by Vivien Vale
“And you?” she asks. I look at her again. “How’s work going for you?” She’s oblivious to my thoughts.
I shift in my chair, tugging at my buckle.
I shrug. “It’s going well. We’re expanding. Again. We can’t keep up with the number of users signing on.”
“You’re doing very well. Sociable is a hit. I don’t have any friends that aren’t already on it.”
“Well, it pays the bills,” I say dryly.
Dana laughs. I want her to keep doing that. I fucking love it when she’s laughing, when it goes all the way up to her eyes. She hooks her hair behind her ear. She’s wearing long earrings that make her movements seem more graceful.
The waiter finally brings our drinks. I’ve asked for a soda. I don’t want to lose control tonight and say something stupid. Dana ordered alcohol. She seems nervous, and I can’t figure out why. When we order food and the waiter disappears again, I take a sip of my soda.
“Your hair looks great like that,” I say.
Dana smiles, touching her head lightly. “You noticed.”
“Of course. It suits you.”
Her dimples appear again.
We spend the night speaking about trivial things. We eat pasta, we laugh, and everything is the way it always is, light and pointless. But now, I want to know what’s bothering her.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong? Or are you just going to keep pretending everything is fine?”
She glances up at me. Her face is serious again, her lips slightly parted. Full lips. Delicious lips. Lips I want wrapped around my cock.
“I forget how well you know me,” she says.
I shrug.
She takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly.
“Well, you asked how work is going. The answer, to be honest, is terrible. I got fired.”
I widen my eyes. “What the hell, Dana?”
She nods, looking down at her nearly empty plate. “It’s been a few weeks now, actually. I didn’t want to say anything.”
“Why the fuck not?” I frown at her.
She shrugs. “Because everyone is doing so well. You’ve got Sociable, and Mom and Chris have the studio, and my friends are all successful now. I didn’t want to be the only one that’s failing. I’ve been looking for a job but nothing has gone through yet, and I’m in trouble now.”
I reach across the table and put my hand on hers. It’s warm and soft. She glances up at me.
“Tell me how I can help,” I say and let my fingers linger on her skin only a moment longer before I pull my hand back. Before I let my mind drift to other places I want to touch her.
She looks like she might cry. She swallows hard, not meeting my eyes. “I’m getting evicted now. If you could just help me out with a bit of cash, so I can find a place to stay while I sort this out, it would be a huge help. I really hate asking.”
I shake my head. “You can always ask me. I’ll do you one better, though. Why don’t you come to stay with me for a while? You don’t have to worry about cash then, and you can find a new job without all the pressure of needing to survive.”
The words are out of my mouth before I can think better of them.
Dana blinks at me. “I won’t impose?”
I chuckle. “We grew up together, remember? It will be like the good old days.”
Fuck, what am I thinking? The good old days? When all I did was jerk off to thoughts of her. Jesus, it’s not like much has changed there, though.
She swallows again.
“I have enough money to cover your expenses for a while, and I won’t see you end up on the streets,” I say, apparently rolling with this fucking terrible idea.
Finally, she nods.
“Thank you,” she says in a thin voice. “I hate that all this is happening.”
Dana has always been independent and proud. She doesn’t like taking help from others, and she’ll never ask for it.
So even though I know this can’t be a good idea, I’m still glad she’s agreeing to come stay with me. I want to help her any way I can.
Having her in my house would be amazing.
Although, seeing her again every day might make it hard. No pun intended. And no might about it.
She’ll be around all the time, and I’m already struggling to contain myself as it is. What am I doing here?
But I don’t want to fucking turn her down, and if I have to be sexually frustrated for a while just to have her with me, just to take care of her like I have this burning need to do, then so be it.
“When do you need to be out?” I ask.
She looks down and bites her lip. “Two days from now. I left it until the last second, I know. I hoped something would come through by now.”
I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take the day off tomorrow, and we’ll go to your place and sort it out. Okay?”
Dana nods and looks up at me, something shining in her eyes that I don’t quite recognize.
“Thank you, Keagan. It means a lot.”
“Of course,” I say. “I already said it, but I’ll say it again. You know I care.”
When the evening comes to an end, I pay for the bill. She protests, but I don’t let her fight me on it. We get up and she steps toward me. She looks up at me. She’s almost a full head shorter than me, but with her heels on—fuck, they’re sexy—she can almost look me straight in the eye.
“Thanks, Keagan,” she says again, and she wraps her arms around me in a hug.
I don’t hesitate to hold onto her. Her body is lithe and petite in my arms. Her tits, her hips, I feel them all. My body responds, and I feel my cock straining in my pants yet again. I let go of her, pushing her gently away so she won’t feel how I’m about to rip right through my pants and give her a full-on salute.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” I say. “Go home and relax. We’ve got this covered.”
She nods, still looking at me. My gaze lingers on her lips for a second before I turn toward the door.
“Better not walk out with me if you don’t want to be swarmed with paparazzi,” I say, grimacing.
She leaves first, and I wait a while before I leave, too. There are only one or two cameras outside when I walk through the door, but it’s enough for the world to know whether I left the restaurant alone or not.
While I drive home, I think about Dana. Her pride gets in the way sometimes, but there’s something to be said for her strength. It’s fucking sexy.
She’s always been independent, and there’s nothing more attractive in a woman than the ability to fend for herself. And she’s going to be in my apartment for a while.
The thought makes me horny as fuck. I’ve been biting down on my lust all evening. When I get home, I climb out of my clothes and get in bed, naked. My cock strains against the sheets, and I move, letting the friction work me up. I slide my hand over my abs and palm my throbbing cock.
Fuck, I want her. I close my eyes and picture her, trying to imagine what she might look like naked. I want every inch of her, and I want her to beg me to take it.
My hand pumps up and down, and I try to imagine that it’s her body wrapped around my cock, her hot, wet pussy, and not my own fingers.
When I come, it’s drawn out and fucking intense and I groan. I twitch and jerk in my hand, hot cum shooting out of my cock as I groan her name.
But when it’s over, I’m not nearly as satisfied as I want to be. And I wonder if having her in my house is going to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me, or the worst mistake I’ve ever made.
Dana
I can’t believe I had to ask Keagan for help. I’m relieved that he agreed. Last night, he kept telling me that he cared. It’s good to know that I have somewhere I can go, even if it was hard to ask. I hate asking for help, but sometimes, things slip out of my control.
I’m dressed and ready to go at seven in the morning. When I came back after dinner last night, I didn’t go right to bed, even though I was exhauste
d. I packed up everything I could in the few boxes and bags I had. I don’t want Keagan to come here and see my life turned inside out, the way it feels.
I want to have something ready for him, at least.
Now, while I wait, I’m wrapping glasses and mugs in newspaper. I don’t have boxes to put them in, but at least, this will be half the work done.
When my doorbell rings, Keagan stands in front of me, bright and fresh. His blond hair is damp, like he just stepped out of the shower. He’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt, moving clothes, but he still looks put together.
“Morning,” he says cheerfully. Behind him, four men are getting out of a truck in the road. They unload collapsed cardboard boxes.
“You brought company?” I ask.
Keagan nods. “Yeah, they’re here to help. I figured you needed a few people to get through it quickly. I brought boxes, too.”
I swallow hard. He’s being so nice to me. Everything is overwhelming.
My mom was right. Keagan was a good person to turn to, and apparently, he will do a lot for me. Keagan steps inside and puts his hand on my shoulder. His hand is large and warm. When he looks at me, his blue eyes are piercing.
“Where would you like us to start?” he asks.
I lead Keagan to the kitchen and show him what I’ve done so far.
“Wrapping them was a great idea,” he says. He calls the guys inside. They tape up a cardboard box and start packing.
“It’s big of you to hire a team,” I say. It will go so much quicker with these guys jumping in as well.
Keagan nods. “Let’s leave them to it here and sort out your office. What do you say?”
I follow him to my office. I haven’t touched it. My shelf is full of books, my desk has folders all over it, and I have boxes full of swatches and fabric samples. Keagan stands with his hands on his hips, looking around.
I don’t know what living with Keagan again will be like. It’s easily been ten years since we’ve lived together in the same place. I’ve gotten used to having my own space and doing my own thing. It will be strange falling into someone else’s routine again, and abiding by someone else’s rules.
We were always close, so I don’t think it will be a problem. When he first moved in so many years ago, being in the same house as the boy I had a crush on was hard. It was even harder that I wasn’t allowed to like him anymore. Somehow, we’d gotten over liking each other and fell into a comfortable rhythm.
Sometimes, out of nowhere, I still see Keagan as the guy I crushed on and not the one that became my brother. Not that it matters. I doubt he feels the same about me. Don’t guys get over their crushes easily? I’m the only one holding onto something that never got a chance to exist.
Keagan walks out of the room again, and his scent stays behind. It smells like soap, clean and fresh, and I breathe in deeply. He returns with two collapsed boxes and tape. He tapes up the boxes and puts them down in the middle of the floor.
“How about you start with those files,” he says, pointing to my portfolios. “I’ll handle the books?”
I nod. It’s difficult having people rummage through my things. I feel like they’re pulling me apart, seeing every side of me that I can choose to hide under normal circumstances. With Keagan, I don’t mind it so much, but the other guys make me feel uncomfortable.
The day goes by quickly. We barely break for lunch. It’s easier to keep working while we’re eating. Bit by bit, my house is packed up. I don’t have a lot of things, and that’s the only reason it’s possible to nearly pack up everything in one day.
By five o’clock the men all leave. Boxes are stacked in the corners of every room, and my place has been cleaned, for the most part. All my furniture has already been loaded and taken to Keagan’s warehouse, where he has extra space for me.
“We’ll finish tomorrow,” Keagan says. “They’re coming back, and we’ll get the boxes to storage as well.
I shake my head. “You’re doing all of this for me, and I can’t even repay you,” I say.
Keagan shakes his head and nudges me with his elbow. “Don’t sweat it. We’ll get this fixed in no time.”
I’m emotional. It’s hard losing my home and having strangers pack it up for me. It’s better than being kicked out on the street, though, and I have Keagan to thank for that.
“I’m going to run out and get us dinner,” Keagan says. “Why don’t you take a box and pack up the things in your bedroom you don’t need?”
I nod. He smiles at me and walks through the door, disappearing into the dusk that’s falling outside. I walk to my room and do as he asks.
I’ve finished two boxes by the time he comes back. I smell Chinese all the way from the kitchen. When I join Keagan, he’s unpacking sweet and sour pork and fried noodles. He’s also bought wine.
“Oh, God, this is the best idea you’ve had all day,” I say, picking up the bottle of wine.
Keagan grins at me. “I thought so.”
He hands me my container of food, and we walk to the living room. He pushes the coffee table out of the way, and we sit down on the carpet, spreading out our food. I found two wine glasses in one of the boxes and Keagan pours wine for both of us.
The food is fantastic, and the wine is just what I needed. Slowly, I feel the tension bleed out of my shoulders. My body becomes light, and I feel good for the first time in days. Keagan sits next to me. We lean our backs against the couch.
“Can you believe this is where I ended up?” I say. “When we were younger, I had such big dreams. Look at me, now. On the verge of eviction. Broke.”
Keagan shakes his head. “You’ve always been on top of things. It’s just a bad month. Not a bad life.”
I grin at him. “You sound like a fortune cookie.”
Keagan shrugs. “Even in school, you were good at everything. It’s one of the first thing’s I noticed about you. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Really?” I ask. “That’s what you noticed about me?”
“Well, among other things.” He’s studying the wine in his glass intently.
“Like what?”
Keagan glances at me. “Are you kidding me? You were the hottest girl in school. Not much has changed, by the way.”
I blink at him. He looks at me with serious eyes. His pupils are dilated, and something twists in my stomach.
“You can’t mean that,” I say.
“Why not? I know what I like. I know a ten when I see one.”
I blush violently. “You can’t tell me that,” I say.
“But it’s true.”
He leans against me so that our arms touch. His skin is hot through the sleeves of my shirt. His scent is in my nose. Maybe it’s the wine, his help in my time of need, or the fact that I’m at rock bottom, but I get turned on. I swallow hard. Heat flushes through my body and pools between my legs.
Keagan’s eyes are still on mine. He lifts his hand and brushes his knuckles against my cheek. Electricity runs from his skin to mine. The atmosphere is charged, and I know what he wants before his eyes slide to my lips. This is wrong. I can’t do this. Except, this is what I want. What I’ve wanted for a long time. I’ve denied it because it’s not supposed to be this way.
When Keagan leans toward me, I know I should pull away. I’m frozen in place, and I watch him close the distance between us. His fingers rest against my cheek, and his lips touch mine a moment later.
My breath hitches in my throat. He kisses me, carefully, allowing me to pull away if that’s what I want.
I don’t. When I don’t move, he kisses me with more confidence. And he knows exactly what he’s doing. His tongue runs along my bottom lip, and without thinking about it, I open my mouth. He slides his tongue into my mouth, soft and hot, and tastes me. I’ve never been kissed like this, and my body is practically vibrating.
I break the kiss.
“What are you doing?” I ask. I’m out of breath.
Keagan doesn’t look as flustered as I am. His pu
pils are dilated, lips parted.
“Kissing you,” he whispers, sending shivers down my spine in the most delicious way.
I don’t know what to say to that. Keagan leans into me again. His lips touch mine, and this time, I don’t hesitate. Somewhere at the back of my mind, a little voice tells me I’m doing something I probably shouldn’t, but the way he’s kissing me sets my body on fire. I’m melting in my panties. I’m getting wetter—so much fucking wetter—hotter, and the wine in my system pushes all the worries out of my mind.
All I can think about is him. He fills my sense, leaving room for nothing else.
I lift my hand and push my fingers into Keagan’s hair. He groans into my mouth. His hand slips down my neck, his fingers fluttering over my skin. He thumbs my collarbone, and then his hand is on my chest, sliding to my breast.
Oh, God.
I feel like I might spontaneously combust. I’m hot and wet and ready, and my body screams for more. Keagan hasn’t even touched me yet.
My breasts tingle, and my nipples tighten with anticipation. A moment later, his hand is on my breast, massaging skillfully.
Keagan’s breathing becomes shallow and erratic. He gasps into my mouth. It’s like he’s finally allowed to touch me. Like he’s always wanted to.
I push the thought out of my mind. I stop thinking all together.
My hand wanders down his body and into his lap. I rest my palm on his cock, and he’s hard—so fucking hard—through his jeans. When I rub him through the thick material, he groans again.
“Fuck, Dana. I’ve wanted this for so long.”
“What?” I mumble against his lips, not believing what I’m hearing. Is my lust addled brain making hear things now?
He shakes his head without breaking the kiss and reaches for the hem of my shirt. He pulls it up over my breasts, and his hands land on my bra.
I break the kiss.
“Keagan. Really?” I ask, gaping at him. “For how long?”
His eyes are a dark blue, like the ocean, and he licks his lips. He nods slowly, opening his mouth to speak.
“This is a bad idea,” I say, cutting him off before he can say anything and shaking my head. I start pulling back my hand from his cock, but he stops me, pressing my hand down with his.