Bumbled Love by Lila Rose

Chapter Fourteen

Brooke

And then Mr. Herb and Mr. Tom got into an argument in the ice cream shop about which flavor is the best.” Benjie was definitely on a high as we drove back to Dustin’s.

“Who won?” Dustin asked, and I didn’t miss his gaze or the smirk when he saw I had stuck my hands under my butt so I didn’t accidentally reach over and touch him.

“No one. Mrs. Elaine broke them up.” He sounded a little annoyed over the matter. Had he hoped for a bloodbath?

Smiling, I turned around in my seat to face him. “What flavor did you get?”

“Chocolate with cookie dough in it. What’s another one of your favorites, Miss Brooke? Besides caramel.”

“Hmm.” I tapped my chin. “I think I like strawberry with sherbet in it.”

His grin was blinding. “Daddy likes that too.”

I glanced to Dustin. “Do you?”

“I sure do.”

“Miss Brooke.” Benjie suddenly sounded serious. “Do you like anchovies?”

“What happens if I say I do?”

“Hmm.” He tapped his chin. God, he was adorable. “I might have to rethink this friendship.”

Both Dustin and I cackled. “Good news then, buddy. I don’t.”

“Daddy eats them.” His nose screwed up.

Dustin smirked. “Nothing wrong with a little fish.”

My face burned because my mind took me straight to Dustin between my legs.

“Are you all right there, Brooke?” Dustin smirked.

“Yep, I’m fine.”

“Miss Brooke, since you’re coming back to our place, can we build that fort?”

“Buddy, it’ll be your bedtime when we get home.” I caught Dustin wince when he looked into the rearview mirror. I looked there again and saw Benjie’s bottom lip tremble. “Brace,” Dustin whispered right before Benjie started crying. And I meant crying. There were tears and snot everywhere.

“Benjie, you’re already tired. You need some sleep,” Dustin tried, but the tears wouldn’t let up, and he hit the seat a couple of times.

Biting my bottom lip, I reached out and placed a hand on Benjie’s knee. “Hey, kiddo. How about I come pick you up one day from your mom’s when your dad’s away and we can build a fort then?”

He slowed down a little but still gasped slightly. He wiped his eyes. “Really?” He sniffed.

“Yeah, as long as it’s okay with your mom and dad.”

“O-Okay.”

Dustin pulled into the driveway and parked. He got out and collected Benjie while I climbed out and met them at the front. If his outburst wasn’t enough, Benjie was exhausted, even wanting to stay in Dustin’s arms to be carried inside.

“Miss Brooke.” Benjie looked over Dustin’s shoulder as we walked down the hallway. “Will you read me a book?”

“I’d love to.”

Even his smile was tired.

While Dustin got Benjie ready for bed, I stayed in the living room and turned on the television. Sitting on the couch, I waited until Benjie was ready. It didn’t take long before he’d brushed his teeth and was in his pajamas.

Dustin walked into the living room and kissed my forehead. “He’s in bed waiting for you. Sorry about in the car. It happens sometimes when he’s really tired.”

“And probably when he’s had a bit of sugar.” I stood and got a quick hug off Dustin. “It’s bound to happen every now and then. He can’t be amazing all the time.”

Dustin chuckled. “That’s true, just like me.”

I snorted. “If you throw a tantrum at your age, it makes me kind of worried.”

He smirked. “I’ll only do it for a good reason.”

Huffing out a laugh, I moved through the house to Benjie’s bedroom. He smiled as soon as I entered, looking cute all tucked into his bed.

“What book would you like to hear?”

“You pick.”

I did and shifted over to the bed and sat on the edge beside Benjie. He rested his head on my upper arm and curled his hands around my arm. By the time I was done with the book, he was slouched against the headboard. Slowly, I stood and returned the book before I went back over to the bed and adjusted Benjie so he lay down. Bending, I kissed his forehead, which made him grumble in his sleep and had me smiling.

Making my way back out into the living room, I found Dustin sitting on the couch. I could get used to this and would do everything in my power to make sure I got to keep what I had with Dustin and Benjie.

They were their own little family, even with Emily in it, and I wanted to be a part of it as well. I really did. Dustin made me happy.

Slipping around the couch, he grinned up at me and lifted his arm. I sank to the couch in the crook of his arm.

“Sound asleep?”

With my head on his shoulder, I glanced up. “He is.”

His arm tightened around me. “Good.”

“What are we watching?” Not that I really wanted to watch a movie since Dustin would be leaving soon and I wanted to spend all the time I could getting to know him. Yet, there was also something else I wanted to do for him before he left. Something he would remember me for. Something I had been thinking about all night.

He kissed my forehead. “Anything you want.”

“Anything?”

He shifted to get a better look at my face. “What’s those glittery eyes about?”

Straightening, I placed a hand on Dustin’s thigh. “What happens if I’m not in the mood to watch a movie?”

He swallowed and cleared his throat. “What did you have in mind?”

I smirked. “A kiss.” To start with.

He grinned. “I can do that.” He reached for me and tugged me close. I placed a hand on his shoulder so I didn’t knock heads with him. My other hand remained on his thigh. Our lips touched, caressed, and teased. Dustin slid a hand to my waist and ran it up and down. Only when it went back up, he glided his thumb under my breast.

More was all I could think as our kiss turned up to a different intensity. I scooted closer, my arm hooking around his neck, and I opened my mouth to him, our tongues dancing around one another.

My blood heated, my stomach tumbled, and my heart craved. I needed more. I needed to show him how happy he made me. I wanted to pleasure him.

With a slow hand, I moved the one I’d placed on his thigh up and rubbed over the big bulge in his jeans. Dustin’s grip tightened. He cursed against my lips and cupped my breast.

Our kiss went on and on. I didn’t need to breathe, because I had more of a need for the man in front of me.

Dustin’s hand and fingers pressed and caressed my breast, driving me crazy. His hips lifted into my hand while I rubbed it over him. I slid my finger up and undid the button, then the zip.

Dustin stilled as he broke the kiss. “Darlin’.” His tone was gruff and held more of a Southern twang. “We don’t have to do anything.”

Smiling, I shrugged. “I know.” Reaching in his jeans, I pulled out his hard cock and glanced down to see the bead of precum on the tip.

Dustin pressed his thumb under my chin and tipped my head so our gazes locked. “Brooke, don’t feel you have to do anything. We can wait until I get back. Then I won’t embarrass myself for coming so quick with… fuck.” His eyes closed for a moment. “Your hand working me.” My hand ran up and down, sliding along his smooth skin.

It was cute how he thought he was only getting my hand.

His jaw clenched, his hips jutting up, and his hand went back to my breast, until I brushed it aside and swept down to take his cock in my mouth.

“Ah, fuck.”

Sucking him down to the base, I slowly ran my lips and tongue up and around his thick erection. I slid my mouth back down onto him until the tip hit the back of my throat, and I gagged a little but swallowed around him.

“Jesus Christ, darlin’. This ain’t fair.” His hand threaded through my hair and tightened, but he didn’t use it to force my head. He allowed me to go at the pace I wanted, and I enjoyed the slow torture. I liked the way his body shuddered, the way he moaned and groaned, but especially when he talked. “Darlin’, fuck, it feels good. Too good. Christ, I’m seeing stars, Brooke.”

I nearly laughed at that one, but when he sucked in a sharp breath, I doubled down my effort for that gold star at the end where I could drink him down.

“Shit, darlin’. I’m close.”

His hand moved from my hair and rubbed at my shoulder and back.

“Sweetheart,” he groaned, and I looked up from lapping at his tip to see he had his head dropped back. The veins in his neck popped, his body taut. I got down to business and tightened my lips around his dick, sucking up and down over and over while gliding my tongue around every inch of skin I could.

“Brooke.” His rough, hard voice was the warning I needed before he came down the back of my throat, and I swallowed it all.

It was then we tensed.

It was then we heard little footsteps.

“Shit, shit, shit. Pretend to be asleep,” Dustin uttered. He lifted my legs to the couch, pushed my head to his thighs, and made sure it covered his opened jeans.

Panting from my hard work, I tried to regulate my breathing. I wasn’t the best actor. When I tried for one of the main parts in school, I froze and ended up being a tree.

“Daddy?”

“Hey.” Dustin cleared his throat since it sounded dry and like he’d done a marathon. “Hey, buddy. What are you doing up?”

“A dream. Has Miss Brooke gone?” I heard him approach closer.

“Shh, kiddo, she fell asleep.”

Dear God, this was embarrassing. We’d nearly got caught. I felt like an asshole for starting this out in the damn living room and not somewhere private. But I honestly thought Benjie would have stayed asleep.

“Aww, she looks like Sleeping Beauty.”

Dang it all, that was too sweet. But I was whorey Sleeping Beauty. Seriously, I had to be better than that and consider a child could wake up.

“That she does, buddy.”

“Do you want to put her in my bed? I can sleep in with you. She must have been really tired.”

“Like I thought you were, buddy.”

“Yeah, until the dream woke me.”

“How about you go get a glass of milk.”

“I can pour it myself?” I could hear the shock and excitement in his voice.

“Go for it. Just be careful.”

“Okay.”

“Coast is clear,” Dustin whispered.

Lifting my head, I went to sit, but Dustin picked that moment to do up his fly with my hair in it.

“My hair’s stuck,” I snapped low, panic closing around my chest. He tugged and pulled while I cringed.

“I can’t get it out.” Now he sounded panicked.

Even though fear gripped my gut, I couldn’t stop the abrupt, slightly hysterical laugh, or the next words that flew out of my mouth, “That’s what she said.”

Dustin stilled and snorted.

A noise from the kitchen had me yanking my hair as the fear flew back inside me. “Just pull.”

“Is this where I say, that’s what he said?”

“Dustin,” I whined. “Tug it out.” I groaned when he snorted again.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Dammit, Dustin, he’ll come back in. Pull!”

Dustin yanked and my hair was free. There was a good chunk of my strands in the fly of his jeans, but he covered himself with his T-shirt. It was just in time for a little monster to come back into the living room.

“You’re awake. Look, Miss Brooke, I poured my own glass.” His little hand shook with how much milk was in the extra-large glass.

Clearing my throat, I felt my face heating when I gave Benjie two thumbs up. “Good job, little guy. But, ah, maybe only have a few sips.”

“I will. Daddy said you fell asleep.”

“I did. Must have been all that reading that made me tired.” Standing, I stretched and rubbed at the back of my head. It was tender. “I better get going though.”

“Why don’t you stay the night? You can sleep in my bed and I’ll go in with Daddy.”

Why? Because I was still humiliated. We’d nearly been caught and it was my fault. I couldn’t face Benjie in the morning, or Dustin.

“Um, thank you, but I really should get home.”

“Why?”

“Because it’ll be good to.”

“Why?”

“Because, ah, I have to feed my kitten.”

Shit, fuck, bastard. Why was that the only thing that popped into my head? I didn’t have a kitten and I knew my screwup as soon as Benjie cried, “You have a kitten? I wanna see it. Please, please, please.”

“Um, sure, one day soon, but it’s a bit skittish with strangers.” And now I was adding more lies to the first. I needed to get out of there before I said I had a damn farm or something.

“Benjie, take a few more sips of your drink and jump back into bed for me. I’m going to walk Brooke to the door. I just called a taxi.”

Benjie sighed. “All right.” He hugged half of me and quickly exited the room.

Silently, I grabbed my bag and walked to the front door. Opening it, I stepped out into the cool night air and shivered. My stomach tumbled in worry over what Dustin would think as he followed and shut the door behind him. On the stoop, we faced each other, and I swallowed thickly.

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have started that in the living room when Benjie could walk out and—” Dustin grabbed me before his lips slammed down on mine. His tongue invaded my mouth, but I was more than willing to play with his since it seemed he wasn’t too upset about the scene.

He broke the kiss and said into my hair, “Never apologize for what you did. You’ll learn we need to take every opportunity we can when kids are around. Hell, he could have easily walked into the bedroom. But we covered it well.” He pulled back and winced, rubbing at the back of my head. “Sorry about your hair.”

Smiling, since the worry had vanished, I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

He kissed my nose. “I didn’t get to repay you. Promise, it’ll be all about you next time.”

Hugging him close, I kissed his neck. “I just wanted to give you something to remember while you’re away.”

“Darlin’, I’ll definitely remember that. Christ, I’m already looking forward to getting back.” His arms tightened around my shoulders. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“You have to pack and spend it with Benjie before you go. I’ll be going out and buying a kitten.”

Laughter roared out of him, until I covered his mouth and glanced to the door. Still chuckling, he asked, “Darlin’, please don’t tell me you’re only buying a cat to please Benjie?”

“I lied, Dustin, and I hate that. I have to get a cat now so I’m not a liar. Besides, I can’t exactly tell him it ran away or got hit by a car. Benjie would be devastated.”

“He’ll get over it.”

Smacking Dustin’s side, I shook my head. “I’m not doing that.”

“You’re serious? You’ll go and buy a cat for my son?”

“Well, yes.”

“Goddamn, Brooke, you’re… amazing.” He kissed my temple, my nose, cheek, and then my lips. “I better get back in there.”

With another hug, I stepped back. “We’ll talk soon.”

He winked. “We will.”

Dustin waited until I got into the taxi when it pulled up. Maybe a cat would be a good idea anyway because I was suddenly feeling lonely.