Chapter 12
TWELVE
nate
There was something both fierce and heartbreaking about Olivia. Austin took care of her in his way, financially. But no one was there for her emotionally. Everything she did had a singular purpose: to take care of her son.
She carried the bulk of the parenting burden for Cooper. Yeah, the trip to the amusement park was better than anything my father had ever done for me, but the disrespect Jason had directed at Olivia? Come on, man. Not fucking cool.
Were those tears I saw in her eyes? I hated it when women cried, but when you saw a woman who was as fierce as Olivia was, and someone like Jason could break in there and hurt her?
I flopped into bed, set my alarm, and placed my phone on the side table.
Maybe tonight I could sleep? Sleep had never come easily; it was probably because I had spent my entire childhood listening for my dad to arrive home.
Sometimes he’d pick a fight with my mother; other times I’d hear him stumbling around.
Once, I’d found him passed out on the bathroom floor with his pants around his ankles.
I tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot.
What was that sound? I heard a faint moaning coming through the walls.
Oh God, help me. Olivia was in for round two, and this time, I could hear her choppy breaths and breathy moans. My cock grew thick in my sweatpants, and I breathed through it, ignoring the impulse to crash through the doorway from the sounds of my dream woman as she touched herself.
By the time I relented and released my cock from my briefs, it was practically weeping.
My favorite lube was across the room, but fuck, there was enough pre-cum for me to coat the entire shaft.
My hand slipped up and down, her moans getting louder.
I pictured her on her knees, her hand between her legs, playing with herself as I fucked myself in and out of her mouth.
My imagination was thanks to an extensive porn collection, not actual experience.
Shifting in my bed, the creaking matched the pace of my fist. Fuck, I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about was finding my release with her. Even if she didn’t know what we’d done together.
Would she let me finish down her throat? Or all over those perfect tits? I wanted to know everything about her. Her sounds were driving me fucking crazy. The pressure building in the base of my spine had me on the edge of exploding.
“Fuck.” The word carried through the walls, signaling her orgasm, and I followed right after her.
I lay there panting hard and pulling myself together after one of the most powerful orgasms I’d ever experienced.
And she’d never even touched me. I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom to clean up the mess I’d made of myself.
After I cleaned off, I lay back in bed and slept better than I had in months.
* * *
Cooper was at the breakfast counter eating pancakes when I got back from my morning run.
“Hey, Coop. How was Six Flags?”
“It was so much fun. Guess what?”
“What?”
“I’m finally tall enough to ride all the rides.”
“Oh great. I guess that means I can’t avoid the roller coasters anymore.” I caught Olivia’s eye, and she held up a mug and gestured to the coffeepot. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
“Coop, do you want to go to the game tonight?” Olivia’s question caught Cooper off guard, and he perked up.
“Really, Mom? Is it family night?”
Are you fucking kidding me? Did Ashley honestly make it difficult for Cooper to watch his uncle play? Shit, if my family were local, I would make sure they had tickets to every single start they wanted to watch. If I had a nephew with as much talent as Cooper, he’d get as much exposure as possible.
“No, bud. We can go to as many games as we want this season.” Olivia assured him, while I bit my tongue before adding that Aunty Hoe Bag was gone for good. I’ve never been one to slut-shame women, but with Ashley, she earned the insult.
“Are you starting tonight?” Cooper asked me, and I nodded.
Would that ever get old? I hoped not. I never wanted to take it for granted that I had worked my ass off to make it to the Major League.
Working hard didn’t guarantee success; there was also luck involved.
It was lucky that the Minutemen needed a position I played when it was my time.
It was talent that allowed me to switch from shortstop to the outfield.
With Tucker Milligan at short, I moved wherever they put me.
“Yeah, Mom. I want to go.”
“Even with baseball camp tomorrow?” My eyes caught the whiteboard by the refrigerators, covered with a complicated color-coded schedule of practices, games, and camps.
Olivia had both his and her schedules mapped out, including open houses, closings, and showings.
She’d even started to layer in our game and travel schedules.
“Yeah. I can do it, promise.”
“Okay.”
Something strange flashed over Olivia’s face, and I wished I could read minds. It wouldn’t surprise me if it were something about Ashley, but fuck her for trying to drive a wedge between Austin and his sister.
“I’m going grocery shopping today. If you have any requests, let me know.” Olivia’s offer reminded me of Austin’s promise that we wouldn’t be a burden to her.
“Are you sure? I can place an order and have something delivered.” At Austin’s house, I had never worried about how my protein shakes and special requests arrived; I knew Ashley had nothing to do with it.
She wasn’t doing anything more than the bare minimum to help her husband.
Olivia, on the other hand, would be the one put out by us being here.
And with a quick glance back at the schedule on the wall, she didn’t need more chaos in her life—she needed help.
“Of course. I know how to make Austin’s favorite protein shake. Are you familiar? Do you want one?” She shook the blender where there was plenty for both of us.
“Thanks.” Austin not only took me in but also worked to help clean up my diet.
My southern upbringing had centered on fried food and sugar, all forms of sugar.
Since following his plan, I’d built a ton of muscle and felt much better.
Yeah, I would still destroy the fuck out of a bacon cheeseburger, but that wasn’t my daily dinner anymore.
“We probably should clear some things up before we go too much further.” Olivia paused before continuing.
Her eye contact briefly distracted me. “I know how grueling your schedule is and how hard you guys are working, physically and mentally. I also live in this home purely because my brother puts in that work. If you guys need something, ask. If I can make it happen, I will. Don’t spare me. ”
Here I was heading straight to hell, because the only thing I could think of that I needed was that woman in my arms. My orgasm last night and my long run this morning had done nothing to help me forget about what she sounded like when she made herself come.
I’d never admit to what I saw or heard yesterday.
I swallowed thickly, squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to get control of myself.
It didn’t help that Olivia liked to walk around the house in tiny sweat shorts.
Did she have anything under those shorts?
The legs of the shorts were wide enough that she wouldn’t even need to take them off for me to get inside them.
“Were you watching TV last night?” I asked.
What the fuck are you doing? Two seconds ago, you were ready to go to your grave, not disclosing what you heard, and now you’re taunting her?
Her head snapped towards me, her fair skin turning bright red. “What?”
“I was wondering what you were watching on television last night.”
Something happened in that moment, and it was a beautiful fucking thing. “I think we both know I wasn’t watching TV. I hope it didn’t bother you.”
She wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. Fuck yes. And I wasn’t going to be torn up and tortured by my reaction either.
“Not one bit.”