Between the Sheets

by P. J. Mellor

  She moved into his arms, her breasts rubbing his abdomen, and they began swaying to silent music, shuffling to a secret beat.

  Dancing naked in the moonlight.

  16

  Ashley stretched on tiptoe and brushed a kiss on Daryl’s swollen, discolored eye. “Looks like you’ll be taking back a souvenir from our trip.”

  He chuckled and trailed tiny kisses up her neck. “I don’t mind. It was worth it.”

  “We did have a good time, didn’t we?”

  “No, we had a great time.” He continued to take nibbling kisses, closer and closer to her mouth, his obvious erection bumping her abdomen.

  “No regrets?” Her lips against his, she could feel his breath, could practically taste him.

  He outlined her lips with the tip of his tongue, then breathed, “None,” into her mouth before settling in for a soul-deep kiss.

  Desire, never far from the surface since she began her sex vacation with Daryl, boiled to the surface. Deepening a kiss she would have sworn could not be deepened, she all but climbed his fit body, her legs circling his narrow hips as she rubbed shamelessly against his hard length.

  Daryl made a guttural sound and lifted her higher, groaning when she wiggled, aligning him with her opening.

  He tore his mouth from hers. “Condoms.” He gasped the word, lurching for the stash on the nightstand, his arm firmly around her, holding her high on his excited body.

  Within seconds, he was sheathed and plunging into her aching body. She was so primed for him, so ready, so wet, he had a difficult time staying in.

  They groaned their frustration.

  Gripping her tighter, he wedged her against the cool wall as he slammed into her body, the sound of their skin meeting echoing gentle slapping sounds in the room.

  Wild for him, she held on to his shoulders, her legs gripping him closer as she rode him, meeting each thrust with carnal abandon.

  Her orgasm came forcefully, ripping a primal sound from her throat as her body contracted violently around Daryl. Gasping, she arched and would have fallen had he not had a firm grip as he found his release.

  Sweating and panting, he staggered to the bed, where he sat and rolled, still joined, to lay with her cocooned in his arms.

  As she struggled to regain her breath, she fought the urge to drift off. It was their last night at the beach. She wanted to talk and make love all night—not necessarily in that order.

  Smiling, she turned and placed a string of kisses along his collar bone, then up the side of his neck.

  He patted her shoulder with a heavy hand. “Give me a few minutes, babe.”

  She rolled him to his back, then hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “So…what are your plans when you get back to Houston?” Maybe, since they technically still had two days left of their vacation, he might want to spend it with her. In bed would be good. Either at her place or his. She was flexible.

  She just knew she wasn’t ready for their time to end. Why had she insisted on a sex vacation instead of a real relationship? Even a sexual relationship implied a possibility of a future. What did a sex-only vacation imply? Not a heck of a lot, she realized with a frown.

  “I have some patients I need to contact,” he said, interrupting her inner turmoil. “I feel badly to have canceled their appointments on short notice. I need to check in with them, possibly schedule makeup sessions. And, of course, do laundry. I think everything I own needs washing. My cleaning lady comes on Monday, so I have to get everything picked up before then. How about you?”

  “I don’t have a cleaning lady. My laundry, what there is of it, is pretty much done, especially since I lost both bathing suits and spent most of the rest of the time naked. Not that I’m complaining,” she added, stroking his chest.

  “No makeup sessions at work?”

  “Nope. Unlike you big-bucks guys, I work for someone. When I’m not there, they have someone to fill in. Amy took most of my sessions this week. No one probably even noticed I was gone.” She watched him walk to the bathroom to dispose of the condom, wishing he’d tell her something, anything, to let her know he wanted more than a few days of hot sex with her.

  She frowned. But maybe that’s exactly what he wanted. Maybe a few days of fun in the sun was all it took to satisfy his curiosity about how it would be with her.

  What a dismal thought.

  The mattress dipped precariously when he climbed back in bed. Instead of immediately pulling her into his arms, as she’d come to expect, he stretched out on his back, hands behind his head.

  Determined, she plastered herself against his side, stroking his chest. She placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder.

  No response.

  “What are you thinking about?” There, she’d initiated a conversation.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? Since when? I’ve known you since we were eight and know for a fact you’re always thinking about something.”

  His shoulder lifted, bobbing her head. “That’s not true. There are plenty of times I’m not thinking about anything in particular. But tonight, as much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. Ow! Don’t pinch.”

  “Were you thinking about when we get back to Houston?” She was determined to talk it out, even if she had to drag everything out of him.

  His arm moved, its warmth encircling her shoulder. “Yeah,” he finally answered. “I have a lot of stuff to take care of once I get back. Patients, calls, dental checkup, you know, all the mundane stuff.”

  “What about the unmundane stuff?” Like me. Like us. “You don’t have a girlfriend hidden somewhere, do you?” Although she’d love to hear he considered her his girlfriend, she had to know if there was competition. It was possible, in her misery, she hadn’t heard if he was involved with someone. What she would do or feel if he answered in the affirmative, she had no idea, but it was always good to know where one stood. “If you do, how did you explain us going away this week?” The thought made her physically ill, but she had to know.

  “I just told her I was going on a fuck buddy getaway; she understood. Ow! Cut it out! I was kidding!” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’ve known me most of my life. Do you really think I would do the things I’ve done with you if I was involved with someone else? Do you?”

  “No, I guess not.” She sighed. “I know I’ve occupied a big chunk of your time with all my, er, domestic issues. I guess I was just so inwardly focused, I didn’t stop to think I may be taking up your time. Time you may want to spend with someone else.” Your turn. Tell me there is no one else. She knew she shouldn’t be like that. There had been many someone elses in her life over the years.

  But she did care. A lot.

  “Naw, I’d have told you.” He stretched. “I’m currently between girlfriends, so you’re timing was impeccable, Goldilocks,” he said, tugging on her hair in the same way he’d done since elementary school.

  “But what if you’re missing an opportunity to find Ms. Right while you’ve been holding my hand?”

  “I’ve been holding more than your hand, lately. Ouch! When did you develop a violent streak? I’m going to be black and blue to match my eye.”

  “I’m trying to have a serious conversation here, and you keep cracking jokes.”

  “Sorry. Serious, huh? Okay, sure, I’d like to meet someone and settle down. I know there’s someone out there who will be just right for me. Someone who likes all the things I like, who enjoys spending time with me as much as I enjoy being with her. Someone to laugh and cry with me. You know, in short, someone who is perfect for me.”

  Someone who is not me. A knot of misery fisted in her stomach. She’d waited too late to discover all the wonderful things about Daryl, spent too many years being just friends.

  “Ash? You awake?”

  Forcing regulated breathing, she kept her eyes closed and didn’t answer.

  She couldn’t answer. Talking to him now would hurt too much.

  He pulled her
close and settled down. In a few minutes, his deep breathing told her he slept.

  Brushing stupid tears away, she lay listening to him breathing, enjoying the tactile pleasure of his skin against hers for the last time.

  Summoning her strength, she eased from his grasp and picked up her suitcase. In the bathroom, she used her cell to call a cab to take her to the airport, then hurried and got dressed.

  With a final look at Daryl, sleeping peacefully, she slipped out the door to go wait for the cab.

  17

  Daryl knew, before he opened his eyes, that Ashley was gone. So it was no surprise to find her suitcase missing, her toiletries no longer littering the bathroom counter.

  He should have known when he’d droned on about finding Ms. Right to Ashley’s utter silence that she didn’t feel what he felt. But he’d kept hoping she would interrupt him, tell him she didn’t want to be with anyone else and didn’t want him to be with anyone but her.

  Didn’t happen.

  He’d gambled and lost. Pretty much the story of his life since meeting Ashley. That first gamble had paid off, though, when he’d defended her in third grade. He’d earned a friend for life.

  Maybe that’s all they were meant to be. Maybe by wishing and hoping for more, he’d indeed missed opportunities to meet other women. Obsessed with his love for Ashley, he’d had on blinders when it came to women, wanting to remain free if Ashley needed him.

  Maybe it was time to grow up and face the fact he and Ashley were never meant to be more than friends.

  Even being fuck buddies hadn’t worked out for them. He just hoped it hadn’t ruined their friendship.

  Who was he kidding? Of course it ruined it. How could he ever spend time with her again without remembering what it was like to make love to her, to hold her in his arms as a lot more than a friend?

  It was best to just make a clean break so they could both get on with their lives, he thought, throwing the last of his belongings into his duffel bag.

  With one last look around the beach house, he locked the door, knowing he was locking away his past.

  He had no choice.

  “I can see by your less-than-cheerful face that he still hasn’t called,” Amy observed as she poured coffee into her travel mug. She walked over and took a chair opposite Ashley at the round table in the company break room. “And you haven’t called him, either, have you?”

  “What’s the point?” Ashley sniffed and dabbed at her nose with a tissue, blinking back the waterworks that had plagued her for the last two weeks since leaving the beach. “He pretty much said it all during our last conversation. He’s looking for his soul mate, and obviously I’m not her. There’s no point in prolonging the misery.” She took a sip of her cold coffee and gagged.

  Amy stretched to peer into Ashley’s cup. “You did it again. Forgot to pour coffee in. That’s pure creamer. Ashley, why don’t you call Daryl? Maybe he’s just as miserable. You always said he was your best friend. Best friends talk to each other.”

  “I think, after our beach experiment, our friendship is a thing of the past, Amy.” The thought caused an ache in the pit of her stomach. How would she get through the rest of her life without Daryl? “It was so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she finished in a choked voice, swiping at fresh tears. “Now, not only have I lost the best lover I ever had, but I also lost my best friend.” She sighed. “I’d seriously consider becoming a lesbian, except I’m not really attracted to women.”

  “I’m sure lesbians around the world appreciate that,” Amy said in a droll voice. “Seriously, you need to talk to Daryl. Tell him how you feel. How do you feel, by the way?”

  “Confused. Abandoned. Lonely. Incomplete,” she finished on a sob.

  “Sounds to me, girlfriend, like you fell in love with your best friend.”

  Love? “No, I don’t think so. It’s too soon. Isn’t it?”

  “Too soon? Didn’t you tell me you two met when you were eight years old? That’s over twenty years! How much time do you need?” Amy bit into a doughnut she’d plucked from the open box on the table, closing her eyes while she chewed appreciatively. After swallowing, she opened her eyes, a faint dusting of powdered sugar frosting the cocoa-colored skin around her mouth, and glared at Ashley. “You’re no earthly good to anyone right now, and I’m betting Daryl is the same. Whether it’s love or lust, don’t you think you deserve to find out? You can’t just leave things like this hanging, unfinished. It’s bad karma. At the very least, you need closure. Closure is very important; take it from me,” she said, reaching for another doughnut. “I know these things,” she said around a mouthful of pastry.

  “I know what you’re saying, but the phone works both ways, Amy. Daryl has made no move to contact me.” Her shoulders slumped. “I miss him. And not even sexually,” she said at Amy’s raised eyebrow. “We saw each other at least two or three times a week before…well, you know. I should never have agreed to that stupid sex experiment!”

  Amy swallowed and took a sip of her coffee. “Hey, I hate to remind you, but the sex-only vacation was your brilliant idea. Okay, maybe I had a tad to do with it, but mainly it was yours. What I’m saying is you can’t lay all the blame on Daryl. He just planted the seed.” She took another sip of coffee. “And speaking of planting seeds, you two practiced birth control, right? You didn’t get caught up in the passion of the moment, did you? I’m too young to be an aunt!”

  Ashley chuckled, wiping away another tear. “Don’t worry. We used protection.”

  “Great. Enough info. So, since you’re free, why don’t you go clubbing with us tonight?”

  Ashley shook her head. “No, I don’t think—”

  “That’s right. Don’t think, girlfriend. It’s not like I’m asking you to join in on an orgy. Just a few drinks with a bunch of women. No pressure, no commitment. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone.”

  Maybe she already did.

  Ashley sat alone at a darkened table in the crowded bar, taking timid sips of her first drink while she watched Amy and several girls from the office dance, their inhibitions numbed by several drinks.

  On the floor, Amy was gyrating and hopping. Ashley grinned. What Amy lacked in ability, she made up for in enthusiasm.

  Amy’s face lost its smile. Ashley craned her neck to see what her friend was looking at, but too many people blocked her view. Amy said something to her partner and headed for the table, a grim look on her usually cheerful face.

  “Let’s go,” Amy said, grabbing her purse. “I’m bored.”

  “You didn’t look bored out there. What happened?” Despite her words, Ashley picked up her purse, scooting back her chair as she spoke. “But if you want to leave, I’ll—” Her words stuck in her throat as she followed Amy’s nervous glance.

  Daryl Garret sat at the bar. And he wasn’t alone.

  Sure, she could try to fool herself by saying maybe he just happened to be sitting next to a gorgeous brunette, but the proprietary hand the woman placed on Daryl’s arm blew that theory out of the water.

  Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, she choked out, “Let’s go. I’ve seen enough.” Turning on her heel, she made her way to the door, determined not to look back.

  She looked back.

  Daryl was looking right at her, ignoring whatever his date was saying to him. Expressionless, he continued to stare until Ashley broke eye contact and left.

  “Daryl?” Rhonda, his next-door neighbor’s sister, placed her hand on his arm again. Hadn’t the woman ever heard of not invading personal space? “Daryl? Did you hear what I said?”

  Trying not to recoil from her long-nailed touch, he blinked her back into focus. “Sorry. I just saw, um, a patient I need to speak to. She shouldn’t have been in a bar.”

  Rhonda nodded sagely. “Ah, an alcoholic?”

  His first inclination was to agree, anything to get rid of her; then he remembered his training. “I’m not really at liberty to discuss it. Patient confidentiality. You unders
tand, right?”

  She nodded again and picked up the little satin thing she’d placed on the bar. “Of course. I’ll be in town all week. Maybe we can do this again.”

  He nodded in what he hoped was a noncommittal way as he ushered her toward the door.

  After dropping Rhonda at her brother’s condo, he went home.

  Pacing for the next hour brought him no closer to a conclusion as to what his next move should be.

  His cell phone vibrated, threatening to fall from the table he’d dropped it on when he’d walked in the door. Ashley? Would she be calling to ask who his date had been? Would she be calling to tell him she missed him and wanted to see him again?

  He anxiously glanced at the caller ID. Andre.

  “Hey, stranger,” Andre’s voice boomed above the background noise. “What the hell you doing answering your phone on a Friday night?”

  Why did you call if you didn’t expect me to answer? “Not much, just answering a drunk dipshit’s call, evidently.”

  Andre’s laughter boomed though the phone, making Daryl wince. “Good one. Hey, we’re at the Lair. Get the fuck over here! We need to party!” He hung up before Daryl could decline.

  He didn’t feel like partying. He glanced at the phone. Then again, he really didn’t have anything better to do. He slipped the phone in his pocket and headed for the door. If Ashley did call, he would feel his phone vibrate.

  And if she didn’t? Well, he’d be better off drowning his sorrow than hanging around waiting.

  The Lair, originally a corner pub in the last century, was tiny, dark, and loud. Because of the bar’s size, Daryl had no problem finding Andre and several other friends.

  After greeting everyone, he ordered a beer and sat back, listening to the drunken revelry, missing Ashley so much his teeth hurt.

  Andre slid onto the barstool next to him, motioning to the bartender to bring two more beers as he slapped Daryl on the shoulder. “Where you been, dude? I haven’t seen you in a while.” He shoved money across the bar and raised his frosted mug. “Since you’re alone and here, I can only assume you saw the light with the ice maiden. Way to go!” He raised his mug and chugged several swallows, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and laughed. “We tried to warn you, bro. That bitch is a ball breaker.”