by Jenika Snow
“That’s it, baby, take all of me.” He thrust into her, hitting her cervix and causing the ecstasy and agony to merge into one. “Yeah, baby.” He reached between them and ran his finger over her clit. She came again, her pussy clenching around his cock, and sent fresh waves of cream spilling from her. Abe pumped inside of her for the third time and found his own orgasm. For several long minutes he did nothing but breathe heavily against her chest, but all too soon he rolled off of her and onto his back. Sophia did nothing but stare at the ceiling, letting the experience wash through her. A smile crossed her face and she closed her eyes. There was a delicious ache between her thighs and the warm trickle of his cum and her wetness slipping out of her. The feeling should have been disgusting, but it wasn’t.
After going to the restroom and cleaning herself up, she brought a washcloth back to bed for Abe. His face was turned to the side, his right arm and leg hanging off the bed. His breathing was even and heavy with sleep. He looked how he did when she thought he was passed out. There was a small twinge of hurt and disappointment that settled within her at the fact that he had fallen right to sleep.
Climbing in bed she pulled the covers over them and closed her eyes. Her dreams wouldn’t be just dreams anymore, but reality. She just prayed to God that in the morning things weren’t royally fucked up.
****
Fuck.
Shit.
The room was spinning when Abe peeled his eyes open. The sun was to his back and he was thankful for small fucking miracles. At least it wasn’t blinding the shit out of him and further increasing the sledgehammer that was doing construction right behind his damn eyes.
Closing said eyes again, he breathed through the wave of nausea that assaulted him. When his stomach settled, he pushed himself up on the bed and covered his head with his hands. He didn’t just feel like shit. He felt like a big pile of fucking steaming shit. It was then that he felt the chill in the air and pulled his head out of his hands to look down at his lower half. He was naked. Buck-fucking-naked. He tried to recall what in the hell happened last night and how he got in his bed, but the last memory that surfaced was him almost beating the shit out of some punk at the bar.
How in the hell did I get home?
He spotted his clothes strewn all over the damn place and picked up his underwear to slide them on. The bathroom seemed fucking miles away, but he stumbled forward. After taking a piss, washing his face, and brushing the stale taste out of his mouth, he had every intention of falling face first back in bed, but the sound of cupboards banging in his kitchen had him looking at the clock. Nine in the fucking morning. Why in the hell did Kid have to come so damn early?
He didn’t bother putting anything else on, just headed out of his room and into the kitchen. The smell of eggs and bacon had his stomach cramping, but he tamped that shit down. Damn, he had drunk way too much yesterday, but then again he always drank too much, especially when he was reliving memories that hurt. If Abe did anything, it sure as fuck wasn’t half-assed.
He rounded the corner and saw Kid standing in front of the stove. Her clothes looked rumpled as hell, and her long black hair, which she normally wore down, was piled high atop her head in a messy knot. When she turned around and started piling eggs and bacon on the two plates at the island, he was struck by how beautiful she was. Little wisps of black hair came undone from her knot and fell around her face. He stood in the doorway, just watching her, reveling in the idea she still thought she was alone and he could take all the time he wanted just watching her. How many fucking years had he sat and watched her whilst she was unaware? A whole lot. Yeah. It was creepy as fuck, but when a man had a girl like Sophia Kidd by his side and she had that kind of beauty, it was hard not to get sucked into it.
Their relationship had started out as friends, but as the years progressed, he started noticing her as a hell of a lot more than just the girl that tagged along with him to the lake. She was his best friend and he loved her, but the love he felt for her was far stronger than what was appropriate. There could never be anything between them, not if he hoped to keep her in his life, and he definitely wanted to keep her in his life for as long as she’d have him. He was fucked up, something he could honestly admit, and a girl like Sophia was far too good for the likes of him.
Abe could never give her what she deserved. Hell, he couldn’t even promise himself that he wouldn’t drink. The alcohol was becoming a problem, as was the fighting. Getting sloshed to help ease his pain and anger helped at first, but it was requiring more and more liquor to get peace from the nightmares that haunted him about his parents’ deaths. How many nights had he woken in a cold sweat because he heard his mother scream for help, heard his father calling out for him? Too many to fucking count. The only person he could depend on was the beautiful woman in front of him that put up with his shit day after day.
His aunt and uncle, the ones that had taken him in when he lost his parents, hadn’t really wanted him there. They had enough on their plate and then they were forced to take in a kid that wasn’t theirs, one that had a penchant for getting into trouble. That was how he got his ridiculous nickname, Trouble. Kid had been the only one that had stuck by him, had been the only one that gave two shits about his life.
She lifted her head and her startling green eyes held his. Her cheeks turned pink and then she quickly looked back down. Something was up with her. His head started pounding again, and he groaned and shuffled to the table. Plopping his ass on the seat, he let his head fall into his arms and closed his eyes. Damn, she took care of him, real good care of him. There had been too many times that he had been in this exact position, hung-over at the kitchen table with her makin’ him breakfast.
She set a plate in front of him, and he lifted his head and mumbled his thanks. She hadn’t said anything which he found odd. Usually she was all about talking, all about reminding him how he shouldn’t drink so much and sleep with random chicks. Damn, had he brought someone home last night? Fuck, he couldn’t even remember.
When he looked at her, he noticed she kept her eyes downcast as she ate. “Everything all right, Kid?” The sound of his own voice had those fucking construction workers drilling behind his eyes working overtime. He heard her swallow and then she lifted those gorgeous eyes to him. Damn, he wished he could give her everything she deserved.
She’d had a pretty fucked-up childhood, what with a cracked-out mom who didn’t care about her. Thankfully she had gotten out of that situation early enough. Of course it hadn’t been soon enough for him. They had met shortly after that, and as they said, the rest was history.
Sophia Isabella Kidd was his rock, whether she knew it or not. He knew without her he would have gone down a bigger slope then the current one. He might drink, fight, and fuck a lot of women, but dammit, without Sophia, he probably would have been in prison right now, or worse, dead.
“F-Fine.” She went back to eating and, although he wanted to push her to talk to him, he let it go for right now.
Putting down the food was harder than shit, but not because it tasted bad. Kid could cook, but because when the bacon and eggs hit his stomach, it felt like a lead weight settling in for the winter. “Man, I feel like shit ran over. What the hell happened last night?” Her head snapped up and her eyes grew wide. “Was I that drunk?” Her lips parted like she was about to say something, but she snapped them closed again. “I didn’t kick anyone’s ass, did I?” He did a quick physical inventory and it came back that he had no injuries that would suggest he got into a fight. Then it dawned on him. “Shit, Kid, you didn’t walk in on me fucking some chick, did you?” A vivid image of tight, full breasts tipped with dusky nipples slammed into his brain. Despite him feeling like crap, his dick got hard, and that just made him feel like an even bigger prick.
By the stunned look on her face, Abe surmised she probably had caught him with someone. It wasn’t like she cared who he fucked. Well, she never acted like it. But the disgusted expression that crossed her face on
more than one occasion when she had found him and the girl he screwed that night naked, either in his room, kitchen, or living room, had always ingrained itself in his mind. Yeah, he was a shitty guy and an even shittier friend for putting her through that. Of course his intention had never been to let her see his gritty inner life. Where she was all good and sweet, he was futile and despicable.
“I’m sorry, Kid. I hate that I am such a crap friend to you.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’m gonna do right by you, sweets, I promise. You shouldn’t have to put up with my shit.” Truth be told, if Sophia said she wanted him, that she felt a sliver of the emotions he felt for her, ones that had nothing to do with being friends, he would change in a heartbeat. Yeah, maybe if he changed on his own, she would see him as a man worthy of her love.
He saw tears swimming in her eyes and he frowned. “What’s wrong?” The hand holding hers tightened but she drew it away and stood. Her head was shaking but she didn’t say anything. Abe started to panic. “Sophia, what the hell is wrong? Did someone hurt you?” Rage built inside of him. Had some prick messed with her last night at the bar? He tried to recall everything that happened, but the last thing he remembered was downing a shot and finishing his beer. After that everything was black. “Sophia.” He stood and rounded the table, ignoring his pounding head and cramping stomach. Abe gripped her shoulders and turned her around.
She refused to look at him and his anger and panic grew. “Kid, did someone hurt you? I’ll fucking kill them. Just tell me who it is, sweetheart.” His voice rose and he feared he was scaring her. That wasn’t his intent, but adrenaline rushed through his veins and his muscles tightened. She reached to grab her purse off the counter. Before she headed out, she stopped and looked back at him, tears still swimming in her eyes.
“It’s nothing, Abe. I’m just having one of those girlie moments. I’ll call you later.” She headed out the door and a moment later he heard her car start and fade away.
Chapter Six
Two weeks later
“Two Buds, one shot of Jose, and a ruby slipper.”
Sophia filled the order that Tiny’s newest waitress, Bec, rattled off. It had been two weeks since she slept with Abe, fourteen freaking days since she had given him her virginity and he had walked in the next morning without remembering a damn thing. To say she had been hurt and humiliated would be the understatement of the year. She had known he was drunk, blitzed out of his mind, but when he had looked at her that night, touched and kissed her, she would have sworn he had been looking at her. It was apparent she had just been the willing, convenient body in his bed for the night.
Setting the drinks on Bec’s tray, Sophia looked over to where Abe sat with a bunch of the guys from Red’s. There were also a few blondes loitering around the men, their scantily clad bodies on full, tempting display. They had just gotten off of work and motor oil still stained their shirts. Just looking at him had longing spearing into her. He said he would do right by her, whatever the hell that meant, and she had noticed a change in him. He didn’t drink as much, and when he did come to Tiny’s, it was more of a social call than to get drunk. The majority of those times were to see her home safely. A lot of her free time was spent with him, ordering takeout, watching movies, and falling asleep in his arms. Yet here she was, unable to admit what they had done for fear that everything would change between them for the worse. For the time being, Sophia could pretend that their relationship was the same, untainted by the scars of their past. How many horror stories had she heard about friends sleeping together and ruining their relationship? No, she could not risk that. Abe meant far too much to her.
She had played with the idea that maybe he would take her into his arms and kiss her senseless when she told him. They would live happily ever after, of course. Several times she had opened her mouth to confess it all, but fear stopped her. What if he thought she was lying? Since he didn’t remember, he might not believe her. The doubt that would most certainly fill him would come as a devastating blow to her heart and their relationship. Watching him laugh with his coworkers melted her heart. Deep down he was a good guy, her good guy. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen him with any girls since their time together.
For the hundredth time she thought, how could he so easily forget something that means so much to me? Letting her thoughts take control would only make her feel even more awful. Sophia needed to tell him, but she could never find the right time to do that and she still didn’t know how she would broach the subject.
Drunk, Sophia. He was drunk and you knew that when you let it go as far as it did.
She exhaled, and as if he sensed her stare, Abe looked at her. He wore a white-and-red baseball cap with the OSU logo on it. He had obviously been the only one to change after work. His dark T-shirt was clean and stretched tight over his chest. His whole demeanor was relaxed as he held her stare and brought his beer to his lips. How could he make taking a drink of beer look so damn sexy? His smile was slow and all for her. Even though he wasn’t physically near her, her pulse raced and her palms started to sweat. All she could think about was that night two weeks ago, how he had brought her to orgasm over and over again. He had touched her more than just sexually.
The image of his hands skimming across her body, touching areas where no man had ever touched before had opened her eyes to paradise. She still dreamed of that night, still touched herself in her cold, dark room, picturing that is was Abe’s hands getting her off instead of her own.
“Hey, shuga.” She turned her attention to the two guys that had just sat at the bar. They looked rough, like they had just gone mudding and didn’t care how filthy they were. They had to be in their thirties, but might look younger if they cleaned the shit off their faces.
Sophia smiled and set a napkin in front of each of them. “What would you guys like?”
“You with nothin’ on, honey.” Sophia forced herself not to roll her eyes. She had heard so many lame pickup lines throughout the years that this one didn’t even hit the top five. When she didn’t respond, just cocked one of her brows, they both sobered and mumbled their choice of beer. She set the two longnecks in front of them and went to the other end of the bar to help a group of girls that were part of a bachelorette party.
“Soph.” When she handed the last girl her frilly drink, complete with an umbrella, she turned to look at Hunter. His hands were in the front pockets of his jeans and his black T-shirt with the Tiny’s logo in the upper left hand side stretched across his flat, hard chest. The corner of his mouth was tilted in a smile. He was good-looking, very good-looking honestly. His blond hair was a little shaggy, brushing the tops of his ears but not overgrown like he needed a haircut. His eyes, though, his eyes were a whole other story. They were so dark they looked like onyx. They seemed to penetrate the very recesses of her soul. He was big and tall, not as muscular as Abe, but toned like a swimmer would be. Dammit, why did she have to compare him, and every other guy, to Abe?
“What’s up, Hunter?”
He looked at his watch. “You get off in an hour, right?”
Well, shit, she had a feeling she was going to be asked to stay over. Not that she didn’t need the money, but she had a date with a bottle of cheap wine, Johnny Depp, and a pint of ice cream.
When Abe had asked if she wanted to hang out tonight, she had declined. He wasn’t stupid and would know she was avoiding him, but he was just smart enough not to pry. Oh, he had tried to get her to talk about what her deal was two weeks ago, was actually still trying to get her to talk, but she kept brushing it off with an excuse about being on her period and moody. Of course those had been all lies. Keeping her distance seemed like the right thing to do with her emotions still rampant.
“Yeah.” She dried her hands off on an already damp rag.
“Can I speak with you in the back?”
Shit. Had she done something wrong? Hunter never wanted to talk to the help unless something was wrong. Thinking back, she t
ried to recall if her till had been correct the times she closed. Abe hadn’t gotten in a fight since that drunken night, so it wasn’t that Hunter meant to tell her that Abe had to cut the shit.
“Yeah, sure.” She told the other bartender she’d be right back and followed Hunter to his office. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Abe watching her over the rim of his bottle. All she could see were his eyes beneath the bill of his cap, but they were smoldering. Furrowing her brow, she turned back around and went into Hunter’s office. He shut the door behind her and gestured to her to have a seat.
****
Abe watched Sophia disappear with Hunter. God, she was so damn beautiful. It was more than just physical, though. She was just as gorgeous on the inside as she was on the outside. Since that strange morning two weeks ago he hadn’t felt right. There was something different with her, but every time he asked her, she changed the subject and got antsy. He told himself if she had been hurt he would know right off the bat and that their relationship would warrant her to tell him. He had told her he would start being a better person, and he was making true on that. All he wanted to do was spend all his free time with her, but recently she seemed to pull away from him, emotionally and physically. Thoughts of him holding her, her small frame curled into his body, like she knew that was where she was meant to be, undid him every time. A part of Abe hoped she would realize there was so much more to them than just being friends.