Where You Belong: Chapter 21

I know this is caveman shit, but that’s how I feel when I’m with her. I’ve never in my life wanted to make somebody mine in every way. And the good girl that she is, she clenches her pussy for me. Watching my cum start to spill out of her makes my dick jerk with excitement.

‘Fuck, just like that, Alexis. You look so damn sexy filled with my seed.’

I use one thumb to hold her lips open while I insert two fingers into her channel, my fingers instantly coated in my release. As I push them back in, it starts to dribble down my hand.

She looks over her shoulder with hungry eyes. When she sees the evidence on my hand, she does something that will be seared into my brain forever. She spins around and kneels down with me as she brings my hand to her mouth and proceeds to lick it off my hand.

‘Alexis,’ I growl.

When she’s tasted every last drop, I bring her mouth to mine in a hungry kiss. How can someone so inexperienced blow my mind like no one else has before? I grab her chin and mold our tongues together. When we both pull away, the air is charged with our rekindled desire.

‘Let’s clean up and get out of the shower. I still have plenty more I want to do to you tonight,’ I tease.

She nods her head and takes my extended hand to stand up to move us under the water. I put in a large water tank when I remodeled this house, so the water is still running hot. I grab her shampoo bottle and squeeze some into her hands before doing the same to mine.

‘I guess I’m going to smell like your rose petal shampoo tonight,’ I tell her as we both begin to massage the contents into our hair.

She giggles at me, which makes me smile down at her. When she starts to tilt her head back to rinse, I have the strangest urge to help her.

Instead of overthinking it, I give in to temptation.

‘Let me help you,’ I whisper as my hands reach her hair and start to work the shampoo out.

She closes her eyes and lets me continue. The act feels intimate and very domestic, and it occurs to me that I never did anything like this with Angie. We lived such separate lives.

After our shower, she grabs pajamas, and we both make our way to my bedroom. I set my alarm early enough so that she can sneak out before Sienna wakes, and then I bring her into my chest for another kiss.

This morning, my brothers cornered me at the office to tell me that we were all going out for dinner and drinks at TOLI in Little Italy tonight. Ma is feeling much better, and she has been going on and on about how much she misses her granddaughter, so her and Pa are going to watch Sienna.

At the end of the day, Mia pops her head in my office.

‘Hey,’ she says. ‘Just wanted to stop in and tell you to invite Alexis tonight. You guys both have the night free, and I want to get a chance to spend some more time with the woman who’s stolen both my niece’s and big brother’s hearts.’

She walks away before I have a chance to respond.

I pack up my things and get into my car. As I’m driving, I think about Alexis. We’ve spent every night of the past week in each other’s arms. I’ve completely lost control of the situation. My heart is so completely involved at this point, I’m not sure there’s any going back. I’ve been watching Sienna and Alexis together, and I’ve thought about what it would be like if we were all a family.

Is that something Alexis would ever want with me? Am I crazy for even thinking it’s a possibility?

I want to bring her out with me tonight. It would be nice to be out in the world with her, but I’m afraid of leaving our little world that we’ve created in my home.

Would people judge our age difference? I know I’m not old and grey, but I’m not twenty-one anymore, either.

I pull into the driveway and notice my parents’ car sitting in the front, even though I told them I would drop Sienna off. Seems pretty fitting for Ma to do things her own way.

When I open the door, I hear laughter echoing through the hall. It’s an unfamiliar feeling, one that never occurred when I was married. Angie never cared to put in an effort with my family.

I walk into the kitchen and see everyone standing around a box of Corbo’s baked goods. Sienna is sitting on the counter eating an Italian cookie with rainbow sprinkles, my father standing next to her. Alexis and my mother are on the other side of the island laughing as they eat what looks like coconut bars off their plates. I stand and observe in private before anybody notices me.

My mother is beaming at Alexis as she animatedly tells a story. I’m not even sure what she’s saying, but even I’m drawn to Alexis as I watch her. Ma’s head falls back in laughter and I can’t help but smile.

Is it possible that I’ve already fallen in love with this brave, confident, thoughtful woman? Standing here in this moment as I watch her, it feels like it.

I clear my throat, and everyone turns their head my way as I finish walking in.

‘Oh, hi, sweetie!’ Ma greets me. ‘Now, I know you said you would drop her off, but I couldn’t wait. We’ve already packed her things, so you don’t have to.’

I smile as I approach her and offer her cheek a kiss.

‘I can’t say I’m all that surprised. You never can let any of your children do something to make your life easier.’

Pa laughs. ‘She’s as stubborn as a mule. That’s what I’ve always told her.’

‘Nothing wrong with her being excited to see her granddaughter,’ Alexis defends with a smile.

Pa points between Ma and Alexis. ‘You better watch out for these two. Two peas in a pod. They’re dangerous together.’

I chuckle and look down at the treats in the box, grabbing a cannoli. ‘And I see you brought over some treats as well?’

‘Something’s different about you,’ Ma analyzes me as I continue to eat.

I look down at myself. Same old as always.

I shrug. ‘I haven’t changed anything. Same haircut, same suit.’

She gives me a look up and down and shakes her head. ‘No, nothing like that. You seem…happy.’

Pa looks between Alexis and me. ‘That’s what love will do to ya. L’amore è bello.’

Alexis starts to choke on her dessert at Pa’s words. ‘Sorry,’ she croaks as she pounds her chest lightly. ‘Coconut flakes down the wrong pipe.’

‘Oy.’ Ma rolls her eyes at Pa. ‘Stupido uomo. Come on, Sienna, let’s head back to Nonna and Papa’s house.’

‘Can I have more cookies?’ she asks excitedly.

‘We’ll see, mia bella. I have gnocchi waiting for supper. You eat good…you get a treat,’ Ma tells her.

I walk them to the front door and give Sienna a big hug and kiss goodbye. I open the door, but Sienna doesn’t take a step to follow my parents out. Instead, she turns around and opens her arms to Alexis.

‘I need a hug from Alex first, Daddy.’

Alexis seems surprised but recovers quickly and walks over to Sienna. She brings herself down to Sienna’s level and gives her a big hug. Ma and Pa watch on with a look of curiosity.

My heart starts to beat erratically at the obvious love between the two in front of me.

‘Bye, Alex. I love you,’ Sienna’s innocent voice exclaims.

‘I love you too, Sienna.’

When I close the door, I can’t help but make a move straight into her arms. I grab her face and kiss her lips. They taste like coconut and chocolate. My mouth moves quickly over hers like I can’t control the hunger inside of me. We both groan into each other.

‘Come out with me tonight,’ I blurt out as we pull apart.

‘Where are you going?’

‘Out with my siblings for dinner and drinks. They specifically requested your presence.’

She smiles. ‘Did they? That’s sweet of them.’

I don’t mention the fact that they know about the two of us. I don’t want to scare her or further complicate things.

‘Afterward, we’ll have this entire house to ourselves. I plan on fucking you on every single surface of this house, so save your energy.’

She giggles. ‘I’ll do my best. Don’t keep me out too late.’

‘Trust me,’ I lean in for a kiss. ‘I have no intention of sharing you for too long. Now go get ready, I’ll meet you down here in half an hour.’

She runs off to get ready, and I jump in the shower real quick. I dress in casual gray shorts with a dark blue shirt and give myself a quick spray of my cologne. I’m embarrassed to admit that I feel nervous to hang out with my family and Alexis tonight. These feelings are new to me and slightly unwelcome. I’m supposed to be protecting myself so that no one can reach into my heart and rip it out again.

I walk out into the kitchen to find Alexis standing there in a white dress that fits her figure perfectly. Her hair is down in waves, and her makeup looks a bit darker.

‘Damn,’ I say as I approach. ‘If you wanted me to be able to keep my hands off you tonight, wearing this was not a good idea.’

I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her cherry lips that I’ve come to adore.

‘Who said I wanted your hands off of me tonight?’ she taunts, giving me a smirk.

‘Don’t tempt me. Come on.’ I give her ass a little slap. ‘Let’s go before I decide to keep you here to myself all night.’

I grab her, and we walk to my car, hand in hand. I open her door and see she’s wearing a funny look on her face.

‘What?’ I ask as I gesture for her to get in.

She shakes her head. ‘Nothing, I just don’t think a man has ever opened a door for me.’

She finally sits down, and I walk around the car as I take in what she just said to me. What kind of adolescent dickheads has she been out with? This girl has not been treated right her entire life. First by her parents, then her boyfriend. It brings out this boiling rage inside of me. I want to be her armor through life, protecting her from the people who don’t appreciate her like they should.

I start the car and begin to drive toward the bar. TOLI has great food and drinks with a fun atmosphere, so the outside patio is always a great place to hang out in the summer.

After I park the car, we walk the short distance to the bar. Lucas texted me on the way to let me know they are sitting at a table on the patio. Alexis grabs my hand as she follows me, and I feel her squeeze a bit tighter as we spot my family.

‘Hey guys,’ I greet my siblings.

I pull a chair out for Alexis and see that taken-aback look again. She better get used to it. When she’s with me, she gets treated like the treasure that she is.

‘Alexis! I’m so glad you came,’ Mia, who is sitting to the left of her, says.

‘Thanks for inviting me. It’s nice to get out and enjoy this weather before it goes away,’ Alexis says.

‘Ugh, don’t remind me about the good weather leaving us,’ Marcus groans. ‘I’m not ready for winter, winter, and more winter in Ohio.’

We all laugh because anybody who’s lived in Ohio knows the pain of living through so many months of winter. It helps if you’re into winter sports, but that has never been an interest for my family or myself.

‘So, what’s good here?’ Alexis asks as she peruses the menu.

‘Everything!’ Lucas emphasizes. ‘We always start with the drunken mussels and fried calamari.’

‘Sounds yummy!’ Alexis replies.

The waitress comes around and takes all our orders. Alexis decided to try their spaghetti aglio e olio based on Mia going on and on about it.

When our drinks come out, Marcus raises his beer in the air.

‘A toast, to overcoming our past and to new beginnings.’ He looks over at me and winks.

I sigh, hoping Alexis doesn’t catch onto Marcus’s inability to not overstep boundaries. Everybody raises their glass, knowing exactly what Marcus is doing.

Once the food is out, conversation is flowing, and I feel myself finally relax.

Mia and Alexis are deep in conversation while Lucas goes on about pre-season football. Alexis has stolen glances at me here and there, like she isn’t sure if she wants me to hear her conversation. It may be all in my head, but I’m getting a weird feeling.

The crowd is really starting to gather in the back as it slowly turns from restaurant to nightlife. The music is a bit louder, the crowd younger, and people seem thirstier as they wait in line at the outdoor bar.

Our food has been taken away, and our drinks refilled. I’ve already had two, so I switched to water.

Mia stands from the table. ‘I need another glass of wine. Alexis, you wanna join me at the bar?’

Alexis gives her a genuine smile. ‘I’d love to,’ she tells her, then turns me. ‘I’ll be right back.’

‘So, how long are we gonna have to pretend like we don’t know about the two of you?’ Marcus blurts out as soon as Alexis is gone.

‘Maybe give us longer than a week before you force her to answer any of your idiotic questions,’ I snap back.

‘Do you know what you’re doing?’ Lucas asks me. ‘Isn’t she done watching Sienna in like two weeks? Have you guys talked about what happens after? Does she even want anything more? She is fresh out of college, after all.’

‘Like I said, it’s only been a week. Give me a break.’

‘Just be careful. You still haven’t totally dealt with Angie leaving, and now you’re jumping into something that’s got complicated written all over it,’ Lucas pushes.

‘Just fucking drop it,’ I shout and slam my hand on the table.

‘Fine. Don’t say we didn’t warn you,’ Lucas responds, which just pisses me off more.

Who is he to tell me whether or not I’ve moved on from my divorce? He’s never been married. He can’t pretend to know anything about what it’s like.

All I know is that being with Alexis makes me happy. Maybe it’s selfish and stupid, but for once, I just want to feel good and enjoy myself.

I’m waking up content again and going to sleep satisfied. These fools have been begging me to get back out there, and the second I do and I actually feel something real, they shit all over it. I’m feeling pissed off and on edge.

Realizing Mia and Alexis have been gone for a while now, I look around the patio in search of them. When I spot them at the bar, they are both laughing at something a guy is saying. Him and his friend are standing awfully close to them.

I know guys, and these two are interested in what they see. What I don’t understand is why the hell Alexis is standing there smiling with them when she should be sitting here with me?

The anger I was feeling toward my brothers has multiplied as I sit here and watch the guys keep my girl grinning like a fool.

Before I’ve even consciously made the decision to intervene, I’m out of my chair and taking quick strides toward the bar.

As I approach, I hear one of the guys talking about his sailboat that he takes out on Lake Erie. My intuition was spot on. No one brags about their damn sailboat to a chick if he isn’t trying to impress her or get in her pants.

I stand next to Alexis and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her into my chest.

“Excuse me, just checking in on my girl. What’s taking you so long?” I speak to Alexis loud enough for the crowd to hear me.

She gives me a funny look.

“Um, sorry. We just got our drink a minute ago,” she replies.

I notice she didn’t answer my question as to why the hell she is still standing here talking to these guys after she already has her drink.

My hand squeezes her hip tightly.

“Are these guys bothering you two?” I ask protectively.

Mia gives me a look that, if I’m interpreting correctly, is saying, ‘tread carefully, big brother.’

“No, Gabe. They aren’t bothering us. We were having a perfectly pleasant conversation before you showed up,” Mia answers back.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any drama here. It was nice meeting you ladies. Have a good night,” one of the guys says before they both turn and walk away.

“What the hell was that for?” Mia raises her voice at me, then storms off back to our table.

“Are you okay?” Alexis asks with concern.

All I want to do right now is get her back to my house and claim her as mine.

“Let’s just get out of here. I’m feeling kind of tired. Long work week,” I lie.

She nods her head hesitantly and grabs my extended hand as I lead us over to the table to grab our things.

“Where are you going?” Lucas asks.

“Feeling kind of tired. We’re gonna head home,” I say.

Mia glares at me. “Yeah, I’ll bet you’re pretty tired. Hey, by the way, thanks for scaring off the cute boy who owns a boat.”

Lucas and Marcus look at each other.

“What the hell is she talking about?” Marcus asks. “What cute boy with a boat? Was some dumb asshole trying to hit it and quit it? I’ll kill ’em, I swear.”

Mia groans with frustration. “Okay, idiots. How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone and let me date like a normal person? I can handle myself. Besides, Gabe was not shooing these boys away for my protection.”

I cut her off before she can continue. “Alright. Well, it was nice seeing you guys tonight. Thanks for inviting us out.”

I turn to Alexis. “You ready?”

“Um, sure. Bye, everyone.” She smiles at my siblings. “It was nice seeing you again.”

It’s silent on the walk back to the parking lot. When we get to my car, I open her door for her again and help her in.

“So,” she starts as I pull out of the lot. “Are you okay?”

I grip the steering wheel.

“I’m fine.”

We sit in silence for another couple minutes.

“Are you sure? You seemed…jealous back there,” she says.

“Well, you were flirting with another man. I mean, call me crazy, but I thought you were a one-guy kind of gal.”

She gasps.

“Excuse me? What are you implying?”

“I don’t know. Maybe this whole innocent thing was an act. Something to trick me into bed. What the hell do I know?”

I feel a jolt to my arm when she punches her fist into me.

“What the hell was that for?” I shout.

“That was for being an idiot!” She matches my decimal. “How dare you accuse me of faking something so scarring for me! That was such a hard time in my life, and you just acted like it was all a lie. For what? To get you into bed? Excuse me, but I don’t think I needed a whole backstory to accomplish that.”

“Sounding a little cocky there,” I mutter to myself.

“Just stop talking,” she tells me as she crosses her arms across her chest.

She looks out the passenger window the rest of the ride, refusing to acknowledge me.

I feel a twinge of guilt as we approach the house. I’m not sure why I felt so jealous and possessive watching her talk to another man. I have no right to those feelings. We’ve been sleeping together for a week now, and I’ve said nothing to make her feel like this isn’t just a momentary fling. Hell, I’m not sure I know what I want myself.

I open the door from the garage, and Alexis storms past me. When I enter the kitchen, I hear her stomp up the stairs and close her bedroom door.

I know I need to apologize, but I also wonder how she would have felt if my brothers and I went off with a group of girls and flirted the night away with them. There’s no way she wouldn’t be angry about that.

I knock on her door lightly. It flies open, and I’m greeted with a still angry Alexis, only now I’m slightly turned on by it. She’s cute when she’s pissed off.

‘What do you want?’ she asks.

‘Can I come in?’

She folds her arms across her chest again. ‘Are you done being a dick?’

I shrug my shoulders. ‘I thought it was part of my charm.’

I see her fight a smile as she opens the door for me. Hopefully that’s a good sign.

I step into her room but notice she doesn’t make an effort to follow me in. It’s not until I take a seat at the end of her bed that she walks cautiously in my direction, stopping for a seat on the ottoman diagonal from me.

‘I think I owe you an apology,’ I admit.

Her eyebrow raises. ‘You think?’

I sigh. ‘It wasn’t right of me to suggest you were ever lying about your experience level. I know that’s a difficult subject for you, and it was wrong of me to use it against you.’

‘Okay. Yes, it was a dick move. What else?’

‘What else what?’ I ask her.

‘Do you have anything else to apologize for?’ she drawls out.

I look at her skeptically. What else does she want me to apologize for? Am I supposed to apologize for being jealous? Seems a little overboard since I’m sure she would have felt the same way if the roles were reversed.

‘You’re not suggesting I should apologize for being jealous, are you? Because I think that’s a little— ‘

‘It’s not about being jealous, Gabe,’ she cuts me off. ‘That’s a natural feeling for anyone to have. It’s about how you handled it. You treated me like something you owned and had to claim right in front of those guys. I’ll have you know, I’m no one’s property.’

Her words piss me off, and I stand up to take a step in her direction.

“I don’t share, Alexis. Don’t ask me not to protect what’s—” I cut myself off.

“What’s…? Go ahead, finish that sentence,’ she urges, clearly frustrated with this conversation. ‘What’s yours? Your own family doesn’t know about us, so why would you think I’m yours?”

“My family does know about us. They figured it out the day after we slept together,” I shout.

She stands up. “What? They know about us? I was the only one not included in that piece of information tonight. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to put any pressure on you!”

“Too late for that!”

“Can you just—” she starts, but I’m now standing in her space, and all I can focus on is her lips.

Without thinking, I grab her and smash our lips together. The kiss is punishing and angry as I ravish her mouth with a sense of cruelty. My tongue reaches for hers to explore the recesses of her mouth. I can’t control the passion and desire that have surfaced from our argument.

When I pull back to take a breath, she looks up at me with a sense of bewilderment as her eyes take me in.

Then, she pulls me back down on her lips and takes her own anger out on me. I can feel the push and pull as we both fight with our mouths. It’s sexy as hell.

We walk backward until we both fall onto her bed. She straddles my hips, and I groan into her mouth. This is going to be a quick and hard fuck. There’s so much urgency between the two of us.

I flip her over and kneel by her legs as I unzip my pants, then I take control and use my anger to fuck her into three orgasms.