13. Atticus #4
“That would be great,” I tell her, curling my arm around Lemon and pulling her to the side so Mrs. Acosta can step out of her apartment.
It only takes a few moments for us to ride the elevator down to the second floor and for Mrs. Acosta to wander through the apartment.
“Okay, I’m happy. It’s in great condition, clean, and there’s no damage in the living space or the bedroom that you’ve just moved out of.
Email me the pictures anyway and return your keys, but once the lease has ended, I’m happy to agree that any damage incurred between now and the end of the lease will be your roommate’s responsibility.
Although you will still have to continue paying the rent for the next two months as agreed. ”
“Thank you, Mrs. Acosta,” Lemon says, passing over her keys to the older woman, who locks the apartment door and leaves.
“What do you think is happening with Avery at the sheriff’s department?” Lemon asks quietly.
“I’m not sure. Hopefully, they see she needs help.”
“Hopefully.”
After we get home, the rest of the afternoon is quiet. Lemon isn’t in the mood to start unpacking, so we pile her things in our room and curl up on the couch to watch mindless TV until it’s time to get ready to go to my parents’.
“I really don’t need to come to your parents’,” she protests.
“Yes, you do. We’re engaged and getting married in six weeks. They need to meet you, plus hopefully Jude and August will be there too.”
“Atticus,” she whines.
“They’re going to love you, Princess. Now let’s get ready before I decide you need a hot, spanked ass to get you moving.”
Her eyes light up, and I laugh, scooping her off the couch and into my arms. Carrying her into our room, I drop her onto the bed and follow her down, claiming her lips with mine.
After I’ve kissed her until we’re both breathless, it takes all of my willpower to lift myself off her.
“Princess, we need to get ready,” I growl when she tries to drag me back down to her.
“We could just stay here instead,” she suggests, biting her full bottom lip coquettishly.
“Don’t tease me, Lemon. I don’t think you’ll enjoy the consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?” she asks coyly.
“The kind that leaves you wet and wanting.”
Her parted lips snap shut. “I thought giving pleasure was your thing? You wouldn’t leave me wanting. You’d be punishing yourself.”
“I’d cope,” I tell her, dropping my voice in warning.
Huffing adorably, Lemon scowls, then bobs her tongue out at me.
I can’t help it. I chuckle. “Meeting my family isn’t a bad thing, Princess.”
“I’ve…I’ve never met a man I’m dating’s family before.”
“We’re not dating. We’re engaged.”
“Exactly. Can you imagine how the conversation is going to go? ‘Congratulations. Wow, Atticus didn’t mention you. How long have you known each other? Oh, about three days.’ I’m going to look like a bunny boiler or a gold digger.”
“My parents know I’m decisive. They’ll understand that when I realized you were mine, I claimed you.”
“Your sister still isn’t engaged because she insisted that her brothers give their blessing, and we got engaged before I even met most of the people in your life,” she whines.
“They’ll see Felix with you, and they’ll understand. It’s going to be fine, Princess. You’re worrying over nothing.”
Lifting her off the bed, I walk her into the bathroom and turn on the shower before I strip us both out of our clothes.
Leading her under the stream of water, I look at her tense expression and tight muscles and sigh.
“Lemon, I promise, it’s all going to be okay.
My brothers will adore you and flirt outrageously with you, and my parents will be telling me I’m lucky to have met someone so perfect five minutes after they meet you.
They’ll all be happy for us and excited for the wedding.
Would your mom have been happy for us if she was still here? ”
Scoffing, Lemon smiles even as she shakes her head. “My mom would have lost her mind if I brought home a boy I’d known for less than a week and told her we were getting married. But then…you’d have probably won her over,” she concedes.
“Do you need me to help you settle?” I ask, cupping her face in my palms.
Inhaling sharply, she starts to say no, then stops herself. “Settle me how?”
“I think a little worshipping would make you feel a lot better,” I drawl softly against her mouth.
“Oh,” she says, her lips forming a perfect O shape.
“Spread your legs for me, Princess. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” she breathes.
“Yes?” I question.
“Yes, Sir.”
Shuffling her feet apart, she watches me with eager eyes as I trail a path down her body, dipping my hand between her thighs until my fingers find her clit. Pressing the pad of my thumb onto the tiny ball of nerves, I rub in soft circles, listening for her breath to hitch.
The moment she swallows thickly and her breathing becomes uneven, I part her folds and slide two fingers into her pussy, fighting my own moan when her hot, warm body welcomes me inside, her muscles tightening around me.
“Ahh,” she whimpers, as I pump my fingers in and out of her body, liquid arousal coating me as her body softens and starts to relax.
“That’s it, Princess,” I coax, working her clit as I finger fuck her pussy.
Listening to her body language, I feel her tighten and clench as I push her toward release, my thumb rubbing teasing semicircles over her clit while she makes mewling kitten sounds that get louder the closer to release she gets.
“Come for me, Lemon,” I whisper, pressing my lips against her throat and scraping my teeth over the skin.
It’s not a devastating orgasm that brings either of us to our knees, but that wasn’t the purpose. Right now, I need her calm and relaxed. As she peaks, her stomach muscles tremble, and she closes her eyes and moans sexily, her fingers gripping my arm tightly as she rides out her release.
“Feel better?” I ask when she softens her grip on me and slowly blinks her eyes open. My fingers are still lazily moving inside of her, but I’m not pushing her for a second orgasm. I’m just enjoying the sensation of her internal muscles fluttering around my fingers.
Exhaling softly, she nods, leaning into me as she rests her cheek against my chest. Slipping my fingers out of her, I bring them to my mouth and suck the taste of her arousal from my skin. She tastes sweet and all mine.
The settled calm I’ve given her lasts all the way to my parents’ house. But the moment we slow to a stop outside the average-looking suburban home I grew up in, Lemon stiffens, her smile falling from her face.
“Settle,” I whisper to her, laying my palm reassuringly over her thigh.
After our shower, she opened the suitcases full of her clothes and picked out a simple, boring black dress.
But the moment she tried to put it on, I yanked it from her hands and threw it across the room.
I know she’s worried about meeting my family, but I refuse to let her hide who she is, even if she’s worried they’ll judge us about the speed our relationship is developing at.
After I refused to let her wear anything boring, she picked out a white and pink dress with thick straps, a square neckline that makes her breasts look outrageous, and a full, short skirt that twirls and bounces when she walks.
As a concession, I’ve allowed her to wear one of the pairs of panties she brought from her apartment with her.
After tonight, I’ll be finding them all and throwing them away, but she was already nervous, and if wearing panties helps her to relax, then I’ll cope—for tonight anyway.
Slowing my car to a stop, I kill the engine and turn to Lemon. “Wait. I’ll open your door,” I tell her while Tori and Felix climb out of the back seat.
Walking around to her side, I open her door, then lean over her and unfasten her seat belt, stealing a quick kiss as I do.
“Atticus,” she says, her nerves audible.
“It’s going to be fine,” I try to assure her.
When I offer her my hand, she stares at it for a moment, then finally takes it, letting me help her down from the car and onto the sidewalk. Fussing with her skirt, she smooths down the front, then twists to make sure the back is lying flat.
“You look beautiful, Lemon,” Felix says.
Both Tori and I turn to look at Felix. He’s never deliberately insensitive, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard him tell anyone that they look beautiful before.
I don’t know if he’s sensing her nerves or if he’s just being honest, because she does look beautiful.
But either way, his compliment works, and Lemon inhales deeply, forcing her lips into a shaky smile.
“Thank you, Felix. I’m really nervous. I’ve never met anyone’s family like this before, and it’s been years since I lost my mom.”
“You met Tori and me. We’re your family now,” he says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Parents feel different than siblings,” she tells him.
“I love Att, Tori, Jude, and August more than Mom and Dad. I think what we think about you means more than what they think,” Felix says with zero preamble.
Both Tori and I look at each other and smile. “Has anyone heard from the twins? Did they make it back from their away series okay?” I ask.
“They posted in the group chat while we were driving here. They’re on their way,” Tori says, hooking her arm through Felix’s and dragging him past Lemon and me and toward the front door. “Come on. You’ll be fine, Lemon. Our parents are going to adore you.”
Pinching Lemon’s chin with my finger and thumb, I lean down and press a hard kiss against her lips. “I love you,” I tell her. Then I curl my arm around her back and lead her toward the front door.
After opening the unlocked front door, Tori and Felix head in first, while Lemon and I follow behind them.
“Mom, Dad, we’re here,” Tori shouts.
“We’re in the backyard,” Mom shouts back.