by Tia Siren
I heard him hiss as his hand moved to steady my hips. “Woah,” he said.
I rolled my head to the side to look behind me. The sight of his muscular chest, his hand on my ass, and the feeling of him buried inside me stirred up another orgasm. I had never been big on the visuals during sex, but with him it was different. I liked watching him fuck me. It made it all so much better.
“You’re squeezing my dick,” he said, groaning.
I moved my hips again and watched his eyes close. I liked knowing I could give him the same kind of pleasure he gave me.
His eyes popped open, and he looked at me with such hot passion, I nearly came right then. With both hands on my hips, he pulled out and then slammed into me. My mouth dropped open with the force of the thrust.
“More,” I said, holding his eyes with mine the entire time.
He began a slow, steady pace before picking it up and driving into me. I couldn’t look at him any longer and dropped my face to the couch as the spiral of another orgasm started low in my toes. I felt the intensity of his grip tightening on my hips as he drove in harder and faster.
My head was suddenly pulled back as he grabbed a handful of my hair, bringing my face up to the couch. I screamed his name, riding out another powerful orgasm.
“Fuck!” he yelled, dropping my hair and holding on to my hips as if he were a man drowning.
I felt him explode inside me and shouted his name.
“Jake! Oh god, Jake!” I cried out.
He collapsed against my back, his face resting between my shoulder blades. My heavy breathing matched his as I waited for my heart rate to slow. He finally pulled out and sat down on the floor, his back pressed against the couch.
I managed to roll over and sit beside him. I felt like a big bowl of Jell-O. We sat like that for several minutes before he jumped to his feet.
He reached out to me, and I took his hand, letting him pull me to a standing position. I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed to be standing naked in front of him.
He reached down and scooped me up, one hand behind my knees and the other around my back.
I yelped. “What are you doing?”
“We’re going to bed. I’m not done with you yet,” he said with a grin.
My eyes widened. “There’s no way I can after that.”
He smiled. “Oh, I guarantee you, you can.”
I giggled and let him carry me out of the living room but insisted on walking up the stairs. I was going to enjoy every minute of this night. I would not feel guilty about having fun. I deserved it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jake
I wasn’t all that surprised to find the bed empty when I opened my eyes. I had a feeling Avery would be hiding her face, ashamed of finally caving in to my wants. It was obvious I wasn’t the only one who had been feeling the pull between us. I knew she had wanted me as much as I wanted her. She just hid it better than I did.
I rolled onto my back and looked up at the ceiling, trying to decide what to do. I could go looking for her and try to talk through what had happened. Or I could leave it alone and see how she felt. Last night, when we had started, I kept telling myself it was just this once. I got one night with her, and I wanted to make the most of it.
“Yeah, right,” I smirked to myself.
One night and I was fucking addicted to her body. I wanted to fuck her again and again. I had explored her body in depth last night, but I wanted to do it again.
I was afraid she would shut me down and tell me to get lost if I tried to talk to her about maybe having sex again. I had to wait and feel her out. She was a bit like a timid animal. If I got too close or tried to push too hard, she was going to get scared and run in the opposite direction.
I sat up and headed for the shower. I needed to call Drew and discuss some business details. Then I had permission to visit Iris at her foster parents’ house. It was not in the judge’s orders, but the foster family had been willing. I wanted to see the little girl as often as I could so she wouldn’t be scared when I finally got to bring her home.
I dressed and headed downstairs and into the den. I hadn’t seen Avery yet. I would get the call to Drew out of the way and then test the waters with my wife. It weird to call her that, and until last night, I had never actually thought of her as my wife. We had officially consummated the marriage and were very married.
I fired up the laptop and called Drew via Skype. “Hey,” he answered, looking slightly disheveled.
“You look like hell. Rough night?”
He grinned. “Someone has to keep the ladies happy with you out of town and all.”
I chuckled and realized I wasn’t jealous at all. I should have been, but my night had been very satisfying. I didn’t miss the clubs or the whole scene in general.
“Good luck filling my shoes,” I teased.
He chortled. “They’ve already forgotten your name.”
“Ha! I doubt that. I’m a legend.”
“Are you going to come back?” Drew asked in a serious tone.
“What do you mean am I?”
He shrugged. “I think you know what I mean.”
“My home is in California. My job and my business are there,” I stated.
“Yes, they are, but I think we’ve proven that distance isn’t really an issue,” he reminded me.
“I’m not ready to think about any of that. Not yet,” I said, grumbling.
“How’s it going down there? How’s your wife?” he asked with a grin.
I smiled. “Good. She’s great actually.”
He nodded. “I thought so. I guess you have a lot to figure out.”
I sighed. “I guess I do. Anyway, that’s not why I called. I wanted to go over a few of the accounts. Do you have a minute?”
Drew rubbed his face and nodded. “Yep. Let me get to my computer.”
We spent the next twenty minutes talking about business and planning out the following week. I could tell Drew had everything well in hand. He really didn’t need me there babysitting his every move. Drew had been with me for so long, he knew what I was thinking before I did half the time. I trusted him to make sound business decisions.
We disconnected, and I went in search of Avery. I found her lounging on a patio chair, reading a book.
“Hey,” I said, walking out to the patio.
She put the book down and looked at me with her dark sunglasses in place. She was wearing a pair of tiny cut-off jean shorts and a tank top with spaghetti straps. She looked amazing, and my mind immediately went back to the night before when I had been between those tanned legs.
“Hi,” she said, a small smile on her face. “What’s up?”
I took that as a good sign. At least she didn’t throw the book at me.
“I’m headed out to visit Iris. I’ll take more video and send you pictures.”
She nodded her head. I hated that she couldn’t go with me, but I was positive it wouldn’t be much longer. I needed to form a bond with the child, and the only way to do that was to see her on a regular basis. I knew Avery was worried Iris would forget her, which was why I video chatted every chance I could. I was the one who had to make up for missed time. Avery already had a bond with her.
“Okay. Give her a kiss for me,” she said with a sad smile.
“I will.”
I turned around and left without getting any closer to her. I didn’t trust myself not to reach out and touch her. If I touched her, I wouldn’t be able to stop until I was buried deep inside her tight sheath. I’d miss my appointment with Iris and potentially blow my chances of ever getting her.
When I got to the foster family’s home, I was warmly greeted by the foster dad. I was relieved to find him to be a good guy. I had seen and read too many horror stories about how kids in the system were often treated. The family had Iris and two other little ones in their care. They weren’t able to have children of their own and had opened their home to kids who needed help.
“You must
be Jake. It’s good to meet you. I’m Don, and this is my wife, Nettie.”
They led me into the comfortable living room where Iris was in a bouncy seat on the floor. I looked around the room and noticed it was very small, but it felt welcoming. It was obvious they didn’t have a lot of money. It made what they did all that more remarkable.
“Hi, baby girl,” I said, dropping to my knees in front of her.
I hadn’t realized how much I had missed seeing her little face until that moment. I had to hold her. I felt a little like the Grinch with my heart growing too big for my chest at the very sight of her.
“Can I?” I asked, motioning to take her out of the seat.
“Of course,” Nettie answered. “Do you need help getting her out?”
“I think I can manage. I have to learn how at some point. Best to learn under your skilled eye,” I joked.
I managed to pull her out. I held her a few inches from my face and smiled. When she smiled back at me, my heart melted.
“Oh, that is so sweet,” Nettie cooed.
I nodded and snuggled Iris close.
“It’s a tough situation I understand,” Don said. “I’m sorry about your sister. That is far too young for anyone to leave this earth.”
I sighed and sat down in a worn but comfortable chair. “It really is. Iris is my last connection to my family. I hope we can prove to the state we are worthy of having her.”
Nettie gave me a warm smile. “I think you’ll do fine. I’m only sorry you have to go through this at all. I know they mean well, but sometimes it seems like a lot of interference for no reason at all.”
I smirked. “You don’t have to tell me. I get it though, and I am glad they are being careful. It would be worse if they let anyone take in orphaned children. You guys seem like a good family. I have to admit I had visions of some cold, dark orphanage.”
Don chuckled. “We had those same images in our minds as well. In fact, we’ve seen those places, which is what inspired us to become foster parents. We wanted to give these kids a good place to feel safe and wanted.”
I nodded my head, choking back the emotion his words brought out. “Thank you for doing that. This whole situation has been bad enough without having to worry whether she is taken care of while we prove our worthiness.”
Nettie looked at Iris, who seemed to be interested in my face. “Lucky for you, she won’t remember any of this. It will be a minor hiccup in her young life. I have faith you and your wife will get custody and raise her to be a fine young woman.”
“Thank you. I hope so. I can tell you Avery misses her like crazy. Avery, my wife, was there when Iris was born. She loves her like she was her own child,” I said proudly. “Do you mind if I take a video of her to show her when I get home?”
“Please do. I would like to meet her someday,” Nettie said.
I put Iris back in the bouncy chair and took several videos of her batting at the toys in front of her and occasionally bouncing up and down. It was the cutest thing I’d ever witnessed.
“I should get going,” I said after thirty minutes. “Thank you so much for agreeing to this. I know you didn’t have to.”
“It’s fine. We’ll be praying for you and your wife. I think you’ll make an excellent father,” Don said, his hand on my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I said and walked out.
As I drove home, I thought about my visit. It had made me extremely happy and hopeful. I wanted to spend more time with Iris. I wasn’t excited to go to work or travel across the country for business. I certainly didn’t want to go out to a club and flirt with women who would never make me happy. The short time I had been in Arizona had changed me.
Now I understood why Drew had asked me if I was going back. I didn’t know if I wanted to. I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. I knew which way I wanted to go. Now I had to figure out if I had the courage to give up everything I had come to know in the past five years and jump into a new life. I wasn’t even sure the life I thought I had here was real. Avery may have used me for sex.
The thought made me laugh. It would serve me right. I had used her all those years ago and countless women since her. I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few things to make what I hoped would be a romantic dinner for two. We had plenty of wine at the house, but I picked up some more anyway.
I hoped Avery would be home when I got there. I was looking forward to hanging out with her. As much as I wanted sex with her again, I would be completely content relaxing by the pool or watching some stupid movie on TV.
“Dammit,” I muttered when I pulled into the circular driveway and discovered her car was gone.
I walked into the house and put away the groceries. I had never really felt alone before even though I had been by myself in my sprawling condo plenty of times. I could feel Avery’s absence in the house and felt truly alone. I hoped she would be home soon.
I headed upstairs and quickly changed into my swim shorts before heading to the pool. I thought about Avery’s tendency to be naked when she was in the backyard. Although I didn’t mind seeing her naked, I wasn’t quite as daring. I’d be keeping my clothes on.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Avery
Things had been a little tense last night. We both said we were tired and went to bed early. We had barely slept Friday night. He hadn’t made a move to touch me, and we had barely spoken all day yesterday. I had dreaded the morning after but hoped we were both adult enough to avoid the awkward encounter. Obviously, we weren’t. We had basically been ignoring one another, neither of us knowing what to say.
This morning, I had gotten up before Jake and made a big breakfast with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I was hoping to break the ice a bit. It worked. We chatted about our upcoming week, and he talked about some of the recipes he was hoping to try. After breakfast, he went into the den to work while I grabbed my steamy romance novel and settled in on the couch in my plaid pajama bottoms and a T-shirt with no bra.
I loved the idea of kicking back and doing nothing on a lazy Sunday. It had been a stressful few weeks, and I knew if and when we got custody of Iris, our days would be anything but lazy. They would be full of excitement and new beginnings. I couldn’t wait to see her take her first steps or to take her to the zoo. I wanted to spoil her and give her all the love Tracy would have. I knew Jake felt the same way. He had shown me his videos yesterday. He was a proud uncle.
The doorbell rang, startling me. I wasn’t expecting anybody, and I seriously doubted Jake was. I assumed it must be a door-to-door salesman, although we were kind of out of the way. I used a hand to brush down my short hair that I assumed was spiking up and out all over my head.
I pulled open the door and bit back the curse word that threatened to cross my lips when I saw Janice standing there, her yellow notepad in her hand.
“Hi. Janice. You’re here,” I said, for lack of anything better to say.
“Yes, I’m here,” she replied dryly. “Good morning,” she said, looking at my attire. “Is your husband home?”
I nodded. “Babe!” I yelled the word in a somewhat desperate voice I hoped Janice didn’t pick up on.
I pulled the door open wider and gestured for Janice to step inside.
“Come in, please.”
“This is your first unannounced visit,” she said, stating the obvious.
I nodded. “I figured as much.”
“Babe?” I heard Jake call out.
I silently prayed he wouldn’t blow it by asking why I had called him babe. He came into the foyer and stopped midstride. He was wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else.
“Oh, we have company,” he said.
I smiled and nodded. “Yes. Janice is here for our unannounced visit.”
“I see that,” he said, stepping forward to come stand beside me. “I’m afraid you’ve caught us on a very casual Sunday.”
Janice’s head bobbed up and down. The woman was staring at Jake’s chest and the
many tattoos that covered his arms and part of his chest. One tattoo snaked down his ribcage, highlighting his six-pack abs. He had always been careful about covering the tats. I hoped Janice wasn’t the type to make snap judgments based on appearance. Jake had certainly proven himself already. The tattoos shouldn’t matter. They didn’t make him a better or worse parent.
“So, what do we do? I mean, do you interview us again or do you need to look around the house?” he asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
The woman seemed to have trouble finding her voice, which made me want to drop to the floor with laughter. The stuffy woman was enthralled by my husband’s near-naked body. I wondered what she would do if she saw all of him. That would really make her mouth drop.
“Yes. I mean, yes, I have a few questions, and I would like to see the condition of the house. It’s the reason for the unannounced visits,” she said, quickly regaining her snotty attitude.
“Well, we can head upstairs first, and I’ll grab a shirt,” he said with an easy grin.
Janice nodded. “Fine.”
I smiled at Jake, hoping it looked like a smile of pure love. It was actually a bit on the lusty side, but who could blame me when a man like Jake was squeezing me against his bare chest? Heat radiated off him. I fought the urge to press my lips against one of the beautiful pectoral muscles that was so nicely defined.
“This way,” I said, stepping out from under Jake’s arm and leading the way to the staircase.
Janice was scanning the area as we walked. I was sure she was hoping she would find needles or empty bottles of booze lying about. Every time I thought we were making headway with the woman, she jumped back to being that old stuffy woman we first met.
Our bedroom was a bit of a mess, and normally I would have been embarrassed to take anyone into my messy room. In this situation, messy was good.
“Sorry. We haven’t made the bed or anything,” I said as we walked into the large master bedroom. The king-size bed was unmade, and it was obvious we had both slept in it. My clothes were scattered here and there, as were Jake’s.