“Oh, no, boys, save me. I was attacked by the cootie monster.” He brought his hands to his face and fell to his knees in front of the boys who were roaring with laughter. “N-n-eed water…must have water to kill the poison girl cooties.” He fell to the ground in a heap of limbs and muscle. He made for one sexy area rug.
“Get the water!” Tanner yelled to Zach. Jin’s son ran to the sink, grabbed a cup from the dish drainer, filled it with far too much water and ran back, spilling almost all of it as he skidded to a stop in front of Nate’s prone form.
“Mr. Nate, sit up. Drink this before you die!” Tanner grabbed the glass, which had maybe a half inch of water left in it and put it into Nate’s hand. Nate leaned up as if it took every ounce of his strength, brought the cup to his lips and drank it all. Then--much to the boys delight--bounced up to standing as if he was a supercharged action figure.
“You saved me!” He pointed at me. “That dastardly beautiful girl held me down and smothered me with girl cooties. You are my best mates having saved me from the heart-stealing, cootie kissing monster!”
I opened my mouth in shock. “Hey! I’m not a monster. And I did not steal any kisses!” I put my hands on my hips. “You gave them freely.”
“Be careful mates, you never know when the heart-stealing, cootie kissing monster will attack!” he warned.
“Alright, alright, enough. Time to go. Be good for your Mama Zach.”
“She’s taking me to the park today!” he answered happily. I was grateful that Jin was taking Zach somewhere. It made it less awkward for Nate to take just Tanner, and not him. But we needed the time alone. In the future, we’d plan things with Jin and Zach. At least, I hoped we would.
“Okay, so when I get back we’ll talk about our ‘ventures!” Tanner exclaimed, smacking hands with his best friend.
“Yeah! Sounds awesome! Bye Auntie Cami. Bye Mr. Nate.” Zach waved as I herded my two guys out the door. I loaded my arms with the stuff we might need and pulled the door closed.
“What’s all this?” Nate looked at the four bags I was carrying. “You moving in?” I pinched my lips together and knocked a hip out to the side. “No! One has a change of clothes, pj’s, etc., for Tanner. One has the same for me. One is filled with snacks, a handful of toys, crayons, and coloring book,” I rattled off all the items I could remember putting into the bag. “And the last one is my purse. I need that. Is that alright with you?”
“Blimey! Wee ones need a lot of things.” He threw the items into his trunk.
“That’s nothing compared to what you have to carry around for a baby,” I said absently, not thinking of the can of worms I opened.
Nate’s head shot up reminding me of our little mishap last weekend. “How long until we know?” he asked softly, his mind going exactly where mine had. I studied my ankle boots.
“A couple more weeks. I’ll let you know when I know.” His gaze held mine then finally he nodded. Conversation ended. For now.
Nate opened the car door and Tanner jumped into the waiting booster. “How did you know he needed a booster?”
“I called my Mum. She gave me some ideas on what we should do today and told me to make sure I had an appropriate child restraint for the car. I based it on how many kilos I thought he was. This was the model that was suggested online.”
My eyes misted as I realized how much thought he’d put into our day out. To make sure my son was in a booster made me realize that Tanner’s safety meant as much to him as it did to me.
“Thank you.” My words were filled with emotion. He leaned in, belted Tanner into his seat, closed the door and then pulled me into a hug.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, or your son by extension. The sooner you realize I’m not going anywhere the better off we both are.”
I nodded and climbed into the passenger side, ready to go wherever he wanted to take us.
***
“Mr. Nate, Mr. Nate!” Tanner pointed at the huge Ferris wheel at New York’s iconic Coney Island. His eyes were filled with wonder and joy at the flashing lights, booths, and rides. It reminded me of Camille’s look when I took her to the theatre district to see Chicago a couple of weeks ago. Christ. Was it only a couple weeks? It felt like ages ago, like I’d always been with her, with this small family.
Hank gave me a heads up that this was the place to take a child and my mum concurred. As I watched both mum and child’s eyes light up and smiles widen, I knew I’d done well.
“Have you ever been here?” I gripped Camille’s waist holding her beside me. Tanner wanted to hold my hand which I found surprisingly comfortable aside from the constant swinging. The boy could not just walk. No, he skipped, jumped, hopped and swung my arm with purpose. All of which I found increasingly adorable and trying in equal measure.
“I always wanted to go but you know…” She looked around then answered with a shrug. “Could never afford it.”
It burned me up that Camille never had a normal childhood, one filled with a Mum and Dad to protect and love her, show her all the things the world had to offer. I’d bet a thousand quid she’d never been outside New York and New Jersey.
I would change that very soon. Come the holidays, I’d take her and Tanner home to England. She didn’t have family and mine would adore her. When I spoke to my mum a couple days ago she forced me to send a picture of my girlfriend. She was delighted to hear I’d finally committed to a woman enough to give her the prestigious title. I sent the picture I had as my personal background on my cellphone. It was Camille outside the theatre on our date looking utterly magnificent in the green dress that matched her eyes.
As expected, Mum thought she was lovely. Dad said she was a fit bird, which she most certainly was. They couldn’t wait to meet her and her son. My Mum and Dad didn’t give two heaps about the fact that Camille was so young with a child. They just accepted that I knew what I wanted and supported me. That’s the kind of family everyone should have.
I looked at Tanner and he looked up at me, all smiles. His blue eyes could easily have matched my own, but they didn’t. They actually were the same eyes as Tyler’s. That was a facet of Camille’s history we needed to discuss. Why wasn’t Tyler in the picture? Why didn’t he pay child support? Lastly, why didn’t he ever mention having a child? A beautiful, intelligent, happy boy that any man would be proud to call his own. The pieces didn’t add up.
As we walked through the crowds, we enjoyed cotton candy. We rode the Ferris wheel, which Tanner loved and Camille learned made her motion sick. After the ride, she stood sipping water and holding her stomach tentatively. I worried it was more than the ride that made her nauseous. I looked up early pregnancy symptoms and sitting at the top of the list was morning sickness which, I also found out, didn’t happen in the morning. It happened at all bloody hours of the day. It had been a week. Maybe it didn’t take too long to hit?
“Mr. Nate, can we go on the giant circle again!” Tanner held his arms out wide hugging the sky, then jumped around like only a little one filled with sugar and excitement could.
“Sure, sport. If you’re mum says so, I’ll take you.”
“Mom, Mom, can we pleeeasssseeee?” He drug out the word as if it had fifty letters.
“It’s probably a good idea if I sit this one out.” She clutched her hand over her stomach once more. I pulled both of them to a nearby bench in front of the ride.
I placed my hand her over stomach not knowing what the hell was coming over me. She stiffened, and her green eyes locked with mine. They were unreadable.
“I’ll take care of you, Camille. No matter what.” I assured her rubbing her flat stomach. She pulled my face to hers and kissed me. It was so much more than a simple kiss when our lips touched. It was filled with hope, her fear, and maybe even a little bit of love mixed in. She was falling for me. I knew it and craved it with every fiber of my being. I wanted her love and commitment even though I knew it was too soon to ask for it.
“You’re such a g
ood man,” she whispered against my lips.
“I try, Precious. I try. You okay here alone?” Tanner tugged on my arm, no longer capable of waiting patiently. “Come on, Mr. Nate. Let’s hurry!” I stood up, grabbed him by the waist and twirled him onto my shoulders. He gripped the top of my head perfectly.
“Oh my, don’t drop him!” Camille watched in amused horror. I gripped the boy’s hands and held them out wide.
“I’ve got him. Trust me.” I smiled and spun him in a circle. He giggled and clenched my hands firmly.
“I do, Nate. I so do. Wait.” She came to me and put her hand on my back pocket where my phone was. She swiped her finger across the lock and her picture lit up. A saucy grin lifted her lips after seeing the photo. “I want to take a picture of you guys.”
“Please! Mum wants one of sport here.” I tickled Tanner’s thighs with one hand and he laughed.
“Okay ready. Say cheese.” Camille snapped the shot.
I pulled a laughing boy off my shoulders and asked the bloke playing with his phone next to us if he’d do the honors and capture our first family date.
I held Tanner on my hip and tugged Camille to my other side. Tanner slung his arms around my neck, hugging me. It felt beyond right. Beyond just a smile. This was a jaw aching, cheek burning, eye squinting happiness that I would fight tooth and nail to keep. I was on top of the bloody world.
The man snapped a couple shots. Quickly I sent the snapshots to Mum, Camille, Collier, Emma, Ella and my email address with the caption, This is my life, and it’s perfect.
I then took my little sport on the circle ride. While we were in the air, the wheel stopped for a panoramic view of New York. At the very top, Tanner hit me with a question I was nowhere near prepared for.
“Are you going to be my Daddy?”
After a couple deep breaths, I formulated the answer to a question I had no answer to. I decided to just be honest.
“I don’t know, sport.”
He accepted that answer, then asked, “Are you going to marry my Mommy?”
Visions of Camille with a white dress hugging her long and curvy body, walking along the beach, a beautiful sunset behind her, a bouquet in her hands and a glorious smile on her face had the words clogged in my throat.
“Maybe one day. We’re just starting out.”
He nodded and bit his lip. “If you marry my Mommy, will you be my Daddy then?”
I laughed and pulled him close to my side. “Yeah, sport, if your Mum and me get married, I’d be honored to be your Daddy if that’s what the future holds.” Nothing like a kid to get right to the heart of it.
After a long silence, the ride ended, and I clasped his hand. As we were walking toward a revived Camille, Tanner yanked my hand and I stopped. “Mr. Nate?”
I went down on my hunches and looked into his baby blue eyes. “Yeah, sport?”
“I hope you marry my Mommy.”
I smiled as I replied. “Me too, sport. Me too.”
He gave me the first real hug I’d ever received from a child. He was warm, small and fragile. Instantly, my protective side came out as I curled the boy to my chest and settled my chin on his head. He smelled of cotton candy and popcorn with subtle hints of the baby lotion I smelled on his mum. From here on out, I’d associate those smells with joy and happiness.
I closed my eyes and delighted in his embrace. It was gone far too quickly. It turned out that a day of fooling about with a four year old was as exhilarating as it was exhausting. I brought them both back to my flat where I had planned on making dinner. Tanner was asleep in the car five minutes after we left the theme park. When we got to my place, Camille pulled his sleeping body out of the car and put him over her shoulder.
“I can take him,” I offered. He looked pretty heavy.
“I’m used to it.” And I bet she was. A single mother. All alone. Not for long if things kept going as well as they had today.
We rode the elevator to my flat and I had her carry him into one of the spare rooms. This room was simple. Not much in the way of design with solid green walls, dark cherry furniture and a white duvet. London was supposed to start on the redesign this week. I should have Camille talk with her about things she may like to see since I planned on having her here a lot more. With Camille here, that meant the little guy would be here, too. He needed his own space. There was no reason one of the four bedrooms couldn’t be for him. I made a mental note to discuss my new idea with London.
In the kitchen, I pulled items to make a simple pasta dish. Mum made it very clear that children were often difficult eaters, and pasta was usually a sure thing. “Does Tanner like pasta?”
“Oh yes, he’s not really a picky eater. As long as it doesn’t have exotic things in it, he’ll be fine. He can pick out anything he doesn’t like.” She poured herself a glass of crisp white wine. It was so easy, being with her, having her in my home. I turned on light classical music on the sound system in the nook off the kitchen. Chopin’s lilting tones filled the kitchen through the surround sound speakers.
“Is the music okay for Tanner?”
“He’ll sleep through an earthquake most of the time. Besides, he’s tired. He may not even wake for dinner.”
I grinned and pulled her against my body. “Really?” I was instantly aware of the possibilities that gave us. Slowly, I slid both hands from her waist up her back and down again. She sighed, tilting her head to the side and I took her pale lovely neck, dragging my teeth along the smooth surface until I heard her inhale of breath. That was the first sign she was aroused. Her breathing changed. Then her breasts pebbled. I could feel them tighten against the thin layer of my shirt. “How well does he usually sleep?” I asked while kissing my way down her neck to suck and nibble on the delectable spot where her neck and shoulder met, the space I loved.
“Oh…really well.” She exhaled her breath as I explored the hem of her jumper, burrowing my hands under it to cup and squeeze her breasts. She moaned and came at me for a kiss. I pulled away, not allowing our lips to touch, wanting to watch her come undone before my eyes, preferring to wait until the last possible moment to take her succulent mouth.
“Do we have time?” I asked, rolling and twisting her nipples. She trembled and bit her lip. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open. She was completely gone to the sensation of my hands on her body.
“Yeah...” She let her head fall back, arching her chest into my hands.
I lifted her jumper and pushed down the cups of her bra, exposing them to the warm air of my kitchen. Her tits were ripe, reddened like little berries plucked off the vine, only it was my fingers that had done the plucking. A carnal desire to take, to ravage and mark my woman almost split me in two. The need building in my loins, growing stronger with every sigh, moan, and tremble she gifted me with.
I palmed her arse, and pushed her to the counter. A quick flick of the wrist and the button of her jeans was undone. Her jeans were pushed down to her ankles and my hands were gripping bare flesh. Paradise. I nibbled and bit at her tightened peaks. Her breath came in harsh pants against my ear as she kicked her pants away.
In what felt like ages but was really only seconds, I yanked her up by her arse, and set her on the counter top, opened her legs wide and pressed against her center. I took her in a searing kiss I felt low in my back, pleasure expanding out through my chest, arms and fingertips. She clung to me, tilting her hips to rub along the ridged line of my erection.
“Christ, Precious. I’m going to taste you now.” I accentuated my words by trailing my tongue up the side of her neck. “You’ll be my appetizer,” I promised, running my hands up her legs, tugging at her knickers, and pulling them down her long limbs. Slowly, I made my way down her body, kissing each perfect tit, sucking the hardened nubs into my mouth, biting enough to mix pleasure with pain. A glance at her face showed me she was lost in passion. Her cheeks were rosy, eyes closed. Her teeth bit down on her plump bottom lip. I swirled my tongue around her naval and was rewarded with
an all-over body shiver and the attempt to close her thighs.
“Ah ah, no closing your legs,” I tsked.
Camille shook and opened her eyes. The green was almost completely black with only a sliver of color remaining. She watched me, her eyes heavy-lidded as I forced her legs open wider, exposing her feminine heat. The lips of her sex were moist, pink, and glistened like a juicy peach. I couldn’t wait to take a bite. Her womanly scent filled my nose and made me salivate, honing me in on my woman’s desire like a fox to its prey. Nothing but Camille and her weeping flesh existed in this perfect moment. I’d remember and revisit it in my memories forever.
I blew on her sensitive core and gloried in the quiver that ripped through her body. She placed her hands on the edge of the counter. Her knuckles whitened with the force of her grip. I pulled the lips of her sex apart with the pad of my thumbs, leaned against her thighs and licked her from the bottom of her tiny rosette all the way up to the tight kernel of her clit. Her body shuddered as I sucked her clit hard into my mouth, swirling around the bump, lapping greedily.
When I dipped into her sex and pushed my tongue as far as it would go, her tangy essence coated my mouth, surrounding me with the pure womanly taste of my Camille. No man had ever gone to this place but me. The dizzy feeling of power and possession roared through me. I growled into her sex, held her arse to my face and ravished her. Licking and lapping, sucking and fucking until I felt her tighten her thighs. My hands deftly held her in place. Her body leaned out, arching into a beautiful rainbow shape, her mound pressing closer, her lush tits pointing to the ceiling. She was unearthly, gluttonous in her passion. Her need drove her to claw at my back and sink her hands into my hair as she ground into my searching mouth. I loved it. Every press of her hands made me mad with lust as she rode my face, driving her orgasm to the highest peak. When Camille hit that final plateau, I sucked her clit into my mouth firmly planting my lips around the center of her pleasure. Then I surrounded the tight knot with my teeth and flicked at the sensitive flesh with the very tip of my tongue until she broke, crying my name.
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