Kiss Me There

by E. L. Todd

  “It’s not your home,” Macy snapped. “It’s Conrad’s.”

  “No,” I corrected. “Lexie is right. This home is hers just as much as it is mine.”

  “No, actually,” Macy said sarcastically. “Because last time I checked, you weren’t married. Lexie walked out and said no. Or do you not remember that?” She turned to Lexie and gave her a mirthless smile.

  Maybe having Macy move in wasn’t such a great idea after all.

  “You little cunt.” Lexie lunged over the couch to grab her sister by the hair.

  “Bring it, bitch.” Macy grabbed her by the arm and yanked her down.

  This was ridiculous. “Knock it off, both of you.” I came around the couch and pulled Lexie off her sister. “You guys are adults. Start acting like it.”

  Lexie twisted out of my grasp. “She’s the one who needs to stop being an asshole.”

  Macy got to her feet with her hand raised for a bitch slap.

  I grabbed her by the elbow just before she could hit Lexie. I forced her a few steps back, still gripping her tighter than I should. “Don’t.” I couldn’t keep the rage contained deep inside my body. It was billowing out like deadly smoke from a nuclear bomb. “Lay a hand on her and you’re on the street.”

  Macy’s lip trembled like she wanted to argue, but instead she yanked her arm away.

  “I’m sorry you’re going through a difficult time in your life. I’m sorry the modeling career didn’t work out, you never went to school, and now you have no prospects. I’m sorry you’re so threatened by your older sister that you try to sabotage every moment of her happiness. I’m sorry you’ve become such a bitter person. But you need to let that resent go and move on.” I didn’t want to go after Macy’s most vulnerable feelings, but I needed to say something otherwise this behavior would continue. “Lexie is your family, and I will be your family very soon. We will always stick together, have each other’s backs, and be there no matter how difficult life becomes. But don’t take us for granted. We’re giving you a place to stay because we care about you. We’re here to help you because we care about you. Maybe Lexie doesn’t show it very well, but she does care about you. Instead of constantly being her enemy and antagonizing her with hateful comments, try to be more tolerable. Try to be a sister.” I kept making excuses for Macy’s behavior and convincing Lexie she was being too hard on her sister but I knew that wasn’t true. Macy had nothing going for her at the moment while her sister was marrying one of the wealthiest men in the world. I knew how women thought. I had a sister of my own. “Think things over while we’re gone. I hope everything will be different by the time we get back.”

  ***

  Lexie hadn’t mentioned the argument with her sister until we checked into our hotel in Seattle. The long plane ride wiped us out and we were eager to get to the room and relax. When we walked inside the room we tossed our luggage aside and immediately got ready for bed.

  “Thank you for saying that…”

  I pulled back the covers and looked at her.

  “Thank you for standing up for me.” She sat on the bed wearing one of my old college t-shirts. Despite a day of traveling she looked beautiful.

  “No one bitch slaps my fiancé and gets away with it.”

  “She didn’t bitch slap me.”

  Because I stopped her. I got into bed and pulled the covers to my waist, leaving my bare chest exposed to the cool air of the hotel. “I understand why Macy is the way she is, and that’s why I’ve made excuses for her. She’s sad, even depressed. She’s jealous of you and everything you have. I know what that’s like, to be compared to someone so much more successful than you that all your achievements will always be dwarfed.”

  She moved to my side of the bed and cuddled against me. Her arm wrapped around my waist and she rested her cheek on my chest. “Whom are you talking about?”

  “My father.”

  “I don’t know if I agree with that.”

  “It’s true.” Everyone I met said how much we looked alike, but they would go on about the kind of man my father was. I felt like I had to be worthy to call myself his son. I always had to work harder than everyone else just to keep my Preston name. Trinity didn’t have it as bad as I did since she was a woman. But for me, I had to be the manliest man in the world to stand beside him. “But Macy doesn’t handle her emotions in an appropriate way. She constantly tries to tear you down because she hates your joy. You’ve found a man who still loves you even after you broke his heart. Not many women can say that.”

  She ran her fingers down my chest.

  “But I’m tired of waiting for her to snap out of it. All your fights stem from her words, not the other way around. It’s clear she’s going to keep doing it until someone calls her out on her shit. So I did.”

  “Maybe that’s what she needed to hear—and hear it from the right person.”

  “I wish there was something more I could do for her besides yell at her.”

  “She does need a job. Maybe you know someone.”

  “Well, Georgia Price would probably help me get her a gig of some kind…”

  Lexie immediately stiffened, clearly uncomfortable by what I just said.

  “Or I could give her a job at PIXEL. Something low key that would pay her bills and get her act together.”

  “I like that idea a lot more.”

  “You want her to give up the modeling thing?”

  “Give up?” she asked incredulously. “She’s not even doing it. No, she needs to focus on something else now.”

  “I guess I could give her a job…it’s a pretty big company.”

  “Something on a different floor—far away from your office.”

  “Maybe I can put her in accounting or something…she would get paid well and it comes with benefits.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.”

  “I’ll pitch it to her when we get back.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged my waist and released a deep sigh. “The sooner she gets a job the sooner she gets the hell out of my life.”

  I rubbed her back then kissed her on the forehead. “Our kids are going to have a crazy aunt.”

  She laughed. “A terrible one.”

  Just when I closed my eyes to go to sleep my phone rang.

  “I swear to god, if it’s that bitch I’m going to fly back there just to kill her.”

  I grabbed the phone and squinted to read the screen. “It’s my dad.”

  “At this hour? It’s like three in the morning there.”

  I hoped nothing was wrong. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?” I lay down again and looked at the ceiling.

  “You didn’t call me when you landed so I wanted to check on you.”

  Seriously? I bit back the sarcastic retort I wanted to fire off. “Well, we’re fine. We’re in bed, actually. You should go to sleep. It’s late.”

  “I couldn’t sleep unless I knew you were okay. Your mother was concerned too.”

  I was a grown man and the CEO of an entire company. I was getting married soon. And he still needed me to call him when my plane landed at four in the morning? I wanted to be a smartass but I knew I would be on the phone even longer if I took that route. “Well, good night.”

  “Good night, Conrad. I love you.”

  Dad always said that when we got off the phone. If we said bye in person, he didn’t. I wasn’t sure what it was about the phone that made him more clingy. But he was clingy as hell. “Love you too, Dad.”

  “Your mother says she loves you too.”

  “Tell her I say the same.” I rolled my eyes because at least I could do that without him knowing.

  “Call me in the morning.”

  What? Why? “Okay.”

  He finally hung up.

  I growled then tossed the phone on the nightstand. “My god, they need to chill.”

  “It’s cute they still check up on you.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Yes, it is. I know my mom annoys me sometimes
, but I wouldn’t know what to do without her.”

  “Don’t make me feel bad for being annoyed with him. I have every right to feel that way.”

  “I’m just reminding you of everything you have.”

  Well, it wasn’t going to work this time. I lay back on the bed and tried to fall asleep, but now I was too annoyed to do that. My mind raced with all the things I didn’t say. Sometimes I wish I could tell my father just to back off and leave me the hell alone. He was the one who sent me here to begin with.

  “Distracted?”

  “Yeah.”

  Lexie pulled down my boxers until my limp cock appeared. I wasn’t aroused in the least at the moment. In fact, I was just irritated. She moved between my legs and placed my dick into her mouth, licking and sucking despite the fact it wasn’t hard.

  “I’m really not in the mood right now.” I didn’t want her to be offended when she couldn’t get me up. I was too tired and pissed off.

  She kept going anyway, licking and sucking until my brain shifted from anger to sex. I watched her push my dick into her mouth, moving it around across her tongue. Her fingers moved to my balls and lightly rubbed the sensitive area, making me come alive slowly but surely.

  And then I was hard.

  And not thinking about my dad.

  She took my rock-hard cock into her mouth over and over again, taking her time and making every stroke count. She wanted me to enjoy all the sensations rather than just get me off, and that made it sexier.

  My hand naturally dug into her hair and guided her at the pace I liked. Her tongue flattened and licked me from base to tip, feeling every hard groove of my dick. When she reached the head her tongue moved over the swollen skin. Saliva drenched me from the head to base, and the sexy noises her tongue and lips made just drove me crazy.

  I loved every second—every inch of that tongue.

  She increased her movements, giving it to me harder and faster.

  Damn, I loved blowjobs.

  She kept going until she hit my trigger, the hot and blinding sensation you get when you’re so out of your mind turned on that your entire body bows to the sensation.

  And then I came deep inside her mouth.

  It was a great orgasm, the kind that was hard and long. I treasured every second of it, depositing my warm seed in the back of her throat. I gave her everything, all of it, and finally felt my body relax.

  Lexie swallowed everything before she lay on the bed beside me. “Now you should be able to go to sleep.”

  My eyes immediately closed and I was ready to drift away in my dreams. “You’re going to be an awesome wife…”

  ***

  I spent the entire day at the office going over reports and meeting with the staff. They knew who my father was, but they treated me like the man in charge. Everyone at the Manhattan office did the same, but here it was different. They looked at me in a different way, like I was the man who held absolute authority.

  By the time I was finally able to leave I felt guilty leaving Lexie alone all day. She came with me all the way to Seattle just to keep my bed warm at night. I didn’t mind in the least, but I’m sure she was bored.

  On the way home my dad called me. “Hey. How’d everything go?”

  It was just a bunch of talking about numbers and margins. I fell asleep just listening to everything. “Good. Everything is on schedule.”

  “Great,” he said. “I want our district in the Pacific Northwest to be a powerful one. It’s an entirely new demographic.”

  Not really, but I didn’t make that argument. “Well, I’ll talk to you later.”

  “How’s the weather?”

  Why did he keep prolonging the conversation? When we were at the office together it didn’t seem like he wanted to talk as much. “Sunny. Seventy degrees.”

  “Are you guys going to do any sightseeing?”

  I didn’t care to. I preferred lying in bed with the woman of my dreams. “We might.”

  “You have to go to the music museum. They have all the classic stuff from The Beatles, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. You have to check it out. And go to the Space Needle. I know it’s a touristy thing, but it’s still pretty cool.”

  “Will do.” My dad was normally right to the point. “Well, I’ll talk to you—”

  “Any wedding plans?”

  What was his deal? “Dad, is there something specific you wanted to talk about?”

  He was quiet.

  I patiently waited for him to say something.

  “I’ve been thinking of what I want to do when I retire.”

  I held my breath as I listened. Whatever was on his mind lately was about to come out. And I suspected I wouldn’t like it. “I’m listening.”

  “I want to become a boxer.”

  Of all the things I thought he might say, that wasn’t one of them. “Come again?”

  “A boxer. I want to go for it professionally.”

  What? Was he being serious? “Dad, I know you’re strong and fast, and I don’t mean this in a mean way, but…aren’t you a little old?” I wasn’t sure exactly how old he was, but I knew boxers left their prime when they turned thirty-five. My dad was at least fifteen years past that.

  “Age is just a number.”

  “Not when you’re fighting someone my age.” I blurted that out harshly and immediately regretted it. “You’re built like a brick house, Dad. You’re the strongest guy I know. I think boxing is a great idea as a hobby. But professionally…I don’t think it’s a good idea. You could get really hurt.”

  “I know but it’s the only thing I’m passionate about. I love spending time with your mother and I know we’ll have grandkids very soon but I need more in life.”

  “Then stay at PIXEL. You don’t have to leave just because I’m there.”

  “No,” he said quietly. “I’m ready to move on.”

  But ready to move onto boxing? “How does Mom feel about it?” There was no way she was on board with it. She never bossed my dad around, but she definitely wouldn’t give her blessing.

  “Haven’t told her.”

  “I really don’t think she’d be cool with it.”

  “Probably not,” he said with a sigh. “I was hoping you would be supportive. Might convince her to get on board.”

  I hated hearing the disappointment in his voice. “Dad, it’s not that I don’t think you can do it. I just think it’s unrealistic to expect to win more fights than you lose.”

  “You haven’t seen me in the ring.”

  “But I have.” Or did he not remember?

  “Son, I was going easy on you. No father enjoys beating up his son.”

  Like I hadn’t gone easy on him in return. “There has to be something else you enjoy.”

  “I have a few other hobbies, but like I said, it’s nothing that really fuels me.”

  The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and came to a stop. “I just pulled up to my hotel. Can we talk later?”

  “I guess.” He tried to keep his disappointment out of his voice. “I really hope you come around. Because I’ve supported everything you’ve wanted, even if I didn’t agree with it, and I wish you would do the same for me.”

  ***

  Lexie was reading in bed, wearing one of my t-shirts. “Hey, you’re back.”

  “Sorry I was gone all day.” I stood at the foot of the bed and removed my suit, piece by piece. That was what I hated about my job most—wearing a suit. It was heavy and thick, and no matter how good it made me look it wasn’t worth the heat and discomfort.

  Lexie put down her kindle then sat up in bed, her hair and make up done. “How was it?”

  “Pretty boring.”

  “Come on, there must have been more to it.”

  “Yes. More boring stuff.”

  Lexie rolled her eyes.

  “Dad called on the way home.”

  “Oh no.”

  I stripped down to my boxers and sat on the bed beside her. Before I finished my story I dug my
hand into her hair and gave her a kiss. This felt like a dream, the fact we were together and would spend the rest of our lives together, and I was so thankful for every moment.

  Lexie’s lips softened against mine, and I could feel her melting right into me. Her reaction to me was always the same. She was devastatingly in love with me—madly and deeply.

  And I was in love with her in the same way. “Apparently, my dad wants to be a professional boxer.”

  The love struck look on her face disappeared. “Say what?”

  “When he retires he wants to take up professional boxing.” I was relieved she had the same reaction I did—complete and utter shock.

  “Can he do that…?”

  “Not well.”

  “What brought this on?”

  “I know he’s always been into it. He’s been training for the past ten years. But now that he’s retiring he wants to pursue it completely.”

  “Isn’t he too old?”

  “He doesn’t think so.” When I looked at the numbers, his age was too old. But I couldn’t deny he was immensely in great shape. He was built like a brick house, with a body strong just like my own. He definitely doesn’t look his age, at least a decade younger. “He thinks he’s invincible.”

  “So…this is going to happen? That’s what he called to tell you?”

  “Well, he called and asked for my support.”

  “And you gave it to him?”

  “Well…I tried to talk him out of it. My mom doesn’t know about it, and when she finds out she’s going to flip out.”

  “And how did that go?”

  “He was hurt.” I remembered the last thing he said to me. “I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff and he’s always stood by my side. When I wanted to walk away from the company, he respected that decision. When I flipped out and went off the deep end he was still patient with me. And I feel guilty for not doing the same thing for him.”

  “Well, you don’t want him to get hurt.”

  “He doesn’t care about that.”

  “Then you have no other choice but to support him.”

  “I guess. But he has a ridiculous notion that he’s untouchable. I just don’t want to see him get hurt—physically and mentally.”

  “Well, if this is what he wants then let him have it. Maybe after a few fights he’ll realize it’s not for him.”