“Stop!” I tried to twist away, but he was too heavy, and it was fruitless to even try and move him.
“Are you gonna stay?” He grinned as he continued to torture me.
“Yes, yes, yes, I’ll stay. Please stop,” I panted as I tried to catch my breath.
“Much better,” he rocked back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Let’s order a pizza.”
Just like that, we went from almost combusting from sexual tension to laughing like school children. Wes always was playful, but he never really let himself be that way around me. Growing up, he was always guarded. It was almost as if he’d been afraid of me.
“How come you never did these things when we were younger?” I smiled as he placed his cell back on the counter and resumed his spot beside me. He’d ordered our pizza, and now, we just had to wait.
“It was different then,” he shrugged.
“How?” I turned to face him and placed a throw pillow on my lap.
“You were younger,” he turned away from me, and it almost looked like he was embarrassed.
“Like how?” I reached out and shoved his shoulder trying to get his attention.
“Jesus, Angel, you’re not letting this go are you?” he groaned.
“I wanna know. What’s different now versus back then? You used to kid around with Cole all the time, but every time I would try to get in on it, you would pull away.”
He sucked in a deep breath before standing, “You see this?” He pointed to the obvious ridge in his shorts. “That’s why!”
“Oh,” I grinned as I looked up at him. I licked my lips as my heart began to thunder harder in my chest. He was turned on by me. I had power over him, and as much as I wanted to be in that position, it also worried me.
I’d built up this fantasy in my head for so long that I wondered if the reality would live up to it. What if I froze? What if I wasn’t what he’d envisioned? What if I let him down?
I cleared my suddenly tight throat as I peered up again. “Can I touch it?”
His eyes widened and he blinked a few times. He shook his head as if he was clearing it before he glanced down at me, “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”
“Oh, ok,” I turned away so he wouldn’t see the hurt in my eyes. I felt like the sixteen year old with a crush all over again. Maybe I was right. Maybe he had the same fears I did.
“You don’t understand,” he lowered himself back down to the couch. “Look at me, Angel.” He reached over and took my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “If I let you do that, I won’t want to stop, and the pizza will be here in twenty minutes.”
I nodded slowly as I stared at him. My head was spinning so fast, and I could see the restraint in his eyes. He was holding back. It was the same look I’d seen so many times when we were younger, only now I was old enough to recognize it. Back then, I thought it was annoyance, but what it really was, was hunger.
As the minutes ticked by while we waited for our dinner to arrive, Wes clicked the TV back on. We’d slid to opposite ends on the large couch, and the air around us was back to being thick with tension. It was almost as if the last few hours hadn’t occurred. My emotions had been all over the place throughout the day, and I wasn’t sure how I should react to him
Just as I started to open my mouth to say something, her voice broke into the air. My eyes swung to the TV as the one woman I loathed popped up on the screen. Victoria Stephens sat behind a large table draped in a UFC banner with some guy beside her. He was sweaty and grinning as she caressed his bicep.
I darted my eyes in Wes’ direction to find him seething. His jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists on the couch beside him, and the muscles of his arms flexed. I reached for the remote where it sat on the table in front of us, when his voice broke out low and ominous, “Don’t!”
“You don’t need to watch this,” I whispered in a timid voice.
“I said, don’t!” he growled when I started to ignore him.
I sighed as I set it down, only to be saved by the doorbell. Wes jumped slightly like he’d been startled, and sprung from the couch. I watched him stride to the door, pay the delivery boy, and come back to living room as if nothing had happened. By that time, the story had changed, and some soccer story was the main focus.
“Do you want to talk about that?” I motioned to TV while he placed slices of pizza on plates for us.
“No, she’s a bitch. There’s nothing to talk about,” he muttered, effectively closing the subject.
“Well, if you ever want to…” I trailed off.
“Drop it, Angel,” he handed me a plate. “Drink?” He stood and began shuffling toward the kitchen.
“Water’s fine,” I called as I took a giant bite while making a mental note to try and discuss this later.
When Wes returned, his lips curled in disgust. “I can’t believe you like that.” His head tipped toward the pizza I was now devouring.
“When you’re pregnant, all sorts of weird stuff tastes good,” I giggled. “Besides, I’m not throwing up anymore.”
“Yeah, but pineapple and olives? Gross,” he shivered as he made a gagging noise.
“Says the man eating jalapenos with pepperoni,” I teased as I shoved another bite in my mouth. And just like that, the earlier tension melted away.
By the time we finished eating, I was stuffed. I glanced over at Wes as he began closing the pizza boxes to put away our leftovers. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw his shirt. The white fabric was now sprinkled with tomato sauce.
“You got a hole in your lip or something?” I teased, waving my finger up and down in front of the mess he’d made.
“Har har,” he rolled his eyes as he carried the boxes away. “If I did, I’m sure you’d eat whatever I dropped.”
“Are you calling me fat?” I gasped when he rounded the corner.
“No,” he shook his head. I could tell by the look on his face that he thought he’d taken his teasing too far. “I think you’re beautiful,” he swallowed.
I glared at him for a minute, waiting to see how much backpedaling he’d do, when an idea popped into my head. I tossed the napkin he’d given me to wipe my hand with onto the table, slowly stood up, and began shuffling closer to him.
“I’m sorry,” his face softened as I moved closer. “You’re not fat, Angel.” He stared as I moved even closer. “God, I suck at this,” he muttered just as I stopped in front of him.
“You’re a slob, you know that?” I blinked up at him innocently. “You make a mess like a two-year-old.” With that, I lifted my hand covered in pizza sauce and wiped it down the front of his shirt, smiling the entire time. “You really should change,” I shrugged. “Wouldn’t want to get the furniture dirty.”
He pressed his lips together, fighting the smile that was trying to form as he shook his head at me. “I think I’ve finally met my match,” he murmured as he reached for his shirt tail. Before I could say anything, he peeled his dirty t-shirt up his abdomen, over his head, and tossed it to the floor beside us.
I tried, I really did, but as soon as his arms dropped so did my eyes. They scanned him from the tip of his head all the way down to where his shorts hung on his hips. My fingers burned to touch him. He was perfect. It had been so long since I’d been this close to his naked chest that I thought I might combust. The tan skin stretched over the most gorgeous pecs a man could have. He didn’t have a six- pack; no, this man had eight. The waistband of his boxer briefs teased me as they peeked out of the mesh shorts he was wearing along with some script that seemed to be new. “What’s this?” I slowly reached out to touch the writing that was only half visible.
His muscles flinched as he sucked in a breath, “Got that a few years ago. It says ‘Tu sei solo debole come si lasci’ which means ‘you are only as weak as you let yourself be’ in Italian.”
“That’s beautiful,” I whispered as I let my fingers trace over the ink. My eyes drifted upward as I took in the rest of him. Hi
s left forearm still contained the tribal design he’d had back in college, but now it continued up to his shoulder. When my eyes connected with his, I could see it. Hunger and desire boiling in the deep pools. His breathing was labored, but he held on to his restraint, letting me explore. My fingers ghosted up his side and wrapped around his neck before tugging him gently closer. His head dipped down as I rose up on my tiptoes. I let my lips graze his stubbled jaw as I moved to whisper in his ear, “Can I stay here tonight?”
Wes swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut before slowly releasing a breath, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Angel. I’m barely holding on right now.”
“So stop fighting it,” I murmured before I gently bit down on his lobe.
“Fuck!” he hissed before reaching down and lifting me into his arms. I giggled with nervous excitement as he strode down the hall with purpose, each step taking me closer to where I wanted to be. He shoved the bedroom door open before carrying me to the center of the room and dropping me onto the bed. “Stay!” he growled as he turned to flick on a light.
The room was suddenly illuminated in the soft glow of the bedside lamp, and my eyes began to scan my surroundings. It was a man’s room that was for sure. The bed was massive, king sized at least, maybe a California King. Dark burgundy bedding along with matching curtains gave it a rich, royal feel. Dark cherry furniture lined one wall along with a fainting couch on the corner. The door to a walk-in closet and the ensuite bathroom were off to the right, and plush white carpet covered the floor.
“Wow,” my eyes widened as he stood there smirking at me.
“It’s ok,” he shrugged. “I’m never here, so I don’t really notice it.”
“A girl could get used to this,” I giggled as I laid back and stretched.
A pained look washed over him before he hid it behind a cocky smile. “You think so, huh?” he crawled up on the bed and hovered over me. One hand brushed the loose hair back from my face as the other cupped my chin. “I never thought I’d have you here,” his eyes held what looked like sadness as he studied me. “I always thought you’d move on. Find someone better,” he whispered, before leaning in and placing a light kiss on my lips. This one was gentle, nothing like the others we’d shared. He took his time, making sure that I could sense what he was feeling.
My arms lifted from the bed beside me, and I trailed them down his bare back. He groaned as the kiss continued, but when I pushed at his waistband, he froze and pulled back. “I’m not having sex with you tonight, Angel,” he stared down at me.
I blinked a few time before the dumbest thing I’d ever said flew out of my mouth. “I’m not a virgin, you know,” I blurted and then squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment.
“I know,” he chuckled as he rolled to the side. “This little guy knows, too,” he rubbed my belly. “I want to, believe me I do, but not until we tell Cole about us.” He stood, but motioned for me to stay put as he rushed out of the room. When he returned, he tossed his phone in my direction, “Call him so he doesn’t worry. Tell him I’ll bring you home in the morning. I’ll be back in a sec.” I nodded as I dialed and watched him disappear into the bathroom.
I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face as I waited for my brother to answer. Things seemed to finally be working out for us. He had a girlfriend whom he loved, and she adored him, and I was finally exactly where I was supposed to be... with my broken angel.
Chapter 16
Angela
It had been three days since I’d spent the night at Wes’. Three long days. The police had launched an investigation to find out what had happened to Richard. I’d been trying to broach the subject of Wes and me as a couple with my brother. It seemed that each time I tried, Cole would change the subject. I don’t know if he knew what I was trying to do or not. I was hoping that since we were adults now, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it seemed that Cole was going to play the role of my father as long as he could.
“So,” Cole sat down on the couch beside me. Maddie was cooking dinner, and I’d stayed in hoping to try one more time to tell Cole about Wes. “Have you found a place yet?”
I sucked my lip into my mouth, and bit down lightly on it. I’d been hoping that Wes would want me to stay with him, but I knew that was moving pretty fast. I really needed a place to myself. With the baby coming in the spring, I wanted to be prepared and not rely on someone else.
“Not really,” I murmured. “I need to get my things from Alex’s apartment. When I came here to visit, I just sorta left. All of my stuff is there including my car. I figured I’d fly back, and drive my car here,” I shrugged.
“Um, no,” Cole shook his head.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” I scowled.
“You, little sister, are not going to drive across the country alone. We’ll figure something out, but you going out there by yourself is not going to happen.” He sighed just as a knock sounded at the door. His brow furrowed as he stood to answer it. Maddie leaned out of the kitchen just as Cole opened the door and laughed. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too,” Wes responded, causing my heart rate to increase. “Angel,” he nodded at me as he moved farther into the room. We’d been pretending that we still hated each other every time we were around Cole, but I could sense that Maddie could see right through us.
I lifted my hand to wave slightly then pressed my lips into a firm line.
“Do you ever come over other than at meal time?” Maddie giggled as she carried something from the oven over to the table.
“Not if I can help it,” he chuckled.
“Well, it’s a good thing you picked tonight,” Cole smirked. “Ang’s has been cooking, too, and she needs lessons. “I don’t know what we ate last night,” he groaned, and I couldn’t help but scowl.
“You’re lucky I fed you anything, big brother,” I mocked as I stood and made my way over to the table. Before I could pull my chair out, Wes grabbed it and helped me. I stared in disbelief that he was being so gentlemanly. We’d been at each other throats so much over the past several days that I’d forgotten this side of him. His mom had taught him manners, and it was nice to be on the receiving end of them.
“So, again I ask, what are you doing here, man?” Cole helped Maddie into her seat before seating himself, and stared at Wes.
“I need to talk to you about something,” Wes coughed to clear his throat at the same time I kicked his shin under the table. His head turned in my direction, and I slowly shook my head indicating that he shouldn’t spill the beans about us right then.
“Me, too,” Cole mumbled around a mouthful of what smelled like some of the best lasagna on the planet.
“You do?” Both Wes and I answered at the same time.
Cole’s brow furrowed before he shook his head and sighed, “Ang here needs to go home to get her things. Maddie has to work this week, and I had been planning to move her things in here while she was working. I was wondering if you’d go with Ang back to California and drive her car here.”
“Sure,” Wes shrugged as he took a bite of pasta. “I don’t have anything major going on this week. I can get someone else to cover my self-defense class, and Joey can run the front desk for me.”
“Thanks,” Cole nodded. “I owe you one.”
“Wait just a minute,” I dropped my fork on my plate, and crossed my arms over my chest. “What makes the two of you think you can make plans for me like that?”
“Ang,” Cole closed his eyes before slowly shaking his head. “Why do you have to make everything so hard? Wes can help you. You shouldn’t be lifting heavy stuff in your condition, and what if Alex is home when you get there. You really think he isn’t going to try and get you to stay?”
“Come on, Angel. It’ll be fun,” Wes grinned. “You and me…road tripping across the country.”
“Fine,” I groaned as I tossed my hands in the air. “I give up. You win.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard, w
as it?” Wes smirked causing me to kick him again.
“Ow!” he yelped, but I refused to make eye contact.
Dinner went on with friendly conversation, and Wes didn’t try again to talk to Cole. It was stupid really. I didn’t understand his need to be so open about us. It was none of Cole’s business, but I guess since they’d been friends for so long, he didn’t want to ruin the friendship.
ooooooooo
A few days later, Wes and I stood at the drop-off at Logan Airport. Cole had dropped us off; the plan was to fly to San Diego and drive my car back. Other than some clothes, I didn’t really have anything else. When I’d moved in with Alex, I’d sold most of my things, and Ally had taken the rest.
Once we’d gotten our boarding passes, I couldn’t help but think about Ally. I’d been back for a month now and hadn’t talked to her. We’d been so close, but when I’d moved away, we’d really lost touch. “Remind me to call Ally when we get back,” I elbowed Wes in the ribs as we walked through the airport. “I haven’t talked to her since I got back.”
“You’re kidding, right?” his head jerked back as if he couldn’t believe what I had said. “You two used to be like conjoined twins. I don’t think I ever saw one of you without the other. What happened?”
I shrugged. “We just lost touch over the years.” I felt even guiltier as I thought about how I’d shut everything about Boston out of my life years before. “When I left, I wanted to leave everything about this place behind. Too many memories,” I nibbled my lip as I turned away from him.
“That bad, huh?” he nodded as he guided me over to a seat by our gate.
“I was hurt and mad.” I continued to avoid his gaze as I stared at the carpet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
“Angel,” Wes sighed before running his hand down his face. “Do you really want to do this? Bring up something we can’t change? I told you, nothing happened that night. I waited for you. I looked for you. I loved you.”
“I know,” I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry; I won’t bring it up again.”
My Broken Angel Page 12