by Howe, Olivia
A COPS episode from the TV caught my attention and I looked toward the TV. Criminal Justice had always been of interest to me, and I was the first to admit I was obsessed with crime shows and forensics, but was a bit hesitant to change my business major. I’d heard that was a major that could get you any job.
Still, the rush of arresting someone, fighting to put on cuffs, figuring out the psychological games played by the people they arrested fascinated me. I found myself glued to the TV, still having never changed into my night shirt, and never bothering to take off my makeup.
The satisfaction of having the bad guys go to jail made me happy as the show came to an end. I tossed the candy wrapper into the trash as I searched for the remote to turn the TV off.
I froze as there was a knock at the door.
What the…?
I opened the door to see Landon standing there in low riding jeans, a white T-shirt with a sports logo on it, and dark hair tousled but sexy. In one hand he held a bottle of wine, and in the other he held a long, red ribbon.
“Oh shit,” I said before I could stop it from tumbling from my mouth.
“Nice to see you, too,” Landon said, still standing outside my door.
“Why are you here?” I stammered.
“Why not?” he came back.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Such a smartass, all the time. Why don’t you give me a straight answer for once? And what about your blonde girlfriend?”
His eyes danced with amusement. “A. Lynne is not my girlfriend, she’s a groupie, and an annoying one at that, and B; I’m here because I want you.”
Well, there’s something to be said for honesty.
“Since when?”
“Since the second I laid eyes on you,” he whispered back quickly.
I sorta felt like opening the door wider to allow him access, but I didn’t. I wanted him to work for it.
“That’s a great line, but I don’t believe you. Sorry.” I pressed my hip up against the door to block his entrance.
His eyes roamed my body and then he looked into my eyes once more. “Last summer. You were at your sorority’s volleyball game. My frat was playing against you guys. You had on a black and white polka-dot bikini, but wouldn’t take off the long, white shirt you had on over it. Which obviously wasn’t very thick. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it or you.”
My mouth hung open on its own volition because he was right. I had been wearing exactly that. I remember being too shy to take it off in front of all the hot frat boys, plus I was self-conscious in front of the other girls with their perfect tans and nice boobs. I could barely fill out the cups of mine.
“I asked you out, and you didn’t bother to show, but I forgave you, and still want you –”
My eyes widened in disbelief. “What do you mean I didn’t bother to show up? It was you who stood me up! I waited there, and I have never been so humiliated in my life!”
A look of genuine confusion colored his face. “What are you talking about? I was there. I sat in the waiting area for 40 minutes until I gave up!”
He pushed his way inside my room and I let him.
The hell if he thinks he’s staying in here, I thought. I was mad now, mad at him for blaming me for that mix-up.
I folded my arms over my chest while he stood directly in front of me. He had set the wine bottle on my nightstand and was now staring into my eyes, like he’d had so many times in the past few days.
“You’re lying, there’s no way you sat there, because I sat there. Did you show up on the wrong day or something?”
He shook his head. “No, it was Friday, two days after I asked you out.”
He was right, I was also there on Friday.
“Well I’m never going back to that Texas Roadhouse again, I’m too embarrassed, thanks to you,” I said.
A look of confusion and then a smile lit up his face. “You were at Texas Roadhouse? I said I’d meet you at Texas Steakhouse.”
“There are two of them in that stupid town?”
“They’re totally different restaurants,” he said. “The steakhouse is smaller, independently owned. The other is a big chain. I didn’t want to take you to some cheesy chain. My uncle owns the steakhouse, and it’s the best.”
I swallowed hard at his sweetness, and began to feel incredibly stupid. “I’m sorry, Landon. But I’m glad we cleared that up. I thought you had found someone prettier, or more fun to spend time with.”
He stepped forward and wrapped me in a hug. His arms felt strong and comforting, rather than demanding and claiming like earlier. “Well, that explains it. I’ve also been feeling like shit since then. I thought you chickened out or something. Guess we should have just asked. Or texted when we got there but I didn’t want to hear that you weren’t showing. Guess that was sort of cowardly of me.”
I shook my head. “No more of a coward than I was, because I didn’t bother texting or calling you either, for the same reason.”
He pulled back and grabbed my hand. “Come here, I want to make it up to you.”
“Right now?” I said, eyes wide.
“It’s no steak dinner, but I want to show you something.”
I nodded, slipping on Beth’s black flats and following him out the door. He led me down the hall, down the stairs, and past the humongous Christmas tree that took up most of the foyer. After passing through the main kitchen and food-prep area, we found ourselves in what looked like a study or library, except it was the biggest study I had ever seen. Books new and old lined every wall, a large partner’s desk was in the corner, and a normal-sized Christmas tree decorated in white lights sat off to the side. They were the only light in the room.
He led me to the middle of the room where a large sprig of mistletoe hung from a long red ribbon tied to a sprinkler head in the ceiling. He looked up and bit back a smile, and I did the same, then looked at him.
Lifting my chin with one finger, he said, “I’m sorry about the date. I’m sorry about kissing you at the bar. This is how I wanted to kiss you for the first time.”
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my mouth. My body responded immediately to him, as I slid both arms up and around his neck as he continued to kiss me softly. I may have sighed like a schoolgirl in the back of my throat when his fingers brushed against my cheek.
As he pulled back, he looked down into my eyes, and I stared into his pine-green depths. He said nothing as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the room, all the while never taking his eyes off of mine. We went back through the kitchen, food-prep area, giant foyer, then back up the stairs, staring at each other like a couple of lovesick puppies.
When we got to my door, Landon pressed me up against it and kissed me again, this time more demanding and desperate. His hands pulled me as close as I could possibly be to him, and I let him. He used one hand to open my door as he continued to kiss me. He only broke the kiss to reach into his pocket and pull out the red ribbon and tie it to the doorknob before closing and locking it.
I was breathing heavy, standing there, not sure what to do. I was no virgin, but it had been a while since I’d been with anyone. I didn’t want to feel awkward, but I was starting to.
I didn’t have to wonder for long. He took control by pulling the dress off over my head and tossing it into my suitcase, which was lying open in the corner of the room. He looked appreciatively at my black lace undies and bra. As he reached behind his back and yanked off his T-shirt, I also looked longingly at his tanned chest, the ribbing of the muscles on his stomach, and the way his pants hung low on his hips, that V disappearing into his waistband. Bethany had once said that the “V” made girls stupid. She wasn’t lying.
As we walked toward the bed, he put his arms around me again and kissed me like he had before. We sat down and continued to kiss. His hand slipped behind my head and he fisted a bunch of my brown curls. Landon’s other hand slid up my thigh and my legs involuntarily pushed open to allow him
to go all the way up, if he wanted.
And he wanted…
I soon found myself flat on my back, his mouth at my neck, licking and nuzzling as I giggled. The scruff from his chin tickled me and I reached down and pulled his head away from my neck. I wanted to kiss him again. I’d never had anyone kiss me as deliciously as he had.
He gladly obliged, pressing his mouth on mine once again, his lips soft but claiming, his tongue demanding entry. I felt his hand snake down my waist, stomach, then when it reached my bikini line, he slithered a few fingers into my underwear and began to feel around inside of them, and then he slid them off down my legs. I kicked out of them. I gasped as he slid fingers inside of me, as they easily went in, I was so turned on. At the same time he freed my bra and palmed one breast with his hand.
Talented and can multi-task, my inner voice giggled at me.
So many sensations were flooding my body at once, that when he pulled his hands away and stood up, I was still lying with my head back, my breaths uneven as I tried to catch them.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Landon hovering over me, a smile on his lips, his eyes full of what I could only describe as admiration and affection as I watched him pull out a condom from his pocket. He stared at me, his eyes never leaving mine as he slid his pants off and then rolled the condom on.
Still looking in my eyes, he kneeled on the bed, then pressed his hard body on top of mine and without any effort, he slipped himself inside of me. We groaned in unison, his hips slowly beginning to move in time with mine. He snaked his right arm under my neck and the other moved up to cup my face with his hand as he leaned down and kissed me with more passion than I had ever felt.
Our movements were perfectly in sync, and he felt so good inside of me, I never wanted him to stop. I didn’t ever want this night to end. Our breathy groans, the kisses he unleashed on me, the pleasurable pressure building inside was just too much. My body arched as it clenched around him, a cry expelling from my lips as he stiffened above me, a low, guttural moan breathing into my right ear as we both lost ourselves to the pleasure we’d built up together.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, do you know that?” he whispered, stroking my hair back from my face as he stared into my eyes.
I couldn’t believe he’d said that. Nobody had ever said anything even close to that to me, ever.
I blinked up at him in surprise. “No, I don’t really think that, but thank you.”
“Hey,” he said, his fingers moving down to my face, “you’re gorgeous. I thought so from the very first time I saw you. You stopped my heart for a minute.”
I laughed and closed my eyes. This guy couldn’t be real!
He rolled over, off of and out of me. He discarded the condom, and then I rested my head on his chest when he lay back down.
As we lay there, my finger making little circles on his chest, I whispered, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” he murmured.
“Why don’t you and Finn get along?”
He chuckled. “Because he was trying to get with you. He said he was gonna have you and that obviously you didn’t want me since you hadn’t showed up for our date.”
“Well it’s a good thing we cleared that up, then,” I said, laughing.
“He’s also jealous that I made the football team and he didn’t. So there is that.”
“Football. Sounds like fun,” I lied.
“Don’t sound so enthused,” he teased back. “I’m playing because my dad, uncle, and grandpa all played ball for Sac State. My degree is going to be in computer science.”
“Smart and cute, I sure scored.”
He sat up and looked at me seriously, brushing fingertips on my cheek. “I’m the one who scored. I don’t care what Finn thought or said, I was gonna have you, no matter what. I’ve wanted you forever.”
“Then it’s a good thing you caught me first,” I teased, biting back a smile.
His mouth hovered just a breath above mine as his green gaze pierced me with a solemn expression. “And I’ll never let you go. You’ll always be my girl, Sadie. Always.”
THE END
Dedication:
To everyone who supports this crazypants dream of mine, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Chapter One
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
~William Shakespeare
Felicity
“I hate the snow!” I scream. Dramatic? Yes. True? Also yes.
I really do hate the snow. And the cold. Basically, everything about this trip Becca convinced me to go on. All so she can get laid. See what a great friend I am?
“Fliss! It’s not that bad.” Becca argues.
At this exact moment a large pile of snow resting comfortably high in an evergreen tree decides to avalanche on top of Becca’s head. I manage to hold my laughter in for about three seconds before it roars out.
“Not. Another. Word.” Becca’s tone is tight.
I make it inside without words—but certainly not without a few more chuckles.
“You’re room is upstairs. I gave you the huge loft and you’ll be all alone up there so you should remain undisturbed.” I can hear the slightly annoyed tone in Becca’s voice.
“You just want to be downstairs so you can get as freaky as you like.” I answer back smugly.
“Bitch.”
“Slut.”
“I love you.” Becca laughs.
“I love you, too.” I reply with a grin. “Now show me before the guys get here. I still can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
Becca grabs my duffle bag and begins to trek up the stairs to our left. “You’re going to have a blast—you’ll see. I bet you’ll even like Will’s friend Eric.”
I roll my eyes, only Becca can’t see me do it since I’m behind her still. “I doubt it.” I say bluntly.
“At least give him a chance, Fliss.” Becca drops the bag at the top off the steps.
It takes a moment for me to answer because the large space distracts me. I can definitely make this work for our stay. “At least these digs are a win regardless.” I say wryly. “I’ll give him a chance—only for you, Beck. But I warn you, it’s not going to be a big one.”
“Works for me!” Becca talks and hops simultaneously. It’s very easy to make her happy—one of the many reasons I love her so hard. “I’m going to go unpack! Meet you in the kitchen soon.” With that, she’s gone.
I take a few moments to wander around and familiarize myself with the new surroundings. When I reach the window on the front of the house, I notice another car coming down the driveway.
Great. The guys are here.
I give a resounding sigh and begin to unpack. Hopefully I can prolong introductions for as long as possible.
***
“Fliss!” Becca calls up the stairs much too soon.
“Be right there!” I yell back. Ugh. Here we go I guess.
It’s not that I don’t like people…okay, maybe they’re not my most favorite thing—but I’m not a bitch, I swear it. It’s mostly because Becca has this silly undying notion that I need a man in my life. She has this problem of constantly setting me up with guys—all of which to date have failed epically, thus my utter hesitancy at the moment.
I take the last few steps downstairs and the first thing I notice is a tangle of human limbs. Becca and Will act like they haven’t seen each other in months rather than weeks. Will graduated the college we attend last summer. Becca and I only have a few weeks left until we earn our own diplomas.
Eric is Will’s new friend from his architecture firm. Supposedly, he’s a really great guy…
Supposedly.
Regardless of my qualms with this week-long attempt at matchmaking, I plaster on my best smile and face the only other person in the room. “Hi, you must be Eric. I’m Felicity.”
He smiles back. It’s a nice smile—don’t get me wron
g—but something seems off. “Felicity, it’s nice to meet you finally. Will speaks very highly of you.”
I shake off the weird feeling in my gut and shake his offered hand. “As Becca does of you,” I reply and take my hand back. My attention turns to Becca and Will. “Have they come up for air at all yet?”
Eric laughs and shakes his head. “Not yet.”
I shake my head. “C’mon. I’m sure we can figure out which room’s yours.”
Sure enough, Becca has plainly claimed one room for her and Will. It doesn’t take long for Eric and me to find bedroom number two.
“This must be it.” I declare and take a step back from the doorway. “I’ll let you get all settled and whatnot.”
“It was really nice to meet you, Felicity.” Eric says with more intensity than I’m used to.
“You, too. I’ll see you in a bit, no doubt.” I give a small smile and take off down the hall.
Becca and Will are still stuck to one another. I give Will’s shoulder a pat as I walk by to escape upstairs. His response is something between a grunt and a sigh, lost somewhere in Becca.
One thought plays on repeat as I take the last steps two at a time.
This is going to be a really long trip.
***
“We have to get a tree, Fliss!” Becca insists. “It’s Christmas!”
She has a valid point. And let’s face it, the reality is Becca (albeit happily) gave up her family Christmas to spend with me because this is my first Christmas alone. I owe her a damn tree and we both know it.
“Okay, we’ll get a tree. I promise.” I assure her.
In case it isn’t obvious enough, I’m kind of the one who takes care of Becca—as much as she’ll let me, anyway. Who would’ve thought I’d become so co-dependent on my freshman college roommate? And vice-versa?
In a lot of ways Becca and I are polar opposites. She’s tall, blonde and perky. I’m none of those things. Yet somehow we mesh well. I really don’t know what I’d do without her.