He waits, unbuckling both of our seatbelts. I do not acknowledge his presence. He lifts my hand from my lap, guiding it to his groin.
The smile on his face is mischievous, almost naughty, like a little boy who he thinks he’s gotten away with stealing biscuits from the cookie jar.
“It’s still a nope.”
“Do you genuinely not want to, or are you just trying to make my balls turn blue for the fun of it?”
“I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Elle…” His mouth is closer to my ear and his lips move along my jaw. “I want you.”
My eyes flutter closed as his hand grasps my breast and his tongue presses deep into my neck, circling slowly. It sends waves of lust shooting to my groin, moistening and heating my core in a way that makes me feel almost desperate.
“Anyone could drive down here at any moment,” I whisper, though I’m not sure why I’m whispering. It’s probably because my vocal chords aren’t working at the moment.
He grabs a newspaper off the back seat and opens it up. “Now everyone will think I’m reading.”
“That is so bloody romantic. You seriously know how to woo a girl.”
He winks and assists me by opening the button to his jeans. Seconds later he’s freed himself and his gorgeous, thick length is standing proudly, waiting for me to soften him with my mouth.
I sigh like it’s the biggest chore in the world, which it isn’t, before leaning over the console, ignoring the gear stick digging into my side, and wrapping my mouth around the tip.
Isaac’s groan of approval and pleasure is what gets me going more than anything. He quickly forgets about the newspaper and strokes my hair instead. His head falls back and his body shakes as I suck him deeply into my mouth.
“Holy fuck,” he gasps when I grab him with my hand and stroke him in time with my mouth. “Christ, I’ve missed you.”
I pop up, my eyes narrowing. “Now you’ve missed me?”
“You know what I mean.”
I yelp when he pushes my head back down and practically forces himself past my parted lips. I reward him with a bite, not a hard one but hard enough to make him cry out.
“Laugh again,” he begs as I get back to what I was doing after laughing at his pain.
By the time I’m done, my jaw is aching and my lips are numb but I’m feeling proud of myself for causing that dreamy smile on his face.
He leans over and kisses my temple. “Let’s get you home.”
My mouth falls open. “Are you serious?”
“Anybody could drive down here at any moment.” He repeats my argument from earlier, a smug yet satisfied smile on his face. I huff and turn away from him. “Besides, I want to be in you when I make you scream.”
That tingling down below multiplies. “This is so unfair. What’s the female equivalent of blue balls?”
“Blue…”
I slap my hand over his mouth. “Don’t answer that. Just hurry home.”
Laughing loudly he does as he’s told, making sure to kiss the hand across his mouth before placing it on my lap.
Arsehole.
The day flies by far too quickly and I really wish I didn’t have to leave. I’m going to miss Isaac more than he realises, even if he is covered in the sticky jam we did a terrible job of making. It was fun, though, and tasted amazing on ice-cream, even if it looked like tomato puree.
Isaac hugs and kisses me like he’s never going to see me again. He finally lets me go and I face the long drive back to Cambridge with sorrow in my heart.
It only gets better when I walk into my apartment and Kira is waiting for me with a huge smile on her face. “You’re alive!”
“Yep.”
“Is my car?”
I grin and give her a brief hug. “Yes. Thank you, by the way. I wouldn’t have seen him until October otherwise.”
“Ah, to be young and in love. Speaking of in love, seriously crushing on your man mate.” She fluffs up her pixie crop and smiles, her dark eyes sparkling.
“My what?”
“Jordan, your man mate.”
Blink. “Man mate?”
“As in male roommate.”
I giggle and walk to the fridge. “Ask him out then.”
“No. Guys like that don’t want to date.”
I shrug. “You never know.” And then I grunt as a memory comes to mind. “I have to do laundry. Want to come…?”
“That’s my cue to leave.” She turns on her heel and does just that.
“Hayley would have come with me,” I grumble under my breath after the door closes and pad into my bedroom feeling sulky.
Eloise: Got to do laundry :-( I miss you already.
Isaac: Come home and stay forever.
Eloise: I’ll see you in October :’-(
Isaac: I’ll try to come next weekend; I promise.
Eloise: Yay!
I grin but that soon fades when another text comes through.
Dad: Please call me. We need to talk about this.
I ignore it and turn my sulky walk into an angry one. I’ll talk to my dad when I’m good and ready.
Isaac
“What exactly do you want me to do about it?” I snap angrily at my boss.
“Just tell her to call me!”
“I have!” I move towards the door and pull it open, sighing when the handle comes away from the door. “Fuck.”
“Get that fixed,” Darren snarls and rages past me, his shoulder bashing against mine as he goes. Arsehole.
This day can’t end fast enough.
I immediately head to Tony the second it does, “Drinks and Casino?”
He nods, smiling a little. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.”
And go we do.
“How are things?”
I try to put on a happy face but fail and it doesn’t go unnoticed. “Alright. I don’t know how you guys do this. It’s fucking exhausting. I’ve only been working with you about six weeks and already I’m knackered and in need of a holiday.”
“It must be tough not having your wife there when you go home, too.”
“Amen to that.” I check my phone for any sign of a message from her, immediately annoyed and disappointed when I don’t see one.
She left two weeks ago and, thanks to her arsehole dad, I’m not able to get any time off this weekend. I’ll be working for two hours on Saturday morning and then again that night and I’ll be working again Sunday at noon. It’s like he knows when I’ve made plans with her and he does everything he can to ruin it. Not to mention the fact that while I am working he does nothing but bust my balls, moan, shout and piss me the hell off.
“She’s pretty, your lass.” Tony isn’t wrong. “Looks young.”
“She’s nineteen next month.” I figure there’s no point in lying.
He scratches his chin and gives me a sideways glance. “I know she’s the boss’ kid.”
Bollocks.
“Don’t be looking like that. It’s not for me to judge. I get why he’s pissed at you, though. I know why he’s given you a job too. I was in a similar situation with him. He likes to keep potential enemies close where he can fuck with them.”
He’s not wrong. “I love her; she’s worth anything he throws at me.”
“Ah young love. Must be nice.”
“It was before I started working for her dad,” I grumble under my breath, but he doesn’t hear me.
I take a seat at the same machine I won on last time and watch the pictures spin before stopping. No win. I do this again and again as the ice melts in my whiskey and Tony talks to a pretty woman at the bar.
“This time,” I tell myself as the pictures spin and stop. “Fuck.”
I pull the card out and blow on it, hoping it brings me some sort of luck. It doesn’t.
“Maybe you should stop,” Tony laughs, sitting at the machine beside me. “Cut your losses.”
“I can win it back.”
He laughs louder this time. “That’s wh
at they all say. I’ll be back shortly. The lady at the bar isn’t finished with me yet. Look…” He nods in her direction but I don’t look. “She’s giving me the eye.”
My brow quirks but my eyes don’t leave the machine. “The stink eye?”
“Fuck you,” he jokes, returning to the bar as I waste more money on this stupid fucking machine.
Before I know it, I’ve put in the entire fifty I credited to the card. Gone in less than forty minutes, with only a few small wins to keep me spinning. I smack the side of the machine in frustration, drawing the attention of the bar staff and the security guard, who stands by the door keeping an eye on the room at all times.
I stand, down my drink and contemplate putting more money onto the card. I can win it back; it’s only fifty. I haven’t technically lost anything yet because of that huge win I got the last time I was in here.
“Come on.” Tony waves me over to the bar.
My phone rings. It’s Elle but I immediately disconnect the call and join my friend. There’s too much background noise in here; she’ll know I’m not at work or at home.
“You look pissed off.”
“The machine ate my money.” I sigh long and deep, feeling like an idiot for coming here. I don’t feel better at all.
“That’s usually what happens.” The pretty girl behind the bar smiles, her eyes looking me up and down with no small amount of approval. “Sorry you lost.” She pours two beers into two large glasses and slides them towards us with a wink. “On the house.”
“Why thanking you kindly, Ma’am.” Tony grins and brings her hand to his lips. That move instantly reminds me of my wife. “This is Isaac, by the way. Isaac, this is Petal.”
“Petal?” I ask out of curiosity. “Real name?”
“Yep. I have three sisters called Flower, Rose and Lily.”
“Your Mum a florist?”
She giggles, turning to wipe the counter. “She thinks flowers are the most beautiful thing in the world, so what better than to name her beloved daughters after them.”
“Well, she wasn’t wrong.” Tony gulps his beer as I do the same, thanking Petal with a smile and a nod.
And just like that, two hours fly by and I go home a little bit drunk, not only with fifty pounds lost, but with a taxi fare and two hours’ worth of drinks added to that.
Meh. I’ll regret it in the morning. There’s no point regretting it now. I should just enjoy the laughs I’ve had and the merry feeling buzzing through my brain.
Eloise
“What the fuck, Isaac?” I snap into my phone. “I called you twenty eight times last night. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
“I said I was sorry.” He yawns loudly. I want to punch him. “I fell asleep.”
“So you were home?”
“Where else would I be?” I hear the sound of a drill in the background. “I have to go; I’ve got work to do.”
“You were home?”
“Yes, Elle!”
I don’t know why I’m pushing it. I just have a horrible feeling he’s lying to me. “The truth.”
“That’s the fucking truth. This job is exhausting.”
“Christ, you’re not the only one who works! I’ve got class in fifteen minutes.”
“Then get off the phone.” His tone is joking but it pisses me off even more. “Are we done?”
Sigh. “Yes.”
“I love you. Bye.”
“I love you too.”
I growl at my phone and blow my hair from my face.
“Someone sounds pissed off,” Jordan comments, taking a large bite from an apple.
“That’s my apple,” I say and snatch it from his hand.
“I was just warming it up for you.”
“Weirdo.” I grab my bag and head to classes with a sour feeling of dread in my heart. Isaac always answers my call. Always. Maybe not the first time, but he always calls me at some point if I’ve called him.
I’m reading too much into it. I’m being paranoid. Christ, this must be how he feels.
I cannot wait to go home for the holidays. I hate the distance, hate it.
It’s not just the actual distance between us, but he fact it’s finally putting strain on what should be a happy relationship.
I’m probably being dramatic. We talk almost daily; we text daily. Just because he didn’t call me one time doesn’t mean we’re walking a path towards divorce.
I need to focus on the positive side of things, like the fact my grades are brilliant, my fridge is well stocked and even though Isaac and I seem to be having an off day, we are very much in love.
We can do this.
I can do this.
I have to do this.
Isaac: We’re going to Dad’s on Halloween to keep my mum company while he watches over the school Fright Night.
The text comes while I’m out with Kira having dinner and I wince as I respond. She notices but waits for me to finish responding before asking.
Eloise: I’ve made plans with Hayley on Halloween. I promised I’d go trick or treating with her and her little brother. But it’s okay because I’ll have all week with you.
Isaac: When were these plans arranged?
Eloise: Before I came to see you last time and then they were confirmed afterwards. I totally forgot to mention it. Besides, we’re spending my birthday together so it’s not like we aren’t getting alone time.
“Stop frowning; you’ll get wrinkles.” Kira’s tone is soft and comforting but can’t stop frowning, even as I apologise absently.
Eloise: It’s not a big deal, Isaac. It’s only one night. I need to see my family and friends.
Isaac: It’s fine. I’ll cancel.
“Stop wincing, or whatever that wrinkly thing you’re doing to your nose is called. Seriously, I’m buying you anti-wrinkle cream.”
I look up at my friend and smile warmly. “I’m so sorry I’m being quiet. I just have something to sort out.”
“No problem, I’m eating your noodles.”
I raise my fork in warning and she laughs, but at least she leaves my noodles alone.
Eloise: You should go. When your dad gets back we can go dancing! We’ve never done that. Hayley was talking about going to Skegness. It’s only a twenty minute drive and the nightlife is supposed to be awesome!
Isaac: Clubbing? Really, Elle? I’m a bit past that.
Eloise: Stop moaning, it’ll be fun. <3
Isaac: If it’ll put a smile on your face… I guess I’ll give it a try.
Eloise: Love you. :-D
Isaac: Yet you’re subjecting me to a night of torture…
Eloise: Dramatic much?
“All done?” Kira chuckles as I tuck my phone away and tuck into my dinner with gusto. “I guess so, fatty.”
“I like food; nothing wrong with liking food.”
She pulls a face of mock disgust. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. That’s gross. I don’t need to be seeing that.”
I throw a pea at her and continue eating like a starving woman. “So, how’s your essay coming along for Professor Mitchel?”
The face she pulls this time is of actual disgust. “That man is Hitler… The reincarnation.”
Blink. “It’s not that bad. It could be worse.”
“You’re smart; you get this stuff. I barely pass and I study my arse off. Shit like this doesn’t come easy to me.”
“You got straight As in your GCSEs and in your A Levels.” Is she crazy? She’s definitely smart.
“Okay, so maybe I’m just not working as hard as I used to. It’s our first year! We should be partying and having fun and instead we’re eating dinner together like two crazy cat ladies while there’s an insane party going on one floor above your room… which you’ve been invited to… which your classmates are at.”
She’s not wrong. “I will party after the holidays.”
“Promise?”
Do I? Yes… yes I do. Because Isaac will see my side and he’ll stop being so bl
oody untrusting. “I promise.”
Chapter Eight
Isaac
I tip the food onto the plates and take two through to the room for Mum and Dad. They both thank me as I turn to collect my own.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much this week,” I say to my mum as my dad flips the knife and fork in her hands. She was holding them the wrong way again. “I’ve been so busy at work.”
“How is that going?” Dad asks around a mouthful of food.
“I hate it, but a job is a job and the pay isn’t half bad. I’m making more than I was before but the hours are just awful.”
Dad gives me a stern look. “And you’re trying to make amends with Elle’s father?”
“He stabbed me.” Why do I have to keep reminding him of this?
“Yes, he did, but eventually Elle is going to make up with him and you both need to be on equal footing.”
I laugh harshly. “Why the hell do I need that? I can’t stand the guy.”
“When you and Elle have kids...”
“In ten to fifteen years… that’s a long time to find equal footing.”
He rolls his eyes heavenward. “You’re not seeing the bigger picture. The guy did save you from being broke.”
“Only because he knew his daughter would leave school to work and help out and only so the fucker could keep an eye on me and make my life hell!” I place my plate on the floor, suddenly not feeling hungry. “Why is it that every single fucking time…”
“Language.”
“I come here,” I continue, ignoring his snarl, “all you do is go on at me? I’m a grown man! I’m married and I’m settled down. Let me moan about work in peace. I’m coming home; I’m doing the shit you’ve told me to do. I’m helping out as much as I possibly can with Mum… yet you’re still on at me like I’m a fucking teenager.”
Destruction: The Distraction Trilogy #2 Page 10