by Claire Adams
“Didn’t get along with your mother either?” I asked.
“You met my mother, what do you think?” Emily said, as she stared at me.
“Yeah, right, sorry,” I said, feeling stupid for having asked the question. I quickly shifted the subject, “You ready to go to dinner?”
“Mmm hmm,” she nodded, obviously lost in thought. I moved close enough to rest my hands on her waist and pull her toward me.
“Emily, can we leave this behind us and enjoy this evening, please?” I murmured, as I bent down and kissed her.
“Yeah, sure,” she said, returning my kiss before adding, “You want to check on Nina before we leave?”
“Nah, she’s just being a teenager,” I shrugged. “If I leave her alone for a bit, she’ll be back to normal when we get home.”
“You know her best,” Emily said, smiling as she took my hand. “Let’s go cheer the Celtics on, shall we?”
“Unless you want to skip the whole game and, you know,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.
“And miss the game?” she said with a shocked look. “What would your dad say about wasting these tickets?”
“My dad never has to know,” I grinned,as I leaned down and kissed her neck.
“But I would!” she laughed, as she swatted me away.
“Totally up to you, Teach,” I said, as we moved into the front hall where I grabbed my coat and keys. “I’m driving?”
“No, I invited you on the date, so I’m driving,” Emily scolded. “C’mon, be a modern man.”
“Oh, I’m modern all right,” I said with a wry smile. “I’m just not sure you’re a safe driver.”
“I only burn things down, not up,” she said with a teasing grin. “You’re safe with me.”
“So reassuring,” I laughed, as we exited the house and headed for the car.
Once in the city, Emily parked at the stadium, and we walked a few blocks to Boston Beer Works to grab some dinner. The bar was loud and full of Celtics fans, but we managed to secure a table in the back away from the action where we spent the meal talking about everything but what was really on our minds — Nina.
After dinner, as we walked back to TD Garden, Emily slipped her hand into mine and squeezed it tightly. I looked over at her and saw a smile spreading across her lips.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“This feels so high school-ish,” she chuckled. “Dinner in the big city and then a basketball game with my boyfriend.”
“Is that what I am?” I asked, as I stopped on the sidewalk and pulled Emily back toward me.
“I don’t know,” she said, looking up at me with a warm smile. “Is that what you want to be?”
“More than anything else in the whole world,” I said softly, as I took her face between my hands and gently kissed her lips.
“Then that’s what you shall be, Mr. Gaston,” she whispered into my lips. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against my body as I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed her harder. I could feel Emily’s hands flat against my chest as we kissed more deeply.
“Jesus, get a room, you two!” a guy dressed in a Celtics jacket yelled as he passed us.
“Jealous?” I shot back, before Emily punched my shoulder and shushed me. When I looked down at her again, she was giggling.
“Now you really are my boyfriend,” she laughed. “Defending my honor!”
“Your honor?” I said with a lopsided grin. “Lady, I was lording it over that jackass!”
Emily dissolved into a fit of laughter as she took my hand and pulled me toward the stadium. Once inside, we bought beers and headed to our seats. My dad had sprung for some incredibly good seats, and as the teams took the floor to warm up, Emily went through the lineup and explained the odds on the Celtics winning. I listened intently and nodded despite the fact that I had no idea what she was talking about.
“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” Emily asked.
“How did you do that?”
“Do what?” she replied.
“Never mind,” I said, smiling as I leaned down and kissed her. The arena erupted in cheers, and when I looked up, I saw that Emily and I had been caught by the Kiss Cam. We were up on the arena's screens, encircled by hearts and flowers as the crowd cheered. Emily leaned back and laughed as I went in for a second kiss, and the crowd went wild.
Emily’s intense interest in basketball was contagious, and by the second quarter, I was cheering as loudly as she was. The Celtics took the lead, and by halftime, they were ahead by a very comfortable margin as they exited to the locker room. While Emily went to the bathroom, I looked around the arena, wishing I could take Emily somewhere more private.
“You okay?” she said, as she returned to her seat.
“Yeah, fine. Why?”
“You looked like you were lost in thought,” she said, as she handed me a beer. “I hope it was a good one.”
“Definitely,” I said with a grin that she immediately recognized and returned.
“You know, I was wondering…” Emily said, as she leaned toward me and lowered her voice.
“What were you wondering?” I said, as the teams began to take the floor.
“I was wondering if we really need to stay for the second half,” Emily said, as she looked up at me, flashing a suggestive grin. “I mean, they’ve got this in the bag, you know?”
“Oh, do they?” I said, grinning at her
“Mmm hmm,” she nodded. “I just think our time could be better spent…elsewhere.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” I said, as I kissed her lips then set my beer on the ground and reached for my coat.
We quickly made it out of the arena and back to the car, where we stopped to make out like a couple of high school kids before Emily put the car into drive and headed back to Waltham. Neither one of us spoke the entire drive. Instead, Emily turned up the radio, and we sang every classic rock song that the DJ played. A half hour later, we pulled up in front of her house.
“Emily…” I said, with my hand on the door.
“Inside, now,” she replied, as she quickly pushed open the car door and got out. I wasn’t going to argue with her, so I followed her up the walk and into the house.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Emily
I gasped when we stepped inside the front door, and I saw the living room lit up by strands of tiny white lights draped across the top of the curtain rods. On the coffee table was an enormous bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, and next to it was a box wrapped in shiny red paper with a big white bow on top.
“Blake?” I whispered, as I looked around the room. “What on earth is all this?”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Teach,” he smiled, as he pulled me to him and kissed me softly.
“How on earth did you do this?” I asked, confused about how he’d managed to get the house decorated without me knowing.
“I have my ways,” he grinned, before kissing me again.
“No, I’m serious,” I said, stepping back as I looked around. “How did you do this?”
“I called KO and asked for help,” he shrugged. “She had some of her friends come in and decorate after you left to come pick me up.”
“Ah ha, you have helpers,” I smiled, as the mystery was solved.
“I bought the flowers and wrapped the gift,” he said a little defensively. “They just hung the lights. Notice there is no fire in this setup.”
“What?” I said, before realizing he was teasing. I lightly slapped his arm as I laughed, “You’re mean.”
“Well, I figured you, fire, and holidays are never a good mix,” he grinned, as he pulled me to the couch and sat down. I joined him as he handed me the shiny box.
“This is beautiful,” I said, turning it over and admiring his handiwork. “You did a nice job, but you really didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t,” he leaned over and whispered, before kissing my cheek. “Bu
t I wanted to.”
I carefully unwrapped the package, and inside found a beautiful cashmere scarf and matching gloves in a gorgeous shade of cornflower blue. I wound the scarf around my neck and pulled on the gloves, marveling at the softness.
“Oh Blake, these are beautiful,” I sighed, as I reached out and stroked his cheek with a cashmere-covered hand.
“Mmmm, soft. Just like you,” he said, as he leaned in and closed his eyes. “I thought the color matched your eyes perfectly.”
“You’re so sweet,” I said, replacing my glove with my lips.
“How sweet?” he asked, as he opened his eyes and turned to face me. He raised one hand and gently trailed the tips of his fingers down my cheek.
“Very sweet,” I sighed, as I leaned into his caress, and then sighed as he took my face in his hands and bent down to kiss me. A wave of pure desire swept through my body as I felt his lips on mine, and I quickly pulled off the gloves and tossed them on the table.
“Emily…” Blake whispered into my lips. “I need you.”
“Yes,” I whispered back, as I opened my eyes and looked into his. “I need you, too.”
He quickly stood up and scooped me up into his arms in one swift motion. When I opened my mouth to protest, he silenced me with another long kiss as he walked toward the bedroom, where he gently sat me down on the bed and knelt between my legs as he began to remove my clothes.
He slowly pulled my sweater over my head, stopping for a moment to lean forward and run his lips across the tops of my breasts, making me shiver. Tossing my sweater aside, he reached around and unhooked my bra with one hand.
“You’re quite an expert at that, Mr. Gaston,” I smiled.
“Beginner’s luck,” he grinned. I chuckled softly as I shook my head and reached out to unbutton his shirt. Blake shook his head and said, “Nope, it’s my turn now.”
He stood up and lifted me so that he could shift me onto the bed and lower me onto the pillows. Again, he kissed me as he slowly ran one hand down the length of my torso and back up to lazily circle one already-hard nipple. The teasing was agonizingly exquisite, and I sighed as I gave in and let him take his time.
Blake bent forward and kissed his way along my jawline before running his tongue down the side of my neck. I could feel the line of fire he’d created crackling down between my legs as he covered one of my nipples with his mouth and began alternating between flicking it with his tongue and sucking it with his lips. A soft moan escaped my lips as he bathed the hardened nub with his tongue before moving to the other one.
“Oh God, Blake….” I moaned, as he moved back and forth between them, licking and sucking until the pleasure was almost more than I could bear.
I felt his hand moving down my stomach until he could unbutton and unzip my jeans. He sat up long enough to peel the denim fabric off my body, and then he sat looking down at me for a long time.
“What are you doing?” I asked, as he gently stroked my thighs, but made no move to go any higher.
“I’m drinking you in,” he said, sweeping down my body with a glance. “You’re so beautiful, and I want to fix this moment in my memory.”
“Blake…” I moaned, as he slipped his hand between my thighs and spread them. With his thumb, he traced a path on the thin fabric of my panties from top to bottom until they were soaked with my wetness. I writhed under his caresses, pushing my hips up against his hand, but he pulled back before I could find any relief in his large, solid hand.
“Mmmm, yes,” he murmured, as he leaned forward and kissed me again. This time, he slid his tongue along my lips until I parted them and let my tongue find his. Without leaving the kiss, he pulled his hand from between my legs and quickly shed his own clothing. Before I knew it, he had looped his thumbs in the side of my panties and pulled them down around my ankles as he buried his face between my legs.
“Mmmm, you’re so wet,” he murmured, as he reached up and spread my thighs so that he could have full access to what lay between them. The moment I felt his tongue on my skin, I began to moan, bucking my hips up to meet his expert tongue. He parted my lips and glided his tongue up and down between the velvety folds as he used two fingers to tease my now-dripping opening.
“Blake!” I cried, as he slipped his fingers inside me, but stayed too shallow to offer me any hope of release.
“Good girl,” he said, lifting his head to look up at me. “Lay back and enjoy it. You taste amazing.”
“Oh God,” I moaned, as he returned to his task, licking and teasing until I thought I was going to lose my mind. I could feel his fingers stroking my inner walls as he licked and licked and licked. I cried out, “Blake, please!”
A moment later he was beside me, kissing my lips and running one hand through my hair as he rolled a condom on with the other.
“Mmm hmmm,” I moaned, as I lifted my hips, urging him to give me what I wanted. He positioned himself above me, never taking his lips from mine as he spread my legs and rubbed the tip of his rigid shaft between my nether lips, coating it in my wetness.
He pushed a few inches inside of me and then held still. I could feel him hard and thick, and I wanted to thrust my hips up and force him all the way inside me, but he shook his head and continued his slow thrust, stopping after another inch.
“Blake, oh God, what are you doing?” I cried. “I need you! All of you!”
“I need you, too, Emily,” he murmured. “I just want to take my time with you. I want you to feel good.”
“I do, I do, I do,” I panted. “I’d feel better if you were all the way inside me!”
And with one quick thrust, he was.
I cried out as I felt him filling me up. Nothing had ever felt this good before. He began slowly moving his hips, first in small circles, and then up and down, pulling halfway out before pushing all the way back in. I could feel every inch of him moving inside me, stroking my G-spot as he maintained a steady pace.
Out. Wait. In. Out. Wait. In.
“Blake! Blake!” I cried, as I ground my hips against his pelvis, feeling the pressure bringing me closer and closer to orgasm.
And in an instant, I felt the wave move through me. Starting slow and deep inside and spreading out until it consumed my whole body. A loud moan escaped my lips as I arched my back and let go. Blake maintained his pace until I gripped his upper arms and moaned insistently, “Now! Now! Take me! Hard!”
He braced himself and began thrusting hard and fast. I could feel him going deep, and it pushed me over the edge again. I cried out as he moved faster and faster. The pounding of his hips meeting mine made me grip his shaft as he chased his own release.
He groaned loudly as he let go and followed me to the other side. I could feel him throbbing and jerking as he came. He held me tight as his hips continued thrusting forward almost of their own volition. I wrapped my arms around him and held him against my naked chest as we both lay panting as we tried to catch our breath.
It was a long time before he raised his head, but when he did, he cupped my face with one hand and kissed me tenderly.
“You’re amazing, Teach,” he grinned.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I sighed, with a weary smile. “You feel so good.”
“Likewise,” he murmured, as he thrust his hips forward again and made me moan.
We lay tangled up in each other for a long time. Not talking, just touching and kissing and enjoying the way it felt to have all the time in the world. Blake pulled the blankets up over us, saying, “I have to get home and check on Nina, but it’s still early, isn’t it?”
“Mmmm, dunno,” I murmured, as I snuggled up in his arms and rested my cheek against his chest. “Maybe just a little while longer?”
“If I have my way, it’ll be a lot longer,” he whispered, as he kissed the top of my head and ran his hand down the length of my body.
I closed my eyes and tried to let go of the fear that something bad would happen — like it had every other time that things were going
well in my life.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Blake
Reluctant to leave the warmth of Emily’s body and bed, I called a cab and headed home just after midnight. On the ride, I thought about all the ways in which Emily’s sudden appearance in my life had made it so much better. She’d helped Nina find a way to improve her grades, she’d formed a close relationship with my parents, and she’d become the person I wanted to see first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
It was the first time in a long time that I felt optimistic about my personal life and about Nina, but the prospect of asking Remy to let Nina live with me weighed heavy on my mind. I had thought about it from all angles and had come to the conclusion that no matter how I approached the issue, Remy was going to be pissed. The best shot I had at it was basing it on Nina’s improved school performance. I was just going to have to cross my fingers and dive in.
When the cab pulled into the driveway, I saw that all the lights were off. I shrugged it off, thinking Nina had gone to bed and forgotten to flip on the porch light. I entered the house as quietly as I possibly could, and tiptoed down the hall to Nina’s room. I put my ear to the door, and when I couldn’t hear anything, I cracked the door and peeked into her room.
Nina’s bed was empty.
Thinking she might have fallen asleep on the couch while watching a movie, I walked back out to the living room to check. She wasn’t there.
“Nina?” I called, in the empty front room. “Where are you? Nina?”
When I got no response, I marched over to the back door and flung it open yelling into the yard, “Nina Marie Gaston! Where are you?”
No one replied.
“Jesus H. Christ, where the hell are you?” I muttered, as I went back into the house and searched every room, yelling Nina’s name as I checked bathrooms and closets.
When it became clear that Nina was nowhere in the house, I picked up my phone and called her, but was sent straight to voice mail. I sent a text that simply said, “WHERE ARE YOU?” before I called Emily. She didn’t answer, so I left a message and then sat down at the kitchen table to try and make a list of all the friends Nina might be with and all the places they might have gone.