by Sophie Stern
"Fucking perfect," I whisper against her lips.
"Thank you," she says politely, and I laugh. Leave it to Emilia Riley to be completely proper when someone is getting ready to lick her nipples.
And then I do.
I drop my head, sucking one of those perfect little breasts into my mouth, and I taste her skin.
She groans, throwing her head back, but she fists my hair and pulls me closer. Good. She likes this and she wants more. I roll the other nipple between my fingers as I lick and suck on her breast, and then I switch to the other one.
She's quivering and gasping and making sweet little noises and they're the most wonderful things I've ever heard.
I want more of her.
I want so much more.
"Gavin," she whispers, and I move back to her mouth, kissing her again and again. I keep one hand on her breast and with the other, I cup her neck, pulling her close to me.
"You are so perfect," I tell her.
"Wait," she whispers, and I pull back to look at her curiously. We're in my Hyundai at Parker Point. We aren't going to be having sex here. Not tonight, anyway. She deserves for her first time to be special, and I'm not under any impression that Emilia is anything but completely innocent.
She's not asking me to stop, though. She's eyeing my crotch.
"Can I..."
I smirk.
"What do you want, Emilia?"
"I want to see you."
"Can you be a little more specific?" I ask with a grin. "Because I feel like you're already seeing me right now." I gesture to myself and she bites her lips.
"You know what I mean.
"I'm afraid I don't."
"Your dick," she blurts out. "I want to see your dick."
I lean in close and lick her ear.
"Princess, you can see my dick anytime you fucking want. Take it out. It's ready for you."
She doesn't wait. She reaches for my jeans and undoes the top button. Then she pulls down the zipper and reaches in for my cock. Awkwardly and with a bit of fumbling, she pulls it out.
Then she just looks at it.
"Wow," she whispers.
"You can touch me, baby. You aren't going to hurt me," I tell her. She's clenching and unclenching her fists, as though she wants to touch me, but she's nervous about accidentally hurting me.
She can't possibly hurt me.
Not at all.
Emilia reaches out bravely and starts to stroke me and oh, it's the most fantastic fucking feeling in the world.
"How's that?" She asks after a few strokes.
"You can touch me a little harder," I tell her. "You won't hurt me."
"Are you sure?" She bites her lip.
I laugh.
"If it can survive me rubbing one out, I'm pretty sure it can survive your delicate little hands."
Then it's my turn to gasp because she reaches for me and fists my cock tightly, stroking me, and this time, she doesn't hold back.
Shit.
I close my eyes and lean back in the seat, completely lost in the morning. I've never been the biggest fan of handjobs, but with the way Emilia is rubbing me, I may just be a convert. She strokes me harder and faster and soon, I’m on the edge of coming.
I grab her wrist, stopping her, and I look over at her, totally pained.
“Stop,” I whisper.
“But you haven’t come,” she says, as though it’s the most plain thing in the world. Apparently, it’s obvious that I’m close.
“I don’t want to make a mess,” I tell her.
She looks at my cock, eyeing it carefully, and then back at my face.
“I have an idea,” she says. Then she licks her lips, and I hold my breath because I can’t believe what’s about to happen.
Emilia Fucking Riley lowers herself to my cock, and the fucking licks it. No, she doesn’t just lick it: she explores it. I groan, loving the sensation, but I’m literally right on the edge. She has no idea just how close I am.
Or maybe she does.
Emilia teases my cock, licking it gently, and finally, she takes it in her mouth. She sucks hard, pulling me deeper inside of her, and I let go.
I let it all go.
I close my eyes and let the orgasm rush over me in a whirlwind of emotion and pleasure, and I whisper her name even though I probably shouldn’t.
Emilia takes it all, swallowing, and licking her lips, which surprises me.
“You could have spit it out,” I whisper, realizing it’s the stupidest thing you could possibly say after you come in a girl’s mouth.
She just laughs.
“I don’t think that’s what you’re supposed to do, Gavin. I mean, I might be inexperienced, but I’m not naïve.”
No, as it turns out, I’m the one who’s totally and completely naïve.
And I just lost my load on Emilia Riley’s tongue.
“That was really hot.”
It’s probably the wrong thing to say. It’s kind of weird and awkward, but damn, how else am I supposed to describe what just happened between us?
She laughs and pulls the straps of her dress back up, covering her breasts. She wraps her arms around herself and smiles at me gently. Then she raises an eyebrow.
“You wanted to talk?”
Shit.
I did want to talk.
I brought her here to talk about our fathers, but I hadn’t planned on fooling around with her first. Somehow, knowing we were intimate makes this even more difficult, and I hate what I’m about to do to her.
Emilia has a very specific idea of who her father was, but it might not be the correct and complete version of himself.
There’s more to the story, and I think she deserves to know.
So I open my mouth, and I start to talk.
Chapter 15
Emilia
INSTANTLY, THE MOOD changes.
It’s not sweet and gentle anymore.
It’s not playful.
It’s...dark.
He’s going to tell me something bad, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I mean, I literally just sucked off Gavin in the front seat of his car. I’m not ready for something deep and hard to handle.
I’m ready for lighthearted.
I’m ready for laughter.
I’m ready for more of what we just did because that?
That was so fantastic.
“I went to see my mother yesterday,” he says. He’s rubbing his hands together, fidgeting, and I can tell that he’s nervous. The way he says he went to see his mom tells me this isn’t something he often does. I hold no judgment there. My own mother is locked away in the mental health ward of the Crescent County Hospital.
It’s not like I’m one to talk.
“What did you want to talk to your mother about?” I ask gently, but I think I already know the answer.
If Gavin needs to talk to me about his visit, then the discussion concerns me, which means they talked about my dad.
They talked about our dads.
“I had some questions for her about my father.”
“About the deal my dad cut.”
“Yeah.”
“No one ever bothered to tell you what was happening,” I say.
“Nope,” he shakes his head and lets out a long, low breath. The air flees from his body like a deflating balloon.
“And you wanted to know if it was true.”
“Yeah.”
“Your mother told you?” I try to coax it out of him. He obviously wants to talk to me. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of bringing me to Lover’s Lane. I mean, Parker Point is a nice place, but you really only come up here for one reason.
“Emilia,” he turns to me, and now I’m starting to feel scared because his eyes are wide, and red, and I think Gavin might start crying.
“What is it Gavin? You better fuckin’ tell me,” I say.
“She told me...”
And then Gavin Reynolds starts to cry. He starts sobbing like
a little kid and I don’t know what to do, so I launch myself into his arms and I just hold him. Inside, I’m totally freaking out, but on the outside, I try to keep it together.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “Everything is okay.”
“She did it,” he pulls back and looks at me. “My mom. She’s the one who did it.”
“Who did what?” I ask, confused.
“She turned them in.”
I think I’m going to be sick.
“Your mom knew what they were doing?”
“Yeah, and she says your mom knew, too. They decided together to turn them in. I haven’t talked to your mom, Emmie. It might be lies. It might be some made up story, but I...”
Suddenly, it all clicks into place.
All of the strange phone calls between our mothers...
All of the nights Gavin and I spent locked away with only each other...
All of the nights our fathers were away on business...
The entwined double R’s that made up their company logo.
“They were lovers, weren’t they?” I whisper.
He nods, tears streaming down his face.
“Our dads loved each other. They had an affair,” I whisper, and I wonder how I never saw it before or how this managed to stay out of the press. Mrs. Reynolds must have had one hell of a PR person because this is the kind of juicy fodder reporters love to throw around.
Two international businessmen who share a company are caught embezzling funds and oh, plot twist, they’re also sleeping with other and their wives have no idea.
Only, their wives had every idea.
“I’m so sorry,” he says. “I had no idea, Emmie. I didn’t know.”
“Would it have mattered?” I ask him, looking up at Gavin. He was hurt for such a long time. It’s only in this past week that either one of us has actually been talking about or dealing with the things that happened to us. For years, we’ve stayed away from each other, forging an impossible distance between us even though the other person is the only one who could have possibly understood.
Gavin shakes his head at me, like this is a question he can’t answer.
It’s impossible.
Would he have been such a jerk to me if he’d known our dads had been involved with each other?
Would he have blamed my father less if he’d had all of the information?
Would he have taken it out on me?
Or would Gavin Reynolds have embraced the fact that I’m the only one who could possibly understand what it’s like to lose a father in this way?
And suddenly, I can’t breathe.
The asthma attack sneaks up on me quickly. Usually, I at least have some sort of warning before my lungs start aching and burning and begging for air, but now my chest feels tight and my lungs feel like they’re squeezing in on themselves.
“Inhaler,” I manage to say, and Gavin realizes that there’s a problem.
“Where is it?” He asks, fumbling for my purse. He brings it out and rips the cap off. He lifts it to my lips and gives me one puff, and then another, but it’s no use. This is a big one, and a regular inhaler isn’t going to work.
I’m going to need more.
I’m going to need a nebulizer treatment.
“Hospital,” I say, and he doesn’t even ask questions or make me repeat myself. He just starts the car and he starts driving.
“You hang on, Emmie,” he whispers. “I’m going to get you there, okay? I’m going to take care of you. No matter what.”
THE NURSING TEAM AT the hospital is fantastic and as soon as we’re inside, they instantly get me a nebulizer treatment. It’s exactly what I need at this moment, and almost right away, I get the relief I’m seeking. I take deep breaths into the plastic mask they hold in front of me.
“Are you sure she’s going to be okay?” Gavin is squawking with concern, and the nurses are trying to calm him down.
“Sir, are you her brother?” One of the nurses ask, and I know why. They’re going to kick him out if he says he’s my boyfriend.
“Are you family?” Another one asks gently, trying to get him to give the right answer. Suddenly, he seems to realize what’s happening, and he nods.
“Yes. We’re family.”
“Okay, sir. Have a seat.” One of the nurses gestures to a chair and the other one sort of coaxes him into it. “We’re going to be right back with the paperwork for your sister, okay?” One of the nurses says. She turns back to me and winks, letting me know that they’re all very well aware of the fact that Gavin and I are a little more than relatives.
In fact, we probably smell like sex. I definitely have sex hair after giving my very first blowjob.
“Honey, I’ll be right back. Stay where you are,” a nurse tells me, and then they both leave, and Gavin and I are alone. He looks so scared and lost, and I hate knowing that he’s feeling frustrated and sad by what’s happened to me.
“I’m okay,” I whisper. I have the nebulizer mask over my lips and nose, but I can still speak clearly. My face feels damp from the medicine, and I hate it, but this type of treatment won’t last too long. In less than twenty minutes, I should be as good as new, and I won’t have to come back unless I have another flareup that’s as bad as that one.
“I can’t believe you’re in the hospital,” he says.
“Well, I’m not in the hospital. I’m just in the emergency room. They aren’t admitting me, Gavin. That’s good news. It means it’s not that bad.”
“You scared me,” he whispers. His entire face is pale. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“Oh, Gavin.” I reach for his cheek with one hand. “You aren’t getting away from me that easily, you silly goose.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He presses his forehead to mine and we stay like that for a very long time. His words sink down into my soul because I don’t know what I’d do without him, either.
I’d be lost.
I’d be broken.
Chapter 16
Gavin
WHEN WE LEAVE THE HOSPITAL, I don’t take Emilia back to her dorm room. I take her back to mine. I probably should be taking her to her own bedroom or even to a hotel, but I don’t have the money for a hotel, and it’s easier to sneak girls into the boys’ dormitory than the other way around.
And there’s no way I’m not spending tonight with her.
No way, no how.
We get into my bedroom and I close the door. She stops in the doorway and looks around. My room is very minimalist, and I think this surprises her a little bit.
“What?” I ask.
“It’s not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?” I raise an eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” she says carefully. “A jock’s room, maybe. You know: helmets on the wall and that sort of thing. Maybe I thought there would be posters from your favorite teams, or jerseys on the wall.”
“Nope.”
“Instead,” she looks around the space. “Your bed is neatly made. You only have one blanket, from the looks of it, and somehow, but I don’t know how, you’ve got a single pillow.”
“I’m just one person,” I say. Why would I need more than that?’
“And is that a spider plant?” She takes a step forward to look at the little plant sitting in my window sill.
“I like plants.”
Suddenly, I feel a little defensive. I can be a jock and still like plants. There’s nothing wrong with that.
“I think it’s sweet.” She’s not judging me. She reaches for the plant and strokes the green leaves that just keep getting longer and longer, and then she turns to me. “Thank you for today.”
“For almost killing you or for ruining your dad’s legacy?” I scoff.
She can say what she wants, but I feel like a Grade A asshole today, especially when it comes to her.
I should have taken better care of her today. Why couldn’t I have figured out a better way to show her w
hat happened? Why did I just have to blurt it out? And fuck. I cried. I fucking cried to her about it, which is maybe the worst part.
Emilia doesn’t seem upset about her dad, though. She comes over and she cups my cheek.
“Our fathers were very lonely men,” she says carefully. This is murky water here, and we’re both not sure how to navigate through it. Everything we say and do needs to be done very carefully.
“Yes.”
“I think it’s lucky that they found each other. Don’t you?”
I swallow hard. I don’t know what to say.
“I guess I never thought of him as lonely.”
“It’s hard to be a man the world looks up to. It’s hard to be responsible for everything,” she says. “Our fathers didn’t make good decisions. Not on any levels. They weren’t good dads and they were terrible husbands, but it makes me a little happier to know that my father had this one good thing that brought him peace.”
“They had each other,” I repeat, and then I kiss her gently at first. Then hard and fast and greedily. I still want to be gentle and delicate with her. For a little while, I kind of thought I was going to lose her. I don’t know much about asthma and I definitely don’t know much about taking care of someone who can randomly have flareups like the one she had, but I know that Emilia is precious to me, and I will do everything in my power to protect her.
I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe.
I hate knowing that I was a dick to her for so long. I don’t like the realization that I brought her so much pain and horror. I shouldn’t have been so cruel to her. I should not have been so mean.
But now, kissing her, everything seems to feel right in the world, and when she pushes me gently backwards, I move and find myself sitting on the bed. I look up at her, surprised.
“What are you doing, Emilia?”
“Something I should have done a long time ago,” she whispers.
I sit perfectly still as she grabs the hem of her dress and pulls it up and over her head. She’s standing in front of me wearing only ballet flats and the world’s tiniest thong. In an instant, she kicks her shoes off, shoving them under my bed, and she hooks her thumbs into the thong and shoves it down.