by Mia Carson
“That was amazing.”
“You look so hot right now,” he said, grinning proudly.
“That’s because I’m wearing your cum.”
“Hold on, let me get you a towel.”
I laid on his bed, enjoying the sensation of being marked by him. He came back from the bathroom with one of the towels, a white one. He helped me dry off, and a part of me was sad that his cum was all gone now.
“Next time, I want to try swallowing it again,” I said.
He shook his head. “You’re insatiable, Amy.”
“Insatiable and tired.” I yawned.
“Me, too. It’s been a long day.”
“Let’s sleep in my bed. I missed it.”
He laughed. “All right.”
He followed me to my room, which was a bit warmer from earlier when I put on the heat. I realized I’d left my purse downstairs with my phone in it.
“Hold on, I need to go get my phone.” I pulled out some night pants and a t-shirt from my suitcase and threw them on.
“While you’re down there, can you get me some water?” he asked.
I nodded. “Sure.”
I made my way quietly down the stairs. Gary and my mother were asleep in the den, cuddled peacefully next to each other. I smiled to myself as I went to the kitchen. I took one of the clear glasses from the top cabinet and poured some tap water in. I was so excited to get back up to Ash that I nearly left my purse in the kitchen. I clutched it close to me and went back upstairs, where Ash was already chilling in bed.
“Our parents can’t get enough of each other,” I commented.
“They’re still awake?”
“Kinda. They’re downstairs, but they’re sleeping on the couch.”
“My dad hasn’t been this happy in a while,” he said.
“Yeah. My mom is finally happy too. And so am I.”
“Me, too. Now let’s crash. That drive to the airport today stressed me the hell out.” He chuckled
“The ride stressed you out? Being on a plane is harder.”
Ash took a sip of his water and placed it on my nightstand. I cuddled next to him, feeling relief wash over me. I’d wanted nothing more than this moment for so many months, and it was finally happening. I was finally where I belonged. I looked out the window, watching as the snow filtered down from the sky, feeling safe and cozy in Ash’s arms. When I opened my eyes, it was daytime.
“Amy?” I heard my mom say.
I sat up in bed. Mom was at the door, carrying a cup of coffee. My mom’s eyes trailed from Ash, to me, to Ash again. Obviously shocked, she closed the door gently.
“Shit!” I said, gasping. “Mom!” No response. I heard her go down the stairs. “Fuck!” I muttered. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
Ash woke up groggily, pulling the blankets over him. “What?” he mumbled.
“I forgot to lock the door when I came up last night. My mom just saw us!” I said, tears forming in my eyes.
Ash’s eyes shot open. He sat up quickly. “Oh, fuck. Really?” I’d never heard him nervous before, but even he knew what this might mean.
“What do we do?” I shrieked.
“We have to go downstairs and explain ourselves,” he replied. “There’s no other choice. She knows now.”
“Dammit,” I muttered. I started to cry. Ash comforted me, pulling me close.
“Listen, I’m going to get some pants on and a robe, and then we will go downstairs,” he said.
“I’m so embarrassed. I don’t think I can face your dad!” I said through tears.
“I’m not too happy to face your mom, either, but what’s done is done. We have to face it.”
I nodded, knowing it was the right thing to do. I got up and rummaged through my suitcase for my robe. I put it on, pulling it closer around myself for comfort. Ash joined me with a deep breath.
“You ready?”
“Yes,” I replied softly. Some part of me was relieved that they were about to know the truth. I hated hiding things from people, and I hated living a lie.
I hope Mom doesn’t hate me.
When we got downstairs, our parents were sitting in the den, waiting. Gary’s face was concerned, and his mouth was set in a tight line. My mom looked white as a ghost as she sipped her coffee. Her hands were shaking. I could barely make eye contact with her. Ash and I sat across from them on the sofa. Two minutes of awkward silence passed. Finally, my mom spoke.
“So how long has this been going on?” she asked.
“I can explain.” Ash cleared his throat. He was so mature right now. I wanted to hug him. “It all started at the beach. We got to know each other, and we started liking each other. We tried calling it off because we knew it could fuck up our family.”
“And I knew how happy you were, Mom. I didn’t mean to ruin anything for you. I’m so sorry,” I finished. I was crying again, tears sprinkling my lap.
My mother sighed and shook her head. She placed her head in her hands. “I knew something was going on.”
Gary blinked. “I honestly had no idea, although you guys did spend a lot of time together,” he said thoughtfully.
“I didn’t know if you knew or not, honestly,” I told my mom, blushing.
“I might be oblivious sometimes, but a mother knows her daughter. You looked just like I did when I first met Gary.”
This was the most awkward conversation I ever had in my life. I just wanted it to be over. I wished that I’d locked that door, but some doors had to be opened.
“Well, I guess it makes sense,” Gary said.
My mom raised an eyebrow. I was confused, too. How could this ever make sense?
Gary cleared his throat and took my mom’s hand. “I mean, you and I are attracted to each other, so it makes sense that our offspring would be attracted to each other.” He always sounded so logical. Ash took after him in that way.
Ash laughed. “Dad, what the hell?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
There was an awkward silence, and I said, “I’ll leave. I’m sorry this happened. I don’t want to ruin this for you.” I looked at my mother and tears welled in my eyes. I rose, but Ash pulled on my arm. I looked at him, and he looked sad.
“If you leave, I will, too. This is partly my fault, anyway,” he said.
“No,” Mom said, shaking her head,” the only thing we can do is try to enjoy our holiday and deal with these issues later.”
“Really?” I asked. This lifted my spirits a bit. I sat back down, taking Ash’s hand.
“I’m not going to lie. I’m shocked—even upset,” she began. She took a sip of her coffee and continued. “We will need to figure this out, but I would much rather do it with a clear head.”
“I agree,” Gary said.
“For now, do you guys mind…being platonic?” my mom asked.
“Yes. We can do that,” I said, quickly. Ash nodded in agreement.
I looked at Ash, my heart filled with love and attraction. Who knew that taboo could be a tad fun right?
AMY
*** Two Months Later ***
“Ash! Can you fix the sink again? It’s leaking!” I called out.
Ash came bounding up the stairs. Sarah, her boyfriend, Ash and I were renting an apartment together. Ash had finished his apprenticeship and got a job in San Francisco, and I was almost done with school. Our parents had needed some space to adjust to this, and so did we. The fact that we could finally be open about our relationship was amazing, though.
“It’s leaking again?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Sarah replied. “It hasn’t stopped since this morning. I put a towel down, but it’s not helping.”
Ash exhaled and shook his head. Sarah was cutting broccoli and I was slicing some meat. We were making a stir fry, one of Ash’s favorite meals.
“Thanks, hon,” I said. Ash gave me a kiss.
“I have to get my toolbox. It’s in my old car.”
�
��You know the car Ash and I came up in? It’s really old. Ash was finally able to get it working, though. It’s his favorite,” I told Sarah, who looked impressed.
“He’s great at fixing things, that’s for sure.”
“He’s great at fixing a lot of things,” I replied.
I wasn’t sure that fixing everything with our family would be as easy, but I had hope. Love knows no limits, I knew that. My phone rang.
“Hey,” I greeted softly. My mother was on the other end.
“Hey dear. How’s it going over there? Are you doing well in class? Is Ash having fun?”
“Yeah. We’re doing great,” I said with a blush.
“Good,” she said.
“Listen, do you think that maybe Ash and I could come over for dinner in a couple of weeks? When I have break?” I asked.
My mom paused. “Yes. It’s about time we do that, I think.”
I grinned. “Really, Mom? You mean it?”
She sighed into the phone. “Yes. We have to get together at some point. I really want everything to be okay again,” she explained.
“It’s been okay, and it’ll be even more okay after I see you. I promise,” I said.
“I’m sure it will. I raised you to push the limit,” my mom said with a laugh.
“You know it,” I replied. “Hey, how does Gary feel about everything?”
“He’s entirely too logical about it, as usual. It’s odd. Of all things, this makes total sense to him.”
I looked around the house, feeling as though it was finally a home. Without Ashton in my life, I had been waiting for something. With him, I had finally found it.
“You know, when Dad left, the only thing I wanted was for us both to be happy,” my mom began.
“And I’m glad we both are now. Very glad,” I finished.
(BONUS BOOK #2)
CHANCE
(A Stepbrother
Romance)
By
Mia Carson
COPYRIGHT © 2016
All Rights Reserved
CHAPTER 1
Claire got out of the cab and looked in horror as Trent, her fiancé, held a woman in his arms and kissed her lovingly on the lips in front of his house. She wanted to run or close her eyes and pretend the man she had been dating since after high school, for three years, was not kissing another woman the day before their wedding. But even the darkness that would come if she closed her eyes was insufficient to rid her confused mind of the event unfolding in front of her.
He stroked the woman’s face and spoke soothingly to her; he was so engrossed in their conversation that he didn’t see Claire until she had seen too much. By the time he did see her, her cheeks were drenched with tears. She remained motionless as he ran towards her.
“Claire, this isn’t...”
She looked up at him, feeling like a zombie. She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing except the woman who stood uncomfortably a few feet away from them.
“Look, I can explain,” he told her. But there was nothing he could say to make the situation right.
“I wanted to see you one last time before tomorrow,” she said as the tears poured down. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Claire,” he said softly, his eyes pleading with her. “I never meant for this...”
“You’re fucked up, Trent, and you know it. Just fucking leave me alone!” she said as she walked away.
“Claire!” he called after her, but she didn’t stop. “Let me at least give you a ride home.”
“Fuck off,” Claire said, just as she stumbled into an older man on the pavement, but he caught her as she did.
“You okay, ma’am?” the man asked. “Can I help you?”
“I just need a cab,” she sobbed. “Please just get me out of here.”
“This way,” he said as he led her to the yellow and black checkered cab around the corner.
She composed herself long enough to give him her address, but try as she might, she could not get the image of Trent kissing another woman in public out of her mind.
“We’re here,” the cabbie announced a few minutes later as he pulled up to her driveway.
She looked around as if scared. She rummaged in her bag in search of her wallet. “Hang on,” she said as she moved the items in her bag.
“It’s on me,” he told her. “Don’t worry about it.”
“What?” Her eyes looked dazed as if she were unaware of who she was or what she was doing there.
“The ride. No charge.” He smiled at her and reached for the lock on the door.
Her eyes were wild, almost as if she didn’t understand him. When it registered in her brain that he thought she needed the help, she said, “No, I have money...”
“I know,” he answered. “But this one is on me. And ma’am, any man who makes a woman cry isn’t worth her tears.”
Claire offered him a weak smile. “Thank you.”
“Hope your day gets better,” he said, returning the smile.
She staggered from the car towards the door of the house, dreading what her mother and best friend, Amy, would say when she announced the wedding was off. She opened the door, and as she closed it behind her and rested against it, she felt as if the weight of a thousand anchors had descended upon her. Her legs weakened and she collapsed to the floor, her back against the door.
“Claire?” she heard her mother, Willow. “Amy!”
“What is it, Mrs. Callahan?” Amy rushed from the kitchen. Amy and Claire had been best friends since middle school, and she had been helping with the final preparations for the next day. Claire had been there earlier, but she had snuck out to see Trent before the big event.
“Call Trent,” Willow said to Amy as she knelt next to Claire on the floor. “Are you okay, honey?”
“No!” Claire managed to say through tears. “Not him.”
“Why not?” Amy asked, her fingers already dialing Trent’s number.
“Don’t call him,” Claire said as she tried to move, but the weight in her mind was enough to keep her motionless.
Willow and Amy looked at Claire. “Why not? I think he should know that you’re sick,” Amy said.
“I’m not sick and there won’t be a wedding,” Claire responded. “It’s over.”
For a few seconds, no one said a word. Willow got on the floor with her daughter and tried to hug her. “It’s normal to get cold feet. We have talked about this. When I married your dad…”
“I don’t have cold feet, Mom,” Claire said to the woman as she got off the floor, pushing her mother away. “I just saw his cheating ass with another woman.”
“What do you mean you saw his cheating ass with another woman?” Amy asked.
But Claire had risen from the floor and was walking toward the kitchen. Willow got off the floor and followed her daughter. “Talk to us, Claire,” Willow said. “Please.”
Claire ignored them as she walked to the kitchen, but they followed closely. She walked to the fridge for a bottle of cold water and sat on a stool next to the kitchen island. She placed the water against her forehead and rested her hand on the countertop. Her mother and friend sat next to her patiently.
Claire tried to grip the edges of the island, but her fingers slipped and slid over the glassy surface. Her knuckles whitened as she stared at the countertop. In a release of rage, she slammed her palms down on it. The two women jumped when she did, and Willow tried to hold her once more. Claire gently pushed her away.
“I’m okay, Mom.”
“What happened?” her mom asked gently. “You don’t have to say anything right now if you don’t want to…”
“I wanted to surprise him one last time before the wedding,” Claire laughed amidst the tears that had started trickling again. “But there he was, his hands all over some woman.”
“Claire, I’m so sorry,” Amy said. “That’s messed up.”
Claire turned her head to look at her audience as if she just realized they were there.
> “My poor baby,” her mom whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“The two of them have been an item for a long time. The way he looked at her, touched her, kissed her. I could tell this has been going on forever…” her voice cracked, and she started sobbing. “I can tell he’s been sleeping with her.”
“Come here,” Willow said as she put her arms around her daughter, and this time Claire didn’t resist. She led her to the living room and sat next to her on the sofa. Amy stood a few inches away.
“And he tried to tell me…” Claire started but her voice cracked again.
“Sweetheart. It’ll be okay,” Willow said as she pulled her into a hug. Claire’s shoulders rocked as she let out all her hurt and pain on her mother’s shoulder.
Eventually the shaking stopped. Claire rested her head against the velvet sofa. “Why would he do that?” she asked. “Why did he ask me to marry him if he knew he was in love with someone else? What if I hadn’t seen him this evening? Would he have left me at the altar tomorrow?”
“There is no easy answer to that, Claire,” Willow said as she smoothed her hair. “Sometimes people just do stupid things.”
“This was beyond stupid,” she said and got up. “And if anything, I was the fool!”
“No, don’t say that, Claire,” Willow said. “You know that’s not true.”
“Well, he’s the one having sex with some girl in his house, and I’m here crying over him. How does that not make me an idiot?”
“Claire, don’t be too hard on yourself,” Amy said. “You didn’t do anything—”
But Claire cut her off. “I need to be on my own for a while.”
“Yeah, sure,” Willow said quickly, and she and Amy watched Claire climb up the stairs that led to her bedroom.
Once Claire closed the door behind her, she stepped out on the little patio next to the sliding doors in her room. Usually the fresh air calmed her, and she closed her eyes, expecting the same results. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing ahead of her, and when she closed them, she saw Trent standing in the passageway with her. She started crying again. She returned to her room as she tugged the clothes from her body and ran to the shower. She filled the bathtub with water, having every intention of letting the warmth of it soothe her sorrows. But it did little to quell the storm raging in her, and her tears were lost in the bath water. She finally got out of the tub, lay on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.