Page 49

The apartment is the strange kind of quiet when I get back from physical therapy, the kind that feels empty and echoes. Rachel’s at work and Heidi is out running errands with Lily. This might be the first time since I’ve been in Atlanta that I’m truly left to my own devices. This is the kind of quiet that I used to revel in after a long practice or the morning after a wild night, but now the silence kinda makes me a little antsy.

I set my keys down and glance around. The kitchen is spotless, and the living room in perfect condition. Lily’s toys are tucked away where they belong. There is nothing for me to do, so I just stand there for a beat, trying to come up with something to occupy my time. I try watching TV but that’s boring and dull. I consider working out by weighing out the pros and cons of pressing my luck with the soreness left over from PT. Against better judgment, I give it a shot—15 push-ups, 15 sit-ups, and 1 failed burpee—all of it ends with me on my ass, panting like a dog.

The only good thing that comes from ending up sprawled on the floor panting like a dog is that I now also smell like absolute dog shit too. And that will eat up some of my free time. So, I strip down, deciding that for the next 20 minutes, I’ll be distracted by a shower.

After the shower, I pull on some fresh sweats and hear the door shut. I hustle to the kitchen, where I hear Heidi making noise, to see what she and Lily are up to. Because I’m bored out of my mind. Lily’s face lights up when she sees me, wobbling over to me, babbling excitedly. I scoop her up, feeling almost whole again. No matter how hard this experience has been or how rough the days may be, moments like these make everything worth it.

“How’s my Lily Goose?” I ask, kissing her on the top of her curls. Heidi tsks at me as she meanders around putting up the groceries. “How was she at the store?”

“She was a dream, as usual,” Heidi says, her smile genuine. “Do you want me to hang around for a while”

“Nope, I’ve got it from here,” I tell her with a smile. “Enjoy the rest of your day, Heidi.”

Heidi finishes up with what she is doing and gives us a wave, “I’ll leave you two to it. Behave!” And with one last tsk, she’s out the door.

As soon as it’s just Lily and me, we spend the rest of the afternoon playing with her blocks, reading a few books, and watching her smart mind absorb everything around her. Watching her experiencing life and learning makes me very thankful for having this extra time with Lily while Rachel is at work. She has jumped right back into work, full force, every minute, working hard whether at the studio or at home. No matter where she is, she is busy doing something. I sense that she is worried about learning how to balance everything. She burns the candle at both ends, and I don’t want her to burn out that way. Rachel’s done so much for me, for us. She deserves to be taken care of, to get something special in return. Maybe a date night for just the two of us, an evening where she is the sole focus?

The plan starts to form in my head immediately. A smile starts to spread across my face as the entire concept practically maps itself out before I finish my thought. A nice dinner, something sexy, and something that is one of her favorites. I want the date to tell a tale of its own, to show her how much I feel for her and what she truly means to me. Because she changed my life in ways that I can never repay her. By the time Rachel gets home, she will know that, without any doubt, I’m all in. For us. Forever.

If I’m going to plan the perfect date night, I can’t do it alone. I need a babysitter. I can’t, in good conscience, ask Heidi to come back for a second time in a day. I do have one person who owes me a few favors, Elliot, and I trust him more than anyone for this job. And by Elliot, I really mean he and Ziggy combined because there has to be an adult present to watch him and Lily. Plus, if he says no, I can always bribe or blackmail him into agreeing.

I pull out my phone and press call, waiting for him to pick up.

“What’s up, sugar tits?” Elliot says with a laugh, dripping with sarcasm immediately.

“What the fuck, dude. That’s a new one.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “I’ve been called worse, though. I do need a favor.”

“How can I make your life easier, Oren?” He says with actual sass.

I lean back on the couch, running interference between Lily and the toy that she is trying to eat. “I want to take Rachel on a real date. Just us. You think you and Ziggy could watch Lily for a few hours tonight?”

“Hell yeah, Buddy! I’ve been waiting for this call.” Elliot bursts out laughing. “Me, babysit? I thought you’d never ask!”

“Shut up,” I mutter, unable to keep a straight face. “I’m serious, dude. Don’t make me regret this! I’ve got a plan, and it only works if you help me out here.”

Elliot’s laughter fades, replaced by a tone that’s way too smug. “Of course, we’ll do it. I’ve been trying to provide a solid argument about Ziggy letting me knock her up after the wedding. Watching Lily will give me a perfect exhibit in my closing statements.”

“Say less, dude,” I say through a grimace, unfortunately now dealing with the mental image he’s painting.

Elliot just laughs, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Not sure where babies come from, Oren? Well, it starts when you jiz–.”

“For the love of God, please stop!” I cut him off loudly.

“Fine, fine,” he says, still laughing but at least drops the painful subject. “We are good to go for tonight. Plus, Lily’s way more fun to hang out with than you.”

I roll my eyes, knowing full well that Elliot’s love language is torturing everyone he loves the most. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

“Oh, you bet your ass you do. I’m keeping track.” Elliot grins on the other end of the line. “I personally love seeing you be your hopeless romantic self.”

“Hopeless romantic?” I scoff, even though he’s not entirely wrong. “I’m just trying to give Rachel what she deserves.”

Elliot turns serious. “But seriously, have fun. And if Lily starts crying, I’ll just tell her embarrassing stories about you until she calms down.”

“Super, just great,” I say, trying not to laugh. “I’m hanging up now before you start planning her college graduation speech.”

“Later, buddy,” Elliot says before I disconnect the call.

One part of the plan down, one to go. Now, I just need to secure a reservation at Rachel’s favorite oyster restaurant. The place is always packed. Luckily, I know a few people who know even more people. I’m sure there is someone who has connections I can tap into. After a few emails, texts, and several phone calls, I hang up. I sit back, feeling a surge of excitement to go with the reservation at Rachel’s favorite spot I got. Last thing I need to do is make sure she is ready.

Oren: Don’t make any

plans after work. I’ve

got big plans for you.

Rachel: Should I be nervous?

Oren: Nope, no need

to be nervous. Just excited.

I’ll be back at the house

at 7 pm to pick you up.

Rachel: Ooh, does that mean

we are going somewhere?

Rachel: A night out?

Rachel: Don’t leave me on read!

Can you at least tell me

where we’re going?

Oren: Nope, it’s a surprise.

But trust me, you’re

gonna love it. Just be ready.

Oren: Oh, and Elliot and Ziggy

are watching Lily, so we’ve got

the evening to ourselves.

Rachel: Wow, alright.

I’ll be ready at 7.

Don’t be late.

Oren: See you soon, sweetheart.

I head into our closet and pull out an amazing red dress that I’ve only seen on her once and that wasn’t enough. It hugs Rachel in all the right places. And for that reason alone, I lay it carefully on the bed, dropping a note on top of it.

I pick out a dark green suit with a black button down underneath. The black stands out against my tan skin and tattoos and fits more with my general edge. To top it all off, I have a pair of white sneakers. I can rock the hell out of a suit, but dress shoes? I draw the line there. My bleached hair has grown out so much that they are practically considered frosted tips at this point. I should ask Rachel tonight if she thinks I should keep the 2000’s look.

All in all, it's a solid look and it’ll have to do because time is up. I have to get Lily to the babysitter soon. I quickly pack up everything Lily needs at Uncle Elliot and Aunt Ziggy’s while we are at dinner. I fill her diaper bag with her favorite toys, dinner, a few snacks, some extra clothes and diapers and head to Elliot’s.

Elliot opens the door, and of course, he’s already grinning like an idiot. “You’re actually early. What are you wearing?”

I ignore Elliot and hand Lily off to Ziggy, who swoops in with open arms. “Thanks for watching her. Promise it won’t be too late,” I say.

Elliot waves me off. “We got it covered. Enjoy your date.”

I lean down and kiss Lily’s forehead, “Be good for Uncle Elliot and Aunt Ziggy, okay? We’ll pick you up after dinner.”

I make it back to the apartment right on time, knocking on the door at 7 PM, on the dot, with a bouquet of sunflowers in hand. Rachel opens it quickly, looking fucking amazing. That red dress looks even better than I remember. The curves are clinging so much I contemplate skipping the restaurant entirely, but that will ruin the plan. Her thick hair is swept to one side of her neck, leaving the other open to the world. I can imagine my lips trailing down her neck, over her collarbone, my fingers sliding up her inner thigh. Focus up, dude.

Her eyes take in the sunflowers, and she grins. “You’re really going all out tonight?”

“Only the best for you.” I hand her the bouquet, moving to get a vase for them to go in. Once they are situated in their new home, I press my hand to Rachel’s lower back and lead her back down to the car.

We make it to St. Cecilia; with dusk just now hitting, the city lights around us start to glow. As promised, there is an amazing table waiting for us. We sip on our cocktails and chat about Rachel’s day at work, but when our food starts to arrive, we dive into our oysters. I catch myself just staring at her, marveling at her beauty, wondering what I did to deserve her. It’s amazing how well our lives have fit together so seamlessly. Rachel and Lily are everything to me now. I can’t imagine being anywhere but here, in this city.

I pick up another oyster to devour, but instead, I end up putting it down on my plate. My mind is turning over what I've been ruminating in my head for weeks now. I’ve completely tuned out Rachel, which I should feel bad about, but I don’t. I’m too busy figuring out what I should say to express that the love that I have for her has done nothing but grow exponentially. Without having any semblance of a coherent thought, I interrupt her. My eyes intent on hers.

“Rachel,” I say abruptly, there’s an edge to my voice. A nervousness I can't shake. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Rachel’s eyes widen, and a surprised look filters across her face. That look alone makes my heart stumble a bit. Did I push her too far? Am I moving too fast? The silence just stretches on. The uncertainty creeps further and further into my psyche. Well fuck, how do I make up for this? I don’t want to ever do anything that makes her feel uncomfortable. As I spiral out of control, internally hyperventilating, something changes. She lets out a deep breath, nodding slowly like she is testing the concept out in her mind.

“Sure,” she says, her voice sure and steady.

A smile erupts on my face as I process what she said. I didn’t mess it up royally. Fuck, yeah! I grab her hand from across the table. We are doing this for real.

“Yeah?” I ask, just to make sure that I’m not imagining it.

“Yeah,” she repeats, squeezing my hand. “I’m in.”

Dinner continues on quickly, both of us eager to get home for a dessert that only involves the two of us and activities not normally listed on a menu. But before we can get to the X-rated part of this evening, we have to pick up Lily.

The car ride back from Elliot and Ziggy’s is quiet but in the best possible way. Rachel and I exchange a soft glance, my hand resting on her upper thigh, hers draped delicately over mine. Lily is out like a light, her gentle snores getting louder from the moment we got her in the car. Elliot and Ziggy must have worn her out because she is solidly in dreamland.

I park the car as gently as possible. I unbuckle Lily, and lift her into my arms. Each movement is careful to avoid jostling her. She stirs just a little before relaxing against my chest. The scent of lavender and baby shampoo fills my nose.

Rachel opens the door for us, letting me move through the apartment to tiptoe to Lily’s room. I carefully set her in her crib. Rachel leans her head against my chest, and I wrap myself around her waist.

“She’s perfect,” I whisper, not wanting to disturb the quiet.

Rachel smiles, her voice soft. “She really is.”

Without another word, I take her hand, leading her out of the room. She closes the door softly behind us. I don’t stop us until we are back in our room. There's been this intense need for each other that's been building since dinner. I move toward Rachel, sliding my palms up her arms and tangling my fingers in her hair. She leans into me, her lips moving against mine in a slow, deliberate kiss. It’s sensual, passionate, as I trace her curves because I can’t get enough of them. I gently unzip her dress, pressing the silky red fabric down her body. Once she’s left in just her underwear, I lift her, letting her legs wrap around my waist.

I carry her to the bed, laying her down and falling into each other. I press my fully clothed body between her thighs, eliciting soft whimpers from her. Each one of them sends a rush of bloodflow to my cock. Tonight, everything feels so much more intense. Rachel’s breath hitches as I spread a trail of soft kisses down her neck. She tangles her fingers in my hair, pulling me closer. I kiss her like I want to drown myself in her, which I do until we’re both trembling with need.

She lifts up on her elbow, ripping her bra off, then focuses quickly, unbuttoning my shirt. The sound of my shirt hitting the floor doesn’t even register before I stand up, urgently slipping out of my pants.

Once I’m down to just my briefs, I dive back in, moving down her body slowly, taking my time. She arches beneath me, her breathing ragged gasps as I pull her thong down, kissing her thighs, teasing her until she’s panting my name. “Oren…”

I grin against her skin, savoring the sound of how needy she is. “Yes, sweetheart,” I whisper, my fingers brushing lightly over her pussy, drawing a moan from deep in her throat.

She bites her lip, trying to hold back, to stay quiet. “I need more, Oren. Please,” she begs, her voice barely above a whisper.

I know I should take my time with her, make her come a few times before I fuck her silly. But I can’t resist her any longer. All sense of control I have disappears with each whimper. I flip her over in one swift movement. Rougher, just like I know Rachel can take and how she likes it. She wants this side of me just as much as I want to give it to her. Her pussy is already dripping, ready for me, when I thrust into her for the first time. Her tight, hot cunt is nothing short of fucking perfection.

Each time I thrust into her is deeper, faster, and more punishing. There’s no room for softness now. She can get softness from me when I eat her out later until she comes so many times she can’t walk. I push her shoulders down, pulling her hips up higher, hitting the perfect angle to deepen what she feels, my tip dragging over her G-Spot, hoping to quickly cause her orgasm to rip through her.

"Fuck, sweetheart," I growl, my voice rough with lust. "You are so fucking sexy taking my dick like this."

She moans, her body arches her ass into me. The sound of our bodies together drives me insane, practically feral. The slickness of her coating me only makes my movements feel even better. I move faster, deeper, harder until I’m lost in her. I can feel her inner muscles starting to contract around me, pushing me closer to losing it. Her hands clutch at the sheets as I reach a hand around, slapping her clit hard as I pound into her, my rhythm merciless.

"Scream into that pillow, Rachel," I demand, pressing her down harder between her shoulder blades. "Choke on it as you scream out my name as I make you come all over my cock."

Her muffled chants of my name, mixed with the sound of her crying out into the pillow between her teeth fills the room. Each stroke makes her tremble, her body reacting to every inch of me. I rub rough circles around her clit as her grip around my dick starts to tighten. I am going to blow any second now. I slap her clit again and again until her inner muscles are strangling me. I watch and feel her body sputtering as the orgasms ripple through her. My balls tighten as I fuck my hot cum into her.

I collapse on top of her, not wanting to break our connection. We both lie there, fighting to catch our breath. For a long while, neither of us say anything. Once I catch my breath, I pull out of her and roll onto my back, pulling her with me. She moves with me, her body already boneless, but we are just getting started. I can’t wait to see how spent she is when I get through.

“I love you,” I whisper, kissing her lips gently.

“I love you, too,” she whispers back, her voice soft but sure.

I pull her mouth to mine again because she said she loves me, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been happier. Her tongue presses in between my lips, working it against mine, begging for entrance. Running my hands up her thighs and hips, I guide her body up my chest so that she is straddling me. Our mutual releases drip onto my chest and I don’t care. And I’m not shy nor skittish about doing what needs to be done to make my girl come again.

I break our kiss, positioning her beautiful dripping pussy right over my mouth. Without hesitation, I press her down onto my tongue, tasting her sweetness and my saltiness as I dive into her with everything I’ve got. Fucking her with my tongue, my fingers, touching, teasing every part of her I can reach. I take a coated finger and gently tease at her back entrance, waiting to read her cues. She starts to push back into my exploring finger, begging for more, so I press gently inside the tight muscle, working in and out with my finger. She presses into my face, her soft moans only make me want to give her more.

I don’t let up until I have her coming all over my face a time or two. I push her to her breaking point when I slip a second fingertip into her tight ass as she rides my tongue. Her cunt tightens around my tongue as her pleasure courses through her, her body reacting to being so full of me. The way she melts and seeks more makes my already throbbing cock ready for her to come all over my dick again.

When I’m genuinely afraid that I’m going to shoot cum straight to the ceiling like a volcano, I detach myself from her, flipping her onto her back, pulling her legs over one shoulder, I slowly, sensually press into her again. My thick cock fills her tight cunt, and two fingers fill her tight ring of muscle. Just like every time I fuck her, she drives me wild. I move in and out, building her up again, driving us both higher until we both crash down together, her orgasm nothing short of a spectacular sight, while I fill her up completely, losing myself in the warmth of her.

After quickly cleaning off, we cuddle up in each other's arms and fall asleep, her body wrapped around mine. If I’m lucky, we can wake up in a few hours and go for round two and finish the rest of my night with my dick buried deep inside her. There's a quiet sense of calm and peace as I fall asleep, knowing that anything is possible.