Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

“Ralph,” she says breathlessly as I pull her closer to me. My hands claw at her back, bunching up her shirt as her hips grind into me. Her hands now claw at me as much as I am clawing at her.

“Candace,” I say. Moving my hands up to her hair, I grab a handful and pull it back and seeing her eyes flutter open. “You’re so beautiful,” I whisper to her, and she now puts her hands on my face. “Thank you.” I kiss under her jaw. “For giving me a chance.”

“You mean, like I really had a choice.” She smiles at me, rubbing my cheeks with her thumbs. I lean in and kiss her.

“I mean, not really, but I thought it would be nice to say,” I say right before I go back for another kiss, her mouth opening for my tongue. Her hands fall from my face to my chest as she bunches up my shirt in her hands. I want her to rip the shirt off. I want to rip her shirt off, and I want to bury myself in her as she calls out my name over and over again. My tongue slides with hers, and just when I’m about to flip her on her back, the sound of crying fills the air. Both of us look toward the hallway, our chests rising and falling. We both wait to see if it’s actual crying or if maybe she is going back to sleep, but then I hear Ari scream again.

“I’ll go get her,” Candace says, kissing my lips before climbing off me, and I swear I hear my cock cry out and beg her to come back. I put my head back on the cushion and rub my face, taking a couple of minutes before I get up and make a bottle for Ari knowing that she is going to want to drink something. I look over at Candace walking back into the room with Ari lying on her chest, sucking her pacifier. “She was not a happy person,” she says, smiling at me and coming closer.

“What is the big fuss about?” I say, and Ari gets up now and cries for me. “I’m right here,” I say, taking her and turning her to the side so she can drink her bottle.

“You go sit down,” she says. “I’ll warm up the pizza.”

I bend down, kissing her lips, tasting her again if only for a little bit. I walk over to her couch and sit down, and I look around her place. This place is neutral, but there are touches of color and pictures that show you it’s a home. There are about five pictures of Zoey on one table, and I spot a picture of Candace looking all dressed up with Zoey in her arms also dressed up.

“You look really good in that picture.” I point at the picture when Candace comes to sit next to me.

“Thank you, it was taken last summer at the Max Horton foundation.” She smiles. “I painted her nails that day a light glittery pink, and she thought I was the shit.” The way she talks about Zoey you feel the love right through her.

“You are the best aunt ever,” I say, and she smiles. Something tugs at my heart, and I ignore it, not ready to face it. “So, tell me.” I smirk at her. “What did you get on the pizza?”

She curls her feet under her next to me, and I want to reach out and pull her to me. “Um.” She looks down.

“Oh, God, you’re one of those,” I say, sitting up now as she looks at me and is trying not to laugh. “You know.” I point at her.

“What are you talking about?” She throws her head back, and I can see little red dots on her neck from my beard, and I want to lean over and mark her more.

“I’m talking about pineapple,” I say the word, and I make a disgusted face. “Is there pineapple on that pizza?”

She laughs now a fully belly laugh. “Do you not like pineapple on pizza?”

“It’s fruit,” I say, and Ari arches her back, trying to roll out of my arm. I stop her and sit her up in my lap. “You can’t put fruit on a pizza.”

“It’s not that bad,” she says, and I groan out.

“You did,” I say to her, standing Ari up in my lap. “Didn’t you? You put pineapple on a pizza.” I look down and I know that I’m going to have to eat the pizza with pineapple because that is what Candace would do for me.

“You can relax.” She leans in and takes Ari, who smiles and then drools all over her. “I ordered meat lovers.”

I put my hand on my heart. “I’m not going to lie,” I say. “You just raised the bar from here.” I motion my right hand above my head and then move it higher. “To here.”