Chapter 21
LORI
The cheese was to die for. Seriously. The fries too.
During dinner, Graham and Milo dove right back into their soccer talk.
Graham answered every question in detail, and they'd been debating a penalty for the past five minutes.
I loved that Graham paid attention to what Milo was saying, instead of just pretending to.
People thought kids didn't notice, but they did.
"We have fries left," I announced once we'd cleared the plates.
"I want more fries," Milo said.
"Give me a minute. I have a trick." Graham rose from his chair and headed to the kitchen. I couldn't spy on what he was doing through the colored glass, but I thought I heard the oven door open and close. A few minutes later, he set fries with melted cheese on the table. They were divine.
This man was a wizard. How could he make food taste so good? We reached for them at the same time and Graham interlaced our fingers for a brief, sweet second, as if he couldn't help touching me.
"Best fries ever," Milo declared. Making me happy was nice. But making Milo smile? That was the way to my heart.
Once the last of the fries were gone, Milo started firing off questions again, but he was yawning and rubbing his eyes, signs that he was tired.
"Milo, say goodnight to Graham, then go brush your teeth and shower."
"I don't want to go to sleep yet. Graham and I are talking."
Graham grinned at me. I grinned back.
"Buddy, I'm going to leave too. I have to wake up early tomorrow, just like you. Responsible men go to bed early, so they can wake up early."
"I want to be a responsible man," Milo parroted back, squaring his shoulders and standing straighter. He bid Graham goodbye before heading to the bathroom. I started on cleaning the table, and when Graham gathered some plates, I shook my head.
"No, no. You cooked. I'm cleaning."
Graham came next to me, bringing a hand to my waist and tucking me into him. I nestled against him as best as I could. I'd been craving his nearness and his body warmth the entire evening.
"I had a great time tonight, Lori." He cupped my cheek, his fingers feeling warm against my skin.
"We had a great time too."
"You've got a lovely boy."
"Thanks."
As Graham leaned forward, Milo called from the bathroom, interrupting our moment.
"I'm going to see what he needs. His bedtime routine takes about twenty minutes."
"I'll wait."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Milo talked nonstop.
"Graham is so cool," he said while putting on his pajamas. "He knows all about penalties. And he likes to talk. Can we have burgers with him again?"
"Yeah, we will."
"Yay!"
My heart squeezed as Milo slid under his covers. He was already starting to hero-worship Graham. Was I doing the right thing here? Risking not just my heart, but Milo's too? The two of us had achieved a precarious balance. Was I being selfish, choosing to bring someone else into our little world?
When I closed the door, Milo was already half asleep. He went out quickly, and once he fell into slumber, he slept through the night.
I closed the door connecting the corridor between the bedrooms to the living room and found Graham still in the kitchen. I joined him, sliding the stained glass wall closed too.
"He's asleep," I announced.
"That was fast."
"He's always been like that. He likes you, by the way."
"I was hoping he would. I like him too, and in the near future, I'd like for us to tell him we're dating."
"We will," I assured him.
Graham moved toward me until he stood so close to me that our chests almost touched. This man was more potent than anyone had the right to be.
He feathered his thumb across my lower lip, then my upper one, and I felt the gentle touch straight between my thighs.
The world around us seemed to blur as he pulled me into a kiss.
He traced my lips with the tip of his tongue before exploring my mouth.
He wrapped one hand in my hair, tugging a little.
A white-hot bolt of energy ran through me.
I bucked my hips in reflex and discovered Graham was hard.
"See what you're doing to me, Lori?" he asked in a low, molten voice when we pulled apart.
"You're insatiable."
"No, you just have this effect on me." He kissed my forehead. "Now, be a good girl and don't tempt me."
"Or what?" I challenged. His eyes were hooded, and judging by the wood in his pants, he was close to the edge. What would he do if I pressed too much? I'd never been one to thread too close to the danger line, but Graham had this inexplicable effect on me. He made me want to dare more.
"I'll sweet talk my way into your bed."
"You think I'm that easy?" I pretended to be offended. Graham saw right through me.
"No, but I'm not the only one who wishes we could spend the night together."
Well, the jig was up. Pretending was one thing, but I didn't lie. Besides, I wanted to see his reaction when I admitted it.
"True. I keep daydreaming about tasting you… everywhere."
Graham exhaled sharply. He backed me into a corner of the kitchen, roaming his hands everywhere.
God, I wanted him to touch me more. Why was I wearing so many clothes?
I wanted those talented hands directly on my skin.
As if reading my thoughts, Graham snaked one hand under my sweater, then under my bra, rubbing my nipple between his fingers.
I braced my palms on those strong biceps.
“I want a taste of you, Lori. And I’ll have it.”
He pushed my shirt up then unclasped my bra. He drew his thumb around the outer edge of my peaks before giving my nipple a lash of his tongue. I drenched my panties. He smiled against my skin.
“Does this make you wet?”
I nodded.
“Say the words. I want to hear them.”
“Y-yes. It makes me wet,” I stuttered in between flicks of his tongue. He pressed two fingers against the crotch of my jeans, rubbing the fabric against my sensitive skin.
“Do you want to come, Lori?”
“Oh, God, Graham. Yes.”
He was moving his fingers fast, and even through the denim, every time he touched my clit, tremors spread through me. Then he took the hand away.
“Why did you stop?”
He brought his lips up to mine. “Because I want to touch your skin. I want my fingers inside you when you come.”
When I felt him undo the fly of my jeans and lowering the zipper, all my nerve endings felt on fire.
"I will make you come, Lori. Hard and fast."
I clenched from his dirty words and dug my fingernails into his muscle-laced arms when he touched my center.
He teased my folds first, dipping one finger in between them before nudging my clit.
He was kissing my neck, nipping gently with his teeth.
With his other hand, he grabbed my ass, hoisting me farther up.
He moved his fingers rhythmically, rubbing me until I came apart, clinging to him, burying my face in his shoulder.
“Orgasm number one,” he whispered in my ear.
“There will be more?”
In response, he slid a finger inside me, then another one, pressing the heel of his palm on my clit. I bit into his shoulder, muffling my cry. My knees nearly gave out when the second orgasm rocked through me.
"Woman, you're so sexy it's killing me."
"Mmm…" was all I could say as small tremors of aftershock spread through me. He held me for a few minutes before stepping back and washing his hands at the sink.
"Earth to Lori… everything okay?"
I nodded, still feeling a little lightheaded. "Oh yeah. Better than okay. Still on cloud nine. Might take me a while to return to earth."
"I should go." His lips opened in a gorgeous wide smile as he made his way out of the kitchen. I caught up with him in the foyer.
"Are you sure?" I moved closer, running my hand down his chest, stopping at his belt. He was still hard. Graham took my hand in his and brought it to his lips, peppering it with soft kisses.
"Yes, I'm sure. Otherwise, tomorrow morning, you'll have to explain to Milo why I'm in your bed."
"I see. Well, have a good night. Thanks for the burgers and the fries."
"So I'm forgiven for the orange juice mishap?"
"Only if you don't do it again."
"Can't make any promises. No clue how you tell him no, especially when he looks at you with those eyes. He'll have me eating out of his palm for a long time. I can tell already."