by Megan Green
So, after some tough deliberation and very persuasive arguments from Cade, we all pile into the truck with the very aptly named Onyx, the black pup who took a shine to Cade the second we walked out back.
Cade sits in the back with Onyx planted in his lap the entire ride. The night before, Nichole finally agreed it was time for Cade to move into his own room. So, for the ten or so minutes it takes for us to get back to their place, Nichole and I listen to Cade tell Onyx all about his new bedroom.
“You’ll love it, boy. Joey got me Iron Man sheets. How cool is that?”
I look over at Nichole with a goofy grin, only to find that she’s already staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face. I hate that I can’t read her like I used to. I mean, most of the time, she’s the same old Nic I’ve always known. But then, other times, she gets this sort of faraway look in her eye, and I’d give anything to know what she’s thinking.
She’s looking at me right now with that same expression, as if she’s deep in thought yet right here in the moment all at the same time. I wink at her when she realizes I’ve caught her staring. She flushes, looking down at her lap as her lips curl up at the corners.
So. Damn. Beautiful.
Checking the rearview mirror, ensuring Cade’s attention is still fully enrapt with the puppy, I reach across the seat and grab ahold of Nichole’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. As she flushes again while she checks to make sure Cade hasn’t seen, I expect her to pull away. But, to my surprise, she doesn’t. Instead, she twines her fingers with mine, a content sigh escaping her lips as she focuses her attention out the window for the rest of the ride.
Nichole makes a quick dinner of macaroni and cheese and green beans for the three of us, which we follow up with cups of chocolate pudding. It’s the simplest of dinners, but there’s nothing else I’d rather be eating right now. As Cade shovels in spoonful after spoonful of pudding into his mouth, Nichole repeatedly reminding him that he needs to slow down or he’s going to make himself sick, I realize I’ve never felt so at home in my entire life. Sitting on a tiny sofa with these two people is better than any exotic beach or foreign country I could travel to. There’s no place else I’d rather be than right here.
After dinner, Cade and I clean up while Nichole relaxes on the couch. School will be starting again in a few weeks, so Nichole insists that Cade starts getting back into the rhythm of an early bedtime. He argues for a moment, finally trying to compromise that he’ll go to bed right now as long as Onyx can lie with him until he falls asleep. I flash Nichole a quick glance, and when she doesn’t protest, I agree.
I walk to Cade’s bedroom, sitting on the small twin-size bed covered in Iron Man, and I wait for him to brush his teeth and change into his pajamas. A few minutes later, he comes flying into the bedroom, leaping onto the bed before climbing under the covers. Once he’s settled, I lift Onyx from the floor and snuggle him into Cade’s side.
I wonder if I’m supposed to read him a bedtime story. But Cade nestles in with the dog, pressing his nose against the top of Onyx’s head. When his eyes close, I back slowly out of the room.
Just as I’m about to hit the light, he calls out, “Joey?”
I turn around, stepping back to the edge of the bed, and I kneel, so I can hear him better. “Yeah, bud?”
“Do you like my mom?”
A brief moment of panic flashes through me as I consider that he might have seen us holding hands in the car. But then I realize that this is what I want. I want Cade to know how much I care for him and his mother. So, I’m honest. “Yes, I like her very much.”
He nods. “Good, ’cause I think she likes you, too.”
I want to ask him why he thinks that, if maybe Nichole has talked to him about me, so I can get a feel for what he’d think of our relationship. But his little eyes are already drooping, and as much as I want to know, I’m not that much of a bastard that I’d keep a little boy from his sleep. I ruffle his hair and climb back to my feet.
And, once again, just as my hand goes to turn out the light, his tired little voice stops me.
“Joey?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, bud?”
“Will you kiss me good night?”
A lump the size of Texas wells up in my throat, the prick of tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. Unable to speak, I simply walk over and gently press my lips to his forehead.
“Night, Joey,” he says as his eyes drift closed for good this time. “Love you.”
He rests his cheek against Onyx’s fur, his breathing evening out almost immediately.
And I stand here, completely dumbfounded, unable to move a muscle.
I stand and watch him sleep for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth underneath his eyelids as he falls into a dream. Onyx’s little paws twitch beside him, as if he, too, is dreaming of things to come.
I smile, and when I finally feel as if I can speak, I say, “Love you, too, little dude.” My voice cracks before I finish the final words, emotion overwhelming me. But it’s not fear. Not even close.
I’m so happy I could fucking burst.
I step out of Cade’s room and run smack into Nichole. She’s rooted herself in place, however, so instead of the two of us tumbling to the floor, she steadies me, as if she’s been waiting for me to come out. I briefly wonder if she was watching me, making sure I wasn’t going to do anything to harm her son. But the look in her dark eyes tells me that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Gone is the guarded expression she wore earlier this evening. In its place is the open book I used to know.
Nichole stares at me, her eyes wide and glistening, but her lips are turned up ever so slightly in the corners. She isn’t looking at me with sadness. No, this is a look I’ve seen from her many times before.
Love.
“Did you mean it?” she asks quietly.
I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly cotton dry. “What do you mean?”
“What you just said to Cade. Did you mean it?”
My eyes scan her face, searching for any trace of anger or fear, but I find none. So, I nod.
“And is he the only one you love?” she asks, her voice becoming shaky and uncertain.
I take her face in my hands. “Not even close.”
Her eyes flash at my words, igniting something deep within me. Something carnal. Something hungry.
I crash my lips down onto hers, wrapping my arms around her waist, and I pull her hard against me. She doesn’t protest. Within an instant, her hands slide into my hair, and she groans against my mouth, only furthering my lust.
Needing to be closer, I push her back against the wall, hitching her leg around my hip as I grind against her core. From the uneven, short breath she lets out, I know I’ve hit just the spot I was hoping for. Giving a quick thrust of my hips, I graze against her again, reveling in the shivers that rake through her body.
My mouth is desperate for her, and I need more. One little flick of my tongue against her lips, and she opens for me, her tongue sliding against mine like silk. I drink her in, amazed by how fucking good she tastes. My cock, so hard and so deliciously painful that it borders on discomfort, twitches against the fly of my jeans.
Nichole’s hands find the bottom of my shirt, forcing their way under it, until the soft skin of her fingers trails up the ridges of my abs. I’ve never been so glad that I’ve spent all those hours at the gym, because the second her fingers touch my skin, she moans, digging her nails into my flesh.
I press into her harder, forcing her to wrap her other leg around me in order to remain upright. As I remove my lips from hers, she lets out a little whimper of protest. It quickly dissolves into a cry of pleasure, however, as soon as I find that sweet spot that I know exists right behind her ear and lick.
Her body trembles against mine, her head falling back against the wall as I work her neck. A small jingle from behind me catches my attention.
Onyx’s collar. Cade.
A momentary flash of pani
c surges through me, hoping the boy hasn’t opened his bedroom door. Lifting my lips from Nichole’s throat, I whip my head around, breathing a short sigh of relief when I see the door still firmly shut behind me.
That was close, I think to myself, turning my gaze back to Nichole’s face. I’m not through with her yet. Securing her legs around my waist, I pull her away from the wall, wrapping my arms around her back until her breasts mold against my chest. My mouth returns to its onslaught of her neck. She buries her fingers into my hair, tugging it as she holds on.
Once she’s securely in my arms, I walk us down the hallway, pushing open Nichole’s bedroom door before laying her down on the bed.
Fuck, am I glad I got Cade his own bed. This would be rather awkward with a seven-year-old lying next to us.
I fall against Nichole, my mouth finding hers once more. Now that we’re in her bed, she seems to let go even more, her breathless groans coming louder but not enough to wake Cade. Only enough to drive me fucking crazy.
I slowly pull away from her, watching her eyes as I toy with the edge of her shirt. When my fingers touch her bare skin, she hisses as if just the slightest hint of my touch burns. When she shifts slightly on the bed, allowing me to lift her shirt up over her breasts, I don’t waste any time. With one smooth motion, both her shirt and mine hit the floor.
My eyes devour her gorgeous breasts, her perfect nipples straining against the thin fabric of her bra. Smoothing my thumb over the outside, I delight when she arches into my touch, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she gasps out a scream. Pulling the fabric out of the way, I replace my thumb with my mouth, laving at that sweet pink bud with my tongue.
Her legs wrap around my waist once more, her core hot against my stomach. Her hips rock against me, her lower half desperately seeking friction in any way it can find it.
“Don’t worry, pretty girl,” I say with a smile against her breast. Then, I move my attention to the other one. “I’ll make it feel better.”
She cries out in shock when my teeth graze her nipple, but her hips continue to move against me, letting me know she doesn’t object. Trailing a finger down her stomach, I tease at the waistband of her linen shorts.
Her hands push the material down her legs before I even have the chance to do it myself. I lick my way back up her neck before pulling her earlobe between my teeth.
“Somebody’s eager,” I whisper, once again positioning myself against her core.
She writhes against me. “Please, Joey, I need you inside me.”
Her words trigger something in me that I can’t even begin to describe. It’s like a switch has been flipped, and every basic caveman instinct I never thought I possessed takes root. It takes everything in me not to just rip off her panties and start fucking her senseless, neither of us stopping until every last orgasm has been wrenched from our tired and weary bodies.
But this is Nichole. And Nichole deserves more than that.
So, instead, I kiss her. Not the same hungry kiss from the hallway, though there’s still plenty of heat involved. Instead, I kiss her slowly, savoring the feel of her lips against mine. Languidly relishing the sensation of her tongue inside my mouth and the vibration of her moans against my lips, each one sending a jolt of electricity down to my toes.
I take my time with learning her mouth again, exploring every nook and every crevice. My tongue moves against hers in a sensual rhythm. I make love to her mouth with my own, pouring every ounce of my heart into this kiss.
And she gives it all right back.
My hand slides back down her abdomen, this time dipping into the waistband of her panties. She bucks against my hand, moving my fingers to where she wants me most.
And, holy fuck, does she want me.
My fingers glide through her wetness as I relish in the slippery feel of her. I slide one finger inside her tight heat, and she groans, her eyes rolling back as she rocks against me.
I slowly pull my hand away, and her eyes pop open, her confusion clear. I smile at her before sucking my finger into my mouth.
“Babe, I wanted to go slow. I wanted to make you come seven ways from Sunday before I finally sink into your delicious heat. But I’m afraid if I hold off much longer, this might not end the way I think we both want it to. So, I’m going to leave it up to you. Do you want my mouth? Or do you want my cock?”
She reaches up and pulls my face down to hers, her tongue flooding my mouth, finding what I’m sure is the taste of her. When she pulls back, she looks at me with lust in her eyes. “Fuck me, Joey.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. In a split second, my jeans are off, the condom is on, and we’re both crying out in unison as I sink inside of her. My head falls back on my shoulders, every nerve ending in my body on fire at the feel of her. I slowly move in and out of her wet core a few times, letting our bodies get reacquainted with each other. When I feel her loosen underneath me, all the tension from when I entered her seeping out of her body, I pick up the pace. When she rolls her hips, inviting me in deeper, her eyes rolling back in her head as her eyelids flutter closed, it’s all I can do not to lose it.
C’mon, Roberts. Don’t embarrass yourself. Think of baseball. Your grandma. Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump fucking Hillary Clinton.
The last thought does it, sending a shiver of distaste up my spine. Fully convinced I’m not about to blow my load like a pre-teen boy, I lower my face to Nichole’s, once again capturing her mouth with my own.
The next ten minutes pass in a whirlwind of thrusts, moans, groans, and curses as we move across the bed. Nichole’s teeth sink into my bicep, and I feel her walls clench around me. I pump harder, desperate to push her over the edge and to find my own release. When she cries out, I follow close behind, not stopping until I’ve spilled every last drop of myself inside her.
I collapse on top of her, bracing my body with my forearms, so as not to crush her with my weight. Pressing my forehead against hers, I watch as her eyes flutter open, a smile of absolute bliss crossing her lips.
“I love you,” I whisper.
Her face crumples.
“You shouldn’t,” she says as the tears start to fall.
Twelve Years Ago
“Babe, hurry up! I don’t want to miss the start of the bonfire,” I call out from where I’m lying on Joey’s bed, flipping through a magazine as I wait for him to finish in the bathroom.
It’s Saturday night, and it’s the night of Alex’s end-of-summer party. Beginning next week, our friends will start heading off to different parts of the country—for school or work or just for the hell of it because their parents are loaded and think they need a cushion year before real life begins. If you ask me, these kids could use a dose of reality. Mommy and Daddy have done every single thing for them their entire lives. They’re in for a rude awakening once the free ride is over, and they need to find a way to take care of themselves.
Still, it’ll be nice to see everyone one last time before we all part ways. Joey and I are headed to UC Denver at the end of next week, and I cannot freaking wait. We agreed to live apart our first year, for our parents’ sake, despite the fact that I’m sure they’ve probably guessed we’ve been sexually active for a while.
My mom dragged me to the doctor last year, insisting I get on birth control, saying—and I quote—“It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m not ready to be a grandma before I’m fifty.”
But they’ve been adamant about us needing at least one more year before we take that next step, and we caved pretty easily. It helps that I already know I have a roommate who won’t be around much and said she’s totally cool with a guy spending the night. So, despite the technicality, I know we won’t be spending much time apart.
I flip the page of the magazine, taking in the image of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, their arms wrapped around one another as they smile for the cameras.
Now, there’s a couple who’s going to make it, I think to myself as I smile back at them. Even
from the outside, it’s impossible to miss the love that flows between them.
Kind of like Joey and me.
My mind shifts to Brad and the latest movie Joey and I saw him in. Momentarily distracted by thoughts of Joey as Achilles—his ass would look even better on the big screen than Brad’s—it takes me a moment to realize that Joey has finally stepped into the room. He’s lingering near the door, out of eyesight, but it doesn’t take long before the air shifts, and I’m able to recognize his presence.
Our family and friends love to tease us about the fact that we always seem to know when the other is nearby. But I think it’s part of what makes us special. We’re so in sync that even our bodies recognize one another.
Just like I’m sure Jennifer’s and Brad’s do.
I turn to face Joey, flipping the magazine closed as I roll over on his comforter. Propping myself up with one hand behind my head, I smile. “What are you doing all the way over there? Not afraid I’ll smudge your makeup, are you?” I say with a laugh.
He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes not meeting mine.
I’m instantly on alert. “Joey? What’s wrong?”
He raises his chin, looking up at me from lowered brows. He looks pale. Nervous.
I’m off the bed and by his side in a flash, my hands going to his face to bring his eyes to mine. “Baby, what’s the matter? You’re scaring me.”
He gives a slight shake of his head, drawing a deep breath into his lungs. Before I know what is happening, he drops to one knee.
Confused, I lean over. “Are you okay? Do you need to lie down? We can skip out on Alex’s party. It’s okay.”
His trembling hands reach up to mine, his fingers closing around my own as he clears his throat. “Nichole, I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you. All those years ago, when you came hurtling into my world like a bat out of hell, insisting I be on your team for Red Rover, I knew you were something special.”
