"More like we've barely left each other's side since we met, except to go to work. Strangely serious, by my standards anyway," Nyla laughed. "So, what about you and Chandler?"
"We're just seeing where things lead us. That's about all the commitment we can give each other right now, but I care about him a lot, enough to scare me, and I think he cares about me too...I know he cares about me," Brynn said with conviction.
"Well, good for you. Any word from the frog since Prince Charming saved you from him last week?"
"No, but he'll probably come back and do some other dumb ass thing. Thank God for Chandler!"
"Now that's just what I like to hear...My little Brynn thanking God for me!" Chandler said as he walked into the kitchen behind Brynn, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He nuzzled his lips in her neck, breathing in the scent of her perfume.
"Yeah, no better topic came up, so we had to discuss my annoying neighbor," Brynn teased. "You know, you're nose is awfully cold. Have a nice shower?"
"Ah, you're just too funny!" He unwrapped his arms from Brynn and went over to give Nyla a polite kiss on her cheek. "You look great tonight. Dress up in order to catch the eye of our fair ball player?" he asked, looking at her white leather A-line mini skirt and black and white print one-shoulder shirt.
"Oh, honey, Nyla doesn't need the attention of the fair Moose...she has the attention of your buddy Zaiden, remember?" Brynn told him.
"Still!?" Chandler asked, shocked that the two of them were still together. Zaiden had never been one to stick around longer than a week or so, and from what Brynn had told him, Nyla was usually a one night deal. He was really surprised that the two players were still playing together.
"Well, what can I say? Poor Zaiden just can't get enough of me!" Nyla laughed as Chandler and Brynn both rolled their eyes.
Brynn and Nyla made their way back to the living room shortly after Chandler answered the door. Brynn didn't want to seem anti-social, especially to the couple of friends of Chandler that she would be meeting for the first time tonight. When they entered the living room, dinner was going to start soon, but she wanted to say hello to everyone first.
Both girls were introduced to Pete, Tony, and Alex, friends of both Chandler and Zaiden. Nyla was also introduced to Mike Mussina, as she shook his hand in awe. Brynn then said hello to him, and thanked him for coming. Mike thanked her for cooking by giving her a hug, and when he released her, Chandler immediately pulled Brynn back into his arms.
Mike looked curiously at the scene before him. "Am I missing something here? Are you two together, or are you just friends?"
"We're together," Chandler admitted, for the first time to anyone. All of his friends seemed happy to hear it, and patted him on the back in congratulations.
"Good for you man. It's about time," Mike told him, his voice full of sincerity.
"Yeah, I know," Chandler agreed.
"You're one lucky man, you know that?" Mike openly eyed Brynn up and down.
"Do I ever!" Chandler smiled.
"So, how about dinner? Everyone must be hungry?" Brynn led them all into the dining room and showed them where to sit. She and Chandler went into the kitchen to bring the food out.
"So, was it weird for you to tell them that we're together?" she asked when they were alone in the kitchen getting the food.
"Actually, it was really easy. It just felt right. Almost as right as this..." he said, as he pulled her into a kiss.
"Mmm, that did feel right, but watch out or you'll need another cold shower!"
"Yeah, about that...I'm not really fond of them, so how about we keep them to a minimum?"
Brynn laughed as she handed some food to Chandler to bring to the table. She grabbed the rest and headed to the dining room. Everyone was passing the wine and the food by the time she and Chandler sat down, with an abundance of conversation and laughter being shared. To Brynn, it seemed as though the night was already a success. Chandler beamed at Brynn as everyone complimented the food. He couldn't have been more proud to have her by his side.
After dessert, everyone sat around talking about how stuffed they were and how delicious all the food was. Brynn and Nyla cleaned up the table and put all the dishes in the dishwasher. Brynn told Nyla that she could do it on her own, but Nyla insisted on helping. It went fast with the two of them working together, allowing them to rejoin the guests sooner than if Brynn had worked alone.
They all sat around the living room, talking about the past, and Nyla and Brynn sat there listening to their stories. At a few stories, Brynn and Nyla looked at each other, feeling a little left out, with no clue whom or what they were talking about. For the most part though, they were happy to hear the stories about the wild antics of Chandler and Zaiden in their youth.
An hour after dinner, more guests started to arrive. Brynn and Chandler took over being the dutiful hosts, leaving their current guests to mingle amongst themselves. Soon the party was in full swing, with people milling all throughout the house and on the back deck.
It had been about an hour since Brynn had last seen Chandler, and she was wondering where he was. She was at the makeshift bar with Mike Mussina and one of her single and very pretty friends from work. Brynn was trying to work her matchmaker magic on the two of them, and it seemed to be working. Of course, to keep her friend Pam from going after him only because he was on the Yankees, she told her only that his name was Mike, and that he liked sports.
All three were getting ready to do a shot when Brynn felt arms encircling her waist from behind.
"I wouldn't drink too much if I were you. I hear there are some pretty big plans for you tonight, some that you'll want to be sober for," a low voice whispered in her ear.
Brynn's legs turned weak, hearing that voice and feeling his warm breath against her ear. She turned to see a seductive smile on his face. "Is that so?" she asked. "Well then I'd better be a good girl tonight!"
"Just until all the guests leave, then you can be as bad as you want to be," he told her, then kissed her deeply, not caring who was watching.
"Mmm...I've been waiting for one of those. Where've you been, I haven't seen you in a while."
"Oh, one of my buddies was getting a little rowdy, so I took him out front to calm him down. Then he got into one of his drunken confessions about his life that I had to sit and listen to. Most of it was so slurred that I couldn't understand what he was saying, so I put him in a cab and sent him home."
Just then, Nyla rushed up, out of breath. "Um, I think we have a little problem. I think I just saw Nico."
"What!?" Chandler and Brynn both shouted.
"Oh hell no," Chandler declared.
"Where was he?" Brynn asked.
"Well, Zaiden and I went over to your house to get away from all the people for a few minutes, and when we were leaving, we saw a guy walking down your front sidewalk to the back of the house. Then we lost him in the crowd of people in the back yard. He had a paper in his hand, and when we shut the front door, the sign that told people the party was over here was gone," Nyla explained.
"So Nico is somewhere here, either in my backyard or in my house?" Chandler asked.
"I think so. I can't be sure it was him, but it looked an awful lot like him from behind. You know his stupid bow-legged walk." Nyla said disgustedly.
"Nyla, go get Zaiden and Tony and bring them back here." Chandler ordered. He turned to Brynn. "I promise I won't let him hurt you. He's not going to get near you," he said, as he wrapped Brynn in a hug. "I'm going to keep Tony and Mike with you while Zaiden and I go looking for him. We'll get rid of him, don't worry."
Nyla came back with Tony and Zaiden, and Chandler grabbed Mike from the other side of the bar. Chandler let them know what the plan was, making sure that Mike and Tony both knew that no one was to get near Brynn.
Nyla was the first to spot Nico, since she knew him the best. He was standing in a group of people, facing the bar and watching every move that Brynn made. He was concentrating so int
ently on Brynn that he didn't even notice Chandler walk up and push him.
"I don't think you were invited, so it's time you left," Chandler told him.
"I'll leave when I feel like it," Nico growled. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I'm Chandler Tiller. This is my house, and I didn't invite you here."
"Well, your neighbor did, so leave me alone. Take it up with her if you don't want me here."
"That's funny, because Brynn's my girlfriend, and I know for a fact that she didn't invite her ex-husband to our party." He glared at Nico. Nico looked hard at Chandler, and a look of recognition spread across his face. "That's right. I was the one last week who kicked you out of her house. And now I'm kicking you out of mine. Leave now or I'll call the police to have you removed."
"Kiss my ass, you little puss!" Nico yelled, and pushed Chandler.
"You want to fight, tough guy? Is that it?" Chandler yelled, as he pushed him back.
Nico reached back and sent his clenched fist flying into Chandler's eye. As soon as his punch connected to Chandler's face, Zaiden jumped in and tackled Nico.
"Time for you to go!" Zaiden yelled at Nico.
Brynn saw the whole fight, and when they started pushing each other, she took off through the sea of people to get to them before anything happened to Chandler. She got there just as Zaiden tackled Nico to the ground. She ran to Chandler's and took his head in her hands.
"Are you alright?" she asked, worried.
"I'm fine. He just got a lucky punch," Chandler growled.
"I'm so sorry," she said, placing small kisses all over his face, murmuring apologies the whole time.
Chandler pulled her into a hug. "It's not your fault. I'd rather he hit me than you."
Brynn looked over to where Nico was being held by Zaiden. She calmly walked over there before Chandler could stop her. "I don't know what the fuck your problem is, but you need to leave and never come back. Do you hear me? We are over, have been over, and will always be over. Stay away from me, stay away from Barrett, and stay away from Chandler. You're lucky that Chandler isn't pressing charges this time. Don't let there be a next time."
Nico struggled against Zaiden's grasp to get to Brynn, but wasn't able to shake him. Brynn turned and walked back to Chandler as Zaiden dragged the unwelcome guest to the front of the house.
She took his face in her hands again, looking at his eye that was starting to swell up.
"We better get some ice on that. Does it hurt?" she asked.
"Only a little."
The two walked back into the house and headed for the kitchen to get some ice. Chandler groaned in pain as he touched his eye. "Yeah, I think that's going to leave a mark," he joked.
"Thank you, again. Once again, you saved the damsel in distress. It must be getting pretty old," Brynn said.
"No, it's not getting old. I want to protect you, Brynn. I don't want you to be hurt, and if I'm there to prevent it, that makes me happy. Now, could I do without a black eye?...Yup, but as long as you don't get hurt, I'll be fine."
"You know, you look kind of sexy with that black eye. It mixes with the goatee and makes you look all dangerous," Brynn teased.
"Oh yeah? Well, don't get used to it!" Chandler smiled and pulled Brynn against his body. "I'm so glad you're not hurt."
"Thanks to you I'm not," Brynn said softly. "You think these people are going to leave anytime soon?" she asked, as she ran her hand under Chandler's shirt, over his hard stomach and chest.
"Mmm, don't start yet. I'm sure everyone will head to the bar soon. We don't have to go. We can stay here, alone."
"That sounds good to me. How about we plant the suggestion that the bars sound good into someone's head?"
Brynn's words were interrupted by Zaiden and Nyla walking into the kitchen. "Just wanted to let you know that Nico's gone," Zaiden told her.
"Thanks for your help, Zaiden. I feel bad that everyone was put in that position by my dumb ex-husband."
"You have nothing to apologize for. None of it was your fault. Besides, you brought the light back into my buddy's eyes, and for that, I'd do anything for you," he said, and gave her a warm hug.
"Well, I guess we're going to head out. Thanks for everything tonight. We had a great time," Nyla said and hugged Brynn. "We'll say goodnight to everyone. Maybe they'll all get the hint too," she said with a wink.
The three of them made their way to the backyard, where all the guests were now congregated. Mike came up and put his arms around Brynn's waist, swinging her in a circle. He planted a big, exaggerated kiss on Brynn's cheek, before putting her down.
"Well, well, what was that for Mr. Moose?" Brynn asked, laughing.
"Thanks, Brynn for introducing me to Pam. She seems like a great girl, and we're going to go out on a date as soon as I get back from our road trip. I owe you a few tickets to our games for this," Mike said, smiling.
"Well, I'm glad you liked her!"
"And I'm sorry about hitting on you last week. I had no idea you and Chandler were together. But I got to admit...if it was anyone other than Chandler, I would have fought to get you away from him. He deserves to be happy, and he gets that from you."
"Thanks, Mike. Besides, I think your flirting got him to admit how he felt about me."
"Well, take care of him, and don't either one of you become strangers. He has my number. Give me a call soon, and we'll all get together again."
"Sure thing. Have fun on the road trip, and show the country what the Yanks are made of," Brynn told him.
He said goodbye to Brynn, and after that, more and more people followed his lead. After about forty-five minutes, the rest of the guests had left, leaving Chandler and Brynn alone.
"Here's the plan," Chandler said. "There's not too much to clean up out here, so let's get the outside done, and we can leave the inside for the morning. Sound good to you?"
" I'll race you!" Brynn laughed as she grabbed a trash bag and started cleaning up. Not long after, all the trash was collected and the back yard was done. Brynn handed the garbage bag to Chandler, and told him she'd meet him inside after he took the trash to the garbage cans in his garage.
She ran inside and headed straight upstairs for his bedroom. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see that there were candles already lit.
"Somebody didn't waste any time!" she grinned.
"I knew you couldn't wait to get up here," Chandler teased from behind her. She hadn't even heard him come into the house or walk upstairs.
"Well, someone told me they had big plans for me tonight, and I was just curious..."
Chandler suddenly looked worried. "Are you ready for this? Are we going too fast?"
"No, I'm ready. I want this more than you know," Brynn said, moving closer to Chandler. She reached out to grasp his shirt and pull it off him, taking her sweet time. She watched as little by little, more of his skin was exposed to her. She ran her hands over the muscles in his chest, and the ripples in his abs. As her hands wandered, Brynn looked up into his eyes.
Chandler leaned down and took her mouth in a gentle, passionate kiss. He ran his hands through her hair as he trailed his kisses from her lips to her jaw, then down her neck. When his lips connected with Brynn's bare shoulder, she gasped.
"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?" he asked her. "Or how wonderful you were with all my friends?"
Brynn moaned in response as his hands skimmed over her breasts. Chandler was taking his time, enjoying the feel of Brynn's body next to his. He savored every touch, every taste, and every kiss. He didn't want to miss a single inch of her body. He wanted to touch and taste it all.
He slowly rid Brynn of her top, pleased to find that she wasn't wearing a bra. He loved looking at her and for a while he just stood there, staring. He slowly backed up toward the bed, taking Brynn with him. When his legs touched the mattress, he sat back, bringing his head at the right level to play with her breasts. He reached out and rolled her nipples between his thumbs an
d forefingers as he watched her head fall back in pleasure.
His large hands slid down her stomach and circled behind her, pulling her body even closer to his. He lifted his head and caught one of her nipples with his mouth, sending waves of pleasure throughout her whole body. When she was trembling with desire, he did the same for the other nipple. Unable to take it anymore, she moaned as she pushed on his shoulders, so that he fell back into bed.
As Chandler lay there, Brynn undid his pants. She hooked her fingers in the waistband as Chandler lifted his hips for her to slide his pants off. In one smooth motion, Chandler lost his pants and his boxers, and was now naked.
"You aren't wasting any time, are you?" he teased.
Brynn knelt between his legs and took him in her hand. She pumped her fist up and down the length of him a few times before she enveloped him with her mouth.
Chandler drew in a sharp breath. She circled her tongue around the mushroom head, then licked down the shaft. She took her time, tasting every inch of him while he lay there in ecstasy. He lifted his head from the bed to watch Brynn as she sucked on him. Brynn looked up into his eyes the whole time he was in her mouth, and getting even wetter when she saw the pleasure written across his face.
Finally he got too close. "Brynn...I'm going to come if you don't stop," he warned.
She slowly stopped her ministrations and stood before him. His hands went to the button and zipper of her leather pants. "It's almost a shame we have to take these off. You look so hot in them," Chandler whispered as he dragged the pants down her legs. Brynn stepped out of them, leaving just her thong on.
"Nuh-uh, thong off too. If I'm naked, so are you," he said, ridding her of her panties.
Brynn lay next to him as he turned on his side to kiss her. His hand roamed her torso, sliding along her waist, across her hip and down to her thighs, finally making its way between her legs. She opened them just slightly and gasped at the first touch of his fingers. His found her wetness as he rubbed her, making her pant and drop her head back against the bed, her eyes closed in pleasure. He kept up a slow rhythm until she started to lift her hips up to his hand. He was driving her wild with his fingers, and when she couldn't take it anymore, she grabbed onto his wrist.
Out Of The Friend Zone Page 11