10. California
10
California
Theo
“Who’s going to take care of him when you are on the road?” Jane asked. We stood in the soon-to-be nursery. Jane had already told me her plans for the baby’s room, and I was one hundred percent on board with the plans to decorate and actually excited about it, which is something I never thought I would say.
“Hm, his mom probably, most of the time.” I tilted my head, thinking about it more. “Maybe I’ll have to get a nanny.” Just another thing to add to the “how to be a good father” list that I hadn’t figured out yet.
“A hot nanny?” Jane teased, her smile sweet and irresistible.
“Not a bad idea.” I winked at her as I teased her back, but she didn’t fall for it. Our effortless flirting and friendship slash relationship picked up right where it left off. My attraction to her had not cooled down a single bit just because I was soon going to be a father. Jane’s generous, helpful mentality was still the same, and the allure of her perfect body was still pulling at my every nerve, especially those in my bottom half, even though I knew I should fight them. “No, honestly, I want a practical nanny, someone with tons of early childhood education and experience, and probably at least a million five-star references.” I grinned. It was easy to be overprotective of this unborn child. She seemed to understand, nodding.
“Sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this,” she added.
“Not really. I hadn’t even thought of it until you mentioned it. Crap, I suck at this dad thing already. I need a baby manager to figure out all this stuff.” I grumbled as I thought of the stress that comes with touring. “You know, like a tour manager but for babies.”
She giggled, and the sound of her laugh warmed my soul. “Yeah, that’s what moms are for,” she said. “Wait…sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
I smiled. “No harm, no foul.”
Quickly trying to change the subject and get my mind off being a single parent, Jane added, “So I may have Zillowed your house.” Her soft laugh sent a message straight to my core, and my stomach clenched—among other things. “If you renovated the rest of this house for about $100,000 or a bit more, my estimate is that your house would probably be worth three million dollars. I know that’s not a lot to you, but to some people, it would be totally worth it.” She looked at me. “Sorry, the real estate agent in me never really turns off.” Her cute apology for always working was adorable.
“Wow, that never even occurred to me, but yes, that’s a really good idea. I want to think about my future too. My health is good right now, but I realize I can’t expect my body to perform like this the rest of my life.” My head bobbed as I thought about it. “I’m practical. I know multiple forms of wealth is smart. I say we do it, and I’m putting you in charge of this project. Will you?”
She looked down like she was skeptical. “I mean, I wasn’t asking for a job,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know, silly, but it was an awesome idea. And you are my favorite house flipper, not to mention the cutest renovator I know.” I gave my most irresistible smile, hoping a little encouragement would go a long way. Plus, I was being honest.
I could tell her thoughts were spinning as she considered it. “It would be fun. I’ll have to think about it.” She smiled shyly at me and punched me on the shoulder. I get it. She doesn’t want to be hurt again. It would actually be hard working in close proximity to her without getting back into an actual relationship. Shit, had I screwed this up, over the stupid idea of pretending I am in control of my life? I hoped it wasn’t too late. I watched her as she considered the offer.
Jane’s creative juices were flowing now. “Well, if I did, I could probably do the design from Colorado, no problem.” Over Chinese takeout, she continued to tell me every aspect of the little beach bungalow that she would change. Her excitement for the project was contagious.
“Honestly, I love all of those ideas.” I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Her heart was in everything she did, and it showed. She loved the renovating process, she loved real estate, and I was pretty sure she still loved me. Fact was, I still loved her too. I couldn’t just turn that off. Ugh, it was probably a mistake to bring her out here. I had been working with a therapist after the divorce, the breakup, and the baby. It was helping me, but I was still fearful of how I was going to handle being a father and a rock star. With Jane around, those fears subsided.
I was drawn to her. Maybe it was the wine, but mostly it was just Jane. I didn’t want the night to end. I could talk to her forever. I loved the sound of her voice, I loved her ideas, and I loved hearing all about her life.
“Tell me about your ex-boyfriend.” That was definitely the wine asking. The mood had calmed, and there was something in the air. I knew it, and I could tell from the way her chest raised and lowered that she knew it too. She considered my question for a moment. I tried to give her an out. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”
“No, it’s okay.” She inched a little closer to me on the couch. “Mike and I met at work. We hit it off immediately.” There was her cute grin again, this time directed at someone besides myself. I had to remind myself that there was no reason to be jealous of her late boyfriend. “He was so driven. A lot like you and your passion for your music.” She explained cautiously, looking up at me to see if I was taking everything okay. I smiled, encouraging her to continue. “We had so much in common. He started as my mentor, and we could talk about our love of real estate for hours. Bouncing business ideas off one another endlessly.” I could tell by her eyes that these were happy memories.
I couldn’t help myself and let my guard down. “Was he good-looking?” She tilted her head and pursed her lips—again, considering her answer carefully.
“Well, he wasn’t six-foot-four or built like an Avenger, but he was hot.” She explained. “Different kind of hot,” she said cautiously. “Like a business-type of hot as opposed to rock star hot. Not really apples to apples.” She winked and put one hand on my abs. The other she ran through my already messed-up hair. Her touch doesn’t help the situation, and I can feel myself about to cave to my made-up rules of engagement. Stupid made-up rules .
“What about Amy?” Jane asked. “What’s your story together?” Always so sweet. Always moving the attention from herself.
The wine had soothed my nerves, and I knew I would be an open book tonight. But I didn’t mind. This was Jane, and she deserved to know. “Well, Amy and I met in college. It was similar to you and Mike. We hit it off immediately too. We had music in common.” I reminisced about the early days with my now ex-wife. “We were always making music together for fun, putting it up on YouTube and stuff.” I sighed. “It was great, but her family was very orthodox, and when she got pregnant out of wedlock, they insisted we get married. I’m not sure we were ready, but we got married quickly to appease her parents.” Jane nodded in understanding, just listening, not judging. “Amy ended up having a still birth late in the pregnancy at five months. It was hard, one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through besides the divorce. They said the baby had a major heart defect, causing it to die in the womb. We were actually supposed to get some DNA tests run after that for research and future pregnancies.” I had almost forgotten about that. “We never got around to the tests.” I was thinking out loud. “I wonder if Amy had any run for this pregnancy. I’ll have to ask her,” I said thoughtfully.
“How did Amy’s MRI go?” Jane asked, concern obvious in her eyes. “Is everything good with this pregnancy so far?”
“Yes, it is. We got the test results back earlier today, and it seems like he just has a large head, not hydrocephalus like the doctors thought.”
“Interesting.” She pondered.
“Turns out he just has a big brain, which they will continue to monitor. They aren’t as worried since the MRI came back normal. ”
“Oh, I’m so relived for you, Theo. I was so worried.” She leaned into me, and I easily wrapped my arms around her petite frame.
“Sorry I freaked out so much when they were running the tests.” I ran one of my hands through my hair. “Really. It means so much that you would drop everything to be with me during my time of need, Jane. Thanks for being here for me.” Our emotional connection was strong, not to mention the sexual pull. There was no use fighting it anymore.
“Of course.” She gazed into my soul. Even without saying a word, she spoke to me. “So why did you guys divorce?” She asked giving me time to answer. The fact that we could talk about our past lovers and relationships seemed so natural, just like we were old friends. Well, old friends with benefits. “You don’t have to talk about it if it’s too hard,” she added.
“No, it’s fine. You know, that’s what I can’t figure out, really. One day, after I got back from a six-month tour, Amy randomly accused me of cheating. She had never been jealous of the fan girls before. I mean, she was there with me before the fan girls came along. Then once the fan girls were a part of life and the road, she always knew she was my only choice. I never once strayed, and I know she knew that. I can’t figure out why she accused me.”
“Wow, that’s crazy.” Jane’s eyes held a tense stare. “Remember how you stopped us in the heat of passion because the divorce wasn’t final?” she asked thoughtfully. “I totally believe you.” She touched my cheek lightly.
“It was so strange,” I continued. “She kept yelling and said she wanted a divorce. Literally six weeks later, we were divorced. I met you four weeks into that six weeks. It all happened so fast.”
“That does seem fast. And strange. What about her new boyfriend? Do you know anything about him?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I grunted. “He’s in this no-name punk band. Seems like a loser, if you ask me.”
I seemed to have her undivided attention. She was focused and on a mission for answers. “Do they have any hits?” Jane asked.
That was easy. “Hell no.” Now I wondered where she was going with this.
“Does he have any money?”
“No. As far as I can tell, Amy supports him with my alimony, and soon, the child support will be added. And of course, the settlement that she got in the divorce.” It was a decent chunk of change. I was an honest man, and I felt like I had been fair, and the courts agreed. Amy was set for life. I was fine with that. After all, she had been my wife. She loved me and put up with me before I was rich.
“Hmm.” Jane looked lovely when she was thinking. She bit her lip and cautiously gazed up into my eyes. “I don’t mean to be a skeptic, but I wonder if she was cheating on you with Mr. No-Name.”
“His name is Tyrel.”
“Just from a girl’s perspective… Something seems off.” She gazed into my eyes and continued to watch me.
“Something does seem off. I never wanted the divorce, and I thought at the very least, we could go to counseling and try to work it out. But she was in such a hurry to get those divorce papers signed. Shit!” Fury roared through my body. “I swear, if that baby isn’t mine—”
“Calm down, Theo.” Jane caressed my arm. “It’s going to be okay.”
I was extra careful with my relationship with Jane in the beginning, not wanting to cheat on my wife. Now the thought of her cheating while I held back to be loyal and keep my vows had me wishing I had been with Jane sooner. The thought was only making me want Jane more. Jane was by my side, offering comfort. I didn’t want to take advantage, but I wanted her bad. There was only one thing to do. “Jane…”
She gulped at the sound of her name leaving my lips. It was déjà vu all over again. I felt like we had already been there, done that. “Will you sleep with me tonight?” She stared into my eyes for a moment, reading, considering.
“Yes, please” was all she said. She pressed her pointer finger to my lips and drove me wild with need. I grabbed her soft hand and pulled her toward my bedroom. At her gentle agreement to my request, my cock stood at attention. I needed to be inside her with all my heart. In the past, it was intense, “I need you right now,” no holds barred. That was not what was happening now. In that moment, there were two people, broken, but with hope of love again. We were both walking into the unknown with a deep desire that couldn’t be relieved. I needed her. I worshipped her. I felt her desire for me in return. “Theo.” She whispered my name a second before I kissed her soft pink lips. Gently at first. They tasted like strawberry Chapstick. I missed her, I missed this. My tongue stayed in my own mouth for what seemed like a millennium before I finally let myself push through her lips. I wanted so bad to have a part of me inside her. A precious moan escaped her as I entered her mouth, confirming she had missed this too.
“I’ve missed you, Jane.” I mumbled as I gently guided her toward the bed.
* * *
Jane
He missed me. God, I missed him too. I didn’t know what I was doing, but his warm tongue was in my mouth, and I was too hypnotized by its softness to stop and think what this might mean for our relationship. “I’ve missed you too.” I disengaged from the kiss for a moment and moved my mouth to his ear. I sucked the tip of his earlobe into my mouth. Theo groaned in pleasure, his body desperate to be closer to mine, to be part of mine. I felt his hard length rub against my thigh. The butterflies in my stomach clenched with need, and the memory of having him inside me flooded my body. I moved my hand over his jeans, feeling him, rubbing him softly, savoring how he felt against my palm.
“Oh god, Jane.” He greedily reached for my shirt, pulling it over my head with one hand. He put the palm of his other hand between my thighs, laying pressure to the most sensitive spot. I was so ready for him that he almost sent me over the edge with one tantalizing touch. A hand moved to the back of my bra and unclasped it easily. Then he started kneading my breasts, causing my nipples to perk up with arousal. He slowly moved his lips from my cheek, down my neck to my chest where he tenderly sucked my nipple. I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my lips.
Theo paused to catch his breath and remove his jeans. Breathless, I took the hint and pulled off my leggings. I stood in front of him in only my lacy black panties. It was hard not to take in the view of the man before me. My heart raced, hardly believing I would get another chance to make love to this gorgeous man. His chiseled abs and chest were spectacular. I couldn’t get enough of them as my fingertips touched every inch of his firm, bare skin. The muscles in his arms and shoulders couldn’t have been more picture perfect. I gently squeezed his bicep, and my center tingled in response to his muscled arms.
“You are gorgeous,” Theo whispered, pulling me out of a trance. “I need you.” It’s not like we hadn’t seen each other before. But every time I witnessed him naked the raw hunger I feel sends me into a fury. He was like a fine piece of artwork that needed to be treasured. The priceless creation that was his body needed to be savored; it was rare, and I knew I was exceptionally privileged to have it in my possession.
“I need you too, Theo.” I replied reverently, not having adequate words to describe my feelings. I rubbed my hand across his chest lightly, and he hissed at my touch. His chest rose and fell in unison with mine, then he stepped forward and gently lifted me onto the bed. He crawled on top of me, rubbing against me, making my hips press up into his with longing.
This time was different than the other times. This wasn’t a passionate rage; this was a slow worship. This was friendship turned to more, this was hope, this was healing for both of us. He was tender and precise as he entered me, and the mere pleasure of him inside me sent me nearly to the breaking point of euphoria. Theo felt it and slowed down, pulling back right before I went too far. He made me beg for more each time he entered and sent me to the edge before slowing again. My body clenched with need around him, and he groaned, pulling out quickly before I came. “Jane, you naughty girl,” he teased. “You almost made me come too soon.” His blue eyes darkened with lust. “Where’s the fun in that?” His voice was brisk and needy; his lips grazed my ear. “Guess I’ll just have to try something else.” His hungry grin had me aching for more.
“Your killing me. Please,” I begged. “Theo, please. ”
“I want this to last all night, sweetheart. I want to idolize you until morning.” Theo’s husky voice faded away as his kisses led down my now completely naked body. Goosebumps appeared on my stomach as I watched him lick and kiss his way down to my lower half. His two fingers entered me, my body already completely swollen and easy for him to find my g-spot. When his warm tongue touched me, I quivered in delight. He flicked it over my most delicate and tender spot, sending a jolt of bliss and fervor that came like a starburst. I gasped for air in order to scream in delight. Then, putting his lips around me, he gently sucked. It only took a moment for my body to start convulsing in ecstasy, my hands wildly moving in his hair as the longest, most intense orgasm of my life engulfed my body. I screamed, “Oh God, oh my god, Theo.”
Theo’s face appeared before mine with a huge satisfied smile; his breathing was heavy. “I can’t wait any longer, fuck.” I was rendered completely speechless, just trying to catch my breath. He leaned over to the nightstand and pulled a condom out of the top drawer, quickly pulling it over his large erection before leaning over me and devouring my lips. His lips were salty as I tasted myself on his mouth.
He entered me with an urgency, like it was our first and last time, like he could never get enough. I groaned in pleasure as his thickness ignited all the senses that had just exploded a moment ago. He immediately sent me into another heavenly orgasm, pulsating as he thrust inside me—slowly at first, then deeper as I squeezed around him again and again. I was in complete and utter rapture, transported to paradise as I felt him pulsate inside of me.
“Fuck, oh god. Jane…that feels so good. Jane. Fuck.” He moaned into my ear, finally taking a deep breath as he finished. He sighed as he rolled off me. He took a deep breath. “There weren’t adequate words for that. Fuck, it felt so good.” He gasped as he caught his breath.
“Tell me about it.” I breathed heavily, trying to get some oxygen to my brain.
He held me tight as our blood flow returned to normal and our heart rates slowly lowered. He leaned over and kissed me lovingly. “Thanks, I needed that,” he said. Then he rolled over, got out of bed, and strolled to the bathroom.
“I did too,” I managed, closing my eyes, completely exhausted and content. I couldn’t be bothered with clothes, so I drifted off, naked and satisfied.