We met when I walked into my dorm room for freshman year. She was the complete opposite of me, where I had light hair, she had dark. Where I had light eyes, she has a deep forest green color. Where I' m relatively short, she's around 5'9. I was always the one studying vigorously, while she went out and partied. About half way through my freshman year, I had been down in the dumps and Kota invited me out with her. When I got drunk off my ass and started vomiting everywhere, she held my hair back and took care of me. That next morning she helped with my hangover as well, we've been inseparable since. I hadn’t spoken to her in about a week or so with all that had been going on, with the move, work, and Liam.
I got out of the shower, towel dried myself and then headed into the kitchen for a glass of much needed wine. After pouring my wine, I grabbed my phone from my purse and sat down on the couch. Scrolling through my contacts I found Kota's number and dialed.
“Holy hell, I thought you were dead, it's been so long since I've talked to you!” That's how she answers the phone. I love her, but she is such a drama queen!
“I know… I've been busy with work, and moving into the new house. You know work has put me on some crazy hours! I'm sorry I haven't called though, so much has happened since we spoke last. You are not going to believe it, but I have a date Friday...” I trailed off waiting for a response from her.
All I was getting was dead air though, “Hellloo? Dakota? You still there?”
She answers with, “Oh my god! I didn't think you were ever gonna date again.”
“I know, but this guy didn't really give me the option to say no. He just told me we’re going on a date Friday at seven and he’d be here to pick me up,” I replied, I really hoped that that would take her mind off the last relationship I had. I really didn’t want to talk about that situation. If she were to bring it up, that’ll make it twice that it’s mentioned in a week, and that was really too much for me.
“Whoa, that's kind of hot, don't you think Ray? I mean I don’t even know him and I would like to jump his bones! What does he look like, how did you guys meet?” She asked, rattling the questions off at me.
“He's got black-ish hair and the brightest green eyes I have ever seen on a man. He's tall; 6'4 would be my guess. His shoulders are huge and he has a broad chest. I met him when he came into the emergency room two nights ago with a bullet in his thigh. He asked me to pick him up when he got discharged, because his friend bailed on him. I picked him up, took him to his house, he invited us in, and then we left. Just like that.” I really didn't want to tell her what had happened after I had Liam buckled into the car, for the simple reason that she would rib me about it.
“I can tell you’re withholding information for me, so you better spill it girl. Have you forgotten that we’ve been friends for almost 10 years? I know you. What happened before you left?” She asked. I sighed; of course I couldn’t get away with a white lie.
“Well he walked Liam and me out to the car, I got him buckled in, then turned around. When I turned around, he stalked toward me and leaned down till our lips were just centimeters apart…” I trailed off wanting to freak out her out and leave her hanging. It worked, a second later she was yelling at me down the line to finish.
“He turned his head, kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear that he would text me tomorrow.” I said it so fast, without a breath in between, that I didn't think she would understand.
“OH MY GOD! You almost got kissed Ray, what the hell? You were going to hold that from me? I can't believe you! I am so coming over Friday before your date to help you pick out your outfit!” She was squealing with excitement. This was going to be fun.
“How are you not as excited as I am? This is your date. Why aren’t you excited, baby?” Dakota sounded a little more somber when she asked the questions. She could probably feel my melancholy with the situation right through the phone line.
“I don't know Kota, look what happened last time I dated a guy?” I asked while biting my lower lip, worry etched all over my face no doubt. Thankful that she couldn’t see me, I continued, “Do you really think that it’s a good idea to try and start dating again? I have horrible trust issues; I have a son, and even more baggage. What would a guy like him want with me? Am I just going to be a piece of ass for him? I don't want to be that girl again, Kota.” The last part trailed off into a whisper. I was freaked and I didn't know what to do. After Luke I don't know if I could handle much more heart break. I went through hell and back with my own mother, then to go through it again with Luke. He was supposed to love me, but didn't at all.
“Honey, you’re going to have to get over him some time soon. Not every guy is like Luke. Not every guy will do what he did to you. There are some good ones left out there, I promise. Give him a chance. You never know, you could end up with your soul mate for all we know. You have to go through hell to get your own personal heaven baby girl,” she stated, her voice full of hopefulness, trying to through to me. Great, she was making me cry now. She always knew what to say to make me feel better. I was glad I decided to call her, her words were exactly what I needed.
“Dakota, you know I love you right? There’s a reason you invited me to that party with you all those years ago. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I told her in a husky voice, trying to control all my emotions.
“You would croak over and die honey, you know that.” Her voice was thick, like she was controlling her own emotions. She hates crying, I didn’t know why, but she detested it.
I told Kota I would see her Friday when she came over, and got off the phone with her. I stayed there for a few minutes, looking at the phone in my hands. I knew that Kota was right but dating was hard as it is without all the extra baggage. I sighed, knowing that a good night’s rest was what I needed most right now. I stood up from my comfortable plush beige couch and reached over for my now empty glass. I walked over to the kitchen and then proceeded to wash it out, before placing it in the dishwasher. Feeling the weight of my lids, I headed towards my bedroom, grateful for the King sized haven awaiting me. Too tired to put my clothes away, I tugged them off and left them on the floor by my bed. I’d put them away tomorrow, I thought as I claimed the massive bed, eager to put my worries behind me. At least for tonight… And just as my head hit the pillow I was out.
“Mommy, Mommy! Wake up. It's time to wake up!” Liam’s little voice filled my ears the next morning. He was jumping up and down on my bed grinning his toothy grin. I loved that smile, it made getting up at seven in the morning so worth it. I grabbed him by his ankle and pulled him down and started to tickle his sides and blowing raspberries on his belly.
He started screaming, “Stop mom, you win, okay? You win!”
Laughing the whole time, I stopped tickling him and pulled him next to me. I grabbed his hand in both of mine and looked into his eyes, eyes that weren’t mine. I whispered, “I love you baby, you know that right?”
“Yeah mommy, I know. I would never forget you tell me so much! I love you too mommy.”
My eyes filled with tears at my little boy’s words. I didn’t know what I would do without him, he was my entire being. The only reason I wanted to get up some mornings.
After Liam and I had gotten up I decided that I would make him some pancakes. When he got done with his pancakes he went down the hall toward his room to get ready to go over to Matt’s house. He loved his Uncle Matty. I was always close to Matt while growing up. While all my brothers are protective of me, Matt was always the worst about it. When I was dating Luke, Matt hated him with every fiber of his being, granted that hate was to be expected after everything came out. I knew Matt would probably hate the fact that I would be going on a date but I would tell him when I see him. He needed to understand the same thing I had been constantly trying to beat into my own head, which was that not all guys are the same. My brothers are the perfect example; they really are good guys, maybe a little whore-ish, but they really were sweethearts on the inside.
When
we pulled up to Matt's house about an hour later I rang the doorbell and anxiously waited for the door to open. I had a key but there was no telling what was on the other side of that door so I wasn’t going to barge in there. This was an unexpected visit so he could be doing just about anything. When the door swung open, I was greeted by a very mad Matt. He was obviously upset about being awakened at ten on a Friday morning. When he realized that it was Liam and I, he opened the door wider, allowing us to enter. I told Liam to go watch T.V. in the living room while Matt and I talked.
I went into the kitchen and started him a pot of coffee; I knew he couldn't function without it. After the coffee was done, I pulled down a cup from a cupboard, poured him some and slid it down to him. After he was done with it, I thought it was safe enough to talk to him.
Sitting down at the dining room table I said, “So Matty, would you do me a huge favor?”
He looked at me, then raised his eyebrows and grunted out a, “What?” Okay so maybe it wasn't safe to talk to him yet, but oh well, I was already here.
“Well, I have a date tonight. I was wondering if you would watch Liam for me till tomorrow morning, I’ll get him early, so you can still get some sleep, if you don’t have to work. I don’t want to ask Nanny, because she's getting too old to run around with a three almost four year old little boy.” I gave him my best pouty face, hoping he wouldn't give me any shit about my date. However my hopes were dashed pretty quickly with his next sentence.
“A date, really sis? What happened last time you went on a date? You got stuck with a physco for a while! I want to meet this guy before you go out with him.” He looked like a raging bull. This was not good.
“Matty, I'm almost 30 years old, you are not meeting him before this date. As much as I appreciate your protectiveness, I don’t need it right now. Please just watch Liam for me?” I pouted my lip out as much as possible, so he would hopefully agree.
“I know you’re almost 30, but I really don’t like it. The last relationship you had was horrible, it almost killed you. I’ll watch Liam for you, but I want updates regularly, I’m serious about that. I want to know where you are going, and when you’ll be home. I won’t back down on this,” he said firmly.
He gave me a stern look, daring me to challenge him on this. I wasn’t going to, this worked for me. I jumped up and ran to the head of the table, where he was sitting. Once I reached him I planted a big fat kiss on his cheek all the while chanting "Thank you, Thank you."
He just laughed at my antics and got another cup of coffee, while he was doing that, I started to say good-bye to Liam. After I gave Liam a huge bear hug, and a bunch of kisses, I kissed my brother on the cheek. I got back in my baby and headed to get ready for my date. I was so excited!
Chapter 8
Mace
I lifted a hand and rapped on the door twice and waited there until I heard a chain being moved. When the door opened I was struck by the most mesmerizing creature I had ever laid eyes on. Araylia was standing there in a tight as fuck pair of jeans that hugged her hips perfectly, a strapless leather bustier that accentuated her tits, and motorcycle boots on her feet. The whole outfit screamed sex goddess. Her makeup was dark and smoky; her lips were painted a blood red which went really well with her blonde hair down in waves. Already, I had the biggest fucking hard on I'd ever had. I needed to learn to control myself better around her. She was going to notice my hard-on and want to run away. I chuckled at that thought. If I played my cards right, when I did fuck her she definitely wouldn’t be running, unless it's in my direction. I texted her earlier and told her I was going to take her to a club, so to dress club casual, she did a really good job.
I held out my hand for her to take. She held up a finger, went back in the house for a second, and came back with a clutch. I lead her down the front steps of her house. When she saw my Hayabusa, the gleaming black sports bike, she looked at me and cocked a perfectly plucked eye brow. Before I could ask her what’s wrong she looked down at it again, then up at me and said, "You want me to get on that?"
“Well yeah. Why is that a problem?” I asked, confused.
“It’s not a problem, I’m just nervous; I’ve never been on one,” she responded as she shifted from foot to foot. Well at least I know to bring the car next time.
“You’re scared of my bike when you’ve got that ride of yours?” I asked her incredulously. She just shook her head and I saw her steel her resolve, putting on a brave face. She had a look of defiance on and it was kind of turning me on, though I couldn’t admit just how much she affected me.
I handed her the helmet I had and she looked at it like it was rocket science. I chuckled at her obvious confusion. She then handed the helmet out to me and I proceeded to adjust the buckles and raise it to her head.
I looked down at her, staring into those blue-green-violet eyes, feeling like I was being sucked in. I leaned down farther, so we're practically nose to nose. I turned my mouth toward her ear and whispered, "I forgot to tell you at the door, you look mouth-watering."
Letting my statement linger, I strapped the helmet on her after hearing her surprised intake of breath. I smirk and it provoked her. She looked up at me and I could spot a devilish gleam in her eyes. Ah shit, I thought. From what I knew about her, she was a feisty woman. Which meant she was going to find some way to get me back from the stunt the other night, when she left my house and this one. And I knew I was not going to like it either. Oh well, I liked fucking with her and didn’t plan on stopping, unless she asked.
After I got onto the bike and settled on the seat, I turned around and looked at her while cranking my baby. “Come on, woman. We don’t have all day.”
She turned and glared at me through her helmet while climbing onto my bike. She threw her leg over the bike and climbed on. After she was on she placed her hands around my waist and rubbed my abdomen. She lowered her hand every time she made a swipe; I guessed this was my form of punishment from my earlier actions.
I navigated the streets while her hand continued its torturous rubbing. She was distracting me from driving and I really hoped we wouldn’t get into a fucking wreck; I didn’t want to ruin the date before it even started. I was trying really hard not to show her that she was bothering me, determined to get the upper hand.
Suddenly her hand slid to the waistband of my pants and I pushed on the gas a little harder, causing her to squeal. I guess you won’t be trying to fuck with me while I'm on driving anymore. I chuckle.
It was obvious she thought she was going to win this. Not even close.
I opened the door to the bar named, “Stoke”. I frequented here when I got the rare occasion off of work. It was a college bar, but the only bar around without having to go 30 minutes out of town. I found Ray and me a table, leaned down close to her ear and ask what she wanted to drink. She said a shot of vodka, and one Long Island Iced Tea. She could get that but I was just getting a beer. I assumed that the shot is to calm her nerves. I liked knowing that I'm making her nervous.
I bought the drinks and on my way back to the table I spot some guy trying to talk to Ray. I took quick, meaningful strides toward her. The tool stood at my arrival and looked at me, saw the look on my face, and ran off like the place was on fire. In situations like this, my height and build came in handy. I scared the fucker. Good.
I couldn’t blame him though; Ray looked hot as hell tonight. I would have made a move if I saw her here. I handed her the drink and watched as she threw back the vodka without as much as a wince. That's impressive. She grabbed her other drink and fiddled with it. She looked nervous again.
“So…uh, how's your leg?” She stuttered. Looking pointedly at my leg where I got shot, not in the eyes.
“My leg is doing fine, thanks to you, but we're not here to talk about my leg,” I said.
She seemed tense as she thought about a reply, “What are we here for, then?”
“I like you; I want to try something with you. Get to know you; I want this to go so
mewhere.” I decided to go ahead and give it to her straight; there wasn’t a point in beating around the bush. She had to have known that I wanted her from the moment I laid eyes on her. My obvious appeal to her almost took out her damn eye. She looked up at me with startled eyes as if she hadn’t expected my statement
“You want to try something with me?” She pointed to herself when she said me.
“Yes, I like what I know so far, I want to know more. I like what I see, I also want to see more.” My answer made her eyes go a dark green-ish blue. There it was; desire was flaring in her eyes.
“Would you like to dance?” I nodded my head toward the dance floor and had already stood up and was waiting for her to take my hand.
I lead her to the dance floor then turned her back to my front. Loving the way she was swaying against my cock, I started to get hard. She was shaking those sexy as sin hips and had her hands in her hair lifting it off her sweat-glistened neck. I bent down and touched my mouth to her neck, nipping then kissing the sensitive skin there. I could feel her shiver and it shot a bolt of pleasure straight to my cock. If we kept this up, we were going to be having sex on the dance floor. I turned her toward our table, bent down toward her ear and whispered, “Let's get something to drink, and talk.”
She nodded her agreement and walked over to the table while I got some more drinks. I got water for myself since I was driving and another Long Island Ice Tea for her.
Sitting down I ask, “So what’s your family like?”
Her whole demeanor changed with my question, she tensed up and her eyes went from the swirling green-ish blue to straight blue. She looked uncomfortable and pissed. Well apparently this is a sore subject as well.
“Nothing much to tell, I have 3 older brothers. My nanny took care of us, most of our lives. She helps me with Liam when my brothers can’t.” She was avoiding eye contact and clearly didn’t want to talk about this.
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