by E. L. Todd
“What is your personal life like?” I didn’t ask out of jealousy or possessiveness. We were friends because he wanted to be friends, and that was what friends talked about. And now that I’d given him a chance to be a bigger component of my life, I actually liked it.
He finished his plate, only leaving a few pieces. He wiped his mouth with a napkin even though he hadn’t smeared anything on his face and pushed his plate away. “There were a few women I was seeing when we met, but not so much anymore.”
“Because I’m your new favorite flavor?” I teased.
His eyes narrowed on my face, staring at my features, holding the look for a long time. “Something like that.”
I dropped my gaze and picked at my food, full but still eager to keep eating. “I imagine they’re all models or trainers or something.”
The tab arrived, and he immediately grabbed it and pulled out his wallet.
“We’ll split it.”
He stuffed the cash inside and returned it to the edge of the table. “I got it.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be one of those guys.”
“One of what guys?”
“Who insists on paying for everything. We’re just friends.” I grabbed my cash and put it inside, throwing half of his bills back at him.
He didn’t fight me and slipped the cash back into his wallet.
“So, models? Actresses?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“I’m not asking for names.”
“Why are you so interested in the type of women I sleep with?”
“Because you’re the hottest guy in the world,” I said with a laugh. “I can only imagine the kind of women you’ve been with. It’s kinda a compliment…that I’m in their ranks. It’s like when people brag about screwing a celebrity.”
He cocked his head slightly, his eyes narrowed. “You’re being serious right now?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
The waitress took the bill and walked away.
Dax didn’t pull his gaze away from my face. His head eventually straightened, and his eyebrows fell. His elbows returned to the table and his hands came together, his shoulders broad and muscular, a vein emerging from the neckline and running to his jaw. He looked down for a second before he gave a slight shake of his head. “Nothing.”
I unlocked the door, and we stepped inside.
Charlie was asleep on the couch, shirtless in his sweatpants with his beer on the end table beside him. The TV was still on, showing a commercial.
I turned off the TV and grabbed a blanket to drape over him to keep him warm. I gave him a gentle pat on the head before I turned off the lamp and took Dax by the hand. We walked down the hallway and into my bedroom.
Once we were inside, I immediately slid off my shoes and got out of my dress, eager to get the skintight clothes off my full stomach. I hung up the dress in my closet and placed my shoes inside.
Big arms circled my waist, a powerful chest pressed between my shoulder blades, and he rested his forehead against the back of my head.
My hands glided down his arms, and I leaned my head back against his chest so I could look up at him.
He was naked against me, his big dick hard at my back. His large hands slid over my stomach and grabbed my hips, his dark eyes looking into my face with that sexy expression.
I turned around and moved into him, getting lost in the quiet moment between us. He was so easy on the eyes, so hard to the touch. A hotter man had never been in this bedroom, been between my legs. My hands planted against his chest and slowly moved down, over the grooves of his stomach. My eyes followed my fingers, followed the ridges and valleys between the mountains of strength.
His hands came around my back then unclasped my bra with a simple movement of his fingers, like there was no bra he couldn’t conquer because he’d seen them all. The straps slipped off my shoulders until the entire garment dropped to the floor.
He stared at my chest before he placed his big hands over each breast, squeezing them both, massaging them harshly, like he wanted to hurt me just a bit.
I pushed my thong over my hips and let it fall to the floor.
“I love your tits.” His thumbs swiped over both nipples before he squeezed them firmly again.
“I have nice tits.”
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “Damn right you do.” His arms circled my waist, and he pulled me close, his mouth moving to mine.
I pressed my hand against his chest. “Whoa, slow down.”
He pulled away but continued to stare at my lips.
“My mouth is pretty fiery…”
His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and then that subtle smile was back, like he enjoyed the fact that I told him what I wanted. That my requests were unapologetic, that I showed no shame.
I’d spent my time being what my man wanted me to be, being selfless, giving more than a hundred percent. But that only got me a broken heart, so I would never do it again. Now I just said what I wanted and didn’t wait for him to do it on his own.
He leaned in and kissed me on the neck before he lowered himself to his knees.
I watched him, my breath coming out shaky as he kneeled right in front of me. He was still big and powerful beneath me, his shoulders broad, the veins visible in his thighs. He balanced my hip with a hand and pushed my leg over his shoulders, his lips moving to my pussy with a deep kiss.
My head rolled back, and I dug my fingers into his hair, taking a deep breath as he sucked everything out of me, brought me to the edge instantly like he’d been kissing me for hours. “Dax…”
He lay beside me in bed, on his back, still a little sweaty.
I was ready to knock out. “I’m getting tired…”
“Then go to sleep.” His hand moved underneath his head, and he closed his eyes.
I gave him a gentle shake. “Come on.”
“If you can fall asleep so easily beside me, then I’m obviously not bothering you.”
“Dax.” I propped myself up on my elbow and looked down at him.
“No.”
I narrowed my eyes on his face.
He turned to me, equally authoritative. “I’m tired of heading home at—” he glanced at the time on the nightstand “—midnight. I’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“Well, I need to work on my article.”
“Right now?” he asked in surprise.
“Unfortunately…” I was going to sleep for an hour then grab my laptop.
He sighed then got out of bed. “Next time, I’m not leaving.”
“I thought you didn’t do sleepovers.”
“It’s not a sleepover. It’s passing out after good sex.” He grabbed his clothes and dressed. His jeans covered his muscular thighs, and his shirt covered his beautiful chest. He smoothed out his clothes then grabbed his phone.
I pulled on a t-shirt and sweats and walked him to the front door.
Charlie was still on the couch, snoring.
I grinned as I walked by and opened the front door. We stepped into the hallway, cracking the door just a bit.
“Does he normally pass out on the couch like that?” Dax asked in a quiet voice.
“Only when he has too much beer.”
“So, pretty often,” he teased. With his hands in his pockets, he looked at me, his smile fading. “Goodnight.” He turned to walk away, not giving me affection before he departed.
I grabbed him by the arm and turned him back to me.
When he turned, there was a slight smile on his face, like he knew he had me right where he wanted me.
I pulled him close and rose onto my tiptoes.
His large arms circled my waist, his fingers reaching down over my ass.
“You better kiss me before you leave.”
He squeezed one cheek hard as he pressed his mouth to mine and kissed me in the hallway, his powerful arms holding me tight, holding me with sexy, manly affection. He breathed into my mouth as he kissed me, parting my lips wit
h perfection, his cologne entering my nose and making me think of the smell on my sheets.
He rubbed his nose against mine before he turned and walked away.
I watched him go, my eyes heavy with fatigue and my heartbeat slow. I needed to get inside and get to work if I was going to hand in that article in the morning, but I stayed there, watching until he was completely gone from my sight.
Twelve
Charlie
I picked up a sandwich on the way home and entered the apartment.
It was quiet because Carson was asleep in her room. She’d dropped off her article in the morning and then immediately went back home since she’d pulled an all-nighter. Sleeping through the day like that should make it impossible to sleep tonight, but she’d done this before, and she had no problem going back to a normal sleep schedule.
I sat at the dining table with my laptop and unwrapped my sandwich.
Her bedroom door opened, and she walked down the hallway in baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt that was several sizes too big. Her makeup was gone, her hair was a mess, and she blinked a few times to adjust to the daylight. “Is that a sandwich…?” She stopped in front of the table and stared at it.
I rolled my eyes and placed one half on a napkin and pushed it toward her seat.
She sat down and ate with me.
I’d purposely gotten the biggest size because I’d anticipated this. Whenever I brought food home, I always halved it with Carson. But I never complained because she was the one who bought the groceries and stocked the kitchen, getting things she knew I liked without asking me to pay for them. It balanced out. “Heard from Vince?”
“No.” She took another big bite and chewed it all. “Which isn’t a good sign.”
“Why?”
“He must still be ripping it apart.”
“It’s a pretty long article. He’s gotta fact-check it and everything.”
“Yeah, but there’s going to be a lot of shit for me to fix.”
“He seemed eager to publish it, so maybe not.”
She shrugged and kept eating.
I rubbed my neck and let out a quiet sigh.
She glanced at me. “Stop sleeping on the couch.”
“It’s too hard to get up. I’m comfortable at the time.”
“I’d pick you up, but I’d just drop you again.”
“What happened with you and Dax last night?” I wasn’t sure if Carson would get annoyed with me for inviting her lover to the apartment, but she’d seemed cool with it.
“We got Chinese food and had sex.”
“Cut-and-dried, huh?”
“I mean, we talked and stuff too.” She took another big bite, devouring half her portion already. “He actually invited us to join his basketball league on Wednesday nights.”
“Really? Where?”
“Somewhere in the city.”
“That’s cool. I should be able to make that work.”
“Invited Matt too. Well, actually, he invited just you and Matt, and I had to inform him that I’m a better player than both of you.”
I smiled. “You’ll show him on the court.”
She finished her half, a pile of crumbs on the napkin underneath her.
“How are things going with him?”
“Fine.” She grabbed my glass of water and took a drink.
“Just fine?” I asked. “He’s a cool guy.”
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s sexy and cool. I realize that. I am the one sleeping with him.”
“See anything more happening?”
She shook her head. “Charlie, don’t push it.”
“What?” I asked innocently. “This is a high-quality guy on your hook right now. Don’t throw him back in the water and expect to catch something better.”
She took another drink from the water glass.
“And I can tell he’s into you.”
“We have good chemistry,” she said simply.
“No. I mean, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I don’t think you’re just some random woman to him.”
“God, I hope not.”
I didn’t want to get into this territory with her because she was so stubborn, but I wanted her to leave the past in the past and move on. Her walls were so high that a plane couldn’t even reach her. “Would it be that terrible?”
“If I’m going to try to be in a relationship again, he’s the last guy I’d pick.”
“What?” I asked incredulously. “Why?”
“Because he’s so sexy and so suave.”
I raised an eyebrow, having no idea what that meant.
“Men that beautiful are never around for long. They’re always getting offers on the table, and when one becomes too tempting, they either leave you or cheat. Pretty playboys are the worst.”
“You know, you’re making a lot of assumptions about him.”
“You’re the one making assumptions.” She turned back to me. “I actually know the guy.”
“I’m a good-looking guy, and I’m not like that.”
She stared at me for a while, her eyebrow raised. “Tell me you’re joking.”
I stared back, feeling my body tighten in offense. “I’m not like that,” I repeated.
“You were in a great relationship with Kat for two years, and then you met Denise, and you jumped ship. Charlie, that’s exactly how you are.”
That was like a knife right to my windpipe. “That’s not how it was—”
“You found someone better, so you left.”
“That’s not how it happened—”
“You were totally happy with Kat. Your relationship was solid. Denise walks through the door, and then everything changes. If Denise had never moved here, you and Kat would still be together right now. So, yes, that is what happened, Charlie.”
I inhaled a deep breath, feeling like shit. “It wasn’t like Denise hit on me and I went for it—”
“But you would have—no offense.”
“Come on, I’m better than that.”
“I’m sure you would have broken up with Kat first, but yeah, you’d jump into bed with Denise.” When she saw the sadness on my face, she backed off. “Charlie, I’m not trying to make you feel bad. You aren’t a bad guy. But really attractive men are never in one place too long. When they get to their late thirties and realize their looks are fading, they commit. But until then, they’re always gonna jump around.”
I didn’t view the situation in that way, but Carson was right. I’d had a great thing with Kat. She was interesting, funny, beautiful, the sex was great, but I threw it away because Denise caught my attention. If I had been really committed and happy, I wouldn’t have paid any attention to Denise. “Maybe Kat wasn’t the right person for me.”
She turned back to me, her eyebrow raised again. “Charlie, I’m not judging you. You don’t need to explain yourself.”
“Would I have noticed Denise if I were entirely happy? It’s not like I always do that—”
“Kat is the only long-term relationship you’ve ever really had. And again, it doesn’t matter. I’m just saying, someone like Dax, a hot piece of ass who’s charming and witty…he’ll only be around for so long. He told me he’s with models and actresses.”
“He said that?” I asked in surprise.
“Well, not like that. I kinda dragged it out of him.”
“I still think you’re making a big assumption about him.”
“It’s not about him. It’s about men, in general.” She eyed the leftovers of my sandwich. “Are you going to eat that?”
I chuckled and pushed it toward her.
“Thanks. I didn’t eat breakfast…or lunch.” She picked it up and took a bite, not caring about the place where my mouth had been.
I was disappointed that Carson was still so scarred. It’d been a year. But everyone moved at their own pace, and she just needed some time.
We showed up at the gym and walked into the private room with the court.
Dax was there w
ith a couple guys, their shirts off because they worked up a sweat while on the court.
Matt grinned. “I’m so happy right now.”
I chuckled then walked to the bleachers to put down my water bottle.
Carson was in shorts and a black tank top, her long hair slicked back into a ponytail. The second she was there, she attracted the attention of the guys, making them lose their focus on the ball.
Dax was in black shorts that were low on his hips, showing off his fit torso, his powerful shoulders shining under the fluorescent lights because of all the sweat. He had muscular legs too that were tight and lean but dissected by the different muscle groups. When he noticed the disrupted nature of the other men, he glanced at the benches. His expression immediately changed when he spotted Carson, his eyes turning warm, his lips softening into a subtle smile.
Carson was drinking from her water bottle and didn’t notice.
Dax called for a break and then joined us, his eyes still on Carson. He stepped closer to her, his hands on his hips, his chest coated with sweat.
She turned to him and looked him up and down. “Damn.”
He grinned and leaned down to kiss her.
“Whoa, buddy.” She pressed her hand into his chest. “Come on, we’re just friends.”
His eyes narrowed on her face, irritated by the rejection. Then he circled his arm around her waist and tugged her in anyway, forcing a kiss to her lips.
She didn’t fight it this time.
When he pulled away, a gleam of his sweat was around her mouth.
He turned to me next and extended his hand to shake mine. “Glad you guys could join us.”
I shook his hand. “Thanks for including us.”
Matt looked at the guys on the court. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Dax chuckled as he shook his hand. “We’re pretty competitive. Left with a bloody nose last week. But they’ll go easy on Carson.”
“I don’t need anyone to go easy on me.” Carson joined us, her arms crossed over her chest. “I can handle my own out there. Compared to Baghdad, this is a joke.”
“What happened with your article, by the way?” Dax asked.
“I turned it in but haven’t heard from my boss yet. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing…”