7. James
This surprise vacationhas done wonders for my mental health.
I hadn’t realized how stressed I was until that stress was left behind. I loved the family business. I didn’t mind taking over and becoming the face of Whitman Publishing. Continuing the family legacy that my grandfather had started, well, it’s one of the best parts of my life.
In my younger days, I was the partier. Let’s just go have fun. Granted, it might still have been that way if my dad hadn’t stepped in when he did. The moment I started to take charge of my own life, leaving behind the bad boy days, life started to change.
I’d found the woman who got away. That one in a million person who just got you. Lee probably wanted to knock me in the head as much as she wanted to kiss me. In my defense, I’d gone from a bachelor trying to get his life straight to being a father. Falling hard for the woman who’d knocked me off my feet. I’d lost her before I’d even known what I had. The universe was giving us—me—a second chance. I wouldn’t let my girls down.
I could hear her shifting under the covers. My lips tugged into a smile as I watched her from where I sat on the balcony. She was reaching for me only to find the bed empty. She sat up slowly, her hair mussed, her eyes barely opened. She never looked my way, just grumbled to herself as she slid from the bed. Her bare feet padded into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she came back out, her hands scrubbing over her face and through her now brushed hair. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Long legs, curves, breasts that fit in my palms. Sex on two legs. That was my girl.
“James?” she yawned around my name.
“Out here, beautiful.”
She jerked in surprise then smiled as she caught sight of me. The sun was just starting to come up over the mountains that surrounded us.
“Aren’t you cold out here?” she asked, her arms going around her waist. The long tank top she wore did little to cover her.
I set my coffee cup down so I could reach out to her. I pulled her into my lap and kissed her softly.
“I’m fine. I had my imagination to keep me warm.”
“Um…” She looked up at me with an expression that said I sounded crazy.
Smirking, I leaned in to run my nose along her jaw. “I’ve been watching you sleep.”
“That is rather stalkerish, handsome.”
“Maybe.” I nipped at her bottom lip. “I couldn’t help myself. You were so peaceful; beautiful lying there. It was hard to keep myself out here on this chair. Your body calls to me.” She pulled back, but I followed her, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss. “You,” I commented, pulling back slightly, “were moaning in your sleep. Makes a man wonder what you were doing.”
“You…probably.” Her eyes twinkled with mirth. “Or Jason Stath?—”
I didn’t let her finish; I gripped her hair in my hand and pulled her mouth back to mine. Her ass dug into my growing erection as her moans filled the air around us. God, I would never get enough of her.
Pulling back, I met her gaze. “Are you still sore?” I wanted her, but I would not chance hurting her. She nodded but then shook her head.
“Yes and no. I want you, but maybe this time, we go slow…” Her words were accompanied by her hips rolling, pressing that delicious ass into me more. My eyes closed and groaned.
“Slow I can do, baby.” I stood with her in my arms and walked her to the bed. I laid her down, my lips trailing from her jaw to her collarbone. “Get on the pillows baby. I’ll be right back.”
When I came back to the bedroom, I had a small bowl of ice cubes. I grabbed a couple ties from my bag and walked back to the bed.
“Get naked, baby. Trust me,” I stated, watching her brows furrow. Grinning, I dropped my boxers and climbed up on the bed. I watched her until her top was off. She shimmied out of her panties next, and I took them from her, sliding them under my pillow.
Her laughter made me smile.
“Lay back.”
I used one tie to secure her hands above her head. The tie laced around the spindles on the headboard and kept her just where I wanted her. I leaned down, kissing her softly before putting the other tie around her head, covering her eyes. I wanted her to feel every sensation.
“I love you,” I breathed out against her neck as I kissed along behind her ear.
“I—Oh…” she stuttered as I suddenly took one nipple between my teeth. “Love… you.”
There were a few places my girl was sensitive to touch. Her nipples, that spot on her thigh just at the apex of her sex, and of course, that magic spot just behind her ear. Touch more than one at once and she was a goner. Hit all three and well, it made for a fun night.
My tongue swirled around her nipple, causing it to harden more.
“So beautiful…” I teased her nipple more as I reached for an ice cube. The way her body jerked at the sensation of the cold rolling across her other nipple, my cock was throbbing for her already. But not yet. I was going to make sure she was slick and ready to take me fully. I didn’t want to cause her any pain.
“James…” she moaned, her hips rolling as I moved between them. I used the ice cube to tease her nipples as my mouth trailed down to her clit. I teased her, my tongue flicking against that sweet bundle of nerves. Hard, fast, then slower. Her body writhed as she tugged at the restraints.
With every breath, her breasts pushed into my palms. I growled against her clit, and she shuddered, her breath gasping out of her.
“Yes…”
Slowly, I let my hands come down her body, creating a wet trail to her thighs. I popped the ice cube in my mouth before I moved to settle in between her legs. My mouth moved against her wet, glistening lips.
“Ja…m...es…”
I worked my tongue into her, sweeping it against her walls, working her into a frenzy. My thumb rubbed her clit with each stroke of my tongue. This, this was what I wanted until forever ended. Her writhing in pure pleasure under me, calling out my name as I brought her to orgasm.
Her essence, the taste of her sent me into a wild frenzy, but I pulled back, my thumb still working her clit as I slid two fingers inside of her.
“I love when you come in my mouth.”
A long moan was accompanied with her hands tugging at the restraints. “Please…”
“Please what, love?”
“I—Oh God…s-so c-close…”
I slid a third finger into her wet center. Her walls were gripping me as I pushed harder, faster, my fingers curling against them. My mouth took over for my thumb and sucked her clit hard. Her body shook as she screamed out my name.
I lapped at her, wanting every drop of her on my tongue. I sat up, pulling my fingers from her, and with the other hand, I tugged the blindfold off. I wanted her to watch as I cleaned my fingers.
“You taste so good.” I swirled my tongue over my fingers, watching the hunger in her eyes deepen.
“James…” She bit her lip as her legs wrapped around me, holding me in place.
“Yes, love?”
“I need you.”
“Do you, now?” I taunted, leaning over her perfect body. My mouth claimed hers in a sweet kiss.
“Always,” she panted out.
Who was I to argue? With a smirk, I went to push her legs apart wider.
“James…I want—” Her cheeks flamed a deep shade of red.
“What, baby?” I reached up and cupped her cheek, my thumb skimming her bottom lip.
“Untie me, please…I want to touch you.”
I reached up and found that with all of her wiggling, she’d tightened the tie to the point I wasn’t sure I could get it undone. I did though, it just took a minute. While I was wrangling the tie, her free hand went to my cock. The sensation of her warm palm against my engorged flesh made me moan. Not ashamed at all either.
I let her push me back. I enjoyed the sight of her over me, her mouth moving to take all of me into it. I felt the back of her throat as she swallowed, her tongue pressing against my shaft. I had to fight not to come right then. My hands gripped the sheets as she bobbed her head, her eyes never leaving mine.
I let her have her fun for a few more minutes, then I sat up. “If you do that again…” I was panting as the need to bury myself inside of her swamped me. I laid her back, lined the tip of my cock up with her entrance, and sank into her warmth. I wasn’t going to last long. I was so worked up, so hard for her.
My hips slammed into her over and over until we were both so lost in the feel of each other. The orgasm that pulled free of me had the room spinning. Her cry of pleasure. My body jerked as it released; it was too much. I collapsed beside her, pulling her into my arms.
We laid there, panting, not saying anything until we both fell asleep.
“What time are the parents and princess coming in?” I called out from the shower. We’d decided to do more than stay in bed today.
When I woke up a little bit ago, Lee had been to town, gotten breakfast from a local diner, and had a map of the area laid out on the desk. We were going to have a hike, then go into the nearest town and have dinner. I was told we had a few things to talk about today and that we had something big to celebrate. If that meant I got to keep her all to myself for one more day, well, so be it.
“Tomorrow morning. They’re leaving Charleston at 6:00am.”
“Why so early?”
“Your dad wants to go fishing.” She laughed. “He apparently bought Lola her own rod and tackle box. He got a permit and everything already.”
I chuckled, rinsing off. “Sounds about right. He used to do that with me when I was her age. Before things got overrun at the office.”
“I don’t think I’ve been fishing more than three times in my life. Once I went out on the open waters to deep sea fish. It was fun, a little hot, but I did manage to catch a few. And was sore as hell for a week after. My shoulders and back were not happy with me.”
“We should take Lola deep sea fishing. Or at least charter a boat and go see what happens. I think she’d like it.”
“No doubt you’d spend more time keeping her from ‘simmin’ than you would spend actually fishing.” Her laughter filled the room as I came in, drying myself with a big towel. “She’s going to be an Olympic swimmer, I just know it. The child loves water so much, it scares me at times.”
“She’s in classes; we’ll all make sure she knows the pool isn’t a toy. If she grows up to be an Olympian, great. If not, that’s okay too. She has your smarts and my cunning; she can do anything she puts her mind to.” I started getting dressed.
“That’s what worries me.” She grinned at me. “Seriously, I want to make sure she’s happy but understands that just because her grandparents and her dad have money doesn’t mean she can always get what she wants.”
I raised a brow at her. “Where did that come from?”
“I don’t know. I had a weird dream. I blame you and your ability to drain every bit of life out of me.”
I walked over to her, cupped her cheek, and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Never fear, love. Lola will always know right from wrong. She won’t be one of those spoiled kids we see all around us. She’s too much like her mama to worry about getting lost in the wrong things.” I knelt before her, my hands going to her thighs and squeezing gently.
“She’s going to be three in a few months. Three! Time has gone by so fast. I think I’m just having one of those panic moments moms have when they realize their baby is no longer a baby. She’s growing up on me. I don’t like it.”
Her bottom lip went between her teeth, a nervous habit that I’d been seeing so much lately. There was more going on here. There had to be.
“Talk to me, love. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Tears pooled in her eyes before she shut them quickly. “I wasn’t sure, but I brought one with me. This morning, I felt a little off so…”
I raised a brow. “You want to try that again, baby? But this time, I need all the words please.”
She took a deep breath, smiled, and pulled a pen that was blue and white from under her leg. When she turned it to face me, I realized it was not a pen. The flashing word ‘pregnant’ had my heart leaping in my chest.
“Pregnant!” I jumped to my feet, pulled her into my arms, and hugged her tight. She was pregnant. It was only a moment later that we were on the floor, her in my lap as I held her. The tears rolling down my face said it all. I’d missed this the first time. I hadn’t been there for every step of pregnancy.
I would be this time.
Nothing would take this joy away from me.