Chapter 6
6
DYLAN
M y cock has been hard for the last twenty-four hours and it’s really starting to hurt.
Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s close to accurate. The moment Liv opened her front door, my heart stopped beating. Literally. Just completely stopped for at least thirty seconds. She looked so pretty in her sweater and short skirt, but it wasn’t because she was trying to be beautiful. It’s because she wasn’t trying at all. She was cute and effortless, and I wanted to stare at her all morning. But somehow, I managed to pull my shit together and drive us to her mom’s house. Then, I completely lost it and almost kissed her, until Carol showed up and I came to my senses.
It’s no surprise that I’m attracted to Liv. I always have been. Any man with eyes could see how gorgeous she is. But, aside from us being stepsiblings once upon a time, she’s twenty-three and I’m twenty-nine. Not sure how she’d feel about being with an older guy, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she’d prefer someone her own age.
On the other hand, I can hear Mike’s voice in my head, telling me I have no right making decisions like that for her. He reminds me how I’m good at talking myself out of something before it starts, because my terrible parents led me to believe I didn’t deserve to have anything good in my life. He can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but I’m glad I have someone like him to help me see I’m worthy of happiness.
“So, what’s the plan today, guys? We staying in or going out?” Carol dries her hands at the sink after washing our dishes from lunch. I told her she didn’t need to do that and I’d be more than happy to clean up. But she shooed me away, claiming that I’m a guest and that she didn’t invite me into her home to wash dishes.
Liv taps her chin with her index finger. “Hmm… how about Christmas cookies and movies today, then we can head out for some shopping tomorrow? I still have a few things to pick up, but I’m in no mood to put on real clothes right now.” She chuckles while looking down at herself and tugging on her oversized pink hoodie.
“Sounds good to me, but you kids aren’t gonna have me slaving away in this kitchen all day by myself while you two bum around my living room.” Carol points back and forth between us with a narrowed gazed and pinched lips. But her warning loses steam when a grin turns up the corners of her mouth.
“Carol…” I tilt my head with a dramatic expression on my face and a palm over my heart. “How could you think that of us? We’d love nothing more than to dirty up your pristine kitchen and amuse you with our presence.” I wink at her and she rolls her eyes.
“Still the same charmer you always were.” There’s a warmth in her smile even when she hits me with her dish towel.
I know I didn’t leave things on the best terms with her all those years ago, but it feels awesome being in her good graces. She’s an amazing person and I envy the relationship she has with Liv. It’s clear to see that my father didn’t deserve her, but I can understand why he wanted to be with her. Probably the same reason I want to be near her daughter. These two women are filled with love and light and joy. Who wouldn’t want to steal a piece of that for themselves, even if only for a little while?
We spend all afternoon baking every kind of holiday cookie you can imagine. It seemed excessive to have so many treats when it’s just the three of us. But Carol explained that she makes platters of all the goodies and gives them out to friends. She also drops some off to the places she volunteers.
As we laugh and consume far too much sugar for one day, it’s easy to imagine sharing my life with them. Remorse washes over me when I think about what might have been.
What if I wasn’t such an asshole back then? What if my father was actually the good guy he pretended to be?
I start to slip down the rabbit hole of coulda-woulda-shouldas when Liv sidles up to me.
“Here, try this.” She holds a treat out to me.
“What is it?”
“It’s a dirty snowball,” she says as if I’m supposed to know what that means.
“A what?” I look at the small white confection dusted with chocolate cookie crumbles on top.
“Just open your mouth,” she fusses, then waits for me to comply. Little does she know I’d gladly open up for anything she wants to give me. For now, I’ll settle for a treat.
I part my lips and prepare to take a bite when she shoves the whole thing into my mouth. She laughs hysterically and the sound makes my heart flutter in my chest. I tug her curvy body into mine, laughing along with her as I swallow down a mouthful of white chocolate and crushed Oreos.
“You think that’s funny?” I tickle her side as she rests her small palms on my chest with her head tossed back in amusement.
Before I can stop myself, I bend down and kiss her exposed neck, feeling the warmth of her delicate flesh against my lips. Instantly, my dick goes hard when her hips press into me. When I hear Carol shuffling cookie sheets in the oven, I remember we’re not alone and take a step back to collect myself.
“Sorry about that,” I whisper as heat blooms through my body.
Liv’s cheeks are a pretty shade of peachy pink when she smiles and peeks up at me from beneath her long, dark lashes. “It’s okay,” she assures me while tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “I, um…” She glances at her feet for a second before returning her gaze to mine and whispering back, “I liked it.”
Then she checks to see if her mom is watching, and after confirming that the coast is clear, she rises on her toes and gives me a quick peck on the lips.
My eyebrows lift, but I’m too stunned to say anything.
Looks like I won’t have to, because it’s at that moment that Carol turns her attention to us. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had enough cooking and baking for one day. Let’s order pizza and veg out with some movies.”
Liv strolls to the other side of the marble-top island as if nothing happened, but I’m still too shocked to move. “Sounds good to me. You go get everything set up in the theater room and we’ll call in dinner.”
Carol walks over to her daughter and wraps an arm around Liv’s shoulders. Then she looks at both of us with an affectionate smile. “I’m so happy you’re here. Both of you. If I get nothing else, you’ve already given this ol’ lady a wonderful Christmas.”
Liv leans in and rests her head on Carol’s shoulder. I can feel the love they share from here and long to be a part of it.
Maybe I should take Mike’s advice and allow myself to be happy for once. If these two women can forgive me and allow me back into their lives so easily, then perhaps I should be open to the gift they’re giving me. Maybe this is the universe’s way of making it up to me for having to spend all those years alone. If it is, I’ll take it.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but today has been pretty great. Who knew baking cookies and binge-watching Christmas movies could actually be this much fun? Although I think it’s less to do with the activities and more to do with the present company.
Ever since yesterday and that almost kiss, there’s been an underlying tension between me and Liv. Last night at dinner, I caught her staring at me a few times, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and look too much into it. But if I had my doubts before, I’d say they were cleared up after she kissed me in the kitchen this afternoon.
When I agreed to come here, I had every intention of keeping my distance, thinking it would be ridiculous for me to act on my feelings. But now that I know she’s interested in me too, I’m throwing that plan out the window. The trick will be keeping it a secret from her mom. I have no idea what Carol would think about me and Liv being together, but that’s something I’m not ready to find out. At least not until I know if this will even work.
We’re halfway through Home Alone when Carol rises from the loveseat and starts to gather up the pizza boxes.
“Mom, just leave it. We’ll take care of it,” Liv promises from her seat beside me on the couch. Her thick thigh keeps brushing against mine beneath the blanket we’re sharing.
“Are you sure, honey? I can carry these into the kitchen on my way to bed.”
I beat Liv to a response. “You’ve done enough for one day. We can clean this up.”
Carol walks over to us and stands behind the sofa. “You’re good kids. Don’t stay up too late.”
“We’re adults, Mom, and Dylan is almost thirty.” Liv laughs, but I think it’s nice having someone fuss over me.
“I don’t care what age you are. I’m still older than both of you.” Carol leans over and kisses the top of Liv’s head. When she does the same to me, my heart melts and my cheeks heat while I struggle to suppress a pleased grin. “Good night. Don’t forget we’re getting up early to head into the city for some shopping.” And with that, I hear her fuzzy sock-covered feet pad out of the room.
I turn my head to find Liv staring at me with a smile. “What?” I ask her.
“Nothing. I’m just glad you’re here.” She shrugs. “It’s been a good day.”
“It has. It’s made me see what life is like when you have a real family.”
Her mouth suddenly twists.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, honey. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t had a good life, and I’ve been more fortunate than I deserve.”
Liv nods, but doesn’t seem convinced.
“You wanna finish the movie or head up to bed?”
She tugs her pillowy lower lip between her teeth. “Let’s finish it.” From the look in her eyes, I’m not sure if she’s talking about the movie or what we started earlier today. But I’m game for both.
We sink into the cushions, and she subtly nudges closer. I may not be the smartest guy, but I’m not completely daft and I can tell she’s into me. I wrap an arm around her and pull her into my side, enjoying the feel of her softness against the hard planes of my muscles. I’m brushing my thumb up and down her arm when she shifts in her seat and spreads out her legs. She rests her palm high on my thigh and begins lightly stroking my jeans with the tips of her fingers.
“Be careful, honey. Don’t start something you don’t want me to finish.” This is the only warning she’ll get, because if she keeps teasing me like this, I won’t be able to hold back any longer.
“Maybe I want you to finish it,” she replies in a seductive tone. “Maybe I want you to make me finish.” She tilts her head back to look up at me.
I lean forward, only about an inch or so, holding her gaze and offering her a chance to change her mind. But when she stares at me with a lust-filled expression on her face, I close the short distance between us and press my lips to hers.
Fuck, it feels like I’ve waited a lifetime for this moment and it’s better than I could’ve dreamed. Sparks course through me and awaken every nerve in my body until my heart begins to beat erratically and my dick threatens to bust through my zipper.
I twist my upper body toward her and cup her face in my hands. She grants me entrance into her mouth, and I plunge my tongue inside to get my first taste. She’s sweet and decadent like the gingerbread cookies she ate for dessert, and I imagine what the rest of her body will taste like, especially her pretty little cunt.
Liv clasps my wrists and releases a moan, kissing me back with equal passion. I trail one hand down the front of her body and curse her hoodie for keeping me from caressing all her curves. When I reach the apex of her thighs, she spreads her legs wider and invites me to touch her.
I rub her pussy hard over the thin cotton of her shorts, grinding the heel of my palm against her clit. She breaks our kiss on a heated gasp. Then I nip and suck at the delicate column of her throat.
“That feels good,” she pants while rolling her hips against my hand.
“Yeah?” I whisper before scraping my teeth along her earlobe. “Let’s see if I can make it feel better.”
We’re kissing again when she runs her small hands all over my body, touching my chest and arms and stroking the nape of my neck. I slip my fingers inside the waistband of her shorts and go beneath the sheer fabric of her panties until I reach her hot, wet cunt.
“Damn, baby. You that wet for me?”
Her eyelids flutter as I glide my fingers between her swollen lips. She sheepishly presses her lips together and dips her head.
“Don’t be shy. I like it when your pussy’s like this.” I withdraw my hand from her shorts and lick my fingers clean. “Mmm,” I groan. “You taste so fucking good.”
She takes quick, shallow breaths through parted lips, and I crush my mouth to hers so she can see what she tastes like. Her kiss is urgent and needy, so I dive back into her panties and fuck her tight pussy with my fingers. Using my palm to rub circles over her throbbing clit, I plunge two digits deep inside her, teasing her G-spot until her arousal drips down my hand.
She uses me to make herself come, and when she does, I swear it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed. Her nails dig into my forearm while her quiet moans fill my ears. I can’t take my eyes off the pretty flush of her cheeks until her muscles go limp and she looks at me with a weary smile.
Knowing she’s sensitive right now, I lazily stroke her pussy lips while she calms down from her orgasmic high. Then I carefully tug my hand from her shorts and admire the sticky gloss that coats it. I’m about to lick it off when I have a better idea.
“Open,” I command and offer my two fingers to her. Not every girl is into this kind of thing, but something tells me Liv isn’t as tame as she looks.
Her lips part and she grips my wrist, guiding my fingers into her hot mouth. She licks them clean as if she were sucking my dick, and when she purrs around them, I almost come in my jeans.
After she’s finished, I kiss her again and savor the flavor of her sweet, tangy cunt. She straddles me and I want nothing more than to make her ride my cock, but I don’t want to rush whatever is happening between us.
“You ready for bed?” I ask, and she gives me a devious grin.
“Your room or mine?” She circles her hips and I can feel her hot pussy through her damp clothes.
“Let’s take this slow, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her hands are on my face when she leans back to look into my eyes. Her body goes limp for a different reason this time, and her brow wrinkles as she waits for me to explain.
I lift my hips so she can feel my hard cock. “You already know that I want you. What you don’t know is that I’ve wanted you since the day we met.”
Her sudden inhale of air is barely audible.
“I was mad at the world and fucked everything up back then. I’m not gonna make the same mistake twice.”
“Dylan, this is different. And I was never mad at you for how you behaved back then.”
“You weren’t mad at me, but I was.”
“Dylan, I?—”
I cut her off with a short kiss. “Go to bed, Liv.”
Her lower lip pokes out in an adorable pout.
“I’ve never wanted to be in a relationship, because I always thought I’d be just like my father. But I’m not him, and I want to try this with you. So, let’s just take it slow so I can do it right.” I grab her hands in mine and kiss her knuckles, hoping she understands where I’m coming from.
“Fine, have it your way.” She begrudgingly climbs off my lap and stands in front of me, taunting me by having her pussy so close to my mouth. I grip her hips and rest my forehead on her lower stomach, breathing in the intoxicating scent of her arousal. “But you better make it up to me.” She tugs a strand of my thick hair before dragging her nails along my scalp.
Fuck, that feels nice.
I crane my neck to look up at her. “Get some sleep, beautiful. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She smiles, then bends down for a kiss before heading off to bed. I watch her sexy curves sway with each step until she’s out of sight and I slump back against the couch.
There’re so many reasons I shouldn’t pursue this, but right now, I couldn’t give a damn about any of them. I want her too much, and I deserve to have her.