LanieThe pep rally got underway, and it was impossible to maintain a conversation over the noise. Mr. Winters took a seat a few chairs down from me after he had all the kids engaged and excited, and by the time the event was in full swing, my mind was spinning a mile a minute.All I could think about was Andrew. The ring on my finger felt like it weighed five hundred pounds, and every cell in body screamed for resolution. I couldn’t take all of the tension and not knowing. The unknown had always been the worst for me, and our lack of communication and his willingness to leave me in the dark was getting to me.Not being able to take it anymore, I stood up and left the gym. I walked down the long hall and took a right, where I pressed my back to the lockers and slid down the length of them to sit on the floor.What was I doing?Was I about to make the biggest mistake of my life and marry a man who was not only seventeen years older than me, but also completely willing to neglect me for
AndrewNone of the vehicles I owned would accommodate the cast on Raven’s leg or provide the lumbar support she needed for the ride home, so I booked a spacious van with drop-down side steps for her. She raised a skeptical eyebrow at it when it pulled up in front of the exit, and she tried to peer around at me where I stood behind her wheelchair.“Really, Dad? A minivan? Have you lost all your mojo since I’ve been in the hospital?”I rolled my eyes and helped her to her feet. “I was hoping you’d lose some of your attitude along with your movability.”“My attitude is genetic.”“Touché.”She hobbled along beside me to the van. Had this gone down a few months ago when things with her were still rocky, I was sure she never would have leaned on me for support. In fact, I’d bet money that she would have crawled on her belly military style if she had to.The driver came around and pulled open the sliding door. It locked into place, and I half lifted, half slid Raven into the seat in the back
AndrewWhen Lanie arrived just before five, she let herself in the front door. She and Raven embraced, both of them giggling shyly and poking light fun at each other. Then she came to me and wrapped one arm around my waist. She rested her cheek on my chest for the briefest moment and looked up at me. I bent to give her a kiss. It was a brief one, but it was sweet nonetheless, and I could taste the lingering flavor of her cherry chapstick on my lips when she bustled into the kitchen, carrying the bags she refused to give me when I tried to take them from her.Raven hobbled after her, and I came in last.Lanie set everything out on the counter.“What are we making?” Raven asked, leaning up on the counter so she didn’t have to put weight on her bad leg.“Tacos.” Lanie grinned.Raven clapped her hands together and looked up at me. “We haven’t had tacos in ages!”“Because they’re a little—” I paused, catching the way Lanie looked over at me. “A little meal.”Lanie arched her eyebrow, but a
LanieAndrew poured us each a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. The glasses were long-stemmed and frosted, and possibly the most decadent stemware I’d ever held. I sipped gratefully and let the earthy flavor tingle on my tongue before swallowing tiny mouthfuls.He set his glass down on the kitchen counter and began collecting all the dishes and scraping the food off of them. As he loaded the dishwasher, I brought in the remaining dishes out on the dining room table.“So,” I said in an effort to cut the silence between us. “How has work been? Busy?”Andrew nodded. “Very. It’s been difficult to have a chance to even get a breath. I’m working on a deal that could potentially pay all my employees for the year.” He licked a bit of sour cream off his thumb after accidentally sticking it in the container while snapping the lid on. “Which would be nice, to say the least. Every other deal for the rest of the year would basically be straight profit.”“Who’s the client? Have you told me about them be
LanieWe went to the tub, and he held my hand as I stepped over the edge, plunging my feet into the silky hot water. The bubble bath was decadent. I sank down and drew my knees up to my chest. The water enveloped me up to my shoulders, and the tiny bubbles popped against my skin. Andrew joined me beneath the water and encouraged me to turn around. I put my back to him, and he spread his legs and pulled me between them. Then his hands were at the base of my neck, and he was massaging muscles I hadn’t realized were in desperate need of release.“This is nice,” I whispered. The hardness of his erection in the small of my back was also pleasant. A reminder that he was as desperately attracted to me as I was to him. It was, at most times, completely intoxicating.His fingers worked down my spine to massage all of my back and my hips. After a few minutes, he reached around to cup my breasts and pulled me back against his chest. We sank deeper into the water until just my chin was above the
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
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