The Dirty Anthology (19 page)

Chapter 8

Two weeks later, I’m on campus to pick Alyssa up. I have her class schedule memorized, texting her dirty messages during lectures, teasing her as she did me. Turnabout is fair play and alive in the replies that I receive, leaving me hot, bothered, and desperately wanting. Sometimes even while I’m meeting with clients, which can be very distracting.

I’ve made some changes in my life, one being putting my foot down with Rachel and the divorce. The second is making sure both me and Alyssa carve out time at least twice a week for dinner. During those few short hours I’m privileged too each week, I’m strained to cram in all of my emotions, all of my needs. It’s time I’ve become dependent on. Dependent on seeing her, life reviving into my system and making me functional again.

My dependency has led to a jealousy and fear that I’m unable to express. For the first time in my life I have something real. Someone that I care about with my whole being. But what right do I have to be jealous? I’m a much-older-than-her, still-married man. Doubts creep in, and I’m left eviscerating myself in examination for what I have to keep her. If she leaves me for a guy closer to her age, there’s nothing I can do.

If she leaves me…

One small sentence that shakes my core and shoves it in my face just how much I feel for her. What started out as a little affair, a sexual need, has grown into much more than I could conceivably imagine.

Cooper has noticed the difference in me. He thinks it’s because of a woman, and he’s right, but I haven’t told him anything. Megan has kept her promise and is the only one that knows about us.

“Dean!” Alyssa calls out as she runs to me, her messenger bag swinging.

She jumps into my arms, making me stumble back. I chuckle at her excitement in seeing me. It calms me, knowing she missed me too. I feel the exact same way she does.

“My little temptress, I’ve missed you so much,” I say, pulling her as close as I can, kissing the top of her head.

She laughs and shakes her head. “It’s only been a day.”

“And who jumped into whose arms?”

She bites her bottom lip. “The woman who’s missed you so much she can’t contain her happiness in seeing you.”

Her words work to appease the doubts that are always circling in my brain—if I was closer in age to her, would we be together?
Could
we be together? Would we have a fighting chance?

We have many obstacles, and a future unknown.

Then it hits me…

Fuck. I’ve fallen in love with my temptation.

More than just unadulterated lust for her sinful body, I also want her mind and her soul. I want everything she has to offer me. And it’s been this way for weeks…more like months.

“If you say things like that, I’ll never be able to let you go,” I whisper in her ear.

She pulls back, smiling up at me. “Then don’t.”

“There’s so much…” I’m silenced by her fingers on my lips, her beautiful eyes staring up at me with no hint of humor.

“My brother, well… he’ll just have to get over it. Honestly, I’m a little confused by you at the moment. Where is my confident, alpha guy? This Dean seems vulnerable, and I’m wondering what has caused my beautiful man such discomfort.”

My eyes seal shut, my forehead resting on hers. She’s never been this blunt before about us, about what she wants—what we both want. In the past few months, she seemed content to only take what I could give her in stolen moments. But now, we both need more. We need to make this something we can have all the time and around the people we care about.

“You have,” I admit. “Being with you.”

There is a moment of pause before she moves to step out of my arms, but I hold her tight.

“So that’s it? Come to brush me off. You’ve had your fill then? Done with the little girl?” she asks angrily, twisting to get out of my arms, and I realize she’s taken my words the wrong way. “Let go of me, Dean!”

“You misunderstood me,” I say, tilting her head to look at me. Tears fill her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “You make me vulnerable and insecure.”

“How could I make you that way?” She reinvigorates her attempts to get away, but I hold her in place.

“Because I’ve fallen in love with you, and I’m terrified of losing you.”

Her tear-filled eyes turn to look at me, disbelief written on her face. “Don’t say that to appease me.”

“I love you, baby, so much,” I say again, solidifying my words, my forehead resting on hers.

Tears fall from her eyes, her features morphing from pain to a breathtaking, brilliant smile covering her face.

“I love you, too,” she whispers before crashing her lips to mine.

I moan into her mouth, my hands grab onto her soft body, and my cock grows hard.

“Come on, let’s go.” I grab her bag and she wraps her hands around my arm.

Life’s about to get interesting.

“Calm down, baby, you’re sweating,” Alyssa says, trying to soothe me, running her fingers through my hair.

I’m walking into the lion’s den. Of course I’m sweating!

It’s Alyssa’s birthday, and her family is having a party for her. I know we’ve had this planned for weeks, coming out to her family, but now that it’s upon us, the reality is harder than the fantasies we’d been having.

We’re here to tell them we’re together, her whole family, which includes Cooper. It’s one of my birthday presents to her—being free to be together.

Cooper’s already here, his car in the driveway, and I’m a nervous wreck about my best friend’s reaction. Alyssa slips her hand in mine, giving me a reassuring kiss, but it does little to help. Her family thinks they are meeting her boyfriend, “Adam,” but they’re in for a big surprise.

“Just remember, it doesn’t matter what they think,” she says.

I agree, but it doesn’t change the level of anger I know is going to be aimed at me.

She calls out to her parents as we walk in, and I stop breathing. I’ve never been so nervous to meet a girlfriend’s parents, although I already know hers. I even have their phone numbers, gotten drunk with her father a dozen times, and bought her mom Mother’s Day cards.

Cooper’s voice echoes around the walls, growing louder as we enter the open area that holds the kitchen and living room.

“Alyssa!” Cooper grins from ear to ear as he jumps from his seat on the couch and runs over. The smile dies when his eyes land on me. Confusion takes over, but when he sees her hand in mine, it all clicks and I steel myself for my punishment. “Son of a bitch!” His fist collides hard with the side of my face, sending me slamming to the floor.

There are shouts and angry words flying around, along with the ringing in my head, but the one sound that cuts through it all is Cooper falling down on the ground right beside me. I look up to find a very pissed off Alyssa glaring down at him, her fist clenched tight.

That’s my girl.

“He’s married, Alyssa!” Cooper protests, hand holding his jaw where she’d hit him. “And more than a decade older than you!”

I rub at my jaw and look at the crowd we’ve amassed. Her parents are standing around, along with half a dozen other family members, all of them wide-eyed and confused. Among them is also Damian, her other brother, who is shooting daggers at me, poised to come at me as well, until his wife, Gia, touches his arm, holding him back.

Her father is starting to turn a very deep shade of red as he glares at me. “Dean? What is going on?”

I can’t even answer, because Alyssa is yelling at Cooper. “I don’t care, and neither does he! We love each other. We’re together, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

“He’s
married
!” Cooper protests.

“Is he?” Megan strides in and over to me with a smirk. “Ah, Dean, there you are. I believe I have that present we talked about right here.” Megan smiles at me while handing me a case file, a look of utter disbelief from Cooper as he looks at his wife.

Flipping it open, I’m ecstatic to see the name
Rachel Sampson
scrawled out next to the word “wife.” I peel myself from the floor, Alyssa grabbing onto my arm to help, and hold out the signature page for her to read.

“Happy birthday, baby.”

She reads it, her hand moving to cover her mouth as tears fill her eyes. “Really?” She looks up at me, and I nod.

The bound papers go flying and she’s in my arms, kissing me, not giving a fuck who’s watching.

“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Dan, her father, screams in agitation.

Alyssa picks the papers up from the floor and shoves them at him, beaming. “He’s divorced! Finally!” She’s bouncing up and down, and back into my arms, knocking me back into a wall. “Best birthday present.” Her lips are on mine, and I can’t keep my hands from roaming her body.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, young lady.”

Alyssa slides out of my arms and grabs my hand, taking us to stand in front of her family. “You invited my boyfriend.” She wraps her hands around my arm.

Everyone stares in shock at the whole situation.

Cooper picks himself off the floor and walks forward. “For months you’ve been fucking my sister, even after I warned you?”

“Things happen, man. I didn’t want to tell you until I knew for sure it was more.”

Cooper steps closer, his fists clenched. “More what? More than just fucking?”

I brace for the next hit, ready to take my punishment. “I’m sorry, Coop. I never meant to betray your trust and friendship, but—“

“Her young pussy was too tempting to stay away from?” he cuts me off.

“Cooper!” Amy, his mother, yells in disapproval. “Let him explain.”

Alyssa steps between us, reading the signals coming off Cooper in waves. “Stop being an asshole!” She pushes against his chest, creating some space between us. “Yes, he’s your friend and I’m your sister, but he’s not using me or whatever is going through that head of yours. We’re in love. Deal with it, Coop, because we’re together, and you throwing a tantrum or beating him up isn’t going to change that.”

Cooper doesn’t say anything, but he glares at me, before pushing past us as he storms out the door, slamming it hard.

Megan lets out a sigh. “Give him some time. He’ll come around.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know about that.”

“It will take a while, and probably some bribing on both your ends, but eventually.”

Megan follows after him, and we turn back to the crowd only to be confronted by a disappointing look on Dan’s face. “Dean, Alyssa? You’re like a son to me.”

“And?” I ask. “Why will that change? It’s not like this was planned. I’m older than her. Trust me, I’ve already run through the gamut of our age difference, and in the end, Alyssa won out.”

“I can’t condone this,” Dan says, shaking his head. “Having an affair with my daughter? She’s almost young enough to be yours!”

“He’s not—”

Dan points his steely glare at Alyssa. “Silence!”

Amy lets out a squeak and looks between us and her husband. “Dan, don’t.”

“No, Amy.” Dan is ten shades deeper red in the face. “She’s nineteen and lives under my roof, therefore, my rules.”

Alyssa swallows and stands straighter. “We don’t care what you say.”

I follow her actions, tightening our front. “That’s right. Kick her out. Please. My house is lonely when she’s not there.”

Alyssa’s head snaps to me. “What?”

It’s finally my turn to smile at her. “I didn’t want to love you, but you made it impossible for me to resist. I’m tired of being without you all the time. Move in with me?”

“No!” Dan snaps, but Alyssa’s attention is all on me.

She cups my face and pulls my forehead down to rest on hers. “You’re full of surprises today. My heart…” She lets out a sigh. I reach up and swipe a falling tear from her cheek. “My heart can’t contain how much I love you right now.”

I run my nose along hers. “Is that a yes?”

She lets out a happy laugh. “I’d say yes to just about anything right now, but definitely to moving in.”

“Don’t tempt me to ask you to marry me.” The words fly from me before I can stop them. It’s not that I haven’t thought about it, but neither of us are ready for that right now.