Kiss Me Back

by Halston, Sidney

  “Thank you for the drink,” I say before we all say our good nights and turn to leave.

  “My house?” Fox asks, hopeful.

  “Only if I can do a load of laundry because I need to clean my clothes for work tomorrow morning.” I’m glad I still have my bag from this morning with me.

  “Not a problem.” He leads me, with a hand on my lower back, to his car, and once again we’re driving to his house.

  Chapter 7

  Fox

  “Fox, if I have sex with you every single day from now until I leave for Ecuador, can I use your washing machine once a week? Can we make it a package deal? I need to renegotiate our terms.”

  She’s standing in just her underwear and a bra pouring detergent into my washing machine, and looking at it longingly. She presses the button with a little flick and turns around as I finish making her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (her request). “I mean, do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to have to go to a laundromat? Have you ever had a guy tweaking on meth watch you fold your panties? Or had to change a five-dollar bill into quarters?” She caresses the side of the machine. “This, my friend, is the real definition of luxury.”

  I laugh, even though it’s so very sad that this is what she finds to be a luxury. I set her plate on the counter as she walks my way, not at all shy about her lack of clothes. “So you’re saying you’re using me for my washing machine?”

  “That’s absolutely what I’m saying.”

  “Eat up. Then we’ll shower, and if you’re a good girl I may show you later what you can do to earn dryer privileges.”

  She laughs and takes a big bite of her measly sandwich. I need to take her out. She deserves a nice meal and a good time, not just sex. Maybe the next day she has off I’ll take her to Prime 112.

  “That was really nice when you signed for me tonight. Caught me off guard.”

  “I found a video on YouTube that teaches a bunch of words. Maybe you can help me learn a few things.”

  “Sure,” she says, signing at the same time and then takes the last bite.

  “You want anything else?”

  “Nah, I’m good. I was starving. Thanks for the sandwich.”

  I take her plate and wash it, then turn around, leaning against the counter. “Do you ever get tired of these weird hours? Dinner for breakfast, breakfast for lunch?” I don’t know why I blurt this out, it’s just something that’s been on my mind lately. Seeing her eat a sandwich and awake this late—or rather, early—makes me think of how fucked-up our schedules are.

  “It’s a little vampiric, yes,” she says. “But I have a job and I have to be up early most days, so I don’t have the luxury of waking up at the crack of noon like you.”

  I roll my eyes and smirk. “That’s just it, starting your day so late fucks everything up. Running errands can be a pain in the ass.”

  “I thought you loved your job?”

  “I’m not complaining, it’s just something I think about sometimes.” I wave a hand and change the subject. “Anyway, make yourself at home. There are towels in the linen closet by the bathroom, I’ll be there in a moment.”

  She smiles, hops off the stool, and heads to the shower while I finish my own sandwich, then tidy the kitchen and lock up the house. The sun is almost up, and I’m exhausted. I can’t believe she has to be at work in less than five hours. I almost feel bad about wanting to have sex with her. I’m sure she wants to sleep. Except any sympathy I have flies out the window when I walk into my bathroom and find her naked and covered in my soap, the smell filling the room. “I’ve never done it in the shower before,” she says coyly.

  I have never stripped so fast.

  “Is that so?” I lift her up, and her legs wrap around my body as I press her against the wall, kissing her softly over and over again. With my body holding her against the wall, I use my free hand to cup her breast and pinch her nipple, which causes her head to fall back. Her tits are very sensitive. Last time when I sucked on them, she came almost immediately. I’m going to need to spend more time on them, but standing up in my shower isn’t the most conducive position. I want to touch her so badly, see how wet she is. When I pinch it again, her back arches and she moans loudly. I can feel her heat against my dick, which is ready to slide right inside her.

  “Fox…” Her voice is low and she’s gyrating her hips, begging for more. Damn it. I should have been more prepared. “We need to postpone shower sex, babe. I don’t have a condom with me.” But she just keeps kissing and nipping at my neck and I realize she didn’t hear anything I just said. Fuck.

  I’m about to turn off the water and carry her out when she grabs my beard—roughly—and looks me in the eyes, “I’m on the pill. For cramps. Have been for years. And I’m clean. Are you?” She may not have heard me but her mind was on the same thing.

  “Uh…” I wasn’t expecting that. “Yeah, yes.” I swallow. “Just had a full medical exam for work, so yeah, I’m good. But I’ve never had unprotected sex.”

  She softens and her legs unhitch from around me. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to…We can just go get a condom. No big deal.”

  I stop her and grab her thigh and hitch it back up. “No. I want to.” I kiss her deeply, her tongue warring with mine. Her face is going to be red and raw from how fiercely my beard is rubbing against the skin on her face, and my shoulder will definitely have welts from where her fingers are clawing. “I really want to.” Her eyes are already closed and she can’t hear me, but it’s true. I trust she’s not lying and I want to feel her.

  I lift her up higher and the kiss intensifies. Her fingers fist my hair, and her heels are pushing into my ass. My cock is straining and aching to be inside her. I take her hand from around my neck and bring it between our bodies and she looks at me. “Put me inside of you.” She can’t hear the strain in my voice, but it’s there. I need to come so bad it hurts. I want to last, but I don’t know if I will. And when I push in without a condom and feel how warm and tight she is, my eyes close, and I have to think of every unsexy thing I can not to explode right there and then.

  Her fingers tighten on my hair, and her heels dig into my ass as she tries to force me to move, which I eventually do but it’s fast and rough—one palm against the tile of the shower and the other holding her ass up. Somewhere in a crevice in my mind, I hope I’m not hurting her, because I’ve lost all control as I thrust hard and deep. Her yells are erotic and when her body tightens around me like a vise, and I feel even more wetness where we’re connected, I follow in an intense orgasm that leaves me so weak in the knees, I have to set her down so we don’t both slide to the floor.

  I lean my forearms against the tiles, breathing heavily as she rests her body against my side. “Wow,” is all she says. I agree.

  We finish showering without much more conversation. She goes to transfer her clothes to the dryer after I hand her one of my T-shirts and then we’re in my bed. It’s so easy with her. No awkwardness, no talking. Just sex, sandwiches, and sleep. She moves close to me, her head resting in the crook of my shoulder. It’s been a very long time since I had a woman sleep over, and I find that I’ve really missed it. “This is nice,” she purrs as she gets comfortable and sighs. “Your bed’s so fluffy.”

  Hopefully she’ll get to use it often during the next two months, I think as I doze off to sleep.

  Lola

  My favorite golden retriever is jumping up and down waiting for a treat when I walk into the clinic the next morning. “Hi, Gypsy!” I greet, crouching down and letting her lick my face and rub her furry body all over me.

  Vivian taps my shoulder and waves at me. She knows I’m deaf and has been accommodating since the first day I’ve been here. She wanted me to go to veterinary school but it just wasn’t my calling. “You look different this morning.” She eyes me suspiciously,
smiling as she grabs some supplies from the back. I told her all about Fox the other day, and she’s been rooting for me to give him a shot. She’s the closest thing I have to a friend—she’s actually more of a colleague than a friend, but she’s always been very nice to me. She has a husband and two kids, both in college, and when she goes to visit them, she always leaves me in charge of the clinic and pays me a bonus.

  “I decided to give Fox a chance. Just a little fling before I leave.”

  “Nice. I had one of those once.” She looks off into the distance with a smile.

  “Yeah? How did it end?” I hope she doesn’t tell me some awful story of heartbreak.

  “This year it’ll be our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.” She winks. “It’s still just as good as it was then.”

  I’ve had different jobs during the last seven years but working at the clinic has been perfect, I don’t need to listen or talk to the patients since the patients are animals. There’s no judgment, no need to hide or be anything but myself. And to top it off, I got lucky when I met Vivian, who’s been great to me. At Panic, it’s been mostly the same. The music is so loud and the ambiance is such that it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, and things like hearing, or the lack thereof, go unnoticed. I laugh and shake my head. “This is not the same. I’m leaving. He’s staying. And he’s not Glen.” Glen is absolutely head over ass in love with his wife. It’s the cutest thing in the world. I catch Vivian texting him all the time and grinning. I hope to have what they have one day.

  “Glen wasn’t always the Glen you know now,” she says. “But regardless, enjoy the moment and have fun. You shouldn’t let anyone change your dreams.”

  “Oh, I won’t.” I bend down and clap my hands. “Isn’t that right, girl?…Come on, Gypsy!”

  During lunch, a man comes in with a bag. Vivian is out, and I’m waiting for our next client: Roxy, a Persian cat.

  He looks down at a piece of paper. I see his lips move but I don’t know what he is saying. “Pardon?”

  He looks up. “I’m looking for Lola Daye.”

  “That’s me.”

  As he hands me a bag, I notice a logo on his shirt that reads SPEEDY DELIVERY SERVICES. “What’s this?”

  He shrugs, turns, and leaves.

  I open the bag; there are a bunch of paper airplanes inside, and they’re all numbered. My breath catches and I can’t help the silly smile that spreads across my face.

  I open the first one glad that I’m alone because I’m nervous and excited and flustered by the cuteness of it all. I really enjoyed last night.

  I open another one. My sheets smell like you.

  Another one. They also smell like peanut butter. You eat too much peanut butter. I laugh at that one.

  Another one. Can I fuck you again tonight? So romantic, I think with a little chuckle.

  The next one. I’ll let you use my washer. And dryer. And fluffy bed.

  The next one. I don’t like that you left without waking me up. I would have driven you to work.

  The next one. I made you a gourmet lunch. Enjoy. See you at work tonight.

  Last one….and then in my bed again after.

  I open the paper bag and there are two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, my favorite. There’s also a bottle of water and a bag of chips. This is so thoughtful I almost burst into tears.

  I grab my phone and God, how I wish I could call him and talk to him. Instead, I text him. You are the nicest, sweetest man I’ve ever met. Thank you so much for lunch and the notes.

  You are very welcome. I would have brought it to you myself but there was a mix-up with some inventory and Matt called me into the club early.

  No worries. Thanks again. See you later.

  See you later, baby.

  Baby?

  I’m not going to think about it. We’re sleeping together. No, we’re fucking. We’re fucking exclusively. But he doesn’t have to be an asshole about it, which is why he’s being nice. And in two months it’ll be over. I don’t need to overthink this. I just need to enjoy the moment and my sandwich. “Baby” is just a term of endearment. Men say that to women all the time.

  Except that it feels a little too good when he says it to me.

  Fox

  It’s been a hectic day. Two security guys that just started yesterday already quit. Apparently it was too much for them. So now we have two new guys starting tonight, Keylan and Fritz. I’ve been showing them the ropes all day plus handling some of the inventory shit that went wrong this morning. To top it off, I woke up hoping to get laid by the beautiful woman who’d been warming my bed all night, except my bed was empty and cold. How the hell can she go on, day after day, with only four or five hours of sleep? I’m exhausted, and I slept at least eight hours.

  Luckily, I had enough foresight to know the day would be insane so I brought my clothes with me and I’ve already showered, shaved, and changed into my suit. Now I’m in my office staring at the mirror, making sure I look good before the club opens. My office is full of monitors linked to the cameras surveilling the club, and the moment Lola walks in, I sense her and my eyes zoom in on her. She waves hello at someone shyly, earbuds in her ears. Now I wonder how I ever fell for that, but I guess it made sense at the time. Using the mic attached to my lapel which is connected to my security team, I press it and ask Fritz to ask Lola to come to my office for a moment before the club opens.

  I cross my arms and watch the interaction on the screen. Fritz doesn’t know most of the staff yet so he stops and chats with a few people who then point Lola’s way. Then he leans over the bar and calls for Lola, whose back is toward him. When she finally does turn around, she startles and takes off her earbuds. I assume she makes a silly excuse or apology and Fritz believes her just like I did and just like every single person at Duality and Panic does. Then, I see Lola look up at the camera as if she knows I’m watching her and head my way.

  I already have the door open by the time she gets to my office. I take her hand, pull her inside, and close the door behind us. “Hi,” she says breathlessly.

  “Hi.” I kiss her. Why can’t I get enough of this woman? I’m ready to strip her naked in my office.

  She pushes me away and walks about the office, looking around. I realize she hasn’t seen it yet. “You summoned me?”

  “How was work?”

  “Great. Had the best lunch. Some guy sent me a PB&J.”

  “What a great guy. Deserves a blow job.”

  She laughs. “I brought a bag with me for tonight.”

  “So you’re coming with me after work?”

  “There was the cutest little note in the bag practically begging me to come home with you.” She shrugs. “So, I packed a bag.”

  “Fucking fantastic.”

  She looks around the office some more. “This is nice, Fox.”

  “Thanks.”

  She opens her mouth to say something and then shuts it.

  “What is it? Just say it.”

  “It’s silly.”

  I wrap an armaround her waist and pull her to me. “Say it.”

  “While we have this little arrangement happening, I don’t want to…I mean, we didn’t use a condom and I think we should be exclusive.”

  I let her go and slide my palm down my face, pulling my beard. “So the rules are now: two months of only sex, no feelings, but also exclusivity.”

  She crinkles her nose at the absurdity of it. “Yes?” she replies, though it’s more of a question than an answer. “Oh, and I can use your washer and dryer as often as I want.”

  I wasn’t planning on having sex with anyone else while I was having sex with her. I’m not that kind of man. I may have slept with a lot of women but I’ve never been an asshole about it and I’m not a cheater either. But, it’s funn
y how she’s already changing the terms of our arrangement. I knew it would never work.

  “Fine.”

  “Fine?”

  Her reaction is cute but it sort of pisses me off at the same time. “What kind of asshole do you think I am? Did you think that I was going to have sex with you last night and this morning, then just pick some random bar bunny and fuck her on my desk?”

  She shrugs and I can feel my nostrils flaring and my jaw tic. “Babe, if that’s the kind of man you think I am and you still agreed to fuck me, that says more about you than it does about me.”

  I see her flinch as if I’ve just slapped her, which disarms me almost immediately. She’s been hurt, obviously, and the trust issues run deep with this girl. I take a breath and calm my temper. “Whether you sleep with me or some other guy, don’t sell yourself short. Don’t pick some guy just ’cause he’s available. Some guy who’ll screw around on you. You deserve better. So you’re deaf. Who the fuck cares? It’s not that big of a deal, really. It’s a bit of an adjustment, but there are worse things.”

  All she does is nod and I see a spectrum of emotions cross her face but I can’t tell what she’s thinking.

  “I have to get ready.”

  “So, we’re good?” I ask, since she’s obviously going the “evasion” route.

  She smiles. “Yeah, we’re good.”

  “Great. Then I’ll see you later?”

  “Yes.”

  I pull her to me and give her a kiss. “So, what’s your stance on work sex?” I tease, then smack loud kisses on her cheek, nose, and neck, until she’s giggling and pushing me away. I don’t want to see her anything but happy and that got way too intense.

  “All for it. But not now. I’m going to be late.”

  “Fine. But you owe me. Oh and also, are we not telling people about you and me?”