Unwrapped

by Evelyn Sola

  We’re silent as I hold her in my arms, bending down to kiss her forehead every few seconds. She exhales and strokes my hair. It’s as if she breathed life into my body. I twist her around so she can straddle me. The minute our eyes meet, I reach up and kiss her lips. She grinds on top of me, and I’m lost. I lie down, and she covers my body with hers.

  “I need you, pretty girl. Feel what you do to me.” I take her hand and rest it on my hard cock at the same moment that I bite her bottom lip. “Let me make love to you.”

  She pulls away from my mouth and lays her head on my shoulder. “I’m a mess, Nick. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m still in the same clothes as yesterday. I need to shower.”

  “Yeah, but you’re my mess. Let me love you. Right now. I need you right now.”

  I kiss her senseless, not giving her time to think as I slide to the middle of the bed and lay her on top of me. She’s just as eager as I am. She lifts my shirt from my pants, unbuttoning it with so much speed. The instant she’s done, I’m shrugging out of the shirt at the same time she pulls my t-shirt over my head.

  She goes crazy on my naked chest, kissing, biting, and sucking the taut skin. We break apart only long enough to get rid of our clothes. Once we’re both naked, I cover her body with mine as I suck on the base of her neck.

  She moans when I slide my hand between her legs and stroke her engorged clit. She’s so wet as I slide two fingers in her pussy.

  “Ahh,” she says, throwing her head back into the pillow. “Now, Nick. I need you now. We can take our time later.”

  She reaches down and grabs my dick and starts to stroke it, but I move her hand away, knowing I won’t be able to last for very long if she continues.

  I push her legs apart and align myself at her entrance. I’m so lost in her softness, so far gone by the sounds of her moans and the feel of her soft skin, I don’t hear anything else. All I know and feel is her.

  Unable to wait another second, I slide all the way inside, and she welcomes me home.

  “Oh, God,” she says right before she lets out a loud moan. I pull out and thrust back in, both of us moaning so loudly that the sounds fill the room. I suck hard on her bottom lip, pulling it between my teeth, relishing in the taste and smell of her. We’re both so lost, we don’t hear anything else, incognizant of anything other than what we are doing.

  “Baby girl? What’s that noise? Are you crying again?” I hear the words in what I think is the far distance, and when the door opens, I neither care nor understand what is happening.

  All I know is how good she feels as she sheaths me inside of her. When she stiffens underneath me, I assume she’s about to come and I prepare to hold her through her shudders.

  “Oh, shit. Oh my God,” she says. I continue to thrust, not realizing she’s trying to push me off.

  “Baby girl, I brought you lunch. That devil I work for got everyone lunch, and I know you’re not eating so I—”

  It’s not until her bedroom door swings open, slamming against the wall that I have any understanding of what’s going on, but when I hear the screaming, I finally realize the gravity of the situation.

  I turn my head, still buried in her daughter, to find Mona standing at the door, screaming as if an ax murderer has her cornered. The plate of food she has in her hand falls to the floor and she puts her hands to her face as she looks on. She then lifts one hand to cover her eyes, all the while screaming at the top of her lungs.

  In my haste to get off Miranda and shield my naked body from her mother’s eyes, I roll off the bed too fast and fall on my bare ass, giving her a clear view of my dick and balls. I stand up, using my hands to hide myself from her. Her eyes widen before she quickly squeezes them shut as her screams escalate.

  Thankfully, Miranda’s brain is functioning properly because the next thing I know, she’s off the bed and throwing a blanket around us both.

  Another set of heavy footsteps comes running down the stairs. A man carrying a baseball bat comes charging inside the small bedroom. Immediately, I step in front of Miranda with the blanket wrapped around both of us.

  “What the hell is going on here, woman?” The man, who I assume is Miranda’s father, asks. When he sees us, his eyes nearly pop out of his head, but he lowers the bat, takes a deep breath, and turns to his wife. “Mona, why is there a naked white man in my house?” He lets the bat go and it lands with a thud on the carpet.

  “Daddy—” Miranda begins.

  “No! You don’t get to talk,” her mother says, practically hissing the words.

  “Mona, she’s an adult,” her father says. “Let’s not embarrass them anymore.”

  “Nigel, this is my boss! The naked white man in here taking advantage of Miranda is Nick Bain.”

  He picks up the bat again, and I know I can easily take it from him, but the way the blanket is wrapped around both of us, I can’t take a step without both of us falling.

  “No one is taking advantage of me, Mom. He’s my boyfriend,” Miranda says as she pokes her head from behind me.

  “What?” They both yell at once. “When the hell did this happen?” Mona asks.

  “At the Christmas party, Mona. Listen—” I begin, but she interrupts me.

  “No, you listen,” she says, walking closer and pointing her finger in my face. “You’ve been taking advantage of her since then.” She paces around the room. “Nigel, this is all your fault! If you had come with me to the party, this never would have happened. Was sitting at home in your underwear watching football or whatever nonsense worth it? Oh my God! I can’t handle this. I can’t.” She grabs her husband’s hand for support. He squeezes her hand briefly, but then he moves his hand to her back and starts rubbing between her shoulder blades.

  “Give me the bat. I’m going to make sure that if he makes it out of here, and that’s a big if, he’ll do it limping,” she says. She reaches for it, but Nigel takes it from her and throws it out of the room.

  “I love her, Mona,” I say, hoping that will make a difference. “I’d never take advantage of her.”

  “We’re in love, Mom,” Miranda says. “Calm down.”

  “Don’t tell your mother to calm down,” Nigel says. “You nearly gave her a heart attack, gal.” I can feel Miranda bristle behind me. From the stories she tells about her parents, I can tell she’s not used to her father being angry at her.

  “In love?” Mona asks, incredulous. Her eyes widen the same way Miranda’s do. “I’m confused. Did you two know each other before the party? How the hell can you be in love? The party was barely three weeks ago. How the hell do two people fall in love that fast?”

  “We did, Mom. You said you fell in love with Daddy right away. Why can’t we?”

  “Because your father is not the devil, that’s why!”

  “Well, neither is Nick!” Miranda screams. Mona bristles, and Nigel gives Miranda a look I can’t interpret, but she stops short when he looks at her.

  “Watch your tone, gal. You know better than to scream at your mother. As it stands right now, you are in no position to take that tone with anybody.”

  “But she’s being so judgmental and closed-minded, Dad.”

  “You’re standing here, naked with a sheet wrapped around you and your mother’s boss. Don’t you think she has reason to be concerned? You put yourself in the position to be judged, don’t you think?”

  I can feel Miranda stiffen behind me at her father’s rebuke, but she remains quiet. She moves closer to me, and she puts her hands on my hips for support.

  “It’s true,” I say to them. “You can blame me for the whole thing. I’m the one who went after her, but we’re together. We’re in a relationship. I’m not taking advantage of her. She’s the most important person in my life.”

  The room goes deathly quiet after my declaration. Mona purses her lips so tight, they practically disappear. Her eyes darken, and she takes a slow step toward me, but her husband grabs her elbow and keeps her in place.

  “So, Miran
da is Pretty Girl? And today you were eavesdropping on my call so you could sneak over here, weren’t you? You even had the nerve to ask me if she was okay when you’re obviously the one who upset her. You’re the one who upset her so much she woke up in the same clothes she wore yesterday. And you think I’m going to be okay with this? Whatever the hell this is. I’ll tell you one thing. This ends right now.”

  “Mom,” Miranda says.

  “I don’t want to hear a word out of your mouth, Miranda,” Mona says, pointing a finger at her. “I did not raise a liar. That’s why you brought me lunch the other day, isn’t it? You came to see him.” She says him with such disdain, I flinch. “Oh my God!” She puts both hands to her head. “Your damn office door was locked when I went to find you because you were in there together, doing God knows what. I can’t even fathom the thought.”

  Mona yanks her elbow from Nigel and starts to walk toward us, taking slow menacing steps. I can feel Miranda stiffen behind me, but Nigel grabs her elbow again, keeping her in place.

  “That’s not going to happen, Mona. I know you’re angry, but this is not going to end. We’re just getting started,” I tell her as I look at her straight in the eye.

  “That’s what you think,” she hisses.

  “Put on your damn clothes and come upstairs. Five minutes. Don’t make me have to come back down here and drag you upstairs,” Nigel says as he grabs his wife’s elbow again. They walk out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

  “Shit!” Miranda takes the blanket and tosses it to a far corner of the room. “This is bad, Nick.” She runs across the room, and despite what just happened, I can’t help but admire her naked backside as she rummages through a drawer looking for clothes.

  She grabs a pair of black leggings and a red sweater, and I turn back to my own clothes.

  “It will be okay, sweetness.” I pull her to me and hold her against my body.

  “We were supposed to talk to Dad first, get him on our side, but this is a fucking disaster. He’s pissed at me, and he’s never, ever upset with me. Not once. This is a first.” All too soon she pulls away and we get dressed.

  “Hey,” I say, grabbing her hand, “I love you, and the cat’s out of the bag now. We’ll deal with it.”

  She looks up at me and smiles. It’s a wide smile, showing off her perfect straight teeth, and upon seeing it, I relax.

  “Let’s go face the music.” With her fingers intertwined with mine, we walk out of the room and up the stairs.

  CHAPTER 31

  MIRANDA

  “Nick,” I murmur, reaching out only to find empty, cold sheets underneath my fingertips. I roll over onto my back and lie in the middle of the giant bed, stare at the ceiling, and wonder how one day can be so damn long. It’s not even seven p.m. yet, and I feel like this day has gone on for two years.

  I look through the open door, the light in the upstairs hallway giving the room a soft glow. I hear the front door open, followed by the beeping of the security alarm and Sadie barking, and realize Nick must have been out walking the dog.

  Wanting to see him, I reluctantly slide off the comfortable mattress and run to the bathroom. The hot shower that follows does little to clear my mind, but it does wonders for my sore muscles.

  After changing into clean yoga pants and one of Nick’s t-shirts, I go downstairs in search of him. I find him in the kitchen putting fresh food and water out for the dog. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. He leans into me, and I stick my head in the middle of his back and inhale him.

  “Hey,” he says. He turns around and holds me in his arms. “You okay? You crashed as soon as we got here.” He takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen table, the very one I picked out, and pulls out a chair for me. “Sit down and I’ll start dinner.”

  After sitting down, I grab onto his pants pockets and put my face to his flat stomach. “I was exhausted. And as hungry as I am, I need you. Don’t go.” I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him in place. “You smell good.”

  “Come on. Let’s go to our sectional.” He takes my hand, and we walk to the living room. He lies on his back on the couch and beckons me to him. I lie on top of him and cover our bodies with the fleece blanket, shutting out everything else but us.

  He rubs his hands up and down my back as I listen to the strong beat of his heart.

  “I imagined it a million different ways, but I never considered this would be the way my parents would find out about us,” I whisper as he rubs soothing circles up and down my spine.

  “What? You never considered your mother seeing me naked?”

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, I start to laugh. He soon joins me, and our laughter fills the downstairs. Even Sadie joins in because she runs to us and barks.

  “You’re taking this better than I thought you would, considering.”

  “Yeah, I’m surprised at myself, really. I think I’m relieved that the secret’s finally out.”

  “And you’re here with me,” he says, kissing my forehead.

  “I told you I would be, you big jerk.”

  “Listen, sweets. I love you and your parents love you. That’s a whole lot of love. We’re going to fix this, okay?”

  I hope so but based on the ugly scene that took place when I went upstairs with Nick, I’m not holding my breath.

  Mom paces the living room floor, angrily stomping on the hardwood. The minute we arrive upstairs, she stops and stands still, mouth open and breathing hard as she looks at our linked hands.

  “No! No! This cannot happen.” She turns to my father, who’s also looking at us but with less venom in his eyes. “Nigel, stop this.” Then she turns back to Nick. “You,” she says, slowly approaching him, “get out of my house and stay the hell away from my daughter.”

  I feel him stiffen next to me at her hostility, but then he pulls me closer and throws his arm protectively around my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry for the way you found out, but as long as Miranda wants to be with me, I’m not going to stay away from her, Mona. I love her.”

  “Jesus,” Dad mutters. He drops his head in both hands and rubs his face. When he finally looks up, he sits back in his chair and looks at us.

  “You love her?” my mother asks, eyes wide and mouth agape.

  “I do.”

  “And I love him, Mom.”

  “Oh, my God,” she says, putting a hand to her forehead. “I can’t hear this. I can’t. You just met. You can’t be in love. No! I won’t allow this to happen.”

  “What is the big deal, Mom?”

  She turns back to me, eyes wider than before, if that’s even possible, as she takes a few menacing steps toward us. This gets my dad out of his chair. He’s by her side within seconds, but he makes no move to grab her.

  “What is the big deal, Miranda?” She points her index finger at me, but she stops her approach. “The big deal is that he is my boss.” She says the word boss with such disdain that I cringe. “The big deal is that I’ve worked for this company for almost three decades, and now I have to quit. The big deal is that he’s taking advantage of you and you’re too blinded by lust and his pretty face to see it! The big deal is, Miranda, that your bad judgment affects this entire family, not just you! The big deal is that my daughter has been lying to me for weeks. Did you two have a good laugh behind my back? Every time I complained about him, did you run back and tell him so you two could laugh at my expense?”

  “Mona,” my father begins.

  “No, Nigel! This is not the time for you to go against me. Take my side for once.”

  “Woman, I am always on your side. I’m making sure you don’t say something you can’t take back.”

  “Mom, this really isn’t about you, and you don’t dictate who I can be with.” When she looks at me again, instead of anger, I see disappointment. She lowers her head and shakes it.

  “Is that all you have to say? You’re throwing out the adult card when you’ve been lying and sneaking a
round? Yeah, you’re a grown-ass adult.”

  The words hurt considering the source. It’s not often that my mother is upset with me, but I can deal with her anger more than the disappointment I see in her eyes.

  “Mona,” Nick begins. “You do not have to quit. You’re a valued and loyal employee. My relationship with Miranda has nothing to do with your job.”

  Mom is not appeased by his statement.

  “I don’t want you with my daughter,” she says, pointing at him.

  “With all due respect, Mona, that’s not up to you. That’s only up to Miranda, and I already know where she stands.”

  “Mona,” Dad warns.

  “Mom, I love you, but you don’t decide for me who I’m with. I’m not breaking up with him. You forget that I’m an adult.” My voice wavers at my last sentence, and for the first time since this happened, I find myself fighting tears.

  “Adult? What kind of adult sneaks around? If you’re so confident in this relationship, why hide it?” she asks, looking from me to Nick.

  “That’s a fair question. I’d like to know the reason myself,” my dad says.

  “We were waiting for the right time to tell you,” Nick says as he pulls me closer.

  “That was my choice. Nick wanted to tell you right away. He wanted to come over here and tell you we were dating, but I’m the one who wanted to wait. I wanted to find the right time.”

  “I guess me seeing his bare ass on top of you was the perfect time.”

  “Mom!” I yell, embarrassed at her words. My dad finally reaches for her. Like every time my mom gets upset, Dad rubs between her shoulders to calm her.

  “That was unfortunate, and I’m sorry about that, but can we please be rational? We’re together. I love your daughter more than I love anyone or anything on earth. All we ask is that you accept that.” The room goes silent after Nick’s words. He lays a hand on my shoulder and gently squeezes it, and I feel some of the tension leave my body.

  “Don’t you call my wife irrational,” Dad says to Nick.

  “I did no such thing,” Nick says to my dad.