Chapter Eleven
Anna
I sit down at the table, helping myself to some of the toast that has been conveniently left unattended. Dad walks in and scowls at me.
“Help yourself,” he smirks. “I’ve only been lazing over a hot toaster all morning to cook that.” I roll my eyes at his lame dad joke.
“I'm surprised you even know where the toaster is kept,” I tease, raising my eyebrows.
He winces. “I guess I deserved that, but that's all about to change.” His excited expression is making me nervous because it’s usually bad news for me. Flashbacks of the weekend camping trip when I was twelve floats into my mind. All I wanted was to go to my best friend’s birthday party, but Dad insisted we needed to bond. We bonded ourselves all the way into hospital with hypothermia when he got us lost in the middle of a snowstorm.
God, I hate camping almost as much as I hate boats.
I frown at him as he sits down at the table, resting his palms flat against the table.
“Father,” I begin, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. “What have you done?”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” he says, waving my concerns off. “We’re going away. It’ll be great,” he continues. “A good old-fashioned family vacation.” He grins from ear to ear.
“What?” I say, confused.
“Okay, so Nick mentioned that he's taking the kids on a vacation. He said he asked you along, so I scored myself an invite, too.” He sits back in his chair, looking proud of himself. “It will be great for Max and Milly. They could really use a break, and what could be better than fishing, good food, and good company? It sounds great, doesn't it?”
“Sure,” I say my heart racing. What else can I say? “It's a great idea,” I mutter.
I throw the rest of my coffee down the sink, suddenly unable to stomach it. I wait for Dad to leave for work before I bolt next door in search of Nick. I find him just as he’s closing his front door. I glance at the car, where the kids are already strapped in.
“Hey,” he says with a smile. He frowns when he sees my expression.
“Do you need to tell me something, Nick?” I growl, with my hands resting on my hips.
The color drains from his face. “Fuck. He told you, didn’t he? I’m so sorry, Anna. I couldn't help it. He invited himself along. What was I supposed to say to the guy?” he asks weakly.
“Jesus, Nick. How about no?” I retort, still in disbelief.
“I'm sorry,” he protests again. “I really had no choice. Short of saying, ‘hey, I'm fucking your daughter,’ there was nothing that would’ve gotten me out of this.”
“Fine,” I growl, knowing I can’t be angry at him for this. “So, what’s the plan?” I say, rubbing my temples.
“I hired a houseboat. For a week,” he mutters.
“A freaking houseboat?” I laugh, shaking my head.
“Jesus, keep your voice down,” he hisses, glancing at his car.
“You're telling me that for the next week, I'm stuck on a houseboat with my boyfriend, my father—who also happens to be my boyfriend’s best friend—and my boyfriend’s two kids?” Nick winces. “And you want me to keep my voice down?”
“Uh, is now a bad time to mention your dad just called me? He wanted to check that it was okay to bring Mandy.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, shaking my head. “He must’ve called you the second he left the house.”
This just keeps getting better and better. I liked Mandy, but it annoyed me that he made this big deal about us spending time together only to turn around and invite his girlfriend.
What the hell am I going to do?
Kayla is in such hysterics that she's practically falling off the kitchen counter when I tell her about the mess that is my life.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she huffs, barely able to spit the words out. “You've got to get me a ticket on that boat.”
“It’s not a fucking show, Kayla,” I growl. “There are no tickets.”
“Bullshit. This is going to be the show of the year,” Kayla giggles.
“Come on, please be serious, Kales,” I frown.
“I am being serious. You need me there,” Kayla says. The laughter is gone, and there is nothing but honesty in her voice. The thing I love about Kayla is as crude and blunt as she can be but when you need her, she’s there. “I can help out with the kids and buy you more time alone with Nick. You think you’re gonna get any time with him without me there to cause a distraction?”
I think about it. Maybe having her there wasn't the worst idea in the world. If something went wrong and I needed an out, I know Kayla would figure something out for me.
“I'll think about it,” I say. “You know my dad's bringing his girlfriend, don’t you?”
She rolls her eyes. “What? They’ve been together like a week,” she mutters. “Five minutes into the boat ride from hell, and she’ll be done with him. Hey, I thought you get seasick?”
I groan and shake my head, ignoring her commentary. This is turning into a really badly written soap opera. Kayla shakes her head, a dreamy smile on her face.
“I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact that you and Nick are together.” She grins. “That's crazy. I'm so jealous.”
I smile despite the situation. “It is pretty crazy,” I admit.
“So, have you…?” she wiggles her eyebrows, and I flush. “You haven't, have you?” she exclaims.
“I haven’t done anything other than give him a blowjob,” I mutter. She jumps off the counter and takes my hands and grins at me.
“You've got to tell me what that was like,” she says.
“He’s big,” I admit, feeling giddy just talking about it. “Like, I almost dislocated my jaw putting him in my mouth kind of big. But in the end, he felt kind of good in there.”
“You hussy.” She giggles. “And did he return the favor?”
I bite my lip and smile. “His tongue …” I shiver and groan at the same time. “Don't even get me started on the magic he can work with that.”
“Go you.” She grins. “So, when’s he going to see if he, uh, fits?” Kayla asks, her eyes wide.
“Kayla,” I hiss.
“What?” she protests. “It's a legitimate question. How is your relationship going to work if you can't have sex?” she shrugs. I guess she has a point.
“Not talking about this with you,” I say, shaking my head.
After I leave Kayla's, I head home. I’m still trying to come to terms with the impending vacation from hell. Only now I can add a new worry to my list, because the more I think about what she’s saying, the more concerned I get. What if Kayla is right? What if he doesn't fit? How can we possibly have a healthy, long-term relationship if we can't have sex? I know sex shouldn’t be the crux of a relationship, but it can’t be ignored, either.
When I pull into the driveway and see Dad isn't home, I jump the fence and walk up to Nick’s door. I go to knock, but then stop myself when I see the time. The last thing I want to do is wake the kids. I push the door and it opens. Wincing, I stick my head inside and quietly call out.
“Nick,” I whisper. He appears around the corner from the kitchen, looking surprised to see me. “Sorry, I didn't mean to just let myself in, but I didn’t want to wake the kids.”
“It’s okay,” he says. He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. “I mean, I was going to give you this tomorrow, but I guess now is a good time, too.”
I glance down as he places something small in my hand. It’s a key. My heart races, because it's so sweet. I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I lean in and kiss him slowly on the lips.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“I was worried it might be too much too soon, but I figured it was worth the risk for convenience sake.” He smiles as I kiss him again. “So, you’re not angry with me?”
I shake my head. “I was never angry with you. Just a little bit shocked and maybe frustrated at the situation.”
He nods. “I guess that's understandable. For what it’s worth, I am sorry. I’m as bummed about this as you are. I really wanted this to be nice relaxing getaway for us, but it's turning into a nightmare.”
“Speaking of nightmare, can I add one more person into the mix?” I grin.
“Should I be jealous?” he asks, narrowing his eyes playfully.
“Kayla, you dag.” I laugh.
Nick chuckles. “You want to invite Kayla? Isn’t that asking for trouble?”
“No, I just think that if you and I are on the verge of getting caught or something, she could be very handy in providing a distraction.”
Nick smiles. “Well, if there's one thing she does well, it's distract. Yeah, sure. Why the hell not?” he says. He toys with the top button on my shirt. “So…are you going to be here for a little while yet?”
“I guess.” I grin. “Did you have something in mind?” I add, raising my eyebrows.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he murmurs, kissing my neck. “I can probably think of a thing or two that we could get up to.”
He takes my hand and leads me to his bedroom. Once inside, I close the door and let him lead me to his bed. “How about I show you what I have in mind?” he murmurs. He unbuttons my shirt, then slides it from my shoulders, winding his hands around my bare waist. I grin, arching my back as he touches me.
Meanwhile, all I think about is what Kayla said. I know she's right. I’m going to have to sleep with them eventually. Maybe I should just get it out of the way. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? I hear the shredding of that paper again, and I flinch.
“Where did you go just then?” he asks.
“Sorry,” I mumble, flustered. “I was just thinking.”
He frowns at me, then touches my cheek. “No pressure, Anna. We don't have to—”
I cut him off by kissing him, then I take a deep breath and lean forward. Unbuttoning his jeans, I lock my eyes on his. “We have to do it eventually, right? I just have one request.”
“Anything,” he murmurs as I slide my hands around his cock.
“Please be gentle with me, okay?” I whisper.
He pushes me back on the bed, stroking his hands through my hair. I gasp as he reaches underneath my skirt and pushes aside my panties. He slides a finger along my entrance, making me squirm. He’s winding me up, but he didn’t need to because I'm so wet already. He chuckles and then lifts my shirt over my head and threads my arms free. I grin as he places his mouth over my nipple, sucking, while his finger continues to explore me.
I can't handle it anymore. Everything he does feels incredible. He reaches over to his nightstand and retrieves a condom. When he goes to roll it on, I stop him and take it from him. I kiss him, pressing my lips against his, as I gently ease the rubber over his shaft. He groans as I slide my fingers up and down his length.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks, concern lacing his voice. “We can wait as long as you need to.”
I shake my head. Everything hinges on this moment. The anticipation is killing me, and I’m so turned on, but most of all, I just need to get this over with. My heart races as he inches my legs apart.
“Oh,” I gasp, my eyes widening as he gently pushes himself inside me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, tenderly kissing my lips. I nod, my heart racing.
He nods, resting his arms on either side of my head as he finds his rhythm. He rocks against me, back and forth, barely penetrating me, but pushing enough of his cock inside me to make me jump. My heart pounds as I wrap my legs around his hips. How the hell am I going to handle the whole thing?
“Let’s try it this way,” he murmurs, sensing my hesitation.
He flips me over with next to no warning, so he’s underneath me, and I’m on top. I stare down at him, my eyes wide. I would’ve thought me being on top would be worse. He lets out a sigh, his hands creeping up over my naked stomach as I perch myself on his tip. My heart races and I clench my thighs. It’s like I’m frozen in mid-air, too scared to let myself slide down on his cock in case he impales me.
“You look terrified,” he observes, stoking my hand.
I nod because that’s all I can manage to do.
“Have I hurt you?” he murmurs, sounding concerned. I shake my head. I’m not sure he’s been in far enough to have hurt me. “Just relax,” he coaxes me. “You’re so damn tense. Here.” He takes my hands. I gasp as he pulls me onto his face, so my pussy is at his mouth. “Let me relax you.”
I whimper, my hands shaking as he slides his tongue inside me. Oh, god. Fuck, is that relaxing. He teases me with the tip of his tongue, circling it around my clit while I gently rock against his face. I can almost feel the anxiety leaving my body, and when his fingers find my nipples, and he rolls them between his fingers, I’m on the verge of exploding.
“Now,” he mutters. “Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
I shift back off his face and slide down to his cock, with his help. I close my eyes and just let myself go. I groan as he slides inside me, while he gently bucks his hips, rocking against my rhythm. Every now and then I worry he’s going too deep, but then he hits a new spot that makes me squirm.
Slowly, I forget about how big he is and lose myself in the moment. I speed up, riding him harder, resting my hands on his stomach. I gasp, my muscles contracting around his length, intensifying how tight it feels with him inside me. I close my eyes, so close to climaxing, but not ready to let this be over.
Opening my eyes, I look at him. His eyes are on me, and he’s smiling.
“I have the best view,” he mutters, massaging my breasts. He rolls my nipples between his fingers as I groan. “Watching you ride me like this is beyond anything I could’ve imagined,” he growls.
“Come with me,” he mutters, taking my hand. I rock back and forth against him, harder and harder until my body can’t take any more. Every part of my body trembles as I begin to lose control. Gasping, I clench my thighs around his cock, my heart racing.
Holy fucking fuck!
I arch my back and cry out, my body jolting, as I come. My body spasms as my orgasm jolts through me. I collapse on top of him while he’s still inside me, my lips finding his as he comes. He growls, his grip on my waist tightening as he releases inside me. I groan, my pussy throbbing as I gently grind myself against him, until I’m no longer in control of my body.
“Wow,” I whisper. I’m hot and cold and feeling forty different emotions as I ease myself off him. He pulls me into his arms, kissing my shoulder as I lay on the bed.
“‘Wow’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” he mutters. He kisses his way up my neck, then tilts my face toward him. “God, Anna, what are you doing to me?”