Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
Grace
“B efore I took my leave of absence, I was managing a twenty-person team,” Cole boasts, and I have to fight to not roll my eyes.
We’ve been at the coffee shop for about a half an hour now, and he’s done nothing but talk about himself the whole time. His job, his house, his wife that doesn’t appreciate him, his new car and how fast it can go.
I. Don’t. Care.
“Wow, look at you,” I reply with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. “When do you go back to work?”
Cole blows out a breath, sitting back in his chair as he links his fingers together behind his head. “I’m not too sure yet.”
My brows pinch for the fiftieth time already today. At this rate, I’m going to need a strong dose of Botox by the time this is over. “Aren’t you worried they’ll replace you?”
Chuckling, he says, “They need me too much to replace me.”
“You sure about that?” The words leave my mouth before I have a chance to stop them. “I mean, they are managing right now without you, aren’t they?”
“Well, yeah, I guess.” He huffs out a laugh and shrugs. “But not for long.”
“Right, of course.” I nod. “Because I’m sure you bring something totally new and unique to the team that they couldn’t get from anybody else, right?”
“Exactly.” Cole winks at me, and it makes my stomach roll. “See, you’ve always understood me.”
Choosing to ignore that last comment, because it couldn’t be further from the truth, I ask, “How’s everything with the divorce going? Having been through one myself, I know how stressful they can be.”
“Fine, I guess,” he mutters as he pulls out his phone.
“Do you know when it’ll be finalized? I know South Carolina has a ninety-day waiting period once the papers have been filed.”
Cole’s gaze is glued to the screen as he appears to be texting somebody. “They haven’t been filed yet.”
“Oh. How long have y’all been separated?”
“Since the day I got here.” Finally locking his phone, he sets it face down on the table before meeting my gaze. “I’d imagine Emily will get the paperwork filed pretty soon.”
“Have you guys not talked at all?”
“No way.” He chuckles. “She probably blocked my number before my car was even out of the driveway.”
This entire conversation is so bizarre.
“Maybe you two won’t get divorced after all. Maybe you just need some space before coming back together.”
Downing the rest of his coffee like it’s a shot of whiskey, he wipes his mouth with his hand. “Nah, it’s over.”
“Wow, you seem to be handling all this quite well.” Curiosity is getting the best of me. I know I shouldn’t ask, but I can’t help it. “What happened between you two anyway?”
“Let’s talk about something else,” Cole murmurs. Catching me off guard, he leans forward and drops his hand down on mine on top of the table. My body physically recoils as I rip my hand out from under his, letting it fall into my lap. I don’t miss the look of confusion in his gaze. Arching an eyebrow, he asks, “You okay?”
Not wanting to be rude, I smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Holding my gaze for a moment, he eventually nods before steering the conversation in a completely different direction. “Tell me about this guy you’re seeing.”
I somehow manage to choke on my own spit, causing tears to spring to my eyes as I cough loud enough for everybody in the lobby to turn and stare at me. My cheeks flame, and I suck down a large gulp of my iced coffee. “Sorry, swallowed wrong,” I croak, smacking my chest with my palm.
Cole’s watching me with humor. “You’re good. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks again, handing me a napkin to clean up the spit that dribbled down my chin. “You’re acting a little… I don’t know, jumpy and weird.”
Wiping my chin, I nod. “No, yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind lately. But I’m good.”
“So…” Cole implores, a small grin ticked up on his lip. “Who’s this guy? Anybody I know?”
Yeah, actually, it’s your fucking dad. Cool, right? Totally not weird for you, I’m sure.
Good god. I should’ve never told him that. What was I thinking? If my sisters and Charley could see me, they’d be howling at the mess I’ve gotten myself into.
My cheeks heat some more, and I breathe out a small laugh. “We’re not really talking about it yet,” I offer, which, technically, isn’t a lie. “It’s kind of new.”
Please, drop it, Cole.
Nodding slowly, Cole takes a sip from his drink while he watches me for a moment. “But you’re happy?”
Oh, thank god.
“I am.” The answer comes easily, and the smile that follows is genuine and wide. Conway makes me happy. Even if I’m still not convinced it’s going to work out in the end, given the situation stacked up against us, at least for now, he makes me happy.
Thankfully, Cole changes the subject, and my heart rate can drop back down to a normal pace. We finish up our drinks shortly after that, and as we’re climbing into his car, Cole asks, “Did you have to get a sitter for this?”
“No, they’re with their dad this weekend,” I explain as I buckle my seatbelt.
“Oh, cool.” Starting the ignition, Cole’s phone hooks up to the speakers, some hip-hop song I’ve never heard of filling the air. “Well, since you’re not having to rush home to relieve anybody, want to head back to my dad’s house?”
My heart thuds painfully against my ribs, my head snapping to the side to meet his gaze. “What?”
“We could watch a movie or something.” Cole shrugs, putting the car in reverse. “He just installed a new surround sound in the living room that sounds fucking epic, and he mentioned grilling later.”
“Oh, we don’t have to do that.” A small laugh that sounds awkward to my own ears spills out of me. “I’m sure Conway has better things to do than hang out with us.”
Chuckling, Cole says, “Doubt it. I really think he needs to get laid or something.”
My stomach bottoms out as I practically swallow my own tongue. “Why, uh…why do you say that?”
“He’s been in such a piss-poor mood lately.” Cole glances over at me briefly. “Do you ever see him with anybody? He wouldn’t talk about it when I asked.”
Oh, for Christ’s sake.
“Well, probably because discussing your sex life with your child is kind of weird, Cole.” Laughing, I shift my gaze out the passenger side window, and hope he drops it.
Buuuut of course, he doesn’t.
“It’s not that weird,” he says. “I’m an adult, and it’s not like I’ve never talked about my sex life with him.”
Turning my head toward him, my eyebrows raise. “What? You do?”
“Yeah, for sure.” He must see the question in my gaze because after a second, he huffs out a chuckle, and adds, “Not about you, don’t worry. I wasn’t telling him about my sex life in high school.”
“Oh, that’s the line you won’t cross,” I tease. “Got it. But anybody after high school is fair game?”
“Come on. Don’t act like you’ve never talked to people about your sex life.”
Giggling, I blurt out, “Not my dad! ”
Cole snorts. “Okay, okay, fair enough.”
It’s not until he turns on his blinker and takes the next right turn that I realize where we are. Shit. “Cole, I said we didn’t have to come here.”
My heart races and my palms sweat the closer we get. Conway’s truck comes into view in the driveway, shining under the sun like maybe he washed it earlier.
“Trust me, Grace,” Cole murmurs as he pulls in beside it. “My dad won’t care.”
My stomach is doing backflips as he turns the car off. Shit. This is the last thing I want to be doing. Spending time with the two of them in this house the first time was awkward enough.
Smacking down his hand right above my knee, he says, “Come on, it’ll be fun. Promise.”
Yeah, I seriously doubt “fun” is going to be the adjective I use to describe what’s about to transpire.
Then Cole’s gone, leaving me to follow him.
Follow my ex-boyfriend into his dad’s house… The dad I’m calling Daddy and sleeping with on a regular basis.
No big deal.
What could go wrong?
At least I’m fully clothed this time. I suppose that’s one silver lining.
The front door opens before I reach the top step, and Conway’s large form comes into view, looking from his son to me, his gaze lingering a bit longer on mine. I can’t help the way my eyes drink him in. Luckily, Cole is facing his dad and can’t see me checking him out so unabashedly. Light-wash Wranglers hug his thighs like a glove, and the black short-sleeve t-shirt he’s wearing shows off his tan, corded arms, giving proof to all the hard work he puts in on a daily basis. But it’s the black and tan trucker hat on his head with his company logo on the patch in the front that really ties the whole look together.
Conway looks like a blue-collar dream standing before us, and what I wouldn’t give to climb that man like a tree.
“Didn’t realize we were having company,” he mutters before stepping to the side and letting us pass.
Cole walks into the house first, kicking off his shoes by the entryway bench, and as I follow, I purposely—but quietly—inhale a little deeper as I brush past Conway. My head swims as I get a lungful of his heady, masculine scent. It’s slightly spicy, a little woodsy, and I know it’s more than just a body wash or cologne. It’s his natural musk mixed in with it that makes it irresistible. Obsessing over somebody’s body scent to the point of my mouth literally salivating is weird. I’m fully aware of that, but I can’t help it.
Stopping before we get to the kitchen, Cole wraps an arm around my shoulder, making my body tense up. “Wasn’t ready to end our date quite yet. So?—”
“Not a date,” I clarify, but it does nothing to cut through the tension in this hallway.
Cole chuckles. “Oh, whatever. Same thing. As I was saying.” His attention shifts back to his dad. “So, figured we’d come here and watch a movie or something. That cool?”
I chance a glance over at Conway, noting the tightness in his jaw and his hardened gaze as he takes in his son’s arm around my shoulder. “Sure,” he finally grits out before meeting my gaze. My body flushes hot under the weight of his stare. “I could watch a movie.”
“Right on,” Cole says excitedly as I manage to shrug off his touch. “But I’m sure you’re busy, Dad. Don’t feel like you have to hang out with us.”
“Nonsense.” Conway’s lip tips up into a smirk directed right at me. “I insist.”
My stomach bottoms out as Cole leads the three of us into the living room. Once in there, he steps to the side, gesturing for me to find a seat. I scan the area, hating my options. The way it’s arranged in here, the couch is the only piece of furniture that has a good view of the TV mounted on the wall. Well, that, and the recliner that’s currently piled high with boxes that look to be full of some sort of decorations. The idea of Conway doing something as domestic as decorating his house shouldn’t make my chest squeeze, but it does.
Oh, Jesus Christ. This is a disaster.
Not wanting to make things any more awkward than they already are, I take a seat on the couch, and I watch in horror as Cole and Conway drop down on either side of me. Are they serious? This couch is plenty big enough. Why are they sitting so close to me?
“What should we watch?” Cole asks, swiping the remote off the table in front of us.
Conway turns his head, and I can’t help but do the same, meeting his imploring gaze for half a second before I clear my throat and shift my attention to the television. “Uh, I don’t know,” I murmur. “Something funny, I guess.”
After about five minutes of scrolling through the various streaming services Conway has, Cole finally settles on some movie I’ve never heard of. Not that it really matters. I doubt I’ll be paying much attention. Not with Conway’s beefy thigh so close to mine I can feel his body heat radiate into mine. Before starting the movie, Cole jumps up and announces he’s grabbing us a round of beers.
Lovely. Alcohol. That’s exactly what this weird-as-hell threesome needs.
As soon as he’s out of earshot, Conway leans in, bringing his mouth right beside my ear. A shiver rolls down my spine, and I suck in a sharp breath. “Date, huh?” My nipples harden at his deep, throaty voice and the gravel wrapped around those two words. “I thought I made myself clear after your last date, Sin. You. Are. Mine.”
Fuck. My core clenches, heat instantly pooling between my thighs. “It’s not a date,” I breathe.
“Better fucking not be,” he growls, teeth nipping at my earlobe before he sits upright again just as Cole rounds the corner, three cans of beer in his hands.
My heart is pounding, and my breathing is coming out fast and shallow. I swear, if Cole looked hard enough, he’d be able to tell something was up. Thankfully, I don’t think he’s capable of noticing anything outside of his own little orbit, and after he hands us both a beer, he plops down beside me again, starting the movie. Exactly as I figured, I’m unable to focus on the screen in front of me because I’m all too aware of the men beside me.
Or, more specifically, one of the men beside me.
I couldn’t care less about Cole. It’s his father’s larger-than-life presence to my right that has my lungs working in overdrive and my thighs clenching together. It’s absurd, and honestly, a little embarrassing, how turned on I am doing something as simple as sitting beside Conway. No real physical contact is even happening, and yet, I’m practically panting for him. Although, every so often, he’ll press his thigh to the side of mine, and it sends an electric buzz through my veins every time.
About halfway through the movie, Cole pats my knee before standing up. “Gotta hit the bathroom. That coffee is ripping right through me, but don’t worry about pausing. I’ve seen this movie half a dozen times, and I’ll probably be a while.”
How nice of him to share.
The sound of the bathroom door closing and the lock clicking into place damn near echoes through the house. The movie is still playing, but I can’t hear any of it over the blood roaring in my ears.
“Look at me,” Conway murmurs, the deep, gruff sound of his voice somehow piercing through my mind.
The tension filling the air shifts in the matter of seconds, like sunshine after a chaotic rainstorm, and I fear if I look him in the eye, I’ll do something irresponsible and foolish. Like rip my clothes off and climb on his lap. So, to be safe, I don’t.
But that’s unacceptable to Conway. His fingers pinch my chin, forcing my head to turn until I have no choice but to oblige his demand to look at him. The smirk curling his lips makes my pussy clench, and it steals the air from my lungs at the same time. His dark, hungry gaze drops down to my mouth, and as he runs the pad of his rough, warm thumb across my lower lip, a rush of arousal settles between the apex of my thighs, my entire body flushing with heat.
“Enjoying the movie?” he asks, eyebrow cocked, grin crooked and cocky. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
I suck in a breath and nod, heart thrashing against my ribs.
Pushing his thumb past my parted lips, a groan rumbles from his chest as it glides across my tongue. Conway’s eyes flit up to mine. “Go ahead,” he husks. “Suck on it, baby girl. I know you want to.”
I do. God, I do, and I can’t even explain why.
Closing my lips, I hold his gaze, curl my tongue around the digit, and hollow my cheeks, sucking on it the exact way I wish I could do to his cock. A moan sounds from me as I do it again, reveling in the affection and arousal swimming in his expression.
“Such a good girl,” he murmurs huskily. “Such a needy girl too, aren’t you?”
His thumb still in my mouth, I nod.
“I’ll bet if I were to slip my hand into your panties, I’d find you soaked already,” he hums, dragging his finger out of my mouth. “Wouldn’t I?”
My cheeks heat as I bite down on my bottom lip and shrug, peering over at him from beneath my lashes. “I don’t know, Daddy. Why don’t you give it a try and see for yourself?”
The fire in his eyes as he looks back at me is enough to give me a second-degree burn. It fills my blood and clutches at my chest. “You want me to touch your pretty little pussy right now, Sin?”
My lip curls up into a grin. “Yes, Daddy.”
A groan sounds from Conway’s throat as he leans in, mouth hovering over mine, and the weight of his gaze as his hands trail over my abdomen and down to my thigh is intoxicating. His eyes never leave mine as he slips his hand under the skirt I’m wearing, shoving my panties effortlessly to the side before dragging his middle finger along the length of my slit.
I spread my legs a little wider, giving him better access as my lips part on a breathy moan. The look on Conway’s face as he sinks a finger into my pussy is one of pure pleasure. A man who truly gets off on making a woman feel good. Smiling down at me, Conway flicks his tongue into my mouth before sucking on my lip while his finger-fucks me slowly.
“So wet,” he murmurs. “And all for me, isn’t that right, baby girl?”
Licking my lips in an attempt to bring back some moisture to my mouth, I nod.
Conway curls the finger inside of me as his thumb presses down on my clit, making me gasp. “Say it,” he growls.
“It’s all for y-you,” I pant as he rubs circles with his thumb. “My pussy is all yours, Daddy.”
“You’re goddamn right it is,” Conway snarls, and the possessiveness in his tone sends my body ablaze. Just as he’s about to slip in a second finger, I hear it. The sound of the toilet flushing down the hall. His movements halt, but he doesn’t pull out of me yet. Pressing a quick, gentle kiss to my lips, he murmurs, “Guess we’ll just have to wait.”
My heart is a rapid beat in my chest as Conway pulls his finger from my body a single second before we hear the door open, and I swear, all the blood drains from my face as I watch him bring the glistening digit up to his mouth and suck it clean. Eyes rolling back, he groans before whispering, “So fucking sweet.”
A moment later, Cole drops down on the couch beside me again, and it’s a damn miracle he doesn’t pick up on anything. I’m positive my face is bright red, and I can’t seem to steady my breathing, but he doesn’t say anything, and the three of us go back to watching the movie like my ex-boyfriend didn’t almost catch his dad finger-fucking me.