Just a Number(108)

“Hey,” I say softly, drawing Amelia’s attention to me. “I’m sure she didn’t mean to imply—”

“No, she’s right,” Julia interjects, surprising me. “I love you both, but would I ever in a million years have thought that the two of you would get together? No. Relationships with such a large age gap rarely last. That’s reality.”

Now it’s my turn to get defensive. “Look, I appreciate the concern, but you have no idea what you’re talking about. We know it’s not going to be easy, but we’re willing to try. All we ask is for a little support.”

Julia stares at me, her mouth open in shock. It isn’t until the server returns to take our dinner order that she comes out of her stupor. We take a slight reprieve from the awkwardness that hangs over our table and place our orders. When Josh steps away again, Julia sips on the glass of wine I poured her a minute before.

After swallowing, she clears her throat and looks at us again, her eyes showing what looks like remorse. “Look, I’m sorry if I seem a little…resistant to”—she waves her hands between us—“this. It just caught me off guard, and that’s not something I’m familiar with. I’m usually pretty good at seeing things for what they are, so this is unsettling for me.” She smiles, this time a little more genuinely. “I am happy for you both. It’s been obvious these last couple months that you really do make one another happier than I’ve seen in a long while.”

Stephen reaches over and places his hand on her back. “And she’s back,” he declares happily.

The rest of the evening goes pretty well. Julia’s unease is still present, but she tries to remain open-minded and levelheaded about everything. By the end of dinner, we’re all laughing and planning another outing. Julia suggests dinner and dancing, and Amelia seems enchanted with the idea, all starry-eyed and wistful.

Amelia and I walk Julia and Stephen to their vehicle, say goodnight, and go on our way back to Amelia’s place for the night. When we arrive, I lock the door behind us and watch as Amelia wanders down the hall of her small apartment, shedding her jacket and clothing along the way.

She stops next to her bed when she sheds her tight green shirt and turns to me as she unbuttons her jeans. “You planning on joining me? It’s been an awfully long couple of days.”

I double check the door before rushing toward her and throwing her down on the bed, her squeal of delight bouncing off of every surface in the small loft-style apartment. Her laughter dies the instant my lips are on hers, and her fingers work quickly to remove my tie and unbutton my shirt.

She moans when my hand palms her breast urgently over her bra, my fingers dipping behind the soft fabric and stroking her nipple. This forces her back to arch into my chest, a tiny mewl escaping against my lips as she tries to hook one of her legs around me. Before I let her do that, I remove my hand from her amazing tit and work to remove her pants and then my own. With all of our clothes scattered on her floor, I slip between her legs and kiss a trail down her neck and chest until I’ve taken a perky nipple gently between my teeth.

She moans again, threading her fingers through my hair to hold me against her, her hips writhing beneath me and teasing me. “Owen,” she sighs, the husky tone of her voice making me even harder. Who knew that was even possible?

“What do you want, sweetheart?” I inquire, lifting my face from her breast and slipping a hand between her legs, finding her wet and wanting. Her hips buck into my touch, and her hands fall to the blanket and grip it tightly.

“You,” she pants.

I place a kiss on the column of her throat and then whisper in her ear, “You’re going to have to be a little more specific than that sweetheart.”

She releases the blanket from her death grip and cups my face, bringing it to hers. Her eyes are wild with abandon, her cheeks rosy with desire, and her desperation for release is evident in the tone of her voice. “Take me. Hard. Now.”

I remove my hand from between her legs and push my hips forward, slowly easing my cock into her. Her legs wrap around me, her heels digging into my ass in a failed attempt to speed the process up. I’m not ready for this to be over just yet, and I know that once I’m buried deep inside her warmth, I’ll be fighting the need to come.

“Please,” Amelia pleads beneath me, lifting her head so she can kiss me. “It’s bad enough we couldn’t be together last night.”

The second she presses her lips against mine, there’s no more taking it slow. Her hips meet every one of my thrusts eagerly as she chases her orgasm. She begs for more, her fingers curling and clawing at the skin of my back as my tempo increases. The warmth of her touch washes over me, enveloping me and making my skin tingle, as I revel in her repeated cries of encouragement.