by Ford, Aria
I poured some wine and changed into a big T-shirt with some clean shorts. I sank down into the soft couch and stared blankly at the TV. I was supposed to be with Stephen in my bed, snuggling together after we’d made love, but instead I was sitting on the couch.
“Shut up. His kid has the flu. Get over it.” I downed the glass and forced myself not to think about it. I was being selfish.
Stephen couldn’t just be mine, and I wouldn’t want him to put me before Brandon. He was a sweet little boy and so eager to learn, making me smile as I thought about how much fun he had a camp.
I wondered if this could work as I sipped my wine. Was I ready to think about being serious with someone that had a kid? Yeah. I was. I could do this.
For Stephen and the promise of us being together, I knew I would try.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
One week later
Stephen
I dropped my head on my desk and groaned. How the fuck had it been a week since I’d spent any time with Mandy? Between Brandon having a serious stomach bug for half of the week to the point that I stayed home with him, followed by catch-up time on a project revolving around a large business that we wanted to take on.
I’d been swamped, and it was all about work and spending time with Brandon. There was no time for anything else, no matter how many times I thought about Mandy when I was finally in bed to get a few hours of sleep.
I couldn’t call her during those times, though. It was too late to text, knowing that she worked as well and had a life beyond that.
My cell rang, and I grabbed it to see if it was Danielle. Brandon was on his second day at school, and I was so worried that he’d get sick again. It was a violent flu bug that he had and wore us both out.
It was my brother. I answered the call, knowing that I hadn’t seen him either.
“Hey, Kevin. What’s up?” I asked as I leaned back in my chair. I was relieved as hell that my son was better and getting back to his schedule.
“I was making sure that you were still alive. What gives, Stephen?” he asked me as I sighed. I didn’t have a minute to call anyone, much less see them. “You don’t have any kind of social media account for us to stalk. Are you okay?”
“I am busy as fuck. Brandon got sick for a few days and only wanted me, and then we got this project at the office that has been brutal.” I didn’t have any social media accounts because I wanted to keep Brandon’s life private. I didn’t want Lacy to have the chance to see what she was missing and had asked my family to respect that.
“I thought you might be busy with Mandy,” Kevin said, reminding me of what an ass I’d been. “You guys looked so good together at the game.”
“I haven’t had time for anything. I haven’t even called her,” I admitted. “It was a shit move, but I’ve been drowning at work and home.”
“Did you sleep with her?” he asked me since we hadn’t discussed it yet. I really hadn’t had time to talk to anybody.
“I did. Before the game,” I confessed as he let out a low curse.
“Damn it, Stephen. That’s a long time. I know that girls like a little mystery, but a whole week? I think I tried that shit on Terry in the beginning for something like three days, and she rode my ass up and down.” He paused, and I frowned at the numbers on my computer that were starting to blur before my eyes. “Mandy is a special girl. You’re going to lose her, Stephen.”
“I probably already did,” I replied, feeling like we didn’t even work at the same company for as little as I saw her. “I don’t know what the hell I’m even doing, Kevin. I don’t know how to date.”
“I know that the thing with Lacy hurt and I will always feel bad about that. I know that you don’t take dating lightly with Brandon and everything going on, but you looked happy with her. She looked happy with you.” I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear the serious tone in his voice.
“How am I supposed to balance it all?” I asked him as I closed my eyes.
“I don’t know, but if it’s worth it, you need to find a way.” Kevin’s words were honest at least.
“I know, Kevin. I hope that this all ends soon. I feel like I’m losing myself.” We talked for a little longer, arranging a tentative dinner for that weekend with Mom. She missed Brandon and me, and I needed to see her.
I left to get some coffee after the call, needing to move. I looked down the hall to see Mandy leaving Stella’s office and coveted her gorgeous legs in the red dress that she was wearing. My cock stirred back to life as I stared at her, forgetting why I left my office at all.
Coffee. I needed coffee.
I saw her turn her head and meet my gaze, a frown marring her pretty face. I waved her over, and Mandy looked back toward the door as if someone was telling her something. She looked back at me and headed my way as I ducked into the break room to make that coffee. I looked back to make sure that Mandy was waiting for me as I started the machine, tapping my foot.
We walked to my office quietly, ignoring the curious looks that everybody sent our way. The night at happy hour had started some talk about us being in a relationship, though I was sure that my lack of being seen anywhere but my office working my ass off. When she walked inside of my office, I closed the door and watched as she sat down, smoothing her skirt with heavy hands. “I’m sorry, Mandy.”
She stared at the floor, the pain on her face was clear to me. “It’s been a week, Stephen. It’s not that I expected you to be knocking at my door the second you were free, but a call would have been nice. A text would have been great. I certainly didn’t think I would end up feeling used by you.” Her voice was soft, but I could still hear the pain in it.
Fuck me for being an idiot.
“I’m sorry, Mandy. Brandon was sick, and then this goddamn project has kept me going for hours every day. I barely have time to see him after work and before school. I’ve been on my own with him for so long that I don’t know how to balance anything.” I sank into my chair.
“I don’t date a lot, either. I don’t know what I’m doing, but no contact for a week doesn’t seem right.” She finally looked up at me, changing the subject. “Is he feeling better? Brandon?”
“He had the flu. He was so sick for a few days that all he did was sleep in my bed with me. It was relaxing and exhausting all at once.” I knew how tired I sounded, but it was only a fraction of how I felt. “Then there’s this project that’s been keeping me here for long hours. I’ve been so tired, and I was thinking about you, but my free time was always so late at night. I’m sorry. Again.”
She sighed as she leaned back. “Apology accepted.”
“Look, it's Friday tomorrow. Let’s get dinner after work and catch up. I want to take you out.” I smiled at her, and she nodded.
“I’d like that.” Mandy took a breath. “I would like to see Brandon again as well. I mean, apart from camp.” I stared at her, both touched and shocked at her words.
“Get your sexy ass over here,” I told her, loving the sound of her laugh.
“All right, but only if you promise to not be an asshat again.”
“I promise.” I reached for her as my heart lightened a little.
She got up and walked over, climbing into my lap as her dress slid up her legs. I kissed her as I slipped a hand into her hair to pull her closer. Our lips met hungrily as I forgot all about the time apart and I tilted my head to deepen the kiss.
I didn’t know what I did to deserve her forgiveness. Mandy was a special woman, and I was so damn lucky to have her in my arms. “Thank you,” I murmured against her lips.
“I know that we’re new at this. I know that we’re busy and you have Brandon, we have work and life is crazy.” She looked at me and kissed me again. “I think that I need sex a little more than once a week. No. I know that I do. I want you as much as I can have you.”
“I second that. It’s lonely at night thinking about you.” I kissed her again and pulled her against me. Every wet dream I’d had lately resurrec
ted, and I wanted to strip her down and take her against the glass windows in my office. “I don’t see why we should wait, to be honest. I think we should lock the door and get a head start on things.”
Mandy laughed, and I looked into her face, feeling more alive than I had in a long time.
I wanted to make this work with her and to take her in my office; on my desk, in my chair, and anywhere else that I could think of. After having a taste of Mandy, I wanted more. I wanted all that I could get.
CHAPTER FORTEEN
Mandy
I did get up and make sure that the door was locked. It was close to the end of the day, and everyone would be leaving, giving us some privacy. I turned and looked at Stephen, who was leaning back and unbuttoning his slacks.
All the desire that I pushed away after not hearing from him for that week roared to life inside of me. I strode back to him, licking my lips.
Was it smart to have sex with someone in your office that you worked with? Was it a good idea to risk losing your job of just a few weeks because you couldn’t keep your hands off someone?
Probably not, but I didn’t care.
I approached his chair and dropped to my knees, sliding his pants down to get to him. Stephen scooted forward eagerly, and I leaned over him, licking his shaft from the base to the tip several times. Had it really been a week since I had him like this?
I sucked him down my throat as he fisted my hair. Stephen gasped as I moved, my mouth so tight around him that it almost hurt.
I thought about the night when I was alone in bed, replaying our night together. I touched myself when it got to be too much, trying to make myself come as hard as Stephen did. It never worked, but at least it was some relief.
I tried to hate Paul when he hit on me at work, but it was in humor. He was the comic relief around the office, and while I was certain that he noticed I wasn’t spending time with Stephen, I didn’t think he meant it. Nor did I think he’d turn me away if I agreed to any of his crazy suggestions.
It didn’t take too long to realize that I didn’t want anyone other than Stephen. I had never wanted anyone other than Stephen in my life, something I finally realized being without him.
I took him harder in my mouth, working his cock fast. Stephen cried out my name as he jerked forward, filling my mouth and throat with his release. I licked him clean before moving back to rest on my knees. I’d never been promiscuous in my life, but there was something about him that made me crazy.
“That felt so damn good, Mandy. Come here. Now.” I was wet and throbbing but somehow managed to stumble to my feet. He helped me onto his desk and pushed my skirt back before tugging my panties down my thighs. He left his pants down, his cock thick and slick with wetness from my attention moments before.
Stephen spread my thighs open and parted my folds as I dropped to the smooth surface behind me. I stayed on my elbows, so I could watch him enjoy me.
“Stephen,” I whimpered and tensed as his hot breath brushed across my pussy. I’d shaved the night before, and he seemed to enjoy the look—a lot.
“We’re not getting interrupted this time.” He glanced up and licked the side of his mouth as he dragged a finger down my slit. “Come hard for me, okay?”
“Of course,” I released the breath that I’d been holding, feeling selfish for wanting him so damn bad. Last time couldn’t be helped, and I knew that. I was good with it.
He leaned in, finding my clit with his tongue and stroking it firmly as I moaned. It felt so damn good, and I reminded myself of where we were as I felt his hands spreading me further for him. I dropped my legs down and grabbed at his hair, needing to feel him.
Stephen licked me, taking the time to suck me into his mouth. I groaned, needing his attention more than anything. I was so sensitive and turned on that I felt weak with it. I was frozen as my pulse spiked, and my orgasm swelled in my stomach.
He must have sensed how close I was, and slipped a finger inside of me, tapping my G-spot with force. That combined with his tongue tapping my clit was all I needed to explode.
I gripped his hair harder and cried out, praying that nobody was there. Stephen latched his mouth on me and sucked all the sweet juices in as I bit my lip to silence my scream. I shook under his touch, and he chuckled darkly, but didn’t let up.
“Fuck. I don’t have a condom here,” he muttered as he moved back and dropped his slacks to the floor. “I want to fuck you so badly, baby.”
“Please. I need you so much,” I begged as he pressed forward, entering me with one long thrust. Fuck. He spread me open, filling my pussy as he claimed me. “So good.”
Stephen took me with long, deep thrusts that were already edging me toward another blessed release. I gripped the smooth edges of the desk, raising my hips as he gripped my body to hold me still for him. Stephen rocked against me, plunging inside of me as I breathed his name.
“Mandy…so tight. I am so close to filling you.” He eased back and then took me so hard that my body slid back on the desk as I let myself go. “Fuck yes. Come for me.”
Stephen followed with his own release, and I felt our heat mingling together as I closed my eyes. I’d never felt this before with anybody and might not again, so I memorized it. Stephen was the man that I was looking for, but there was still so much uncertainty between us.
This was raw and real.
He slowly kept moving until he dropped back into his seat, breathing deeply. “I am not letting you go again. I need you too badly. I want you too much.”
We rested for a while before he carried me over to the couch and dropped onto it, looking at me with dark eyes. He was hard again.
“Come here. I want more.” He reached for me.
I eased myself down over him, groaning at the sensitivity of his length. Stephen lifted my dress over my head and pushed my bra up so that he could suck a nipple into his mouth slowly, making me cry out. I kept moving over him, clawing at Stephen’s shoulders as I buried him inside of me.
We rolled onto the couch, me on my back as he kissed me. Our lips met slowly and hungrily as we made up for lost time. It was everything that I’d ever wanted and so much more. He slipped inside of me again, taking me slower this time. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. I think Brandon’s asleep. We can go to my place. We’ll make something to eat and christen my bed.” He was still inside of me, barely moving as I stared up at his face.
“Really?” I asked as he nodded.
We finally pulled apart, though neither of us wanted to. Making love felt far too much like being in love. It scared me a little, but I fought against it. I wasn’t walking away from one of the only good things in my life at that time.
We left a short while later once he checked with his nanny to make sure that Brandon was in bed. He apologized to her for how late it was before assuring her that he was headed home.
He cleaned up his office and dressed as I headed through the empty building to mine, collecting my things and shutting everything down. It was hard to believe that it was Monday as I returned to Stephen, surprised when he wrapped his arms around me for a long kiss.
We made our way to the empty parking lot, and I thought back to the night we went to the bar with everybody with a smile. “How’s your car these days?” Stephen asked me as I glanced at him.
“It’s running great,” I replied with a wicked smile on my face. “I just need your address.”
He sent it to me through a text so I could plug it into my GPS, making sure that I was leaving before his Jeep pulled out. I listened to the robotic voice of the woman as I made the proper turns, my heart fluttering in my chest. I knew that this wasn’t a chance to spend more time with Brandon, but I was going to Stephen’s house. I was starting something with him.
I pulled into the driveway of the cute bungalow style home and checked out where I should park. I found a spot that wouldn’t block the Chevy that was already there. Stephen pulled into the large garage and walked through a door that separated it from th
e house, keys in hand. He unlocked the door, and I noticed the curious look the pretty black-haired girl shot me as she looked over from the couch. “Danielle, this is Mandy. She works with me.” Stephen waved a hand between us as I moved to shake her hand with a smile. “You’ve been working hard this week. Thank you. I am going to try to get my hours back to normal now.”
“It’s no problem at all,” she assured him as she looked at me. “I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Sounds great, Danielle.”
I took this chance to look around the spacious living room, impressed with the home that Stephen had created for his son. There was so much warmth already, but it needed a woman’s touch for sure.
We went to the kitchen to get something to eat, and he stared into the fridge while I leaned against a counter behind him.
“How about breakfast?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“Mmmm…I could go for some pancakes.”
“Good. What the lady wants, the lady gets.” He turned and pulled out various items, handing them to me over his shoulder.
He excused himself to check on Brandon and to change into some sweats. One he got back, we had a good time making breakfast together. It was a bit like playing house, but I loved it. I needed it in my life.
“All done.” He lifted the plate to his nose and breathed in deeply as he watched me. “Smells like heaven.”
I smiled and took the plate before heading over to the small table in the kitchen. I sat down and glanced up at him. “Thank you for this.”
“No need to thank me. I’m loving having you here with me,” Stephen assured me as he sat down and stabbed a piece of the pancake on his fork. “You staying the night?”
“I wish. Let’s go fool around on the couch after this and then I need to get going.”
He gave me a frown. “Why?”
“I don’t want Brandon waking up and seeing me here.” I shoved a big bit of pancake in my mouth and smiled. “It ain’t right!”
