38. Don’t Need To Do This
DON’T NEED TO DO THIS
AIDEN
While I’ve been telling Tara that I’m not interested in going back to finish my degree, the more I think about it, the further the idea has burrowed its way into my brain.
So much so that I’ve started looking into distance education options so that I can still work while I’m studying, at least for the non-practical components.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Sarah says during our weekly FaceTime catch up.
We do it every Sunday, and this week is the first time she’s meeting Tara. So far it seems to be going well. It helps that they are both in agreement about what I should do with my future.
“I think I’m just hesitating because the idea of going back to studying at my age scares the absolute crap out of me,” I reply, rubbing my hand up and down Tara’s back while she snuggles into my side, her legs curled under her.
Tara looks up at me. “But why? It’s not like you’re retirement age or anything. You still have plenty of years in the workforce ahead of you, and I can tell you’re far more interested in teaching than insurance. That’s my wheelhouse, not yours.”
I laugh a little. “True. You definitely have more of a knack for it than I do.”
“So, it’s decided. Aiden will be going back to university to become the amazing teacher I know he’ll be.” Sarah claps her hands together, conversation settled as far as she’s concerned. “Maybe you can move back here afterwards and we can finally work together.”
Tara’s grip on my waist tightens. “No, sorry, he’s an Aussie again now.” While her tone is joking, I can tell she would fight Sarah on it if she had to.
I brush a kiss against her temple. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. Sorry, Sare, you’re just going to have to move here.”
My best friend taps her cheek thoughtfully. “Hm. It sounds interesting. I’ve never been to Australia. Maybe Simon and I can come for a holiday first before I drag him all the way down there with a one-way ticket.” She grins at Simon, who just rolls his eyes.
As much as I’d love to have my best friend on the same continent once again, I can’t imagine her making the move here. She’s a creature of habit, and if she ever left London, it would be because something drastic had happened.
“How do you think your Dad is going to take it?” Sarah asks, her expression serious now.
I sigh. “I’ve got a meeting with him tomorrow. I might try and bring it up with him then.”
“How sad is it that it takes a meeting at work for you to be able to have a conversation with your father,” Sarah says, and Tara gives my waist another gentle squeeze.
Offering silent comfort, and understanding what it’s like to have a fractured relationship with a father.
“I guess I don’t really know much different. But anyway, enough about all that, how are things with you guys? How was the first week back at school?”
We continue to chat for another hour, only wrapping up the call once Tara starts yawning.
We’ve fallen into the habit of spending every night at her place. I do wonder if maybe we’ve moved a little fast, but the desire to spend every moment possible with her is hard to fight, and I know she feels it too.
“Bed time?” I ask, cuddling her close once we hang up with Sarah and Simon.
“Yeah. I think today’s visit with Dad has drained me more than I realised.”
We sit quietly for a moment while she musters the energy to get to her feet.
I try not to think too hard about how worn out she’d looked when she’d returned from the hospital a few hours ago.
She’d mentioned her Dad wasn’t particularly chatty today, and I can tell that the reality of his declining health is setting in.
“Come on, let’s get to bed.” I get her moving, and while she goes into the bathroom to clean her teeth, I move around the flat, turning off lights and finding Toulouse, carrying him into her room after I scoop him out from behind the TV cabinet.
The little kitten burrows in my neck and purrs, which makes me a little emotional. Who would have thought that the love of an animal could make you feel special?
Tara comes out of the bathroom and a soft smile spreads across her face when she takes in the view of me sitting at the end of her bed with a small black ball of fluff pushing its head against my neck.
“Just when I thought I couldn’t be more attracted to you,” she says, coming to stand in front of me and runs a hand through my hair.
“Oh really? Tell me more about this attraction,” I reply, resisting a little when she takes him from me.
She gives him her own little cuddle before safely depositing him in the bathroom with his bed and shuts the door before moving to stand in front of me again. I slide back slightly and pull her forward so that she’s straddling my lap.
“Well, in case you haven’t worked it out, I’m really, really hot for you,” she whispers in my ear.
The feel of her breath against my neck makes me groan, and I turn my head to capture her lips with mine, sliding my hand up to clasp the back of her neck.
“Funny. Cause I’m really, really hot for you, too,” I reply, before giving her lower lip a soft nip.
We continue kissing while our hands explore each others bodies at a leisurely pace.
She pulls my shirt over my head, and all thoughts of going to bed seem to have fled her mind when she begins rolling her hips, grinding against my semi.
I slide my hands up her sides before pulling her singlet over her head and sucking her right nipple into my mouth while tweaking the other between my fingers.
She gasps and tips her head back, a moan escaping her lips.
Moving both hands down to her hips, I guide her against me, moving her faster until she begins to whimper, a sign that she’s close.
“That’s it, Love. Let go,” I whisper against her breast, and she cries out.
I slow her movements while she comes back down, and she presses her forehead against mine, our noses touching while we close our eyes and just breathe together. We sit like that for a moment, the peacefulness of the room settling around us.
“Take off your pants,” she whispers eventually, and I open my eyes to find her looking at me with a twinkle in her eye.
My heart rate picks up when she gets to her feet, looking utterly delicious in nothing but her lace g-string and her hair hanging over both breasts. If I wasn’t hard before, this would certainly have set me off.
I stand up, and she tugs my sweatpants down my legs, kneeling before me. I swallow hard when she looks up at me with wide eyes, before dropping her gaze to my erection .
“You don’t need to do this,” I say quietly.
She shakes her head. “I want to make you feel good,” she replies before running her hand up and down my shaft.
I inhale sharply, and feel a muscle in my jaw tick when I grit my teeth, fighting against the urge to pull her up and bury myself inside her.
She’s become more adventurous each time we’ve been together, but this is the first time she’s knelt before me like this, and I want to let her lead this time.
With a tentative swipe of her tongue, she moves forward and takes me into her mouth.
I groan, holding perfectly still while she moves her head back and forth, trying to take more of me each time.
She eventually finds her rhythm, and my eyes roll back in my head when she reaches up to cup me, massaging while she moves her head faster.
Taking my hand, she moves it to the back of her head, urging me to guide her how I need her.
Cautious about making her gag, I apply only a small amount of pressure. Eventually, my body takes over, and I hold her head still while my hips thrust forward. She massages harder, looking up at me with an intense look in her slightly watery eyes.
“I’m so close, Love. You’re gonna have to decide how you want to do this,” I manage to get out between clenched teeth.
It’s like I’ve presented her with a challenge, and she takes me further in her mouth, her eyes watering more when I hit the back of her throat. Taking that as my queue, a few thrusts later, I’m spilling down her throat.
Breathless, she pulls away and I collapse back down to sit on the edge of the bed again.
“Was that okay?” she asks, still on her knees before me.
I urge her back up and pull her onto my lap again. “That was amazing.”
She smiles and I pull her face to mine to kiss her once again.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this feeling, but I know I never want it to stop. She’s pulling me right in to her orbit and I don’t know what I’ll do if she ever decides she’s had enough .
Two hours after arriving at the office the next morning, I meet Dad at reception when I’m on my way to the printer.
“Got time for that meeting now?” he asks, nodding towards the conference room.
“Sure. Can we grab a coffee from downstairs first, though? I was just about to get one.” He nods, and I grab my paperwork, handing it to Celeste when I can see that Dad isn’t keen on waiting around. “Can you take this to Tara, please?”
Celeste glances between us both before nodding and heading back towards the main office area. I follow Dad to the lift and we head downstairs together, neither of us really feeling the need to fill the silence between us.
After ordering my almond milk latte, I wait for Dad to get his long black before following him back to the lift.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” I ask, taking a seat across from him at the long table.
“We got the numbers through for the last quarter and I wanted to congratulate you. You’ve exceeded John’s numbers and actually set a company record.”
I take a moment to process his words. “I’m sorry, but how is that possible?”
“Well, you’ve brought in almost double the amount of clients that John was bringing in, and you’ve made a few significant sales on top of that.” Dad looks so proud, but something doesn’t feel right about accepting this without Tara sitting next to me.
“If anyone deserves the congratulations, it’s Tara. There is absolutely no way that I would have made the sales without her, and honestly, most of the clients only signed up because of her knowledge.”
Dad shakes his head. “Why are you so determined to keep mentioning your assistant? ”
“Because she’s more than an assistant, and you seem determined not to notice the value she brings to the company,” I retort.
“Is this because you are sleeping with her?”
I am genuinely trying to understand just how oblivious he is to how talented Tara is, and also incredibly pissed off that he’d bring that up in the office.
“It’s got nothing to do with our relationship. Since the day I arrived, Tara has carried the majority of the load while I wrapped my head around everything, and she more than deserves to be rewarded for all her hard work.”
Dad lets out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. “Well, that’s not how it works here. Advisers have their assistants, and that’s that.”
“Well, maybe it’s time you considered making her an adviser then?” I say, throwing down the challenge.
“But then, how will you keep going without her? If she really is the one keeping you afloat, you need her.”
This conversation is going around in circles, and I’m over it. “Well, maybe I won’t be here for that to be a problem.”
Dad freezes, his coffee half way to his mouth. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrug. “I’m just saying, I don’t find insurance particularly riveting. I’ve been considering going back to finish my degree.”
Dad laughs. “You can’t be serious? There’s no money in teaching.”
I’m impressed that he even remembered that was what I’d wanted to do before everything happened.
“Not everything is about money. It’s just something I’m thinking about.
Shouldn’t you, as my father, want me to do something I enjoy instead of ending up in a job that I hate?
” He studies me for a moment, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed.
After a few more moments of silence, I shake my head and get to my feet.
“Never mind. I can see this conversation is going nowhere. I’d better get back to work. ”