Can’t Buy Me Love: Steamy Older Man Younger Woman Romance Read online

  Life was all about calculated risks, right? Especially when they had the potential to give you a payoff with long-term benefits.

  Fuck traditional mandates of dating. It was a new era and we were in a new economy. One where marriage wasn’t just about love and romance, but security and companionship.

  I needed security and companionship more than I needed to remain faithful to the illusion of happily ever after.

  With firm decisiveness, I grabbed my one-day fiancé’s hand, squeezed it as I leaned in, and looked the judge firmly in the eye and said what everyone wanted to hear.

  “I do.”

  I don’t remember anything else that happened when the judge spoke, aside of pronouncing us man and wife.

  Then it was time for us to kiss. My nerves shot through the roof. I married a man I’d met only days ago, and we hadn’t even kissed.

  Yikes!

  I touched his lips with a playful finger and smiled. He lifted me up into his arms — whoa, he was strong — and brought his lips to mine. His kiss was tender and surefire. Without words, his lips kissed away all doubt and fear.

  “Congratulations, newlyweds!” The judge and court clerks cheered. We shared infectious smiles and blushed on our way out the door.

  “What do you want to have for lunch, Mrs. Beckham?”

  “I have a taste for seafood or pasta, Mr. Beckham. But ultimately, whatever you choose is fine with me,” I replied, squeezing his hand with a flirty grin.

  * * *

  We enjoyed the rest of our day, first with lunch, and then by getting keys to his home. He lived in a nice home in the more upperclass area of Seattle. The house was gorgeous, but it was too big for a single man.

  “You lived in this big house by yourself?” I remarked.

  “I know.” He said. “That’s why I got married. You can take one room as a yoga studio. Your sister can have her own room here when she visits as well.”

  I flashed a wide, happy smile, but my nerves frayed on the inside.

  Heidi.

  I hadn’t told her about Hollis yet. It’s not that I wouldn’t tell her. I had no choice but to. I just didn’t know when. I’d need to be prepared for the interrogation she’d give the minute she learned.

  “That’s so sweet baby,” I said.

  After taking a full tour of the house, including security codes, we settled down on the couch to watch TV.

  “Let’s watch American Horror Story,” my husband suggested. “I’ll have to get acquainted if we’re going to watch it together.”

  I thought he would immediately want to have sex, but he said he just wanted to enjoy the afternoon with his lovely new wife.

  “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me,” he said.

  Snuggling in his arms was the best feeling in the world that day. I felt complete. I didn’t care about anything else — not even the gorgeous heart-shaped diamond ring he purchased and placed on my finger. It wasn’t too big or small. It was the perfect size for my modest fingers, and looked perfect when I laid my hand across his chest and snuggled in.

  We relaxed and watched my favorite show until I had to leave. I told him we’d establish a routine over the next few weeks, but that night, I had to go home. There was so much to arrange, and pack.

  And then Heidi. I’d have to talk to Heidi.

  We shared another sweet kiss goodbye. I loved the way my lips felt like they’d soaked up all the happiness in the world whenever they touched his, along with the butterflies in my heart.

  “Call me tonight?” I asked, biting my lip like a sexy teenager.

  “I’d rather have you here next to me, but sure, love,” my husband, Mr. Hollis Beckham, responded. He kissed my forehead tenderly again before sending me off in an Uber.

  I was all smiles on the way home. Fingering my ring, I thanked God for my sweet, generous, dream-come-true, and thought about how wonderful things would be. I’d have a true companion and lover, and Heidi’s tuition, plus whatever accommodations she needed for school, would be paid.

  And she’d never have to touch a student loan, or dig into her inheritance when she was old enough to receive it.

  “Thank you!” I said to the driver, who’d gotten me home safely.

  I put a little bop in my walk as I headed to the door. Hollis had me dancing on the ceiling.

  “Heidi!” I called out, knowing she had to be home. She didn’t have work, and she was usually home to catch her favorite show at this time.

  I could hear the television on, but there was no answer. When I looked, she wasn’t on the couch. I shrugged. She was probably in the bathroom. That gave me enough time to shower, change clothes, and prepare the speech I would give her.

  I texted my husband that I’d made it back safely and would call him soon. Then I peeled off my clothes, threw them in the hamper, scrubbed myself clean, and hopped out of the shower.

  I was certain Heidi would be shocked. It would be an adjustment, but it would work out. She’d have to warm up to Hollis at first — you know, spend time with him, and see that he was nothing like Bobby, and she wouldn’t have a problem with this.

  “Yeah, she’ll be okay,” I said aloud to myself as I anxiously fingered my ring and looked in the mirror. “She’ll be classic Heidi, but she’ll eventually accept her new brother-in-law.”

  I was soaked in certainty. Soaked in positive vibes. Soaked in this knowing that things would work out for us.

  Silly me, because no amount of certainty and positivity could have ever prepared me for an outraged, angry Heidi sitting on the edge of my bed.

  Seething.

  Her eyes went to my hand, ring on display, and narrowed as they met mine.

  “So it’s true,” she said. “You really went and got married today?!”

  Hollis

  I floated on Cloud 9 Airlines all evening. Even though we’d just met, just gotten married, and she’d just left, I missed her terribly.

  My Gigi — she made me understand the wonder and beauty of love songs. She was elegant, pretty, sweet, and focused.

  My heart leapt when my phone pinged. I knew it was Grace; she was the only person who called or texted me these days.

  Her message read, “Are you up?”

  “Yeah,” I wrote back.

  She started a video call. I turned on the light and adjusted my shirt. When I accepted the call, the first thing I noticed was how upset she looked. Her nose was red, as if she’d been crying.

  “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “My sister… she… “ Grace couldn’t finish as she burst into tears. Thrown off balance by her change of mood, I listened silently to my wife’s tormented sobs, and wished I were there to comfort and hold her.

  “My sister doesn’t approve,” she finally revealed with a mournful tone. My soul felt heavy-hearted as she spoke about her sister’s confrontation. Apparently, her family lawyer sent a floral arrangement and a card to the house as a gift. Grace and I were together all day, but it was delivered after her sister came home - and she’d never discussed what happened with her.

  “She wants me to get an annulment,” Grace sniffled. “She doesn’t trust you, and thinks I’m jumping the gun after my breakup.”

  An annulment? I couldn’t let that happen.

  Words failed me at the moment, because I never saw this coming. Grace was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Her sassiness and grace penetrated my soul. I wanted nothing more than for my wife to be happy, and I knew Heidi was all she had - but I didn’t want to lose her to her sister’s disapproval.

  “Do you want to get an annulment?” I chose my words carefully, and spoke them slowly. I didn’t want to influence her to say yes. To be honest, I wanted to kiss her tears away, then snake my tongue down past her belly. Then I would bite, nip, and caress her until she spread those gorgeous yoga-fit legs of hers and fed me her pussy until she came.

  And then, I would fuck the shit out of her at every angle to consummate our marriage.

 
; Her anguished whisper of “I don’t know…” crushed my spirit.

  My eyes widened. “Baby, we just got started. Please, give us a chance. Maybe I can come over and meet her, show her I’m genuine —“

  “Baby,” she hushed me with a doleful tone. “I told her you’re real. I told her this isn’t a gimmick or a game. But she wouldn’t give in.”

  “Maybe it’ll take some time?” I suggested.

  She threw her shoulder up with a hopeless shrug. “Maybe. But there’s so many things about me that you don’t know. That you have yet to learn.” She shook her head and sighed raggedly. “There’s so much I have yet to tell you.”

  “Like what?” I asked, apprehensive. We all had secrets but her tone, and the expression on her face disquieted me.

  Her brows knitted with insecurity. “I’m a virgin.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m a virgin,” she repeated, her tone even more apprehensive. She looked away from the video, her eyes darting everywhere but back to me.

  I paused, waiting for the rest. She remained silent, but when her eyes finally brought themselves back to mine, they were sullen and troubled.

  “That’s it?” I asked. “You’re a virgin? That’s the big secret you didn’t want to share?”

  She nodded, fearful.

  “It’s okay, love,” I revealed. “Your virginity is precious. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  Silent waves of relief washed over me. Though the idea of a pure woman was an allure, Grace’s virginity was the least of my concerns. My foremost concern was for her well-being.

  “She doesn’t think it’s a good idea for me to marry you when…” There was a hesitant pause. “She thinks my first time should be special.”

  “It should be.”

  “But we…”

  Her voice trailed off, but there wasn’t any need to wait for her to finish. I knew where she was going.

  “Babe, you’re not the only one with love secrets.”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  I filled her in. Came clean about my history with women, from my first experience to my decision not to see the last girl.

  “All the women I dated — and there were only three, by the way— were escorts. And with every one, I was paying for her time and companionship. There was an equitable exchange, but they didn’t want to settle down,” I revealed.

  I quickly added that the women were tested regularly, as was I, and that protection was always used. Not that she’d asked, but because I wanted her to know I did everything I could to be safe. “I wanted to settle down. I wanted something serious. It’s never been a secret. Yet even if they could have the opportunity to hang up the game and be with a man who could provide financially, emotionally, and more, they didn’t want that.”

  “They profited off the illusion.” Grace caught on quickly. Her words quietly forced me to admit to the game I played. “They were there to provide an emotional service, a fantasy, and you were only a customer.”

  Shame permeated my spirit. There was definitely egg on my face. I nodded in affirmation, and felt my skin radiate with the brilliant heat of mortification.

  “Yeah. It was exactly that,” I managed to release. “I don’t want to jump and have sex with you Grace. I mean, I would love to — absolutely — but I wanted to take my time with you, because I want to make love to you. I may have a history with these women, but I can’t ever say we’ve ever made love. I was… only a transaction.”

  Her silence left an uneasy feel in my stomach as she took in my statement. I could only envision this made her feel even worse.

  “You think I’m a creep, don’t you?” I asked, after several minutes passed. “It’s okay if you do. I’d probably think the same of myself too.”

  “No,” she replied. “I don’t think you’re a creep at all. I think… you simply found a way to cope with something that’s not easy to admit in society, you know?”

  I looked at her. Hope returned as I noticed the compassion in her eyes.

  “You think so?”

  “Certainly. You’re incredibly reserved with people you don’t know, and the only solution you had was to employ a woman who would skip past the anxiety and pressure of creating an uncertain connection to explore romance and affection.”

  She smiled. “Now I will admit it’s… uncommon to hear about. But I can see how it helped you. You’re a totally different man when you’re relaxed.”

  “I am,” I agreed. Switching my tone, I said, “Baby, I just want to tell you something. Sex means nothing to me. I meant everything I said about building a connection with you. I married you for companionship and affection. I want intensity, connection, passion, something that’s built to last.”

  “Yes, but at some point you will have sexual needs,” she responded. “You may even have them right now.”

  “My sexual needs will not destroy my focus on the foundation I want to build with my wife,” I countered.

  My sweet wife had no idea how vividly I’ve dreamed of taking her, tasting her, and teasing her. Bringing her to a wet, creamy orgasm, and bending her to my will by making her cum over and over before cumming deep inside of her. I’ve been stroking myself to those fantasies since the night we met. My appetite was very alive and well. But I controlled my sexual nature. My focus was simply on making sure she’d know my love was real, and that I never planned to leave.

  “I don’t want you to be dissatisfied,” she said. “I don’t know how to do things those girls did.”

  “You know how to love me.” My statement was resolute. “You know how to care for me. You know how to consider me. You have compassion for me. You are concerned about me instead of being concerned about yourself — and your sister.”

  I let out a bitter chuckle. “Could you imagine that? A john and a virgin meet at a bar… in just a few days, they’re married. It’s like a sick, twisted joke.”

  “Sweetheart,” Grace interrupted. “I married you because you were upfront. Even more, I married you because I can see how genuine you are. It takes bravery to tell a woman you care for what you’ve just said. In turn, it takes a courageous woman like me to accept you for that.”

  She shared her history, including the very recent breakup with her ex and the sex tape. She’d broken things off with him just before she came across my ad.

  As she finished, my heart warmed. I knew I was crazy for having these feelings, but I was already falling for her - and hard. Grace made me feel comfortable being myself during this period. She didn’t judge me for having an awkward social nervousness, or compensating women in my past to deal with my behavior.

  Our conversation focused on Heidi. Even though her anger was unsettling, we were both able to understand her concerns. I was this awkward older guy she’d never met. Who was I to come in and marry her sister, her only living relative, without having even met her?

  I realized marrying Grace split her between two households. She’d have to find a schedule to be with Heidi, and to be with me. We had so much to work out — but she made it clear she was committed to making us work — and that set my heart on fire even more.

  I yawned. It was getting late. Too late to stay up. I looked at the nightly news, and turned to her gorgeous face on the phone. I wished she were in front of me. The conversation created a safe space that allowed my blood to flow. I had an emotional orgasm listening to this woman, and I wanted to give her a physical one in return, but I was going to settle for fantasy and a palmful of lotion.

  “Baby, I don’t want to get off the phone, but I have to get up early.” We shared regretful looks. “I somewhat wish I didn’t have to go. My bed will be cold without you.”

  “Your bed has never seen me.” Her voice was playful and teasing, with an added heaviness that revealed she too was getting tired.

  “I want to hold you in my arms right now.”

  “Mmmmm,” she said. “I wish I was there too.”

  “Come over…” I arched my
brow, allowing the yearning in my voice to come through. “Pack your clothes and come with me tonight.”

  “But Heidi…” She started to protest, but stopped. “She’s asleep. Even if she were awake, she’d ignore me anyway.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t be. I’ll grab a few things, and I’ll be over in a little while.”

  * * *

  My baby arrived in her Uber Black in less than an hour. She hadn’t just packed an overnight bag, but suitcase.

  “I figured Heidi could possibly use some space, being that she’s livid with me.” With a small blush, she added, “And we can also spend more time together. You know, as a real couple?”

  I brought her bags to my bedroom and offered her something to eat, drink, and a shower. We retired to bed soon afterward. I spooned closer to her, enchanted in her fragrance and softness. My heart beat contentedly, and I simply held her. Her hands found mine and I fingered her ring, feeling the pretty diamond she picked out.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Mmhmm.” The mattress squeaked as she turned back. “Are you?”

  “I’m wonderful. Thank you.”

  She turned, and quietly kissed me. Her lips were gently, loving, and kind. My heart pulsed as fireworks lit inside my soul. There were so many ways to kiss a woman, but I promised myself any kiss I have Grace would be an earnest, perfect, passionate one.

  Grace groaned when my hands found the back of her head, and spilled through her locks. Her hair was soft, silken along my fingers.

  She opened her mouth to me, and my tongue slid right in. We bit and sucked and tasted each other in the darkness of the night. My body felt savage with desire, and I couldn’t help but to kiss my way down her neck and shoulder, tenderly pulling her nightie away from her flesh to access her directly.

  “Baby…” The soft way she spoke my name awakened the savage inside me. Her fingers caressed the back of my head and pulled me closer to her skin, then trembled from my touch.