Vote Then Read: Volume III

by Aleatha Romig

  “I enjoy it more than you think. Hearing you tell me to fuck off is music to my ears.”

  I take another drink of my water. “Subject change, please.” I glance at my watch. “You’re running low on time, Officer Lane.”

  “Okay, Miss Fast Eater, let’s see the proof.”

  I take a huge bite, and he laughs.

  He’s hardly touched his food. All he’s doing is giving me the same deep stare he gave me earlier when I first walked in. His gaze is intense, but his words are playful. “Any hot plans this weekend? Going out, searching for a new boyfriend?”

  I swallow down my bite. “Hey now, someone who’s single can’t talk shit about a fellow single person. At least I’ve been in a long-term relationship.”

  “How do you know I haven’t had or am not in one now?”

  That shuts my ass up for a moment.

  He laughs. “Wow, I’ve never heard you go so quiet before. I’m patiently waiting for your smart-ass response.” He takes a drink. “And for your information, I have had a serious relationship. Becky Binds, to be exact,” he says proudly. “You going to run a story about that? I can give you plenty of details if need be.”

  I snort. “That does not qualify as a long-term relationship.”

  “Why, Ms. Relationship Expert 101?”

  “It wasn’t real. It was superficial and lasted, like, three months.” I slam my mouth shut. Oh shit. Now, I seem like a total stalker. It’s embarrassing, but I paid attention to Kyle and his relationships after our fallout happened.

  “Is there a statute of limitations for relationships?” he asks.

  I’m relieved at his lack of teasing about my knowledge of his bullshit relationship statuses in high school. I hated Becky’s guts. They dated after our incident, and she made it her mission to make my life a living hell, even spreading rumors about me and creating the not-so-original, taunting chant that followed me down the high school hallways.

  “High school relationships don’t count,” I state. “Are you currently the boyfriend of a poor girl who needs to find better taste?”

  “Poor girl? Interesting, coming from a woman having dinner with me at my house, and even more interesting since said chick had drinks with me last night.”

  “The woman who was forced to come to dinner and can leave at any time,” I correct with a cold glare.

  “No one forced you to walk your sexy ass over here. You could’ve easily stood me up.”

  I hate that he’s right. “Fine, I was hungry. Now, any crazy girlfriends I should worry about that will make it their mission to ruin my life if they find out I’m having dinner here?”

  He lets out a breath. “Not dating anyone, so I’m all yours, babe.”

  I ignore the all yours comment. “I was right then.”

  “Not entirely. I recently ended a relationship.”

  I perk up in my seat. “Why?”

  He shrugs. “It wasn’t there.”

  “Do I know her?”

  “No. Lauren set me up with a nurse from the hospital. It was fun for a while, but our schedules were chaotic and made it difficult to see each other. She wasn’t next door and available whenever I needed her.”

  “I’m not sleeping with you, so if that’s your game plan here, you’re wasting your time. I’m sure it won’t be hard for you to find another Becky Binds.”

  He strokes his chin and laughs. “My sweet Chloe, were you jealous of Becky Binds for having me?”

  I fake a grimace. “Negative. How could I be jealous of someone who possibly had chlamydia and was a terrible person in high school? Again, I’m not sleeping with you.” My repetition is to also convince myself.

  “We don’t have to sleep together. We can do other things and then go sleep in our own beds.”

  I suck in a breath. The thought of not sleeping but sleeping together turns me on more than it should. “You’d better quit before I leave.”

  He holds his hands up. “Okay, okay. Let’s eat.”

  Our conversation takes a turn, and I’m surprised by how comfortable we are with each other. He tells me about the police station drama, and I complain about my office being a snooze-fest. As our plates clear, we take things to a more personal level, and I tell him about Gloria and Trey and how they’re the reason I’m still in Blue Beech. I don’t trust Claudia to care for them. Kyle has still made his fair share of smart-ass comments, but nothing to make me want to kick him in the balls for.

  My phone beeps in my bag. There hasn’t been one boring minute with us, so there was no need to check it.

  “Check it,” Kyle says, referring to it.

  I grab it to find a text.

  Claudia: Be there in 20.

  “Your sister?” he asks.

  I slip my phone into my bag. “Yep.”

  He wipes his mouth with a napkin. “How much time do we have?”

  “Twenty minutes.” I stop and hold up a finger. “Fifteen. She can’t see me leaving your house.”

  “That pipes up a man’s ego.”

  “She’ll give me shit. She hates you.”

  He scrunches his face up. “She has no reason to hate me.”

  “She hates you by proxy. I hate you, so she hates you.”

  I set my phone down without bothering to text her back and grab my plate to clean up.

  Kyle rises from his chair. “Don’t worry about it.”

  I shake my head. “Nope. You cooked—heated up.” I laugh. “It’s only fair I clean.”

  I move faster than him, but he catches up seconds later and grabs the plate from my hand at the same time I’m about to set it on the counter.

  He whips me around to face him and stands inches from me. “I’ll let you clean next time.”

  “Whoa,” I say, forcing myself to make my response sound like a joke, but inside, my heart is racing. “What makes you so sure there will be a next time?”

  His hands go to each side of me, his palms resting on the surface of the counter, and his arms block me from moving around him. I inhale his masculine scent before peeking up at him in time to catch the way his eyes skim up and down my body.

  “You promised me three dates, sweet Chloe,” he whispers, tipping his head down and burying his face in the curve of my neck.

  Goose bumps travel down my spine, and my traitorous body aches for him to touch me, to kiss me, to do all the things he’s made comments about doing.

  I gulp, fighting to stand my ground. “Three meals,” I correct.

  He groans into my neck before dropping kisses along my sensitive skin. “Fine, three meals, but you’re bailing early on this one. So, you owe me another half.” He sucks on my skin next, as if he wants to mark me.

  I release a heavy breath and throw my head back, stupidly giving him better access.

  Jesus, why am I allowing myself to get caught up in him like this? Why am I so weak?

  I clear my throat. “Why are you so adamant on hanging out with me, Kyle?”

  “Why are you so adamant on not being around me, Chloe?” he whispers into my ear before nibbling my earlobe.

  “You know why,” I hiss, balancing myself against the counter. My knees are weak, and if I fall, it’ll put me in line with Kyle’s waist—with his crotch.

  “Why?” he asks. “Is it because you hate me or because you can’t control yourself when I’m around?” He skims his hands up my sides, causing me to let out a light whimper. “You’re so used to being in control—in charge of your emotions, your life, every single thing. You’ve never handed control over to anyone else, have you?”

  Desire rushes through me, and I blow out a nervous breath when he withdraws to lock eyes with me.

  “Yes,” I stutter out. “Once. I gave it to you.”

  He flinches but recovers. His fingers curl around my waist, and I gasp when his erection presses hard against my core.

  “Do you remember how good it felt, losing control?” he asks.

  I inspect the floor, but he grabs my chin again, forcing
me to meet his eyes—the same as earlier.

  “Be honest. I won’t judge you. I’ll never judge you.”

  His deep-set eyes impale mine. This is too personal, and I’ve never been this charged up before, not even with Kent—the man I planned to marry.

  I finally gain the courage to say, “I’m not going there.”

  Before I can say or do anything, his lips capture mine.

  And, just like that, I’m gone for him.

  I exhale a sharp breath, and he wastes no time before sliding his tongue into my mouth. He tastes of beer and is skilled as we make out against the counter, his excitement rubbing against mine ever so slightly. I drop my head back when his lips return to my neck, sucking and licking.

  “I wish I could take my time in pleasuring you,” he whispers into my ear. “Unfortunately, we don’t have that. You’re about to receive the fastest orgasm you’ve ever had.”

  I open my mouth to object but moan instead. I could use an orgasm right now. It’s been a while since I’ve had one not given via the vibrator Kent resented. There’s no objecting to Kyle having his way with me, so I allow him to take control.

  Seconds later, his fingers dip underneath the hem of my yoga pants, and he stretches them out far enough to dive straight into my panties.

  “So wet for someone you hate,” he says, running a finger through my drenched slit. “You might think you hate me, sweet Chloe, but your pussy seems to like me. Maybe next time, I’ll bring my dick out to play.”

  I open my mouth to question the next time comment but whimper when he tugs my pants down.

  “Spread your legs wider and let me get one leg out,” he demands.

  I do as I was told. Denying him isn’t an option, but I’ll regret this in the morning.

  “How much easier would this have been if you’d worn the skirt like I said?”

  “Quit bitching,” I mutter. “We’re running out of time.”

  And I desperately need an orgasm right now.

  “Oh, how the tables have turned, my dear neighbor.” He plunges a finger inside me before adding another seconds later, sliding them in and out of me. His fingers are thick and skilled, hitting me in all the right places.

  I should unbuckle his pants and return the favor, but I’m too caught up in the moment. I rest my hands on his shoulders as he finger-fucks me hard.

  “Does that feel good?” he whispers against my lips as he uses his thumb to circle my clit.

  I nod.

  “Wait until you find out how good my cock feels.”

  I stop myself from telling him it won’t be happening, but hell, at the rate we’re going, his cock will probably end up in every hole of my body.

  “I need to taste you. Fuck.”

  I moan.

  “Fuck it.”

  My breathing hitches at the loss of his fingers, and he drops to his knees. He braces one hand against my thigh, and I shiver when he plants a kiss at my opening. There isn’t a long wait until his tongue dips in and out of me, and I throw my head back. It’s fast. We’re both sweating, and I grip the edge of the counter when his fingers work me again. His tongue moves from my slit to my clit, from my clit to my slit, repeating the teasing action.

  It doesn’t take long to set me off, and I’m shaking with an orgasm. He grips the outside of my thighs and holds me up.

  “Holy shit,” I say, catching my breath.

  I glance down to find him staring at me with a wide grin and a face filled with need. He kisses both of my thighs before standing up, his hands moving to my waist.

  “Holy shit,” I repeat. “I cannot believe we did that.”

  He kisses my forehead and I’m thankful when he pulls my pants up because, right now, my body is useless.

  “It’s hard not to believe it when your body is trembling, and if I wasn’t holding you up, you’d most likely fall to the floor.”

  “God, I hate you,” I say with a shudder.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment since you just had an orgasm as a result of my tongue-fucking you.” He nuzzles his head in my neck while I pull myself together. “Thank you for letting me play with your pussy tonight and for bringing dessert.” He kisses my cheek. “Time for you to babysit.”

  I turn away in embarrassment when he draws back. “Thanks for, uh … dinner.” I clear my throat. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  “See you then.”

  He doesn’t kiss me again or make another move while I straighten myself out, grab my bag, and head to the door with so many thoughts spiraling through me.

  “Oh, wait,” he finally says as I’m about to walk out.

  I turn around, and he hands me a plate full of brownies.

  “Dessert. The kids will enjoy these.”

  My phone beeps.

  Claudia: About to pull up.

  Fuck!

  “They will. Thank you.” I rush out of the house and make it to my porch at the same time she arrives.

  What in the flying fuck happened?

  Claudia is two hours late to pick up the kids.

  No surprise there.

  She dropped them off without dinner in their bellies, so I took them to the diner. When we returned to my house, they devoured a brownie each, and then I went into full parent mode. With Gloria being four, she needs more attention than Trey. I gave her a bath and then read her a story before she crashed out in the bedroom. Trey has graduated to the guest room with a bigger bed and a smart TV.

  “Is your homework finished?” I ask when I walk into the living room.

  A glass of milk is in his hand, and a brownie sits on the table next to him.

  He groans. “Yes, boss woman. I’m not dumb enough to bail on homework with you. Mom, yes. You, nope.”

  “Smart boy.” I sit down on the couch across from him and cross my legs, a mug of tea in my hand.

  Trey is fourteen and at the age where he’ll pick up on the environment he’s living in. He’ll do one of two things—want a better life for himself or fall into the black hole. My sister had him young, so he grew up faster than most kids. Him being born also made me grow up faster. I fled that life as soon as I could, and I want him to be able to do the same.

  “How’s everything going at home?” I ask.

  “Mom has a new boyfriend,” he states with a straight face.

  “I’m sure he’s a real winner,” I mutter before I can stop myself. Even though it’s difficult, I try not to talk shit about Claudia in front of him.

  He snorts. “Oh, yes, like all her others.” He frowns. “Are you sure there’s nothing you can do for us to live here?”

  As much as Claudia loves to pawn her children off on me, she refuses to grant me custody. She uses them as a power trip and exploits my love and concern for them to her advantage. If it wasn’t for the children, I’d have nothing to do with her.

  “Trust me, buddy, I’ve tried,” I answer with disappointment. It hurts my heart as much as it hurts theirs.

  “I know,” he says with a hint of a frown.

  He picks a channel, a show of viral videos of people’s failed stunts, and I grab my laptop to get some work done.

  An hour later, Claudia pulls up. I make sure she’s not high or drunk before letting the kids know she’s here.

  “You’re late,” I say when I step outside.

  She brushes away her bleach-blonde hair from her face and takes another puff of her cigarette. “Shit happens, Chloe. Damn. This is your niece and nephew. Don’t you love spending time with them?”

  I fan the air in front of me to get rid of her cigarette smoke and draw back. “Don’t patronize me. I spend more time with them than you do. Tonight, Gloria asked me why you never want to be around her like other mommies and their kids at her school. Get your shit together.”

  “Or what? You’ll ask for custody like always?”

  “I don’t understand why you won’t.” I lower my voice. “You obviously have no interest in being a mother.”

  She s
neers. “You’re jealous.” She tosses her cigarette on the ground and stomps on it with her heel. “You’re childless, and your fiancé left you for another woman. Maybe you need to pay attention to your pathetic life before insulting mine.”

  “Fuck you, Claudia,” is all I say before turning around.

  I don’t want my niece and nephew for my lack of children. I want to protect them from the life she’s giving them.

  I’ve adapted to her and my mother’s insults, and mostly, I have become immune to them, but there are still times—times like this—that remind me of my misfortunes. She uses it to trigger me even though I’ve done nothing but help her.

  People can be assholes. People can throw your misfortune in your face, even when it’s unnecessary, even when you’ve done nothing to them. Some people aren’t nice, and if there’s anything I’ve learned from my chaotic childhood, it’s that hurt people hurt other people. Misery loves company, and my family is always ready to hurl insults.

  “I’m sorry. That was harsh,” she calls out.

  “It’s nothing worse than what you’ve said before,” I mutter while shaking my head.

  I grab Gloria when she and Trey step outside and help her into her carseat while Claudia lights another cigarette and stands to the side. When she’s finished, I stand on my porch and wave good-bye as they pull away. I take a deep breath and am about to go in when I hear it.

  “Good night, Chloe!”

  The words shoot through the night from Kyle’s front porch. I glance over to find him standing beneath his bright porch light, shirtless, with a bottle of water in his hand. I shake my head, fight my smile, and flip him off before walking into my house.

  At least he made me smile after the Claudia Horror Show.

  6

  Kyle

  I’m waiting for Chloe as soon as she steps out onto her porch. From now on, I will deliver my good mornings face-to-face.

  “Good morning, my dearest neighbor,” I greet, not startling her this time. “I enjoyed our dinner. Next time, maybe you can bring your vibrator as the guest of honor.”

  I can’t stop thinking about last night.