by Amy Brent
I turned to meet his gaze as a lonely tear fluttered down my cheek, and he leaned in to kiss it while the rest of the world faded into the background.
Yes. Everything was absolutely perfect. But I no longer felt anxious about it.
Epilogue
Brandon
One Year Later
My hands were shaking as I held Melissa’s. I woke them all up with a trip to the museum, but today was special.
Very, very special.
The kids ran hand in hand while they looked around at all the exhibits. Max was telling me about all the dinosaurs while Sarah was regaling Melissa with how beautiful the landscaping exhibits with the animals looked. I held Melissa close to me, her body pressed into mine as her arm wrapped around my body. I kissed the top of her head while the kids raised a fuss, but I couldn’t help it when I heard Melissa’s stomach growl.
My palms started to sweat.
“Hey,” I called out to the kids. “You guys hungry?”
“Yeah!” they exclaimed in unison.
“This is exhausting,” Melissa said breathlessly.
“Such a shame. I was hoping to make this a yearly tradition.”
“I actually kind of like that idea. Every year, around this time, we could bring the kids out so they could enjoy things. Not sure what they’re gonna do once they get bigger, but it’ll work while they’re young,” she said.
“Then we’ll reevaluate once they're a bit older. For now, let’s just enjoy it,” I said.
They ran in front of us to the cafeteria as Mel and I jumped in line with them. I nodded to the greeter, shaking his hand before I squeezed it twice. We went through the line and gathered up all the food we could possibly want and then found a comfortable booth along the wall lined with windows. It was a beautiful day, and we still had the outside exhibits to see, so I wanted the kids to get excited for our adventure outside before we returned home.
The music playing softly over the speakers slowly rose in volume. Enough to catch Melissa’s attention. She started looking around for someone to talk to as the kids started singing along to the song, but all I could do was bury a smirk.
And then, the song came on. I Think I Wanna Marry You by Bruno Mars.
“I like this song,” Sarah said.
“You do, huh?” I asked, grinning.
“Why is this music so—?”
Just then, someone came up beside her and started mouthing the lyrics. He was dancing and twirling, and the kids were giggling at him. They clapped their hands as people began to rise from the seats, and one by one they all fell into a choreographed routine. Mel’s jaw was unhinged with surprise as I smiled fondly at her reaction. The kids were squealing and clapping their hands while Sarah danced to the music in her seat. They twirled and whirled. They picked up partners and tossed them across the room. People were clapping their hands and snapping pictures, but I was only focused on one thing.
The small little box pressed deeply into my thigh.
Just as the main dancing couple looked as if they were about to get married, I slid from my seat and got down on one knee. I pulled out the box from my pocket and raised it up into the air, snapping the top open as everyone around us gasped. Melissa’s eyes peeled from the dancing couple as her eyes fell to the sparkling ring, and instantly, her hands flew to her mouth.
I saw tears fill her eyes as I drew in a deep breath.
“Melissa Jensen Conway, not taking you as my wife the first time was single-handedly the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life. There wasn’t a moment that went by that I didn’t miss you, and the moment you stepped into my office, my heart leaped out for you. I loved you despite every tear on your face in that first session. It just took me a little longer to realize it. Mel, you are the tried and true love of my life, and I know I want to marry you.”
“Mommy, what’s going on?” Sarah asked.
She looked over at her daughter as she held out her arm for her. Sarah scooted in, pressing herself deeply into her mother’s body before she looked down at the ring.
“Sarah, I have a question to ask you, too,” I said.
“What?” Melissa asked.
“Okay,” Sarah said.
“I’m asking your mother if it’s okay if we get married. Do you know what that means?” I asked.
“It means you guys wanna stay together forever,” she said.
“It means I love your mother very much. Enough to protect her and care for her the rest of my life. But that means you, too. I want to love you and care for you and protect you for the rest of your life. Is that okay with you?” I asked.
“Does this mean you’ll be a real daddy?” she asked.
“If you want me to be, yes,” he said.
“Mommy, please marry Brandon. Please? He’s gonna be a daddy,” she said, whispering.
Tears were streaming down Mel’s face, and I reached out to take her left hand. Max jumped in, standing behind me as he threw his arms around my neck.
“Miss Mel, if you marry Daddy, can I call you Mommy?” he asked.
And if the dam hadn’t burst before, it sure as hell did then.
“Yes. Oh. Oh, my gosh. Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Brandon. And I’d love to be your mother, Max. So very much.”
The crowd cheered as the song looped in for another play, and I pulled Melissa up from her seat. I wrapped her tightly in my arms as Sarah and Max clung to both of us, their smiles bright as I gazed into Mel’s eyes. I was going to spend eternity losing myself in the yellow speckles that reminded me of the morning sun, and I slipped the ring onto her finger before I brought her hand to my lips.
Mel was speechless, and my heart was soaring with joy.
Her arms wrapped around my neck as she raised her lips to meet mine. My hands pressed into the small of her back, dipping her backward while the sniffling crowd cheered us on. Max and Sarah were grimacing at our kissing, telling us to stop being gross just before Mel giggled against my lips.
The vibrations buzzed through my body as my fingertips began to knead the small of her back.
“Keep that up, and we’ll have to go home soon,” she said as she pulled back from my lips.
“Is that a promise?” I asked devilishly.
“Brandon Black, you animal,” she said, smirking.
“An animal you get to have for the rest of your life,” I said.
We spent the entire night tangled up in one another, trying out positions we’d only ever seen in our dreams. I pinned her against the wall with her tit in my mouth. I pressed her against the window so the world could behold her beauty. I stuffed my cock down her throat while I ate her beautifully dripping pussy. We even writhed along the floor of our massive walk-in shower as we tried to clean ourselves up.
And every single time her body shook for me, I could feel her love radiating outward and all around my body.
“I love you,” she said breathlessly as my tongue licked up her slit.
“And I love you,” I said before I dove back into her depths.
Neither of us slept a wink that night, and I knew it was a tradition we’d carry on for the rest of our days. I’d sink myself into her, and she’d keen like the beautiful woman she was. She’d roll me over, and I’d growl like the animal I had buried deep inside of me. I’d pin her to walls and bend her over counters. I’d take her from behind while she was cooking dinner and lick her pussy just to see her wake up with an orgasm rolling over her body.
I’d do anything to hear those words tumble from her lips.
“I love you, Brandon,” she said sleepily as the sun rose above the trees.
“And I love you, Mel,” I said as the children began to stir.
***The End***
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Dad’s Best Friend
I’ll work for my
dad’s best friend. But he’s going to work on me.
My parents invite Cole to my party, and to my surprise, he shows up with a check for $10,000.
“For you, gorgeous,” he says, kissing me on the cheek.
I’ll never forget how his soft lips brushed against my cheek.
I can still smell that s*xy cologne on his skin.
When he accepts to take me on as his personal assistant, I decide he has to be my first.
Because no one will be able to make me feel the way Cole does.
***
I know the rules: Never fall for your employees.
And never ever think about f*cking Violet.
Because…I’m her dad’s best friend.
He trusted me to protect her from other men.
And I am jacking off in the shower thinking about her.
I’m the one staring at her taut curves.
I’m enjoying her company more than I should, and not in an entirely professional way.
Well, I can sense trouble coming.
But first, I am going to make her come.
Chapter 1
Cole
It always felt good to head out to the Hamptons. The stretch of the highway leaving the hustle and bustle of Manhattan felt like freedom—a much-needed break from the shit-show of a week at Crayton, Inc.
I rolled the windows down to enjoy the calm, and the late summer breeze rippled my hair as the road twisted around to the affluent Summers family’s home. The mansion sat on a sprawl of ten acres with a long and guarded driveway and a heated pool along the backside of the house. Rose bushes, Gloria’s favorite white roses, poked out of the iron gate that surrounded the entire property along with large willow and oak trees. It was beautiful, and as I expected, there was a great number of cars parked around the Summers’ property.
I drove up to the gated fence. It was tempting to pull away, back up, and go to my Bayfront mansion a few miles south. My idea of spending Labor Day weekend was sitting alone in my house with a bottle of whiskey, but after turning down every event Gloria and Alan invited me to because of some work conflict or other, I had to deal with it this time. Alan Summers was the only true friend I had left in the world after the past fifteen years of my life. I could deal with all the fake smiles that would greet me.
I pushed the button on the intercom box.
“Summers residence,” a male voice spoke briskly. “Only guests on the list are invited in. No photographers or reporters.”
“It’s Cole Crayton,” I said.
“Please drive in, sir. Mind the gate as it closes.”
The gate buzzed open a second later. I pulled up the paved driveway as the gate swung closed behind me. I stopped alongside Alan’s gold Escalade that was parked in front of the detached garage. The mansion’s door opened as I climbed out of the car. I was glad to be off the hot leather seat after driving for a few hours. I turned to greet Alan with a smile as he walked up.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Alan said. “The drive up here a bitch with all the traffic?”
“It wasn’t bad. Cheryl had me out of the office at a decent time to beat most of it.”
Alan clasped my shoulder tightly. “I’m glad that you’re here. I can’t stand these dickwads that come along with Gloria’s friends.”
I grinned at that. “Hence, why you were in the house when I rolled up?”
“Exactly.” He returned the grin. “There’s a bottle of whiskey with your name on it too, in my study.”
The foyer was polished and clean when I followed Alan inside. The smell of barbecued chicken floated through the air as I trailed Alan up the spiraling staircase to the second floor where his office was. Years ago, Alan had sold his investment firm to another eager CEO. Now, he managed high-end clients from his home in the Hamptons. Most people would be jealous. A home in the Hamptons? Great. A stay-at-home job that pays for the home in the Hamptons? People would kill for that opportunity.
It sounded like a fucking nightmare to me, though. I liked my office in Manhattan. It was separated from my home life, even though I didn’t have much of one anymore. That was one of the main reasons why I declined Alan’s invitations throughout the year. I didn’t want to feel that fucked up sense of loneliness.
A bottle of whiskey sat on the edge of Alan’s desk. I picked it up with a grin and gladly accepted a glass when he offered one. Pouring us both a hefty amount, I clinked my glass against his with a sigh. “To my one and only good friend in the world.”
“Cheers to that,” Alan said, eyes studying me as he took a sip. “How’s business going?”
I let my eyes close in pleasure at the taste. “Fine. I have my VP in charge while I’m away in case there are any emergencies.”
“You need a break. I can see even more gray hair than the last time.” He chuckled.
“Funny,” I said. “I see gray in your hair, too, old man.”
Alan shrugged. “Let’s face it. Women don’t look at us the same way anymore. Fuck. Even Gloria played the diet card on me this morning.”
He patted the slight gut that protruded over his belt. I took another drink to mask my amusement. There was no doubt in my mind that Gloria and Alan were soulmates. They both loved each other with a passion that would make even teenagers blush. It was sickening at times. It also made it much harder for me to talk about the string of women I enjoyed every week, now that my divorce was finalized. That counted as a healthy exercise in my opinion. I needed a good balance between relaxation and work. So far, having a woman in my bed once a week helped lower my blood pressure. I could get through the week without wanting to tear one of my employee’s heads off.
“That woman loves you,” I said. “I wouldn’t worry about your gut too much.”
“I suppose that I shouldn’t,” Alan said, and the depressed tone caught my attention. He offered a small smile. “I guess I’m going through a mid-life crisis. Mansion in the Hamptons. A hot wife. A beautiful daughter who’s an adult now. A business that pays the bills…”
“And you still feel like it’s not enough,” I finished for him, nodding in understanding. “I get it. I’ve been going through it, too.”
“I just miss the way women used to look at me in passing,” he said. “Not for my paycheck.”
“You’ve got a good woman, though, that loved you well before a paycheck that paid for the house here.” I smiled bitterly. “The women that come to me only see the net worth floating over my head at this point.”
“And for other reasons, too,” Alan pointed out. “You don’t look like you’re forty-four. When is the last time you even had something to eat?”
“Two days ago,” I said, shrugging. “I don’t have my chef anymore because my work hours are too crazy.”
Alan gave me a critical look. “Don’t tell Gloria that. You know that she’ll show up to your penthouse with groceries and meals without your permission.”
“She’s welcome to come anytime,” I replied, laughing.
“It’s a good thing that I trust you. I’d have a fit if it were some other man letting her into his penthouse.”
The office door opened. Gloria entered, dressed in a trim white dress, with her blonde locks pulled back delicately from her slender face. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floors as she approached with a wide smile.
“Good to see you,” she said and wrapped me in a quick hug. “I’m glad that you could make it today.” She pulled back with a frown. “You’re thin, Cole. Have you been eating enough?”
“More than enough,” I said. “The party looks great. Thanks for the invite.”
A pleased smile spread across Gloria’s face. She was the type of woman who let strangers into her house to show her wealth. She hosted parties all the time. Celebrities even showed up at times from what Alan told me.
“It’s a wonderful party,” she said, beaming. “You haven’t even come outside to look at the patio and garden. There’s plenty of food and drinks down there for you.”
I gestured at the whiskey on Alan’s desk. “I have good whiskey right here. Your husband knows me well.”
“I also know that the two of you are hiding,” Gloria said. “Please, sweetheart. Come down to join the rest of us.”
Alan smiled indulgently at his wife. “I will, darling. Just give us a minute to catch up in peace without eavesdroppers.”
“Fine,” she said.
“These parties mean the world to her,” Alan said once her heels retreated down the hallway. He set his glass down with a long sigh. “I better go out there. I don’t want to sleep in the guest room again. You’re the lucky one right now.”
“Not really lucky. Just divorced and bitter.”
I swallowed the last bit of whiskey in my glass. Bitter wasn’t even the right word to cover how I felt when it came to Stephanie. Hateful? That wasn’t the right word, either. All I knew was that it felt like a deep and ugly hole that I could never fill with enough alcohol and sex.