The art of awkward affec.., p.24
The Art of Awkward Affection: A Romantic Comedy, page 24
“Some peace and quiet,” she finished.
“I don’t know why there’s a movie room in the penthouse,” I explained. “I didn’t want it.”
“Then have it torn out.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” I said wryly, “but I’m a little behind on home improvement projects.” I squeezed her hands.
“You know what you need?” she said determinedly. “A trip to Florida. You can’t be sad in the Florida sunshine.”
“Sure,” I said, willing to agree to anything if she just wouldn’t leave me. “Pick a date, and I’ll have the plane ready.”
“The plane?” Her mouth fell open. “I—but—”
“Sweetheart, if I have to go to Florida, I’m not flying commercial.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know whether to be offended or happy.”
The corner of my mouth quirked. “Little of column A, little of column B.”
She punched me lightly in the abs. “Ow! You really do work out a lot.”
“Not much else to do when you’re sleepless at three in the morning. It’s that or drink,” I said with a dark laugh.
Stop ruining everything. You revealed too much already. Lexi doesn’t want to hear about how you were shoved like garbage in a basement. She wants a strong protector who has his shit together. She’s going to find someone else.
And I would lose her, having to watch her life from afar. Like I did with my mother.
She gave me an assessing look.
“You know what helps me when I feel down about how my life wasn’t all that I thought it was going to be?”
“What’s that.”
“A gratitude journal. You count your blessings and realize things aren’t as bad as they could be.”
“So the very definition of toxic positivity.”
She scooped up the last forkful of cake.
“It’s toxic positivity covered by a mound of frosting.”
I let her feed it to me. Then she leaned in to kiss me. I tasted the tart lemon of the cake on her mouth.
“What are you grateful for?” she pressed.
“I’m grateful for …” I hesitated.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Not for a moment. I knew that I shouldn’t be so obsessed with her, knew she deserved better, but she enchanted me like nothing else.
I ran my fingers through her curly red hair. “I’m grateful for those deep-brown eyes of yours.”
“Are you?”
I pulled down the blanket, uncovering her wondrous body. “I’m grateful for these curvaceous tits of yours.” I ran my hands over their soft warmness, hearing her purr beneath my touch.
“I think you’re missing the point of the question, Grayson.”
“Am I now?” Now bare before me, I threw myself over her, a hand running up from her pussy toward the rest of her body. “You asked me to name things I’m grateful for. The things that make me happy. And your gorgeous body is definitely making me very happy right now.”
I leaned down, kissing her, before reaching back into the nightstand drawer and pulling out a condom. I opened it and slid it down my cock, her small hand so quick to join me in rolling it out.
“I’m grateful for the sounds you make when I fuck you. I’m grateful for the ecstasy I feel when your pussy grasps my cock so tightly, the intensity of being inside you, and the heightened desire I feel for you.”
She laughed. “I’m going to be asking for more answers later, Grayson. But for now, you’ve earned a stay of execution. Because I want what you want. Fuck me, Grayson. Do it now. Do it hard.”
“So demanding.” I kissed her, then I thrust inside her, the overwhelming sensation forcing me to moan right alongside her. Her arms crossed around my head as she nodded enthusiastically, and I took her harder. Every inch of my cock was in bliss as her pussy throbbed around me, us rocking together. I wanted to hear her moans, hear her scream for me.
Her legs closed around me. I froze briefly as I thought about how I was truly grateful for her. She was exceptionally hot. Funny. Smart. Everything I wanted in a woman.
She scratched me a bit for daring to stop. I just laughed it off and reaffirmed my lust, pummeling into her as hard as I could without hurting her.
We must have been so weak to one another, because I’m sure both of us could last longer than we did. But as soon as I heard her scream at the top of her lungs, her pussy squeezed me tighter and her body shuddered around me, sending me over the edge.
I held her in my arms. My cock still throbbed. I could easily go for another round.
“You get a sticker for that,” she said, panting.
I gave her a smug look and leaned back, hands behind my head. “I probably deserve one.”
“Glad to see you’re positively drowning in self-confidence.”
I trailed my hand down her curves, felt her move under my touch. There was rustling of paper. I looked down.
You did it! the sticker that had appeared on my chest screamed in bright-pink letters.
“This is a very pricey sticker,” Lexi said, rubbing it. “But you earned it.”
She added two more sparkly pink hearts to my chest. I peeled one off and stuck it on her nose then traced my finger down to her lip, memorizing her face.
“You know,” I said, just to see her smile, “since the movie theater is already in the penthouse, it would be wasteful not to use it. And you did say you knew how to make popcorn, right?”
“There’s that silver lining!” Lexi whooped and pressed playful kisses all over my face while I basked in her happiness.
She sat up and pulled my shirt back on. There was something highly appealing about seeing her in my clothes. I admired the curve of her breasts under the white fabric. Then I caressed her ass as she swung her legs off the bed. She tiptoed across the floor to the dresser.
“That rug can’t get here soon enough,” she said as she pawed through the underwear drawer, pulled out a pair of boxers, and slipped them on.
“If you get inspired to do more online shopping,” Lexi called, skipping out of the master suite into the hallway, “some fuzzy unicorn slippers sure would be a nice addition to this monument to existential dread.”
I barked out a laugh and pulled on a pair of sweatpants then strode out to find her.
Gizzy trudged after me, his long scaly body sliding across the floor. He paused at the stairs.
“Go use the elevator if you’re so smart,” I told the iguana.
He paced like he was going to make a jump for it to the chandelier.
“Not on my watch.”
I picked up the huge lizard. His clawed feet made bicycle motions as I carried him quickly down the stairs and set him on the floor.
I didn’t see Lexi in the kitchen or the living room. I grabbed a bottle of wine and glasses then crossed through the ballroom. I cut through the butler’s pantry and catering kitchen then out past the music room. Off a side hallway was a small dark room.
I paused for a moment when I opened the door.
No windows. Claustrophobic.
Pop pop pop.
Gizzy raced by me, attracted by the smell of hot oil popcorn and butter.
“I can’t believe you’ve never been in here. There was still plastic on the popcorn maker,” Lexi marveled as white fluffy kernels filled a square glass case.
The microwave dinged.
“I had no idea this was all here,” I said as she pulled a glass beaker of butter out of the microwave.
“Sure must be nice to forget a whole two hundred square feet you own in Manhattan,” she said, scooping the freshly made popcorn into a bowl and pouring the butter over it.
I uncorked the wine and poured her a glass then carried both glasses to where she was sitting on the long leather couch in front of a projection screen that spanned the entire wall in front of us.
Lexi steepled her hands and drummed her fingers together.
“What’s that look?” I asked, suspicious.
“Am I,” she grinned maniacally, “about to pop your movie cherry?”
“I’ve seen movies before,” I scoffed.
“In a theater?”
“Marius dragged me to a few in college. He wanted me to be more social.”
“Marius is now my new favorite person and an honorary kindness buddy.” Lexi took a sip of her wine. “I’ll have to settle for popping your private movie theater cherry then. Like a virgin,” she warbled as she pressed buttons on her phone.
“Have you completely hijacked my home automation system?”
“I’m in the source code.” She waggled her fingers at me. “Also, nice choice on clothing; I think that’s my favorite outfit of yours. Because you’re not wearing a shirt.” Her fingers trailed up my chest.
The blue appeared on the screen, and I’m pretty sure my hair was blown back as the sound system engaged and the Disney theme music blasted from the speakers.
“Getting lit!” Lexi whooped and held up her wineglass like a sorority girl.
I draped my arm around her. Aside from the fact that Lexi worked for me and there was a giant iguana scarfing down his own bowl of popcorn, it was almost like being on a date.
Lexi was half in my lap, giggling at the antics of the cartoon dogs on the screen, her bare legs bumping mine.
I absently ran my hands up her thigh, occasionally letting her feed me popcorn, somehow not that bothered by the dark or the flickering images on the projector screen.
“You know the best thing about movie theaters?” she whispered to me while several dogs were barking their heads off on screen.
Her hand slipped under my waistband. I jerked, and the popcorn spilled on the floor for the iguana to scarf up. I didn’t register it because she was sliding down my body, taking the top of my pants with her, my cock springing out.
She licked the tip of the head of my cock. I cursed in pleasure as she rained more kisses down my length, her touch delightful in any way that she gave it. A tongue soon followed, and all I could do was shudder in appreciation of her. Down to my balls, she took them into her mouth, sucking them so hard.
Her lips were divine, like she instinctively knew how to please me, her eagerness and desire making up for any lack of experience. My fingers were tangled in her hair, rubbing small circles on her scalp as she dragged her tongue up my length and left me shuddering with utter delight.
The whole time her eyes were locked on mine, enjoying watching me come undone as she sucked my cock.
She would get hers. I would see to that.
Lexi opened wide for me, licking her lips as she took me down her throat.
I gently ran my fingers through her hair as she continued. She had settled into a solid pace, going up and down my length as she massaged my balls in her fingers. Even as she had seemingly drained me dry twice in the past twenty-four hours, I could feel the pressure building down there.
One hand on my cock, the other went down between her legs, touching herself as she sucked me off. The sight of her on my cock, hand between my legs, was enough to push me to the edge. It was all I could do to keep from coming in her mouth.
“Fuck, I’m ... shit, you’re really something special, Lexi.”
She hummed then slid back, holding my cock in her hand. The other hand unbuttoned my dress shirt that she’d been wearing, exposing the swell of her freckled tits.
“Why don’t you show me how much you really enjoyed me sucking your cock, Grayson?”
I erupted all over her chest, just as she wanted. I coated her tits in my cum, pulse after pulse exiting my cock and making a mess out of her. The seed leaked down her body, and I was captivated by the image in front of me. Of me owning her, of me claiming her, and how eagerly she submitted to me and wanted to be mine.
She took a little of the mess off herself with her finger and slipped it into her lips. “How’s that for dirty talk?” she asked, gaze smugly seductive.
I stood up and took her hand, helping her up to her feet. I then spun her around and pushed her back onto the sofa, putting my lips on hers. She needed to be an orgasmic mess as much as I was. I slipped my hand under the boxers she’d stolen from me.
She’s so goddamn wet for me. She made herself a gushing river just by sucking my cock.
My fingers sought out her clit, and I rubbed it as I plunged my fingers deep inside her, hearing those harmonic moans exit her mouth. I pumped them into her furiously, and her hands shot down to my wrist, gripping it and holding it in place.
I kept the pressure on, feeling her throb on my hand, her bucking and writhing in my grip. She screamed for me, the orgasm coming for her quickly, leaving the dress shirt clinging to her curves.
She snuggled against me with a happy sigh. “I love trying new things.”
I wrapped her in my arms and kissed the top of her head.
Lexi was half asleep propped on me as the dogs found their puppies and the mother dog was greeting them, ecstatic. I felt my chest constrict.
This is why I hate TV.
I left Gizzy to watch the rest of the move alone then carried her to bed.
“You don’t want to watch the rest?” Lexi murmured in my arms.
“No, thanks.”
As I watched her sleep there in my bed, red hair spread around the pillows, I wondered how long this could possibly last.
45
LEXI
I was on the beach, basking in the sun, letting it warm me as the waves crashed softly on the shore. The sand was deliciously warm, and I snuggled back on my soft fluffy beach towel … all while the sun beat down on me. My sunglasses were no match for the blazing hot ball in the sky …
“Why is it so bright?” I mumbled and sat up with a snort.
Beside me, Grayson was sleeping deeply, peacefully. Unlike me, he did not drool or snore like an asthmatic pug. His arm that had been draped over me fell down to my lap. He murmured and shifted.
My heart skipped a beat as I looked down at him.
I wasn’t sure I had ever seen him that relaxed. Usually there was an undercurrent of tension on his handsome face. I hoped I didn’t wake him, though if the bright spotlight of the sun that was shining through the ten-foot-tall, glass, curtainless windows at six freaking thirty in the morning didn’t wake him, I probably wasn’t going to either.
I gingerly lay back on the pillow, wishing I had my sunglasses.
The studio apartment I shared with McKenna and Grenadine was never this bright. The only thing that was able to grow reliably was the mold in the bathroom.
He seriously needed some plants. I could grow a whole jungle in here—fruit trees, orchids.
I snuck my phone off the nightstand and put it on silent so I could scroll through Pinterest and plan a big breakfast. I’d make pancakes, bacon, fresh-squeezed orange juice—the works.
I frowned when I saw missed calls from McKenna.
Lexi: Sorry! I didn’t get kidnapped.
Lexi: Just banging the CEO *upside down smiley face*
The phone vibrated in my hand with incoming messages.
McKenna: You better hope Anthym doesn’t find out!!!
McKenna: She’s been stomping around here super pissed.
McKenna: She and Brittany Dawn were locked in her office all day yesterday talking about who Grayson is dating.
Lexi: Wait, he gave everyone the day off.
McKenna: Anthym came in just to show everyone she’s dedicated to the job. Not that she was working.
McKenna: You better come in today, otherwise she might get suspicious.
McKenna: I covered for you yesterday and said you were busy setting up Grayson’s penthouse and making it look extra special romantic for his date.
Lexi: So you threw gasoline on a grease fire.
McKenna: Girl, you haven’t been at the company long enough to rack up a full day’s worth of PTO.
Lexi: And yet I work all that overtime …
McKenna: Fucking your boss is not overtime.
Lexi: Oh my gosh! I just meant all that extra stuff Anthym has me do.
McKenna: Next time you’re sucking Grayson’s dick, convince him to take you on a nice trip somewhere. You should get some perks out of this.
Lexi: I did talk him into taking me to Florida.
McKenna: I said somewhere nice *tongue sticking out emoji*
I looked down at Grayson’s sleeping form—the muscled torso, the curve of his backside partially hidden by the comforter.
I did not want to go back to that office. Not without him. And I was pretty sure if I told him I was going to work, then he was going to go to work, and he really needed a break.
Lexi: Tell Anthym that I’ll be in later in the day. I’m just going to clean up all the body fluids off the walls and sex paraphernalia from his hot date.
McKenna: She’s going to blow a gasket.
McKenna: She told me Grayson dated a few times but never had a serious love interest. I think she was half pretending to be his wife, and now it’s going to be you.
Lexi: Gosh, that sounds serious.
McKenna: Didn’t you tell me you kind of sort of met his mom?
Lexi: Yeah, I guess that means whatever this is, is pretty serious.
McKenna: Play your cards right and you’re going to be the next Mrs. Richmond!!! Can I please be your live-in Gizzy nanny? My grandmother can live on the terrace. She can’t be allowed inside.
McKenna: She says she’s going to start growing psychedelic mushrooms in the perpetual wet spot on the bathroom floor.
This … thing … with Grayson was becoming way more complicated than I thought it was going to be back when I was just fantasizing about my hot boss from the safety of my stool. Now I was in his home, his bed, his life. I lay back on the pillow, careful not to disturb him.
Decisions needed to be made. Hard decisions about what the future with Grayson looked like. But what if he didn’t want to have a future with me? What if he just wanted to blow off some steam then bounce?
It will all work out. Everything happens for a reason, I told myself. You have an amazing man who cares about you, dinner yesterday was amazing, and you woke up to the sunshine this morning, all of the sunshine everywhere. Stop being so negative.
