by Anna Paige
When our meal was finished and the kitchen straightened, I asked whether Ali wanted dessert or a drink, happy when she opted for the drink first. I'd had a fairly shitty week myself and a drink or ten sounded like a great plan for the evening. I left her lounging on the sofa, still muttering her compliments on the food while I went to prepare our drinks. Remembering her preferred drink from my Sunday dinners with her and Talia, I'd picked up everything necessary during my earlier trip to town. I gave her cocktail a final stir and was making my way back to the living room when her phone rang.
She pulled it from the end table and grimaced at the screen before shooting me a look. "It's my mother." I raised a brow and poised myself to remind her about our discussion, but she stopped me. "Don't worry. I'll keep what I know about Holden to myself. Promise." She slid her thumb across the screen and took in a big breath. "Hi, Mom."
I busied myself making my drink and tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation, knowing full well I'd hear every word.
"Where'd you hear that?" I looked up and could see Ali's reflection in the glass patio doors. A look of annoyance on her face, she listened a moment then snapped, "I know exactly what you meant by it, Mother, and I'm pretty sure I know who you're getting your information from." The last was a snarl. There was a screechy voice chattering on the other end for a while then, "If you're still talking to that bastard after all he's done, I don't have anything left to say to you." Her voice was calm and surprisingly aloof, as if she'd had this conversation before and was resigned to the outcome.
"No, I'm not talking to Benjamins." I snickered at the use of her nickname for Holden. "He'll just tell me I'm right and then try to convince me I should just excuse your behavior because you're my mother. I didn't buy it last time, and I'm not buying it tonight. I'm nearly thirty years old. I don't allow anyone to dictate my life, especially not you. You can't even run your own." A pause and more screeching on the other end as Ali rolled her eyes and reached for her glass. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you tonight, Mother. I'm in the middle of something." She turned and looked over the back of the couch, eyes flashing to me and making a slow pass over my body that was hungry enough to make my dick twitch.
"Who I spend time with is none of your business, Mother, or Keith's or your husband's or anyone else's. I'm a grown woman, and I will do whatever or whomever I please." A bark of laughter escaped me before I could bite it back, and she winked. "And if you insist on continuing to talk to Keith, please give him a message for me, if you don't mind." Ali rolled her eyes as the screeching resumed briefly. "Let him know the construction guy is twice the man he is, and that's when it's soft and folded in half."
She pulled the phone away from her ear and gave it a curious look. "She hung up. I wonder if it was something I said." Setting it on the table with a shrug, she waited for me to rejoin her, raised her glass, and said, "Here's to showing exactly as much respect as you're given."
I tapped her glass with mine, laughing. "And to never having to fold anything in half to prove I'm the better man."
After several hilarious toasts, we needed refills and headed into the kitchen to concoct another round. While watching her artfully pour her drink I asked, "So, I'm 'the construction guy', huh?"
She snorted and added an extra shot to her glass, shaking her head in disgust. "Sorry you had to hear all that. I thought I could rush her off the phone like I normally do, but she started in without giving me a chance to beg off. Apparently she's been told that I assaulted Keith's escort to the gala and the construction worker I attended with threatened Keith with physical violence." She smiled sardonically. "We're also shacking up together, and I have been suspended from work after taking too much time off."
"You mean your mom didn't know about the trouble at GFS?"
"Nope. I had no interest in hearing how Keith would never do such a thing, and he's a great catch, which means any troubles we had were my fault. I learned the hard way that I couldn't count on her. I went to her once for help." Instead of pouring the shot she was holding into her drink, she tossed it back and slammed the shot glass onto the counter. "Never again. It was stupid to ever have thought she would help me. She made it perfectly clear when she walked out on my father and me that I wasn't shit to her. Looks like I'm still not."
There was a lot of pain packed into those last five words and my heart broke for her.
I had no idea what to say to that, so I quietly folded her into my arms and kissed the top of her head. I couldn't decide which was worse; a lifetime with a mother who made you feel unloved or a few short years with one who thought you hung the moon, even if you didn't deserve her. I guessed there was pain with either.
Glancing at the untouched cocktails on the counter, I stroked Ali's hair and spoke in a soft voice, "Why don't we skip the drinks tonight? I'll tuck you into bed and bring you dessert. We can even watch a movie if you want, assuming the television in the bedroom works. I've never turned it on." I laid my cheek on the top of her head. "What do you say, slugger?"
She pulled back, her gaze dancing over my face as she forced a swallow and whispered, "I fell in love too, Clay."
Her words slammed into me so hard I fought for balance, the shock of hearing them stealing my ability to speak. I willed my hands not to tremble as I reached up to cup her cheeks. The look on her face, the pure adoration was staggering. I lowered my mouth to hers, tenderly pressing into her lips, making slow sweeps with my tongue. I wanted to taste the words she'd just spoken, wanted to touch every inch of her body, to fuse my soul with hers so that nothing could ever undo the bond her words had created.
She loved me.
I TUCKED HER INTO bed, handing her the remote while I ran back to the kitchen for the previously promised dessert. I placed all the necessary items on the serving tray and hurried back to the bedroom.
Ali sat up and watched me enter, a soft smile on her face. "Strawberries?"
I placed the tray beside her in the middle of the bed, crawling in behind it with a grin. "They aren't as good as the ones we picked ourselves, but the season is over, and some concessions were made." I plucked one from the bowl. "So, would you like whipped cream? A drizzle of chocolate? Or would you rather have it naked?" I wiggled a brow.
She giggled and pushed herself up, reclining against the pillows. "All of those sound amazing. Why don't you give it to me the way you think I'll like it best?" She smirked, knowing her words hit their mark.
"Don't threaten me with a good time. I'm trying to pace myself so I don't leave you sore again, but teasing me is a good way to get yourself fucked raw." I pushed a berry between her lips, sans topping.
She bit down slowly and moaned in the back of her throat, the sound making my cock strain against my jeans. When she'd finished, she licked her lips and said, "You know exactly how to give it to me, Clay. That was so good." She sighed in satisfaction, both from the berry and seeing the lust in my eyes.
"I'm about to give it to you again, Alison. Are you ready?" I asked with a low growl.
"Yes, please. And don't forget the toppings."
After I'd devoured both Ali and an obscene amount of calories, we lay quietly in each other's arms, drifting but not yet asleep. Her head rested on my chest, her arm draped across my middle as I skimmed my fingers up and down her side. She shifted closer to me, wrapping one leg over mine and a sharp inhale caught in her chest. I stilled and asked, "Ali, you alright?"
Her eyes never opened, but she made a soft satisfied sound and nodded.
"Remember what I said, baby. If I hurt you, you have to tell me. A little sore is one thing, but I don't want you in real pain, okay?"
She nuzzled into my chest and pulled the blankets higher around us. I waited for long minutes for her response, worried that I'd taken things too far. Thinking she'd fallen asleep, I switched off the television and lay there in the darkness listening to her soft breathing. Just as I felt sleep begin to overtake me, she whispered, "There is no pain when I'm with you."
; THE WEEKS FLEW by in a blur of activity. I spent all my time in Denson with Ali, foregoing returning to Richmond for meetings, which was fine with Spencer since it helped keep distance between Marissa and me. Marissa hadn't made contact and the court date was a ways off, so there was still time to do some damage control. My investigator had finally gotten his ass to work and had been making some interesting discoveries. They were adding up to a win for our team.
I finally knew the name of Marissa's benefactor and all the pieces were falling into place. If things played out like I planned, we'd be rid of two problems in one fell swoop. She would be running scared before the case even made it to court.
Not that it mattered, either way I wasn't letting Spencer take the fall for my mistake. If she wanted to release the video, so be it. I didn't give a damn. Ali already knew what was going on and swore she wasn't worried about Marissa or the video; she had me now, and that was all that mattered.
And have me she did.
Neither of us had further addressed our feelings, but we both knew where we stood. We'd each admitted being in love with the other. No need for repeated declarations. It was just a given.
We also craved each other constantly. Every chance we got, we would sneak away for some alone time. When Talia was in town, we kept it low-key, not wanting to be inappropriate with our PDA, but it was difficult. The apartment had been cleared and cleaned, but I convinced the girls to stay on at the cabin. It had been difficult to get Talia to agree to stay, her assertion that Ali and I needed our privacy was hard to deny, but Ali wouldn't be comfortable staying with me while Talia went to stay alone in an apartment they both saw as tainted. Eventually, I wore her down, playing on her desire to keep Ali happy.
Reining in the intensity of our relationship was difficult for Ali and I. Talia nearly caught us one night despite our best efforts. We were upstairs on the living room couch, long after Talia had gone to bed for the night, and things got heated. By the time Talia had entered the kitchen behind us, I was face down in Ali's dripping pussy. The high back on the couch blocked me from Talia's view; all that was visible was Ali's head as she lay back against the arm of the sofa.
I could barely contain myself as Ali and Talia had an entire conversation while I flicked my tongue over Ali's clit relentlessly, making her gasp and squirm. She told Talia she'd come upstairs to read. Thankfully, Talia hadn't wanted to see the book. Ali's voice cracked when I trailed my index finger close to her ass, but she didn't pull away. I decided it might be interesting to spend more time gauging her reactions to activity in that particular area. Maybe I'd found a new way to make her come.
By the time Talia had finished her glass of water and descended the stairs, Ali was bucking up into my mouth, clutching my face to her as she came. That hadn't been our only close call, but it had definitely been the most fun. I was starting to think my girl liked the danger of being discovered. Sometime soon, I would take her out and test her limits in that area too but it would have to wait until the holiday weekend was over.
Preparation for the Fourth of July festivities started on July second in Denson and Ali was helping Teach run a large booth at the town festival. I'd volunteered to help set up, having grown fond of the man myself since his return home two weeks prior. He'd been delayed a week longer than initially planned because of some additional tests requested by his doctor. Ali had been disappointed to have to wait, but I managed to keep her occupied, even sinking so low as to allow her and Talia to give me cooking lessons as a means of distraction. They said my cooking skills needed to extend to baking. I tended to disagree, but I was willing to do anything to make Ali happy.
During a lesson Talia referred to as Cheesecake 101, I doused the entire kitchen and my instructors with batter. Since then, they've kept to simpler recipes.
I reached Teach's booth and set up the last of the tables, pressing on the surface to check that it didn't wobble as a pair of familiar arms wrapped around my waist from behind. "Think that thing will hold us both?" Ali purred.
"Gorgeous, it only needs to hold you and be able to take a pounding." I teased, turning and pulling her into my chest. "I'm not sure now's a good time, though. Teach is headed this way."
We both turned to watch his slow approach. He walked without a limp or any assistance, but the look of fierce concentration on his face made it clear that it wasn't as easy as he wanted it to seem. He stood about 5'10" and looked as though a stiff breeze might blow him over. His thick hair still showed some of his original brown color under the heavy peppering of gray. And he had the full smiling face of a Macy's Santa despite his thin body; a sign that the weight loss was a bi-product of his recent illness.
The box in his hands was light, being filled with napkins, so I resisted the urge to step over and offer to help. Nothing hurts a man's pride faster than having to ask another man's help with a simple task.
He saw us watching and nodded. "Haven't I worked you two enough today? There's no reason to hang around here all afternoon. Lauren will be here in a minute to help set up the display cases for the pies."
Lauren had been helping Teach at home during the day and working nights at the diner. Whether coincidence or by design, she and Ali had spent precious little time in each other's company since Teach's return. Even Talia was being spared the misery of dealing with Lauren, given that they now worked opposite shifts. From the way he was trying to run us off, I got the impression that he wanted to keep the two women as far from each other as possible.
Ali looked uncertain as she watched her mentor wiping his brow and reaching into the cooler for a bottle of water. "Are you sure you should be out here this long yourself? You don't want to overdo it. It's hot as hell out here, Teach. Maybe you should go on home and let the rest of us get things squared away here." She didn't flinch as she said it, but I knew the thought of working with Lauren was about as appealing as a root canal.
He looked at me pleadingly. "Clay, please take this woman out and show her a good time. She worries too damn much. She needs a break, and I need her to stop hovering. Okay?"
Ali huffed indignantly. "Listen up old man, I don't need you soliciting a date for me. If you want me out of your hair, fine." She smiled to let him know she was only half serious. "But I'm not going to stop worrying about you. You scared the crap out of everybody with that stroke. Get used to people hovering. We love you, and we want you here with us for a long time, so it's not stopping anytime soon." She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning at the diner, okay?"
He nodded, misty-eyed at her words.
I stepped forward and shook his hand. "See you tomorrow, old man." He cocked a brow at me, and I laughed. "Teach, I mean Teach. I figured I'd try it since Ali got away with it."
He gave a lopsided grin. "She gets away with more than most." He glanced at her and leaned closer, his voice dropping so that she couldn't hear. "Take care of her, Clay. She's a keeper."
"She sure is, Teach. She sure is."
ALI STOPPED TO chat with a few of the locals at their booths as we made our way to the truck. She'd stammered while introducing me at the first booth, not knowing what title I'd find appropriate. I laughed and offered my hand to the smiling middle-aged woman she'd been talking to, introducing myself first as Ali's boyfriend then mentioning my work in town. Ali had the most charming smile as I claimed the title, taking it as an affirmation of some sort.
It was.
After that, she proudly introduced me as her boyfriend to each new person we spoke to, tucking herself into my side even in the blazing heat. It was fucking adorable and flattering that she would so eagerly embrace the title and its implied commitment. We hadn't discussed what would happen when the job was finished or if she was called back to her position at GFS, but I fervently hoped that we could find a way to remain together. I wanted that more than I cared to admit.
We finally made it to the parking lot a while later, sweat pouring down our backs from standing in the sun for so long. I'd
just suggested we go for a dip in the pool when Lauren stepped out from between two cars, on her way to help Teach, I presumed.
Her eyes were already trained on us as she strode over, a smug smile on her face. Something about her demeanor, the way she seemed to be stalking us like prey gave me a chill despite the nearly triple-digit heat. She glared at me with ball-shriveling hatred as she approached.
Ali gave an annoyed sigh and started to go around her. "Teach is waiting for you at the booth."
Lauren came to a halt right in Ali's path, and I saw Ali's back go rigid. I was poised to step in, if only to keep Ali from getting an assault charge, when Lauren smirked at me and asked. "You tell her who you are yet?"
My heart skipped and then galloped in my chest. No. No, no, no, no, no. From the look Lauren was giving me, it was clear she knew everything. And she was about to tell Ali.
Fuck!
I glanced around frantically, mind churning, trying to find a way out of this before it was too late. There was no point wasting my breath trying to convince Lauren to keep her mouth shut. She was elated by the fear in my eyes, eager to watch Ali's world come apart in front of her. Ali wouldn't understand. And she'd never forgive me for lying to her all this time, no matter the reason. Panic started to set in as Ali turned and glanced at me, her eyes widening when she noted my expression. "What's she talking about?"
Lauren chuckled, causing Ali to turn back to her and away from me. Something about the motion felt so final, so fitting. "I'll tell you exactly what I'm talking about. Your boy toy here has been lying to you for months. He's not just the designer hired to build that house, stupid. It's his land, his house." She smirked at me. "Guess he was trying to hide his money to avoid being targeted by gold diggers. Jokes on him though, huh, Ali? He managed to pick the daughter of the biggest damn gold digger on the East Coast. Or maybe he knew exactly who you were and decided to fuck you anyway, as long as you never found out he was loaded."
