by Meika Usher
“I know I do. Anyway,” she said as she reached for the door handle. “Evelyn’s gonna be gone tomorrow night.” A smile tilted her kiss-swollen lips. “You should stop by.”
Before I could respond, she swung open the door and slid out, leaving me alone in the office with a raging boner and a business contact waiting on me.
And if that wasn’t the most perfect example of what this whole Birdie thing was going to be like, I didn’t know what was.
Huffing out a long breath, I did indeed think about old man balls. I thought about old man balls and anything else that could potentially kill the hard-on pressing against the zipper of my jeans.
Eventually, I had the situation under control. Adjusting my glasses and running a hand through my hair, I crossed the room and pulled open the door, ready to deal with the real world again.
Aidan met me at the door, a grin on his face. “Whatcha doing in there?”
“Wedding talk,” I responded, avoiding his eye.
“Yeah?” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is part of this co-MOH thing wearing matching lipstick? Because, I gotta say, pink isn’t really your shade.”
I glared and shoved passed him, ignoring the self-amused guffaw as I wiped at my face with the back of my hand. Sure enough. It came away with a smear of bright, bright, Birdie pink.
34: Birdie
My attention span was shit.
All day at the shop, my mind kept wandering. One second, I’d be working on a sketch for a client, hyper focused, and the next, there’d be Nate, looking all hot and cute and delectable.
I couldn’t wait for tonight. I couldn’t wait to get Nate all alone. To shed the obstacles and excuses and every bit of clothing, and—
“Jesus Christ, Bird,” Julian’s voice ripped into my thoughts and I blinked, visions of Nate and I turning to tendrils of smoke before my eyes. “What’s with you today?
“Nothing,” I ground out, closing my portfolio with a firm slap. “Why do you keep asking me that?”
“I dunno.” He whirled around in his chair, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Maybe because you keep staring into thin air like you expect Chris Hemsworth to magically appear before you.”
I wrinkled my nose and shoved away from my desk. “Wrong Chris,” I said as I stood and stretched. “Blondie doesn’t do it for me.”
Julian grunted. “You know what they say is true, right?” he asked, shoving a hand through his own short blond hair. “Blonds really do have more fun.” He tossed me a salacious wink.
“Oh, yeah?” I lifted a brow. “Is that why you haven’t heard from the last...two girls you’ve hooked up with?”
“Fuck off,” he muttered, turning back to his own desk.
I laughed and ruffled a hand through his hair on my way to the exit. “Love you, too,” I said as I grabbed my coat and pulled it on. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He waved me off without looking up, and I reached for the door.
“Bird?”
I paused, peeking around the corner. Shelly sat at her desk, which was covered in paperwork, her blue hair pulled into a messy ponytail, and magenta-framed glasses perched on her nose. “Yeah?”
“Can we chat for as sec?”
My stomach twisted. I knew what she wanted. I’d been hoping to avoid it for a while longer, but when your time was up, it was up. “Yeah, sure,” I replied, dropping my hand from the door handle and heading her way.
As I entered her office, Shelly looked up. “Two weeks till your contract’s up,” she said without waiting for me to speak. Never one to dilly dally, that Shelly. “Was wondering if you’d come to any sort of decisions.”
“Ahh...” I shook my bangs from my eyes and winced. “Still pondering?”
Shelly looked up, her dark eyes finding mine over the rim of her glasses. “You know a lot of people would murder their grandmas for a spot here, right?”
“Yep.” I swallowed tightly. “I know.”
“I’ve got a list of said people.” She gestured toward the papers in front of her. “I need to know soon if I should start calling ‘em.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded. “You got it, Shell.” And then I whirled on my heels and walked away before she could say more. Tomorrow, I told myself as I left the building. I’d come to a decision tomorrow.
But tonight? Tonight, it was all about Nate.
OR, AT LEAST, THAT was the plan. The universe, however, begged to differ.
“Oh, hey,” Evelyn said as I entered our apartment. Where she sat. On the couch. Where she wasn’t supposed to be. “How was work?”
“Good, good,” I replied, trying not to let my surprise—and disappointment—show on my face. “What’re you doing here?”
“The grandbabies came down with a bug,” she replied, dropping her crocheting in her lap. “Poor darlings.”
I made what I hoped was a sympathetic sound and shrugged out of my coat. “I’m sorry, Evelyn. I know you were looking forward to your time with them.”
“Oh, it’s all right.” She reclaimed her yarn and got to work. “Gives me time to catch up on my shows.” Gesturing at the TV screen, where angsty vampires angsted, she added, “Wanna join?”
No, I thought, forcing a smile onto my face. What I want is to have dirty, hot, overdue sex with the delicious dude who was probably already on his way here. “Sure,” I said instead, pulling out my phone as I crossed the room.
Change of plans, I typed to Nate as I settled in next to Evelyn. Not alone.
There. At least the dude would have a heads up when he arrived. Because I still wanted to see him, boning or no boning.
Part of me was surprised by that realization. When was the last time I met a guy I wanted to bone and hang out with? But I did want to hang out with him. He was a big ole nerd, but dammit if I didn’t like him. Just a little.
A while later, there was a knock on the door. My heart leapt as I jumped up from the couch. “Got it,” I called to Evelyn, crossing the room in three long strides.
I wasn’t excited to see him. Not even a little.
“Hey,” I said as I pulled open the door. He stood there, bundled up in his coat and scarf, flushed from the cold, and I was pretty sure I’d never seen a more attractive specimen in all my life.
Specimen? my brain repeated. You have been spending too much time with cute nerds.
“Did you get my text?” I asked Nate, ignoring my brain.
“Yeah,” he replied, frowning. “Not really sure what it means, though.”
I pulled the door open wider to give him a clear view of dear, sweet, cock-blocking Evelyn on the couch. “Ta da.”
“Okay, but...” He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and held it up for me to inspect. “What does Evelyn have to do with aliens?”
“What?” I took his phone and read the texts. Change of plans. Bit aliens.
I snorted. “Not alone,” I said, pulling him inside. “I meant not alone.”
“Ahh. That makes way more sense.” He unbuttoned his coat and shrugged out of it. “The entire way here, I was worried I was about to learn that you were into something super weird.”
“Oh, no.” I took his coat and hung it beside mine. “I’ve gotta ease you into the weird stuff.” And before he could respond, I pulled him further into the room. “Evelyn, you remember Nate, right?”
Evelyn looked up from her crocheting and eyed him. “Oh, yes,” she replied, dark eyes sparkling. “Good to see you again, young man.”
“You, too,” he said with a polite smile. “How are you?”
“Oh, just fine.” She gestured to the seat next to her. “Have a seat.”
I took the seat on the other side of Evelyn, internally annoyed that I couldn’t sit next to Nate. Why she insisted on sitting in the center of the couch was beyond me.
“So, what’re we watching?” Nate asked as he settled in.
“My Boyfriend the Vampire,” Evelyn responded with much enthusiasm. “How do you feel about vampi
res?”
Over her head, I met Nate’s eye and caught the glimmer of amusement. Stretching his arm over the back of the couch, he answered, “Unless they’re getting dusted, I’m not usually a fan.”
I snorted and stretched my own arm over the back of the couch, finding Nate’s fingertips with mine.
“What do you mean by dusted?” Evelyn asked, glancing his way as she steadily crocheted.
I let my fingers thread through Nate’s as I listened to him explain what happened in the Buffy-verse when a vampire met its end, and I smiled to myself. As much as I wanted to be on the guy, I had to admit, seeing him interact with Evelyn was super cute.
Behind Evelyn’s back, Nate’s thumb made soft circles over the heel of my hand. My body zoomed in on the touch, sending zaps of awareness through my bloodstream. I glanced up in time to catch Nate’s eye, and he smirked knowingly before turning back to Evelyn.
“That sounds very interesting,” Evelyn was saying, her hands steadily looping and pulling at the soon-to-be scarf in her hand.
“Oh, it is,” Nate agreed. “I’ve even gotten Birdie to watch a few episodes.”
At that, Evelyn’s hands stilled. She looked over, eyes wide with curiosity. “Oh, really?”
I shrugged and found something super fascinating to look at on the floor.
“Every time I’ve tried to get her to watch my show with me, she’d scoff and say, ‘I don’t do vampires, Evelyn. They’re just so...lame.’” She chuckled as she reclaimed her yarn wad. “Guess I’m just not cute enough to convince her.”
I glanced over to find Nate watching me, half a smile on his lips. I snarled his way and ignored the laugh that tumbled out of him. “Shut it.”
“Anyway,” Evelyn said, dropping her crochet into the basket at her feet. “I think I’m gonna head out.”
I frowned. “Out?” I repeated. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s clear that you two planned to be alone,” she replied, gesturing to our still-linked hands. “You’ve been playing finger-foreplay from the second you sat down.”
At her words, Nate yanked his hand from mine, a flush crawling up his neck. I hid my smile and addressed Evelyn. “That doesn’t mean you have to leave, though. We can wait to get to the real foreplay after you’re in bed.”
“Oh, pssh.” She waved me off and ambled across the room. “Then you’ll have to worry about being too loud and whether you’ll wake a slumbering old lady.” She pulled her coat off the rack and shrugged into it. “It’ll be much more fun if you can hoot and holler all you want.”
At this point, Nate’s face was scarlet. And it was so cute. “Where you gonna go?”
“Oh, I’ll see a movie,” Evelyn replied. “Maybe get dessert. That oughta give you two plenty of time.”
“All right,” I said, giving Nate’s head a tousle as I walked passed the couch. “If you’re sure...”
“I’m sure.” She threw her purse over her shoulder and reached for the door handle. “All I ask is if you get frisky on the couch, you clean up after yourselves.”
Nate made an audible noise of discomfort as I snorted. “You got it,” I replied, giving the older woman a hug before she pulled open the door. “Enjoy your movie.”
“Oh, I will,” she answered, hugging me back. “Enjoy your penis.”
“Oh, I will,” I repeated, pulling away to wave her off.
Once she was gone, I turned to Nate. “Well,” I said, taking in the mortification on his face. “Ready to get frisky?”
35: Nate
Ready to get frisky?
Birdie’s words echoed in the sudden silence following Evelyn’s, uh, dramatic departure. And in the silence, one thought rang loud in my mind: I should tell her.
I’d thought about it the entire way here. Weighed the pros and cons. Held an epic debate with myself. And I still hadn’t come to any certain conclusion.
Now, Birdie stood in the center of the living room, awaiting my answer. And there’d never be a more perfect time to tell her.
“Birdie,” I started, bracing myself for the inevitable. “I—”
“If you don’t kiss me right now,” she interrupted, eyes wide and wanting. “I am going to lose my mind.”
And, well, how was I supposed to resist that?
I didn’t. Instead, I crossed the short distance between us, pulling her close, lips finding hers in a desperate, searching kiss. A small sound of surrender left her throat as she responded, equal parts desperation and fire, as she wrapped herself around me. Every scrap reservation fell to the floor then, as I grabbed her hips and pulled her tighter against me.
Next thing I knew, I was back on the couch, her legs on either side of me as she straddled me. Her hands were in my hair, her lips hot against mine, and I was straining against my jeans as her every curve molded into me.
“This is not how I pictured the night going,” she whispered, pulling her lips from mine to kiss my neck.
“No?” I asked, the pulse in my neck slamming against her lips. “How’d you picture it?”
“Well,” she said, pausing to sink her teeth into my skin. I hissed and dug my fingertips into her waist. “I imagined things moving a lot slower.” She nipped my earlobe. I shivered. “Softer.” Then, she rested her lips against mine and whispered, “Maybe even sweet.”
I leaned back to see her face. Flushed cheeks, hair a mess, lips swollen. Fuck, she was gorgeous. “Is that what you want?” I asked, bringing my hand up to cup her cheek. “Because we can slow down if you—”
“I want you to fuck me, Nate,” she interrupted, turning her face into my touch. Eyes meeting mine, she sank her teeth into my palm, then licked. “However that happens is fine.” A kiss. “By.” And another. “Me.”
Something inside me snapped then, and I wrapped my arms around her, flipping her onto her back. She gasped, her sweet, sweet lips parting, and I couldn’t resist tasting them. Leaning down, I kissed her. I kissed her long and slow and thoroughly. I kissed her until both of us were breathless with want, until she was writhing beneath me, until all thoughts left my head. And then I kissed her some more.
“Nate,” she whispered against my lips, fingers threading through my hair. “I need...I want...I—”
“Me, too,” I whispered back, knowing exactly what she meant.
“Bedroom.” The word was breathless, urgent, and I obeyed, climbing from the couch to hold out my hand. She took it and I pulled her up, letting her lead the way.
The pounding in my chest drowned out the thoughts hovered in my mind. And I let it. I let Birdie lead me down the hall. I let her pull me into her bedroom, and I let her shut the door behind us.
“So,” Birdie said, turning to me, looking suddenly nervous. It was oddly reassuring to know that I wasn’t the only one. “I, uh...meant to tidy up before you came over.” As she spoke, she picked a few pieces of clothing up and tossed them toward the hamper.
“Leave ‘em,” I said with a smile, reaching for her. “We’re just gonna add more to the pile.” I pulled her into me, tilting her chin up to kiss her, stoking the fire we’d started.
Her fingers found the bottom of my shirt as she kissed me back. “You’re right,” she murmured against my lips as she pulled it up. “What was I thinking?”
I stepped back enough for her to pull the shirt over my head, and she tossed it to the floor. I watched her eyes darken as they roved over me, and lava simmered under my skin. This was it. I could feel it. And, for once, I wasn’t overcome with fear. I wasn’t frozen with panic. I wasn’t worried about being inadequate or ashamed. And I didn’t have to wonder why.
It was Birdie. And it felt...right.
She kissed me again, taking one step forward, then another, until the backs of my legs hit the bed. Sinking down, I pulled my mouth from hers to remove her shirt as well, dropping kisses over her collarbone and the swell of her breasts, then over her stomach and across her hips.
Her fingers were soft in my hair, on my shoulders, over my face.
And when I looked up, she smiled that sweet, nervous smile, and the whisper in my head, asking if I should tell her my secret went dead silent. Because, in this moment, it wasn’t about ridding myself of some burden I’d carried all my life. It was about sharing something meaningful with a person I cared about. A person I could see myself falling for.
A person I may have already fallen for.
The thought hit like a lightning bolt, but before I could process it, Birdie put her hands on my chest, pushing me onto the bed. And then she joined me. And then she kissed me. And then we were lost in each other.
Rolling her onto her back, I drank her in, losing myself in her taste and her smell, and her soft, smooth skin. “I could touch you forever,” I whispered against her navel, dragging my mouth further south. Her jeans joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor, followed quickly by her panties
“Nate,” she whispered, her fingers threading into my hair as if to pull me back up, even as her hips arched off the bed, begging for my touch. I slid my hands over her thighs, and they parted invitingly, helplessly. So I obliged.
The moment my tongue delved into her slick, sweet heat, Birdie threw her head back on the bed and sighed, fingers tightening in my hair. My cock pushed against my jeans, insistent, aching, and ready. Not yet, though. Not until Birdie’s thighs tightened around my head as she came. Because the rest? Well, it probably wasn’t gonna last long.
“Yes,” she hissed as I sucked her clit into my mouth. She was so wet. So hot. So...perfect. Lifting my eyes to her face, I watched as I slid two fingers deep inside her. She bit her lip, heels pushing into the mattress, body pushing into my touch, and...fuck, I needed to be inside her. I needed it more than I’d ever needed anything else.
“Nate,” she panted as she tightened around my fingers. “I need you...now.” And then she pulled my face from her to look into my eyes. “Get up here.”
I obeyed, kissing her deep and hard, her sweet taste mingling between our tongues. “Condom,” she panted, pointing toward her nightstand. “Now.”