“Are you fucking kidding me?”
He had asked me to dress in my best sports gear for whatever outing he had planned today. Not being a huge sports fan myself, I borrowed a jersey from my best friend Jill.
He shook his head as he continued to grin. “This is not going to work.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, as I stepped over the threshold. “You told me to dress sporty.”
“No, I mean this timeout. It’s not going to work if you keep looking so damn sexy.”
He closed the front door and we stood face to face, our noses inches apart. My chest trembled slightly with every breath I took. His scent was intoxicating: sunshine and sea breeze.
“We can’t do this,” I whispered, unable to tear my gaze away from his lips.
Luke and I had agreed to take a thirty-day “timeout” to get to know each other better. There was no doubt we had rushed into things when we were together six weeks ago. And we were both keeping so many secrets back then, it was impossible to know if we had fallen in love with each other or with a lie—a hot, sexy lie.
His hand reached for my face and I closed my eyes as I anticipated his touch. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from my cheek and I shuddered.
“I can’t not do this,” he whispered, as he took my face in his hands and kissed me.
I clutched the front of his T-shirt as I melted into him. His tongue danced around mine and a fire pulsed between my legs. We hadn’t made love in six weeks. I ached to feel him inside me.
He pushed me against the wall and devoured my neck as he reached for the button on my jeans. I clutched at his hair as he slid down, pulling my jeans down as he knelt. I peeled off the jersey and tank top and kicked off my sneakers so he could pull my jeans off. He knelt before me, his eyes taking in my body as I unhooked my bra and tossed it aside.
He grabbed my hips and kissed my belly. I shivered as his lips moved down and he lifted my leg over his shoulder. I tried not to come as soon as his tongue came in contact with me, but I couldn’t help it. It had been so long since we’d done this. Less than two minutes of his tongue twirling slowly around my clit and I came hard, doubling over as I lost control of all the muscles in my body.
“Oh, Luke,” I breathed, as he set my leg down and I fell to my knees before him so we were face to face.
He peeled off his T-shirt and I gulped as I marveled at his sculpted chest. I brushed my fingers over his hard pecs and he sucked in a sharp breath. I smiled at the affect I had on him then reached for his jeans. I unbuttoned them slowly and as soon as I unzipped him, his long, hard cock burst through the slot on his underwear. I bit my lip as I anticipated tasting him, but the floor was too hard to kneel here.
I pointed at the table a few feet away where he always tossed his keys on the way into the foyer. “Sit down,” I ordered him and he cocked an eyebrow.
“I think I can find something a bit more comfortable than that,” he said, as he stood and held his hand out to me.
He led me outside naked into the garden and down the path to a lower terrace. When we reached the hammock he’d installed in his pagoda, I stared at it for a moment as I thought of the agreement we had made just days ago. He grabbed my hips and turned me so I was facing away from him and toward the water. His erection crushed against my bare ass and my breath came in shallow gasps. His hand slid over my belly and down to the apex of my thighs as he laid a soft trail of kisses from my shoulder up to my neck.
“I want you so fucking bad,” he whispered in my ear and my body convulsed as his fingers explored me.
I spun around and looked into his eyes. “I’m all yours.”
The hunger cast a gray shadow across the aquamarine pools of his eyes and I quickly climbed into the hammock. His chest heaved with every breath as he watched me lie back and part my legs for him. He shrugged out of his jeans and climbed onto the hammock. I let out a gust of nervous laughter as he crawled toward me while the hammock rocked beneath us. He settled himself between my legs and pressed his lips together as he entered me. My eyes widened and I gasped with pleasure. I had been longing for this moment for six weeks.
“Not laughing anymore, are you?” he whispered against my lips.
“Definitely not.”
He slid his hand behind my knee and lifted my leg as his hips rolled back and forth. I whimpered as he pierced me slowly and torturously. He closed his eyes and I clasped my hands around the back of his neck and pulled him toward me.
“Look at me,” I whispered.
He gazed into my eyes and his hips moved even slower. “Do you know how much I love being inside of you?”
A warm pool of pleasure was building between my legs and I had to fight the urge to arch my back and give in to it.
“How much?”
He released my leg and slid his arm beneath my waist before he flipped over so I was straddling him. I placed my hands on his chest and leaned forward slightly as he sunk deep inside me.
“Oh, fuck,” he whispered, as I rocked slowly up and down on him. “I’d give up everything if we could stay like this forever.”
I moaned as the friction between us sent delicious waves of pleasure echoing through me.
“No, don’t come yet,” he said, turning me onto my back again. “I want this to last.”
I wrapped my legs around his hips and pulled him tightly against me. He kissed me tenderly, his mouth moving in time with the slow rhythm of his thrusts. I gasped into his mouth as he slid deeper inside me and hit my center.
“You like that?” he whispered against my cheek.
“Yes,” I breathed, as I dug my fingernails into his shoulder. “Don’t stop.”
I clenched myself tightly around his shaft as he plunged in and out of me, taking his sweet time. He cupped my breast in his hand and sucked my nipple softly at first then harder and a blissful heat shot straight to my core.
“Come with me,” he urged, grinding his pelvis against my mound as he looked me in the eye. “Come on, baby, come with me.”
“Oh, my god,” I gasped, as my legs began to quiver.
I arched my back and he pounded me harder. Every thrust sent me further and further over the edge until I couldn’t take it anymore and I screamed. He came inside me and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck as he collapsed on top of me, both of us panting heavily as our hearts beat against one another.
“Holy fuck,” he whispered into my neck. “I missed you so much.”
I clutched his hair to steady myself and realized it wasn’t me who needed steadying. “You’re shaking.”
“Because that was amazing.” He pushed up on his hands and planted a soft kiss on the corner of my lips before he rolled off of me.
I turned to him and held my fist above his chest. “Bro-fist, ‘cause that’s the last time that’s going to happen for a month.”
He bumped my fist then pulled me into a headlock.
“Stop it!” I squealed through my giggles and he let go. I tossed my hair back to get it out of my face and he was grinning. “What are you grinning at?”
“I’m going to have so much fun teasing you this month.”
I rolled my eyes before I lay back and stared at the sheer canopy above us. “You’re gonna cave, brother. You’re going down… down to Chinatown.”
He propped himself up on his elbow and his eyes widened. “We should get Chinese food after the game. On me.”
“Friends go Dutch.”
“Let’s live life on the edge. Let me buy you some egg rolls.”
“You are so generous with your billions.”
He shrugged and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to pinch his cheeks or straddle him. I settled for a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Let’s go, Moneybags.”
2: LUKE
It took every ounce of self-control in me not to reach across the console and touch her as I drove us to the bar after playing field hockey at the Connolly Center.
“I can’t believe you blocked
my shot!” she complained for the fourth time. “Friends are supposed to help each other out.”
“We were on opposite teams, nerd. I’m supposed to block your shot.”
I pulled onto Roosevelt Way across from Die BierStube—a German bar we often hit up after a game. The venue was my suggestion even though I’d promised Brina we’d get Chinese food. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease her with a German sausage.
I eased the Bugatti into a space next to the curb and killed the engine. She reached for the door handle and I placed my hand on her knee to stop her.
“Wait.”
“What?”
I took a deep breath as I worked up the nerve to say what needed to be said. “When we get in there… I want you to stay next to me.”
Her gorgeous brown eyes turned to slits. “What does that mean? Of course I’m going to stay next to you. I hardly know those guys.”
I didn’t want to tell her that my buddies Charlie and Jim had been checking out her ass the entire game. I had introduced Brina as a colleague from work. It was obvious by the way we joked with each other that there was something more, but horny guys didn’t always take into account those kinds of assumptions. If there were a remote possibility that Brina were single, they’d be all over her once they got a few beers in them. It wasn’t that they were sleazy. They were just single and successful; an explosive concoction when mixed with alcohol and a beautiful woman.
“I mean, please don’t flirt with my friends…. I know I sound like an insecure jerk asking you something like that, but I don’t think I could handle seeing it. You’re just they’re type, especially Charlie, and I really don’t want to have to clock any of my friends tonight.”
She narrowed her eyes even more as a slow smile formed on her luscious lips. “You realize that’s cheating? You’re not supposed to tell your friends who they can and can’t flirt with.”
I gritted my teeth as I anticipated her response. I didn’t know what I’d do if she refused.
She patted my knee as she reached once more for the door handle. “It’s cheating, but I think the ref will allow it.”
I let out a deep sigh of relief as I climbed out of the car. I jammed my hands into the pockets of my jeans to keep myself from reaching for her hand as we crossed the street. I opened the door for her and pretended not to notice her smirk as we entered the bar. The hostess wore a tight T-shirt that accentuated her large breasts and tiny waist, but she had nothing on Brina in her grass-stained jeans and oversized jersey. This was going to be a very long thirty days.
The hostess invited us to sit wherever we’d like and we quickly found the long table where three of my oldest buddies were seated. I had never been more nervous about hanging out with my friends and a date. Of course, Brina wasn’t really my date. That’s what made me so nervous. I’d have to be on my guard all fucking night to keep these hounds off of her.
I couldn’t really tell them the true nature of my relationship with Brina. They’d laugh at the idea of our thirty-day friendship experiment or they’d purposely try to fuck it up. They could be bastards sometimes.
“What’s up, loser?” Charlie said, as we took a seat at the table.
“Nothing much, fuck-face,” I replied.
Brina sat across from me, next to Jim, and I sat next to Enrique and Charlie.
“Luke, not in front of the lady,” Jim said, nodding toward Brina.
She rolled her eyes. “I can out-curse Luke any day,” she said, as the waitress showed up with five steins of beer.
Jim raised his eyebrows looking impressed as he distributed the glasses around the table. “Well, then, I guess you’ll have no problem keeping up with us tonight,” he said, as he pushed the enormous glass of beer in front of Brina.
Brina stared wide-eyed at the stein, which was almost as wide as her head and so tall the rim nearly hit her nose.
“You don’t have to drink all of it,” I said.
“Where are your manners, Luke. At least get the girl something to eat before you attempt to drown her in booze,” Charlie chimed in.
Charlie had been my best friend since grade school. He used to sneak me in through his bedroom window sometimes when I was homeless and I couldn’t find a public restroom to escape the relentless Seattle rain. He had a good heart, but he was a lawyer now and the guy knew how to make his case with the ladies. Of all the guys seated at this table, he was the one that made me the most nervous.
Charlie liked to cut to the chase. He’d been married and divorced twice and he was only twenty-nine. Both of his ex-wives could have passed for Playboy models. Brina was definitely his type.
I hadn’t told him anything about Brina yet because our relationship had started and ended so quickly six weeks ago. As far as he knew, Brina really was just a friendly colleague and, therefore, fair game. If I told him about my arrangement with Brina he’d tell me to stop hesitating and dive in headfirst. But I didn’t want to rush things with Brina. She was the kind of girl I could see myself marrying and I didn’t want to jeopardize that just to satisfy this intense sexual craving. There was more to our relationship than that and I was determined to prove it.
I stared at her from across the table and she stared right back at me as if she knew what I was thinking. Fuck. This was going to be hard.
Two hours later, Brina had tossed back one and a half steins and politely refused the brat Charlie had ordered for her. Considering she was pretty plastered, I was impressed with how well she was handling herself.
“I think it’s time to cut you off,” I said, after she accidentally knocked over a Jägermeister shooter.
She plucked a bunch of napkins off the table and attempted to mop up the liquid, but she only managed to make a sloppy mess all over the wooden surface.
“I’m fine,” she slurred, though her features were slack and the whites of her eyes were pink.
She still had to drive home from my house and it was only five o’clock.
“You’re not fine. You need to rest.”
Charlie clinked his stein against the stein sitting on the table in front of Brina. “She’s fine. Lets get her another Jäger shot.”
“Fuck off, man.” I didn’t want to fight Charlie, but I wouldn’t hesitate to clock him if he didn’t back off. I set a couple of hundred-dollar bills on the table and slipped my wallet back into my back pocket. “Come on, Brina.”
“I’m not ready to go,” she whined. “I’m having fun with Enrique.” She turned to Enrique, who was the most quiet of all of us, and he appeared somewhat frightened by the attention. “What happened to you on that trip to Arizona?”
Enrique glanced at me questioningly and I knew it was time for some tough love.
“Come on, Brina,” I said, as I stood up and rounded the table toward her. “Tomorrow’s Sunday and I’m sure you have to go to church and confess.”
“I don’t go to church,” she explained. “Please, I don’t want to go.”
I placed my hands on her waist and lifted her up off the seat. “It’s time to go.”
I slid my arm around her waist and helped her up.
“Sorry, guys,” she slurred. “I guess I’m being kidnapped. Pray for me.”
Logically, I knew she wasn’t trying to flirt, but the testosterone-fueled side of me couldn’t help but clench my fists when I saw Charlie eyeballing her as she slid out of her chair. I could feel my nostrils flaring and I took a deep breath to calm myself. I had to remember not to bring her around my friends for the next thirty days.
I grabbed her arm and nodded at my buddies before I guided her toward the bar entrance. The hostess flashed me a coy smile as I passed her and I gave her a friendly nod. I had to get the hell out of here. Taking Brina out was like walking through a minefield. We had to stick to safe places from here on out.
A half-hour later, I opened the front door and Brina stumbled into my foyer.
“I love your house!” she said, way louder than necessary. “It’s soooooooo high
tech.”
I locked the door and set the alarm. It was only five thirty, so it was still light outside, but there was no way I was letting her drive home tonight.
“Come on,” I said, slipping my arm around her waist to keep her from falling over. “You can sleep it off in my bed.”
She stepped in front of me and clumsily reached for my face. “I want to do it.”
“Yeah... As tempting an offer as that is, I’m going to have to pass on seducing the drunk girl.”
Her hand slid down my chest and landed on my crotch. I pulled her hand away instantly before she could feel me getting hard.
“Whoa, there. You need some rest.” I dragged her by the arm toward the bedroom.
“I want to have sex,” she pouted. “Don’t you want me? Don’t you love me?”
I sat her on the bed and knelt on the floor to take off her sneakers.
There was no use reasoning with a drunk person, but a small part of me wondered just how drunk she really was. I tossed her shoes aside and lifted her legs onto the bed. She lay down and I yanked the comforter out from underneath her before I pulled it up to her chin.
“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded. “Please, just lay next to me. Please don’t leave.”
She lay on her side and closed her eyes. I knew I could probably just leave her there and she’d fall asleep, never knowing whether I’d stayed with her. But I had to make sure she didn’t sleep on her back and I just couldn’t resist.
I kicked off my shoes and slid in behind her. She immediately turned around to face me and I flinched at the sweet smell of the Jäger on her breath. She wrapped her arm around my waist, awkwardly nestled her head into the crook of my neck, and that was it. I lay back so she could properly use my chest as a pillow.
Yes, I do love you. More than anything.
3: BRINA
I woke with a serious case of cottonmouth and a headache the size of Seattle, but the scent of Luke’s T-shirt grounded me and I quickly remembered where I was and what had happened. Luke’s bedroom was still a hazy black so it was either very late in the evening or very early in the morning. His chest moved slowly up and down underneath my cheek and I knew he had to be asleep. I lifted my head slowly, not wanting to wake him. I needed water badly. I was almost completely off his chest when his arm tightened around my shoulders and my head pounded as it fell back onto his solid chest.