Torn (27 page)

“Mom,” Holden called out. “Are you awake?” The handle twisted but thankfully, I’d been smart enough to lock it before I’d fallen asleep the night before. There was no way our son needed to walk in on us fucking. Not only would that scar the poor kid, it would confuse him to no end. We hadn’t even talked about what we were going to tell him, let alone what we were going to do pertaining to us. Our relationship. We had to discuss a few things, living arrangements for one.

Striding toward the bed, I pulled the covers over her nakedness. I knew it was as good a time as any to let Holden in on the fact I was back in their lives more intimately than before.

She was still sound-asleep as he knocked lightly once again.

Wishing I had a camera to capture the look on his face, I stepped into the hallway and closed the bedroom door behind me. “Hey, bud,” I greeted, allowing him some time to figure out what was going on. Although me in a towel was a dead giveaway. I had faith my boy would figure it out quickly.

Realization dawned on him the instant he’d seen me. “Did you stay over? Like, sleep in there with Mom?” Yeah, he’s no dummy. Then again, he is thirteen years old.

Not wanting to say too much without Kalista present, I gave him a short answer. “Yes.”

Averting his eyes, he appeared anxious about something. After a few confusing seconds, he took a deep breath, looked up at me and asked me something I never expected to come out of his mouth. “Did you have sex?”

He’d stunned me stupid for a brief minute. I could tell he was embarrassed to be asking me such a thing, but not enough that he didn’t forge ahead and inquire about it anyway.

“That’s a little inappropriate for you to be asking me, don’t you think?” I wasn’t mad, just confused by his audacity. Normally, Holden was a very easy-going kid. We’d bonded rather quickly and it had been great. He never talked back to either one of us, although I’d left the majority of discipline to Kalista since I was still getting my feet wet with the whole fatherhood scene. Not that she had to discipline him at all. The worst thing she had to do was remind him to finish his homework. He was always home when he was supposed to be, helped around the house and genuinely wanted to be around us.

I leaned against the doorframe and waited patiently for him to answer me.

“That’s my mom,” he all but whispered, fidgeting with his hands as he continued to stand in front of me. Looks like she passed along a nervous habit.

“And I’m your father,” I reminded him.

“I know. But…”

“But what?” Where is he going with this interrogation?

He puffed up his chest, stared me right in my face and asked, “What are your intentions with her?” If I hadn’t witnessed the dead-ass serious look on his face, I would have burst out laughing.

Trying my hardest to hide my smirk, I stood taller and stepped closer, reaching out and placing my hand on his shoulder. “Son, my intentions are good. There is nothing for you to worry about where that is concerned.” I gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Do you trust me?”

A mixture of sadness and relief deflated his posture. “I do trust you, Dad. It’s just that Mom has been really sad these past few years, and I don’t want her to feel that way anymore. The older I got, the more she told me I looked like…well…you. Every time she told me that, she would disappear to her room and cry.” He looked sad as he confessed all of this to me. “She never knew I heard her, but I did. All the time. I never asked about you because I didn’t want to upset her even more.”

A lump formed deep in my throat, threatening to break free if I didn’t get it together soon. I hated hearing both of them struggled without me, but there was nothing I could have done. I had no idea why Kalista had left, or that Holden even existed. If I had… No, I can’t go back there. No more what-ifs.

“I understand your concern for your mom, and I love that you’re so protective over her, but I’m here to tell you that I won’t hurt her. Not intentionally.”

He relaxed, knowing I was telling him the truth. “Are you moving in with us?” he asked, suddenly smiling. “Are you guys getting married?”

“Whoa, one thing at a time.” I laughed. “I still have a lot of things to talk about with your mom. But I’ll tell you what, as soon as we figure them out, you’ll be the first to know. Promise.” I pulled him in for a hug, my hand cradling his head to my chest. I loved him more than I could ever express in words, but words were all I had. “I love you, son.”

“Love you, too, Dad.”

Pulling him away from my embrace, I smiled as he met my eyes. “Are we good here?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” He chuckled before taking off back to his room.

“Wait,” I called after him. “Why did you come to your mom’s room in the first place?” Gripping the edges of my loosening towel, I was suddenly curious what brought him to her door.

“I wanted to remind her I have to be to school early today. I volunteered to help clean up the grounds with a few other students for extra credit. Plus, it just makes good sense. Gotta keep the environment clean for the next generation, right?” He laughed at his own joke as he shut the door to his room.

KALISTA

S
tretching my arms above my head, I yawned, wiping away the cobwebs of a restful sleep. For the first time since I could remember, I was looking forward to what the day would bring, my newfound relationship with Eli at the very top of the list.

I wasn’t naïve. I knew there were many things we still had to discuss, explain and make decisions about, but for the first time in forever, my heart wasn’t heavy with guilt and sadness. Finally, I could breathe again.

Stirring in bed, I heard the sound of faint voices outside my bedroom door. Sitting up, I clutched the sheet to my chin as the door swung open. Holy shit! The sight in front of me was one I’d missed immensely: Eli, naked but for a white towel slung low on his hips. Locking the door behind him, he prowled toward me, a deep hunger hiding behind his beautiful blue eyes. The way he watched me sent a flash of desire through me, the wanton way I imagined him taking me again enough to cause me to tremble all over.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and released the sheet, leaving me bare for him to feast on. Wanting nothing more than to run my hands all over his delectable body, I stood and moved closer, meeting him halfway.

“Fuck me, baby,” he grunted. “You’re so beautiful.” Reaching for me, he grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. His sculpted chest was flush against me, the heat pouring off him and instantly making me warm. But I wasn’t complaining. Not one single bit.

Feeling like a thousand butterflies took flight in my belly, I gasped for air right before he lowered his mouth to mine. Flicking his tongue softly over my bottom lip, I gasped once more before claiming what was mine. The urgency of my kiss drove him to deepen our connection, our tongues dueling for ownership of the other.
      

My hands found the corners of his towel, untangling it before tossing it to the ground behind him. Needing his hands on me just as much, he gripped my backside and pulled me up his body. I instantly wrapped my legs around his waist, his cock rubbing against me and sending jolts of pleasure straight through my core.

“Does someone want some lovin’?” he teased, stalking toward the bed.

“Can you do gentle and easy?”

“I proved to you I could. Sort of.” He smiled, pressing his lips to mine again.

Tossing me on the bed, he pried my legs apart until he was nestled deep between them. Before I could say anything, he pressed deep, his hand hitching my leg over his waist as he began to move. “I’ve missed you so much,” he declared, trapping my arms above my head as he rocked me into another world. “Tell me you’ve missed me just as much,” he pleaded, the uncertainty in his voice tearing me apart. I would never fully realize what I’d done to him when I took off, but I vowed right then to make it up to him for as long as he would have me.

“I did,” I cried out, my orgasm building with every thrust. He had me pinned underneath him, my body his to do with whatever he wanted. “I missed you so much.” I searched for his lips but his face was resting in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent as if he was burning it into his memory.

For once, I threw myself out of my own head, vowing not to overthink my situation and just feel.

Feel the gloriousness of him claiming me.

Feel the passion pulling us together.

Feel his forgiveness flowing through every cell of my body.

His thrusts bordered on punishing, but I welcomed the intensity. “I love your pussy,” he growled, spreading my legs wider to accommodate him. “Goddamn it,” he cursed, “I could lose myself inside you forever.”

“Then do it,” I uttered, my words almost indiscernible to even me. If I could have stayed wrapped up in him forever, I would have. I never wanted to leave my bed. I never wanted to feel his absence again, not for one single moment. But life didn’t work that way, so I had to revel in our special times as much as possible. For as long as they lasted.

“Tell me you love my cock, Kalista. Tell me how good I make you feel. I need to hear you say it,” he demanded. The corded muscles of his chest twitched in exertion the harder he fucked me.

“I love the way you feel deep inside me,” I panted. “I love the way you love me.”

The words were out before I could stop myself. I meant every word, but I didn’t want to scare him. Everything was happening so quickly, and the last thing I wanted for him to do was rethink his decision to give us another chance. I didn’t want to push him too fast.

My breaths stilled as I waited for him to respond, either physically or verbally. But he did neither. He never stopped pushing into me nor did he utter a single word in response. He simply grinned before kissing me hard, matching the rhythm of our bodies finding absolute bliss together.

I tingled all over, threatening to explode any second. “Eli!” I cried out, warning him I was precariously close to the edge. Hooking my ankles around his waist, I pulled him closer. The friction of his skin against my clit and his cock against my G-spot had me trapping my breaths in no time at all. Throwing my head back, I experienced another extremely powerful orgasm.

“Breathe,” he whispered in my ear before losing himself in his own climax. Finally letting go of my hands, I lowered them until they were tangled in the thick of his hair. His slight stubble brushed against my cheek when he turned his face to me, the light in his eyes telling me everything.

“We need to get you to dirty up your sex talk while I’m ravaging you.” I had expected him to laugh and tell me he was kidding, but his face was deadpanned.
      

Not knowing what else to say, I blurted, “I can’t think straight when I’m so full of you. I shouldn’t be held accountable for my lack of sexy talk.” I tried to laugh, but the sound came out muffled and awkward. A little embarrassed he was disappointed with my lack of sexual conversation, I ducked my head to the side, trying to hide from his intense stare.

Pulling my face back toward him, I had no choice but to be captivated by him once again. “I’ll get it out of you yet. Don’t worry your pretty little head.” It was then he gave me the laughter I’d needed just a moment before.

After he’d cleaned both of us, he reached for his clothes, dressing in record time. “Where are you going?” I pouted.

“Holden has to be to school early this morning, so I thought I would take him.”

“Oh, my God. I completely forgot,” I acknowledged, attempting to get out of bed.

“Don’t worry about it. Seriously. I would love to take him.” After he was dressed, he leaned over and gave me the sweetest kiss. “Oh, and wait until I tell you about our little conversation this morning.” He chuckled before turning and walking from the room.

I relaxed against the plush pillow, closing my eyes and thinking I was the luckiest woman in the world right then.

KALISTA

“I
f you give me one more excuse, I’m coming over there and kidnapping you. For real,” Jasmine huffed over the phone. She’d been trying to convince me to meet for drinks for the past three weeks, but I’d been so wrapped up in Eli and our rekindled relationship, I kept making up excuse after excuse. Feeling awful about pushing my friend to the side, I decided I would finally take her up on her offer.