Promises (TP 6)

28 - Beautiful

This is the second of a double update.

She had already agreed to so much, but there was no harm in talking about her sisters.

"Paula, my oldest sister, has a son who is sixteen. She and her husband live in New Hampshire and run an organic herb farm. My brother-in-law is a hippy who thinks it's the sixties. They are vegan and homeschool. I offered to help with their marketing, but she turned me down. Truthfully, I suspect instead of doing something like surfing together, father and son are smoking the herbs together."

"Are you joking?"

Shaking her head, she liked how it shocked him. Her mother thought she was crazy.

"So she's the one who didn't like you working."

She nodded. "When Maya was little, the nanny practically raised her. Looking back, it wasn't ideal." Except it would have continued if David was still alive. "I think the reason I had two kids was to be different from my sisters. Sarah lives in Boston and has a career. She's divorced. For years, she shuffled her daughter between daycare and her ex. My niece is fifteen and has turned out okay."

"Do you see them?"

"On Thanksgiving and as little as possible the rest of the year."

"Not Christmas?"

She shook her head, hoping he didn't pry. They spend Christmas with David's family.

"We avoided Christmas by going to Hawaii for the week. It helped because as much as we are getting by sometimes are just too difficult."

She wanted to nod, because she understood, but didn't dare.

He continued, so she liked he didn't push. "We saw my in-laws during our layover at LAX. I've been sending the kids to California for a week every summer. It's good for them to see their family."

"You don't want to?"

He shrugged. "I'd rather work. I like my family, but we've been on the east coast for so long, we're just not that close. I let the kids go to get fussed over. It started when Erica was sick and the girls needed a break, but now Kevin is old enough. I don't need to go and get all their pity." She reached for his hand. "They go and get passed between the Americans and the Filipinos. Although they are very American. They have younger cousins on that side. I'm the middle one, so I have nieces and nephews surrounding my kids in age."

"How many?"

"I have a sister and brother and they both have three kids. That seemed to be the Bennett's number."

She smiled. It was funny how families worked out. Her kids didn't have any Simon cousins.

Once they finished eating, they moved to her sofa. They had found a safe subject and lunch was enjoyable. Once on the sofa, they became teenagers again with their mouths too busy to talk. Eventually they stretched out and she could feel he was hard. It was no surprise since she had her own response.

She didn't stop his hand from going up her shirt. Her nipples were hard and needed to be touched. He expertly cupped her breast and circled each nipple before running his finger over the sensitive point. Her breath caught, and he smiled against her mouth. His lips strayed and started a path of light kisses down her neck. Sliding his body down, he lifted her shirt.

She wanted to stop him from seeing her nondescript beige bra. Before she could, he ran his teeth over her nipple and her back arched. He didn't stop. He moved the cup aside and sucked and nipped one and then the other. By the time he was done, she was close to coming undone.

He righted her clothing and moved back up to eye level. "They're beautiful. I might just be killing myself."

She blushed again. Was she a tease? She didn't ask him to play with her breasts. Maybe she should have stopped him.

He kissed her again and sat up. Running his hands through his hair, he took deep breaths.

She considered offering some assistance, but she wasn't ready. Would she ever be? Instead, she stood. "I'll get you some water."

She took her time collecting herself by the sink. She returned with a glass and he looked up and smiled at her. Damn, his smile was gorgeous.

"Thanks. I probably should go."

It wasn't time to get to school, but she could use the time to compose herself before an afternoon at dance.

"Thanks for lunch."

He chuckled. "Next Friday. It's a date. I'll call you."

He didn't let her respond. He kissed her and walked through her kitchen to put his glass by the sink and grab his keys.

He smiled. "Thanks, beautiful."

She watched him walk down the stairs to let himself out. Once he left, she went to her room and thought about his mouth on her breast and his erection against her leg and quickly finished what he had started. It was the first time she took care of her own needs without thinking about David. She didn't feel as guilty as she thought she might.