Paige: I need to meet this Jessica. As long as she knows you’re taken, I’m okay with her thinking you’re nuts ;)
Me: Like anyone would outshine you in my eyes . . . although this jealous streak is sexy. If you want to claim me later, I’m all for it. The teeth marks on my arm are fading . . .
Paige: You’re an animal. Is it weird being there? I don’t think I can go there yet.
It was weird, but comforting in a way. Jack was everywhere I looked, from the Yankees pennant across the wall to the endless boxes of pretzel chips he liked to keep at work.
Me: A little but a good weird. Kinda like he’s still here. I’ll be there later tonight. I love you.
Paige: I love you too, babe.
I smiled as I set my phone back on the desk. I loved it when she called me ‘babe’.
“You probably think I’m nuts for making you do this.”
Jessica shook her head as she scoured through the rest of our accounts payable lists.
“Ellie told me what you did. How you moved back when Jack called you for help. You must have come in pretty blind, but I think you’re doing great. I’m here to help you however I can. Nice to know my masters in accounting wasn’t for nothing.” She chuckled and shook her head.
“Masters in accounting? Don’t take offense and believe me I’m very fucking grateful you took this job—but why would you want to work in a small shop like this? You should be in corporate finance, no?”
In the few weeks Jessica had worked for us, she’d done an amazing job. Everything was organized to the letter, from our books to the supply closet. She wasn’t unfriendly, but mostly kept to herself. Work was a silent place now and it drove me up the wall. I volunteered to help the guys on a couple of jobs this week just to get away from the maddening silence.
“Let’s just say I broke a cardinal rule in business and leave it at that.”
I folded my arms and leaned back against my desk. “I won’t pry. As long as it wasn’t the ‘don’t steal from your boss rule’.” I raised my eyebrows. I didn’t want to be a jerk and stick my nose where it didn’t belong, but if I was trusting her with our money, she couldn’t leave a statement like that just hanging there.
She let out a humorless laugh.
“No, not that one.” She lowered her gaze and let out a long sigh before lifting her eyes back to mine. “The don’t date your boss rule. Especially when said boss is married.”
“Ouch.” I grimaced at Jessica and looked away. I never would have guessed that in a million years. It seemed out of character for someone so rigid and by the book and shocked me that she said anything at all about it.
“Yep.” She gave me a slow nod and shrugged. “Since then, I like small businesses like this one. I come in, keep everything in order, and get left alone for the most part. The hours are a hell of a lot better too.”
“Not lately though.” I glanced at my watch. How did it get to be eight o’clock already? “Sorry about that.”
“No worries, Evan. I get it. I’m glad I could help you.” Jessica tidied up the desk before she got up. I doubted you could find serial killers more meticulous than she was.
“Go on, get out of here.” I nudged her shoulder. “I’ll lock up after you leave.”
“Okay. Good night. Don’t stay too late.” Jessica smirked at me as she sauntered out the door.
I nodded, my focus still locked on Jack’s desk. I spoke to him in my head sometimes, like I still did with my mom. Neither answered, but I hoped they heard me. I asked them both for the same thing: please help me not screw this all up.
I arrived at Paige’s after nine. Her lights were already off and she was in bed. She was so wiped out all the time, and the last few weeks had taken a lot out of both of us. Paige was curled up on her side, the flickering of the TV the only light in the room. Even in the near darkness, my eyes drifted to her tight little pajama shorts and lacy tank top.
I stripped down to my boxers before climbing into bed with her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face in her neck. She stirred in her sleep and cuddled into me. I placed a soft kiss behind her ear and smiled at the sweet purr she gave me in response. I pulled her closer and planted kisses down her neck and along the shell of her ear.
“Hmm . . .” She rubbed herself against me as I splayed my fingers over her thigh and pressed my body against her; my throbbing hard-on now poked her in the back. I ran my hand up and down her thigh and dipped my fingers into the waistband of those tiny shorts. I fought the urge to rip them off and bury my head between her legs.
We hadn’t managed to be close like this in a while. There had been a lot of crying and sleeping in each other’s arms, but that’d been as far as it went. Right now, I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. I loved tasting her and running my lips over all the sweet spots I’d gotten to know so well. I wanted to make her come with my mouth and my fingers, and then bury myself inside her as deep as I could go. Still, I backed away, in case she was too tired and only wanted to cuddle next to me. I got my answer when her hand reached back, grabbed my ass, and pushed me into her. I chuckled at how brazen she was, even while half asleep.
“You better get out of here. My boyfriend will be home any minute.”
Home. Her voice was a sleepy whisper and I was sure she didn’t realize what she said, but hearing her say I was ‘home’ with her filled me with a peace and solace that I’d never known before. She was my home. I loved Paige in an all-consuming, frightening as fuck way I never thought possible.
I dragged my lips down her shoulder as my fingers inched the hem of her tank top higher. “He’s a very stupid man for keeping someone as gorgeous as you waiting for so long.”
Moving aside the silky material of her tank top, I rubbed my thumb back and forth over her rigid nipple. A groggy moan escaped her as she bucked her hips harder into me.
“I missed you so much, Daisy.” My lips and tongue dove into the crook of her neck. Paige reached back and pressed the back of my head closer before turning to face me. She squirmed and whimpered as she moved my hand from her breast to between her legs. I hissed when I found her soaked through her shorts.
“Evan . . . it’s been so long. I love it when you touch me . . . oh, God!” I slipped my hand inside her panties and traced big and then smaller circles around her clit. Her chest heaved as she clutched my wrist in a death grip so I wouldn’t move my hand. I chuckled as I picked up the pace.
“Don’t worry, Daisy—I’m not moving until you come all over my fingers. Then I’ll take off this little top and those shorts and fuck you. Slow and deep and hard until you come on my c—”
“Fuck, Evan!” Paige tightened around my fingers as she arched her hips off the bed. I took her mouth in a ravenous kiss to muffle her screams. I wouldn’t take my fingers away until I got every last bit out of her. Her toes dug into the mattress as she shoved her legs together.
“Who knew such a sweet boy would have such a filthy mouth?” Paige raked her nails down my back and slid her hands inside my boxers. She gave my ass a squeeze before she pushed the fabric down. I helped her the rest of the way and flung my boxers next to the bed.
“And who knew you’d love it so much.” I licked the seam of her lips as I yanked off her pajama shorts. Once they were off, I lifted her tank top over her head and sucked hard on a nipple. She squirmed under me as she grabbed my head. My sweet girl was a firecracker in bed—and I fucking loved it.
“I need to be inside you tonight.” And need was absolutely right. I buried my head in her neck as I slid inside her. I took her hard and deep, just like I promised. Paige thrust her hips against me to make me move faster. Sweat dripped off my brow as I lifted my head to look at her.