Easy Fall
Page 9
Chapter 15
Mallory
There’s no masking what he’s doing to me at this moment. My body trembles from his look.
His touch.
His words.
This is the first time in my life I feel cherished and wanted. It’s one of the best feelings, and it’s been a while since someone has come into my life to make me feel this way. I can’t explain how fast I’m falling. Standing here with Justin, I’m taking in everything he’s giving me. It feels right. This is where I belong.
“I want the same things as you, Justin.” My hands rake down his bare chest, and I keep a steady focus on him. “I’m scared. I won’t lie. Being here with you, right now, is terrifying me.”
“I know.” He leans down to kiss my lips, and I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight. “Don’t be scared.”
“Can we get out of the shower?” Laughing, I open the shower door, grab a towel, and turn around to watch him do the same. “Thank you. The water was starting to get into my eyes, and I needed to get out.”
“No problem.” Justin pushes strands of my hair behind my ear. “Let’s go to my room. I have a shirt for you.”
“Okay.”
I follow him into his room and eye the shirt that’s on the bed waiting for me. Part of me is confused. My eyes are on his very large and hard cock. It looks painful.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
“What?” I innocently ask, pretending not to know what he’s talking about.
“Yeah, I’m hard. But I don’t want you to think I brought you back to my place to have sex with you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I want to. Real bad. Especially since I know what you sound like and know what you want.”
Stepping closer to him, I drop the shirt and towel and stand before him naked. “I need you to show me please.”
“Are you sure? Once I start, once I get a taste, I’m not going to want to stop. I’m going to want you here with me. Every day. Are you ready? I won’t ask you again.”
“Take me, Justin.”
Justin rushes over to me and picks me up, kissing my lips as he places me on his bed. Gently laying me down, he hovers over me, and our lips meet again. His erection pushes against me, making me want him more. My desire for Justin grows even stronger. I break our kiss, and my lips land on his shoulder, going up to his neck and nibbling on his ear. A quick hiss rings in the room, and he lifts his body up while keeping his eyes on me.
“You’re so beautiful.”
“Justin,” I moan softly.
His mouth descends to my breasts, exploring and tasting each one. My body screams for more, slowly shaking with his mouth on me. His mouth covers my nipple as his free hand finds my sweet spot, and his fingers gently play with me. Excitement and desire soar through me, shooting down my body and rushing back up as a scream forms in my throat and escapes slowly.
“I think it’s time I taste you.” His eyes bore into mine before his lips run down my belly right to where I want him to be.
I arch my back in anticipation of what’s to come.
“I’m never going to get enough of you. Damn, baby. The way you taste and sound, it’s going to take every force in this world to have me let you go.”
My breathing begins to pick up as I grab his hair and hold on tight. His mouth moves farther down until I feel his tongue against my clit. It sets my body on fire. This is the first time I’ve had a man adore me and take care of me the way Justin is.
“Justin,” I yell as my fingers tangle with his hair while he remains between my legs. “Justin.”
Each time I yell out his name, he moves faster and brings my body to the edge, falling off the cliff and into an earth-shattering orgasm.
Not wanting to waste any time, Justin gets up from where he was to grab something from his dresser.
A condom.
Good thinking.
“Wait,” I call out to him, and he stands in the middle of the bedroom looking a little confused. “Just wait.”
You can do this, girl. Just don’t think and do.
“I want to try something.”
“Of course.”
My eyes don’t leave his hard cock. It’s big and wide. I think about my small mouth and how this is going to work. My brain’s on hyperdrive. I don’t want to hurt him with my teeth.
Don’t stand there looking stupid, Mallory. Hurry up.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I wrap my hand around his cock and keep my eyes on him while getting down on my knees. The smile on his face grows, and he throws his head back when I slide my tongue around his tip. My lips wrap around his manhood, and I do my best to suck and take it deep into my mouth before releasing him and licking again.
“Mallory. Jesus,” he hisses as he buries his hands in my hair. “It feels really good. Incredible.”
His words give me the encouragement I need to continue. I let go of my fears and focus on making him feel good.
“Enough.” He moves away and picks me up from the floor, taking me back to the bed. “As much as I love how your mouth feels around my dick, I need to be inside you.”
He moves away slightly to put the condom on before sliding between my legs. He’s slow at first and keeps his eyes on me. My eyes roll back to my head as I feel him going in, inch by inch. I’m ready to fall apart.
“So tight.” He grabs the back of my head and kisses me. When he’s all the way in, I hear his grunt and feel him quickly thrusting inside me.
I’m gasping at his entire length inside me and wrap my legs around his waist. He goes quicker and faster. When I move my head to break our kiss, I let out a loud scream and tell him to keep going.
“Mallory. Oh, shit.”
Our release comes at the same time, and then my body relaxes under his. My heart’s racing, and my body’s slowly coming off the high of what Justin gave me. He gives me a quick kiss before leaving the room, but he’s back within seconds and pulls me to his side when he gets back into bed.
When I open my eyes, Justin’s arm remains wrapped around me, and it’s nice and warm.
It feels safe.
Safe.
I don’t want to move from where I am with him. I’m not ready to leave his bed and head back to my apartment. Then again, what if he needs me to do that. I’m taking up all his time, and he has a business to run. I can’t get in the way. If I leave now and text him, then it’ll be okay, and I won’t feel bad for occupying his time. This is his brother’s dream, and I need to remember the bar is a high priority.
“Stop thinking,” Justin sleepily mumbles.
“How do you know I’m thinking?”
“I just do.” He turns over and kisses the tip of my nose. “You should check your phone. Lisa’s been texting you.”
“Oh crap.” I roll over to my other side and leave the bed, still naked, and look for my phone.
“Damn, baby. You look cute like that.”
“Like what?”
“Naked and frantic.”
I stick out my tongue like a child and finally find my phone. Not sure how it ended up there.
Lisa: Hey. What are you doing?
Lisa: I’m hungry. We need food.
Lisa: It’s been hours. Where are you?
Lisa: Are you mad at me because I didn’t come back? Please don’t be. I have so much to tell you. I know I’m totally being selfish and am not a good friend.
Lisa: I don’t like this silent treatment.
Lisa: Are you with Justin?
Lisa: You’re totally with Justin.
Mallory: Not mad. Still alive. And yes.
Lisa: I was about to go to his apartment and pound on the door for you. What have you been doing?
Mallory: Nothing. What about you?
Lisa: Nothing.
Mallory: Right. Well, I’m okay, and I love you. I’ll be back tonight or tomorrow morning.
Lisa: Same girl. Love you.
Maybe I should ask before I said I’d be back tomorrow morning. It’
s the polite thing to do.
Right?
“Come back to bed, baby. Stop standing there and getting lost in your thoughts.”
“Are you sure?” I ask timidly.
“Stop asking me and come here.” I do as he says and get back into bed with him, snuggling back into his arms.
“See. Isn’t this where you’re meant to be?”
Yes.
Chapter 16
Justin
Something wakes me in the middle of the night. My heart races and beats wildly in my chest, and it takes a moment for me to catch my breath.
Then I glance down at the beautiful woman cradled by my side.
For as little time as I’ve known her, she’s become more than everything to me. When I’m with her, she makes me want to be a better man. We laugh together and listen to one another. I’ve let her in further than I’ve let anyone in a while. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. My life’s starting to feel whole again.
My heart isn’t surrounded by walls of concrete. It’s crumbled because of Mallory and her warmth. The thought of her possibly leaving to go back to Chicago plays in the back of my mind. The summer months are coming to an end, so I need to make her see being here with me would be the best decision to make. I’m not going to lose her. Every day, she’s going to know how much she means to me and how only she has my heart.
How can I be falling in love so quickly?
When she stirs in my arms, a breath of relief slips from her lips, and she entwines her fingers with mine. I watch her do this. I watch her settle back into a deep sleep and look content. She feels perfect in my arms and by my side. I don’t know how I managed to live this long without knowing what perfection feels like.
With Angie, it was a high school love, and I thought she was the one. She was the first girl I was with, but when she left me without looking back, I fell apart. I vowed to never allow another woman to hurt me the way Angie did. It was better to be alone than be with a woman and chance another broken heart.
Then Mallory comes into town and proves love can happen again.
This kind of love is different.
With Angie, I didn’t feel complete. Looking back, I didn’t feel the way I do now for her. Mallory’s changing the game for me. She’s opening my eyes, and I need to hold on tight.
“Justin?”
“Yeah, baby.”
She stirs a bit more and slowly opens her eyes. “Is it okay if I’m falling in love with you?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes. It’s okay. I’m falling in love with you too.”
“That’s all I want to hear. Can you hold me tighter and fall asleep with me?”
“Of course.”
I do as she says and hold her close to my chest. When I hear her steady breathing again, I kiss the top of her head, and whisper, “I’ll always be here for you, Mallory. Always.”
While she’s in the room sleeping, I get breakfast ready and put the pancakes on the plate to place on the tray I want to bring to the room to her. A little version of bed and breakfast by yours truly.
There’s a knock on the door, and I think about ignoring it.
Only I don’t.
When I place down the tray and head to open the door, I instantly regret not following my intuition.
“What do you want, Angie?”
She pushes her way in and stands defiantly in the middle of the apartment with her hands on her waist. “Really? Her? You’re ignoring me for someone you just met. That fucking doesn’t make sense. We have history and I know you still love me.”
“I don’t see how this is any of your business. This is my life, Angie. You’re not part of it anymore. You left me when I needed you.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “It’s always going to be my business. I don’t know what you’re doing or why the hell you think it’s okay to miss work and let Crystal do everything. The Cure was Carson’s dream. You’re disappointing him. Why are you being selfish?”
“You can leave now.” Both of us look toward my bedroom and watch Mallory storm out to stand by my side. “Angie, is it?” She doesn’t wait for her to answer. “I don’t know you very well, and I’m glad I don’t. I know about you and Justin. The two of you dated, were in love, and then you left. You need to move on and let him be. He’s not being selfish. He’s human and can take some time off. He’s not some sort of machine. Don’t be rude to him in his own home.”
“Who do you think—”
She lifts her hand in the air. “Don’t interrupt me. You have no right to come into his home and make these crazy accusations. He’s the owner, and he can take a break every now and then. He doesn’t answer to you. Stop trying to worm your way back into his life. He’s told you repeatedly to leave him alone, and I suggest you do just that.”
“This is a joke, right?” Angie throws her head back, laughing. “Seriously?” She waves her finger between the two of us. “Hilarious. Honey, once you leave, who do you think will be right there by his side?”
“Who says I’m leaving?”
What’s she trying to say? Damn, I hope she’s not just saying this. I don’t know if I can handle the real chance of her not being here.
“Right. You’re going to leave Chicago for New Orleans? You’re beyond stupid. How are you going to uproot your life for someone you don’t even know? Are you desperate?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m staying. It has nothing to do with being desperate. I’m starting over here with Justin and this is my decision to make. What you’re saying means nothing to me. You don’t need to know all the details. I’m here, and I’m going to be with Justin. Now, please leave so we can enjoy the rest of our nice morning without your negativity.”
Angie leaves without saying anything. Once I know she’s gone and not within earshot of our conversation, I turn and look at Mallory. “Please tell me you’re serious about staying. I get you women like to play games, but men don’t, and we’re not as smart as you women.”
She wraps her arms around my waist and kisses my chest. “I’m staying.”
Chapter 17
Mallory
“It’s girls’ night so sit your cute butt down. We need to catch up.”
I raise the roof and do a little booty shake before sitting down. The music is playing, and Lisa and I are dancing and laughing.
“Best idea ever. No phones. No boys. It’s just going to be you and me tonight. We need this! You need to tell me what’s going on.”
I sigh and grab the saltshaker so I can put salt on my hand. “Justin is simply amazing. I’ve never felt this way before.” I watch Lisa pour us shots and then cut the limes. “The sex is out of this world. I don’t have to fake it or take care of myself after he’s gone.” I snap my fingers and wink. “Also, I now have a deep appreciation for oral sex.”
We raise our glasses, lick the salt, take the shot, and bite into our piece of lime.
“That’s a relief. You finally found someone who knows what he’s doing. Proud of you, girlfriend.”
“Your turn. Spill the beans about Jerry.”
Lisa pours us another shot but takes hers before I get a chance to.
“He’s great, and I hate it. You know me. I don’t need a man to make me happy because I belong to me. I don’t belong to anyone else. I’ve been through a lot in my life, and who got me through it besides you?”
I point at her and smile because this girl has been through hell and back. Her parents are great and helpful, but there’s a lot they don’t know.
“I love my parents, and you know that. My dad would go on a killing spree if he knew what happened, and then there’s my mom. She would cry and blame herself, so obviously, I can’t do that to them. I have you, and I have myself. That’s all I need.”
“True. It feels good to have someone, right?”
Lisa avoids my question and starts on a tangent about how men and women are different due to how they handle their emotions.
While she’s ran
ting, I pour us more shots and prep the limes. It’s going to be a long night, so we should pace ourselves, but who does that nowadays?
“I really like the damn fool. I don’t want to like him. I want him to be around when I need him and then leave, or I leave. The whole let’s cuddle and talk doesn’t fly with me. Why does he want to talk? I’m not about the feelings and being one with yourself.”
“I think it’s cute, Lisa. He’s not a dick or using you.”
She scoffs and throws back the shot. “You say that now. You know how men are. I mean, Justin seems like a great guy. He’s one of kind. You better not let him go, and if you do, I’ll come after you.”
“I don’t plan on it. You need to be more open about Jerry, though. Why won’t you try a little more?”
She shrugs, and I know it’s hard for her to talk about how she feels. “It’s hard. I want to believe in love the way you do.”
“Well, you never know what’s going to happen.”
“True. Who knows, though. Let’s do more shots because I need to get drunk tonight.”
“Hell, yeah!”
* * *
The couch dips, and Lisa hands me the bowl of popcorn, but I push it away. My body cannot handle alcohol the way it did before.
We had dinner at the apartment together, and she caught me up with what’s going on between her and Jerry, and I told her everything with Justin. This was all during shots of tequila. Why did I allow my best friend to talk me into taking shots?
No idea.
I can’t force anything down. If I eat anything, I see it within minutes. This hangover is on a new level of what the hell did I do?
Also, during the shots, I emailed my manager, explaining the situation and asking if it’ll be okay for me to relocate to New Orleans for good. The response came this morning, and she was completely fine with it.
Between reading the email again and praying to the porcelain gods, I’m finally sitting on the couch and feeling a little better.