She bubbles up a giggle as she hitches up her dress a little. “You are a cream-licking deviant, Dr. Stanton,” she whispers as she falls into a straddle position above me and slowly closes the door behind her.
I pull her panties to the side and swipe my fingers through her flesh.
She’s burning hot and dripping wet. “Yes,” I hiss. Hmm. “Fuck, you feel good.” I slide my cock back and forth through her lips and pull her down onto me in one hard slam.
Her mouth goes into a perfect ‘O’ shape and she closes her eyes. She holds the head rest behind me with both hands.
It’s magnified in this small space… the feeling of her. The feelings I have for her.
Our mouths clash together in desperate need. “Bring your legs up,” I push out.
She struggles a bit. “The damn gear stick is in my way.” She hits her knee hard. “Ouch!” she yells. “If you’re going to fuck me behind your father’s and brother’s backs, can you at least buy a panel van?”
I laugh out loud and grab her hipbones. “Done.” I pick her up and slam her back onto me.
“You’re a very bad man, Cameron Stanton,” she breathes above me.
“And you are an excellent stepmother.”
It’s Wednesday afternoon and I’m just arriving at Joshua’s and Adrian’s office.
I have news, and I asked them to keep the afternoon free for me.
“Hey.” I smile as I walk into Joshua’s office.
Murph is on his laptop on the couch with papers scattered all around him, and Joshua is standing by the window with a golf putter, putting a golf ball into a little fake hole thing.
“Working hard, I see,” I mutter to Joshua.
I slap Murph’s hand in greeting.
“Fuck off, this is how I think,” Joshua replies, distracted. He slowly hits the golf ball and it misses the hole by a mile.
“You are the worst golfer I’ve ever seen,” I tell him.
“I know, right?” Murph rolls his eyes.
“I’d like to see you do better,” Joshua replies.
“I would, but I’m too busy working,” Adrian says, deadpan.
“You ready to go?” I ask.
“Yeah.” Joshua frowns. “What are we doing again?”
I inhale deeply as I brace myself to say this out loud. “We’re buying Ashley an engagement ring.”
Adrian’s eyes widen in excitement. “Oh, my God!” he shrieks as he jumps from the couch. Joshua breaks into a broad smile and slaps me hard on the back before he shakes my hand. “Congratulations, mate.” He laughs.
“Well, that’s premature.” Adrian smiles as he pulls me into an embrace. “She didn’t say yes yet.”
My eyes widen as nerves dance around in my stomach. “She will say yes, won’t she?” I frown in horror. The thought that she might say no hadn’t even crossed my mind.
“I wouldn’t if I were her,” Joshua jokes as he grabs his wallet and keys. “Imagine being fucking stuck with you for life.”
“You two are,” I reply as I fix my hair in my reflection in the window.
He rolls my eyes. “I know. You annoy us daily.”
Adrian laughs and puts his hands up to his face. “Oh my God, what ring are we getting?”
I shrug.
“Well, what shape does she like?”
I shrug again. “I don’t know. There are shapes?”
“Well, what kind of diamond are we getting?” He frowns, agitated.
“I don’t fucking know, do I? What is there?”
Joshua closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Give Murph your credit card, and you and I will go to the pub for the afternoon. I’m sensing this is going to be hell.”
“Tempting.” I smirk. “Nope, I’m doing this right. And we need to think of a way for me to pop the question.”
Adrian narrows his eyes as he thinks. “Yes, it definitely has to be perfect.”
“Remember those fucking lights you had me stringing up for hours, Stan?” I ask as I open the door for us to leave.
He smiles. “They worked.” We walk out through the doors.
“Yes, fairy lights are the only reason Natasha said yes,” Adrian mutters dryly. “You two are so stupid.”
“We’re going shopping for the afternoon,” Joshua tells the two bodyguards who are waiting by the door. “Have the cars follow us at a distance today, please.”
“Of course, sir,” the bodyguard replies as he gets on the phone to the other guards downstairs.
“I’m driving,” I say, and we walk out and get into the elevator.
“You brought the Audi?” Adrian asks in surprise.
“Yep.”
“But… you don’t have Owen.”
I shrug happily. “I’m a family man now. I don’t need to drive a flashy car anymore.”
Joshua smirks. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
We walk into the hundredth jewelry store in four hours, and I exhale deeply. Murph and Joshua peer into the cabinets while I walk around with my three gift bags safely in my hand.
I haven’t found Ash an engagement ring yet, but I have bought her a pair of diamond earrings, a bracelet with a diamond ‘O’ pendant, and I got Jenna a necklace for taking such good care of Owen.
I never bought a girl jewelry before. It’s kind of fun, to be honest.
“Look, will you fucking concentrate?” Joshua snaps. “This is the last shop we’re looking at today. I want to go home. I’ve had enough of this shit.”
“Hmm…” I hum as I look around.
“Just find the style you like and then we’ll get one made. I think that’s the best idea,” Joshua suggests.
“What about this one?” Adrian points to a square-cut diamond ring.
“Yeah.” I purse my lips as I think. “I like the round ones.”
Adrian narrows his eyes. “Ashley wears rose gold, right?”
“I don’t know, it’s a different colour kind of thing.”
“Yes, she wears rose gold,” Joshua replies as he looks through the glass cabinet. “Her watch is rose gold.”
“How do you know about rose gold?” I frown.
“Because I looked for that ring of Natasha’s for ages before I found it, and now I know everything there is to know about everything.”
Adrian rolls his eyes. “Except how to get a golf ball in a hole.”
Joshua’s eyes flicker to Adrian. “I do know how to put golf balls in smart asses’ mouths until they choke,” he offers dryly.
“He’d like that. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first ball he’s had in his mouth,” I mutter, distracted.
Adrian smirks.
We all continue to peruse the cabinets.
“Where should I ask her?” I think out loud.
Adrian puts his hands up, all animated. “Something so romantic that she’ll be swept off her feet.”
“Hmm.”
“You can go to Kamala,” Joshua suggests.
I cringe. “No, that’s your place.”
Adrian looks through the glass. “Why don’t you fly her somewhere exotic?”
I curl my lip. “I want something sentimental.” I narrow my eyes. “Something that only she will get.”
“Eiffel Tower?” Joshua raises his eyebrows. “You two do speak French to each other all the time like total wankers.”
I smile. “That could be cool.”
“Oh, what about New York in the library where you showed her the newspaper advertisement.” Adrian smiles.
“That’s a good one.”
“Why don’t you just put an advertisement in the paper?” Joshua shrugs.
I put my hands into my pockets as I think. New York reminds me of when she didn’t come home that night.
New York is forever ruined for me now. I feel my stomach churn at the horrible memory.
“Fuck this. Let’s go to the pub.” Joshua sighs.
“We’ll do some research and come back,” Adrian adds.
I nod. “Yeah, she might be getting a ring out of a bubble gum machine at this point. I fucking hate this shit.”
It’s Tuesday and I have just picked up Owen from preschool on my way home from work, and we jump into the car. “How was your day, buddy?” I smile into the rearview mirror.
“Good,” he replies as he looks out the window and we pull out into the traffic. “Can we have McDonald’s for dinner?”
“No,” I reply flatly. “I think we’re having pasta or something.”
Owen screws up his face. “I’m sick of home food.”
I smirk as I weave in and out of the traffic. “Wait till you have to cook the shit,” I mutter under my breath.
“Will Mom be home?” he asks.
“Aha.” I see a travel agent and I pull over. After wracking my brain for a romantic proposal all weekend, I got nothing. I thoroughly deserve my rating of three in the romance sector. “Yes, she’ll be home soon. She’s not working late tonight,” I answer.
“Can I have a bath with crayons tonight?”
“No. Those things are ridiculous.” Owen got bath crayons that were supposed to be great fun for his birthday, but all they did was fuck up two upstairs baths and stain the fucking carpet in the hall. “I threw those silly things in the rubbish. Do you remember the mess they made?”
He rolls his eyes as he stares out the window. “Santa will bring me more, anyway,” he mutters under his breath.
I smirk because he’s got a snarky little attitude, just like his mom.
“Don’t count on it, buddy,” I say as I park the car. “I’ve got a hotline to Santa. He and I are tight.” I cross my two fingers and hold them up for him to see.
We climb out of the car and I take his hand as we head into the travel agent’s. The door has a bell over it and it rings to let them know of our arrival.
“Yes. Hello.” The girl smiles as she comes from the back room.
“Hello.” I smile. Shit. I glance down at motor mouth, who’s staring intently up at us. Didn’t think this through too well, did I? “I’m looking for somewhere to go for vacation around Christmas time,” I lie.
“Sure. Somewhere kid-friendly?” She smiles.