Chaser Page 17

  I got all the way to Thursday night, and third base was nowhere in sight. To be honest, I'd actually have settled happily for another romp around second. But I hadn't even seen either of them since yesterday morning. Still, maybe Ada's new teething gel would see an improvement. That would be a relief for all our sakes. I tried not to get my hopes up about it and just focus on the work in front of me.

  "There you go," I said, sliding a French martini across the bar to Taka.

  "Thanks." He nodded and went off to serve it to whatever customer.

  It'd been a good night so far. Vaughan and I kept busy behind the bar due to a decent amount of people coming in for dinner and drinks. Nell had picked out an interesting mix of female artists for the music, making for a great atmosphere. Aretha Franklin, Bjork, Sia, and more.

  To my knowledge, she hadn't yet found out about Jean and me getting more intimate. Not that it was any of her business. But if she did know, the woman would be on the warpath. There'd probably have been knives thrown my way, the odd roasting pan--who knows how many weapons she could find in a commercial kitchen. I really didn't want to find out. Let sleeping dragon-ladies lie.

  It was close to eight when Jean came in with the baby and an older couple. A man and a woman in their fifties at a guess. Ada was in one of those infant car seats that you can pop out and carry around. Weird, Jean hadn't made any mention of dropping by. Also, I had a bad feeling about who the people with her might be. Taka seated them at a corner table away from the main lights and some of the louder parties. A good call. Overstimulation could freak Ada out sometimes. And apparently worrying about Ada and Jean both could freak me out sometimes. A sudden sweat pricked at my shirt.

  Shit. Were those really her parents come to visit from Florida?

  When I caught Jean's eye, she gave me a tight-looking smile and a wave. Her (probable) mother spotted the movement, head snapping around as she sought me out with her eyes. Not a happy face, though it was a familiar one. Mother and daughter looked a lot alike.

  The woman said something and Jean answered, still with that strained smile in place. Whatever she'd said had Jean's dad frowning at me too. Great. I tried standing taller, shoulders back, and head up. Jesus, I'd even worn a neat white button-down shirt with black suspenders today. You'd have thought rockin' style would make up for the long hair and tattoos with the older set. Apparently not.

  "Trouble incoming?" asked Vaughan. Trust the musician to be the fastest at reading the crowd.

  "Don't know. But it doesn't look good."

  The ginger sighed. "Parents-in-law are the worst. It's just the way it is. Lydia's are next to fucking useless. Some people shouldn't be allowed to have kids."

  "Jean and I are just friends."

  He gave me a long look. "Dude, swear to God, you're going to get sick of spinning that shit someday soon and I for one cannot wait to see what happens."

  "Fuck off," I muttered.

  Instead of waiting for table service, Jean slipped out of the booth. She lifted Ada out of the baby carrier and brought her over. Poor baby. Two angry pink spots still lit her cheeks as she gummed at the teething ring.

  "She still doesn't look happy," I said, reaching out to pat her soft little head.

  "No." Jean gave me a glum look. "I thought she might like to see her best buddy, Eric."

  "Man, I wanted to be best buddy," complained Vaughan. "Poor cutie. No smiles today, huh?"

  Jean kissed Ada's cheek. "Not today, unfortunately."

  "Being a baby is rough sometimes."

  "That it is."

  Taka came up to the bar and Vaughan got busy filling his order.

  "Can I have a cuddle?" I asked, slipping out of the bar.

  "You sure can." Jean carefully handed the baby over. For a second, Ada startled, then seemed to recognize me and chilled. Well, as much as she was of a mind to chill.

  "Hey, sweetheart." I cradled her in one arm, helping her to keep the teething ring up to her mouth with the other. "That tooth still giving you grief?"

  "That one's cut. I think she's got another coming through." Jean wiped Ada's chin with a rag. With teething, the dribble had gone into overdrive.

  "What's the rush, baby girl?"

  Jean just looked at her baby and smiled. She'd gone to some effort for her folks. Hair in a bun, makeup, and the sweater dress and tights combo she'd worn to the Christmas party. God, she looked good enough to eat. But then, she always did.

  "You look gorgeous," I said. "Got some friends with you tonight, I see."

  "Yes. I, ah..."

  "Your folks?"

  She nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure they'd come. But they said they wanted to meet her and here they are."

  "Mm."

  "They're staying at the resort on the lake."

  "That gives you all some space."

  Ada chose that moment to remove the teething ring long enough to babble something. I helped her put it back in her mouth.

  "Wise words, little girl," I said. "In fact, I was just about to say the same thing."

  A hint of a grin appeared around the sides of the ring.

  "For him, you smile. I've had nothing but tears and tantrums for days." Jean quietly laughed. "If her first word is 'Eric' I'm going to kill you. Just a warning."

  "Fair enough," I said.

  While I tried not to notice, Jean's mom most definitely had a look on her face like she expected me to drop the baby at any moment. Sheesh. Her body language was all rigid and her eyes were popping out of her head. Like I hadn't racked up hours of baby holding by now. Where the hell had she been when Jean needed help?

  All right, so it might take me a while to drop my resentment toward the woman and her husband. Just staying out of their way while they visited sounded like a wise plan.

  "How's the visit going?" I asked in a nice, calm, and pleasant tone. "When did they arrive?"

  Jean smoothed back her hair, one hand on her hip. "Yesterday. I think it's going okay. There's still a lot of tension. They love Miss Ada, however."

  "How could they not?"

  "I swear, if Mom takes any more photos her cell's memory will explode."

  "Hey," said Nell, barging in. "So your folks came. Hand her over, Eric."

  I frowned, but did as told. Happily, Ada immediately burst into tears at being parted from me. If that didn't deserve a victory lap of the bar then I didn't know what did. Nell clicked her tongue and started cooing supposedly comforting nonsense at the outraged infant. None of it worked.

  "Yes, they actually came," said Jean, rubbing Ada's back as she lay slumped over Nell's shoulder.

  The baby's cries petered out and Nell said, "There we go."

  Note: Ada only stopped crying because I stood behind Nell making funny faces. The baby and I were tight. Not bothering to point this out showed great restraint and maturity on my part.

  "How are you doing?" asked Nell. "You were so nervous about their arrival."

  Jean had told Nell about the impending visit, but not me. Weird. Though I guess we had been busy lately covering our bases and dealing with teething.

  "They're being really great about her." Jean's tense smile returned, her pretty face lined. "Even apologized again about the inheritance and everything."

  "How do you feel about that?" I asked.

  Nell turned, shooting me a strange look.

  I just ignored it.

  "Honestly, I don't know," said Jean. "So much happened, I think it's going to take some time to get over it all. But they are her grandparents. Speaking of which, I better get back..."

  Nell handed over the precious cargo, fingers lingering against Ada's chubby little cheek. "Bye-bye, Ada."

  "I'll introduce you to my parents later," promised Jean.

  "Great." Nell waved, wandering back into the kitchen.

  "We're not too busy, you want me to look after her while you eat?" I asked.

  "We should be okay, thanks."

  No mention of introducing me to her folks, but whateve
r. Like in the last thirty years of my life I'd ever wanted to meet a girl's parents. God, what a joke. I'd faked death at least once just to avoid it. Long story.

  "Want me to stop by after work?" I asked.

  "Mom and Dad are heading back to their room after dinner, so ... I'll see how we're doing?" Her smile relaxed into something far more beautiful and it was all for me. "But that would be nice, Eric."

  It had turned into a habit of ours now. If everyone was sleeping peacefully, or attempting to, Jean left a towel hanging over the doorknob so I'd know not to knock. Andre had laughed his ass off at our oh-so-discreet signal. Just because some unenlightened people used a towel on the door to signify screwing was taking place didn't mean it couldn't be used for sleeping babies as well. The man had a seriously small and dirty mind. Though, to be fair, there was at least a somewhat filthy subtext to the towel signal.

  "I'll see you later," she said.

  "Right."

  And I wanted to kiss her on the forehead, give her shoulder a squeeze. Touch her in same small way out in public where everyone could see. So they'd know we were something to each other. But I didn't. Jean headed back to the table and her waiting parents while I went back to work. After work, however, well, that just might be a different matter entirely.

  *

  Later that night, she opened her apartment door with my name on her lips. A whisper like a secret. Guess it was a secret, mostly. What we got up to after hours. Or basically any hours we could steal when Ada was asleep and I wasn't working. I'd always scoffed at the idea of people with kids making appointments to get it on. As if sex was a job to get done, tick it off a list. Sex as something to fit in around the household routine and all that shit. But now I got it. Big-time.

  "Hey," I whispered back hoarsely because oh boy.

  The woman had on some silky gray robe with a matching slip underneath. It was sexy as fuck. The lingerie, the heat in Jean's eyes, and the general quiet of the place told me Ada was down for the night. Or, please God, at least for a couple of hours. Third base was officially in the cards. And maybe, just maybe, the glorious possibility of fourth. My heart beat double-time in my chest.

  After looking around to check that the hallway was empty, she grabbed the front of my jacket, dragging me into her apartment with a quiet "Get in here."

  "Yes, ma'am." I half smiled, shaking my head.

  "What?" she asked, the door softly closing behind us.

  "You, checking for witnesses."

  Her nose crinkled in question.

  "All of the people living here at least suspect what we're up to. If they don't already know what we're up to," I said. "Are you ashamed of me or something?"

  "What? No, of course not," she told my shirt.

  I tipped her chin up a little. "Tell me again, looking me in the eyes this time."

  "You're the one in fear of castration if Nell finds out," she said. "I'm just making sure nothing potentially interferes with my new favorite hobby." She met my gaze squarely. "Now, can we save the talk for after the kissing ... please?"

  There was every chance I might be one of the great idiots of our time when it came to this woman. But I just couldn't resist those lips. Same went for her impatience, her greed when it came to this. I tried to kiss her sweetly and lightly, to ease into things. Heaven help me, the plan lasted last all of about half a second. The press of her mouth on mine and I was lost. Hands wound around my neck, her body against mine. My palms slid down her spine, going straight for her ass yet again. Because apparently I continued to be incapable of smooth moves when it came to her. Our tongues tangled, one or both of us moaning as she climbed me like a tree. From there, we kind of stumbled into the bedroom.

  "You bought more candles," I said, but the words came out garbled. Apparently, the ability to kiss and talk at the same time took more skill than I possessed.

  "You demanded at least three."

  "Mm."

  I set her down on the mattress, her hands pushing my jacket off my shoulders. "Everything off."

  "Okay."

  We disconnected long enough for me to ditch everything but my boxer briefs. Boots and socks hit the floor, while the jacket, shirt, undershirt, and pants got tossed onto a chair in the corner. Nowhere near any of the dozen or so candles because we did not need the fire department interrupting our together time. Meanwhile, Jean slipped out of the robe, but kept the rest on.

  "What about you?" I asked, eyeing the slinky shift. "I like your taste in lingerie, but I like it when we're skin-to-skin too."

  She didn't answer.

  Fine. Lingerie it was. I crawled back onto the bed and on top of her. It was my brand-new happy place. Though I'm pretty sure being under or beside her would result in the exact same feeling.

  But this time her head stayed back, not arching up hungrily for my lips. "Everything okay?"

  Her chest rose as she took a deep breath. "I think I'm having a moment."

  "About?"

  "Watching you at work tonight." She gathered up my hair, holding it back from my face. Fingertips slid along my jawline while a line appeared between her brows. "I'd forgotten the effect you have on people."

  "The effect I have on people?"

  "You're the whole package ... funny, charming, handsome," she said. "Not only can you string a full sentence together, but you're also gainfully employed and without a criminal record. I've been on dating apps. Believe me, that combination is rarer than you think."

  I smiled warily. "Thank you. But what does that have to do with you not wanting to get naked?"

  Neck arched, she kissed me slowly. Her tongue slid into my mouth, completely derailing the damn conversation. Without thought, I let some of my weight rest against her, pressing her body into the mattress. Jean eased her legs out from underneath me, her wiggling and me shifting until I lay between her thighs.

  Forget happy place. This position made me fucking delirious.

  "Sweetheart," I mumbled eventually, my face buried in her neck. Christ, she was so sensitive there. One of my hands slid a strap off her shoulder, acting completely separate from what little remained of my brain. Not that I didn't approve of the move. "Jean. Baby. We were talking."

  "No," she moaned.

  I swear the sound traveled straight to my dick. There wasn't a single inch of me not strung out and tense with need. "But--"

  "I was just having a moment of insecurity. It's nothing."

  "Doesn't sound like nothing."

  "Later, Eric."

  If only my mouth hadn't found a bare nipple right about then, I might have been able to resist and figure out the source of worry in her eyes. Or just generally try and make sense of the conversation. Even worse than her breast, though, was when I slid my hand up her leg, getting higher and higher ... nothing but bare skin.

  "You're not wearing any panties," I said, fingers curled around her hip.

  "Is that bad?"

  "No no no. It's so damn good, I can't even..."

  Fuck. The lingerie dragged down off her shoulders and hiked up past her hips. I'd figure out what it was about later. Right now, only touching her, making her come, mattered. Honestly, I worked best with only one or two priorities. The way she squirmed when I dragged my tongue across her nipple was exquisite. Only barely surpassed by the hot damp feel of her naked pussy against my boxer briefs. Everything low in my gut drew tight while my balls grew hot and heavy.

  Taking it slow might kill me. But it would be a hell of a way to go.

  "I don't want to take it slow either," she murmured.

  So apparently I'd said that last thought out loud. "Huh?"

  "Let's skip third base," she said.

  I slid my knuckles along the seam of her sex. Because not feeling her there immediately was not an option. Her body tensed, her mouth popping open. "Yeah. More."

  "What, here?" I slid my fingers up and down those hot wet lips, making her writhe. Hands clutched at my shoulders and she nodded. Never in my life had I felt something so g
ood. "But third base would be me tasting this sweet pussy."

  The noise she made. Holy hell.

  I teased the tight little nub of her clit with my thumb, my heartbeat taking up residency in my dick. She was so slick and perfect. Every reaction, each move she made, fed my need. Maybe all of those years of practice had been about this one moment. The superhuman ability required to please Jean without losing my load. It made a kind of sense. Not that I'd share the thought with her right now. Or possibly anytime in the future.

  "Are you sure you don't want my mouth here?" I asked, pressing a finger into her opening, making her moan even louder.

  Thank God Joe had been thorough with the soundproofing. None of the neighbors needed to hear Jean like this. Let alone if we woke the baby. Ada wouldn't be the only one crying. All of those excited little panting noises, moans, and groans were just for me. Once she was good with one finger, writhing against my hand, I gave her another. With my fingers hooked, I gently rubbed, working her inside and out.

  "Or you could come just like this on my hand. Wouldn't that be good?"

  "Eric." More moaning.

  "You know, I could listen to you say my name like that all day." I nipped at her breast. "Makes me harder than a fucking rock."

  She waved a hand at one of the bedside tables. "Condoms in the top drawer."

  "But, Jean, oral is important."

  "Next time," she breathed.

  "Are you sure you don't want to stick to the plan?"

  Fingers fisted in my hair, pulling it loose and tugging me up to meet her face. "Stop messing around. I mean it."

  "You're so bossy in bed." I grinned, staying right where I was. My fingers were in no rush to leave their warm, wet place. "It's sort of surprising how much. I mean, I know you're a bit of a control freak and you like shit being organized. But this really goes beyond that. The minute we're messing around, you turn into like a little sex general. Pushing me against walls, tearing at my clothing, telling me what to do. It's hot as fuck, sweetheart. Keep it up."