Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Kemp
I woke up from a sleep so deep I didn’t know where or when I was at first.
I lay there with my eyes still closed, nudging my brain to engage and get my bearings.
I was warm. Content. Calm. And naked.
I opened my eyes and realized I was on the wrong side of my bed…and then I remembered everything.
Anna. My beautiful, alluring fantasy girl.
Except she was more than a fantasy now, and making love to her leveled up all the fantasies I’d ever dreamed about her.
Rolling toward her, I realized with alarm that her side of the bed was empty. I reached for my phone and sat up with a start when I saw it was after nine a.m.
In my next breath, I ejected myself from the bed. I made a quick stop in the bathroom and fought down the fear that Anna had left my bed because of regrets. I didn’t know what I’d do or how I’d move forward if last night wasn’t real and one hundred percent okay with her.
On the heels of that terrible thought, I was hit by the realization that Oliver would’ve woken up hours ago. Anna must have gotten up to take care of him.
That calmed my fear by several notches, but I wouldn’t relax until I reassured myself that she was good with last night and my son was safe and taken care of, no thanks to me.
As I pulled on sweatpants, I heard Oliver’s faint giggle somewhere in the house and exhaled in relief. I skipped a shirt and went out to find my people.
I could tell as soon as I opened my door they were in the nursery. I stopped at Oliver’s doorway and drank in the sight. My son was on his tummy, facing me. Anna was also on her stomach, face-to-face with Oliver, booping his nose between giggles.
I felt their laughter in my chest, but I had to confess my gaze got caught up on the vision Anna made, lying there with tall socks that said “I crochet so I don’t choke people,” those barely there sleep shorts that left little to my imagination, and a hoodie.
She didn’t yet know I was there, and I took advantage of that to imagine crawling up behind her, peeling those little shorts down her thighs, covering her with my body, and pushing into her from behind.
Completely depraved and inappropriate thoughts to have with my son in the room, so I shook myself out of it and said, “Good morning.”
Anna let out an exaggerated gasp and said, “Is that your daddy?” to Oliver, who raised his head a little higher when he saw me.
She rolled over, sat up, and met my gaze with her pretty brown eyes, a shy smile curling her lips. “Hi.” I saw no signs of regret on her face and breathed easier still.
I entered the room, scooped up Oliver, kissed his nose, and sat on the floor next to Anna with him propped on my leg.
I captured her chin in my hand, turning her toward me, and leaned down to kiss her.
I only meant to give her a brief good-morning peck, but as soon as my lips met hers, I moved my hand to the back of her head and pulled her closer, spending several seconds devouring her.
Reluctantly, I straightened, cleared my throat, then hoisted Oliver above my head with both hands as if he were flying.
That got me the full-bodied belly laugh I loved.
“What time did you get up?” I asked Anna. Such a benign question when there were so many other things I wanted to ask. Things like, Did that really happen? Are we okay? And when can we do it again?
“A little after seven,” she said. “I heard him stirring and wanted to let you sleep.”
“I would’ve gotten him,” I said.
“You were sleeping soundly, and I didn’t mind.”
“I haven’t slept that hard in…” I shook my head. “I don’t even know how long it’s been.”
“Then I’m glad I let you stay in bed. I would’ve come back to join you, but this little guy’s been busy today—and wide awake.”
“Have you had a big morning, tiger?” I rubbed my nose against his.
He giggled again and spread his tiny hand over my cheek.
“A big morning and a big breakfast. Some scrambled eggs, banana, and cereal.”
I squeezed Oliver’s tummy gently. “Did you have room for all of that in your tummy?”
He looked up at me with curiosity and adoration in his eyes that struck me in the chest like they always did.
“Want me to make you some eggs?” Anna asked.
“I can think of some other things I’d rather have you do first, but they’re not family friendly.”
She smiled at me, heat flashing in her eyes, and damn, that made me feel like a superhero with the world at my fingertips. She leaned over, kissed me thoroughly but succinctly, as if with an exclamation point, then stood. “Let’s start with eggs.”
I sat there on the floor trying to come back to earth after that kiss and that look from her. Was this real? Could I be this lucky?
I’d wanted Anna for so long that today, after she’d rocked my world so thoroughly in the early-morning hours, I felt like I existed in an alternate reality. Like I’d slipped down the rabbit hole. Stepped through a portal to another world. A much better, brighter world.
I watched her walk out of the nursery, took in the familiar sway of her hips, studied the edge of those tiny shorts in case they rode up enough I could catch a glimpse of her ass.
“Gah!” Oliver said as she disappeared around the corner.
“Gah is right, my boy,” I said, grinning at him. “Gah. Right in the heart.” I tapped his chest, and he shot me a toothless grin.
I hopped up off the floor, carried Oliver out to the ExerSaucer in the breakfast nook, and lowered him into it. He slapped the surface with excitement when he spotted the plastic frog that sprang up on one side, as he always did.
“Knock yourself out, Ollie-O,” I said, then joined Anna in the kitchen, where she was pulling out the carton of eggs from the fridge. “You know I can cook eggs, right?”
“Of course,” she said, turning and flashing me her pretty smile.
“You’re the best at omelets, but over easy is your favorite, and I’m the queen of over easy.
Eggs,” she added quickly, laughing. “Although I could be over easy for the right guy.” She faced the counter and took out a pan as if she hadn’t made a suggestive-as-hell comment.
My dick had yet to not be at least partly hard since waking up, but it stood at full attention now. “Oh, yeah?” I moved up behind her, pressing my body into her backside. “What’s it take to be the right guy?”
She turned the stove on and drizzled oil into the pan, then tilted her head to one side. “Hmm. He has to be strong. Good-looking. A really good dad. Likes to work with his hands, like maybe creating beer wizardry or saving lives.”
With my hand at her waist, I bent to kiss the exposed side of her neck, brushing her hair out of the way. “I might know a guy for you.”
“Yeah?” she said.
I couldn’t see her face, but I could hear her smile.
I growled affirmatively and nibbled her skin some more.
“I do have a question,” she said, spinning so her back was against the counter, putting more space between us. “Last night—or this morning, really—you said your feelings go deeper than friendship.”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
I huffed out a laugh. “Hell, Anna. I can’t remember a time I didn’t want you.” I thought back to a long, long time ago, only halfway registering Oliver’s happy-baby babbling in the connected room. “I must’ve been about twelve when I started having dreams about you that I barely understood.”
She laughed quietly. “I hardly needed a bra when we were twelve.”
I eyed her perfect tits, her nipples poking at her sweatshirt, then met her gaze again. “Didn’t matter. You were it for me.”
She chewed at her lip. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“I was terrified of messing up our friendship,” I said simply. “As much as I wanted everything from you, I was scared admitting it could lose what we already had.”
“You didn’t pick up on the clues that night I was home from college?” she asked, bringing up the night we’d never, ever revisited.
“God, Anna,” I said, the shame from all those years flooding in at the mention. “That night was probably the most embarrassing night of my life.”
“It was the most embarrassing night of my life,” she said.
I snapped my gaze to hers. “Why on earth were you embarrassed? I was the one who couldn’t…perform.” I wanted to disappear just saying the words.
“You couldn’t perform because obviously I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I figured you just didn’t think of me that way.”
“Wrong.”
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“I thought of you that way. Holy shit did I think of you that way. I just…freaked out, I guess. I was scared to death of fucking things up between us. That got in my mind and…” I shook my head, unable to say more.
Anna stared at me in disbelief, lifted her brows, and said, “Really?”
“Do you think I’d lie about something this important? You’re everything to me, Anna.”
“Gah, gah, gah!” Oliver called out with glee. I angled my head to make sure he was okay. His attention was glued to the frog.
“But you went out with other girls all the time. As recently as”—she nodded repeatedly, seeming to think through something or count—“sixteen months ago. That I know of.”
Oliver’s mom, I realized. “You’ve had boyfriends too.”
“Because I thought you weren’t attracted to me.”
“Same,” I said, shaking my head as regret sank in deep.
“And then New Year’s… I was so scared I messed us up.”
“I freaked out then too. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t in my life.”
“That one’s on you,” she said, grinning. “I kissed you, and you thought…what?”
“I don’t know. That I somehow screwed up? Damn, Anna.”
“My thoughts exactly. All this time I thought you weren’t attracted to me, and you thought I wasn’t attracted to you, and we were both too scared to admit how we really felt.”
“Spot on,” I said. “Come here.” I pulled her into my arms. She came willingly, wrapping her arms around me.
The oil in the pan began a low sizzle, and Anna pulled away. “Let’s get you fed, then maybe we can start making up for lost time?”
I glanced at the microwave clock and swore under my breath. “I have a training drill at the station at ten o’clock.” I had enough time to eat, grab a shower, and get there.
“Today? It’s mandatory?”
“Yes and yes. I wrote it on the calendar. Are you able to stay with Oliver?”
“I am. I guess I missed it. You should’ve told me you’re in a hurry.”
“I’m fine. Our conversation was more important.”
“Your eggs and some toast will take less than five minutes.” She took out two pieces of bread and stuck them in the toaster, then moved to the stove and cracked four eggs into the pan.
I glanced at Oliver again, reassuring myself he was occupied and doing fine. Then I stepped up behind her and banded my arms around her as she pulled the spatula out of the jug of utensils. The refrigerator jutted out just enough that we were out of my son’s view.
“Hi?” she said, laughing as I nuzzled her neck.
“Hi, sexy. In case it isn’t clear to you yet, I’m attracted to you.” I pressed my erection against her.
“If it wasn’t clear before, it is now,” she said.
I moved one hand down to the front of her shorts, slipped it under the waistband, and trailed it lower.
“Kemp?”
“Mm-hmm?” I swiped my finger between her legs and over her clit.
Anna gasped. “What are you doing?”
“Making extra sure you know I’m attracted to you.” I dipped my finger into her slick, heavenly folds. “God, you’re wet.”
With a shaky exhale, she said, “I’m attracted to you too. But you have to leave in like twenty-five minutes.”
“Mm-hmm.” I plunged another finger inside of her, and she melted around it.
“The baby—”
“Is just fine. Twelve feet away from us. He can’t see us, so you just have to keep quiet,” I said as I pumped two fingers in and out of her.
“You are a naughty man,” she said on a shallow, shaky breath out.
She arched into my hand and began riding my fingers in spite of her arguments.
“Seems like you like me that way,” I said.
“Your eggs are going to burn.”
I glanced at them over her shoulder, noting they weren’t quite ready to turn yet.
Using my thumb on her clitoris and my fingers inside of her, I intensified my efforts.
She responded with a whimper as she clung to my arm and took what she needed from me.
As the egg whites started to bubble, she leaned forward over the counter to the side of the stove, as if she couldn’t support her own weight anymore.
“God,” she gasped out in an impassioned whisper as her body contracted around my fingers, and she came apart for me.
I held her as she went almost limp and tried to catch her breath.
“That was hot,” I said, then pressed a kiss beneath her ear. “You okay?”
She nodded, and I loosened my hold.
“Your breakfast…” she said.
I picked up the spatula and flipped each egg over. “Is right on track. I made you come in less than two minutes.”
She faced me, her cheeks flushed, her breathing still not quite normal. With a sated, drowsy smile, she shook her head, as if I couldn’t be helped.
“You didn’t like that?” I teased.
“I did like that.” She stood a little straighter, as if getting her strength back. “And just think. If you weren’t so obsessed with firefighting, you could stay here and let me return the favor.”
For the first time, I actually considered saying screw the fire department and letting her do exactly what she’d suggested.
That wasn’t what we did in the Essex family though. We were called to serve, so I’d go do my best on the drill, and I’d hopefully take her up on her offer later tonight.