We made a pit stop at an all night grocery store to pick up the ingredients for what I hoped would be my soon-to-be-famous banana pancakes before heading to my house. The night was still steamy and I considered putting off making our middle of the night dinner and seeing if he wanted to take a two-man shower, but right as I made the offer, his stomach growled loud enough that we both busted out laughing.
“How long do pancakes take?”
“About fifteen minutes,” I said, grabbing the bag from him and carrying it into the kitchen. “We can dig out the griddle and get them cooking now and we can unpack the rest of the kitchen boxes after we finish eating. The shower can wait.”
He looked like he wanted to argue when his stomach growled again.
“Roger that.”
He made his way to the spare room while I started laying out the food on the countertop. He came back a few minutes later, arms laden with boxes piled high enough that he had to peer around them to see.
“You got all that?” I asked with a grin.
“Yep. Got the two boxes marked kitchen,” he said as he hoisted them onto the counter before plucking something off the top of them. “And then here is a pile of baby pictures that look like someone very familiar.”
My heart gave a squeeze as he held one up.
“That’s me and my dad. I remember that day. He made me a dollhouse for Christmas. I loved it more than life itself.”
I stroked the picture with my fingertip and made a vow to call him the next day. I hadn’t been back to Masonville for more than a few days in the past three years, for fear of getting stuck. Entrenched. The lure of family and familiarity teamed with the sting after crashing and burning in the ballet world might be more than I could handle. Part of me was sure that, if I got even a little comfortable, I’d never leave.
Now, though, I was starting to wonder if that hadn’t been another colossal mistake. I missed my dad, and my cousins. New Lola was going to be more open-minded and strive for some balance.
I set the picture down in the pile and turned my focus back to Reid. Because tonight? It was all about me and the guy standing in front of me. My very first night with Reid McDaniels as my boyfriend.
It was a whole new world, and there was no stopping us now.
“Let’s make some pancakes.”
* * *
Reid
The food was good, the company was better. It was like a light had been turned on inside of Lola and she’d never shined so bright. We stayed up until almost three AM setting up her kitchen and then looking through old photos. By the time we’d gotten through all the boxes and half of the pictures, she had a tired but seemingly permanent smile on her face and it made me feel like a million bucks.
She stood and stretched, sending her camisole top inching up to bare a strip of golden skin.
“What say we take that shower now?” I murmured, suddenly overcome with the need to be close to her. To seal the deal and make it official.
The sweet pink tip of her tongue traced her bottom lip and my cock went stiff. And, for the first time, it was pure pleasure without the pain of wondering what was going to happen next.
Her lips quirked, and then her hands were on me, one tracing the bulge in my jeans and the other curling around my hips to pull me close. “Sounds like a plan to me.” She walked backward toward the bathroom, unbuttoning my jeans as we moved.
I was more than happy to pitch in with the getting-naked initiative, and yanked my t-shirt overhead and tossed it aside.
“You’re way overdressed,” I said, my throat going tight as her busy little hands slipped beneath my boxers, teasing the base of my shaft.
She stepped into the bathroom and released me long enough to nod her agreement before tugging her camisole off and letting it fall to the floor.
I reached into the stall to crank on the shower before pulling my pants the rest of the way down and off as she did the same with hers.
The hot spray steamed the room as we stood there in front of each other, grinning like two naked fools. She took my breath away. Pert, full breasts with nipples that seemed to be begging for my mouth. Lean waist flaring out to full hips that cried out for my hands.
“You’re beautiful.”
“You too. I’m so glad I met you, Reid,” she whispered, stepping close and pressing a kiss to my chin. “I’m glad that you are the type of guy that wouldn’t just ignore the sounds of a girl screaming outside the window that night.” She nipped my neck before continuing. “I’m glad that you didn’t walk away when you saw it would mean trouble for you.”
She laid her hands on my chest and pressed me backward, pulling aside the shower curtain. Then, she pushed me under the spray, keeping her gaze locked on mine as she dropped to her knees.
“And I’m also really glad you didn’t give up on me.”
"Lola-” I managed to choke out, moved by her words and hard as stone from the thought of her intentions. There were a thousand things I could have said in response. That I was crazy about her. That I wanted to bury myself to the hilt and stay inside her all night long. That everything felt new and exciting with her. But as soon as her warm breath fanned out over my sensitive skin, I couldn't say a damn thing.
Fuck whatever happened next. I was with Lola, and, for the first time, Lola was really with me. One hundred percent, no holding back.
The hot spray pelted my back as one of her hands cupped my balls. All the while, she licked the base of my cock, circling around and around so that I felt her soft cheek against my shaft.
Blood pounded in my ears and I tried to concentrate on something other than the way her mouth felt. God, if she kept teasing me like that, I was going to lose my mind. But then, just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, she pulled me into her mouth so slowly that I could feel every inch of my cock swelling as she took me deeper.
"Christ," I ground out, then threaded my fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp as she worked me just as slowly. I felt all of her--the heat of her tongue as she drew on my cock hard and then expelled it, almost to the very tip, before diving back over me and swallowing me whole.
She let out a low murmur of approval as I cupped her head, pressing the other hand against the wet tile wall for balance. This time, she hummed with so much gusto, the vibrations of her lips sent my pulse careening out of control.
I’d gotten head before, but this? This was different. Not like it was a chore for her, or a favor. Lola liked having her mouth on me. She moved against me like it pleased her as much as it did me. She took her time, starting out so slow, it made me groan and say a silent prayer for relief, and then speeding up until I was sure I would die from the pleasure.
"Stand up, Lo," I demanded, suddenly very aware of the pressure building in my balls. I gave her hair a light tug and repeated myself before she pulled back. A droplet of pre-come leaked from the slit at the head of my aching cock at the sight of it all. Those gorgeous, dark eyes, wild with want. Her red, swollen mouth, and the sheen on her lips.
She murmured something under her breath and then dipped her head again, to lap at the bead of come from my tip. "I'm not done."
"The hell you aren’t,” I growled. I gripped her beneath her arms and pulled her to standing. If I let her go on like that, I was going to come, and tonight, I wanted nothing more than to be inside her when I did.
I turned, pulling her with me until the spray washed over her. She gasped at the sensation and I bent to capture one, peaked nipple between my teeth. What I felt at that moment was beyond want. It was pure, unadulterated need. I made a silent vow that next time would be on the bed. And then I stopped thinking altogether. Her back arched, and she laced her fingers in my hair. She was making low, moaning sounds deep in her throat as I slid one hand between her thighs.
Slick, wet heat. I pressed a finger inside her, my knees buckling as her channel clenched tight.
“Now, Reid. Please.”
I let out a long groan. “No condom, we’ve
got to--”
“Not worry about it,” she finished, breathlessly. “I’ve got it covered. I went to the doctor last week…just in case.”
Relief coursed through me and my pulse kicked up another notch. “You’re a genius.”
I pulled back and pressed her against the tiles, spreading her thighs to make room for me. I rubbed the thick head of my cock against her, every instinct urging me to finish it. Push in and take us both over the edge of oblivion. But first, I had to hear it. Remind myself that it was all real and it wasn’t going away.
"Are you mine, Lo?"
"Yes,” she gasped, her dark eyes full of passion and emotion. “Yes.”
* * *
Lola
Are you mine, Lo?
I had to blink back tears as he pushed inside me so deep that stars exploded in front of my eyes. A little moan escaped me before I could control myself and I dug my fingers into Reid’s shoulders, trying to pull him even closer. It felt like everything in my body was pounding like a tribal drum, louder and faster by the minute, working toward a fever pitch. The sensation echoed the beating of my heart, which felt full enough to burst.
He pulled back and plunged deep again, stealing my breath and my thoughts in that one motion.
“Ah, god, Lola." His voice was a low grumble that vibrated through me, and I slammed my eyes closed as he pushed my hair aside to kiss my collarbone.
He dropped the next kiss on my lips, softly at first. His mouth was as gentle as ever, and when his tongue swept out to taste, I met him with everything I had. His hard, wet chest pressed against mine, branding my skin with his heat as his hips worked like pistons against me.
My chest went tight and suddenly a weightlessness overtook me. So fast. How had he built it up so fast? I tore my mouth from his with a gasp.
“Reid, I’m going to come. I don’t want to come yet,” I muttered as I slid my hands down to grip his hips and keep him moving inside me even as I urged him to stop. I knew it was crazy. Totally irrational, but my brain was in meltdown mode and I could do nothing to stop the storm raging inside me.
“We have time, now, Lo.” He didn’t slow his pace. If anything, he moved faster. Deeper. The drag of his cock against my sensitized flesh was enough to send my head spinning. “You can come now, and come again later and come again tomorrow. Because I’m yours and you’re mine.”
He reached between us and curled his hand around my center, his clever fingers seeking out the plump knot of nerves nestled there.
“Oh my god,” I muttered, the last of my objections evaporating under the molten heat of need. He moved his fingertips in a quick, circular motion, just hard enough to count, just soft enough to make me want to weep.
His intense gaze locked with mine as he drew back and plowed forward again even as he stroked me in time. I spasmed then, the length of my channel gripping every throbbing inch of his cock.
“Yes,” I groaned, “Yes!” I pinched my eyes closed as I clenched around him harder. Wave after wave crashed over me, dragging me under before sending me soaring to the surface again, renewed.
When I finally had the strength to open my eyes again, it was to find Reid staring at me, his mouth open and his gaze greedy and dark. “You’re so hot when you come.”
I wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him close, sweeping my tongue to meet his again.
“Now you.” I whispered the words against his mouth. My heart was still hammering and I was still trembling with aftershocks, but I was desperate to see him come apart for me the way I had for him.
In the next moment, his grip on my hips tightened, each of his muscles bulging as he thrust into me, working me harder with every motion.
“Jesus,” he groaned, and then his big, hard body started to twitch as he came, his cock swelling and jerking inside me.
As he relaxed against me, his labored breaths coming in warm puffs against my neck, I couldn’t help but feel that warmth spreading through my chest. Melting the icy fear that had been there for so long. I hadn’t felt this safe. This happy, in…well, ever.
Knowing that Reid was going to still be here in the morning? Wanting to hold me? Wanting to be with me?
This was nothing to be afraid of. This was good. Who was I kidding? This was great. And the only thing that could get in the way of it was me.
“I don’t know about you,” I managed breathlessly, “but I’m still feeling pretty dirty. How about we stay in here for a while longer, and you let me wash your back?”
His still dazed but answering smile was all I needed.
I made a silent vow to myself then and there that I was going to do everything in my power to do right by this man because he deserved it.
And just maybe, so did I.
Chapter Five
Lola
The next morning, I woke up all wrapped up in Reid. I laid there staring at the ceiling for a long moment, waiting for it. The choking panic I’d half-expected to feel. The need to get up and go…be anywhere but that place that I was, before inertia got ahold of me and I was a forty-year-old woman who’d never left her hometown.
But it never came.
In fact, I was literally pinned beneath him and all I felt was joy and gratitude that he hadn’t given up on me.
“What are you thinking about, Lo?”
His soft, husky voice sounded in my ear, his breath sending a shiver through me. I tipped my head back to meet his gaze and grinned.
“How good in the sack you are, Boy Scout. I have to admit, I’m constantly amazed because it keeps getting better.”
He stroked my cheek with his fingertip and angled his hips against me until I could feel his erection. “Well, you’re in luck, because I actually do my best work in the morning.”
I chuckled and laid a kiss on his mouth before rolling away with a sigh. “I wish I could. Believe me, I do. But I have to work the day shift at the restaurant.”
He opened his mouth to respond but then went quiet as I got to my feet¸ buck naked. Those sleepy eyes went dark with need and he groaned.
“Christ, that’s cold-hearted.”
I should’ve felt guilty for teasing him a little, but I couldn’t deny that it was a thrill that he wanted me the way he did. It made me feel way better about how badly I wanted him all the time.
Still, I grabbed my camisole from the floor and yanked it on to put him out of his misery.
“What about tonight? You free?” he asked, sitting up in the bed as I started searching for a clean uniform.
“I am. Want to pick me up at like five o’clock? I can have Tino make us a pile of super spicy wings and we can bring them back here and eat them on the floor with a six pack of beer.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, giving me the thumbs up.
I was Reid’s girl, and damned if I didn’t like it.
I rushed to get dressed, dreading work but already excited for our date night. He dropped me off on the way to the gym and I walked into the restaurant feeling lighter than I’d felt in months. Maybe even years.
And it was all due to Reid McDaniels.
“Hey, how’d you guys make out yesterday? Busy or no?”
Shay, the new waitress Dee had covered for the previous day, sat at a table wrapping silverware in a paper napkin in preparation for the shift ahead.
“Not too bad,” I said, and plopped down across from her, tossing my purse on the table between us. Up until this morning with Reid, this had always been my favorite part of the day. I’d grab a hot cup of joe and chat with the other girls before the customers started coming in, the smell of potatoes and peppers frying in the background.
“I think I made around eighty bucks, all told, and it was easy money. Dee said you were under the weather. You feeling better?”
The other woman’s thin lips curved into a tired smile. “Yeah, just worn out, I guess.” The restaurant didn’t usually hire servers over the age of forty due to the young late night breakfast business we did with a young c
lientele, but in spite of what might be described as a hard face, Shay had a fantastic figure. And not just for a woman her age. For a woman of any age.
She lifted the now-filled box of wrapped silverware and stood, wincing and rubbing at her side.
“You okay?” I asked, standing to take the box from her and carrying it over to the counter. I was really starting to get worried and a little of the shine of the day wore off. She didn’t like to talk about it, but she’d let it slip a few times that she had something going on medically. I got the feeling it was more serious than she was letting on, but wasn’t about to breach the don’t ask don’t tell policy of this town. We could be friendly, exchange pleasantries, but it wasn’t often that people got close.
Still, since she had started a couple weeks ago, we’d had more than our fair share of chats and she was always really sweet to me.
“Look, Shay, if you need anything. Anything at all, whether it be a friend to lend an ear or you need a shift covered, please-”
“I’m sick, Lola,” she blurted, almost as if the words were dragged from her. She cleared her throat and her eyes filled with tears. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be a drama queen, it’s just…I got some news that…” Shay held a hand to her trembling mouth and shook her head. “Looks like all that damage I did back in the day is coming back to haunt me. My liver is failing.”
Dread gripped my stomach and I leaned forward to grasp her shoulder gently. “Oh my god. Shay, I’m so sorry. What can I do?”
I didn’t have a lot of money, and what I did have certainly wasn’t in the new-liver-purchasing range, so the offer felt hollow, but damn it, I felt for the woman.
“There really isn’t anything to do. I’ve been dealing with a clinic and they’ve been taking good care of me, which is a blessing, but donors can be hard to come by. It’s a waiting game for now.”
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