Her All Along

by Cara Dee

  I seriously couldn’t, but I loved seeing her so passionate about it.

  Life without passion was just…uninspiring. Bland. Dull.

  “So, how’s that going to alter your future plans?” I wondered, forking up some more lasagna. It was fantastic, but Elise’s was way better.

  “Well…I was thinking. Can’t I have two shops?” she asked rather than stated. “I’m picturing a duo of sorts. One establishment with two doors, one to the pastry shop, the other to the chocolates. You’ll still be able to combine purchases and whatever, but there will be two registers, two different but matching designs to the interior.”

  Given the research she put into everything and how hard she worked, I believed in any vision she believed in, and that’s what I told her.

  She beamed at me.

  It did things to me. She might be young and inexperienced in some ways, but she was still strong and opinionated. Yet, it seemed to matter a great deal to her what I thought, and that meant the world to me.

  Twenty-Nine

  “You’re so fucking beautiful…” I gripped her jaw and exposed her neck for me, and I sucked greedily at her flesh while I started moving faster. “And you take my cock like a good little girl.”

  She moaned breathlessly and raked her fingernails up my back.

  No goddamn barriers between us. No shame, no hiding, no fears of judgment.

  This woman liberated me.

  The sun was about to rise outside my bedroom window. The sheets were twisted around our lower bodies, and we bore the marks from last night’s heavy, sweaty, rough fucking. She’d turned me into an animal.

  Gathering her hands in one of mine above her head, I slipped my free hand between us and rubbed her clit. Fucking hell, she was wet.

  “Kiss me,” she whimpered. “Oh fuck.”

  I kissed her hungrily, and she hitched her legs over my hips. Next time I pushed in, I groaned at the feel. Tight, hot, soaking wet. All mine. We moved fluidly and instinctively, like the perfect fucking fit, something I’d never experienced before. She was perfect. For me. She took and she gave; she pleaded and she demanded.

  The dam had broken, and the girl I’d once viewed as a baby sister was now the most erotic creature I’d ever met. Everything she did turned me on. From a soft quirk of her lips to when she crawled to me on all fours and begged to suck my cock.

  She gasped and clamped down around me, her flawless body trembling and glistening underneath me.

  “Time to let go, baby,” I whispered, my voice like gravel. Strained, rough, breathless. “I want your sweet pussy squeezing my cock when I come in you.”

  “Oh my God.” She cried out and buried her face against my neck, and my words did the trick. She tensed up and sucked in a breath.

  I finally let go and fucked her brutally as my orgasm took over. She let out a pleading, intoxicating scream, and I groaned and screwed my eyes shut, the pleasure fucking blinding me. Holy fuck. I rocked as deeply as I could and stayed there, and I felt her inner muscles contracting around me.

  For a while, there was just a pulsating beat in my ears.

  “Oh my God,” she panted. “Oh my God, oh my God.”

  I couldn’t speak yet. I withdrew from her and collapsed next to her, and all I could do was try to collect my breath.

  Jesus Christ. It was amazing to me that even though Elise had always been there, I still found myself wondering, utterly fucking baffled, where she’d come from.

  I hugged her to me and pressed my lips to her shoulder.

  Exhale.

  She shivered and ran her fingers through my hair.

  I couldn’t stop touching her. The immediate thirst had been quenched; there was no urgency, and yet, I needed. I squeezed her perfect little ass, I kissed her neck, I cupped her breasts, I entwined our legs.

  “I think we should fall in love now,” she whispered.

  I grinned against her soft flesh, instantly elated. “I think it’s too late to begin,” I whispered back.

  She perked up at that. Supporting herself on an elbow, she peered down at me and became the picture of concentration.

  I combed back some stray hair from her face, then cupped her cheek. “I’m afraid I’ve been completely conquered by your master plan.”

  She bit her lip as happiness lit up her beautiful eyes. “So, you love me too?”

  I chuckled and pulled her down for a kiss. “I do. I didn’t stand a chance.”

  “Gah!” She went into attack mode and crawled on top of me, and it was promptly followed by kisses all over my face.

  I was ridiculous for how widely I smiled, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass. This girl was—

  “Jesus!” I hissed.

  —a fucking biter.

  She’d sunk her teeth into my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry!” Her words came out muffled by my skin, and no, she didn’t actually stop.

  “Ouch,” I chuckled and winced. “Enough, baby.”

  Thank fuck she stopped. I doubted she’d drawn blood, but hell, my shoulder hurt.

  “I’m sorry.” Except, she was grinning. And she was out-of-this-world gorgeous, sitting there, straddling me, looking down at me, with that stunning smile of hers and her eyes dancing with joy.

  I sat up and wrapped my arms around her. She fit perfectly. “I love you, you nut.”

  She beamed impossibly wider and cupped my face in her hands, slowly leaning in to kiss my own smile. “I love you too.”

  Damn. Those words…

  “Say it again while I nurse my wounds,” I murmured against her lips.

  “Uh-uh, I nurse your wounds from now on.” She paused and inched back with a contemplative expression. “I can nurse your cock too.”

  I coughed around a laugh and shook my head. She was something else.

  She smirked cheekily. “I love you. Now I need a second round.”

  All right, then.

  We emerged a little after nine, famished and physically drained. After two rounds of sex and a quick nap, she’d sheepishly said she might be experiencing one of her “hypersexual periods” that came and went every now and then. My cock had been too tired at first, but with my face buried between her thighs, I’d found motivation for round three.

  I couldn’t stop looking at my shoulder. I’d seen her teeth marks in the mirror before we showered, and I saw them again now, in the reflection of the black glass door of the microwave while I prepared the coffeemaker.

  I fucking liked it. She’d marked me.

  Elise bruised like a peach, so she was used to quick-fading marks, usually from my hands and fingers, and now I got it. I understood why it turned her on so much.

  “Excuse me, sir.” She snuck around me to grab a spoon from the top drawer, and then she shut it with a bump of her hip before returning to the omelet she was preparing.

  She’d put on her god-awful pop music too.

  For a while, I just stood there and watched her. I didn’t care if it made me a pig; seeing her in one of my tees, hair damp, walking around with pep in her step, humming to the music, preparing a big omelet and bacon for breakfast, was probably the loveliest shit I’d ever seen. This was where she belonged—with me.

  Which made it clear that it wasn’t up to me to find a house she would help me decorate. It was our task, to find the future home we would share together.

  Slow your roll. Let the girl finish college before you trap her.

  I grimaced and turned to the cupboards for two mugs. Yeah, no need to rush. One of the things I loved most about Elise was her brilliant mind, so I wasn’t going to get arrogant and make any decisions on her behalf—because she was young and so on—but I could at least pace myself.

  I’d latched on to people too quickly in the past. After my childhood, I’d viewed anyone who was polite as a saint. I’d reveled in common courtesy. First time a teacher praised me…? I’d been unable to contain my emotions. Praise and compliments hadn’t existed in my life. And maybe that was why I’d become seri
ous so fast with my ex-wife.

  It was a mindfuck and a half to have trust issues at the same time as I fell to my knees at a compliment.

  Either way, Elise wasn’t like anyone in my past. She wasn’t a teacher, she wasn’t my ex, she wasn’t the social worker who’d been nice to me. Elise was trust and honesty personified. I could be patient around her. We were in this together, and we were going to do it right. I didn’t want any decisions based on the fear that she’d might leave if I didn’t act quickly enough.

  Two firm knocks on the front door interrupted my thoughts, and I kissed the top of Elise’s head on my way to the hallway.

  Maybe Mary was early. We’d agreed she’d bring Grace over around noon. I tightened the drawstrings of my sweats, then opened the door—and I got smacked in the face by the sight of Darius.

  He was drenched in sweat, clearly out on his morning run, and he removed one earbud as he eyed me up and down.

  Fuck.

  Hey there, my closest buddy—why yes, that is your baby sister cooking breakfast in my kitchen.

  He flicked a glance at my shoulder before cocking a brow at me. Then, without breaking our gaze, he yelled, “Elise!”

  Safe to say, the cat was out of the bag.

  I cleared my throat and folded my arms over my chest. And fuck Darius. I’d seen how he’d intimidated people with a single look before; he wasn’t going to pull that shit with me.

  I looked over my shoulder just when Elise appeared in the hallway, and she tiptoed over to us with apprehension in her eyes. There was a generous dose of assertiveness too, though. She wouldn’t let her brother bend her will or give too much attitude.

  Darius addressed her and jerked his chin at me. “Is this really what you wanna hitch your wagon to?”

  I barely refrained from rolling my eyes, even though I did feel slightly unnerved.

  Elise furrowed her brow and gave me a brief glance, then offered her attention to Darius again. “I don’t know anything about hitching wagons. If you’re asking if Avery and I are together, the answer is yes, and you’re not allowed to come here and take a crap on my hard work. It took me forever to wear him down.”

  I scrubbed a hand over my mouth to hide my smirk. My nerves went away too.

  Later, Pipsqueak and I had to sit down and discuss her definition of “forever.”

  Darius grunted noncommittally, looking anything but impressed.

  “Who told you?” I asked.

  “I already had my suspicions about that one,” he said, nodding at Elise. “Then Ethan told me you had a date in the marina last night, and I knew Elise was out too.” He shook his head and scowled at me. “Is there something in the fucking water around here? Can no one find partners their own age? Cradle robbers, the bunch of you.”

  The bunch of us…? It was Ryan and me. That made two.

  “To be fair, the cradle robbed him,” Elise drawled.

  I let out a laugh. I couldn’t help it.

  At Darius’s glare, Elise dropped the humor and became serious. “Don’t be mad at him, please. We were going to tell you soon.”

  “At him?” Darius responded incredulously. “I’m more irritated with you, Elise. Now I’m gonna have to put one of my best friends in the hospital if he hurts you.”

  “I’d help you if that ever happened,” I replied. I understood his position, so I wasn’t going to give him any crap. And to be honest, he was taking the news rather well. “This is serious, though. She’s changed everything for me.”

  He eyed me for a beat, some of the hostility melting away. “The guys who snatch up Elise and Willow are either good guys or complete fucking idiots.” Because the girls had an arsenal of protective brothers. “Don’t be the idiot, Ave.” He wrapped that up by extending his hand to me.

  It was a good deal. I shook his hand.

  “All right,” he said. “I smell bacon, and I smell coffee. You shits gonna invite me in or not?” The bastard didn’t even wait for a response. He squeezed his way through with a faint smirk that told me everything I needed to know. He did not mind playing chaperone and cockblocker.

  Elise snickered, and it was impossible to miss the relief in her gaze as I closed the door.

  She and I were officially official to everyone in her family. I’d heard from my Pipsqueak that Mary had told Evelina, who had obviously told Lias.

  I felt the relief too.

  “Let’s go entertain your brother.” I kissed Elise’s temple.

  A lot happened in the days that followed—enough to make me feel overwhelmed, so the fact that Elise was holding it together… On the other hand, setting things in stone had a larger calming effect on her than the rushing unsettled her.

  My house was on the market. All my personal belongings were in storage, aside from furniture. Darius, Ethan, and I were moving that tomorrow after Elise had returned to San Francisco.

  I’d secured two jobs that started this fall. Four days a week, I’d teach civics and history at a severely underfunded public high school in Oakland, which, to be honest, had worried me a little—not that I was going to tell Elise that—because of how low the pay was. But as of yesterday, that problem was taken care of. I’d be making some extra money teaching social studies to a GED prep class in Alameda. It would only be two nights a week, but it was enough to ensure living in California wouldn’t set me back too far financially. Because holy fuck, day care was expensive down there.

  Which was another thing I’d covered. After making calls to half of California, I’d found a private playgroup in Berkeley that catered mostly to university personnel. A phone interview later, I’d had Grace in my lap this morning when we met Susan Lu at Berkeley Young Minds over Skype. Grace was in, and I was mailing the paperwork tomorrow.

  “Hi, Dada, hi!”

  “Hi, love.” I helped her up on the couch. “Have you been helping Nana and Pipsqueak with dinner?”

  She ignored me completely and thought it was more interesting to grab for my glasses.

  “I know, I look weird, but Elise says I have to wear them,” I said, dodging her little fists.

  “I heard that!” Elise hollered from the kitchen. “It’s bad to lie to your daughter!”

  I grinned and made funny faces with Grace. “Daddy’s not lying,” I whispered.

  Grace giggled loudly and bounced on the cushion.

  Maybe Daddy was lying a little. Pipsqueak had just caught me one too many times straining my eyes, and I’d run out of excuses.

  The front door opened, and I heard Darius and James. Now we were just waiting for Ethan. Tonight was a farewell dinner of sorts, though it had to be the most drawn-out farewell in history. Grace and I had been sleeping in one of the guest rooms upstairs the past few days, and at least twice a day, Mary would get teary-eyed and say how much she was going to miss her little ray of sunshine.

  To be clear, I wasn’t the little ray of sunshine.

  “Pop-Pop!” Grace yelled. “Unka!”

  The two joined us in the living room. James slumped down in his chair, and Darius found a spot on the couch. Grace jumped over to him first and babbled animatedly about something only she understood. And when she didn’t get the reaction she was hoping for—more like a blank face and a hesitant, “Uh, sure. Yeah, I agree with you.”—she huffed and slid off the couch to make her way to James instead. He was better at humoring her and decided that her incoherent ramblings always meant that she wanted to talk about whatever project James was working on in the garage.

  Darius nodded at the notepad on my lap. “Final preparations?”

  I inclined my head. “Elise kindly pointed out that all smart people had to-do lists.”

  He snorted in amusement. “Yeah, I’ve heard her kind hints before.” He leaned back a bit and settled one foot over his knee, and his arms extended across the back of the couch. “So, what’s left? Y’all have been running around all week.”

  To put it mildly. “Housing. There’re enough options in Berkeley to ease my worries. Fin
ding a place there won’t be difficult—it’ll just cost me.”

  “I don’t get why you don’t stay with Ry and Angel,” he responded.

  I’d already gotten chewed out by Ryan himself about that, but it was simple to me. “Elise needs peace and quiet for her studies.” And the reality was, Ryan and Angel had a small two-bedroom apartment above their bar. Elise stayed in the guest room. Adding a young child—and me—to that would take small and cozy and shoot it straight into crowded and too loud.

  “I guess that makes sense,” Darius replied. “She’s starting her business economics class this semester, right?”

  “Yes, so the last thing she needs is a screaming toddler nearby.”

  “That’s the last thing anyone needs, buddy,” he laughed.

  I smirked and shook my head.

  “Oh, you’ll see one day, boy,” James said gruffly. Grace was getting cuddly on his lap, and it made me check my watch. Too early for her to get tired, damn it. She’d be cranky for the rest of the evening now.

  “I won’t see shit,” Darius answered firmly.

  James didn’t bother with a response. He addressed me instead. “Don’t be surprised if we join you after Christmas. Mary’s been houndin’ me for a time-share down there.”

  “What the hell?” Darius frowned.

  I was surprised too.

  James shrugged a little and tucked Grace into his arms. “Only a matter of time before Ryan’s girl starts squeezing out kids. If he’s anything like me, he’ll want a big brood of his own, and he’ll have no patience once the first kid arrives.”

  Ryan was a lot like his father. And James and Mary had welcomed four boys into the world in a span of five or six years. Then they’d waited a decade before they had Lias.

  “Ma!” Darius yelled. “If Ethan and Ave give you more grandkids, will y’all stay in town more?”

  I laughed.

  Mary popped her head into the living room and narrowed her eyes at James. “What’re you talking about?”