I gripped her hands and skimmed my teeth along the sensitive skin of her lips, relishing the feel of her pressing herself onto my face. I teased her with my tongue, flicking it out and lapping at her wet skin, alternating gentle and rough pressure on her clit. She cried out, releasing my hands and pulling on my hair again. I took my time, making her tremble and shake while she called my name over and over.
“Please . . . stop, please.” Gwen twisted her body toward the headboard, trying to escape the intensity.
I peered up at her. “Too much?”
She relaxed and pressed her palm to her face. “Never. I just want to know what else I’m missing out on.” She shimmied underneath me, her eyes ablaze with lust and her body tinged pink from pleasure. “I want to feel you inside me,” she said, then kissed me. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you.”
My whole body tensed. Her eyes were begging me to fill her. To make her whole. And I wanted it, too.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
“Condom?” I asked.
“Pill.”
I nodded then stooped to nuzzle into her neck. I’d had to ask because I knew it was the right thing to do, even though her birth control pills had been on display for months on her bathroom counter.
And when she said she wanted to feel all of me, I didn’t say no.
“I want to hear you say my name when I make you come.”
“You’re forceful in the sack, huh?” she teased, but her eyes were filled with awe.
My inner kid got locked in the closet because he was too young to see what was about to happen.
I stared into her eyes and ran my finger across her lips. “I’ve had a long time to fantasize about this moment. I know what I want. Is that a bad thing? To want you?”
“It is definitely”—she exhaled and reached down to wrap her fingers around my shaft—“not a bad thing.” Her slick heat coated the tip, and I braced myself above her, steadying my legs as she moved against me, begging without words, her grip tightening as she inched the head closer to her entrance.
I unwrapped her fingers from me and moved both her hands above her head. Then I kissed her again, with open eyes so I could see her face when I entered her. With a shallow breath, I pushed into her a little farther. She was warm and inviting, enveloping me with her wetness and heat.
As I sank into her, she opened her eyes and stared into mine, her lips parting as her chest rose higher, straining against the new sensation. My movement slowed, and I focused on her face to try to hold off.
She shook her head and gripped my shoulders. “Don’t stop. All of you . . . I need all of you.”
I let out a breath. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s just been a while. And you’re, you know, impressive.” Her eyes crinkled with a smile, and I felt the tension leave us as she relaxed and took me in deeper.
I groaned as I filled her, then planted a kiss on her lips as I began to move. My hips angled back, and I pulled out almost completely before sliding in against the amazing friction of her body. She gripped and kneaded my back as she flexed her hips in time with mine, her gasping sounds and soft moans spurring me on.
Her head rolled to the side, and she closed her eyes, her body tensing under my weight. She tightened her legs around my waist and turned back to face me with eyes open and mouth slack. “There,” she gasped when I passed over a spot that she liked. “There, again, please.”
I angled against her and slid the head of my cock against the spot once more, pressing my open mouth against her chest as she drew in ragged breaths. Her body jerked underneath me, and she gripped my hair to pull my face to hers and kiss me as she tensed and shook.
“Harder.”
I obliged, thrusting and hitting that spot once more.
She moved her hand between us, her eyes closing as she worked frantic circles above where I was moving in and out of her. It didn’t take long after that before her eyes flew open and she arched her back off the bed with a low, deep moan and cried out my name, covering her mouth to drown out the sound.
I kept my pace, deep and hard, over and over, my need making me lose all coherent thought as I worked toward my own release. She clung to me, moaning and whimpering while I latched my mouth onto her shoulder. A stifled cry bubbled up in her throat, and I gripped her hips, sitting back a bit on my knees to angle against her a few more times before my thrusts grew frantic and shallow.
The constriction in my stomach moved lower, and my balls tingled, warning me I was close. “Gwen.” My neck strained. “You’re gonna make me come.”
And then I was exploding, my body jerking and my brain stopping altogether as the world ground to a halt.
My breath expelled in spurts from the intensity of coming inside her, and I rested my face on her chest as I attempted to get my bearings. Her limbs were languid, her skin coated in moisture. I kissed my way up her chest and looked her in the eyes.
Her lip trembled and a single tear escaped down her temple.
My heart pounded, confused by her reaction. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and ran her hand across my cheek. “I’m okay.”
“If I did something wrong, I’m sorry.” I kissed her cheek and wrapped my arms around her, holding her to my chest.
Gwen cried into my hair, her attempt at suppressing her tears forgotten. “No, I’m sorry.”
I lifted my face to hers, and her eyes were soft and guarded.
“I’ve just never felt like that. Like someone wanted me.”
I smiled and leaned in to kiss her swollen lips. “I do want you.”
She shifted her lower half so I was no longer inside her. Then, curling up on her side, she shook under the weight of her own thoughts. “Please be real.”
I curved myself around her and anchored her to my chest. “I’m real, I promise.”
She nodded and sighed, her body relaxing against mine as she closed her eyes, and I ran my hand up and down the length of her arm as she fell asleep in mine.
Manny Log
Monday:
Tomorrow is the last day of school. I’m excited to have the kids at home all day. Want to work on getting Bree to be a “sister.”
Tuesday:
Watched two hours of Octonauts and Little Einsteins before I remembered the kids were at school.
Brady ran my ass around the yard all afternoon while Bree read on the porch. Good thing I’m in shape or I would have passed out after dinner.
Wednesday:
A thousand kids running around and trampling each other on the slides at Monkey Joe’s. Afraid for Brady’s safety and had to leave before I punched an eight-year-old in the face.
Looks like the neighborhood pool will be where we spend most of our time.
Note to self: Kids burn to a crisp and cry when left in the sun for a few hours. SPF is essential.
Oh, hello, horny housewives.
Thursday:
Brady suddenly has a lot of kids from the pool asking for play dates. Weird.
Bree and Jennifer are hanging out. She’s good for Bree, I think.
WTF? I am so tired I can’t see straight. Kids have no bedtime in the summer? Screw that shit. I’ll enforce it—if not for them, then for me. I want to pass out by eight now, which is uncool because the sun is still out. Can you give children melatonin? Or is Benadryl still the go-to?
Chapter 21
Come Together
I’d fallen asleep on the couch waiting for Gwen to get home. She woke me up with a kiss to my forehead, and I smiled.
“Thanks for waiting for me,” she whispered as my eyes focused. “I had to finish my project at work.”
I stretched and groaned. “I’ll head to bed, then.” I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair.
Her eyes were glued to my chest. “Want some company?” she asked.
I blinked and then chuckled. “Always.”
I cleaned up some dishes, and by the time I got downstairs she was waiting on
the edge of my bed, fussing with the ends of her hair and bouncing her leg against the frame.
I yawned before crawling up under the comforter. “Come on, get in,” I said, and she couldn’t hide her grin as she crawled under it, too. I secured my arm across her waist and pulled her back to my chest, placing a quick kiss on her neck before I yawned again. “Good night, Gwen.”
She slipped her fingers between mine and relaxed into the pillow. Her heart slowed from its overexcited beat, and I smiled as she drifted off.
The morning sunlight illuminated the bedroom window, and Gwen rolled away to sit up at the edge of the mattress. I trailed my fingers across her side, and she giggled, turning to see me smiling from just above the covers.
“I have to go to the office for a couple of hours to get a few things in order.”
“When will you be back?”
She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “In time to take you out for your birthday surprise, brat.”
I grinned and flopped back onto the pillow. “Fine. Go. See if I care.”
“See if I give you your present later.” She slapped me with the pillow and chuckled. I dug my fingers into it and yanked, pulling her toward me.
My eyes roamed her face. “I don’t need presents.”
She looked down. “I know. It’s nothing big, trust me. I just wanted to do something for you since you do so much . . .” Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and I held my breath. “I should go.”
I nodded once, never looking away. Then she shimmied her way back off the mattress and gave a short wave. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes and snuggled back into the blanket, trying to make her jealous of the comforter.
Sometimes I hated her job.
Her footsteps clicked down the hallway and stopped short at the entrance to the kitchen. I looked at her, and she raised her eyebrows to appraise what I was wearing.
“Don’t you look nice,” I said, stepping forward to get a better look.
She smiled, dropping her head to glance at her sundress and flip-flops. Then she held up a basket and gave me her most confident smile. “I made a picnic.”
I leaned in to give her a gentle kiss and ran my fingers along her jaw. “I love it.” I took her hand and led her to the garage, and we loaded the car and drove to the park for whatever she had planned.
It was quiet there, since most people were headed home to get dinner or tuck children in to bed. But we didn’t have the kids that night, so we were free to do as we pleased.
“Follow me.” She stepped off the path that led to the playground and statues. Her focus was on the ground as she led me deeper into the woods until the trees broke open revealing a huge field of white dandelions. She pointed to a dilapidated shed under an old oak that had a little wooden swing hanging from a thick branch.
“Are we going to get shot?” I asked as I looked around.
“No one lives here. It’s part of the park, but hardly anyone knows about it. I figured it would give us some privacy.”
We sat on the blanket, and she unpacked the food.
“When Bryan would get upset or need some time alone, he would come out here.” Her hand froze midair, and she snapped her mouth shut. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about how that would sound.”
I smiled and shook my head. “I appreciate your bringing me here. You’re letting me in a little.”
She turned her attention to the spread before us and opened the lids on some containers. “I’m no chef, since I’m not the one who went to culinary school, but I can make a mean macaroni salad.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I teased.
While we ate, I looked up toward the trees and pointed. “Lightning bugs.”
“We can catch some if you want.”
I jumped up and emptied the mason jar I was drinking lemonade out of, reached for her hand, and we abandoned our food. She emptied hers in a rush to follow.
“Come on!” I shouted.
“No squishing their butts, Andrew. My cousin used to do that. It’s inhumane!” she called as I dragged her toward the trees.
A little bug’s wings buzzed in front of my face, and I leaned back before bringing my hands up to catch it. We chased them around and deposited them into the glass jars until the forest grew too dark and we had to head back toward the clearing to see the last of the sunset. I carried my jar and Gwen carried hers until we stood next to the shed as the last of the pink dipped from the sky and night began to roll in.
“Now what?” she asked.
My eyes met hers and I gave her a smile. “Now we let them go.”
She laughed. “After all that? We chased them for almost an hour.”
I nodded and leaned down closer to her ear. “But they’re so beautiful when they’re free. On the count of three.”
I straightened and counted, and then both of us lifted our hands off the jars at the same time to watch the tiny bugs fly away in a frenzy, their lights blinking rapidly, celebrating their freedom. It was like watching stars rising through the night sky as they ascended into the warm summer air. I linked my fingers with hers, and we leaned against the side of the decaying building while the bugs disappeared into the forest again.
Pulling gently, I led her over to the swing. “Is it sturdy?” I asked.
“I’ve never used it.”
I tugged on the ropes and then hoisted myself to plant both feet on the wooden rung. I leaned back and jiggled it a bit, and it stayed strong, much to my satisfaction, so I extended a hand. “Climb up.”
“No thanks. I don’t want to break my leg.”
“Trust me. Just once?”
She sighed and placed her hand in mine, and I helped her up until she planted her feet on top of mine. I wrapped an arm around her waist and used the other to rock us back and forth.
“When was the last time you had fun like this?” I asked, running my fingers across her spine.
She blinked back tears. “The summer before my dad died, I guess.”
“That’s a long time.”
We swayed on the swing and watched the world darken around us. The chorus of the crickets grew louder, and the moon rose overhead. I looked down at Gwen, and she was staring at me.
“Put your arms around my waist,” I said.
She did, then buried her face into my shirt.
“Hold tight.”
She secured her hold, and I leaned back and rocked us to the side, then whipped us around until the rope was creaking from its new twisted position. Then we were spinning out, slow at first, then faster than I thought the swing could go.
I laughed, watching the world spin by in a blur. When we’d slowed to a gentle rocking again, she pulled back to look up at my face. Her eyes were alive and glittering in the moonlight.
I bent forward and kissed her, slow, like we had all the time in the world. Like it meant something. I ran my hand up her spine and tangled my fingers into her hair, securing my mouth against hers with an unyielding grip until the night grew so dark we had to leave.
Back at the house, she gave an exasperated sigh. “Time for your present, I suppose.”
“I told you I don’t need presents.”
She waved a hand and pointed to a chair at the kitchen table. “Sit.”
I complied, giving away my excitement with the steady bouncing of my knee under the table. She turned to the counter, keeping me from peeking by blocking the gift with her body while I waited. With a steadying breath, she turned around and presented me with a homemade birthday cake.
“Happy birthday.”
My eyes widened, and I looked from the cake to her face and back again.
“Do you like it?”
I rose to my feet and placed my hands over hers where they held the plate. My jaw clenched, and my eyes stung.
“It’s the nicest birthday present I’ve gotten in years. I can’t tell you the last time I had a birthday cake. Especially one that was homemade.”
“Goo
d. Have a seat and I’ll serve it up.”
I let go of her hands reluctantly. After I sat down again, she placed the cake in front of me and turned to grab a knife and plates. I wrapped my fingers around her wrist, and she looked down at me, her brow furrowed.
She had icing all over her thumb.
“Oops. I must have thumbed your cake. Sorry.”
I lifted her hand, opened my mouth and, wrapping my lips around her thumb, worked my tongue over the icing and scraped the flesh with my teeth, all the while staring into her eyes.
“Is it good?” she whispered, transfixed.
“You haven’t tried it?”
She shook her head.
“That’s too bad. It’s delicious. Just like you.”
I pulled her down to my lap, spreading her legs to straddle me and hiking up her skirt so I could get as close to her as possible. I stared at her mouth and leaned forward, lifting my hand to her face with a finger full of icing. I traced her lower lip with the butter cream, and my eyes widened as she licked it off. Then I attacked her mouth with mine, sucking on her lower lip and cleaning it off, my teeth tugging as I let it go.
She took my hand and lowered her mouth to taste my finger, working her tongue and sucking hard around the tip. I knew she could feel my reaction against the underside of her thigh as I trailed my hands across her spine and pulled down the zipper on the back of her dress. The tight fabric gave way and fell from her sides, and I didn’t even have to ask before she had her arms above her head, waiting for me to slide it off.
“Damn it,” I croaked when the dress had been discarded and she was straddling me in just her panties. “No bra?”
“Are you disappointed?”
She laughed when I shook my head, and then I lowered my face to her chest and placed a single kiss over her heart.