Fake it Baby

by Tia Siren

  “She already did.”

  “Can you tell me more about Iris’s dad?”

  “I only met him once. Seemed nice enough. Tracy met him about a month before she found out she was pregnant. That’s another reason she didn’t want to tell you the details. She was afraid of what you would think about her.”

  He smiled. “I don’t think I’m one to judge anyone else about having sex on the first date, or second or whatever it was.”

  “Well, you tend to be a little judgy,” I said, wanting to lash out at someone. He was the closest target.

  “I know. I was. It was me wanting to protect her. She was my little sister, and no guy was good enough for her,” he said, looking sad.

  “There’s a box in her apartment. It has his picture and other stuff that was his or that he gave to Tracy. She planned on giving it to Iris one day.”

  “Okay. I paid the rent on the place for another month. We don’t need to clean anything out yet. I wasn’t quite ready to do it, and I didn’t think you were either.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’m not, but it has to be done.”

  He nodded and let out a long sigh. “Yes, it does. I imagine Iris won’t even fit into most of the clothes that are still there. We’ll have to buy her new stuff.”

  “Why bother? You know they have already made up their mind.”

  “Stop being so negative. Have a little faith.”

  “Can you just go? I want to be alone,” I said.

  I wasn’t in the mood to be positive or hopeful. I wanted to wallow in my misery. I hated hoping, because when you didn’t get what you hoped for, it was devastating. Now I felt hollow and shattered at the same time.

  “I’ll leave you alone—for now. This isn’t over.”

  He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I burst into tears, letting out the pain that came with the thought of not having Iris in my life. What if it took another month or longer for the appeal to be processed? She would be walking and talking and wouldn’t remember me at all. I cried myself to sleep, finally too exhausted to think or shed another tear.

  When I woke up, it was to find Jake standing over me.

  I blinked several times. “What time is it?”

  He smiled. “Close to five. I figured you could use something to eat since you skipped breakfast this morning.”

  I sat up, fluffing the pillows behind me. It was then I noticed the tray sitting on the bedside table. I smiled when I saw the single yellow rose in a wine bottle.

  I smiled at the kind gesture. “Is the bottle empty?” I asked.

  He laughed. “It is, but there are plenty of full bottles downstairs. Here, try eating some toast. If that stays down and you want to try more, I’ll whip something up.”

  “Thank you,” I said, taking the glass of ice water and gulping it down. All the crying had left me parched.

  “I have my lawyer from California flying in with a couple of family law attorneys from his firm. They’re not licensed in Arizona, but I trust them. George has an old friend here in Phoenix who specializes in family law. He’s been looped in and is going to take our case. They’ll help him come up with a kickass strategy. If anything, having four corporate lawyers sitting at our table should be enough to scare old Janice a little.”

  I smiled. “That is a very good thought. They’re flying in? On a weekend?”

  He nodded his head and smiled. “Janice accused me of throwing money at my problems. Well, I’m about to prove her right.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I cannot even begin to imagine what it is costing you, but I’m glad you’re doing it.”

  “Me too.”

  “Thank you for not giving up and for letting me be a complete bitch earlier. I know it’s not your fault. You’re only trying to help me get through this. This isn’t easy for you either,” I said, feeling guilty for my temper tantrum earlier.

  He smiled softly at me. “It’s really okay. I’m here for you. Yell, scream, cry all you want. I’ll take it. I just need you to keep your head up. Don’t give up.”

  I took a bite of the toast and nodded. “I will try. I’m not quite as strong in my conviction to stay positive though. You’ll have to be strong enough for both of us.”

  He laughed. “I can do that. Avery—”

  I looked up from the toast. He was looking at me as if he wanted to say something important.

  “What is it?” I asked, hoping he didn’t have more bad news.

  His phone started vibrating in his pocket. “I better get this,” he said, jumping off the bed and practically running for the door.

  I ate a little more toast and decided not to push it. My stomach was revolting.

  I set the toast back on the tray and decided to take a shower. I let the water flow over me, hoping it would wash away the stress with it. I felt marginally better after the shower and headed downstairs. I checked the kitchen first and then the living room. I finally found Jake in the den, his face buried in his hands.

  I walked to him and put my hands on his shoulders, gently rubbing. I could feel the tension and knew he was struggling. He had been strong for me. Now it was my turn to let him lean on me for a bit.

  “Want to soak in the hot tub with a bottle of wine?” I asked.

  I heard him chuckle before he wiped his face. “I take it you’re feeling better.”

  “Somewhat. A little tub time always makes me feel a lot better.”

  “Do we have to wear clothes?”

  I laughed. “I don’t think there’s a dress code.”

  “Then I’m game.”

  I walked around to the front of the chair and grabbed his hand. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in for a firm hug. Together, we walked into the kitchen and picked out a bottle of red wine, pulled out a block of cheese, and grabbed some crackers before heading out to the patio.

  “We better enjoy this now. I’m guessing once we have a baby in the house, parading around naked would be a bad idea,” he joked.

  I laughed. “Yes. A lot of things will have to change. That’s okay. They will be good changes.”

  Jake started to unbutton his shirt, looking at me as he did. The moment his shirt was off, I felt that familiar pull of desire. I could look at his body all day. It was a hard body but not overly muscular.

  “You going to stare at me, or are you going to get those clothes off?”

  “Oh, I’m just enjoying the show,” I said with a grin.

  He smiled. “Look all you want.”

  I watched as he pulled his slacks off. When he stopped at his underwear, I raised an eyebrow.

  He grinned. “Naked?”

  I nodded. “Naked.”

  “All right then.”

  I sucked in a breath as he dropped his briefs and stood before me in all his glorious nudity. I was going to miss that when all this came to an end. I would never be able to have sex with another man without thinking about Jake. No man could ever measure up to him, of that I was sure.

  “Your turn,” he said, watching me with greedy eyes.

  I smiled and stripped off my own clothes. I walked toward him, but instead of embracing him like I knew he was expecting, I dodged to the right and climbed into the hot tub.

  I sighed in pleasure. “This is good,” I said, moaning.

  “I can show you good.”

  I giggled. “Not like this.”

  He climbed in and took a seat opposite me. “This is pretty good. I can see why you always choose to do everything naked.”

  I laughed. “I don’t do everything naked!” I protested.

  He looked at me with such intensity, I squirmed under his gaze. “You do when you’re back here and you think no one’s looking.”

  I narrowed my gaze at him. “Have you been spying on me?”

  He winked. “I may have caught a glimpse of you.”

  I laughed. “Well, you’re welcome for the free show.”

  We sat back and enjoyed our wine with cheese and crack
ers. By the time we got out, we were both feeling much better. I had more confidence things would work out in our favor. Of course, a little alcohol could always make a person see things in a different light.

  It was going to be a long weekend filled with a lot of ups and downs. It was an emotional rollercoaster that I for one could not wait to get off.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jake

  Yesterday had been busy. I met with George and his team of lawyers and now felt a lot better. I liked having a small army to back me up. I had played it their way; now I was doing it my way. Avery had gone over to Sally’s for a while. I knew she was going stir crazy. It was hard to sit around and wait. I had stayed busy working on the coding for my program.

  I was still trying to figure out how to tell her I wanted her to stick around, no matter how it all turned out. I wanted her in my life. I was willing to move or do whatever it took to make her happy. If that meant living in Phoenix, I was ready. I had been so close to telling her how I felt on Friday, and then I chickened out. That night in bed, I had tried, and again, the words got lodged in my throat. Yesterday, it had been the same story. Every time I tried to tell her, I froze up.

  I was making her breakfast, something I hadn’t done yet since we had started living together. I wanted it to be a surprise and hoped like hell I would find the courage to tell her what was on my mind. It could very well be our last day together. If I didn’t tell her, it would be. We hadn’t worked out what would happen when we got Iris. I wasn’t sure if Avery would move into another room or what the family dynamic was going to be.

  If we didn’t get Iris, I had a feeling she would be packing up and moving back to Sally’s house.

  “You have to tell her,” I said, beating the eggs in a bowl.

  “What’d you say?” Avery asked from behind me, startling me and nearly making me drop the bowl of eggs.

  I cleared my throat and turned around to look at her. She looked gorgeous with her bedhead and nothing but a T-shirt on.

  “I love you.” I blurted out the words so fast, I didn’t have time to think about it.

  She stood there, her mouth open, and then she began to cry.

  I realized I had shouted the words. It wasn’t exactly what I had planned when I made up my mind to tell her. The tears were definitely not what I had been expecting. Laughter or a return of the words was what I had prepared for. Tears, not so much.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I wanted to tell you I love you. I want to be with you. We’re going to get through this, and once it’s all settled, I want to stay with you. Don’t leave me.” I croaked out the words, feeling a little foolish and a lot vulnerable.

  She was looking at me, shaking her head as the tears flowed.

  I set down the bowl of eggs and switched off the burner before walking toward her.

  “Avery?”

  She looked at me and smiled, tears still sliding down her cheeks. “I love you, too.”

  I froze mid-stride. I couldn’t believe I had heard her correctly. The tears were throwing me off, but then I remembered Avery tended to cry whenever she was feeling strong emotions. It suddenly made sense.

  I reached out and grabbed her, kissing her cheeks and then covering her mouth with my own. Her body melted into mine. The moment quickly transformed from sweet and romantic to fiercely passionate. I needed to prove to her how much I loved her, and the best way I knew how was through sex. I wanted her to see how much I loved all of her.

  I grabbed her and yanked her up my body. Her legs instinctively wrapped around my waist. I took a few steps forward and turned to deposit her on the smooth granite surface of the breakfast bar. I was about to enjoy the best breakfast a man could have.

  I yanked her shirt up and over her head, leaving her sitting on the counter in nothing but a pair of hot pink panties. I ran my hands over her breasts before closing down over one nipple. I suddenly had a voracious appetite, and the only thing that would satisfy my craving was her body. I felt ravenous, sucking and pulling her nipple with my mouth while my hands cupped her breasts.

  Her hands were in my hair and running down my bare back. I had pulled on a pair of shorts when I’d gotten out of bed and nothing else. I was glad I had skipped the clothing. I wanted her skin next to mine. I sucked on one nipple, pulling it far into my mouth. Her head dropped back, and her nails scoured my back. My throbbing dick jumped to attention, ready to be buried in her hot pussy.

  I moved my hands to her panties, yanking them down hard and fast. The moment I managed to get them off, I used one hand to push her flat on her back, her legs dangling over the counter. She looked like the best meal I had ever seen. I was going to consume every inch of her body. I moved my mouth to the inside of her knee before trailing hot, wet kisses up the inside of her thigh, jumping over her pussy and down the other thigh.

  Her chest was rising and falling as she dragged in heavy breaths.

  “Jake.” She called out my name, and it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard.

  “I’m here, baby. I’m here,” I said, running my fingers over her slit before spreading her wide and taking my first taste. She was sweet and spicy and all mine. For the first time in my life, I felt extremely possessive. The woman was mine. I wanted her to know with every fiber in her body that she belonged to me.

  I lapped at her folds, pushing my tongue inside her hot sheath before using my teeth to grab that hard little kernel that I knew would make her come. She spurted juices as her body thrashed on the counter. I stood up, putting my fingers inside and watching as she writhed. It was the most erotic scene I had ever borne witness to.

  Her eyes opened, and she looked up at me, my fingers still deep inside her pussy.

  “Watch me finger fuck you. This pussy is mine. I know how to work it. I know how to make you come. I’m the only one who will ever do this to you.”

  She nodded her head. “Yes.”

  “Say it. I’m your man.”

  “You’re my man. Only you can make me feel this good.” She moaned as I pushed a second finger inside.

  “Damn straight. I’m going to make you come again and again.”

  I slid my fingers out and ran them over her clit, rubbing until she was quivering before me. Using the pad of my thumb, I rolled over her sweet spot and watched her back arch. I held pressure on the spot before pushing a finger in.

  “Jake.” She was panting.

  I smiled, loving how her body responded to my touch. I rubbed again, using more pressure before pushing higher into her. Her body bent like a bow before she began to come on my finger. I could feel her pussy contract and pushed a second finger inside, giving her something to squeeze.

  Once her body collapsed flat against the counter, I moved between her legs and pulled her up to a sitting position. I used one hand to guide my cock to her entrance and slowly slid inside.

  “Fuck me. I will never get tired of this,” I said, loving the way she felt around my dick.

  I leaned up to kiss her. She turned into a wildcat, sucking my tongue, biting my bottom lip, and running her nails up and down my back. I was close to exploding inside her. I didn’t want to. Not yet. It was too good not to keep fucking her on our kitchen island. It was the perfect height.

  I reached around and squeezed her ass, pulling her closer to the edge of the counter as I pumped into her.

  “More,” she said into my mouth.

  I fucked her harder. Her butt slid across the smooth surface, and I yanked her back, pulling her onto my dick. I pulled my mouth away from her and dropped it to her breasts, lapping at the nipples as they bounced in my face.

  She was close to coming. I wanted to make her come again. I reached between us, putting my finger above my dick, which was sliding in and out of her slick sheath.

  “Ohhhh.” She moaned, her head dropping back as I worked her pussy.

  “Come, baby. One more time. You can do it,” I encouraged.

  Her pussy clamped down on my dick and growl
ed low in my throat as she began to come. I kept rubbing my finger over her stretched entrance, watching her mouth open as she soaked my cock with her juices.

  I wasn’t done. I wanted more of her. I slid her off the counter and spun her around. I needed my hands on her ass when I pumped into her.

  “Lay on the counter,” I ordered, bending her in half. “Spread your legs.”

  She was moaning and moving her head back and forth with the aftershocks of her most recent orgasm. I reached between her legs and parted her swollen folds. She was so wet. That was all me. I had done that to her. She incited some wild, primal instinct somewhere deep inside me. I wanted her naked and coming every time I got near her. I wanted to smell the musky scent between her legs that told me she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

  I spread her wide and pushed my dick back inside where it belonged. Without coaxing, she slid back across the counter, pressing her ass against my groin.

  “Now I want it hard,” she said in a husky voice.

  I was afraid I would hurt her with the pent-up need I had.

  “Be careful what you ask for,” I warned her.

  “Fuck me, Jake. Make me scream for mercy,” she demanded, shimmying her ass against me.

  It snapped the last bit of control I had. I reached up and grabbed her shoulder, holding her tight against me before slamming into her body.

  She yelled with the first powerful thrust. I bent my knees and gave it to her again.

  “More,” she croaked. “Give me more.”

  I shouted and drove into her again and again, my fingers digging into her collarbone to keep her still while I slammed my body against hers.

  “Oh, fuck,” I cried out as my orgasm burst forth, sending me higher into her body. I dropped my grip on her shoulder and grabbed her hips, rapidly pumping into her body.

  My legs were shaking by the time I felt as if I had been wrung completely out. I pulled out of her and put on my briefs and shorts, handing her clothing to her.

  “Well, good morning to you, too,” she said with a smile, pulling her shirt over her head.

  I laughed. “I was making you an omelet. You distracted me.”