Happily Ever Laughter: older man, quirky younger woman romance (HEA Book 3)

by Haley Travis

  “May I ask why this is all such a colossal rush?”

  Her dark eyes roll dramatically. “Arts funding. This company has a surplus, and has to use up every penny by the end of the month, which is next Wednesday night. That’s the night of the launch party, by the way. Invite as many people as you can. And of course, whoever made these videos.”

  “Tanis Johnson.”

  Gretchen’s eyes snap to mine on the screen. “Your video artist is a woman?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh. Good.” She nods slowly. “Impressive. Yes. We need more women working in video. Excellent.”

  Somehow I feel like I’ve scored an extra few points with her.

  We quickly finish up the last of the details and end the call, as my head is left spinning. I don’t know if Tanis has ever done a collaborative project like this before, but she’s going to have to learn quickly. How funny that I’m not worried about my portion of the work at all, even though the hours of labor between now and tomorrow night are daunting.

  My only concern is to make the first real media art project that Tanis works on as pleasant for her as possible.

  Reaching for my phone, I wonder if I should call her at work. No, my girl deserves better. She deserves a celebration, even if it’s only what I can cobble together in the next hour or so.

  Me: What’s your work address? And do you take lunch at 12 on the dot?

  Tanis: 2036 Ciraco Avenue, and yes.

  Me: See you out front at noon.

  As I roll up in the van two minutes early, I’m delighted to see that Tanis is already standing out front. I rush around to help her in, and head for the nearest local park that has both a wooded area, and a parking lot.

  On the way, I tell her the short version of the call with Gretchen, which seems to make her both excited and terrified.

  “Your parts are mostly already done, so that’s awesome,” I explain, as I park the van so that the rear doors are facing a clearing at the edge of the small forest. “I’m going to churn out the music today and tonight, and all day tomorrow. As soon as you’re done at the office on Friday, if you could please come to my place, and help me decide which music goes with which clips, then we can send it all off and do a happy dance. What do you think?”

  “I’d like to see your place,” she says, giving me a smile as I put the van in park.

  That’s exactly what I want to hear.

  Dashing around to help her out, she seems surprised when I lead her around to the back doors. I lock them into position so they stay wide open.

  Tanis immediately begins to laugh, clapping her hands in delight. “A mobile picnic? You are amazing!”

  The floor of the van is now a fort made of blankets and pillows.

  She looks around the space as I stand behind her to wrap my arms around her stomach. I love the way she immediately presses back against me, her shoulders massaging my chest. My entire body seems to overreact to her proximity, making me feel revved up and frantic.

  Kissing the top of her head, I reluctantly release her to reach in and turn on the small battery powered camping lamps. “Get in. We’re on the clock.”

  Once we’re sitting comfortably and facing the trees, the parking lot fades away making this a real picnic. I pull a couple of turkey and Havarti sandwiches from the cooler, then pour strawberry sparkling water into red plastic cups.

  “Talk about going above and beyond,” she smiles at me. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you for saving the day with this project,” I say, tapping my cup against hers. “I honestly couldn’t have come up with an idea even half as good without your inspiration.”

  I let her take a few bites of her sandwich before I ask the big question. “So, what did the book club girls say about me?”

  I catch her while her mouth is full, leaving her to chew and swallow before she can answer. “They think you sound nice, but they’ll probably reserve all judgment until they meet you someday.”

  “Wednesday.”

  “What?”

  “Next Wednesday. Gretchen says that we need to wrangle a bunch of people to show up at the launch party. Since it’s interrupting your book club night, why not just invite them?”

  I love the way her eyes become so huge and dramatic when she’s excited. It’s impossible not to think about shutting the van doors and lying her back right here on the pillows.

  “That would be amazing, thank you,” she says brightly. “We’ve never had a field trip before, but I’m sure they’ll be into it.”

  Once she’s had enough to eat, I clear away the lunch things and snuggle her against my shoulder. “I’m sorry everything is such a chaotic rush,” I say.

  “I’m sorry that you’re going to have to do so much work in the next twenty-four hours.” Her fingers slip down to lace through mine as she looks up at me. “I can’t believe you did all this for me when you’re on a deadline.”

  “Don’t worry – ten percent of my brain is working on figuring out the instrumentation for the theme song even as we speak.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she laughs, as her chin tips up toward me.

  To be honest, I haven’t kissed that many girls in my life. At thirty-six, most men have a hell of a lot more experience than I do. It certainly doesn’t matter now. Tanis kisses me as if her mouth was designed for mine. We fit together perfectly. Before I even realize what’s happening, I’ve laid down, pulling her on top of me so I can feel the length of her soft, curvy body against mine.

  Tanis parts her lips so that my tongue can taste her luscious mouth, leaving us both breathless and shaky. Her fingers dig into my shoulders, pulling me closer until I can feel the heat between her legs pressing directly against me. Her skirt hitches up, as she rubs herself against my erection.

  I’m fairly certain that she has no idea that she’s even doing this, which is the hottest thing I’ve ever felt in my life.

  Her soft moan makes me grip her hips hard, lifting her to help her grind against me harder. My sweet girl losing a bit of her control with me is so arousing that I feel my balls tighten, begging to rip off these jeans.

  “If we weren’t practically in public right now,” I growl, “it would be even harder to stop myself.”

  “Tell me, what would happen if you didn’t stop yourself,” she whispers, staring into my eyes with the sauciest expression I’ve ever seen.

  “I’d see to it that you had an orgasm for dessert.”

  Her pupils widen, as her lips curl into a smile. “Okay.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  ~ Tanis ~

  This brand new feeling of being bold is both unnerving and energizing.

  Why shouldn’t I let my body take over? Why shouldn’t I trust this gorgeous man who makes my heart spiral and dance? I don’t care that we’re suddenly working together, or that he’s a bit older. Everything feels so right.

  A shiver runs through me as I feel his palm slip along the back of my knee, then under my skirt to grip my thigh. His soft groan echoes in the van, as our bodies shift against each other. His fingers dance along my skin, making everything feel hot and almost ticklish.

  I know that my hard nipples are poking straight through my thin bra and dress, and don’t care. Felix stares at me hungrily, then grips the back of my neck to pull me in for a tight, wet kiss.

  I’m sure he can feel me trembling, but I’m too curious to be embarrassed.

  I know it’s not right to compare men, but even after several months my one brief boyfriend Timothy never made my heart race like this. Never made me feel womanly and desperate and breathless like this.

  Felix has made me feel more in a few days than I ever thought possible. I can feel each of his fingertips along the back of my neck and my outer thigh as ten digits press against my skin, holding me close. My body’s reactions are amplified, and I can somehow feel every single vibration between my legs.

  Felix twists me, lying me on my back as he pulls a pillow over to cradle my head. Then he reaches out
to shut the van doors.

  “We only have a few minutes before people will ask questions about us being parked here,” he says quickly. “And I have to get you back to work soon. So just relax, gorgeous, and let me hear you. Feel you. Okay?”

  Strangely, his practicality arouses me even more. He can sense I need something, and instantly wants to take care of it.

  His dark eyes skim over my face in the dim light as if he’s studying me. Quick fingers unbutton the front of my dress, as I hear him suck in a breath. “So beautiful,” he murmurs, his breath practically hissing as he leans in to unsnap the front clasp of my bra before burying his mouth in my breasts.

  My nerves flutter as his tongue drags slowly around my nipple. “I’m just going to make you come with my hands. Is that all right, Tanis? May I make you come?”

  “Yes.” My voice is small but the emotion is huge. I want him. To take everything and anything he wants to give me.

  I grip his thick biceps, watching his gaze travel down my stomach, followed by his hand as it teases at the front of my panties.

  His Adam’s apple moves as he swallows hard, his fingers slowly slipping farther inside the fabric. Those sexy lips move to the other side, lapping and sucking at my breast as tremors start between my legs.

  My mouth feels dry, yet I’m so wet where his fingertip slips against my flesh. Sparks flash through my vision as he circles the tender bump directly connected to my nervous system.

  Felix mutters a soft curse. “So wet for me, gorgeous.”

  It does strange things deep inside me to feel him tense up, to know that just petting me is driving him wild. His teeth graze across the sensitive skin of my breast, making me gasp at the same time his finger slips down, entering me just a bit.

  “Oh…” I breathe, clutching the back of his shoulders as my hips begin to rock. “More.”

  The slow rocking motion as he brushes my clit, then just inside me, over and over. So gentle. Almost reverent. I can’t believe I need him to touch me this way when I haven’t even known him for a week.

  It doesn’t matter. I can’t get enough of him. The way he makes me feel so precious, as if I’m the only girl who has ever made him groan like this.

  I can feel his erection against my leg, and can’t wait for the time to be right for us to have sex. But for the moment, this is more than enough.

  His muscular body is plastered against mine, his warmth overwhelming me as he kisses up my throat to meet my lips.

  We’re both groaning against each other’s tongues, too excited for any more words and secret murmurs as his finger plunges inside me, his thumb strumming at my clit.

  Good God.

  He angles his lips against mine, kissing me hard and deep as I lose my breath. I love that he seems like such a nice, proper guy, but now his animalistic side is breaking free, his eyes glazed with lust as he kisses me with his entire body.

  At the second I’m not sure whether I can breathe, Felix tears his mouth from mine, but places our foreheads together.

  “Whenever you let me, gorgeous, I’m going to taste this pretty little pussy. You’re gonna feel my tongue right here…” His finger drags along my sensitive bud, until I’m wiggling in a frenzied mix of frustration and anticipation. “You’re going to come on my tongue and beg me for more, aren’t you, baby?”

  “Yes,” I gasp, shivering in anticipation as he brings me right to the edge.

  I don’t know why every single moment of our relationship so far seems to be accelerated. All I know is that Felix sets me on fire, until I’m burning out of control.

  “I can feel you,” he groans, our bodies rocking together as I feel his stiff shaft grinding against my leg. “Feel your hot little pussy just waiting to explode. Go ahead, baby. Let me have it.”

  I’ve never felt so absolutely helpless before. Teetering right on the precipice. If he tore his hand away now I don’t think I would survive. The heat and pressure swirling in my belly are creating a vortex of pure, raw pleasure that’s going to pull me under in three seconds.

  “Kiss me so I can’t scream,” I choke, as his lips engulf mine.

  My breasts grind against his chest, as he groans into my mouth. He barely muffles my scream as my hips rock, pulling his finger deeper, grinding into his thick thumb as the steamiest, hottest orgasm of my life rumbles through my core.

  Twitching, gasping, I can feel how easy it would be for him to slip inside me right now. To give me everything.

  When I stop squirming and moaning, Felix’s head twitches up. “Just one taste?”

  I have no idea what he means, but nod anyway.

  A split-second later, I shriek as he spreads my thighs wide. With my skirt up and panties down, his tongue tucks into my crease, licking upward in one long slow stroke.

  I swear I come again, seeing orange and whites stars glitter behind my eyelids as he actually licks up my juices.

  He kneels up with a grin, wiping his mouth dramatically with the back of his hand. “I knew that you were sweet, but that’s just…beyond.”

  He clumsily tries to pull my underwear back in place for a moment before giving up, and helps me to a crouching position so that I can put myself back together.

  He bursts into laughter. “If this van’s a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’. I’m glad the shocks are still pretty new, or people a half mile away would know how much you shake when you come.”

  As he drives me back to work, I can’t stop grinning, as if I have the world’s biggest secret.

  “You’re going to have to wipe that smile off your face before you go inside,” he laughs.

  “I honestly don’t know if I can.”

  I positively adore how proud he looks. “Good. I hope that means you’ll be thinking of me until I can see you tomorrow night.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I don’t answer phone calls and texts when I’m working, and trust me baby I’m gonna be working my ass off, so I’m sorry if communication gets glitchy. I’ll text you my address and see you tomorrow night. Okay?”

  “Yes.”

  He pulls up in front of the office, and runs around to help me out of the van, lifting me gently down as an excuse to wrap his arms around my waist.

  It’s so strange to taste my own flavor on his tongue. It’s so strange that he’s kissing me right in front of my workplace.

  And it’s so strange that every single thing we do feels wonderful and electric and takes some of my fears away.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ~ Felix ~

  I realize that I’m pacing while waiting for Tanis at the bus stop, as if I’m nervous. I’m actually incredibly excited for her to see my living space. I’m even more excited to work with her.

  I’ve pulled many all-nighters in my time, but last night I made sure to get at least five hours sleep. I need to be sharp today so that I can explain everything to her logically, with as little industry jargon as possible.

  It’s amazing how a run-of-the-mill job is suddenly ten times more exciting because Tanis is involved with it. It’s easy to tell that this project is a big deal for her. I can’t help but wonder why she hasn’t put her work online, or reached out to an arts collective to look for opportunities before now.

  Even though I’ve only been in her apartment for a few minutes so far, I couldn’t help but notice all of the art books on her shelf, and the giant pile of sketch pads. She’s an artsy girl through and through, who just needs to learn to trust her instincts and creative process.

  But then I think back to when I was twenty-one. I was never as shy as she seems to be, but it’s definitely hard to put yourself out there. I get it.

  It’s impossible not to think of what might happen once we’re alone in my room together, especially after the unexpected turn yesterday’s van picnic took. As my feet march up and down the sidewalk, I tell myself yet again to focus on her, and the job at hand. She’ll tell me what she wants. Or if she’s not brave enough to tell me, I should be able to read her body l
anguage well enough, then ask.

  The sound of a large diesel engine chugs up the street, and I turn to watch as it stops, allowing Tanis to disembark.

  She looks absolutely stunning in a black dress with little green and purple squiggles dancing all over it. Somehow, the subtle pattern draws even more attention to her beautiful curves. Those pretty eyes are already smiling at me as the breeze catches her hair.