by Tia Siren
The next morning, we ate breakfast before climbing back into the truck.
When we arrived at my loft, it felt strange to bring him into my domain. He walked around the place, looking at all my pictures and touching my things. It felt extremely intimate.
The realtor showed up, and after a quick tour, it was decided I would leave my furniture behind except for Jasper’s bed. My furniture had all been bought second hand. I wasn’t really attached to it, and it would make it a lot easier and cheaper for me to move. Brock helped me pack up. I took care of my room while he took care of Jasper’s.
By the time we were finished hauling boxes downstairs, we were both exhausted. The realtor would have a cleaning service come in and then they would stage the loft. I didn’t care. Whatever got the place sold quickly at top dollar was what I needed.
I’d already had my car picked up. It was a leased vehicle. I figured I would need a four-wheel drive anyway. My little sedan had been great for the city streets but wouldn’t be so great for the dirt roads around town. It was another piece of my life I was letting go.
As I stood in the open front door, looking at the place I had called home for the past couple years, I felt a little sad. It was the end of a chapter of my life that I would miss.
“You okay?” Brock asked.
It was really the first he had spoken all day. He had been strangely quiet as we’d packed everything up.
“Yeah, I am. I will be. It’s a little strange to be leaving it all behind.”
I expected a snide comment, but he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close. “You’ll be fine.”
We left New York, managing to get through traffic, and made it back to the same hotel we had stayed at the night before. We spoke very little, both of us exhausted after a long day of packing and hauling.
We got separate rooms again, but this time things were different.
“Tired?” he asked, standing outside my door.
“A little. You?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
I opened the door to my room, walked inside, and turned back to look at him. He hesitated and then stepped forward. I moved to the side to make way, then shut the door and turned to him. Without saying a word, he stepped toward me, enveloping me in his arms. Mine seemed to automatically wrap around him.
As I laid my head against his chest, I turned to look up at him. He kissed my nose and then gently kissed my lips. His hand moved up my back, gently rubbing and stroking. The kiss intensified, but he made no move to take my clothes off.
He wanted it slow. I could do slow. I kissed him back, relishing the feel of his body pressed against mine. He was all warm and hard, which made me very hot. I felt like my insides were melting as he deepened the kiss. I could feel his erection and couldn’t resist the need to touch him. I ran my hand between us and stroked him through his cargo shorts.
He moaned, and I took that as the all clear to continue.
“Bed,” he whispered.
That single word was enough to set my pulse racing. We walked to the bed, each of us taking off our own clothes. When I turned to him, he was completely naked.
I grinned. “You’re fast.”
“You’re slow,” he said before pouncing.
His hands pulled off my bra, his mouth going straight to my breasts. My nipples were hard and jutting out. I stood there in my thong, enjoying the feel of his mouth on my breasts. He pushed me to the bed. I sat down on the edge and he pushed me back. He crawled over me, kissing my belly while running his hand between my legs. He moved downward, grabbed my thong with his teeth, and gently tugged.
His hot breath on my pussy instantly made me wetter. He grabbed my thong and yanked it down my legs before diving in and lapping at my pussy. I screamed and arched off the bed, the touch unexpected and delicious.
His palm pushed my stomach back down while he continued to run his tongue over my clit before pushing inside me.
“Brock!” I shouted a moment before the climax tore through my body.
My legs were trembling by the time he climbed over me. He used his strength to push my body all the way onto the bed. He grabbed each of my hands, holding them and pinning them to the bed on either side of my head. I opened my legs, inviting him between them. He gently lowered himself over me. I could feel his hard cock at my entrance. I waited for him to push inside. Instead, he kissed me. It was a gentle, slow kiss that was different from our typical fast and furious lovemaking.
He stared into my eyes as he pushed inside. My mouth fell open in sheer ecstasy. He pushed in deep and seated himself inside me, staring at me the entire time. I leaned my face up and kissed his chin.
With slow thrusts, he brought me to another climax that left me panting and trembling. He wasn’t done. He rolled onto his back, taking me with him. I sat up, his dick deep inside me, and rocked slow and easy back and forth. I took my time riding him, just like he had taken his time riding me. It was an exploration of one another’s bodies. His hands were on my breasts, tweaking and kneading, before running down my ribs and up my stomach to pinch my nipples. Each tug took me closer to the edge.
I felt it building and started to move faster. I rocked, driving my body hard against him. He dropped his hand to where we were joined and began rubbing at my nub. The spiral that started deep in my toes swirled and tingled its way through my body in a slow, glorious, and all-consuming orgasm.
“Ash,” he grunted before pumping up and into me with his own climax. I leaned down and kissed him before rolling to the side.
Neither one of us said a word as our breathing slowed to a normal pace. I didn’t want to say anything and ruin the moment. It was something I wanted to treasure. It was just for us. We could block out the real world for now.
We fell asleep with me tucked against his side. I was completely satiated. Moving to get under the blankets was not an option for my exhausted body.
Chapter 22
Brock
It all felt so right and so familiar. Waking up with Ashley’s body draped over mine was something I had grown used to once before. It had been one of the things I had missed most when she’d left me. Waking up alone every day had been hard. She hadn’t been gone long before I’d started trying to fill the hole she had left in me with a series of one-night stands, but somehow that had never satisfied me. I eventually quit trying with women, focusing on becoming a successful businessman instead.
Last night had left me feeling very satisfied, but I was hungry for more. I wanted to repeat this morning over and over. I remembered when this was normal, but it wasn’t anymore. I had to accept that. She had made it very clear we could never go back to the good ol’ days. I listened to her softly snoring before I began the process of extricating myself from her. I slid my leg out from under hers and then very slowly moved my arm out from under her head, gently setting it on a pillow instead.
There was no way I wanted to be there when she woke up. I knew she would be one cranky woman when reality struck, and I would be blamed for last night. Every time we’d had sex, she had initiated it. I never pressed, knowing it would only push her away. But I wasn’t an idiot, and if there was a chance of sex with her, I wasn’t going to pass it up.
I pulled on my underwear and shorts, then picked up my shirt and shoes before grabbing my bag that I’d dropped by the door last night. I tiptoed out of the room, closing the door slowly behind me to keep it from slamming and waking up the sleeping bear. Crossing the hall, I entered my own room and jumped in the shower before heading down to my truck to toss my bag in.
I stopped to see what the continental breakfast had to offer. There was an assortment of coffee blends, so I poured myself a cup of what I hoped was the strongest and took a sip. It wasn’t exactly the best quality, but it would do. The donuts I found were a bonus. I poured an extra cup for Ashley and pocketed a handful of little creamers and sugar packs.
Hopefully, the coffee would erase her memory of last night. I could pretend it h
adn’t happened to preserve the peacefulness of the trip home. I knocked on her hotel room door, half expecting her not to answer. She had apparently just gotten out of the shower.
“Hi,” I said a little awkwardly.
“Hi.”
I stood there like an idiot, waiting to see if she would invite me in. Thankfully, she pulled open the door and gestured for me to come in. I glanced at the messy bed as I made my way to the small table in the room.
“Grabbed you a coffee from downstairs and”—I pulled out the cream and sugar and put it on the table—“wasn’t sure how you liked it, so I grabbed it all.”
“Thank you. I could use coffee. This is a good start. We’ll have to stop for more, though. I need some of the good stuff.”
I nodded. “I agree.”
“I’m ready. Are you?”
“I am.”
She stuffed her clothes from yesterday in her bag and we headed out.
The first two hours of driving were passed in unbearable silence. It was brutal and horribly awkward.
“What are you going to do for work?” I asked, hoping to start a safe conversation.
“Freelance. I hope to retain some of the clients I had in New York. I don’t want to do a lot of traveling right now, so I’ll be limited, but freelance can be a pretty good gig,” she said, sounding enthusiastic.
“Really? I guess I always assumed freelance meant starving artist.”
She laughed. “No. Freelancing can be really good actually. The problem is the uncertainty. You can make a ton of money one month and then sell nothing the next. It’s how I started out. I learned really fast to stretch the dollar just in case I didn’t sell a picture or land a job the following month.”
I was intrigued.
“What kind of pictures do you take?” I asked.
She shrugged one of her dainty shoulders. “Whatever the client wants. I started out doing weddings and senior portraits. I won’t do those again. At least I hope I don’t have to. I eventually found commercial photography was where the money was at. A customer would send me a product, tell me what kind of idea they wanted to capture, and I would take it from there. Some clients were a little pickier, but most of the time it was up to me.”
“Wow,” I said, completely amazed that she had found a way to make money and be happy. I remembered her always walking around with a camera when we were younger, but I never imagined it would turn into a career—a lucrative career judging by the amount of money she had just dropped on the family farm.
“I’m going to see if I can sell some landscape pictures. I have one client that I think will be interested. I love the idea of taking pictures of nature, and there are so many places around where we live that are absolutely stunning. I will never run out of places to shoot,” she said with excitement.
I nodded my head. “Don’t let anyone know where the pictures are taken. I don’t want all our secret places getting out.” I winked.
She laughed. “Of course not. I’ll keep it generic.”
“How’s Jasper liking it so far?”
“He loves it! I’m excited for Jasper to go to a small school. I really think it will be good for him,” she said.
“You think? I would have thought a bigger school would have more opportunities.”
She sighed. “Maybe for high school students, but I always felt Jasper was kind of lost in the shuffle. I had him in a good school, but the class size was huge. I always felt like he was a little fish in a big sea. I want a teacher to recognize how smart he is and push him to do better. Plus, the city life is a lot different than the farm life. He’s used to playing in parks or playgrounds. I love that he can roam around the farm and explore in a more natural environment.”
I smiled. I loved knowing how smart my son was. I was downright giddy to take him to his first day of school. I could already feel my chest puffing up. I couldn’t wait to help him continue to grow. Ashley had gotten the kid off to a good start, but I wanted to help mold him, to teach him things and hopefully raise a young man we would both be proud of.
“I’m really glad he will get that chance, too. I think it is going to be good for all of us, but most importantly for Jasper. He has a lot of people that love him and will look out for him.”
She bestowed a warm smile on me. It was a smile that made me feel all tingly inside.
We stopped at a McDonald’s that was attached to a gas station and got some food and gassed up. Then we climbed back in the truck and headed home. When we pulled into town, it was close to eight. The sun was just starting to set.
“I’ll swing by my house so you can get your dad’s truck, and then we’ll head out to the farm,” I told her.
She yawned and covered her mouth. “Sounds good.”
“Ever wonder why driving is so exhausting?” I asked, thinking out loud.
She laughed. “It really is. I have done nothing but sit here, and I feel like I’ve been up for days.”
“You’ll sleep good tonight, and hopefully you can relax tomorrow.”
Ashley scoffed in feigned disgust. “The first thing you will learn about being a parent is there is no such thing as sleeping in, especially with your son.”
I fought back the urge to shout in glee. She had called him “my son” like we were regular parents. I was not known for sleeping in. I hated it. I had always been an early bird, and I loved that Jasper had inherited that characteristic.
“I’m sure your dad will be up early and can keep an eye on him.”
We pulled into my driveway, and she quickly jumped out and got into Tanner’s truck. I followed her out to the farm and backed up close to the porch to make unloading easier.
Jasper was on the porch and excited to see Ashley and his things. Tanner had come out and offered to help carry things in. At first Ashley refused to let him help, but she finally gave in. I knew Tanner needed to feel useful.
It took us another hour to unload the boxes and Jasper’s bed. I offered to come back the following day to set it up, but Tanner assured me he could do it. I relinquished the task, knowing I would need to buy and put together a bed for Jasper at my house—assuming I would get overnight visits.
Ashley walked me out. We stood on the front porch. The warm summer night took me back to the many nights we had sat out here as kids.
“Thank you,” she said in a voice laden with exhaustion.
“You’re welcome.”
We stood there listening to the crickets before I wrapped my arms around her. She sank into me and hugged me back.
“Get some sleep,” I told her.
“You, too. You did all the driving. Thank you again, Brock. You were a huge help.”
I nodded and headed down the steps and into my truck. I started it up and looked in my rearview mirror. She was still standing there. My breath caught as I drank in her beauty. She was hot, sweaty, and tired, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me.
As I drove home, I thought about the past forty-eight hours. A trip that I had been convinced would be the last straw in our tenuous relationship had ended up being pleasant. I was happy to have her back. When I found out she was coming home to fight me on the land deal, I had been dreading seeing her. When she completely screwed me out of the deal, I had thought I was pissed. I had cursed her and wished she had never come back.
Now I wasn’t so sure. No, I was very sure. I wanted her here. I wanted her close. In my heart and mind, I felt a spark of hope. We had matured a lot, and I felt we had moved past all the baggage that had been following us for years. Was there a chance for us?
I knew there was. I could feel the change. Last night had been different. The drive home had been awkward at first, but once we’d started talking, it was like we had never split up. We definitely had chemistry between us, and now we shared a son. I felt we had a good foundation to build a relationship on.
Now I had to find out if she was willing to try. Stranger things had happened.
Chapter 23
Moving was exhausting. I had spent all day yesterday cleaning up my old room and moving in. Jasper was taking Hank’s old room. I didn’t know why I had even worried for a minute about Jasper being upset by the move. He was loving the farm and didn’t seem the least bit upset about getting a new room and leaving our hold home behind. Kids were resilient. It was adults who struggled with change.
I would miss my loft and the city, but I knew this was the right place for us. It gave me a lot of comfort knowing I could keep an eye on my dad and make sure he got healthy again. This was my home now and I couldn’t dwell on what was. This was my future.
Walking into the kitchen to make coffee, I found my dad already sitting at the table. He was drinking an herbal tea that his doctor recommended he drink instead of his usual coffee.
“Good morning,” I greeted. “Did you eat?”
“No. Not yet. I’m not hungry,” he replied.
“Dad, you need to eat some toast at least. I’ll make you some,” I told him, not wanting to lecture, but I was here to make sure he got through the last round of chemo. He was almost done. He had lost a great deal of weight, but I was convinced we could put the pounds back on him.
“Thank you,” he mumbled.
I popped some toast in the toaster, put the coffee on, and went to sit with him, “How are you feeling today?”
“Tired.”
It hurt to see him so weak. All I could do was think ahead to the time when he would be healthy again. He would beat this. I had researched the disease and was confident this was the worst of it. His doctors were giving him an aggressive treatment to be on the safe side, and as difficult as it was, I was okay with that.
I gave him his toast. “Eat now, Dad. I’ll get your vitamins, and then why don’t you relax out on the front porch?”
He smiled. “You’re going to be mothering me, aren’t you?”
I grinned. “Damn straight I am. We got this, Dad. I’m here. You tell me what you need and I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about a thing. I read that stress can make the side effects worse. You have nothing to worry about. The farm is taken care of. I’ll make sure there is food on the table, the house is clean, and everything else is fine. Rest and heal. That’s all you need to do.”
