Our kiss ends softly, but he doesn’t let me go. “Have I ever told you how much I love this color on you?” he asks against my lips.
I smile and shrug one shoulder. “A time or two.”
His smile widens. “Are you ready to go fill up on junk that will probably make you feel like shit?”
My eyes widen with excitement. “More than ready.” I look down at my phone as I pick it up and see a notification from my period tracking app. My breath catches in my throat.
Did you forget to log your last period? It’s been nine weeks since you last logged in.
“Come on. Let’s go.” He finally releases me and I grab the things I threw down, then I follow him out the door, ignoring the nagging question lingering in my stomach.
“We’ll take all the food on the bar menu,” I tell the waitress, handing the menu over.
Her eyes widen. “Everything?”
“Everything,” I say again with a nod.
“Okay,” she agrees, taking the menu and turning around.
I look back at Grayson and he picks up his drink. “To you achieving your goal.”
I smile as I raise my water to his beer and clink it softly off the glass. I told him I didn’t feel like drinking alcohol after running that grueling marathon. “And to you, who’s helped me every step of the way,” I add on, taking a sip.
“Want to play some pool?” he asks, nodding his head toward the pool table we’re sitting next to.
I smile. “Sure, but I’m not very good. You may have to teach me how to hold a stick,” I say with a smile, hoping he catches the dirty meaning.
He laughs. “Oh, you know how to hold a stick,” he says, squatting down to put in the quarters.
I grab a pool cue and stand beside him as he racks the balls. I chalk up the tip in a daze. All I can focus on is the look on his face. He seems to be concentrating as he racks, his eyes watching every move his hands make, his brows drawn together, his jaw flexing.
Tonight was supposed to be about me confessing my feelings to Grayson, but suddenly it’s so much more. Am I pregnant? I have to tell him soon or I know I’ll chicken out. Do I tell him even though I haven’t even taken a test? What if I just missed my period because of all the exercise I’ve been doing? Yeah, that’s totally a thing. I read it somewhere . . . right? I’ll have to look it up later. No, stay focused. No distractions.
Once the balls are racked, he motions for me to join him at the opposite end of the pool table. I do, and he places his arms around me. His hands fall to mine on the stick, guiding me.
“Now, the break is very important. It sets the whole tone of the game. If you have a shitty break, the other player is more likely to win. So, line up your shot.” He moves the ball off to the side a little. “Stroke your stick.”
I giggle and feel him shake his head.
“Take your time. Breathe.”
I’m glad he reminded me, because it’s only now that I realize I’ve been holding my breath. He’s so close, so warm, so distracting.
“When you feel comfortable, pull back and shoot with as much muscle as you can.” He’s moving the stick back and forth, stroking it. “Relax. Breathe,” he whispers his reminder.
I do as he says and the cue ball smashes into the racked balls at the other end of the table. They go scattering, bumping off the rails, each other, and falling into the pockets.
I look at him with a smile. I’ve never pocketed a ball on the break before.
He smiles. “See what happens when you remain calm and take your time? You made one of each, so pick what you want to be.”
I look at the table and see that the striped balls look a little more open and easier to hit. So I line up my next shot and do as he suggested: I relax, breathe, and stroke my stick until I feel comfortable. To my surprise, I make the shot and find myself jumping up and down, cheering myself on.
He laughs and claps quietly for me. “Good shot.”
I line up my next shot, but am too excited to remember his warning. I hit it too hard. It bounces off the rail, going in the opposite direction. I stand up with my bottom lip puckered.
He laughs as he walks toward the table to take his shot. “See, I told you to relax and take your time.”
“I was too excited.” As he takes his turn, I move back to the table for a drink. I pick up my water and lift it to my lips. As I’m tipping it back, my eyes lock with someone who’s sitting at the bar. His blond hair is disheveled, his eyes bloodshot. He’s staring right at me. How long has Jimmy been here? The whole time? Has he just been watching us? I suddenly feel on edge. Will he try starting something with Grayson since I haven’t been returning any of his calls or texts?
Grayson is still focused on the pool table, so he hasn’t noticed him yet. The waitress starts bringing food over to our table and it goes untouched until we finish the pool game. I lose, by the way, but Grayson promises to help me out more on the next game.
“All you need is a little practice,” he says, taking his seat across from me at the table.
I was too distracted by Jimmy to focus on the game. Every move I made, I felt his eyes on me. The hair on the back of my neck is standing on end, waiting for the bomb to drop.
I rip off a piece of the blooming onion and pop it into my mouth. My eyes close as I enjoy the flavor on my tongue. Grayson laughs and shakes his head, then takes a bite himself.
“It’s good, right?”
He nods. “It is pretty good.”
Next, I grab a cheese stick and sink it into the marinara sauce. When I bite into it, the melted, gooey cheese turns into a long, thick string, causing me to laugh. I break it off and set the rest down as I chew. As I try to act casual, I look around the bar. I want to keep myself from looking back at Jimmy. I don’t want to draw Grayson’s eyes to him and I don’t want Jimmy thinking I’m looking at him because I want him to come over. So instead, I focus on the neon lights hanging on the bar’s walls. The bar is pretty dark, with only an LED light here and there. The hardwood dance floor is empty, but the jukebox is playing a song in the background. The bar isn’t full, but it isn’t empty either.
There are a couple of girls sitting at one of the tables, and they’re enjoying drinks and appetizers. The bar is lined with guy after guy—none of them together but some of them talking as they pound back beer after beer or whiskey after whiskey. It’s only now that I notice that Jimmy has a whiskey glass in front of him and not a beer bottle or mug. When Jimmy drinks whiskey, it’s never good. He doesn’t handle his beer well, let alone whiskey. I’m now more sure than ever that he will be coming over at some point. I only hope we can finish eating all this food and get out of here before his liquid courage kicks in.
“What are you trying so hard to avoid looking at over there?” Grayson asks.
“Huh?” I ask, eyes darting back to his.
He turns and looks over his shoulder. “Great. That’s your ex, isn’t it?”
I nod as I pick up another piece of onion and take a bite. The waitress is back and she’s setting a plate of wings and fried ravioli on the table.
“You think he’ll try starting something?”
I shrug. “Knowing him, probably. He looks like he’s hammered already and he doesn’t handle his alcohol well.”
Grayson nods and moves his head from side to side like he’s popping his neck. “Well, don’t let him stop you from celebrating. If he starts something, I’ll finish it.”
I give him a sad smile. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Who says I’ll get hurt?” he asks, giving me a cocky smile.
Sixteen
Grayson
Now that she’s pointed him out, I can feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. But I try to ignore it. This is Cora’s special night. I won’t say anything if he doesn’t. I don’t want to ruin her celebration.
We eat more food than either of us can handle. We play another game of pool and I help her out with lining up her shot and getting her to
relax and breathe to gently knock the ball into the pocket. She ends up winning, and now that she’s won a game, she’s ready to move on. The later we stay, the busier the bar becomes. Every now and then, I look over and see Jimmy still sitting at the bar, watching us.
We move to the dance floor and I pull her against me. She’s warm as her chest molds to mine. She wraps her arms around my neck and my hands stay on her hips, holding her as close as I can get her. We sway from side to side while slowly turning in a circle. Jimmy keeps his eyes on us, but I try not to let it bother me. I endeavor to ignore him, but my anger is getting the best of me. I keep my mouth shut, chewing on the inside of my cheek as a way to hold my mouth shut.
When the song ends, the two of us go back to our table. Cora takes a sip of her water before saying, “I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
She quickly pecks my cheek before rushing off. I watch her slip into the back where the bathroom is located, then I turn my head back to grab my beer. I raise it in the air to order another as the waitress is walking by. I finish off the one in my hand and it’s empty by the time she returns. I hand her the empty and take the fresh one. When I tip it back, Jimmy walks into my view. He’s finally worked up the courage to come over.
He looks down at me with his squinting eyes. A wrinkle has formed between them and his jaw is clenched.
“Can I help you?” I ask, not being friendly but not exactly being an ass right off the bat either.
“Who are you?”
“Who are you?” I ask. He must be really drunk if he doesn’t remember showing up at my place.
“I’m Jimmy, Cora’s fiancé. Who the hell are you?” He looks down at me with disgust.
I shake my head. “If you’re her fiancé, then why is she here with me and not you?”
“Well, we’re sort of on a break right now. That doesn’t change the fact that she’s still mine.” His chest puffs up.
I scoot back my chair and stand. “I think that’s where you’re wrong, buddy.” Now that I’m standing up, he’s forced to take a step back. “You left her on your wedding day. That means she no longer belongs to you. She’s mine now.”
He doesn’t like that and he steps forward, bumping his chest against mine. This guy is either drunk or crazy for thinking he can stand up to me. I’m twice his size. There’s no way he could win in a fight.
Cora is back and she rushes between us. She pushes Jimmy back and stands in front of me like she’s going to protect me. “Go home, Jimmy. You should’ve been cut off hours ago.”
“What are you doing with this guy, Cora? I thought we were going to work on our problems.” All signs of anger fade away when he looks at her.
She snorts. “Why in the hell did you think that? You left me on our wedding day, Jimmy! There’s no forgiving that. We’re done.”
He shakes his head. “Fuck, Cora. I said I was sorry. I was screwed up. Confused. I panicked. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
“You never loved me, Jimmy. I was just another doormat for you to walk on. Go home and leave us alone.”
The anger comes back now. He’s been shot down and he doesn’t like it. He thought he could do better than Cora. Since leaving her at the wedding, he’s figured out he can’t, and now he’s trying anything he can to get her back—not because he loves her, but I’m guessing because he loved all she did for him.
“Come on, let’s sit down,” I tell her, placing my hand on her shoulder to redirect her.
“Don’t fucking touch her again,” Jimmy says, stepping forward rather quickly. I’m afraid he’ll knock her out of the way to get to me, so I quickly put her behind me. Now that we’re face-to-face, he has to look up at me.
“Leave, Jimmy,” I tell him quietly. I’m aware that the whole bar is watching and waiting to see what’s going to happen, so I keep my voice even and hushed. “Look around you. You’re not doing anything here but embarrassing yourself. Almost as badly as you embarrassed Cora on her wedding day. She’s not going back to you, Jimmy.” I shake my head. “She’s moved on. She’s found someone better.” I laugh but it sounds menacing. “Someone with a big enough dick to actually make her come.”
That did it. He’s pissed now and he jumps forward, wrapping me up in some sort of bear hug. I fall backward and, luckily, Cora is quick enough to step aside, but a couple chairs topple over in the process. He’s on top of me and he pulls his fist back to swing, but I toss him off like he weighs nothing and jump on him. I grab his shirt in my fist and hold him as I pull it back. I catch a glimpse of Cora out of the corner of my eye and I see him tense to prepare for the hit in the same instant. He’s not worth it. I want Cora to see that I’m better than him in every way possible. I won’t lower myself to his level just to make myself feel better.
Instead of punching him, I push him back and he hits the floor as I stand up and move to pull Cora to my chest. Two guys who work at the bar come rushing over. They grab Jimmy and yank him to his feet as they carry him to the door. I right the two chairs we knocked over and motion for Cora to sit down. The bartender is over seconds later.
“I’m so sorry for that. Do you guys know him?”
Cora nods. “We used to be together,” she says, looking guilty.
“Oh,” the bartender says. “Well, either way, I shouldn’t have let him get so wasted. He seemed okay, but when you guys came in, his whole demeanor changed. To make up for it, your food and drinks are on me.”
“Thanks,” I reply and she walks away.
I look at Cora and can still see how bothered she is by everything that happened. I reach out and take her hand in mine.
“You know that wasn’t your fault, right?”
She shrugs and refuses to look up at me.
“Cora.”
My tone makes her eyes meet mine.
“That wasn’t your fault,” I tell her sternly. “He knows how badly he screwed up. I can’t blame him for wanting you back.” I offer up a smile and her face softens.
After a moment, I drag her back to the dance floor, and this time, there’s nothing that can stop me from giving her my full attention. I hold her close, breathe her in, and press soft kisses against her cheek, neck, and shoulder. My hands squeeze her hips and move up and down her back. I feel her breathing pick up and I know what she’s thinking. I pull back slightly. “Want to get out of here?”
Her eyes are flooded with passion, shimmering with love. She nods.
I release all but her hand as I guide her toward the door. We walk out into the cool night air, down the sidewalk, and around the building to the parking lot and my awaiting car. I open the passenger-side door and she slides in. I close it and race around the car to climb behind the wheel. I jam the key into the ignition and fire it up. Nothing is going to stop me from making love to her tonight. I wish I knew how to tell her how I feel, but I don’t know if she’s ready yet, and I can’t scare her away now—not when we’re so close.
On the ride home, she leans over the center console, kissing my neck and rubbing her hands over my chest, stomach, and thighs. Her hand grazes past my dick and it hardens. I don’t know how long I can hold on. I’m already thinking about pulling over.
“Cora, you have to slow down or I’m going to bend you over the hood of my car,” I threaten, but she doesn’t seem to take it as a threat, because she giggles and grabs me over my pants.
“Good. I need a good time.”
I laugh. “I don’t know how fun it’ll be considering we’re in downtown Chicago. We might just end up in jail.”
“I know,” she says, her other hand flying into my lap.
“What are you doing?” I ask as my eyes bounce back and forth between the road and her efforts to unfasten my pants. The next thing I know, her head in my lap and my dick is in her mouth. A shock shoots right through me the moment I feel her warm mouth wrap around me, and I jerk the wheel hard to the left. The car beside me swerves and honks their horn loudly. But I couldn’t fucking care less righ
t now. As I drive, I lean my head back against the headrest and try to focus on driving while she pushes me to the back of her throat. With each stroke of her tongue, my body only gets harder, ready to let my release go. I nearly miss my turn, but I navigate quickly into the parking lot of her building and throw it into park.
I guide her back and she sits up as I put myself back into my pants. I get out of the car and walk around it to pull her out, but she’s in just as big a hurry as I am. She meets me in front of it and I take her hand as we race into the building. On the elevator, I pull her against me and kiss her hard. I push her back to the wall and grab her thigh, hitching it up over my hip as I grind my erection against her. She lets out a soft moan that makes my dick twitch in excitement.
The elevator dings and the doors open. I pull back and turn, pulling her through it and down the hall. I stop at her door and she quickly digs out her keys and gets the door open. She grabs my wrist this time and pulls me through the opening. I expect to head down the hallway, but I’m surprised when she turns and pushes my back to the door. She throws her purse and keys down then drops to her knees before me.
“I think we have some unfinished business,” she says as she lowers my zipper again.
“Cora, I—” I start, but then she has me back in her mouth and all words are gone.
As she works me in and out of her mouth, my hand laces into her hair, gently pulling at the roots. My head falls back against the door with a loud thud, but the pain doesn’t register. She takes me deeper and deeper each time until I’m seeing stars. My release builds until it can go no higher, then it shatters and rains down on me hot and heavy. I release every drop I have in me, but when I look down and see her looking up at me with my dick in her mouth, tears in her eyes, and mascara running down her cheeks, I’m hard again.
I pick her up against me and carry her to the bedroom. I kick the door shut behind us and we fall onto the bed. Everything seems to be in fast-forward now. Our hands and bodies are a tangled mess as we rip and pull clothing away. Our mouths find each other’s, our rush causing our teeth to collide, but we don’t mind. I kiss my way down her jaw, to her neck and chest, where I suck a hard nipple into my mouth while my hand massages the other. She’s wiggling and moaning beneath me as her hands are making their way around my body. I grab her wrists and hold them above her head, and when I do, her hips start lifting and falling, grinding against me.
The F It List (Love You Forever Book 6) Page 14