Between You and I

by Beth D. Carter

  Once inside his apartment, Hunter poured them red wine. As she took hers, their fingers brushed. Electricity arced between them, charging the moment. Their gazes locked. Hunter took a sip of his wine, but her mouth had gone dry. She didn’t want alcohol. She wanted him.

  As if reading her mind, he took her glass from her hand and set both down on the counter. Then he cupped her face and kissed her. There was no softness to the kiss. It was raw. Heated. Demanding. Frantic for one another, clothes came off in a hurry, landing in abandoned puddles around them. When they were naked, Hunter backed her up into his room.

  His lips left hers to nibble on her chin. Her neck. He licked up to her ear where he took the lobe between his teeth and sucked. Madeline panted, too turned on to even moan.

  “Suck me,” he whispered into her ear.

  The command ignited through her like a keg of dynamite. Sinking to her knees, she gripped the base of his cock firmly and slid her mouth over the crown, down as far as she could go, which wasn’t far since he was so thick, hollowing her cheeks as she sucked him. The tangy flavor of his precum burst deliciously across her tongue.

  “Holy fuck,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

  As she worked her way back to the tip, she became a little bolder. A little more aggressive, nipping the base, sucking the shaft. He was incredibly hard and the tension built in his body until she knew it was only a matter of time before he lost it. She hoped so. Nothing was sexier than a man so excited he lost control. Hunter’s fingers buried in her hair, holding her steady to fuck her mouth. All she could do was hold onto his hips and let him find his pleasure.

  “God, you’re amazing,” he moaned. His voice was little more than a guttural growl. “If you don’t want my cum in your mouth, you better stop.”

  But she did want his cum. She wanted to taste him, to swallow him down, so she doubled her efforts and soon he groaned in fulfillment as his seed filled her mouth. Madeline swallowed, loving the sharp salty flavor of his cum. When he was done and she’d taken all he had to give, he pulled back.

  “Good lord, woman. You drained me.”

  He took hold of her hand and tugged her up until she stood. Hunter led her to the bed where he lay down and pulled her down onto him, with her head resting on his shoulder. This was, perhaps one of her favorite things to do. Cuddle with him. But he wasn’t finished with her, because once his heart beat slowed down, he reversed their positions. Now he was on top of her, moving down her body, kissing and licking. Taking gentle love bites as he reached the bottom of the bed. He pushed her knees to open, exposing herself so his mouth could easily find her pussy. Madeline gasped he ran his tongue across her slit, pressing in until he found her clitoris. Already teetering on the edge of pleasure, it wasn't long before an orgasm built up. Hunter toyed with her, withdrawing then resuming his taunting caresses. She had to pull the pillow from under her hips to put it over her face to bite into in an effort to quell the moans.

  “Please, Hunter,” she begged in a barely coherent voice. “I need to come.”

  “Then come,” he said simply and continued his relentless teasing. Only this time, he didn’t pull away at the last moment. Madeline cried out as she came. Hunter continued to eat her out, lapping up her juices until she was too sensitive to endure any more. Only then did he let up to flop beside her. His face glistened from her wetness.

  They stared at one another.

  “This is the best sex I’ve ever had,” she told him.

  “Same here,” he whispered.

  Hunter drew her into his arms, and she closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. Little by little, it calmed down, slowed until his breathing was deep and even. As carefully and quietly as possible, she pulled away from him and rose. For a long moment, she stared down at him, admiring his body. He was a good guy. A fun, intelligent, and smart man. She really enjoyed spending time with him.

  Quelling the twinge of regret for leaving, she gathered her clothes and headed to the bathroom to clean up and put them on. Then she picked up her purse and headed outside to call herself a cab. The night air was cool as she made her way to the entrance of the apartment complex. Twenty minutes later she sped toward home.

  She knew this was the right thing to do. The safe way to proceed with their friendship.

  Madeline ignored the part of herself that missed him already.

  Chapter Ten

  Madeline knew, as soon as her phone rang, who was on the other end. She’d lain awake through the night waiting for her cell phone to buzz and his picture to light her darkened room. And at six in the morning, Hunter did just that. With a tired sigh, she picked up her cell and pushed the talk button.

  “Hey, babe. You went home already?” She knew him well enough to hear the concern barely concealed under his breezy manner.

  “Y-yeah,” she replied. She had to clear her throat to get the carefully rehearsed words out. “I wasn’t really feeling right so I called a cab.”

  “You okay? Are you sick?”

  “No, not really.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Headache.”

  At least she didn’t have to lie about that.

  “Want me to come over?”

  “No. I’m just going to lie in bed today and relax. Hopefully sleep it off.”

  “Oh. Okay.” He fell silent and an awkward pause rose between them. She didn’t want to talk and encourage more chitchat from him. “Well, then, I’ll call later? Check on you?”

  “Sure,” she said softly before disconnecting the call.

  Madeline turned off her cell phone and put it back on the night stand. Thank goodness it was Sunday. Her eyes burned and her mind was blank with exhaustion. She caught a glimpse of herself in the vanity mirror and had to cringe at her haggard appearance. She definitely looked like she had a migraine. No playacting needed there. With a weary sigh, she lay back down and pulled the blankets over her head.

  ****

  Monday only brought a modicum of relief because work took up the majority of her thinking. Hunter was pushed to the back of her mind, at least for eight hours, although he liked to sneak into her thoughts every once in a while. Mainly when she heard something funny and knew he’d find it equally funny. Then she had to remind herself that she shouldn’t—couldn’t—call.

  But all her good intentions flew out the window when her cell erupted that night. His handsome face flashed on the screen and her heart melted a little. If she were truly honest with herself, she missed talking to him. She missed him, period.

  “Hi,” he greeted.

  She took a deep breath. “Hello, Hunter.”

  “Feeling any better?”

  “Yeah,” she said softly. “Thanks.”

  “Good, good,” he replied. “I was wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee tomorrow morning before work. We can meet up at Joe’s Coffee Hut.”

  “Actually, I’m kinda off Joe’s.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t like the coffee.”

  She wondered if he was thinking how stupid that sounded. Because even she could hear the bullshit in the words.

  “Since when?” he demanded.

  “Does it matter? I don’t want to go to Joe’s.”

  “Okay. Well, we can meet at another coffee house—”

  “I’m going in early this week. I can’t meet up.”

  He fell silent. She knew he was putting it together, the fact that she was backing off. It scared her a little, letting go so quickly, and suddenly she didn’t want to lose him completely.

  “Listen, I’ll see you this weekend, right?”

  “I don’t know, Madeline,” he replied a little coolly. “Do you want to see me this weekend?”

  The smart thing would be to say no. To make up another excuse. But she didn’t want to. “Of course. I’m just … it’s a busy week. Lots of sick people.”

  “Okay,” he replied, and his voice thawed a little. “Then definitely this weekend where I’m going to beat you
r ass at pool.”

  She smiled. “Are you saying you’re a crack shot?”

  “I don’t want to brag, but I’ve been known to sink the eight ball a time a two.” He laughed through the line. “Sometimes even at the right time.”

  Madeline chuckled. Suddenly, everything was right again. She had her Hunter back, even though the little voice in her head was warning her to back away. It would hurt worse later. But like a moth to flame, she had to circle his warmth.

  ****

  Madeline pulled into the parking lot of the pool hall. She was a few minutes early, as usual, and decided to wait for Lacey near the entrance. A loud-pitched squeal brought her attention to the road and she saw a car barely avoid getting hit by another. She palmed her phone and started typing.

  Almost saw an accident at the light. Someone is always in a hurry.

  “Hey there, girlfriend,” Lacey called out.

  Madeline looked up from her phone and waved. Only then did she realize she’d done it again, about to text Hunter without conscious thought. She sighed and deleted it, like she had done a dozen times in the past week.

  “Hi, Lacey,” she said. They’d come early to the pool hall to get two tables side by side. “How’ve you been?”

  “Eh,” Lacey replied with a frown. “I made a bet with John that if he won tonight I’d dress up as Wonder Woman.”

  “And what happens if you win?”

  Lacey winked. “Oh, he’s Magic Mike for me.”

  Madeline laughed.

  “So how’s Hunter?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said, forcing the words to sound as brightly as possible. “I haven’t seen him since Sunday.”

  “What? You two were joined at the hip last time we talked.”

  “Well, it was a busy week, you know. And I was tired.”

  Lacey gave her an incredulous stare. “You had a busy week? Okay, what the fuck is going on, Maddy?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What do you mean? Because I was pretty sure you were all … oh. Wait a minute. Does this have anything to do with visiting Kevin?”

  Madeline sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Yes. No. I don’t know. I think it would be best if I break it off with him, but yet … I don’t want to. It’s like there’s this center of gravity that keeps pulling me in, that keeps me thinking about him, and I don’t know how to break it.”

  “Why would you want to break it off?”

  Madeline was saved from having to explain anything further by the arrival of the three Js. Hunter pulled in behind them, and Madeline decided right then and there to be friendly but not to act romantically. She hugged him like she hugged the others. Laughed with him like she laughed at the other’s jokes. Every once in a while she caught his confused looks, as well as Lacey’s, but she ignored them.

  John stepped up to take a shot.

  “Wait, you’re going to miss,” Jason said.

  “Shut up,” John muttered.

  “No, dude, look.”

  As they bickered between each other, Madeline stepped aside to take a sip of her beer. Hunter sidled up to her.

  “Hey, you,” he said with a smile.

  “Hi.”

  “Missed you this week.”

  She sat her glass down. “It was hellacious. I would come home and drop. Lots of people catching that sinus infection going around.”

  His fingers brushed against hers. Madeline’s breath caught in her throat as her body came alive. She craved his touch.

  “Come home with me?” he asked.

  Her resolve disintegrated into ash.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  ****

  As soon as they entered his apartment, Hunter swooped his big hands around her waist to pull her into his body. She closed her eyes as their lips met in a soft, long, lingering kiss, moaning slightly as he moved one of his hands to clasp the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. She squirmed against him, desperate for more, wanting to lose herself in the sexual haze he always wrapped around her.

  “Oh, Hunter.” She gasped as the kiss broke.

  He didn’t reply. He just kissed her ear, then her neck as his hand pushed up her bra. Madeline moaned again as he sucked one nipple into his mouth, biting lightly before soothing the turgid peak with his tongue. He didn’t play favorites, going back and forth between her breasts until she couldn’t stand it. She clawed at his back, needing him naked, which he happily complied in a few seconds later.

  When they were bare chest to bare chest, he quickly unbuttoned her pants and slid his hand under the elastic of her panties. His fingers delved between her pussy lips and a guttural grown erupted from his throat.

  “Fuck, babe, you are so wet,” he breathed.

  “It’s for you. The wetness is all for you. My pussy is for you.”

  “Yes, this pussy is mine. Do you hear me? Me and me alone. Understand?”

  “Yes,” she panted. Lost in a sea of sexual bliss, she would’ve promise him all the tea in China if he asked for it right then and there.

  “Who’s pussy is this?”

  “Yours.”

  Madeline found the bulge in his pants and caressed him through the denim. His hips jerked at her touch, grinding against her hand, so she freed him. She pushed his jeans down far enough so that his large cock sprang free, palming the shaft to pump up and down.

  “Fuck, Madeline,” he moaned “I want you.”

  “Yes.”

  “Get naked,” he ordered.

  She pulled back only far enough to kick her shoes off, and her pants and panties had no sooner hit the floor, and then he was spinning her, bracing her against the wall as he lifted her upward. She gave a little squeal and held onto his shoulders.

  “Hunter! I’m too heavy.”

  “Shh,” he said. “You’re perfect.”

  His cock probed between her thighs and settled at her opening. She melted to his movement as he thrust upward, sealing their union. He kissed again as he sank deeper and deeper. There was no holding back now, this was more than just sex. More than fucking. In that moment, their souls touched.

  He withdrew from her body, not all the way, but enough so that when he surged back inside, he filled her completely. Madeline felt a mini-orgasm hit her, born from the depths that she felt with him, shaking as it tumbled through her body.

  “Holy fuck,” he said. “I can feel you constrict around me.”

  “More,” she managed to say.

  He thrust into her over and over, using the wall as a counter balance to her weight. She kissed his chest, his neck, and his face, wherever her lips could reach. Their sweat mixed together and she could feel his heart thundering.

  “Oh, Hunter,” she said. “I’m going to come.”

  “Come for me, baby.”

  Her orgasm and her pussy clamped on him, interrupting his thrusts for a moment.

  “Oh yes, baby. I can feel you. Oh fuck!” His body tensed and his cock seemed to stiffen even more as he planted his nose into her neck. “Madeline.”

  “Yes, Hunter.”

  “Oh,” he moaned. He thrust deep into her one more time, holding her to him as he came inside her.

  They stayed locked together for a long while, until their hearts slowed from their frantic beating and the cool air dried the sweat on their skin. When Hunter finally pulled away, her legs dropped and their combined juices ran down her thigh.

  “Oh shit,” he muttered. “I forgot a condom.”

  “That’s okay,” she said. “I’m clean. And protected.”

  “Me too,” he replied. “Clean, that is. Usually I’m well protected, but you made me lose my head.”

  She chuckled and lightly kissed him on the mouth.

  He cupped her face. “Stay with me.”

  She had a feeling he was asking more than simply spending the night, and right then and there, she didn’t care what the double entendre meant. She was tired and she loved being in his arms. If she could manage to maintain a friends with
benefits stance, this would be a perfect relationship.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hunter skated around the rink, watching as Madeline lined up her puck and fired it toward the goal. When it went into the net, she let out a little squeal and threw him a big smile. Her dark eyes sparkled and his breath caught in his chest. Love hammered in his heart and he couldn’t wait till Valentine’s Day, when he planned to tell her his feelings.

  “Excellent!” he called out.

  Madeline skated over toward him and held up her hand for a high five. “Pretty soon I can join your team.”

  “You’d be a wonderfully distracting addition,” he said. “Especially when I couldn’t stop kissing you.”

  She giggled and skated away toward the goal to get the puck.

  “By the way, I made dinner reservations.”

  Madeline looked over her shoulders. “When?”

  “Saturday night.”

  She stopped and turned around. A frown creased her brow. “Isn’t that Valentine’s Day?”

  “Yes.”

  He watched the emotions flit over her face, and none of them were happy. One thing he had learned about Madeline Shaul was that nothing was ever simple with her. She kept her emotions reined in tight. One day he hoped to crack her shell, but she was one beautiful enigma who constantly kept him guessing.

  “You know, Valentine’s Day is nothing but a way for the greeting card industry to make a lot of money.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s also a day not to forget that romance is the heart of any relationship.”

  “It’s also a day where every menu price is inflated.”

  “I’m okay with paying inflated prices, as long as we can have a nice dinner.”

  She ran a hand through her hair. “Long lines. No parking. Really, we can do without Valentine’s Day.”

  Somehow, he had expected this reaction from her. The way she’d been a few weeks ago when she’d practically disappeared for a week. That had scared him. It had been the one time that he hadn’t been sure of where they were headed.

  “Well, can I tempt you with a nice steak dinner? Lobster tail? A Barbaresco wine from the Old Country?”