My Best Friend’s Dad

Blurb

Boyce

The day that I lost my beloved wife was the day I thought I’d never know love again. I could sleep with women to fill my needs, but nobody would ever feel the same again. I needed to focus on my daughter and the daughter of my best friends that died too early along with Nora.

I noticed the feelings that I was developing towards my daughter’s best friend. I realized that I was picturing her in my mind when I was with other faceless women.

I fought it. I swear that I did but the night before she was scheduled to leave for college changed everything.

Could I stop this even though it felt like I was coming back to life?

Should I tell the people in my life and risk the judgement?

Would I lose my daughter forever for this uncontrollable desire?

Worse yet, would I lose Vivian?

 

 

CHAPTER 1

Boyce

I watched her blonde hair swaying above me as she moved easily, smiling easily. It was late and dark in my room, but the moon was shining through the open window that overlooked the Chesapeake Bay just outside of the window. The breeze was cool as Nora moved and slipped me deeper inside of her.

Nothing felt like Nora. No woman ever felt like Nora and I remembered when we met at a dance club when we were both in our twenties. I’d dated before then and so had she, but we connected immediately. Her pale blonde hair and dark green eyes struck me immediately, and we spent the entire night together as well as the following six months before I proposed to her.

I played back the past as I gripped her hips and rose to thrust into her slowly, memorizing the feeling of her body wrapped tightly around me. I’d never stop loving this woman, and I closed my eyes as she moaned my name and scraped her nails down my bare chest. Nora came first, and I followed, filling her with my seed as we both moaned. I rose up, burying my cock inside of her as she draped her body over me, her full breasts pressing against my damp skin as I stroked her back.

“I love you,” I told her as she sighed happily and rolled beside me, keeping an arm securely around me.

“I love you.” Her voice was soft and sweet, and she pressed her lips to my shoulder.

I drifted back to sleep, holding her close and letting the sound of the wind and water lull me back to sleep.

I woke up alone, reaching for Nora as I looked around. She was gone and the reality that she had been for four years now hit me like a train. I sighed and closed my eyes as I listened to the sounds of giggling girls downstairs in the kitchen, talking to my chef, Anne.

Bella was my ten-year-old daughter with Nora and Viv was her best friend. They were the same age, but Vivian lost her parents in a tragic car accident six months ago and had no remaining family to take her in. I knew how Bella would have felt leaving her home after her mom died at six, so I stepped in with a team of lawyers and ultimately adopted Vivian within a few months of the accident. It was easy when you were the CEO of one of the most successful businesses in Maryland and you had a staff to take care of every need the kids had. We lived on the bay in the same house that I bought with Nora after we were married for a few years and my business was taking off.

The house was a sprawling five-bedroom ranch style home with a large living room, a screened in porch and a lot of grass outside to run around on. It was a perfect place to grow up in and the girls seemed happy most of the time. Vivian had her days where she missed her family, but Bella was great with her and they kept each other going.

I rose and went into the master bathroom, brightly lit from all the windows, and rubbed my eyes. I looked tired. I’d felt tired since losing Nora to breast cancer, realizing that I was a single father from now on. Thank God for the staff that I had to help me out as I kept my business going. I brushed my teeth and pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt to go downstairs, feeling years older than my thirty-seven years.

I walked down the side stairs and smelled bacon and coffee, inhaling deeply. Anne made a great breakfast and it was the weekend, so I was going to enjoy it. I walked into the large kitchen to see the woman standing at the breakfast nook where the girls were eating, laughing with them.

“Good morning,” I greeted the three of them as Anne turned to smile at me, her face wrinkled with the warmth of it.

“Good morning, Boyce. Would you like some coffee?” She was already walking towards the pot and I nodded as she poured a cup and slid it across the marble counter to me. I loved the coffee that she bought at the little shop in town and sipped it gratefully as I glanced at Bella and Viv. My daughter was blonde like her mother though she had my light green eyes and beautiful just like Nora. Viv was a redhead with mischievous blue eyes and a bright smile when she wasn’t feeling sad. They were talking closely as they ate the bacon and eggs that Anne cooked, making me realize just how close they were. Bella met Viv in Kindergarten and they had been inseparable ever since then.

I fixed a small plate of food and took it to the small table that overlooked my yard, taking in the bright sun and cool breeze outside. Bella came over to give me a long hug and I kissed her hair as I asked her how she was doing today. Bella told me that she was great, and I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk after I was finished eating.

Bella clapped and told me yes as she ran over to tell Viv, and they brought their plates to the sink to rinse them off before running upstairs to the large room that they shared. I put two full-size bed in there for them as well as everything they needed for storage and they also had a play room with a television and about a million activities to do.

“They’re going to love that. It’s beautiful out today,” Anne remarked as I nodded and took another sip of my coffee. We talked about the house and just the day-to-day stuff going on, since I had a nanny that handled the girls most of the week. I was a very active part of my business and spent a lot of time there, partly because I liked the distraction but also because I liked to see what was going on there. I was always a hard worker and Nora was the one that stayed home and handled everything. I made sure that we had our time together alone as well as time as a family even with all my hours at work.

It didn’t feel like enough once she was gone.

I slipped my feet into heavy sandals and walked out onto the back porch that wasn’t screened, looking around as the wind blew Fall closer towards us. I was looking forward to it though I was a little nervous about the holidays. It would be Vivian’s first Thanksgiving and Christmas alone and I wanted to make it perfect for both her and Bella. Anne was helping me plan but I couldn’t help but worry for the little girl. Our first Christmas without Nora was damn near impossible.

I heard the French doors open and glanced over to see the girls running over, dressed in leggings and sweatshirts. It was a bit cool outside and I always reminded them it was better to have a sweater than not to once we were too far from the house. We headed off the porch and walked across the grass towards the water as I breathed in the cool air. It was gorgeous out here and the reason we built our home at the end of the stretch of land, one of the first homes ever built. I looked around, content with the fact that the houses were close enough if we needed help but also far enough to offer a little privacy. I just missed Nora so much and I looked ahead to the girls, telling myself to focus on them. Life happens for a reason and perhaps this was it.

They both giggled and took off running towards the water as I told them to be careful. The outdoor element of the house seemed to help all of us though the harder times and I appreciated it. I watched as they played on the small strip of beach, sitting down at the edge of the grass as laughter and the sound of seagulls filled the air.

CHAPTER 2

Vivian

I appreciated Bella and her father Boyce for taking me in. Losing my parents was one of the hardest things that I’d ever had to go through and it was good to know that I’d be staying with people that were the second-best thing to my own family.

I knew that my parents left behind enough for me financially since we discussed that. Boyce had everything handled, but he was also rich, and I knew that he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. I was like his own daughter with all the time I spent with Bella and living with her sometimes felt like an extended sleepover.

We tackled the first holidays with the help of their chef Anne. She planned on cookie making afternoons on the weekends and along with Boyce, took us to the pumpkin patch and every Fall festival that he could fit in. I spent my first Thanksgiving alone with their family, missing my parents so much that I only made it halfway through dinner before excusing myself to my room.

Christmas was bigger, and they pulled out everything to distract me from my pain. We picked out a huge Christmas tree and they brought out some of my family ornaments to decorate it with. We had a small family dinner that night and I watched with big eyes as Bella played with her cousins around the tree. She had a total of three aunts and uncles that came over, siblings of both her parents. I remembered when her mom died and how sad Bella was and tried to participate. I looked across the room to see Boyce watching me closely as he sat with his father on the couch. He offered me a small smile and I felt warmth rush through me as I smiled back. Boyce didn’t make the holiday about expensive gifts for us. He made it more about traditions and I carried just a few gifts up to my bedroom at the night’s end, ready to go to sleep for several hours.

The years flew by in that house and I thought of it as home quickly after I moved in. Bella became my sister and Boyce became something of a father figure to me. When I was little that took one form, but as I got older, I noticed how attractive that he was for his age.

I wasn’t stupid, either. Boyce didn’t date anybody seriously, but I heard the women in his room when Bella wasn’t home. I heard the things they did and the cries they let out from my room downstairs. He was active, but I never seemed to see or hear the same woman twice. I never mentioned it to Bella. She was busy with friends and her drama class, always in a new play or performance. Bella was the bubbly, outgoing one out of the two of us and she threw herself into activities once we started middle school.

I was the quiet one. I focused on my studies and enjoying the home that I now called my own. It was so beautiful here and I took every chance to prowl the property and find new places to take time to think. I made a few friends in class and we’d hang out sometimes, but I held most things in for Bella. She was everything to me. We might be different, but we were as close as sisters and made Sunday our day. We’d make breakfast and hang out and watch movies or go shopping. She usually had that time free until the afternoon when she had to go to practice or a performance and there were times that I’d go along with her to watch.

It was a great life to have as good as it could be considering the circumstances.

I was in middle school and had met an older boy that was a sophomore in high school. Dean fascinated me and took me out to the movies and dinner in his car since he’d skipped a grade and was driving early. It was fun and there was something about it that felt forbidden as we dated sneakily even though my entire school was talking about it. Bella told me to be careful as she kept flirting with the same boys in our grade and for the first time, I felt like I was more powerful than she was. It was exhilarating.

I came home from school one afternoon, ready to study for a test that I’d ignored the night before to see Dean. He was pushing me for sex and I told him no that I wasn’t ready yet. I had a feeling that we’d be ending soon, and I walked inside of the house and headed for the stairs. “Vivian.” I heard Boyce’s voice and paused, recognizing the serious tone that it held. “I need to talk to you.”

“Okay,” I agreed as I turned and walked to his office, located off the den that Bella and I used to watch TV sometimes. He watched me walk inside and sit down as he took a seat on the sofa beside me. “Is everything okay?”

“I heard that you’re seeing Dean James. Is that true?” I stared at him with wide eyes, seeing the displeasure on his handsome face. Boyce was in his forties now and looked good but right now he looked like he was in pain.

“Yeah. I like him. He’s more mature than the other boys at school.” I held my head high, trying to pretend that I wasn’t scared.

“Vivian, he’s in high school and you haven’t even graduated the eighth grade. That is too much of an age difference and…he could hurt you. Your parents would never forgive me if I didn’t step in and stop this.” I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, feeling stubborn as I remained silent. “Has he hurt you?”

“No. He’s good to me.” I remembered the night before and the growing pressure that he’d been placing on me lately and my shoulder slumped forward slowly.

“I need you to end things with him. Just be a girl enjoying her life. Don’t rush things.” I looked at Boyce, seeing how weary his ocean blue eyes were as he touched my shoulder. “I already have Bella to worry about. Between the two of you, I think I’ll be done by the time you both graduate. You’re both growing up so fast now and I can’t believe it.” He looked at me for a long moment and I smiled softly at him. “You’re both great and I know that there are amazing lives for both you girls just waiting. Keep that in mind.”

It suddenly clicked in my mind why I gave in to Dean’s advances at the pizza place after school. Boyce was an older man that I looked up to so much, and I wanted to have that in another form. It felt good when Dean kissed me and touched me. I wondered now if it was something that I wanted from Boyce but quickly pushed the thought away. He was like my father. Even though we had no blood relation, he was a father figure to me and I couldn’t think this way about him. I blamed the fact that he saved me from the pain of not having a home years ago and touched his hand on my shoulder. “Okay, I will. I won’t see him again.” The heat that passed between us was intense and unexpected, making me gasp as he pressed his full lips together.

“Good,” Boyce told me softly as I pushed myself from the couch and headed towards the door. My heart was racing, and I grabbed my backpack and hurried to my room. I didn’t understand the feelings racing through me right now. I felt a little bit of this with Dean when we were being intimate but there was a sense of hesitation to that as well. I trusted Boyce implicitly and had no fear with him. I closed my door and walked over to the bed to sit down, staring through the window at the water. There was no doubt that I was finished with Dean now. I was already on the fence with his actions as of late and the talk I just had with the man that was the closest thing to a father sealed the deal.

I opened my book and turned to the pages I needed to study. I was confused inside by everything that was happening and I tried to focus on the words that were going to keep my A grade tomorrow. I thought back to the times I’d heard him with women in his room. They were always moaning and crying out his name, making me wonder what was happening up there. His room was above mine and over a bit, so they must be loud. Was he touching them like Dean touched me? It felt good, but I always stayed quiet because we needed to not get caught.

I made myself focus on History and read for a little while until there was a knock at my door. Bella poked her head in to tell me that Anne made chicken for dinner and that it was ready as I stared at her. I nodded slowly and told her that I’d be right out as she wrinkled her nose at me. “What’s wrong? Did Dean finally dump you?”

“It is more of a mutual decision. He’s too old for me.” I pushed myself from the bed and walked into the attached bathroom to freshen up, needing to deal with seeing Boyce again. It was so intense in his office. Bella waited for me, sitting on the bed and she fussed with her phone and I walked out to look at her, having changed my t-shirt into something loose that would let me breathe.

“I’m glad that you aren’t going to see him anymore. He was too different than we were.” I’d never tell her that I thought her dad was handsome and I nodded quickly in agreement. We went down to the dining room, helping Anne with the food after we set the table for her. She made sure that everything was good for the night before leaving to go home to her husband and Boyce came out of his office to join us at the table.

“How was your day, Bell?” He asked as he placed the napkin in his lap as I watched him.

“It was great.” She went on to talk about her newest play and the set design as he ate and listened to her, glancing at me a couple times throughout the meal. His eyes were dark as they locked with mine and I’d look down at my plate and push the food around. I didn’t understand the physical things going on in my body and wished that my mom or Nora was here. Anne was a nice woman and offered her help whenever we felt like we needed it, but I was shy around her.

Bella and I spent time in her room, talking about the changes our bodies were going through. She was taking it a little better than I was, and her attentions were focused on boys our age. She was a huge flirt, but I knew that she didn’t take things too fast. Not yet, at least. She told me that everything was going to be okay once I focused on the grade that we were in now, much like something Boyce would say.

I made my way to my room when it was time to go to sleep, looking upstairs as I wondered what Boyce was doing. I got some water before I took a shower and crawled under the covers to look outside at the stars. This house was built with windows that were both low and high, and while the lower ones had blinds on them the higher ones offered a clear view of the sky. I always looked out before falling asleep but tonight I played back the emotion that was obvious in the office. It was thick, and I blinked as I remembered the way that it felt when I touched him.

CHAPTER 3

Boyce

I worked late into the night after dinner, thinking about the encounter with Vivian. While she was the same age as my own daughter, Vivian was an old soul and I saw questions in her eyes that I wasn’t ready to answer. I hid the fact that I was seeing women from Bella since she was gone so much more than Vivian, but I allowed them in the house when Vivian was there. I knew how loud it got sometimes and felt bad, but I liked rough sex. With Nora it was always loving, but anyone else seemed to feel like a punishment to me. It was just to scratch an itch and I threw them out the moment we were finished.

I wondered how I was affecting Vivian with this. She was close to being a teenager now and going through hormones and emotions. I knew that she must feel some confusion at the new sensations in her body and I might be harming her with my behavior. I wondered if she slept with Dean and pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose as I took a deep breath. Older boys didn’t want anything with girls that far behind them except for a hole to fuck. They were going through their own issues and fuck if I didn’t remember being a high school boy. I fucked everything in sight without a care and now it created so much concern for Bella and Vivian. I didn’t want the same thing done to them, particularly since I was now shouldered with the safety of Vivian. It wasn’t that I minded or was ever resentful of the fact, but I felt more pressure from it. I also felt guilt for finding her so beautiful.

I waited until I was exhausted before shutting down the laptop and heading upstairs. I got shit for work done anyway and I veered towards the kitchen for a beer before I made the descent up the stairs. I stepped out onto the balcony and took a deep breath of the cool air, looking around the sky as I tried to push the day away from me.

I showered and crawled into the big bed, thinking how lonely it felt tonight. I could call a woman to come over, but my daughter was home. She needed to think that I was concerned about her and not thinking of my sex life. I had to be a responsible father and that included not thinking the wrong things about her best friend. I tossed and turned for an hour before I finally fell asleep, telling myself to sleep in and not miss work. The girls got a ride with a friend to school most mornings as well as afternoons, depending on what they had going on. Anne was always around the house if something urgent came up and I needed to keep the office going. I needed to distract myself from the thoughts that were threatening to take it over.

I woke up after hitting the alarm a few times, rising to dress in slacks and a shirt in the quiet house. I added a tie before I went down to make some coffee, greeting Anne as she worked on the day’s meals. Her husband was a long-haul truck driver and she enjoyed keeping busy just like I did. She poured me a travel cup as I nibbled on some toast and asked her what the girls had planned today.

I wasn’t shocked when I found out that Bella would be at school late and Vivian should be home in the afternoon. I told Anne that I might be at the office late tonight and she agreed to stay at the house as I slipped a coat on to leave. I drove into Maryland every day to work and sipped my coffee as I drove, catching up on the latest news. I walked into my building located blocks away from the Inner Harbor and took the elevator to the tenth floor, greeting my staff as I stepped off. I wasn’t an asshole of a boss, but I was tough. I wanted everything to run without a problem and everyone knew that as they smiled and told me the usual morning things. I stopped to make some coffee in the break room and took it to my office as I set my briefcase down. I looked outside, reminding myself that it was a new day and I could make everything normal again.

I took care of some of the new deals since I handled a lot of the clients myself. I had a long background in architecture and was trusted in this industry, taking on a much more active role than just a CEO. I knew that I spent too much time here after losing Nora and that Bella was left with Anne and the nanny. I wasn’t proud of that, but I knew she had Vivian. I knew that she was the one that Bella would talk to, anyway. While I loved my daughter and we were close, she was trying to be strong for me. Bella never acted with me like a little girl that lost her mother, but someone that needed to take care of her remaining parent. That hurt me when I realized that she was working so hard to hide her own pain, so I took to working long hours. I distracted myself. I did everything that I could that wasn’t sabotaging my life to not think about everything that happened.

In that time, I made a lot of money and put some away for Bella’s college fund. I added to Vivian’s fund as well even though her parents were prepared for their premature death. They set her up well, but I could always do more and with the long hours I was working and the money that was being made, I took care of both of my girls.

They were my girls when Vivian initially moved in with me. When had that changed?

I sat down to get some work done, throwing myself into the emails and phone calls as I always did. I found the email telling me that my amazing assistant would soon be going on her maternity leave for six months, biting my lip as I considered my options. I knew that Bella was far too busy with school and life to help, but Vivian was always so good about helping as needed. She did often in the summer or on school breaks and I knew that she’d be willing to come in on their holiday break in a few weeks. I continued with my clients, ordering delivery for lunch so I could keep working.

Vivian said yes that night as she did for the following years to come. I could see the need to help me in her eyes, her desire to pay me back for something that I had no hesitation about doing. I had a car pick her up when she was younger and even though the girls got cars once they acquired licenses, I still had my driver pick Vivian up. James was trustworthy, and he valued those that I was close to. I watched her grow up even more, taking care to learn everything that she was being taught and do one of the best jobs that I’d seen in my entire life.

However, the older that Vivian got made it that much harder to tame my thoughts about her. I knew that she was dating boys. I saw both girls on their phones a lot, giggling. They got phones in their last year of middle school, mostly for Bella’s sake since she was just getting busier. I saw Vivian leave in her Range Rover often just after dinner and there were times she never came home from school at all. While still being something of a homebody, she was experimenting with her life.

I used my thoughts about that with other women, fucking them hard when I’d bring someone over. I’d taken to using an apartment that I bought in the city for the later nights in the office, and I’d make the women scream my name. They never knew that it was Vivian that I was picturing. They never knew that they were being used in such a way.

CHAPTER 4

Vivian

The years flew by and soon I was entering my third year of high school. Dean was a thing of the past by then and I had taken to dating guys much closer to my own age as I moved past the awkward stage. Not that I suddenly thought I was ready for a career as a supermodel, but I had decent curvy body and hair that was so bright that it was often mistaken as being dyed. It wasn’t. It was the same hair that Mom gifted me with and I was proud of that as well as Dad’s expressive blue eyes. I knew that I was smart and kept my grades up with room to have a little fun as well. Everything seemed to be perfect on the outside as I moved through life, dating this boy or that one. There weren’t several in a row but rather someone every several months or so. Bella was still the bigger flirt of the two of us and with her acting taking off in the higher grades, she received a lot of attention. She was gorgeous like her mom with the pale blonde hair and more on the athletic side, with her father’s alluring light eyes.

I knew that we were causing him stress. I could see it on Boyce’s face during dinner, though Bella wasn’t there a lot for meals. She’d taken on a lot at school but assured us both that she could handle it. She enjoyed keeping busy and she winked at Boyce when she said that, making him chuckle. He couldn’t argue that since he was always one to spend too much time at the office.

I helped him out whenever he was short staffed. I’d go to the office after school, working on homework during the drive in the Escalade. Boyce always had his driver pick me up and I’d go back home with James or sometimes Boyce if we left at the same time. With the commute, I had plenty of time to do the little homework that I had left, and I finished most of my work in class. I was the nerd out of Bella and me. I kept my grades at the very top of the scale while she shone on the stage with average grades. It didn’t matter, and I knew that she’d end up going to Juilliard once we graduated. She’d be on stages and screens the way she wanted to be, while I stayed back and went to some good school and earned some degrees. I’d have a serious job to match my serious life. It suited me, and I considered time at the architecture firm to be experience for that future.

I was having a conversation via text with my latest boyfriend, Trent. He was mad that I worked so much after school despite the times I explained the situation. It didn’t sink in that Boyce did me a huge favor by letting me move into the house and he didn’t get why I wanted to help someone so much when I wasn’t getting paid. I got paid every day in one way or another. Trent was just an ass.

I shoved the phone in my purse as we pulled up to the curb, thanking James for the ride. I brought him coffee sometimes and the food that he loved. I knew that it had to be brutal to just do the driving and errands for Boyce day in and day out. I got out and walked towards the massive entrance to E&M Buildings, strolling through the automatic door as I made my way to the elevator. My phone chimed just as I was getting on and I rolled my eyes as I tucked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear. Dating was a real pain in the ass sometimes.

I pulled the phone back out of my purse as it chimed again, reading Trent’s message before I stepped out and furiously sent back something, I was tired of him whining about stuff after just a month of dating. I told him that I was done as I walked towards Boyce’s office, frowning. I hoped that guys in college were better than high school. I was a Junior and I’d be done in just over a year and a half. “Vivian? Is everything okay?” Boyce asked me as he looked closely at my face. I stared back, my mind blank as I took in his model worthy face with just a little scruff on the chin. His eyes were burning with curiosity and I shoved the phone into my purse before nodding quickly. “What happened?”

“Trent’s an ass.” I widened my eyes as I heard the words and Boyce smirked at me as his eyes darkened. “I’m sorry.”

“I think you’ll find that most boys are at this age,” he said coldly as I pressed my lips together. “You’re better than that, Vivian. You are more mature than that.”

“I remember what happened last time I tried to date an older boy,” I reminded him as heat washed over my body and I felt desire flood my thighs.

Holy shit.

“You were much too young for him. He was also a bad kid and still is.” I had no idea what Dean was up to these days and I nodded as he stared at me for a moment. “You’re like an old soul, Vivian. I wish…” Boyce pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “We should get to work. There are some accounts that need to be organized.”

I jumped and went to the desk that I used when I was here. His assistant also came in some days, but she’d been out this week with a sick baby. The laptop was already warmed up and I went into the software that Boyce used to file his client’s information as he sighed and walked to his own desk. He pulled a few sheets of paper from the top and walked over to me, dropping into the chair beside me. “Here are the new clients. Everything you need should be on these sheets.” Boyce was a detail man and he liked all the information on his clients that he could get into the system. We both heard my phone ringing and I stared at the monitor as he glared towards my purse.

Boyce pushed away from the desk and left the office as I blinked for a moment. What the fuck just happened? I swear the man didn’t touch me or barely say a thing, but I was wet with lust right now. He was going to say something to me that he held back, and I wondered if he felt what I did. It was so wrong, and I shouldn’t give it a second thought, but Boyce was in my mind every time I was with one of my boyfriends. I didn’t have sex with all of them but there were a couple that I took that step with just to quench my lust for Boyce. He still had women over and I heard them. I heard them coming for him and got off nearly every time it happened. He was my fantasy now and I wasn’t sure how to have an orgasm without him being in my head.

Boyce walked through the doorway with two cups, setting one down without coming near me. He walked back over to his desk and sat down, focusing on the screen as I drew the cup closer to me. It was a cinnamon mocha, just like I preferred and inhaled the spicy sweetness slowly as I thanked him in a soft voice. Boyce simply nodded, and I looked back at the screen for a moment before pulling the papers towards me.

We both worked, typing and drinking our coffee as a heavy silence fell over the room. There was something going on and I couldn’t figure it out, but I also wasn’t about to ask. Boyce was my best friend’s father, and older than I was. He was like my father even though he wasn’t blood. There were so many reasons that this was wrong. I read the words and entered the information where it needed to go, almost on autopilot. I could do this for a living and be okay with it. I glanced over at him and he was typing something firmly into the keyboard. Boyce looked pained as I watched him and looked away to keep working.

We got through the afternoon this way and I finished the last file with a sigh of relief. I made sure that everything was saved and looked at Boyce as I heard the other staff leaving the building, talking loudly about their plans tonight. “I’m finished. Is there anything else that you need?”

“Vivian, will you have dinner in the city with me? It’s late and I’d like to talk.” Boyce said as I looked warily at him. “I’ll drive us home after.”

We powered down the computers and gathered our stuff together before leaving. It was quieter now as I followed him to the elevator, wondering what we needed to talk about. He led the way off the car to the street, turning left as he looked at me. “Is Mexican good for you? There’s a good place around the corner that I like to go.”

“Fine,” I replied as he slowed and walked beside me. I was young but there was no denying the tension between us. It was alive with electricity. We walked about three blocks and I noticed a small building to the right that boasted authentic Mexican food, wondering if that was the place. I’d never been here at night before and it was buzzing with people, bright lights, and one of the best vibes I’d ever experienced before. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was where Boyce met his women after work, at some bar or restaurant. It was far to bring them all the way to the house and I wondered for a moment if he did that intentionally, pausing for a moment as I stared at the ground.

“Vivian? Are you okay?” Boyce asked me as I blinked and looked up at him. I wanted a drink and I cursed the fact that I was just under eighteen. I nodded, and he opened the door that I was once hoping he would, allowing me to enter before him and walked up to the small booth. Boyce leaned in and said a few words to the pretty, young hostess before we were being led to a table in the corner. It was loud here, crowded. I watched as the woman turned to smile flirtatiously at him before setting the menus down on the small round table. Boyce looked at me as she left, and I slipped into one of the chairs before he took the seat across from me. His eyes locked with mine as he seemed to weigh his words and I leaned back, needing the space to breathe.

We took the time to read the menus and order, Boyce asking for an iced tea and me an ice water to drink with the meals. I offered to drive if he wanted to have a beer or something and Boyce just looked at me. “What? I’m a good driver.” He taught both me and Bella in one of the older cars.

“I need to stay sober for this, Vivian.” Boyce ran a hand through his hair. “You’re not a child and you know what is going on here. It can’t happen but we both feel it.”

“Is it my age?” I asked him softly as Boyce looked bitterly at me.

“It’s so much more than that, Vivian. You are the best friend of my daughter that lives in our house. Yes, you are underage but even if you weren’t…I would need to stop this. Your dad was one of my best friends and I can’t imagine what he’d think about this.” Boyce shook his head and looked at the table. “I don’t want to see you with anyone else, but I know you can’t be mine.”

CHAPTER 5

Boyce

I looked up in shock as she told me that she heard me at night. Sweet Vivian told me that she touched herself to the sound of me with other women and I stared at her as she stammered and blushed. I refused to see her in this light and pushed the words out of my head. “I won’t bring anyone home anymore. I have an apartment down here I’ll take them to.”

“That’s where you sleep when Bella is at friends for the night. I wondered why you didn’t come home at night.” Vivian murmured as I sipped my tea. I needed a fucking whiskey with this conversation.

“It’s easier when I work late sometimes, Vivian. I know you’re safe there, both of you. I had a state-of-the-art alarm system put in when I lost…Nora. I can look at the house anytime I need to, and I would get an alert of anything happened. I set it up that way to keep you safe and now I think it’s staying away from you.” I lifted my eyes to look at her and she was staring back at me with wide eyes. “I never meant for this to happen.”

“Nothing has happened,” she insisted, and I shook my head.

“It won’t happen. We will never happen.” I was firm as she jerked back and nodded. I knew that by saying that I was sending her into the army of kids at her school, boys that would hurt her. I knew that I was giving Vivian up but there were so many red flags in this situation. Even if she was going to be eighteen in six months due to staying back in school when her parents passed away, I could not touch her the way I wanted to.

The waitress brought our plates just then and set them down, ending the conversation as Vivian tucked a strand of silky hair behind her ear. Once we were alone again, I watched her push the food around her plate as she took a few small bites. I ate half of my dinner and asked for boxes for the rest as Vivian pushed her plate away. We walked to the car quietly and I drove us home as she shrank against the door for the several minutes that the commute took us. I didn’t know what to say and she seemed like she was feeling awkward as well.

I pulled into the driveway and parked in the garage before she jumped out of the car. “Do you need me at the office tomorrow?” Vivian asked as I nodded, looking at me with stricken eyes before she went inside. I took the food into the house, noting that Bella was home for the night. I put the food away and poured myself the whiskey that I’d been craving all day, shooting it back with a jerk of my neck. I hadn’t turned to alcohol since Nora’s death and even then, I kept it in control. I poured another glass and took it to my room and out to the balcony, sipping it slowly. “Dad? Are you okay?” Bella’s voice carried through the open doors and I glanced at her. She looked so much like Nora and even more guilt flooded my mind.

“Fine. Why?” I asked as she stepped out and looked at the sky.

“Vivian seems like she’s in a bad mood, too. I think she’d fighting with her flavor of the month but who knows?” Bella leaned against the railing and looked out. “Is everything all right at the office?”

“It’s great, Bell. Just a long day. How are you?” I barely saw my only daughter these days and I tried not to think about her enticing best friend downstairs.

“I’m so good, Dad. The play is going great and I think I brought my grades to all B’s. I want to go to Juilliard so bad.” She smiled at me and I nodded as I reached out and touched her hair. Bella was a year younger than Vivian was and I tried not to notice the difference between the girls.

“I know, sweetheart. You deserve that.” I assured her as she hugged me. “Your mom would be so proud of you.”

“I wish I could tell her about this. I wish she could see it. I think that Viv needs her sometimes, too. She lost both of her parents.” I was reminded of the harsh truth as my daughter spoke. I was Vivian’s caretaker because my best friend died with his wife.

“Just be there for her as much as you can. You girls are growing up so fast now and everything is going to happen so fast.” I felt the sadness at being alone here kicking in and wondered what parent looked forward to that. They made me worry more than I ever thought I’d have to, but it was good to see them turning into women. I knew that a lot of that was my fault with the feelings that I was fighting for Vivian.

“I don’t think she’s going to move for college. How can I be there for her?” Bella asked sadly as I smiled.

“She has the opportunity to go wherever she wants. We’ll see what happens,” I hugged her before Bella pulled away and gave me a soft smile.

“Good night. I love you, Dad.” I told her that I loved her as well as I felt like a pervert for wanting her friend. I finished my drink and brought the glass inside, setting it down on the table. I stepped into the bathroom to shower, reaching down to grip my cock as I moved under the hot water. I closed my eyes and imagined Vivian in bed, touching herself as I fucked a woman upstairs. She was so pale, and I imagined her nipples to be a dark pink and tightened my hand. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I murmured as I imagined her full tits and fingers touching that sweet clit. I cried out as I jerked forward, coming hard. It probably felt better than any woman since Nora and I let out a groan at the thought of my wife. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

I finished the shower and dressed in some shorts before dropping onto my bed. I felt guilty for jacking off, but I was a man and I needed to work Vivian out of my system somehow. I turned on the television and checked my phone to make sure that everyone was set for the night before setting the alarm.

I noticed that I only saw Vivian at the office and at dinner sometimes. She was always out, and I assumed that she was with friends or boyfriends. She was civil to me at first and then we fell into a pattern of conversing a little more as I pretended that the night at the restaurant ever happened. The holidays came and went with the usual family coming over and I noted that neither of the girls invited anyone. They just chatted with the cousins and Vivian stayed as far away from me as she could.

It seemed like minutes passed and they were starting their Senior year. I’d explained that they could go to any school they chose to without any concerns of money before the year started and could reach for their dreams and I looked at Vivian for a long moment across the dinner table, knowing that was what her parents planned for her. She nodded, and Bella mentioned that she was going to try to audition for Juilliard as soon as possible. Vivian didn’t say much, excusing herself to go to her room as I watched her for a fleeting second. “Do you know her plans?” I asked Bella as she shrugged.

“I think she’s going to stay local. She mentioned that she really liked working in your office.” Bella never wanted to work downtown with me and I saw her frown. “I know you do well with it, Dad. You love it but it’s hard for me to picture Vivian doing something like that. She was always so into art when we were younger.”

I remembered that and thought back fondly to Vivian’s paintings and drawings. That seemed to stop after the accident and I sipped my coffee as I mulled that over. “Perhaps she enjoys the more technical aspect of things now. It’s still art, Bella.”

I cleaned up the table with her and set the dishes in the washer before shutting off the lights and going upstairs. The alarm was set for the windows and doors, but everyone knew the code if they went anywhere. I dropped to my bed and powered on my laptop to try to get some work done tonight, my mind heavy with thoughts. In months, they would be graduating and moving on with their lives. I’d be alone, and I went into my work email as I sighed. I didn’t think that it would feel like this.

CHAPTER 6

Vivian

I pretended that I was enjoying my last year in high school. I dated a few guys, but nothing serious. I just needed a man to fill the void that filled me once I knew that Boyce wanted me as much as I did him. I knew that he did and wouldn’t do anything about it, leaving me feeling empty.

Bella kept on as she had been, performing a lot and getting her audition to Juilliard. I went with her to the audition, sneaking off to the side to watch her as she performed a heart-wrenching, emotional monologue from one of her favorite plays. I knew that she was in.

I opted for a degree in Graphic Design and wanted to stay around Maryland. There were a few colleges that would be easy to get into and I could live on my own for the first time in my life. It wasn’t like Boyce had strict rules once we were older and driving, but I was thinking more about an apartment. My parents left me plenty of money for that, so much so that I didn’t even need to go to college. I’d be fine.

I ended up going to Morgan State and Bella and I left the house a week apart from one another. She drove to her little apartment that she was renting from a friend of her father’s and her car was packed with what she’d need to get by until her furniture was delivered. We had all gone to dinner the night before and I slept in her room that night watching movies and reminiscing. I cried the next day when I hugged her goodbye and Boyce told her to drive safely before hugging her one more time.

Once her little red SUV was gone, I sniffled and walked into the house. My room was half packed for my trip to my own apartment in the cute little area near the college. I was excited but sad that I wouldn’t have Bella there when I needed her. I had a few casual friends in college and knew that I’d see them, but nobody knew me like Bella did. I didn’t even leave high school with any great memories of any man other than Boyce.

It was always Boyce.

I watched television in my room and cried about Bella leaving. I cried about leaving this house and the fantasy that I’d had about the man that I was walking away from. I fell asleep to some late-night show, exhausted from all the emotions of the last few days.

I missed my parents at my graduation even though Dad’s sister and Mom’s brother showed up to cheer me on. They both had small families and that’s all I had so I hugged them tightly and thanked them for coming. They gave me cards with money and joined us for dinner at one of the best steakhouses in town. It was a wonderful night, but I wasn’t into it. It just reminded me of what I didn’t have.

I spent as much time with Bella as I could during the summer before she left, and we vowed to visit each other as much as possible. I had a fling with a guy that worked in Ocean City and stayed at his place a few nights as we kept it going. I just needed to stay away from Boyce and make a clean start of things. His rejection stung to this day even though I knew that he was right to make that choice.

I agreed to have dinner with Boyce the night before I left even though it wasn’t far to go for my school. He took me to my favorite seafood place and we sat across from each other quietly. We talked about how fast Bella seemed to settle in to her apartment and the busy New York ways. She was thrilled there, and we talked to her as much as we could but not as much to each other. “Are you sure about the apartment?”

“What do you mean?” I asked as I stirred my tea with a straw. “School is an hour away. Boyce. I can’t commute every day.”

“I just have a hard time dealing with the idea of an empty house. Bella leaving hit me harder than I expected.” He smiled at me and I nodded slowly, seeing something in his eyes. “Come home and have dinner with me every once in a while.”

“Of course.” I agreed softly as I sipped my drink. “I just want to be close to campus, so I can get there for classes and hang out in the library. You know, nerd stuff. You can finally start living for you again, Boyce. You can date and do things without worrying about us.” I knew that he was staying in the apartment a lot, so I assumed that he was sleeping with someone. He could do it at home now and maybe get into a relationship.

“I’ll probably end up at the office all the time.” I looked harshly at him as he sipped his beer. I was driving tonight and letting him relax a little bit. He’d been so stressed since Bella left.

“No, Boyce. You’ve built that company into what it was and now it’s time for you to enjoy yourself.”

“I’m not retiring, Vivian. I’m just becoming an empty nester. Isn’t that what they call it?” He smiled sadly as he reached for a piece of bread and tore a piece off.

“You have done a great job of raising both of us. You’ve sacrificed a lot doing the job of four parents. It’s time for you.” I reached across the table to cover his hand with mine, leaning forward as electricity shot between us.

“I don’t want time for me. I want time for us,” he said in a low voice as the waitress brought us our food. I jerked back and watched as she set our platters in front of us, looking up as Boyce thanked her in a hoarse voice. Once we were alone, I licked my glossed lips and met his eyes.

“You’re doing this now?” I asked simply as I swirled some pasta around my fork, leaning forward to take a bite of the scampi.

“I’ve fought this, Vivian. More than you know.” Boyce cut into his steak deftly as I watched, aroused by his confidence. He was a man, not a boy. I’d fought it as well and I tried to think only about the food as we continued to eat. “I know that you need to go out into the world and live your life like any other adult, but it’s that fact that makes this hard.”

“Is this about me or Bella leaving?” I asked as I tucked my hair behind my ear.

“I miss her as one would for a daughter. I wish her mother could see what she’s accomplished. It’s different with you, even though it should be the exact fucking same. I have struggled with this Vivian.” I felt his leg brush against my bare skin under the table, feeling the heat through his slacks. “I’ve fucked so many women trying to get you out of my system, but I always see you in my head. I see you touching yourself.”

I dropped my fork and rested my head in my hands as he moved up my calf. “Boyce.”

“I am not going to pressure you. I’d never force myself on a woman and nor do I have to. Say the word and this stops.” I raised my eyes to his and knew that he was being sincere with me.

“I can’t,” I whispered as longing for him hit me, making me unable to breathe for a second.

We finished the meal as best we could, and I watched as Boyce ordered a second beer. I sipped the same tea once I couldn’t stomach anymore and looked on in confusion. He paid the bill with a card and stood to leave as I grabbed my purse and joined him. I felt the eyes of the women as we left together, looking like a father and daughter to most of the crowd. At least, I thought that. It was so far from the truth and I unlocked the door to his Porche as he headed to the passenger side. This car was a thrill to drive under normal circumstances but tonight my hands were shaking violently. I started the engine and concentrated on getting us home unharmed, not what might happen once we arrived.

I tried not to think about what I wanted to happen.

It was a short drive back to the house and I pulled onto the garage as I looked up at the house that I’d known as home for years now. It saddened me to know that I was leaving even though most girls my age would be excited about their own apartment. I watched as Boyce reached over to close the garage and our eyes locked for a moment as the light dimmed around us. The tension was so thick that I could cut it with a knife. “Come inside.” Boyce told me as he slid out of the car and closed the door. I followed suit and we walked into the kitchen as he dropped the keys on the counter, walking to the fridge for another beer.

“You’re going to get drunk,” I protested as he opened it and took a long sip. I remembered how worried Bella was when he started drinking after her mom died. He seemed to slow down, but I stepped forward and reached out to touch his shoulder. Boyce lowered the bottle from his full lips and stared at me with a heat in his eyes that made me shudder.

“I’m not drunk,” Boyce assured me as he remained still, my hand over the soft blue cloth of his shirt. His skin was hot, and my finger throbbed as I stood there, staring at his neck. I remembered what he said about not pushing me and I gulped helplessly as I raised my eyes to his face. I should walk away. I should end this right now and go upstairs to finish packing. There would be plenty of guys in college to experiment with, but none of them would be Boyce.

I gripped him tightly, feeling his muscles tense under my hand. Boyce had a few inches on me and I lifted to slide my free hand up his chest and around his neck as his eyes darkened. I felt fear hit me and before it could stop me, I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his. The contact hit my whole body and I held onto him as my knees threatened to buckle. Boyce slipped his arm swiftly around my back and pulled me closer to him, tilting his head to slowly deepen the kiss. I moaned as I parted my lips for him and he pressed me into the counter, slipping his tongue against mine.

I’d kissed a few guys in high school, even the older boy when I was in middle school. Nothing felt like this and I gave into him, feeling his tongue sweep my mouth as the taste of beer and mint hit me. He reached a hand down to cup my ass as I whimpered, squeezing gently as I kicked off my heels.

His lips were rough on mine as he eased my body up on the counter, stepping between my parted legs. I felt the dampness of my underwear as he kissed me one more time before pressing soft kisses to my face. “Are you wet for me, Vivian?"

I cried out, ashamed to answer. Boyce nibbled gently at my jaw as he pushed my hair back with one hand and held me steady with the other.

This was my best friend’s dad. He raised me from the age of ten but none of that mattered as he eased himself between my thighs, hard against me. “Tell me that you want this, Vivian.”

CHAPTER 7

Boyce

I could feel heat through my pants, making my cock jerk against Vivian. I needed to hear her say that she wanted me before I moved any further, but it took all my restraint to do so. She was so sexy, and I craved all of her as I waited, pressing my lips gently to her neck.

Vivian moved slightly before crushing her mouth to mine. I pulled her up against me and kissed her senseless as she moaned and clawed at my shirt. I assumed for a while that she wasn’t a virgin, but I knew that she’d never had anyone like me before. I slowly brought one hand down to her leg, just below her skirt. I slipped it gently over her bare skin as she shivered and met my tongue with hers. It was desperate and just what I wanted from her in this moment as I moved my fingers over the outside of her thigh and gripped her underwear with one hand.

Fucking lace.

We made out like this for several moments, getting to know one another intimately. As much as I wanted Vivian, I didn’t want to rip her clothes off and just take her right here. I needed time with her body. I kissed her slow and hard, turning her into putty as she wrapped her legs around me. I rocked against her, feeling her heat as my cock nudged her sweet pussy and swore that no woman ever felt this good. I loved Nora and I was devastated when I lost her, but I was a different man now. I moved my hands under her to lift her, carrying her to the couch as I looked ahead of us with blurry eyes. I dropped Vivian gently to the cushions before dropping to my knees. I pushed her skirt up and gripped the lace, tugging it down her legs as I stared at the shadow between her legs. She was pale, and I noticed that she had a light covering of hair as I tossed the underwear aside. Vivian was wet and ready for me and I spread her open and leaned into taste her slick thighs.

Sweet as fucking honey.

She cried out as I slowly licked her folds, teasing her as I searched for her clit. It was swollen for me, but I took my time licking her, circling her with my tongue as she dropped her head back. Vivian slipped a hand into my hair and I sucked her into my mouth as she gasped, pressing harder against me. I moved a hand down to slide a finger inside of her, finding her pussy tight and warm for me. I slid it all the way in as I continued to suck, curling my finger as she let out a ragged cry. “Boyce. Fuck…you feel so good.” I’d never heard Vivian curse and I bit down gently as she screamed with pleasure. I kept going until she was trembling at the edge of a release and I pulled away as she stared at me. “What are you doing?”

“I want you to make yourself come. I want to watch so I can see what you did in your room at night.” I knew that I was getting a bit dominant, but her eyes glossed over as she eased back onto the cushions and let out a soft sob. Vivian was ready to come for me and I drew her legs apart before slipping her hand between her legs. She stroked the same fold that I’d been tasting, lightly before moving her fingers over her clit. Vivian worked it hard, alternating between circling it and just stroking it as moisture slipped down her thighs. I reached down to loosen my pants, easing my hand down to grip my cock as I watched her. Vivian lost herself in the self-pleasure, working her way towards a release as I kept staring at her. I didn’t see the young woman that I raised any longer. Vivian was a woman that had needs, and I tightened my grip as she rocked forward and cried out, burying her hand inside of herself as she came. It was long, and I watched as she jerked around uncontrollably, holding my hand still as she stilled and took a deep breath.

“I’ve never done that for anyone before,” Vivian confessed as I gently took her hand and lapped her sweet juices from her fingers. She stared at me with a heavy gaze, entranced with the action.

“Good,” I replied as I drew her fingers into my mouth. I sucked hard and she moaned as she watched, her eyes wide with lust. When I was finished, I stood and unbuttoned my shirt, tossing it to the couch as I looked her over. “Want to stay here or go to my room?”

“There’s no camera’s in the house, right?” Vivian asked fearfully as I chuckled.

“Just on the entrances and main windows. If there were, I’d have watched you do that on repeat already,” I assured her as she blushed and pressed her lips together. “Let’s go upstairs.” I secured my pants enough to walk and made sure that the house was locked up before leading the way upstairs. If Vivian had ever seen my room, it was brief, and I walked through the doorway and over to the massive King-sized bed, looking back to make sure that she was following me. I dropped onto the mattress and watched as she swallowed heavily before lifting her black lace dress over her head. She was wearing a bra that matched her underwear and I licked my lips hungrily as I dropped my pants to the floor. Vivian inhaled deeply and walked towards me as she reached around to loosen her bra.

Vivian was naked as she walked towards me and I looked down at my stiff cock. Vivian was beautiful with her flawless, pale skin and the nipples that I’d imagined, pert and ready for my mouth. She crawled onto the bed and moved towards me as her hair dragged against the comforter, slowing down as she moved between my legs.

Vivian dropped down to run her tongue along my cock, making me groan. She was so gentle, and I slipped a hand into her hair as she moved up and down slowly. I saw her shaking and stroked her hair back to calm her down. Her mouth moved back up and she slipped it over me, bobbing down to take me into her throat as I watched with heavy-lidded eyes. Her mouth was tight and warm as she sucked around me, moving back up before she swallowed me again. I sensed her desire and soon Vivian was moving faster as I gripped her hair and began to rock with her. I warned her that I was close to coming but she kept at it, burying me deep in her throat as I shot into her mouth. Vivian gasped and drank me down before she pulled away and dropped on her back to take a breath. “I’ve never been this aggressive before. I want you so bad.”

“Just relax. It’s my turn again,” I assured her as I lifted myself up to sit straighter. I looked over her young body, taking in her curves and gorgeous pale skin. I reached out to stroke her shoulder as Vivian shivered and watched her nipples harden. I scooted closer to her and reached over with a free hand to cup her soft, full breast and watch as her eyes closed, and she took a ragged breath. Her nipple was pressed against me and I squeezed it as she moaned and spread her thighs open. I touched her until I couldn’t stand it and moved over Vivian to suck a nipple into my mouth. She reached around me to pull me closer and I slipped a hand between her thighs to play with her clit.

Vivian was everything to me right now.

I sucked, touched, and even gently bit her until she came again and memorized the sound of it. Vivian opened her eyes and stared at me as she licked her lips and I brought my mouth to hers to kiss her hungrily. We ended up pressed together and I nudged the entrance to her pussy with my cock as she whimpered. “Do you want this?” I asked, ready to reach for a condom if she said that she did. I ripped the wrapper open and sheathed myself hurriedly, eager to feel her wrapped around me. Moving back in front of her, I pressed inside of her as she wrapped her arms and legs around me. I moved slowly, knowing that I was big, and I wanted to let her adjust to me. Vivian pulled me closer, murmuring to me as I slowly moved through her tight body. She felt do damn good, wet, and wrapped around me.

Once I was buried inside of her, I stilled and leaned down to kiss her. Vivian reached one hand around my back and scraped at me, telling me to move. She told me that she’d been waiting for this as I pulled back and plunged back inside of Vivian. She started to rock with me after a few thrusts and the sound of her cries and our bodies slapping together, I started fucking her harder. The feeling of having something that you wanted for a long time was irreplaceable and I gave in to my need as I pounded into her. She wanted it, begged for it.

Once I knew that she was coming as her pussy wrapped around me, I felt the pressure building and jerked forward one more time before filling the latex wrapped around me. It was explosive, and I dropped over her as I breathed in deeply.

I rolled away from her and dropped to my back, breathing in deeply. I wanted to lock her in here and not let her move to the apartment, but Vivian deserved that. She was a young woman that was starting her new life and I couldn’t ask her to hold off on that after one night of sex even if it was the best sex that I’d ever had.

“Stay here with me,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

CHAPTER 8

Vivian

I heard his words and closed my eyes. I just slept with Bella’s father and the man that raised me. There was no stopping after that first kiss and I focused on the tingling in my body. I knew that no other man would make me feel this way, but I was planning to go to college. I was planning the entire college experience and having my own place to create new memories in. I knew that I’d never forget tonight, but I couldn’t stay here. How would I explain that to Bella after all the chatter about getting apartments and going to college?

“I can’t stay here. I paid a deposit on my apartment and I am enrolled at school. What would I tell Bella?” I asked as he sucked in his breath.

“I don’t fucking care. I need you in my bed, Vivian. How can you walk away from that?” Boyce asked me as a tear slipped down my cheek. This was a mistake. I should have resisted him, and I wiped at my cheek.

“You think I want to? I wish this had never happened now.” I pushed myself from the bed and walked to the door, needing space.

“Viv? Where are you going?” Boyce called out to me as I cried walking down the stairs to my room. I walked in and locked the door before I pulled on a robe and crawled into my own bed. I cried as I thought back to every touch and kiss as I curled up into a fetal position, knowing that I could never take tonight back. We’d crossed the line.

I dozed for a while before waking up with a stare, looking around my room. There was still packing to do, and I stood on weak legs and took a deep breath. I pulled the boxes down from the pile and packed clothes and the things from my bathroom that I didn’t need in the morning. I worked quietly, letting images of being with Boyce flash through my mind periodically. I knew that it was useless to fight them, and I cried as I packed.

This was a forbidden relationship in anyone’s eyes. I couldn’t tell a single person about it, much less the friend that I shared everything with. I wondered how I was going to get through the phone conversations with her and the holidays in a few months. We would need to hide that this happened from Bella and the family. I finished the last box in the bathroom and leaned back against the wall, taking a deep breath. My body was still aching from the rough sex and I reached under the robe and stroked my clit slowly as I bit my lip. How could I use this memory and touch myself like this? I felt like I was possessed with need and found the moisture, smearing it around as I closed my eyes. I made myself come again, feeling the need for Boyce filling me as I moaned softly, standing up to go get some water from the the fridge.

The house was quiet as I walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I assumed that Boyce was still upstairs and looked at the stairs as I paused before returning to my room. I wanted to go up there and crawl into his arms and I found my feet moving up towards his door, tapping gently on it as I waited for him to speak.

“Vivian?” Boyce asked as I assured him that it was me. I opened the door and walked inside, closing it behind me. He stared at me as I walked around to the other side of the bed, setting my water down and crawling in beside him. “Are you okay?”

“I need to go to the apartment and school, Boyce. I think that we need to give this time because it might not be what we both think it is. It might be just the once and then your life will really begin.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “It might just be sex that we were never supposed to have, the kind that you can’t prevent.”

“It’s more than that. The way that it’s been building between us is so much more than that.” Boyce told me as he turned to me and looked at me in the dim light of his lamp. He reached over to me to loosen the tie of my robe, opening it as he stroked my body. I watched as he stroked his fingers over my nipple, seeing it harden under his touch. I wasn’t about to stop this even with all my doubts because I needed it. Boyce teased my nipples before he moved his hand down to stroke my sensitive clit, finding me wet from my recent release. “Still?” He asked as I smiled weakly and looked at him.

“I don’t think it will ever stop,” I admitted as he slipped a finger inside of me and made me groan. “I don’t know how we’re going to do this, Boyce. I need to see the college thing through but I’m not that far. We can see each other or something if it leads to that.”

“It will.” Boyce assured me as he kept stroking me, adding a finger after a few minutes. I came for him, groaning his name. I turned to face him, crawling over his body to find his mouth with mine as I pressed down against his cock. Boyce pulled my face closer and deepened the kiss as I slipped back and forth over him, enjoying that friction. “I get tested regularly and I’m clean. I don’t fuck without a condom normally, but I want to with you. Are you on anything to prevent pregnancy?”

“I am. I have been for a few years,” I replied as I lifted my body and found him with my hand. I slid down over him and groaned as he filled me again. I knew that we were pushing the limits with this, but it felt so good as I rocked against him. I rode him, adjusting the angles of my body until I was coming for him. I felt my warmth wash over him and as he arched up inside of me, I felt his heat fill me as he cried out my name, his hands tight on my hips as I felt the bruises forming on my skin.

I collapsed next to him and he pulled me into his arms, knowing that I wasn’t going to move for several hours. I could go to the apartment tomorrow or even the next day at the latest and be in class in time. I knew that it was prolonging the inevitable but being here in his arms was the best feeling I could ever have.

I ignored my phone for the next couple of days, not wanting to have to answer to Bella. She wanted to know details of an apartment that I hadn’t been in yet. I didn’t know what to say because I was too busy fucking her father in his bed.

I left two mornings later, sore, and tired and lacking sleep. I could not put it off any longer and I turned up the radio as I glanced back at the house. Boyce stood outside and watched me leave, his face serious with pain as I tried to smile. I knew that we’d done more than just sleep together over the last few days, but I needed to take this space and sort through my racing thoughts.

I looked forward and pulled out to the main road, thinking about the one-bedroom apartment that was waiting for me. I had my car loaded with boxes and there was going to be furniture delivered tomorrow. I had classes in three days and I was preparing for a whole new life, or was I?

Once I arrived at the apartment and unloaded my boxes, I sent Bella a text telling her that I was sorry I’d been off the radar. I explained that I was busy settling in and adjusting as I asked how she was doing.

The text turned into a phone call and we chatted about our new places. Bella was obviously more excited about hers as she chatted about the city and her little apartment that was perfectly centered in the middle of it all. Bella told me about the people and the school and how in love with everything she was. When she asked me about my apartment, I told her that it was great as I looked around at the boxes. I made up a lie about the furniture delivery being delayed and that I’d been in a sleeping bag for the last couple of nights, and she expressed her horror at the idea. I laughed it off and told her that it was fine. It was my place and in just a little while, it would be perfect. When I hung up, I only hoped that it was true.

I unpacked through the night and piled a bunch of pillows on the floor with a blanket. I missed Boyce right now and if it wasn’t late and he was an hour away, I’d go there. I had to give this a chance though. Boyce might be a passing fling at best and somehow, I’d need to move on from that.

I slept fitfully that night and woke up sore in the morning. If the furniture delivery hadn’t been scheduled early, I would have stayed in the bay for another night. I rose and looked around at the boxes that were unpacked and folded neatly by the door while the other ones were piled out of the way of the delivery men. I glanced at my phone and saw that I had time to run for coffee before they arrived. I dressed in some jeans and a sweater that was folded up in the bathroom and slipped my feet into the worn converse by the front door.

I left the complex and walked down the street since there was a strip mall just a few blocks away. I glanced around at the cute little town, seeing other college students in groups and laughing together. I felt like I was such a world away from that doing what I was doing with Boyce, keeping it secret from the world.

I stepped into a corner coffee shop and ordered a large cinnamon mocha and a muffin, taking the bag and cup with a smile as I thanked the girl behind the counter. I walked towards the door and noticed a guy leaning near a table as he looked me over. He was my age if not a couple of years older and handsome if I wasn’t already with an older man. I looked away and made my way out of the front door and to my apartment, so I could arrange my new home.

That night, I slept in a bed with new sheets and bedding. My room overlooked the campus in the distance and it was beautiful but lonely. I reached for my phone and sent Boyce a text, knowing that I was opening a can of worms.

CHAPTER 9

Boyce

The house was too fucking empty. I went to work an hour after Vivian drove away and stayed there late. I didn’t want to feel my big bed by myself after being with Vivian for the last few days. I wanted her in it, spread open for me so I could take her again. She was in another city now and I missed her as I stared at my computer. I had some take out pushed back and my stomach hurt from the bad quality of the quick choice.

I glanced out at the dark sky and ran a hand through my hair. I decided to stay at the apartment tonight since I had enough clothes there to get by as well as food. I cleared the screen and powered down the computer before I bagged the Styrofoam container and tossed it into the trash.

Had it only been two days since she left? I walked out of my office and turned off the light, noting that the dim office was empty. I strolled through it and took the elevator down to the parking garage, walking to my car as I tried to push away the thought of an empty bed. I drove to the apartment and parked before going to the fifteenth floor and unlocking the door. I was just setting my briefcase down when I heard my phone chime, frowning as I pulled it out of my jacket pocket.

Vivian: Hey, handsome.

I grinned and sat down on the couch as I sent back a message. She said that the apartment was halfway there and a little about the town. I was vaguely familiar with the area enough to know that she’d be safe there if she watched out for herself. The apartment was in a good complex that was gated and offered security, given its proximity to the university. I’d checked up on both apartments for the girls and while it made me nervous to have Bella in New York, I had to let her try. Her mom always told her to reach for her dreams since she knew I’d have the money to support them. Nora told her to never hold back and I wouldn’t ask that of her.

I knew that Vivian’s parents wanted the same for her. They knew how bright she was and the future that was waiting for her. Stan would kick my ass a hundred times if he knew I was sleeping with her and I glanced up at the ceiling, wondering if they could see what she was up to.

Vivian: Can I come back next weekend?

Me: Yes, absolutely.

Vivian: Good. I’ll leave Saturday morning as soon as I wake up.

Me: Good night, Viv. Sleep well.

I leaned back and looked around the nondescript room, decorated with random furniture that I ordered online. There was nothing homey about this place and I never intended it to be, but right now I wanted more. I wanted more with the wrong person.

I went to bed and watched television, thinking about the upcoming weekend. She didn’t say why she was coming back in the text but the fact that she contacted me at all meant something. It meant something that I hadn’t cared about since I was married.

Fuck me.

I worked my ass off to kill the time until I saw her again. It wasn’t something that was uncommon with me and I spent time talking to Bella anytime that she needed me. She was the person that I needed to worry about and I gave her everything that she needed. Bella was flourishing in New York and I knew that she was going to do amazing in school.

I talked to Vivian as well, but those conversations were different. We talked about the time we spent together and ended up spending long nights talking one another through orgasms. I knew that we were continuing with what we started and through the guilt, I knew that it was keeping me going.

Anne still cooked for me, but she froze the meals for me to heat up when I was home. I went there if I left work early enough, but I hated the fact that every part of the house reminded me of Vivian. My sheets smelled like her until Janet washed them and I came home to a sterile room. I missed the smell of our sex and slept with the television on until the morning. I hated Janet in the morning every time that I woke up and missed the citrus scent that Vivian wore, and I found myself in her old room to see if I could find it there.

I was being pathetic, and I accepted an invitation to a bar with some other friends that worked near me on Friday night. Vivian was coming next weekend and I needed the distraction. I left the office around dinnertime and went to meet them down the street at a popular sports bar.

It was crowded tonight, and I looked around the room for my friends, seeing them at a table as I went to join them. “There he is. You’ve been working long hours lately, Boyce. What gives?” Mark asked as he poured a beer from the pitcher.

“No reason to be home. Bella left.” I kept it simple as they looked at me, seeming to be confused.

“You’re supposed to be living it up, Boyce. Not working long days at the office. Now that you’re alone at home, you can bring more women there for longer periods of time. Maybe even dating someone regular if that’s your thing. I know it isn’t mine.” Charlie smirked as he spoke, and I sipped the beer as I considered my answer.

“I’m not twenty-five, guys. I’m forty-six and I own a company. I can’t just blow that off because my daughter went off to college.” I shook my head. “I’m paying for that as well as part of Vivian’s education. I need to keep money coming in.”

“Bullshit. You did this when Nora passed away and you had a kid at home. What’s going on?” Nick asked as I gave him a curious look. He seemed to be noticing something that the others weren’t.

“I guess I’m missing Bella at home. I don’t know. Work is what I do.” I thought about Vivian, but I’d never admit that. “It’s an adjustment.”

“It’s time to live. You’ve done everything for someone else for a long time, especially as a single parent. You took on another kid on top of that. Let yourself relax now.” Nick smiled as I nodded and agreed softly.

Charlie was looking at the crowd and rating the women as Mark joined in. It was normal, but I felt annoyed by the idea of it tonight, probably thinking about Vivian being the girl at a bar and being rated by men. She was beautiful, and I knew that she’d get a lot of attention, though I never asked her about the guys at college. I didn’t want to know anything about that and she seemed to be thinking about me just as much as I was her.

It occurred to me that I hadn’t had sex since Vivian left. I didn’t miss it and I was normally used to getting it every few days after work. I wanted it from Vivian and looking around, I didn’t see anyone that got my attention too much here. Sure, they were closer to my age and I never had an issue getting anyone in bed, but I just wasn’t craving it tonight. We moved on to talk about the games playing on the various screens and who was going to get what at the end of their seasons.

I went to the bathroom an hour into the night and bumped into a brunette woman as I automatically apologized. I glanced down at her to see interest in her dark eyes as she took me in, knowing what the smile on her face meant. I was used to that and at one time, I would have enjoyed it. Now I preferred the way that Vivian looked at me like I changed her entire world. “Have a drink with me at the bar.” Her voice was low and seductive, and I frowned as I glanced towards my friends.

“I came with friends. I should get back to them,” I replied as she arched a perfect brow at me as if no man had ever turned her down before. She was a pretty girl, but I didn’t want to make the small talk and then reject her for sex later. I wasn’t in the mood for that.

“Just one drink. I’m sure they’ll wait around for you.” She smiled, showing off white teeth and I winced inwardly as I wondered what to say to her. “You’re not married, are you?”

“No, it isn’t that. I am just keeping it low key tonight. Maybe another time?” I offered as she shrugged and looked past me. Jesus, was I that guy when I was hitting on women over the last few years? If so, I’d think about my every action from now on. I made my way back to the table and checked the clock to see that it was approaching nine. I wondered what Vivian was doing tonight and slipped back into the booth as Nick glanced at me.

“We thought you got lost on the way back,” Mark told me as I shook my head.

“It’s crowded tonight. That’s all. I’m worn out from today too.” I just wanted to be home relaxing in front of the TV. I was through socializing for the night and sipped the last of my beer.

“Here, stay a little longer. I’ll get us another pitcher.” Charlie said as he waved for a waitress to come over. The four of us poured fresh glasses and kept talking about life in general as I sipped the beer and listened to them talk about work. The guys were all in the accounting business and I drifted in and out of the conversation as I considered what to do with Vivian next weekend.

CHAPTER 10

Vivian

I walked down the street to my apartment wearily. School had been in session for two weeks now and it picked up quickly. I had a lot of homework in all five of my classes and stayed up studying late almost every night.

Of course, that was largely in part due to my late-night talks with Boyce. They started innocently enough, but I grew to crave hearing his voice every night, and eventually the way he groaned when he came for me. We had phone sex every night that we talked after that first time and I was aching for him every moment of the day.

I missed Boyce and the house. I missed seeing him every day and just talking even though we still did. It was just different, and I worked so hard to hide the developing relationship between us from Bella. When she asked if I met any guys at school, I’d casually mention some fake cute guy in a class that smiled at me. I’d never share the details of what I had with Boyce as a fake man in my life. They were too intimate, and I couldn’t share them with even my best friend. I made my way to my apartment and unlocked the door, walking inside, and dropping my backpack on the couch. I followed, hitting the soft cushions of the red couch as I closed my eyes gratefully. I had a full day of classes on Tuesday and Thursday and always came home tired, but still needing to study. I considered a small nap before I hit the books and reached for my blanket as I settled against the soft material. I loved this apartment and the independence that it offered me but after the time I spent with Boyce, it felt lonely most of the time. I sighed and pulled the blanket over me more, tucking it around my neck as I let my eyes drop closed.

I woke up to my phone ringing and blinked in the dark. I reached for the device and looked at the bright screen to see Boyce’s name flashing and answered softly as I yawned. “Hello?”

“Vivian.” His tone was urgent, and I sat up and tried to wake up quickly, knowing that something was wrong. “Bella was in an accident in the city. One of those fucking cab drivers cut someone off and got into a wreck. She’s going to be okay, but she’s in the hospital. I’m going to go to New York to see her. I must cancel the upcoming weekend because I promised I’d stay until she recovered some. I’m sorry, but it’s Bella.”

“Yeah, of course. She’s your daughter.” I was torn between worry for my best friend and the disappointment that was flooding me as tears stung my eyes. I was looking forward to seeing him and it hurt that I couldn’t. “Can I help in any way?”

“I know you have another few days of classes. I don’t want you to miss them, so I’m just going to take the private jet in a few hours and stay as long as she needs me. She got a touch of whiplash and Bella is in a lot of pain. I want to make sure that she gets the proper treatment.” Boyce let out a sigh and I pictured the pain on his face as it echoed through the phone. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to see you so badly, but I have to go.”

“We can make it another weekend. Go see Bella and give her a hug for me. I’ll call her soon.” I blinked as a tear slid down my cheek and listened as he told me good night. I ended the call and clutched the phone in my hand as I let it sink in that I wouldn’t be seeing Boyce this weekend. I would be here alone in this apartment like I was every night and I let out a ragged groan.

I called Bella and found out that she was in the hospital being monitored for a head injury and some soreness. She hit her head on the window when the cab driver cut a bus off and ended up being hit where she was sitting. I told her that if she needed anything that I’d catch a flight there or even drive myself, but Bella assured me that her dad was coming to see her. I knew that, but I couldn’t tell her what we canceled so he could do that. I told her to call the next day and hung up as I closed my eyes again. I just wanted to go to sleep and ignore my responsibilities, but I dragged myself from the couch to make some coffee and get to reading. I played some music in the background and took notes on some of the stuff that I was having trouble with as I pushed the image of Boyce out of my mind. I thought about my classmate Miranda that mentioned a frat party that she was attending this weekend, something I’d blown off since I was supposed to be at the house. She’d invited me, though. Why shouldn’t I go and try to have a little college fun? That was what it was all about. I smiled and vowed to tell her tomorrow that I was in.

I saw Miranda the following day in class and mentioned that I was interested in going to the party with her. She clapped her hands and declared that we were going to have so much fun. Miranda was more of a typical college student and seemed to enjoy herself, so why shouldn’t I? We made plans after lunch to meet at her apartment at seven, which was in the same complex as mine. I would drive since I wasn’t a heavy drinker and let Miranda have some drinks.

It was a normal college girl activity and I was going to have a good time. I went to get some lunch from the cafeteria and spoke to Bella again, who assured me that her dad was still staying in the city with her. I gritted my teeth and told her that was great, asking to plan to visit her in a few weeks when she was feeling better. I ended the call and threw away my trash before I strolled across the campus to my next class, looking over the other students as they made their way to their destinations. I wasn’t supposed to be involved with Boyce when I came here, at least not to the extent that I was right now. I was supposed to be dating and having fun before I settled into a job and real life. How did I start sleeping with Boyce?

I thought back to the times that we’d been together, and my body heated up as I bit my lip. Maybe if I went to the party, I would meet a guy closer to my own age and I could end the madness with Boyce. This wasn’t going to work, and we’d just get in deeper and find it harder to part down the line. I had to keep some kind of semblance of family with him and Bella and as much as it made me break apart inside. I walked into the building where my English class was held and took a seat in the back as I tucked some hair behind my ear.

The next two days passed slowly, and I left school Friday night with a nervous smile on my face. I was going out tonight for the first time since arriving here on campus. I had enough time to go home and take a small nap before getting ready and I walked to my apartment through the sunny streets, hearing laughter and chatter around me. It felt good to be acting like a normal girl and I held my head higher as I crossed the street.

I finished getting ready and glanced in the mirror just prior to seven o'clock. I was wearing some fitted, worn jeans and a long-sleeved shirt in a dark green color with dark boots and looked cute but comfortable. My hair was in loose waves and I glossed my dark lips one more time before I grabbed my purse. I drove across the lot to Miranda’s apartment that she shared with another girl and shook hands with the shy girl as we were introduced. How could someone shy live with Miranda and survive it? She was so bubbly.

Miranda wore some shimmery leggings and a flowing gray t-shirt with boots and her makeup was flawless. I’d always been jealous of Bella’s looks and now I felt the same way about my new friend. She looked like she had it all together and I felt like I should go home and change. We left, telling Joy goodbye before I led Miranda to my car. The party was on the other side of the campus in fraternity row and I drove slowly to find a parking place, staring at the people gathered in the streets. “It’s crowded here,” I remarked as Miranda laughed.

“I know. It’s usually easier to take a cab, but you said that you wanted to drive.” Miranda offered as I pulled carefully into a spot and checked to make sure that I was in the space straight. “Nice car, by the way.”

Boyce bought us both the newest Range Rover before we left, and I smiled. “Thanks. My parents left me some money and my best friend’s dad insisted that we have good cars. He wanted us to be safe.”

“My mom got me a new Accord. Want to trade?” Miranda joked as she got out and I laughed. I didn’t want something this nice, but Boyce insisted. It wasn’t a big car, so I let it go but I got a lot of looks from people. We made our way across the street to the blue house on the street and Miranda greeted the blonde at the door before she pushed past him and pulled me in.

The music was loud and the house thick with people. The house itself wasn’t that nice but worked to house a group of guys and I frowned as I looked around. It smelled like sweat and the faint scent of smoke from outside as Miranda made her way through the living room to the kitchen. She greeted another guy and turned towards me with two red solo cups in her hand. “Here you go.” She must have seen the look in my eyes and smiled at me. “It’s just one. I know that you don’t want to drink a lot, Viv. I’m fine with that.” I reluctantly took the cup and eyed the keg that it came from as I watched Miranda take a drink from her own cup. I watched her get them both like I was supposed to, so I sighed and sipped the beer. It tasted carbonated and gross and I stuck my tongue out as I set the cup on a table and looked back into the kitchen.

Miranda noticed that I wasn’t drinking any beer and asked me if I wanted something else. She laughed when I told her it was gross and got a soda from the fridge before we walked into the living room where a group of people were dancing. I cracked the can and looked around for anyone that I knew slowly.

I came across a few people in my classes and we chatted with them and Miranda made me dance. It wasn’t that I didn’t like dancing and did it all the time with Bella, but I felt self-conscious here. I could feel people looking at me and I tried to ignore it as some of the girls that we were talking to giggled during a second of quiet in the song that was playing.

College was a lot different than high school in this setting. I told myself to let go and just enjoy myself until Miranda walked away to hug a brunette guy. I stopped moving and watched her as the other girls seemed to drift off, looking at Miranda as she sat down and started talking to another group.

“Hey there. Want to dance?” a male voice asked as I glanced up to see warm brown eyes. I forced a smile on my face. I could do this. I dated in high school and it was fine. We started to dance together, and I sipped another soda as the guy introduced himself as Billy. He was cute with messy brown hair and a good figure though not as good as Boyce. I reminded myself not to think about Boyce and kept dancing as my favorite song came on.

We ended up going outside and getting some fresh air on the back patio. I knew from talking to Bella that she went to a lot of parties and loved them. I could learn to do the same. Billy sat down on a patio chair and asked me to join him as I sat a couple of feet away and looked up at the sky. “What’s your major?” Billy asked as I started to tell him, knowing that small talk would kill time. He kissed me a little while into the conversation and I gasped in surprise. It wasn’t unpleasant, and I stilled as he pressed closer to me.

I didn’t feel the electricity that I did with Boyce, but that was because it was so forbidden with him. Billy reached a hand around my head to cup my face and deepened the kiss as I leaned closer to him, giving into the moment.

CHAPTER 11

Boyce

I stayed with Bella for a week at her shoe box apartment, sleeping on the couch instead of at a hotel like I preferred. She was going to be fine, but I wanted to help her with anything that she might need. I neglected her enough working when she was younger and always worked to make up for that.

I thought about Vivian a lot during my stay. I knew that she kept in touch with Bella over the last few days, but we agreed that we wouldn’t talk while I was there. There was no real reason for it and we didn’t want to cause any suspicion. I wanted to, and I’d think about her at night when I was sleeping on the couch that I bought Bella for her place. At least it was comfortable, but I was lonely for Vivian. I wanted her in my bed again or at least on the phone, but I didn’t chance it. Bella would be devastated.

I flew home once she was ready to go back to class, hugging my daughter goodbye. There was a weekend coming up and I hoped that Vivian could make a trip home as I flew, answering emails for work and finding out what was going on from my managers. Everything was running smoothly, and I leaned back to sip my coffee as I breathed in deeply. I knew that my thoughts were more than physical towards Vivian and it worried me as I looked over the sky and the setting sun.

James was at the airport to pick me up and we drove home in a comfortable silence. I looked at my house as we pulled into the garage and thanked him for bringing me home as I grabbed my luggage from the trunk. I knew that the house was going to be empty when I got there but the silence was intimidating after staying in New York for the last several days. I unpacked and got some laundry started before I reached for my phone as I sat on the bed. I sent Vivian a text and turned on the TV, finding a hockey game as I waited for her to get back to me.

Vivian: Boyce? Are you home? How’s Bella?

Me: She’s going back to school next week. She’s going to be fine.

Vivian: That’s great.

Me: I missed you. Can you come see me soon?

Vivian: I am free this weekend if you are. I thought that you might want to go back into the office and catch up.

There was something off about her messages and I frowned.

Me: I’ll be there the next couple of days, but we can go with the original plan of Saturday, if you can make it.

Vivian: Sure. I can leave in the morning.

Me: Can I call you?

She agreed, and I dialed her number, dropping back onto the pillows as I heard the shaking in her voice. “Are you okay, Vivian?”

“I’m fine. It’s good to hear your voice,” Vivian replied as I heard the desire in her tone. We made some small talk and I told her about New York, saying that I’d like to take her there some time in the future. The conversation turned sexual in an instant as I slipped my hand down to grip my cock tightly, hearing her soft moans through the receiver.

This was so much more than sex.

I jerked off hard as she spoke, telling me that she missed me as she fingered her clit. I told her where to touch herself and how, loving that she did everything that I asked. I longed to have her naked in front of me, wet and ready for me to fuck her senseless. I came in my shorts, spilling my heat over my hands and the cloth as I cried out her name.

I fell asleep like that after we ended the call, worn out from our phone sex. It got more aggressive with each call and I knew that I was going to ravage her when she arrived here in a few days. I rose early the following day to work out in my gym and go into the office early to get some work done, thinking about Vivian as I chatted with clients and staff. It was Thursday now, and I’d more than likely be here for most of the next forty-eight hours and I made another cup of coffee as I picked up the phone to make another call.

Friday night, I arrived home late and showered before I fell into bed. I knew that Vivian planned to leave in the morning and figured I’d wake her up. I didn’t sleep well on Bella’s couch and needed to do some catching up after putting in so many hours at the office. I fell asleep to the TV and moved when I thought I heard a door opening. I blinked slowly in the light of the sun, seeing a figure in my doorway. “Hey,” Vivian told me softly as she smiled at me. I looked at the clock to see that it was nine and reached my arms back to rest my head on them.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” I asked as she blushed and walked into the room. I’d made sure that we would have the house to ourselves and Vivian gave me a heated look as she sat on the end of the bed, staring at me.

“I told myself that I was going to come here and that nothing was going to happen.” Her words sobered me, and I frowned at her. “I know how wrong I was.”

“Do you regret us?” I asked as I leaned forward, reaching towards Vivian.

“It’s not regret,” Vivian assured me as she moved to sit over me, her lips brushing mine. I cupped her head and deepened the kiss hungrily as she moaned against me. I knew what she was talking about since I tried to talk myself out of this several times in New York. Bella wouldn’t understand any of this. Vivian was her best friend and like a sister to my daughter. I noticed when she’d point out attractive older women on the streets but didn’t take a second look at any of them. My mind was only on Vivian.

“What is it?” I asked her before I claimed her lips again, reaching down to cup her ass as our tongues danced together. I maneuvered her onto her back easily, slipping her leggings off before I kissed her again. Vivian sighed happily as I pressed my cock against her pussy, happy to find her bare underneath the cotton. I reached down to finger her clit slowly, kissing down her face and neck as Vivian moaned. She was slick with heat and her nub was swollen as I stroked her, listening to her moans as she edged closer to a release.

I wanted to plunge my cock inside of her and fuck her blind, but I kept stroking, feeling her moisture slipping over the tip of my finger. I needed her to come for me before I drove myself inside of her. I whispered for Vivian to take her shirt off before I nipped at her neck, pulling back as she ripped the sweatshirt over her head, leaving her only in a lace bra. I slipped two fingers inside of her, curling them to find the place that made her crumble apart for me. It was the spot that made her scream my name and soak my fingers with her release. It was my favorite thing.

Vivian jerked before coming, my name on her lips. I watched her face contorting in pleasure as she came, leaning forward to suck a hard nipple through the bra as she moaned my name. “Fuck me, Boyce.” Vivian begged as I stared at her. Vivian reached out to grip my cock in her hand, the other hand sliding up my chest as she locked gazes with me. “I want you bare. I want to feel you.” Her voice was so soft, but I heard every word as I spread her legs open and guided myself inside of her tight pussy.

Vivian rocked against me as I buried myself inside of her, wrapping her legs and arms around me to pull me closer. We moved together roughly, our bodies slapping together as we fucked. We made up for the lost time in our motions as I drove harder inside of her. “You feel so fucking good.” I arched back to take her again, feeling nails down my back as I cried out. “Baby, I’m going to come.”

Vivian raised her hips up and I fucked her harder as she groaned for me. “Come with me,” she begged me as she pulled me closer, dragging my lips to hers for a deep kiss. I felt her tighten around me and jerked one more time before I filled her with my release. I dropped back and tumbled to my side, needing a rest as I looked at her.

“Damn it. You still feel just as good,” I murmured as she smiled weakly. “When I can move again, do you want some coffee and breakfast, or do you just want to stay in bed all day?”

“Coffee. I only had a small cup before I left campus,” she told me as I nodded and closed my eyes slowly. I’d slept well and knew that I should be rested, but that was a wearing morning greeting for me.

We both rested for a little while before I handed her a long t-shirt to wear, slipping on some shorts after I used the bathroom. I led the way down the stairs and opened the fridge as she brewed some coffee for us. I threw together some omelets with the vegetables that Anne kept the fridge stocked with and Vivian got some toast going.

I still sensed something off about her as we sat down to eat. “I have to tell you something.” Vivian looked at me with wide eyes. “I went to a party on campus last weekend when you were in New York. I went and hung out with some friends and I…slept with someone.”

I felt shock rippling through my veins as I held my cup in the air. “You slept with someone. Was it another student?” I asked as she nodded slowly. “Am I…is this not enough for you?” I couldn’t believe that words coming out of my mouth. I’d never been a jealous man, never cared for any other woman than Nora as more than a warm body in my bed.

“No, it isn’t that. I was at the party with a bunch of kids my age and I wanted to be like them. I don’t know. He kissed me, and I just went with it. I woke up the following morning in his bed in the house where the party was held.” Vivian blinked as she raised her eyes to meet mine.

“Did you like it?” I asked as she bit her lip. “Were you drunk?”

“No. I only sipped some beer and tossed it. I drank soda the rest of the night. I was missing you, Boyce. I was feeling weak.” Vivian sipped her coffee slowly as pain crossed her face. “Maybe I was trying to sabotage this thing with us.”

I stared at her as she fidgeted in the chair across from me. I felt the rage pass through me at the thought of another man’s hands on her and stood as Vivian stared at me. “I’m sorry, Boyce.”

I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her up as she whimpered. I walked Vivian towards the counter and pressed her against it, facing the wall as I stroked her hair back away from her face. “Did you come the way you do for me, Viv?”

“No,” she replied in a shaking voice as I pressed my lips to her skin. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like that before.”

“Bend over the counter, Vivian. I need to make you remember how I feel fucking you,” I told her in a low voice as she shivered and moved forward. I lifted the shirt up and looked at her ass for a moment, perfect and pale for me as lust raged thought my veins. “This pussy is mine.” I smacked her ass lightly as she jerked forward, crying put softly. I hit her a little harder and watched as fluid seeped down her thighs, knowing the signs of arousal. “I am going to fuck you blind right now and make you remember only me.” I loved a little dominance with a woman and I slapped her again as she moaned long and low. I let my shorts drop to the ground and slid my cock inside of her as she cried my name, gripping her hips tightly as I buried myself inside of her. As much as I hated the idea of her with another man, I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth of her slick pussy. “I will come to your apartment myself if you need any of this, Vivian. I am the only man that will be fucking you from now on.” I was aware that I was claiming her verbally and physically with my actions, but I didn’t care. It was what I wanted, and it took her telling me that she slept with someone else to get the words out.

I fucked her hard and fast as I held her steady, driving myself deeply inside of her as she wrapped around me. “Yours…I am all yours.” She came a beat before me and I buried myself all the way inside of her and came hard. I cried her name as I moved slowly, filling her with my hot seed as Vivian dropped her face against the cold counter.

I let her recover and lifted her carefully to carry her to the couch, dropping down with her gently as she snuggled into my bare chest. “Are you okay?”

“This is so intense with you. I wanted to know if it was like that with anyone and I know that it isn’t. I’m scared, Boyce. What are we going to do about the holidays when Bella is here with us?”

“We’ll worry about that later,” I assured her as I stroked her hair back. I knew that we were sinking in deeper with every moment together, but I didn’t care. We made our way to the table to reheat the food and eat before she walked upstairs and dropped into bed to take a nap. I knew that she was worn out from everything that morning and joined her, needing her heat against me as I closed my eyes.

I woke up a few hours later to my phone ringing beside me and reached for it before it woke Vivian up. I saw Bella’s name on the screen and greeted her as I glanced at Vivian curled up on her side. “Hey, there. How are you feeling?”

“Better. I got out of the apartment for a bit today. I talked to the insurance company, Dad. They’re totaling the rover, but it was his fault, so I am hashing it out with the insurance company. I’m glad I can get to school easily until we figure out what’s going on.” I heard the sorrow in her voice and looked over at Vivian as she stirred beside me. Her eyes popped open and I pressed a finger to her lips as she gazed at me with wide eyes. “Have you talked to Viv?”

“I think she’s coming by to get some things today. I got a text this week,” I replied casually as Bella went on to tell me that she was certain Vivian was sleeping with someone. She told me to dig for information before we ended the call and I laughed aloud. “So, you’re sleeping with someone?”

“I can’t hide anything from her. I’ll tell her it’s some college kid,” Vivian said with concern as she pushed her hair back.

“I’m not mad. I like that your closest friend can tell that you’re happy. You are, right?” I dropped beside her, my lips close to hers as our eyes locked.

“I’m something,” Vivian replied as she pressed her mouth to mine for a soft kiss.

CHAPTER 12

Vivian

We spent a great weekend together before I left to go back to campus Sunday night. We spent most of our time in bed, but he also took me out to dinner Saturday night. It was my favorite place there and we played it off to be a casual evening out catching up with one another, but I couldn’t keep my hands off him in the car. He drove us back to the house where we walked inside and poured some wine before starting a movie. Boyce gave the term Netflix and chill new meaning that night.

I hated going back to school on Sunday night. I should want to go back to my own place and new life, but I knew that I was going to miss Boyce. He told me that if I didn’t make it back to the house the following weekend, we’d get a hotel or stay at my place. I had a few friends at school now though nobody close enough to stop by and visit. Not yet. As good as Boyce looked for his age, it was clear that he was not a college student and tongues would be wagging. I wasn’t that far from home and we could be recognized, for all I knew.

I walked into my apartment and unpacked the backpack in my quiet bedroom, tossing the dirty clothes into the hamper and hanging the new stuff that I brought in the closet. I played back the weekend and blushed as I thought about being on the counter with Boyce claiming me. He was so rough with me and I knew that telling him what I did got to him. I closed my eyes and took a slow breath as I heard his words echoing through my head.

Boyce said that I was his. He was planning to see me as soon as we could arrange it, here or there. I knew that each week would drag now as I waited to be in his arms again and I stretched my arms over my head. My entire body ached from the sex with him, but I knew I’d give him more anytime that he asked me to.

I crawled into bed early, turning on the television for noise as I tossed and turned. I was falling for Boyce and I knew that would be a problem. I just didn’t know how to stop this from continuing and I reached for my phone as I saw the screen light up.

It was Boyce and we talked for an hour in our beds, watching the same show as we discussed it. While there was a sense of burning lust between us, there was also something comfortable as well. We could talk and laugh together easily and had seen the other go through hard times. I considered myself a kid through most of his hard times, but I tried to make things easier on him when I could, even at a young age.

What kind of comfort was this? I tossed the question around my mind as I lay in the dark quietly. I could look back and admit that I’d been drawn to Boyce somewhere after starting middle school. I never pursued anything and dated boys my own age, but I remembered how worried Boyce was back then. Was he jealous?

The boys I dated through school were boys in every sense of the word. I always found Boyce to be sexy with his easy confidence and desire to succeed. He provided his family a good life when Nora was still alive and even after that when I moved into the house. I never wanted for anything, which was largely in part to my own parent’s planning, but I knew how much Boyce did for me. I knew how lucky I was that I got to come here rather than living in foster care or with a distant relative that barely knew me.

I thought back to the nights when I’d listen to him with other women. I was embarrassed at first but then realized how hot it was. I wanted sex to be like that for me and I chased that dream with a handful of guys through high school. I wasn’t a slut by any means and I didn’t sleep with guys that I didn’t care about, but I was curious. It never felt like I thought that it would. It never made me want to scream the way that Boyce’s women did, but now I understood why.

I smiled as I drifted off to sleep and groaned when my alarm went off. I didn’t want the erotic dream to end as I reached for my phone to hit the snooze button, needing some more time with Boyce. I got out of bed with enough time to shower and pull on some leggings with a sweatshirt before I shuffled out of the apartment. I walked to the campus and grabbed a coffee before class, slipping into the back row.

I told myself that it was good that I was dating off-campus. I could focus on my classes that way and achieve my goals. I slipped up at the party but that wouldn’t happen again. I was willing to allow Boyce to own my body and I opened my notebook and glanced up at the board in the front of the class, jotting down some notes.

I saw Miranda as I went to grab some lunch and she darted over to me with a huge smile. “Hey, there. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you doing?” I asked her as I dropped the empty coffee cup into the trash at the entrance to the cafeteria.

“Great. So, I have Billy in my class just before this and he’s asking about you. He wants to see you again!” Miranda looked at me expectantly and I pressed my lips together as I tried to figure out what to say.

“He is?” I asked softly as she nodded and told me about another party the upcoming weekend. This was a birthday party and she gushed about how infamous the frat birthday parties were. “You have to come. He’s looking forward to another night with you.”

There was nothing special about the night that we already shared. In fact, there was nothing at all that stood out about it at all. “I am kind of seeing someone back home. It’s not serious which is why I didn’t make a big deal about it, but I want to focus on school when I am here and on him when I am there.” I met her frown and shrugged. “I don’t want to see Billy again.”

“You’re seeing someone. Who?” Miranda asked me as I walked forward to order my sandwich.

“Just a guy. It’s casual.” I smiled at her before ordering and she gave me a shrewd look. Miranda ordered her chicken sandwich and we moved along to grab drinks and some of the cookies the school served. She didn’t say anything until we were sitting at a table and it was then that she looked closely at me.

“You are having the best sex of your life, aren’t you? I can see it in your eyes, Vivian. Who is he?” She demanded as she leaned forward and stared into my eyes.

“It is a guy that I started seeing before I came here. Since I am not that far away, we decided to keep it going, but he isn’t stepping in the way of school for me. We just go back and forth,” I tried to be vague and she sipped her soda and unwrapped her sandwich.

“I don’t see casual in your face, Vivian. I don’t know you well, but I know what a girl looks like when she is feeling something for a guy.” I watched her shake her head as I picked up half of my sandwich. I couldn’t tell her who I was sleeping with. I wouldn’t tell her how old he was or how I knew him. I did wonder what look was on my face that gave my feelings away, vowing to work on that.

Bella could never know that I was sleeping with her father.

I was surprised later in the week when I arrived to find a box on my front porch. I carried it inside, using two hands since it was big, getting my backpack once it was inside. I stared at it, seeing no company name on it anywhere as I tried to remember if I ordered something. I grabbed the scissors from my desk and sliced through the tape carefully before I lifted the lid. I peered inside to see a lot of brown packaging and pulled it out slowly as I tried to see what was inside. “Oh, shit,” I murmured as I pulled out a box and looked at the picture on it as my skin heated up. I reached for my phone and dialed a number, waiting for the voice on the other line. “What in the ever-loving hell did you do?” I asked Boyce after he answered with a chuckle.

“I thought you might need a little something to keep you company on our nights apart.” I dropped the first box and reached in for another one, finding an even larger dildo.

“A little something? There is a lot of stuff in here,” I protested as I kept lifting boxes out. “I don’t even know how to use some of this stuff, Boyce.”

“I will have no problem showing you in person. I know what makes you tick and I ordered appropriately for your needs,” he assured me as I rested my head in my hands. “Just play around until we see each other again. Have some fun, Vivian.”

“I have never even walked into a store for this stuff before. Is there nothing that you haven’t done?” I asked softly, realizing that he had a lot more experience under his belt. I wondered if he liked to use his belt and blushed.

“It is all different with you, Vivian.” I heard the sincerity in his voice, but I let insecurity flood me for a moment. I knew that I was willing to give him any part of my body that he craved, but was it enough for him? Would Boyce get bored with me and move onto another woman? “Vivian? Are you there?”

“Yeah,” I replied, bringing myself back to the present.

“There is a green vibrator in the box. I want you to take that to your bedroom for me.” I blinked, realizing that he was going to listen to me with these toys. I sorted through the boxes, finding something that looked like it would penetrate me as well as tease my clit. It was the only thing that was green, and I locked my door before walking to my bed. “Are you there?”

“Yes,” I said as I dropped down to the mattress. I sucked in my breath and waited for instructions as I dropped back to my pillows, still messy from this morning.

“Take off your clothes, please. All of them,” Boyce told me as desire flooded my thighs. I told him to hold on and dropped the phone to undress, feeling desperate for a release suddenly. The room was hot, and I ran a hand through my hair.

“Boyce,” I moaned as I spread my legs wide. He told me to open the box and I did, turning the rubber device around in my hands. Boyce murmured dirty things to me as I followed his directions and turned it on, jumping as the vibration started against my finger. He told me to slide it around my clit with the setting set to low, and I cried out as it touched me. Soon I was thrusting it inside of me, each movement causing the nub to touch my clit and send me into cries of pleasure. Boyce talked me through it, soon moaning my name as I heard him jerking himself off. I turned the speed up and screamed his name as I came, pressing the vibrator against me as I jerked forward.

I dropped my hand to the side and breathed in deeply. I had neighbors that just heard a lot more of me than I ever intended, and I blushed at the thought. “I can’t wait for you to be with me again. There are some special surprises in that box for us,” Boyce told me as I smiled weakly.

CHAPTER 13

Boyce

There was a part of me that wanted to get into my car and drive right to her place after what I just heard. Vivian screamed for me once she got that giant rubbed cock inside of her and turned it up to full speed. It was the hottest thing that I ever heard.

“Come back this weekend. Come back to me,” I told her as I heard the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

“I will. I’ll come back Friday night,” Vivian promised me as I relaxed completely against my pillows. I missed her. I needed Vivian here with me as much as possible and I closed my eyes, feeling complete. I fell asleep to the sound of her even breathing at the other end of the line, knowing that we would both have dead phones the following day. I didn’t care.

I went into work late the next day, needing the rest. I knew that everything was going to run smoothly if I skipped a morning. I built the company from the ground and did it well. My company was the top grossing architecture firm on the East Coast. I could afford to relax now a little bit.

I went down and greeted Anne as she gave me a surprised gaze. “What are you doing here?”

“I slept in,” I replied as she nodded approvingly. Since I was living here primarily alone now, Anne just came in and prepared meals for me ahead of time. I told her that the girls might be coming back for weekends, so she made some favorites of theirs.

“I assume that it will be Vivian visiting most of the time. Bella seems so far away. How is she doing?” Anne asked as I sat down with some coffee.

“She’s right back to it. I know that she hurts a bit, but Bella does not like to stop. She never has.” I smiled as Anne laughed.

“A chip of the old block?” I smiled and nodded. Nora was the same way when she was alive, and Bella got a little bit of both of us. “How is Vivian?”

“She seems to be doing well at school. I saw her last weekend for a bit when she came to get some stuff.”

“It must be nice to have the place to yourself again. You can really start to live for yourself now after devoting yourself to both of those kids for so long. It’s what Nora would want for you.” Anne smiled warmly at me as I shifted on the stool.

“I’m just enjoying the quiet. I don’t need a relationship right now.” I knew I was lying as I spoke because I was in something of a relationship right now. I just couldn’t tell Anne and face her wrath. She would think I was a monster.

“You’re a good man, Boyce. Don’t wait too long for happiness,” Anne said softly as she turned to work on breakfast. I told her that it wasn’t necessary, but Anne took care of me well. I ate the eggs and toast and read the paper that was still delivered daily to my house, letting the phone charge up in my room. Anne worked on dinners after I put my plate in the sink and headed upstairs to dress for work. I drove in around ten-thirty and the staff looked at me quickly as I walked by.

I was known for being a workaholic and this was unusual for me, but the company was doing just fine. I hired the best management and staff and my being here was just to stay busy. It was funny to me. I knew that I was supposed to be happy that I had the house to myself now and live like an empty nester, but I missed the sounds of the girls in the house. It was too big to be that quiet all the time. I agreed to meet some friends for a late dinner and left at seven to go to the corner deli that we all liked.

They greeted me as I slipped into the booth, ordering a beer from the usual waitress. She nodded and walked off to get it as I looked at my friends. It was no secret that Mary had the hots for me since she flirted heavily with me every time I came here. When I was married, I ignored it for the most part. After Nora passed away, I considered a night with her but there was too much familiarity in our routine. I didn’t want to complicate that, so I kept it to strangers at bars that I wouldn’t see again.

Until Vivian. Now I was back to feeling little about Mary’s crush.

They have me shit about giving Mary a chance even though I explained my hesitation in the past. I looked at Ned and rolled my eyes as he laughed at the others, telling them that not everyone was a horn dog like they were. Barry raised his brows, knowing how I’d been in the past as I thanked Mary for my drink, making her blush. “Are you seeing someone, Boyce? You’ve been on your own for a while.” Chris remarked as he looked at me with a curious gaze.

“I am sleeping with someone casually,” I told them, intending to keep it vague.

“As in regularly?” Barry asked as I shrugged.

“Sure. I do have the house to myself now,” I responded as he nodded.

“Are we going to meet her?” Ned asked as I almost choked on my beer. These guys would call me a hero, but I didn’t want them to know about Vivian.

“I doubt it. Like I said, it’s casual.” I was relieved when the subject was changed, and we moved on to sports as we ate. They mentioned going to a hockey game soon and I agreed since we had season tickets in a great section. I had that for all the local teams. I considered taking Vivian to some games, knowing that it might draw some attention to us. I could tell anybody that she was like a daughter to me and visiting from college though I’d have to keep my hands off her. That would be hard since sex in the box with Vivian sounded hot as hell. I excused myself around nine, using the excuse of an early morning at the office before I walked to my apartment. I had three beers with dinner and didn’t want to risk driving right now and I was hoping to talk to Vivian before she went to bed for the night.

I called her once I was settled on the couch, pleased to hear that she was hoping to hear from me. I asked how her day was and she did the same for me before the conversation turned sexual and she opened another toy, this time something that focused on her clit. I listened as she lost control on the other end, jerking my cock as she came. “Fuck me. I can’t stand being apart,” I murmured as she took a deep breath.

“We have to. This was always the plan, Boyce.” Her reminder was gentle, and I groaned. “We have this and the weekends that we visit each other. That has to be enough until you find someone that you care about.” Her voice sounded sad as my dick went limp after the release and her words.

“You think that’s going to happen?” I asked her as she sighed.

“I know it is. This is just sex for now. This is us getting this out of our system.” Vivian was honest, and I sucked in my breath. “Boyce, we can’t be together, not for real.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, coming to my senses as I nodded. We chatted for a bit longer but there was a strain to the conversation. I told her that I’d call her the following night and hung up, dropping back on the couch with a sigh. I couldn’t tell Vivian yet, but I felt like I was falling for her. It was going to be difficult, but I would try to fight it, moving on when the time was right.

I noted that I got Vivian’s voice mail when I called the following evening. I left her a message and looked out to the water since I was home tonight. This place made me feel close to Vivian and my memories here, many that involved my wife. I loved her madly and was a mess when she died, but I knew that she’d want me to be happy. I just wondered if she hated me for who I chose this time around.

I dropped into bed to the sound of the TV again, forcing myself to relax. I couldn’t help but to wonder if she was pulling away from me. I wasn’t ready for that and something filled my chest that I was unfamiliar with, something that vaguely reminded me of losing Nora. Fuck no. Vivian wasn’t Nora.

CHAPTER 14

Vivian

I reached for my tea, sipping it slowly as I took a break from studying for my test. I glanced back towards my bedroom, knowing that my phone was charging in there. I didn’t want the distraction of Boyce even though he was in my every thought. I heard something in his voice when he mentioned moving on from what we had, and it scared me. He sounded like I felt inside, and I sighed.

I adjusted my messy bun and looked down at the book in my lap. I knew most of the information by now since I remembered things easily, but there was that fuzzy part of my brain that was lost in thoughts of Boyce. I knew that I cared for him as more than just an affair though the idea of how forbidden it was did excite me. It was something that would always make me smile even when my heart was breaking when he was gone. Boyce showed me a taste of what life might be like when I was older and getting past college and I loved the preview. My parents always told me that I was an old soul and they were right.

I stretched and yawned before starting on the book again. I had a test every day this week and it was going to be a long one, making me thankful that I was getting away this weekend. I needed the bay and my room with the breeze. I loved my little town here, but I didn’t think it would ever feel like home to me. Bella was loving New York and talking about staying there for an extra week at Christmas if she got a part in a play. She’d be home for the main holiday but leaving just a couple of days afterward. I selfishly felt happy that I’d be alone with Boyce during that time. Family would be at the house for meals and the main celebrations, but we’d be alone at night. I craved the idea of sleeping in his bed for several nights, making love until we fell asleep from exhaustion. I could make breakfast and play house with Boyce and I closed my eyes and sighed.

I hadn’t spoken to him in a couple of days. I was trying to focus on school and just stepping back a little bit. I could get myself off with the gifts that he sent me, and I did, but it wasn’t the same without his dirty talk urging me to go harder. I needed to hear him coming as well, knowing that I was the one turning him on. I also liked to think that he was being exclusive to me for this time even though we didn’t discuss it in detail.

I read for another forty-five minutes before standing to head to the bathroom. I washed my hands before stepping into my bedroom, my eyes zoning on the blinking lights of my phone. I walked over quickly and picked it up, noting that it was charged before unplugging it. I saw that Boyce had called for the third time in two days and swiped across the screen to call him back, sitting on the bed as the phone rang. “I thought you were dead,” Boyce told me as I rolled my eyes.

“Just busy with school. How are you?” I asked as I smiled at the sound of his voice.

“Busy with work. Are you still coming on Friday?” He asked, and I let out a breath. He was looking forward to it like I was.

“Yeah, of course. I’ve been studying my ass off here, so I am looking forward to relaxing a bit. I miss the water,” I admitted as I dropped back onto the pillows. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, Vivian. You know this isn’t just going to fade away, don’t you?” His voice was low as I shivered. “There’s enough heat here to keep this fire burning for a while. There’s comfort and familiarity with you.”

“It seems like that should be keeping us apart,” I told him carefully as I felt the fear of approaching this subject again.

“Probably but I am not going to get enough of you anytime soon.” Boyce promised me as I blushed. We chatted for a few minutes before I heard the rasp in his voice and slid my hand between my legs. I’d been missing our nightly chats. We moved quickly to sex and I just used my fingers to stroke my clit to the sound of his voice, feeling the tingling in my pussy. Boyce jerked himself off as he told me what to do and we came together as I felt myself explode. I counted the days until Friday as I recovered, knowing that I’d be seeing him in a couple of days. We ended the call with a promise to talk the following night and I dropped my cell phone to the bed.

It took all the strength that I had to move myself and make more tea. I still needed to study even if I did feel like jello. I returned to the couch and kept reading, repeating the things in my head that I needed to know. I felt like I worked Boyce out of my head enough to get through the following day and I kept studying until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I dropped down on the couch, shoving my stuff to the floor as I breathed on and memorized the way my body was still tingling.

I got through the next couple of days of tests and studying through the night, thankful for the breaks to talk to Boyce. I enjoyed the release that he offered me and just hearing his voice made me think of home. I had not felt as comfortable with anyone else the way that I did Boyce and that was part of what made this so easy for me. I promised him before hanging up on Thursday night that I’d see him the following day. I stayed up another few hours to study and dropped into bed knowing that I was going to be tired the following morning.

I finished my last test in the afternoon, certain that I aced all of them. I headed out of my class and towards the street to get to my apartment and pack a bag. “Viv! Wait for me!” I turned to see Miranda approaching me and stood still, wondering what she wanted. “Want to go dancing tonight? A bunch of us will be going.”

I pretended to be sad and shrugged. “I’m heading home for the weekend. Plans with friends there. I’m sorry.”

“That’s probably best. Billy was going to go.” I frowned and nodded as if I cared.

“Next time. I just made the plans this week and I’m leaving today. Have fun and you can tell me all about it next week.” I smiled brightly, feigning enthusiasm for her as Miranda frowned.

“Are you going to see a guy? You look awfully happy.” Shit. I needed to stop this conversation quickly and ran a hand through my hair.

“There’s a guy there, but it’s casual. We knew that going in with college and all.” I would never tell anyone who it was. “It’s just fun times when I’m home, but I did make plans with friends. This week was so long with tests!”

“Wasn’t it though? I am not driving tonight for that reason.” She seemed to forget about what we were talking about as we chatted about our tests. Miranda saw someone that was going tonight and hugged me before running off, calling back for me to have fun. I turned and walked towards the gate that led to the main street, noting that Billy was watching me from several feet away. He had a scowl on his face and I dropped my head down, ducking through the gate and hurrying towards my apartment. It was just one night, and I didn’t see why he was still thinking about it. He could do the same thing with most any girl on campus.

I forgot about him as I packed for the trip. I’d looked back several times on my walk to make sure nobody was following me. There were several students walking back to their homes, but none seemed to notice me. I turned on some music and sang as I packed mostly casual clothes and a few things in case we went out. I was too tired for that tonight but there was still tomorrow. Once I had everything I needed, I zipped up the bag and took a quick look around. I grabbed my purse and keys and locked up before heading to my car.

I turned on a good station for the drive home, singing along to the songs as I watched the sun move closer to the horizon. It was setting just as I crossed over the bridge, painting the world in vibrant shades of gold and purple. I took the exit to get to the house and drove a little faster down the main road to get there quicker. I saw the driveway and pulled in with a wide smile, parking in the garage as I noticed that Boyce was home. I popped out of my car and walked inside, calling his name as my heart pounded in my chest. “Boyce. I’m home!” I called out as I walked through the living room, certain that we were alone.

“I’m upstairs, Vivian.” I followed the sound of his sexy voice and walked into his room to see him fresh out of a shower. I licked my lips and walked towards him, eying the towel wrapped around his waist.

“Are we alone?” I asked as he nodded slowly, staring at me hungrily.

“All weekend. I am giving all the staff weekends off for the time being. There’s no need for them now.” Boyce reached his hand out to me and pulled me against him as I gasped, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I whispered before crashing my lips to his and feeling his tongue slide into my mouth. Boyce’s kisses were slow and sensual as he slowly explored my eager mouth and my body reacted in kind. I was weak in the knees and my thighs ached with need. He lifted me and carried me to the bed, dropping me down as he hovered over me. Boyce kissed me again and I ran my hands through his damp hair as we pressed together.