by A. J. Pryor
“Roan, she’s going to call me. It’d be nice to have a heads-up before that happens. Does she know or not?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” I replied, uncomfortable with this turn of conversation, but knowing Becca was right. They were friends and Luana would definitely try to get as much information from Becca as possible.
“Roan, you better keep Jessica far away from her. Luana could and would totally ruin this for you.”
“Trust me, I know.”
“Does Jessica know about Luana? You should probably warn her if not. It may help if Luana does try to contact her.”
That was a period in my life I liked to forget. It was dark and ugly and only brought me heartache. I only wanted Jess to see me—not a past filled with threats, lies, and unpleasantness. “I haven’t told her and I’m not sure I’m going to.”
“It’s your life, Roan, but in my opinion, that’s a bad idea.”
“What’s a bad idea?” Jess was suddenly next to the table.
Becca waved her hand in the air. “Talking shop.”
Jess stifled a yawn. “I’m getting tired, Roan. Can you get me a cab and I’ll meet you back at the hotel?”
I put my arm around her shoulders, “I’ll go with you. Landon, I’ll get the paperwork over to you in the morning. The bill has been taken care of so stay as long as you like. It was great seeing you both.” I nodded in Becca’s direction and helped Jess into her coat. Once outside she turned and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Sorry, Roan, I couldn’t take any more of that girl.” She gently kissed me and sighed into my lips.
I chuckled and squeezed her a little tighter. “So you’re not really tired?”
“Tired of that girl.”
“What’d she say to you?”
“She said she was sorry about the way she reacted when we first walked in. She’d never seen you with a girlfriend before and ‘she never thought she’d see the day Roan Anders would settle down.’ Then she continued to tell me all the trips she’s taken with you how the two of you have traveled the world together. I’m not the jealous type, Roan, but I don’t need to hear it.”
I snuggled her in close and whispered in her ear. “There’s nothing to hear, Goldilocks. I’ve never had sex with Becca.”
She looked up into my eyes. “Really? By the way she talked, it was like she knew your deepest darkest secrets.”
he hotel room was still dark. It was very early morning, and Jessica’s naked body was nestled against my own. We had been in and out of sleep, knowing she was leaving in a few short hours.
Her hands reached up and her fingers trailed down my cheeks.
“Roan?”
“What is it, Locks?” My arms cradled her and her head rested on my chest, right below my chin. I kissed the top of her head and held her tight.
“It doesn’t change anything.”
“What doesn’t change, Locks?”
“When people like Becca tell me about all those other women. It bugs me, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. I know you chose me and I chose you. I get it, I’ve always gotten it.”
I shifted, bringing her underneath me. I was spent. We’d been up most of the night and I didn’t know if I could do anything but kiss her. But what she’d just said to me made me want to melt into her. I kissed her and covered her with my body. No matter how tired my mind was, my body wanted her, and my cock rose to greet her. Gently I entered her. She was wet and warm and no amount of lovemaking we’d already done lessened the fact that, suddenly, I couldn’t get deep enough. With our lips locked and my body spread out above her, I sank in her as far as I could possibly get. My feet pushing on the mattress, my balls resting on her rear, as I slowly and tenderly drifted in and out of her body. Our skin slid across each other, while our tongues danced. My cock was coated with all her warmth and it felt so unbelievable. I’d never experienced anything like this before. When she came, her insides squeezed me even farther inside and I swear we became one person. Her moans entered my mouth as I refused to break the connection we had.
“I. Can’t. Get. Enough of you.” My lips were resting on hers, as I released, my balls tightening up, causing a rolling wave of pleasure to run from the top of my head down to my toes. I stilled above her and bit down on her lip. With my cock buried deep and holding her hand in mine, I moved my head to rest in the crux of her neck. “Locks, I will always choose you.”
Her hand ran down the length of my back, her fingernails tickling as they made their way up and down. It was then that I felt the trickle of warmth slide down my legs. I gently pulled out wondering what had happened and I realized in my lust-drunken state, I hadn’t used a condom.
“Jessica?”
“Hmm?” She was starting to doze off and I needed to let her know what I’d done.
“Jessica, are you on the pill?”
She nodded and I held her tighter.
“Good, because we just had the most unbelievable sex and I wasn’t wearing a condom.”
“Oh. Well, I’m clean too in case you were wondering.”
Wow, it actually hadn’t crossed my mind. I’d always used a condom and was frequently tested. “Me too.” I whispered in her ear but I think she was already asleep.
like that one.” Casey was on her twelfth dress and it was getting boring.
“You’ve said that about the last five.”
I shrugged. “You brought me to Monique Lhuillier; of course I love them all. But in complete honesty, the first one you tried on was my favorite.”
“I completely agree. It’s the first one or none at all.” Casey’s sister, Kathy, had joined us and I couldn’t be happier. Kathy seemed to get busier as her three children grew older. I rarely saw her anymore.
Casey sighed and twirled one more time. “Yeah, you guys are right.” She called the salesclerk and requested to try the first dress again.
I’d flown back from Park City early this morning. After two days of non-stop Roan, it was hard to leave him. We would get our schedules on the same page eventually—we had to.
Casey sat down next to me as we waited for her dress to arrive. “I haven’t asked you a word about the last two days and you haven’t said anything. I’m not sure if that means your trip to Park City was a success or not, but I’m almost scared to ask.”
I smiled coyly in response.
“Jessica Baker, I cannot believe you kept me in the dark the past five hours. Spill it! I want to hear everything.”
“What did I miss?” Kathy interjected. “Jess, why are you sporting that grin? The last time you looked like that you’d just made out with that guy, what was his name?” As Kathy was trying to remember Matt French’s name my hand rubbed at the hickey hiding under the scarf I’d conveniently wrapped around my neck, then moved to the bite mark that still stung on my shoulder.
I looked over at Casey and gave her my most innocent look. “Casey, in the South we don’t kiss and tell.”
“Ah, excuse me. If I remember correctly the day after my first time with Mason you wanted all the gory details.”
“And if I remember correctly you didn’t spill them.”
“You are so frustrating. I take it the trip was worthwhile?”
I couldn’t hold in my smile.
“Wow, Jess, that look on your face says it all.”
“Casey, he doesn’t want to spend a minute apart!”
“Wait a second. Mason’s best friend, Roan Anders? The guy who couldn’t do commitment?” Kathy’s questions were unsettling because I had felt the same way recently. Now, I hoped that statement wasn’t true.
Casey asked, “And you’re good with that? Because the Jessica Baker I know likes to have her independence.” She studied my face, making sure she was talking to the same person she’d known the past eight years.
I thought about it for a minute. It was true. I’d always been my own person, never allowing anyone to dictate what I could or could not do. This was different. Roan wasn’t trying to
take over my life, he was simply making sure our lives flowed together. I wanted my life in sync with his, and to be wherever he was. “Did you know he hasn’t had sex in three months because he only wanted me?”
They both stared at me with their jaws hanging open.
“Ladies, close your mouths, it’s rude to stare.”
“He told you that?” Casey asked shocked.
Their concern fed that small part of me that still wondered if this wasn’t all a fantasy.
“Jess! We’ve seen him take home one woman after another. I can’t believe he never closed the deal with any of them.”
I shrugged and looked in the mirror fixing my hair. “Said he tried but couldn’t get me out of his head.” I’d had a few days to get over my own initial shock at Roan’s revelation, but, right now, I couldn’t meet the disbelief in their eyes.
Casey backed off, “So, when does he get back into town?”
“Tomorrow night. He wanted me to stay in Park City but I told him I couldn’t let you down, so let’s get it together and pick a dress.” The saleswoman walked in at that moment with the first dress Casey had tried on and all talk of my sex life was thankfully put to rest.
The saleswoman zipped up her dress and I almost cried. “That dress is stunning on you, Case.”
“I completely agree.” Kathy had gotten up to admire her baby sister. The gown was ivory and had a strapless sweetheart corset top embroidered with lace, beading, and an A-line skirt that hit the ends of her toes. “Mom would have loved to see you in this, Casey. Her wedding dress was very similar.”
“Yes, it was,” Casey agreed.
Both sisters were looking in the mirror and discussing photos they remembered of their parents on their wedding day. I had only seen one of my parents. Gushing about the past was not something my mother did. She never discussed that time in her life with any of us. I knew she loved my Daddy, and that he adored her, but something had happened to her when she was younger that made her close up. There was an underlying current that we could see—a pain that would sometimes flash in her eyes. When I asked her about it, why she sometimes looked so sad, she merely shook her head dismissively. Whatever ate at her, she kept it locked up inside.
I thought about Roan and wondered what our future would look like. Jaxon had called us an explosion, but I considered us more of a cosmic event - he lit up every part of my being. My skin tingled when I thought of him. This morning, he reminded me that he spent more time away than at his own home; he told me I could go with him on any trip I wanted. His assistant was forwarding me his schedule and I was to have her book an extra ticket for me. I couldn’t think of anything sexier than traveling the world with him. My life had always been easy. With a trust fund that would serve not only my grandkids, but also their grandkids for years, I’d never had to worry about money. Since receiving full access to my funds, I’d bought a few extravagant things - designer clothes and jewelry that were as much an investment as a luxury - but I’d never used it for the hell of it. That was going to change, I wanted to be by his side; if that meant traveling with him to remote places around the world, I was in. Then, we’d know for sure if we were a match beyond the bedroom.
Casey bought her dress and it was beautiful. Her wedding was a little over a month away and everything was falling into place. The three of us went to lunch at a trendy café on Sunset Boulevard. She said, “So now you guys need to get your dresses; make sure they’re blue.” We had all ordered the Chinese Chicken Salads and were sharing a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
“Blue, what a shocker,” I joked after taking a sip.
Case rolled her eyes at me. “Hey, I know I’m going to have to wear pink when you and Roan tie the knot, so deal.”
I almost choked on my wine. Roan was just getting used to the idea of a girlfriend; I couldn’t imagine being his wife anytime soon.
“I saw that look of panic cross your face, Jessica,” Kathy chided me.
“Not panic, shock. Case, you and Mason rushed into this marriage thing. I don’t know if Roan will ever get there, and right now, it’s the last thing I want to worry about.”
Case’s eyes turned sympathetic.
“What’s that look for, Case?”
She took a big breath and it was clear she was debating if she wanted to say whatever it was that was on her mind.
“Come on, Casey, spill it,” Kathy said. She had stopped eating and was pointing her fork in Casey’s direction.
“Look, Jess, it’s pretty clear that Roan is crazy about you. Stay on guard. I love Roan, he’s Mason’s best friend and that makes him family. But Roan has never made a secret about being a player. I’m all for you guys giving this a shot, just try not to get your heart broken while you’re at it.”
My smile faded. No one needed to tell me about Roan. I’d seen firsthand the heartbreak left in his wake.
“I’m not saying he’s going to cheat on you or lie to you, because that’s not Roan. He’s the most honest guy I know, but he’s never wanted a girlfriend, and I’m sure whatever he’s feeling scares him to death.”
My mind wandered over the discarded women I had seen over the past few months. I was about as tough as they come, but I wasn’t sure I could handle being tossed aside for the next pretty and willing female to flash her smile in his direction.
Casey went on, as if it wasn’t bad enough. “Women all over the world are going to hate you for nabbing him. Be ready for whatever retribution they decide to deliver.”
“Casey, I’m strong enough to handle a little girl-jealousy.”
“I don’t know, Jess. There’s something in Roan’s past that’s really awful. Mason won’t talk about it, which concerns me even more. But he’s afraid of commitment for a reason.”
Kathy asked, “What do you think it is?” She was leaning into the table intently.
“I have no idea, but it’s got to be pretty bad.”
I heard what she was saying, I really did, but I was still floating in the clouds from the past few days. I had no interest in coming down to earth anytime soon. So, I locked Casey’s comments away. If Roan and I had a future, whatever happened in his past would reveal itself soon enough.
reparing to make a few new dessert recipes, I had flour scattered around my kitchen and chocolate melting on my stove when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway. No one was there.
I hung up, sent Roan a text, that I was licking chocolate off my fingers and wished he were there to do it for me. He sent me one back saying he would lick more than my fingers when he got home. I smiled and continued to stir the chocolate with the wooden spoon.
The next time my phone rang, again, there was only dead air. If the call came through a third time, I’d block the number. Pouring the chocolate brownies into a dish, I placed them in the oven and removed my pink apron. I was a mess: my fingers, forehead, and arms were all sticky. In the bathroom, I turned my shower on steaming hot and sent another text. “About to shower. Remember our last one together?”
He immediately responded, “Killing me, Locks, killing me over here.”
I laughed and walked into the hot water. It pelted my back and I stood there, letting it run down my body and in between my toes. In the distance, I thought I heard my phone ringing.
Wrapped in a big pink towel, my mood darkened when I saw a call from the same number. This time there was a message: it sounded like a young girl, with crazy high-pitched laughing that creeped me out. Maybe some stupid teenager who had the wrong number. I hit delete and blocked the caller.
I fired up my laptop to respond to some messages before calling it a night. As I was typing a message to Mr. Price’s assistant about the new dessert recipes—an email from Roan arrived. It was an invitation on my Outlook Calendar to go to his brother’s football game with him this weekend. A huge smile crossed my lips. I was meeting Blake, the most important person in his life. I accepted and then looked at the date. Holy Hell! I left the day after for Texas. I total
ly forgot I’d booked a trip there when Savannah called the last time.
“Hey, Locks, everything okay? It’s late.” He sounded tired and I was sure I’d just woke him up.
I didn’t want to upset him and tell him about being unsettled by the phone calls. Instead, I told him the other bad news, “I forgot to tell you, I’m going to Texas next week.”
He was quiet. “Well, that sucks. Can you change your flight? I wanted you to go to Mammoth with me.”
“I wish I could but my mother would flip. I haven’t been home in a year and I won’t be there for the holidays, so this is it.”
“Will you miss Blake’s game?”
“No, I leave the next day.”
“Are you staying in Texas for Thanksgiving?”
I had booked my trip the week before Thanksgiving, so I wasn’t staying for the holiday. Los Angeles was my home and I’d made a tradition of spending it with Casey’s family. Even though Casey would be in New York with Mason this year, I still didn’t want to be in Texas for the holiday. My family drove me crazy on a normal day; the holidays only amplified the madness.
“No, I’ll be home on Friday.”
“Let’s spend that week in Aspen. I have to be up there Monday for meetings, but you can meet me on Tuesday.”
“That sounds amazing, Roan. I’d love that.”
“Great, then get some sleep, you won’t be getting much tomorrow.” I could hear the hunger in his voice.
As I settled into bed, I thought about the crank call and wondered whose shit list I’d gotten on and why. Thanks to modern technology, hopefully I wouldn’t have to hear from her again.
fter almost two weeks of traveling, it was a relief to land back in Los Angeles. Missing my girl, I’d ended up at her house after quickly checking that my own place was still in one piece. Continuing to get acquainted with each other’s bodies, we hadn’t slept much, but as usual, I was up early. I looked around her room and laughed to myself—everything was pink. How was it that this girl was so cool and yet her favorite color was pink? I kissed the side of her head and slipped out of bed. There was a huge swell coming in and I wanted to get in the water before I started my day. I’d been up in the mountains for the past week and I needed some ocean time. My skin was tingling with the desire to get on my board.