Misstep

“I can’t believe how good this is.”

“Have some more,” Mom said, beaming with pride. “Plenty there.”

“I would, but I don’t think there would be any left for anyone else by the time I got done with it.”

“No worries. You can’t possibly eat more than James did,” I said with a smile. “This would be the first course.”

Mom sighed. “Yes. And his second course would be nothing but junk food…”

“And look how that turned out for him,” I said bitterly as images of his muscular body and stupid good looks. I glanced down at my body. “Maybe he was on to something…”

“Please don’t,” Emma said.

I flexed. “You’re right. Pointless to try to improve on perfection.”

Both Mom and Emma rolled their eyes at the same time. Well, it was great they were getting along so well.

“Hey. You can’t deny it’s true,” I said, pointing a finger at Emma. “It worked on you.”

She opened her mouth to respond, paused, then tilted her head. “Well, crap. Can’t argue with that logic.”

That got a smile out of her and a laugh from my Mom. This was technically the first time Emma was ‘meeting’ my parents. Sure, she had met them in passing, but sitting in for dinner? Didn’t know why I had been so nervous. Emma was a natural in these sorts of situations. The conversation was mostly carried by Mom and Emma. I jumped in where I was able, but it was clear I had no business interrupting their bonding moment. Mom was like this with Lilian too. I think she secretly wanted a daughter and this was her way of wish-fulfillment.

After dinner, I helped clean things up. “Seeing as we have leftovers, want to take them home for Emily and your dad?” I asked.

Her eyes lit up. “Is that okay?”

“Sure, we have some containers around here somewhere…” I said as I started to dig around the kitchen. Once everything was cleaned up, I put the containers in the fridge. “Just don’t let me forget them before we leave.”

“Emily is going to love it! She is a carnivore through and through, and your mom’s meatloaf was the best ever.”

Before the two started gushing over each other again, I took Emma by the hand and headed to the basement. To my surprise, she took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“You okay?” I asked, watching her in amusement.

“I am now.”

“You… not like my parents?”

“Nothing like that. Your mom is wonderful, though I don’t think your dad likes me.”

“Ah, he’s like that with everyone. He’s always been the quiet and brooding type. That you got him to smile a few times puts you ahead of Lilian.”

“That’s good to hear.” She took a deep breath. “Well. I officially met my boyfriend’s parents. Did not expect I would ever say that.”

I didn’t expect to hear it. I was on Cloud Nine. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. I was Emma’s boyfriend.

Still wasn’t used to that.

“What?” She was grinning at me.

“You do realize you haven’t met Papa Bear yet, right?”

“Any particular reason you call him that?”

“Besides his tendency to maul young boys who get too close to his daughters? No.” She giggled at my expression. “Relax. He’ll love you… after he completes his background check on you. You haven’t done any time, have you? Any run-ins with the law?”

“I mean, I was a pretty big shot in the eighth-grade choir. Still got the tats on my back from all the notes I murdered. Think that counts? They told me my records were sealed, but you can never know for sure.”

Moving close, she rested her arms on my shoulder as she snuggled up close. “Oh my. My boyfriend is a real badass.”

My hands went to her waist. Then beyond. Her eyebrows went up slightly as I got lost somewhere along the way and ended up with both hands on her firm ass.

“Mm-hm.”

I leaned in for a kiss. She didn’t resist, letting me take those wonderful lips of hers. It was a glorious moment I got, enjoying the feeling of her pressed against me, the softness of her lips, and the firm cheeks of her butt. All topped off by the amazing perfume she wore.

She pulled away before I could get my fill. With a teasing smile, she stepped away, pulling at my hand to have me follow. Leading me to the couch, she pushed me back into the leather cushion before crawling atop me. Smiling down at me, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and settled down on my lap, her legs on both sides of mine. From her position, my lips were at her mercy as she relentlessly attacked them. God, it was wonderful. No idea what got into her. If she wanted to have a passionate make-out session though, I certainly wasn’t going to object.

Breaking the kiss we were enjoying, she took a breath as she placed her forehead against mine.

“I had sex with Colin last night.” I pulled my head back so I could look at her. Why was she bringing that up now of all times? We had a nice moment going. I wouldn’t say she ruined the mood, but was this really the time?

“I figured that. You weren’t subtle about your plans.”

“You look upset.”

“We were having a moment. Not exactly the best time to bring that up.”

“Sorry.” To my surprise, she did look sorry. “Never really thought about how or when to bring it up.”

I ran my hands along her sides. She was so soft and warm. Hard to stay upset when she had that cute pout on her face.

“You know you don’t need to tell me—”

“Of course I have to tell you.” I was shocked by the intensity of her voice. “Remember Isaac, I’m doing it for you. That means I have to tell you. If I don’t tell you, I will have pictures or video.”

“I get the sentiment, Emma, but it’s a little hard to believe that you aren’t sleeping with guys for your own reasons too.”

“Why? Because I enjoy it?”

“Obviously.”

“But isn’t that what you want?” I frowned. Where was she getting that? “You said it yourself. You want men who appreciate me. Who can pleasure me as much as I pleasure them. Men I can fully enjoy.”

I sighed. “Wasn’t that just a part of the game? I said that in the moment.”

“Okay… So if that isn’t what you want, what is?”

“I want—” I closed my mouth as the realization hit me. “Damn it,” I muttered.

She grinned. “What was that?”

“Fine, you win. Yes, that’s what I want. But wanting that and wanting to be with you are two separate things. If we are having a moment together like earlier, try to keep…distractions… to a minimum.”

“I’ll do my best to not distract you.”

I sighed wearily. “Impossible. Simply existing is a distraction.”

She rolled her lower lip inward, giving me a sultry look. She didn’t say anything at first, just holding my gaze as we stared at one another. “Can I please tease you a little?”

“Asking for permission now?”

“Consider it a perk. Just for you.”

“I’m honored.” My smile faded. “Before we get into that, are you still doing this picture thing with other guys?”

“Not anymore. Even if I wanted to—which I don’t—taking care of you is a full-time job.”

I took a deep breath, relieved to hear that. “Okay then. What do you have in mind for me today?”

She thought for a moment. I knew the moment she decided because her face lit up in a brilliant smile. “Now, do you want me to tell you, or keep it a surprise?”

Shifting in place, I got a bit more comfortable on the couch. “How about you surprise me?” Her expression indicated I’d picked correctly.

“Remember, our safe word?”

“Red.”

“You’ll say it if I start going too far, right?”

“I thought you said it will be ‘light’ teasing.”

“Yeah, but you never know…”

I patted her leg. “I’ll be fine.”

She nodded. Leaning in, she gave me a quick kiss before letting her excited smile fade.

“I was rather disappointed in your performance yesterday.”

I frowned. I was still sore about that. “Skee ball, Emma. Who the fuck plays skee ball?”

“Yeah, but you got last. Were you even trying?”

“Of course I was. I did the best I could.”

Worry crossed her features. “That was your best? Isaac, you came in last.”

“I’ll do better next week.”

Her expression reflected the horror in her voice. “How can you be so callous?”

“Callous?”

“You are my boyfriend, Isaac. My wonderful, kind, sweet, boyfriend,” she said, hands running over the side of my face. “And you let him claim me. He claimed me, Isaac.” Her words were heavy and thick with emotion as she wielded them against me. “Colin mounted me like I was an animal. He was a man who knew what he wanted and he took it.”

Jesus, Emma. This was ‘light?’ I was expecting some jabs, not a fucking sledgehammer.

Her gaze fell to my chest, running a hand lightly down the front of me. “You know what I thought when I felt his cock enter me?” Her eyes flicked up to look at me. I slowly shook my head, my breath shallow. “‘Why isn’t my boyfriend doing this?’” She paused for a brief moment. “I can’t help but wonder if you are telling the truth.” Her finger was digging into my chest as she traced it around my breastbone. “Did you really give it your all?” she whispered before staring into my eyes. “Or maybe… you wanted another man to claim me.”

I grit my teeth. “You know I don’t.”

“Do I?” she asked, tilting her head. “Because I’m confused, Isaac. I’m telling you how another man shoved his long, hard cock inside me. Over… And over…” Her breath tickled my chin. For a moment, I thought she was going to kiss me. My eyes went wide as I felt a hand brush my painfully trapped erection. “And my boyfriend has a fucking erection over it.”

“Emma,” I groaned. Her hand was now rubbing at my erection.

“Is this what you like, Isaac? You like hearing about how another man claimed me? How even as he was pounding me with his cock, all I could think about was my boyfriend and how he wasn’t the one with me? How I was completely powerless as the man who wasn’t my boyfriend took me as he pleased?”

I could see the wildness in her eye, raging against its cage. I was swept up in the torrent of her words. The pleasure from her hand pressing the fabric of my underwear against my cock while she said these things was incredible.

But there was something else there. A danger that undercut the pleasure. I knew we were getting close to something. Something that had my fight-or-flight system pegging just under red. It was starting a trickling of fear into the volatile mix of emotions I was experiencing.

“He was wild, Isaac. Made it hard for me to hold onto you. Remember that I was your girlfriend. The pleasure I experienced by his hand. It was so much better than anything you’ve done.”

I knew immediately we had gone too far and that Emma had unknowingly crossed an invisible line. It was like a gasket had blown inside me. A retching hole inside my chest that left nothing but devastation.

Emma was lost in the flow of it, already readying her next blow.

“I gave in. I let him have me. Compl—”

“Red,” I gasped. “Red, Emma. Please. God. Stop.”

Her expression immediately shifted. “S-sorry. Are you okay?” she asked, running her hands over my face. The wildness in her eyes was absent, only worry and concern as she searched my eyes.

I shook my head, focusing on breathing.

“So sorry,” she said, antsy on my lap as she struggled to figure out what to do to make me better. “What did I do? I won’t do it again, I swear. Tell me what I did wrong.”

She continued to fuss over me for the next several minutes, kissing my head and holding my head in a hug. It took that long to calm down. She’d touched off a landmine neither of us had known was there and it fucking hurt.

I took a deep breath, taking in the calming scent of her. I’ll admit, I had calmed down enough to think a minute or so ago, but she had my head cradled between her breasts. I figured I deserved a little treat.

“I’m okay,” I said as I pulled away and rested back on the couch.

After giving my face a thorough look, she seemed to accept I was telling the truth and relaxed with a long breath. Brushing the hair from her face, she gave me a small smile. “Sorry.”

“Not you’re fault. I sensed we were getting close to something and didn’t stop.”

She nervously ran her teeth over her lower lip. “Any idea what it was?”

I took a moment to think. She silently watched me as I carefully replayed the moment back. “I think so.”

“And?” Embarrassment flooded me as I looked down. “Isaac, this is important. Whatever it is, I need to know so I don’t do it again.”

“You comparing him to me,” I said, not meeting her stare. “I didn’t like that. At all.”

She let out a controlled breath. “Okay.”

“Sorry,” I muttered.

Emma **** me to look at her. “You have nothing to apologize for.” She gave me a short kiss, smiling. “I want us both to enjoy this. If you aren’t enjoying it, I’m not enjoying it.”

I was still smarting from her words, leaving me in a sullen mood. “I know it doesn’t make much sense. I love to hear about you having fun with another guy. I enjoy seeing it. Having you tease me about another guy having you and I can’t… but the moment you said he did something better than me…” I pressed a hand against my chest. “It hurt so bad, Emma. It made me feel horrible. Less than garbage. So it is probably best to avoid direct comparisons.”

“So, like if we were having sex and I mentioned Grant’s cock was bigger than yours—”

I winced. “Yeah. Even something like, ‘He fills me up better than you,’ or, ‘He lasted longer…’ Anything that directly compares me to another guy.”

She gave me a light teasing smile. “What about the opposite?”

“Huh?”

“What if I was saying you were better than another guy?”

“I don’t know. It… feels safe. Probably okay? I would just step lightly there.”

She nodded before kissing me. “Sorry again.”

I faked a pout. “It still hurts.”

My deception failed, her picking up my intentions instantly. “Poor baby,” she said in a soothing voice, playing along. “How can I help?” My eyes immediately went to her chest. “Of course,” she muttered.

She didn’t deny me, wrapping her arms around my head as she held me against her soft breasts.

Maybe things didn’t go quite as planned, but the reward was nice.