by Maya Hughes
The flames of embarrassment slowly ebbed away and a mimosa appeared in her line of sight. He held out the glass to her. She took it and hoped it would help quell some of the awkwardness she was feeling. Gabe held out his own glass and proposed a toast.
“To new beginnings.” He tilted his glass toward hers.
“To new beginnings,” she repeated, and clinked her glass to his. She gave him a smile before taking a sip of her drink.
22
The all-consuming kiss on the plane kept running through his mind throughout the rest of the flight. There were light brushes of their hands, gentle touches on her cheeks and they both seemed much more comfortable with being close to one another. It was like the plane flipped the switch for them both and Gabe had never been happier that they agreed to come with him. He was going to make this the perfect trip and the start to their family life together.
They had a short layover in JFK where he carried Emma most of the way. His little girl. He would carry her as long as she’d let him. Having her resting her small head perfectly on his shoulder with her little arms wrapped around his neck filled him with a satisfaction and happiness that he didn’t even know was possible. And the looks she was giving him as they walked through the terminal made him think she was also enjoying how Emma looked in his arms. Or maybe she was just happy that she wasn’t carrying around the six-year-old. He knew Emma was milking it, but he was happy to play along.
They got into Edinburgh in the early afternoon, cleared immigration, and grabbed their bags. There was someone there to meet them and help them with those bags and lead them to the car that would take them to the place they were staying. She nearly had a heart attack about five times during the drive because she kept forgetting they drove on the other side of the road. Never more thankful to have someone else handle the driving, she sat back and relaxed.
The car pulled up in front of a small cottage that looked like something out of a storybook. Gabe unbuckled Emma from her booster. He helped Emma out and walked around the back to get the bags. She let herself out of the other side and stood in front of the house taking it all in. The driver got out and unloaded the bags from the back of the car.
A rush of pleasure rushed through him at the look on her face. He’d spent a lot of time looking for the perfect house. His assistant sent over about thirty houses before he found the perfect one. It had beds of wild flowers that lined the front paved stone walkway. The stone exterior was accented with small stain glass windows on either side of the red front door.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, turning to him over the roof of the car with a smile splitting her face. Emma ran around the back as they began to gather the bags with the driver’s help. “Emma, be careful,” she called out. Emma came running back to the front.
“Mommy, there’s a swing set just like we have a home!” Emma said, jumping up and down. She gave him a knowing look and he shrugged. He’d called ahead to have one installed in the backyard and there was a huge park only a few blocks from the house. He’d pointed it out to them when they’d driven past it.
His filming didn’t start for a few more days, so he had a couple of excursions planned. Tomorrow, they would explore the city. He’d arranged for a kids’ cooking class and the next day they would visit a glass-blowing factory. They’d also planned for some kids’ museum trips and other activities. It was going to be an action-packed day before the hectic shooting schedule began.
He lifted the welcome mat in front of the door and pulled out a key; exactly where his assistant said that it would be. He unlocked the front door and let her into the house. She paused in front of the doorway and took the whole place in. The driver brought the bags up to the front door and he moved them all into the front room. His assistant was having a fit about not being there to help get everyone settled, but he’d insisted they would be fine on their own.
She was wandering around the open-plan living room/dining area taking it all in. He hoped that she liked the mixture of old and new in the house. There were dark, thick, exposed wooden beams that ran the length of the living room and contrasted with the white ceiling and lighter wood floors. The comfortable, modern furniture had the blue and green accents that Alex tended to favor.
“Wow,” Alex said, stunned as she let her bag slide from her shoulder and fall onto the couch. “This is really something,” she said in awe.
“I told you I would take care of everything,” he said, coming over to give her a hug. To his relief, she hugged him back. “And there is even a fully stocked kitchen that might have all the ingredients one would need for some pancakes, if they were so inclined,” Gabe whispered into her ear. She laughed and then pinched his side.
“Ouch, what was that for?” He smiled and grabbed the spot where she’d pinched him.
“Already badgering me for pancakes and the jet lag hasn’t even set in yet!”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He held up his hands in surrender. Emma came running in through the sliding glass door that led from the kitchen to the backyard.
“Mommy, Daddy come see how high I can swing,” Emma exclaimed before running back outside. She started walking outside when Gabe placed a hand on her arm.
“I’ll go, why don’t you unpack your things? Have a shower. Take a nap if you want. Your bedroom should be the first one on the right at the top of the stairs. Emma’s room is across from yours and mine is at the end of the hall.”
“Okay, thanks. A shower sounds like an excellent idea.” A look of relief washed over her face.
“And I can give Emma a bath a little later. I know how grimy I always feel after flying.”
“Tell me about it. Give me a shout if you need me. There’s a shower and bed calling my name upstairs.”
She picked up her bags and headed upstairs. He watched her go before he went outside to Emma, who was running around looking at all the toys he’d had sent over.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, look at all these toys!” she shrieked. It seemed that sleeping on the plane had helped Emma adjust to the time difference a lot better than he expected. He played outside with Emma for almost an hour before Alex came down and told them it was time for lunch. Gabe sighed with relief before promptly collapsing onto the couch in the living room. He hadn’t realized he’d nodded off until she tapped him on the shoulder with a plate filled with a sandwich, chips, and a nice cold beer.
“Oh, sorry.” He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and rubbed his hand down his face. “I didn’t mean to nod off.”
“No problem,” she said with a smile, and held out the plate and beer to him.
“I can’t say this isn’t a great way to be woken up though,” he said, pulling her down onto his lap. She let out a laugh and turned, so she didn’t spill the plate or the beer.
“Emma passed out at the table after lunch. Literally, whacked her head off the table and didn’t even move. I took her upstairs a little while ago.”
Alex turned toward the coffee table. Leaning forward, she put the plate and beer down. When she leaned forward her shirt hitched up and her back was showing. He couldn’t resist and he ran his hand under her shirt and up her back, rubbing his fingers along her bra strap. She leaned back into Gabe and ran her fingers through his hair.
A shiver went down his spine and he felt a little lighter in that moment. They hadn’t discussed the kiss, but he was glad that things hadn’t gone back to awkward between them. She leaned into him and ran her fingers from his hair and trailed them along his cheek.
“I wanted to say thank you for everything you did to get us over here. The flight, the house, the swing set! It’s all more than I could have wanted and it made Emma’s summer for sure.”
“Only Emma?” he asked, reaching out he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It sprang right back out and he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.
“Not just Emma. And about the kiss…” he brought her to him by the nape of her neck before she could get the rest of her thought out
. He wasn’t going to allow second guessing, not after how far things had come. His hands found the bottom of her shirt and he ran them up her bare back. The goosebumps on her skin let him know that she was just as affected by him as he was by her.
Her hands were on his chest and he worried that she was going to try to push him away. Instead, she wound her fingers into his shirt and pulled him even closer. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she began to pepper his neck with kisses with her lush, warm lips. Feeling his shaft coming to attention he shifted her on his lap so that her legs were straddling his.
She ran her fingers through his hair and her nails along his scalp, which drew a groan from him as he dove back onto her mouth. Taking her minty aftertaste and plump lips in his, he ran his hands down from her back to cup her lush ass. He pulled her higher, so that her jean-covered core was rocking against shaft.
“Gabe,” she moaned and that was all the encouragement that he needed. He made short work of her shirt, pulling it over her head, which flipped her hair into her face. She smiled up at him as she pushed it back and bit her lip. He leaned forward and squeezed her breasts through her bra. Alex arched her back and encouraged his attention before reaching back to unhook her bra. He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down and she lifted her hips to help him. He peeled them down her legs, off her body and tossed them onto the floor. She leaned up and helped him work his way out of his jeans and boxers, stealing kisses along the way.
Pausing for a moment, he took in Alex in all her glory spread out before him, lying on her back on the couch. Her hair was a messy halo spread out all over the pillows on the couch. She stole his breath away. She stared up at him with a come-hither stare and he couldn’t hold back any longer. He dropped down on top of her and put his arms on either side of her head, gazing into her eyes. Peppering her breasts, shoulders, and neck with kisses, he made his way back up to her mouth.
“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he whispered against her lips. He ran his cock along her seam, feeling her inviting wetness all over his tip. She canted her hips, trying to ease his entry. He teased her a bit longer before he couldn’t hold back and he plunged into her in one thrust. She gasped, tilting her hips to change the angle of his thrust, crying out as he rubbed against her walls.
“Me too, I’ve wanted you too,” she moaned, pulling at his hair, and bucking her hips off the couch. She wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, attempting to pull him deeper. Giving into her, he pumped harder into her, pushing her closer toward her release while trying to hold back his own. They both begin a delicious rhythm that had his toes curling. Every contraction of her pussy attempted to pull him deeper, milking him, and made his breathing ragged. Pulling back, he continued pumping into her, pinching her nipples to get her closer to her release.
Under him, her movements become jerky and her breath more erratic until she tightened her leg-hold on him and screamed out her release, turning her head into the couch to muffle her cry. With her vice-like release holding him so tight it bordered on painful, he let himself go. He pushed into her faster and harder, letting her ride out the rest of her release as he followed her over the edge, calling own into the cushions before collapsing on top of her, careful not to crush her.
They were both panting hard and she mumbled from under him.
“What was that?” he asked, pulling back.
“I’m on the pill if you were worried,” she whispered, biting her bottom lip, and averting her gaze. He moved his head into her line of sight.
“I’m not worried at all. Not one bit. Okay?” He kissed the tip of her nose. Rolling them over so that they were laying on their sides, he pulled a light blue blanket from the back of the couch over them as they drifted off to sleep.
“We need to make sure we don’t sleep for too long,” she said, yawning. “Emma will be up soon.” Gabe could see her eyelashes flutter as her eyes closed.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it. I’ve got you,” he whispered against the side of her face, breathing in her scent, and relaxing into his hold on Alex.
23
The next few days were a flurry of activity. They picked up more groceries, including additional pancake supplies. Double pancake day was only a special treat that happened maybe twice a year, so Emma’s mind was sufficiently blown by that happening during their vacation. The extra pancake supplied seemed like a conspiracy to keep her at the griddle all summer until her arms fell off.
Some other items he ordered before they arrived were delivered, including a riding-on car for Emma. She would have to talk to him about completely spoiling Emma. While she knew that he could buy the world, it seemed, she wanted to ensure that Emma had as close to a normal childhood as she could.
Then their little bubble was burst and it came time for the production staff to make their appearance. He tried to keep the meetings to a minimum, but there were always a couple of people stopping by every day to drop off scripts or packages, or to do fittings and make-up testing. He was using his clout to have as much done in the house as he could. But inevitably, it was time to start filming and that meant less time with Gabe. The filming schedule was intense.
Although it meant less time with him, Alex and Emma were excited to explore more of Edinburgh. They visited museums and the zoo. That was Emma’s favorite; they’d become members after their second trip there, when she realized it wouldn’t be their last, and it worked out cheaper that way. On the second visit, Emma got to be a mini zookeeper. His warning had been one hundred percent true and Emma was dressed in her sweatshirt, jeans, and galoshes, ready to head into their animal enclosures to learn more about the animals and even touch a few.
“Mommy, can we bring the armadillo with us?” she implored, peering up at Alex with her eyes big and round.
“I don’t think it’s allowed, sweetie.” She turned to the zookeeper for a little help.
“The armadillo would miss all her other friends if she went home with you,” the zookeeper said. Emma’s little shoulders hunched.
“You’re right,” she moped. She perked her up with an ice cream and letting her know that they would be seeing him once they got back to the house. They hadn’t seen much of him over the past few days. He’d been doing a few night shoots and sleeping during the day. She’d tried to stay out of the house during the day to give him a chance to rest.
But the night before was the end of night shoots for a while, so he would get to hang out with them this afternoon. Not being around him, other than for breakfasts and passing hellos and goodbyes for the past two weeks showed Alex how much she’d grown accustomed to having him around. Getting in a little work at night brought her back to the many nights over the years when she was on her own with Emma. Sitting up and talking to him or watching a movie had been a part of her life over the past month and she hadn’t realized how much she liked it until he wasn’t there.
Emma ran up the front walk of the house, not even letting the driver turn off the car before she jumped out and took off running. She was in no way prepared to take on driving on the wrong side of the road in additional to corralling a six-year-old. Thankfully, getting someone to drive them around hadn’t been as weird as she thought it might be. It also allowed her to give Emma her undivided attention for the three hundred questions she asked every hour.
Gabe threw the front door open as Emma launched herself into his arms. He was wearing jeans and a dark green t-shirt and had never looked more mouthwatering. He put Emma back down and she scampered off into the house. He took the bags out of her hands, then pulled her to him and placed a kiss on her head.
“How was your day?”
“It was great! We saw the pandas. Emma was a mini zookeeper and she didn’t try to smuggle any animals out of the zoo, so all in all, a good time.”
“I’m glad. It sounds like she should be pretty tired tonight.” He breathed against the back of her neck, raising the hairs there and causing her to shiver.
They hadn’t had a chance to talk mu
ch in the past couple of days, but she was looking forward to doing more than talking tonight. She squeezed her thighs together in anticipation, catching His eye as he walked into the kitchen with Emma. His smoldering glance carried the promise of things to come that night. Squeezing her thighs together, she could barely wait.
The night shooting schedule had been a brutal few days, not only because of the stunts that Gabe was doing, but because it meant that he didn’t get to spend much time with Alex or Emma. He usually rolled in from the set completely disheveled and smelling like roadkill at 7am. He could have showered on set, but that would take even more time away from the little he had with them in the mornings. Running upstairs for a quick shower, he’d sit down for breakfast before heading upstairs to sleep.
Alex was staying out during the days to give him a chance to sleep and he appreciated it, but it also sucked because it usually meant his girls weren’t around when he woke up and left for the set again. Every so often, it would be an even later shooting day and he could squeeze in dinner and a bedtime story for Emma.
What he hadn’t been able to get was any time alone with her and it was driving him insane. The thought of her was enough to give him wood, which wasn’t exactly the best when filming in frigid water night after night. The glance she gave him as he walked into the kitchen with Emma—naked sexual desire—was almost enough for him to close all the windows and blinds and declare an early bedtime for everyone. She followed them in and started opening and closing cabinets. Turning around, she rested her hip against the counter and seemed to be thinking something over, tapping her chin.
