Old Habits

by Tabatha Kiss

  I squeeze the pillow beneath me with both hands as this new pleasure overwhelms me. Will was wrong to think that he’d never been my first anything. I could go on all night about all the firsts he gave me. My first multiple orgasms. My first public fuck.

  My first love and first regret.

  He palms a bit of lube and gently massages it against me. “Jovie…”

  I twist my head around. “Yeah?”

  He crawls back over me, keeping the pressure on my entrance as he kisses me softly. “I want you to talk to me. Tell me what feels good.”

  I nod and he crushes his mouth on me again.

  “Do you like this?” he asks.

  He traces circles on my sphincter and I bite my lip.

  “Yes,” I answer.

  His slick fingertip presses harder and he works it inside, stretching me out as I squirm in his hands.

  “Keep going,” I say, holding my breath.

  Will kisses me harder as his finger invades me an inch. I loosen, trying not to grow tense for him but his lips do well to distract me. He works me slowly, taking his time and refusing me more without my direct request for it.

  He moves back again to use his other hand, placing it right against my burning clit. The moment he touches me I moan, the intoxicating blend of sensations riddling me from the inside out.

  “Come and I’ll give you more,” he says.

  I hear the smirk in his voice and I laugh. “Almost there…”

  He leans over to tease my back again, continuing to take me with his fingers. Slow and steady, I feel everything as it flows from my loins to my head to my heart. I want to come for him so badly but I don’t want this to end either.

  My body betrays my will, breaking down and forcing me to come on his hands. He releases me from his grasp, letting me finish in peace but I hear him picking up the lube again beneath my piercing moans.

  I turn my head and watch as he strokes a thick layer of it from his tip down to the base of his cock.

  Will take hold of my hips, aligning us closer together. I breathe deeply, soothing my twisting nerves as I feel his tip between my crevice. I grip the pillow ever harder, moaning with approval for him. I’m still shaking with desire, nowhere near satisfied. I need to feel him inside. I want to give him this. I want to give Will Myers all of me on the off chance I never can again.

  He pushes in, unleashing a fresh pleasure throughout my body. I hear his groans behind me and his fingers dig harder into my skin. Still, he doesn’t lose control. I’m safe and warm in his capable embrace. My climax builds again.

  “Will,” I moan his name, barely able to hold myself up.

  He fucks me a little faster, but not harder, stroking the same inch inside repeatedly before daring to go in further. I balance on one hand, reaching the other between my legs to touch myself.

  “More,” I beg.

  Pleasure blends with the promise of discomfort, pushing me closer to the edge. He caresses my body, firm and gentle, adding balance to his rough thrusts and I fall for him all over again. My knees go weak and my arms buckle beneath me. Will guides us down to let me rest but I’m so close again. I don’t want to stop.

  We settle on the bed, his cock still raging inside of me and I bring myself to orgasm with one last stroke of my clit. He groans with me, easily feeling it as I tighten around him.

  “Can I come in you?” he breathes into my ear.

  I don’t hesitate. “Yes,” I say, moaning.

  Will wraps an arm around me, holding me close as he takes his final thrusts. I feel it happen; a sudden invasion of warmth that spills out against my skin. I reach back to hold him, finding whatever part of him I can cling to. I latch onto the back of his head and he presses his open mouth into my shoulder to breathe and groan with release.

  He collapses with me and we lie still together. His fingers twitch along my hip. His pulse runs wild. His body heat blends with mine. I can’t tell where he ends and I begin.

  After a few moments — or minutes, I don’t know — he lets go of me and slides off the bed to leave the room. I prop up onto my elbow and wait for him to come back. When he does, he carries a wet washcloth in one hand and a dry one in the other to help clean me up.

  “Thank you,” I tell him, reaching for the wet one.

  He smirks. “Thank you.”

  I laugh as I clear the semen dripping out of me.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I answer. “I’m great, actually.”

  He joins me again, slinking in close to kiss my shoulder. “I tried not to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Good.” He smiles and lays on his side. “So, do you think there will be a second time for everything?”

  I laugh. “Maybe.”

  “Because I would not mind doing that again.”

  “I’ll have to check my schedule.”

  His grin fades and he looks at my left hand. “Yeah, speaking of…”

  I look down, quickly catching sight of the new rock on my finger. A wave of warmth washes over me again. Will’s fiancée. My future fake husband.

  He clears his throat. “We should tell our parents first. In person,” he adds. “My mother will kill me if someone else tells her about this before I can.”

  “Maybe your parents,” I say. “Hank’s never been privy to my personal details. No reason to start now.”

  “Jove…” He pulls a more serious tone. “He’s your dad.”

  “That word means something different in my family than it does in yours.”

  Will pauses. I can tell he wants to try and talk me into it but he moves on instead.

  “We’ll have dinner with my parents,” he says. “I’ll call Mom in the morning and tell her we have news. She’ll probably set it up for tomorrow night, so be ready.”

  “Okay,” I nod.

  “Then, we probably don’t even have to tell anyone else.” He chuckles. “It’ll spread.”

  I grin. “And I’ll be one step closer to party planning my way back onto Clover’s nice list.”

  “You know, as evil and maniacal plans go…” he says, “this one isn’t bad.”

  “It’s definitely one of my better ones.”

  “It’s not the great Steal the Principal’s Wallet and Put it in Bryan Sumner’s Car caper but it has its charm.”

  I raise a brow. “I had nothing to do with that.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  He smirks. “I saw you do it.”

  My jaw drops. “No, you didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “You were there?”

  “I watched you jimmy open Bryan’s car in the parking lot about an hour before the school was placed on lockdown. Put two and two together once they found it in his glove box.”

  “Son of a bitch.” I beam with pride. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  “Because I was no snitch…” He shifts over me and I roll onto my backside. “And he had it coming anyway.”

  We sink deeper into the mattress and I tense up from the pleasurable ache lingering beneath me.

  “Careful.” I smile. “I’m still a little sore back there.”

  His lips graze mine. “I thought you said I could be too gentle.”

  “Gentle is good sometimes,” I whisper.

  He rolls us around to lie on his back instead. “I must be rubbing off on you, Ross,” he says, kissing me once.

  I take a breath but the butterflies wreak havoc inside.

  “Yeah,” I say. “Must be.”

  Chapter 26

  Will

  “They’re gonna ask about my teeth, aren’t they?”

  I glance over at Jovie in the passenger seat. “Yeah, probably,” I answer.

  She shakes her head and flips down the visor to check her reflection one more time in the mirror. “Classic Myers.”

  I take my eyes off the road to look at her just a little bit longer. Jovie could roll
out of a hammock into a patch of dirt and still stand up looking majestic but she took the time to make herself presentable tonight. I didn’t say anything about it. The thought of Jovie taking our engagement seriously warms the blood in my veins and the last thing I want to do is spook her off.

  I might be in a little denial. This isn’t real. I know that.

  But a man can pretend.

  I turn onto my parents’ street. “So, here’s the plan,” I say. “We go in, play it cool. Mom will offer us drinks, Dad will grunt a conversation. We’ll sit down for dinner and I’ll say we have news. At that point, it’ll be all smiles and celebration. My parents are pretty predictable.”

  Jovie sits back in her seat. “Sounds like a bit of awkward fun.”

  “We might have to field a few questions.”

  “About what?”

  “Our relationship. Why we’re moving so fast.” I pause. “Where you’ve been.”

  She stares straight ahead. “We’ll think of something.”

  I park in the driveway and flick my seatbelt free but Jovie doesn’t budge. Her eyes flick softly as she scans the house.

  “Jove?” I ask.

  She looks at me. “Hmm?”

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. Just… haven’t been here in a while.”

  From what I know, the last time she was here, she slipped that note in my window on her way out of town. A little bit of suppressed panic lingers behind Jovie’s eyes.

  I reach out and take her cold hand. “Come on,” I say. “Mom’s really excited to see you again.”

  Jovie nods and crawls her other hand toward her seatbelt.

  We get out and walk to the front door hand-in-hand. Each step pumps a bit more excitement into me. Me and Jovie. Jovie and me. Together again. I imagined this night years ago when I bought the ring. The two of us sitting down with my parents and announcing the big news. Laughter and champagne. Dad patting me on the back while Mom pulled Jovie aside for a little girl talk.

  I knock twice on the door with my free hand and Jovie’s fingers relax in my palm.

  She looks at me and smiles. My Jovie.

  The lock slides free, the door opens, and Jovie’s grip tightens until I feel my knuckles pop. Her cheeks turn white and my guts slide downward into the tips of my toes.

  “Hey, guys.”

  Sara stands in the doorway with a half-full wineglass clenched in her hand. Her eyes flick between us but her stare lingers longer on Jovie.

  “Sara…” I swallow. “What are you doing here?”

  “Mom invited me.” She steps to the side. “The two of you were dropping by and she’s been dying for a dinner party… so… here I am. That’s not a problem, is it?”

  “No,” Jovie and I answer in unison.

  I discretely free my aching fingers from Jovie’s iron grip. “Is Andy here, too?” I add.

  She nods. “In the kitchen with Mom. Dad’s reading in the living room.”

  “Cool.”

  I lay a hand on Jovie’s back and gently guide her into the foyer, feeling the slight resistance in her step as she passes by Sara.

  Well, this night just got a whole lot longer.

  “Will? Jovie? That you?” Mom calls out from the kitchen down the hall.

  “Yeah, Mom,” I say.

  She appears in the doorway wearing an apron and a bright, red smile. “Oh, Jovie! You look wonderful.”

  Jovie’s cheeks flush pink. “This old thing?” she asks, gesturing to her skirt and blouse.

  “If I had calves like yours, I’d show them off, too. Hell, at one time, that’s exactly what I did…”

  I wince. “Mom…”

  “I’m just saying…” she teases. “Would you two like a drink? We have wine!”

  “Yes, please,” Jovie says, barely hiding the desperation behind the words.

  Mom smiles. “Sara, do you mind?”

  Sara frowns and fires a few silent daggers at each of us through her eyes. “Sure,” she mutters.

  She heads toward the kitchen with fast, purposeful steps.

  I glance at Jovie’s amused grin and tap her ankle with my foot. Her lips slide down but her eyes continue to twinkle behind her lashes.

  I nudge her into the living room where my father sits, lounging back in a loveseat with his iPad.

  Jovie takes a seat on the couch. “Hello, Dr. Myers,” she says.

  He glances up and nods. “Jovie,” he greets. “You look well.”

  “Thank you. You do, too.”

  “How are your teeth?”

  I roll my eyes as I sit down beside her. “Dad…”

  Jovie chuckles. “They’re still in there, last I checked.”

  He grunts. “Well, if that changes…”

  “I’ll be sure to give you a call,” she says.

  Mom and Sara walk in with four fresh wineglasses and Andy nipping at their heels. He rushes over to me and I help him up onto the couch to sit with us while Sara takes an armchair.

  “So, what are we talking about?” Mom asks.

  “Oh, nothing,” my father answers as she hands us our glasses. “Jovie’s teeth are in her mouth.”

  She sits down on the loveseat beside him and nods at Jovie. “Well, that’s a good place for them to be, but if that changes…”

  “I already told her.”

  “Oh, good.”

  I clench my eyes closed. “Dear God…” I mutter to myself.

  Mom looks at me. “What’s that, honey?”

  “Nothing.” I clear my throat. “So, what’s for dinner? Smells good.”

  “I have a roast in the oven with rosemary potatoes and roasted vegetables and cheesecake for dessert. Oh—” She looks at Jovie. “You’re not a vegetarian, right?”

  “No,” Jovie answers.

  “No food allergies?”

  “Shellfish. So, unless you started making roast with crab meat, we should be okay.”

  Mom grins at the joke. “Good. I couldn’t quite remember.”

  “Mom,” I say, “you didn’t have to go through this much trouble. We would have been happy with spaghetti and meatballs.”

  She gawks at me. “Well, I wanted to give Jovie a nice, warm welcome. Who knows how long its been since she had a decent home-cooked meal?”

  I frown at the assumption but Jovie lays her hand on mine. “It sounds wonderful, actually,” she says. “I really appreciate it, Rachel. Thank you.”

  Our hands linger together, drawing Sara’s eyes into my lap. She focuses directly on the diamond ring taking over Jovie’s finger and she stiffens in her seat.

  My mother doesn’t seem to notice. “So,” she says, leaning forward, “you two are back together.”

  Sara’s face falls and she brings her glass to her lips as she stares at the floor.

  I take Jovie’s hand and twist it away to hide the ring from view. “Yes,” I answer.

  Mom fidgets delightfully. “I’m so happy for you, honey. We both are. Right, Dave?”

  Dad grunts.

  “And now that you’re dating and you have a good job, what’s next?” she asks Jovie. “You’re staying in town for good, right?”

  I want to ask Mom to ease off the questions but I glance at Jovie instead, silently awaiting her response. Honestly, I’m just as interested in hearing the answer to that one as they are. Probably more so.

  Jovie drags it out, barely opening her mouth for what feels like a whole minute before she finally nods. “Yeah,” she says. “I am.”

  I take the small victory but it doesn’t break the crushing weight on my shoulders. I look at Sara again. Her expectant, disappointed gaze bores holes into my skull. She knows now what we came here to do and it’s obvious how she feels about it. Still, we came here to set a lie in motion. Can’t back out now.

  “Actually…” I clear my throat. “That’s one of the things we wanted to talk to you guys about.”

  Mom tilts her head and knocks her knuckles against Dad’s knee to force him to drop the
iPad and pay attention. Sara deflates and takes another sip of wine, silently preparing for the inevitable calamity that’s sure to follow.

  Jovie’s once dry hands are now clammy and cold with nerves. I squeeze her a little tighter and ease the ring into view again.

  “We’re getting married,” I say.

  My mother gasps, her mouth curling upward, while my father sits stoic and poised as usual.

  “We know it’s sudden,” I add, “but it feels right.”

  “Of course, it does!” My mother launches off the loveseat and rushes over to Jovie. “Come here!”

  Jovie can barely stand up the whole way before Mom throws her arms around her. I release her hand to stop myself from being sucked into my mother’s vortex of an embrace as she rattles Jovie back and forth.

  She suddenly pulls back and nudges Jovie’s chin. “See? What did I tell you? My boy adores you.”

  I squint with confusion but I let it slide.

  “Dave—” My mother twists around. “Do we have champagne? We need champagne.”

  I hold up a hand. “Mom, we don’t need champagne.”

  Dad shakes his head once. “We don’t have champagne.”

  “Can we get champagne?” she asks.

  “Mom…” I stand up and gently pull Jovie from her shaking grasp. “The wine will do just fine, all right?”

  She slaps my shoulder. “And you wanted me to make spaghetti?”

  I exhale with defeat as Andy tugs on my pant leg. “Yeah, buddy?” I ask him.

  “What’s going on?” he asks.

  I kneel as Mom yanks Jovie into another choke-hold. “Jovie and I are getting married,” I explain. “Like grandma and grandpa and your mom and dad. We’re partners. Does that make sense?”

  He glances around as his eyes grow wide. “Am I getting a cousin to play with?”

  I hesitate. “Um…”

  “Have you two picked a date yet?” my mother asks.

  “No,” I answer, withdrawing from Andy’s question. “We haven’t had a chance to hammer down details at all.”

  “But, it’ll be soon,” Jovie says, smiling. “We’ve already applied for our license.”

  My mother squeals while I glance at Sara’s horrified expression hidden behind her wineglass.

  “You’re definitely here to stay, then!”

  Jovie gives a sly nod. “Clover is my home. I want to be a part of it again. Even if it doesn’t want me back…”