“You doing okay?” I asked.
She nodded but drew in a shaky breath at the same time. “What if it doesn’t work out?”
“What if what doesn’t work out?” I asked.
“What if we get there and changed, sympathetic Grant is gone and mean, thoughtless Grant is back? What if he tells me I can’t come inside and see Remy? Or what if he tries to use wanting to see him as leverage to have me withdraw the papers?” she asked.
I wished I could gather her up in my arms and soothe her. We’re just going to have to face whatever was waiting there for us. I knew that didn’t sound terribly helpful right now, but it’s all we can do. Whatever Grant we run into when we get to the house, that’s the Grant we’re going to deal with. And whether he had a come to Jesus moment yesterday or it was just a brief moment of panic, it’s going to be alright. We’re not going to take his nonsense.”
“Thank you for coming with me,” she said.
“Nowhere I’d rather be,” I told her, letting out a long breath.
When we got to the house, Grant opened the door and first looked at me. I didn’t let go of Lindsey’s hand or give any indication I was uncomfortable. His eyes moved over to Lindsey.
“He’s been asking about you,” he said. “He’s excited you’re coming to visit him today.”
Any doubts I might have had about his motivations immediately started to fade. The tone of his voice wasn’t subtle. At least, it wasn’t to me. He was taking a quiet approach, but he was definitely trying to get into Lindsey’s good graces again.
She didn’t seem to notice, or she was making a concerted effort not to respond to it. We stepped inside the house, and I noticed Remy on the living room couch. Grant had propped several pillows up on one end so the little boy could recline with his cast up on the cushions with him. A small stack of throw pillows helped support the arm held in a sling against his body. Hints of bruises and scrapes on his forehead and other arm were other reminders of the frightening accident he experienced.
I could only imagine the terror he felt when he fell. Just like he didn’t know what he would find when he got to the top of the railing, he had no way of knowing how far he was going to fall when he toppled down. It must have felt like it was never going to end.
As we walked into the living room, Remy perked up and turned his little face toward us.
“Mommy?” he asked.
“Yes, baby,” Lindsey said, rushing over to the couch. “I’m here. How did you sleep?”
“My leg hurts,” he said. “But Daddy made it feel better.”
She looked over her shoulder at Grant. “I’ve been giving him his medication like the prescription said. I had to wake him up in the middle of the night to give it to him so the pain wouldn’t catch up with him.”
“It feels better than yesterday,” Remy offered.
“That’s good,” Lindsey said. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. Now, what should we do?”
The rest of the visit went well. I kept waiting for grandparents to show up, but they never did. I was glad about that. I really didn’t like what I had seen of Remy’s grandparents so far. Besides, Lindsey was freaked-out enough as it was. She didn’t need the added anxiety of dealing with them right now.
We were at Grant’s house for a couple of hours before Remy needed to take his medication again and started getting sleepy. Lindsey and I sat with him and read him a story, alternating pages and dialogue the way he asked. I had to admit, it felt good to have him happy I was there. But it’s still caused the twinge in my heart.
After the little boy nodded off to sleep, we left. Without conversation, I headed back to my place. Eventually, Lindsey would need her car. But I liked having her with me, and I would hold on to that for as long as I could.
30
Lindsey
Something felt off between Vince and me. I didn’t know what it was, but something had shifted. The dynamic between us was no longer the same. There was something he wasn’t saying. Something on his mind that was creating a strange distance between us. Even though we were right there beside each other and I could reach out and touch him, I sensed a wall there.
We got back to his house, and Vince headed right for the bedroom. I followed him and found him kicking off his shoes. I didn’t know what we had planned for the rest of the day. The visit to Grant’s house was obviously not on the original agenda for our staycation. As soon as that thought rippled through my mind, guilt clenched my stomach. This was supposed to be our weekend together, and it had all gotten derailed.
Now I didn’t know exactly what we were going to do. Originally, he was going to come with me to the bar and we would spend the evening there before going to stay at my apartment for another night. Now it was obvious we weren’t going to my apartment. I wasn’t sure when he was going to bring me to get my car from the hospital or if he had anything planned for dinner. All I knew was wherever we were going to be, I hoped to spend the night with him.
Sleeping beside Vince always helped me rest so much better than when I was alone. He made me feel safe and comfortable. At least, he did before this change between us happened. Now I wasn’t sure how to feel. I didn’t know how to approach it or what to say.
Before I had the chance, Vince closed the space between us and yanked me hard against him. His mouth crushed down on mine for a hard, intense kiss. I wasn’t sure what revved this up inside him, but I wasn’t going to stop him.
His body molded over mine, insistent and pressing, like he couldn’t be close enough, couldn’t be clear enough that my body was what fed his soul. I stepped back to gain my footing and found my feet dangling off the floor as his arms wrapped around my waist. I smiled into the kiss and felt his tongue slide between my teeth. Slowly he turned, carrying me weightless and effortlessly to the bed, and laid me gently down on it. I expected him to pounce on me, to ravage me like he had done before, but there was a pause. A shift in the mood of the room, and I held my breath as he stood at the end of the bed, his eyes burning into mine with a patience and hunger that gave off as much heat as the summer sun.
Vince reached for the buttons at the top of his shirt and undid them one at a time, his eyes never leaving mine. I scooted back on the bed, letting my hair fall over the lush pillows, but made no move to undress myself. He was putting on a show, and I had every intention of watching.
When the last button was undone, he moved to his wrists, releasing the cuffs before pulling his shoulders back and letting the shirt fall to the floor. The white, cotton undershirt was sculpted around his chiseled muscles, and instinctively I pulled a finger to my lips and gently bit down on it as my eyes roamed his perfect body. He had a steady rhythm to his movements. Not slow, but not hurried either, and as he yanked the belt off his pants, it created a whipping sound that sent a shudder down my spine.
When his pants fell to the floor and he stood before me in nothing but his boxers, the heat between my thighs spread through my entire body. His cock pressed against the fabric, yearning to be free, to be inside me, and my body responded with the ache for the same. Before I could sit up and force the rest of his clothes off, he crawled forward on the bed, and I felt like I could melt into the mattress as he pressed down on top of me.
Our lips met gently, sweetly, but his cock, so hard and thick, pushed against my core through my clothes. Leaning himself on one elbow, he let his free hand slide from my neck down to the button of my pants. He pulled gently, unbuttoning them, and with the speed of a man who was sure he was going to get what he wanted, when he wanted it, he pulled the zipper down. Then Vince slid his hand up my bare skin, under my shirt until he reached my bra, where he unclasped it in the center. My heavy, round breasts tumbled out as he pushed the bra away and pulled the shirt over them. I leaned my head up so he could pull it over and off me, letting it fall off the edge of the bed and letting the cool air of the room make my nipples stand up as if to greet him.
Vince kissed me in the crook of my neck, letting his
tongue slide gently across it, while his hand filled with one of my breasts. He kneaded into it, letting his palm brush against the nipple, while his kiss moved down my collarbone and to the open breast. When he took it into his mouth, the warm, wet sensation of his tongue on my nipple sent shivers down my body, and I turned into him, wanting to present more of me for him. One of my hands trailed down his arm to his waistband, and I took the chance to slide it in the opening in the front of the boxers.
I pulled out his warm, hard cock, feeling it extend to press against my thigh. I stroked him gently, slowly as he paid special attention to my breasts, lavishing me with attention, worshiping me with his tongue. I let my head fall back into the pillow and focused on the sensations of touch, letting them fill me intensely, before opening my eyes again when he shifted, sitting on his knees beside me. I lifted my hips as he pulled at my jeans, sliding them down over my hips and then to my feet, where he peeled them off gently. The lacy black panties I wore underneath were soaked, and I knew he felt it when his hand brushed by my core.
But rather than peel them off and jump onto me, he moved further away, making me release his staff as his lips pressed kisses down my stomach. Clenching the thin waistband of my panties in his teeth, he pulled them down, and I shifted to help them come off. I was buzzing with anticipation when his lips went to my ankles, then my shins, working their way back up my legs. When he reached my knees, I felt like I was on the cusp already, that the second he touched me, it would send me over the edge. It was maddening how slow he was moving, and yet it built the tension so high that I knew when it was released it would be more intense than anything I had ever felt. He seemed to know it too.
When he finally reached my pussy, I spread my thighs to give him as much access as possible, and he dove into me. His tongue didn’t search; it found my clit immediately, and I cried out at the touch. With just a few flicks of his powerful muscle, I clenched around him, my body convulsing and my voice rising to fill the room. I pulled at him, desperate to get him to bring his lips back to mine. When they finally reached me, the skin of his hips brushed the inside of my thigh, and I realized he had dropped his boxers at some point. His cock slid across my thigh while he positioned himself, and I moaned as it found my opening.
He hovered there for just a moment, our eyes meeting again. I took in a breath and tried to prepare myself, and he sunk into me. For a moment, I could make no noise. The girth of his cock filled me in ways I had never felt, and as wet and ready as I was, it was still enough to make me cry out when my voice came back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he folded down into me, his knees pressing down beside my hips and his cock pushing deep into me, letting me slowly adjust until I wrapped around him. He leaned his head down and a strong, controlled kiss melted me again, and my body shifted, letting him sink deeper, until his hips pushed into mine.
“Please,” I moaned. “Please, fuck me.”
He took the invitation gladly, rocking his hips back and then driving them into me. I shouted out in a mixture of pleasure and pain as his staff stretched me and his head pushed against my walls. I dug my fingernails into his back and pulled him deeper still, wanting to cross that line, to blur it and to embrace it. He rocked back again and began a steady rhythm. I yelped out a sound that became more and more regular as my body adjusted for him. Soon his hands slid down to cup my ass and pull it up to give him a better angle. I wrapped my ankles together behind him and made a surprised sound when he picked me up.
For a moment, he lifted and pulled me down, continuing our rhythm, while he sat on his knees on the bed, and I hovered in the air. Then he leaned back, letting my feet touch the bed, and our lips found one another again. When our kiss released, I leaned my head back, taking some measure of control of the rhythm and moaning deeply when he took one of my breasts into his mouth. His strong grip on my ass guided my movements, and I increased my speed, rocking onto him harder, faster.
The tension was unbearable, and I needed the release his body could give me. I rode him harder, willing my body to cross over the edge and tumble into ecstasy. Between my breasts, his grunts became louder, more insistent, and I realized he was almost there, too. The sweat on his back made him slick and I tried to hold him close as the sensation overwhelmed me, and the waves crashed around me. I shut my eyes tightly, letting go of the control as my body shook and I reached a climax higher than any I had ever felt.
Suddenly, I was on my back, and Vince curled over me, his body slamming into mine and extending the orgasm. I cried out with him as he came, exploding into me, and my pussy milked him until he was empty. When he was truly spent, our lips met again, slowly, tenderly, and his head fell onto my breasts.
As we lay there after, I felt unexpected tears stinging my eyes and wondered why this felt like an ending rather than a night between lovers.
31
Vince
I lay there holding Lindsey in my arms for as long as I could until I felt the tension inside me ready to snap. If I stayed here much longer, I would never want to let her go. And now more than ever before, I realized I couldn’t do that.
She cuddled up to me, touching a series of soft kisses to the side of my neck and running her fingertip along the center of my chest.
“Are you hungry? I could go make us something.”
“No,” I said.
She lifted her head and looked at me with an expression that was somewhere between amused and quizzical.
“Okay. If you’re so afraid of my cooking, we can always order something in.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, no, I’m not hungry,” I said.
“Oh, okay. Then we don’t have to eat yet. We could rent some movies and veg out for the rest of the day,” she suggested.
“Actually, I think we should go get your car,” I said. “You really shouldn’t leave it sitting in the hospital parking lot this long. They might tow it.”
I pulled myself out from under her and climbed out of bed. Stealing a glimpse at her out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the slightly stung look on her face. I purposely said “you” rather than “we,” and it seemed Lindsey noticed. But it was more for my own benefit than it was for hers. I needed to distance myself, to dial it back on how often I referred to us as a unit. Maybe then I’d be able to see things more clearly. I needed that perspective, that chance to really figure out what was going on.
We got dressed, and I dropped a little pile of treats in front of Frankie to compensate for the lack of attention he’d been getting all day. We got in my truck and made our way back to the hospital. I heard the musical sound of her phone alerting in her pocket, and Lindsey fished it out. I glanced over at her as she read the message on it.
“From Grant?” I asked. “Is everything okay with Remy?”
“Actually, it’s from Nick. He went into the bar last night during the event and took some pictures for me. Apparently, it was a huge success, and everybody thought it was so unique and special. Nick says a couple of the guests gave the head bartender their contact information and want me to get in touch with them about hosting their own events at the bar,” she said.
“Is that what you want?” I asked.
“Are we getting back into this conversation?” she asked. “I don’t understand why it’s so important to you. It’s like you have something against private events. Which seems strange considering how often your family gets together for parties and celebrations.”
“Yes, but we do that at our own houses. We go to your bar to celebrate, but we don’t try to take it over. Remember, I do own restaurants. I know a little bit about the subject,” I said.
My voice was harsher than I meant it to be, and all the humor dropped from Lindsey’s face.
She pulled herself up to sit straighter in the seat, pressing her lips together. “Well, I might not have a restaurant, but I do have a bar. One that’s been around for three generations now and is doing just fine. If I have people who appreciate and love my space enough to w
ant to rent it out for their own party, I don’t understand why I shouldn’t be able to.”
I let out a sigh. “You should be able to. You’re right, it’s your bar and you should do with it whatever you want to. It’s really sweet that couple wanted to celebrate their anniversary there. Loving somebody for that long must really be incredible.”
I pulled around to the parking lot where she left her car the day before but stayed in my seat rather than getting out. She walked around to the driver’s door, and I rolled down the window to talk to her.
“Thank you for the ride,” she said, trying to inject playfulness into her voice like she wanted to dissipate the awkwardness of the rest of the conversation.
I leaned down and touched a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re welcome.”
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?” she asked. “Because I can stop and pick something up on the way back to your house.”
“Actually, I think you need to head home to your house,” I said.
“Oh,” she said with a smile, “you want to go back to our original plan? Salvage some of this staycation?”
“No, I think you should go home, and I’ll go back to my house. You need to get back to your own schedule, and so do I,” I said.
“What do you mean we should get back to our own schedules?” she asked.
“Everything got thrown off this weekend,” I said. “Neither one of us expected any of it to happen, but it did and it’s going to affect a lot. We need to deal with it and make sure everything else in our lives gets taken care of too. You have the bar to run, and Remy to look in on, and I have to make sure everybody is ready for the upcoming races. It’s better if we just put the whole staycation plan behind us.”
I knew I sounded brusque, but I was trying hard not to let too much emotion into my voice. My brain was cluttered with all the tangled thoughts and questions about my feelings. I was trying to work it all out, to understand them, but it was harder than I ever could have imagined. All those thoughts were confused and angry, hurt and even a little scared.
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