by Alexx Andria
But I hadn’t wanted Lauren to leave. I’d wanted her right by my side. I wanted to feel my cock nestled against her backside, my arm wrapped tightly around her midsection.
But I hadn’t been relieved at all. I’d been miffed.
Which was why I had to see if my reaction was a one-time event or something else. I needed firmer footing beneath me because right now, I felt as if the world had just tipped over and I was left standing on my head.
The door opened and Lauren returned. I could sense her nervousness, as well. The best way to handle a situation like this was to simply rip the bandage in one fell swoop. Without giving her a chance to think, I met her at the door and kissed her hard, demanding every ounce of her attention, every breath in her body.
Instant arousal burned through me, incinerating all the rational thought and careful planning in my head. All I knew was I needed to be inside Lauren again, and I wasn’t about to wait.
However, Lauren was the one who managed to hold on to her senses long enough to gasp, “Wait!” pushing her hand against my chest, wrenching her mouth away.
I blinked away the haze of sexual fog to stare quizzically. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know...this feels...it’s too intense. This can’t be normal.”
I couldn’t agree more, which was why I needed to figure out why. I reached for the buttons on her blouse and began plucking them open. “Define normal,” I suggested with silky intention, biting my lip on a groan as her breasts came into view. “Has anyone ever told you you have gorgeous tits?”
Lauren blushed, her breath catching. “Not lately.”
“Well, they are.” I pushed the halves of her open blouse from her shoulders and filled my hands with her full breasts. “A perfect handful—” adding with a look “—and a delicious mouthful.” To demonstrate, I sucked a sweet, soft nipple into my mouth and suckled gently.
“Nico,” she gasped, the sound like music to me. I spent a little time on her other nipple, and after, I wasted no time in shucking my jeans to stand naked and ready. Lauren sank to her knees in front of me to nuzzle my cock, her reaction twisting me in knots with instant arousal.
“I love the smell of a man’s body,” she murmured, cupping my balls with tender care before bringing the head of my cock straight to her mouth. I fed my shaft down her throat, and she willingly took every inch, teasing me with her tongue and adding a zing of danger with the graze of her teeth. Her hands worked in tandem with her mouth, sliding up and down my shaft as she worked the head with her mouth. Before long, my legs were shaking and sweat beaded my brow as I got ready to blow.
“I’m going to come,” I said from between gritted teeth, trying to hold back, but Lauren didn’t back away. She wanted me to come in her mouth. That was the final straw. I broke loose, coming with a shout, my knees nearly buckling and sending me sprawling to the sofa. With a final swipe of her tongue against the ultrasensitive head, she grinned up at me as I rested against the wall, breathing hard.
Lauren rose, went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge. Then she drank deep before sinking down onto the sofa. I joined her and she offered me a drink, which I gladly slugged down. “Give me a minute,” I promised, my throat still dry from breathing so heavily. “Girl, you’ve got some skills on lock.”
Lauren laughed, taking the compliment for what it was—genuine—and actually reached for her notebook. “I thought we’d go over some notes, maybe come up with a framework for your autobiography so we can figure out how to structure the book.”
Was she really talking about business? Oh, hell no. I tugged the notebook from her fingers, ignoring her mild protest, and tossed it before reaching for her pants and yanking them free from her body. Lauren laughed as I parted her legs to feast on her lovely pussy. “We have to do some work,” she said, trying to close her legs, but I wasn’t having it. I hadn’t had my breakfast yet.
“Oh, I told you I planned to work you,” I said, grinning. “By the time I’m finished with your body, you’re going to have to walk bowlegged to the kitchen to make me a sandwich.”
Lauren pealed with laughter until I buried my face between her slick folds, eager to reacquaint myself with the unique taste of her sweet pussy. I was a quick study. Within moments I had her dialed in. I knew just where to push, press, lick and suck to have her twisting and arching against my mouth, keening a cry so hoarse that I was sure my neighbors were going to lodge a noise complaint.
And I loved it.
Free to cut loose, Lauren did exactly that—the sound of her coming was the most erotic thing I’d ever encountered, and I wanted to bottle it up in my imagination so I could listen to it whenever I needed to stroke myself.
She shuddered and bucked, but I held her in place, locking her hips with my arms so I could tease and torture that swollen little nub. Ringing Lauren’s bell had just catapulted to my No. 1 favorite pastime, and I never wanted to stop.
But after her third orgasm, Lauren weakly pushed at me, begging me to let her breathe. “Please, Nico...no more... Ohhhhh, God!” Another orgasm rattled her bones and she went limp, whimpering as the pleasure buffeted her on its way out.
I turned her loose and swiveled her around so that her ass was bent over the sofa, her face turned sidewise as she gasped for air. I ripped a condom open, tossed the packaging and quickly sheathed so I could drill her as hard as ever.
Her groan as I slowly entered her from behind was like gasoline on a fire. I pushed myself deep, going to the hilt, until I was buried inside her, her pussy clenching around me in slick, hot, welcome.
“Fuck, Lauren,” I gasped. Now it was my turn to lose it. My eyes rolled back as I pumped against her, trying for finesse, but I was desperate to plant myself inside her. My hips worked furiously as I pounded against the soft give of her ass, and it didn’t take long before I was coming, too.
I spent myself inside her until I was bone-dry. I slowly pulled out, careful to keep the condom from spilling, and tossed it before dropping to the floor, exhausted.
Lauren rolled to the floor to land beside me, her head rolling to the cushion. There was something so incredibly beautiful about her when she looked rode hard. Her hair was wild and her cheeks flushed. She wasn’t wearing a stitch of makeup, and I’d never seen a woman more stunning.
“Why are you staring?” she asked, a rueful smile following as she tried to fix her hair. “I know I probably look like a crazy person.”
“You look amazing,” I said, reaching to pull her to me as I brushed a tender kiss across her lips. After the kiss, we simply held each other’s stare, unsure of what was happening between us, both of us a little afraid to draw attention to it. “Are you hungry?” I asked, breaking the moment and climbing to my feet. “I was just kidding about the sandwich. I’ll make us something.”
Lauren reached for her panties and retrieved her blouse from the foyer, dressing quickly, much to my disappointment. I would’ve rather Lauren stayed naked. Easy access and an awesome view, if you asked me.
For myself, I remained naked.
“Ham and turkey panini?” I suggested, already moving to grab the fixings.
“Sounds good.”
I made quick work of the panini and returned with the sandwiches.
“Are you going to get dressed?” she asked, accepting her plate, trying not to stare at my cock. “I mean...it might be a good idea.”
“I like being naked.”
She laughed. “I bet you do.”
“Don’t you?”
“I have a six-year-old son. Being naked isn’t an option.”
I shrugged. “He’s not here now. Go ahead, be free, go naked.”
Lauren laughed, her eyes sparkling. “But if I’m naked I have a feeling we won’t get much work done, and we only have so much time before we have to pick up Grady and go sailing as you promised.”
; “Good point,” I admitted, reaching for my pants. As much as I wanted to fuck Lauren at least a few more times, I wasn’t going to disappoint Grady by being late.
Dressed and enjoying our sandwiches, I couldn’t help but wonder what the story behind Grady’s father was. Lauren didn’t like to talk about it, but my curiosity didn’t much care about boundaries.
“Is Grady’s dad dead?” I asked bluntly. “Is that why you don’t like to talk about him?”
“He’s not dead,” Lauren answered. “Though that might make things easier. At least if he were dead, I wouldn’t have to explain to Grady that his father had abandoned him without a second look.”
“He knows about Grady?”
“Of course he does.”
“Does he pay child support?”
Lauren looked at me sharply. “No, and I prefer it that way. If I don’t chase after him for support, he’s happy to leave us alone. Trust me, Grady is better off without his dad around.”
“Who the hell is this guy?”
Lauren ignored my question, drawing attention to her sandwich. “This is pretty good. If the billionaire, independently wealthy gig doesn’t pan out, you can always become a chef or at the very least a line cook.”
“You deflect so quickly when you don’t want to talk about a subject,” I observed, amused. “So what happened between you and your baby daddy?”
“Please don’t call him that,” Lauren said, grimacing. “It was a humiliating time in my life and I just don’t like to talk about it. Besides, Grady and I are a team, we don’t need anyone else.”
“Everyone needs someone,” I reminded her softly, but she just shook her head, disagreeing.
“Nope. My son and I are a duo. We don’t need a third wheel.”
“How does Grady feel about that?”
Lauren shrugged, picking at her crust. “He hasn’t said it bothers him. I assume because it’s all he’s ever known that he’s fine with it.”
“Kids are perceptive.”
“Yes they are, and Grady can see how good things are, so why throw a wrench into things, you know?” She paused, adding with mild annoyance, “What does it matter to you? Are you trying to play matchmaker or something? Because I’m not interested in being with Grady’s father under any circumstances.”
“Is he that bad?” I asked, curious.
“He’s not bad, he’s just...very selfish. Trust me, Grady is better off without an influence like that.”
Now I needed a name. I didn’t understand how a man could walk away from his kid. Even though I wasn’t hoping for a baby mama to show up out of the blue, I would certainly make an effort to be part of the child’s life if one did. Besides, my mother would kill me if she found out she had a grandchild out there whom I’d abandoned.
My brother Luca and his new wife, Katherine, were about to add a new generation of Donatos to the mix with the birth of their first child in a month or two, and my mother was practically wetting herself with happiness at the prospect of becoming a nonna.
“What’s his name?” I pressed, but Lauren wasn’t interested in sharing and got up to put her plate away. I rose to follow her. “Is it a secret? Is that why you don’t want to tell me?”
She glared. “It’s not a secret, it’s private.” But then she exhaled loudly before adding with chagrin, “And there’s a good chance you know him.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Lauren
I HADN’T PLANNED to admit to Nico that there was a good possibility he knew Houston. The information just kinda fell from my mouth in an embarrassing word vomit.
“Now I have to know,” he said. “Out with it. Who is this asshole who may or may not be within my circle?”
I sighed, unable to believe I’d been so careless. “Honestly, I don’t want to tell you. We’ve spent the last six years living peacefully without his influence, and I don’t need anyone to rock the boat.”
“You don’t think at some point this mystery man might decide he wants to be a father and sue for custody?”
I lifted my chin. “There’s literally no reason why Grady’s father would want to suddenly become involved in his son’s life. He doesn’t even know him. It would be a disaster and it would completely throw Grady’s life out of whack. Trust me, it is better for everyone involved for his father to remain absent.”
But Nico wasn’t satisfied. He was like a dog with a bone. I never should’ve said anything. I sincerely regretted opening my mouth. “I’ve seen your shitty apartment. The man should at least be paying child support.”
I hated this argument—it was the same argument my mom threw at me—and just as I said to her, I said to Nico, “It’s none of your business. Back off.”
Nico seemed to understand that he’d overstepped but nonetheless tried a different tack. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but at some point Grady is going to want to know his father. It might be later when he’s a teenager, but it will happen at some point. How are you prepared to deal with it?”
Like that wasn’t one of my deepest fears already, but I couldn’t live in fear of a moment that may or may not happen. “I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now Grady is six years old and completely happy with just him and me.”
“And I’m not advocating that you suddenly invite this man into Grady’s life, whoever this asshole is. I’m just pointing out that you’re walking a tightrope and at some point someone might shake the line.”
As much as I wanted to end the conversation and erase it from Nico’s memory, I could sense that Nico wasn’t going to let it go. If Nico truly wanted to find out who Grady’s father was, he could easily do so with minimal effort because all he had to do was throw money at the mystery.
In an effort to avoid Nico poking around and inadvertently messing with the beehive, I decided to come clean, but not without scowling for putting his nose where it didn’t belong.
“I’ll tell you, but you have to promise me that you will not say anything to him or in any way encourage him to be a part of Grady’s life, no matter how you feel about the subject. Do I have your word?”
“Of course.”
I didn’t know how strong or good Nico’s word was, so I’d have to trust him. I drew a deep breath before sharing, “Grady’s father is Houston Beaumont.”
As expected, Nico’s expression was one of shock. I knew they probably ran in the same circles. Houston was a rich asshole, too.
“I’ve never heard anything about Houston having a kid,” he said. “That son of a bitch. What a dick.”
I released a breath of relief. A part of me had been afraid that Nico might take Houston’s side. A “bros before hoes” kind of thing, but Nico wasn’t walking that road in this instance.
“So you and Houston were a thing?” he asked, obviously trying to picture that and failing. I didn’t blame Nico; Houston and I had been an odd couple.
“Briefly,” I admitted. “I’d thought I was in love with him, but he bailed when I was four months pregnant. He begged me not to say anything about the baby, which is why nobody in his circle knows about it. At first I thought he didn’t want me to say anything because he wanted to make a grand announcement, but then I realized he didn’t want anyone to know because he’d never had any plans of being a father. Once I realized that, I didn’t want anything to do with him. I was going to raise my baby by myself, and I did.”
“Houston comes from a very rich family,” Nico said. “He might’ve been willing to simply pay child support and not have anything to do with the kid.”
“That’s a gamble I wasn’t willing to take. You have to understand that once I saw Houston’s true colors I didn’t want him having a hand in raising my child. I felt stupid enough as it was that I’d been conned and knocked up by the man. I wasn’t about to subject a newborn baby to his bullshit. Besides, Houston would’ve
wanted to see his kid if he was paying money. Houston is very much possession-driven. He would’ve looked at Grady as nothing more than a possession, and frankly, there’s no amount of money in this world that could make that okay with me. So Houston can go fuck himself.”
I hadn’t meant to reveal so much, but there was something about Nico that unhinged my jaw and the words simply fell out. Maybe it was something I’d needed to say for a long time and I’d finally found an ear willing to listen. Anytime the subject of Houston came up with my mom, she was a broken record. “Go after him for the money.” It was the same thing over and over and over again, and I just didn’t want to hear it anymore.
But Nico seemed to understand that Houston wasn’t a great person to have coparenting a child.
Oddly, his support meant something to me. “How well do you know Houston?” I asked, curious.
“Well enough. We went to school together. He’s an asshole but in certain circumstances fun to have around. However, I wouldn’t consider him an actual friend by any means.”
“Well, like I said, I’ve been lucky to this point in that Houston has had zero interest in having anything to do with us. I haven’t pressed for child support, and he’s been happy to forget that we exist. We don’t travel in the same circles, and it’s not likely that Houston is going to run into Grady anytime soon or vice versa.”
“That’s true enough. Have you ever considered asking Houston if he would terminate his parental rights and just be done with it? That way the threat of him popping in whenever he feels like it is removed.”
Actually, I had thought of that option. But at the time I couldn’t afford an attorney to draw the paperwork, and again, there was always the risk that poking at the issue might ignite some weird need to press the other direction. “I couldn’t fathom the risk of losing Grady. If we went to court for custody, the odds were stacked against me. Even though I’m his mother, the judge could’ve taken one look at Houston’s wealth and my meager means and given custody to the father. Houston would’ve pawned off Grady to some nanny—one he probably would’ve been screwing—and Grady would’ve been shuffled off into the background. I wasn’t about to take that chance.”
