Demanding All Of You

by Ali Parker

  She smiled. “Because he sees something in you. I’m sure he’s probably told you why and showed you many times.”

  “But that’s sex. We have great sex. Good sex does not mean love.”

  “It certainly doesn’t hurt. Honestly, we’ve talked about this. What’s the worst that can happen? He breaks your heart? In this situation, I think you are the one who will be doing the heartbreaking. You’re the one toying with that man’s heart. He came back for you. I know that as much as I know the sky is blue. I saw him that day before he left to go see you and then when he got back. He was practically glowing.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Sex always leaves him glowing.”

  “I’ve seen the typical sex afterglow. His was different. You as well. You guys have this amazing chemistry between you. Anyone that is around you can see it. When he looks at you, it is with pure adoration. You can’t fake that. He isn’t a trained actor. I feel like I can say with complete certainty he’s a good guy. Do not fuck this up, Alex.”

  My eyes widened. “Damn, you are just full of harsh truth today.”

  “I’m sorry. I say all of this because I love you. He is such a good guy. He is the kind of man that most women dream about. He’s right there in front of you, waiting for you to snatch him up. Please, please, I’m begging you, don’t let him get away. I wouldn’t normally push you so hard, but I know you love him. He loves you. You’re a lucky woman.”

  I turned to look out the window. I wanted to listen to her. I really did want to, but all my old fears and insecurities were holding me back. I could practically see the invisible weight pushing me down, refusing to let me let go of past hurts.

  “I want him,” I breathed.

  “Then take him. He’s yours for the taking.”

  “But I’m terrified,” I whispered.

  “Sweetie, terror reminds you that you’re alive. You’re terrified because you know how much you love him. You wouldn’t care if you didn’t love him as hard as you do. You have to take a leap of faith. If he fucks you over, don’t worry. I have the perfect place to bury a body.”

  I burst into laughter. “The scary thing is, I believe you.”

  She shrugged. “I like the guy, but if he turns out to be a real asshole, I have no problems making him pay for hurting you.”

  “You shouldn’t talk like that in public.”

  “I’m not worried I will ever be accused of killing him because I know he isn’t an asshole and he isn’t going to hurt you. I’m that confident.”

  “I’m glad one of us is,” I muttered, taking a big bite of pie.

  “I am. Now, fix this. You made a mess and you must clean it up.”

  “What if he doesn’t want to talk to me after what I said? I was a real bitch.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “He will. I have no doubt in my mind.”

  “Should I go over there?” I asked, needing her guidance to navigate the mess I had made.

  “I would suggest calling him. He might not want Oliver around to witness the conversation and whatever might happen after said conversation.”

  I laughed. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “Good for you. Whew, that was a close one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You sank fast, woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that bad off.”

  I smiled. “That’s what happens when I don’t have something to do. I was not meant to be unemployed. How is that going to work?”

  “How is what going to work?”

  “He’s filthy rich. I’m not. I’m going to be dragging my ass to work while he’s doing whatever it is rich people do all day.”

  “What does he do right now?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, work the farm.”

  “Then I imagine that’s what he’ll be doing. I don’t see Damion as being the kind of man that likes to lounge around and be pampered. He’s got that independent thing going.”

  “I guess it will be interesting to see how long that lasts once the money is officially his,” I murmured.

  Chapter 67

  Damion

  I heard the knock on the door and walked out of my bedroom to answer it. Sadie was standing on the other side, a soft smile on her face.

  “Hi,” she greeted.

  “Hi,” I answered, pulling the door open for her. “I was just folding the last bit of laundry.”

  “You’re folding your own laundry?” she asked.

  I groaned. “She told you.”

  “She did. Of course, she did. There’s a reason I offered to babysit Oliver without you asking. You two need to talk and I’m here to make sure that happens.”

  “I appreciate it. And yes, I do my own laundry. I also clean toilets and sweep the floors. I’m still the same man I’ve always been.”

  “I believe you. Now you need to convince her of that.”

  I shook my head. “You make it sound like it’s easy.”

  “I think I smoothed the way for you, but if you screw it up, that’s on you.”

  I laughed. “Good to know. Oliver is in his room. I’m going to toss a load in the washer and then I’ll head out.”

  “Take your time. My schedule is clear. This could take a while. Don’t give up too easily. She can be stubborn, but I have no doubt in my mind you can get through. I hope so anyway.”

  “You and me both,” I told her.

  She followed me down the hall, popping into Oliver’s room while I walked into my room to grab the basket of clothes. I could hear them laughing in his room. Oliver was a lucky kid. He had a great group of people that loved him. It took a village, I reminded myself. It was one of the reasons I had come back. In New York, he didn’t have a village. He had teachers that were paid to look after him, but Justin, Sadie, and Alex loved him.

  “I’m headed out,” I said after getting the laundry going. “Oliver, be good. There are snacks in the cupboard but no ice cream.”

  Sadie pouted. “Oh man.”

  “After dinner. Although I expect I will be back long before that.”

  “I hope not,” she quipped.

  “You and me both.”

  I left the house, nervous about another confrontation with Alex. Sadie had called and offered to babysit, insisting I needed to talk to Alex. It was my chance to make things right. If she was still not interested in listening to me, then I could walk away knowing I tried. I didn’t want to walk away, but I couldn’t and wouldn’t force the woman.

  When I knocked on the door, she opened almost immediately. I was pretty sure Sadie had made sure she was home. Sadie was trying to get us together and I appreciated that.

  “Hi,” I said when she opened the door.

  “Hi. Come in.”

  That was a good sign. “Thanks.”

  “Do you want something to drink?” she asked.

  “No thanks.”

  “Sit?”

  I took my seat and waited for her to sit down. “Alex, I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the very beginning.”

  “I’m sorry for not giving you the benefit of the doubt,” she quickly said.

  “I want to explain it to you,” I told her.

  “You don’t have to.”

  I nodded. “I do. I need to explain how it all happened.”

  She held up a hand. “Okay. I’ll let you talk. I guess I said a lot last time. It’s your turn.”

  I smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “I’m listening,” she said. “I promise I will hear you out.”

  “Okay. So, my grandfather died. I didn’t go to the funeral because it was really hard. I know that is a coward’s excuse, but I wanted to remember him for the man I knew. I couldn’t handle the flowers and the tears and the sadness.”

  She nodded. “I understand.”

  “Two weeks after the funeral, Harvey showed up. He told me about the inheritance. Then told me I would only get the inheritance and the farm if I lived on the farm for six months. I will say I didn’t jum
p at it. You have to believe me when I say that. It wasn’t until I picked Oliver up from school and saw how miserable he was that I realized he needed a change. I thought about my own childhood and didn’t think it was all that bad. I figured I would give it a shot. If things didn’t work out, I figured I would be able to afford to put him in a better school.”

  She had a little wrinkle between her eyes. “You gave up everything in New York because Oliver had a bad day?”

  “No. It wasn’t one bad day. It was like a bad year. The kid was miserable. I was working too much. When we first moved here, I told myself six months. I would give it six months and see if we could adapt.”

  “And you didn’t,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “Alex, we’ve talked about this. I made a mistake when I left the first time.”

  “Was your mistake leaving and giving up your money?” she asked.

  I smiled. “No. My mistake was leaving you, which we’ve already covered. Everything I told you then is still true today.”

  “What happens when the six-month waiting period is up?”

  I smiled and shrugged a shoulder. “Nothing. My life goes on as it has been.”

  “You don’t think having the money will change you. You don’t think you’ll want to travel the world or buy a fancy house somewhere tropical?”

  I smiled. “I don’t think the money will change me. At least, I hope it doesn’t. It hasn’t so far.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I had the money before I came back.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What? You have it? I thought you said you had to wait six months.”

  I nodded. “I did. Or so I was told. When I went to Harvey to ask about the will and where the farm would go if I turned it down, he told me you and he had talked. He said you told him you were impressed with what I had done and that I was taking it seriously. I told him it didn’t matter and had him draw up the documents to give you the farm. I told him to give the money to charity or whatever. I was in New York when I got the documents in the mail saying the accounts had been transferred to my name. A rather large check was included.”

  She shook her head. “You turned down the money?”

  I nodded. “I did.”

  “But you have it now?”

  “I do. I’ll admit I bought the SUV with cash. It didn’t make sense to carry a loan and pay interest.”

  She laughed. “Oh my god, now you sound like your grandfather. You have all the money in the world, but you don’t want to pay interest.”

  I shrugged. “I told you, I don’t think it will change me and I will work very hard not to let it change me.”

  “What are your plans for the future?”

  “To be here. I want to be here. The money is great, and it will make life easier in the sense that I don’t have to worry about how to recover from a bad harvest, but I don’t plan on buying a boat or splurging on a jet. I came back here for you.”

  “I believe you,” she said with a smile.

  “You do?”

  She laughed. “I do. I wish I would have listened to you when you tried to tell me earlier.”

  “I wish I would have told you about the money earlier.”

  “Why didn’t you?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “Because I felt like a money-grubber. I felt guilty for not being more involved in his life. Like you said, I didn’t bother going to the funeral but showed up to get the money. I didn’t want you to think less of me. I felt dirty.”

  “You’re not dirty,” she said, reaching for my hand.

  “When I thought about telling you, I realized it would look like I had been hiding it from you. It was a snowball effect. I told myself I would tell you when the time was right. The more I got to know you, I realized money did not impress you. It almost seemed to repel you.”

  “It doesn’t repel me when it’s not flaunted in my face or when said rich people treat regular people like garbage.”

  I nodded. “I get it. I don’t want the money to get in the way of me and you. I want you in my life. If you can’t handle me with the money in my bank, I’ll transfer it into an account for Oliver and Oliver alone. I won’t touch a penny of it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “No. That’s silly. Keep your money.”

  “I love you, Alex. I will do whatever it takes to prove it to you.”

  “You don’t need to prove it to me. I believe you. I guess I just have to get used to having a rich boyfriend. A really rich boyfriend.”

  I laughed. “I don’t want anything to change. Although it would be kind of cool to whisk you away for a tropical vacation. I’d love to see you in a bikini.”

  Her smile brightened my world. “We’ll have to see about that, but I think I could get used to that idea.”

  “Good.”

  “Does Oliver know?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “Not a clue. He doesn’t need to know. His only concern is to play and enjoy life. He doesn’t need to worry about whether we have money. Not yet anyway. After looking over the statements, I realized my grandfather was well off for a good part of my life. I never knew it. He never let on. He insisted we be frugal and work hard. I’m glad he raised me the way he did. I want to raise Oliver like that as well.”

  “That’s a very good idea. I think it’s smart. You don’t want him to be spoiled or turn into an entitled brat.”

  “I won’t let that happen.”

  “Damion, I’m sorry I accused you of so many nasty things.”

  “I didn’t use you,” I told her. I needed her to know that.

  She smiled. “I know that now. I was lashing out because I was hurt.”

  “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” I said, holding her hand in mine. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  “I know.”

  “No more secrets,” I said. “No more lying by omission.”

  She laughed. “I’m pretty much an open book. I am not cool enough to have secrets. I am who I am. I’m guarded and can be judge-y. I have a small amount of money in my savings and that’s about it.”

  I laughed. “You know all my dirty secrets now. Do we get to start with a clean slate?”

  “Yes. I would like that.”

  “Can we start with a kiss?” I asked.

  She smiled and scooted toward me on the couch. “I would love a kiss.”

  I leaned forward and put a hand on her cheek. My lips covered hers. It was the sweetest, most tender kiss we had ever shared. A small moan escaped my lips. Her lips opened and I couldn’t resist sweeping my tongue inside. It was her turn to moan as she leaned into me. My hands slid down her arms, gently squeezing before moving to her waist.

  “Sadie is watching Oliver,” I murmured against her lips. “She ordered me to take my time. I want you. I will leave right now if that’s what you want, but know that I want you.”

  “I’m burning for you,” she breathed. “I want you. Stay.”

  “Thank god,” I groaned, getting to my feet and pulling her up with me.

  My arm swept behind her knees and picked her up, cradling her against my body. I walked to her room and gently laid her on the bed. It wasn’t about sex or reaching an orgasm. It was about showing her how much I loved her.

  Chapter 68

  Alex

  I didn’t think I had ever been carried. Not like that anyway. I felt like a precious gift with the way he was looking at me. His gentleness was so much different than our usual way. It was strange and sweet at the same time.

  I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor before stepping out of the shorts he was wearing. I could truly look at the man’s body all day. His thick cock stood loud and proud, promising great things.

  He was perfect in my eyes. Tall and now very tanned after all our long days working together at the farm. His muscles were more defined than what they were when he first showed up in Geraldine. He had changed. I had changed.

  “Looking at something?” he aske
d with a soft smile.

  “Just admiring the view from down here,” I answered.

  He reached down, not getting on the bed as he undid the button on my shorts. He pulled them and my panties down my legs before reaching for my arms and pulling me to a sitting position. My shirt was lifted over my head before he made quick work of my bra.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he said, stepping back from the bed.

  I looked up at him, staring up the length of his hard body and feeling the same about him. “I need you,” I said while holding his gaze. I needed him in every way. My soul called out for him. My body naturally gravitated toward him.

  “You have me. You have me for as long as you will have me.”

  I smiled. “I do know how to lasso. Be careful what you ask for.”

  He chuckled. “I might have to take you up on that later. I think that could be fun. For now, I want to worship your body. I want to kiss every glorious inch.”

  His words were full of promise. I shuddered at the thought before lying back on the bed, my head propped up on a pillow. He climbed over me, resting on his side with his hand resting on my belly. He began a very slow perusal of my body, starting at my earlobe. He gently kissed before suckling my neck and sliding his tongue down my collarbone. He traced a wet line over my throat and lavished the other side of my neck and shoulder with the same exquisite touch.

  He rose over me, straddling me without putting any weight on me. His hands gently caressed my breasts before he bent at his waist and began to give each of them the same sweet attention. His hot tongue lapped at the nipples before sucking one and then the other into his mouth. I could feel a tug in my belly with each suckling.

  “Damion,” I breathed his name. My body was ready. His foreplay had been gentle and enough to set me alight with a raging fire burning within.

  “Shh, I’m not done,” he answered, sliding his body down my legs with his mouth trailing kisses over my stomach.

  I quietly moaned, my arms splaying wide beside me as I gave over to him. My body was his to do with as he pleased. His kisses trailed over my left thigh before moving to my right and kissing a trail up to my hip. I braced myself for the kiss between my legs. I would likely burst into flames the moment his lips brushed over the sensitive flesh that felt swollen and achy.