by A. Valentine
They talked about their favorite movies and TV shows, discovering they had a lot more in common than just the genres, but the actual specifics too, such as them both preferring DC to Marvel. She couldn’t believe she’d found such a handsome, funny and adorable nerd who thought she was gorgeous too. She felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. And she was going to be his wife. Hopefully.
They loved the same books, the same bands and artists, and although Carl definitely knew a lot more about games than her, she loved to listen to him talk about something he was obviously so passionate about. He told her all about his business and how he’d first started it up with a friend of his from college, how he’d trained for this on a business and gaming course, and dreamt of it all his life. In return, he asked about her job, and Anna told him about her time at the office and how boring it was most of the time, how it wasn’t what she’d imagined herself doing and how she was dissatisfied with life, and had always wanted a family and to settle down.
Then they talked about Jason. It was obvious Carl loved him very much, just from the things he said, and the fond look he got in his eyes whenever he mentioned him. He told Anna about all the progress the six month old had made already and how he was developing so quickly.
She couldn’t wait to meet him. That was the only thing she was actually nervous about as she drove down his quiet residential street that Sunday morning, her suitcase all packed up for the next two weeks. She just hoped the child would take to her, and that she’d be able to be a suitable replacement for his lost mother. Anna hadn’t asked how she’d died. She presumed Carl would tell her when he felt like it.
He was waiting for her outside the front door as she pulled up. She’d texted him when she was leaving so he knew what time to expect her. Jason was in his arms, his big wide baby eyes open and awake, looking around him eagerly as he leant against his Dad’s shoulder.
Carl smiled and gave her a little wave.
She waved back then turned off the engine, parking up just on the street at the bottom of his drive.
“You can put it in the garage if you like,” he told her as she got out.
“Oh, maybe later,” she waved a hand dismissively, not really wanting to move it again.
“It’ll be fine on the street. It’s a really low crime area.”
“That’ll make a difference from where I’ve been living then,” she chuckled and went around to the trunk to get her suitcase out. “I had a tyre robbed a couple of months back.”
Carl tutted and shook his head.
The two of them were chatting so easily already, she thought to herself with a smile. This was great. She went over to him and he extended a hand towards her, very formally considering they’d been talking every night that week and ending all of their texts with plenty of kisses.
“It’s lovely to meet you,” he said warmly. “In person.”
“Yeah, you too,” she grinned, then allowed herself to let out an excited squeal. She’d done one of those on Skype last night and he’d giggled, not having minded it in the slightest. “I’m really happy to be here.”
He laughed, showing a set of sparkling, gleaming teeth as he did so. “And this is Jason.” He turned the little baby around so Anna could get a good look at him.
He was beautiful, and had his dad’s eyes and wavy black hair.
“Hello Jason,” she smiled at the baby then looked up at Carl. “Oh my gosh, he’s adorable.”
“Isn’t he? Want to hold him?”
“Please.”
Carl offered out his child towards her and Anna very carefully took the precious cargo into her arms, cradling him against her chest comfortably. She’d always been happy and relaxed around children, and wasn’t nervous or awkward about holding him like some people might be.
They stood exactly where they were on the lawn and Carl watched with a delighted expression as Anna gently swung little Jason to and fro, causing him to giggle and cackle, giving her a big toothless grin.
“Oh wow, he likes you already,” Carl beamed, obviously very happy that this was working out. And Anna was too, no longer worried about the next two weeks as Carl picked up her suitcase and carried it inside for her to ‘give her the full tour.’
He showed her around every room in the house, with Anna cradling Jason in her arms the whole time. At one point, she tried to put him down his crib but he started crying, his little arms reaching up for her and his big wide eyes staring at her.
“I think he’s missed a female presence in his life,” Carl frowned slightly.
Anna nodded quietly in agreement, her eyes falling on a family photograph framed and resting on the mantelpiece of the master bedroom – the three of them together, Carl, Jason and his wife. They looked like the perfect family. Happy, smiling.
Carl followed her gaze and then gave a quiet, sad sigh, his fingers reaching up to trace over the edge of the photograph.
“Sarah,” he murmured. “My wife.”
“How long ago did she…”
“A month after Jason was born.”
“Must have been terrible.”
He nodded. “I miss her a lot.”
Anna felt a small pang in her chest. It wasn’t jealousy so much as sadness. She felt sorry for Carl and wanted to comfort him, but she also hoped he was ready to have another woman in his and Jason’s lives.
The house itself was wonderful. It was big, much bigger than her own tiny apartment, of course. Carl was obviously a decent earner with his gaming business. She didn’t ask what his wife had done for a living. She thought, perhaps, the fewer questions about her, the better. Carl had seemed to get sad when she’d mentioned her, and she wanted this to be a happy two weeks for them both, if possible.
Upstairs, there were three bedrooms – the master bedroom, Jason’s nursery, and a spare room, which was also an office with a desk in the corner. The master had an en suite, and there was another separate bathroom for guests, and for Jason when he got older.
Downstairs, there was a spacious living room; a separate kitchen with it’s own dining area and a breakfast bar dividing the dining area from the actual kitchen; another bathroom; and a small study, which had another desk, a comfy lounge chair, and a couple of bookcases stacked high with books, the ones Carl had been telling her about. They spent some time in there, with Anna looking through the collection and Carl picking out some of his favorite ones.
Then he showed her back through to the living room and to his record collection, stacked in the corner on specially made shelves, with a CD player and an LP turntable. They spent another half an hour or so there looking through the music, but by that time, Jason was starting to get sleepy. He’d been rolling around on the floor while they got all the records out and looked at them, but then Carl said it was time for his nap.
He swept the child into his arms and Anna followed him through to the kitchen so she could learn how to prepare his bottle. Carl started feeding, then Anna took over, the child nuzzling into her a little as he suckled on the bottle, his eyes starting to grow heavy as he fell asleep. They laid him down in his crib, then went back to their fun exploration of the record collection, soon putting one on they could listen to before Carl dragged her over to look at the DVD and games collection, stacked up next to the TV.
The day seemed to just whizz by them. When Jason woke up, they brought him back downstairs again and he played with some of his toys on a baby mat on the floor while the two of them watched TV together and chatted.
Carl made toasted sandwiches for lunch, and pasta for dinner. Anna sat at the breakfast bar and watched him cook, and they talked some more, although silences between them weren’t an issue. They were already comfortable and easy
They didn’t kiss that first day. They spent the evening watching movies and Anna slept in the spare room, with Carl giving her a discreet kiss on the cheek as he said goodnight.
Chapter Five
The second day, Carl behaved like the perfect gentleman again. He was up a
nd making breakfast for her before she’d even roused. She got up at half nine and wandered downstairs to the smell of bacon.
“You’re up early,” she yawned, still in her onesie.
Jason was in his baby chair, happily babbling and playing with one of his toys.
“You get used to that with a kid,” Carl chuckled, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. “He woke me up at 6.”
“Oh gosh, you should have got me up too.”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she insisted. “If I’m going to be his main caregiver while you’re at work then I need to get used to it. I can’t believe I didn’t hear him.”
“I’m used to his cries. I sleep really lightly now because of it, always listening out for him, y’know?”
She smiled.
He flipped the bacon over and then tossed it out onto a couple of plates.
“But if you really want to be up when he is, I can maybe put the baby monitor in your room until you get used to his cries.”
“That’s a good idea. Thank you. Although uh…I hope I won’t be in the spare room for the whole two weeks,” she added tentatively, looking at him with a shy smile.
“I hope not either.” He gave her a little flirtatious wink, then picked up the plates and carried the breakfast over to the dining table.
It was a Monday, and Anna really wasn’t used to having Mondays off, although it felt pretty good. After she’d eaten breakfast, she grabbed a shower and got dressed, then offered to take Jason for a walk in his stroller for him to get some fresh air and allow them time to bond with each other. She knew it was just as important to bond with the child as it was with Carl.
Carl himself seemed delighted by the idea, and he set everything up for them, then gave her another kiss on the cheek as he waved them goodbye at the door.
She walked Jason around a couple of blocks looking around the area and learning where everything was, occasionally leaning over and talking to him in a soft baby voice, doing lots of cooing and smiling and trying to make him laugh. They were out for about half an hour, during which Jason dozed off.
When they got back, Carl was doing some work on his computer, so Anna grabbed a book from the library and read while keeping an eye on Jason, then changing his nappy once he woke up. It was the first time she’d actually done it all by herself, but after watching Carl do it a few times the day before, she’d got the hang of it and felt confident enough.
When Carl came back out of his office an hour or so later, he was obviously impressed and pleased. They spent the rest of the day together as a family, bonding. They put some children’s cartoons on, and although Jason was too young to really pay attention to them properly, he sat in his baby chair and giggled a few times, shaking his rattle and putting the foot of his favorite stuffie into his mouth.
It was later on that night that they ended up sharing their first ever kiss.
They’d been talking, and Carl had made her laugh. Then the two of them had ended up in fits of giggles, rolling around a little on the couch.
When their laughter died down they were looking into each other's sparkling eyes, both still smiling, both still happy and full of life. The record they’d been listening to came to an end, the needle scratching slightly on the surface of the vinyl before automatically lifting up and returning to its rest with a small pop of the speakers, the room becoming silent apart from the beating of their hearts and their breathing, and the distant ticking of the old clock in the hallway, little Jason having been put to sleep a good half an hour earlier.
It was one of those moments; one of those moments when they both knew they'd been staring into each other's eyes for a little while longer than would be considered normal between friends. Except they weren't just friends, were they? They were future husband and wife, and in order to see whether this trial period was going to work, Anna knew she would need to take things one step further between them. She'd been expecting it from her moment of arrival, had come fully prepared, even bringing condoms. But perhaps a kiss would be a good start.
She'd looked at his lips more than once since they'd met and now she found herself gazing at them again, breaking off from the eye contact and feeling her heart flutter slightly as she noticed - not for the first time - how luscious, pink and perfect they looked, with that artistic and beautiful Cupid's bow shape to them.
Carl caught her looking, and smiled a little.
Then she smiled too, and blushed.
He gave a soft laugh and took hold of her hand in his, running his thumb gently over the back of her knuckles. "I... kind of want to kiss you," he admitted softly.
"I kind of want to kiss you too," she whispered back.
"Good. That's uh...that's a good start."
The intense moment had been broken, but in many ways, that made Anna feel more relaxed about the whole thing. It wasn’t so serious anymore. They were smiling, joking around. And that was when she did it.
She leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a soft, gentle kiss, their mouths barely brushing up against one another’s. She felt a jolt shoot through her body and a tingling sensation where their lips had met when she pulled away.
She looked up into his eyes, both of them serious now, no longer smiling, looking at each other with an intent need and desire.
Then Carl quickly leant in again, obviously wanting more, and Anna wasn’t going to say no. This time though, he parted his lips and the kiss was more open, passionate. It lasted for longer too, both of them giving in to their desires.
Anna gave a soft moan of satisfaction and closed her eyes, tilting her head in the opposite direction to Carl’s, parting her lips too and returning his slightly wet, tender kiss. His arms slid around her waist and held her gently, giving her a little squeeze to reassure her that everything was going fine. And it was. Her heart felt as though it was flooded with happiness and beating in time to his. She had never been kissed so lovingly and so perfectly. She wished it could have gone on forever.
It did last for a good few minutes, with her wrapping her arms around him in return, her hands slowly exploring up and down his back, wanting to touch every part of him and finding the fact that they both had clothes on slightly annoying. She suddenly wanted to see what he was like underneath them, to touch his skin, to kiss it, to learn every inch of him and take this whole thing much further. But one step at a time, she inwardly warned herself, reigning herself in. It had been such a long time since her last sexual experience it would have been very easy for her to get carried away in the heat of the moment. She didn’t want Carl to think she was some kind of slut and only interested in one thing.
After a few minutes of slow, opened mouthed kissing, the sounds of their smacking lips and their gasping breaths filling up the quiet room, Carl made the next move and carefully slid out his tongue, running it along Anna’s bottom lip and dancing over her teeth as if asking for permission.
Anna gave a soft whine and opened her mouth even wider if possible, tilting her head again and applying renewed pressure to the kiss, tugging at his shirt and inviting him in. He duly accepted, dancing his tongue over hers. The two of them explored each other’s mouths in as much detail as possible, taking their time, learning every centimetre.
Anna didn’t know how long they were kissing for, but it felt like a long time. It felt as though the rest of the world had been shut out completely and, in that moment, only the two of them existed, the two of them and their rapidly developing love for one another. Anna wasn’t sure whether she believed in love at first sight, but she was certainly falling for Carl pretty quickly. The fact that he was incredibly good looking and just her type obviously helped a lot too, but she could have quite literally carried on kissing him all night.
In the end, it was Carl who pulled away first, breathless and panting, needing some kind of break from the continued onslaught of Anna’s tongue, which was getting more confident and needy with every passing second. She
could feel herself wet and uncomfortable in her pants and wanted some more of him.
When he pulled back, she gave a small whine of protest and then fluttered open her eyes to look at him, discovering that she was actually slightly dizzy and couldn’t really focus properly. Her heart was racing and fluttering with what she could only describe as adrenalin. It gave her a rush she’d never really experienced before.
“That…that was incredible,” she whispered, also breathless.
Carl gave a quiet chuckle and nodded in agreement.
“It was the best kiss I’ve ever had,” she added. That wouldn’t have been hard though. She could count the amount of kisses she’d had in her life on one hand, and all but one of them had been with immature college kids who didn’t know what they were doing. The only other guy she’d kissed had been the one night stand she’d had a good while back, but that hadn’t been satisfying in the slightest, not like this one had. There was something different about the way Carl kissed her, and she couldn’t get enough of it.
He smiled at her and reached to push some hair back out of her eyes. It had all become a little ruffled and unruly during their five to ten minutes of making out.
“It was definitely one of the best kisses I’ve ever had,” he returned the compliment reassuringly, looking into her eyes. “Your lips are so…soft and…warm…”
“So are yours,” she giggled.
“I don’t think it’s going to be difficult to fall for you,” he murmured. “I was worried about doing this…but I just thought I’d take a leap into the unknown and see what happened. I really had nothing left to lose. You’re almost as good as Sarah.”
Chapter Six
And he’d been doing so well.
Everything he’d said up to that point had made her so happy, and had been causing the smile on her face to spread even wider. Then he just had to go and mention Sarah.
Anna’s smile must have dropped, because Carl picked up on it immediately and a guilty expression crossed his face.
