The Winner Takes It All (Love in L.A. Book 3)

by Audrey Harte

  “Oh that’s awesome!” Annie exclaimed. “Great to meet you, Erin,” she said as she offered her hand to the pretty girl who was towering over Keri with a friendly smile on her face. Do you guys wanna sit here?” she asked, waving to the two empty seats next to her.

  Keri nodded as she put her stuff down on the seat next to Annie. “Sure, I’m going to grab some coffee, but I’ll be right back. Do you guys mind watching my bags?”

  “Not at all. Would you mind grabbing me a cup as well?”

  “Sure thing. You want cream and sugar?”

  “Sugar in the Raw and vanilla creamer if they have it. If not, regular is fine.”

  “Cool, I’ll be back in a minute.” Annie handed some money to Keri before she turned to go, then turned and smiled at Erin.

  “So are you excited? Nervous? Both?”

  Erin laughed and nodded as she sat down. “Definitely both. You?”

  “Yup, same. This is my first time going to New York, too.”

  “Oh yeah? It’s pretty cool. I just went for the first time last year, like the weekend before Thanksgiving.”

  “Nice! What did you go for? Vacation? Visit family?”

  “My family lives in Hawaii. I went to see a boy,” Erin admitted, looking a little embarrassed.

  “Oh really?” Annie smiled warmly at her. “Long distance relationship?”

  “Well, I was willing to give it a shot, but him, not so much.”

  “Aww, that sucks. How did you meet him?”

  “I was home visiting my family in Hawaii and I posted an ad on Craigslist.”

  Annie started laughing at hearing this. “Haha, I love that I’m not the only one crazy enough to post on Craigslist.”

  “Oh, you’ve tried it as well? How’s your luck been?”

  Thinking back to the first night she met Gabe, Annie smiled wistfully and shook her head. “Not the best, but I’ve definitely met some interesting men.”

  “Yeah, same here. The guy I met in Hawaii seemed like a keeper. We had so much in common right away. I’m a huge gamer nerd, and he is as well. Not to mention he’s a total hottie.”

  “How’d it go down?”

  “He responded to my ad and sent me a couple of pictures. I almost didn’t respond, because one of the pictures he sent was of him pretty much naked. Like he was standing in front of a bathroom mirror doing a profile shot, only holding a towel in front of his junk.”

  Annie snickered. “Yeah, I’ve gotten my share of those types of pics. So you responded anyway and?”

  “Yeah, I mean, I normally wouldn’t respond to someone who sent a picture like that… but he’s pretty damn fine, so I couldn’t resist.”

  “Nice. Did you guys go out to dinner?”

  “No, he said he had to work kind of late, so he asked if I wanted to see a movie with him. But he lived in Waikiki and didn’t have a car, so I had to drive my rental all the way from the house I was staying at on North Shore to pick him up. It took me almost an hour to get there. He couldn’t believe how far away I was. I told him I was staying on the other side of the island, but turned out he’d only moved there from Brooklyn a couple months prior for work, and he’d pretty much stuck to his immediate area, so he had no idea how long it took to get around the island.”

  “Brooklyn? Damn, he’s a long ways from home.”

  “Yeah, he said transferred to Hawaii for the warmer climate, but once he got there, he hated it.”

  “What the hell? Who hates Hawaii?”

  “I know… that should have been my first red flag for him. Anyways, when I finally arrived and he got in my car—oh my God, girl. He smelled so good.” Erin’s eyes closed briefly for a moment as a dreamy smile crept onto her face.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, and he looked amazing. I was so nervous, but at the same time, I felt so comfortable around him. We went to see this action hero spoof, and we laughed and joked around and had a great time together. Like everything seemed so perfect. We didn’t hold hands during the movie, but he would do that thing where he’d lean into me during certain parts of the movie and laugh. The chemistry was so electric. I didn’t want the night to end.”

  “Aww, that sounds great! So what happened after that?” Annie was on the edge of her seat, listening to her new friend. She was thoroughly enjoying getting to hear stories from someone who seemed to be as equally adventurous as she was herself.

  “Are you sure I’m not boring you?” Erin asked skeptically.

  “Of course not! I love hearing stories like these. Keep going.”

  Beaming a smile at Annie, Erin nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure… so we decided to go pick up some wine from a convenience store to take back to his place. He suggested we have a drink and watch some League of Legends games.”

  “Oh, I think I’ve heard of that game. It’s like World of Warcraft, isn’t it?”

  “Kind of. Just as addicting anyway. I hadn’t played the game before at that point, but I didn’t really care what we did together. I just knew I didn’t want to leave him, yet. I mean, I was already heading back to California the next evening, so that was my only chance to spend time with him before going back home. But when we got to the store, they told us that they weren’t allowed to sell us any alcohol, because it was already fifteen minutes past midnight.”

  “They have a curfew on alcohol in Hawaii?”

  “Yep, apparently they aren’t allowed to sell alcohol after midnight. I mean, if you go to a bar, you can still get a drink a little later than that, but you can’t go to a store and buy alcohol after midnight.”

  “That blows. So what’d you do after that?”

  “Yeah, I could have used a drink right then, too. I was still so nervous. But we just laughed about it and headed back to his place anyway. We cuddled up on his bed and watched a little bit of a League of Legends game, but then he took pity on me and found all these funny videos to show me. Oh my God, we laughed so much! My mouth hurt from smiling, and he would slide his hand up my leg and squeeze my ass a little every now and then. It was so sexy.”

  “Nice, nice. So did you seal the deal?” Erin blushed bright red and shook her head. “Sorry, you probably don’t want to tell a complete stranger that,” Annie said apologetically, but Erin just laughed.

  “Oh no, it’s fine. I’m pretty much an open book. But no, we didn’t ‘seal the deal’, or not technically anyway. I was kind of on my period…”

  “Oh no,” Annie groaned. “That sucks so bad.”

  “I know, and honestly, I would’ve been down to do it anyway. I mean, he slid my hand over his crotch, and I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found, so I was totally bummed that I was on the rag. But after I went down on him, he tried to reciprocate, and I had to tell him. All he said in response to that was, ‘How do you feel about anal?’, so that was the end of that!”

  “Gah, what is it about men and butt sex?”

  “I don’t know, but they all seem to be obsessed. And he was huge! There was no way in hell I was going to let him fuck me up the ass.” Wincing, Erin paused for a moment and apologized. “Sorry—I have a pretty bad potty mouth.”

  “Please, it can’t be any worse than mine. I think you and I are going to be great friends.”

  Erin flashed a delighted smile at Annie and giggled. “You’re pretty awesome. I’m glad Keri introduced us.”

  “Same here, and speaking of the devil, here she comes with my coffee.”

  Keri walked up to them, carrying a large cup of coffee in each hand. “Highway robbery, people! Seven dollars for a freaking latte,” she complained, handing Annie’s coffee and change to her.

  “Geez,” Annie said. “Glad I stuck to regular coffee.”

  “Seriously. I don’t think I can afford my frou frou coffee habits at these prices.”

  “It’s just as bad in New York,” Erin cautioned, “if not worse.”

  “Are you serious?” Keri sputtered as she took a sip of her coffee.

  “Yep. Everyth
ing is a lot more expensive in NYC.”

  “Erin was just telling me about the boy from Brooklyn that she met in Hawaii last year.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s a great story. Did she show you a picture of him, yet?”

  “No! Let me see,” Annie demanded.

  Erin started scrolling through her phone for a picture, then finally turned it around for Annie and Keri to see.

  “Hubba hubba! He is fine!” Annie said in frank admiration. “I like his shaved head. What is he?”

  “So when I commented on his naked pic and how I almost didn’t respond because he sent it, but still told him he had a nice ass, his response was, ‘Yeah, but you liked it, huh? That’s the Puerto Rican ass.’ Can you believe that smile? And those abs?”

  “Yeah, the abs are super nice. And the shaved head is definitely working for him. Has he ever modeled?”

  Erin nodded as she looked through her phone again. “Yeah, he said he did a little modeling for Abercrombie & Fitch back in the day. He sent me one of the pics. Here it is,” she said as she found it and turned the phone towards them again.

  “Damn, girl. I want me a piece of that.”

  “I know, right?” Erin said with a heavy sigh.

  “Did she tell you about the trip to New York, yet?” Keri asked Annie as she wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Not yet, but it’s almost time to board our plane. I want to hear all about it soon, though.”

  Annie and Erin exchanged phone numbers and then got up to join the other passengers who were getting ready to board the same flight. They checked their tickets and saw that Annie was sitting towards the front of the plane while Erin and Keri were sitting together towards the back. As the airline attendant began to call Annie’s group to board, she turned to say good-bye to the girls, giving them each a quick hug.

  “It was great chatting with you, Erin. Great seeing you again, Keri. See you on the other side.” Annie waved to them as she joined the line to board the plane.

  The flight to New York seemed longer than it actually was. Annie shifted in her seat. She was starting to get a little antsy, being cooped up in a restrictive airplane seat for over five hours. She’d gotten up once to use the restroom, but otherwise, her butt had remained planted in the same position for over five hours. At least the flight was almost over, and soon she would be free of the constraints of this gigantic piece of aluminum and plastic.

  When the plane touched down, Annie shivered a bit like she always did at landings, and thanked the universe that she’d survived another flight safely. As she made her way up the ramp and out her gate, her eyes landed on the best sight she’d seen in a week.

  She would never get tired of looking at Casey. The way he looked at her was enough of a reason, but beyond that, there was the divine pleasure of looking at what was simply a perfect specimen of a man. In every way, his masculinity shone through, from his nicely toned biceps to the strong curve of his jawbone. He’d buzzed his hair short again, and his eyes glowed with love and lust as he looked at her and gave her a slow, sexy smile. Annie’s breath caught in her chest as she halted in her tracks, causing the person walking behind her to bump into her.

  Annie whirled around to apologize to an older woman who was standing there scowling at her. She looked like she was about to give Annie a piece of her mind, but then Casey stepped up and started to apologize, making the woman’s scowl drop from her face in an instant.

  “Are you okay, ma’am?” he asked in a concerned tone.

  “Quite alright, young man, but thank you for asking.”

  Casey flashed a smile, and the woman nodded to Annie with a small smile and an understanding look in her eyes, then quickly excused herself as she passed them by. Casey picked up Annie’s carry-on and suggested that they moved to the side and get out of the way of the other passengers who were still de-boarding the plane.

  As soon as he put down her bag, she launched herself at Casey and wrapped her arms around him. His lips met hers eagerly as he devoured her, drinking from her mouth like he was dying of thirst.

  “Mmm, good to see you, too,” she said, smiling widely.

  “Hi, princess,” he said softly, smiling down at her. “All I could think about the whole flight was kissing you.”

  “Just kissing me?” she asked teasingly with an arched brow.

  “Nah, you know. And stuff.”

  “And stuff, huh? Like what kind of stuff?”

  “You know… gettin’ naked stuff.”

  “Mmm… I like gettin’ naked stuff… especially when it involves me gettin’ naked with you.”

  Growling in her ear, Casey bit her lobe, then kissed it, then kissed her neck, then squeezed her tight to him again. “You make me crazy, girl. Have I told you that?”

  “Many times,” she said, giggling as he nibbled at her ear again. “Stop that. We’re gonna get arrested for indecent public conduct or some shit.”

  Laughing, Casey shook his head. “Doubtful, but okay, I’ll behave. It’s just hard to keep my hands to myself whenever I see you.”

  “Just until we get to the hotel,” Annie promised. “And you don’t have to keep them completely to yourself, you know. Just no mauling me in the back seat of the car.”

  “Dammit. I love mauling you in the back seat of cars.”

  Annie laughed and kissed him again. “Mmm, and I love kissing you. You’re such a great kisser, you know? You use just the right amount of tongue and you do this thing where you graze my lips with your teeth, but just enough. It’s super sexy.” She blushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go on like that about your kissing skills. But you have them in abundance.”

  “I’m glad you approve of my kissing skills,” he said, kissing her one more time, then pushed her gently away from him so he could pick up both of their carry-on bags again. “Let’s go grab our suitcases and get the hell out of here. I need a shower, stat.”

  “Ditto on the shower.”

  Casey exchanged a glance with her as they walked towards baggage claim. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “If it’s dirty but involves soap, then yes.”

  “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

  “Maybe, but tell me again.”

  “Okay, I love you. You’re fuckin’ awesome and amazing.”

  Annie grinned at him and winked. “Um, thank you very much sir, I am glad you feel that way, and the feeling is fuckin’ mutual.” The look Casey gave her said it all. He adored her, and it made her heart sing to see it written so clearly on his face.

  They’d been standing at the Virgin America baggage claim carousel for ten minutes or so, waiting for their flight’s luggage to start coming out, when Keri and Erin found them.

  “Hi, Annie. How are you, Casey?” Keri asked as she walked up to them. Acting no differently from the first time she’d met him, Keri smiled at Casey, showing no shame in trying to flirt with him in front of Annie. Annie made a mental note that she should maybe say something to Keri, but for now she gritted her teeth and smiled, and instead turned her attention to Erin.

  “Hey, Erin. How was the flight for you?”

  “Ugh, it wasn’t all that bad, but I started thinking about Mike—you know the guy from Brooklyn slash Hawaii? And yeah, it was a little depressing. I may have texted him just now.”

  “What?” Keri whirled around and slapped Erin’s arm. “Tell me you’re joking, lady. You did no such thing.”

  Erin winced and rubbed her arm. “I couldn’t help it.”

  “Yes, you could! Girl, he is nothing but bad news. He was such an asshole to you the last time you were here. Why on earth would you want to put yourself through that again? Are you crazy loco?” Keri waved her hands for emphasis as she scolded Erin.

  Annie looked at Erin sympathetically. She understood what it was like to be attracted to assholes who only thought of themselves first. Casey edged away from the girls, clearly trying to avoid getting involved in boy/girl drama.

  “I just have to make a
quick phone call, okay? I’ll be right over here,” he told Annie, then moved over to the side.

  “So what’d you text him?” Keri asked in a resigned voice.

  Erin handed her phone over to Keri, who read the text out loud.

  Erin: I don’t know if you’d want to see me, but I’m in town this weekend. Hope all is well with you and your family.

  “Oh, Erin. You are worth so much more than that scumbag.”

  “I know I am. I can’t help it. He has a beautiful penis, what can I say?”

  Annie’s eyes widened as she burst out giggling, slapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter. “Sorry! A beautiful penis, you say?”

  “Yes, wanna see?”

  “No!” Keri slapped Erin’s arm. “We don’t need to see his penis.”

  “Well it’s not his actual penis. I mean it is, but it’s just the outline of his penis. He’s wearing underwear.”

  Keri eyed Erin skeptically, then finally nodded her consent. “Alright, fine, show us this beautiful penis that has rendered you a complete fucking idiot.”

  All three burst into giggles at that point, then Erin looked through her phone for the picture she wanted to show them, zoomed in on his crotch, then showed it to the other girls. An attractive Puerto-Rican guy with a shaved head who looked to be in his late twenties had taken a selfie holding his phone in front of a mirror. He had a toned six-pack and was wearing boxer briefs that showed the impressive outline of his semi-flaccid penis.

  “And that’s mostly soft.”

  Keri let out a low whistle and Annie nodded her head in agreement.

  “Nice,” she said.

  “Beautiful man,” Keri said admiringly.

  “Beautiful penis,” Erin said mournfully.

  “But not a penis worth getting your heart broken for again,” Keri snapped back at her friend.

  “I dunno… it might be worth it.” Just then, Erin’s phone vibrated, and she shrieked as she bounced up and down. “Oh my God, he just texted me back.”

  “What’d he say?”