Chapter 26

26

L oud pop music fills every corner of the basement as I walk down the stairs. It drags a smile to my face, my footfalls picking up pace as I head toward the unfinished space that is now Estlin's art studio. Estlin had texted me over an hour ago to let me know they were down here, and since I've gotten home from work and made dinner, I haven't heard a peep from them.

Rory's boisterous laugh hits my ears, striking a higher note than the song that's currently playing. It shoots a quick smile to my lips and a lightness to my heart. My girls are busy, both vigorously working on their projects. Along the wall is a rack filled with so much pottery, I have no idea where we'll put it all. When Rory isn't at school, she's down here, but now with her broken arm, she's painting Estlin's pieces instead of creating her own.

Estlin is at the wheel she has down here, wearing a filthy old T-shirt and tiny shorts. Her hair is pinned up on her head in a tight bun, but despite the restriction, a few flyaways managed to escape. Estlin has been working hard during the day. I know she mostly does pottery here and paints at the studio, but she's brought home about three paintings already that are just sort of sitting in the corner, leaning against the wall, covered in cloth.

I'm not sure what she plans to do with them—I'm not even sure if she knows—but they're stunning. I want to buy them from her, but I know she won't sell them to me, and I refuse to allow her to gift them.

It's been a week since the accident. A week since Claude left and returned back to Paris. I know because I'm having Vander casually watch him. Estlin asked me not to do anything to him, and I'll respect her request only because the fucker apologized and said he'd leave her alone.

That doesn't make me stupid or complacent though, and if she thinks I won't protect her, she's mad.

The tip of Rory's tongue is curved along her upper lip, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she paints the eyes of the ceramic cat she's working on. I hate to interrupt, but dinner is nearly ready.

"Peter, a boy from my class is also going to Disney World," Rory notes without removing her focus from her art. "Do you think we'll see him there?"

Estlin, who is covered in gray clay, works her hands on the inside and outside of whatever the hell she's making as it spins around on the wheel. "I don't know. Do you want to?"

Estlin finally agreed to come with us to Disney World. Both Rory and I worked on her, and her initial reason for not wanting to join us is now moot, so she was out of excuses.

Rory shrugs. "Not really. He called me a Fritz princess."

Estlin's lips twitch. "In a mean way or a nice way?"

Another shrug. "I don't know. I didn't like it." She pauses and turns to Estlin. "Why do so many people care that my last name is Fritz?"

Good question. I fold my arms and lean against the doorframe, watching them unobserved .

"Because your family is special," Estlin tells her simply. "You have a very big family with a lot of very talented, special people in it. And because of that, it's made them famous."

Rory scrunches her nose. "If I'm a pop star one day like Tinsley is, do I have to be famous?"

I hold in my snicker.

"Well, that sort of comes with being a pop star," Estlin explains, partially standing as she makes the cylindrical thing taller. "Do you not like being famous?"

"I don't like people taking pictures of me."

I can't blame her for that.

"Sometimes we have to live with certain things if we want something badly enough. So, if you want to be a pop star badly enough, if it's your passion, then people taking photographs of you unfortunately comes with it. But it's a necessary sacrifice for the thing you really want. Does that make sense?"

"I guess. Like when Daddy told me I have to go to school if I want to be smart and do all the things I want to do one day, but school is so boring."

A whisper of a smirk curls up Estlin's face. "Yes. Exactly that. And he's right. You have to go to school because being smart and learning stuff is cool."

Rory huffs but quickly changes the topic. "My friend, Evie got a new baby brother."

"Oh, that's fun."

Rory pauses and looks questioningly over to Estlin. "Do you like having a brother?"

"Sure," Estlin says absently as she works. "It's nice. He's a lot older than me, though."

"Like my dad is?"

Estlin looks up and finally notices me, a wry sparkle hitting her eye. "Yeah. Like your dad is," she says, staring directly at me, raising an eyebrow that makes me chuckle.

Now that I'm busted, I push away from the door and enter the room. "Do you want a brother or sister?" I ask Rory. I don't even know why. I shouldn't be asking that. I haven't thought about having more kids in a very long time and sort of put that dream on the back burner to be forgotten.

Rory thinks about this with the same level of thought and consideration she gives to her outfit choice in the morning. "I like baby Willow. But would I have to have a new mom?"

I practically choke on my tongue. "What?"

"Sarah Jane in my class has a new mom. She said she's nice, but I don't know if I want a new mom too."

I blink, my breath lodged in my chest. I have no freaking clue how to answer that. Estlin and I aren't anywhere near that level of discussion, and yet I can't help myself as I glance over at her to gauge her reaction to that. She's no longer looking at me. Her face is back on her art, but there is no hiding the hint of a blush staining her cheeks and how hard she's trying not to look at me.

I walk over to Rory and stare down at her painting as I answer. "Maybe one day you'll have a new mom. But it would only be someone who is nice to you. Someone who loves you. Someone who you would want as your mom."

"Someone who wouldn't go?"

Shit. This got heavy fast. "Someone who hopefully wouldn't go." I crouch, pulling on her long, blonde braid. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving!" she exclaims like she hasn't eaten in a hundred years.

"How about you go wash up and change your clothes. You have some paint on them." I kiss the tip of her nose, and then she runs off, easily persuaded when it comes to food and an outfit change. Knowing her, she'll be up there for a bit figuring it all out.

I approach Estlin and sit behind her on the long stool she has set up .

"That was intense." She giggles, throwing me a look over her shoulder as she continues this thing, curling the top so it starts to roll down. "I never know what to say when she asks questions like that."

"Me neither, and I have a degree in pediatrics." My hands go to her hips, finding the soft skin above her shorts and beneath her shirt. She shudders ever so slightly and gives me a little wiggle as if to say don't touch .

It doesn't stop me. My hands continue to climb higher up her ribs, my fingertips gently trickling as I go.

"Are you trying to recreate a Ghost moment here?"

I laugh. "Alexa, play ‘Unchained Melody.'"

The song that was playing cuts out, and then the soft tapping beat of "Unchained Melody" comes on, followed by the singer's croony voice.

Estlin snorts as she attempts to ignore me while she works on her masterpiece. "You're not going to make me get a bowl haircut next, are you?"

"Fuck no. I love your hair." It's purple underneath now. Darker near the roots and fades into a lavender on the ends. "And hopefully I won't die either, so this recreation is all about the sex and not the story."

"You're pushing limits here," she reprimands as my hands cup her tits. "And you're going to make me mess up."

"I thought we were recreating a scene here. Don't I get to cover you in wet clay and fuck your brains out?"

She sighs but not in dismay. She sighs because I'm dragging my thumbs over her hardening nipples through her bra.

"You don't have time to fuck my brains out."

True. I don't. I likely have ten minutes at most. Abandoning her tits, I slide my hand up her inner thigh, going straight into her shorts.

"Owen. Shit," she hisses when I pull her panties to the side and start to run my fingers up and down her slit. She's wet. She's always so fucking wet for me.

"Sit on my lap," I tell her, kissing the back of her neck as I continue to play with her pussy. "Sit on my lap and put your thighs over mine. I want to make you feel good."

"I'll get you dirty," she warns.

"Sweet thing, I'm always dirty with you. I swear, half the time I walk around rock-hard because I'm thinking about you. Even if it's not about sex, I'm still hard because it's you on my mind."

She shuts off the wheel, the thing slowing down, her clay piece twirling, and now a bit lopsided thanks to my distraction. I expect some shit for it, but she's quiet as she does what I asked. My fingers slide out of her, and I help her sit on my lap. She spreads her thighs wide on either side of mine and leans back, the top of her head tucked beneath my chin.

The song continues to play, and it makes me chuckle. I don't remember much about the movie—I haven't seen it in a hundred years—but that scene is memorable. "I'm hotter than Patrick Swayze, right?"

"I can't answer that. Dirty Dancing was my favorite movie growing up."

My head dips, and I nibble on her neck, punishing her for that answer, as my hand dives into the front of her shorts and I slip two fingers straight into her. Her back arches against me, her dirty hands gripping my thighs and staining my pants. The thought of her handprints on me makes me so fucking hard I can hardly see straight.

"I want you to suck me off tonight," I tell her. "After we put Rory down, I want your mouth on me."

"God, yes," she moans as I pump into her, using the base of my thumb to roll her clit at the same time. "Can I do it now? Please?"

"Baby, I don't think we have enough time. "

"I'll be fast."

I lick along her pulse. "I want to make you come."

I continue to finger fuck her, increasing the speed and loving how her wet cunt grips my fingers. She's so soft and tight and warm. It's fucking heaven.

Without warning, she stands up and spins around on me, then straddles the ends of my thighs, closer to my knees.

"What are you doing?" I rasp, watching as she pulls the crotch of her shorts and panties to the side and then takes my hand and puts it right back on her, rubbing my fingers up and down around her clit. Holy shit. I stare, mesmerized by her hand guiding mine. It's wickedly hot and so goddamn erotic. Only she doesn't keep it there. It's more to show me what she wants, because now she's going for the button and zipper of my jeans.

"There is no way you'll be able to get your hot little mouth on my cock like this."

She shakes her head. "No. I'll have to do that later." Her blue-green eyes meet mine, and she gives me a coy smile. "Perhaps you'll come upstairs and find me on my knees with my hands behind my back waiting for you."

I groan. This woman is going to be the death of me.

Especially as she digs into my jeans and boxer briefs and finds my hard dick. "Until then, I want to jerk you off and watch you come all over me."

Motherfucker.

"We have to do this fast."

She nods as she starts to ride my fingers that are back inside her. Up and down, she moves, undulating against me. My thumb rubs her clit, and she starts to jerk my cock in earnest, keeping up the same pace my fingers are. It feels out of this world good and looks just as hot. Her small, dirty hands working my big dick from base to crown, twisting me, and just about blowing my mind .

"How do you do it?" she gasps, her eyes momentarily closing. She's soaking my hand, the smell of her arousal hitting me and making me lick my lips. Her hands continue to jack me off, both of them working me hard. I don't have any lube on me, but her hands are still slippery and wet from the clay, and it's enough. More than enough.

"Do what?" I manage just as the song finishes and cuts off.

"Make me insatiable? I've never been like this. Craving it all the time. I can't get enough of you, Owen."

"Good." I increase my pace, really fucking into her now. It's so wet and noisy, both of us moaning and grunting. "I'm going to keep you like this. My little sex slut who can't get enough of my dick."

"Oh god," she moans. "Yes. Fuck. I'm so close. Tell me you're close too. I want to watch you come all over me. I want to be your dirty slut covered in your cum."

Jesus hell.

"Fuck, Estlin. I'm…" I can't even get the words out before I start shooting my load all over her. She aims it at her belly, shorts, and shirt, and I spurt everything I have in thick, white ropes. She watches, utterly enraptured, and the sight of me coming all over her pushes her over the edge. Her pussy convulses on my fingers, squeezing them like a fist as my thumb presses in hard on her clit.

She cries out—never one to be quiet—and I stifle the sound with my lips, kissing her as she continues to come all over my hand.

When she finally relaxes against me, I smile against her and slowly pull my fingers out of her, then lick them one by one.

I kiss her again so she can taste herself, and then slowly help her to stand. Tucking myself back in, I straighten myself up. "I need to go wash my hands, change my pants, and check on dinner and Rory. "

"And I need a minute to come back down from space and then get cleaned up before dinner."

"Go." I kiss her lips. "Before we're busted by my six-year-old."

She giggles, and I smack her ass and then head for the door. Never have I been this happy. I can only hope it lasts and be exactly like Rory said—that Estlin will be someone who doesn't go.