Combust

by Tessa Teevan

  With renewed resolve to get him to get over what happened tonight, I give her directions and brace myself for his reaction.

  AFTER WHAT feels like forever, I find myself in front of Cohen’s door. The wine has given me a renewed confidence, and I also feel angry for the way he walked out. I decide that I’m going to make him pay and teach him to never do it again. Knocking twice, I look around to make sure I’m alone. As I wait for Cohen to open the door, I loosen the sash on my silk robe and open it just enough to show off the outline of my bare breasts.

  The door opens and there he is, dripping in sweat, wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts. His muscles are rippling, and he looks sexy as hell. My mouth waters at the sight of him, and I almost forget that I came here ready for angry sex.

  His hungry gaze rakes over my body, which tingles underneath his scrutiny. A whistle and a catcall sound from behind us, and when I turn to look, I flush when I see two guys watching us in the parking lot. Cohen growls, takes hold of my wrist, and places one large hand behind my neck, pulling me inside his apartment before slamming the door behind us.

  He presses me up against it and looks down at me with heated eyes. His hand comes down to my collarbone, and I shiver as it trails down my bare skin, stopping just above my belly button. It comes back up and he traces the outline of my breasts, pushing the material away until my hard nipples are exposed.

  “What the hell are you doing, Andi? Putting on a show for my neighbors?” he growls, removing his hands from my skin and pressing them on the door behind me, boxing me in. His eyes wander down my body until they come back up and meet mine. “Do I have to make it clear, Ruby? This is mine. I don’t care who’s seen it before. I’m the only one who gets to see it now.”

  His words should turn me on, but instead, they make my blood boil. Where was this attitude two hours ago when he walked out of my kitchen?

  Looking up at him, I set my jaw and untie my robe, allowing the silk material to brush against my body as it drops to floor. Cohen swallows hard, taking in the sight of me in nothing but his favorite fuck-me heels. I bring my hand down and slip it into his basketball shorts. He’s not wearing boxers, and I grip his growing erection in my fist before tightening it.

  “And this is mine. I don’t care who you’ve fucked before me. The only woman you’re fucking now is me.”

  His eyes close briefly, and I use the opportunity to grab one of his hands and place it on my chest. He allows me to guide him, first over one breast and then the other.

  “These are yours. The only person who will ever see, ever taste, ever touch these again is you.”

  He watches me intently, his eyes not leaving mine. Our hands run down my smooth skin until I rest them on the apex of my thighs. My other hand is still gripping him, and he’s growing by the second.

  “And this, Cohen, this is yours. Only yours. No one has ever pleasured me the way you do. No one has ever loved me the way you do. And no one ever will. You do this to me. No one but you.”

  Taking hold of his hand, I bring it between my legs so he can feel how wet I am. A low guttural sound escapes his throat, and before I know it, he’s shoving his basketball shorts down, stepping out of them, and pulling me up into his arms.

  “Wrap those sexy legs around my waist, baby,” he orders, and I comply readily.

  His lips crash down on mine and his tongue presses against my lips, forcing their entry. His kiss is possessive, forceful, and our tongues wrestle before he slows the pace. I take his bottom lip between my teeth and bite gently. His hand rests on the small of my back while the other one comes up to grip my breast, where he tugs on my nipple with the same force of my bite, sending a shot of pleasurable pain through me. A small moan escapes my lips, and his tongue begins its assault on my own again. I rock my hips against him, craving the feel of his erection between my legs. Arching my back, I try to reposition to guide him in, but he holds back.

  "What do you want, baby?" he asks, his lips moving down my neck in a quick succession of kisses and nips as his teeth bite into my skin. His cock is sliding up and down my folds as he teases me.

  "You," I breathe out, and he positions himself at my entrance but doesn't move.

  "What do you want me to do?"

  Reaching up, I fist my hands in his hair, yanking his head up so he's looking at me. "I want you to fuck me, Cohen. Right here, right now. Make me yours." I pull his head to me and kiss him roughly.

  A growl fills the air as Cohen slams into me with force, stretching me to the max. I revel in the feel of him, hard and straining inside of me. He pushes me back against the door and thrusts up into me repeatedly, pistoning in and out with quick, hard thrusts. I begin to move with him until I'm practically bucking like the most expert bull rider trying to tame the wildest bronco.

  This position is new for us, and the angle and force of his thrusts has him hitting my g-spot. Each time it makes contact, I feel myself going a little more over the edge. Electricity begins to pulse throughout my body, and I know I'm so, so close. He tears his mouth away from mine and buries his face in the crook of my neck, biting down on my skin. My toes start to tingle, my insides quiver, and I swear I'm seeing shooting stars as I rise up and slam myself down on Cohen's impressive erection.

  Fisting his hair, I arch my back. Cohen's hands grip my hips to help me match his pace as we come together as one. We're moving together frantically, and I cry out as my orgasm starts to burn deep in my belly until it spreads like a wildfire, consuming every inch of my heart, body, and soul. I've never come so hard in my life, and I scream Cohen's name and grip his hair even harder, my pussy walls clenching his dick. He drills up into me a few more times, growling my name as I feel him release into me. My hands come down to grip his shoulders, my fingernails digging into his skin. His hips keep rocking into me as I milk him for every last drop until his body stills beneath me.

  Spent, I lean my head back against the door as I try to catch my breath. I’ve never felt so invigorated, so satisfied, and my body’s at war with itself as to whether it needs a nap or wants to go for round two. Cohen's hand comes up and he brushes his thumb against my lower lip.

  "Wow," I whisper, because right now, there's nothing left to say.

  A slow smile spreads over his face. "Wow," he echoes before wrapping his arms around me in a warm embrace.

  I fling my arms around his neck and return the hug as something unspoken passes between us. He holds me as he walks down the hall and into his bedroom, where he sits down on the bed with me firmly in his lap. He pulls back and stares into my eyes, his hand coming up to brush the hair out of my face.

  "I was getting ready to head to your place and apologize...but if that's what happens every time I'm an idiot, I'm going to have to rethink that plan." His eyes are full of amusement, but then they soften. I'm about to agree when he brings a finger to my lips. "Shh. Let me talk okay?" I nod, and his eyes gaze into mine, earnest and full of affection. "I am sorry, Ruby. I was just caught off guard. I've always been a jealous asshole when it comes to Bennett, but that's my issue. Not yours. I shouldn't have reacted that way. Forgive me?"

  I press my forehead against his. "Of course I forgive you, you idiot. And look, I'm sorry, too. I should've told you. I can understand why you would think it's weird. But I promise you, I look at Teddy like nothing more than another annoying older brother."

  He sighs with relief. "I know. I guess I'm just not used to this. Being in a relationship. Getting jealous. I'm learning."

  "I'm learning, too, Cohen. And I won't lie. I did feel a twinge of jealousy at the thought of you and Sophie together. She's kind of a knockout."

  "Ruby, you are the most beautiful girl in the world, and I'll never want anyone else."

  The reverent look in his eyes lets me know that he means it. As if his words aren’t enough, he gets up and leads me to the shower, where he spends more than enough time worshipping my body. In this moment, I’ve never felt more beautiful or more loved in all my life. M
y heart is so full, and it’s all because of this man. It doesn’t matter who we were with before. All that matters is that we’re together now, and I pray to God that it never changes.

  “THIS IS going to be weird, is it?” I ask Andi as we pull up to the bar.

  After I’d acted like an idiot and let my jealousy get the better of me, I was shocked when Andi showed up in nothing but a thin robe. I’d just gotten back from the gym, where I’d worked out my frustration, and with each minute that had passed, I’d known more and more that I’d been an asshole. All that had stood between me and going back to get my girl was a shower, but she’d beaten me to the punch.

  We spent the rest of the week in Nashville, and I admit that I did enjoy the We the Kings concert—and enjoyed Andi showing me her appreciation later on that night in the hotel room even more. The rest of the week, we enjoyed our own spring break by exploring the city until she got a text from Reese, who was back from the beach and insistent that we meet them for drinks tonight. Teddy mentioned to Andi that he and Sophie were going to be there as well, and I’ve been feeling apprehensive about it. I’m over the whole thing, and after more discussion, I know there’s nothing going on between them and there hasn’t been for a long time. But still. Being around Teddy and Sophie as a couple is going to take some getting used to.

  Andi looks over at me. “It’ll be fine, Cohen. We might as well get this over with. We’ve been in our bubble all week. Come on. Let’s go.”

  I follow as she gets out of the car, and when we get inside, I see that we’re the last to get there. Teddy nods in my direction, and Sophie just smiles before turning her attention to Andi. I can relax, knowing that, if Andi can handle it, I can too.

  The girls start catching up on what they did over spring break, so I excuse myself to get drinks. I’m at the bar waiting on two beers when I feel a presence beside me. Turning, I see Teddy standing there.

  “Look, man. I wanted to apologize for the other night. I didn’t know that you didn’t know, and for what it’s worth, I didn’t mean what I said. It’s just… I really like Sophie, and it caught me off guard that you two had been together.”

  “Hey, it’s cool, Bennett. Water under the bridge. I didn’t exactly take it the best when I found out about you and Andi, so I get it. Sophie’s a great girl. You two look good together.”

  I watch at he looks back at the table and smiles. He’s a goner, even if he doesn’t know it. “No hard feelings?”

  “Nah, we’re good,” I tell him, slapping him on the shoulder.

  When we get back to the table, Andi places her hand on my thigh and leans in. “Everything good?” she asks, her voice laced with concern.

  “All good, Ruby,” I tell her, and relief floods her face as she gives me a sweet smile.

  Reese clears her throat, and we look up at her. She’s holding Cy’s hand on top of the table as she glances around at each of us. “Well, first of all, we missed you guys on spring break and couldn’t wait to see you when we got back. It was fun under the sun, perfect weather, and fruity tropical drinks. It was pretty much paradise.”

  “Keep rubbing it in, Reese,” Andi says playfully.

  Reese continues without skipping a beat. “And it seems like we missed a lot while we were gone, too,” she says, looking at each one of us. “From Cohen and Andi saying the L word and Teddy having a girlfriend for once, it feels like we’re all growing up. And with graduation around the corner, everything’s just changing so fast…” She trails off as she begins to get weepy, and Andi and I look at each other in confusion.

  “Okay, Peanut, you’re rambling. Just spill it,” Cy prompts her, and a beaming smile spreads over her face as she brings her left hand up for all of us to see.

  “Fine, fine. I was trying to draw it out, but apparently, my fiancé is eager for y’all to know. Cy asked me to marry him and I said yes!”

  The table is silent for a minute until Andi squeals, scooting back her chair and rushing to give Reese a hug and then Cy. The rest of us offer our congratulations in a happy but less enthusiastic manner, and Cy looks grateful.

  The rest of the night, the women are talking about wedding planning, and this time, Andi looks thrilled about it rather than making gagging motions. Cy and Sophie end up switching places so the girls don’t have to talk over him, and he just shakes his head when the girls break out their phones and pull up their calendars to look at dates. I head to the bar, get celebratory shots, and set one down in front of the groom-to-be.

  Holding up the shot in the form of a toast, I peer at him. “Dude, you ready for this?”

  He glances over at Reese, who is still beaming from ear to ear. “Man, I’ve been ready for that girl my entire life.”

  WE’RE LYING in bed and Andi’s gushing about Cy proposing has died down. She’s staring absentmindedly up at that ceiling, and I roll onto my side so I’m facing her, my elbow propped up on my pillow.

  “It’s becoming real,” she whispers, and I frown, not sure what she means. “Growing up, I mean. We graduate in less than six weeks. Reese is getting married—which means I’m going to have to talk to Teddy about moving out.”

  “They haven’t even set a wedding date, babe. Don’t get too hasty,” I tell her.

  “Knowing Reese, they’ll be married by the end of the summer, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting them spend their first year as a married couple with Teddy and me still hanging around. They’ve dealt with us for long enough.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “I guess it’s just all finally hitting me. You know, all through high school, you have a one-track mind. Get into college. Then you get to college and your goal is to graduate. No one tells you to actually think about what to do after graduation. I don’t feel like I’m prepared for this at all. Dad wants me to go to graduate school. I haven’t heard back from any of the internships I applied for. I have no idea what I’m going to do.” Her voice hitches a little, and I grab her waist and turn her until she’s facing me.

  My hand comes up to brush her cheek. “Come to Memphis with me.” The words are out before I can rethink them.

  Her eyes grow wide with what I’m sure is shock. Hell, I think I just shocked myself, but now that I’ve put it out there, I’m suddenly aware that all of my questions for the future have just been answered. This is what I want. When I leave Knoxville, I want Andi with me. Knox was right. Even though I’ll be swamped with med school, she and I can make it work as long as we’re together.

  “Cohen,” she breathes.

  “Look, I’m not saying decide right now. It’s just… I just want you to know it’s an option, okay?”

  She gives me a sweet smile then curls up into my chest. “It’s a nice option to have,” she whispers.

  Now it’s my turn to stare up at the ceiling. I want it to be more than an option. I want it to be the only option. But for now, I’ll be content with her at least considering it, because when I leave in a few shorts months, I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s not with me.

  “HAVE YOU given it any more thought?” Reese asks. She’s in my room, curling my hair as we get ready for graduation.

  Staring into the mirror, I can hardly believe this day is here. Was it really only a few short months ago that my last semester of college was starting? After acing my chemistry course—thanks to my amazingly attentive and detailed tutor—I am officially graduating college. It’s surreal, and I still want to pinch myself sometimes. I can’t believe everything that’s happened since January, and I wouldn’t change a single second of it.

  “Earth to Andi.” My eyes glance up, and I see her standing there with one hand on her hip. “Did you hear me? Have you thought about what you’re doing?”

  The night Cohen asked me to move to Memphis with him, I wanted to scream out a resounding yes. We’d been tiptoeing around the future, and when he finally mentioned it, I froze. Part of me was afraid that he just felt bad for me, but then I saw the disappointment in his eyes when I said that it was an option. He hasn’t broug
ht it up again, and I know Reese is exasperated with my holding out.

  “I’m going to tell him yes. Tonight, after the party and after I tell Dad I’m not going to grad school. At least not yet.”

  Reese squeals and jumps up and down, yanking my hair in the process. “Oops! Sorry, Andi. I’m just so happy for you.” She lets out a dreamy sigh and then holds up her ring finger to me. “It’s only a matter of time before you have one of these bad boys on your left hand.”

  I nearly choke on my own spit. “Reese, we’re moving to the same city. Not getting engaged. He has years of school left, and I need to work on establishing my own career. Marriage is far, far off for us.”

  She simply shrugs and starts talking about her wedding plans as she continues to finish doing my hair. I’m anxious to get on campus to see Cohen, to walk across the stage as I accept my diploma, and then finally tell him tonight what I’ve decided.

  STRONG ARMS surround my waist as soon as the ceremony ends. A head rests on my shoulder, and I feel his warm breath on my ear. “Now that you’re an educated woman, do you still love me? Or did you only want me for my brains?”

  Turning around and slipping arms around his neck, I gaze up at Cohen. “Well, at first I loved you for your brains…and then I got reacquainted with the rest of you. It’s safe to say I love every single part of you.”

  With a slight chuckle, he leans in and crushes his mouth against mine. He picks me up and whirls me around until I’m breathless and dizzy—whether it’s from the twirling or his kisses, I’m not sure. Just as he’s setting me on the ground, I hear a throat clear behind us.

  Pulling my lips away from him, I see my parents and Riley standing just a few feet away. Since Cohen and I have been dating, I haven’t made it back to Bethel for him to meet them, citing being too busy with school. Riley’s giving me a knowing look, Dad looks surprised, and Mom’s lips are twitching as if she wants to smile. It’s not that I kept Cohen a secret. He’s almost always around when I call home, but they may not have known how serious it’s become.