Elapse (The Expiration Duet Book 1), page 19
“Seb doesn’t know we’re here yet. He wasn’t expecting us until next month. But Greg managed to get a couple of days off, so here we are.”
“Okay,” I say, not entirely sure of where she’s going with this and feeling more nervous with every second that passes.
“He called us a couple of nights ago. He was telling me about how you two were going on a date. Which, don’t get me wrong”—she holds up a hand—“is just wonderful.” I remain quiet, waiting.
“As his mother, you have to understand that as much as I’m happy for him, being that I’ve known how he’s felt about you for some time, it’s been painfully obvious”—she smirks—“but” there it is “I’m also feeling wary about the whole situation.” She lets out a breath. “You’re lovely, Olive. I couldn’t envision my son with anyone else, really. But you have a baby. And as much as my son is a big part of that gorgeous girl’s life, he’s not her real dad. I know what that man did to you, and I know it’s bound to have left some deep wounds that you’re starting to finally let heal. I’m thrilled about that, for you, I really am. But I’m also worried about my son and what he stands to lose if you decide that this is too much for you or that he isn’t it for you.”
Well, fuck. I rub my head, taken aback just a little. I can appreciate her honesty, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting, though. Sighing, I lean back against the opposite counter and cross my arms.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Grace. Except that your son means a lot to me, and he has meant a lot to me for some time now. I just wasn’t ready, and up until this last week, I didn’t know if I ever would be. But the way I feel about him, everything he’s done for us, the kind of man he is and how much he cares for us, has me wanting to take a chance.”
She turns her gaze to somewhere off behind me. So I look away for a minute and stare out the kitchen window where the late afternoon sunlight is shining in and dancing across the clean dishes and glassware on the dish rack. I stare in a daze, racking my brain for a response that might soothe her worries but is also honest at the same time.
“I’m not going to stand here and promise you something when you and I both know that some things just aren’t guaranteed in this world. No matter how much we wish they were. But I will say that I’m falling for your son; whether I wanted to or not, it started happening a while ago. Against my will but not against my better judgment because he’s … Well, he’s everything I didn’t know I needed. And my heart didn’t make that decision lightly with all the damage that’s been inflicted upon it. I …” I blow out a breath that stirs some hair from my face. “Is he it for me?” I shrug. “After everything I’ve endured because I once believed that before, I can’t promise that, not now. But if I’m fortunate enough to be that someone for him, then maybe I’ll start believing in forevers for myself again someday.”
She just stares at me, a tiny smile pulling at her lips before she clears her throat then walks over to rub my arm.
“Then that will do for now, darling.” Then she’s walking off with the coffees.
I run my hands through my hair, letting out a ragged exhale. Once I think I’m good, I turn to grab my coffee and join them. Only to stop mid turn when I see Seb leaning against the wall outside the kitchen, hands folded over his black t-shirt covered chest. Shit. Did he hear that? If the way he’s looking at me, and the way his mom was looking off behind me as I talked is any indication, then yes. Yes, he did.
Oh, my God.
“Uh, hey.” I wave stupidly. “How was work?”
He ignores me. Just stares. I feel my face turning hotter by the second.
Then he’s moving. He doesn’t stop, just keeps coming until I’m backed into the corner of the counter, and he’s standing over me, his breathing picking up as he searches my face.
At a loss for what to say, I blurt, “No glasses today?”
“Work. Contacts,” he whispers absentmindedly as his eyes dart all over my face.
Then his hands are diving into my hair, and his lips are on mine, taking them in a brutal kiss that has my body instantly singing. I wrap my arms around his waist as his tongue strokes mine, sucking it into his mouth like he wants to keep it and every inch of me for his own. I break away, panting.
“Um, you heard that?”
He nods, a smile slowly curling up his lips. “I did.”
I search his features, waiting … “But you’re not saying anything.”
He grins. “Okay, I’ll say something.”
He brushes his lips against mine and leaves them there as he starts talking. “I’ll say that one day, Olive Sawyer, the strength of my love for you is going to embrace that damaged heart of yours so damn tight that any remaining broken pieces will have no choice but to fuse back together. But until that day arrives, I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes meet mine. “I’ll make you believe again, Liv.”
I feel the sting of tears as I swallow thickly.
“Seb,” I whisper.
His eyes dance with amused affection. “No crying, just give me more of those lips. I’ll have words with my dear mom later.”
I shake my head with a watery laugh but do as I’m told.
Brushing my lips against his, I whisper, “Don’t get mad at her. She’s just looking out for you.”
“That may be so, and even though hearing those words come out of your mouth …” I watch his lashes as his eyes flutter closed briefly. “Shit, you have no idea what they did to me, Liv. But that still doesn’t mean she can just put you on the spot like that, especially not here in your own damn home.” He kisses me softly, quickly before pulling away.
I grab his arm before he can leave the kitchen. “Just go easy on her.” I smile up at him. He looks at me for a beat then nods as he comes back to kiss my forehead before making his way out to the living room. I grab my coffee and take three large swallows before I follow him.
“Shh, sleep, sweet girl.” I’m lying on my back on the couch, listening to Seb through the baby monitor as he puts Rose to bed. It’s been a week since his parents arrived. Despite the rocky start to their visit, the few days they spent in town were actually pretty great. They took us out for lunch and a wander through town; when Seb was at work, they stopped by for a cup of coffee and doted on Rose. It got Rose and I out of the house and gave us some company, which I was immensely thankful for.
I’m seriously considering maybe going back to work, or at least talking to Wilma and Ken about working from home. I love being here with Rose, but hanging out for Seb or Millie to come over so I can get a little more brain stimulation is wearing on me. I could also do with a bit more income, so my savings doesn’t keep dwindling.
I hear the wood flooring creak as Seb walks down the hallway and into the living room. “She out?” I look up at him.
He smiles softly. “Oh, yeah.”
He lifts my legs to sit down, placing them over his. This is something I’ve gotten seriously used to over the past couple of weeks. If he doesn’t have a shift at night, then he’s right here with me until it starts to get late. I’m not complaining—except for going crazy with lust over this waiting business—quite the opposite. I miss him when he’s not near. It’s as if something inside me has found its other half, and it almost physically hurts to be separated.
My eyes close when he starts rubbing my legs. He knows my weakness. If he’s not careful, I’ll fall asleep again. Just like the last time he did this.
I open my eyes to find that he’s decided to watch Ridiculousness.
I’m so busy watching his face for when he laughs at the show that I don’t see the sneak attack coming.
“Oh, my God, nooo.” I squeal as he starts tickling my feet. I squirm and try to remove my legs. He laughs and pins them down to the couch as he crawls over me and continues to torture me, in the stomach and ribs this time.
“Seb!”
He leans over me, grinning. “You lose your shit every damn time. I can’t help it.” He laughs. I scowl up at him, which only makes him laugh harder. So I poke him in his rock-hard stomach which results in me being flipped and him now lying underneath me.
“Naw, don’t be mad. Come here.” His hands go to either side of my face as he lowers it to meet his waiting lips. I lick his bottom lip slowly, earning me a groan that vibrates deliciously beneath me. I’m not going to get sidetracked, though. I move my tongue inside his mouth, just slightly, then remove it as I shove my hands to his sides and tickle the shit out of him—the ass. It works; he starts bucking me off him and trying to grab my arms while his whole face screws up in laughter that has me laughing evilly.
“Liv!” He growls
“Yes?” I keep evading his hands on account of his uncontrollable reflexes. The man claimed he wasn’t ticklish after attacking me for the first time last week. Now, I know his weakness.
“Okay, okay. Shit,” he breathes. “I’ve learned my lesson, stop, please.”
I take my hands away, but quickly remove myself from the couch in fear of retaliation. I stand and watch as he tries to catch his breath for a few seconds.
I smirk at him when he turns to me. “I’ll go make us some tea.”
“Water,” he pleads. “I need water.”
I laugh all the way to the kitchen, calling, “Don’t dish out what you can’t take, Sebastian.”
I set the tea kettle to boil and nab a glass from the dish rack, filling it with cold water before setting it on the counter to take to Seb. Putting the tea bags in, I stand there and wait for it to boil when I hear him enter the kitchen behind me followed by the sound of the glass being placed on the counter after he’s finished the water. His hand lands on my waist, his other moving the hair away from my shoulder to free a path for his lips as he slowly drags them up to my ear. “You play dirty, Olive Sawyer.” He gently nips the lobe and sucks it into his mouth, causing the breath to hitch in my throat.
I clear it before replying, “You asked for it.”
He hums, kissing the space where my shoulder meets my neck as his hand moves around my waist and slowly pulls my cotton nightgown up my thighs.
“Did I? And if I were to ask now?”
Jesus, is he asking what I think he’s asking? If so, it’s about freaking time. I swallow thickly around the knot that’s formed in my throat.
“Then I’d say it’s about damn time.” He chuckles in my ear, the sound evoking a shiver and goose bumps to rise on my arms. He leans in even closer, his front molding to my back. I feel him hard through his jeans against my ass and lower back as his hand slowly travels across my stomach and down, over the top of my panties only to stop exactly where I need him to stroke. “Open.” The order has my legs opening instantly, and a wave of heat saturating my already hot skin. He sucks in a breath, and I let out what I think is a whimper. “Seb, please.”
“Your panties are damp, Liv.” He hums again, the sound rougher than the last time while trailing his fingers up and down over the damp fabric. I shudder, needing more and never wanting him to stop at the same time. He makes the decision for me as his hand moves back up to the elastic at the top, his fingers finding their way underneath the fabric and crawling downward. I set free the moan I’ve been holding in when finally, a thick finger is parting me and slowly sliding up and down my center.
“Fuck, so wet for me.”
I hear his breathing turn heavier as his finger finds my entrance.
“Lips,” he growls, so I turn my head to the side to meet his waiting mouth as his finger slowly works its way inside me.
“So warm,” he breathes against my mouth.
Starting to feel lost in a sea of pent-up desire, I kiss him, rocking shamelessly on his finger in an attempt to soothe the ache building between my legs. He groans again, working the thick digit in and out in a slow, torturous rhythm.
“Seb, please,” I beg against his lips.
“What do you need?”
“You,” I breathe. “I need all of you.”
His hand disappears, and I’m in his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist as he stalks to my bedroom. He lays me flat on the bed before standing back and staring at me while running a shaky hand through his thick hair. Making it stand on end in that way that drives me crazy.
“What is it?”
He lets out a breath. “Shit, I’m sorry. I told you I couldn’t do this, not until you’re—”
“I love you, Seb Mathews,” I blurt out. He freezes then looks down at me. I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed, reaching over to grab his hand. He lets me pull him to me, and I grab his jeans to slowly undo his fly. All the while I’m staring up at him, urging him to believe what he should already know.
Once his fly is all the way undone, he snaps back into motion, shoving his jeans down and kicking them off, followed by his t-shirt with one hand over the back of his head. Then he’s standing before me in just a pair of tight, black boxer briefs that do nothing to hide his impressive length. I shiver and lift my arms up as his hands grasp the hem of my nightgown, tugging it up and over my head. I undo my bra, the overwhelming sense of lust and urgency leaving no room for self-consciousness. He watches as the straps fall down my shoulders, lifting his hands to trace his fingers down both shoulders and arms, helping its descent to the floor.
I’m in the air once more as his arm wraps around me, crushing me to him as he moves us both to the center of the bed. The feel of our chests pressed together making my blood heat until I start to feel lightheaded. When he pulls away, I reach for him, wanting skin-on-skin contact again, needing it. He chuckles quietly as he moves down my body, gripping the sides of my panties and slowly dragging them down my legs until they’re tossed to the floor. He sits there on his haunches, raking that dark gaze over every inch of my body. “Open for me.” I hesitate, but slowly let my legs fall open, holding my breath the whole time.
“Breathe, Liv. Relax,” he whispers absentmindedly, his gaze pinned between my legs. I let out a breath; the way he’s looking at me, at all of me, as if I’m not everything he expected—but more—has this unbearable hunger gnawing at my insides. I need him. More than I’ve ever needed anything. He runs his hands up my legs, keeping his eyes on mine until they reach my thighs. Then his hands and arms are hooking around them as he lowers himself onto the bed and tugs me to his mouth. My eyes roll to the back of my head at the first touch of his tongue. Parting, licking, and working me into a state of delirium that has me rolling my hips and gripping that fan-fucking-tastic hair of his. I moan, trying to be quiet in an effort not to wake Rose, but that mouth makes it so damn hard. I bite my lip as he works me higher and higher; he inserts a finger as he licks my clit, and I’m diving, drowning in a sea of euphoric bliss. When I come back to the surface, I find him leaning over me, watching, his jaw clenched and nostrils flaring slightly.
“Come here.” I pant
He curses roughly under his breath then his lips are fused to mine in a kiss that sends my heart soaring once more. He pulls away and breathes heavily against them. “Promise me, Liv. Promise me before we go any further that it’s just us here in this bed.”
The uncertainty and worry filling his eyes have my chest hurting.
“Seb.” I choke on the emotion that’s taken control of me at the sound of his words, his fears. Hating that I put them there. I shake my head. “No more ghosts. You’ve made sure of that.” And it’s true; Zeke has no place here or anywhere else in my life. Both he and Seb made sure of that. I watch as his broad shoulders visibly relax above me. “Now please.” I wrap my hands around his neck, fingers sliding into his hair. “I need you.”
He grins as I pull his mouth back to mine, dragging my tongue along the seam of his lips until they part and allow me entry to dance with his. I raise my legs, trying to hook my toes into his briefs to get rid of them. It doesn’t work out too well, and soon, I’m giggling into his neck. He decides to help me, rolling over to kick them off his ankles to the floor. I take full advantage of him lying on his back and pounce up to straddle his thighs. I grin down at him, that is until my eyes fall on what is standing at attention right in front of me. He laughs at the smile wilting off my face, my jaw dropping open a little.
“My, my, Sebastian. What have you been hiding from me all this time?” I smirk as I meet his gaze.
He simply grins some more, and I make a note to lick that dimple of his before the night is out. I reach out and stroke the velvety length of his cock. Wrapping my hand around it, I marvel at the thickness of it in my palm. I’ve only been with one man before, and though he was well endowed, too, it’s been a damn long time.
He groans out a, “Shit,” when I lower my head and take as much of him into my mouth as I can, which isn’t much. His hips buck from the bed as he curses again. His fingers delve into my hair as he watches me bob up and down; I move one of my hands to his balls to gently knead.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Liv,” he groans and then pulls me up his body. He rolls, and I’m on my back again as he drags his lips down my neck to my chest, stopping to inhale a sharp breath. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” His thumb grazes my nipple as he ducks and takes the other into his mouth, making me gasp. My back arches off the bed as his hot tongue lavishes one at the same time he teases and rubs the other between the rough pads of his fingers.
“Seb,” I moan
“Gonna make you come again.”
“Again?” I rasp incredulously. “With your fingers and mouth?” I mean he’s good, but I don’t know if that’s even possible.
“With my cock,” he says with an absolute seriousness that has the ache returning with a vengeance between my legs. He rises, nudging my knees further apart.
I suck in a breath. I had no idea he’d be a bit of a dirty talker. I kind of love it. Like a whole fucking lot.
“You on the pill?” That question has me sucking in a breath for a whole different reason.
“Ah, I am, but …” I trail off as I look away, unsure how to explain, especially right now.
