“Hey, sugar,” our local bartender, Misty, yells out in greeting as I walk in the door of Lucian’s neighborhood pub. I have no idea why we keep coming here. Misty is loud, perverted, and a little scary, but she always manages to find us a table in the busy establishment.

“Evening, Misty,” I call out over the noise. “Have you seen Lucian yet? I’m supposed to meet him here.”

“Yeah, he’s at the table in the back corner that you guys like. He’s having a cheeseburger and a beer. You want the same thing?”

I nod my head and begin walking through the crowd. “Sounds good. Thanks.” I see Lucian a few tables ahead. His fingers are flying across the surface of his phone and the sappy grin on his face tells me he’s texting his wife. I’ve got little room to talk, though. I was a few minutes late coming in because I was talking to Rose from the car. It’s been a few weeks since her father’s visit, and I hope the bastard never shows his face again. She is gaining confidence—strategies—each day, but I don’t want it tested by ugliness any sooner than we have to. She’s also seeing her therapist Joanna twice a week, and I think she actually looks forward to the sessions now. For all intents and purposes, Rose is blossoming like a child who’d been denied attention all her life. She takes such pleasure over the smallest compliments. I am almost positive that her parents never praised her for anything, which is just fucking sad.

Lucian spots me as I reach the table and waves me to a seat. “Don should be here any time. I’ve got Misty on the lookout for him.”

I wince. “Poor man, you know how she gets around fresh meat. Especially since she and the boyfriend broke up. Although, I don’t really understand that. If you’re in an open relationship where you both screw other people, what is there to fight about?”

“Hell if I know.” Lucian shrugs. “Maybe he didn’t take out the trash or do the dishes. It’s the little shit that’ll get you every time.”

I always hate asking him this next question because I know it hurts, but I’m too curious not to. “Heard any more from Aidan? Did he answer the email you sent about his mom?” Aidan’s mother had been having some health concerns and had undergone a battery of tests. Lucian had used the emergency email address that Aidan had left, but as of a few days ago, there had been no reply.

Lucian shreds a napkin in his hand as he admits, “He hasn’t emailed me, but his father called me this afternoon and said that Aidan had been in contact with them. Apparently, he’s not coming back as of right now, but he told his father that he would stay in touch and wanted to be updated after his mother received her test results.”

“Fuck.” I sigh as I run a hand through my hair. “I hate that Aidan has something else to worry about, especially since he’s not here. That must be hard for him, being an only child and all.”

“Well then, why the fuck doesn’t he come home?” Lucian snaps, sounding furious. He raps his knuckles on the table before taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know I’m supposed to be okay with all of this, and maybe it’s selfish, but I miss the hell out of him. I can’t stand the thought of him out there somewhere by himself and hurting when he could be here with the people who love him.”

I take the risk of being punched when I ask, “You’re pissed because he contacted his parents instead of you?”

Lucian appears angry for a moment before a sheepish look crosses his face. “That makes me sound like a real asshole.” He shakes his head. “I know it’s some grade school shit, but yeah, it kind of hurt my feelings that I was the one to email him yet he completely ignored me.”

“He doesn’t blame you, Luc,” I say quietly, knowing what’s going through my friend’s head. “It was an impossible situation, and Aidan made the only choice he could. He did the right thing, and he knows that. But he wouldn’t be the man he’s always been if he wasn’t devastated over losing Cassie. He built his entire life on someone who never really existed. Hell, even he knew that in the end, but old habits die hard. He wanted to believe that Cassie could change and be the woman he needed her to be. But that didn’t happen and he’s making a difficult adjustment. I’m sure he was afraid that if he talked to you, it would be too hard for him to handle. You’d ask him to come home and he would say no. Cutting contact has kept him insulated from those feelings. He loves you like a brother and you two haven’t been apart for this long since the day you met. Trust me, I’m sure it’s killing him. But he needs this time to plot a new direction.”

Lucian takes a long drink of his beer before answering. “You should have been a shrink,” he says dryly. “You’d have a load of business just off our circle of friends.”

“No thanks.” I laugh just as Misty walks up with my food.

“Here ya go, sugar.” She pulls her T-shirt down until her tits are in danger of popping loose before perching on the edge of the table. “Where’s Aidan been hiding? I thought we made a real connection, but I haven’t seen him since.”

“He’s out of town,” Lucian mutters while staring down into his drink.

Undeterred, Misty looks from me to him. “So what about you two?”

Lucian sticks his hand up so fast to show his wedding band, he almost knocks his half-eaten cheeseburger on the floor. “Sorry, I’m married and have a baby now.” He picks up a French fry and points it in my direction. “But Max is single. Maybe you should give your number to him. He really needs a good woman like you, Misty.”

Holy fuck. She looks at me as if she’s just spotted a water fountain in the middle of a desert. I kick Lucian under the table and enjoy his pain-filled yelp as I connect with his shin. “I’m seeing someone—actually living with her,” I quickly add. When she continues to stare at me, I find myself rambling on. “We’re in love with each other. You know, we sleep together and have sex. Actually, we have a lot of that. And—”

A hand drops onto my shoulder and Lucian gives me an amused look. “Man, I think we get it, no need to draw a picture.”

Misty gets to her feet and shrugs her shoulders. “Well, if anything changes or your women want to include a third party, then you know where to find me.”

“Um, yeah, got it.” Lucian nods. “Thanks for the er … offer.”

Misty points a finger in Lucian’s direction and cocks it like a gun. “Sure thing, sugar. I’ve always gotcha covered.” She walks off with an exaggerated shake of her hips that I admire despite myself.

“You know,” Lucian muses as he stares after Misty as well, “she’s about ten kinds of crazy and wears way too much hairspray, but I bet she could suck rusted lug nuts off a passing car.”

I strangle on my beer, gasping for breath. We’re both still laughing when Don shows up. He looks over his shoulder a few times as if in a daze but finally takes a seat. Apparently, he’s trying to process Misty as well. “Just don’t go there,” I advise. A wry smile tells me I was right in my assumption.

“So you’ve got something for us,” Lucian prompts.

He hadn’t bothered to bring his briefcase this time, which strangely disappoints me. The likelihood of him knowing much seems slim now. Don props an elbow on the table and gives his best poker face. “I’ve located and spoken to Daisy Wheeten.”

Well hell, apparently I was wrong. “And?” I question as he pauses. Why in the hell do investigators do that? Can’t they just blurt their findings out instead of being prodded?

“There’s definitely something,” he says. “She looked like a ghost when I told her why I was there. Then she began questioning me about Rose, and at one point, she called her Poppy before quickly correcting herself. After that, though, she clamped down and asked me who I was working for.” Don gives Lucian an uneasy look before admitting, “I finally had to tell her. That’s not usually how I operate, but she was paranoid I’d been hired by the Maddens.”

“I don’t have a problem with her knowing as long as she doesn’t tell them about it,” Lucian interjects. “Like you, I’d really like for them to remain in the dark for as long as possible.”

“I can almost assure you that she isn’t going to be in contact with them,” Don says. “But the hitch here is that she wants to talk to you.”

“Me?” Lucian asks sounding surprised.

Don waves his hand between us, adding, “Actually to both of you. I wouldn’t answer a lot of her questions, so she’s requested a meeting with the people who hired me. And trust me, guys, I know a stubborn woman when I see one, and she’s not going to budge.”

Lucian gives me a questioning look, and I nod in response. He turns back to Don and says, “Set it up then. Wherever she feels the most comfortable.”

“What do you know about her?” I ask, curious as to this woman who may have given birth to Rose.

Don laughs before taking a drink of the beer that thankfully someone other than Misty had dropped earlier. “Her name is Daisy Wheeten Myers now. She married Joel Myers almost fifteen years ago. She began working for him as a receptionist when she was twenty. He paid for her to attend dental school then hired her on as his partner. He was fifty when they married and died a couple of years ago of a heart attack. He left the practice and all of his assets to her. Neither of them have ever had any children—at least not officially.

Lucian begins laughing abruptly and both Don and I turn to stare at him. “Myers Dental Center. That’s Lia’s dentist. They’re just a few blocks from our condo. I tried to get her to use my dentist who is near my office, but she saw the Myers office when we were walking around downtown one evening and liked that it was so close to home. Fucking small world,” he muses as he rubs his chin.

“No kidding.” Don smiles, seeming to appreciate the irony as well. “She wants to meet as soon as possible. Tomorrow work?”

“Absolutely,” I say quickly and am relieved to hear Lucian agree.

“I’ll call her now.” Don gets to his feet and walks away, leaving Lucian and me to absorb the additional information he’s given us.

“So we’re not really that surprised by what he had to say, right?” Lucian asks as he pushes away his probably cold burger.

I lean back in my chair and cross my feet at the ankles. “The fact that Rose may be Daisy’s daughter? Not really. I think we both guessed that was a possibility. What I’m most curious about though are the details surrounding it. Why did she give her daughter to the Maddens? And the even bigger question of why wasn’t it handled as a legal adoption if both parties were in agreement? I mean obviously Daisy knows where her daughter has been all of these years, and she hasn’t done anything about it, so I believe we can forget a stolen baby scenario.”

“I’m baffled by that as well,” Lucian admits. “As much as some things make sense about this, others do not. I’m looking forward to getting some insight from Daisy. I just hope she doesn’t shoot us a load of shit.”

“Maybe you should ask Lia what she thinks of her tonight?” I suggest, only half joking.

“Oh, don’t worry, I intend to do just that.” He laughs. “She’s probably gonna find it a bit strange though that suddenly I’m obsessed with her dentist.”

“You can’t tell her anything,” I blurt out. I know that people in love have a hard time not sharing everything, but I feel guilty enough about doing this behind Rose’s back without including her best friend as well.

Lucian holds up a hand and shakes his head. “I won’t. I don’t like keeping secrets, but Rose needs to know what we find out first. Lia might not like it, but she’ll understand. Well, after she kicks my ass a little. She hasn’t quite gotten over that whole withholding the identity of her father from her.”

Before I can comment, Don is back. “Her office is closed on Wednesday. She’s asked that you meet her there around eleven in the morning. I accepted on your behalf.”

Lucian gets to his feet and tosses some bills onto the table. “Works for me.” He claps first me, and then Don on the shoulder. “Max, I’ll see you tomorrow, and Don, good work. We’ll be in touch after our meeting with Daisy to decide where we go next.” He rushes toward the door, and I smile as I see him glance warily at the bar to make sure Misty is otherwise occupied.

I get to my feet to follow after him. “You leaving now?” I ask the other man.

He remains where he is and picks up his beer. “Nah, I think I’ll hang here for a while.”

Uh-oh. Like Lucian, he looks toward the bar. Misty may have gotten someone else on the line, after all. “Good luck,” I say dryly and smile when he attempts to play dumb before finally giving up.

“Yeah, thanks.” He sighs and motions me on.

I reach my car uninterrupted and sit there for a moment. I’m normally in a hurry to see Rose, but tonight, I’m bogged down by guilt. Lucian’s right; we’re doing almost the same thing we did to Lia. It seems as if finding long-lost parents has become our specialty. No matter how much I try to justify it, it still feels wrong. I decide then and there that no matter what comes of our meeting with Daisy tomorrow, I’ll come clean with the woman I love. I’m concerned about what it’ll do to her mental state, but she is so much stronger now. This is too important to keep from her. Her world is possibly about to irrevocably change.

Am I doing the right thing? Could this be the last night with the woman who has become my world? This may be costly, but it is the right thing. The right thing for Rose.

It’s with a heavy heart that I start my car and make my way slowly to enjoy what could very well be the last night with the woman who has become my whole world. At that moment, I wonder if doing what I know is the right thing, could very well be the costliest decision I’ve ever made.

---

I’m bouncing on my toes in excitement when Max walks in the door. He gives me a questioning look before crossing the room and encircling me in his arms. “Hey, baby. How are you?”

I stretch until I reach his lips and press a lingering kiss there. He groans, then complains as I pull back too soon. “You’re not going to believe what happened today,” I rush out. “I was completely floored myself and know you will be as well.”

He picks me up into his arms effortlessly and walks through to the living room, before sitting with me on the sofa. It’s become a bit of a nightly ritual for me to rest in his lap while we talk about our day, so I don’t question the gesture. Although, he seems more … reticent. He was out with Lucian and normally time with Lucian is not a chore. Maybe something is happening at work with a merger. He nuzzles against my neck for a moment then asks huskily, “What’s going on, sweetheart?”

“My mom called me today,” I blurt out. “She asked me to go to lunch with her. Of course, I said no immediately, but then she actually begged. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard the woman say please in a manner that wasn’t sarcastic. So I agreed because I was too surprised not to.”

Max gives me what looks like a strained smile. “How did it go when you saw her? You seem pleased, so I’m guessing well?”

I wiggle until I’m more comfortable and grin as a groan escapes his lips. “It was a bit strained at first. You have to understand that we’ve never really been like what I would assume a traditional mother/daughter relationship would be. She asked how I’d been doing and then there were some uncomfortable silences. Finally, I asked her why she wanted to see me since she didn’t appear to have anything to say. She shocked me by tearing up. She said she was sorry for not being a better mother, and she’s missed me since I left home. She told me that she wanted us to spend more time together and really get to know each other. She said that my dad had also missed me but wasn’t good at expressing his feelings in the right way. I said, ‘No shit,’ and she laughed. Can you believe it? I know that seems small, but she’s never gotten my particular brand of humor. After that, I don’t know. Things just seemed almost normal. We chatted as friends. Well … friends who haven’t seen each other in ten years, but she tried.”

“Wow,” Max says as he twirls a strand of my hair around his finger. “That was rather out-of-the-blue, right? Maybe they’re concerned that you’ve cut them out of your life. Did she pressure you to come back home?”

I wrinkle my nose as I think back over my earlier conversation with my mother. “No, other than saying they missed me, that was it. I’ve never been out from under their thumb before, so this is certainly new for them and for me. Maybe it’s gotten their attention.”

Max purses his lips before shrugging. “It does sound that way. What do you plan to do about it?”

I’m a little surprised that he doesn’t seem more enthusiastic about the lunch with my mother. In fact, he looks rather apprehensive. He’s probably worried about me getting hurt again. I turn until I’m straddling him and take his face in my hands. His beautiful eyes stare back into mine and my heart stutters. “I love you,” I whisper quietly before kissing him. He lets me set the pace for a moment before taking control. Our breaths mingle as our tongues meld together. A simple kiss from him is enough to send my pulse into orbit and thoroughly drench my panties. He rocks me against the growing bulge in his pants, and we’re both quickly on the edge.

“I want you—now,” he growls, and I can only nod my agreement. He stands and sets me on my feet and I think he’s going to lead me to the bedroom. But, instead, he leaves for a moment, then returns with a foil packet in his hand. He motions toward the arm of the sofa, and I almost swoon in delight. He gives me no time to verbalize my approval as he hastily drops his trousers. He grips my skirt in one hand and rips my panties away with the other. “Bend over,” he snaps, and I hurry to do his bidding. I felt vulnerable and exposed in this position, and more turned on than ever. He comes up behind me and lines his cock up with my sex. There is no time to brace myself as he bottoms out inside me, pushing me forward. He grips my waist to bring me right back and impales me again and again. He wraps a hand in my hair and angles my neck back to nip the sensitive skin there. “I fucking love you so much,” he rumbles.

“I … sweet shit,” I yell, unable to stop myself. I have no idea why that’s become one of my favorite phrases during sex, but I almost always say it when I’m close to coming, and tonight is no exception. “Max, I’m almost there. Harder, baby, harder!”

He’s pounding me now, moving me off my feet with every thrust. “Fuck, I love this greedy pussy. It sucks me dry, then begs for me,” he roars. I begin to spasm. His dirty talk does it to me every time. I’d have never thought that the word “pussy” could be so erotic, but it never fails to make my clit twinge. He’s lying fully on my back now, still embedded deep inside me as he finds his own release. He continues to rock his hips forward, taking us both down from the peak at a more leisurely pace. I feel his tongue moving against my neck as he licks what are probably beads of sweat. I should be grossed out, but I’m the exact opposite. He lets me know with and without words that he loves every part of me, even the stuff I consider not so pleasant. “Love you, baby,” he whispers in my ear before pulling out of me. My body cries at the loss of him. He’s so much a part of me now. I curse the months we spent stubbornly avoiding each other. But I’ve come to accept that it wasn’t our time then. I was still reeling over my boyfriend’s infidelity, and I don’t know if Max would have taken a chance on us had I not been thrust into his house with no warning.

He holds on to my arm as I turn to face him on shaky legs. “I love you, too,” I murmur dazedly before allowing him to lead me gently to the shower. We take turns lazily washing each other and then throw on comfortable clothing. We fix a casual meal of omelets for dinner. One day, I’ll actually make us that pasta I’ve been attempting for weeks.

Max works for a while after dinner while I clean up the kitchen. He comes to find me as I’m flipping channels on the television and coaxes me to bed. We curl up together like missing halves of a puzzle, and I’m dozing against his chest moments later. As I drift off, I’m blessedly content. I’m with the man I love, and my mother actually wants to be a part of my life. I feel almost invincible at that moment, but happiness in my experience is both fleeting and short-lived. Even as I try to enjoy the moment, I can’t help but brace for the aftermath when something takes it away from me. Pleasure and pain go hand in hand and have for so very long. Jake was pleasure until that too became pain. Will I ever truly be able to have one without the other?