by E. L. Todd
“Of course. Let’s have him over for dinner.”
“That’s great,” she said. “I’ve been wanting him to meet my kids.”
“Does Macy know?”
She nodded. “I wanted to tell you at the same time but…she overheard me talking on the phone.”
“Nosey brat.”
Mom laughed.
“What’s his name?”
“Logan.” She smiled as she said his name.
“Awe…”
“I’ll invite him over this week,” she said. “Make sure you bring Conrad. I want Logan to meet him.”
“Okay. I will.”
Mom returned to eating, the weight off her shoulders. “I appreciate the two of you being so supportive about this. I know how you guys felt toward your father when he left.”
“That was different,” I argued. “He cheated and lied then left you for some skank. He’s lower than dirt to me.”
“Don’t talk about your father like that.”
“I’ll say whatever I want. Don’t act like you don’t know he’s an ass.”
“I love him whether he’s an ass or not,” she said firmly.
I tried not to roll my eyes. People made mistakes from time-to-time but what my father did was unforgiveable. I hoped that skank took him for a ride then dropped him off on the side of the road.
He deserved every bad thing coming his way.
***
I approached Conrad’s office then knocked on the door.
“Come in.” His deep voice held all the authority he’d recently been given.
I stepped inside and saw him sitting behind his desk. He was reading something on his iPad, twirling the stylist between his fingers. He wore a charcoal gray suit that made him look like a powerhouse. The dark colors gave his crystal blue eyes even more contrast.
I shut the door behind me and approached his desk.
He hadn’t looked up yet because he was reading. “Hold on a sec…” He finished the last line then made a mark with his stylist. When he looked up it was clear he expected me to be an employee. But when he realized it was me his features completely changed. They softened noticeably but his eyes hardened, taking on an intense look that was directed at me.
He used to look at me like that all the time. Whenever his eyes were on me they were immediately possessive. Somehow, he could touch me without laying a finger on me. He absorbed me with a single stare.
Without saying a word he rose to his feet, his eyes still trained on me like a target.
I missed this. I missed his quiet intensity. I missed that look in his eyes.
I didn’t understand just how much I missed it until that moment.
Conrad came around the desk, slowly heading my way. His hands hung by his sides but his shoulders were tense with impatience. He wanted to snatch me and never let go.
“Are you free for lunch?” I could barely hold his gaze because it was scorching hot. It burned my skin easily.
He stopped when he was in front of me and looked down into my face. His eyes focused on my lips before they finally made it to my eyes. Even though he heard my question he never gave an answer.
“If you’re busy it’s fine.”
“I’m not busy.”
“Oh…” I shifted my weight.
“I’m trying to decide if I should fuck you on my desk or take you back to my place.”
My spine shivered. “I really did just want to get lunch…”
“I can eat lunch off of you. Two birds with one stone.” He grabbed his phone off the desk and shoved it into his pocket. “Let’s go.”
***
After he took me from behind and filled me with everything he had, he pulled out of me and got dressed. “That’s exactly what I needed.” He pulled up his slacks and fastened his belt.
I pulled up my panties then adjusted my skirt. “Yeah. But I’m still hungry.”
“I can make you a sandwich.”
“You would make me food?” I asked. “That’s a nice change.”
He leaned over me on the bed. “You know I’d make anything for you.” He kissed the corner of my mouth before he stood again.
“And I make awesome sandwiches. I’ve had a lot of practice.”
I’m sure he did. After I left he fed himself. “Con, are you free tomorrow night?”
“No.” He put his jacket on then adjusted his cufflinks. “I’m busy with my sexy lady.”
Like always, I melted. No matter how cheesy he was, it worked. “Well, I wanted to know if you would come over my mom’s place for dinner.”
“Sure,” he said. “I like her cooking.”
“Great,” I said. “She has a boyfriend and wants us to meet him.”
He stopped adjusting his clothing and just stared at me. “She has a boyfriend…?”
“I guess she met him in knitting class.”
Conrad abandoned his clothes altogether and sat beside me on the bed. “Are you okay with this?” All the playfulness left his voice. Now he was concerned that this was a deathblow.
“I’m more than okay with it,” I said. “I’m happy my mom found someone. I didn’t want her to be alone.”
He noticeably relaxed from beside me. “Me too. She’s a nice lady and deserves a companion.”
“If he treats my mom right and makes her smile, who am I to feel weird about it? I mean, my dad is off with some ho bag. Mom should get a happily ever after.”
“I think so too.” He put his arm around me. “I’d love to meet him.”
“Great,” I said. “You can be my date.”
He kissed my cheek. “I’ll always be your date.”
***
The second Conrad came through the door Mom ambushed him. “You look so handsome tonight, sweetie.” She kissed each of his cheeks. “You can’t even see the bruises anymore.” She cupped his face and stared at him like he was a sculpture.
I wanted to die.
“Thank you, Carol.” Conrad was always sweet to my mother, no matter how over-the-top she was. “Thank you for having me for dinner.”
“You can come over whenever you want.” She ushered him inside and took his coat. “How about something to drink? A scotch?”
“A scotch would be nice,” he said. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back.” She squeezed his arm then headed into the kitchen.
When she was gone I lowered my voice. “Sorry about that…I know she’s a little excessive.”
“It doesn’t bother me at all.” He stepped closer to me until our chests were touching. “She’s very sweet.”
“I just know she’s a little much…”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “It doesn’t matter how she is or what she does. I’ll put up with anything to be with you.” He kissed the other corner then slowly inched his fingers into my hair. “Anything.”
Now I wish we weren’t at my mother’s house. I just wanted to be with him—the two of us. “Uh…” I tried to think of something somewhat intelligent to say but the words left my mind. My knees were weak and my head was in the clouds.
“Get a room,” Macy said with a disgusted voice.
Conrad stepped back slightly but didn’t seem embarrassed. “Sorry. I have a hard time keeping my hands to myself when it comes to your sister.” He glanced at me before he looked at her again.
“Why?” Macy asked as she moved into his chest and hugged him. “She’s pretty annoying.”
“Maybe I like annoying.” He patted her back before he released her.
“You say that now…” She nodded toward me then made a repulsed face.
“I love you too, Macy.” She could be such a brat sometimes. It was always back and forth with her.
“I wonder what this guy is like,” Macy said. “I hope he’s rich.”
“Try not to steal him away like you did with Conrad,” I jabbed.
She rolled her eyes and made a hissing noise before she stormed into the kitchen.
> Conrad tried not to laugh. “You guys are entertaining.”
“I’m not sure what went wrong with her. I turned out decent but she’s just a mess.”
“No. You turned out perfect.” His arm snaked around my waist and he moved in again. His mouth moved across mine, teasing me.
“Why are you torturing me right now…?” I was drifting away on a cloud. I wanted to be encompassed by the soft sheets of his bed. I wanted to feel his sweaty, naked chest against mine. It was hard to think clearly anytime he was near me. I just wanted to fall into the throes of passion and cherish the man I’d fallen so hard for.
“Torture?” he whispered. “I prefer to call it a tease.”
“Well, tease me later.”
“Why?” he whispered. “I want you to think about me all night long.” His hand slowly inched down my ass and curved around it. His long fingers found their way under my thong and he rubbed my clitoris gently.
“You’re evil.” I gripped his biceps.
“Evil is a strong word.” He pressed his lips to my ear and breathed gently, his lips hovering.
“Con…”
“What, baby?”
I didn’t know what to say next. I wanted him to stop but I was enjoying it too much to say that.
The doorbell rang and ended the foreplay.
He pulled his hand away with a triumphant grin on his face. “Saved by the bell.”
My legs were a little wobbly. I felt like Bambi learning how to walk. “I’m staying over tonight.”
“Why don’t you just stay all weekend?”
“Be careful for what you wish for.”
“I hope my wish comes true.”
Mom headed to the door and smoothed out her apron at the same time. “That’s him. Everyone, be nice.”
“When are we not nice?” Macy asked.
“We’re excited to meet him,” I said.
Conrad put his hands in his pockets. “I’ll keep them in line, Carol.”
Macy and I both glared at him.
Mom touched up her hair before she opened the door. “Hello, Logan.” The smile on her face was brighter than the sun on a spring day.
“Hello, sweetheart.” He walked inside then extended a bouquet of roses. “Thanks for inviting me over.”
She smelled the flowers then held them to her chest. “Thank you. That was very thoughtful of you.”
Logan was nothing at all like I pictured. He was tall and slender, and he had a runner’s build with some muscle definition. His face was full of youth and he had a natural twinkle in his eyes. He was fairly handsome.
“Damn, talk about an upgrade,” Macy whispered.
“I know, right?” I whispered back. “He makes Dad look like a smurf.”
Mom took his hand and guided him toward us. “Logan, there are some very special people I’d like you to meet. These are my two daughters that I’ve already told you so much about.” She introduced Macy and then myself.
“It’s so nice to meet you.” I shook his hand firmly. “Mom says you’re a great guy.”
“I’m glad she thinks so,” he said with a chuckle. “And I’m more glad she spreads the word.” He turned to Conrad and shook his hand. “Are you lucky enough to be involved with one of these beautiful girls?”
“This is my future son-in-law,” Mom said. “Conrad.”
My stomach fell out of my body and I felt sick. Couldn’t she have worded it differently? If I felt uncomfortable by that then Conrad must have too. I loved my mom, but damn, I wanted to kill her right now.
Conrad played it off without reacting at all. “It’s nice to meet you.” He dropped his hand then put his arm around my waist. “The girls can get a bit crazy but I’ll always be your ally.”
Logan laughed loudly then clapped him on the shoulder. “I feel better already.”
***
“What do you do, Logan?” I asked at dinner.
“I’m retired. I stopped teaching a few years ago,” Logan answered.
Mom stared at him with infatuation written all over her face.
“You’re retired?” Macy asked. “You don’t look old enough to be retired.”
Logan chuckled. “Thank you for the compliment. I started teaching right out of college. I was in the school system for thirty years.”
“What did you teach?” I asked.
“P. E. And I coached track,” Logan answered.
“Cool.” He definitely seemed like Mom’s type.
“I know everything about both of you,” Logan said. “Your mom talks about you all the time.”
“I do,” Mom admitted.
“And I know about you too.” He looked at Conrad. “A CEO of PIXEL? That’s pretty impressive.”
“Thanks,” Conrad said humbly. “I’m very fortunate I was given the opportunity.”
“He’ll be such a good husband to Lexie,” Mom said. “Marriage is all Lexie ever talks about.”
Oh. My. God.
Kill me right now.
I knew she was just trying to help by dropping hints to Conrad that I wanted to get married, but it was seriously backfiring. I was mortified. I couldn’t even finish my dinner because I wanted to crawl under the table and die. Conrad pretended nothing happened, but there was no way he wasn’t as embarrassed as I was.
“You’re a lucky man, Conrad,” Logan said.
“I know, sir,” Conrad answered.
I shot my mom a glare so she would knock it off, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. She was too busy staring at Logan.
Would this night just end already?
***
We walked into Conrad’s apartment and he set my bag on the couch. “Logan was a nice guy. You couldn’t have asked for someone better.” He hadn’t mentioned the awkwardness once and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to.
“I’m happy for my mama.” I kicked off my heels and felt my feet relax in comfort.
Conrad removed his jacket and tossed it on the couch. “So, where were we?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.
I wasn’t in the mood—at all. “Let’s just go to bed.”
Conrad couldn’t hide the surprise on his face. “Just go to bed? We haven’t been together in months and you just want to go to bed?” He pointed at his chest. “You don’t want to ride this stallion?”
“No.” I turned on my heel and walked into the bedroom. Apollo watched me go.
When I was in his bedroom I grabbed one of his t-shirts and threw it on. Then I got into bed. Conrad came through the door a minute later, suspicion on his face. “Okay…I get the feeling something is wrong.”
“I’m just not in the mood.”
He undressed and got under the sheets in just his boxers. He spooned me from behind and the heat of his body kept me warm. “What’s on your mind, baby?”
“It’s nothing…”
His face was pressed into my hair. “Okay, we can do this one of two ways. I can keep asking you until you finally tell me. Or you could save me the trouble and just tell me.”
When he put it like that I felt stupid for not spitting it out. “My mom embarrassed me tonight. I’m sorry she kept talking about…you know.”
His body didn’t react to my words. He lay perfectly still, his breathing the same. “Lexie, it’s okay. It didn’t bother me.”
“She was lying when she said I talk about marriage all the time.”
“I figured.”
“I just don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you…”
“I know your mom just wants to see us get our happily ever after,” he whispered. “There’s no reason to apologize or feel weird about it.”
“Yeah?” Maybe I was stressing over nothing.
“Yeah.” He gripped my waist and forced me to turn onto my back. He looked down at me with a hungry expression. “Now can we get to the good stuff?”
***
Conrad picked me up after work. He looked me up and down, clearly liking the short dress and the boots. “We’re supposed to go out, not
hit the bedroom. So why are you wearing that?”
“It’s my turn to be a tease.” I rubbed up against him as I walked off the porch.
He chuckled quietly. “Payback, huh?”
“Yep.” I posed, giving him a nice view of my ass.
He smacked it with his large palm. “Don’t be a tease, baby.”
“Too late.” I shouldered my purse and walked up the sidewalk. “So, piano bar?”
He caught up to me then grabbed my hand. “I guess. But drink fast.”
“Whoa, slow down. After drinks, we’re having dinner.”
“I’ll make you dinner.”
“And then you have to take me out for ice cream.”
“What?” he asked. “I never agreed to that.”
“Well, I’m calling the shots tonight.”
He pulled me into his side and growled in my ear. “You’re getting it hard tonight.”
“Is that supposed to be a punishment?” I asked incredulously. When I reached the bar I walked inside and felt Conrad behind me. We walked past the tables and headed to the bar. The classic sounds of the piano filled the room, and everyone talked quietly at their own tables. Each table had a different colored lamp, giving it a hippie vibe.
Conrad took the seat beside me at the bar. When I took off my jacket his eyes immediately went to my cleavage. I wore this dress and bra on purpose. I liked making him struggle.
He eyed my tits blatantly then his face darkened. “I’m seconds away from whipping it out and resting it on the counter.”
“That’s just gross.”
“You didn’t seem to think it was gross last night.”
“If you ever took out your dick and set it on the table in a public place, I’d think it’s gross.”
“Sure…” He waved down the bartender and ordered a scotch and a white wine. He knew what I liked without me having to tell him. It felt just the way it used to when we would go out together. With every passing day it felt like I was stepping back in time, like I hadn’t fucked things up. Maybe I was getting a do-over. “Maybe you should put your jacket back on.”
“Why?”
He adjusted his jeans discreetly. “Distracting.”
“Payback’s a bitch, huh?”
He grabbed his drink from the waiter. “I’m going to make you scream later.”
“Again, that doesn’t sound like a punishment.”