Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection Read online

  A growl rumbles before he tells me, “This isn’t close.”

  I don’t have time to process what is happening until I’m draped over his lap while the blanket is now covering both of us.

  “This is close, Peaches.”

  On one hand, I’m afraid to move. On the other hand, I want to snuggle even closer, and that seems to be impossible.

  “Peaches?” I wonder out loud. I’ve heard him call me that a few times now.

  His nose feathers a light trail up my neck before he nips my earlobe. “Honeyed peach and freesia. That’s what I smell when you’re around me. Makes me crave you. Bet you even taste like it too. And I can’t wait to slide my tongue through your pussy, Peaches. Because I just know you'll be the sweetest thing that ever coated my tongue.”

  A shiver runs through me. “How can you talk like that?”

  “Like what?” His breath is hot against my ear. “Like how I’m going to take you every effin’ way I want? Like how I would give anything to have met you years ago so the beautiful kid sleeping upstairs would be mine. So nothing would prevent me in any way from taking that sweet pussy of yours, with my mouth, fingers, or dick for that matter.”

  “Christ, stop it already. I swear I could orgasm if I closed my eyes and listened to you talk dirty some more.” I mutter my thoughts and only then realize that would be the first orgasm a man would give me.

  “Oh, Peaches. You shouldn’t have said that.” His tone of voice is enough to add to the mood he put my pussy in; slick and ready for action.

  His hand slides along my belly and he rolls my nipple through my shirt. He whispers more dirty words and I’m done for. Shamelessly surrendering to the intense euphoria he unleashed inside my body. Making me moan and writhe on his lap until the sensation settles and I’m left panting for my next breath.

  7

  CHESTER

  Doggone it, I effin’ knew she’d come this beautifully. I didn’t expect her to come from just my voice though. The flush painting her pretty cheeks isn’t fading and her eyes are going from totally spent into slight panic.

  “That, Peaches, was as sexy as a gator doing a death roll in clear water.” The fingers I had playing with her nipple are now spreading out to fully cup her perfect breast through her shirt.

  I am very thankful she’s not wearing a bra. I pull her closer against me with the arm I have wrapped around her waist.

  The slight panic from before has faded to a twinkle of mischief in those amazing eyes. “A death roll, huh? Well, it did make my whole world spin.”

  My fingers leave her waist as I slide them up her spine and bury them in her hair. Tightening them into a fist, I guide her head toward me.

  Just before my lips covers hers, I make sure she knows. “I’ll do more than make your world spin, Peaches. I vow to be your whole world if you’d let me.”

  The kiss we share is making me harder than I was before I watched her orgasm. I’m brought out of it when I feel my cheeks getting wet. Pulling back, I can see she’s crying. Reluctantly I release her breast and reach to wipe away her tears.

  “Aw, sweetheart. Why are you crying?” I whisper softly.

  She closes her eyes and gives her head a little shake. “Jesus....Do men actually think, let alone actually voice their thoughts the way you do? Ever?” Serenity mutters and I just know she’s unaware her mouth is letting her thoughts flow. “Because if so...woman would do anything to find one. And here I am, in the lap of this captivating man that absolutely appears to be the perfect man...”

  “Serenity.” With regret, I add a little snap in my voice.

  Her eyes flash open. “Shit.”

  Yeah, thought so. “I’m far from perfect, Serenity. I’m just not a guy who’s afraid to voice what I believe in or want in life. I don’t want to hold back and I would expect you to do the same. For a long time, I’ve painted a picture for the outside world that’s different from who I truly am. To have a cover and slip through life without being hassled. That was until you guys stepped into my life. Seeing you’re not from around here, I can’t take my time to pissyfoot around it. I might lose you if I did, and that can’t…”

  “Pussyfoot.” She interrupts with a giggle.

  My head rears slightly back. “What?”

  “It’s pussyfoot around it, not pissyfoot.” A snort follows between giggles.

  A smile spreads my face. “Well I know it’s tiptoe around it or pussyfoot for that matter, but I’m the one who spends most of his time barefoot and believe me when I say you don’t want piss on your feet. So there.”

  She moves on top of me and places one knee on each side of my hips, straddling me. Serenity takes my head in her hands and inches closer while she stares at me with an intense gaze.

  “Careful, Chester. You might get more than you’re asking for.”

  “I’m all in when it comes to you.” I state and watch her eyes widen before they close as she covers her mouth with mine.

  Her hands are combing through my beard, sliding down to roam over my body. She keeps rocking against me and I swear the scrap of fabric that’s covering my dick will be coated with my cum if she doesn’t stop this instant.

  “I want inside you so badly, I can almost taste you. Damn, Peaches, you smell so good.” I mutter in between kisses.

  She groans into my mouth. “You know, you really lose some of those slang words when it’s just you and me.”

  Shit, how observational. “Alright, you got me…and you mention this now, why?”

  “I notice, it kinda has his charm you know. The adorably soft, yet twisty way of throwing out insanely rare curses no one understands.” She nips my bottom lip.

  “I like to keep up my appearances, Peaches. But the truth is, it’s hard when I spend most time online and skyping so the cursing flows to regular, dammit all to hell, fuck me sideways and beyond. I can’t hardly throw in some of my own curses. That would mean I had to explain myself every single time. Very annoying.” I place both my hands on her hips to halt her movements. “Gimme a second here or things will get messy.”

  I am fighting my hold to keep her in place.

  She dares to effin’ chuckle. “Just let go, don’t be the philosopher, live in the moment.”

  My eyes involuntarily roll into the back of my head. Her pussy rubs back and forth, cradling my dick while I’m surrounded by her scent. I feel her lips touching my neck while she nips her way to my ear.

  “So hard beneath me. I can’t wait to take you deep, feel your hot, steel, deliciously large…Oh…that feels…oh…I’m gonna…” She lights up beautifully above me.

  “Aaaahhhgggg…son of a goddamned gun.” I groan as my dick starts to pulse inside my sweatpants.

  She doesn’t stop her cum-chant-my-pants thing until I’m totally spent and sag deep into the couch underneath me. Serenity takes the blanket into her hands and covers the both of us while she falls forward and drapes herself over my chest.

  I can’t help but grumble. “Goddamned teenagers I tell you.”

  “Yep, dry humping all the way, feeling each other up on the couch. Safe, comfy and somehow it’s actually satisfying.” She mutters as I feel her breathing start to slow.

  She’s absolutely right. I slide the both of us sideways and snuggle close on the couch. Making sure I’m near the ledge so she can’t fall off, I start to doze and let sleep claim me.

  When I open one eye to check who’s tapping me on the arm, I see Oliver looming in the dark. Reluctantly, but carefully, I untangle myself from his sister. Making sure she’s still covered by the blanket, I stand and stalk out of the room without a word.

  I’m not crazy. He just found me wrapped around his sister underneath a blanket. Serenity has a kid and crashed to sleep in my arms, she needs to sleep and for sure doesn’t need to hear her brother spewing shit to me.

  That, and I need something to block my lower body. Yes, to hide the cum stain that’s probably there from coming in my pants that I didn’t bother to change becaus
e I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her for one second. Even if it was to clean up.

  One glance at the clock on the wall tells me it’s three AM. Might as well make some coffee to seem busy and keep my hips glued to the counter.

  “Coffee?” I grumble over my shoulder.

  “Yes, that might be good. Listen.” He clears his throat and I steel myself for the tongue lashing I’m sure he’s about to unleash.

  I’ve decided to let him have his go at me before I let him know that I intend to build a relationship with his sister that will hold solid for a future together. The key word is build because Amelia is involved and we’re currently living miles apart but all of that should never be a gap that can’t be built around. Or over for that matter because my whole body fills with the need to spend the rest of my life with them.

  “I need to go back, dive into the archives because I want to check some of the older contracts that aren’t digitalized.”

  Shit. I’m not ready for them to leave, let alone in the middle of the…

  “I’m having some coffee, then I’ll be on my way. And you…turn the hell around and look me in the eye, dammit.” Oliver grumbles.

  Well, as long as he’s not kidding about the ‘look me in the eye’ statement, right? Turning, I face him to find out his face is actually more than the stress lines.

  “I know both girls needed this little get away time. Still in my mind I gave in with the thought to just drive into town, spend a few hours watching gators, head back and dive into work again. I brought my laptop so I could sit somewhere and work while they strolled through the park but that was ruined when Amelia spilled her drink all over the laptop. That wasn’t her fault by the way, kids spill drinks. They are messy, I get that. Anyway, then the phone call I received assured me at the gator farm that I needed to go back home, and then you showed up. You gave them so damn much and it didn’t even cost you a thing. Believe me when I say I know a lot of people and I’m good at reading their intentions. I might judge people without question beforehand because a lot of people don’t stay true to their word. Yet you seem like the other kind. The kind that’s real enough to stand with your bare feet on the ground and stay true. This being said, I will hunt you down and kill you if you hurt either one of them. My niece or my sister. Serenity has been through enough already. And honestly, I don’t care if your kin and my kin are family.” Oliver rubs a hand over his face. “What I’m about to tell you is something that you will never hear from me again. The reason I’m letting you know is that I think it’s necessary because Serenity will never allow herself to have another shot at a relationship. That ex of hers really did a good number on her.”

  Okay, I really wasn’t expecting all of this, but shit…effin’ embracing it. “Sit, I’ll grab us some cups.”

  Oliver nods and grabs a seat. Placing his coffee on the table, I take a seat across from him.

  His gaze filled with anger hits mine and yet I know the fury inside isn’t directed at me. “Garth Hicks was a CEO I hired to run the company with me. We were growing at such a fast pace, I needed to divide my workload. I was in the planning stage to launch a new company controlled by our holding company so I was screening people and he came out on top. Great resume, great background, people who vouched for him, the whole pretty damn picture of perfection. When my sister walked in on us shaking hands after I hired him on the spot, I could tell she liked him straight away. It was like he started throwing flowers on the ground she walked on the second I told him she was my sister and co-owner. I don’t know why I never saw through his scheme, like I said, I’m good at reading people but somehow…”

  I set my coffee on the table. “You wanted your sister’s happiness, man. I get that.”

  “Yeah.” Oliver grumbles. “And look how that worked out.” His hand covers his eyes while he continues. “He totally swept her off her feet and they were married within three months. The day before the wedding…shit.” His fist lands on the table and he looks me dead in the eye. “Don’t ever mention this, okay?”

  One tight nod is enough for him to continue.

  “I caught him with a woman I just hired for a secretary position for the subsidiary. The woman had her hand on his dick. He was holding her as if he wanted to suck her face off or something but he pushed her way when he saw me. In the damn men’s room, none the less. Sneering at her to leave him alone and that she was fired. I could see the damn confusion on her face due to his lies. There was something there, no matter how he was pleading his case. I wanted to kill him so badly but…”

  Aw, hell. “You knew she’d be devastated one day before the wedding, but doggone it, how do you think she’d feel getting married to a scumbag who pulls that kinda shit, huh? She would be hurting either way, but for damn sure it would have been better before she got married, don’t you think?”

  “Serenity told me she was pregnant an hour before I caught him with the woman’s hand on his dick. What would you have done? Because I don’t…dammit,” The guy in front of me is holding his head while I wish I could hold my effin’ heart for the fact that it’s feeling a hint of the pain that Serenity must have gone through.

  “Only to find out he walked away on their wedding night the second she told him she was pregnant. Serenity wanted an annulment, we set the divorce in motion, but he fought it. Then I knew he had it planned the whole time to climb his way into our company. I knew he wanted to be the one in control of our other company but I had an interview set to hire someone for the job. Seeing the pain in my sister’s eyes gutted me. She was keeping her head high and did everything she could to hide the pain, but I know her, saw her, I couldn’t…so I made arrangements to give him the position, that way he was located across the state. She’d only had to run into him at meetings every few months or so.”

  My knuckles are white from clenching my fists. I want to get them bloody. Serenity’s ex…I would enjoy the feel of punching the ass-nugget’s face until he stops breathing.

  Oliver’s voice is laced with both anger and frustration. “He didn’t want anything to do with Amelia so I had papers drawn up to terminate his parental rights. We didn’t take it to court because I didn’t want to drag Serenity down even further. Besides, my lawyers said it wouldn’t be something that is easily granted. One way or another I wanted him to support Amelia in some way. So he agreed to step back from his yearly bonus…”

  What the haystack is wrong with people? “Cut his parental rights, make him still pay for a kid he doesn’t want. Because that’s basically what you twisted his arm into when he agreed to give up his yearly bonus. You have him stick around in a company that’s owned by you guys…did it ever occurred to you that this ass-nugget might be the one draining your company, you idiot?”

  “Yes, I’m aware you freaking asshole. Believe me when I say that was the first thing I checked. He’s good with numbers, that’s the main reason why I hired him. I can’t link him to any of this.”

  “Maybe you can’t, but I’m sure as hell going to find out what’s going on and when I find out it’s this guy, you bet your ass I will cut him into pieces and feed him to the gators so no one will ever find him.”

  The idiot is smiling right at me while he lifts his coffee to his mouth. Taking a sip, he sets the cup back on the table. “Now I’m good with leaving the girls here to enjoy some vacation time.”

  My fists unclench as I absorb his words. What did he say? Vacation time? Leaving the girls with me? Fury dissolves into relief. Relief that I can start building a foundation for a relationship, and getting to the bottom of their problem in the meantime. For the first time in my life I’m thrilled by the fact that I’m not to be left alone. I’m excited by the prospect that I found not one, but two things that make my whole world complete and lighten it up to actually enjoy living in it.

  8

  SERENITY

  Waking up has never been this peaceful. I can hear birds chattering in the distance, I’m surrounded with warmth. And for once I feel we
ll rested, like I’ve been sleeping for hours and hours, finally getting to sleep in past a blasted alarm. That’s impossible. Ever since I gave birth to Amelia, I never have had the option of sleeping late.

  Tucking my nose against the blanket, I take a deep breath and let the scent of Chester slide in. I wish I could stay here forever. A dream statement, I’m aware, but I’m going with it because it feels too damn good not to.

  I hear someone rumbling around in the kitchen. Suddenly aware of the fact that I did sleep longer than I ever had in years, I glance over at my watch to see it’s after nine. Shit. Amelia must have been awake for hours already.

  Scrambling off the couch, I make my way into the kitchen to see a woman’s back. She’s got amazingly white hair that’s been pulled back into a tight French braid. She’s wearing a light gray jacket and wide-leg trousers.

  Hurt, disappointment, and anger smash into me. I’ve been fooled once again. My brother might have tried to hide the harsh side of things involving my ex-husband, but my eyes were opened when he verbally punched me in the face that he didn’t want that. While waving a hand at my belly. Because that wasn’t part of his plan. That meaning Amelia.

  Hearing he hired a woman as his secretary, who my brother fired but Garth decided against it. I’ve seen him with the bimbo for business meetings, and the way she hovers over him…very un-professional and all-telling. Yes, that was the bonus punch to the gut, knowing he cheated on me.

  “Who are you and what are you doing in Chester’s kitchen?” Wow. My own head rears back at the venom in my voice.

  She whirls around and I feel my eyes widen from her beauty. Her pale skin and white hair is just more impressive paired with her toned body. Being well-dressed on top of it all just adds to the class she radiates. Wow. Sudden ease spreads through me to know she’s way out of Chester’s league. Don’t ask, I’m not judging, just stating a fact that soothes me, instead of thinking what I was moments ago. My main question now? What is she doing here?