All In

by O'Donahue, Fallon

  “Good. Now, I’ve got a makeout session to get to, and you’ve got makeup kissing waiting. Where are my keys?”

  “No kissing.”

  “Heavy petting?”

  “No.”

  “Oral sex.”

  “Shut up, or I might beat you.”

  * * *

  “Lo!” Dan waved from in front of the theater. He wore a dark leather jacket, black jeans, and a light blue shirt that set off his vibrant blue eyes. No wonder Lo couldn’t resist. Against his light brown skin, his eyes popped. He was stunning to look at.

  “Hi, honey,” Lo purred, landing a hot and heavy kiss on her man’s lips. Cass bit her lip. It was going to be a long night.

  “Where’s Toph?” she asked as she pulled away. Dan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

  “He went in to grab the tickets. Hey, Cass,” Dan smiled, his unnaturally straight teeth gleaming. She was far too fascinated by those teeth.

  “Hey guys,” Toph said, as if on cue. Cass blushed. She couldn’t help it. “Hi, Cass,” he said, tense and worried.

  “Hi,” she said, not offering any more. Mad’s voice in her head, reminding her that this was on him to make her feel more comfortable. She wasn’t going to do him any favors.

  Frigid Bitch Queen. Paging Frigid Bitch Queen. Oh, yeah, she was comfortably in place.

  “Let’s go in,” Dan said. “Lo and I will get the snacks. Why don’t you guys go inside?” he recommended.

  Toph nodded, motioning for her to walk in front of him. Cass leaned into Lo, “If you fucking disappear, I will cut off those luscious curls while you’re sleep. And no, I’m not kidding.”

  Lo snorted and shooed her on.

  “I’m sorry, Cass,” Toph got straight to it.

  Cass bit her lip, but said nothing.

  “Look, I was drunk. I know that’s not an excuse, but I was. I just got out of a long-term relationship, and Lo and Dan said…well, I should’ve known better,” he shuffled his feet, his hair flopping in his eyes. Cass’ heart melted a little bit, but the Frigid Bitch Queen wasn’t ready to let him off that easy.

  “Well, that’s a start,” she said, and before he could say anything, she continued, “Look, Toph, I’m not whatever they told you I am. I’m easy to talk to. I like to get to know people, but I’m slow to trust, and not always the easiest person. I’m not easy. In fact, I’m pretty difficult. So if you’re still looking to get laid, and get laid fast, then I’m not your girl.”

  Toph stopped in his tracks. “I-, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  “Yes, you did. You meant it. And that’s okay. You could’ve said it better, and you might not have yelled it at me and promptly turn toward a hoochie mama at the bar. So, yeah, you could’ve handled yourself better, but don’t be someone you’re not, either.”

  “I’m not that guy. Really, I’m not,” Toph took her hand and led her into the theater. “Normally, I’m pretty much like this. I like you. I like how you just tell me how it is. I liked our conversation. I was hurt, drunk, and an idiot.”

  “And you’re okay not getting any?”

  “Ever?”

  Cass laughed as she took her seat. “You’re a man. Of course not. I mean, for now?” She looked up at him, trying to keep the raging worry from showing in her eyes. Frigid Bitch Queen had started to melt, revealing a little of the vulnerability hidden beneath the ice.

  He took her hand. “For now.”

  She smiled. “Okay, then.”

  * * *

  Lo and Dan managed to make it into the theater seconds before the lights went down, bringing water and popcorn, even. Cass smiled and congratulated her friend on actually following through, though both looked a little more rumpled than before they’d arrived.

  The movie was pretty bad, which explained the mostly empty theater. Lo and Dan were back to making out within seconds, and Toph and Cass took it as an opportunity to make snarky comments about the film.

  “‘Oh, Greg, please don’t leave me. My woefully feminine heart can’t take it!” Cass whispered to Toph.

  “No! You must be my woman. Make food in kitchen. Bang on chest,” he growled.

  Cass laughed. He really was easy to talk to, and the awkwardness was lost.

  As the lights came up, they agreed that drinks were in order. After sitting through that terrible movie, they needed something to wash the pain away.

  “Not getting laid, Toph,” she whispered, as they walked over to the bar.

  He took her hand. “I know.”

  “As long as we’re clear now.”

  He stopped in his tracks, pulling her back. “Not now. I know. But Cass,” he said, pulling her into a kiss—his lips firm and demanding. He broke away and whispered against her lips, “One day. And that’s a promise. From me.”

  Cass blinked and tried to catch her breath as they stepped into the bar. It was a Thursday night, so it was busy, but not like the madhouse it probably became on weekends. She was grateful for the noise that filled the space, because her brain was unable to form cohesive thoughts. She’d be useless in a conversation. She practically fell into the booth, and Toph penned her in, his hand on her thigh, his fingers tracing circles on her jeans.

  “Drinks?” Dan asked.

  “B-beer,” Cass stammered, and Lo smiled as she gave them her ridiculously fruity order.

  “Dish!” Lo demanded, scooting closer.

  “Nothing.”

  “That kiss wasn’t nothing!” Lo pinched her arm.

  “Ow!” she shrieked, and a few eyes peered over at them. She looked at the men at the bar and blushed. “You saw?”

  “Yes, I saw. And you’re still dazed. Boy can kiss then?” she grinned.

  “But boy still can’t be trusted,” she grumbled. It didn’t matter that the kiss was swoon worthy and left her breathless. She wasn’t so into letting an attraction make her forget a hurt. Trust was a really big deal, and she didn’t trust him enough to let him get into her pants.

  “Girrrrllll, enjoy this. Stop thinking so much.”

  Cass glared at her. For Lo this was so easy. She was so free. So open. She wasn’t riddled with anxiety. “It’s what I do.”

  “Then do something else,” she said, and sat up straight. “Here they come.”

  “So, dancing?”

  “No,” Toph and Cass said in unison.

  Lo stuck out her tongue at Cass. “Mature, Lo. Real mature,” Cass teased.

  * * *

  The conversation flowed easy, just as it had the last time they were all together. No matter how comfortable it seemed on the surface, Cass never quite lost her anxiety. She let Toph touch her, though she wasn’t quite comfortable with that, either. She didn’t trust that he wouldn’t read more into it, and she worried about his reaction to the let down later when she’d have to remind him that he’d be going home alone at the end of the night. But part of her, a little evil voice, wanted to prove to Lo that it wasn’t just Maddox that she let touch her, and that voice was trumping her anxiety.

  What did trouble her, though, was that Toph’s touch didn’t relax her. It sent familiar tingles down her spine and excited her, but it didn’t feel comfortable. She had to remind herself that it hadn’t felt comfortable at first in prior relationships, either. She’d had to set aside her discomfort until it faded away. Sure, with Maddox it always felt natural, but that didn’t mean much when she was sitting here with a man who, just a few moment ago decided he would one day bed her, and who she had decided one day was far, far away. She had to remind herself of Maddox’s encouragement that she held all the power. It was okay to tell a man she wasn’t ready, and it was up to him to own his reaction. She could stop Toph from touching her at any time, and she would, but for right now she would wait and see. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been clear of her intentions, no matter how far he was going to push his limits.

  After a few hours, she felt herself drifting. She’d been playing with her hair, a telltale sign she was out p
ast her bedtime, and she couldn’t disguise the yawns that were becoming more frequent.

  “Tired?” Toph leaned into her, after her fifth yawn in the hour.

  “Just a little,” she mumbled, her thoughts drifting to his lips. They were pretty lips. Soft, pliable, yet could be so insistent.

  “Mhmmm,” he hummed, whispering his lips over hers. “I think it’s time to take you home.”

  Cass stiffened.

  “Just to drop you off,” he smiled, his eyes laughing.

  “Okay,” she agreed. Once they got Dan and Lo’s attention, Toph escorted her out. Lo wouldn’t be coming back to Cass’. Dan was far too tempting for that. Toph offered to escort her home.

  “I can cab it,” Cass told him, heading toward the taxi stand, pulling out her phone.

  “I’m okay to drive,” Toph grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the parking lot. “I only had a couple drinks, and that was a while ago.”

  “You’re not tired?” she yawned.

  He laughed. “No. Not as much as you.”

  “I’m normally much more of a night owl,” she mumbled.

  “Yeah, that’s what Lo said.”

  “It’s been long week, I guess,” she explained, actually feeling bad. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was her anxiety over this date that kept her awake far past even her late bedtime.

  * * *

  She gave him her address, and she guided him to her building. As she went to step out of the car, he stopped her, got out, and opened the door for her.

  “I had a great time,” he smiled, stroking her cheek with his long, calloused fingers. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

  She placed her hand over his, her butterflies jumping around in anticipation. She knew what was coming, and she was surprised to find that she wanted it. “It was worth it,” she smiled.

  “Not yet,” he leaned in and met her anticipation. His kiss was softer this time, pliant. His arm wound around her waist and pulled her in close, letting her feel his arousal. Quite the arousal. She gasped and he thrust in his tongue. He was different than the kiss after the movie, which had been demanding and firm. This was was a little on the lazy side, like they had an eternity to get to know one another. It wasn’t bad, but it left her wondering if he was better when he was being impulsive. Or maybe it was her. Maybe she needed more. Maybe…oh.

  He tilted her head exposing her neck to him and nibbled his way down to the V at the base of her throat, sending a shiver through her. His tongue trailed back up before he placed one soft kiss on her lips and pulled away.

  “Goodnight, Cass,” he squeezed her hand and walked around to the driver’s side. “I’ll wait for you to go inside.”

  She smiled at him and willed her legs to not look like they were made of jelly. It had been too long. She’d made out with plenty of men. Hell, she’d made out with women that kissed better than him. Still, it was the first kiss she’d had in years, and she’d forgotten what a little nibble to her neck could do to her.

  She walked as composed as she could, locking the door behind her. She listened for the tell tale sound of the engine fading away before she leaned against the door and let a mixture of lust, confusion, anxiety and guilt wash over her.

  * * *

  You awake? Her fingers flew over the keys.

  M: For you, I am.

  C: I’m home.

  M: And…

  C: I’m home. Alone.

  M: So, not worth the second chance?

  C: Not not worth the second chance. Just making sure I don’t have to sit through two bad movies in one week.

  M: You seriously need to learn the genius of Santoro AND how to answer a question.

  C: It was fine.

  M: You forgave him.

  C: Yes.

  M: Saw a bad movie?

  C: Yes.

  M: Made out during said bad movie?

  C: No, asshole.

  There was a long pause. Should she tell him? Could she tell him? She’d told Maddox about her past dating life with no reservations, but this was now. She hadn’t had anything real to tell him about. But she couldn’t hold back. He never did with her, and he didn’t deserve her distrust. He’d asked her to tell him, and no matter how nervous it made her, she would do it.

  C: After.

  M: After?

  C: Yes.

  M: And?

  C: It was fine.

  M: No toe curl?

  C: Some curl.

  M: That’s perfect.

  C: For what?

  M: To get you started.

  C: On what?

  M: Teachable?

  C: Probably. But is that what I want?

  M: Do you?

  C: Stop acting like a psychologist. You know it’s not.

  M: But…

  C: But, what?

  He’s not enough, she thought to herself. Yes, he’d grabbed her and kissed her. Her toes curled in her shoes, and when he’d dropped her off at home he’d kissed her well enough to get her body to respond.

  M: Cass?

  The buzz of the phone startled her.

  C: Yeah.

  M: Don’t be a chicken.

  C: I’m not a chicken.

  M: Don’t think so much.

  C: That’s an impossible request.

  M: Sleep on it, baby girl. Hugs.

  C: XO

  8

  Maddox

  Shit. He glanced up and took a swig of his whiskey. He raked his hands through his hair and looked over at the woman striding into the room. He’d totally forgotten that Cass was going to text. “Friend?” she purred, leaning over him, her hands working their way down his chest to his pants.

  “Yeah,” he choked out as she stroked his thighs.

  “Hmmm. All done now?” she whispered, taking his lobe between her teeth.

  “Mhmm,” he closed his eyes, letting the feeling wash over him.

  “Good, then we can get to it, can’t we?” she kneeled down and began unbuttoning his pants. Her hands running up and down his hard length. She bent over, and took him in her mouth, suckling and moaning until he bucked up to meet her. He thrusted until he was hitting the back of her throat, not caring if she could take him or not.

  “Say my name,” she whispered, as she pulled away, ready to take him again.

  “What?”

  “My name, say it when you come,” the blonde woman wrapped her lips around his shaft yet again, a slow suction calling to his release. He sucked in air between his teeth, as he emptied herself in her mouth. She stood up and spit his seed into the garbage can.

  “You didn’t say my name,” she pouted.

  Great. He’d brought crazy back to the room.

  “I don’t-“

  “Fuck, you men are all the same. Fuck you,” she spat at him, and strode out the door.

  What the fuck?

  How did he always seem to find the crazy?

  He got up and cleaned himself off, glad to have dodged what he probably thought would be a pretty dangerous bullet. What the fuck had he been thinking?

  Oh, yeah, he hadn’t.

  He’d just gone down to the bar for a drink, not really looking for a hook up. But she was so hot, and she was so into him. Her red dress did exactly what she’d expected it to when she’d gotten dressed. Her breasts peeked out the top—just enough of her ample mounds to make him curious. She wiggled her hips just enough to make him wonder what she could do on top of him. Her nails grazed his arm, making him think of the marks she could make down his back as she came.

  For the first night in a while, he wouldn’t need his own hand to get him off. No strings, all sex.

  And then the crazy came out. She seemed so normal. She’d even stepped into the bathroom when his phone started buzzing. She’d let him text Cass without an argument, and he thought she might be cool.

  But then she started in on this name thing. He didn’t know her name. She went to a hotel bar looking for sex. When does anyone at a hotel ba
r exchange names? The point was that there were no names. No attachments. Just sex, sex, and more sex.

  And the spitting out his cum in the waste bin? He’d have to throw some thing on top to cover up that nastiness. Disgusting. If a woman is going to actively go down on a man, she should have the respect to swallow. Spitting was a turnoff, and had she not left in a huff, he probably would have sent her on her merry way after that sight anyhow.

  He opened the mini bar, more than willing at that point to pour himself a stiff glass of whiskey on the rocks as if the burn in his throat could wash away his misery. He always found the crazy.

  He looked at his phone and sighed. He’d been annoyed at Cass’ interruption at first. He was unzipping the blonde’s dress while unlocking the door, and he’d forgotten about Cass’ promise to text after her date. As much as he was looking forward to dipping his fingers—and other things—into the blonde, she told him to answer and headed to the bathroom. It gave him the moment of clarity his mind so desperately needed, because his dick was getting him in heaps of trouble. He couldn’t imagine the crazy that would have awaited him should he have actually had sex with that woman. He shuddered.

  He kissed the screen. For once grateful for her cockblocking ability.

  Thanks, Baby Girl.

  * * *

  The flight back was torture. Sure, he’d closed the deal at a far better rate than anyone expected, but he longed for the comfort of his own bed. Just a nice night in with a beer, popcorn, and his Cass. He hadn’t known when it happened, but he had somehow started equating her with relaxing. His body was in need of some hot sex and romping between the sheets, but at that moment it was the idea of laying on the couch eating popcorn and her playing with his hair that brought a smile to his face.

  He couldn’t get there fast enough.

  He put in his headphones and tried to use this time on the airplane to answer his emails. Phil was freaking out about website stuff. Numbers and hits, and honestly, Maddox couldn’t care less. He was pretty sure he’d written back something along the lines of “Fucking just do it.” Dude was really getting under his skin.