by Tori Brooks
Paul watched Teri toying with his olive calmly as the waiter set their meals on the table. When he left, Paul and Teri still sat watching each other. Teri ate another olive, making the experience last longer than anyone else watching would consider decent. When Teri was down to the third olive on the pick, Paul picked up the last set of three and held it up.
“When do you have to be home?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“I’m the parent, I don’t have a curfew.” She didn’t take the olives from him.
“When will the kids worry or get ideas?”
“Don’t worry about it. Eat your lobster.”
“Would you believe I’m suddenly not hungry?”
“Personally I’m amazed at how filling olives are. Did you find a nice hotel?”
“I assume. I was barely there.” He set down the olives and signaled the waiter.
“You didn’t even see if you had a view?”
“I should probably check that.”
“Immediately,” Teri agreed.
The waiter arrived and Paul turned to him, pulling out his wallet.
“I apologize but there’s been a change of plans.” He laid two crisp one hundred dollar bills on the table. “I assume that will cover the meal and your trouble.” Paul got up and stepped around to pull out Teri’s chair.
The waiter nodded. “Of course, sir. Would you like a receipt?”
“No, we’re in a hurry. Thank you.” Teri didn’t bother to put on her coat, she just let Paul carry it and they walked quickly out the door to the waiting car.
Limos were better than taxis, Teri decided, but not as good as simply having your own car. A private car and driver still wasn’t private enough. Charles counted as public in her mind and she refused to misbehave when a stranger could be watching in the rear view mirror. Paul seemed to be having an easier time of it. Of course he was probably used to being all fired up and having to wait; Kayley struck Teri as the type to do that, but Teri wasn’t used to it. She wanted Paul naked and sweaty and on her and in her, and she wanted it now. Waiting wasn’t only inconvenient, it was almost painful.
Her nipples were so hard she felt like they were petrified. Now that she recognized it, she realized they were probably poking through her thin bra and disrupting the smooth curves of her sweater. She glanced briefly to make sure the driver was looking elsewhere, and quickly reached up and tried to poke her nipples back in so they didn’t show.
Paul laughed beside her. He put a hand on her knee and slowly started sliding it up inside her thigh, a little higher than appropriate for a public setting. Clearly Paul didn’t see Charles as public. Teri crossed her legs, trapping Paul’s hand where it was. Inappropriate perhaps, but not as much as it soon would be. He let his hand be imprisoned with only more soft laughter.
Despite her arousal, Teri’s mind wandered briefly back to the kids, Dev in particular. Before she prematurely blew off Paul, they’d planned it so simply. He’d come out to Seattle, barbecue at the house, a casual get-together to give everyone a chance to get acquainted. It wasn’t so simple now. She hoped Paul would be a role model for Dev. He needed someone to look to besides Kenny and Bryan. Unfortunately, Dev didn’t like Paul now.
Kenny knew why she was angry with Paul. She didn’t explain why she’d forgiven him, only that they’d worked it out and there was more to the story than Blaine let on. He wasn’t happy, but he was keeping it to himself. Everyone else knew she and Paul broke up, were suddenly back together again, and a lot of time and heated discussions with Nicholas passed in the meantime. She wasn’t foolish enough to think the kids failed to notice Paul’s attempts to reopen communications. Paul accepted her decision to grant him a second chance, but she probably had some explaining to do to everyone else and she didn’t want to. What could she say to Dev to make him see Paul with an open mind?
Paul’s hand in hers, pulling her out of the limo, broke her temporary return to reality. Stepping out of the car and into his arms, she was more than happy to leave the real world behind for a while. Without a word, Paul escorted her through the lobby and they waited for an empty elevator. It took a moment, but this wasn’t New York, and these strangers wouldn’t appreciate the intimate familiarity the elevator operator in Paul’s uptown apartment building so easily overlooked.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Paul’s mouth was on hers and his strong arms pulled her body tight against his. The elevator stopped after only one floor, and they separated as a woman with a small child got on and pressed a button for a floor higher than Paul’s. Facing the front of the elevator again, Paul pulled Teri’s back against his front and held her tenderly. At least it probably seemed that way to the woman, but Teri could feel Paul’s erection.
The elevator was entirely too slow in Teri’s opinion and, when it stopped and Paul nudged her forward, she walked down the hall at an Olympic pace. Paul had the key card out before he reached his door and Teri fought the urge to take it from him and do it herself when it didn’t open on the first try. Paul got it on the second, throwing open the door and sweeping Teri into the room and into his arms at the same time.
Paul kicked the door closed and pinned Teri between the wall and his body as his mouth covered hers. Somewhere in the back of Teri’s mind she noticed Paul’s hands slipping up under her sweater, but she was too busy kissing him. His lips were good, great actually, magic even, but insufficient at the moment. His hands on her bare skin weren’t enough either. Teri wrapped a leg around his and tried to pull him closer.
“Too many clothes,” she gasped. Paul moved immediately to kiss her neck, but the high collar of her sweater made it difficult.
“This sweater has to go,” he agreed and pulled it up over her head. Teri melted as he immediately found a sensitive spot on her neck and worked it over with his lips. Paul shrugged off his suit jacket, and Teri’s hands clutched the shoulders of his shirt as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded. The intensity of Paul’s kisses on her neck made the heat inside her almost unbearable. She almost didn’t notice the disappearance of her bra.
“My turn, your pants go,” Teri said as she fumbled unsuccessfully with his belt. Paul obliged and unfastened his belt and slacks, letting them slide down his legs.
Teri didn’t waste time, by the time Paul’s slacks reached his knees, hers were undone as well. She wiggled her hips and let them slide down to the floor and stepped out of them. There was nowhere to step to, however, so she stood on them in her heels.
Paul kicked off his shoes and returned to kissing Teri’s mouth. She repeated the pants trick with her panties and was rewarded almost immediately by Paul’s hands under her thighs, lifting her body and spreading her legs. She wished there was time to remove his shirt, but however much she missed running her hands along his muscular shoulders, there just wasn’t.
Paul pushed against her but not inside her yet, and Teri groaned in frustration. She wrapped her legs tighter around him. He rubbed against her, so close but not close enough.
“I need you inside me now.”
“Demanding aren’t you? I didn’t want to push you into intimacy again this quickly.”
“If I say please?” Teri begged, sucking Paul’s earlobe into her mouth and working it in and out suggestively. That worked. Paul thrust inside her and Teri took a sharp breath. He pulled out almost completely before sliding back into her.
Again and again, Paul drilled into her hard and forcefully, and Teri loved every minute of it. She’d forgotten the passion, pushed it from her mind in her anger, but she wanted it all back now. Pressure built in her body like a rising flood and she knew the release was coming soon. She welcomed and resisted it, not wanting this to end. Her muscles tightened involuntarily and Paul withdrew completely.
Teri’s eyes flew open to see Paul smiling at her.
“Are you punishing me?”
“No, teasing perhaps. I’m not going to just give you a quickie against the wall. That’s cheating.”
“It’s okay,” she whimpered.
Paul carefully positioned his hands and carried her over to the bed. He took the time to throw off the bedspread and even pull back the sheets. Laying her gently on the bed, Paul finished undressing as Teri watched with a mixture of frustration and anticipation washing through her. Walking around to the foot of the bed, Paul spread Teri’s legs wide and knelt between them.
Teri realized she was still wearing her heels, and only her heels. Strappy stilettos - like a porn star, she imagined. The image intensified when Paul carefully picked up one of Teri’s feet and positioned it against his chest. His fingers caressed her calf and he gently unbuckled the shoe and removed it.
Tossing the first shoe to the floor, Paul briefly massaged Teri’s foot, calf and thigh before allowing the leg to return to his side. The leg tingled, although the sensation wasn’t as intense as the area between her legs. Teri tried to suppress the growing desire inside her as Paul picked up her other leg and, again, braced her foot against his chest.
She watched him, sure that he didn’t have a foot or shoe fetish, simply wondering where this new trick came from. Paul didn’t seem to even look at her shoe as he unbuckled it. His deft fingers simply removed her last article of clothing and tossed it carelessly aside.
The heat from his hands transferred almost instantly to her foot as Paul firmly rubbed the toes, arch, and heel. He slowly moved up to her ankle, and then began massaging her calf, never taking his eyes from hers. Paul cradled her calf in his arm with his strong hands on her thigh; he kneaded her tingling muscles as he lowered her leg back to the bed.
Finally, with both shoes gone and Teri back to her original position, Paul slid his hands from her calves up along her inner thighs. His touch was soft but firm, pushing her legs apart wider. He repeated the motion, letting his hands linger for a moment at the top, his thumbs brushing gently against her sensitive labia.
“Just in case you’re interested, I’m about ready to scream in frustration,” Teri said with a soft smile. Paul smiled back, she was pretty sure he knew she wasn’t completely joking.
Paul eased slowly on top of Teri slowly. He kissed her chest and neck before finally reaching her lips again. She let her legs wrap around him, and her hands welcomed the familiar feel of his chest and shoulders.
She was ready for him and, from the stiffness of his cock against her leg, he was ready too. But Paul was slowing it down from the initial desperation they felt to be back in each other’s arms. As he caressed her body, Teri appreciated that on an emotional level, if not a physical one.
“Still ready to scream?” Paul whispered in her ear, then sucked gently just below it.
“Yes.”
“Let’s see about that.”
He pushed into her slow and deep, amazing Teri at how he filled her. Paul pulled out slightly, then pushed in harder and, it seemed, deeper still. Again and again Paul plunged inside her, his careful movements satisfying a need that was not only physical, but emotional. Teri felt closer to Paul.
Her arms were around his neck, nails grazing his back. Paul’s hands held her waist, holding her to him as they moved in unison. It wasn’t long before Teri felt her muscles begin to tighten and Paul changed his rhythm in response. The slow, deep thrusts gave way to shallower, almost grinding penetration. The urgent release Teri needed dissipated, and she wanted to cry. Paul kissed her gently below her ear, and the need returned in force. She held him to her as he kissed her again and sucked softly on her neck as he drove deep one more time.
Fire exploded in Teri. The orgasm took her by such complete surprise she was unprepared and screamed in pleasure so intense it was almost pain. Paul quickly covered her mouth with his, stifling her cries, and in the silence, she recognized the trembling of his body over hers.
When it was over, sweat covered their bodies and the smell of sex hung heavy in the air. Too exhausted to move, they lay entangled in each other’s arms like an elaborate Celtic knot.
As Teri’s breathing returned to normal, Paul rolled onto his side and pulled her into his arms. She loved the way he held her tight and secure. She felt safe with him and loved. Not only in the passionate, frenzied way they knew before, but also in the purest sense.
Paul kissed her tenderly. Teri welcomed the kiss, and somewhere in the back of her mind she realized everything was different now. Paul intentionally pushed the passionate heat between them aside in favor of making love with a more unified and emotional connection. Despite his past and everything they’d been through, they could build a life together.
“I love you,” Teri whispered as soon as the kiss ended. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that. As softly as her volume might have been, just throwing a statement like that out there for the first time felt harsh.
“I love you,” Paul answered without hesitation. He kissed her again briefly and pulled a little farther away to look at her. Teri knew the twist her hair was in earlier was long gone, even before he brushed her hair away from her face. Paul caressed her cheek as he gazed at her.
“Welcome back,” Teri smiled and closed the gap to press her lips to Paul’s again.
It was almost three in the morning by the time Teri got home, so she was disturbed to find Dev waiting up. He and Kenny were playing cards in the living room when Teri walked in with Paul behind her. She waffled between regret that she invited him in and determination that Dev would get to know Paul, find him acceptable, and there wouldn’t be any trouble.
“You’re late,” Dev said, drawing a card from the deck and carefully placing it in his hand.
“I’m an adult, therefore sans curfew,” Teri replied easily.
Paul hesitated in the doorway and looked to Teri for direction. She smiled and nodded encouragingly, so he quietly closed the door and slipped his arm around her waist as she faced the living room.
“Speaking of late, you should be in bed,” she said.
“I couldn’t sleep while you were out. I was worried. Kenny wouldn’t let me call you or even touch my computer. So we’re here, playing cards, waiting for you to get home.”
“That’s sweet but unnecessary, Dev. You see, Paul brought me home safe and sound. Now go to bed.”
Dev finally looked at her, then let his gaze linger on Paul.
“I promise I’ll take good care of her,” Paul said.
“By whose standard?” Dev mumbled and tossed his cards on the coffee table. He got up, walked past Teri, and downstairs to the basement without another word.
Kenny watched him go and pulled all the cards together into a neat pile. “He started to track your phone. I don’t know how precise it is, that’s his thing, not mine. The point is, nothing you do is completely private. Just so you know,” Kenny said quietly and Teri felt her heart race at the implications.
“Really? That’s clever of him,” Paul said calmly. “At what point did you intervene?”
“He knows you weren’t at the restaurant very long, but that’s it. He doesn’t know where you’ve been for the past several hours, but I think even he could guess if it were Jess involved instead of Teri.”
“Well, thank you for the warning and your intervention,” Paul told Kenny.
“Kenny . . .” Teri started, tears threatening to overwhelm her. She betrayed Dev, forgot to put her children’s needs first.
“I trust you had a nice walk on the boardwalk? The weather report said it was a clear night and I know Jess likes to take girls down there. Dimly lit benches and the sound of waves against the pier somehow passes for romantic.” Kenny talked quietly as he got up and stood in front of Paul and Teri. He looked at her pointedly and she accepted his out, simply nodding in confirmation.
“Glad to hear it.” Kenny retreated downstairs, leaving Teri shaken and clinging to Paul.
Paul returned to the hotel feeling amazingly satiated. Teri was an astonishing woman. Leaving aside her ability to juggle a career and house full of teenagers, she was able to forgive him without reservation. Paul found that
unusual in a woman - in people actually; most forgave provisionally. Teri accepted his past and predicament and moved on. He felt like the luckiest man alive.
The cynic in him pointed out that Teri was his focus and head of the household, but he still had to win over six teenagers. Well, four; it sounded like the girls were romanticizing the whole thing.
Kenny and Dev weren’t. Teri was severely shaken by their attitude when she and Paul returned. Paul held her on the sofa for twenty minutes while she cried, kissing her forehead, rocking her, rubbing her back. She eventually pulled herself together enough to listen while he assured her they’d work it out.
“This is new territory for Dev. He’s not used to seeing his mother with another man. Plus he’s young and doesn’t know me. Of course there’s going to be a little tension.”
“Kenny wasn’t all that thrilled either. He covered for me because he doesn’t want the house and his band falling apart. You don’t know him yet, but he wasn’t happy.”
Paul considered this. Dev was Teri’s son, but she was worried about Kenny. He readjusted his image of how she viewed the other kids. She labeled them as hers, but he didn’t really believe it. He wasn’t giving her enough credit for maternal influence extending to her children’s best friends.
“Just to make sure I know who you’re worried about, Cassie and Tiffany seem to be fine, right?”
Teri nodded.
“And you said Bryan was pretty easy going.”
She nodded again.
“And Jess is easily influenced.”
“By everyone but Tiff, they’re fighting again.”
“By fighting you mean the silent treatment.”
“And looks and snippy little comments. That’s about it. It won’t go further than that because of Cassie.”
“Okay, so Dev is having a bit of a hard time adjusting, and so is Kenny it seems.”
She nodded and sniffled. Paul handed her a tissue from a nearby box, just in case.
