by Claire Angel
“Don’t fuck this up. If we’re sleeping together, that’s it for us. Nobody else.” Her eyes were dark, and I nodded.
“I agree.” I kissed her, easing between her legs. I opened the drawer next to my bed to grab a condom and slipped it on my hard cock.
I looked at her beautiful body and nibbled on her neck, nipples, and around her belly button just to tease her more. Then I gently kissed her already wet pussy as a loud moan escaped through her lips.
I positioned myself and slid slowly inside as she clawed my back. “So tight.” I allowed her time to adjust to having this perfect for her. I wanted to do it for the rest of my life. She felt slick, and I forced myself to move slowly, at least until she pulled my face into her damp neck.
“Fuck me, Kellen.”
I sucked in my breath, drawing back before I took her with one hard thrust. We moved well together, and soon she was rocking against me at the perfect time. I pushed deeper and loved the cries she let out as I moved faster. Marisol screamed my name as she came around me, her pussy holding me tight. I moaned as I managed a few more attempts before filling her. I pulled out when I had the energy and collapsed beside her, feeling drained in every way.
We lay there quiet after having some more water, and I knew I was going to pass out from sheer exhaustion. I set my alarm before she got here and kissed her hair as my eyes dropped closed.
It felt like a moment later that my alarm was going off. I hit snooze and rolled to my back in complete denial of reality. I could stay in this bed forever with Marisol, but I needed to go to work. “I need to get out of here. Sleep as long as you want and come get some coffee before you go home.” I kissed her and breathed her in for a moment. “Fuck. I want to stay here.”
“I wish,” Marisol murmured as she clung to me.
I pushed myself up and took a quick shower. I found a relatively clean shirt and pulled it on with some jeans, staring at Marisol as I pulled my chucks on. She was asleep curled up in my blankets, and I grinned as I reached for my phone. I took a picture in the dim apartment before slipping my key around my neck. I locked the door from the inside before pulling it closed. I hurried down to the shop and unlocked it, raising a brow when Yuri was waiting for me.
“Morning,” he greeted me as I turned the key.
“Good to see you.” I walked inside, and he followed me and clocked in. Yuri got right to work, and I made my coffee as I shook my head. We prepared to open, and Yuri was at the register when I opened the door, leaving me to make the drinks. I was in a great mood as I sipped from an endless cup of coffee. The second shift brought in breakfast sandwiches for us, and I thanked him as he handed us each a bag.
I told Yuri to take a break, and I’d go next. There was still enough of the line to stay for a few minutes. I was also waiting for Marisol to come in as long as I could. I grinned when she stepped inside just as Yuri was returning from his break. I made her a cold brew and walked out with it, telling everyone I’d be back in a bit.
“You read my mind.” I led Marisol to a table in the back, and she sat across from me with an accusatory look in her eyes. “You don’t have a coffee maker.”
“I work here and live above it. I don’t need one.” She had her hair pulled back, and her face was clean of makeup. I left a toothbrush and things she might need on the bathroom counter. Her clothes were the ones from last night, but I noticed she was wearing one of my flannels tied at the waist, and she looked down.
“I liked the colors.” Our eyes locked, and she smiled at me. “Are you okay? Tired?”
“I’ve been sucking down coffee all morning, but I’m fine. Last night was one of the best reasons to be tired that I can think of.” I kept my voice low, and she blushed as she pressed her gorgeous full lips together.
“I don’t do that, Kellen. I keep to myself mostly, but last night…it was intense.” I nodded as I sipped my coffee.
“I know.”
“What does this mean?” Her voice was a whisper, and I smiled into her worried eyes.
“It means we’re spending time together. We’re getting to know each other.” I didn’t want to label anything though I also didn’t want anyone else. “What does your day look like?”
“I work at the cafe later through the dinner shift. Studying after that. You?” Marisol already looked tired, and I watched her take a long drink of coffee.
“This and practice.” She nodded, and our eyes locked again. “Last night was incredible, Marisol.”
“I agree.” She chuckled and spun the cup in her hand. “I’ll call you when I’m home. If you want, that is.”
“Are you being shy with me? Come now. You ripped me a new asshole last night at the bar. Don’t hide that side of you.” Marisol laughed and bent her head forward.
“Fine. I am going to call, and you’d better answer. Is that better?” I chuckled and nodded as she looked around. “I might even demand that you service me again.”
“You know I will.” We chatted through my break, and then Marisol stood to leave. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“You will.” She left, and I returned to work, feeling Lisa’s eyes on me. She had a crush on me from day one of working here, but I never returned it. I knew she must be disappointed right now. I never touched Marisol while she was here, but there was something between us.
I finished my shift and went upstairs, deciding to nap before practice. The bed still smelled like Marisol, and I chuckled as I saw a note from her on the pillow. I curled up and breathed her in before setting the alarm. I needed to sleep.
I went to Liam’s at the scheduled time to find the guys sitting around drinking beer. They were in the separate garage that we used to practice on nice days, and I nodded at them. “What’s up?” I walked over to Jack and hugged him. “How’s my girl?”
“Great. Her grandparents have been spoiling the shit out of her. They’re going home tomorrow, and I don’t know if I should be excited or bummed out for my wife.” He looked sad, and I nodded, knowing how much they helped Grace out when they were there.
“One day at a time. We’re all here for you.” I told him as he smiled. “Are we going to work on that new song or what?” We worked for a couple of hours on our set for the week before ordering some pizza for dinner. I had one more beer but cut off after that so I would get home fine. I wanted to see Marisol if I could, and I also had to work a double shift at the coffee shop.
Jack even stayed to have some, relaxing now that he knew his in-laws were there for Grace. She was big on him doing stuff for himself, but Jack felt an obligation to his family. He took off to tuck Ella in, and I headed out shortly after, listening to music as I made my way back into town. I parked at my apartment and got out, looking around before heading upstairs. It was past nine, and I assumed that Marisol was home and getting schoolwork done. I wasn’t going to be that guy that calls her every time I thought of it.
I showered and dressed for bed before settling down with my guitar. A new song was forming, and I plucked at the chords in between writing lyrics down. This was one of my favorite activities, and if I didn’t write several times a week, I felt lost. I wrote more than songs, sometimes jotting down stories in a separate notebook. My phone rang, and I looked over to see Marisol’s name on the screen. It was ten, and I answered it with a smile on my face. “Hi. I just finished studying. I got held up at the cafe and started late.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to report to me, Marisol.” She let out a breath, and I leaned back. “How was your day?”
“So busy. Good, though. Yours?” she asked, and I told her about practice and dinner. “Do you work tomorrow?”
“I work a double. I cover shifts when I can.” I didn’t know how that would change things and waited to hear her response.
“I can come over. I have another test and some lectures to watch before I work at Ripple. Is that okay?” she asked, and I raised a fist in the air.
“Sure. Bring your laptop if you want.” She told me that she was going to
throw some stuff together but would be over soon. I picked up and answered the knock with a grin. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She had a backpack slung over her shoulder and kissed me before walking in.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked as she set the bag down on the kitchen table.
“I bought some cookies from the girl scouts today. Want to share them?” she asked as I nodded enthusiastically. I grabbed water, and we sat together on the couch, munching on thin mints. “How do you stay so in shape?”
“I run when I have the time. I also have a buddy that lets me use the gym he owns any time I’m free. I’m lucky to be young right now, but I’m sure that will change as I get older.” I laughed as she looked me over. “There’s this other workout I think I might be doing whenever possible.”
“Huh,” she remarked as she leaned closer for a kiss. “Tell me more.” We finished the cookies, and I led her to my bed, cupping her face for a long kiss.
“You’re beautiful.” I kissed her lips again as she moaned, needing to claim her all over again. We rolled around, stripping in between kisses before she turned me to my back. I groaned as she sank on me, gripping her hips. I reached up with one hand to stroke her hard nipple, cupping her as she whimpered. Marisol came first before taking me from behind until I was filling her with my release. We collapsed to the bed, and she snuggled with her back against me as I pulled her close. I kissed her shoulder as she sighed happily, closing my eyes.
Chapter 16
Kellen
I realized that every morning was going to be difficult when I left her in bed. She would stay sleeping until she needed to leave for a job and sometimes hang around and get homework done. We had something regular between us that worked even with our busy lives.
We didn’t label it. We just chalked it up to spending time together and having fun. I knew what it looked like when she came down to get coffee on the mornings she was upstairs, but we kept everything low key.
We both had an evening off a couple of weeks later, and Ella begged us to come over. Grace was making fried chicken for dinner, and I loved that, so I agreed. Marisol insisted on bringing something special for dessert, and we stopped by a popular bakery for some cupcakes. Ella greeted us at the door with hugs, and I realized that it had been a few days since I spent real time with my family. I was covering more doubles this week due to vacation season and still playing with the band. My free time was slim, and it was often spent in bed with Marisol.
We made our way to the kitchen with a babbling girl on our heels, and Grace smiled at us. “Hey, you two. How’s it going?” Her hair was shorter, and Marisol complimented her on it after a hug.
“It’s been too long. I’ve been working too damn much.” I kissed her cheek and pulled away. “You look great.”
“My mom took me out for a salon day when she was here. I needed a cut so bad. It was a great few hours.” Grace gratefully smiled as Ella chimed in again. “Dinner should be done in about half an hour.”
“Hey, Kellen. Marisol.” Jack walked into the room with a hug for me and a kiss for Marisol on her cheek. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” Jack looked happy, and one look at Ella told me that she was doing well. She was all smiles and buzzing around the room like a bee. It wasn’t a big room, and I looked at Grace with wide eyes. “Why don’t we let Mom work, Els?” I led the way to the living room as Ella took Marisol’s hand.
“My gram brought me a lot of dolls when she visited me. Want to see?” Marisol smiled at me, and I knew that she was going to be busy until dinner. I accepted Jack’s offer of a beer, and we sat on the couch once we checked that Grace was okay in the kitchen.
“You two look close.” He gave me a curious look, and I grinned. I knew this was coming since we talked more at Ripple now. We weren’t affectionate in public, but I was sure that it was obvious we talked more.
“We spend a lot of time together. It isn’t easy with our schedules, but we make it work.” I sipped my beer.
“I think she’s good for you. She won’t bend easily, and she probably keeps you on your toes. Grace was like that when we met, and there were days I didn’t know if I was coming or going.” Jack laughed at the memories, and it made me realize how tired they both were now.
“She can get worked up easily. That’s for sure. It isn’t a bad thing for me.” I played back the last two weeks of nights spent together and late dinner on my couch.
“I agree. It made Grace strong.” His voice dropped, and I patted his arm.
“She still is. You two are going through hell right now.” He looked at me, and I smiled. “She looks happy tonight, and Ella seems great.”
“She was so happy that you were both coming over tonight. We all were. She’s been good after the last treatments, so we’re hoping it’s a good sign. She only has a month left after this. I feel like it’s going to take forever.” He dropped his head back and sighed.
“Ella is a strong kid. She’s been positive through all of this.” We were worried that it might get her down, but my niece was always positive. It made having her so young a pleasant experience for my brother and Grace until the diagnosis. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around as much. There have been a lot of doubles at the coffee shop since everyone is taking time off. I have some money for you, at least.”
“I don’t want your money, Kellen.” His eyes remained closed, and I smiled.
“Too bad. I’m giving it to you.”
Grace called out that dinner was ready, and I pushed myself up to tell the girls. I paused by Ella’s open door and peered in to see them in the middle of the floor with dolls spread around them. Marisol was laughing at something that Ella said, and I smiled at them. I had the image of her holding our baby down the line and blinked in surprise. “Kellen? I looked to see the girls staring at me.
“Dinner is ready downstairs.” They cleaned up and followed me to the kitchen, where we helped finish setting it. We sat down to dig into the plate of chicken, rolls, and french fries as the conversation carried around the table. It made me realize how much more Marisol fit into my life, and I watched as she laughed and spoke a few times throughout the meal. After dinner, we watched a movie with Ella and enjoyed cake for dessert.
Ella fell asleep on Marisol, and Jack apologized before carrying her to bed. Marisol waved her hand in the air, sipping her water as Grace said something else to her. The two were close, and I saw a friendship forming there as I observed them.
It was ten when I noticed the time and suggested that we take off. We said goodbye, and I drove Marisol towards our part of town. “Do you want to go home tonight?”
“I think I need to stay there alone.” There was a tone in her voice that threw me off, and I gazed at her at a stoplight.
“Are you okay? It was a great night, wasn’t it?” I checked, and she looked at me across the car.
“Yeah. That’s why I need some time.” I couldn’t think as I realized that she might be ending whatever this was between us.
“Did I do something?” I pressed as I turned to take her home. I tried to follow her lead and thought I was doing a good job.
“No, not at all. Things are…too good.” I parked the car and turned to face her. “I love spending time with you, Kellen. I love Ella, and I don’t want to get attached.”
“That’s a good thing, Marisol. You’re bonding with her and her mom, for that matter.” The mention of Grace made Marisol go pale, and I reached out to touch her face.
“What if Ella doesn’t make it? I already lost my parents, and I can’t do that with her. I make a habit of keeping everyone at a distance, but I messed up here.” I felt dread creeping over me, and I took a slow breath. “I wasn’t supposed to want to stay with you.”
“You can’t stop that from happening, Marisol. It’s natural, and you have a good time with them. You have a great time with me.” I watched as she stared at me with wide eyes. “I’m falling in love with you, Marisol. Everything has been telling me tha
t, and tonight made it so obvious. We fit.”
“No. You can’t do that.” She reached for her purse on the floor and opened the door. I called her name as she ran to the building, disappearing through the front door.
“Fuck.” I stared at the building for a second before pulling away to go home. My apartment was dark and empty as I dropped my keys to the counter, stumbling to the bathroom. I felt emotions tearing through me and dropped to the floor. Did I really tell her that I was falling for her? Marisol didn’t want to hear that, but tonight sealed the deal. I needed a woman that loved my family as much as I did and was willing to know them. They depended on her support in a small way now, and Ella was crazy about her.
I don’t remember making it to bed, but my phone chimed early in the morning. I felt like a truck hit me as I turned to hit snooze. I showered and dressed for work, walking quietly down the stairs to open up. Yuri was waiting, and glanced at me as I unlocked the door to let us in. I couldn’t even talk as we got ready for work, and he took the register when the doors opened.
