Once in a Lifetime (11 page)

Getting up from his seat he walked into her bedroom and went straight for her wardrobe. Going through the clothes he pulled out a pair of black jeans and a purple shirt. He loved the color purple on her, and it reminded him of the dress she’d worn on her date with Andrew. The date he’d interrupted and gotten her to go with him to his amusements place would stay with him forever.

“Put these on,” he said, handing them to her.

“I can’t wear these. I’m going to dinner to meet your parents.”

“Yeah, we’re going to eat a big Sunday lunch. Afterwards all you’re going to want to do is cuddle up against me. Trust me, Em, there’s no need for you to dress up.”  He dropped a kiss to her lips. “I’ll wait out there. Don’t be long, or I’ll come back and dress you for me.”

He left her alone and paced her apartment.

Tell her how you feel.

Running fingers through his hair, Guy felt the pressure of his feelings weighing down on him. There was nothing for him to do to stop what he was feeling. He didn’t want to mess it up, but he also didn’t want to go too long without her knowing the truth.

If she thinks this is just sex then you risk her leaving you for another man offering her longer.

“It should be easy just tell her the truth.” He muttered the words to himself.

“How do I look?” Emily asked.

Turning around he saw her standing, running her hands down her stomach.

“You look beautiful.” It wouldn’t matter to him what she wore. She was beautiful regardless of everything else.

“Are you sure I should be wearing jeans to meet your parents?”

He pulled her into his arms. “You look perfect, Em. If you want you can tell them I made you wear jeans.”

“I might hold you to that.”

Guy opened his mouth ready to tell her how he felt, and suddenly he felt choked on fear.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing. Come on, let’s go and meet the family.” He left the words running through his mind, hating himself for being a coward.

****

Climbing out of the car Emily wondered what was going on inside Guy’s head. He’d barely spoken on the way to his parents, and now they were here. She had hoped he would talk her through everything or at the very least tell her their names.

A woman with graying hair walked out of the house, followed by a man who looked like an older version of Guy.

“Honey, I was wondering when you were going to turn up,” the woman said, walking down the steps.

Keeping her distance Emily felt her nerves growing.

Both of his parents pulled him in for a tight embrace. She was reminded of her own parents hugging her when she went to see them after a break.

“Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Emily.”

“Son, if I know you then you’ve forgotten to tell her our names,” his father said.

Smiling at them, she tucked some hair behind her ear. “You’re not mistaken, Mr. Jensen.”

“I’m Delia, and this is my husband, Jack.” The older woman rushed toward her and pulled her into a hug. “Come on, honey. We’ve got lots to talk about.”

Before she could stop Delia, Emily was being led into the house with the man walking up behind her. Glancing back she saw Guy was smiling. She was taken into the kitchen. The men didn’t follow them.

“Take a seat, dear.” A drink was placed in front of her. “Do you take sugar?”

“No, thank you.” She covered the drink not knowing what to do.

“So, honey, how long have you known my son?”

Here were the hard questions.

“A little over a month,” Emily said. Looking at Delia, she waited for the other woman to tell her something she wasn’t going to like.

“Only a month and he brought you here to see me.” Delia sounded really happy at that.

“I, erm, I don’t know if we’re serious. We’re just friends.”

“Emily, honey, I, want you to listen to me closely. Guy has never brought a woman home to meet us. They’re all his friends, and not one is more important than the other. You’re different. The only people we’ve met are Wayne, Dale, and Frankie, and he grew up with them. You’re special.”

Her heart was racing at everything Delia said. Could it be possible that Guy liked her a lot?

How old are you?

“I don’t want to get too far ahead. We’re friends, and I don’t think he has lots of feelings for me,” she said, wishing she could take the words back.

“Mom, stop already,” Guy said, entering the kitchen.

“I’m only helping you out, son. You need to keep this woman. I’ve got a sixth sense at these kinds of things,” Delia said.

Plates were pushed in front of her nose. “Do you want to go and set the table?” Guy asked.

Picking up the plates, Emily was pleased with the reprieve. Leaving the room she followed the direction he pointed at and found Jack setting the table. Clearing her throat she entered the room. The table was old but looked classy in the room as the house had an aged feel to it.

“Hey, honey,” Jack said.

She put the plates on the table and faced him. “Hi, Mr. Jensen.”

“Call me Jack. Mr. Jensen makes me feel like my father. I’m not my father, and I’m not ready to be a grandfather.”

Emily chuckled.

“Jack it is.”

They worked in silence to set the table. Her rapidly beating heart slowed down as she enjoyed the silence between them.

“My son is in love with you,” Jack said, making her drop the plate she’d been holding.

Gasping, she cursed and started to clear away the mess.

“Leave it alone.” Jack tried to stop her, and she jumped, slicing the sharp side of one of the plates into her palm.

“You’ve hurt yourself,” Jack said, taking the plate from her hands.

“I’m making a mess of everything.” Her nerves were totally fried, and she didn’t know what the hell was going on. Delia was speaking up for Guy and now his father. Was he in love with her?

She didn’t want to get her hopes up in case it turned out to all be a mistake.

“What happened?” Guy asked, entering the room.

“Emily dropped a plate.”

Cupping her hand close she listened to them talk.

“She’s hurt her hand. Take her and clean it up, Guy,” Jack said. The older man was smiling and didn’t look angry with her.

Guy took over and led her upstairs. “You’re taking me to your room?” she asked.

“I’ve got a first aid kit in my old room. I always came home with some cut or other.” He opened the door, and she entered his domain. The walls were a dark blue, and the bed was the same color. Nothing looked out of place.

“Have your parents even changed anything in here?” she asked.

“No, I stay here sometimes when I help them out.” He didn’t stop in the bedroom, and she was taken into an en-suite bathroom.

“You were trusted with your own bathroom.”

He started laughing. “Dad decided to let me have my own after he walked in one time too many to me masturbating. I did it a lot growing up.” Guy suddenly stopped, and she saw his cheeks were bright red. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”

“Baring your soul to me, I wonder what will come next,” she said, teasing him.

“Yeah, tell me one of your secrets, Emily.”

“I’ve not got any secrets. You know all mine.”

“I doubt it.” He sat her down on the toilet, and she waited for him to fix her hand. There was no need for her to talk as he worked. He cleaned the wound and made sure no shards of porcelain were inside the wound. “What made you drop the plate? I know you, Em. You’re not clumsy.”

“Your father said something that made me … clumsy.” She cringed when she realized what she’d said.

“What did he say?”

“It was nothing. I think to be honest I didn’t hear it right.”

Guy stared into her eyes. His hands had stopped working, pausing in action. “You’re lying.”

Wishing the ground would open up and gobble her whole, Emily smiled. “It was really nothing. It was something stupid, and I misheard.”

His eyebrow was raised. “You don’t believe that.”

Licking her lips, she stared down at him, and her heart started to pound once again.

“He said you were in love with me.” She spoke quietly, hoping he wouldn’t hear her.

He froze. She saw it and sensed the change within him.

“You clearly misheard him, Em. We’re not into that, okay, so stop worrying.” His actions were as blunt as his words.

She batted the tears away not wanting him to see the pain he’d caused with his words.  “Of course. How silly of me.”

The rest of the dinner was as stilted as their conversation. She couldn’t eat anything as the taste of the food was bitter. Guy didn’t laugh with her or get involved in conversation. He looked ready to jump down the throats of anyone who came near him.

When they left, Guy dropped her off at her apartment, and she didn’t see him for the rest of the day. Emily didn’t know what had happened, and she hoped it didn’t change their relationship.

Chapter Eleven

A week of dropping her back at her apartment and Guy was ready to hit the roof. He’d not touched her other than to hold her hand. His cock wouldn’t disappear no matter how many times he willed it to go down. Emily had been in his thoughts all day, and the nights were worse as his dreams were consumed by her as well.

Since the disaster at his parents Guy had felt this anger building within him. He’d confided in his father, and Emily couldn’t even believe his father.

Tell her yourself.

Wayne walked out of the bar with Dorothy in tow. He watched his friend help her into the back of a cab before walking over to him.

“Are you out for the night?” Guy asked.

“Yeah, we’re headed home. Dorothy is worried. Emily is not the same. What’s going on? I know you, Guy, and this is not you. You look ready to kill someone.”

Guy laughed. “I’m not ready to kill someone. I should have listened to you and the guys.”

“Why?” Wayne was frowning as he asked.

“This thing with Emily is coming to an end. She was fun while it was working whereas now, it’s not. We’re done, and I don’t know how long I can keep this facade up.” He shrugged his shoulder and buried himself deeper into his jackets. The nights were getting colder.

“Don’t do this, man. You’re in love with that woman, and you’re running away at the first hurdle. This is not you.”

“I’m not running. This is what was supposed to happen in the beginning. I tire of women easily. Emily was just a challenge to me. I should have seen it before.” Every word he spoke felt bitter to him.

“You’re a fucking asshole. If you do this you’ll never know what true happiness is.” Wayne stormed away from him.

Guy watched him go. An hour later Emily was walking out of the front door. She was putting her coat around her shoulders. He’d brought his car tonight to take her home. After tonight he was going to let her go, but he wanted one last night with her in his arms.

“You stayed,” she said, folding her arms underneath her breasts. He hated how she hesitated around him. “You’ve been acting strangely, and you’re quiet. I didn’t know what to make of it.”

He held her close kissing her head.

Leave her alone. You’re being cruel.

“Let’s go home.”

Helping her into the car, he circled ‘round to the passenger side. The journey was short, and neither of them spoke. He knew she was nervous and that he was being a dick. When he parked outside of his house, he saw her climb out of the car before he got a chance to help her.

Get back into the car and drive her home.

Instead he walked into his house taking her with him. He didn’t bother turning on lights. Closing the door with his boot he made his way upstairs taking her with him.

“Guy, don’t you think we should talk?” she asked.

“No, no more talking. We’ve done all the talking we need.” He pushed her up against the wall inside his bedroom, taking her lips.

She moaned, dropping her coat to the floor. He tore his coat off and ran his hands up and down her body.

One more night was all he needed to finally get his fill. Her hands, small in comparison to his, were taking over his mind. Guy needed to feel her naked skin against his own. It wasn’t just a need but a desperation to feel her underneath him.

Closing his eyes he relished the feel of her against him.

She cupped his face, kissing him back with as much fire as he felt for her.

Tell her you love her.

He didn’t tell her his thoughts or his feelings. Pushing her shirt up, he released her long enough to take the item of clothing off. Touching her stomach, he reached up to cup her breast. Her hard nipples pressed against the lace of her bra.

“Guy, tell me what’s wrong.”

Stopping the kiss, he looked down at her. Emily’s face was flushed, and her body called to him.

“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s sex you wanted, and I’m giving you sex.” He slammed his lips back on hers hating the words he spoke.

She shoved him hard. “Is that all it is? Sex?”

“What else could it possibly be?” His breathing was heavy as he looked at her, the thick ridge of his cock pressed against his pants begging for attention.

“I want to go home,” she said, bending down to grab her shirt.

“What the hell do you want from me?” he asked, shouting the words.

“Nothing. I don’t want anything from you. I never did.” She pulled her shirt on, bending down to grab her jacket. “We’re just sex, remember, and we’d know when it ended.”

Biting his lip, he tugged the jacket from her hands and pressed his cock against her stomach. Guy didn’t stop there. He shoved his hands down her jeans, sliding a finger through her slick heat.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s over to me.”

She moaned, biting her lip. He couldn’t let her go without this taste. The bastard within him wanted to make a harder break than her simply walking out. For some reason, which he didn’t understand, he needed her to hate him before it was the end.

“It’s not over?” she asked.

“It’s not over.” He moved her toward the bed, removing her clothes as he did. They were back on track, and he pressed her to the bed, ridding himself of his own clothes. Going over her, he kissed her lips, putting all of his feelings into his actions. He loved this woman, and because of that, he could not have her. She deserved someone better than him.