Page 20

Xavier

I knew Vivienne would be here. Her text after the game said Tenley was sick and she had called Vivi to come help with Holland. What I didn't expect was to go in search of her and hear her on the phone, mid-conversation with a friend, casually dissecting her sex life. And more importantly, the possibility of me giving her what she's missing.

Nothing could've prepared me for the vivid scenarios I've been imagining for weeks to suddenly be within reach. It's a sharp turn from the direction I expected my night to take, but her friend's words loop in my head like a siren's call getting louder with each step I take.

"You need to recruit that man to help you get off."

When I step around the corner and find her in my hallway, wearing nothing but one of my shirts, my restraint snaps--all reason evaporates. She's here in my house, in my clothes, and for weeks she's all I've seen and it has me hurtling over the edge, reckless and ready to give her exactly what she needs. The reasons I've had for holding back suddenly don't seem unmanageable.

Her eyes lift from the phone and those plump lips part on a trapped inhale. She looks so at home, like she belongs here, and it's sexy as fuck. I vaguely register a hurried goodbye to her friend and the faint sound of the call ending.

Vivi freezes, and her eyes lock on mine as I let my gaze rake down her body. The hem of my shirt barely skims her thighs, leaving enough to the imagination to drive me wild.

I know I should walk away, check on my daughter, shove this ridiculous idea that I could have her out of my head. But I can't move. Not when she's looking at me like she wants me to be the solution to her problem. And not when every part of me is screaming to close the space between us.

Doing the right thing won't erase the memory of her in nothing but my shirt.

Maybe Vivi is the catalyst for me getting my identity back. Whether intentional or not, I can't ignore that any more than I can ignore what I just learned. This could all backfire, but the pull to her is too fucking strong and I'm too fucking weak.

There's risk in getting involved with Vivi, and no one stands to lose more than me and Holland. My daughter already has enough uncertainty in her life with Kristy missing. If Vivienne will allow me to have her the way I want we'll need boundaries and rules to keep everyone safe.

My mind made up, I step forward. My fingers find the hem of my shirt sitting high on her thigh. I rub it between my thumb and pointer finger. This close, her scent surrounds me. She reminds me of summer--it's an addicting mix of welcoming honeysuckle and citrus.

Her tongue wets her pink lips. "Did you hear that?"

"Every damn word."

She drops her head, avoiding me. That won't do. I cup the side of her neck, hooking her chin and lifting her face. She's flustered and I need to know she understands what she's getting into. "Don't be embarrassed. But I have to know, the night of the gala you said something that bothered me. You said that you've only ever had mediocre sex. Is that true?"

"Yes," she admits, her cheeks turning pink. She's a powerhouse--it's one of the things I respect most about her. But there must be something really wrong with me because the idea that I could be the first to give her what she needs where others have failed has my cock turning to stone in my shorts, begging me to let him show her how good I can make it.

"It's a crime that a woman as remarkable as you hasn't been treated the way she deserves." The words come out gritty with urgency.

"It's fine. I do okay on my own." She shrugs, and it makes my blood pressure spike.

I want her to be as bothered by this as I am. It's like I'm on a damn seesaw that I can't get off, tipping between anger on her behalf and filthy joy at the idea of being the first person to get her off.

It's the last part that has me stepping forward, pinning her to the wall with my hips, giving her proof of what she's doing to me. "Tell me the truth. Does your body ache to be fucked the way you deserve?"

Her mouth drops open at my boldness, and I have to hold myself back from taking it, here and now. She needs to be certain because I'm not offering roses and wine. I don't have that in me--not right now.

"Yes," she croaks, her nipples pebbling against my shirt.

"And would you let me be the person who gives you what you need?"

Her breathing picks up as her eyes shift between mine like a pinball. "Yes."

I'm unable to stop the groan that starts in my throat when she shifts under the weight of my body. I give her my thigh, wedging it between her legs. Her head drops back against the wall at the friction. "We need safeguards. Rules. And I need you to be honest with me about what I'm up against."

"I'm not interested in a relationship," she adds, her voice strained.

"Good," I rasp, nodding. "I can't give you that. My life is crazy and Holland has to come first, always. This would just be sex--me giving you all the orgasms that you've been missing out on," I tell her honestly.

Pushing her shoulders back she asks, "And what do you get out of it?"

I drop my lips to her ear, letting my nose run over the shell. It's all I'll allow myself for the moment, though it's not nearly what I need, and whisper, "Having you will be more than enough."

"Hardly seems fair." I think she means it as a joke, but it comes out in short pants.

"Not fair? You're everything a man could need. I've been out of my mind wanting you for weeks. It would be a fucking privilege to make you come."

She bites on her lower lip, her hands lifting to my chest and using it as leverage. "My life is finally my own and I'm not ready to make room for anyone else. This can't turn into more, Xavier."

"I've got everything I need. Remember? But a brilliant woman once told me I'd be a better dad if my cup was full. This seems like a great way to pour into it."

Her husky laugh is drenched in pleasure as she rocks against my leg. "I think she meant basic human needs, like sleep and food."

I hum thoughtfully. "Let the cup runneth over." I add more pressure, giving her what she's seeking for a moment. "Everyone should have good sex--human connection is a basic need. Sex with the right person goes beyond need. When I'm through with you, you'll understand."

"You make it sound so simple."

"Simple? Not always. Worth it? Yes." Her focus locks on me, full of understanding. I'll try harder than anyone else ever has. "I wish you could write me a list of all the ways you want me to make you come, but you're too needy to stop, aren't you?" I pull my knee back a little and let her sag into me.

"Please don't stop. I can't--talk." Her voice wobbles, but she looks so determined. It's fucking adorable.

I push an inky strand of hair back from her face, bending to eye level and snaring her attention. "You'll come after we talk." She whimpers but doesn't argue. "Has anyone ever made you come?"

She shakes her head slowly. "No. Either they haven't cared enough or haven't paid attention. Sex always feels very focused on my partner's needs versus my own." She sighs like it pains her to admit. "Deep relationships aren't really my thing--I'm too focused on other things. So I never put all that much thought into it."

"And what about when you're on your own? Can you make yourself come, or is that hard too?"

Her eyes light up with mischief and her hands loop around my neck anchoring herself to me. "I'm a pro at making myself come."

"A well-practiced expert." I make a mental note that seeing her make herself come needs to be one of the first things we try. "So you've never come from dry humping?" I ask, giving her my leg back.

Her breath rushes out of her. "No."

"And your fingers are the only ones that have given you an orgasm?"

She nods, and the mental image of her fucking her hand spring up in my mind.

I press my lips to her ear like it's a secret between the two of us, even though we're all alone in this dark hallway.There's a primal part of me that hopes that the next answer is a no. "Has anyone ever licked your needy pussy, Vivienne?"

"Yes, but no one's ever done a good job." Her head falls back against the fall and she adds, "I can't wait for you to try. I know you'll be the first to do it right."

Jesus, her confidence in me is almost enough to have me coming in my pants.

"Fuck, yes, I will." I lick a path up her neck. "And I'm going to enjoy every second of my tongue buried inside you."

Vivi shivers under me, her pulse pounding in her neck as she climbs. She's close and I want to make sure we're on the same page before this goes further.

"And when I fuck you, my cock will be the first you come on."

"God, yes." She cants her hips faster.

"Then this is where we start. Tell me you understand what this is and use me to get yourself off." I palm her breast through my shirt, helping her take what she needs.

"I want you to show me everything--all the ways you can make me feel good. No falling in love, no dating, and no other women. Just orgasms."

"No other men. We stay friends when this is over. You and Tenley don't disappear from our life when this is done." My tone softens. "That part is non-negotiable because of Holland."

Her hands slide up the sides of my neck, holding my face. "I would never take Tenley away from Holland, but I won't lie to her either. She doesn't need the details, but we can't pretend this . . ." Her lips twist as she searches for the right words. "That our situation isn't happening."

I nod. Tenley is too smart for her own good--there's no way she won't notice something, especially now that we've agreed this is a regular thing. "When she asks, you can tell her whatever you're comfortable with. I'm not ashamed of what we're doing, but I don't want to cross any boundaries that make you or her uncomfortable."

Her thumb sweeps over my jaw. "I appreciate that more than you know."

"And when we've crossed everything off our list, I'll find more ways to make you come until we've made up for everything you've missed out on. Then you go on your way, satisfied, and find someone who can give you all the things I can't--a future where you come first in every way."

"Starting now?" She hooks a finger into my waistband, twisting so I can't pull back again.

"Starting now," I agree. "Take this one on your own because the rest of them are mine."

It's a beautiful thing, watching her come into her own and rock over my thigh, riding until she buries her face in my chest, mumbling a string of obscenities.

"Let me see you, Vi." I tilt her chin up. "Get used to being vulnerable with me. It's the only way this works."

Her teeth clamp down on her lip, like she has to concentrate on getting there.

"By the time we are through, I'll have you coming on command. I'm going to get to know your body so well you'll never have to stress about this again."

Like I expected, she responds to the dirty talk. She's so damn sensual, so perfect, she just doesn't know it yet.

"Just let go. Trust me, trust your body. Come all over my thigh."

And she does, crying out, a damp spot soaking through my thin shorts, her eyes rolling back and legs trembling as she comes apart for me, pinned against the wall in the hallway where I found her. Pride swells in my chest. Without even touching her, I was able to give her something no other man ever has.

I let my forehead fall to the wall next to her head, giving us both the minute we need to collect ourselves.

"If that was only the first one, when do I get the next one?" she asks, her pupils unfocused and her voice husky.

There's not a single part of me that doesn't want to drag her upstairs and fuck her into my mattress, but I know that's not what I should do. Vivienne is practical and thoughtful. Nothing about what we just did feels like a mistake, but I want her to sleep on it before we take things further.

"Soon enough." I kiss her forehead. "Make me a wish list of everything you want to try. We'll start there."

"You want me to make an orgasm wish list?"

"Yeah. Don't overthink it, just write down what you want."