by L. P. Dover
I moved my hips around to gauge the pain. “Yeah, just a bit, but I’m okay.”
Mischievously, he grinned and gloated, “Good, so now when you go out tonight you’ll feel that ache between your legs and know that it was I who did that.”
I gaped at him, mouth wide open, and moaned. Shit, that was so freakin hot.
“How could I forget?” I teased seductively. “Why don’t you remind me just in case?”
It was his turn to gape in disbelief. He sighed and immediately grew hard again. “Do you see what you do to me, Marissa? I don’t think I’m going to be able to let you go if you keep teasing me.”
Smiling, I bit my lip and rubbed his cock. “Are you ready for round two?”
Alec reached over and grabbed another condom from his dresser. “You’re too much, you know that?”
“You have no idea,” I said, grabbing the foil packet.
Pushing Alec onto his back, I opened the wrapper and rolled the condom down his cock. His eyes were alight with wonder, passion, and something else I couldn’t quite figure out. It was a forbidden look of sorts: dangerous, dark, and primal. Knowing I put it there had me even more turned on.
Slowly, I straddled his body and lowered myself inch by glorious inch over his straining erection. I rode him hard—time escaping me—until we were both spent and completely satisfied. We laid on Alec’s bed, and slowly drifted off to sleep, holding each other in a lover’s embrace. For once, in a very long time, I actually felt happy.
I woke to the sudden sound of someone stomping on the floor above us … my floor, my apartment. Groaning, I looked over at the window and noticed it was dark outside. “Shit,” I hissed, jumping out of bed.
Alec jerked awake and sat up. “What’s wrong?” he asked sleepily.
Looking at the clock on his bedside table, I noticed I only had thirty minutes left until everyone would be meeting up to go to the bar. While I rushed to put on my clothes I explained, “I have to hurry and get ready. I can’t go out tonight smelling like sex and looking like this.”
Alec’s lazy grin was sexy, and a part of me wanted to stay so I could see more of it, but I knew I couldn’t. “I think you look hot like that. When will you be back tonight?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied, tying up my sneakers. “But since Emily will be there she’ll probably make me stay out till all hours of the night.”
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
I straightened from tying my shoes, and walked over to the bed. “You better believe it.”
“Stay out of trouble tonight,” he warned.
I winked. “I always do.”
I kissed him quickly and ran out of his apartment, taking the steps two at a time. Bolting through the door, I stripped down as I made my way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes in my wake. Emily’s eyes went wide and she gasped when she saw me.
“Whoa,” she muttered, sliding out of the way to let me pass.
“Sorry,” I called out to her, turning the knob on the shower to hot.
It always took our water forever to get warm and the pressure through the shower head always sucked ass, but I jumped in anyway with it still cold and cringed the whole time it slowly made its transition to hot.
Reaching outside the shower curtain, I grabbed a hair tie and hastily put my hair up so it wouldn’t get wet. I washed quickly, lathering everywhere with soap, even the tenderness between my legs where Alec clearly left his mark. He got what he wanted, didn’t he?
I could definitely feel the aftereffects of our tryst down below, but it was a delicious ache that I welcomed with all my heart. When I opened the shower curtain, Emily was right there, holding out a towel with the biggest grin on her face. I took it, wrapping it around my body and trying hard to keep myself from smiling like an idiot.
She giggled. “Wow, you look amazing. Who would’ve thought a few romps in the sack would give you that much of a glow. Now I know why you dumped Jason.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’ve never experienced the way Alec made me feel … ever, with anyone. It was amazing.”
Emily grinned. “I can tell.”
“What about you though? If anyone looks amazing it’s you. Justin’s not gonna take his eyes off of you tonight.”
“He better not,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. Wiping off the foggy bathroom mirror with a towel, she puckered her lips, gliding on her bright red lipstick that matched her top. She wore the red halter top that I bought her for her birthday with a pair of skin tight black leather pants. Her normally wavy strawberry blonde hair was sleek down her back, and I knew it must’ve taken her at least an hour to get it that straight.
Still applying her lipstick, I looked at our reflection in the mirror and asked, “Is it that obvious with me? I don’t see the glow you’re talking about.” I glanced in the mirror and everything about me looked the same.
“Oh yeah,” she laughed, turning to look up and down my body. “You are definitely glowing. So I’m assuming your new boy toy is coming tonight? Surely, he’s not going to let you out on the prowl, right?”
My face fell and I shook my head. “No, he’s not coming. He said him and bars don’t mix. Also, we’re not exclusive, so letting me out on the prowl really isn’t his decision.”
Emily’s eyes twinkled. “Isn’t that a shame. Well … we’ll just make sure he regrets not going.” She took my hand and dragged me to her room with me still wrapped in my towel.
Hastily, she grabbed her makeup bag and motioned for me to sit on her bed. “You are gonna be one hot bitch once I get done with you. The guys aren’t even gonna recognize you.”
Laughing, I sat down and folded my legs underneath me. “Work your magic on me, Em. I want to look hot.”
We were only a minute late, but the guys were outside blaring the horn on Justin’s SUV. “Come on, Rissa, let’s go!” Emily shouted.
I put the finishing touches on my red lipstick to make them shine and adjusted my breasts under my sparkly, black tube top. I hated wearing strapless bras, but it was necessary. Emily said I was just going to have to deal with it and suck it up. The same went for the tight ass pants she put me in. I guess over the years I just gotten used to wearing jeans and T-shirts.
Emily was impatiently tapping her foot at the front door, and smiled when she saw me. “Damn, I’m good,” she squealed. “I’m glad I did your hair up like that, and I made sure to make your eyes pop with the dark eyeshadow. Do you like it?”
Smiling, I winked and walked past her out the door while she turned around and locked it. “Yes, you did amazing. You’ve always been a master at the makeup, and I do love what you did to my hair. I just wish Alec could see me like this.”
“Hey, it’s his loss, babe, for not coming with you.”
Beaming, she linked her arm with mine and we headed for the stairs. I secretly hoped Alec would walk out and see me … but he didn’t. My disappointment slowly ebbed off when I saw Justin and Kristian’s look of shock when they saw me; they were speechless.
“Do you like my masterpiece?” Emily bragged, showing me off.
Kristian came and put his arm around me, steering me out of Emily’s grasp and into his own. “Hot damn, Mare. I’m not going to let you out of my sight tonight. You look fuckin hot.”
“Oh hush. I look the same as I always do,” I told him, trying to mask the sly grin on my face.
He opened the back passenger door for me and leaned against it. He was wearing a pair of loose fitting jeans that hung dangerously low on his hips and a white button down shirt that made his tanned skin stand out. His stormy gray eyes regarded me intently, like he was trying to figure out what the change was. I definitely wasn’t going to tell him.
Kristian took my chin in his hands and smiled. “No, there’s something different about you. Whatever it is, I like it.”
Snickering, Emily winked at me making me blush, so I rolled my eyes at her. As soon as Kristian stepped out of the way, my gaze landed on s
omeone I wasn’t expecting to see. Alec was outside his apartment door, leaning against the rail, and he didn’t look happy. He didn’t smile and he didn’t wave; all semblance of emotion was gone.
“Mare?” Kristian called, catching my attention. “Let’s go.” He smiled and patted the seat beside him for me to join him.
Nodding quickly, I tried to sneak a glance back up at the apartment, but Alec was nowhere to be seen. Was he mad?
Getting in the car, I couldn’t help but wonder why Alec looked the way he did. “Are you all right?” Kristian asked with a slight frown on his face.
Smiling, I took a deep breath and turned to face him. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged and furrowed his brows. “I don’t know. You just seemed a little lost in thought over there and it looked like something was wrong.”
“I promise I’m all right. Nothing’s going to get in the way of us having fun tonight.”
That seemed to appease him because he nodded and struck up a conversation with Justin. Was I really okay, though? I asked myself. I was confused with Alec’s cold stare, wondering why he didn’t smile at me, but I figured I could worry about that later.
The night ahead of me wasn’t about Alec; it was about Kristian and showing him a good time. If it wasn’t for the ache between my legs I’d put Alec out of my mind, but I couldn’t. I guess he did get his wish.
The bar was packed, but Kristian and I had managed to snag a couple of stools at the bar. “What’ll it be for ya?” the bartender asked, smiling at Kristian. She was petite and pixie-like with her short blonde haircut and small frame; she looked to be about our age.
Kristian beamed back at her. “Let’s see … I think my friend and I will have two double shots of tequila.”
“Kristian,” I gasped. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
The bartender smiled and placed two shot glasses down on the bar and filled them to the brim with the amber liquid. He chuckled. “No, but you need some alcohol in your system if you’re going to be dancing with me. No offense, Mare, but you’re kind of clumsy when you’re sober.”
I glared at him. “I am not, and usually, it’s the opposite way around. Alcohol is supposed to make you clumsier.”
Kristian slid my filled shot glass over to me and tapped it with his, making it clink together. “Not to you it doesn’t. Now bottoms up, baby.” He downed his quickly and motioned for the bartender to pour him another. Tequila wasn’t my favorite liquor but it’d do the trick. Taking a deep breath, I tossed back the liquid and hissed as the burn slid down my throat.
With a twinkle in his eye, Kristian asked, “Do you want another one?”
“Uh,” I groaned, and reluctantly held up one finger. “One more and that’s it. I haven’t eaten anything tonight so they’re going to hit me hard.”
The bartender poured me another one, and I immediately tossed it back. Kristian thrummed his fingers on the bar to the beat of the music while I searched the crowd, letting the tequila warm its way through my body. Emily and Justin were dancing already, grinding on each other like they were having sex on the dance floor.
I guess that’s how we all looked when we were out there dancing. After a few minutes, I could feel the effects of the tequila starting to take hold, making me feel warm and light as I swayed to the music. I was ready to dance.
Kristian grabbed my hand and started for the dance floor. “I believe you might be ready, Mare. Let’s see if you’ve improved since last time.”
“Hey,” I shouted over the music, “I can’t help it! Your feet got in the way.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he teased.
Laughing, I followed eagerly behind him, ready to show him I could dance no matter what he believed. The last time we went dancing, I stepped on his feet a gazillion times. I knew how to move my hips and grind, but my feet were a different story.
When we reached the dance floor, Kristian twirled me around so fast it made me dizzy, and grabbed me by the hips so my back was to his front. The song playing was called “Too Close” by Next, and it fit the scene perfectly. I was a little too close to Kristian.
To the beat of the music, I began moving my hips and following along with Kristian’s pace. Closing my eyes, I let the flow of the music take me. It was an old song that was popular when I was in middle school, but it sure was a good song to dance to. It felt good to be carefree and do what I wanted.
I was interested in Alec, but I didn’t know where the relationship was going to lead. He had too many secrets, and it made me nervous. Yes, I’d had sex with him, but that was strictly physical. I needed the release just as much as he did, and I was prepared to walk away if need be. Except, if I was honest with myself, I didn’t want to.
“Yep, you’ve improved,” Kristian said loudly to be heard above the music.
Leaning my head back, I laughed. “I told you I could move.”
I picked up my pace and moved my hips even more to the music. Sweat glistened across my skin as I worked my muscles to the beat.
Kristian was an excellent dancer, and thankfully, he was my date for the night so the creeps that usually prowled these places would hopefully stay away. I felt comfortable with him, even when we would dance all up on each other like we were doing at the moment. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my mind off of Alec.
Kristian’s hands flexed on my hips, and I could feel his breath on my neck as he moved closer. He groaned in my ear, “Holy fuck, Mare, you’re gonna give me a hard on if you keep moving like that.”
When he shifted against me I could already feel his erection pressing against my ass. Awkwardly, I turned to face him, trying to hide my smile. “Um … I think you already have one.”
He chuckled and grabbed me around the waist, dancing like nothing was going on. “Well, it’s kind of hard not to when you have a good-looking girl gyrating against your dick. If I didn’t value your friendship, I would’ve already tried to fuck you.”
I gasped, clearly not expecting to hear that. I never knew he felt that way. Loudly, I said, “Alec thinks you have feelings for me. You don’t, do you? Because I told him you didn’t.”
Since we were on the subject, I might as well find out as much as I could. Kristian’s gray eyes bored into mine, all serious and no play, as he moved his hips against me, holding me tight.
“Why does he care?” he asked dryly. “You’re not getting serious with him, are you?”
I shrugged noncommittally. “We’re not exclusive or anything, but he seems to think you want more.”
Luckily, Kristian sighed and pulled me off the dance floor to a remote corner of the bar where we didn’t have to yell to be heard. Dancing with his erection between us was getting to be a little distracting. I leaned my back against the wall while Kristian towered over me with his serious gaze. I was a tall girl, but he was taller by several inches so I had to tilt back my head from him being so close.
“Look, Marissa, I’m not going to lie to you. As you can see I’m physically attracted to you, and yes I’ve thought about what it would’ve been like to be more than friends, but I would never overstep those boundaries unless you wanted me to.”
“What about Natalie? I thought you loved her?” I asked, surprised by his confession.
He nodded. “I did, and I still do, but you of all people know what it’s like to be several states away from the one you’re with.”
Would things have been different between us if we were both single when we met? I was attracted to him in the beginning, despite me being with Jason, but I let those feelings cool when I found out Kristian had a girlfriend.
“I know,” I agreed. “Would you have broken up with Natalie to be with me if I was single when we met?” My heart pounded out of my chest and my palms were getting sweaty. Did I really want to know the answer to that question?
Kristian opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off by putting my hand over his mouth. “Wait! Don’t answer that. I shouldn’t have asked that question,
and I’m sorry. I was crossing the line there.”
He laughed and kissed me on the forehead. “Well, if you ever want to know the answer to that question you can always ask me again. We’re friends, Marissa, and nothing’s going to change that. I’ll always be here for you no matter what.”
When I leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, a familiar set of icy blue eyes stared at me over Kristian’s shoulder. Holy hell, what was he doing here? I wondered.
“Alec?” I asked, letting Kristian go. “What are you doing here?”
He glared at me before setting his lethal gaze onto Kristian. “I came because you invited me,” he remarked coldly.
Exasperated, I said, “Well, yes, but you said you couldn’t come.”
He shrugged noncommittally. “I changed my mind, but it looks like you must’ve forgotten your little reminder from the afternoon.” I gasped and immediately glanced at Kristian, hoping he wouldn’t know what Alec was talking about. Why was he so pissed at me?
Kristian bristled beside me and took my hand, pulling me into his side. “Are you ready to go?” he asked, clearly in protective mode.
Alec’s gaze stayed focused on me. “Not yet. I need to talk to Alec.”
Kristian’s jaw was clenched when I peered up at him, but he huffed and stalked away, heading for the bar. When my gaze returned to Alec he was fuming. “I thought you said you two were just friends,” he remarked. “It didn’t look that way on the dance floor.”
Shocked, my eyes went wide in disbelief. “So, you’ve been here almost the whole time. Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Because I wanted to see how you were with your friend,” he replied, matter-of-factly.
Throwing my hands up in the air, I groaned loudly. “How many times do I have to tell you that he’s just that … he’s just my friend? When I was dancing with him all I saw in my mind was you. You’re not an easy person to forget, Alec. You made it perfectly clear that I wouldn’t.”
“I don’t know. It looks like I need to remind you again.”