I shook my head, shrinking away. Honesty was the best policy. "I've never been to a place like this before. It's kind of… intimidating. I don't know."
His face softened. "Don't feel intimidated. Be yourself. I'm glad I got to be the first one to take you out on a nice date."
He was the first one for a lot of things, but I wasn’t gonna tell him that. I forced a smile as the waiter joined us. I ordered a water, and Stephen asked for the same. "Would you want any wine tonight?" the waiter asked him.
Stephen shook his head. "Water's fine. Thanks."
He nodded then left us. "You don't have to skip out on wine just because of me," I said, placing my menu down on the table. "I'll even drive us back if you want to let loose or whatever."
Amusement crossed his face. "Why would I want to `let loose' when I'm supposed to be focusing on you? I've had fifteen years to have a glass of wine with dinner. I can skip every once in a while." He closed his menu also and placed it along the edge of the table. "What are you getting?"
"The chicken."
"You don't have to get that. Get whatever you want."
"I do want that."
He shrugged. "Well, alright then."
The waiter returned with our waters then took our order. He offered a drink menu to Stephen who obviously got annoyed with the pushy behavior. He finally took the hint and left us alone. "Anything to get you to blow your money on frivolous drinks," he mumbled.
"Maybe he thinks you need to relax."
Stephen actually laughed out loud at that one, surprising me. "Maybe. I am a little nervous."
I blinked. "I make you nervous?" The idea of me making him nervous was kind of ridiculous.
His looked at me like I was being funny. "Of course. I don't want to say something stupid and turn you off." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "I almost ruined the date with all my stupid work talk in the car."
I rolled my eyes, trying to figure out if his insecurities were genuine. "You didn't almost ruin anything. I still think you're the sexiest man alive."
He froze for a second, taking in what I’d said, then his cheeks flushed. I didn't know I had that power. "Okay, that doesn't take any pressure off. Now I have to live up to your expectations."
I shook my head, still grinning. "You already have." His head tilted to the side at that response. We stared at each other for a few seconds. Time to change the subject. "How old is your daughter again?"
His eyes lit up. "Six. She's turning seven pretty soon and growing up way too fast. Sometimes I still wish Layla was a little baby."
"Layla? Such a pretty name. How'd you come up with that?"
He shrugged. "My sister actually named her. I wanted to name her Nicole, after my mother. Desiree didn't like that. She kept saying she'd never name a child of hers after someone who died, but she didn't have any name picks of her own."
He shifted in his chair before he continued. "Desiree is a wonderful mother, don't get me wrong, but she didn't have an easy pregnancy. She was on bed rest pretty much the whole time. Cried a lot. She had postpartum depression, so she didn't even want to look at Layla when she was born.
“They stayed in the hospital for a day, and Desiree refused to name her. She wouldn't let me name her anything. Finally, Karen suggested we name her Layla, and Desiree started crying. She said, `That's it. Her name is Layla.' So we named her Layla Nicole Jacobs."
I sat there, stunned at his little splurge of word vomit. If I had ever felt the age gap between us, it was nothing compared to how I felt now. Stephen lived almost a full life. He had a story. He had a past with so many hardships. Dead parents. Complicated pregnancy. Lost family. I was a stupid child compared to him. "Were you and Desiree married?" I asked before I could stop myself.
His eyebrows came together. He looked like he really didn't want to talk about it but did anyway. "For a short period, yes."
"How long?"
His brow furrowed, it was obvious he felt uncomfortable with all the sharing. "Two years. After Layla was born. An attempt to salvage something unsavable. We should have called it quits way before, but we were stubborn. Only thing we had in common."
My head was nodding so much I thought it might actually fall off. This download of information was overwhelming. I messed with the silverware on the table, trying to think of something uplifting or mature to say. No one my age had ever gone through anything close to what Stephen has gone through.
He frowned. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked about something so depressing. I'm definitely ruining our date now."
I shook my head. "No. It's me. I asked you all these questions, and then I don't know how to respond." I bit my lip. "What's the right thing to say?"
He shrugged. "There is no right thing. I didn't open up to you so you could say the right thing. I told you these things because I like you and want you to know more about me."
"Oh," was all I could say before the waiter reappeared with a tray. He placed our plates in front of us. We shooed him away with fake smiles.
An awkward silence fell over the table as I put my napkin in my lap then grabbed my fork and took my first bite. An involuntary moan left my lips as I glanced back up at Stephen.
His face was serious before it softened at my expression. He uncrossed his arms and took a bite from his steak. He chewed for a few moments before nodding his head in approval with a thumbs up.
We ate for a few minutes in silence, taking occasional sips from our glasses. We snuck glances at one another and would smile when we'd catch each other looking.
Stephen finally cleared his throat after he was halfway through his meal. "How long did you date your boyfriend?"
I rolled my eyes. "You don't want to hear about that."
He shrugged. "Try me. Tell me about him. I want to see how I measure up to your first love." He winked with that. Actually winked like a fucking dork.
I shook my head. "Trust me. You're already above and beyond what he was."
His eyebrows scrunched together. "Oh, come on, you're just trying to make me feel better about wrecking this date."
Snickering, I continued to belittle our relationship because I honestly didn’t want to talk about it. "No, really. Tony was… puppy love."
"How long did you date?"
"Four years."
"That's a little long for `puppy love.'"
My eyes fell to my plate as I thought about it. Stephen unloaded so many personal things from his past tonight. It was only fair that I'd share something. I sighed and looked back up to him. He was listening.
"Tony was the first boy who saw me, you know? He talked to me and made me laugh. He asked me to be his girlfriend on the last day of middle school. We didn't even talk again until the first day of high school. We held hands in the hallways and moved slow."
Stephen watched me intently as I avoided his eyes. "He was my first everything, and I thought it was love. I trusted him. He was easy to get along with, and my family loved him. My feelings started to fade during our senior year.
"He acted different, and I hated the way his hands felt against my body. I cringed when he touched me, and he would make me feel bad for not putting out as much as he wanted. I actually thought there was something wrong with me, and I cried about it, a lot."
A sad smile formed on my face as I shook my head. "I knew I didn't love him anymore when he cheated on me. I didn't want to forgive him. He got angry with me for throwing away years of his life, but I couldn't do it anymore. We weren't in love. I didn't want to try anymore, you know?"
My gaze finally fell on Stephen again as he nodded. His eyes were intense again, but his expression was hard to read. "That sounds tough. I've never been with anyone that long. Didn't even have sex until college, and it wasn't meaningful at all. I don't even remember the girl's name."
"You got married, though. That's a big commitment."
He tilted his head, thinking it over. "Yeah, but we didn't actually love
each other. We didn't fall out of love."
I shouldn't ask. "Have you ever been in love?"
"No."
Chapter Fourteen
Stephen
Emilia squirmed in her seat at my admission. My heart pounded hard in my chest as I thought about her love and loss. She still seemed crushed over the relationship, and that hurt me. It shouldn't have. It had nothing to do with me, yet I was affected.
Fear surged through my veins as I thought of our complicated situation. Would the failure of our relationship leave her with a similar expression? Was I ready for a commitment like this?
She finally let out a weak chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "This date is turning out weird, huh? Now I've ruined our vibe. We should have stuck to making out in your car and skipped dinner completely."
My head shook. "We would have had to have these conversations eventually."
Sighing, she nodded. "That's true." She placed her elbow on the table and held her head in her hand. Only she could make uncertainty look beautiful. "Do you still like me?" she asked, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
I smirked. "I'm still crazy about you."
Still smiling. "You shouldn't be."
Shrug. "I know. I don't care."
Her eyes lit up as she bit her lip. "I don't care either."
The waiter returned. We asked for to-go boxes. Our conversation turned light. We talked about the responsibilities waiting for us at home. "Can I come over?" she asked.
"If you want." I grabbed the to-go bag then her hand before leading her through the restaurant. She squeezed my palm in hers. For once, I actually felt content.
❣❣❣
I hadn't been this nervous about a woman coming to my apartment in a very long time. Charlie was gone, so there were no buffers if I bored the hell out of her again.
We parted ways in the parking lot with promises of meeting at my apartment after she checked on the dogs.
I was a wreck.
She walked in first, then I waited about ten minutes before walking in. Bobby looked at us with suspicion like he knew what Emilia and I were up to. I gave him my usual `good evening' nod before heading to my apartment.
Lying on the couch with fresh sweats on, I checked my phone. Desiree sent me cute pictures of Layla at the park with one of her friends from school. Her frustrated expression made me chuckle. I imagined her bossing her little friend around. I was sure she got annoyed at her friend's insubordination, like always.
I missed my baby girl like crazy. This was my third weekend without her. Next Friday, I’d pick her up early. Take a half day. I didn’t care. I wanted to spend every single moment of the weekend together. Being apart for this long was torture.
A knock at the door stirred me from my thoughts. Emilia must have finished checking on Mrs. Petterman's animals. Peeking through the peephole, I saw her pretty face on the other side. She smiled in my view.
I pulled away, ripping the door open to reveal her pajama look. My eyes scanned her body, noticing no bra under her t-shirt and the tight fit of her yoga pants. Her ponytail swung back and forth as she stepped into my apartment. She kicked the door closed behind her.
Biting her lip, she stepped forward, pushing me back toward the couch with her hands pressed against my chest. We grinned at each other, laying soft kisses every few steps before she pushed me to sit down.
She straddled me, wrapping her arms around my neck. My hands gripped onto her hips as I couldn't stop staring up at her. Our faces were close, almost touching, as we sat there. "I've never stared at someone so much before," she whispered.
I laughed then licked my lips. "Me either."
She pulled back a little, cupping my face in her hands. I felt her hot wetness against me through our pants. Her eyes searched mine before she spoke again, "You're so beautiful. So unbelievable. It's hard to look away. Sometimes, I think I'm dreaming. I noticed you for two years, wishing you'd notice me or talk to me, and you never did. I never thought you'd end up being perfect, and that kind of freaks me out."
I shook my head, taking in her heartfelt confession. Two years? The pressure to live up to her dreams was strong. She was beautiful and amazing but very young. I wasn't worth all the thought. I wasn't worth the effort. "I'm not perfect, Emilia. You know that."
Her eyebrows rose. "That was the one thing you decided to reply on?"
My eyes searched hers. "What did you want me to say?"
She shrugged. "I didn't have any expectations."
"I'll say whatever you want."
She closed her eyes for a second, but she didn't say anything. My hands grazed up to the small of her back. Her eyes were slow to open again. She pulled her hands away from my face, and grabbed the hem of her shirt before pulling it up and over her head.
I looked down at her irresistibly perky breasts for the first time. My arms tightened around her as I leaned forward and laid a kiss against her collarbone. She sighed at the contact, trailing her fingers up my shoulders to the back of my neck then into my hair.
My eyes found hers again as she bit her lip, fisting my hair now. My left hand slid up around to her front and cupped one of her breasts before I brushed my thumb against her nipple. She groaned as my lips brushed against her other one.
My tongue skimmed her skin. She let out another tiny moan as my lips closed over her and sucked. My left hand returned to the small of her back as I licked across her chest to her other nipple and sucked on that one.
Licking up her neck, I rotated her onto her back on the couch and crawled on top. She slid her hands under my shirt, pushing the hem up until I snatched at the collar and ripped it over my head. Her eyes hooded as she examined my chest, running her soft hands along my stomach. I covered her body with mine again and locked lips with her.
Her fingers skated along my back as I felt anywhere my hands could reach, not able to get enough of her soft skin. She sighed against my lips as she drove her tongue into my mouth, and I gently sucked on it. My thigh was between her legs. She didn't shy away from grinding against it, panting into my mouth.
I pulled away enough to look at her. Her mouth parted open as her eyes glazed over. My hand reached down between her legs, over her pants, and rubbed her with my palm. She gripped onto my arm as she moved her hips against me.
She gasped then bit her lip as her eyes slammed shut. Her body turned rigid as my palm kept pressing, grinding her warm wet lips. She groaned and bucked her hips one last time before she relaxed against the couch.
Her eyes fluttered open again. She wrapped her arms around my neck, forcing my face against hers. Our kissing became more urgent as we smashed our mouths together. Making her come that fast made my dick harder than ever before.
My hands were actually trembling as I wrapped them around her. My lips glided down her chin, making their way to her neck. Her cinnamon scent was intoxicating as I licked and sucked her skin. Her hands slid all over my torso and back, moving down to my waistband.
My fingers hooked onto the waist of her pants and panties. I backed away from her and tore them down her legs and off onto the floor. I grabbed onto her thighs and pulled her to the edge.
She perched onto her elbows and bit her lip as she watched my mouth lower to her wet lips. My eyes stayed connected to hers as I licked and sucked on her throbbing clit. "You taste so good," I murmured against her.
She squirmed. "I like that," she whispered, a naughty smile forming on her lips. My dick was aching. My eyes slammed shut as my lips covered her bud again, and I moaned into her. She gasped. "Do that again."
So I did. I moaned, groaned, grunted, and growled against her. My own body fidgeted around at the sound of her arousal. I heard her cry out, and my eyes opened again.
Hers forced shut while she scrunched up her face in a way I hadn't seen before. Her cheeks red like her skin was on fire as she bucked against my mouth. She shuddered and whimpered.
Leaning forward, she pushed my hea
d away before collapsing back onto the couch. I looked down at her sweaty body as she tried to catch her breath. Her hands moved along her arms as she shivered.
Once her eyes finally opened, she noticed how shocked and confused I was because she laughed. "What's so funny?" I asked, amused.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry… I just… wow." She was spent and still out of breath. Her eyes filled with wonder like what I did had changed something inside of her. I didn't know I was capable of making anyone feel like that.
From now on, that's all I wanted to do. I wanted to make her feel good. I wanted to hear her desperate gasps and feel her pussy throb against me. I was a man who had become obsessed with this beautiful young girl.
She still didn't say anything for what felt like a few minutes. I finally chuckled. "Okay, my ego is going through the roof right now."
She laughed again. Sitting up, she pulled my face to hers, cupping my cheeks with her soft hands. "Sit on the couch," she commanded with an eyebrow raised.
I followed her directions, liking this commanding side of her. She moved to the floor on her knees in front of me. I grabbed my pants, but she shoved my hands away before pulling them down herself. My cock sprang out and at attention in front of her as she licked her sexy lips.
Chapter Fifteen
Emilia
Stephen rocked my world. Sure, I'd had a few orgasms before. On my own, of course, since Amy made sure I understood how important self-love was (she’s a weird aunt, I know). Plus, Tony never knew where to touch me or how to caress my body, but Stephen did.
Maybe it wasn't even about how or where. Maybe it was just the fact that he got into my head. He possessed my thoughts. Before he even spoke to me, my body had ached for him. I wanted to make him feel good the way he had done for me.
His eyes hooded, so filled with lust, as he watched me grasp him in my hands. My eyes stayed on his as I leaned forward and licked all along the bottom of his shaft. His lip disappeared under his teeth as he fought back a moan. His pre-cum oozed out of the head as I covered it with my mouth and sucked, loving how good he tasted.
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