40
ANNA
We’re just about ready to close when the front doorbell chimes. Em is in the back with me about to head to the front when I look through the window.
“Don’t go.” I’m grabbing her wrist, tugging her back. “Let me.”
My stomach is in knots, heart thundering out of control as I watch the couple on the other side of the glass.
“What’s wrong? Why are you being weird?” she asks, perplexed, and peeks out her head, trying to get a look at who it is, but I jerk her away.
Removing my apron, I toss it on the table. “Clara and Dean.”
Her jaw physically drops, eyebrows rising to her hairline. “Are you serious? Sylas’s parents?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back.” I blow out a breath and head to the front, standing behind the counter. “Hi, welcome to Everything Everything. We’re about to close in five minutes,” I say in my most professional, friendly voice.
There’s so much I want to say, but it’s better if I don’t. I don’t doubt they’ll use whatever I say against me. I wouldn’t put it past them. They’re also not worth it. If they had no remorse over what they said to Sylas, they won’t care to listen to me.
Clara and Dean stand in the middle of my small bakery, staring at the place with contemptuous expressions. They try to hide it but not too hard because I can see past their blasé exterior.
“Good, we only need two,” Clara snobbily supplies before approaching the counter as she digs into her designer purse.
Dean follows suit. His eyes and jaw are set tight as he gives me a once-over. But he stays quiet as she draws out a piece of paper and places it on the counter, sliding it toward me.
“That’s enough for you to pack all of this up”—she idly sweeps her gaze over the bakery—“and move.”
The piece of paper is a check with so many zeroes I have to do a double take to make sure my eyes aren’t deceiving me.
Rage splinters my body, and black fogs my vision. I want nothing more than to crumple the paper up and throw it at their faces, but instead I slide it back.
“I don’t need that, and we’re closing now. Get out.” I’m simmering with fury. It bubbles up my throat and chokes me.
“Is that not enough?” Clara tilts her head, her brows pinched.
“Take the check and leave Sylas alone,” Dean grits. He picks up the check and slaps it down on the counter. “You came into his life and fucked everything up.”
“And you’ve been in his life since he was born and have been nothing but horrible to him.
Who calls their son weak for having a panic attack?
Not to mention you didn’t tell him about his daughter.
” I don’t mean to raise my voice, but I can’t bring myself to care anymore.
“I don’t need your money. Take this, and stay away from us. ”
They stare at me like I’ve slapped them, but the shock wears off soon enough. I know they’re trying to appear unbothered, but the resentment rolls off them in hot waves, and malice shines in their eyes.
“Now that you’re a mother, you’ll understand—”
“No,” I snap, cutting Clara off. “Get out.” I grab the check and rip it apart, then round the counter and march to the door, opening it for them.
I don’t know how she can stand there and call herself a mother. I don’t know how either one of them can call themselves a parent—how they sleep at night, how they can live with themselves, how they pretend like they’re doing him a favor.
They leave the ripped-up pieces on the counter and exit, but they stall outside. “We’ll never be this generous again.”
“Fuck your generosity.” I bristle.
I’m fuming as I shut the door and lock it. Unable to stand still, I pace the length of the small bakery.
“What the actual fuck?” Clementine stares at me, bewildered.
“I can’t believe they…” Her voice wavers, and she shakes her head while breathing out aggressively.
“I have never hated anyone more. Never thought that’d be possible, considering I hate my dad, but God, they top it.
Just so you know, I recorded that.” She holds her phone up.
I laugh at the grave look on her face. “You recorded us?”
“Yes, you just never know when you’ll need it.” She shrugs, but her amusement fades. “I’m sorry, Anna. What are you going to do?”
I exhale a long sigh. “I…I don’t know…”
I’m stunned to find Rosie, Maya, and Sylas in the living room. It’s way past Rosie’s bedtime. She should already be sleeping, but my daughter is running around with her dog.
“Mama!” She zooms straight toward me when she hears me.
I drop down, spreading my arms for her. “Rosie!” She jumps into them, giggling and smiling big, but she looks sleepy. Her green eyes are narrowed, lids heavy from exhaustion. “What is she doing up?”
My gaze bounces between the two adults who don’t look the least bit sorry.
When she starts squirming against me, I set her down and approach them but falter when I notice Rosie’s bag, my duffle, and another that I know isn’t Maya’s on the sofa.
“We’re going away for the day,” Sylas answers, and closes the space between us to hug me.
“But there’s only three.” I look at the bags again, wondering if I somehow overlooked the fourth one.
“I’m not going,” Maya says.
Sylas kisses the top of my head, taking Rosie with him and leaving Maya and me alone.
“When was this planned? Why aren’t you going? You know just because Sylas and I are working things out, doesn’t mean that you can’t be with us.” I start panicking, hoping she doesn’t think that I’m going to push her away.
“Sylas came home after his game and said he wanted to leave town for a day. And don’t worry, he invited me, but I said no.”
“Why? We love having you with us.”
She smiles lightheartedly. “I know that, but I also think it’s important you three have some time to yourselves. You haven’t had that since he came back into your life.”
“But—”
“Anna, it’s okay. I promise. I’m happy for you. You deserve this. Go and don’t worry about me. I’m going to have the condo all to myself.” Her smile only deepens. “I might also hang out with Em. She said something about helping her pick out an outfit for a date she has next week.”
My anxiety slowly fades away. “You sure?”
“Yes. Stop being so needy.” She grimaces.
I laugh, flipping her off. “I’m sorry. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you.”
She pulls me into a hug, shocking me. “That’s not going to happen. Thanks for including me, but you and Sylas need this. So don’t worry about me, and please go because that man is ecstatic to be taking you and Rosie away.”
My stomach dips, and my heart takes off. “Do you know where he’s taking me?”
“No idea but have fun and don’t be stubborn. Let him take care of you. I know it’s all he wants,” she whispers in my ear.
Sylas brought us to Cape Cod.
After the post-game interview earlier, his captain, Matias Vargas, told him to get out of Boston and visit his private house in the Cape. While they won and Sylas played well, the questions weren’t about the game, but Rosie and his parents.
Once I spoke to Maya, I showered, and left with Sylas. Rosie is already asleep in one of the bedrooms, while we’re outside, sitting by the edge of the pool, drinking tequila.
It’s dark out, so it’s chillier, but the water is warm, and the alcohol helps a little.
“This is nice. I’m glad we came.” I smile lazily, clinking my glass against his. We’ve only had two shots. I don’t think we’ll have more. We probably shouldn’t, but then he’s filling up my glass again. “We cannot get drunk.”
He chuckles, downing the third shot. “We will not be getting drunk.”
I know why he’s drinking, but he doesn’t know why I agreed so easily. I need to tell him about his parents, but I don’t want to talk about them right now. The same way I know he doesn’t want to talk about the questions that were asked.
The reminder of his parents has me quickly drinking my third shot.
“We should get in the water.” He’s standing before I answer, grabbing the neck of his shirt and pulling it over his head. “Come on. Get in with me.” He holds his hand out for me to take.
“Okay.” I don’t think twice as I slip my hand in his. He helps me stand, and swiftly, we’re discarding our clothes until we’re standing in our underwear. “No, I’m not swimming naked.”
He flashes me a crooked grin and tucks his fingers under the band of his boxer briefs, pulling them down. He stands completely naked before he jumps in the pool.
Sylas’s head pops up from under the water, and he combs his wet hair back and looks up at me. “Come on, baby, don’t leave me hanging.”
“Fuck it,” I mumble under my breath, removing everything and joining him.
The moment I swim back up to the surface, Sylas grabs my waist and pulls me flush to his body. I wrap my legs around him and wipe the water away from my face, then circle my hands around his neck.
“This was your plan all along, huh? Get me a little buzzed and naked so you can have your way with me?” My nipples pebble against his chest.
He slyly grins, kissing my neck. “Maybe.”
I moan, tilting my neck to give him more access to it. “We shouldn’t do this here. It’s your friend’s house. I’m sure he has cameras and—”
“They’re off…” He nips my neck all the way down to my collarbone. His hands drift to my butt, and he cups it and lifts me higher. “I asked him to turn them off.”
I scoff but halfway, a moan tumbles out when he latches on to the side of my neck and sucks hard. “You left a hickey last time. Not too hard.”
“That was on the other side.” He swipes his tongue over the spot I know is now bruised.
“I need to mark you everywhere,” he gruffly states, fingers digging into my ass cheeks before he spreads them.
“I need to touch you everywhere.” He slips his hand between the crack, his fingers teasing my asshole, circling it.
My breath hitches, and my hips buck when he inserts the tip of his finger inside. “Sy…” I whimper.
“Relax,” he whispers. “Remember how good you used to take my cock?” I bite my bottom lip, moaning as vivid memories play in my head.
“Remember how you’d beg for it? How I’d fuck your asshole while you used your vibrator?
Remember that, baby?” He pushes it in a little deeper.
“That’s it, breathe and relax for me. You’re doing so good. ”
My head lolls and my clit pluses as a shiver wracks down my body. “Deeper,” I groan. My toes curl, and I slowly grind myself against his stomach. “I need more.”
“I love it when you get needy like this.” He slips his finger out.
I whine and fight against him, but he holds on to me firmly. “I can’t stand you.”
“It’s hot when you get mad, when you try to push away from me,” he rasps, his voice deep and patronizing.
“When you act like you’re over this, but you’re hoping I fuck you.
” He’s moving and then sitting me on one of the stairs, where his erection is perfectly aligned to my pussy. “Spread wider. I know you can.”
“Are you going to tease me?”
“Are you going to listen to me?”
“If you’re not going to let me come, I don’t—”
He grabs the backs of my knees and parts my legs. “I said spread them.” He slaps my pussy hard. I yelp from the pain, but the sting only lasts for a second as pleasure takes over. “Fucking listen to me.”
“Then don’t tease me. You didn’t let me come last time.” I glower at him but shamelessly hope he slaps me again.
He wraps a hand around his length and rubs the tip along my slit. I shudder, moaning as it grazes my pulsing clit. I grow wetter and more impatient with every stroke as he does nothing but barely touch me.
“You know exactly why.” He wets his lips, and his hooded eyes level on us.
“We can’t do that here.” I whimper and grab his wrist, guiding him to where I want him most.
“Anna, I can do whatever I want,” he says so matter-of-factly, smirking at me, knowing he’s right. “Especially with you.” He aligns himself at my entrance and thrusts all the way inside me. “Fuck,” he drawls out. “You feel like home.”
My breath catches, and my eyes roll back.
“We’ll do it here,” he threatens, rubbing his pelvis against mine. My eyes roll again and my nipples tighten, the piercings heightening how sensitive they already are.
I’d never been able to squirt until Sylas.
I didn’t even think it was possible, but then one night, he didn’t let me come.
He edged me, and every time I was close, he’d stop, but then he didn’t.
He told me not to come, to hold it. I tried until he hit a spot so hard, it made me dizzy. I couldn’t help but let go.
“Sy, not in the water.” I’m grabbing his forearm in an attempt to stop him, but it only encourages him to fuck me faster.
“Then hold it,” he grits, grabbing my neck and choking me as he flexes his hips rapidly. Water sloshes around us, my breasts bounce, and we only grow louder.
“I-I-I…” I’m stuttering, unable to get the words out as his skin slaps against mine. “Can’t.”
“You can.” A deep groan vibrates in his chest as he squeezes my neck, driving faster into me. “Fucking hold it, Anna.”
I’m shaking, dropping my head back, clenching around him. I’m a whimpering, drooling mess. My body shakes, desperate for release, but I hold it in.
“Sy…” I’m barely able to breathe from how hard he chokes me. “I can’t…I’m going to—”
He pulls out of me and picks me up, taking us out of the pool. “Don’t hold back.” He demands as he drops on one of the lounge chairs. “Come all over me.”
I’m straddling him, grabbing the base and aligning the crown to my entrance. I drop down in one go, feeling his balls press against my ass.
“Fuck,” we moan in unison.
He grabs my ass, squeezing my cheeks and slapping them hard. “Ride me. Come all over me.”
I sit up and roll my hips fast, but it doesn’t feel like enough. I get desperate and bounce on him. He slaps my breasts hard then pinches my nipples and twists the piercings.
The chaise lounge chair creaks beneath us as our wet bodies connect. I’m panting harshly, and his breathing is labored. We’re close, so fucking close.
He grabs the back of my neck, tugs me down, and kisses me with vigor. I’m moaning against his mouth, rolling my hips fast, until he holds me down.
“Fucking come.” He grabs my cheeks, driving fast into me.
My body goes tense, the pit of my stomach coiled tight, and my pussy clamps down on him, holding him in place as I find my release.
I’m crying out, squirting all over his cock as he comes inside me. Mumbled, incoherent words fall out of my mouth. I’m spasming, twitching around him, unable to hold steady. Everything is heightened, and every movement is sensory overload.
“I love it when you make a mess of me,” he says against my mouth, still sounding breathless.
I whimper at the praise. “Stop, I could come again.”
He slips a hand between us and rubs my throbbing clit. “I can make that happen.”