Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
GRACIE
"Are they asleep?" I ask Ang as he walks back down the stairs and joins me on the couch.
His first response is to plant a chaste kiss on my lips. I must say I much prefer that kind of response any and all times.
"Mmmm." I give a little whine when he pulls away much sooner than I would like.
Ang chuckles as he answers my initial question. "Yes, they are out."
I wonder if it's normal to feel this excited that the girls are sleeping and I get some alone time with their father. I don't mind doing things with them, and I love how they wanted to play games after dinner, but I'm exhausted and ready for some downtime.
"Oh, thank goodness. I didn't realize how many card games you owned. Are there any you don't have?"
Ang laughs again. "If there are, it’s because my kids don't know about them. I swear it's the first thing they look for when we go to the store."
I can see that. They were enthusiastic to show me every one they owned.
"But enough about games for the moment. I wanted to talk to you about the diner today."
Unsure of where this conversation is going, I scoot closer until my crossed leg is touching his more firmly. "Oh yeah? What about it?"
"Well, first of all, I kinda staked my claim in front of the entire place and I wanted to make sure you're okay with it?"
I toss my head back and laugh. "Kinda?" I say when I finally catch my breath.
"Okay, more than kinda," he huffs. "But you didn't answer my question."
Uncrossing my legs, I throw one over his lap so I'm straddling him.
Then I place my arms around his neck and lean in so our lips are barely apart when I say, "Does this answer your question?
" He nods and I start to play with the hair at the back of his head.
"Are you sure? Because I could be more convincing if needed. "
The smile he gives me is absolutely dazzling. "What exactly did you have in mind?" His hands land on either side of my hips, giving me a little squeeze. And there's no mistaking the bulge in his pants. He can’t blame this development on a cell phone or a set of car keys.
"Would this convince you?" I rotate my pelvis against his hard length until he groans and drops his head back on the couch.
"Fuuuuck." The word is nothing more than a hiss between his lips. I smile down at him like the cat that got the cream, because damn if that response doesn't spur me on. "You're killing me."
I don't let up on my assault. In fact, I take it up a notch by kissing the ever-living daylights out of him. We’re way beyond the sweet peck he gave me when he came downstairs. I'm talking full-on teenage make-out session with lots of tongue, grabby hands, and of course, even more intense grinding.
Every time I rotate my hips, he moans in my mouth, and it only encourages me on.
Until he rips his mouth from mine. "If you keep doing that, I'm going to explode in my pants like a damn horny teenager," he tells me, completely out of breath.
I smile and go back to kissing and grinding on him, because he isn't the only one close to exploding. The friction of our clothes against my soaked panties is all it takes to send me over the edge. Tossing my head back, I let out a silent scream.
Ang isn't nearly as quiet as I am when he comes seconds later, unleashing a feral growl that probably woke the kids. And potentially half the neighborhood.
With his head back against the couch, he chuckles softly as he tells me, "I can't believe I just did that. I haven't finished in my pants since before I lost my virginity."
I don't bother to hide my smile knowing I'm the reason he lost control like that. I haven't made a man do that since high school, but it seems oddly fitting considering we’re taking this relationship that slow. Like two high schoolers not ready to take it all the way but still can’t keep our hands to ourselves.
"I need to go change, and then how about we watch a movie?" he asks while looking at me like I’m the only woman in his entire world.
"That sounds perfect."
I snuggle on the couch and wait for Ang to come back. It only takes him a few minutes before he slides in behind me and pulls me against him, effectively wrapping me up in his arms.
"You're amazing," he whispers in my ear.
I roll over so our faces are close enough that if I extend my neck ever so slightly, I could kiss him.
"Why? Because I made you come?"
I didn't realize how sexy a throat could look until I'm watching Ang's bob from throwing his head back in laughter.
"No, that's not why," he tells me when he's done chuckling. "You're amazing because you accept that I need things slow for my girls’ sake. You don't rush me, and you don't ask for more than I can give."
Ang claims another piece of my heart with that statement.
"You're a package deal. I get that. And I've never needed to be the center of someone's attention." Been there. Done that. And hated every minute of it. "I just want to be treated like an equal."
Ang takes the final part of my heart when he kisses my forehead and rolls me over so I'm his little spoon.
"What are you doing? I thought we were going to watch a movie?"
"We will." His hot breath tickles my ear. "Just lie with me for five minutes first."
I snuggle in deeper and get comfortable. A small part of me knows that five minutes is going to turn into a lot longer, and then there will be no going back.
"Why does Daddy have his arms around Gracie?" A little girl's loud voice pulls me out of my sleep.
I open one eye and find both Olivia and Zoey staring down at me. A million oh shits play through my mind as I think about how this can’t end well for me. Because I suck at coming up with explanations on the fly.
I spent all night on the couch with Ang. Something I fully didn’t plan on, but can’t for the life of me regret.
Well, except for the fact that his daughters are finding me like this. That I can definitely regret.
"Good morning," I say to them sleepily, figuring I’ll go with the flow and something intelligent will come to me.
"Why are you on the couch with Daddy?" Zoey's curious stare bores into mine.
"Ummmmmm." I'm at a loss of how to answer that, so instead I use the greatest tactic known to man and distract them with the idea of food. "Who's hungry for some breakfast?"
Zoey raises her hand quickly and practically shouts, "Me, me, me, me, me." I'm surprised she doesn't wake her father.
Olivia, on the other hand, gives me a look like she knows exactly what I'm trying to do, and she isn't buying it. Thankfully she doesn't call me out on my shit. I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to handle that if she did.
I slither out from under Ang's arm without waking him. The man clearly sleeps like the dead, and I'm a little jealous of that. Life would be so much easier if he were the one waking up now and not me.
"Alright, let's go," I tell them as soon as I'm free of my restraints.
I thank God for small miracles as I walk toward the kitchen.
I fell asleep in the same clothes I wore yesterday.
It's much better to do the walk of shame fully dressed than being woken up in my underwear or something equally more revealing. I can talk my way out of a lot of things, but the thought of being interrogated by little terrors in general scares the crap out of me. I don’t even want to imagine this situation in my birthday suit.
"So, what are we hungry for?" I ask the little girls who control my fate. They are, after all, the very reason I'm taking things as slowly as I am with their father.
"French toast!" Zoey yells as she heads to the cabinet and begins to pull out the bread.
Luckily, French toast is one of the breakfast foods I'm good at making. Otherwise this was going to become very awkward very quickly.
"French toast it is." I begin to gather the rest of the items from the fridge and cabinet just as Everly drags herself into the kitchen barely awake enough to walk.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Zoey and Olivia echo my greeting to their little sister. "Want to help us make some French toast?" That seems to wake Everly up enough to nod her head and climb up on the stool next to where I'm working.
"Alright, who's ready to help me make the best French toast ever?"
Four hands shoot up in the air, because Everly raises both of hers in excitement, and I smile at their eagerness.
Last night I was exhausted and ready to spend some alone time with their father, but right now I'm happy to spend the quality time with them. It’s funny how quickly things can change.
If this situation happened only a few weeks ago, it would’ve sent me turtling into my room behind a locked door.
And yet now it feels so natural, like I’ve been doing it their whole lives.