"Daddy, Momma, this is Blake Hanley, my-" she paused and he saw her finger run over the ring finder he'd try to claim. "Boyfriend," she finished a little lamely. Was that regret he saw on her face for a second?
"It's nice to meet you Blake. I'm Theresa and this is my husband, Richard." Blake set down the bag in his right hand and shook hands with Theresa before he turned his attention to the man who looked like he would never smile.
"It's nice to meet you Theresa, Richard," he said as he held out his hand to Aiyana's father. The man took stock of the billionaire standing before him pulled his hand out of his pocket, only to return it with a quarter in his grasp. He grunted once before he turned away to sit down with Aiyana's entourage.
"He hasn't had his afternoon nap," Theresa tried to explain with a polite smile as she ushered Aiyana and Blake through the front door. The foyer had gleaming hardwood floors and the off-gray paint showcased the mahogany coat rack to his left. Blake didn't notice much else as he was led up the stairs lined with family photographs and to the right where he was promptly told he would be staying, and then Aiyana was led away to her own room with her bag in hand.
Blake hadn't expected separate bedrooms, but he wasn't too shocked after meeting her father. He figured he'd be shot on sight if he was standing outside her bedroom door at two in the morning. With a heavy sigh and a hand wiped across his face, he sat down on the edge of the bed and wondered what he'd gotten himself into. It had been many years since he'd allowed himself to be dragged along to a woman's parent's home.
But she's worth it and more, he reminded himself as he pulled out his clothes and hang them in the closet.
"Bet you're not used to hanging your own laundry," a rough voice stated with a hint of derision. Blake turned to the voice, suspecting as much that it was Richard standing in the doorway.
"I tend to my own clothes," Blake told him serenely as he unzipped the bag that held his toiletries. Richard pointed at the door on the opposite side of the bed and Blake disappeared into the bathroom to deposit his belongings. He wanted to make it well-known that he planned on staying the entire trip, and there was no amount of perpetual frowning that could get him to leave. He briefly noted the dual sinks and the jetted tub before he returned to the room.
"Dinner's in ten," Richard said before he disappeared from the doorway. Blake didn't bother to close it as he zipped up the empty suitcase. He heard the sound of feet tiptoeing down the hallway and smiled when Aiyana peaked her head around the door frame. Her fingers gripped it as she looked him up and down.
"You should change," she whispered sweetly.
"You should help," he whispered back as he advanced on her, about to stake his claim on her in a house full of her kin. Besides, he needed the reassurance.
Aiyana pulled back and giggled as she jumped out of his reach. She put her finger to her lips to hush him, but he had her in one swoop of his arm and pulled her into the room. Blake had a second to close the door gently before he pushed her against the wall and ran his tongue over her upper lip. She shivered beneath his touch as his hands roamed down to pull at the button on her jeans. Aiyana tried to push him back playfully, but he wasn't budging.
He silenced her futile protest with a long kiss, dipping his tongue in and out of her mouth as he pushed his hand up her shirt, gently pulling away the cup of her bra. Aiyana moaned into his mouth as his other hand pushed down into her pants, finding her hot and swollen. His palm slid across her clit as he dipped his finger into her, stroking her from the inside as his palm moved gently over her nub. He could feel her legs beginning to weaken and her breathing quickened as her tongue found his to dance.
Blake knew he should be walking a fine line in her parent's home, but he couldn't help the way it felt so good to stroke her until she shuddered against him. He pinned her against the wall to keep her from falling and milked her until she was breathless and her cheeks were crimson. A wisp of her hair clung to her forehead and she pulled it away with shaking hands as she buttoned her jeans and fixed her top.
"You're going to be in so much trouble if they ever find out about that," she whispered to him harshly, but the smile on her lips told him it was well worth it.
"Who's ever going to tell?" he asked as he quietly opened the door and allowed her to slip through the crack. He heard her tiptoeing back to her room and assumed she was going to freshen up before she went down to the dinner table. Blake went back in to wash his hands and comb his hair. He took stock of his suit and figured it wouldn't hurt to change into something more comfortable.
He pulled out a pair of dark green slacks and a gray shirt. It was the most colorful he'd gotten since he'd been with Aiyana. He only hoped her folks could appreciate the effort he was putting in. Blake took stock of himself in the mirror and put on a pair of dark brown shoes.
Chapter Nine
"Hanley, catch!" The football was whizzing directly for his face and for an instant he wondered if they thought of him as soft because he had money. He'd been reluctant to accept the invitation to the game because he hadn't a pair of jeans in his wardrobe, but Row had been nice enough to lend him a pair that was too long for his taste. They actually fit pretty snug on Blake, and he noticed the way Aiyana kept staring at him as he played with her brothers.
The previous evening's dinner had gone well, if well meant a few grunts from Richard and endless chattering about the neighborhood from Theresa. Aiyana's sister hadn't shown yet, and her third brother was still missing in action from the previous afternoon, but no one seemed too concerned about it. It must have been a common occurrence.
Blake caught the spiraling football and took off down the right side of their makeshift field, the back yard. He skirted the edge of the pool and heard the slap of his sneakers on the concrete as he leaped over one of the lawn chairs and tumbled on the other side. He almost lost his grip on the ball, but he knew he was safe as soon as he heard the cheering from the sidelines. Aiyana was smiling as her hands game together in front of her and Row was cheering about a touchdown as he helped Blake to his feet.
"You alright? You took a bit of a tumble there," Row stated between chuckles. Allen leaned on his knees and tried to catch his breath. "You'd better let him get in the last touchdown," Row said under his breath as he turned away from his brother and looked out at the hedge leading to the neighbor's house. "Allen's a bit competitive."
"So am I," Blake stated as he stood up and dusted the grass off his jeans. "Sorry about the pants. I'll replace them."
"It's not a big deal. They're just pants," Row shrugged it off before loping off to see if his brother was up for another game.
Aiyana sashayed up to him while pulling her hair back with a hair tie. "You'd better watch your back," she told him as she picked up the ball.
"You're going to play?" he asked her skeptically. She looked at her fingernails with a raised eyebrow and shrugged a shoulder.
"I'm pretty quick on my feet." He felt a fluttering in the pit of his stomach when she looked up from beneath her eye lashes and smiled at him.
Aiyana tossed the ball to her brother and they squared off in the center of the yard again. Blake was keenly aware of the way Theresa and Richard were watching them play, but he was more concerned about Allen standing in front of him with a sneer on his face. "Gonna take you down," he said real low.
Aiyana called it and Allen tossed the ball between his legs back to his sister. Blake knew as soon as the ball left Allen's fingertips that they were going to end up in a tussle, so he ducked to the left and prayed he was right in his assumption. Allen brushed past his right and fell to the ground, grunting as he did. Aiyana was already halfway across the yard, almost to her goal, but Row was right behind her. It seemed he had no qualms about tackling his sister as he took her down to the ground. Her hand reached out and she tried to tap the goal area with the ball, but she was too far away. She rolled over and came up laughing as Row helped her to her feet.
"Again," she demanded as they took their positions. This time, Aiyana and Row square off in the center, taking their turns.
Blake prepared himself for a full contact hit to the chest, but he managed to duck, avoiding Allen's groping. He caught Aiyana around the waist before she was able to get very far. He spun her around in a circle and felt her breasts push up against him as he pulled her in close. They stood with their faces mere inches apart, their breath intermingling as they stared at each other. He knew she'd missed him last night, but he wasn't sure if she'd missed him half as much as he'd missed having her beside him.