When he comes back a minute later, I watch him open it, then join everyone in filling a plate with food and carrying it to the dining room that is through an open doorway off the kitchen. The wallpaper is bold and bright with lots of different flowers and birds, but it still somehow fits the antique-looking table with wingback upholstered chairs. As we take our seats, Hunter says a quick prayer before we dig into our food and there is something about that I really like because it seems they always do it, and it’s not something just for show like my parents have done at dinner parties in the past.
As Hunter and Tide talk about work, Jolene tells me about a couple of projects in the house that she is attempting to do herself, and I’m honestly awed by her. Instead of paying someone to work on her house, she’s taken classes and had Tide show her how to paint, tile, hang wallpaper, and refinish floors—all things I wouldn’t have the guts to do. Honestly, even thinking about starting a project like that is overwhelming.
“So I know Tide mentioned you’re an author. Is that your full-time job?” Jolene asks during a lull in conversation, and I open my mouth to answer, but Tide cuts in before I can.
“She’s a very successful author, Mom. She even has a series that is being turned into movies.”
“Really?” Hunter asks, and my cheeks warm. I hate talking about myself and my work. I always feel awkward.
“Really,” Tide takes my hand under the table. “And I just finished the final book in that series, so if they do it justice while filming, I have no doubt it’s going to be a huge success.”
“That’s very impressive, Aria,” Jolene says softly, and since I don’t know what to say, I just shrug.
“She doesn’t like talking about her success.” Tide gives my hand a squeeze. “But trust me—she’s got talent.”
“She must if they are making one of her books into a movie,” Jolene says.
“Not one. Three,” Tide corrects her, and she smiles fondly at her son before looking at me.
“You’ll have to give me the titles so I can read them.”
My heart starts to pound and my stomach rolls with nervousness. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t.” She waves me off. “I want to.”
“Mom loves reading, baby,” Tide tells me quietly.
“She loves to read books with half-naked men wearing kilts on the covers,” Hunter grumbles, and I laugh.
“Sorry.” I look at Jolene. “I’m not laughing at you. I actually enjoy those kinds of books too.”
“Really?” she asks, and I nod, then rattle off some of my favorite authors. A few of them we have in common, which means we spend the rest of dinner talking about our favorite books and favorite scenes. The guys listen to us, sipping their beers and adding in commentary every once in a while. It mostly includes them saying that if they tried anything the men in the books did, they would end up in the doghouse. Since they aren’t wrong, we don’t deny it.
After we finish dinner and have chocolate cake for dessert, Tide and I help Jolene clean up, while Hunter goes to the den to watch TV—something Jolene just rolls her eyes about.
“Thank you for dinner, Mom.” Tide wraps his arms around his mom and kisses the top of her head as I finish wiping down the counters.
“You’re welcome.” She pats his chest. “Feeding you is the least I could do after I put you to work today.” Her eyes come to me. “Will you be spending Halloween with us this year, Aria?”
“Definitely.” I smile.
“Have you figured out what you are going to dress up as this year?” she asks Tide, and he shakes his head.
“Not yet. We need to talk to Olivia to see what she wants the three of us to go as,” he says, and the idea of being included warms my chest with happiness.
“Well, I can’t wait to see. I have no doubt it’s going to be picture-worthy.” She laughs, then comes over to give me a hug. “Thank you for coming to dinner, Aria.”
“Thank you for having me,” I say when she lets me go, and Tide takes my hand and leads me into the den, where we say goodnight to his dad before heading for the front door.
“Do you mind if I get your number from Tide?” Jolene asks me when we step out onto the porch. “I’d love to meet up with you for lunch one day.”
“I’d like that a lot.”
“Good.” She looks at Tide. “Love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom.” Tide lifts his chin, then leads me to the passenger side of his truck.
After he opens my door, I get in and wave to Jolene, realizing that I’m sad to leave. Being around Tide and his parents was refreshing, and seeing the kind of relationship he has with the people who raised him, especially his mom, says a lot about the man he is. Not only does he love her; he respects her and just enjoys her company. I’m sure, like every family, they’ve had difficult times, but I doubt his mom is sleeping around while his father is drinking himself into an early grave to bury his feelings. They’ve probably dealt with any issues like normal adults and taught their son to do the same, which makes me hopeful for Tide and me. It’s not that I don’t think that two people who grew up with similar circumstances can’t work; I just think it can make things more difficult.
Like me, my ex Josh had a turbulent relationship with his parents. They were either around, causing a whole bunch of drama, or out of his life completely. There was no in between—something I know he hated, even if he would never, ever admit it. Looking back, I can see why he would think my parents and my relationship with them were normal, or maybe even better than he had growing up. But with two people coming from the same unhealthy place, there was no middle ground. Neither of us knew when to stop and take a step back or when to say “We need to work on this together so we could both be happy.” Or maybe our relationship was so unhealthy, we both knew deep down it wasn’t worth the time or effort it would take to fix it. Then again on my part, I knew there was just nothing to fix. I knew things wouldn’t work out, that staying with him would be me forever attempting to push a boulder uphill—something that is both pointless and extremely tiring in the long run.
“What are you thinking about?” Tide asks, dragging me from my thoughts while grabbing my hand to pull it to rest on his thigh.
“Just that I really like your parents,” I admit, and his fingers give mine a squeeze. “They’re so normal.”
“They aren’t perfect,” he says gently. “They’ve just found what works for them. Dad puts up with the constant projects, floral wallpaper in the dining room that he hates, and decorations in the house and outside most of the year, and Mom makes sure he’s always got a warm meal when he comes home, and stays away from the den, because that’s his space, especially during football season.”
“So… normal.” I shrug.
“Yeah, I guess so.” He laughs, and I smile, hoping that one day we have what they do, because even though normal might sound boring to some people, it sounds pretty damn amazing to me.
Chapter 14
Tide
“IT’S WEIRD THAT I haven’t been to your house before now,” Aria says a couple days later as I drive down the tree-lined street my house is on with the sun setting off in the distance, causing the sky to turn a mixture of pink and purple.
“You think so?” I glance over at her, seeing her looking out the window, and she turns my way.
“Don’t you? I mean, we’ve been seeing each other for a while now. It’s just kind of weird that I haven’t been to your place.”
“Your place is a fuck of a lot nicer than mine, and you work from home, so it’s easier for me to stay with you. Plus, I prefer your bed to mine.”
“Really?” She raises a brow. “Because you complain every night about my pillows.”
“No, I complain about the excessive amount of pillows you have that you don’t even use.”
“Whatever,” she mumbles, and I smile. Honestly, I wouldn’t have even suggested we stay at my place tonight, but Anna is dropping Olivia off early. I
wanted to be on neutral ground the first time she officially met Aria. I just hope the two of them meeting doesn’t blow up in my face.
“So this is it,” I say as I park in my driveway, and I turn to watch her eyes scan the small yard and cream house with black shutters.
“It’s cute.” Her eyes meet mine as she smiles. “And your neighborhood is adorable.”
“I think that was the exact listing the realtor wrote up for this place,” I reply, listening to her laugh as she unhooks her belt.
“Is that why you bought it, because they used words like cute and adorable?” she teases with a sparkle in her beautiful eyes.
“Yep, well… that, and it’s located right between Olivia’s school and my parents’ house, which makes things easier the weeks I have her.”
“That makes sense.” She opens her door when I do, and I meet her at the hood of my truck after grabbing her bag from the backseat. As we reach my small concrete porch, I let go of her hand and let us in, then drop her bag on the coffee table. She walks around the small living room that is cut off from the kitchen by a half wall, looking at the framed photos on the walls, mostly pictures of Olivia, with a few of my parents and sister and friends mixed in.
“It’s not much,” I murmur, running a hand through my hair when she doesn’t say anything. I know her and know she’s nonjudgmental, but the house she grew up in is about a million times bigger than this place, and her house now is twice the size with a few acres. Could I afford more than this? Probably, but I’d rather spend money on a really nice vacation every year and have money in the bank just in case something comes up.
“I love it. It’s cozy.” She turns to face me, and I close the distance between us, then I listen to her laugh as I walk her backward toward the couch and fall down on top of her, placing one of my knees between her legs.
“Cozy, huh?” I ask against her smiling lips.
“Very cozy… and warm.” She moves her hands up to my shoulders where I feel her nails dig into my skin through the long-sleeved thermal I’m wearing.
“Warm is good.” I brush my lips against hers.
“Warm is very good,” she agrees as her fingers slide up around my neck and into the back of my hair. Slanting my head to the side, I nibble her bottom lip, then kiss along her cheek to her ear, hearing her gasp, which makes my dick throb against the zipper of my jeans. Fuck, I just had her an hour ago and I want her again. Then again, I’ve realized I will never have enough of her.
“You haven’t seen the best room in the house yet.” I nip her earlobe, and she lifts her hips, causing the heat of her pussy to rub against my thigh.
“The kitchen?” she pants, and I grin against her neck before sucking her skin between my lips, then licking over it.
“The master bedroom.”
“I definitely need to see that room.” She rubs herself against my leg, and I kiss her softly before pushing off the couch and pulling her up with me.
Without another word, I lead her through the kitchen to the master, and I don’t give her a chance to look around. I tug her sweater up over her head and toss it to the ground while her hands move up my abs under my shirt, and I lift my arms so she can help me pull it off. When we are both shirtless, I reach behind her and unclasp her bra with one snap of my fingers, then watch the thin material fall from her shoulders before she lets it drop to the floor. I don’t even hesitate to cup both her breasts in my hands, feeling her nipples harden against my palms. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.” She is beautiful. Everything about her is perfect, from her luscious curves, to the tips of her breast that turn from peach to the perfect shade of rose-pink when they get tight, and the weight that fits just right in my hands.
I love her body.
I love how soft every inch of her is when she’s under me.
I love her.
“Tide.” Her fingers curve around my waist, and I lean in, taking her mouth in a deep kiss while urging her back onto the bed. Once her head hits the pillow, I pull away and stand up to kick off my boots, watching her bend her knees and cover her breasts.
“Don’t hide yourself, baby,” I say gently, and she licks her lips, looking nervous and unsure. “I love your body. I love everything about you.” Her eyes scan mine, then her legs fall slightly apart, and her hands slide to her waist. As my eyes lick over her, I make quick work of taking off my jeans and boxers, then put one knee in the bed and grasp her ankle. Settled between her legs, I wrap her leg around my hip, then lean down to suck her bottom lip between mine before letting it go with a pop.
“Tide.”
“I’m starting to get the feeling you don’t understand how obsessed I am with your body, baby.”
“I’m all lumpy.”
I laugh at the ridiculousness of that statement and bury my face in her neck.
“Don’t laugh at me.” She slaps my back.
I lean back and grasp her hand, then wrap it around my dick that is rock-hard and throbbing. “Baby, I fucked you not even two hours ago and can’t wait to be inside you again. Your body is fucking gorgeous. Every inch of you is the shit wet dreams are made of.” I use her hand to pump me up and down twice as my jaw clenches. “You’re perfect; every inch of you is.”
“I’m not,” she moans as I kiss my way down her body, stopping at her breasts, licking and nipping her hard nipples while she locks onto my hair. My dick throbs as my fingers delve between her legs, finding her soaking wet.
“You are.” I bite her inner thigh, sliding one finger then two inside her.
“Look at me, Aria.” It takes a second for her to focus on me, and when she does, I lower my face and lick up her center, swirling my tongue around her clit. Her fingers still in my hair, tug, and then push me forward like she doesn’t know if she wants me to stop or continue. Once her walls start to clamp down around my fingers still pumping inside her, I suck her clit, and her thighs tighten and shake before she goes limp. Placing one last kiss to her clit, I climb up the bed between her legs. “You okay?”
“No… yes.” She laughs, grasping my ass, and my cock bumps against her wetness. I take her hands and pull them up over her head, then surge inside her in one swift thrust. Her gasp matches my groan as I settle in her hot, wet heat.
“Fuck.” My heart pounds and my jaw clenches. There is nothing better than being inside her.
“Oh God, Tide,” she whimpers, wiggling her hips and urging me to move, and I pull back, only to thrust into her harder.
I roll quickly to my back and grab her waist while her hands settle against my chest, her hair making a curtain around us. “Ride me, Aria.”
Her breath hitches as her hips roll, and I urge her on, lifting my hips every time she slides down. Watching her, with her head back, her hair wild, her breast swaying, and her hips swiveling, I fight the urge to come. Before her, I thought I knew what beauty was. I had no idea. Watching her use me to chase the orgasm she’s desperate for is beyond beautiful.
“Oh God,” she breathes, and I lean up, capturing her mouth, feeling her pussy flutter around my cock. As she falls over the edge, I kiss her, my hips jerking as I lose myself inside her. As we both shudder, she collapses against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her, holding her as close as physically possible.
As quiet settles between us and our breath returns to normal, I run my hand down her back. “In case you don’t get it, baby, I think you’re hot as fuck,” I say, and she leans back to meet my gaze, then laughs before dropping her forehead to my chest.
“I’m not,” she denies once again, and frustration makes my muscles tighten.
“You’re perfect for me.” I grasp her face between my hands, and her eyes soften as they search mine. “I love you, everything about you, every inch of you.”
“Tide.” She shakes her head, and I notice her eyes fill with tears. I don’t give her a chance to argue. I cut her off by covering her mouth with mine, vowing to do everything in my power to make her see herself the way I do.
___________
_____
LEANING AGAINST THE counter in the kitchen, I watch Aria as she bends over to put her plate in the dishwasher, and I reach over to smack her ass.
“Seriously?” She looks at me over her shoulder, rolling her eyes.
“Sorry, babe, but if you shove it in my face, I’m gonna smack it.” I grin at her over the rim of my coffee mug.
“I’m not shoving my ass in your face.”
“It feels like you’re taunting me.” I drop my gaze to her round bottom that is even more pronounced in the leggings she’s wearing. “I might need you to change before Olivia gets here. I don’t think I’ll have the willpower to keep my hands off your ass today if you’re wearing those pants.”
“Sorry, sir, but you’re just going to have to dig deep and find the willpower to keep your hands to yourself, because I don’t have anything to change into.” She picks up her coffee and glances at the clock, something she’s done about a dozen times in the last fifteen minutes.
Not liking that she’s nervous about meeting Anna, I lean forward enough to grasp the bottom of her shirt, then tug until she’s standing right in front of me. “Nervous?” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she lets out a deep breath.
“I am a little.” Her eyes search mine. “Are you worried?”
“No, Olivia’s opinion is the only one I care about, and I already know she likes you.” I wrap my hand around the side of her neck, then lean in and kiss her forehead when the doorbell rings. “Ready?” When she nods, I place my cup of coffee on the counter, then take her hand and lead her to the front door.
As soon as it opens, Olivia squeezes past Aria and me, shouting, “Sorry, can’t talk! Gotta pee!”
“Olivia, you don’t say that!” Anna yells, and Aria laughs, then sobers when Anna looks at her. “You must be Aria.”
“I am. It’s nice to meet you.” Aria holds out her hand, and Anna glances down at it before looking at me.
“Olivia said you three are spending the day at the lake.”
“That’s the plan,” I agree, biting back the urge to call her out for being rude.
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