As if he’d been holding on just long enough for me to go first, he came with me, grunting and arching his back as he continued to rock into me, his dick hardening just a little more as he exploded from the head and filled me with the first load of the night. His body stilled, and he breathed through the pleasure as he rested his forehead against mine, his eyes glazing over in pleasure.
My nails relaxed into his skin, and my legs curled around his waist because I wasn’t letting him go. He was still hard inside me, so he didn’t intend to go anywhere either. “Lizzie is sleeping over…”
He pulled his forehead away so he could look into my eyes, his expression satisfied but also eager. “Thank fucking god.” He started to thrust into me again, this time hard, this time deeper, making my headboard tap into the wall…over and over.
27
Derek
I opened her bedroom window because it smelled like a teenager’s room.
When I came back to the bed, I glanced at the time on the nightstand.
Two a.m.
I felt like I just got there.
She had the sheets pulled to her shoulders as she lay in bed, her eyes full of exhaustion, but she continued to keep them open.
I got into bed beside her and held her against me, bringing our bodies close together. When I hooked her thigh over my hip, I could feel my arousal everywhere, but I didn’t care. I still had more to give, so these sheets were officially ruined.
Her hand moved up my chest until it cupped my neck. Her fingers gently played with my hair at the back of my head, and she watched me with heavy eyes, like she was tired but wanted to stay awake to look at me.
“We never ordered that pizza.”
A soft grin moved on to her lips. “Oh well.”
My hand slid to her stomach, and my fingers spanned completely across it. “I can still order one.”
“It’s late…”
“This is Manhattan. You can get a fresh pizza at any time of night.”
“Okay, you talked me into it.”
I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and ordered it from my phone before I dropped it on the sheets between us. I returned to looking at her, unable to believe she was really next to me, that we were back to what we were—after everything that happened. The peace that settled on my soul was inexplicable. I felt like a new man, but also the man I used to be…the man I actually liked.
“I think your sister might be gay.”
I chuckled at her joke. “No, you’re just that sexy.”
“I don’t know about that…”
“That’s just how she is. She likes to make women feel good about themselves. My mom felt really insecure about losing her hair, so Daisy took her shopping and helped her get some new clothes so she would feel pretty around my dad. She’s just thoughtful like that.”
“She’s really sweet.”
“Yeah, she is. It makes up for all the annoying things she does.”
“Like?”
“Just little sister stuff.”
“I wish I had a brother or sister sometimes.”
“Well, you will soon,” I said automatically. “You can have mine.”
Her eyes lit up at the offer. “I love your family…they’re the best.”
I was grateful for them every day, especially after what happened with my mom. “Yeah, they are.”
“What time is it?” she whispered.
“Late.”
“Like, how late?”
“Two.”
She cringed. “I hope your mom keeps her until the afternoon…”
“I’m sure she will.” I knew exactly what my mom was doing and why she was doing it. It was a little awkward, but thoughtful. If Lizzie didn’t exist, my private life wouldn’t be visible, because it was a little difficult to do it all night long for the first time with a teenager down the hallway.
“I can’t believe my daughter is graduating tomorrow.”
“It’s exciting.”
“I just can’t believe she’s going to be in high school in the fall. That means boys, drama, one step closer to adulthood…” She sighed in sadness, like she didn’t want to let her go. “I’m excited to have my own space again, but at the same time, I can’t picture my life without her there. She’s my best friend.”
“She’ll always be your best friend, baby.”
“I know.”
“And we still have a few years to enjoy her and watch her grow into a great person.”
“Yeah.” She continued to look at me as she played with my fingertips. “I like how you say we.”
“Because it is we.”
“But it’s not we in the sense of us being together. It’s we in the sense that she’s yours.”
I didn’t know anything about being a father, but I did know how to love Lizzie like a daughter, and that was pretty easy. Disciplining her and all the other aspects of parenthood were foreign to me right now, but I’d nailed the most important part. “She is mine.”
I sat in the stands with Emerson and her parents. The field was packed with kids, and it was hard to see Lizzie because she was so far away. But I watched her grab her diploma and shift her tassel as she left the stage—with a great sense of pride.