by J. P. Uvalle
I had been trying to get that boy to notice me as more than a friend for the past six years, and now that he was, I hadn’t the slightest clue what to do or say so…
“You think I’m pretty?”
He lay down his spoon and stalked toward me. When he positioned his large body in between my legs, hands on either side, my heart rate kicked up a notch.
“No, I don’t.”
Darren
“Oh.” She frowned and hung her head in between her shoulders. I lifted her face by her chin, reconnecting her saddened gaze with mine. She needed to see the sincerity in my eyes “No, I don’t think you’re pretty. Actually, I think you’re fucking beautiful, Melody: inside and out. I’m sorry it has taken me this so long to say it. I’ve been a fool.”
Her plump lips opened with a grasp, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring at them, wondering how they would feel pressed against mine. Then she leaned forward, and our lips were inches apart as if she had read my mind. “Melody.” My voice was husky and low. My jugular vein pulsating out of control. Could we do this and still be okay tomorrow? I didn’t want to even think about tomorrow.
Melody wrapped her arms around my neck. “Darren.” The want tattered in her voice made every hair on my scalp stand to attention and every skin cell tingle. What was happening between us?
“Best friends don’t kiss each other.”
“We do.” Her lips connected to mine with a perfect seal, and her hands threaded through my hair, clutching the strands tightly. My brain short-circuited, and I froze, unsure of how to respond. Then her tongue caressed mine and forced a moan from my throat, my resolve broken. I grabbed her by her thighs, pulling her closer to me and ground my hard cock against her panties. Her desire was seeping through the fabric. “Fuck, Melody, you’re so wet.”
“Oh, Darren, you have no idea.” She covered my hand with hers and shoved my hand inside her panties. “Touch me.”
This escalated quickly. Was it the liquor or the punch to the face impairing her judgment? “Are you sure?” I had to be dreaming. She wasn’t into me like that, was she?
“Yes.” She shoved two of my fingers inside her with no hesitation. My good girl was more naughty than I thought. “Have you been fantasizing about me?”
“Fuck, yes.”
“Damn.” My head was spinning. Where the fuck had I been not to have noticed my baby girl needed me in that way? Darren, you dumb fuck! I growled, shoving those two fingers to the hilt, coaxing a whimper from her pouty, swollen lips. She answered back by grinding her pussy against my hand. How long had she felt this way about me? “Tell me what you fantasize about?”
The devilish smirk on her face told me I was in for a night I’d never forget.
Melody
I knew going too far would be a mistake, but at that moment, I was willing to risk it all. This was my chance to reel him in before he had a moment to change his mind. I rotated my hips around, working his fingers deeper inside me. The way he was transfixed on me, practically drooling, made me feel invincible. It was now or never. The point of no return.
He was going to be mine.
“I’ve fantasized about you fingering me just like this…”
“Oooh, yeah?” He pushed his fingers in deeper, faster.
“...Uh huh. You fucking me from behind…me on top.” I moaned as the pleasure ricocheted through me, my fantasies flooding my brain. I still couldn’t believe this was happening. I was about to come all over Darren's fingers instead of my own. The build-up left my body with a loud cry, his name rolling off my tongue.
“Damn, girl.” He reached down to stroke his cock through his Santa suit. “Why didn’t you let me know sooner?”
“I was scared I’d lose you.”
He pressed his forehead against mine, both of us panting with need. “You’ve got me, baby girl. You’ve got me.” His lips found my neck. A trail of kisses peppered my skin, and he bit down on my shoulder as if to leave his mark on me. “You’ve got me so fucking hard right now.”
“Good.”
“Good? If you ask me, I’d say you’re being rather naughty. Think you need a spanking.” His fingers slid out of me, and he quickly tossed me over his shoulder.
“Hey. What are you doing?” I giggled.
“Taking this party to the bedroom.” He laid me on his bed, and his hands traveled up my thighs to the string of my panties, and he removed them in one quick swoop. “You won’t be needing these.”
Darren
She giggled. “Sure won’t. You don’t need that suit either.” She bit her lip.
I picked up the remote and put on some music to dance to as I slowly stripped off everything but my Santa hat and boxers. “Is this what you’ve been fantasizing about, baby girl?” I flexed my muscles.
She threw her head back with a laugh. We’ve been in my room plenty of times but never to do what we were about to do. Nervousness swirled within my core. We were embarking on new territory. She was behaving like I had deprived her of the attention she sought. After what happened at the party, and with what I was about to do to her, making her night was the least I could do.
With her finger, she motioned for me to come closer. “Come here, Santa. I wanna tell you what I want for Christmas?”
I did as I was told and crept closer to the bed. “What does my baby girl want for Christmas?”
She sat up on her knees, getting eye level with me. “I want you to make love to me, Darren.”
Her gaze held strong, unwavering. I gulped. Could I do this? Could I be selfish? She must have seen the hesitation in my eyes because her kiss was desperate and longing. If this was how I was going to spend my last night with her, I had to make it unforgettable. But I had to be certain. “Are you sure?” I searched her eyes for the truth. Please don’t make me do this, Melody.
“Yes, if there is anyone I trust to take my virginity, it’s you.”
I’m an asshole. You shouldn’t trust me. “Okay.” My heart felt heavy as I reached into my nightstand, grabbed a condom, rolled it over my length, and wedged myself between her legs. I hooked my fingers underneath the shoulder straps of her dress and slipped the thin material off her. The only thing obscuring my view of her gorgeous body was her bra.
Impatiently, she reached behind her, unsnapping the clasps and freeing her supple tits into plain view. My cock throbbed against the latex. The most beautiful girl had been under my nose the entire time, and she wanted me: my best friend, Melody. The girl I had known since the fifth grade wanted me to make love to her. And I was going to give her my all. I trailed my finger along her smooth skin. “Damn, just beautiful.” I traced her skin down to her clit, brushing my thumb against her sensitive nub. She let out another whimper, arching her back up to me. I loved how she was so responsive to my touch. “Can I kiss you here?”
“Yes, please.”
My grunt was potent with a primal need to taste her in that forbidden place, until now. Getting on my knees, I opened her legs.
Melody
Seeing him across the room, stripping for me, had my body tingling from head to toe. I motioned him to me and was honest about what I wanted. Needed. Now, he was before me, so gorgeous, muscles rippling. He sank to the floor, his head in between my thighs. Darren, the star of all my dreams, was about to kiss me where I craved his lips the most. My body shuddered with anticipation and want. But why was he hesitating again? Was there something wrong with me?
“Melody, I have to tell you something?”
Dread seeped under my skin. Fuck, I was losing his focus. Think, Melody. Think! “More action, less talking.” I shoved his head in between my thighs. His groan vibrated against my folds as he slashed away at my clit with his tongue, lighting my entire body up like a Christmas tree. “Yes!” The heat from the pleasure and the alcohol rolled over me in waves. Digging my nails into his satin sheets, I arched into him to savor every sweep of his tongue, every suck of his mouth. “Darren.” My body convulsed violently, and the ceiling spun
as I struggled for air. Oh, my God, this is it! My hands got tangled up in his hair as my release erupted deep in my belly and spread throughout my core. My skin set aflame. “Wow.” My breath hitched, and fuzziness settled in my brain. I lay there, still absorbing the moment, letting what had taken place sink in.
He was nowhere near done with me. His strong hands smoothed up my torso, then he appeared, hovering above me, his green eyes pinning me in place, his chin glistening with my arousal. He smacked his lips, reveling in the taste of me. “So, good. So sweet.” Darren's kiss was urgent and possessive. His tongue danced with mine as he lowered his weight down on me. “Can I open my present now?”
“Yes, unwrap me.”
He entered me, claiming what was rightfully his, his cock stretching me. The pressure stung, but his urgent and possessive kiss dulled the pain. Soon we were together as one. Our bodies rocking in perfect harmony, experiencing closeness we’d never known before. It felt glorious having his rock-hard body against mine.
A mix of pain and pleasure flitted across his face. “Your pussy was made just for me.” He drove into me hard, and a scream ripped from my throat as he fell over the edge with me.
Coming down from our cloud of euphoria, I lay on his chest and drew a line along his chiseled jaw with my index finger. He hadn’t said a word since we'd finished. He was staring at the ceiling, face unreadable. Did he regret what we had done?
Chapter Four
Darren
What have we done? What have I done? Nausea filled my stomach from the guilt. Her virginity wasn’t mine to take. I wasn’t even her boyfriend. Why did she trust me with something so sacred after I’d been such a bad friend to her?
“What are you thinking about?”
Her forehead was creased with worry, so I lied about what I was thinking. I wanted time to stand still for as long as possible before I had to break her heart. “How incredible being inside you felt. How amazing you looked underneath me. You were perfect, Melody.” Lying to her wasn’t easy, but that part was true. Our bodies had melted together so divinely, and I wanted to do it over and over again.
A subtle gasp left her soft lips, and she dozed off to sleep in my arms as I lay awake for hours, the guilt gnawing at me. I couldn’t keep this from her any longer. I kissed her forehead, my lips lingering there. “Melody?”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Hey.” She smiled.
It killed me, knowing I was about to erase it. “I have to tell you something.”
“Your eyes are wet. What’s wrong?” Her frown tugged at my heartstrings.
I felt like if I didn’t spit the words out soon, my mouth would catch on fire. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Confusion shadowed her face, and she shot upright. “Leaving to go where? Tomorrow is Christmas. Our families always have dinner together. It’s tradition.”
I got up to put some distance between us. Although petite, Melody packed a punch—had a hell of a left hook. “Actually”—I fidgeted with my fingers—“I’m moving to New York.”
She stared at me blankly, but her color reddened several shades. Her bare chest rose and fell rapidly at the rate my heart was strumming. She swallowed hard but didn’t say a word, so I continued my death song.
“I was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity: a photography internship. I get to travel the world.”
She swallowed again, nodding. “Travel the world, huh? What happened to us going to college together next fall? Did you throw that out the fucking window like you just did my heart?” As she yelled, a river of tears poured from her eyes.
I knew nothing I said would be what she wanted to hear. “I’m sorry.”
She jumped up from the bed and pushed me backward. “What the hell was that back there? A goodbye fuck? You just made love to me, and now you’re leaving, right?”
“I—”
“Matter of fact, don’t answer that. We’re done here.” She bent down and picked up her clothes, throwing them on as she darted out my bedroom door and down the stairs.
I chased after her. “Baby girl.”
She spun and pointed her finger in my face. “Don’t call me that. Don’t ever call me again, you bastard.” Her cries echoed around me. The door slammed behind her and over my heart. My best friend hated me, and that was a tough pill to swallow. I didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t want to feel anything. I searched through the liquor cabinet for a bottle of tequila and drank the entire thing until I passed out on the kitchen floor. My mom would find me there in the morning: the first day of many days without my best friend. I didn’t know how I would survive without her.
Chapter Five
Present Day
Darren
Barely was the answer. If it weren’t for my weekly AA meetings, I would probably have drunk myself to death by now.
“For as long as we’ve been fucking, your best friend—who you don’t even speak to anymore—holds a spot on your desk and not me.”
I stared at the selfie Melody and I took on graduation day: her with several medals around her neck. She made me so proud that day. My baby girl was such an overachiever—there was nothing she couldn’t do. “You haven’t earned that spot.”
Gail, my assistant, threw her head of long blonde curls back with a laugh. “I don’t think anyone ever will. Why don’t we just cut our losses while we still can, and you give her a call? Tell her you’re sorry. I’m sure she will forgive you.” She picked up the fallen picture frame. “She’s cute as shit, by the way.”
I snatched the frame from her grasp. Our perfect picture now had a crack in it. I grimaced. “She hates me.”
She slid off my desk, pulling up her pencil skirt and adjusted her blouse that was too low cut for the workplace. “Trust me, if you give her a good fucking, she will forget why she was mad in the first place.” She bit her bottom lip at me and speared me with her bright blue eyes. “I know I do.”
My cock hardened, ready for round two, but I needed to get my head right. “Get back to work.” I dismissed her with a wave.
“Yes, Mr. Hayes.” She giggled on her way out of the door.
I glanced down to my calendar, and my heart leaped into my throat. Two weeks from today, I would be back in my hometown of Hudson Heights, just in time for Christmas: my favorite time of the year. Well, at least it used to be. Spending time with Melody at Christmas was what made it so special, but for the past four years, it had just been like any other day. I wanted this Christmas to be different. I just wasn’t sure how to make it happen because I was missing a key ingredient to this recipe, and I didn’t think I would ever get it back even if I tried. Gail had no idea what I had done. There was no way Melody would forgive me. Not after all this time of not speaking. Looking at her picture caused memories from when we were kids to race through my mind. The treehouse.
An idea popped into my head.
“Hey, Gail?”
The door opened, and she peered around the corner. “Yes, Mr. Hayes.”
“I know how I’m gonna win her back. Gonna need your help on this.”
She sauntered into the room—hand on her hip. “Gail at your service.”
Melody
It was never a good day when an old haunt walked into the café.
Our eyes instantly found each other’s the moment Suzanna strutted in with her six-inch heels like she owned the place, new faces following behind her. They found a booth near the window and sat down, the sunlight bouncing off her head of black and pink waves.
“Did you want me to take this one, honey?” My mom whispered. Her hand found my shoulder.
“No. I got this.” I continued to glower at her a few more seconds, straightening my spine, before I walked out from behind the counter, notepad in hand. My heart pulsed in time with my quick steps. “Welcome to Tall, Dark, and Coffee. My name is Melody. I’ll be your waitress today. Can I start you lovely ladies off with a cup of our best joe?” My teeth ground together after the word lovely. Although dressed like red carpet royal
ty, there was nothing lovely about them. When it came to Suzanna, beauty was only skin deep, and she surrounded herself with the same kind of people.
“Oh, look. Like mother like daughter. Nothing but the town's fugly waitress.” Suzanna and her flock of malnourished birds snickered. “I suppose not everyone can be engaged to the lead singer of Hell's Angels.” She splayed out her fingers, allowing her Princess-cut diamond ring to catch the light. It sparkled along with her lustrous hair and was probably worth more than what I made in a year.
Green bubbles of envy rose in my stomach, but I smirked, knowing what I’d read about Dash. Yes, he was the legendary and undeniably hot rock god of our time, but he had a reputation for being a womanizer with a drug problem. I'd be surprised if they even made it to the altar. I took her hand in mine to get a better view. “Oh, just stunning, Suzanna. Did he buy you a bag of coke to go with that ring?”
She nearly broke her neck to look at me. “What?”
“Your nose is bleeding.”
Her minions gasped, and a few giggled quietly as she reached up to catch the fallen drop but missed. The blood splattered onto the table. I handed her a bunch of napkins that were placed in the center. Some real friends you got there.
Her gaze softened. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll give you a minute.” I turned on my heel.
“Hey?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you and Darren still close?”
“No.”
“Oh…” Her chest rose and fell. “I thought if he ended up with anyone, it would’ve been you.” For a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of sadness in her eyes.