Roommates Box Set #4-6

20. Spencer

20

SPENCER

The first sleeping person I spotted when I got home was Alyssa. She’d fallen asleep on the sofa with her face scrunched against a throw pillow. I quietly set my keys on the table by the door and crept past her to check on the twins.

They were in their bunk beds, sound asleep and looking like little angels, so the babysitting couldn’t have gone too badly.

Loosening my tie, I went into the kitchen to find something to eat. There had been snacks at the PTA night, but a principal never gets to eat during events like that. Instead, he gets the fun job of welcoming everyone and listening to their complaints.

Since I had to be up early, I didn’t eat much, but I was too hungry to head upstairs right away. Plus, there was the matter of Alyssa. When she woke up, could she make it to her room okay? It was still very difficult for her to get up from the low sofa with her crutches.

And I didn’t know when Rafe would be home. He might’ve gone out for drinks with some of his students and fellow instructors afterwards. Since his students were adults, they were better drinking buddies than mine.

Finally, I decided to make matters simple and just carry Lyss into the bedroom. If I did it right, she wouldn’t even wake up. That was one of my parenting superpowers. When the twins were little and they fell asleep in the car or the hammock out on the deck, I could usually get them to bed without them waking.

Alyssa was all loose-limbed and warm when I scooped her up. She wasn’t very heavy, which was surprising considering how big and bulky her cast was. Her head lolled against my chest as I carried her. Out of force of habit, I almost took her into the kids’ room instead of Raphael’s. That was my undoing, actually. She woke when I switched directions.

She yawned, blinked, and then looked up at me. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself. I was just carrying you to bed.”

She looked around. “I can see that. It’s a little strange to wake up in midair.”

“I would imagine so.” I carried her into the correct bedroom and managed to flip the light switch with my elbow. I set her down at the foot of the bed and then went back for her crutches, so that she could get to the bathroom or whatever else she needed.

“Is Raphael back yet?”

I sat down next to her so we could talk without being loud enough to wake the kids. “No.” Her face fell at my answer. “Did you need him for something?”

“No. It’s just—I slept so well when he stayed in here with me the other night.”

“He slept here?” That was news to me.

“Yeah, didn’t you know?”

“He must’ve gotten up before I did.” The ramifications of this were pretty huge. Rafe rarely dated—I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him with a woman. And now Alyssa was saying it happened two nights ago.

She looked at me with concern. “It’s not what you think. I just—I couldn’t sleep, partly because I don’t get much exercise, and partly because this damn cast is such a pain in the, well, leg. So he kept me company, and then when I started getting sleepy, he let me lean against him so I could sleep on my side, like the little spoon, you know? It was the most comfortable I’ve been in a long time.”

Ah. That changed things. It killed me every time I saw Alyssa grimace in pain or sigh with frustration. I would never, ever forget what she’d done for my family, and I hated to see her suffer for it. If Raphael had found a way to make her feel better, I was happy for her.

And maybe a little jealous of him. It had been eight years since I’d fallen asleep with someone in my arms, and all of a sudden, my body craved it.

Lyss was searching my face, trying to ascertain if I was upset. “I just really hate sleeping on my back, and when I leaned against him, I could sleep on my side.”

“Couldn’t we accomplish the same thing by propping pillows all around you?”

“Possibly,” she said slowly, “if we had enough. But I kind of like Raphael’s way better.” Her smile was quick and mischievous.

“I bet you do. So maybe you should stick with what works.”

“I was planning to ask him if he wanted to sleep in here again tonight, but I don’t know what time he’ll be home, and I’m kind of tired.” She gave me a genuine grin. “Your kids wore me out.”

“So you deserve a good night’s rest, with or without Raphael.”

“I know, but I just got it in my head that I’d sleep better with someone next to me, and?—”

“So sleep next to me.”

“What?” Her blue eyes went blank as she stared at me. Sometimes, like right now, it hit me hard just how damn beautiful she was.

“I’ve got a long, warm body to prop you up with.” Crap, did that sound dirty?

“Yeah, but won’t Raphael…” She trailed off.

“Did he call dibs? Big spoon for life?”

“No, but?—”

“Do you want to sleep next to me?”

“Yes, but?—”

“Then the offer stands.”

She looked a little dazed. Personally, I didn’t see how it was any different sleeping next to me than Raphael. That is, unless she had feelings for my brother-in-law.

Finally, she nodded. “Yeah, that would be great if you could sleep down here with me.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “Actually, I thought we could use my room. Less chance of the twins spotting us and asking awkward questions.”

“All right.” She bit her lip, and I would’ve given a great deal to know what she was thinking.

“Great. I’ll go get ready and be back in about ten minutes to carry you up, okay?”

“Okay.” Suddenly, she seemed to get over whatever inner qualm she had about the situation, and she gave me a beautiful smile. “Looking forward to it.”

Lying in bed with Lyss pressed against me was incredible. She was so soft and warm in my arms. Despite her much shorter height, she fit well against me. We slotted together like the pieces in a two-piece puzzle.

To me, it felt both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar because for a couple of amazing years, I’d shared a bed with my wonderful wife. And unfamiliar because I hadn’t shared the bed with anyone since, besides the occasional child scared from a nightmare.

“Does this feel good, Lyss?” The thin fabric of her gown didn’t hide the heat of her skin against my bare chest. Without thinking about it, I kissed the side of her neck. But she’d come up here because she needed sleep, not to be fondled.

“It feels amazing. I could stay like this forever.”

It felt that way to me, too. Ever since Alyssa arrived, I’d been reminded that though I was a single dad, that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a social life. I was only in my early thirties. Perhaps I wasn’t destined to grow old alone after the twins eventually moved out.

But those revelations were hard to catch hold of. They tended to fade away like a dream when life got busy or stressful. Still, Lyss gave me hope, and that was something else I’d forever be grateful for.

My mind started to drift as sleep drew closer. It dawned on me that I was holding her the way the twins used to hold Woofie, their stuffed dog. Most kids have a favorite stuffed animal, but Charlotte and Lucas had both fallen in love with the same one. None of the others we offered them were as special as Woofie. They fought over that damn dog for years. It had a place of honor on a shelf in their room, but they still fought over it sometimes.

Woofie had nothing on Lyss, though. She smelled so damn good. Her hair. The scent of her skin. And then there were her curves. She had an amazing body. The fact that she could look hot as hell while sporting the world’s clunkiest cast was proof of that.

“Spencer?”

God, even the way she said my name was sexy. “Yes?”

“I can’t turn my mind off.”

For a moment, I wondered if she was thinking about me the way I was thinking about her. “Are you thinking about anything in particular?”

“No. Yes. Everything. Does that make sense?”

“Sure. Would it help to talk out some of the things that are on your mind?”

She was silent for a moment. Then she sighed, and I could feel her flat stomach shift under my arm. “It might sound kind of bad.”

Part of me—the male ego part of me—hoped she was going to confess to being overcome with lust being this close to me. But from her tone, I suspected that wasn’t it. “You can tell me anything.”

“Okay. Well… I told Raphael that I think because I’m not moving around much during the day, I have restless energy at night. But… it kind of feels like there’s more to it than that. It’s also like… because I’m not doing all that much with my mind during the day, all these thoughts pile up and won’t let me sleep at night.”

I frowned, trying to understand. “Why do you say you’re not doing much with your mind?”

“Because I’m not, at least not compared to what I’m used to. For the last four years, I’ve been in class every day. And working on projects and making designs and really using my brain.

“And here… well, I shop online. I binge watch old series. I plan fantastical treehouses with the kids—which I love to do, by the way. But it’s just different from what I’m used to.”

I swore softly under my breath, understanding the problem at once. “And you’re supposed to be using that sharp mind of yours at your new job.” That was just one more thing she’d been robbed of when my son’s kite got away from him.

“Well, yeah. And please don’t get me wrong. I have plenty to think about when I talk or hang out with you and Raphael and the kids. But there’s just a lot of downtime, too.” She rushed on like she was afraid I was offended. “And I know that I could take an online course or learn a new skill or whatever, but?—”

“But it’s not the same. I get it, Lyss. I’ve never been confined to bedrest the way that you have, but I’d probably go stir-crazy at some point. Anyone would. No wonder you can’t get your brain to shut up at night. It needs an outlet.”

“Exactly,” she said, sounding relieved.

“I’ll buy a book of crossword puzzles tomorrow. Problem solved. Goodnight.”

She was silent for at least ten seconds before she figured out I was kidding. “You jerk,” she said with a quiet laugh. She punctuated that laugh by wiggling against me, and the way her ass ground against my cock made me bite back a groan.

Then I couldn’t help it. “Shit,” I muttered, holding her tighter as my cock hardened against her ass. “Are you trying to torture me for teasing you?”

“Maybe.” She wasn’t laughing anymore.

“Then hold that thought. I do have one real suggestion, and I need to tell you before all the blood rushes away from my brain.”

“What is it?”

“How about you focus that strong mind of yours on learning sign language? I know a great tutor who doesn’t charge much.”

“But I thought you only wanted me to speak with Charlotte.”

“I did, because she doesn’t get enough practice being around people who don’t sign. But for some reason, she’s really opened up with you around. She’s speaking a lot more than she used to, and signing less.”

“I’ve noticed that, too!” Excitedly, she tried to twist to face me and then grimaced. “Crap, you’d think I’d know by now that I can’t just roll over.” She sighed and then continued. “It just seems like she’s more comfortable speaking now.”

Even though Alyssa didn’t know my little girl as well as the rest of us, I was pleased she’d seen it, too. Truthfully, I didn’t know what the difference was. Was it just that Lyss didn’t know sign language? Or was it something about the young woman herself that Charlotte was responding to?

Even though the twins had three adults who loved them more than life itself, I sometimes worried that they weren’t very close to many adult females. That made me all the more grateful that we had Nana next door.

“I’d love to start learning ASL. Who’s the tutor you like?”

“Raphael.”

“Oh. Yeah, he seems really comfortable signing.”

“He’s the one who taught me.”

“Really? I thought he only learned once the twins were born.”

“He did.” My gaze unfocused as I thought it over. Did I want to share something deeply personal with Lyss? Something that didn’t paint me in a very good light? But I trusted her, and being together in the dark seemed to invite confidences.

I made my decision. “After the twins were born, I got overwhelmed. I suppose any new parent would, with two infants in the house. But my wife was dying … and there was nothing I could do about it.

“I barely even reacted when we got Charlotte’s diagnosis. Rafe was the one who dealt with the doctors and specialists.”

Alyssa put her arm on top of mine and squeezed. “I can’t even imagine how hard that was for you.”

“For all of us. After Corinne passed… he held us together, even though he was grieving, too. Of course, Flynn and Nana helped too, but to this day, I don’t know what we would’ve done without Raphael.

“In addition to dealing with the doctors and running the house, he threw himself into learning sign language. You know how he gets when there’s a subject that interests him. He got a tutor, he watched online videos, he went to ASL conversation circles at the senior center—he was amazing.

“Practically from the start, he spoke and signed with both twins. I’m not sure where we’d be if he hadn’t.” I didn’t even like to think about it.

Alyssa waited to see if I was done, and I was, at least for now. “I’m glad he was there for you. And it definitely sounds like he’s the best tutor I could ask for.”

I kissed her neck again. “And ask the kids to help you, too. They’ll get a kick out of that.”

“I will.”

“Are you feeling any sleepier? Is that big brain of yours any quieter?”

“No,” she admitted. “Now I’m excited about learning to sign.”

“Oops, I didn’t mean to make you more wired.” Maybe I should get her some whiskey. That might help her sleep. Then I froze. I’d just thought of another way I could help her sleep—if she’d let me.

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?” I said evasively.

“I can feel your abs against my back, and you just stopped breathing there for a second.”

“Oh. Yeah. I guess it’s my mind in overdrive now.”

“Penny for your thoughts?”

This was a bad, bad idea. “You won’t like them.”

“I shared mine with you,” she countered.

“Yeah, but yours weren’t in danger of making me run screaming from the room. I can’t say the same about mine.”

She giggled. “Well, I don’t know about the screaming part, but I’m absolutely certain I’m not going to run from the room.”

“Good point.”

Silence filled the dark room, and then she nudged my stomach with her elbow. “Well?”

This was a really, really, really bad idea. I should just offer her a whiskey and leave it be. “I was just thinking… there might be a way for me to help you relax.”

This time it was her body that froze. “Like what?” she breathed.

Fuck.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to stop. But I didn’t listen.

Leaning forward, I nuzzled my nose through her silky hair. Speaking closely against her ear, I said, “I bet I can make you stop thinking. I bet I can help you sleep. I bet I can make you feel really, really good.” I bit her lobe gently. “If that’s what you want.”

She wasn’t a fool. She knew what I meant. But I didn’t have any idea what she felt about it … until her thighs clenched.

Finally, she spoke, her voice very quiet in the large room. “Is that really a good idea?”

I splayed my fingers out, rubbing her flat stomach. “It’s not the worst one I’ve had today.” PTA meetings didn’t bring out the best in me. “Lyss?”

“I think about it sometimes,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I’ve got so much time on my hands, and being around you and Raphael and even Flynn… sometimes I get these inappropriate thoughts.”

That was news to me. Good news. “Are they really so inappropriate here, in bed, in the dark?”

“I don’t know.”

I shifted my fingers lower, only about an inch or two, but she sucked in a sharp breath. “Don’t you think you’ll sleep better afterwards?”

“Maybe.” Her body trembled against mine. “Maybe yes.”

“Then let me make you feel good, Lyss.” I rubbed small circles against her hot skin, letting her feel how long and strong my fingers were.

“Spencer?”

“Mm-hmm?” My own voice was strained. I wanted so badly to touch her. To taste her. To make her moan.

“Is this… is it gratitude? Because of, you know, what I did?”

Oh shit, was that what she thought? Immediately, I knew I’d screwed up somewhere. Had she been thinking this whole time that we were taking care of her out of a sense of obligation?

But wait, wasn’t that sort of true? I was determined to do whatever I could for her, since she’d done such a great service to me. But I also really liked Lyss. The others did, too.

There were times for sincere speeches… but then again, there were sometimes shortcuts to getting an important idea across. I ground my hard cock against her ass, and she gasped and then pressed back against me. “Does that feel like gratitude to you?” I whispered. “Long, stiff, rock-hard gratitude ?”

She shook her head, still rubbing against me.

“It’s not,” I assured her. “When a man has his arms around a gorgeous young woman… when he can feel her sweet ass pressed against his hard cock… when he wants to touch her and stroke her and taste her… it’s not gratitude.”

Her breath was coming out faster, and I could feel her dress stretch as her breasts rose and fell. God, she was alluring.

“Let me make you feel good, Lyss. Please… I want to so badly.” When there was no answer, I considered letting it go. But the thing was, I really did think this would help her sleep… and I also thought she wanted it, too. “Let’s think about this another way. Raphael rubs your feet sometimes, right?”

“Yes.”

“And doesn’t that feel good?”

“Yes,” she repeated.

“I want to make a different part of you feel good—if you want that too.”

She didn’t say anything, but after what felt like ages, she nodded. I half considered I’d imagined it, but from the way her hips were still grinding against me, I knew I hadn’t.

Thank god.

I let out a shuddering breath of relief as I leaned into her, rubbing my erection against her ass. She needed to know that this wasn’t about being thankful. This was about me wanting to please her so badly and hell, just about me wanting her .

My hand slid under her dress and settled on the soft, clingy panties she wore. Her skin underneath was so heated it almost burned. My fingers dipped inside her panties. It had been a very long time since I’d last explored the female body, but the hair under my fingers felt tidy and trimmed. I’d seen a razor in the bathroom downstairs. It sure as hell didn’t belong to the kids.

Her hips moved, this time to press forward against my hand. Since she couldn’t seem to hold still, I eased her onto her back. That would hopefully keep her leg immobile even if she squirmed.

And I sure as hell planned to make her squirm.

“How’s that feel?” I smoothed her hair away from her face. “Do you need another pillow, or?—”

She cupped the back of my neck and pulled me down. Hastily putting my hands on either side of the mattress so that I wouldn’t crush her, I let her guide me down to her waiting lips.

Fuck, she felt good. My mouth melted against hers, and I realized how much I’d missed this. It was just a kiss. You saw hundreds of them on TV and in movies. But once you were experiencing one—a hell of a good one—with someone special, it seemed anything but ordinary.

I sank my hand into her hair while my mouth moved over hers. Did it feel this good to her? I hoped it did. I got the sense that it had been a while for her, too, though not as long as for me. But she never mentioned a boyfriend, and whenever she spoke about school, she mostly talked about how busy she had been.

It didn’t matter, though. What mattered was this . Connection. Sharing this amazing moment. Her free hand ran up and down the bare skin of my back, setting my skin on fire everywhere she touched.

And speaking of touching, I wanted to pick up where I’d left off. As my mouth thoroughly devoured hers, I slid my hand down her stomach. When I felt her soft panties, I grasped the waistband and started tugging them down.

She squirmed under me, and I wondered if I’d gone too fast, but then she pulled her mouth away. “They unfasten at the side.”

Now that was a hell of a nice surprise. I moved my lips across her jaw and nuzzled her throat as I released the clasp on one side and then the other. She spread her legs and gasped—not in a good way. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she said. “I just moved wrong.” She solved that problem by bending her good leg at the knee, placing her foot flat on the mattress, allowing me access.

Fuck yeah.

Cupping her folds was like handling an out-of-control fire. How could such a little thing like her generate so much heat? It blew my mind, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t attempt to raise the temperature.

I traced a finger along her slit ,feeling how wet she was for me. Good. That meant she truly wanted this, too.

Her back arched as she pressed herself against me. I made long strokes up and down her seam—pausing to circle her clit and push gently against her entrance every so often.

“Oh god, please, Spencer, I need more.”

Was there anything hotter than a woman getting desperate? Some caveman part of my brain wanted to torment her and make her beg for more, but that wasn’t the goal tonight. My aim was to make her explode with pleasure and then drift off to a deep, contented sleep.

It was one hell of a worthy goal.

I pressed the pad of my index finger firmly against her slippery skin and then slid it an inch lower, rubbing it against her entrance. She moaned and clutched my back as I circled and teased her. Then, just as I pushed my longer finger inside her, I covered her mouth with my own.

Holy fuck. The feeling of her moan into my mouth as she squirmed on the bed made my rock-hard cock even harder. Shit, that was hot. I didn’t let up, pushing my finger in and out of her and then adding another.

Her back arched again, and her breasts pressed against me as I ravished her mouth. When I pressed my thumb against her clit, her body jolted as if she’d been electrocuted.

Alyssa was right where I wanted her. Moaning and writhing on the bed, melting under my touch. I knew the orgasm I’d give her would rock her world.

But it wasn’t enough.

I wanted more.

Lifting her head, I let her swollen lower lip slide out of my mouth. “I want to taste you,” I said, longing evident in my voice.

Her breath caught and she froze, her hands wrapped around my back.

I twisted out of her grasp and moved down on the bed. “If you don’t want me to, say it quickly.” I climbed over her and put my hand on her calf, pressing her knee up against her chest. “Too late.”

I grabbed the pillows from my side of the bed and placed one under her hips and one under the cast. That was the last bit of self-control I had before I lowered my head.

I inhaled deeply, relishing what I was about to do. It was something I’d always loved doing. I nuzzled my nose against her heated folds, and she clutched at my head—and definitely not to push me away.

Since my hair was so short, it didn’t give her much to hold onto, but that was okay. I knew exactly what I needed to do. I licked along her slit, retracing the path my finger had taken. Over and over, from bottom to top. Her hips writhed so much that I had to put my hand across her abdomen, pinning her to the mattress.

My tongue slipped in deeper, pushing into her, first a little, and then as deep as I could get.

“Oh god,” she moaned, her fingers scrambling to get purchase on my hair. It felt good, like a scalp massage. “Don’t stop.”

Grinning, I lapped up the moisture that flooded her. Then I pushed her folds apart, blowing warm air on her most private place. She squirmed as I got as close as I could to her clit without actually touching it.

She was writhing like a mad woman, giving me a workout trying to hold her down, but I had to—both for her safety and her pleasure. “Hold on,” I ordered, and then I pressed my tongue against her clit.

She yelped and we both froze—but if anyone else in the house heard, they didn’t react. “Sorry,” she whispered.

I got back to my task, making my tongue flat to lathe over her clit—and then making it pointed to circle it. Switching positions, I pressed two fingers at her entrance while I kept working her clit.

“Oh… oh… oh please don’t stop,” she begged.

No way was I going to—not until I’d wrung all the pleasure out of her that I could.

My tongue flicked across her clit as her hips jolted. I drove two fingers into her hard. Her moans filled the room, and I knew she was close.

“Oh!” Her voice was suddenly muffled, and her inner muscles clamped down around my fingers. God, she was tight. Her entire body froze, and then her muscles spasmed. I held her in place as best I could as I prolonged her pleasure. Her little clit was so hard and swollen. I didn’t let up, flicking my tongue back and forth and pumping my fingers inside her.

Her limbs flailed and her screams kept going, though still sounding oddly muffled. Her hips lifted, hovering off the mattress. Then she collapsed onto the bed, and something hit me in the head.

Her gasps filled the room and I moved off her, discovering that she’d bashed me with a pillow. “Sorry,” she said, her voice breathy. “Sorry, I was using it to muffle my cries, and my arm just made this involuntary movement…”

I chuckled. That was probably the first time I’d gotten walloped with a pillow after making someone come. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I moved carefully over her until I was lying next to her. I put my arm under her head and placed my hand on her bare stomach, enjoying the way it rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath.

She leaned her head on my shoulder and placed her hand on my chest. “That was amazing.” Her hand slid lower. “Do you want me to?—?”

“Tonight was all about you, sweet Lyss. Do you think you can sleep now?”

“Yes,” she said, and I could hear the drowsiness in her voice. “But now I kind of don’t want to.”

“But you need to.” Gently, I rolled her forward so that I could get behind her and support her. She squirmed until she got the pillows the way she needed them. Then she reached back and pulled my arm around her waist.

We still fit together well, but now her body was all warm and loose and limp, like a rag doll. It was tempting to keep touching her and stroking her, but that wasn’t what she needed. “Good night, sweetheart,” I whispered in her ear.

“Good night.” I couldn’t swear it, but I think she was asleep in less than a minute. It took me longer, but that was because I was trying to fight it. I wanted this moment, this closeness to last. But eventually, I rested my head next to hers and joined her in slumber.

Usually, I toss and turn at night, but in the morning, my arm was still wrapped around Alyssa’s waist, and she was still nestled against me. God, she felt good. A little too good. Sometimes I woke up with morning wood, and with her sweet ass pressed up against me, it was a given on this particular morning.

But I soon found out that wasn’t what woke me. “Spencer,” a deep voice said—one that decidedly wasn’t Lyss’s. I blinked and shook her shoulder, pretty sure that whatever had brought my brother-in-law to my room this early would affect her, too.

“Are the kids okay?” I asked. It took effort to keep the rising panic at bay.

“They’re fine,” Raphael said, but in the early morning light from the windows, I could see that his mouth was set in a stiff, thin line. Surely Lyss must see it for what it was, too—disapproval. “It’s Nana,” he said, his eyes not meeting ours. “She had a bad fall. An ambulance is on its way.”