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forty-five

Lane

Nothing like a night out at the Tipsy Turtle, mine and Cole’s favorite dive bar down here in Bradenton. It smells of beer and bad decisions. Most of those bad decisions came from me—I’m honestly lucky Sage doesn’t have a dozen half-siblings.

The six of us—Lucia decided to join us tonight—grab a large table toward the back of the bar and settle in. With our first round of drinks in front of us, we toast to the start of a new season.

“God, it feels good to be back,” Josh smiles. “I hate being away from Ella, but I love getting back to baseball.”

“I can’t stand being away from Sage for so long,” I breathe. “I love baseball, but I’m counting down the days until I can go back home.”

“You know you miss your girlfriend, too,” Lucia teases, taking a swig of her beer.

“Girlfriend?” Knox questions.

“Yeah,” I reply, rubbing the back of my neck. “Liv is my girlfriend. Officially.”

“Congrats, man,” Cole chimes, tipping his bottle in my direction.

“One step closer to getting Sage her new mom,” Ari laughs.

Lucia attempts to choke down a laugh. “I’m sorry, what?”

I groan. “Ari was with me when I met Olive, and when she left, he asked if I met Sage’s new mom. And since I’m cocky as hell, I said yes. Now he won’t let it go.”

“Oh, that doesn’t surprise me one bit.”

Ari rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Of course, you would know since you know me so well.”

“I need a distraction if these two are going to bicker all night,” Josh sighs and turns to the bartender, shouting, “Can you turn on the Dragons game?”

“Hockey?” Knox asks.

Josh chuckles. “I grew up in Denver; there’s no escaping that city without becoming a hockey fan.”

“That’s the women’s team, isn’t it?” Cole asks. “Didn’t realize you watched them.”

“Everyone watches women’s sports,” Josh laughs. “Plus, have you guys seen Zhuri Hart on the ice? She’s unmatched.”

“I’m still pissed that the Tyrants traded Kovacic to Denver,” I add. “We don’t have a chance at playoffs now without Cam.”

“You didn’t have a chance at playoffs before that.” Josh takes a swig of his beer. “The Lizards are making a run for the Cup this year.”

“You have Morozov in goal. Nothing gets past him. You were running for the Cup before taking our best center.”

“I don’t know enough about hockey to follow this conversation,” Ari shakes his head.

“Lane can tell us about his girlfriend instead, then,” Knox chuckles.

I just sigh. “What do you want to know that you don’t already?”

“When did you actually start dating?” Cole asks. “Last you told us, you still didn’t have a label.”

“Friday,” I answer. “It’s only been a few days, honestly.”

“And you’re still not sleeping together?” Josh raises his eyebrow curiously.

“No. We’re not sleeping together.”

“I don’t know how you do it, man,” Ari says. “Not getting any type of action at all.”

“I never said I wasn’t getting any action,” I shrug. “I just said we weren’t sleeping together.”

Lucia smiles deviously. “Yeah, we’ve heard Lane here has some nice fingers.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “She’s got no complaints. And believe me, I have no complaints either.”

“No complaints about taking care of her, or no complaints about her taking care of you?” Knox asks.

“Both,” I smile. “We’re letting things progress slowly, but we’re having some fun in the meantime. We still spend far more time hanging out on the couch than we do in my bed.”

“I like this side of you,” Josh says. “The guy that wants to settle down. You seem really damn happy.”

I can’t hide my grin. “I am. God, she’s fucking incredible, guys.”

“Brooks is getting his own love story,” Knox laughs.

“You’re still playing out the tropes wrong,” Ari adds. “Single dad is supposed to end up with the nanny.”

Cole levels him with a stern look. “Yeah, well, his nanny is my wife, so I’m fine with him picking his daughter’s dance teacher instead.”

“Only one left to couple up now is Ari,” I tease.

Lucia chokes on her beer. “That’ll be the fucking day.”

“You think I can’t find love?” Ari asks, clearly pissed off. “Why?”

“Because you don’t want to. You’ve said it for over a year. You also stick your dick inside any woman with a pulse. You don’t exactly scream ‘boyfriend material.’”

“What does Matt actually see in you? Everyone talks about how great you are, but the only side of you I’ve ever seen is irritating and cold.”

“I’m nice to the people I like,” Lucia shrugs. “You didn’t make the cut.”

“Fine by me,” he says under his breath before turning his attention to the hockey game on the TV.

After a few awkward moments of silence, we move the conversation along, talking instead about what we hope to achieve this upcoming season. Ari pipes in occasionally, but he’s mostly just acting like we’re not here.

Well, he’s acting like Lucia isn’t here, and since she’s talking with us, we might as well be invisible to him, too.

I need them to figure out their shit.

I don’t know what kind of tension they have between them, but if any of it is sexual, I hope to God Lucia leaves Matt so she and Ari can fuck it out of their systems.

We all fucking need that.

After an awkward evening at the bar, Cole and I decide on what our nightly routine will be. By that, I mean we’ve decided we’re each going to take long showers each night so the other can talk to their partner uninterrupted.

And we won’t be able to hear the dirty things the other is getting up to.

With Cole in the shower now, I grab my MacBook again and FaceTime one of my favorite people.

It only rings once before Olive picks up the call, and her gorgeous face comes into view. “Hi, Lane.”

“Hello, beautiful.”

She laughs lightly. “I’m in pajamas with my hair in a messy bun.”

“You’re always beautiful, baby,” I smile. “But I can also see your nipples through your shirt, and that isn’t hurting.”

“Oh my God,” she shakes her head. “Shameless. You’re so damn shameless.”

“I like what I like, and I own it. Nothing wrong with that.”

“No, there isn’t,” Liv replies. “I never have to wonder what you’re thinking or feeling.”

“You never will either. Did you have a good day with Rory and Sage?”

She lights up, a bright smile on her face. “We had a lot of fun. Sage insisted we have another Taylor Swift dance party. We had mac and cheese for dinner, and then I helped Rory get her put to bed before I left. It was really nice.”

“Happy to hear that, Liv. I love that you’re still spending time with my daughter when I’m not there.”

Olive looks at me playfully. “Hey, I told you before that I come for Sage. You’re just a byproduct, Hotshot.”

I put my hand over my chest in faux offense. “I’ll make sure to remember that next time you’re asking for an orgasm.”

“And here you said you like me teasing you,” she pouts. “Now you’re trying to deny me orgasms.”

I bark out a laugh. “Fuck, I love this unfiltered version of you.”

“It’s new,” she smiles. “But it’s kinda fun.”

“Fun for me, too,” I admit. “You were so uncomfortable when we met you could hardly look me in the eye. Now I know what you look like when you come.”

“That apparently won’t be at your hands,” she jokes, flirtation all through her tone.

“Not until next month.” I lick my lips. “But I can always watch you in the meantime.”

Olive’s eyes widen in surprise. “Like… here? On FaceTime?”

“Only what you’re comfortable with. But if you do want to, I sure as hell wouldn’t mind watching you using that toy.”

“You mean Delaney?” she smirks.

“Delaney, huh?” I bite my lip, and my cock stirs awake beneath my athletic shorts, wondering if she did that intentionally.

“Mhmm,” Olive hums. “It’s a cute name.”

“Has some interesting nicknames, too.”

“Yes, it does, Lane.”

And that does it. My dick is rock fucking hard because my girl named her vibrator fucking Lane.

She fucks herself with a fake dick that has my name.

I cup myself over my shorts. “Goddamn, Liv. It doesn’t take much from you to turn me on.”

Olive flicks her tongue over her bottom lip. “Do you want… to take care of that?”

“So fucking badly,” I sigh. “You can watch while I do if you bring out Delaney.”

I can see her mull the proposition over, giving it real thought. I may be asking for this, but she knows that she decides what happens from here.

Finally, she softly says, “Okay.”

“Yeah?

“Yeah.”

“And you’re comfortable with this?”

“For the most part,” she shrugs. “I’m a bit uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want this. I want to do it.” Olive leans over, the top half of her body falling off the camera screen before she returns with that bright pink dildo I bought her. “Just… tell me what to do.”

I let out a breath. “Are you okay taking off your clothes, Liv?”

She lightly laughs. “You’ve already seen me naked, Lane.”

“That doesn’t mean you want to get naked on camera,” I reply.

Olive smiles at me so sweetly, her face so tender and…

loving. “You don’t know how much I appreciate your consideration.

You’ve been so patient with me, and you make sure I’m comfortable at every step.

That makes me feel safe with you, Lane. It makes me want to do these things with you because I know I can trust you. ”

“You will always be safe with me, Ballerina. And I will never break your trust.”

“I know.” She stands on her knees and takes a deep breath. “That’s why this is happening.” She quickly pulls her pajama top over her head, revealing the lack of a bra when she’s now bare-chested.

“Fuuuck,” I groan, slipping my hand under my waistband. “I fucking love your tits, baby. Perfect size to fit in my hand.”

Olive watches me watch her as she pushes down her bottoms, taking her panties at the same time and baring herself completely. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re so fucking sexy,” I grunt, shoving my shorts and boxers down my legs and fisting my cock. “Are you wet for me, baby?”

“Yes,” she sighs. “I want you, Lane.”

“Delaney has to do for now. Grab your toy and spread your legs. Show me that wet pussy.”

“And if I don’t?” she flirts.

“Such a fucking brat,” I chuckle. “If you want that orgasm, show me.” Breathing heavily, Olive grabs her toy and parts her legs, giving me the perfect view of the arousal seeping out of her. “That’s it, baby. Your cunt looks like it’s begging to be filled.”

“Yes,” Olive breathes.

“Then grab Delaney. I want to watch you slowly push her into that perfect little pussy.”

I stroke my cock faster as I watch Olive do as I said, gasping when the vibrator starts slipping inside. “Lane…” she moans, pushing in to the hilt.

“That’s right, you call my name. Call out my name while you fuck yourself with the fake dick that shares it.”

I watch as she starts pushing the vibrator in and out, and she bucks her hips off her mattress when she turns the rabbit ears on. And I’m just mesmerized by the way her pussy swallows the silicone, imagining how it’s going to feel when it’s swallowing my cock instead.

Olive lets out a breathy moan. “This feels so good.”

“I know, baby. And look how well you’re doing, taking every goddamn inch of that cock.” I grunt as I move over myself faster, heating up when I see Liv’s eyes land between my legs.

“Yours is bigger,” she manages between heavy breaths, “isn’t it?”

“Yeah, baby,” I say smugly. “My dick is bigger than that toy, and it will feel so much better, too. Delaney won’t have anything on Lane.”

“Yes,” she sighs, her hips meeting every thrust of the silicone cock.

“Fuck, Liv,” I groan. “Are you going to come?”

“So close,” she murmurs. “I’m so close.”

“Then let go. Soak that toy while you pretend it’s me. Scream my name and remind me of how fucking pretty you are when you come.”

“Lane!” she cries, falling over the edge and into full-on bliss. “Yes, baby…”

Baby is what does me in. The affectionate nickname pulls my own release out of me, and I shout Olive’s name as my cum coats my stomach, leaving behind the sticky mess I made while watching my girlfriend orgasm.

We both take a moment to collect ourselves. Liv tosses Delaney to the side, and I grab some tissues to clean myself up. When we’re both functional again, I lean back against my headboard, and she lays across her bed.

“That was so good, baby,” I smile.

Olive returns my smile, letting it brighten up her dim bedroom. “Yeah… really good.”

I scrub a hand over my face and sigh. “It’s only been a day, and I’m already missing you like crazy,” I admit.

“I miss you, too, Lane.” Her voice is soft and sweet, showcasing some vulnerability. “But I promise I’ll be here for you when you get back.”

“I know you will.”

She looks at me affectionately, eyes heavy and ready for sleep in her post-orgasm haze.

And I enjoy the moment for what it is.

I don’t know if Olive realizes yet, but we’re at the start of forever. I’m not going anywhere; she has me wrapped so tightly around her finger.

I’m falling in love with the woman who is quickly becoming my best friend.

But that’s not entirely true… because there’s no “maybe kinda” about it anymore.

I can see it clear as day in the depths of her green eyes.

I’m already in love with Olive Finch.