Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A rcher laid her on his bed, her towel long forgotten.
‘I’ve been picturing you like this for weeks.’
Iris smiled. ‘I hope I’m living up to the fantasy.’
‘Far exceeding, actually.’ Archer shucked his T-shirt and crawled up her body, planting a searing kiss on her lips. ‘You’ve been so fucking tempting, Iris. Like some kind of siren.’
Iris crinkled her nose. ‘Don’t sirens lead sailors to their deaths?’
Archer’s mouth was on her neck now, sucking and nipping the delicate skin. ‘Something like that.’
‘Well, I don’t go in the ocean, so you might need to come up with a different mythical creature.’
Archer’s head popped up. ‘You don’t go in the ocean?’
‘Nope.’
‘You grew up in a beach town.’
‘Right, so I know all the creepy crawlies that live in that water. No, thank you.’
Archer kissed the frown from her lips. ‘Okay, so you’re not a siren.’
Iris wriggled beneath him and wrapped her legs around his hips. Archer moaned. ‘Not a siren,’ Iris agreed. ‘Just a really hot human.’
He laughed and Iris soaked in the sound. She loved it when he laughed. Loved that he was having fun with her, that he wasn’t stressed about work or his daughter in this moment. See , things could be simple between them. She could make him smile and he could make her come and everything would be great. And normal. Par for the course for Iris.
But then she remembered how stressed and worried she’d been when Olive was sick and how Archer had been there for the both of them. How he had taken charge, how he’d shouldered everyone’s emotions until the crisis passed.
Maybe Archer was different.
Maybe she could want different things with him.
‘You are really hot,’ he agreed, kissing along her jawline to her ear. ‘And kind and funny and playful and dedicated.’
‘Dedicated?’ She’d never heard that one before.
‘Yeah, to your students and to Olive. To your friends. To this town.’ He kissed down her neck as he listed all the things Iris had dedicated her life to and for a brief moment, she felt like maybe she hadn’t spent her adult life drifting around, like maybe she had done some things that mattered to people.
Emotion rose tight and uncomfortable in her throat. Oh no… She swallowed hard but the tears were already streaming down her face. Shit. She never cried. Not unless she was watching those damn commercials they played during the Olympics or encountered an elderly veteran in literally any scenario.
And now she was crying during sex?!
Her body language must have shifted, despite her best efforts, because Archer’s head rose again. His eyes widened when he saw her tear-stained face.
‘It’s nothing,’ she sniffled, trying to frantically wipe her face. ‘It’s just been a long, weird day.’
Archer’s eyes were soft and his mouth sweet when he said, ‘For me, too.’ He kissed the tip of her nose and got off the bed, leaving her naked and crying and vulnerable, and Iris was about to get up and retreat to her room, because who wants to sleep with a crying person? No one she wanted to sleep with, frankly.
But Archer grabbed a fresh T-shirt from his drawer and handed it to her.
‘You can sleep in this,’ he said, as though he had no intention of sending her back to her own room, as though it was a given that she would sleep here with him even if they didn’t have sex.
And the shirt was so soft and smelled so good and Archer’s smile was also so soft and he smelled so good, that Iris just gave in. She gave in to the temptation to sleep there, to let this be more than sex, at least for the moment, to let that tender spot in her heart for Archer grow just a little bit more.
Because it had been a long, weird day. A long, weird few months. And having sex with Archer hadn’t solved any of it. Big surprise there.
‘Thanks.’ She took the T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Archer folded down the sheets and climbed in on his side of the bed. Iris got in after him and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, tucking her little spoon into his big one, her back to his front.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ he asked, his breath tickling the hair at the nape of her neck.
She let her fingers trace over the corded muscles of his forearms where he held her gently around the waist.
‘It’s nothing really, I just … it was nice to hear that about myself, I guess. I usually think of myself as pretty flighty. Dedicated was … new.’
He pressed his lips to the back of her neck, softly. It was barely a touch but still, she felt it down to her toes. ‘I think you’re amazing, Iris. Despite my best efforts not to.’
Iris laughed. ‘Oh yeah?’
‘Of course.’ Archer’s hand was splayed on her belly, his thumb tracing idly on the underside of her breast. Iris forced herself to focus on his words. ‘Sleeping with the nanny is a big faux pas, but having a full blown crush on the nanny, I think that’s an even bigger one.’
‘You have a crush on me?’ The question sounded far too innocent for the situation, that thumb tracing higher, nearly grazing her nipple now, Archer’s erection pressed against her still naked ass.
‘A big one.’
‘I might have a crush on you, too,’ she admitted.
She could feel Archer’s smile on the back of her neck. ‘Oh, yeah?’
‘Of course I do,’ she said with a huff. ‘You’ve been feeding me food I’ve only dreamed about. You take care of your daughter in a way that does very confusing things to my insides. And the way your forearms look when you chop things … well, I want to lick them.’
Archer let out a surprised laugh at that and tugged her closer. ‘You think I’m doing a good job with Olive?’ he asked and she could hear the hesitation in his voice, the fear that maybe he wasn’t doing a good job at all.
‘You being here is amazing. You making an effort, you trying , you just … loving her … it’s all perfect, Archer. Trust me.’
She was glad she wasn’t facing him because a few more tears slipped down her cheeks, but he must have sensed it anyway. His arms tightened around her.
‘This can be whatever you want, Iris,’ he said. ‘But just know, I’m here for you, too. If you want me to be.’
Iris sighed. ‘You had me with those forearms, you didn’t have to be all sweet too.’
His mouth was on her neck again. ‘Can’t rely solely on these good looks.’
‘I’m still not making any promises,’ she said, her voice going breathy as Archer sucked on the delicate skin where her neck met her shoulder.
‘I’m not asking for any.’ He slid his hand higher until he cupped her breast through her shirt. ‘This okay?’
‘Mmm-hmm,’ Iris murmured, letting her body take over. Archer’s movements were slow and languid now, his hands roving across her skin, savoring her like he said he would. He let one hand slide up her shirt, brushing his knuckles over the curve of her breast and grazing the nipple. Iris sucked in a breath, and he chuckled in her ear, doing it again.
His other arm was still wrapped around her, his hand pressed to her belly, holding her tight against him. Iris felt hot and restless all over, his touch too unhurried, too light.
‘Archer,’ she breathed. ‘ Do something.’
He chuckled again, his laugh coasting over her skin. ‘I am doing something, Iris. I’m finally touching this sweet body of yours, and I’m not going to rush this time.’
She groaned in frustration, wriggling against him, feeling the hard, heavy weight of him on her backside.
He bit back a groan. ‘Iris,’ he ground out, his hand snaking between her legs. She lifted her top leg over his, resting it on top of his thigh. His fingers found her wet and waiting, but instead of pressing right to her clit like he had that first night, this time he used soft strokes she could barely feel, light flicks that made her want to climb out of her skin.
‘Archer,’ she nearly growled. ‘Please.’
‘Do you always want it so hard and fast?’ he asked, still teasing her, still tracing his fingers over where she wanted him, but never with enough pressure.
‘Usually, yes.’
‘No one’s ever taken their time with you?’
‘I never wanted them to,’ she confessed.
‘Do you want me to?’ he whispered, using his other hand to cup her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers. Pleasure shot through her body, hot and sharp. What did she want? Pinned to Archer’s body, his hands torturing her, slowly, softly; did she want him to take his time? Did she want to be savored? Wasn’t that dangerous? Sex had always served one purpose in her life and one purpose only: to get off and move on.
But this didn’t feel like that, at all. This felt like sinking further into whatever this thing was between her and Archer. Did she want that?
‘Yes,’ she said. And just because she liked to mess with him, even when she was vulnerable and needy in his arms, she added a ‘Yes, chef .’
Archer groaned and rocked his hips against her in a way that suggested maybe he was reconsidering his idea about taking his time, if only just for a second.
‘Christ, Iris. How am I going to go to work if I get hard every time I hear ‘Yes, chef’ now?’
Iris’s laughter was cut off by her moan when Archer finally pressed his fingers harder, moving them in tight circles.
‘Like that,’ she crooned as Archer’s hand worked between her legs. Iris let her head drop back against his chest and gave in to the feeling of Archer’s touch on her body, to the pleasure he was slowly and tortuously bringing. He brought her close and then backed off, his touch going from hard to light and back again until Iris was a whimpering, writhing mess in his arms. She turned her head, straining to find his mouth and then it was there, on hers, kissing and licking and biting more pleasure from her body. She felt heavy and slow, hot and languid and frantic for more all at once. She let herself sink into it. Time slowed down. All she knew was Archer’s hard body at her back and his soft, warm mouth on hers, and his hands, those hands she’d admired so many nights, working and working. She forgot about coming. She forgot about why this was a bad idea. She forgot everything except her body pressed against his.
By the time Archer had shucked his sweatpants and pressed into her from behind she was so keyed up she nearly came just from the feel of him filling her.
‘Iris,’ he groaned into her hair and all she could do was whimper. His thrusts were shallow from this angle, but he was hitting something perfect and intense inside her and his fingers still pressed against her clit and Iris couldn’t hold on any longer.
Pleasure broke around her, a low keening moan tearing from her lips. She shuddered and trembled through it, Archer’s arms still banded around her. Fireworks, stars, earth-shattering, none of the usual descriptions could quite grasp how Iris was feeling as Archer continued his assault on her body. She was nothing but nerve endings and every single one was firing.
‘No more,’ she gasped, grabbing his forearm. She couldn’t take any more. It was too much. She’d never in her life of quick hook-ups and frantic, festival fucking felt like this during sex. It was like she’d spent her entire sexual life playing in the minor leagues and she just got called up to the majors. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.
He stopped, his hand sliding from between her legs.
‘Okay, sweetheart. No more,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘You did so good.’ Heat coursed through her already overwrought body. And there were those damn tears again. What was wrong with her today?
He was still inside her and it suddenly felt very important that he feel half as good as she did right now. She pushed back against him, taking him deeper and he groaned.
‘Iris, you said you were done. I can take care of it…’
‘No.’ She clenched around him, eliciting another cracked moan from his lips. ‘I said I was done. It’s your turn. I want you to come, Archer. Please.’ She sounded desperate and half crazy, and maybe she was. Maybe she’d finally lost it, but her body was still humming with everything he’d done to her, and she wanted him to feel it, too. She wanted him to feel good.
‘It’s not going to take much,’ he said, thrusting into her again. Pleasure immediately started to build again with each shallow thrust, and as his breathing increased so did hers. She could feel his heartbeat racing against her back and when he came, gasping and moaning into her hair, she came again too, fast and hard and perfect.
They lay there, melded together, limbs tangled, and Iris could feel every bit of blood flowing through her body, every fast thump of her heart. Eventually, Archer pulled out and Iris rolled to her back, she was sweaty and sticky and she couldn’t stop smiling. Archer kissed the shoulder that was peeking out of his T-shirt. She’d never taken it off.
‘You okay?’ he asked.
‘Mmm-hmm,’ she murmured. ‘You?’
He was looking down at her now, propped on an elbow, and there was something warm and tender and dangerous in his expression. And all the reasons this was a bad idea came flooding back in. She was going to hurt him and that little girl.
‘I’m good,’ he said with a soft smile, the one that poked that tender place in her own heart and Iris knew she was in so much trouble. ‘Want another shower?’ And Iris was so thankful in that moment that he was offering a practical thing to focus on instead of the crazy feelings swirling around inside her.
‘Yes, definitely.’
She got up and let Archer pull the T-shirt over her head, let him get in the shower with her, let him shampoo her hair, scrubbing those magic fingers over her scalp. She let him help her out and wrap her in a fuzzy towel and escort her back to bed. She let him tuck her in and wrap his body around hers again.
But she didn’t let herself think about any of it.
About what it meant.
About why she liked it so much.
About what she was going to do next.
* * *
It was morning and a bright spring sunshine was streaming through the windows and Iris was still in his bed. And this time she was here on purpose.
She was snoring lightly, her hair spread across his pillows. Archer’s heart constricted at the sight of her. He liked this girl. A lot. And last night had been incredible.
But she’d been honest with him. She wasn’t sure she wanted anything beyond the physical. So he was just going to have to be content with that for the moment.
Iris was still naked from last night, soft and warm next to him. It wouldn’t be that hard to keep things purely physical. It should be ideal, actually. Archer ignored the voice in his head claiming that it wasn’t ideal at all. That voice needed to calm down. Iris wasn’t a Michelin star, she wasn’t a head-chef position, she wasn’t an immaculate kitchen. He couldn’t just set his mind to this goal and achieve it. All he could do was be here and hope she chose him.
But, in the meantime…
He kissed her and she stirred in her sleep.
‘Iris,’ he whispered. ‘Wake up.’
She frowned, a little crease forming between her eyebrows, but didn’t open her eyes. ‘Why? Don’t you have the day off?’
‘I do. But I need your consent before I go down on you.’
Her frown flipped into a slow grin.
‘Okay, I’m awake. I consent.’ Her eyes were still closed, but he’d take it.
He worked his way down her body, kissing and licking points of interest along the way, in ways he still hadn’t gotten a chance to do last night. She was gorgeous in the morning, all supple, pliable limbs. He swirled his tongue around her nipple, sucking it into his mouth and Iris’s breathy gasp had him immediately hard. He worked his way down her stomach, letting his hands trace the curves of her hips.
He nudged her legs apart and Iris complied, her hand coming into his hair. He hummed in approval.
Archer had traveled the world, he’d worked in some of the best kitchens, with the best chefs, and so he’d had the opportunity to taste the best of the best, but nothing in his life tasted as good as Iris.
Her hips bucked as he licked and sucked, her fingers digging into his scalp and God, was it good. So damn good he couldn’t stop thrusting into the mattress. Iris’s taste, her sighs and moans, her hands on his head, he was going to come like this. He was going to come with his mouth on Iris, with his tongue sliding against her clit and her legs trembling on his shoulders. She was surrounding him and he breathed her in, thinking he could die like this, thinking he wouldn’t mind if he did and when he could feel her getting closer, when her fingers tightened in his hair, her hips moving against his tongue, he thrust harder into the bed, pleasure quickly shooting down his spine.
‘Archer!’ She shouted his name when she came and that was enough to do him in completely. He came on his sheets, too happy and full of Iris to be at all embarrassed by that. By the time he dragged himself back up the bed, Iris’s eyes were open and she was smiling at him.
‘Well, you sure know how to wake a girl up.’
‘Better than an alarm clock?’
She laughed. ‘Do you want me to return the favor?’
‘Uh … nope. I … uh…’
Iris’s eyes widened. ‘You came from doing that to me?’
He felt his cheeks redden but he held her gaze. ‘Yeah.’
‘You liked it that much?’
‘Of course.’ He decided to leave out the part about Iris being his new favorite meal, but the way she was smiling now, he thought maybe she wouldn’t mind. He grinned, diving down to kiss her neck and Iris squealed.
‘Archer!’ she said with a giggle, and he loved the way his name sounded that way, too. He sat up, running a hand through his hair, savoring the way she looked in his bed, naked and flushed with orgasms and laughter and he could picture life being like this every morning.
He wanted life to be like this every morning.
He’d been worried at first about taking days off, but Gladys had insisted that he have one day off a week to spend with his family. Work, life balance she’d called it and now he finally understood. He finally wanted that. He didn’t need to be in a kitchen every day of his life. He didn’t need to be striving and striving all the time.
He could be home cooking for the people he loved.
Loved. The word thundered through him.
‘How about some pancakes?’ he asked, refusing to meet that word head-on. He couldn’t love her yet. That would scare her off, for sure. Even if it was true.
She rolled her eyes. ‘Archer, if I have to eat another pancake, I may turn into one.’
He laughed. ‘Understood. How about an omelet?’
‘An omelet sounds perfect,’ she said with a smile.
When they were showered and the sheets were changed and she was at her usual seat at the island and Archer was cooking, he still had that feeling like he wanted to do this every day.
‘So, what time do we need to pick up Olive?’ Iris asked, as he scrambled the eggs.
‘Around noon.’
Olive, right. What were they going to do about her and all this?
‘I don’t think we should tell her. I mean about us … about any of this,’ Iris said, getting to the heart of the matter, and of course that made complete sense. Why would they tell a five-year-old that they’d fooled around but it was probably just physical? That would be weird. But a part of him wished there was something to tell her.
‘Definitely. We don’t want her thinking…’
Thinking that you’re going to stick around.
That we’re dating. That you’re going to be more than just her nanny…
Iris huffed a laugh. ‘We don’t want her thinking I’m going to be her new mom just because me and you are…’
Her new mom.
‘Right, yeah, that would be too much because we’re just…’
The playful expression she’d worn in bed this morning was gone.
‘Archer.’
‘Don’t say it, Iris.’
‘You know we shouldn’t do this.’
‘Do what?! We haven’t done anything yet!’
‘I tried to be honest with you. I told you…’
He was around the island before she could finish, planting himself between her splayed knees. ‘You told me and I heard you. Just physical. I know. And we won’t tell Olive. It’s fine, Iris.’ She was right of course. Olive couldn’t know about this, and neither could anyone else. Would Kaori and the custody court allow him to keep his daughter if he was caught fooling around with the nanny? Would they question the environment he was keeping her in? He honestly didn’t know but he couldn’t risk it. Not now. Not when he knew he wanted to keep Olive forever.
She frowned. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
He forced a laugh. ‘You’re not going to hurt me. I know exactly what this is, okay? Olive is the one we need to protect. You were right. We won’t tell her, and life will go on as usual.’
‘With what, the occasional booty call?’
The smirk on his face was fake but maybe Iris wouldn’t notice. ‘It’s a great commute for a booty call. Right across the hallway. Can’t beat it.’
Iris was still studying him so he forced the smile wider. ‘It’s the perfect plan.’
She gave a little sigh, and he took the opportunity to kiss her, soft and sweet until her body relaxed into his.
‘Okay, as long as you’re fine with it.’
‘Totally fine,’ he lied, returning to his place on the other side of the island. ‘Now, mushrooms or peppers in your omelet?’
‘Both.’
‘You got it.’
Mushrooms, peppers, his whole damn heart. She could have all of it.