Sugar Daddy Wanted: Now Accepting Applications (13 page)

Kerry reached up and stroked the side of his face. “I’m so sorry.”

He turned away from her touch. “After that, I saw every woman as a gold digging tramp. I barely gave anyone a chance.”

Her hand dropped to cover his. “I can relate to that.” She sighed, settling back into the pillows. “I met my ex-husband in high school. I was in love with him or as much as you can be at that age. Too scared to give anyone else a chance. Worried if I left him, I might not meet anyone else. I don’t regret our sons, but I do regret how much we argued in front of them. And as much as we had our problems, he was a pretty good father to them at the time. We couldn’t see eye to eye on anything, though, and eventually, I told him it was over.”

“Good for you.” Grayson reached over and brushed back some hair from her forehead. “That must have been tough.”

“It was, but I was almost thirty by then. It was time to prove I could do it on my own. And he was a good dad at first, then it became easier to send the child support and not do much else but blame me for not being close to his kids. Anyway, after that I…”

Her voice trailed away and he studied her face. Gut instinct told him her divorce had been more about spreading her wings than anything to do with a broken heart. Someone else had been responsible for that. “Who really hurt you?”

Kerry fidgeted with the edge of the sheet. “His name was Isaac. After my divorce, I didn’t want to turn into one of those cynical, bitter women who didn’t believe in love anymore. I mean, the love I had for my ex-husband changed over time. Our young love didn’t mature. With Isaac, I thought I’d finally found a soul mate of sorts. We got along great, never argued, the boys loved him, the sex was…really good.” A blush stained her cheeks.

“I’ve got competition, huh?”

She chuckled, “Hardly.”

He stroked back her hair and placed a kiss to her forehead. “What happened between you?”

“You know, I’m not really sure. When my ex-husband threatened to take me to court over custody of the boys, Isaac got cold feet. I needed a shoulder to cry on, and he started saying we were too serious. I didn’t want anything to change, just someone to be there for me. When he broke it off, it didn’t only hurt me, it hurt my boys, too.”

“I’m sorry,” he offered.

“No need to be. It happened. After that I gave up on finding love, and didn’t really give anyone a chance. Not sure if it was for me or them. I can handle the hurt. I don’t like having my guys hurt.”

“They have to deal with disappointment some time,” he said, his tone gentle.

“As a mother, when you feel like you are the cause of it, guilt eats at you. Watching your children hurt is worse than being hurt yourself. Is the price we all have to pay for love worth it?”

“That’s the chance you take.” He framed her face in his hands. “Love is magic.”

Clasping his forearms, she let out a light laugh. “Says the man who, not two minutes ago, told me he was afraid of how he felt for me.”

“Just because I’m afraid, doesn’t mean it’ll stop me from going after what I want.”

Her breath caught for a moment. “Grayson,” she began, but he silenced her with a soft kiss on the lips.

He pulled back far enough to stare into her eyes. “I love you, Kerry. And I was afraid of how I felt, which is why I didn’t call you this week. I kept telling myself I was giving you space to take care of your son, but I should’ve been there taking care of you.”

“I don’t need you to take care of me,” she said.

“No, but when you love someone, you should at least tell them you’re there for them if they need you. Last week I promised you everything would be all right, then I disappeared. It was unfair to let my insecurities get in the way of what we might have. Please give me a chance. I can’t promise to be perfect, but I promise not to shut you out again.”

“Oh Grayson…” She stopped to swallow back tears. “I wondered why you didn’t call and tried not to worry about it, because I didn’t know. But the truth is—I did worry because I’m falling in love with you. And being in love makes you vulnerable. I don’t like it.”

“Take a chance,” Grayson pleaded. “On us. I promise you’ll want for nothing, especially love.”

Indecision wavered in her eyes.

Squeezing her hands, he said, “I never believed in fate or destiny, but maybe it does play a part in our lives.”  He chuckled. “We met in the most random way possible—on a dating site when neither of us was truly looking! I don’t want to throw away this opportunity.”

“I don’t either,” she whispered.

“Good.” A stern look took over his features for a moment. “No more dates for you then, unless they’re with me.”

“Dates?” she queried. “What are you talking about?”

He frowned. “When I called tonight, you said you’d been ditched on a date.”

Kerry laughed out loud. “I took the boys out for dinner. They ditched me for better offers. I passed out before I got a chance to finish telling you.” She swatted his arm, “Silly man…”

“Fabulous.” He couldn’t help the shit-eating grin that covered his face. “So, where do we go from here?”

Kerry’s smile matched his. “I have a pretty good idea of where I want it to go.”

Five hours later, Grayson held out a hand to help Kerry out of the SUV. Once her feet touched ground, he dismissed his driver, and scooped her into his arms to carry her into the house. Exhausted, she clung to his neck, shifting her weight for him to unlock the door.

Once inside, he carried her to the bedroom and set her down on the edge of the bed. He knelt at her feet in order to slip off the hospital slippers she’d worn home.

Her fingers feathered through his hair. “I could do that you know.”

He shrugged a shoulder and took one of her feet in his hands, massaging. “I know. I want to.”

A tired smile graced her lips. “This feels weird.”

Pausing in his massage, he glanced up into her face. “Am I doing something wrong?”

Her fingertips traced his face. “No, the massage is great. Having someone do things for me is weird. I’m used to doing everything myself.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve cared to do these sorts of things for anyone. Indulge me?”

Waving a hand, she smiled at his request. “Well, if you insist.” Leaning back on her arms, she closed her eyes, a small moan escaping.

“Feels good?” he murmured.

“Do you even have to ask? Ohhh…” Her voice trailed away on a moan.

He chuckled, not saying anything more, and switched to the other foot. A loud groan filled the silence in the room when he dug his knuckles into the arch of her foot.

“I never realize how tense I am until someone touches a muscle,” she said.

“You’re a mother,” he replied. “You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Speaking of which—lay down on your stomach.”

She did as he instructed. His hands worked on the tense muscles at the base of her neck. Tilting her chin to look at him, she groaned even louder and said, “Sometimes it feels like it. God, this feels good… Don’t stop.” Her eyelids fluttered closed as the warmth and pressure of his hands lulled her into relaxation.

Her breathing evened out, and contentment permeated her being. Drifting into unconsciousness, her lower lip stuck out in a pout when his hands left her body. “I said, don’t stop,” she grumbled.

“Time to get you under the covers,” Grayson said.

Moaning in protest, Kerry dragged herself up to crawl under the blankets. Grayson tucked her in, and she snuggled into the pillows. Oblivion beckoned.

A dip in the bed brought her back to the present. “Gray?”

“Yes?”

She patted the mattress behind her butt. “Stay with me.”

“As you wish.” Grayson slipped under the sheet, spooning with her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She wriggled back into him, feeling his hard shaft pressing into her backside. A tired giggle broke the silence. “And Gray?”

“What?”

Kerry nestled back into his hard on. “Save this for later, okay?”

A soft sigh ruffled her hair, and he tightened his hold on her. “Oh, don’t worry—it’s not going anywhere.”

“Good.” Content in his embrace, she let sleep claim her.

* * * * *

A soft beeping noise woke Kerry from slumber. Blinking her eyes open, a soft, flashing light accompanied the sound. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she made out Grayson’s cell phone on the night table beside the bed. She reached out for it, but movement became hindered.

Stifling a yawn behind her hand, she smiled, settling back into the bed and into his embrace. They hadn’t moved from the position they’d fallen asleep in.

In the past couple of years, she’d gotten used to waking up alone, not having to share a bed with anyone. No pillows or covers to hog, no snoring or dream movements to wake a person. Here in Grayson’s arms, her position on that changed. Being with him felt right, and since she’d slept better than she had in a long time, exhaustion and head wound notwithstanding, she knew she could get used to having him in her bed on a regular basis

Grayson cleared his throat, shifting his position to reach over and shut off the alarm. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore, sleepy…” Snuggling back into him, she ground her butt against his erection. “Aroused…”

“Really?” He chuckled, kissing her forehead as he lay down again.

She made a childish face at him, and he swatted her on the ass.

“Hey,” she said, punching him in the ribs. “What was that for?”

“Judging your response time,” he replied. “And for being so mean to me after I stayed with you all night.”

She stuck her tongue out again. “I don’t remember the doctor instructing you to gage my response time that way, and it’s only been two hours, not the whole night.”

Grayson rolled on top of her, pinning her face down onto the bed. “It will be the entire night. I’m getting a jump on the game.” Sweeping aside her hair, he nibbled her neck, and ground his cock into her butt.

Kerry shivered, wetness seeping from her core. “Definitely aroused now. Don’t stop.”

“That’s the second time tonight you’ve begged me not to stop. How many times will I be able to make you beg?”

Kerry went utterly still. “You know, my headache is coming back. I think I need more rest.”

“Oh really?” Grayson nipped her earlobe, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

“Yeah.” Kerry did her best to sound pained. “You know, my ribs are sore from the fall, too. I guess I hurt myself more than just a bump on the head.”

Grayson lifted his weight off her, and lay to the side. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll let you get some more sleep.” He moved to the side of her.

Kerry pounced on top of him, hands braced on his shoulders, rubbing her crotch against his hard cock. “Gotcha.”

Grayson groaned. “Don’t stop.”

“Good.” Kerry bent forward and brushed her lips over his. “Now I have
you
begging.”

“Oh, I’ll keep begging,” he promised. “I’ve been in a constant state of semi-arousal since last weekend.”

“I am sorry we didn’t get to finish.” She traced his jaw with her tongue.

“Well, your son needed us more than I needed to have sex.” He shuddered when she nipped his ear. “Now that’s debatable… You know, I’m surprised I slept at all for the past few hours,” he grumbled, threading his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. “Your sweet little ass kept bumping into my dick.”

Kerry slid down his body, making sure to rub her mound fully against his erection. “What was your cock doing so close to my ass?”

“Trying to find a home?” His hands roamed her backside as she slithered back up his body, straddling him once more.

Bending forward, she nuzzled his ear, then drew a line down the column of his throat with her tongue. “It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”

His fingers dug into the flesh of her butt, squeezing. “You have a kinky side, do you?”

“With the right person,” she answered.

His arms enveloped her, one hand cupping the back of her neck, drawing her mouth to his. A growl sounded from deep in his throat. “I
am
a gentleman and realize you’ve been injured. Therefore, I am giving you one last chance to tell me you need sleep because once I start, I won’t want to stop this time.”

“Fuck me already.”

In one swift movement, his hands slid up under her T-shirt. He grasped the hem and ripped the garment over her head. Before she could blink, he’d rolled her underneath him.

“There will be no fucking.” His voice held a husky note of promise. “I love you, Kerry, therefore, I will be making love to you.”

“Therefore,” she mocked. “You’ve said that twice now. You’re such a lawyer.”

“And a damn good negotiator.” He bent his head, biting at her nipple through her bra.

A shiver ran through her. “There’s nothing to negotiate. Keep going.”

He worked his hands between the mattress and her back. Kerry arched her spine as he fiddled with the clasp on her bra. Using his teeth, he stripped the straps down and off her arms. Her exposed nipples puckered in the cool air of the room.

Leaning forward again, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tight peak. Kerry moaned, clutching at his head, arousal dripping from her core, dampening the cotton cloth of her panties.

Grayson lifted his head, releasing her breast with a small popping noise. “There is one matter to negotiate—protection.”

“Mood killer.” She sighed, wriggling under him, arching her back, offering her other breast to him. “I had my tubes tied years ago, and I had a blood test a month ago. I was clean then and haven’t slept with anyone in four months.”

“Six months for me, and my blood test at that time came back all right, too. I guess we’re good to go.”

“Thank, God.” She gripped the sides of his face and drew him down for a passionate kiss.

Grayson settled his weight between her thighs, his long, hard cock pulsing against the heat of her. Bestowing attention on her other breast, he rocked against her, bumping her clit with the hard ridge of his shaft. His hands roamed her body until his fingers slithered into her underwear, middle finger circling her clit.

Desire spiraled higher. “Grayson, please.” Her breath caught on a gasp.