F*ck the Stupid Contract
I need her, and I’m not afraid to admit it. My dad’s life is on the line. Fuck the stupid contract.
Maybe Aubrey feels the same way, seeing as her sister seems to know who I am when she opens the door. On a side note, damn, she looks so much like Aubrey.
It’s a little odd, though, when she calls me “Sunflower Eyes” and not Brent.
Where the fuck did that come from?
She holds my gaze, staring deeply into my eyes, and then says, “Hmm, Aubrey is right. They are more of a whiskey shade.”
Alrighty then. Aubrey’s sister is obviously as quirky as Aubrey described her. She would be a great match for Benny. Or maybe she’d actually be a better fit with Nolan. God knows he needs someone to lighten his ass up. Plus, they have the sex toy connection, as in they both love them.
Oh well, too bad I’m not here for something as simple and lighthearted as matchmaking.
I step inside just as I see Aubrey coming to the door. My whole world stops. “Hey, Aubrey,” I so eloquently say.
“Brent?” she replies. “What’s wrong?”
“I know I shouldn’t be here, and I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But damn it, I need you, babe.”
I take a tentative step toward the woman I love and have missed like nobody’s business. “Did you hear what I just said?”
She looks at me, tears forming in her eyes, as she replies, “Yes. I heard you.”
“It’s my dad,” I go on, choking up. “He had a heart attack, Aubrey.”
“Oh my God, Brent—”
“He’s in a hospital right now, up in Minneapolis. He needs surgery, Aubs. They scheduled him in for the morning after tomorrow.” She closes her eyes, and I continue. “I’m not afraid to admit that I’m scared as hell. Please, babe, please come back with me to Minnesota.”
Opening her eyes and holding my gaze, she says, “Of course I’ll go back with you.”
“Thank you,” I murmur.
We take each other in for this one long moment, and then we fall into each other’s arms.
“Brent, I want to be there for you.” She buries her nose in my neck and inhales me. “I’ve hated every day I’ve been away from you. I never knew I could miss someone this much.”
“I’ve missed you too, babe.” I hold onto her tightly, like if I don’t she may get away again. “God, it’s been hell.”
Nothing has ever felt as right as this does. We have to be destined to work this thing out, right? I tell myself we are and I already feel renewed, like I can now be strong for my dad.
Lainey helps Aubrey pack a few things, and then we’re off.
When we arrive in Minneapolis, it’s the middle of the night. The SUV I keep at the lake house is parked at the regional airport where I chartered the private jet that flew me to, and now us back from, Chicago.
As Aubrey and I walk across the tarmac, I ask her, “Are you okay with staying at my house out by the lake tonight?”
She takes me hand. “I’m more than okay with that.”
I stop and turn her to face me. I don’t want to make assumptions, not on this. “Aubrey, I know we still have a lot to talk about—”
She shushes me. “Brent, we’ll get to all that later. Let’s just focus on your dad’s surgery for now.”
I love her so much. “You’re right,” I say, nodding.
Back at my place, the mood shifts. As I carry in Aubrey’s bags, I sense mounting tension. I sure don’t want to push her into something she’s not ready for, especially when we’ve not yet talked about where we stand.
At the base of the stairs, I set her bags on the floor.
Turning to her, I ask, “Um, do you want your own room?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. What do you want?”
“I want what’s most comfortable for you.”
“Brent”—she rolls her eyes—“that’s not an answer.”
“Neither was yours.”
She chuckles. “Yeah, I guess you got me there.”
“Seems neither of us knows what we want,” I say with a smile.
But she doesn’t agree. “No, Brent. I know what I want.” She blows out a breath. “It just feels weird, is all.”
“What?” I motion between our bodies. “Do you mean this unresolved stuff between us?”
“Well, there’s that, for sure. But there’s more to it.” She glances around. “Being back in this house, where it all began. It’s just a little overwhelming.”
I know exactly what she means. “Yeah, it feels like we’re back at the beginning, eh?”
She smiles and touches my arm. Shaking her head, she says, “I thought you were so hot when I first saw you at that party.”
I take a step toward her and tentatively place my hand on her hip. “I wanted you like crazy that morning in my bed.”
“More like you wanted to kill me,” Aubrey corrects, laughing.
“Not before I fucked the crap out of you.”
My eyes burn into hers, and she murmurs, “Brent…”
I pull her to me and whisper in her ear, “I still want you like crazy. Let me fuck you now… in this house… in the bed where it all began.”
I feel her melting, giving in. Yet still resisting. “A lot has happened since then, Brent.”
“Yeah, I know.” With my hands wrapped in her hair, I nudge her head back so I can kiss softly along her neck. “A lot,” I murmur against her soft skin. “Like me falling in love with you.”
And that’s when I feel her surrender.
Up in my bed, the same bed we woke up in four months ago, I lay her back gently.
And then I undress her.
When my own clothes are discarded, I lie down next to her.
There are kisses and there is laughter. There’s even a little awkwardness when I roll on top of her and slide an arm under her and her hair gets stuck.
“Ow, ow. Brent, hold up.”
“Oh shit, sorry.”
It’s back to smooth after that, especially when I slide into her. “God, fuck.”
She gasps.
And I thrust.
Again, again, one more time.
And then there’s more.
Shit, was it ever as good as it is right now?
“No, no, this is the best,” Aubrey pants.
Guess I asked that question out loud. But it’s true—this is incredible. I can’t get deeply enough inside her. And I can’t taste her enough times. I want to consume this woman I love. I literally need her to be a part of me. Because what if this is it? What if this is all a one-time shot?
We’ve discussed nothing. She’s here for me now because of my father. And sure, we’ve admitted we’ve missed each other, and there are still strong feelings between us, but once my dad’s better—and he must get better—this could all disappear.
And where would that leave me?