Open House

by TC Matson

  I puff a laugh and nod.

  “He’s pretty honest. Did you ask him?”

  “Sort of. He said he wanted our first time to be under different circumstances.”

  “See. I’d say since he knows what you’ve been through, he’s waiting for the right time. Maybe he’s scared to move too fast?”

  “I don’t know.” I rub my forehead. “I don’t know how to act around him.”

  “Could be the reason he’s keeping things slow.”

  I drop my hand to the table. “I want to throw myself at him but I’m petrified how Lucas will feel about his mom dating his teacher.”

  Her brows pinch together. “How did last night happen if Lucas was home?”

  I crinkle my nose. “He surprised me with a visit after Lucas was asleep.”

  “Maybe he thinks he’s got an inadequate package?” she jests snickering.

  Definitely not what I’ve felt pressing against me. “You realize he has stopped us twice, right?”

  “You’re fretting way too much. He’s a sweetheart and he knows what he wants. He’s probably making sure you feel the same way so it doesn’t come crashing to an end before it takes off.”

  I stare at my cup for a long moment and then giggle. “Are blue balls a girl thing, too?”

  “From what you’ve told me, it’s him with the blue balls.”

  “When we were younger, everything was easier and much less complicated. I don’t know where he and I stand.”

  Ugh…I know I’m whining.

  “You ask, Riley. Things have changed since you were a teenager. However the douchebag won you over, it isn’t the same today. Trenton’s feeling you out. Throw him a bone occasionally.”

  “I do.”

  “Then make that man chew on it.” She places her hand on top of mine. “You’re difficult to read sometimes, and I’m saying this as your best friend. You need to let him know where you stand, or at least give him some hints. You’ve been shut inside a void for far too long. Get out of it and tell people how you feel.” She stands, throwing her purse over her shoulder. “I’ve got to get Josh. Do yourself a favor and be in charge of your happiness.”

  I sit back in the chair and sigh.

  I really hate when she makes sense.

  Chapter 22

  As my week passes, realization of just how precise April’s words were haunt me. I’ve been hiding my head in the sand, petrified to live life, and it’s been costing me my confidence and happiness. And the more I think about it, the more I feel like a damn dumbass.

  Trenton and I have talked many times over the phone, but I haven’t had any more late night surprise visits. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit heartbroken and disappointed. I got spoiled off one night. Hate to see how I’ll react to many.

  April has planned another cookout, this one much smaller than the blowout she hosted weeks ago. I got here early to help her set up, shared a glass of wine before everyone showed up, and then watched as they streamed in. One in particular caught my eye, and right now he’s looking sexy as hell manning the grill. A bead of sweat has formed across his forehead and I watch, sucked into fantasy land as he flips the burgers. There’s nothing more arousing than a man cooking.

  We share a few peeks—desirable and flirty glances here and there—but nothing too conspicuous since Lucas and Josh haven’t left his side. I would feel bad for him, but he seems to be fully enjoying their company while cackling with them.

  “Can I spend the night with Josh?” Lucas asks as he throws his plate in the trash.

  “You have to ask April,” I inform him.

  “I did. She said it was fine if it was okay with you.”

  “Just behave yourself,” I say.

  “Yes!” Josh exclaims. “Come on. Mom got me the new FIFA game.”

  And they’re gone in a flash.

  April strolls up and leans into my shoulder. “He cooks, Riley.”

  “And looks damn good doing it,” I boast.

  “Lucky bitch,” she titters.

  “You’ve told me before Jeff cooked for you all the time.”

  “Jeff looked that good when he was younger. This was before age got ahold of him.”

  This makes me laugh.

  She glances behind me and smiles. “Your ears must’ve been burning.”

  Trenton steps beside me. “Was I topic of discussion?” His tone carries a faint conceitedness.

  “You were,” she sings.

  He licks his lips and shifts his prideful eyes on me. “So you say? And what exactly were you talking about?”

  I don’t answer, silently begging April with telepathic thoughts to keep her mouth shut.

  Trenton takes notice and rocks back on his heels. “Seems like it was a good talk.”

  “Sounds like you’ve recently have had some good nights,” April says and I flinch, snapping my head to her in disbelief.

  “It was pretty impressive,” Trenton says.

  I drop my head in my hand. “Oh my God.”

  He leans closer to my ear and whispers. “I don’t recall you moaning that.”

  I back hand him in the chest.

  “You two won’t be able to hide this for too long. You’re barely able to contain yourselves,” April says.

  “She has that effect,” Trenton tells her, winks at me, and then walks away.

  “I don’t know what the hell you’ve been worried about. That man is crazy about you. And he’s a damn keeper. It’s got to be hard…in more ways than one, for him to respect your decisions, but he’s doing it. Do you realize how lucky you are?”

  I scrunch my nose. “I’m very lucky.”

  April makes her way over to a group of her neighbors and I find my way to a few people I’ve met from her previous parties. I’m not good at socializing, especially with people I don’t know very well. There’s always the awkward pause and I wonder if I’m interrupting a conversation I’m not supposed to hear. But these women don’t skip a beat and continue talking about their kids, but the brunette, the richy one—I think her name is Shelly—switches gears and begins telling them about the new pool boy who just started this week. He’s young and easy on the eyes and her husband caught her ogling him the other day. When she states that the other night she fantasized about pool boy while her husband made love to her, I want to puke.

  I glance up and suddenly the women’s chatter drops into a blurry distance, being overridden by my slamming heart. April’s neighbor, Sophia, is talking with Trenton and making it very clear she’s interested. She flips her long dirty blonde hair over her shoulder, batting her eyes and smiling her gorgeous big smile at him. She’s fricking beautiful—young, perky boobs, beautiful blue eyes, a bubbly personality. And even though I want to knock her teeth down her throat right now, she is really sweet.

  She consumes his attention. Every time she laughs, so does he.

  Jealous much? Yeah.

  “How have you been since you and Brian split?” the red-headed one asks me. I need to learn everyone’s name.

  “Good,” I say.

  “Has it caused any difficulties with your son?”

  I catch Trenton stealing a peek at me. “No. Actually we get along well co-parenting.”

  Sophia rubs her hand down Trenton’s arm. My stomach churns.

  “You should feel blessed. When Jacob and I divorced, we fought worse than we did when we were married.”

  “We’ve remained pretty civil,” I say.

  Trenton says something and Sophia laughs, leaning into him. I stretch my neck from side to side, trying to relieve the green-eyed monster lurking just below the surface.

  “It took Jacob and me years to find happy grounds. Does he see Lucas much?”

  I know she’s only trying to be polite, but she’s hitting the highest annoyance level. “He does. We have a good schedule.”

  Trenton has a beer in one hand, the other in his pocket, when Sophia stretches to her tip toes, placing her face right beside his, and whispers some
thing. Although, he remains emotionless, I can’t.

  “Excuse me.” I muster up a fake smile and rush toward the house.

  Lucas is sitting on the edge of Josh’s bed, perfectly enthralled with the game as I tell him I’m leaving and for him to behave. He tosses a goodbye over his shoulder without taking his eyes off the screen.

  I make my way to April, spotting her not far from where the hellish scene is still playing out, and keep my focus on her.

  “I’m leaving,” I say. “I can’t watch this anymore.”

  She looks a bit confused before leaning to the side and glancing around me. She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t know she would do this. I’m sorry.”

  I tighten my lips. “It isn’t your fault. I need to get out of here. Call me tomorrow when everyone is awake and I’ll come get Lucas, okay?”

  I’m hurt, sad, and well…angry as hell. Knowing he isn’t mine to officially claim, knowing he’s fair game to anyone, frightens the shit out of me. And for it to play out in front of me just mutilated my heart. I feel defeated, wronged before I can make things right. I shouldn’t care, but I can’t deny the feelings I have.

  The best thing for me is to try to sleep and wake up with a clearer mind. I squeeze into my pillow, begging the darkness to stop these wicked thoughts when my phone rings.

  It’s him.

  “Answer your door,” he says brusquely.

  “I’m in bed.” Apparently, I’m a little angrier than I thought.

  “Get up and answer your door,” he demands.

  I huff, throwing off the covers and then stomp down the hall.

  “What do you want?” I snap, ripping open the door.

  His eyes darken. “What’s wrong?” But by his tone, he already knows the answer.

  “Nothing. I’m just tired,” I answer nonchalantly.

  His brows raise with amusement and the left side of his lips tick, but he clenches his jaw. “Really?”

  I rock back on my heels and before I can say anything, everything happens so fast. He rushes against me, slamming the door shut, and presses me against the wall with his body.

  “I hate liars,” he breathes, dragging his hand up my arm.

  I push it away.

  I feel his lips part against my cheek just before he grabs my hands and slams them above my head.

  “What’s wrong, Angel?” He nips my earlobe.

  Sensations. So many sensations.

  “Was it the blonde?” he rasps, gripping both my hands under one of his and dragging his other over my shoulder.

  My body is hyperaware of his movements. My senses are lost between his touches, the sexual frustration, and the jealous anger.

  He hums. “Was it because she was so close, trying to get me to topple into her attraction?” He presses against me, caging me in and grips my hip. “Was it the way she looked at me?”

  “I didn’t like it,” I admit in a heavy sigh.

  A deep vibration, a small laugh, thunders from his chest. “Why, Angel?” He grips my thigh and squeezes. My knees fall weak and for a second I’m sliding down the wall, but he stops me. “Because she wants what you want?”

  “I…” My mind is humming in a heated charge.

  He cups my sex and I gasp, pushing my ache into his hand.

  “You what, Angel?”

  “You wanted her,” I murmur.

  He bites my chin and my eyes roll. “You were squirming over it. It bothered you to see someone trying to take what you want.” He digs his erection into my hip. “The fucking jealousy in your eyes only confirmed what I’ve waited so long for.”

  He captures my lips in a hungry storm, lifting me and forcing my legs to lace around his waist. He starts down the hall, carrying me with one arm as he caresses my breast over the fabric of my shirt. Desperate to feel him, his skin, his touch, I yank off my shirt, quickly ridding me of my bra. He wastes no time lapping between my breasts.

  He drops my ass to the bed and, in a swift movement, takes my shorts down my legs. He’s out of his shirt and tugging out of his pants with his fervent hazels on me. Suddenly, I feel self-conscience. He’s marvelously gorgeous naked with a more profound chest than his clothes give him justice for. The smooth skin of his stomach bears a patch of hair under his navel and travels down. He is all types of divine.

  He strokes his dick, biting his bottom lip as I watch fascinatedly. He pushes my shoulder, climbing on top of me, nestles between my legs and begins rocking his dick against my clit.

  “Are you on birth control?” he asks impatiently.

  “Yes,” falls from my lips in a pant.

  He lifts, sitting back on his heels, and with his thumb, he starts circling my swollen nub, squeezing my thighs. My hips gyrate on their own accord and I arch, pushing my head into the bed. Grazing his fingers along my skin, he pinches my nipple, and it releases such rapture, I moan loudly.

  Continuing the stimulation on my clit, he inserts his fingers and watches me as an enormous frenzied need courses my body, centering deep within my pelvis, and causes my body to contract.

  With a grip on my ankle, he quickly shoves his cock into me and I cry out. With my other leg pressed to my chest, he pumps into me and a staggering throb radiates my entire body. Sensing where I am, he slows with long and strong strides allowing me to gather myself, but the arousal is too much.

  I dig my nails into his thighs, my hips pushing and pulling with each steady thrust. His breaths are ragged as he shoves into me, picking the pace back up with force, and it begins to draw out my climax. Immediately, he slows again, and he continues this wickedly titillating torture until every smoldering morsel of my orgasm builds.

  Unmerciful pulses rip me apart. I mewl, crying out as the earth shatters and explodes around me. Blinding euphoria consumes me. I put a death grip on the sheets and bite back a scream of pleasure.

  He slams into me fiercely, burying himself as I lose it under him. Suddenly, his body tenses and he grits his teeth, grunting and rocking madly into me, surrendering to his own orgasm. Inaudible words spill from his mouth, and when we finally reach the end of the glorious ride, he drops to his elbows.

  “You’re insanity,” he breathes.

  I’m intoxicated, entirely satisfied, unable to open my eyes. He moves beside me and adjusts a pillow to prop his head up on.

  A bite on my ass jerks me from my sleep. Teasing kisses caress my ass cheeks as his hands run along my back. A tickle spreads fire over me when he shifts and grazes his lips up the middle of my back. I moan, trying to turn and face him, but he has other things planned as he pulls my hips, lifting my ass into the air.

  From behind, he leisurely sinks his dick into me, filling me fully and then dragging back to the end of his length.

  “You’re fucking gorgeous, Angel,” he groans. “Fucking perfection.”

  I gyrate my hips, sliding backward into him.

  “Fuck yes,” he grunts. “Fuck me.”

  And I do. Shoving backward, I grind into him while he keeps a firm grip on my ass allowing me to please him. I rock against him, my entire body ablaze with a desperate desire.

  Abruptly, he rams deep and I cry out from the swell of tantalizing delight. A rumble of laughter echoes behind me and it’s both insanely erotic and frightening.

  Twisting my hair, he leads my head toward the ceiling and buries himself with a sharp jab. I cry out at the pain, at the intensity, and it unleashes something wild within him. Relentlessly, he plunges into me. He’s ravenous.

  I buck away at the sting when he slaps my ass and impales with sheer force. Gripping my chin, he leans me up and twists me to his mouth. I’m off balance, resting on my knees as he roots himself upward. Our kiss is sexily sloppy. Our tongues missing one another and our lips hanging on by luck. He wraps a hand around me, holding me hostage as he captures my nipple between his thumb and forefinger and snakes his other hand to my clit, teasing it. It makes my body become insanely greedy and I ride him hard, bouncing on my knees and slamming myself down on him.
He works hastily on my nub, drawing out trails of fire from within me. I fold an arm around his neck to steady my trembling body.

  We’re twisted in an erotic pretzel.

  “You’re gonna come all over my dick,” he rasps. “You’re gonna beg me, Angel.”

  “Yes. Yes,” I pant, feeling a bit out of control.

  Sounds of our skin slapping together intensify an eroticism I’ve not ever been subjected to, acting as an aphrodisiac. My moans are rapid and loud. My breaths are quick. He continues to grind into me tweaking my clit.

  It starts in my legs, a throb tightening down each muscle, one by one, working its way up until it completely engulfs my body and devours me with a scorching heat.

  “Please,” I beg, whimpering for more.

  He pushes my arm from his neck, forcing me back on my stomach, and grips my hip, surging into me. The sting of his fingers adds a painful pleasure and I bite the pillow.

  He succumbs to his orgasm, losing his rhythm, and growls a guttural moan.

  I’m trembling, struggling to catch my breath. “Shit…” I can’t comprehend a thing. “I…”

  Emotionally, I’m done for. I feel exposed, naked from the outside in.

  A gravelly chuckle resonates from his chest as he falls behind me and tugs me against his body. “I’m not leaving tonight,” he says out of breath.

  A tug grips my heart, but it isn’t startling. It’s refreshing and invigorating as it energizes my soul. I draw his arms around me and squeeze. “I’d like that.”

  The room has been silent for a pregnant moment when he kisses the back of my head. “You realize you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Hmmm?”

  “My sights have been set on one woman for a while.”

  My heart dips. “I’m sorry I acted that way tonight.”

  “You felt threatened. It’s a natural reaction,” he replies casually.

  “Still doesn’t give me the right.”

  He traces his fingers up my arm. “Claim me, Angel. I’m yours.”

  I can’t describe the rush of emotions that just released. It’s one that grounds me and lifts me off in flight at the same time. Like riding a roller coaster and having your stomach dip just before cresting the largest hill.