by K. L. Jessop
She freezes then smiles, and all the while I question myself about where the hell that’s just come from and how I sounded like a fucking teenager.
“Do you mean like… date?”
“Yeah.”
She sits up, a wicked grin now wildly on her face. “Why do I get the feeling those words have never left your mouth before?”
I chuckle. “Probably because they haven't. I've never dated a woman in my life.”
“So, what makes you want to date me?”
“Because you're sexy, beautiful and completely intoxicating. I want to know you better. I want you to be my girl.”
She hooks her thumb out, pointing towards Charlie’s cot. “Are you forgetting that this package deal comes with a tiny human? Where ever I go, he comes with.”
“I wasn’t expecting it any other way. I mean it, Tori. I want to know you better.”
“And Charlie?”
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the little guy too. I can guarantee, I’ll be his new best friend.”
Her hand lands firmly on my chest. “Woah, hold on sunshine. I’m his best friend. Besides, what makes you think he’ll like you? It’s Mummy that brings all the goods.”
A sudden panic comes over me at the thought of not having Charlie on my side. Shit, what if he doesn’t like me?
Tori laughs, clearly reading my expression. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
“But what if I don’t? I need some tips on how to win the little guy around.”
“Jam,” she says so matter-of-factly. “It’s all good when jam sandwiches are involved. He loves them and goes through them like they are going out of fashion. Stick with that and he’ll be your friend for life.”
“Jam? Are you serious?” I rest my hands behind my head with a raised brow. “Well in that case, we need to have a serious talk because no man friend of mine eats jam. I’ll have him eating out of the chocolate spread jar by the end of the month.”
“I would like his teeth to stay in his head as long as possible.”
“And you think by eating jam they’ll stay in any longer?”
“True.” She looks over to the sleeping boy who’s now sprawled out like a starfish. “I’d best balance his diet out again and get him on to his second favourite a little more.”
“Which is?”
“Marmite.”
I bolt upright from the mattress. “Oh, sweet Jesus. Now that’s just fucking wrong.” She bursts out laughing and I add, “I think I need to have words with you for feeding the boy shit like that, let alone him eating it.”
“So, you’re a hater then?” She grins. “Do you not approve?”
“Do I not… are you seriously asking me this? Tori, its fucking vile. It tastes like road kill mixed with tar and paint stripper.”
Her eyes narrow with a cheeky little smile. “You have a strange imagination when it comes to taste buds.”
“Anyone who eats that crap needs therapy.”
“I need to make an appointment with a therapist then because I eat it all the time.”
My eyes widen to capacity and an even bigger grin spreads across her beautiful face. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “In the words of my mother, if you say that again, I’ll wash your mouth out with soap and water.”
“Or you could just put me over your knee and spank me.”
“Don’t tempt me, sweet cheeks.” I comb my fingers through her hair and link my arms around her neck, loving the look of happiness that’s enriched her features. “Now answer me honestly, because we might have to take a rain check on this whole dating thing. Do you really eat that shit? Because I was starting to like you.”
She points behind her. “The door’s over on the right.”
“Tori,” I warn, and she giggles.
“No, I hate it. But it was so worth seeing the look of horror on your face.”
I jab her playfully in the side and she jumps with a little yelp. My grin is back with an edge of devilment and hers falls with the realisation that I’ve clearly just discovered her weak spot. “Oh dear, lord. It seems I’ve found a place that needs some attention.”
“Lucas. No,” she says, trying to force my hands away before I’ve even touched her.
“Tori. Yes.”
“I will scream,” she says through laughter, already squirming to get away.
“Yeah, and I love it when you scream.”
“I mean it.”
“Well in that case…” I reach down and take her underwear from my pocket and stuff it back into her mouth, comically. “Knew these would come to good use.” I don’t hold back. I pin her to me and tickle the shit out of her until she’s gasping for breath and begging for me to stop. And I love every fucking minute of it: the connection we have, the sound of her happiness… Who needs one-night stands when you can find a woman that gives you just as good a high and clear your mind from all the bad like she can. And if it’s always like this, I’m all in.
Chapter Sixteen
Victoria.
“Thank you,” I say at the waitress who places our lunch on the table in front of us before giving Lucas a seductive look. We are in Rock Waves diner—a little place on the seafront that’s decorated in whitewash and blue. It’s been a month since Lucas stormed into my world, and ever since that very day, we’ve rarely been apart. The time together has been spent with our usual early morning walks along the beach to watch sunrise after work, and the morning spent on the beach building sandcastles with Charlie. It’s hard to believe that a few months ago I was still trying to work out if coming back here was the right move to make. Now, as I look across the table at my son and my lover, I know that move was right. Lucas has turned my world upside down, but I couldn’t be happier.
“Is something amusing you, my little raven?” he says, bringing me back from my trance.
I could sit here and tell him that he is the reason I’m constantly smiling, but I don’t. Instead, I revert my conversation back to the waitress.
“Is there a woman in this town, you’ve not got your dick wet with?” I spread the jam over Charlie’s bread and cut it into fingers before handing him a piece, his little chubby arms pump in excitement as he makes a humming noise.
“There are a few actually.”
I hold my hand to my mouth with a dramatic gasp. “Did they turn you down? Oh, my. What must that have done to your ego?”
He arches a brow. “It was a hard day for a clear rejection. But it seems that even I can’t charm my way into the knickers of those women in the convent.”
I burst out laughing, slapping him on the arm as Charlie laughs along with us.
“You think that’s funny little man?” he says to my boy like Charlie understands what he’s talking about and gives him another piece of sandwich. “It won’t be long before I’ll be showing you the ropes on how to get it right with the ladies.”
“Lucas, he’s only two.”
“Nothing wrong with starting young. Isn’t that right Charlie Bear?”
I’m so fortunate to have the growing relationship between the two of them. Charlie idolises Lucas. The first time they met one another was at my place where we all played with the toy cars before Lucas went out and bought some dinosaurs, so they could charge around the living room roaring to each other. And Lucas wasn’t wrong when he said their first conversation would be about jam and chocolate spread. Naturally Charlie had no idea what he was on about, but they’ve had each other belly laughing since the moment they met. I bite into my sandwich and look out towards the water, watching the kids jump the waves while others ride in on their boards. The Spring Rose weather is hot and humid, and the tourists are coming thick and fast as the months roll into summer.
“He will be okay, you know.” Lucas says seriously, taking my hand in his as if he’s reading my thoughts. “I will look after him out there.”
My stomach turns to knots.
After weeks of pleading and persuading, I’ve agreed to let Lucas take
Charlie into the water. Apparently, he’s determined to make him a true water baby, but that doesn’t ease the anxiety in me when I think of my baby in the water. I know he’ll love it, and if it’s anything like his bath time, he’ll cry because he won’t want to come out, but when his mother has a water phobia, it’s a different story.
“I know.”
“You can trust me.”
I flick my eyes to his. “I do trust you; I’ve never doubted you. I just… he’s my baby, Lucas.”
He smiles softly. “And your baby will have the time of his life.”
I turn to Charlie who is currently flicking bits of bread across his high-chair tray. “This boy won’t be doing anything if he doesn’t eat. Charlie stop wasting your food and eat.”
“No.” He pushes the sandwich away with a look of disgust and throws himself to the side of his chair, shaking his head repeatedly.
“Come on, little guy,” Lucas adds, taking the bread from me and instantly getting my son’s attention. “Look, Charlie is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a hot chick in heels!” He sweeps the bread down in a flying motion and places it in Charlie's mouth.
I arch a brow at Lucas. “A hot chick in heels? Seriously?”
He shrugs, grinning. “Got him to eat didn’t it?”
I try once more, playing Lucas’s game but ending it with super baby instead and failing when Charlie clamps his mouth shut.
“Unbelievable.”
Lucas winks, pointing to himself with his thumb. “You see. New best friend.”
“Arsehole,” I mouth.
Leaning over the table, he kisses my lips as his hand comes to caress the back of my neck, sending that delicious shiver down my spine. “Have I told you how sexy you are looking today, in this very short seductive summers dress?”
“You have.”
His caress moves to my collarbone, edging towards my cleavage. “It’s doing crazy things to me.”
“Stop trying to seduce me in public.” I bat his hand away and he chuckles, taking a seat and picking up his mug of coffee.
“Ever had sex on the beach, Birdy?” he asks, leaning back in his chair and looking at me with devilment in his eyes. I know where he’s going with this, but I play along.
“Yes, I have actually, and it was amazing.”
His eyes widen. “You have?”
“Yes, and it was the best cocktail ever.”
“I was referring to the actual physicality of it.”
“You were? Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea.”
“Liar.” He grins. “Believe it or not I’ve never experienced beach sex. How do you fancy it sometime?”
“Wow, not even two months into our relationship and spontaneous sex has been dropped to pre-planned. I best get myself an organiser, so I can plan out my week around my sex life.” I tease.
I jump as he grips my inner thigh under the table, working his way up higher. “Less of your lip, Foster.”
“You like my lip, Simmons.”
“And if you’re not careful I will relish your lips right here in this damn diner.”
I place our empty plates on top of each other and hand them to the waitress who’s just approached and ask her for the bill. As I’m cleaning Charlie’s hands, I spot Megan entering the diner along with a tall, well-built man with dark scruff covering his jaw directly behind her. The man has professionalism and confidence dripping from him head to toe. He’s wearing a trim, light, grey suit that fits his body to perfection. Meanwhile, Megan is dressed in a red sleeveless tight-fit knee length pencil dress with a straight neckline resting directly on her collarbone, accompanied by a pair of slick black heels that are at least five inches. The pair look like they’ve just walked in from an early business meeting and in terms of the people gathered in this diner, are both completely overdressed. My stomach grips with a little excitement as I run my eyes over her well-proportioned, flawless frame that every fashion designer would kill to work with. I would do anything to see her in one of my designs. But they are only for my eyes and have never transformed into anything other than drawings. Charlie's sudden cry out from having his face cleaned catches Megan’s attention and she turns in our direction. I’ve rarely seen her these past few weeks as work has consumed her, and I have so much to tell her in return. She beams as I wave and as her eyes scan the table her mouth almost hits the floor when her eyes land on Lucas.
Yeah, that’s my hot sexy man.
“Hey, Megan,” I say as she approaches. Her response is slapping Lucas on the arm, causing him to splutter out and spill his coffee.
“Megan, what the—”
“You never told me, Tori was the mystery girl. Some brother you are.”
Brother? Oh shit.
It’s now my turn to hit him on the arm. “You never told me that your sister was Megan.”
“And you never told me you had any friends,” he says with sarcasm in his voice as a wicked grin curves his lips.
“Well now that that’s cleared up,” the man beside Megan adds. “Pleasure to meet you, Tori. I’m Andrew. I bet Megan never told you she had a husband,” he jokes.
“She did actually, beaming like a happy princess while doing so. Pleased to meet you, Andrew. This little champ is my son, Charlie.”
Andrew gives him a little wave and Charlie responds with one back, as Megan sits down next to her brother. I could laugh at their resemblance. How the hell did I not see this before?
“So, now that we all know each other but some of us not really knowing each other at all, you’re the woman that’s been occupying my brother’s time resulting in us hardly seeing him.” Her tone is suddenly serious, and the table falls silent as all eyes are on me. Lucas winks providing a little encouragement, but I don’t know how to respond because I don’t know whether this is the start of the Spanish Inquisition or the Simmons family induction.
“I guess so, and I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologising?” Her tone seems to have got harder and if ever there was a time for Charlie needing a nappy change then now would be perfect.
“Because I—"
Megan bursts out laughing as the others sit with grins on their faces.
Get it together, Victoria.
“My apologies for my wife, Tori. It’s a family protection thing. I had a similar grilling from Lucas when I first got together with Megan.”
“And he also got punched in the gut for being an arsehole too,” Lucas adds, taking my hand.
Relief washes over me and I relax back in my seat. “So, you’re not mad?”
“About you sleeping with my brother? God, no. Someone had to tame the beast and by all accounts, you’re doing just fine.” She grins then turns to pinch Lucas’s cheek. “Is he behaving himself?”
“He’s doing alright.”
“Don’t be afraid to kick him in to touch; you have my permission to whoop his arse if need be.”
“Hello? I am still sat at the table you know,” Lucas deadpans.
“So, what are your plans later because whatever they are, you now need to change them?” Megan orders, directing it between Lucas and I. Andrew hands her a drink that he’s just got from the counter and stands behind her.
“And why would we want to do that dear sister?”
“Because I’m thinking pizza and beers on the glorious beach while we watch the sunset.” Megan bounces up and down like a little girl and I laugh. Seriously, this girl.
“Don’t you have work?”
“Andrew and I have just finished a business meeting. There’s nothing booked out for me for the rest of the day and Claudia can manage the evening shift without him. So, are you up for it?”
Lucas looks to me with a raised brow for confirmation. “Sounds good to me. It can’t be too late though as I don’t want Charlie getting cold.”
“Great!” She gets up from her seat. “Andrew can sort everything out.”
“I will? Why can’t you?”
“Because, Tori and I are going shopp
ing for something to wear.” Before I have a chance to argue and work out my cash flow, she is grabbing Charlie out of his high chair and picking up his rucksack.
“Megan, it’s a little food and drinks on the beach, not a full-blown beach party,” Lucas protests, getting his wallet out to pay the bill.
“Lucas you should know by now to never question your sister on why she’s wanting a new dress,” Andrew adds. Giving her brother an unimpressive look, Megan turns back to me and I find myself grinning at the idea of spending the day in this crazy blonde's company.
“Tori, do you want to shop.”
“Well, I can’t go crazy, but I do need a new pair of heels for work. So I’d love to shop.”
She turns back to Lucas. “You see, there’s your answer. You boys sort the food, we’re going to have some girl time.”
I gather up my things and place Charlie in his pushchair as Lucas comes up behind me. Turning to face him, his arms link around my waist. “Do you need any spare cash?” He whispers. The generosity of this man often takes my breath but that’s not why I signed up to be with him.
“I never said what I did because I was looking for a handout.”
“And it never crossed my mind that you were.”
“Thank you but I’m fine, honest.” I pull him closer, our foreheads almost touching. “You don’t mind me going do you?”
“Of course not. I’m glad you two are friends. She’s crazy but awesome with it.”
“There must be something about you Simmons folk that has me enjoying your company. I don’t normally interact with people.” I smile.
“Well, naturally. She’s got her charisma from me of course.” He kisses me on the lips and taps my backside. “Now, go have fun. Get something sexy and for Christ’s sake don’t let my sister near any tequila before noon or you’ll be pushing her home in Charlie’s pushchair.”