Until Forever (9 page)

“You seem to know everything.”

“Because I do.” He gave me
a cocky smile. “I’ve lived many different lifetimes. And I’ve been several different people.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’m a writer. I make new characters and new stories and I live through them. So, in a way, I’ve explored different realities and different lifetimes. It’s why I understand people so well.”

I smiled. “That’s how I feel about reading.”

“Interesting…”

“Why is that interesting?”

“It explains why we’re so good together.” He dropped his hand then approached his counter. He grabbed a box and handed it to me. “For you.”

I felt the cardboard then opened it. It was a brand new cell phone. “Flynn…”

“Before you make a scene and start panicking, just take it and spare me the headache.”

I sighed, feeling worthless. “You don’t need to buy me anything.”

“I want you to have a phone,” he said firmly. “You think I’m going to let you walk around without one? Please just take it.”

“But…”

“Hazel, I didn’t even pay for it. A friend of mine works for the phone company. He just gave it to me.”

I still felt pathetic. “Thank you.”

“Phew. I’m glad that went smoothly.” He grabbed another box. “This is for you too.”

“Flynn!”

“Just take it.”

I opened the box and saw the dance shoes. There was no way
I could ever afford a pair unless I took out a kidney. “You don’t—”

“Look. I’m your boyfriend. I will take care of you whether you like it or not. Please let me help you. When y
ou go through a hard time, I go through a hard time. We’re in this together. You need to understand that. There will come a time when I’ll need help. You’ll be the first person I turn to. Relationships are about giving and taking. If you reject the things I give you, it doesn’t take away your strength and your validation. When someone admits they need help, that’s when they become stronger. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure.”

“I just don’t want you to think I’m with you for your money.”

His eyes softened. “Baby, I know you aren’t. That’s never crossed my mind—not once.”

“And I don’t want to take advantage of your generosity.”

“You aren’t taking advantage of me. You’re barely keeping your head above water. And I’m offering to help you.”

I held the shoes in my hand. “There was no way I could afford these…”

“I know.”

“Thank you.” I felt my eyes burn with tears. “It’s so nice having some
one…you know?”

He cupped my face and kissed my tears as they fell. “I do know. I’m always here for you.”

“I feel like I don’t have anyone else in the world but you and Cortland. My parents and brother wouldn’t do anything for me even if I begged.”

“I doubt that, Hazel. They may not approve of your lifestyle, but they wouldn’t abandon you if you asked for help.”

“You don’t know them…”

“No, I don’t. But I can’t see a parent abandoning their child. My dad cut me off, but if I told him I didn’t have food or a place to live, he would give me whatever I needed.”

I blinked my tears away then steadied my emotions.

He opened his wallet then pulled out a check. “That’s for groceries and rent this month.”

I eyed it but couldn’t take it.

He stuffed it into my pocket. “You better cash that. If not, I’ll just write you another one.”

“Thank you…”

“And I talked to Dan today. I told him you’d been harassed for a while but you didn’t complain because you wanted the production to be unaffected by it. So you took the high road. I told him I saw Veronica vandalize your belongings so you were both at fault.”

“You lied for me…?”

He sighed. “If I didn’t, Dan was going to fire you. This way, you’re both suspended and both get to keep your jobs.”

God, that was a relief.

“And I’ll have a talk with Veronica when I see her. I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother you.”

“I can’t believe you did that for me.”

“It’s not surprising.” He smiled at me.

“How am I ever going to repay you for everything you’ve done for me?”

“Well, I can think of two things.” Judging by the cocky grin on his face, I knew he’d say something dirty.

“What are they?” I played along.

“One, you could love me and make me happy.”

“But I’m already doing that.”

“And second, you could…
work it off.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

He gripped my ass then pushed me against the counter. His hard-on was pressed against me. “More specific than this?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck then grinded my hips against him. “I think I
can do that.”

He moaned while I moved my body against his, my breasts touching his chest. “Well, you better start working that debt off.”

I pulled him to the couch then pushed him into the seat. He rested his hands on his legs and looked up at me, waiting for my next move. I wanted to do something just for him to enjoy. He’d been my knight and shining armor time and time again. I wanted to do something to blow his mind.

I moved to my knees in front of him, and as soon as I did, the realization flashed in his eyes. He knew exactly what I was about to do. He tried to hide his excitement but he couldn’t. I was a little worried about going down on him because he was bigger than what I was used to.

I unbuttoned his jeans and got them down, along with his boxers. His long cock lay on his stomach, thick and ready for action. His hands moved to my shoulders and through my hair. He didn’t pull me down but I knew he was anxious for me.

My mouth
moved to his tip and I sucked it gently, having a slow start. He moaned quietly while I massaged his base and ran my tongue over his head. When I had him panting, wanting more, I started to shove him into my throat. I took him slowly until he couldn’t go any further. He cursed loudly, having the reaction I was hoping for.

His hand fisted
my hair and guided me down his shaft repeatedly, moaning louder and louder. I knew he was enjoying it and that made me enjoy it. When he gripped my neck and flinched, I knew he was about to explode. His cock twitched and he released, filling me with loud grunts. When he was finished, I swallowed everything then gave him a quick peck on the tip.

He leaned his hea
d back then took a deep breath. “Well, you just made a large payment.”

“Actually, I think you did,” I said playfully.

He grinned then pulled me into this lap. “Stay the night.”

“I assumed I was.”

“Good. And bring some stuff over so you don’t have to go back and forth all the time.”

“Are you saying I have a drawer?”

“Baby, you can have a whole closet. Just bring your shit.”

11

Scarlet

Sean was already in the mood to have sex almost every minute of the day but now he was on overdrive. Any spare time he had, he wanted to be taking me on his desk or somewhere else.

I was having lunch with Andrew when he started to blow up my phone.

Come to my office.

I’m having lunch with Dad.

Blow him off.

I rolled my eyes.
We can have sex when you get home.

You’re never going to get pregnant at this rate.

We just did it before you went to work
. I tried to eat my salad but my phone kept vibrating.

“Let me guess,” Andrew said. “My son?”

“God, he’s annoying.”

He laughed. “Imagine him and Mike put together—for eighteen years.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said sincerely.

He laughed again. “They are good boys. But boy, are they a lot to handle. I salute you.”

I want you to come to my office every day at lunch.

Well, you don’t always get what you want.
I was going to slap him when he got home.

Get your ass over here.

No, I’m hanging out with Andrew.

Leave him be. He’s fine.

I’m going to turn off my phone if you keep bugging me.

My phone went silent.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally, some peace and quiet.”

The phone lit up.
I’m fucking your brains out the second I get home. Be ready for it.

I rolled my eyes. My husband always had to get the last word in.

“He means well,” Andrew said. He didn’t even know what we were talking about, but he knew his son pretty damn well.

“Sometimes he can
be a little too much. I have to slap him around.”

“Let me help you next time,” he teased.

He finished his soup and salad than wiped his face with a napkin. “I appreciate the two of you letting me stay for as long as I have. But now that the divorce has been finalized, I should be on my way.”

I wasn’t expecting him to leave so soon. I guess I wasn’t expecting him to leave at all… He had to get on with his life eventually but I liked having him around. He was always good company and a delight to be with. And we certainly weren’t cramped having him. “You don’t have to leave. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

He shook his head. “I know you two are trying to start a family. You don’t need me to get in the way.”

“Well, it would
be nice to have the grandpa around. It’s not like Sean and I have any idea what we’re doing.”

“You’ll be fine, Scarlet. I can tell you’ll be a wonderful mother.”

That made me feel a little better. “I can’t speak on behalf of Sean, but this house is pretty big and there’s plenty of room for you. If you wanted to move in permanently, neither one of us would mind.”

“You wouldn’t mind if your father-in-law lived here forever?” he asked incredulously.

“No. We both love having you here. It’s nice having company during the day, and you always put Sean in line when he drives me crazy.”

His eyes softened. “Well, that’s very sweet of you. I’m very touched.”

“If you want to leave because Sean is driving you up the wall, I wouldn’t blame you. But, there’s no rush for you to leave right now. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you want. Just don’t leave because you think we don’t want you here. That’s not true at all.”

“Well, I’m not exactly thrilled to be by myself just yet.”

I smiled. “Then stay.”

“I might take you up on that offer.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Now when we have a baby question we can come to you.”

“But it better not be at two in the morning when the baby can’t stop crying.” He winked at me.

“We know you already went through the trenches of raising a family. We’ll ask you to participate in the fun stuff, like baseball practice, spending the day at the beach, and laser tag.”

“
Oooh. I love laser tag.”

“So I’ve heard,” I said with a laugh.

He rubbed his hands together. “I hope this happens soon. I’m very excited to be a grandfather. I don’t feel old enough to be one, but I did knock up Diane pretty young in life.”

“The girls will probably like that,” I said with a smirk.

“Yes, what a turn on,” he said sarcastically.

“Women like older men.”

“Well, I am a wise and experienced stud.”

“There you go,” I said with a laugh.

“But I’m not ready to start dating. Maybe in a few years.”

“A few years?” I asked incredulously. “Um…that’s a little too long, don’t you think?”

“Well, I can’t see myself really moving on from my wife until then. Maybe that will change. All I know is, I’m not ready now. And that would be insulting to Diane if I were.”

Andrew was such a loyal and respectable man. I wished more men were like him. They just don’t make them like that anymore.

He and I finished lunch and discuss baby names and among other things. Our conversation was unforced and natural. I felt like he was my own family, not just my father-in-law. He was the dad I never had, and I knew he loved me like one of his own. It was nice to be loved for no reason at all. Just because.

As soon as Sean walked through the door, he wanted to get down to business.

“Your ass, upstairs,” he barked.

“Hello to you too,” I said sarcastically.

“You’ve made me wait all day. Sorry if I’m a little anxious.”

“We’ve gone for weeks with just having sex two times a day. Why is this any different?”

“Because we’re trying to put a bun in the oven,” he snapped. “Or did you forget?”

“But we don’t have to make a deadline out of it,” I countered.

“Just go upstairs and take off your clothes.”

Andrew cleared his throat. He was standing in the kitchen, out of our view. “A word of advice, Sean. Just take a quick scan when you enter the room, especially if you know other people live with you.”

Sean didn’t seem to care at all. “Let’s go.”

“Could you stop acting like a caveman?”

“Could you just do as I ask?”

“I’m not having sex with you like this,” I snapped. “You don’t boss me around.”

Sean charged me then flipped me over his shoulder. “Too bad.”

My anger disappeared and I laughed. “Let me go.”

He carried me up the stairs. “Nope.”

“Asshole.”

“My beautiful wife.”

I hit him in the back just to spite him.

“God, you’re weak.” He flipped me onto the bed then pulled his clothes off like we hadn’t had sex in years. My underwear was yanked off and my dress was pushed up. He was inside me before I could even argue.

I lay back and gripped his arms, feeling him thrust into me.

Sean looked at me and watched my breasts jiggle while he pounded into me. The headboard tapped against the wall as he moved in and out. He wasn’t being gentle or loving, just trying to deposit his seed as quickly as possible.

“This is romantic,” I said sarcastically.

He grabbed my legs and pushed them over his shoulders. Then he lifted my hips and moved further in than he had before. It hit me in just the right spot. He pressed his face close
to mine and continued to hit me right where I liked it. I started coming immediately, digging my nails into his skin, moaning.

“Like you care,” he said between his thrusts.

Just when I hit the peak of my climax, he released himself, his moans matching mine.

“Hmm…” He kissed my forehead then pulled out. “I love trying to knock you up.”

I lay still, closing my eyes as I suddenly felt exhausted.

Sean put a blanket over me then placed a pillow under my head. “I’m
gonna take a shower.”

“Yeah…”

He disappeared into the shower. The sound of the falling water lulled me to sleep. A knock on the bedroom door woke me up.

“Umm…Sorry to bother you but Cassandra is here to see you.”

My eyes flashed open. Did I hear him right? “I’ll be there in a second.”

“Okay.”

I fixed my hair so it didn’t look like I just got fucked like a dog and adjusted my clothes. Knowing Cassandra was downstairs had me feeling anxious. What did she want? Was it something about Mike?

“What’s wrong?” Sean asked when he came out of the shower.

“Cassandra is here.”

He froze. “The Cassandra?”

“Yes,” I hissed. I pulled my shoes on and headed to the door.

“What doe
s she want?” he demanded.

“I don’t k
now! Why do you think you I’m trying to get downstairs?”

Sean pulled on whatever he could find then came behind me. When I got a look at him, I saw he was wearing shorts and a
turtle neck.

I eyed him when we reached the entryway. “You look ridiculous.”

“Now you know how you look in those orange sweat pants you love so much,” he countered.

I was never going to live that down. I ordered them online and thought they were pink, but when they turned out to be orange I kept them anyway. Sean hated them the moment I wore them, saying I looked like a clown. “If you want to get laid again, I suggest you be a little nicer to me.”

“I’ll get laid anyway,” he said like a smartass.

“Whatever.” I opened the door and saw Cassandra on the other side.

She wore a loose fitting shirt and jeans. Her hair was perfect like it normally was, but her eyes gave her away. She looked like she lost the world.

“Cassandra? Is everything okay?” I asked.

“No,” she said simply. “Can I come inside?”

“Of course.” I opened the door wider so she could step inside.

Sean and I looked at her like she wasn’t real. When Cassandra became uncomfortable with our stares, she looked down. I just couldn’t believe she was here. I hadn’t seen her in months.

“What can we do for you?” I asked.

She fidgeted with her hands before she found her voice. “I didn’t realize what I did to Mike until the other day. I had no idea he was this bad. I didn’t know how much I hurt him…”

What was she talking about? “I’m sorry. I’m not following.”

“I asked Mike to take me back. He said no…”

“What?” Sean asked. “Why would he say no? He’s madly in love with you.”

“He says he’s not anymore.” Her eyes were heavy with moisture. “I told him I was sorry about everything, but he told me wasn’t the same man anymore. He said he didn’t believe in love, didn’t believe in anything. And he wants nothing to do with me.”

“Did you tell him you want to get married?” I asked.

She nodded. “He says he’s not a one-woman type of guy anymore.”

“What?” My head was spinning. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.” She took a deep breath. “Scarlet, if anyone can help me, it’s you. Please help me get Mike back. I know I made a mistake when I turned my back on him, and I’ll apologize until the end of time, but please talk to him for me. Do something.”

“Of course,” I said. “I know how much you two love each other.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

Sean studied her for a moment. “Mike was depressed over you for a long time, and then one day, he was a completely different person. Something happened to him. It was before my parents got a divorce, but I have no idea what it was. Do you?”

She fidgeted with her hands again.

“Did he see you with someone else?” Sean asked.

“No,” she said.

“Then do you k
now what happened?” I asked. “Did you see him?”

She sighed. I could tell by her posture and inability to meet my gaze that she didn’t want to discuss it. “I ran into Mike at a bar one night. I wanted to walk out without speaking to him, but I was drawn to him the moment I saw him. The loneliness and despair washed over me. I just wanted be with him again, talk to him again. So, we exchanged words then headed back to my apartment.”

“Then what?” I asked. “Did you have sex?”

She nodded. “He thought we were back together, but I thought it was just a moment of weakness for both of us. And when he realized I still didn’t want to get married…he got upset. I’ve never seen him so angry. He told me everything had changed.”

I processed what she said, feeling Mike’s pain radiate through me. I could imagine how he must have felt. He thought everything was back to normal, that he and Cassandra finally worked out their differences, but he ended up being totally wrong. She still didn’t want him. She used him. Now I was pissed.

“That explains everything,” Sean said. “Everything.”

“We had dinner together and I apologized then asked for another chance. But he told he wasn’t the same man he used to be.”