by Frost, Ada
I closed my eyes, pain exploding in my heart.
“We made a good team.” I would not cry, not today.
“Emily–” Jack whispered, bringing his face closer to mine.
“Sorry to interrupt,” snarled a deep, sexy voice from the doorway. I stepped back out of Jack’s arms. He whirled around and pinned Will with a death glare. I wasn’t sure if he thought we’d been interrupted, but the only thing he’d interrupted was me telling Jack to back off.
“Your kid was looking for you.” Will’s eyes seared into Jack, daring him to retaliate. They stood having a silent standoff, the hulking giant and the heart destroyer.
Jack turned to me, a gentle smile on his face. “I’ll go see to her; you okay?” He rubbed my arm again, a tender move, but it chilled me more than comforted me. I bobbed my head and faked a smile. I busied myself, unnecessarily folding napkins. I could feel the heat of Will’s stare on my neck. The silence in the room was a suffocating weight wrapping around me and pulling down. I looked over my shoulder to check he was still standing there; I knew he was because I could feel him.
“Why are you here?” I said quietly, my voice weak and so bloody annoying. I was spiralling, falling apart and shattering.
Soft footsteps came closer and my skin tightened. I could feel the heat of him at my back. The soft fabric of his shirt brushed against the back of my arm as he leaned in, his lips warm against my ear.
“You lied, Emily. You made me feel like shit and I’d done nothing wrong.”
I spun around to glare at him, my nose almost touching his chest. My shoulders heaved as I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “Done nothing wrong? Are you kidding me?”
“I’m not the one playing happy family–”
“No, you’re the one fucking other women behind your wife’s back.”
He stepped forward and I stepped back against the counter. His face was so close I could feel the whisper of his stubble against my chin. “My ex-wife is in another fucking country. Tell me, did you come home and crawl into bed with him still smelling of me?”
I braced my hands on his chest and pushed, but he didn't move. “Move!”
“When he’s fucking you, do you think of me? Does he know I’ve been between your thighs more than once? Does he like to share his woman?” I gritted my teeth as tears stung my eyes. It was the worst day for a confrontation, my nerves were too raw, and whenever everyone came together, my emotions battled their way to the surface and drowned me. I couldn't fight him today and I hated how he was making me feel weak and helpless. I looked up at him, aware tears were shining in my eyes.
“Please, move,” I begged, my voice raw and shaky. He jerked as if I’d slapped him. He moved away fractionally but not enough for me to breathe.
“Em–”
“Hey, the kids want–” Lou panted from the door. She glanced between Will and me and stepped into the house with a frown on her face. “Everything okay?” She glanced at Will and concern washed over her face when she looked at me.
I smiled weakly and bobbed my head. “Yeah, I was just… grabbing these.” I held up some plastic cups and walked toward her. She reached out and grabbed my wrist as I passed by.
“Babe, you okay?” she asked. I slid my hand into hers and squeezed.
“Not really,” I whispered before leaving them behind. I needed air; I needed to breathe.
“Mummy, we want to play races,” Izzy called as I walked onto the grass.
“Okay.”
“We need teams. Daddy is refre-ree.”
“Referee?”
“Yep. Johan is Louise’s horse, Uncle Acis is Ellie’s horse, Cassie is my horse and –” She pointed to Dominic and Eve.
“Dominic and Eve.”
“He’s her horse,” she said shyly.
“Do I get to be Alfie’s horse?” I smiled, looking down at the little cherub playing with a toy truck on the grass.
“No, he doesn’t want to race.”
“Will can be your horse, Em,” Lou said, joining us. She motioned behind her as Will ducked through the door. I shook my head.
“It’s okay. Jack –”
“No! The girls have decided,” Will said, walking toward me. I scowled at Lou and the little witch just smirked at me. I was being set up and that shit wasn’t funny.
“Ready!” squealed Izzy. I glanced at Jack; he was glaring at Will. I couldn't do it. I couldn't put my arms and legs around him –
“You ready, Pix?” His hand at the base of my spine burned.
“No,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry for back there. I was out of line and rude.”
“Forget about it.”
“Em, listen –”
“I’ll partner Em,” Jack said, standing in front of us. I stepped toward him, needing some distance between Will and me. He made a sound of protest, but I jumped onto Jack’s back and shouted we were ready. I couldn't look at Will any longer; he had cut a hole in me with his words and I wanted space to heal.
I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders; the evening was drawing in cool. The kids were still running around on sugar highs. Castor and Acis were being idiots on the bouncy castle, trying to outdo one another with crazy backflips. Ellie and Izzy were playing with a fishing set in the paddling pool. Jack had filled it a little with some cold water so they could pretend to fish. It was too cold for the kids to actually go in it, though. I smiled when Alfie Jo toddled across the grass in bare feet, his thumb stuck in his mouth and his blue blankey dragging across the floor behind him. His sleepy little walk was so adorable.
“He’s exhausted, but he won’t give in,” Lou said, placing her chair beside me and snuggling under my blanket. Eve was sitting nestled in Dominic’s arms in the lounge chair beside Lou. My step-mum was sitting quietly with a smile on her face as she watched her foolish sons.
Alfie walked up to Will and latched onto his shin, resting his little cheek against his trunk of a leg. Will looked down at the little tot and smiled. His huge body folded down gently to sit on the grass. He pulled Alfie into his lap and cradled him, wrapping his little blanket around him, and stroked his fingers through Alfie’s hair.
There was a collective female sigh from our half-moon of chairs.
Ovaries on overload.
“What was that?” Johan said, peering over Lou’s shoulder.
“We’re just enjoying the view.”
“Y’all sounded like those women on the Coke commercials.”
“This is better,” replied my step-mum, making me laugh.
Will leaned forward and kissed a sleepy Alfie on the nose, making him snuggle further into his chest. It wasn’t fair; I was trying to hate him and he was playing dirty by making me swoon.
“Aww,” we all said together. Will’s massive body made Alfie’s look like a newborn in his arms.
“You’re all insane,” Johan said. Dominic chuckled, nuzzling Eve’s neck and rubbing his hand over her flat stomach.
“Honey, this is kind of a silent advert, so stop with the narrative, you’re spoiling the effect,” Lou said, winking at me. Suddenly she yelped, and when I turned to look at her, Johan had somehow thrown her over his shoulder.
“Excuse us, kids, my walrus needs to cool down,” he said, striding toward the paddling pool. I covered my mouth trying to stop my laughter in support of my friend.
“Johan, don’t you dare! I'm warning you, if you value your–”SPLASH!
Lou let out a loud shriek and Johan ran across the lawn toward us. He stood behind me, using me as a shield.
“You’re a dead man, Johan Senior,” I said, shaking my head.
“Nope, my woman loves me—oh, shit—she’s going to kill me,” he said quietly. “Sunbeam, it was a joke.” He laughed nervously. Lou grabbed a disposable cup from the drinks table and dipped it into the paddling pool. Shouting towards the girl’s.
“Kids, first one to drench Uncle Johan gets a prize.” The girls squealed and grabbed cups, too. Johan held up his hands
, shaking his head. I laughed until I realised Johan wasn’t moving from behind me; the bastard was going to use me as a shield. I squealed and jumped to my feet just as Izzy launched her water at the pair of us. I turned, lifting my hands to shield my face and screamed when the icy water hit my bare arms and the top of my chest not covered by my shirt. Damn, she had good aim. I lifted my head, panting a little from the cold. Izzy stood staring at me, a look of complete shock on her face. I don’t think she knew whether to laugh or cry.
“Right, monkey chops, it’s war,” I laughed and grabbed the cup out of her hand and raced toward the outside tap. She squealed and ran in the opposite direction. I filled my cup and heard Eve cry out as Ellie drenched her and Dominic.
“I'm on Lou’s team,” shouted Ellie.
I ran into the garden right up behind Johan and poured my cold water over his head. “Revenge is best served cold.” He gasped for breath as the cold water dribbled down his face and over his shoulders.
“It’s on,” he called and ran toward the pool. Acis and Castor let out loud war cries and everyone dived to their feet, gathering supplies to carry water. My step-mum jumped to her feet and rescued a sleeping Alfie from the mix of it. Will protested, saying he would take the kid inside, but Gina was having none of it. The big giant was not getting out of this, so as soon as Mum was at a safe distance, I ran at Will, threw my water at him, drenching the front of his shirt, and took off running back to the tap. The garden was a wild hurray of people crying out when the cold water hit them and dodging large amounts of flying water.
People paired up. The twins stuck together, Lou and Ellie were a team, Izzy deserted me for Johan and Dominic wasn’t letting anyone but him partner Eve, so I was stuck with Will. I had no idea where Jack had escaped to. Will ran at me, grabbed me around the waist, and hauled me toward the bouncy castle. I giggled like a school kid when behind the castle I saw Eve and Dominic making out.
“We know what you’re doing,” I said in a sing-song voice. Eve giggled against Dominic’s mouth, taking his hand and walking around the other side. She let out a shriek and I saw the remnant splashes of water hit the side of the bouncy castle.
“Through here, they’ll never find us,” I whisper shouted through chattering teeth. I grabbed his large hand and pulled him behind me through the bushes at the end of our garden. It was privet that had grown at least ten to twelve feet high. I fought my way through, dragging the hulking man behind me. I was freezing, my shirt was soaked and totally transparent, my hair was matted to my head and my shorts were chaffing my thighs like a bitch. There was no way I was playing fair and getting soaked anymore. My brothers had decided on using the hose as their attack weapon and Lou had found the buckets in the shed. I had a measly plastic cup. Will was too tall to hide anywhere but behind this hedge; he sucked at hide and water fight. We stood in the dense trees. It was a wasteland, a small square area that was unused and neglected. I could smell the thick moss and damp undergrowth. I jumped up and down to see if I could see over the hedge, but I had no chance. I glanced across at Will to see his eyes fixed on my shirt, particularly my breasts. I slapped my hands on my hips and glared at him. He lifted his eyes to my face and smirked. He shrugged unapologetically. “I can’t see,” I said, glaring at him and pointing at the thick privet.
“Even I’m too short to see over this, and that isn’t something I say very often.”
I looked at him, then to the top of the hedge. “Let me up on your shoulders?”
He glanced down at me for a second, weighing our options, then silently nodded and ducked down for me to climb on. I slid my legs over his shoulders; his warm hands clamped down around my thighs and slowly he rose to full standing. Jesus, he was tall. I peered over the thick green hedge at the madness playing out in my garden. I smiled when Johan chased Izzy across the grass. She squealed loudly and threw her bucket haphazardly over her shoulder. She ducked behind Cas, who handed her the water hose.
“They’re mental,” I laughed. Forgetting where I was, I wriggled my bottom and threaded my fingers through Will’s damp hair. He made a strange noise in his throat and I immediately removed my hands.
“Am I too heavy?”
He shook his head. I wriggled again and he slid his hands further up my thighs. His fingers curled around my flesh, holding me safely. I glanced down at his thick fingers, the masculine veins and taut lines of his hands. Why did his hands have to be so freaking sexy? They were level with the frayed hem of my shorts. He only had to move his finger slightly and he would be touching my core. I closed my eyes and licked my lips, thinking about his hands on me, the thickness of his fingers and how glorious they’d felt pumping inside my warm pussy. I snapped my eyes open when I realised he would be able to feel my heat on the back of his neck. My pulse spiked. I was breathing heavily and I couldn't blame it on anything other than the man literally between my thighs.
“Em?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not married; well, I am, but we’re separated. I swear that isn’t a line, either. I’m not the monster in this.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” I said breathlessly. My fingers moved of their own accord, stroking the side of his face and up to tangle through his hair. He turned his face into my hand, his stubble scraping deliciously against my tender thigh.
“That guy, Izzy’s dad –”
“Ex-boyfriend. Long, long time ago–” I yelped when he spun around, bringing me to his level in one fast move. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed me against the nearest tree and covered my mouth with his. His hands threaded through my hair, his tongue urging my lips open. I moaned, squeezing my thighs around him. I could feel him growing hard against my centre. I pulled at his hair, desperately needing something. The unforgiving bark of the tree scratched my shoulders when he thrust against me. His firm body devoured me.
“Can I touch you?”
“God, yes!”
His hand slid from my hair down my chest, over my swollen breasts, down the side of my ribs and over my stomach. He unhooked the button on my jean shorts and slid his hand inside.
“What panties are you wearing today, Pix?”
“I don’t –” I gasped when the blunt tip of his finger pressed against my clit.
“Fuck me, so wet for me. Only me,” he growled. I moaned when his finger slid through my wet heat to my entrance. “Say it, I want to hear it.”
“Only you.”
“Again!” he commanded, and I may have come with the gravel of his voice. I hit my head against the tree.
“I'm wet for you, Will,” I gasped.
He growled low in his throat and attacked my mouth in a punishing kiss. His finger slid inside me and pumped, deliciously rough. I yanked my mouth away, needing air. He pressed his lips against my neck. I rode his hand frantically, clawing at his shoulders. His large thumb pressed firmly against my clit and I shattered; in a blinding flash I was flying high. His mouth smothered my cries. I sucked hard on his tongue and hummed in my throat as my body spasmed gloriously.
When my orgasm receded, Will slowly pulled his hand from my shorts. He lifted his finger and ran it across my bottom lip. I pulled back in shock. I could smell myself on him and I wasn’t sure whether I liked it or not.
“I want to taste you,” he said, watching his finger run along my lip. He leaned forward and sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, letting out a low moan. “Sweet as a fucking peach.”
My cheeks burned bright.
“I’ve just finger-fucked you, pixie-girl; there’s no need to be embarrassed.” He nipped my chin with his teeth. I smiled coyly up at him through my lashes. I slid my hand down his gorgeous body and cupped his thick erection through his jeans.
“I want to taste you, too,” I said, tightening my fist. His eyes rolled and he threw his head back on a moan. I smiled up at him. Moving my fingers to his fly, I started to slide the zipper –
“What the fuck is she doing here?” I heard Acis’s steely voice. “Go fi
nd Emily, because she looks half-cut. That’s all we fucking need.”
I knew there was only one person they could be talking about who would turn up to a kid’s party drunk. I pushed against Will’s chest. He gave me space between our bodies but didn't let me go. I hastily fastened my shorts. “My sister is here; I need to go.”
He stepped back and let me lead the way out into the garden. I felt his warm hands brushing down my back.
“You have stuff on your shirt.”
“Thanks.” The garden had gone eerily quiet. I walked around the back of the castle to see Acis and Cas flanking Jack’s sides as he held Izzy in his arms. I picked up the pace, joining my siblings.
“You’re late,” I snapped. I rubbed Izzy on the back and smiled warmly at her.
“I had stuff to do. I can’t just drop everything at the drop of a hat,” Rhea huffed, staggering to the side. She smelled like a stale brewery.
“It was hardly short notice, Rhea; you know when her birthday is, and I told you weeks ago when her party was.”
“Well, I’m crap at remembering birthdays. You know this.” She flapped her arm around lazily.
“She’s your daughter; I’d have thought giving birth to her would imprint that in your bloody brain.” My voice was rising and I felt myself losing control. Jack reached out and slid his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. I went willingly but only because I needed something else to concentrate on. Izzy had her face buried in his neck. Thank God in moments like this she could turn her hearing off. I swallowed self-loathing; what a rancid thing to think. I rubbed her back and leaned my head against Jack’s shoulder, pressing a kiss to the back of her head.
“Oh, isn’t this cosy,” Rhea snarled. Jack’s arm tightened around my waist and I suddenly felt trapped. I wanted to scream at her that he was mine first, but how juvenile would that be?
“Take her inside, Jack,” I whispered. He nodded and glared at my twin. He leaned down and in a bizarre show of support kissed my temple. I don’t know if it was to poke the bear and piss Rhea off, or a genuine show of solidarity. I was too pissed and hurt on Izzy’s behalf to care right now.