AndrewMe and five of my companions hit the golf course at eight the next morning. It was looking to be a beautiful day, so we passed on the golf carts and walked our clubs to each new tee. Bob was there, dressed in argyle socks, khaki shorts, and a green polo. His golf hat was perched atop his head, and he looked the part of a golfer who had retired to Florida, rather than a man who was playing a friendly game of golf amongst his peers, each of which was probably worth around a billion dollars.I was sick over Lanie leaving, but I didn’t have time to figure out what the fuck the problem was. She was young. Too young for me. Maybe I’d made a torrential mistake giving her a ring. It hurt me to even think it.Damon and Matthew Bryant were there, Damon being the one Bob had pulled in on the deal. Matt was Erica’s boyfriend, Lanie’s best friend. I liked Matthew right off the bat the first time I met him. He insisted on being called Matt, and his sense of humor cut the awkward tension imme
AndrewBob was a straight shooter. That was why we were such good friends. “Just a lot on my mind is all.” I hoped he’d leave it. If Lanie were anyone else besides his daughter, I would have been totally open to talking to him about it. But she wasn’t. She was his baby girl, and opening up to him about our relationship felt strange. Weird.“Are you okay?”He was going to push until I said something. So why not go with the truth? If he was willing to ask, I had to assume he could handle my answer, whatever it was. “Honestly?” I asked. “No. I’m starting to get a little worried about my relationship with Lanie.”“Did something happen?”I shrugged. I wasn’t going to tell him his daughter tried to fuck me in the bath last night without a condom, and I’d been the idiot who stopped her. I’d gone to bed with a horrible case of blue balls. I’d have sorted it out if I didn’t think I deserved the pain. “No, not really. But the difference between our ages keeps popping up when I least expect it.
LanieMy eyes were puffy from crying all night long. My sinuses were completely plugged, and I looked like I needed to down an entire bottle of Benadryl. But that wouldn’t cure the sadness that had taken over my body.I’d settle for a bottle of tequila to fix that.As I was rolling out of bed to fetch my second toilet paper roll to use as a Kleenex, my doorbell rang. I sighed, already exasperated, and padded barefoot down the hall to the front door. I was wearing my pink fleece robe and nothing else, and I didn’t much care who was about to lay eyes upon me and my disastrous state.When I opened the door, Erica blew in past me. If she noticed how horrible I looked, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she marched straight to my bedroom where I found her pulling my suitcase out of my closet and stuffing it with panties, bras, and other items.“What are you doing?” I asked as I sank down on the edge of my bed.She didn’t even look at me. “Girls’ weekend. We need to get your mind off of what
LanieErica nodded and fixed her gaze dead ahead on the road. We passed a sign that said Harrison was only fifteen more miles. I waited as Erica took a deep breath and then finally started talking. “You and Andrew are making this whole thing so much harder than it needs to be.”I nodded, and she took that as a sign to keep going.“All a relationship really takes is love, respect, and a willingness and eagerness to make it work. If that’s not there, then there is no point in fucking around and wasting time pursuing something that a few years down the road still won’t be what you want. Do you see where I’m going with this?”Unfortunately, I did.“Andrew is a good guy. You’re a great woman. And I know you both care deeply for each other. That much is super obvious. But neither of you are able to just sit down and come clean with all the things you want to figure out. It sucks, and it’s hard, and it will probably be a rough conversation, but at the end of the day, it will give you all the
AndrewMy Monday was busy. All of my time was occupied with making final arrangements regarding the deal with Alex Reid via Lanie’s father. Bob was ecstatic that everything was falling into place, and as I signed my final piece of paperwork and handed it to Robin, I was glad to be done with this stage of the process. It had been time and energy consuming, and I was ready to move on to bigger and better things.But unfortunately, the next thing on my to-do list was not better.Robin had arranged for me to meet Liza for lunch that afternoon for a final review of our numbers and data before closing out the deal. I wasn’t looking forward to it. Chances were high that Liza would attempt to put the moves on me, and I would be forced to make it clear once more that things between us were strictly business.Things got worse for me when I grabbed my jacket from where it hung on the back of my office door before heading out to meet Liza, and I realized my wallet was at home in the back pocket o
AndrewLiza was waiting for me at a table by the window. She was sipping on a chilled glass of white wine. The glass was sweating, and little beads of water rolled down the side and the stem as it sat on the white tablecloth. She stood up to greet me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. The near dozen sparkly gold bracelets she wore jingled gently, and when we parted, she gave me a red smile and sank back into her seat like a cat on the prowl. She crossed one leg over the other and rested her hand on the base of her wine glass.“Rough afternoon?” she asked.I nodded as I took my seat across from her. “You have no idea.”“Something I can help with, perhaps?”“No.” I shook my head. “Just the joys of having a teenage daughter at home. There’s always a surprise waiting around the corner.”She chuckled, and the waiter appeared to take our orders. I opted for water, which Liza pouted about, and we both ordered our meals, although I was sure I’d only manage to take a few bites. Then we
LanieErica and I got back to Seattle at noon on Monday. After dropping my stuff off at the house, we went downtown to our favorite salad bar and ordered food. Breakfast in Harrison had been a long time ago, and I was starving. I felt relaxed and rejuvenated from our time up in the mountains.Erica had spoiled me.The facials had been lovely. My skin was glowing and bright and so smooth. My body was light as a feather from the hour and a half long full body massage with hot stone treatments. My fingers and toes had been decorated with bright pink nail polish. Erica had black polish, which was much more her speed and went well with her red and black outfit. My nails went with my yellow sundress and silver sandals.The time in the hot springs had been wonderful. It was like I’d been able to hit a restart button. I had perspective that I’d been aching to find for such a long time. I knew what I wanted: Andrew. And I knew that I had to talk seriously with him about my other needs before m
Lanie“Lunch on the corner. I saw you guys walk by and had to come after you.” He ran his hand up my hip to rest it on my waist. “Lanie, I have to apologize. I’m sorry for all this shit the last few weeks. I’ve been an ass. I want to make this work. Really. I want to be with you.”I thought I might start crying. Again. But I held on to my emotions and smiled instead. “I want that too. So badly.”He kissed me again. My heart raced and tried to fly out of my chest.He broke away and threw his arm out to flag down a passing cab. We both piled into the back seat, and he told the driver his address. Then he pulled me into his lap, pushed my skirt up so he could rest his hands on my bare thighs, and crushed his mouth against mine.“What about your car?” I asked him and pressed against him tightly.“Fuck it. I’ll get it later.” He slipped his hands into my hair and pulled me down for another long round of kisses.I clung to him and didn’t care that there was someone in the car with us. He wa
Andrew“How are you doing?” I rubbed Lanie’s shoulder, feeling silly for asking the question.She huffed out a breath, looking out the window instead of at me.I nodded. Right, then.What was it I learned in that maternity class we took? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember one thing. My pulse was racing a million miles an hour, and all my nerves were bunching up in my stomach.Lanie exhaled again, long and low, as she had another contraction.The door opened, and the doctor strode into the room with a big smile. “Let’s check you out,” she said.Lanie just pressed her lips tight together and nodded, her face growing red.“You’re doing great, honey,” I told her.She smiled up at me, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She was ready for this to be over with.Taking her hand, I held it tight as the doctor checked her dilation.“Ten centimeters,” she announced. “We’re ready to push.”“Thank god,” Lanie gasped. She gritted her teeth and squeezed my hand so tight, I thought it wa
LanieI whisked the curtains open, taking in the white beach and the sparkling blue water. Palm trees and other foliage covered the far side of the bay. A few people surfed, but other than that, the area was empty.“Oh my god,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”Andrew’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind. “Yeah?” he murmured, laying a kiss on the side of my neck.We’d gotten to the resort after dark the night before, and all I’d really gotten to see were the patios and the lobby. I’d pored over the brochure, though, listing all the things I wanted to do.“I can’t believe we’re here for a whole week.” I rested my arms against Andrew’s.“What do you want to do today?”“Mm.” I leaned against him, thinking about it some. “Sunbathe? Take a surfing lesson? I dunno. What do you want to do?”“Spend time with you.”I spun around to face him. “I like that answer.”A knock on the door made me look over his shoulder. “It’s so early. Who is that?”Andrew shrugged but couldn’t hide the knowing l
AndrewThe door of the old house opened, and Erica came out first. She smiled at everyone over her bouquet, and a low whistle came from somewhere in the crowd.“Inappropriate,” Saxton dramatically gasped under his breath. For a moment, my nerves loosened, and I almost laughed—but Raven was coming out the door then.She wore a blue dress like Erica, just cut in a different way, with the skirt longer and no sleeves. Smiling wide, she made her way down the aisle. She walked with the slightest limp, one that might have been unnoticeable if you weren’t paying attention. It was the one leftover symptom from the car wreck, something that would likely be with her for the rest of her life, as she’d broken her leg so badly.The limp didn’t get her down, though. Overall, she’d been positive about the whole thing. Now, as she reached the end of the aisle, she looked my way and absolutely glowed.Love and pride filled my heart. Our relationship had gone through some tough times, but the last six m
Andrew3 Months Later – The Wedding“Your tie looks fine,” Bob told me.“Huh?” I dragged my gaze away from the line of trees ringing the field. “What’s that?”“You were messing with your tie again.” Bob grinned. “You ever wore one of those before?”I frowned. “Almost every day.”Bob clapped me on the back. “I was kidding, Andrew. Relax.”I took in a long breath. “Sorry.”All around us, wedding guests chatted and catering staff hurried to and from. The day was amazing, a balmy June morning. The venue Raven and Lanie had discovered couldn’t be more perfect. What was once a mansion on the outskirts of the city had been turned into a preserve complete with hiking trails and a covered area for events.“Were you this nervous?” I asked, looking Bob over.I expected him to answer in the negative—Bob was just that confident about everything. I’d only asked because I needed to keep myself busy somehow. If I didn’t spend the last fifteen minutes before my wedding talking, I’d probably die of anx
LanieLast night, he’d pulled out every time and played it safe. I knew we were taking baby steps. Going from using a condom every time to suddenly doing away with them was a leap. But I was on birth control, which I’d told him, and immediate pregnancy was extremely unlikely. I just wanted to know what it felt like to have his come fill me up.“Please baby,” I moaned. “I want to feel you.”Andrew groaned above me, and his hands tightened on my ass. I was doing him over with this talk, and I knew it. He loved it. And he probably wanted the same thing I did. So I encouraged him again by looking over my shoulder and looking him in the eye as he fucked me.“Andrew,” I purred. “Fuck me until you come inside me. Please.”And he did. He bucked wildly against me, and I came as he shot his warm silky load inside me. It was what I had needed. A closeness that we’d never experienced before. He was bent over me and kissing my spine and my shoulder blades as his orgasm ebbed away and my body thrum
LanieI woke up in the morning with Andrew’s hand on my hip. I was lying on my side, and he was behind me. I could feel his cock pressed against the small of my back. His breath was on my neck, and his closeness turned me on immediately.I was always horny in the morning, and waking up next to him was intoxicating.It was early. The room wasn’t as bright as it would be at say, seven or so in the morning. It must have been earlier, maybe six, possibly just after five. But we were both awake, and I wanted to take advantage of it before I had to leave for work at eight thirty.My life had somehow mended itself. Erica’s weekend getaway had helped, and so had Andrew’s willingness to take a good hard look at himself in the mirror and figure out what he wanted and whether or not he was willing to do what it took to get it. He shifted against me and yawned deeply.“Morning,” I whispered.His hand moved around my hip to my belly, and he pulled me in closer to him. His cock shifted between my a
AndrewHow had it taken me so long to figure out that this was what I needed? I hadn’t felt this good in years, or maybe even a decade, to be honest. Hell, maybe longer. My career had consumed my life. I’d nearly let it destroy my relationship with my daughter. Had it not been for Lanie, my life would have already imploded. Not only did she rescue the crumbling relationship with the person I loved most in this world, but she also showed me support and kindness and softness.“You’re a lucky bastard.” I smiled to myself as I rolled out of my chair and made for the kitchen.I chopped up some strawberries and tossed them on a bed of whipped cream. I added a sprinkle of icing sugar and some chocolate drizzle and left it in the fridge so that the whipped cream wouldn’t melt by the time Lanie came back down.I waited, much too nervous to do anything but pace the kitchen floor for a whole thirty-five minutes before Lanie appeared in the kitchen doorway. She was wearing a smile that eased my n
AndrewWhen I told Lanie that Raven was home, it took a lot of effort for us to cool down. We were all giggles and flirting as we went to the kitchen and each got a glass of water. Then we went out back to the patio and sat in the sun. Lanie kicked off her sandals, rested her feet in my lap, and let the sun kiss her bare legs. I ran my hands up and down them as she told me all about her weekend with Erica.“It really was beautiful there,” Lanie said. “We should go some time. You’d love the hot springs. I can only imagine how stunning it would be in the winter. And cold.”“I’ll take you whenever you want to go.”“I’ll tell you when I start to get the itch again.”“Good. What else is new? Tell me.”Lanie shrugged and sipped her water. “Besides getting totally pampered all weekend? Not much. I had some good chats with Erica, though, and I was able to sort through some things that were taking up too much space in my mind. Things about us.”“Oh?”“We need to be better at communicating,” sh
Lanie“Lunch on the corner. I saw you guys walk by and had to come after you.” He ran his hand up my hip to rest it on my waist. “Lanie, I have to apologize. I’m sorry for all this shit the last few weeks. I’ve been an ass. I want to make this work. Really. I want to be with you.”I thought I might start crying. Again. But I held on to my emotions and smiled instead. “I want that too. So badly.”He kissed me again. My heart raced and tried to fly out of my chest.He broke away and threw his arm out to flag down a passing cab. We both piled into the back seat, and he told the driver his address. Then he pulled me into his lap, pushed my skirt up so he could rest his hands on my bare thighs, and crushed his mouth against mine.“What about your car?” I asked him and pressed against him tightly.“Fuck it. I’ll get it later.” He slipped his hands into my hair and pulled me down for another long round of kisses.I clung to him and didn’t care that there was someone in the car with us. He wa