Only A Memory

by J. Lea

  “Thank you, it’s beautiful.” I kiss him, but it soon turns into a heated one.

  We can’t get enough of each other, our hormones raging like we’re horny teenagers who just discovered the joys of sex, sneaking in quickies every chance we get, making love every night, and groping each other when no one’s watching. Even though Carlos and Dolores know and support our relationship, I’m still uncomfortable displaying any kind of affection for Connor in front of them because of Anabel. After all, she was their only daughter, and despite their assurances they’re extremely happy for us, I can see sadness in their eyes. They can’t fully hide it from me, which is totally understandable.

  “Where is everybody?” Connor asks before he throws his keys on the kitchen counter where I’ve just put the freshly baked batch of cupcakes.

  “Carlos has been napping the whole day, and Dolores called to tell me she’ll be late from work. Ava’s in her room playing with her toys. But she helped me bake these cupcakes.” I nod my head to freshly baked goods in front of me. “How was work?”

  “It was okay, sort of.” I start piling cupcakes onto a plate, and Connor hugs me from behind. “We got a new bartender, who managed to spill the whole order over one of our guests. He was pissed and wanted me to fire her.”

  “Oh, no. She probably didn’t do it on purpose.” She probably just tripped or something.

  “I know that. I didn’t fire her, don’t worry. She apologized and the guest … well, let’s just say he won’t be returning.”

  He kisses the sensitive spot behind my ear, which always makes my knees weak. Slowly, his lips start making his way down my shoulder, pushing the straps of my bra and my top down for better access.

  “Hey,” I gently nudge him. “Ava is upstairs. She can come running down any time,” I whisper.

  “I’m just kissing you,” he murmurs against my skin. “Phoenix says hello. He’s still at the club, entertaining Dana. God, she can be such a drama queen sometimes.”

  “Dana.” Her name tastes bitter on my tongue. She’s still not over the fact Connor and I are dating, calling him constantly, sometime even in the middle of the night, and showing up unannounced. “I really don’t like her. I don’t know what, but something is off with her.”

  “Let’s forget about her.”

  There’s nothing I’d rather do than forget about her, but she seems a little unstable. I can’t shake this uneasy gut feeling telling me she’s up to something. I don’t want to say anything to Connor. He would probably think I’m just overreacting.

  “What do you say if we took a trip this weekend? Just the three of us? To change the scenery for a while, relax, and have fun and lots of wild sex?” He wiggles his brows.

  “I’d love that.” I don’t remember the last time I went on vacation. “But what about Carlos? It’s my job to take care of him and make things easier for Dolores.”

  “I know what you’re saying. But we won’t leave right now, so we still have time to tell her about our plans. You’ve been working your ass of, helping them both. You deserve a vacation. We both do. Besides, it’ll only be for one weekend, I don’t think Dolores will mind. I really want to spend more than just a few hours per day with my two favorite girls.”

  If he puts it that way … “Okay. But only if Dolores agrees.”

  “Of course.” He smirks.

  Later that night, I undress and turn on the shower. I need a cold, long shower after the day I’ve had. Carlos has been difficult, refusing to take his medicine, literally throwing the plate full of food to the floor. It took me hours to scrape the scrambled eggs from the dark carpet. We also skipped our regular walk; the second I mentioned it, he turned around, mumbling something about his aching legs. His excuses and bad mood are more frequent now. He barely eats anything, but at least he’s drinking his water.

  I close my eyes, feeling the spray of water caressing my face and my body. Pushing my hair back, I thoroughly wash it with a flowery shampoo, and as I rinse it, the shower doors slide open. Connor walks in as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. His powerful, hard body presses against mine as he leans in for a kiss.

  “I thought you were with Ava.”

  He closes the door behind him, filling the already small space. “Turn around,” he says gently, and I do what he says without hesitation. “She’s in bed.” A moan escapes me as he starts massaging my back. His skilled hands work wonders for my aching muscles, tension in my shoulders starts slowly disappearing. “She’s half asleep by now.”

  “This feels nice.” I groan as his hands work on my shoulder blades.

  “You looked tired before.”

  “You have no idea,” I admit.

  “That’s why we need to get away for a weekend. I could use some time off.”

  “I know.” His hands start wandering until they reach my swelling breasts.

  “You’re so fucking sexy,” he whispers in my ear before he starts nibbling on it, making me shiver.

  He takes my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it just enough to make me squirm with desire. Tilting my head back, resting it against his chest, I reach behind his head, pushing my breasts up so he has better access.

  “Oh, God,” I writhe, arching my back, as his left hand keeps playing with my nipple, teasing me, while his right hand starts sliding down my ribs, over my stomach, between my legs. His fingers find my swollen clit, and start making little circles around it, teasing me. With one swift motion, he slides a finger inside me, making my knees wobble. I clutch him harder. His tongue is hot against my wet skin, his rock-hard cock is pressed against my ass, turning me on even more.

  “I’ll make you feel good,” he breathes, turning me around, as he kneels down in front of me, his tongue darting over my throbbing clit, making me swing one leg over his shoulder, opening myself wider. I push my hips forward so I can feel his tongue even better.

  “Connor,” I moan, arching my back as he flicks my clit with his skillful tongue. He reaches up to cup my breast.

  “I know,” he groans against my lower lips, “you taste so good.”

  “I’m almost there, I’m almost there.” I gasp, a flood of warm sensation approaching me with intense urgency. He licks, sucks and nibbles, my core is throbbing with desire until I come apart, stars blinding my vision, leaving me breathless. Leaning back on the tiled wall, I realize I’ve been gripping Connor’s hair so hard I nearly ripped his scalp off. When the pulsing stops, I climb off Connor. With a devilish grin, he rises to his feet and kisses me. The taste of myself on his lips is making me horny again.

  “That was so fucking hot.” There is hunger is his voice.

  I’m breathing hard as if I just finished running a marathon, a sated smile on my face. Pushing away from the wall, I wrap my fingers around his hard cock and start moving my hand up and down the shaft.

  “Your mouth is magical.” Dropping on my knees, I start licking him. “Now it’s my turn.”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  My tongue darts out, licking the head of his cock again just to tease him a little. I know that drives him crazy. Then I wrap my lips around his shaft, sucking gently. A low guttural sound escapes him. As my gaze travels up his sculpted body, I take in his face. His eyes are closed, biting his lip, with one hand supporting himself against the wall and the other tangled in my hair.

  “Stop teasing me, Everly,” he growls at the loss of my tongue on him, bringing a smile to my face. Thrusting his hips forward, he releases a loud groan. I can feel his throbbing cock in the back of my mouth, making us both grunt in pleasure. Even though I was supposed to be in charge, he makes sure he’s still the one calling the shots. His cock gets harder, if that’s even possible, his eyes are filled with lust and desire, animalistic. “That feels so damn good, don’t stop.” He doesn’t have to say it twice. Gripping the base of his cock with one hand and grabbing his butt cheek with the other, I increase the pace, alternating between sucking and licking, pumping my hand up and down. His g
roans are getting more frequent, like he’s about to come.

  “Why are you moaning, Daddy? Does your tummy hurt?”

  “Crap,” I hiss, scrambling to my feet. What is she doing up? I’m glad she can’t see us.

  “Ava, what are you doing here?” Connor’s voice is as calm as he can muster, but he still sounds like he’s in pain. He was just about to come in my mouth. His breathing is shallow, uneven, eyes burning, and staring into mine.

  “I need to pee,” she says sleepily.

  “Didn’t you just go before you went to sleep?” Connor leans his forehead against mine, shooting me an apologetic smile. His fingers slide down the valley between my breasts.

  “I did. But that was before you read me a bedtime story. Then I drank a glass of water, and I need to pee again,” she explains. After she’s done, we hear her flush the toilet and wash her hands.

  “You done now?”

  I’m trying my hardest to remain as quiet and still as I can.

  “Yes, but Charlie needs to pee, too. Do you know where I left his potty?”

  I almost chuckle.

  “I have no idea. It’s probably in your room.” He sighs heavily.

  “Can I wait for you so you can help me look for it?” Sound of her voice is so soft, I wouldn’t be able to say no to her. The toilet lid drops down, she probably sat on it. Connor’s eyes bulge, and I let out a giggle, but she doesn’t hear it, thank God. It’s so hard to remain silent but the expression on his face is hilarious.

  “Ava, no. I’ll help you look for it tomorrow, you need to sleep now. We need to get up early in the morning.”

  “But, Daddy—”

  Connor doesn’t let her finish. “No buts, missy. Go back to your bed.”

  “Charlie really needs to pee!” she defends herself.

  “Bed,” Connor says sternly, then sighs and buries his head in my neck.

  “Not fair,” Ava complains, but scrambles to her feet. “Come on, Charlie, let’s go.” I hear the toy being dragged behind her as she leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  “Oh, my God,” I slap a hand over my mouth just as Connor swears. We break out in laughter. “That was close.”

  “I thought she was sleeping,” his voice is apologetic.

  “Well, we need to lock the door next time. I don’t want us to cause her nightmares.”

  “Agree. So, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?” Connor lifts a brow. “Oh, I remember. You were about to finish what you started.” The corners of his eyes crinkle as he grins. Getting down on my knees, I put him in my mouth, and it doesn’t take long until he’s hard again. His groan is like a music to my ears, which gives me a satisfying sense of power over him, at least in this moment. I love the sounds he makes, and I love that I’m causing them. He grabs my hair again as I take him deeper, which makes me even hornier than before.

  “God, this feels good,” he grunts.

  I double my efforts. Determined, I want him to lose all control and drown in pleasure he’s receiving.

  “I found it!” Ava storms back into the bathroom. I jerk in surprise, almost biting his cock off as I land flat on my ass.

  “This can’t be happening,” Connor mumbles, then buries his face in his hands, looking up to the ceiling.

  “I found the potty, Daddy. Charlie finally peed. Now we can go to bed. Will you tuck me in?”

  He pulls an apologetic face as he looks at me, and if he didn’t look outright desperate I’d find the situation hilarious. “In a minute. Wait for me in your room, will you?”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Connor breathes. “I guess fun time is over.”

  “Don’t be sorry.” I pat his chest lightly. “Nothing is as important as time spent with your daughter. We’ll have plenty of time later, no worries.”

  He leans his forehead to mine. “Where have you been hiding all this time?”

  I smile. “Go, don’t keep her waiting. And don’t worry, I always finish what I start.” I give him a brazen wink.

  “You’re killing me here,” Connor groans. He cups my face, kissing me softly. “I’ll be right back. Wait for me in my room.”

  Two hours later, we’re lying flat on our backs in his bed, panting and covered in sweat. I kept my promise to finish what I started, and he rewarded me with two more orgasms.

  When we catch our breaths again, Connor pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. Being in his arms has become my favorite place, a place I call home, where everything feels right. Soft breath caresses the nape of my neck, his lips touching the spot between my shoulder and my neck. I shiver. Every time he touches me, kisses me, or simply looks at me, my heart flutters.

  “I love it when you fall asleep next to me. And I love it even more when I wake up with you by my side.”

  I love you, is on the tip of my tongue. But I say, “I love waking up with you, too,” instead. A comfortable silence follows, and I drift off to a peaceful sleep.

  “D id you pack everything?” Dolores asks Everly, and when I walk into the kitchen where she’s filling a bag with snacks.

  “Probably more than we need.” Everly chuckles. “It seems as if we’re going away for a month, not for a few days.”

  “I know I’m overreacting, but I want everything to be perfect for all of you.”

  “It is. It will be,” Everly assures her. “But are you really okay with me leaving? I don’t like leaving you alone with Carlos.” She leans back on the counter as Dolores wipes her hands on a rag.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You go and have fun. Carlos and I can hold the fort down until you get back. Besides, you’re only a phone call away.”

  “Okay, but promise to call if anything happens. We’ll come straight home,” Everly assures her as they hug.

  “Everything will be fine. Now go off and have a lovely time before I change my mind.” They laugh, making my heart swell with joy and happiness.

  They get along so well, I couldn’t have asked for more. Sometimes I wonder if Everly is helping to fill the void in their hearts.

  “Shall we?” I ask. “Ava is getting impatient.” She ran to the car ten minutes ago and keeps asking when we’re leaving.

  “Yeah, I’m all set. Thanks, Dolores,” she says before she takes my hand and lets me lead her to the car.

  There’s a beautiful beach house on the northeast coast of Florida I rented. I’ve never been there before, but a few of my close buddies told me it’s perfect for families with small kids. Even though it’s a several hours drive to get there, I’m sure it’s worth it.

  When we reach our destination, it’s a little past six p.m. First, we get settled into the house and grab a bite to eat, and then we decide to take a stroll around the beach to explore our new surroundings. Ava skips along the path in front of us, bursting with energy, kicking rocks, and pointing at the various birds flying past us. I’m not really surprised by her energy, since she slept nearly whole ride.

  “We could go cycling around the island tomorrow.” Everly jerks her head at the couple cycling past us.

  “We could do that.” Draping my arm around her shoulder, I pull her closer. “But I want to take Ava on a boat trip, too. Supposedly, you can spot dolphins. And a kayaking tour. Have you ever tried that?”

  “Yes, I did, actually. I think I was about ten years old. My Mom and Dad took me, it was quite the adventure.”

  “What is your favorite childhood memory?” I’ve never asked her that.

  “Only one?” her sideways look makes me chuckle. “There are so many. One of my fondest memories was when Dad bought me red rubber boots, I must have been Ava’s age. I remember waiting by the window, looking at the sky and praying for the rain so I could jump in the puddles in my fancy boots. There were also our Sunday mornings when I usually crawled into my parents’ bed, cuddling with my Mom. Dad was always snoring, so Mom and I pinched his nose to wake him up. Oh, and there were our camping trips where we played cards long into
the night.”

  Her eyes get that dreamy, faraway look when she talks about her childhood, but she also looks happy.

  “What about your childhood? I know you didn’t have a family, but are there any moments in your childhood that you absolutely loved?”

  “Not really. I don’t have nice memories of that period in my life. I was never loved, or felt like I was wanted. I missed that as a child. I wanted to belong to someone.” When other kids at school talked about their awesome trips with their families, like going fishing, or camping, or traveling abroad, I felt shitty. So I lied and made up stories. Of course, no one believed me, so they made fun of me. “To get attention, I started doing various shenanigans, talking back to the teachers, pranking schoolmates, stupid stuff like that. Only then was their attention focused on me.”

  We stop for a few minutes, leaving Ava to follow two cats around while I kiss Everly senseless. Her lips and her taste are intoxicating.

  “You’re kissing again.” Ava steps between us, making a face. “Grown-ups really do this a lot,” she remarks, scrunching up her nose. Everly and I exchange a look and start laughing. “Can you tie my shoe? You can kiss later.” Ava turns to Everly, a stick in her hand. She starts making circles in the sand as Everly bends down to tie her shoelace.

  “Can you teach me how to do that?” I’ve tried teaching her a couple of times, but I lost my patience.

  “Of course.”

  “Can we do it now?” She blinks. Everly and I chuckle.

  “When we get back to the house, okay?”

  “Then let’s go back now. I want to learn.” Once she sets her mind to something it’s hard to persuade her differently. I’m glad she’s so curious and has a desire to learn new things.

  The next day, we get up early so we can go to the beach. Ava drags her whole beach toy set with her. But in the end, spelling out our names with tiny pebbles is what’s the most interesting to her. We also take that boat trip. Ava screams in delight when she spots a dolphin swim by the boat to say hi to us. In the afternoon, the girls play Memory while I make us dinner.