by Delisa Lynn
“Let’s eat, I’m starving,” he says. “What are your plans? Can I take you with me for the day?”
“I need to shower. You can follow me home and I’ll shower quickly.”
“That works. I need to pick up some things to make my famous cheesecake for tonight.”
“You cook?” I scrunch my nose. I can’t see this man cooking anything.
“Well, yeah, sweet cheeks, but I like to bake more than cook.”
“Yeah, I can’t cook at all. My…Morris, my ex-husband, he did all the cooking.”
“Looks like I’ll have to teach you.”
“Okay, but if I suck, then you’ll just have to cook for me.” I laugh.
“Anytime. Just say the words.” He winks, then reaches over and cuts a piece of my burrito with his fork. “Sorry, that looked good.”
“It’s okay. I’m full, to be honest. This is a lot of food.” I push my plate toward him.
“It is. Hang on and I’ll grab a to-go box. It’s good reheated.”
“Thanks.” I smile and reach for my wallet, hoping I’d have enough on my credit card to cover this. Morris left me broke. Even after he said he wouldn’t, he did.
“Hey, put that away. This is on me. When you’re with me, I pay for everything. Got it?”
“Oh, okay.” I feel a little odd, but I’m not going to argue about it. After paying my mortgage last week, I only have enough to survive until my next paycheck. Teacher’s salary isn’t as good as you’d think. I spent so much money on college. After my aunt’s money ran out, I was married to Morris and we shared accounts. Thank God he had bought my car before he left. We paid cash for it, so that helps a lot. I love my job, I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I’m so damn broke.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks as he lifts my chin with his index finger. “Look at me, sweet cheeks,” he orders.
“I’m fine. Why do you call me that?”
“’Cause you have some sweet cheeks, and not the ones attached to your face.” He laughs.
“Ashton! You’re looking at my butt?” I all but yell.
“Baby, you know I’m a man, right? Who wouldn’t look at that ass?”
“Ugh, I thought we were going to be friends.” I scoot from the booth and he surprises me by wrapping his arms around my waist.
“We are friends.”
“I think our friendship is going to go a lot different than I planned.” Shit, I said that aloud.
“Yes, it is. Yes, it is.” He laughs. Damn it, I’m in for it. I like him, though. I like him a lot.
Chapter Eight
Ashton
Having breakfast with Ansley was amazing. I followed her to her little house and waited for her to shower. It took everything in me not to walk in there and claim her. I swear that woman’s ass looks like a masterpiece. My jeans get tight just looking at her.
Her dog is cute. I know she likes dogs. That’s why I wanted her to go with me today. I’m getting AJ a dog. He’s been begging for one. We leave her car at her house and she climbs into the truck with me.
When I pull into my driveway, I see that Ansley’s a little nervous. I grab her hand and say, “Look at me. AJ isn’t here. So, if you’re worried about what he’ll say, don’t.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay. I was just thinking that my condo would fit inside of your garage.”
“Well, we could move it in if you want to.” Hopping out, I rush over and open her door. “Come on, I can smell myself.”
“You smell amazing to me.” She covers her mouth. “I mean, you don’t smell bad.”
“You can make yourself at home. The media room is downstairs. Movies and video games galore. I shouldn’t be long.”
“Is it okay if I sit on your deck?”
“Of course, you can sit on whatever you want.” Hell I have plenty of places that would love to have her fine ass sit on them.
She has my dick so hard, I’ve been adjusting it all day. My balls are so damn blue, I’m Papa Smurf. For the first time in years, I’m going to beat off in the goddamn shower.
I start the shower and look out of the double doors that lead to my balcony. I see her beautiful body curled up on the lounger. She’s just staring out at the ocean.
“Friends?” I laugh. We’ll see how long that will last because right now, the thoughts I have about her are thoughts I wouldn’t have about my friends. I strip my sweaty clothes off and climb into the shower. The hot water streams across my face. My fucking dick is still hard. I pour a little body wash in my left hand.
Placing my right hand on the cold tile, I grab my cock with my left hand and glide my hand up and down. Feeling some relief, I start thinking about that blue-eyed beauty downstairs. I bring my fingers to the tip and rest them on my Prince Albert. I adjust the silver ring, massaging the tip.
Thinking about bending her over and sliding in her, I move my hand back to the base of my cock, feeling my balls tighten. I move faster, bracing myself with the wall. I pump a few more times as my semen fills the drain. Goddamn, that felt great. Now I can shower and hopefully not get hard when I look at Ansley.
***
“What kind of dog are you getting him?” she asks as I pull into Jose’s driveway. He’s one of Toom’s friends.
“A pit bull. There’s a snow white one with a black spot on his ear. I knew, once I saw it, that AJ would love him.”
“Oh, those are big dogs.”
“Yeah, they are great with kids. Toom has one and his son grew up with it.”
“Is that their real names? Toom and Taz? I’m not judging, but those aren’t very common.”
I laugh. “No, those aren’t their birth names. They’re nicknames that stuck with them throughout the years. I’ve known them since we were kids.”
“I thought my name was odd.” She turns her head, then looks back at me. “I like that you’ve known them a long time. I never really had many friends growing up. I guess you could say I was the ugly duckling.”
“There’s not anything ugly about you, sweet cheeks.” Who the hell would think she was ugly? She is drop dead fucking beautiful.
“You trying to win brownie points with me, Ellis?” She laughs.
“Something like that.” I wink. “Let’s get my boy a puppy.” I smile as I climb out of the truck.
***
Ansley
I’ve been with Ashton all day. We’ve had breakfast and lunch together. He got AJ a puppy. I can’t wait to see AJ’s face when he talks about the puppy in class. He’s a story teller. I can see he gets it from his father. His green eyes light up when he speaks. Ashton hasn’t mentioned dinner, but I know that’s where we will be heading. I need to prepare myself. I’ve never been around a large family like his before.
Morris’s folks rarely had family functions. My family never did. Sometimes I wonder what my family would have been like if my parents were different. I’d never really thought about them much until all the shit happened with my ex. There are some things and some people that you want to leave in the past. I hope I never run into my parents. One good thing about moving so far away is that I don’t have to worry about that.
“Hey, you okay over there?” Ashton asks as we pull into the parking lot of PetSmart.
“Yes, just thinking.” I feel comfortable with him. The words flow so easily off of my tongue.
“I hope you know that you’re going to dinner with my family tonight. My mom would be heartbroken if you didn’t show up.” He winks as he leans over and unfastens my seatbelt. His scent is intoxicating. I close my eyes and inhale him. “Let’s go get this beast some toys.”
I hope he isn’t naming the puppy Beast. He’s supposed to be letting AJ name him. I climb out of his huge truck and see he is standing there, waiting for me. He has the dog under his arm. This man is so damn sexy. I want to trace all of the ink on his body. Not with my finger, either. Oh hell, what is he doing to me?
“We’ll need a cart. There is a lot you’ll need, since he is new,” I say as
I grab a cart and push it through the double doors. “Let’s start with food. Did they say what he eats?”
“No, I’m sure we can just get puppy food. I’ll get several different kinds.”
“Aww, look at this bed. I think it will suit him for now.” I pick up a blue bed with drawings of white bones all over it. Then I see that there is also a matching blanket and pillow.
“That’s fine, just no frilly shit.” He laughs. He hands me the dog and grabs a crate and some other things. I carry the dog as he pushes the cart through the store. I think he has enough stuff for five dogs.
“When you decide on a name, you’ll have to come back and make him a name tag. I got Sal’s from here, when we moved.”
“We can do that. Does Sal need anything?” he asks as he picks up some more toys.
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Well, he’s getting some new toys. I hope he likes these chew things too,” he says as he throws a bag of bones in the cart.
Laughing, I shake my head. “Okay, I think you have enough stuff here. Maybe we should go before you decide to adopt a cat.”
He looks at his phone. “Yeah, I need to pick little man up. I want to give him Beast before we head to my parents for dinner. It’s about a forty-five minute drive. And I don’t like cats.”
“Are you sure it’s okay that I tag along? Good, me either. They meow too much.” I really didn’t want to spend the evening alone anyway.
“You’re kidding, right? AJ will love that you’re with us. He is very fond of you, Miss Dolce.” He winks and takes the items from the cart. I can see the way the cashier is eyeing him. She’s a young blonde. She looks like she’s still in high school.
“I like the ink. Those are nice,” she says, staring at him. I instantly feel jealous.
“Thank you, doll.” He smirks as he pulls out his credit card to pay for everything.
Smiling at her, I run my hand over Ashton’s arm. “We better get going or we’ll be late for dinner.” I clutch Beast in my arms. Take that, blondie.
***
I feel a little nervous as we pull into Ashton’s driveway. I’m not sure if it’s because AJ will see us together or the fact that I’m going to meet all of his family. God, I would love to have a bottle of Ellis Wine right now.
“After I get everything in the house, we can pick little man up.” We walk into Ashton’s house and I realize I’m still holding Beast.
“You sure it’s okay for me to go?” I ask again. I’m not sure if I’m looking for him to say no or just hoping for reassurance that he and his family actually want me there.
“I want you there, that’s all that matters.” He places his finger under my chin. “Look at me. It’s going to be okay.”
We leave everything he just purchased sitting on his kitchen counter and head out of the same door we walked in.
Ashton takes the dog from under my arm and grabs my arm with his free hand. We walk down a small sidewalk that leads to his cousin’s home. My stomach drops to my toes. I see AJ five days a week. I don’t think it’s him that’s making me feel like this. Maybe it’s actually meeting the rest of the family. Whatever it is, it’s making my damn legs shake. Ashton is still holding my hand. He looks at me and nods before we walk up the front steps.
A beautiful, pregnant blonde woman swings the door open before we reach it. Her hair is gorgeous and, even with her round stomach, she looks breathtaking. She smiles and grabs Beast from Ashton and cuddles him.
“AJ is going to flip. This has to be one of the cutest dogs I’ve ever seen.” She smiles and hands the dog back to Ashton. “I’m so sorry, I’m Lila Carls-Ellis. You must be Ansley.” She embraces me and I feel at ease.
“Nice to meet you, Lila. Yes, I’m Ansley Dolce.” She backs away from me. From the corner of my eye, I see Ashton talking to a very handsome man. He looks about the same age as Ashton. He hugs me and I realize I met him at the bar.
“Ansley, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Liam Ellis. We met at the bar a few months back. You have mad pool skills.” He smiles. “I see you’ve met my beautiful wife. The kids are all out back, with Kade and Megan. Come on and I’ll introduce you to Meg. Then we can all head over to Gill and Nan’s.”
I follow her through a beautiful foyer. The walls are brown and there are pictures hanging everywhere. Some are of the kids while others are of Lila and Liam. I walk through the ginormous kitchen and see another handsome man leaning against the wood deck, drinking a beer. He notices us and smiles. Then I realize he was at the bar as well.
“Well, you must be Miss Dolce. Nice to see you again.” He reaches his hand out. He must not be a hugger like the rest of them. “I don’t know why he didn’t get your number when you kicked his ass in pool months back.”
“Flirt with your own woman,” Ashton says, placing his arms around my waist. I feel his breath on my neck. I close my eyes and inhale him.
“I’m Ansley. You must be Megan.” I smile at the beautiful brunette that just walked up from the beach.
“Hi, sweets, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Likewise,” I say, shaking her hand.
“Daddy, is that dog for me?” AJ runs toward us. Two blonde girls and a blonde boy who barely looks old enough to walk follow him.
“Hey, little dude. Yes, this is yours. You know you’ll have to take care of him, right?”
“Yes, he’s cool. Can I call him Donatello?” he asks.
“If that’s what you want to call him, then I guess that’s his name.”
“Miss Dolce, you look pretty, as always,” AJ says, hugging my waist. I have to choke back my emotion. He’s too sweet.
“Thank you, AJ. It’s nice to see you.” I ruffle his hair.
“See, Dad, I told you she was pretty.” He laughs and runs off with the puppy.
“I think you have some competition,” Liam says from behind me.
Ashton laughs. “Fuck you.”
“All right kids, let’s go,” Liam yells and his three kids come running from the small grassy area.
“I know you. You teach at our school,” one of the twins says, smiling at me.
“Yes, she’s Miss Dolce. She’s my dad’s friend,” AJ says to his cousin.
I smile at the kids. Ashton grabs my hand and tells the blue eyed doll, “Miss Dolce is a good friend of mine, Addy. She’ll be your teacher next year.”
“Cool,” she says.
“Looks like you’re a hit with the family already.” He smiles and places a kiss on my temple. Did he just kiss me? I feel so comfortable around him. Friends…We’re just friends.
We go back to Ashton’s truck and I laugh and talk with AJ about the puppy. He told us a few jokes and asked about my dog. The hour drive seems to go by pretty quickly. I haven’t laughed and joked this much in forever.
We approach a huge house. It isn’t quite as big as Ashton’s, but close. This is the house that he grew up in. I can see Nancy sitting on the front porch swing with a drink in her hand. I hope she has extra, because I’m ready for a stiff drink.
***
Ashton
“Mom, don’t scare her away.”
She cornered Ansley in the family room, where she’s spent the last five minutes showing her mine and Addison’s baby pictures. Now Ansley knows the entire crew.
“It’s okay. You were such a cute baby,” Ansley says, smiling. “Addison was beautiful.”
“She was a gem. She was going to be a doctor. She wanted to save the world.” My mom sighs. “Come on, let’s grab a glass of wine. I’ll show you Ashton’s trophies from basketball.”
“Really, Mom?” I laugh.
Ansley and I follow my mom into the kitchen. I look out the back window and see that my dad and AJ are watching Donatello chase the girls. I watch the smile on my son’s face. That boy is one of a kind, that’s for sure. I swear he has Addison’s personality. Sometimes, the things he does reminds me of her. I think back to when Addison and I were teenagers.
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“Ashton, you’re such a horn dog. You better keep that thing in your pants. I swear, I have no clue how we came from the same gene pool.” She laughs.
“Gee, thanks, sis. I love you too.” I gently pull her hair.
“You know I love you, brother. I just wish you weren’t such a whore.” She snorts, then tosses a pillow at me. Just then, Liam and Lila walk in, holding hands. “See, why can’t you be more like him?”
She’s right; Liam is a good guy, but I’d never tell him that.
I shake my head and bring myself back to the present. I always get choked up thinking about my sister.
“You okay?” Ansley says. I nod my head. Then I turn to see my mom is staring at me.
“What? Why are the two of you staring at me?” I say. “I need to make my cheesecake.”
“Nothing, baby.” Mom kisses my cheek. “You’re so handsome, and I’m proud of you. Okay, make it. I’ll see if everyone is ready to eat.”
“Ansley, you wanna help?” I ask, getting my ingredients from the bag. “It’s really easy.”
“Sure, let me wash my hands.”
She runs her hands under the water. I walk up behind her and reach my arms around her, placing my hands under the hot water too. My mouth is right above her ear. I press myself into her so she can see what she does to me.
A moan vibrates from her lips. She turns the water off. “Ready to make that cheesecake?”
“Yes. First, I use my pre-made crust,” I say, taking the top off of the graham cracker crust. “Then I place one block of cheese in a bowl and add powder sugar and some vanilla. Then mix it together.”
She laughs. “That’s it? That’s your famous cheesecake?”
I mix everything together and pour it on top of the crust. I open the can of cherries and pour them over the top layer.
“Yep, that’s it.” I smile at her before kissing her cheek.
“I thought it would take hours for you to make.” She crosses her arms and says, “I could’ve made that.”
