The Rules of Dating a Younger Man

There was a loud knock on my hotel room door.

I looked out the peephole to find a woman holding a large package. “Delivery for Miss Jones?” she said as I opened the door.

Oh my God.

He really did it.

“Yes, that’s me. Thank you.”

She handed me the white box. It had a black satin bow. My hands were practically shaking as I took it over to the bed to open it.

Inside was the most gorgeous black-lace mini dress. From the label, I knew it was also quite expensive. The box also contained a shoebox, which I opened to find the perfect pair of black stilettos with peep toes. Both the dress and the shoes were exactly my size. I’d never mentioned either to Brayden, so this entire transaction had Wells written all over it. I was certain he must have been utterly amused to help.

Who knew I’d come to Seneca Falls to work and end up feeling like something out of Pretty Woman? I’d worked my butt off at the house today and had just showered, intentionally staying in my robe since Brayden had offered to send me something to wear. Still, I couldn’t believe he’d actually made that happen.

More than that, I didn’t understand what had gotten into him. It was like a switch had flipped while he was out in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t sure how to handle that, but no way was I going to disappoint him after the days he’d had—finding out Landon had died and then visiting Ryan’s grave. I would be what he needed me to be tonight.

Removing my robe, I took the dress over to the mirror and slipped into it. It had a straight neckline and cap sleeves. It was fitted at the waist with a subtle flare to the skirt, which ended just above the knee. The dress fit my curves perfectly—though I had underwear and a bra underneath despite Brayden asking me to go bare. I’d have to think on that one for a minute.

The shoes elongated my legs even more and went perfectly with the outfit. I turned around, checking out how the dress made me look from behind. I smiled, realizing just how sexy, wanted, and loved Brayden had made me feel today. And with that, something inside me shifted.

I closed my eyes a moment, feeling emotion rush through me. I knew in my heart I couldn’t deny this anymore. Just like everyone around me had been saying, I needed to stop running away from Brayden and deal with any possible fallout later.

When he’d texted me earlier that he was madly in love with me? My heart had nearly combusted. I’d been trying to figure out the perfect way to respond, but then he’d blocked my messages, taking away the responsibility of having to say anything at all. It was just as well, because I hadn’t been able to put into words how he’d made me feel. I still didn’t know how I was going to handle being with him tonight, but I was certain I wouldn’t be fighting my feelings anymore.

A knock at the door startled me.

I checked my phone—still an hour before Brayden and I were supposed to meet for dinner. Nonetheless, I peeked through the peephole to find him standing there.

My heart skipped a beat as I opened. “Hey,” I said, my voice breathy.

He smiled. “You look absolutely beautiful, better than I could have imagined you in that dress.”

“You’re early. My hair and makeup aren’t even done yet.”

“You don’t need a damn thing. You look perfect.”

“How did you and Wells manage this?” I asked, looking down at my dress.

He chuckled. “It was that obvious that I had a little help, huh?”

“Yeah, just a bit.” I laughed.

“On my way home, I stopped at a mall and FaceTimed him. He helped me pick everything out. Then I had it wrapped up and paid a hotel worker to deliver it to you.”

“I can’t believe you did this. But thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Brayden wore a black blazer over a button-down shirt. He looked so delicious, I wanted to scream. “You look very handsome. But you’re early.”

He nodded. “I know. I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“What happened to you in Pennsylvania?”

He took a step toward me. “I lost all the fucks I had left to give, Alex.” His eyes sparkled as he looked into mine. “Hearing about Landon’s passing reminded me that I don’t have forever. I already knew that, but it was yet another harsh reminder. There’s one thing I want in this life, more than anything right now. And she’s standing in front of me. And I know with every fiber of my being that you feel the same. Alex, I’m done trying to live my life as if you don’t exist. I can’t erase you. I’ve tried.”

“I know,” I muttered.

“And if you’re worried about Caitlin, think of it this way: Being apart isn’t going to change the situation. Does it matter if we’re apart if I still love you each and every day? You can change situations, but you can’t change feelings. I love you whether we’re together or not. So I’m guilty no matter what.” He paused. “I love you. And no one else’s feelings are ever gonna change that. I’m done taking no for an answer.”

Chills ran through me. He’d left me speechless. My chest heaved.

“Say something,” he insisted.

There was so much I wanted to say, but nothing would come out. No words could encompass my feelings in this moment. Nothing could explain what it felt like to comprehend just how much Brayden loved me. Or how much I loved him. All I wanted to do was show him how I felt.

I ran my fingers through his hair. Brayden bent his head back, letting out a long exhale as if he’d been craving my touch. “My beautiful Brayden,” I finally said. “I can’t fight this either.” I pulled him close, opening my mouth at first contact, desperate to taste him.

“Do you have any idea how much I’ve been dying for you?” he mumbled over my mouth. Our kiss grew deeper. “I don’t want to stop,” he rasped, threading his fingers through my damp hair.

“Don’t,” I insisted as I kissed him.

“What do you want right now, baby?”

“I want to ride you,” I hissed.

He pulled back, his eyes filled with mirth. “Well, okay, then.”

Brayden unzipped my dress as we continued our kiss. When it fell to the floor, I slipped out of it.

He removed his jacket, tossing it aside before we stumbled together onto the bed. His cock strained so tightly against his pants, I thought it might burst through. I licked my lips just thinking about taking him into my mouth.

We broke our kiss for a moment, and Brayden panted as he looked up at me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Alex.”

“You make me feel beautiful.”

He lay back and stared up at me in wonder. I unhooked my bra, playfully wrapping it around his neck and using it to bring him up toward me again, our mouths meeting as I straddled his hips. I began grinding against him with my panties still on. The heat of his cock made me wetter by the second. I couldn’t wait to have him inside of me.

As he lay back again, I scratched my nails over his chest through his shirt, continuing to push my clit against his erection. He’d let me take the reins tonight, but from the look on his face, he wasn’t going to take this cock teasing much longer. And quite frankly, neither was I.

I lifted my body off of him for a moment to unzip his pants. Brayden groaned as I lowered my mouth over his cock and licked the wet crown in slow, sensual circles.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “I could die a happy man right now.”

Taking him deeper, I massaged his slick shaft while I moved my mouth up and down, savoring the salty taste of his precum. I took him deeper down my throat, as far as he could go one last time, then moved back for a moment.

Brayden looked up at me with glassy eyes, continuing to let me run the show. I worked to remove his pants and boxers, then slipped out of my thong. Brayden tore off his shirt, so we were both now entirely naked. His dick stood straight up, begging to be ridden. I positioned myself over him and sat down slowly as he sank into me. Brayden let out a guttural sound as I bucked my hips. He wrapped his hands around my waist as I moved up and down over his cock.

I’d never taken charge like this during sex. But something about the way he’d taken charge earlier made me want to return the favor in spades. Him saying he was madly in love with me had made me want to fuck his brains out. “I fucking love you, Brayden Foster.” I panted as I rode him harder.

“I love you so much,” he breathed, never taking his eyes off mine.

A minute later, my hips slowed as I felt ripples of pleasure coming to the surface. I pressed my clit into him, and his breathing became erratic as he dug his fingers into my sides. That gave me permission to let go, so I bent my head back, releasing my orgasm. Within seconds, Brayden’s body shook beneath me as he came harder than I’d experienced with him before, his yell echoing through the room. I tightened my muscles around him to receive every bit of the cum he’d released inside me. I loved feeling his warmth. I loved everything about this. About us. And I knew I couldn’t go back. Never again. This situation was far from perfect, yet Brayden was perfect for me. That was the fact of the matter, regardless of right or wrong.

After we came down from our high, I lay next to him on the bed as we faced each other. “What got into you tonight—besides me?” he asked. “I have to say, I love this version of Alex.” He caressed my cheek.

“What got into me tonight? I might ask you the same after what you pulled today.”

He moved his thumb along my face. “I guess we both decided to give up the fight together, huh?”

“What does this mean?” I asked.

He leaned in to kiss my forehead. “It means we take it moment by moment and stop worrying about what anyone thinks, start accepting what’s already in our hearts. Stop being fucking miserable because you think that’s somehow the right thing. The right answer is never to lie to yourself, Alex.”

I nodded, understanding that for the first time.

“You asked me what got into me… There’s a bit more to the story.”

I listened as Brayden recalled the fortune he’d come across at Ryan’s gravesite. It did seem like a message from above. And I was grateful for the timing.

“I think he’s sending me another message,” Brayden said, looking up at the ceiling.

I straightened. “What?”

“He says I need to go for round two.” He wriggled his brows and laughed.

“Glad to see Ryan has time to be concerned with such things from up there.”

“Right?” Brayden pulled me toward him and nuzzled my neck. “He’s so considerate.”

We fell into a kiss, and I spoke over his lips. “Well, lucky for you, I don’t think I can go another second without having you again.”

“This time, I take the lead, okay?”

“Yes, please,” I murmured.

Brayden flipped me around and pressed his body against my backside. The next thing I knew, his hand was between my legs. He massaged my clit before sliding his fingers inside of me. “I love feeling my cum inside of you.”

I tightened my muscles. “Me too.”

“There’s gonna be more where that came from.” He chuckled against me, sending a shiver down my spine. He cupped my breast as he kissed my back. I could feel his rock-hard cock at my butt crack and pushed my ass into him.

“You hinting at something, Miss Jones?”

I pushed again. “Not so subtly…”

“Ask, and you shall receive,” he whispered against my neck.

“I want it.”

“What do you want?”

“You to fuck me from behind.”

He let out a low groan. Within seconds, I felt the burn of his cock entering me. He thrust in and out and gently bit my back as he fucked me. “You’re so fucking perfect, Alex…”

I moved my hips to meet his thrusts, which grew harder and faster by the second, his balls slapping against me. There was nothing else like this—our bodies skin to skin, him inside me, his hot breath caressing my body, the noises he made. It was a symphony of pleasure I’d never experienced before him. Brayden Foster had officially ruined me for all others.

“Shit!” He groaned, his body shaking.

I felt the heat of his cum filling me, and I convulsed around him, experiencing an orgasm even more intense than the last. He moved in and out of me slowly until we’d both relaxed, and when he pulled out, I turned to face him, running my fingers through his messy hair.

“I couldn’t hold it this time,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“I was right there behind you. Every time with you has been more incredible than the last.”

We finally dragged ourselves out of bed, and after we took a shower together, I put back on the black dress Brayden had bought me, sans underwear this time. But then we decided to order in rather than going to the restaurant where he’d made a reservation. I, for one, didn’t feel like sharing Brayden with the world tonight. It felt too good being in our own little bubble. Unlike all of the other times we’d been together, somehow there was no guilt tonight. I couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was hearing him declare his love for me, or finally realizing I was fighting a losing battle. I needed to receive Caitlin’s acceptance of the situation as a gift. And finally seeing Brayden as mine made me almost feral.

After we finished our meal, I climbed atop Brayden, who was sitting in a chair across from me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t want to leave you this weekend.”

He lowered his hands to my ass and squeezed. “I don’t want to leave you ever.”

“What are we going to do?” I asked. “I mean, we live hours away from each other.”

He nodded. “Yeah. That’s not going to work. I want you in my bed every night. I want coffee together every morning. I want to have dinner with you during the week and talk about our days. We’ve wasted so much precious time, Alex.” He paused. “I think I should move to Connecticut.”

“You?” My eyes widened. “How?”

“I’ll figure it out. You have the spa there. You can’t leave. My job is more mobile.”

“But you’re a landlord—that’s part of your job.”

“The guys will attest to the fact that I am probably the least hands-on with the building stuff. As long as I’m financially in, they don’t need me in the City every day. I’d still be close enough that I could drive down whenever I needed to.”

“But won’t you miss them?”

“Of course I will. But not as much as I’d miss you.” He cradled my face. “You’re my fucking queen, Alex. I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not.”

That filled me with pride. While it brought immense relief to know Brayden would move to Connecticut for me, it also gave me a new reason to feel guilty. His friends were his family. But I vowed not to think about that right now. I’d been doing so well at freeing myself from guilt tonight, and I needed to enjoy the moment with my man.

My man.

It felt so damn good to finally say it.