by Brannon, M.
I grab a hold of Delilah’s hand and give it a squeeze. Her blue eyes are expanding to the size of saucers as she scans the room, taking in the scene. The volume of noise is piercing as you watch the drunks. They’re walking like they’re riding a tilt-a-whirl, cursing and laughing at the stupidest things. Women are shamelessly hanging on guys, trying to get their attention, while the regulars square off at the pool tables.
Delilah leans into my side and whispers, “This is where you guys hang out?”
“Yeah, it’s not so bad once you get used to it.” I smile at her then realize I will be saying that a lot while she’s staying here. There are many things you simply have to get used to on the Southside of Sulfur Heights.
Drake leads us through the crowd as we make our way over to our designated table. Darcie and Reggie have made sure we have our own place to sit when we come down here. That way, they both can keep an eye on us, making sure we’re staying out of trouble. Again, they have nothing to worry about from Drake or me; however Jake is a different story.
Drake helps Delilah and I both onto our bar stools and then asks, “So what’s your poison, ladies?”
Delilah responds, “Oh, just an old fashion cherry coke for me.” Drake looks perplexed and turns his questioning look to me.
I giggle and clarify for him, “Coke with cherry grenadine added. And I’ll take an Amaretto sour.”
Drake heads to the bar and I turn to Delilah, who still looks a little overwhelmed at this place. Her posture is perfect as she sits with her hands folded in her lap. Not a single hair is out of place. “So what do you think?”
“Well, it’s not the kind of place I would normally go to, but it could be fun. I just need to get acclimated to how incredibly different this place is. But what I’m confused about is, when you were living with your uncle you said he lived in a house that looked like mine. So far, what I’ve seen of Sulfur Heights, I’m not finding any resemblance.” Delilah places her hand on the table top and appears to be relaxing.
“You’ve only seen the Southside. This town is like an alternate universe, one minute you are walking along garbage filled gutters and then the next you see perfectly manicured lawns and everything like you’re used to in Memphis. I don’t understand it, the rich people want nothing to do with the poor people and everyone is okay with it, including the authorities. Darcie has always said the Southside is the portal to Hell and almost everyone who’s born here will get sucked into the evil that is Sulfur Heights, and sooner or later I will be exactly like them. The drugs, violence and gambling is everywhere. It’s rare to find someone who isn’t into one or the other.”
“Why are you staying around here then? You’ve graduated from high school. Nothing can hold you back. Why not just leave before any of that happens to you?” Her face is inquisitive as she studies mine.
“And go where, Memphis? There’s nothing left for me there anyway. The only thing I ever had in Memphis was my parents and you. Every single friend I had bailed on me when I was admitted to that clinic. There is no way I’m going back to that and putting up with their condescending looks. Besides, I have Drake. He would never leave his family.”
Speaking of, Drake comes to the table with our drinks and I start chugging mine down. He sits down beside me and runs his hand up my leg, inching closer to the apex of my thighs. My breath hitches in my throat and I’m heating to an unimaginable level. God, he is killing me.
I lean over and decide to have a little fun myself. I put my hand in his lap and gently grab a hold of his hardening manhood then whisper in his ear, “Two can play that game, big boy.”His chocolate eyes melt with desire as he stares into mine. I bite my lower lip, desperately trying to hold the moan inside my throat, knowing what that look does to me every time he does it. However, Jake’s perfect timing soon breaks our stare as he and Jeremy make their way over to the table.
Drake
I was just about to yank Presley from the bar stool and take her to the back room, which we already christened a couple of months ago, when Jake breaks through my thoughts. I will be sure to thank him later for that, dick.
He is sporting a smug, smartass grin as he walks through the crowd with Jeremy over to our table. If the wad of sweaty money in his hand is any indication, Jake scored big at the pool tables tonight. He folds the money up as he tucks it into his front jeans pocket. It’s obvious Jake is feeling pretty good right now. He is an excellent pool player and I’m not sure why people even try to challenge him; they get hustled every single time.
As he makes his way over to the table, he quickly takes notice of Delilah sitting next to Presley. His face is sober as he rakes his eyes up and down her body then a faint grin lifts the corner of his mouth. Yeah, he’s going to drive this woman crazy.
I make eye contact with Presley and she looks like she’s on the verge of puking from the anxiety. I try to make her feel as best as I can by running my hand up the spine of her back. She shivers slightly and leans into my body.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here? Because, from what I see, it looks like my night just got better,” Jake says with his eyes intently boring into Delilah’s. She rolls her eyes at his extremely lame pick up line. Yeah, this is going to be classic. Where the hell is Darcie? She’s going to miss all the action.
Presley quickly intercedes. “Jake, this is my best friend from Memphis. She’s staying with us for the summer.”
“Oh, shit! I thought Reggie was just fucking with me. Looks like I owe him fifty bucks. I didn’t believe him when he told me we were going to have a new roommate.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. Jake and Reggie are always making bets against each other. If it’s not a big game or races, it’s stupid shit like this.
Delilah breaks from his gaze and walks over to the other side of the table where she reaches her hand out and introduces herself, “Hi, I’m Delilah St. James. You must be Jake.”
Jake clasps her hand and holds it firmly while his eyes look intense for a moment and then quickly transform to smiling with wickedness. “That’s right, sweetheart, and I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive to have you as a roommate. What can I get you to drink?”
Delilah releases his hand and blushes slightly. “Old fashion cherry Coke, please.”
Jake’s brow wrinkles in confusion then he looks to me for an explanation. I just shake my head, trying to stifle a laugh that is on the verge of exploding from my body. “What the hell is that?”
I can’t hold it in anymore. I start laughing hysterically because I know Jake is going to have fun with this once he figures out what it really is. Delilah is looking at me like I’m growing an extra head and says, “Hasn’t anyone here ever heard of it? Coke mixed with cherry grenadine.”
“…and what else?” Jake still looks completely lost.
“Nothing, that’s it,” Delilah singsongs as she moves back to her seat.
“No whiskey or rum?”
“Oh, no, not for me. I don’t drink.” She smoothes down the front of her dress and looks as innocent as possible when she bats her eyelashes.
Jake releases a huge laugh and has to hold onto the side of the table to keep him upright from falling over. “You don’t drink? That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day, cupcake.”
The sweet and composed Delilah has disappeared and now she’s throwing daggers with her eyes. I’ve never seen a woman’s face transform so quickly from sweet to evil in two seconds flat. Presley is squeezing the life out of my hand, wanting me to help, but I can’t. This is the best thing I’ve seen all day and it will only be the start of the drama we will witness this summer.
“Why is that so amusing? There are a lot of people who don’t drink,” she seethes.
“Yeah, and those people were or are in rehab,” Jake says.
Delilah looks over to Jeremy who is taking a drink of water. Then a proud grin spreads across her cheeks before she counters, “He doesn’t drink.”
“Exactly my point, he’s been
rehabilitated from booze.”Delilah looks like she’s ready to snatch his head from his body and I am secretly wishing Darcie was here to witness this, she would be busting a gut right now.
I feel the sharp elbow in my side and I look to meet Presley’s murderous glare. But shit, I can’t help it. This is too funny. I shrug my shoulder, trying to play innocent in the pleasure I’m getting from watching the two of them.
Delilah corrects her posture then clears her throat. “Well, I assure you, Mr. Evans, I am not in rehab nor have I ever been. I do not drink because it only causes people to act like idiots, which leads me believe you’ve had several drinks because that is exactly how you’re acting. There is no way a gentleman would question a lady’s choice of whether or not she drinks.”
Jake walks around the table and leans into her side. “Well, lucky for you I’m not a gentleman and I assure you by the end of the summer, I will have you so hot that the only way you’ll cool off is to take a drink.” He gives her his signature wink as he lifts her chin with his fingers.
She turns her head and meets his eyes. Delilah looks like she’s ready to eat him alive. “You’re disgusting.” She then crosses her arms over her chest and pulls her head back, getting her chin out of his fingers. Jake turns to leave, strutting all the way. Oh shit, these two are either going to screw like rabbits or kill each other.
***
After Delilah and Jake’s awkward, yet hilarious encounter, they ignored each other for the remainder of the night. Toward closing time, Reggie and Darcie came over, so he can introduce himself and then start kicking us out. We say our goodbyes and I am jumping up and down inside because I’ve wanted to get Presley alone since I laid eyes on her this afternoon. I’ve had to convince myself to show some restraint while we were at the bar, but all I can think about is pushing her up against the wall and sinking myself deep inside of her.
Jake and Darcie stay behind to help clean up, which leaves Jeremy and I to escort the girls home. I let the ladies sit together in the back. Delilah is still seething about her meeting with Jake at the same time that Presley is trying to explain to her that it is simply how he is and the best thing to do is ignore him, otherwise he will keep at it. Very, very true. Jake is relentless once he’s figured out how to get to you. He will just push you until you’re ready to kill him or jump off a cliff.
When we pull in the driveway, I usher the ladies from the car and up the stairs. Walking right behind Presley, I keep my eyes glued on her ass as her hips sway with every step she climbs. Oh fuck, I’m not going to last too much longer and I hope Delilah doesn’t need any more attention because it’s my turn.
We all start walking down the hall and I grab a hold of Presley’s arm, pulling her into our room. She presses her back against the wall as I push my body against hers then capture her mouth to mine. Her lips are unbelievably soft and taste like cherries. She loves her cherry Chapstick and every time I kiss her, that’s exactly how she tastes. It’s intoxicating. I start to kiss down her jaw and lightly bite her ear lobe.
“Please tell me you’re done with her because I don’t think I can wait another minute.”
She releases a little moan and barely replies, “L—let me make sure she’s settled and I’ll be right back.”
I plant another deep kiss to her lips then release her from my body. Breathlessly, she slips away and down the hall. I rest my forehead against the wall in an attempt to calm myself down before I shrug over to my iPod and scroll through the playlists. I come across the one I played the first time we had sex. I laugh at the memory. Some random internet site gave a list of what they said were the perfect lovemaking songs and I took their advice, creating the playlist. Every single song is completely opposite from the type of music I listen to, but Presley later told me that she loved the songs, so I’m ready to use them to my advantage again.
As soon as Sade’s smooth lyrics leave the speakers, my bedroom door flies open and then closes. Standing in front of me is the love of my life and she is staring at me through lust-filled eyes. In two steps, I cross the room and pick her up in my arms, craving the feel of her body against mine. Instinctively, she wraps her small, tight legs around my waist and our lips meet. I start to kiss her deeply, tasting her tongue with mine as we express every ounce of love we have for one another. I can’t believe how much this woman means to me. She is the very breath in my body and without her love I would suffocate.
I slowly walk us over to our bed and lie down on the soft mattress. Presley doesn’t detach her legs from my body until I am lying completely on top of her. I’m dying to feel her skin.
I begin to run my hand underneath her shirt and onto the soft skin of her stomach. I can feel the healed bumps of the razor blade scars as my fingers make their way higher. She sits up slightly, removing her t-shirt in the process, and I follow her lead, grabbing a hold of mine behind my neck and yanking it off. God, she is so beautiful and perfect, every inch of her.
Sitting up on my knees, I undo the button of her jeans and slowly pull them over her hips and down her legs. She’s lying in front of me with her black lace bra and panties as my dick is swelling, ready to explode.
We’ve done this many times since the first and every single time is always this intense. The electricity between us sends a current ripping through my body. There is nothing like what we have and I could never compare it to another person again. Presley and I are perfect. The love we have between us is perfect. There is nothing that will break it apart.
I stand, pulling my jeans down and then pick up her foot. From the tip of her toe I start to plant sensual kisses, making my way up her legs, tasting every inch of her skin. Goosebumps are forming on her legs, but it’s not from the temperature, it’s because she is getting wet with every brush of my lips and each lick of my tongue against her soft skin.
I reach her panties then hook my fingers inside the fabric, tugging them down her legs. Presley’s chest is heaving up and down from anticipation, she knows what’s about to happen and craves it as much as I do.
Tossing her panties to the floor, I bend down and resume kissing her legs, making my way to the apex of her thighs. The moment my tongue touches her delicate skin, she releases a moan of pure desire and I can feel her trembling against me. As I rub circles on her with my tongue, my hand begins to creep up to her breasts before I tug them out of her bra. Her nipples are hard pebbles under my fingers.
I rub one between the pads of my index finger and thumb, giving it a light tug, making it even harder when Presley’s quaking starts followed by the moaning of my name. Once she is finished, I kiss my way up her stomach and yank the straps of her bra down, completely freeing her breasts. She quickly sits up and discards the garment with the rest of our clothes.
I lie back on top of her and find her mouth again. I’m feeling completely overwhelmed with love and all I want to do is express exactly how I feel about her with my lips, my words and my body.
Between kisses I whisper, “I love so much, Presley.”
She runs her feet up my legs and hooks her toes into the waistband of my boxers then slides them down with her feet. Holy shit! I think I just fucking died. That was so insanely hot.
Presley leans up to my ear and demands, “Drake, I need you, now. Please make love to me.” With that, she grabs a hold of my ass, pushing my dick between her folds and inside her tight opening.
I shudder at the warm, amazing sensation of her body. Our bodies tango in unison. With each pump of my hips, I push myself deeper into her body, hitting the sweet spot. Presley’s hips begin to meet mine with every movement, making the sensation last longer and become more intense. She is panting with need as I thrust hard and deep. Then Presley releases a scream, coming apart around me. I soon join her, embracing our high together.
Chapter 4
Presley
I stand in my room, pacing back and forth. My stomach is clenched in pain and at any moment I could expel the little amount of contents inside it. Delilah is sitt
ing on my bed, reading aloud from the provided pamphlet, getting the instructions of the home pregnancy test.
I have no idea what she is really saying to me because all I can think about is how horrible it would be to be eighteen and pregnant. I already know I will be an epic failure at being a mother, and honestly, I have no desire to have a child, ever. My brain is not capable of loving anyone, including myself. If you don’t love yourself, is it possible to love something you created? Maybe for some, but not for me; I love only one person and it’s the one person that is keeping me alive.
Drake is the only exception to my stone-filled heart because, without him, I would be a husk of a woman, an empty soul; depressed and drowning in a sea of unimaginable pain. He is the only person who can keep the demon inside me at bay. He is the only reason I wake up in the morning; why I put one foot in front of the other.
Having a child would change everything. I wouldn’t be able to have him whenever I needed him. Selfishly, I don’t think I could share, not because I don’t want to, but I don’t know how I would survive if he couldn’t give me the happiness or high I’m chasing. Now, if I need that euphoric happiness, all I have to do is say something sexual and we are naked and banging. That won’t happen if we have a child.
I watch the time, counting down the seconds as Delilah continues to read about what we are expecting to see on the little white sick. Six weeks ago, I would have never thought being pregnant was possible. Yes, I’ve been puking every day for a week and with every move I make, my breasts feel like someone is stabbing them with needles, yet I never thought it would be this. I was expecting to have cancer or some rare incurable disease and honestly, I welcomed it. I will welcome anything except being pregnant.