by Penny Wylder
10
Nicholas
I sit on the balcony of the hotel room with Ted. I haven’t been kicked out of their suite yet, so that’s a good thing. I think. Neither of us says anything. Someone needs to break the awkward silence. It’s been fifteen minutes since I told him that Cleo and I are in a relationship. He went stone cold at the news. Colder than I’ve ever seen him.
“You know,” Ted says, looking out at the view of Paris. I perk up at the sound of his voice. “I’m debating whether or not to toss you over this balcony right now.”
I sigh and he looks at me for the first time. “How did this happen?” he asks.
“It just did. I don’t know. One moment she was my friend’s daughter and the next she’s this woman who I want to make laugh, and who I want to protect and never see shed another tear. I love her, Ted. I really, really love her.”
Ted scrubs his hands over his face. “Is this new or has it been going on behind my back for some time?”
“It started over the vacation,” I say. I don’t know what he wants to hear, or what I could say to make this better, but I decide on the truth. I just want to get everything out in the open so we no longer have to hide. I know when Gina finds out, she’s going to go straight to Cleo’s parents in the hopes of ruining my life. I have to make sure they know the truth before she can pervert it into something she can use as a weapon against me.
“Is it serious?” Ted asks.
“It is.”
Silence falls over us again and it’s just as uncomfortable even after getting all of that off of my chest. I can’t take the silence anymore. I stand up, needing to escape the tension.
“Ted, I want you to know I’m moving to Paris,” I tell him.
He looks at me, bewildered. “What are you talking about?”
“Tara wants to go to school abroad with Cleo. Only way I can afford to do that is to sell my house. Gina got everything else of value in the divorce. I fought tooth and nail with her lawyers to keep the house because it’s where I raised my kids and I wanted to hold onto those memories for them. But I’m realizing it’s just a pile of wood. What really matters is the memories we’re making now. What’s important is the present and future. Not the past.”
He continues to stare at me, not saying anything.
Again, the silence becomes too much. Just as I’m about to leave, he says, “I know you’re struggling. You’ll have nothing if you sell your house.”
I laugh at the thought. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll have everything. My daughter will get to experience college abroad with her best friend. Their happiness means the world to me, so I’ll only gain from selling my house. Not lose.”
Ted stands up to face me. At first I think he might hit me, then he sticks out his hand and gives me a firm handshake. He hugs me and gives me a hard, yet friendly clap on the back. I’m shocked.
He says, “You’re not who I would’ve imagined for my daughter to end up with, but she couldn’t have picked a better guy. You have a heart of gold, buddy. Always have, and you deserved better than Gina. My daughter is definitely better than that psychopath.” He laughs. “No offense.”
I laugh too. “None taken.”
“I’m not going to lie, seeing you with my daughter is going to take some getting used to. But we won’t get in your way. You have our blessing.”
“That means a lot to me, Ted, and I know it will mean everything to Cleo.”
“It’s good to see you happy again, my friend. It’s been a long time.”
He’s right. It’s been a long time since I’ve been truly happy. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.
Later in the night, I knock on the door of Cleo’s room, but it’s Tara who answers. She looks happy to see me, which I haven’t been used to since the divorce. After all the lies her mom told her, I feared she’d grown to permanently hate me. I love that I have my daughter back.
“Hi daddy,” she says.
My smile stretches. She hasn’t called me that in years. “Hi Tara Bear, is Cleo around?”
She gives me a little wink and opens the door wider to show Cleo sitting on the bed with one of her books. Cleo jumps up off the bed when she sees me and runs to the door.
“You two stay out of trouble,” Tara says and waves at us before shutting the door.
It’s late. We’re the only ones in the hallway. “Midnight pancakes? There’s a twenty-four-hour café down the street,” I ask Cleo.
“Sounds fantastic.”
We head for the elevator. As it starts its slow descent, I ask her, “Are you okay?”
She practically tackles me when she hugs me, throwing herself into my arms. She kisses me deeply. I cup her face in my hands, taking in the slight pinkness in her cheeks from when we went from the warm halls to the cold lift that goes down to the lobby. I notice the red highlights in her dark hair under the fluorescents, and the starburst shape in the iris of her pale eyes. I look at every inch of her, relishing in her existence.
She’s so beautiful and it’s difficult to hold back my arousal. I need to have her now. It can’t wait a moment longer.
I hit the emergency stop button on the elevator. It’s late so I don’t have to worry about someone complaining.
Cleo gives me a conspiratorial smile. “What are you up to?” she asks.
“You’ll see.”
I stare at her under the elevator lights and anything seems possible now that we have the blessings from our families. There’s nothing anyone can do to keep us apart.
I grab Cleo’s waist, drawing her near. She shivers when I move my hand up to rest just under the swell of her soft breast. She gazes up at me with soft, loving eyes. The look on her face tells me that she knows what will happen next and she’s desperate for it. My fingers brush her hard nipple through the fabric of her bra. I pinch it and my cock grows harder when she gasps.
Her eyes flutter closed as I explore her body. “What if we get caught?” she says.
“We won’t.”
I slip my hands into the elastic waist of her jogging pants, rubbing the fabric of her lacy panties underneath. They’re wet and sticky just as I knew they would be. I love how turned on she gets. I’ve never been with a woman who gets so worked up. Every time I’m with her I marvel at the fact that this perfect young goddess who could have anyone she wants, chose to be with me.
My hand slips beneath her panties into the warm, slippery heaven beneath. Her legs go weak at the first touch to her swollen pussy. She has to lean against wall to hold herself up.
I pull down her pants and underwear until they puddle at her feet. She’s naked from the waist down. I’m not worried about anyone interrupting us at the moment. We could go somewhere else to be alone, somewhere more private, but I can’t wait. I need to have her right now.
Her breathing is rapid, her pussy dripping steadily. Her shaved pussy silky, in need of my attention. I need to run my tongue over the soft skin and taste her sweetness. I run my fingers down the wet slit.
“Damn, you have such a pretty pussy,” I say in awe of its perfection. It’s a piece of art, all pink and tight and swollen with want.
My hard-on rages inside my pants. Any longer and the feeling building up inside of me will become painful.
I push my finger past the engorged folds and the whimper that she makes is pure bliss. When I add another, she starts to melt, hanging onto me again to keep from falling. Her eyes are wide and she’s holding her breath. She’s going to cum.
I kiss her hard, pulling her tongue into my mouth, greedy, urgent. She starts to pull away, but I hold her face to mine and force my tongue between her lips and kiss her again. I hurriedly pull off her shirt and bra, exposing her pert little tits. Her nipples are bright red and hard as diamonds. It’s cold in the elevator, but she seems not to notice. Besides, I plan to warm her up really quick. I suck her perfect breasts, biting her nipples. She moans and my fingers are flooded with her juices as it pours from her pussy. I have her loosene
d up enough to slip in a third finger. I move them around until finding the ridges of her g-spot. As I start to massage that sensitive area, her eyes roll in the back of her head.
“I need to fuck you,” I say. I won’t be able to control myself much longer.
“Then fuck me,” she says.
I smile as she bites my lip.
I shake my head, changing my mind. I’m not going to make it that easy on either of us. “No, I want to drive you crazy first.”
She pulls back and gives me a wanting look.
I push her up against the elevator wall and fall to my knees in front of her. Her pussy is so wet it looks as though she were doused in baby oil. I lick the top of her mound near the clit, but not touching it, and taste her delicious sweetness. I play with the small patch of hair she left behind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a magnificent pussy in all of my life. Her clit is hard and every time I suck on it, it gets more swollen. Her wetness coats my lips and tongue as I explore every inch of the cleft between her legs.
I grab one of her legs and put it over my shoulder to spread her farther apart so I can get deep in there. I love how unabashed she is. She doesn’t mind the light, doesn’t mind me spreading her apart and looking at her thoroughly. I test her boundaries and rub my finger against her little asshole. She flinches a little but then relaxes as I continue to pleasure her. She’s not ready for that just yet, but she will be soon. Yet another thing I have to look forward to when it comes to my future with Cleo. I can’t wait to take her in every way possible, but right now, this is enough.
I pull my fingers from her body, lick them, and put my mouth to her opening, lapping it up. Then I push my fingers back inside of her. Though she’s loosened up a bit, she’s still tight and warm. I never want to leave.
Her breathing quickens, then it stops and I know she’s close. I continue finger-fucking her and licking until she’s squirting. It’s all over me and running down her legs. She’s crying out so loud that I have to reach up and cover her mouth to keep us from being discovered.
When her cries die down she says, “Oh. My. God.” The look of drunk satisfaction on her face only makes my painful hard on rage.
I turn her around so that her ass faces me, and tell her to put her hands against the wall. When she’s in position, I slowly sink into her. She’s primed and easy to enter. Her pussy squeezes my cock like a tight glove. She feels so good that I almost come instantly. It takes all my willpower to refrain.
Her next orgasm causes tremors through her body and I push through it even though some of the contractions threaten to push me out. I fuck her hard, pounding, drilling. It’s brutal, I’m an animal, but I know she’s up for it. She’s used to getting fucked now and she likes it hard and fast.
Her moans become screams each time my hips smash up against her ass. “Fuck me. Oh God, you feel so good inside my pussy,” she says. Her dirty words drive me insane.
I grab her hips and our skin slaps together. She starts to scream as yet another orgasm takes over. It’s impossible to stop once my own orgasm hits. My whole body starts to shudder and my mind goes blank. Only pleasure is capable of getting through my brain. The world around me ceases to exist and in this moment it’s just me and Cleo.
It takes minutes before I recover. Pulling out, I watch as my cum spills out from between her legs. She turns to face me and I kiss her. Now that we’ve calmed down, I start to notice the cold again. Her body is covered in goosebumps. As much as I hate to see her clothes come back on, I don’t want her to be uncomfortable.
As we walk out of the elevator and into the street, I think about how lucky I am to have Cleo in my life. Maybe all that pain I went through was worth it to get to where I am now. Having Cleo is worth it. I would do it all over again.
We go to the café. She has waffles and I have crepes. We talk into the early hours of the morning, until the sun comes up again. Her parents will be taking her to the university soon to check out the campus. That was a big part of why they decided to go on this Paris trip: kill two birds with one stone. She’ll finally get to see where she’ll be studying for the next year.
“Are you nervous about school?” I ask her.
“I was, but not now that I’ll have Tara around and you nearby.”
I grin at her. “I’ll probably have to stay at some hole in the wall. But I’d be willing to live in a cardboard box if it meant being near you.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asks. “Where will Charlie go?”
“He’s staying in the dorms. When school’s out, he’ll come stay with me or one of his friends. It will all work out.”
Cleo reaches across the table and takes my hand. “Thank you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Forever. No one will ever keep us apart.”
Epilogue
Cleo
A cab pulls up in front of my dorm and I climb inside the back seat and roll my window down. I can’t believe it’s June already. My hair whips at my face and the warm air feels wonderful.
My first year at college in Paris was amazing. I thought I might struggle because of language barriers, but I quickly became fluent in French slang and was able to keep up. My GPA remained at a 4.0 and I’ve made plenty of friends. I’m so excited that I get to see my best friend every day. The school was so generous to allow Tara in at the last minute, and they found us an available room in the dorms so we could share.
Best of all, I get to see Nicholas on the weekends. He sold his house and found a small apartment in a village on the outskirts of Paris. I wouldn’t call it a hole in the wall, but it’s not much bigger. But it’s perfect for the two of us. Luckily Charlie decided to stay with friends, so Nicholas and I always have the place to ourselves, and that gives Tara the dorm room to herself when her new boyfriend comes around.
The apartment is quaint and cozy. Even if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter. As long as we’re together. The only thing that would make this situation better would be if my family was around more. I only got to see them for a few days at Christmas when they came to visit. At least I’ll get to see more of them now. They plan to stay the summer in Paris. My mom texted me an hour ago, letting me know the family arrived safely at Nicholas’s apartment and they would be checking into their hotel suite soon. Nicholas invited them to stay at his apartment, but it’s a cramped two bedroom and it would be a nightmare to squeeze everyone in there for the whole summer.
The cab pulls up to the curb in front of Nicholas’ apartment. Nicholas comes outside. Our eyes lock and my heart lifts and my stomach is filled with butterflies. I get that giddy feeling I always get when I’m around him. I run into his arms. He lifts me into the air and spins me until I’m dizzy with laughter.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he says.
“It’s only been five days.”
“I don’t care if it’s only five minutes. I always miss you.”
He kisses me and I don’t ever want to let him go, but them someone clears their throat behind me. I break away and look over my shoulder to see my mom.
“Mom!” I’m so excited to see her—embarrassed but excited. Mostly I’m embarrassed that she saw me kissing Nicholas, but she doesn’t seem to care. By now they’re used to the idea of our relationship. And since they’ll be in Paris for their vacation over the summer, they’re really going to have to get used to us being together because I’m no longer trying to hide my relationship. Nicholas even told Gina about us. The news pissed her off so much that she called several times a day for months before finally giving up. Now that the truth is out, she has no power over him. And now that Tara knows the lies her mom told, she has no power over her daughter either. Nicholas and I have been happy since.
Tara comes out of Nicholas’ apartment. She’s with her boyfriend who doesn’t speak a word of English. He tries, though, and gets it adorably wrong. I’m so glad to see my best friend happy.
“What took you so long?” she asks. She left campus a few hours bef
ore I did.
“Traffic. All these damn tourists,” I joke, looking pointedly at my mom. She gives me a playful slap on the arm then pulls me into a bear hug. I’ve missed my family so much.
We go inside the apartment. Charlie and my brother are on the couch playing video games. My dad is in the kitchen, making himself at home. My mom and Tara join him while Nicholas and I take my bags to our room. Nicholas shuts the door behind us. He lifts me up and tosses me on the bed. I laugh as he climbs on top of me.
“We have to be careful,” I tell him, making a motion with my hands for us to be quiet.
“Oh come on,” he says playfully, “we’re long past being a secret.”
“I know, but I don’t want to be disrespectful to my parents.”
He kisses me on the nose. “I know. You’re right. But tonight, when they go to their suite, you’re all mine.”
“You better believe it.”
He tickles me until I’m laughing so hard I nearly pee myself. I roll off the bed and flee into the kitchen with the rest of my family. Everyone is happy and laughing and talking. This feels so much like home, I don’t ever want it to end.
Later in the evening, we have a big meal and catch up with everyone. I was hoping we could all do something together tonight. I wanted to show them all the non-tourist attractions I’ve learned about since living in the city. But everyone seems to have other plans. My parents want to go to some war monument, Tara and Charlie want to go downtown and see one of their favorite bands preform at a club. And Nicholas wants to take me to go see the Eiffel Tower.
I’m bummed, but not too worried about not spending time with my family. They’ll be here all summer. There’s plenty of time for that.
After dinner, everyone leaves to go on their separate adventures. As always, I’m the last to get ready, so Nicholas and I are leaving for our plans late. He doesn’t seem to mind, though. He’s so laid back and always goes with the flow.
