Force of Love (Forever and Always #4) (Ryan and Janice)

by Todd, E. L.

  “Uh, please tell me you’re joking,” I said.

  She shrugged. “Maybe.”

  I stared her down.

  Monnique looked at me. “How’s the shop?”

  “It’s doing okay. It gets a little hectic now that business has picked up again.”

  “Maybe you should hire help,” Cortland said.

  “Are you looking for a job?” I asked with smile.

  Cortland shivered. “I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to work for you—disturbing.”

  Janice squeezed my thigh. “Can I help?”

  “No,” I said quickly.

  “Why?” she asked. “I can just do the books for you a few days a week.”

  I didn’t want Janice around that environment. I’ve been held at gun point, my store had been broken into twice, and shady people came in sometimes. I only let Scarlet help me because I was desperate and I kept her in the back, unseen. “No.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “What if I did the books from home? I could do it on my computer.”

  I smiled. I’m glad she figured it out without me having to tell her. “We’ll look into it.”

  “Good. I would like to contribute in some way.”

  Monnique looked at her. “Don’t you work with Scarlet?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”

  Cortland laughed. “Scarlet must be an annoying boss.”

  “No, not that,” Janice said quickly. “Ryan won’t let me pay for anything.”

  Monnique rolled her eyes. “I know how that is.”

  Janice looked at her. “It just makes no sense. I make just as much money as he does but he won’t let me pay for anything—not even groceries.”

  “You are preaching to the choir,” Monnique said. “After I moved in with Cortland, I literally just put my check in the bank. It’s really annoying.”

  I looked at Janice. “Let me explain this to you since you clearly don’t understand it.” I looked at Monnique. “You too. You are the women and we are the men. We provide for you, take care of you, and protect you. It’s really not that difficult to understand.”

  Janice glared at me. “You sound like a caveman.”

  “I’ll show you what it’s look to be with a caveman,” I threatened.

  Cortland looked at Monnique. “I asked you to move in with me because I want to love you and support you. I don’t mean to be offensive. It’s just how I am.”

  “Then why can’t I pay for groceries or dinner?” she asked incredulously.

  “I don’t want you to,” he answered. “I’m your man. I take care of you.”

  Janice rolled her eyes. “This isn’t the fifties.” She looked at me. “Or the age of the dinosaurs.”

  I looked at her. “I was paying the rent and the groceries anyway. Why should we start splitting that now? Just save your money.”

  “For what, exactly?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “You could always buy more lingerie.”

  Janice rolled her eyes. “Men.”

  “And you pay me in other ways.”

  She looked at me. “And how’s that?”

  “You satisfy me,” I said with a smile.

  “Well, that only takes up an hour of my day,” she said.

  “Baby, just drop it. I’m not going to change my mind. You may as well get over it.”

  Cortland looked at Monnique. “The same goes for you.”

  “Fine,” Monnique said. “But I’m not buying any lingerie.”

  “That’s fine,” Cortland said. “You look gorgeous in a garbage bag. You don’t need it.”

  Her eyes softened when she looked at him.

  I looked at everyone. “Good. I’m glad we got this settled.” I grabbed Janice’s face and kissed her. “I love you, baby.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “I love you too.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  She smiled at me.

  I looked at Monnique. “So, what’s Cortland’s nickname for you? He won’t tell me.”

  Cortland’s pale face turned red. “Nothing.”

  Monnique smiled at me. “He hasn’t told you?”

  I shook my head. “I have a feeling this is going to be good.”

  Cortland looked at Monnique, waiting for her to say it.

  She smiled. “Big booty ho.”

  I started laughing. “Are you serious?”

  Janice covered her face. “That’s actually real cute—it’s original.”

  Cortland shrugged. “It just came out.”

  I kept laughing. I just couldn’t imagine Cortland calling any girl that. “Wow. That’s—wow.”

  Monnique smiled. “He has an unusual fetish with my ass.”

  Cortland nodded. “Well, it’s pretty damn distracting. You’re Brazilian—what did you expect this white guy to do? It’s almost too much for me to handle.”

  “And what do you call him?” I asked.

  She leaned toward him. “Honeybunny.”

  Janice clapped her hands together. “That’s so cute!”

  “What is he? Eight?” I asked.

  Cortland’s cheeks reddened. “I like it.”

  “I like big booty ho better,” I said.

  Cortland rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t surprise me. At least our names are unique. You call Janice babe. Everyone uses that.” He looked at Janice. “And what do you call him?”

  She shrugged. “Ryan.”

  I smiled. I was glad she didn’t reveal what she really called me—king.

  Monnique leaned back in her chair then placed her hand on Cortland’s thigh. “Well, we won.”

  “It wasn’t a contest,” I said.

  “Definitely not a close one,” Cortland said.

  Janice looked at me. “Why don’t you call me something like that?”

  I stared at her for a moment. “I like calling you baby.”

  She smiled. “I do too.”

  “But I can call you other nasty things when we are—together.”

  Her eyes lit up. “I like the sound of that.”

  Cortland cleared his throat. “You know we can hear you, right?”

  I stared at him. “And you know we could see you making out earlier, right?”

  Cortland rolled his eyes but smiled at the same time.

  When the waiter came over, I ordered for Janice and myself then Cortland ordered for them. I could tell that Janice didn’t like my overbearing behavior by the look in her eye. Monnique held the same expression. They were both independent and self-sufficient. It was clear that neither one of them had been taken care of before. I didn’t ask too many questions about Janice’s former sex life. I assumed that she slept around, judging by her obvious experience. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It didn’t make me angry or jealous. How could I be when I slept with so many women that I couldn’t tell you who they were or even how many there were? I wasn’t sure if Janice ever loved someone before or had ever been in a serious relationship. That information might bother me. That’s why I never asked.

  Janice placed her hand on my thigh and squeezed gently. That was all it took. My thought honed in on one thought—fucking her. Flashes and images crossed my mind in a whirl. My cock became hard. I looked at her. “I think I’m going to head to the bathroom before the food gets here.”

  She stared at me for a moment. “That’s a good idea.”

  I rose from the chair then walked away. Cortland and Monnique were whispering to one another. He rubbed his nose against hers and she smiled up at him. He was just as happy as I was. It’s ironic that we both found our girls at the same time.

  When I reached the men’s bathroom, it was empty—thankfully. I looked at myself in the mirror while I waited for Janice to show up. I wasn’t sure how I felt about my features. I always thought I was a good looking guy, but now that Janice was in my life I felt hideous in comparison. She was an exceptional beauty, different from all the others. I wasn’t sure why she fell in love me. I mean, she told me why, but it still did
n’t explain it. And I knew she loved me—knew. It wasn’t because she told me that she did. It was the way she looked at me when I made love to her, the small affections she gave me, and how she felt my heartbeat every night before we went to bed. She hated it when I left her, even if it was only for a short period of time, and when I came home, she greeted me like I had been overseas for years. I loved our relationship and never wanted it to change. I wanted to have her for now and for always.

  When the door opened, I looked at Janice. She stepped closer to me and unbuttoned her coat while she stared at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat while I stared at the contours of her body in her lingerie. I was practically drooling. I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into a stall, locking it behind us.

  Janice pulled my pants and underwear down while I pulled off her thong. I lifted her and pressed her against the stall, wrapping her legs around me. I thrust inside of her quickly, and she immediately moaned as I stretched her apart.

  “Ryan,” she whispered.

  “This is gonna be quick, baby.”

  She moaned.

  I thrust into her hard and fast, shaking the stall as I fucked her. It was so loud that we wouldn’t be able to hear anyone walk in. Janice bit her lip as I slid inside of her. She was wet—soaked—like she always was. She was doing a great job of being quiet. It was a first.

  I stared at her tits as I moved inside her. They were one of my favorite features about her. She felt so warm and so tight that I already felt the orgasm begin.

  “Baby, I can’t last much longer.”

  She moaned. “I’m coming anyway.”

  “This is the first time you’ve been quiet,” I said as I moved into her.

  She gripped my back tightly as she had her moment. Her breathing was rapid but she held back the scream. I knew she was done when she loosened her hold. As soon as I saw the satisfied expression on her face, I let myself go.

  “Baby,” I said with a final thrust.

  “Ryan,” she whispered.

  When I was done, I held her for a moment before I returned her to the floor. Janice pulled on her underwear then adjusted her coat. After a moment, I dressed myself then left the stall. I fixed my hair in the mirror, knowing Janice’s fingertips had made it messy. Janice checked herself before she left the bathroom first. I followed her shortly afterwards.

  When I sat down, Cortland stared at me with a smile on his face. “So, how was it?”

  I stared at him. “It was fine.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure it was.”

  I could tell by the smile on his face that he knew something. “What?”

  “You really couldn’t wait until you got home?” he asked incredulously.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

  “Come on, man. When I went in the bathroom I heard you two going at it.”

  Janice smiled at him. “And why did you suddenly want to go to the bathroom when Ryan was in there?”

  I smiled at her. “Good point, baby.”

  Cortland rolled his eyes. “Don’t change the subject. You guys are ridiculous. Seriously, we’re in a public restaurant—a nice restaurant. It’s totally inappropriate.”

  “Tell someone who cares,” I said.

  “You guys are unbelievable,” Cortland said.

  Monnique leaned toward him. “It sounds like fun.”

  He did a double take. “What?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve never done it in a bathroom before.”

  A huge smile crossed Cortland’s features. “Really? You want to?”

  She just smiled at him.

  I shook my head. “Now look who’s inappropriate.”

  Cortland ignored me. “I’ll meet you in the men’s bathroom.”

  “Okay,” Monnique said with a smile.

  Cortland rose then left the table. After blushing for a moment, Monnique rose from her chair and followed him.

  “They are so cute,” Janice said.

  I raised an eyebrow. “They are us—just two minutes later.”

  “I wish,” she said with a laugh. “I would love to have an ass like that.”

  I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “Baby, your ass is perfect the way it is.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yeah. I never last long when I get a full view. Now you know why.”

  “There’s still no comparison.”

  I stared at her. “You’re right. There isn’t.”

  She smiled then looked away. “I’m surprised that nothing happened between Scarlet and Cortland.”

  “They slept together—remember?”

  “I mean romantically. I’m surprised that Scarlet didn’t fall for him or vice versa.”

  I took a drink from my water then returned it. “I think she was pretty hung up on Sean. I don’t think anything will ever change that. They are supposed to be together—it’s always been them.”

  “Well, I’m still surprised Cortland didn’t fall in love with her. It’s almost unreal.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. They were just both in bad places at the time.”

  “I wonder if Cortland did have feelings for her. I find it hard to believe that he didn’t.”

  “If he ever did, he probably knew it was pointless. She made it clear that Sean was the only one she wanted. After everything they’ve been through, she’s never given up on him. That kind of unconditional love just doesn’t disappear.”

  “So you think he had feelings for her?”

  “I never said that. But if he did, I’m sure that’s why he didn’t say anything. He knew it was hopeless and decided to settle as her friend.”

  “Would you have been happy if they ended up together?”

  I was quiet for a moment. “If Scarlet was happy with Cortland, then yes, I would have been happy. And Cortland is a great guy—one of the best. I couldn’t find anyone better, really.”

  “Do you like him more than Sean?”

  “They aren’t comparable. I’ve known both of them for a very long time, but in different capacities. Sean is one of the best guys I know as well. That whole fiasco with Scarlet didn’t show a great side to him, but that was his only dark time. He’s actually a great guy. But he does remind me of myself in a lot of respects.”

  “In what way?”

  “Well, Sean used to be a—player. He slept around a lot until he met someone he loved. After that, everything changed. And he was still an outstanding person in every other respect. That reminds me of myself.” I looked at her, waiting to see how she would react. I told her I slept around but I never called myself a player before. I never went to the extremes that Sean did. I always told women the truth—that I just wanted casual sex. Most of the time, they agreed with an open mind.

  “Well, if Sean is anything like you, then he’s amazing.”

  “I think so. I’m glad they ended up together. I think they’ve always loved each other but never noticed it.”

  “But how is that possible?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Sean probably assumed he could never have Scarlet so he moved on, and Scarlet was in denial the whole time. She’s never had a relationship.”

  “Yes, I noticed,” she said sarcastically. “The entire time I worked with her in New York she never went on a single date.”

  “And now you know why.”

  She smiled. “I’m very happy for both of them. I love Scarlet. I’m glad she’s happy.”

  I nodded. “And I’m glad I don’t have to deal with her bullshit anymore.”

  She stared at me with a smirk. “Or as often, at least.”

  I laughed. “That’s more accurate.”

  The waiter brought the food and placed the plates in front of us before he walked away. I learned over and took a bite of Cortland’s food since he wasn’t around to stop me.

  Janice smiled. “You know he’ll notice, right?”

  “I doubt it. He just got laid in the bathroom. His mind is elsewhere.”

 
; Janice unfolded the napkin and placed it on her lap then she folded her hands. She was always so classy and elegant. I loved that about her. She was an insatiable whore that fucked me in the bathroom, but she acted like a goddess at the same time.

  When Cortland returned to the table he had a huge grin on his face. He didn’t make eye contact with me and just drank his entire glass of water. There was a bead of sweat that dripped down his forehead.

  I looked at him. “It’s fun, huh?”

  Cortland eyed his pasta. “You ate my food?”

  Janice looked at me, a triumphant look on her face.

  “No,” I said quickly.

  Cortland reached over and grabbed a piece of my food. “An eye for an eye.”

  I let him take the food. “Whatever. I didn’t do it.”

  “You are the worst liar,” he said.

  Janice smiled at him. “Isn’t it a little odd for two heterosexual men to be sharing food?”

  Cortland smiled. “I just fucked Monnique from behind. Believe me—I’m straight.”

  Monnique approached the table and took her seat, avoiding our gaze. She grabbed her silverware and began eating like nothing happened. “This looks good.”

  Cortland smiled at her. “It sure does, big booty ho.”

  Janice laughed. “I want a nickname like that.” She stared at me with a pout.

  I smiled. “I’ll think of something.”

  We ate our meal together until all the plates were clean. Only Janice didn’t finish her whole meal. I hated it when she didn’t eat very much. I wasn’t sure if she did it on purpose, or if she really was full. I looked at her plate. “Keep going, baby.”

  She touched her stomach. “I’m so full.”

  “Impossible,” I said.

  “Ryan, you know I don’t eat very much.”

  “Well that needs to change.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not a big man like you. I don’t need a bunch of extra calories.”

  “I disagree.”

  “Do you want me to be fat? Do you like fat chicks?”

  “You would still be hot even if you were fat.”

  She smiled. “Well, my tits would be bigger.”

  I looked at her plate. “Keep eating!”

  Cortland and Monnique laughed.

  Janice smiled even though she tried not to. “I’ll save the other half for later. It won’t go to waste, okay?”