New Beginnings (Forever and Always #15)

by E. L. Todd

  “What?” We hardly talked during sex.

  “When a woman has an orgasm, she increases her chance of fertilization. So, if I can give you more orgasms, you are more likely to get pregnant.”

  I don’t know where he heard that but I didn’t question it. If he wanted to make my toes curl twice, then go ahead. I wouldn’t stop him.

  He made love to me in a sensual way. It was the easiest way to get me off. He kissed me passionately, making love to my lips while he moved inside me. Every touch was just for me. One hand was between my legs, rubbing my clitoris. Now I didn’t want to get pregnant so we could do this every time. He did all the work, rocking into me from above. I lay back and enjoyed it.

  He made me hit the first orgasm quickly. I moaned quietly, enjoying the slow burn before it ignited into an inferno. My hands moved into his hair while I enjoyed it, knowing I’d get another one very soon. When it passed, he got back to work and brought me to the edge again. He was panting and grunting, trying to hold back.

  “Let me know when you’re there…” Sweat formed on his chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck while he kept up his amazing work.

  “Right there…”

  He rubbed my clitoris harder and pushed me over the edge. Then he came inside me at the same time, his breath falling on my face. I moaned as the tenderness spread through my body.

  Sean pulled out then lay beside me, exhausted.

  I caught my breath and let my high disappear before I thought about my plan again. “I’ll invite them over tomorrow but we won’t tell your dad. It’ll be a surprise, and it will make Andrew want to be a family again.”

  Sean snored.

  I looked over and saw him fast asleep. I rolled my eyes then set his alarm.

  I made tacos for dinner and set the table. Andrew sat in the living room and watched TV. He was nice company around the house. We played games and watched TV together when I was sick of reading manuscripts. And since he was exceptionally tall, he always grabbed things out of my reach.

  “I’m excited,” Andrew said from the couch. “We haven’t done anything fun in a while.”

  “It will be fun.” I hadn’t told him about Diane. I’ll just let that be a surprise.

  Sean came home with Mike and Cassandra behind him. “Hey, baby.”

  I came to him and gave him a big kiss, a bigger one than I usually did. When people were around, I wasn’t this affectionate. I kept my distance and tried to keep my hands to myself, but after he made me feel so good the night before, I was excited to see him.

  Sean immediately got hard through his slacks. I felt it against my leg when he kissed me. When the kiss went on long enough, I pulled away.

  He stared down at me. “That was a nice greeting from my lovely wife.”

  “I missed you.”

  Mike winked. “Looks like Sean did something right for once.” His arm was around Cassandra’s waist.

  “No,” Sean said as he wrinkled his eyebrow. “I’m always messing shit up.”

  Mike laughed. “At least you admit it.”

  I pulled his face close to mine. “You really rocked my world last night.”

  He smirked. “You liked that…?”

  “Let’s just say I hope we don’t get pregnant for while…”

  His eyes darkened. “I’ll do that every night if you greet me like this every day.”

  “Deal.”

  “Cassandra and I aren’t deaf, just so you know,” Mike said sarcastically.

  “Leave them alone,” she said. “They’re cute.”

  “Am I cute?” He gave her a cocky grin.

  “Most of the time.”

  Andrew came to Mike and hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad you brought a lovely date.”

  “I guess you talked some sense into me.” He patted his back and pulled away.

  Andrew immediately hugged Cassandra. “I’m so happy you’re here.” The happiness was in his voice.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Mike pulled her away. “Don’t get any ideas, Dad. She’s mine.”

  “I could steal her if I really wanted to, son. Just be happy I don’t.”

  “Ooh,” Mike said. “My old man is threatening me.”

  “I’m always threatening you,” he teased.

  “I’m starving,” Sean said. “I hit the gym pretty hard today.”

  I squeezed his arms. “Nice.”

  His eyes widened. “You’re being really nice to me today…”

  “Because you’re being nice to me.”

  Mike pulled Cassandra away. “Let’s get out of here before they start going at it on the floor.”

  “Please,” Andrew said. “You don’t live with those two. A hallway and two bedrooms stand between us and I can still hear everything.”

  I cringed. “We’re moving our bedroom downstairs.”

  “Or we’re moving his,” Sean said. “Let’s eat before this gets any weirder.

  Everyone sat at the table but I didn’t serve dinner. I was still waiting for the last guest.

  The doorbell rang right at six and I dashed to the door.

  Diane held a homemade pie. “Hello.”

  “Hi.” I hugged her tightly and led her inside. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Well, thanks for inviting me.”

  We came to the table, and Andrew’s eyes flashed in surprise at her appearance.

  The only seat available was the one next to Andrew, which is exactly where she sat.

  “Hey, Mom.” Mike came to her side of the table and hugged her. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks.” She tucked her hair behind her ear then looked at Cassandra. Her eyes filled with emotion. “I’m so relieved you two worked it out.”

  “You think I’d let a fox like her get away?” Mike winked at her.

  Cassandra came to her and hugged her. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Preston. I mean, Diane.” The awkwardness spread on her face at the mishap.

  “It’s okay,” Diane said gracefully. “I may be divorced but I haven’t changed my name and I never will. But I do prefer Diane.”

  Sean hugged her next then sat down. “It’s nice to have dinner as a family.” He shot a look at his dad.

  Andrew cleared this throat then turned to Diane. She was wearing a white blouse with pearls. For an older woman, she looked very pretty. The last time I visited her, she looked like a wreck. I’m glad she cleaned up. She looked just as elegant as she did before their marriage fell apart.

  “It’s nice to see you,” Andrew said.

  “Come on,” Sean said. “Don’t be stiff and hug her.”

  Andrew gave him a firm look but didn’t touch her. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

  “I’m doing the best I can,” she said simply. There was no sadness in her eyes.

  He turned away and looked at the bottle of wine on the table

  I served the food and popped open the wine. “Cassandra, I got this from a vineyard here in Connecticut. It’s so good. I can’t have any, but take a bottle home.” I poured her a glass and she watched the liquid fill the cup.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  I sat down and waited for her to drink it. “Try it. It’s good.”

  She eyed the cup but didn’t reach for it.

  Mike snatched it then downed it in one gulp. “Damn, that is good.”

  Cassandra smirked but didn’t say anything.

  “That was for your girlfriend,” I said pointedly.

  “What’s mine is hers.”

  “But what’s hers is hers,” I jabbed.

  “How’s the editing going?” Mike asked.

  The sudden change of subject made me suspicious. “You never ask me about my job.”

  “Because Sean talks about it. But he hasn’t brought it up lately since he’s been obsessed with getting you pregnant.”

  That alleviated some of my doubt.

  Sean turned to his mom. “How’s it going?”

  “Good. Charlie loves
running on the beach.”

  “What the fuck?” Mike snapped. “Who the hell is Charlie? You’re already with someone else after you just divorced Dad?”

  “Calm the hell down,” Sean snapped.

  “It’s my dog,” she explained.

  “Oh.” Mike actually had the grace to look embarrassed. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m glad you’re protective of your father.”

  “Girls have been throwing themselves at Dad,” Mike said. “It’s unbelievable. When we went out for drinks last month, two chicks threw their numbers at him—and they were twenty-five.”

  Sean glared at him. Andrew’s face reddened in embarrassment. And Diane looked like she might throw up.

  “Dad is a stud,” Mike continued. “I didn’t get as much tail as he did when I was single, and he’s twice my—ouch!” The table shook and Mike glared at Sean. “Stop kicking me!”

  Sean kicked him again. “Just stop talking.”

  “What?” he snapped.

  Mike was a sweetheart, but he could sure be dense sometimes.

  Andrew looked uncomfortable. “Just to clarify, I never went out with any of these women. They may have given me their number, but I threw them away.”

  Diane nodded. “I know you well enough to make the assumption, Andrew.”

  Phew. I’m glad that didn’t end badly.

  “I’m glad.”

  Silence fell on the table. We dug into our meal but it was still awkward.

  “So, how did you guys get back together?” I asked. “You never told us.”

  Mike chewed a big bite before he spoke. “We just talked it out and that was it.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Mike, you were insane. You wouldn’t listen to anyone and see reason. And you just changed your mind? Like that?”

  “Cassandra is a sweet talker when she wants to be.” He winked.

  This wasn’t adding up. Mike seemed determined to move on without her. He was a completely different person, dark and broken. And overnight, he was back to normal. I couldn’t imagine Cassandra saying everything she already said and suddenly changing his mind. “You aren’t telling me something.”

  His joking demeanor disappeared. He gave me a hard look. “You’re right. I’m not telling you something. But it’s private and I don’t want to share it with anyone. So back off.”

  Wow, he meant business.

  Sean gave him a fierce look. “Talk to my wife like that again and I’ll beat the shit out of you in front of your entire family.” The threat was genuine. It was clear in his eyes.

  Mike opened his mouth to argue but Andrew cut him off. “Apologize.”

  Mike’s mouth closed then he turned back to me. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I just know how you are. You’ll keep pushing until you get what you want.”

  “I accept your apology.”

  “I’m still punching you in the arm after dinner,” Sean threatened. “Be ready for it.”

  “Your wife is going to miss your dick because I’m going to break it,” Mike countered.

  “Boys,” Andrew said. “Knock it off.”

  They both looked away from each other.

  Andrew turned to Diane. “How’s the house?”

  “Empty.”

  He nodded. “What have you been doing?”

  “Volunteering and stuff.” She shrugged. “Nothing too interesting. Alice and I have been seeing each other.”

  Alice was her sister. I was glad she was spending time with her family. It was a good support system.

  “How about you?” she asked.

  “I’ve been putting up with the boys.” He gave them each a glare.

  ‘They are good boys,” she said. “Leave them be.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  Even I was surprised by the comment. She usually berated them for being childish.

  We made small talk for the rest of the dinner. Andrew made a joke and Diane laughed loudly. When I watched them together, I saw the natural chemistry come to life. They bickered so much before their divorce and it was nice to see their happiness for once.

  Mike was more affectionate with Cassandra than he used to be. Whenever his mouth wasn’t full of food, he was kissing her or planting a kiss on her neck. I wanted to tease him but I was too glad to see him happy. I decided to give him a break.

  We settled into the kitchen after dinner and watched TV. Cassandra wore a loose dress and an unbuttoned cardigan. Diane sat beside her and engaged her in small talk. Judging by their smiles, they were getting along fine. I noticed Andrew kept sneaking glances at Diane, trying to be discreet.

  Mike moved to me beside the couch. Sean was in the bathroom so I was alone. “I’m sorry about before.”

  “You already apologized.”

  “Because I was forced to,” he said quickly. “Now I’m being genuine.”

  “Well, I appreciate it.”

  “I can’t tell you what happened between Cassandra and I, but I will tell you when it’s the right time.”

  The right time? “That sounds odd.”

  “You’ll understand when I tell you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Believe me, it’s been hard being quiet about it.”

  I decided to drop the conversation because my curiosity was going to eat me alive. “I’m glad you took Sean with you to get the ring. It meant a lot to him.”

  “Who else would I take? He’s my best friend.”

  I smiled. “That’s so cute.”

  “I like him—sometimes.”

  “When are you going to ask?”

  “Very soon.”

  “Do you know how?”

  He nodded. “I know exactly how.”

  Judging by the grin on his face, it was something dirty. “It’s going to be during sex, isn’t it?”

  “I’m not telling.”

  “But it is.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “I know you better than that.”

  “You’ll have to see.”

  “Eww, I really hope not.”

  He laughed. “Sure…I know you’ve always found me more attractive than Sean.”

  Sean approached us then punched Mike hard in the shoulder. “That’s for the comment you just made.” He punched him again. “And that’s for disrespecting my wife.”

  Mike looked at me. “Your husband punches like a pussy.”

  “It looked like it hurt.”

  “It didn’t.”

  “Sure…”

  Sean glared at him. “You’re in my seat.”

  “Go sit somewhere else.”

  “I want to sit by my wife.”

  “You’re threatened by me, aren’t you?” Mike taunted.

  I knew another fight was coming. “Sean, you can sit on the other side of me.”

  Sean glared at his brother before he sat down, his hand moving to my thigh.

  Mike looked at his watch. “It’s getting late. Cassandra and I like to have a lot of sex before bed.”

  Sean cringed. “Can’t you just say it’s getting late and you want to leave? Why do you have to tell us that?”

  Mike shrugged. “I’m just being honest.”

  “Spare us the details next time,” Sean snapped.

  “Are you kidding me?” he said. “The two of you are worse.” He left the couch and grabbed Cassandra. “Ready to go, baby?”

  “Yeah.”

  His arm hooked around her waist, pulling her to him like she was a sticker. “Night, everyone.”

  After they said their goodbyes, they left.

  Diane and Andrew sat on the couch and talked quietly.

  “Let’s give them some privacy,” Sean whispered.

  “Good idea,” I said back.

  We slowly crept from the living room to our bedroom upstairs.

  “Well, that went well,” I said.

  “It did?” Sean asked. “I was about to rip Mike in half.”

  “He apologized—again.”


  “That still doesn’t explain why he was so weird about him and Cassandra.”

  “He said he can’t tell us right now, but he will,” I said.

  ‘That still sounds weird.” Sean stripped off his clothes and got into bed.

  “He’ll tell us when he’s ready,” I said. “I’m just glad they are back together.”

  “Me too.”

  Sean moved on top of me, going in for the kill.

  I pushed him off. “Could we wait until your mom leaves and your dad goes to bed?”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because it’s weird…”

  “Scar, we’re married. They know we have sex—a lot of sex.”

  “It’s still weird.”

  He stared at me for a while before he went in for the kill again. I didn’t fight him because he was irresistible, like always. He made love to me the way I liked, bringing me to the edge until he fell with me. I clung to him, hoping that our baby was on the way.

  7

  Mike

  Cassandra and I returned to the apartment. She immediately went into the bedroom and returned wearing my shirt and her panties. I couldn’t see her baby bump when she wore baggy clothes but she still looked damn fine.

  “Take off your clothes,” she barked. She sat on the couch and grabbed the remote.

  “You want to have sex or watch TV?”

  “I don’t like it when you wear clothes.” She changed the station until she found the right one.

  I took off my jeans and shirt and left them on the ground in the middle of the living room. I stood in my boxers and looked at her. “Better?”

  “Much,” she said playfully. “I like seeing that perfect body.” Her hand touched my stomach and moved up to my chest.

  I worked hard to build my body to this size. If I didn’t work out as much as I did, I’d probably be Sean’s size, which was fine. But I liked being big and burly. Women liked it. And Cassandra did in particular.

  I sat beside her, and as soon as my ass hit the cushion, she crawled into my lap, the remote still in her hand. She stuck to me like glue and I loved it. She was thick and toned, making her bigger than the girls I normally dated, who were skinny and had fake tits. But I loved that about her.

  She kissed my chest, her blonde hair tickling my skin. “You want to know a secret?”

  “Always.”

  “I thought you were hot the moment I saw you.”