Completion (Cambria University Series Book 3)

by Sadie T. Williams

  “Ok, ten more minutes and we can eat.” She wipes her hands on a dish towel indicating she is done. “Show me around?”

  “Sure,” I reply and stand to give Stanzy a tour. “This is the kitchen.”

  “Ha. Ha.” She swats me in the chest and even that minimal contact sends a shiver down my spine.

  Fuck, I’ve missed her more than I thought.

  “The white marble countertops are stunning,” she says as she runs her hand along the island as we walk by.

  I show Stanzy around the 11,000 square foot house. Gray walls with white trim, high coffered ceilings and tiger marbled bamboo flooring throughout, except in the bedrooms that are carpeted and the bathrooms that are tiled.

  After the inside tour, I open the sliding glass doors and walk out onto the gray brick patio. It’s cold so I flip on the heating lamps. December in Minnesota is never warm. I always laugh when Minnesotans say, “What a beautiful day! It’s almost twenty degrees.” Sometimes I think these people have ice in their veins.

  “I’ll make this quick since it’s so cold,” I say as a puff of smoke comes out with my hot breath against the cold air. “There’s a fire pit over there.” I point toward my right. “The pool, which is obviously closed for the winter, and past that wall is my own private dock right on Bliss Lake. I think that is my favorite part of this house. I have some shoreline and three and a half acres surrounding us.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she says as she stares up at the clear starry sky. “It’s so peaceful and quiet. Everything is noisy by our condo. We’re right in town, almost right across the lake from you I think.”

  “You live in Bliss Lake?”

  “Yup. Right by Whole Foods, the condos in that strip mall area,” she responds with a shiver.

  I move in next to her, wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to my chest. She tenses initially, hands clasped to her chest, separating our bodies from contact, but I still feel her. Our warmth spreads, I wonder if she can feel it too. She still fits perfectly under my chin, so I rest it on top of her head.

  “I’ve driven by that place a million times. I didn’t know you lived here.”

  “You never asked.”

  I don’t have a response. She’s right. I never reached out after that night seven years ago. It’s a night I’ve always regretted. And then after her engagement and the Tori thing I thought Stanzy was gone forever.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know. I still have that text message.”

  Ouch.

  “You know what,” she says shaking her head, “this isn’t about that. This is about your mama. I’m sorry I said that.” As if on cue the oven timer goes off. “Let’s eat until we almost puke and watch…”

  “If you say The Notebook I’m kicking you out.” Not that I would ever do that now that she’s finally here. It’s an empty threat.

  “When have I ever wanted to watch The Notebook?”

  I laugh because it’s true. Stanzy has never been a cry-your-eyes-out movie type.

  “The Purge?”

  “Do you want me to leave?” She’s also not the die-of-a-heartattack-because-you’re-so-scared type. We’ve tried several over the years, but she always ends up under a blanket, almost in tears, and then not able to sleep the entire night.

  “Bad Boys?” Stanzy looks up at me through her long lashes and I can’t feel my body flare under her gaze.

  “Yes!” she squeals. She finally wraps her arms around me too and squeezes. My cock springs to life almost too quickly and I pull back. I don’t want her to feel him pressed against her. Not yet anyway. We’ve reconnecting over the past few months, but I don’t to go too far too fast.

  I smile as I grab her hand and lead back into the house. Bad Boys was one of our favorite movies back in the day. We weren’t allowed to watch it since it’s rated R, but Ricky had it on DVD so we managed to sneak it into Stanzy’s room and we watched it on her laptop. We laughed so hard at Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. I remember Stanzy snorted so loud during the convenience store scene when they’re arguing in front of the clerk and he pulls a gun on them. Smith and Lawrence, or Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett in the movie, both pull their guns on the clerk. Pointing his gun at him, Smith says, “Put the gun down and get me a pack of Tropical Fruit Bubblicious,” and then Lawrence adds, “and some Skittles.”

  “Violence and humor. I’m in.” Shutting the door behind us to keep the cold out, we walk back toward the kitchen.

  “Have you seen the third one?”

  I shake my head. “All three?”

  “You read my mind.”

  We plate the wings and I order the first Bad Boys movie On Demand, settling in on the couch facing my eighty inch TV. We could use the theater room in the basement, but this is cozier with the fireplace turned on.

  Stanzy reaches over, placing a hand on my forearm, gently rubbing it up and down. My skin prickles and tingles spread through me as my dick twitches again in my sweatpants as I watch her stroke my arm.

  “I am really sorry about Jacqueline.”

  I nod, not taking my eyes off her hand on my skin. It feels so fucking good to be touched by her again, and not in a rehab kind of way. I should be sad about my mama, and I am, but fuck, my mama’s death is the reason Stanzy is here right now and I can’t be upset about that.

  “Okay, hit play,” she commands and it snaps me out of my Stanzy-drunk stupor.

  “Stanz, why aren’t you wearing your engagement ring?” It’s a question I’ve asked before, but she’s ignored it and I feel like I need to know. I can’t be having these feelings for another man’s future wife.

  Chapter 24: Stanzy

  I knew this question would be coming again and he won’t stop until I address it.

  “We broke up.” I don’t know what else to say. He wasn’t you. He’d never measure up.

  “Well I can’t say that I’m sad to hear that news, but I will pretend to be if you want me to.”

  I laugh at his offer.

  “It’s okay. He wanted me to be something I’m not. I’m just glad I figured it out before we got married. Besides, honestly, he wasn’t really my type.”

  “What is your type?” he asks.

  You.

  “Not a dick,” is what I reply instead to get a laugh out him.

  Jessup snorts out a laugh at my answer.

  “Noted.”

  “There were a lot of good things about him. He was handsome and he treated me well for the most part, but he was also really arrogant and selfish. I think I was mostly just arm candy for him,” I admit.

  “Yeah, I got some buddies like that. Their wives are fucking hot, but they’re only married because she’s hot and he’s loaded. Not healthy really.”

  I nod. “I never really cared about Chipper’s money, but he did. And I couldn’t in good conscience agree to be married to a man who owned a boat named Chipper’s Clipper.”

  “It wasn’t even a fucking sailboat,” Jessup adds.

  “Ahh, so you were stalking me online.”

  “Guilty.” He raises his hands in defense.

  “Guilty too.” I raise my hands too and we both laugh.

  Jessup grabs the remote and with a smirk hits play.

  After we eat the wings and finish the first Bad Boys movie, I stand to stretch. Jessup’s eyes casually move from my legs, up to my waist, to my chest and then lips until he glances away before coming back and meeting my eyes.

  A tingling feeling in my gut tells me something I already know. I’ve never gotten over him. My entire being still craves him. All of him, mind, body and soul. That’s never gone away.

  Sitting here, eating wings and watching a movie shot me back to when we were dating. Only this time he didn’t tuck me under his arm while running his fingers through my hair. That was reserved for when we were together. That seems like a century ago, but smelling him, talking to him, being with him, feels like we never left each other. He smells the same. Cologne and laundry detergent. A bit
citrusy, but all man.

  Ugh. Get a grip, Stanzy. His mama just died and you’re only here because he needs someone to support him emotionally though all of this.

  “I’ll clean this up, you get the second movie started?”

  Jessup nods, but doesn’t look at me. His focus is on the remote, he’s thinking. I’ve seen that look many times over the years we were friends.

  I check my phone, it’s nine-thirty. There’s four messages from Staley convincing me not to succumb to Jessup’s wooey ways. I shoot her a response.

  “He’s not wooing me. I’m here to support him. His mama died. Be home soon.”

  How long am I going to invade Jessup’s home? Which by the way, is fucking fabulous. I can’t believe the kid who grew up sharing a house with six siblings in Peachberry Park is living like a king now. Good for him.

  I rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher, even though Jessup told me earlier he has a housekeeper who will clean up. As I put the S’mores in the microwave, I think about Rowen. The awful human being, the alcoholic, the abuser. I wonder what he will do now with Jacqueline gone. She took care of him. Cooked, cleaned, paid the bills and made sure everyone had everything they needed. He controlled the money and the people inside the house, but without Jacqueline nothing functioned.

  Granted all the kids are independent now, at least I hope they are, I haven’t really stayed in touch over the years.

  A tear rolls down my cheek. Why am I crying? I didn’t know Jacqueline very well. I only ever saw her and Rowen at football games in high school. We never spent any time with Jessup’s family because he’s always been embarrassed by him. That man hurt Jessup deeply as a child and honestly, I don’t know how he still has the capacity to love.

  Oh my God. The epiphany slams into me like a Mack truck. I don’t know why it took me all these years to figure it out. He left because he didn’t think he could love me.

  That has to be the reason he left without saying goodbye. The reason he didn’t date all these years. Sex isn’t always love. Sometimes you just need to get off. Even I know that.

  Except Tori. I wonder why he finally dated her after years of being single.

  “Stanzy! You coming?” Jessup shouts from the living room breaking me from my thoughts.

  “Yup!” I wonder how long ago the microwave stopped. I was zoned out.

  I walk back into the living room with the plate of S’mores.

  “Here you go, Jess.” I hand him the plate and he immediately snatches one of the treats.

  He moans loudly, “Oh, Stanz. I haven’t had one of these in so long.” The sound is almost orgasmic.

  “I got the plane tickets,” Jess tells me as he licks chocolate from his long fingers. Dear sweet baby Jesus, please give me a break.

  I swallow, but my throat has gone dry. “Okay,” I manage.

  “The funeral is Thursday, so we leave tomorrow. There’s a visitation Wednesday. I got us three tickets on the nine a.m. flight. Delta terminal of course.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him and force myself to look away as his tight jaw chews his second S’more. Am I really this horny? Yes, yes I am. But it’s also because it’s Jess and he does something to my mind, body and soul that I just can’t fight.

  Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

  Jessup turns on Bad Boys II and we settle onto the couch. Him on one end, me on the other. I curl my legs to the side so my feet are pointing at Jess and I lean onto the armrest. His feet are propped up on the coffee table.

  As the movie nears the end I cover my eyes when the poor iguana steps on a land mine around the drug lord’s house.

  “You’re still a sucker for animals?”

  “Duh! That poor little thing didn’t deserve to be blown up. Innocent little fella,” I sniffle out a response.

  “Are you crying over the iguana?”

  “No.” Yes.

  Jessup laughs. “It’s all fake. I’m sure the iguana was fine. Besides, we’ve seen this movie like a hundred times. Are you ever not going to cry at this part?”

  “I can’t help it.”

  Just then, I feel a strong hand grip my ankle and with a tug my body is sliding across the couch to where Jessup sits.

  “Come here you big baby,” he says and opens his arms for me.

  Don’t do it. Don’t do it. It’s a gateway drug.

  Shut. Up. I tell myself.

  I switch positions so I’m leaning into Jessup’s side. He wraps both arms around me and I snuggle in just under his arm. I still fit perfectly, except now his hard body from high school is rock fucking hard. He was always been a Greek statue, but now he’s a bronze Greek statue. Harder and more defined.

  I can feel his muscles tense around me.

  “You feel good,” he says absent mindedly. I wonder if he meant to say that out loud.

  “You do too.” I can’t lie to him. I haven’t felt this comfortable in years, not even with Chipper. I place my hand on his stomach and rub my thumb back and forth over one of his eight abdominal muscles.

  “So just to clarify, no Chipper, no Dr. Dick Bag, and no boyfriend?”

  “Nope.”

  He pulls me be tighter to him. “Well, then I don’t have to feel guilty about this.”

  He takes my chin in his thumb and pointer finger, tilting my face toward his. His root beer eyes bounce between mine, then down toward my lips. I can’t help but lick them under his scrutiny.

  “I’ve missed your face. Your lips. Your body. Your wit and your sass. I’ve missed all of you, Stanz,” he says.

  His words hit me hard. I’ve missed him so much too. But he left me without a goodbye, without an explanation. He fucked other chicks and left me to piece my broken heart back together. Which I could never do.

  He watched as his ex-girlfriend assaulted me. When did I become nothing in his life? Is this just happening because he’s emotional over his mother’s death? Would he be doing the same thing with any girl who happened be here tonight? My thoughts are running wild right now.

  “Jess,” I practically whisper.

  He nuzzles his nose into my hair as he cups my cheeks with both hands. He inhales deeply.

  “Fuck, you smell so good. You smell just like I remember.” He lets my hair out of my ponytail and runs his fingers through my hair making my scalp prickle under his touch.

  I close my eyes. Fuck. I’m fucked.

  Sliding his face out of my hair, his nose grazes my cheek and then he rubs it up and down the bridge of mine.

  I’m frozen. I know I should stop this. But it feels so good. Every fiber of being is ignited by him, like he never stopped loving me. I haven’t felt this way since the last time we were together. This is a feeling only he can create inside of me.

  His lips graze over mine and I dart my tongue out to wet mine. They’ve gone dry like my throat. He pauses as my tongue ever so slightly meets his lips, almost as if he’s doubting himself too.

  Then he presses his lips to mine, so painfully slowly it feels like he’s scared I’m going to pull away.

  I won’t. This may be a mistake tomorrow, but tonight I need this. We need this.

  I part my lips urging him on. With my consent he consumes me fully. His tongue invades my mouth and I can’t help the moan that escapes. Jessup swallows it with a need I’ve never felt from him or anyone. Lust, need, and regret.

  I want him, need him. I never do anything carelessly. Ever. Tonight, I’m going to think about me and the ache that’s been a part of me since that night he left for Cambria. One night, closure. That’s what I’ve always wanted.

  Then I’ll go to Peachberry Park as his support system like I was all those years ago. I can do that. I can put this night behind us and move on after this.

  Sure you can.

  Jessup’s hands slide up my sides underneath my sweatshirt and grip my ribs. My skin is on fire where he’s touching me. His hands are calloused and rough, but it feels so fucking good.

  I wish I would have worn something sexier than
a hoodie and yoga pants, but I wasn’t anticipating this. Fuck, my bra and panties don’t even match. You’re getting ahead of yourself, Stanzy. It’s just a kiss.

  A phenomenal kiss that is shutting off the outside world around me. Consuming me. Igniting me after all these years when I thought my flame burned out.

  “Stanz,” he says breaking our kiss.

  I look at him and his normally bright root beer eyes are black with need and fixated on me.

  “There’s a lot we need to talk about, but I want to fuck you so bad it hurts,” he says as he kisses my neck.

  I think my jaw hits the floor. Jess has never talked like that, well, eighteen-year-old Jess didn’t. NFL’s biggest playboy and Cambria’s ladies’ man probably does.

  Despite the fact he caught me off guard with those words, I loved hearing them. This dirty side of Jess is a major turn on and I find myself flushed and clenching my thighs together to ease some of the pressure I’m feeling.

  “There is,” I confirm his initial statement and lean into his mouth that is now pouring hot breath onto to my skin making goosebumps appear all over my body, “but I want you too.”

  Weak! You’re so weak! Yes, I am and I don’t give a fuck right now.

  Again, with my confirmation, Jessup grabs me and lifts me as he stands from the couch. I wrap my legs around his waist and I can feel his erection pressing hard against my center.

  Involuntarily, I find myself grinding against his cock and Jessup moans as he walks upstairs to his bedroom.

  Once inside he sets me down and stares at me.

  “Is this a mistake, Stanz?”

  “Yes,” and his face grows sullen at my words, “but I don’t care right now, Jess.”

  “Thank fuck.” Relief washes over his expression as he reaches out and brushes the pad of his thumb over my lips. Tingling. So much tingling it’s driving me insane.

  He lowers his hands with a smirk and grips the end of my hoodie. “Hands up.”

  I comply and he removes my hoodie in one motion revealing my pink cotton bra.

  “Fuck. Me,” he says breathlessly as his brown eyes rake over my chest. My boobs are definitely bigger than they were in high school with the weight I’ve gained since I stopped playing volleyball competitively. I’m not fat, but I’m not the tight little package I was the last time he saw me naked.