatic I’m about to get back in the saddle. They’ve been nagging me to get out since Sandy and I first split.
I open the slider with one finger and we step inside the house.
“I got it,” Sam calls out, as I keep walking down the hallway and up the stairs toward my room.
“Well that wasn’t too embarrassing.” Sophie buries her head in my neck.
“Why is that embarrassing?”
“Because they know we’re about to have sex.”
“Do you care if they know?”
“I don’t know. Not really, but it’s weird that they know we’re headed to your room to do it right now.”
“Don’t worry about those guys. They won’t judge you for it and they’re both jealous as fuck of me right now. They wish they were in my position.” I feel for the doorknob with one hand and ease it closed behind us. The last thing we need is Joey to wake up.
My room, bathed in moonlight, makes this feel romantic. Add in the sound of waves crashing on the shore and it’s more than I could ask for.
Leaning over, I set Sophie on top of the covers and stare down at her. She’s petite, but her body is perfection. From her leanly muscled legs to her curvy little hips. I can’t wait to have her thighs squeezing me tight.
“What are you waiting for, an invitation?” she teases.
Gripping my shirt, I tug it over my head and chuck it behind me. Her eyes remain locked on my hands as they nimbly undo the button and zipper on my shorts. I push them down my hips until they fall to the floor. Stepping out of them, I kick them to the side and stand before her in only my boxer briefs. “I think it’s time to even up the playing field.” Tipping my chin at her, I order, “Start undressing.”
“Yes, sir,” she winks, digging her heels into the mattress, raising her hips up as she hooks her thumbs into the waistband of her shorts. She peels them down her legs and once they’re gone I realize her panties went with them. Oh fuck.
Sophie sits up to pull off her shirt and unhook her bra before throwing them both to the floor. I remove my boxers as fast as I can and, setting a knee down on the end of the mattress, I crawl up, settling between her legs, right where I belong.
I groan when
our naked bodies connect. The sensation of being skin to skin with her is indescribable. Warm and soft in all the right places, she’s everything I imagined and more.
The sharp points of her tits press into me as she loops her arms around my neck and smiles up at me. She’s exquisite in the moonlight. Hell, she’s exquisite no matter what and there’s a sense of ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this’ that I’ve never had before.
Being with Sophie feels like my first time and in a way this will be. It’s the first time since my divorce that I’m having sex.
My hips lower until her wet pussy snugly cradles my cock. She moans and I swallow the sound with my mouth. Eager tongues swirl together while our hips wriggle and jerk, seeking more contact.
She’s so slick, her juices spread all around from sliding my hard cock between her lips and I’m ravenous for a taste.
Easing back between her legs, I lower to my stomach and lick into her succulent pussy. Her sweetness explodes on my tongue like the most decadent dessert. Pushing her knees up, opening her wide for my eyes and tongue, I dip in for another taste.
Her fingers ruffle through my hair, caressing my scalp, sending a chill skipping down my spine.
Drawing her clit between my lips makes her moan and sucking on it makes her hips buck. Increasing the pressure of the suction has her whimpering. Flicking with my tongue makes her gasp and when I hook two fingers inside her pussy, pumping and twisting them, her legs tremble and she comes all over my hand. Goddamn, she’s so responsive to my touch.
Slipping my fingers in my mouth, I suck her juices from them before my tongue delves into her entrance savoring her sweet taste.
Climbing up between her legs, I press a kiss to her lips. She tentatively parts them, tasting herself.
“More,” I encourage. Her tongue sweeps out to slowly drag over the curve of my bottom lip. “Good. More,” I urge.
She grows bolder, dipping further inside my mouth. She hums, clutching my head, positioning me how she wants.