ANTONY
Isneak into the house trying to make as little noise as possible.
I feel like a naughty teenager trying to avoid getting caught drunk by my parents.
Not that I ever did that sort of thing when I was younger.
Ryan and I had to be the responsible ones.
When our parents first opened the resort -- back then just a humble bed and breakfast -- they had to invest every cent they had into the fledgling business.
It wasn’t until years later, after my three younger brothers were born, that the business really took off.
But I’m not trying to wake my parents now. I’m trying not to disturb Erin and the twins.
I haven’t drunk this much in a long time. Probably not since I lost May. But after dinner with Kayla, I felt like I needed it.
As I stumble into the kitchen, I stub my toe and curse. A moment later, the light flicks on, and a groggy looking Erin stands in the doorway.
“Antony?” she asks, her blonde hair mused, like she’s been asleep, although she’s still in her day clothes.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” I say, sitting at the counter.
“You didn’t. I was watching a movie,” she says. Judging by the lines on her face, it looks more like she fell asleep on the couch, but in my current state, who am I to judge? “How was the date?”
She settles at the breakfast bar beside me, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at her. Her eyes are big and brown and look like honey in the dark light.
“Terrible,” I say finally.
Erin frowns. “What happened?”
“I’m going to need a drink to get through this,” I reply, standing from the bar stool and opening the fridge. Inside is a half-drunk bottle of chardonnay. I grab it and look around for glasses. “Do you want some?”
“No, I’ve had enough for tonight,” Erin replies, though she doesn’t comment on me having more.
That’s something I appreciate about Erin.
She’s an excellent nanny and is never afraid to challenge me when it comes to the twins, but if it doesn’t directly pertain to them, she doesn’t interfere in my life.
Once I’ve poured myself a glass and settled back at the breakfast bar, she asks, “So, what happened?”
“Oh, Kayla was lovely. Amazing in fact. We had a really great time, until the end of the night when I asked when I could see her again. That’s when she told me we couldn’t -- that she’d never date a man with children.”
Erin’s eyes widened. “But didn’t she know about the twins when she agreed to the date?”
“No, Dale conveniently left that part out. It only came out over dinner, and well, it’s a deal-breaker for Kayla.” I sigh, my shoulders slumping.
“So, you did what any normal person would do, and drowned your sorrows?” Erin says, glancing at my glass of wine.
I down it and grin “Exactly. I figured I deserved it.”
“You do,” Erin says gently. “It sucks that you having kids was a deal-breaker for Kayla, but there are other women out there.”
I huff out another breath. “Yeah, but how many single women around here are going to want to date a widower with almost-four-year-old twins?”
“Oh, come off it, you’re handsome, rich, successful and a wonderful father. Any woman would be crazy to turn all that down.”
I chuckle softly. “You’re just saying that because I’m your boss. You have to be nice to me.”
For a moment, I swear Erin blushes, and she gets this look in her eyes, but when she glances up at me, everything is normal, and I tell myself I imagined it due to the alcohol or something.
“I’m serious,” she goes on earnestly. “Kayla just wasn’t the right woman for you. But you’ll find her eventually.”
“When would I even have time to date anyway? I only went to dinner with Kayla because Dale set us up together. Between work, and the twins, well, it just doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon.
Not unless you can magically summon a gorgeous woman who loves the kids and is interested in me. ”
I let out a hollow laugh. You don’t get lucky finding the perfect woman twice in one lifetime. I got lucky when I met May at college, but then fate cruelly ripped her away. I’m not expecting a second chance. I have twins, that’s enough.
Erin shifts restlessly in her seat.
“I’m sorry, I’m keeping you up, aren’t I? You’ve done more than enough for one day; you don’t need to listen to my sorrows too.”
I stand up from the breakfast bar, take my glass of wine, and then take two wobbly steps forward, before losing my balance. I manage to keep my footing, but I drop the wine, and the glass shatters on the floor.
Erin is on her feet instantly, stepping over the glass with easy grace. She takes my arms and lends me through to the lounge.
“Here, sit down. I’ll clean up the mess and make you some coffee,” she says gently.
She’s so soft. Everything about her is gentle. That’s one of the reasons she’s so perfect with the twins.
Erin disappears back into the kitchen, and I glance at the TV to see what she was watching -- Casablanca.
I chuckle, knowing how much Erin loves classic movies.
Sometimes, when I get back from the restaurant, she’s still awake, watching old black and white movies.
Occasionally, I’ve joined her as a way of unwinding after work.
When she re-enters the lounge, she’s holding two mugs of coffee. She lays them on the coffee table and joins me on the couch.
“I should have just stayed here and watched movies with you,” I say idly.
Why can’t I find a woman like Erin? I wonder.
I move in closer, ignoring my coffee, focused only on how beautiful Erin looks bathed only in the light from the TV.
As I watch Erin, suddenly it hits me -- she’s perfect. Beautiful, intelligent, the twins adore her, and she knows all about my past with May.
Before I can think through my actions, I close the distance between us and press my lips to hers.
Erin’s eyes widen and she shuffles back. “What are you doing?” she squeaks.
“What I should have done a long time ago,” I reply, reaching out for her hands.
Erin gazes at me, her eyes huge like saucers, and for a moment I’m worried she’s going to slap me and storm out. But then, she inches closer, hesitantly bringing her lips to mine.
I don’t hold back, as I devour her lips, cupping the back of her head to bring our bodies closer together.
Just like the rest of Erin, her lips are soft.
So soft. I almost don’t want to stop kissing her, but at the same time, my mouth is hungry for more.
I trail my tongue down her throat and relish the sound of her sucking in a little breath.
My hands move from hers up her body, until I’m cupping her breasts.
My mouth moves down her throat, across her clavicle, and then down to where her T-shirt dips.
I nudge the material down, stretching the neckline so that I can expose her chest. She’s wearing a simple black bra, that somehow is sexier than if she’d been wearing a lacy negligee.
When Erin’s body goes rigid, I pause and glance up at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she whispers huskily, the light of the TV highlighting her milky skin. “But maybe we should take this to the bedroom.”
I grin. “I couldn’t agree more.”
I stand up from the couch and offer Erin my hand to help her up too. We carefully cross the darkened living room, and then I lead Erin upstairs. In the hallway, we pause, before I gesture towards my bedroom.
“Will you join me?”
Erin gets a smile on her face that I’ve never seen before.
Usually, it’s cute grins for the twins. But the way she looks at me now is like she wants to devour me.
I haven’t felt this sexy or wanted since I met May.
Knowing Erin is so hot for me turns me on even more, and I feel my dick twitch in my pants.
I take her hands and lead her into my master suite, the room dominated by my steel framed four poster bed. Once we’re both on the bed, nothing can stop me from capturing Erin’s lips with mine, my kisses hungrier than before.
The look she gave me in the hallway has awakened something in me, and now I can’t keep my hands or lips off her.
Erin moans against my mouth as I kiss her, my hands reaching out for her breasts once more. I only got a brief, tantalizing glimpse of them in the living room -- I need more. I pull off her shirt, and my eyes drink in every detail of her body.
Erin has a slim waist, and despite living in the Hamptons, surprisingly pale skin. Her breasts are rounded mounds in perfect proportion to the rest of her body, and I’m desperate to taste them.
My fingers fumble slightly as I remove her bra, but as soon as it’s off, my lips descend. I suck her nipple into my mouth, sucking on it greedily, until it’s a hard peak, and then move my attention to the other breast.
Erin’s back arches, and her hands move to unfasten my shirt. Her fingertips glide over the taunt muscles of my chest, and her touch is just as soft as the rest of her -- sending tingles of pleasure down my spine.
“I need to taste more of you,” I say huskily, my mouth moving down her body to the waistband of her pants. I tug them off and drop them to the floor and then remove her panties.
“Spread your legs for me,” I demand, grabbing her knees and nudging them apart.
Erin’s eyes flutter closed, and her head falls back against the pillow, as I position myself between her legs. I take a moment to look at her beautiful body one final time, before I lower my head and lap at her juices.
I work my tongue from Erin’s opening up to her clit, swirling it around, then sucking on the sensitive nub, until her hips are rocking, and she’s letting out mewling cries of need.
“I need to feel you inside me,” she says breathlessly.
Hearing her say that makes my dick throb, almost painfully, and I know I need to be buried inside her right now, before I explode.
I quickly kiss her thigh, before straightening up and reaching for the nightstand.
I pull out a packet of condoms, and sheath my cock, before grabbing Erin’s hips and plunging deep inside her.
Erin lets out a pleasured gasp, and her legs lock around my hips, guiding my rhythm. Our bodies move in unison, and I pound harder and faster, feeling my peak coming.
When Erin cries out my name, and I feel her inner walls clench around my dick, it sends me over the edge, and a moment later, I find my release too. I collapse on top of Erin, our limbs entangled.
Gently, I roll aside, still keeping Erin in my embrace, but so that I’m not crushing her under my weight. I snuggle up against her, my fingers stroking through her hair, and I’m almost asleep when I realize I probably should clean up.
Carefully, I slip out of bed and have a quick shower, before returning to bed, where Erin lays contently.
I get into bed beside her, and pull her back into my arms, nuzzling against the back of her neck. Her slow, steady breathing helps me relax, and I drift off to sleep.