Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
CRESSIDA
“So, are you officially seeing Soren now?” Noah asks as he waits for Oliver to run and grab his iPad.
I’m dressed and ready to head out for my date with Soren. When I spoke with him a little while ago, he said he’d be here in twenty minutes to pick me up. I was hoping Oliver and Noah would be gone before then.
“It’s just a date,” I tell him.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I actually like him. Even if he has a crazy sister who should be locked up.” He chuckles, I wrap my arm around him, and he hugs me back. “I would say I’d beat him up if he doesn’t treat you right, but we both know I would lose.”
I laugh as we end the hug, and when I look over Noah’s shoulder, Soren is standing there. He eyes Noah suspiciously but says nothing.
When Oliver turns the corner and sees Soren, he runs straight to him. He holds a fist out, and Soren bumps their knuckles together. I can’t help the warmth that blooms in my chest at seeing them interact like this.
“Hey, little man. Where are you heading off to?” Soren asks Oliver.
“With Dad. Are you here to see Mom or me?” Oliver asks.
“You, of course. Just wanted to check in on how your practice is going,” Soren replies, giving him his full attention.
“It’s going good. But Mom yelled at me for practicing by hitting the wall.” He shrugs his shoulders, and Soren shakes his head.
“No walls, just a punching bag or practice with me, okay?” Soren tells him.
Oliver doesn’t waste a second as he turns to Noah and me and says, “Can we go to practice? I want to practice.”
“Oliver, you know we’re meeting Taylor for dinner,” Noah reminds him. “Maybe another night.”
“Let’s make plans,” Oliver says to Soren, his eyes lit with excitement.
“Okay, I’ll schedule it with your mother,” Soren agrees.
Noah rests a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “Come on, time to leave. Say goodbye.”
Oliver gives us both a wave before he runs to Noah’s car and climbs in, Noah trailing behind him.
“You’re early,” I say to Soren.
“And you look beautiful,” he replies as he gives me a once-over. “Though I’m getting a little jealous of your dresses,” he adds.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Because the dress is lucky to be hugging you so tightly,” he deadpans.
I throw my head back and laugh. “Who knew you were funny?”
“Funny? I was being serious.” And I can see by his expression that he was.
“Well, I’m jealous sometimes too,” I tell him as I grab my purse, then shut and lock the door.
I descend the three steps until I’m standing in front of him. He takes my hand, and to be honest, I expect nothing less.
“Pity I can’t ravish you tonight,” he says. “You know, because we’ll be in public.”
I laugh again, not able to help myself as he leads me to the car and opens the door for me. I climb in, and when I look up, I find his gaze locked on me. He winks before he shuts the door and goes around to the other side and gets in. His driver starts the car, and we take off down the street.
“Not driving tonight?”
“No, I thought tonight I would drink with you,” he replies.
“You rarely drink.” I note.
“I don’t like my senses dulled or to have my inhibitions lowered.”
“And you feel like you can do that with me?” I question.
“I can lower everything but my cock when I’m with you.”
Another laugh bubbles out of me, and I reach over and grab his hand this time, instead of waiting for him to hold mine.
“Oliver likes you, and that means a lot. Because if he didn’t—”
“I like him too. He’s a good kid.”
“Do you ever want kids?”
He cracks his neck before replying, “I feel like that question is a trap.”
I shrug. “I want you to be honest with me.”
“Okay.” He squeezes my hand as the car slows down.
“No, I don’t want kids. I pretty much raised my sister when I was basically still a kid myself.
And doing that again doesn’t appeal to me.
” We sit there quietly until the car stops.
His driver goes to open the door, but Soren holds up his hand, stopping him.
“How does that make you feel?” he asks hesitantly.
“Not everyone feels the need to be a parent, and that’s okay,” I tell him. “Oliver is all I want. I don’t want more kids.”
“Oliver is a good kid. I enjoy being around him.” His words warm my heart.
“Oliver already has a father, and Noah is a great one.”
He nods, seeming to be happy with that answer, then he gets out of the car.
He holds the door open for me as I slide across the seat.
Once I’m standing on the sidewalk, I notice we’re outside again at one of the hardest restaurants to get a reservation, which I have been to before.
It also happens to belong to his friend Arlo.
“And here I thought you were taking me back to a sex club.” I laugh.
“If that’s where you’d rather eat, we can go there. They don’t serve food, but I can think of something for me to eat.” He rakes his gaze over me, and I blush. I can’t help it.
We enter the restaurant, and the hostess recognizes him immediately.
She guides us to a more secluded area in the back, where a table is already set with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and menus.
He pulls out my seat as the hostess excuses herself.
When I sit, he leans down and kisses my neck softly before taking his own seat.
“I have a question,” I say. He nods and then pours us each a glass of wine. “Would you take me to one of your girlfriend’s parties?”
He adamantly shakes his head. “No, never.”
“I’ve heard about them. People share. Would you not like to share me?”
“No, I wouldn’t. I would take you to the wife one, though.”
I grin, his answer pleasing me. “I’m not your wife,” I point out.
“No, I guess you aren’t… yet.”
I pause at the “yet,” and I hold back from commenting, even though I know he’s waiting for me to speak.
When he decides I’m not going to respond, he asks, “Would you like me to order for you?”
“Yes, I’ll eat anything. I’m not fussy.”
He orders each of us a steak and a dessert for after. When the waiter walks away, Soren reaches across the table and takes my hand.
“I’m not going home with you tonight,” I remind him.
“Yes, I know. Maybe tomorrow?” Soren asks, hopeful.
“Maybe,” I reply.
And he smirks.
The food is impressive, but I knew it would be.
We have great conversations about various topics, and I’m surprised at how much I like listening to Soren talk.
When he speaks to you, he gives you his full attention.
It’s special because not many people can talk to someone without their gaze flicking to something else.
He makes me nervous, but it’s a good type of nervous. The kind that makes me wonder where this will actually go now that we’re both open to it.
I’m glad our thoughts on having children are similar. I wouldn’t want to be with someone and deny them a child if that’s what they wanted, because it’s a blessing to have a child, and a lot of people don’t get that opportunity.
As we leave the restaurant, his hand isn’t holding mine for a change. Instead, his arm is wrapped around my waist, and he keeps me close to him.
When we pull up outside my home, he gets out with me and walks me to my door. After I unlock the door, I turn to find him already stepping back, putting distance between us.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I won’t kiss you or touch you until tomorrow,” he says, and disappointment fills me, even though I am the one who put up that barrier.
“Thank you again for tonight. It was nice to see a new side of you.”
“Anytime.” He winks, and I go inside and shut the door. Leaning against it, I sigh.
Part of me wanted him to come in with me. Actually, no, all of me wanted that. I know we went too hot and heavy to begin with, but I have never felt this way for anyone before, not even Noah. And I married that man and had a baby with him.
Pushing away from the door, I hear a noise coming from the other side. Taking off my high heel, I raise it above my head, ready to use it as a weapon if necessary, just as the door opens. And standing there is Soren, with the key he stole from me.
“Do you plan to stab me with that?” he asks, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“Depends.”
We stare at each other for a beat, then I drop the shoe and launch myself at him. He catches me and somehow kicks the door shut behind him as my legs wrap around his waist. Our lips smash together in a frantic kiss. His hands slide under my dress until they reach my ass.
He carries me down the hall, not stopping until he enters my bedroom.
He gently places me on the bed, disconnecting us, and I instantly wish he hadn’t.
He starts to undo the buttons of his shirt, and I sit up on my knees so I can pull my dress off over my head.
His gaze meets mine, and it’s like he forgot what he was doing as he soaks me in.
“Are we going too fast?” I ask.
“Move in with me,” he blurts, and I shake my head, taken aback.
“Now, that’s too fast.”
“I’ll move in with you, then,” he counters, and kicks off his shoes before he undoes his pants.
“Soren,” I say in a scolding tone.
“Marry me.”
I laugh at his outrageous requests until he’s standing in front of me naked. The sight of his nude body shuts me up quickly.
“I’ll take you to the courthouse as soon as it opens if you say yes.” And strangely enough, I believe him.
“We would need a prenup.”
He smirks at that, as if he’s just happy that I’m considering it.
But I’m really not.
Am I?
Why would I do that?
“I don’t need one. You can have everything if you leave me.” He steps toward the bed, eyes open and honest. “I only need you.”
“How romantic,” I gush as I lay a hand on his chest.
“I’m not romantic, and I’m not joking.” He rests his hands on my hips, and I lean closer to him. He reaches behind my back and unclips my bra, then pulls it from my body. His finger lifts my chin to look at him.
“Marry me.”
“Fuck me,” I say back.
“That I can do.”
His lips crash down on mine. His arms wrap around me, and then he proceeds to lay me back on the mattress. His mouth leaves mine, and he drags his teeth over my chin and down my neck until he reaches my nipple. He bites it, hard enough to leave marks, before he slides even farther down my body.
It doesn’t take him long before he’s at my vagina, spreading my legs wider to accommodate his broad shoulders.
And then his mouth is on me. He does that thing with his tongue where he flicks it over my clit before circling it with the tip.
It hits all the right spots, and it isn’t long before I match his rhythm and press myself closer to his mouth.
I can tell he likes it, because he lets out a growl and then repeats the process until I can’t stand it.
My fingers clutch the bedding as I come hard. Soren’s mouth disappears from between my legs, and a second later, I feel him at my entrance. He slides in, ever so slowly, knowing how big he is, and pauses.
“You take me so well,” he praises as he watches his cock press farther inside me.
“Deeper,” I whisper, liking how it feels.
He pushes in some more, and I feel so good, so full, wanting him to start moving.
When I think he’s almost all the way in, he pauses and looks at me. “Deeper?”
I nod, and he thrusts the rest of the way in.
I watch as he holds his breath, squeezing his eyes closed.
“Move,” I demand, and he does.
He starts to move, slow and steady, fucking me like I’m a good girl, but at the same time, he looks at me as if I’m his world.
I hope to one day be that for him.
“You were made for me,” he rasps as he fucks me.
I nod my head, unable to actually speak. I’m getting close, and I can feel that he’s almost there, too. He slows his thrusts, as if he’s trying to drag out each one, and it’s magnificent torture.
After we both come, he pulls out gently and then looks between my legs. “Are you sore?” he asks.
“No.”
“Good. I want to go again.”