“Aw, thank you. You’re the best.”
Soon they were settled on his sectional with the pizza between them, and a dumb 90s comedy series streaming on TV. And yes, she was eating pizza, because she’d already downed an entire bottle of cider waiting for it to arrive, and she needed to soak up the alcohol. The cider tasted so much better to her than beer, because she had a sweet tooth. It didn’t make her feel as bloated as beer, either.
“I love this stuff,” she said, as Steve brought her a second bottle.
“Good thing you don’t have to drive home.” He paused at the window on his way back to her. “Doubt you’ll get there on the train tonight, either. It’s really coming down.”
“Is it?” She joined him at the window, and yes, it was snowing like crazy. “Does this mean I’ll have to sleep over on your epic couch?”
“You’re welcome to my epic couch anytime, but tonight, yes, it’ll probably be necessary. I don’t want to lose you in any snow drifts. At least we have plenty of food.”
She smiled at him. “And cider. I’m loving the cider!”
“Just don’t love it too much, you lightweight. If you pass out before the games start, I’m going to be pissed.”
* * *
After a couple episodes of the TV series, they got bored and moved on to video games, then to a few heated rounds of Go Fish.
“This is okay,” she said, after she won for the third time. “But not as raunchy as the card games we usually play at these parties.”
“You need more people for the raunchy card games. Plus, I don’t want you to feel weird, you know? With just you and me here.”
His words surprised her. She never thought about Steve in that way. Well, she did now and again, because he was huge and hot and sexy, but he was also lovable and non-threatening, like an oversized puppy.
“I don’t think things can be weird with you.” She leaned back on his couch and stretched her legs. “Except that out of all the guys in the quartet, you and I hang out the least. Which is sad, right? Because you’re the most fun.”
“I’m surprised you’d say that. Well, I mean…” He stretched his legs too. “Considering your side-hustle adventures with the other two guys. From what I’ve heard, you have a lot of damn fun.”
“My ‘side-hustle adventures’?” His suggestive teasing brought a blush to her cheeks. “Okay, now you just turned things weird. Thanks a lot.”
He stood and went to the kitchen. “Where are those cheese balls?”
“They’re here, dumby.”
She picked them up from the coffee table as he returned with another beer and another cider…her fourth, now. Could that be right?
“Damn, Steve, you’re going to get me drunk.”
“Like you don’t always get drunk at the pajama parties? That’s why everyone wants you on their team for alcoholic poker.”
“Ugh, I just realized we can’t play alcoholic poker!”
It seemed like reason enough to gulp a few giant sips of the maybe-fourth cider. Steve started pounding cheese balls and she did too, because it didn’t seem very nice to make him eat them alone. “What were we talking about before the cheese balls?” she asked.
“Nothing.” A pause. “I don’t remember.”
“Oh, my side hustles with the other guys.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do they talk to you about me? Share all our private business?”
“No, not in a rude way, but I know when they’ve been with you. They treat you differently in rehearsal the next day.”
“They do not.”
Even as she protested, she thought back, wondering if it was true. She and Ethan had a pretty strong emotional connection, especially after one of their perverse rope scenes. As for her and Jonathan, she noticed him being a little extra-bossy after he’d dominated her, and given her a zillion orgasms, the way he preferred to do. Actually, maybe she acted a little different…
She took another sip of cider, then said, “Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. You know, that I bang the other guys? Things just kind of progressed that way.”
“It doesn’t bother me, I promise.” He threw a cheese ball at her, and she felt it stick in her hair. “Even if I was jealous, Rube, I wouldn’t subject you to…” His voice trailed off.
“Subject me to what? Hey, do I have a cheese ball in my hair? Where is it?”
She groped her head but couldn’t seem to locate it. Steve laughed and picked the orange nugget out, and threw it at her again.
“Stop that,” she said. “Is my hair orange now?”
“Maybe. Are you drunk, Ruby?”
“I don’t want orange hair. Wait. Go back. Subject me to what?”
“What do you think? My massive, throbbing cock.”
“Steve!” She laughed and threw a cheese ball back at him. “I don’t believe you said that out loud and everything.”
“I shouldn’t have. Forgive me.” He made a face to show how insincere he was. “What’s next? We can’t play drunk poker. How about drunk charades?”
As he said it, the lights flickered and the TV clicked off. Steve’s living room went dark, and without thinking, she grabbed his arm.
“What happened?”
“Hold on.”
He went to the window, stumbling over one of the video game controllers on the floor. She could barely see his silhouette as he looked outside. “No lights anywhere. Power must be out on the whole block. It’s snowing harder now.”
She pulled the blanket off the back of Steve’s couch and wrapped up in it. “So spooky.”
“It’s not spooky. They’ll have the power back up soon, but we can tell ghost stories in the meantime, if you feel like it.”
“No ghost stories.”
He came back to her, sat a little closer this time. “Let’s tell secrets then. We’re both semi drunk, sitting in the dark. Tell me a secret, kiddo. Something Ethan and Jonathan don’t know.”
“Hmm. That’s a tough one.” The four of them had been best friends for years. She revealed too much to them, and regularly behaved inappropriately with at least two of them. She took a sip of Steve’s beer without asking, grimaced, and thought hard. “Okay, here’s something. I used to shoplift candy when I was in kindergarten. I wanted it so bad, but my mother wouldn’t buy it for me.”
Steve feigned shock. “Ruby!”
“I think the cashiers knew I was doing it, but I had such a desperate look on my face—”
His laughter cut her off. “I know that look. I would have let you have the candy, too.”
She snuggled closer to him, without really meaning to. “Thanks.”
Did he stiffen a little? Was her hand too close to his package? He didn’t push her away, and it felt good to lean against him.
Maybe she was a little drunk.
“Your turn now,” she said, shoving a couple cheese balls in her mouth to reward herself for her honest confession. “Tell me a secret. Something bad you’ve done.”
“I don’t do bad things. You know that.”
She wagged a finger at him. “What about the time you booked that kinky wedding reception without warning any of us what to expect?”
He gasped in feigned outrage. “I didn’t know it was going to be full-on dungeon shenanigans.”
“Yes, you did.” She laughed, smacking his thigh. “I’m sure they told you, and you didn’t say anything because you wanted to see Jonathan’s head explode.”
“Maybe. That’s possibly true.” He took her hand from his thigh and squeezed it before releasing it. “Anyway, I recollect that night turned out pretty well for you and Ethan. You’re welcome.”
“You didn’t do that for me and Ethan.” She took another long swallow of cider for courage. “We’re telling secrets, right? So tell me the truth. Are you kinky too?” She was practically in his lap now, but it was getting cold with the power off—and the heat. “I mean, the other two are super kinky. Surely you know that.”
“Oh, I know it.”
“A
nd you…”
He sighed and licked some cheese salt from his fingertips. “Everyone’s kinky, Rube. I mean, who doesn’t have some kind of fetish?”
She couldn’t help the little shriek of joy that escaped her lips. “Tell me. Tell me! I need to know all your fetishes right now.”
He laughed. “No, you most certainly don’t.”
“Why? Are they bad?” She polished off the rest of the cider. “Really bad and sickening?”
“Ruby.”
She didn’t know why she pressed him. She didn’t know why she wanted to snuggle so close to him, why she was edging into his lap. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. The darkness turned his light blue gaze into a mysterious, fathomless secret. Why wouldn’t he tell her?
Now she really, really had to know.
2.
“Tell me,” she whined, searching his eyes for unknown depravity. This was so great. “Are you into feet? You know, toes?”
“I’m not into feet. You’re a little pervert.”
“Are you into Master/slave?”
“You know me better than that.” He held her arms to keep her from snuggling closer. “I’m too much of a slacker to master someone else.”
“A daddy Dom, then?”
“You seem so sure I’m BDSM-kinky.”
“There are other kinds of kinky?”
Her pussy was getting super curious about all this. She’d slept with the other two guys in the quartet and that had turned out pretty great. Maybe she ought to give Steve a fling. Well, if his weirdo fetish wasn’t too scary. “Can I have another drink?”
Steve laughed. “I think you’d better not.”
She took just a moment to make a disappointed sound before launching into more guesses. “Are you a voyeur? Or…what’s the other half of that again?”
“An exhibitionist?”
“Yes, an exhibitionist.” She groaned when he shook his head. “We’re supposed to be sharing secrets, and you’re not sharing anything at all.”
“Even if I did share something, you wouldn’t remember it once you sobered up.”
“I’m not drunk, I’m just buzzed. I might have drunk those ciders a little too fast.”
“A little?”
“I’m just not an esp—expr—experienced drinker,” she said, carefully enunciating the syllables. Her fingers slid from his shoulders up into his hair, patting the top. “Look at you. So spiky. I love it.”
“Thank you.”
“But don’t try to change the subject. Wait, I know. Is it some kind of fetish that has to do with being a big, muscular guy?”
“Is that a fetish?”
She ran her fingers through the short sides of his hair, back up into the spiky blond top. “Your hair is so soft, Steven. Does this feel good?” She massaged his scalp, combing his hair back and forth in the dark.
“It does feel good, honestly. But you’re probably leaving cheese dust all over my head.”
“No one’s gonna see it. It’s dark.”
He sighed. “You’re an adorable drunk, kid, but you’re going to hate yourself in the morning. I didn’t think you’d take to cider so well.”
“Is there more of it?” she asked, straddling him.
He put his hands on her hips. “You’ve had quite enough.”
She didn’t want cider, not really. It was tasty and apple-y, and bubbly like champagne, but she didn’t want that now. She wanted to learn more about Steve, because he was such a wonderful friend.
With such a wonderful body.
“Look at us,” she said. “Look at us! This is so fun, sitting here together in the dark. This is more fun than a pajama party, isn’t it?” She winked at him, or tried to. “And there’s no one else here. Just us.”
“That’s true. So you should probably head to bed soon, okay?”
She tried to ease her hips closer to him, but he wouldn’t let her. What a tease.
“Let’s make out,” she whined. “Come on.”
“Let’s not. And by bed, I mean my couch, although I wish I could take you home.”
“Why? That hurts my feelings.”
“I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. You’re just too…too tempting when you’re like this.”
He was hard. Erect. She could feel the thick outline of his cock whenever she pressed her hips against him. “You’re hot for me,” she said, delighted.
“I’m always hot for you, but now’s not the right time to do something about it, okay? You’re too drunk.”
“I’m not drunk.”
He put his hands in her hair, and she wondered if he was putting cheese ball dust there in revenge.
“You’re so damn drunk,” he said, a smile curving his lips. “So as much as I’d like to have some fun with you while you’re in this extremely receptive and energetic mood, it wouldn’t be the gentlemanly thing to do.”
She tried to follow all the words he was saying, but she got confused watching his beautiful smile. He kept saying she was too drunk. Well, he should have kept up.
“Have another beer, Steve. Just get drunker.”
“No, I don’t think that’s the way to solve things. Definitely not a good idea.”
“Definitely not a good idea,” she repeated, in her best Steve impersonation. “You’re so fucking ar-gu-men-sive sometimes. Ar-gu-menna-tive. You want me.” She shoved her hand down to stroke his hard cock through his moose-printed pajama pants. “See, I can tell you want me.”
“Okay.” He caught her hand and held it. “Yes, I want you, but I’m not going to do anything about that tonight.”
“Why?” She leaned closer, to whisper a secret. “I have already slept with the other two guys.”
“I know, when you were sober and in full control of your faculties.”
She scowled at him. “Did you just call me fat?”
“Faculties. I said fa-cul-ties.”
“Ugh.” She gave a frustrated groan. “Why don’t you just kiss me? Is that so bad? Just kiss me.”
“Okay, fine.”
She hadn’t expected him to agree, because he was still holding her hand so she couldn’t touch his cock. But he kissed her, a kiss that felt as hard and sexy as the big thing in his pants, and it made her feel energized, needy, wonderful.
Hungry.
When she rocked against his front, moaning, he ended the kiss with a tug at her lip. He’d bitten her. He wanted her. Oh, hell, that kiss had her all worked up.
“I’m gonna blow you now,” she said, moving off his lap.
He caught her and stopped her. “Oh, no.”
“I want to. It’s okay.”
“No.”
But his no sounded like a yes. She could see in his gaze, in his intent expression, that he wanted a blowjob. Why was he being so damn prissy about this?
“You’re making me mad,” she said. “Why won’t you fuck me?”
“There are reasons.”
“What reasons?”
He only looked at her. His smile was more of a frown now. She hated that he didn’t want her.
“Let me up,” she said, pushing away from him. “You’re being a jerk and I have to pee.”
He lifted her and set her on unsteady feet. “I’ll get you a flashlight.”
“No, it’s okay. I can use my phone.”
He sighed. “Let me rephrase. I’ll get you a flashlight so you don’t drop your phone in my toilet. You remember where the bathroom is?”
While he got a flashlight from the kitchen, she steeled herself to walk straight because she really wasn’t drunk, just buzzed. Also horny. What did he mean, there were reasons he couldn’t fuck her? People should fuck when they wanted to fuck. She’d have to talk to him about that, but first, she had to pee like a racehorse.
By the time she came back from the bathroom, he was standing at the window again, looking out at the thick, powdery snow still coming down.
“It’s so pretty,” she said. “Can we go play in it?”
He turned and smiled at her. “No, your pajamas will get wet, and you’d have to sleep naked, and you’re already a little too wrought up for me to handle. Why don’t you lie down and let me find a blanket for you? It’s getting cold now. I hope the power’s back on soon.”
“What if it isn’t?”
“I’m sure it will be.” He went into his bedroom and came back with a well-worn Chicago Bulls blanket. “Here, I’ll lie down next to you and keep you warm until then.”
Ruby started to protest, but as soon as Steve guided her down on the couch cushions, she gave up the fight and curled up beside him. She rested her head against his shoulder and tucked her feet under his legs as he arranged the blanket over them.
“This feels so nice,” she murmured. “Oh, so nice. Your couch is so comfy and you’re so warm and strong, and so great to cuddle with. And wow, you’re still so…” She squirmed against his pelvis. “You’re still really hard. Why don’t you just sleep with me?”
“Not tonight, kid. Maybe another time.”
“Dang it.” She could feel his heart beating hard under her fingers. She wished he’d take off his shirt. “I bet you’re really good in bed, huh? And really fun?”
“Good, yes. Fun? Depends what you like.”
“I bet sleeping with you would be kind of like a carnival ride.”
He chuckled. “Only in the worst way. Go to sleep now, okay? We can talk about it tomorrow, if you still remember any of this, which you hopefully won’t.”
“I will remember.” She remembered him kissing her, that was for sure. She could still remember the force of his lips, and the way he’d nipped her at the end of it, making her pussy flare. “My pussy is alive right now,” she said. “And I’m telling you, I’m barely drunk.”
“You’re just going to have to trust me on this, Ruby. Do you trust me?”
She did trust Steve. He was a great guy. Maybe the hard cider had hit her a little harder than she expected. “Hard cider is hard,” she said aloud, just because the words came into her brain. She was saying everything that came into her brain, like cider was fucking truth serum.
Steve was hard too, but he was also playing hard to get. Everything was hard, hard, hard right now, and she felt so warm and safe in his arms that she started to drift, even though she probably could have broken him down eventually.
A Quartet of Pleasures Page 10