Holly
“Cave asked me on a date,” I say. Noreen squeals in my ear and I cringe. My eardrums practically burst because she’s so loud and I have to pull the phone away from my face briefly while she screams again in excitement. “Jeez, Noreen.”
“Sorry, but this is so amazing!” she apologizes, but it doesn’t sound too sincere. “You and Cave are finally going on a date after you’ve been crushing on him for years! Who would have thought? Woo-whee!”
I shake my head. “I have not been crushing on him for years.”
I can hear my best friend snort dismissively. “Really, Holls? So you’re telling me that you haven’t been fantasizing about him and his amazing body night and day for—”
“No,” I interrupt her before she can finish. Of course, Nor is totally right, but it’s so embarrassing! After all, who really fantasizes about their father in law? Father in laws are supposed to be old fuddy-duddies with gray hair, and not hot alpha males who also happen to be filthy rich and built like Olympic swimmers. “But Cave asked me on a date and I said yes,” I acknowledge. “You were right the other day when you said that I needed some fun in my life, and now it’s F-U-N for sure.”
She giggles.
“And does he make you feel really hot and dirty when you think about him?”
Oh my god, I can’t believe Noreen is asking this. My cheeks blush a furious red and I’m so glad that she can’t see how I resemble a tomato right now. Her eyebrows would probably shoot off her forehead.
“He does get me hot,” I manage in a fairly normal tone. “It’s to be expected. We’re adults.”
Noreen screams again and I can hear her jumping up and down in her tiny one-bedroom apartment judging from the groaning and creaking of her floorboards. “I’m so happy for you, girlfriend! Maybe now you can finally get laidddddd!”
I go silent, my heart stopping for a moment. I haven’t told anyone about Cave taking my virginity because I’m so worried about what people will think. A woman and her father-in-law having sex? It’s not just a one-time thing either. We’re having sex and liking it, and planning on doing it over and over again to boot.
It’s clearly totally taboo and we’re bound to get some judgment from the community, especially those closest to us. After all, I nearly had a heart attack yesterday when Greta started looking at us weirdly, but Cave’s so smooth that he was able to shrug it off. Then again, I don’t think Greta bought it, but it’ll give us some time so we can get to know each other without other people sticking their noses into our business.
Meanwhile, Noreen’s stopped her dancing around, and I can hear her laughing breathlessly.
“OMG,” she says. But then her voice drops an octave. “Wait a minute. Holly, have you already been with him? Don’t tell me you…”
I don’t reply, but I bite my lip and cringe when she squeals like a little piggy as she puts two and two together. I feel a pang of guilt in my chest for letting Noreen in on my dirty secret, but it’s Noreen after all. How can I not tell my best friend that I finally lost my v-card?
“You totally had sex with him!” she exclaims. “How was it? Better yet, when and where was it? Give me all the details, girlfriend!”
I blush.
“It was two days ago at my house,” I say, my bottom lip nearly bleeding with the pressure I’m applying to the delicate skin with my teeth. Heat floods my veins, but I push it down. I’m allowed to have fun and be wild. I’m allowed to feel again, even if the object of my affection is my father-in-law. I’m allowed to be me and indulge in my desires. It’s time to set myself free from the chains of my past. “Noreen, I know this isn’t exactly ethical and I really shouldn’t be having sex with my father-in-law, but I can’t help it. Cave’s so… addictive. It’s like I can’t get enough of him. I’m so glad he took my virginity and he made every second of it incredibly special.”
Noreen lets out another scream of excitement.
“Holly, girlfriend, I’m so happy for you. I really can’t think of a time when you were truly satisfied with your life. I know you loved Lenny, but you didn’t love him like really love him. At least, not towards the end with all his problems. So yes, it’s time for you to move on and find true love and happiness. If that person that brings you joy is Cave, then so be it. Who am I to judge?”
“Thank you for saying that, Noreen,” I murmur. “I appreciate it and I really needed to hear that. I just hope everyone feels the same way you do.”
“Oh, I’m sure they will,” she chortles. “I mean, at first of course everyone will be shocked. But it’s fine! You’re an adult. He’s an adult. What’s not to like?”
“Well, his son is my former husband, remember?” I say in a wry voice.
“Oh that!” Noreen says, as if it’s just an inconvenience. “Don’t worry, people will get over it! You’ll live.”
Tears prick my eyes and my vision becomes blurry because I’m so appreciative of my friend’s support. I just hope that everyone sees her point of view because I don’t want to be shunned by the people of Colorado Springs. I grew up here, and it would break my heart. Yet, if it came down to it, would I sacrifice my life for Cave?
“Les Copains?” I gasp, my hand covering my open mouth. My other hand instinctively reaches for Cave’s arm and I grasp it tightly in shock. “Cave, this is the most expensive restaurant in Colorado Springs. Oh my god!”
He flashes me a sexy grin and winks at me, his black hair freshly cut and styled. His blue eyes are complimented by his navy suit and the white shirt he has on only makes his skin look even more bronzed.
“I know, sweetheart. This is the nicest restaurant in our little town. That’s why I’ve brought you here.”
I shiver as the wind blows by us and pull my black dress coat around my body, crossing my arms across my chest. Goosebumps spread down the length of my bare legs and I regret wearing a strappy, bodycon black dress in this chilly weather. Now, I regret wearing it even more knowing that we’re going to such an amazing and extremely expensive restaurant. I knew I should have just worn slacks and a pretty blouse because this dress is way too revealing. I’ll probably give all the elderly diners a heart attack.
“Let’s go in,” Cave suggests and gently grabs my elbow to usher me toward the entrance from my frozen position on the sidewalk. He notes my subtle shivers and wraps an arm around my waist, tugging me into his warmth. “You’re cold.”
I blush at his sudden closeness, but sigh as his body heat seeps through my coat and into my skin, warming me in an instant. “Thank you. But Cave, I’m not dressed right! I need to go home and put on something more modest.”
He merely grins and his blue eyes sparkle.
“I’m sure you look beautiful, honey,” he drawls. “I look forward to seeing your dress, now that you’ve mentioned that it’s scandalous.”
I blush. “Oh you!”
But then, the hostess opens the door for us as we approach the entrance. Inside, my fingers and toes begin to thaw and Cave speaks in a low voice to the hostess, who’s dressed in a tight white dress that stops just above her knees. As she nods her head in understanding, her blonde ponytail bounces up and down and I feel envious of how slick and smooth her updo is. My hair, by contrast, is always curly and bouncy, and tonight is no different. At least the curls are tamed somewhat, so I don’t look like a lioness in heat.
The waitress grabs two menus and gestures for us to follow her into the restaurant. We make our way to the back, passing other diners, and stroll up a hidden staircase. I give Cave a questioning look to which he smirks.
“Where are we going?” I whisper.
He merely smirks again. “You’ll see.”
The hostess opens a door at the top of the narrow staircase and my breath hitches in my throat when I see a tiny room lit by candles. A glass table with two cloth chairs on either side is in the center of the room, twinkling with tea lights and decorated with a vase of red roses that’s pushed to the side. Petals are scattered on the hardwood floor, and there’s already a bottle of wine waiting for us.
“Did you do this?” I gasp. He nods.
“This is all for you, honey. And yes, I may have had someone arrange this,” he confirms. I’m truly speechless, my smile so wide and bright. No one has ever done this for me before, not even Lenny. It’s so romantic of Cave to go to such lengths for me.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I whisper again.
“You wanted privacy, right?” Cave grins and he’s completely right. I was extremely nervous about tonight because I don’t want anyone to see us together. It’s still too soon, and I also want to be the one to tell Greta about us, and not some gossipy third party. As a result, I swallow thickly, nodding my gratitude. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Holly,” he growls, walking from the doorway to the chair closest to me. He pulls it out and I sit, shrugging off my coat and placing it in his hand. “I mean that, sweetheart.”
“I know you do,” is my murmur.
I watch him take off his suit jacket, his muscles flexing with the motion and my mouth practically waters at the sight. He’s so gorgeous, and the candlelight makes him practically glow. The planes of his chest are hard and firm, the muscles bulging even beneath the fine fabric. Part of me wishes he would keep undressing, but the rational part of me knows it has to stop. This is not the place, despite what I really want.
“See something you like?” he teases, eyes dancing. I merely swallow thickly once more.
“Yes,” I manage to croak.
He lets out a low chuckle and sits.
“I see we have someone with a one-track mind,” he teases. “Just my type of girl.”
I giggle. “Oh you!”
The conversation is easy and light, and once we order our meals and get some alcohol in our systems, we begin to chitchat about anything and everything. This is what I love about being with Cave. I can talk with him about big things, little things, and medium-sized things too. He listens with humor, and is an intelligent and perceptive conversationalist at all times.
“So business is booming for you in Dallas, hmmm?” I tease. “I heard you were on the cover of a pretty popular magazine.”
He rolls his eyes and I think I see two faint pink spots forming on his cheeks. “Business is going great, but you know what? There are more important things than making money.”
I tilt my head at him.
“Really? I don’t think many billionaires would agree.”
Cave laughs, but then his expression goes serious.
“No, I really mean it,” he says slowly. “I regret not spending more time with Lenny while he was growing up, and after he became an adult too. It can get pretty lonely in Dallas when your whole family lives in Colorado. Don’t get me wrong, I love my business and I make a decent amount of money every year, but I wish I’d spent more time with my son.”
I nod, taking his hand and gently pressing his palm.
“It’s okay,” I say softly. “Lenny loved you and appreciated the fact that you were always there, even if it wasn’t in person. Psychological support counts too.”
Cave looks torn for a moment, but then he turns and smiles at me, squeezing my hand in turn.
“Thank you honey,” he says in a low voice. “It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”
I take a deep breath, now that we’ve established this new level of intimacy.
“Can I ask you a personal question, by the way? Would that be okay?”
His eyebrows arch. “You can ask me anything you want to, Holly.”
I take another deep breath.
“Why did you and Greta split?” I blurt out before I can convince myself to refrain from asking the unanswered question I’ve had on my mind for years. “I tried asking Lenny one time, but he never gave me a straight answer.”
Cave takes a sip of his wine, his expression serious.
“It’s actually pretty straightforward. Greta got pregnant at a very young age and needless to say, it was an unexpected pregnancy. We got married because we thought it would be the right thing to do, but that definitely wasn’t true. We weren’t really compatible, and our youth combined with our immaturity was a bad mix. So we got divorced a few months after Lenny was born.”
I nod.
“But why did you move? Why not stay in Colorado Springs?”
Cave’s expression grows dark, but then lightens again.
“When Lenny was just a baby, I got an amazing business opportunity in Dallas. I asked Greta to move as well, but she was dead set on staying here with our child. So I left. Again, the business has been very good to me, and it provided a great lifestyle for all of us, but I wish I’d seen more of Lenny. If I had known … well, I wish I had done more. I wish I had spent more time with him. I wish a lot of things.”
I nod.
“I understand,” are my soft words. “Totally get it.”
Then Cave growls low in his chest.
“Enough about me,” he says, shifting in his seat. “What do you want to do with life, Holly?”
I smile.
“Well, that’s easy. I’ve been working at the library for years now and I absolutely love it,” I begin. “I’m not sure if it’s something that I can do for the rest of my life, but for right now, being a librarian is amazing.”
He grins, flashing his pearly white teeth at me. “You’ve always loved books. From the moment I met you, you adored reading.”
I giggle, remembering the first day I met Cave. Lenny took me to Dallas to meet his dad, and I’d been reading the entire drive there. My nose was buried in a book even when we pulled up to the house, and I was completely unaware of my future father-in-law’s presence until he knocked on the glass. I jumped in my seat and nearly had a heart attack. The memory is a fond one, one that Lenny always teased me about up until the very end.
“I do love books, but I also think there’s more in me than just the written word. Actually, I’m really looking forward to working on the foundation with you,” I admit, my cheeks flushing red. “I hope to make a difference in the world. There are so many young people suffering from depression and I hope I can at least help one person.”
Cave nods with approval and his grin widens as the waiter appears in the doorway. The aroma of delicious steak fills the air and I can feel my stomach rumble. But then Cave takes my hand and looks into my eyes.
“I know you’ll make a difference, Holly. I can feel it.”
My heart somersaults, and I smile at him happily. This man supports me and wants me to do well, no matter my path in life. But before I can reply, my meal is placed in front of me and every thought evaporates. I’m so hungry that I don’t even wait for Cave to get his food before grabbing my utensils and cutting into my steak. As I chow down, I hear a quiet chuckle from across the table and I glance up. Cave’s merely watching me eat, his expression amused.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter around a mouthful of food. “I should have waited.”
“No,” he says, his tone light. “I love that you eat, sweetheart. I hate girls who order a salad on a date and then pick at it like a squirrel. It’s disgusting, and a waste of food too.”
I laugh, but doubt clouds my mind. “My figure is a little too generous if you ask me. A lot of times, stores don’t even have my size. Or if they do, the fabric bulges in weird places.”
“I disagree completely,” he argues. “I love how curvy you are and I would love to see you become even more bountiful, actually.”
I scoff. “Just wait until you see me pregnant. I’ll be as big as a house!”
The comment slips from my lips and I regret it almost immediately. Did I really just bring up the prospect of a baby on our first date? Oh my god, I’m so humiliated. I bet Cave’s going to freak out and grow standoffish, but instead his blue eyes flare and he leans in close to take my hand.
“You would look beautiful pregnant,” he growls in a low voice, that cobalt gaze making my heart do somersaults. “I’d love to see you heavy with a baby in your tummy.”
And suddenly, I know this is no fling. This is not a wham, bam, thank you ma’am scenario. Instead, I’m falling in love with my father in law, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s falling in love with me too.