Chapter Twelve
Jack couldn’t think straight as he let her envelop his finger. So hard he could split wood, his cock demanded a taste of what his fingers felt—a warm, tight welcome.
He’d known where this afternoon was heading all damn day. Waking with her this morning had felt more than right. But the true test of where their future was heading had been this afternoon. Shopping with a woman, including any of exes and even his mother, was normally akin to torture. But being with Ann all day had been nothing but fun. He loved seeing the excitement light up her face when she saw something she liked.
He’d also had a feeling she’d been testing him, trying to pull away from him emotionally. If he hadn’t been so tuned in to the woman, he might have missed it. But he’d noticed and taken steps.
She couldn’t leave him behind. Not now. Now when they’d just started to reconnect. They would learn as they went along, but one thing he’d never take for granted—the heat they generated between them.
He’d only ever felt its like with Ann, and God knew he’d tried to bond with other women since their breakup. But no one had ever gotten to him on both an emotional and physical level like Ann Weaver.
Her breathing grew choppy. She clutched his shoulders and stared down at him while he played with her pussy.
“You feel good, baby.” So good he wanted her to sink over him and ride him until he came. Nothing beat an orgasm buried in that hot little body. He loved her mouth, but her pussy had him in heaven in no time.
That thought in mind, he pushed her dress up, loving the smooth touch of the material, especially how it hugged her soft skin. “Hold this for me,” he ordered.
She gripped the dress, and he focused on her pussy. Widening her stance, he nudged her folds apart and began to kiss her there, satisfied by her low moan. She tasted so sweet, and knowing how much this pleased her gave him a rush like no other.
He sucked and kissed her, thrusting his finger faster. Her breathy cries and moans sounded like music, and he wanted more. He pulled back and stared up at her, seeing the lust on her face. An angel drawn to sin…by him.
With a pained grimace, he stood. “Unzip me and take me out.”
She unfastened his jeans with shaky fingers. “God, I want you.”
Words he loved to hear. “Me too. Take off that dress. Slowly.”
She stepped back and inched the dress up over her. She slipped it over her hips, gliding the material over her belly, her breasts. Then she let it roll over her shoulders and tossed it aside. Wearing nothing but heels, she stood before him—proud, sexy and unafraid.
“Christ.” He leaned down to take a firm nipple in his mouth while he played with her breasts. He had her writhing under his touch, a firm hold that demanded her obedience. Since fantasies of domination seemed to appeal to both of them, he put his hand at her neck and squeezed lightly. “Who do you belong to?”
Her blue eyes seemed impossibly dark as she answered, “You.”
“You, Sir,” he added to amp the kink.
“You, Sir,” she repeated.
He gave her nipple a tiny pinch and saw her start. “I can do whatever I want because I own you, don’t I?”
A strange emotion crossed her face, then disappeared just as fast, making him wonder what he’d seen. “Yes, Sir. Please fuck me, Sir.”
With his fingers around her neck, he used his hold on her to pull her behind the couch and bend her over. “Stay like that. Right there.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He slapped her ass, and she cried out.
“Ask me for another.” Fuck, he was close to coming. He loved playing games with Ann—she looked so innocent yet got off on being so dirty. His woman, for sure.
“Please, Sir. Spank me again.”
“Yes, angel. You need it.” He spanked her twice more, then couldn’t wait any longer. Positioning himself behind her, he guided himself to her pussy and thrust hard, gliding through her wet passage.
Like coming home.
He felt her grip him as she cried out, coming around him while he rode through to his own orgasm. Emptying inside Ann added to the feelings of dominance and possession. Total Neanderthal bullshit, but he didn’t care. He fucked her until his knees felt shaky and he grew lightheaded.
Spent, he withdrew and saw her red ass cheeks and the mess he’d left, and couldn’t be happier.
“See? No funny business, Ann. I promise.”
“You’re a dick, you know that?” Her voice was muffled by the couch and the hair over her face. She straightened and made a dash for the bedroom.
Feeling like a total stud, he cleaned himself up and waited for her to rejoin him. He’d had a sexual marathon of a weekend with his girlfriend. What more could a man want?
An image of Ann, pregnant, filled his mind’s eye. He wanted to be more uncomfortable at the thought, but he wasn’t. What the hell did that mean? Had his mother’s urgings and Julie’s pregnancy brainwashed him into wanting a kid? Or was it his own longings, a second chance with Ann and a future together, finally coming to the fore?
Ann returned wearing baggy sweats. Even so, she looked adorable. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled with anger.
“What now?” he asked, happy and not at all repentant.
“You knew what I meant about no funny business.”
“You could have said no.” And he’d have stopped, even if it killed him.
Her red cheeks gratified him. “Yeah, well, I have no willpower when it comes to you. I swear, I have more dirty underwear than I know what to do with.”
“I could always wash your—”
“No. Now get out. Go get ready for your workweek while I try to decompress from mine.” She added under her breath, “I wouldn’t be surprised if your dick falls off from overuse.”
He laughed as she pushed him out the door, always amused whenever innocent-looking Ann Weaver, second grade teacher, swore like a truck driver.
…
The rest of the night passed by in a blur. Work went smoothly the next day, and he and Ann met Monday night at a coffee shop for a walk around the neighborhood.
He loved that she liked to be physical both in bed and outside it. Walking, hiking, even biking, though she’d made it clear she didn’t particularly care for running, Ann enjoyed the outdoors, like him. He’d been with too many women who only wanted to watch movies or sit on the computer, Facebooking their way through life.
They took their coffees to go and bundled up as they walked under the fading twilight. He could see her clearly under the full moon, growing brighter as the clouds dispersed. Nearby, others walked along the sidewalks, enjoying the outside air as well.
“Good day?” she asked.
He wanted to hear that every day. He’d come home from work and see her waiting for him. In the kitchen, the living room, by the front door. She’d smile and welcome him home. They’d kiss, and she’d ask about his day, just like that. Then he’d ask about hers. They’d share stories and decide what to do for dinner.
The domestic scene would have bored him a few years ago, but lately he couldn’t think of anything but being closer to Ann.
“Hello? Earth to Jack?”
He hid a grin behind his coffee cup. “Yeah, I’m settling in at the college. How about you? Any more Grand Canyons to deal with?”
She laughed. “Not yet. Though I did interrupt a glue fight and had to send Mike and Toby to the principal. Those two have gotten pretty bad.”
After talking and walking some more, they fell into a nice, peaceful quiet. Birds still chirped, and the occasional bat swooped over head, looking for insects to eat between the tall pines that surrounded them.
The neighborhood suited her. Him too.
“I was thinking,” Ann said quietly.
“Oh?” He wondered if she’d want to keep her house. Maybe they could move in together somewhere bigger? Though he planned on renting something small first, like the cottage he’d been inquiring about around the corner from her place, investing in property while in a buyer’s market made sense.
“We’re moving too fast.”
Something with a garden, because she liked to—“What?”
“It’s just… We’re spending all our time together, having a lot of sex,” she said in a lower voice, “and I’m afraid this is all too soon.”
“What’s too soon? The fact we like being together?” Fuck. He’d pushed too hard. But they had a good thing going. Was he wrong to want more?
“No. But being boyfriend and girlfriend… I just don’t know that I’m ready to commit to that. You’ve only been back two weeks. ”
“I know. But, Ann, we’ve known each other forever. Being back with you feels like I never left.”
“But you did leave.” She gave him a hard glare. “There’s a lot of life that went on between then and now. I don’t think it’s wrong for me to want to take some time to think about it.”
Though hurt and annoyed, he forced himself to be cool. “I thought we liked hanging out together. Or was that just me?”
She blew out a breath. “No. I like being with you. But I’m used to being on my own or having girl time with Riley and Maya. Now there’s you, and—”
“And what? We’re having sex and it’s amazing. There’s a problem with that?”
She turned beet red. “Would you please keep your voice down?”
“Sorry.” He wanted to punch something. “Is it the sex? Too kinky?” Had he misread the signals? Had he confused his pleasure for hers? At the thought, he felt sick.
“Would you shush?” She slapped a hand over his mouth and tugged him with her out of the path of an oncoming couple and their kids. “No. The sex is fine. Amazing. Orgasmic. Every time.” She frowned. “But that’s not normal. I mean, sure, it had been a while for me before you. But even then I never came every time.” She huffed. “That’s not the point.”
Relieved he hadn’t screwed that up at least, he tried to hear her out. “So what, then?”
She looked around, then up at him. “I…we…”
He had a feeling he knew what she wanted to say. They’d never talked about the past. He’d been hoping not to bring that up until she was so in lust and in love with him she wouldn’t care what he said. Thinking about his inadequacies and her betrayal hurt all over again.
“Fuck, Ann. Just say it.”
She scowled. “It’s too soon. You just blew back into town. For all I know you could be playing me.”
“Are you serious?” He gaped. “Playing you? For what? Why?”
She bit her lower lip and looked away. “You’re a guy aren’t you? That’s what guys do.”
She couldn’t mean him and high school. She’d started that. Had someone hurt her since then? She was right. He didn’t know her as well as he might wish. “Ann, I’d never do that. I am what you see. I know it’s been years, but I’m here now, and I plan to stay.” Go slow, dumb ass. Don’t scare her off. Take your time. “Look, I’m sorry if I pushed, okay? I feel like I know you since we had something deep between us before, but you’re right. That was a long time ago. We’re lovers now, and I don’t want that to end. We’ll take it slow, however slow you want. Okay?”
She didn’t look as happy as he’d thought she might. “Okay.” She pasted a smile on her face. “Thanks. I appreciate you hearing me out.”
“I’ll always listen. One thing I’ve been told I do well.”
“That’s not the only thing.” She sighed. “You really worked me hard this weekend.”
He had to chuckle at her woebegone tone. “But it was worth it, wasn’t it?”
She glanced up at him and gave a true smile. “Yeah.”
…
Ann finished the walk with him feeling better about things. Getting that pressing relationship off her back had made a world of difference. She didn’t feel so guilty about liking the new him and still loathing the old Jack. Some meaningless sex didn’t commit his feelings or hers.
But back at home and in bed, she had to raise the bullshit flag. No matter how she prettied it up or tried to pretend one of them wouldn’t be hurt at the end of it all, she knew she’d have a hard time separating herself from Jack when it ended.
He’d burrowed himself under her skin, despite how hard she’d tried not to let him. Those dimples, his big blue eyes, his easy charm.
Why couldn’t he have been a complete ass while shopping? Or after she’d slowed things down tonight? He could have had a mantrum, as Maya liked to call them. Getting all pissy and demanding rights because he’d given her a few orgasms.
Orgasm—a bland word for the incredible joy and selflessness he’d demonstrated while giving her pleasure.
She shivered just thinking about how he used his mouth, his hands, his amazing tongue…
Too exhausted to do more than fall into a restless night dreaming about him, she woke the next morning and knew it would be a long day.
It was.
Andrew and Jane picked fights with the other kids. Her headache brewed, and the teacher’s lounge had run out of her favorite creamer, forcing her to drink her coffee black. Totally gross. Then she’d returned to a super clean house, reminding her of how sweet and funny Jack had been with his cleanliness issues. Such a nice guy on the one hand, and a kinky lover on the other. She found it difficult to reconcile him with the boy who’d treated her so shabbily long ago. Because he’d started out like this nice Jack, the loving, kind-hearted soul who put her needs first and treated her like gold.
And then he’d disappeared, replaced by an asshole who’d broken her heart. Was that asshole still lurking down there somewhere?
She’d grown up a lot since then, but she’d never been able to understand why he’d dumped her like that. The time had come to talk to him about it, yet she was loath to break their fragile peace. Especially after last night’s talk.
The school day ended, and she went home with a heavy heart. Happy, sad, and every conflicted feeling in between. Jack called and, as usual, her heart raced.
She answered her cell and fell into her couch, letting it swallow her up. “Hello?” She sighed.
“Bad day?” he asked.
“That obvious?”
“I know your sighs, and that one usually involves a headache, a problem or someone stealing your chocolate.”
She smiled despite herself. “Perceptive.”
“Tell me all about it.”
I think I might be falling for you, and I’m afraid. “I ran out of creamer. My kids were monsters. And— Hold on, another call.” She didn’t recognize the number, but it was a local area code.
“Sure.”
She put him on hold and answered the other line. “Hello?”
“Oh, is this Ann Weaver?”
The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “Yes.”
“Hi, Ann. This is Laura Bloom, Josh’s grandmother. Jack’s mom.”
“Oh yes, Mrs. Bloom. Hi, how are you?” I have your son on the other line. And by the way, I can’t stop thinking about him going down on me, she thought with a touch of hysteria, as if those words might actually pop out.
“Call me Laura, honey. I was calling to invite you to my daughter-in-law’s surprise party. She’s pregnant, and we’re so excited to be adding another one to the family.”
“Congratulations.” She paused. “But, Laura, I don’t know Julie or Dan that well outside of school and Josh.”
“I know, but since you’re so close to Jack, I thought it might be nice if all us girls had some time to ourselves.”
She swallowed a groan. “Th-that would be lovely. But my schedule is kind of full, especially with the school Halloween party, and I—”
“A lot of folks are busy this time of year. So I took that into account. The party isn’t until next month. On a Saturday. I’ll shoot you an invitation with the exact time and date. It would mean so much to Julie if you could be there.”
How to say no to that?
“Um, sure. Okay. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Wonderful!” Laura chatted a moment more, then hung up.
Ann realized she’d left Jack on hold. She hurried to catch the call. “Sorry. Are you there?”
“Fell asleep waiting, but yeah.”
She groaned. “That was your mother.” A perfect end to her less-than-stellar day.
“What?”
“She just invited me to Julie’s surprise party.”
“Oh. Are you going?”
“Yes. She guilted me into it.”
She didn’t get any sympathy from Jack. “Ha. She did the same to me. She’s a real piece of work, all right,” he teased. “Look, don’t worry about it. I can make some excuse to get you out of going.”
Ann felt worse, because he was being so nice. What had Julie done to deserve her indifference, anyway? Nothing. Ann loved Josh, so why not be supportive? “No, no. I want to go.”
“You do?”
“It’ll be fun. As long as your mother doesn’t grill me about you.”
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t. And I’ll be there, so I can protect you, my small, feeble lady.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
“I thought so.” She sensed him grin through the phone. “Anyway, I called to say hi, and to invite you to dinner with Dan, Julie and my folks on Thursday.”
“Good timing.”
“In light of Mom’s invite, I’d say so. You should come. They’re a fun couple. My brother was a pain growing up, but he turned into an okay guy.”
She knew how close the family was. It was something she envied.
“And, Ann, no pressure on you to be anything but yourself with me and them,” he said quietly. “No girlfriend bullshit, I promise. Just fun between friends, who happen to be lovers.”
Why, why, WHY can’t you be an asshole? “Sure. It’ll be fun.”
“Great. Talk to you later. I have to go. Anson and I are hitting the gym.”
“Sounds like a great time—not.”
He laughed and hung up.
She sat there, staring at her cell phone, wondering why she couldn’t stop herself from growing closer to the man she knew she should be running far, far away from.