He devours me, leaving me gasping and moaning as his tongue proves his talent over and over again. I come on his tongue hard. He swipes his tongue up my slit, sucking gently on my clit as I fist his hair, pulling his locks in between my fingers.
“Oh, yes…” My body crumbles against him as another wave of pleasure hits me. “Bentley!”
He stands up grinning at me as he purposely licks his lips. “You were dirty…” His voice is thick with amusement. “I had to clean you up.”
I put a finger to his chest and run it down to his cock, hard at attention. “I guess that means I should clean you up next.”
He arches his hips, allowing me to grip him harder. I begin stroking him gently, teasing as he bucks his hips into my grasp.
He leans into me and whispers, “I’m very dirty. Make sure you clean me thoroughly.”
I push against him and hop off the counter. I turn the water on and step into the shower, leaving the door open for him.
He follows suit and steps in the shower after me. His eyes widen as he sees me already on my knees waiting for him.
“Christ, Ceci…” He shuts the door behind him and looks at me with hunger in his eyes. “You look so fucking sexy like that—waiting for me. Only me.”
I bite my lip in anticipation. I open my mouth wide for him, letting him angle himself inside me. I close my lips tightly around him and stroke him with my mouth.
The water cascades over us, making his body slick and defined. His hard muscles never seize to amaze me, but the way he looks is breathtaking.
He leans back, giving me all of him. His cock touches the back of my throat, pulsating against me as I suck him hard. I work my hands on his shaft, rotating my hands up and down as I work the tip. He groans, grabbing a fistful of my hair as I pick up the pace. I release him, licking a path from his shaft to the tip, and pulling him inside me once more before he releases. I love that Bentley gives every part of him to me—every perfect inch of his body.
“Jesus, sweetheart,” he growls, lifting me up by my arms. “Your mouth is fucking heaven.”
He grips the back of my neck and crushes our mouths together—desperation and love consuming us both.
We each take our time washing each other’s bodies, slowly exploring one another again. I can never get enough of the sight of him, the way he makes me feel, and the way he craves me just as much as I crave him. I didn’t want it to end—this moment or us.
* * *
Bentley and I stay mostly in hiding through what remained of the summer. Cora and I finish his kickboxing class and I continue working at the bar, except I only work two nights a week so I can spend more time with Bentley before my classes start back up.
As summer comes to an end, I make sure to spend some time with Cora and Simon since I won’t see them for another nine months. Although they make it impossible for all three of us to hang out, I finally tell them to suck it up so I can spend time with both of them.
Since this will be my junior year, I don’t have to live on campus anymore. Bentley insists I stay with him to ‘save tuition money’ so I can hardly argue with him.
I text Katelynn a few days before school. We haven’t spoken much all summer, but I still plan to hang out with her once she moves back.
Me: Any new creepers we get to discuss when we get back?
Katelynn: Don’t even get me started. I’m starting to think being the crazy cat lady is more suitable for me anyway.
Me: Oh, stop it. There are plenty of good guys right on campus. You just have to come out of our dorm room long enough to meet them.
Katelynn: You know I’m shy. It’s hard for me.
I love Katelynn, and I think she’s gorgeous, so it’s really saddening that she can’t find a decent guy.
I make a mental note to get her out of her apartment at least few times this semester.
Chapter Nineteen
Cecilia
IT’S SURREAL TO see Bentley’s new place or as he’s calling it ‘our new place.’ It feels like after all the struggle to be together and time apart—this is it. We’re finally happy and moving forward together.
Bentley helped me pack, and I finally introduced him to my mom. It went surprisingly well. She’s pretty much smitten by him. But that doesn’t change the fact that she continues to hide our past from me. Soon enough though—I’ll know all I need to know, and then I can finally move on from what happened that day.
Tony moved in after I left. I know it makes Nathan really happy to have a guy around finally after being stuck with girls all his life. I’ve warmed up to him some, but the thought of him in my dad’s house still makes me cringe.
Bentley told his agent that he needs a few more months off, although I told him to stop putting it off. I’ll miss him when he travels, but I have plenty here to keep me busy. However, he insists on staying around—not that I’m complaining. I think he’s waiting for when I can finally go to my dad’s lock box. He’s worried that whatever is in there will crush me.
“Go on. Go out,” Bentley insists, wrapping his arms around me. “You’re in college. You’re supposed to go party.” He kisses me quickly on the nose.
“It feels weird though. Leaving you here while I go have fun.” I pout against him. “You could come with?” I offer.
He shakes his head with a weak smile. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you get back. Or call me if you need me to pick you up.”
“The reality of being with an older man,” I sigh, teasingly. “You could re-live your college days. I’m sure you were bad.”
He laughs, pulling me in tighter. “No, thanks. I’m content right here.” He presses his body into mine, my arms not wanting to release him.
“Fine,” I sigh again. “I’m going to go pick up Katelynn.”
Although Katelynn has a bubbly personality, she can be awkward around guys. I find it humorous how she helped me so much my first year of college, yet she can’t find a decent guy that isn’t going to come on overly strong.
Simon calls me on my way out, so I pick it up quick. “Hello?”
“I have less than a minute. Cora’s going to call you and be freaking out…act like you know nothing.”
And then he hangs up.
Well, that was weird.
I look at my phone, stunned, but wait for her call anyway. It comes two minutes later.
“Hello?”
“Oh, thank god, Celia.” She breathes heavily.
“What’s going on?
She’s silent at first and then finally blurts out, “I’m in love with Simon.”
A knowing smile curls up on my face as she finally confesses what I’ve known all along.
“Um…” I’m not sure what to say. Simon knew I knew, but she didn’t. “What exactly do you mean?”
“Stop playing stupid, Celia. I knew you knew.” Her tone is laced with stern amusement.
I laugh relieved. “Oh, thank god. Can I just say…it’s about fucking time?”
“I know.” She laughs.
“So…tell me. What made this confession come to light?”
She stays quiet before softly answering. “He proposed. He said he was sick of pretending we weren’t together and that he’s always loved me. I cried. And you know I never cry.” She laughs through light tears. I gasp, picturing Simon down on one knee with an engagement ring.
“That asshole didn’t tell me he was going to propose!”
“That’s because he knew you’d snitch!” Simon’s voice echoes through the phone.
I laugh because he’s absolutely right. I probably would have.
“Ignore him,” Cora says, giggling. I can hear her pushing him away.
“All right, you lovebirds. Call me later. I want to know all the details,” I pause as I pull up to the dorms, “well, perhaps not all the details. Just the part where he proposes,” I tease.
We say our goodbyes and I text Katelynn that I’m outside waiting for her. She skips giddily to my car, a smile plastered o
n her face.
“Someone’s excited.”
“I’m actually really nervous,” she admits.
“Don’t be. It’s going to be fun. Just like a back to school party. Plenty of opportunities to meet new guys.”
“You mean plenty of wackos to ask how many children of theirs I wish to bear.”
I burst out in laughter at her concerned expression. “I swear, you attract the crazies.”
“I actually did meet someone online from campus,” she admits, biting her lower lip.
“You did? Who?” I ask excitedly.
She clasps her hands tightly on her lap, not looking directly at me. “I-I’m not really sure. We’ve been chatting for the last few weeks. We both figured out we go to the same campus. We’re supposed to meet tonight actually. He’s going to be there.”
“Oh, my god!” I screech. “What’s his name? What does he look like?”
“I don’t know.”
I turn and face her, narrowing my eyes. “You don’t know? You didn’t think to ask those questions or what?”
“Well…I know his username. I stopped giving out my real name because there were so many psychos. Once he told me he’d be coming tonight, I told him to wear a red shirt so that if I went I could spot him.”
“Katelynn…what if ten different guys are wearing red tonight?”
“That’s also why I’m wearing red.” She points to her own shirt, raising a brow.
“How’s that going to help?”
“Just trust me. I’ll know when I see him,” she replies confidently.
“Hmm…a hopeless romantic? I like it.” I grin.
The party is in full force by the time we arrive. There’s a ton of people we know, so we stay amongst them most of the night. Later on, I spot Brandon and decide I should apologize to him in person.
I tap him on the shoulder nervously, not wanting there to be any tension between us. We’re bound to run into each other on campus this year.
“Hi,” I say weakly as our eyes connect.
“Cecilia! Hi!” He engulfs me in a hug I wasn’t expecting. I wrap my arms around him as he squeezes me. “How’re you?”
He releases me and I stare at him stunned. He looks great, and I’m beyond ecstatic he’s not upset with me. But he’s almost too excited.
“Hey, Brandon. It’s great to see you.”
“You look great, Cecilia.”
“Thanks, you too.”
Awkward silence.
“So look—”
“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Cecilia. It’s okay,” he says genuinely.
“I just feel like I owe you something…I feel horrible that I hurt you. Like I deserve for you to be really mad at me. Yell at me. Tell me what a slut I am. Anything.”
“You’re anything but a slut, Cecilia. And really, yes, I was upset, but the more I thought about it, I was really okay. I don’t want someone to be with me if they don’t want to be with me.”
I swallow, pained that I couldn’t love him the way he loved me. “Wow, Brandon. You’re really too nice to me.”
“I’m glad you’re happy.” He smiles wide. “You look really happy and you deserve it.”
“So do you.” I smile back.
“Yeah…” He brushes his hands down his shirt, teasingly. “Being dumped looks really good on me, don’t ya think?”
He’s laughing and the next thing, I’m laughing with him. It’s such a relief to know we can continue the school year without any hard feelings.
One second he’s looking at me, the next his eyes flash to something behind me. His jaw tenses, his eyes freeze in place, and his body stiffens.
I turn around to see what’s behind me when I notice Brandon staring directly at Katelynn. I look back at him to notice he’s wearing a red shirt.
I gasp softly, putting the pieces together. I look again and see Katelynn’s eyes linking with Brandon’s.
Holy shit.
I can’t help the stupid smile that appears over my face. What are the fucking odds?
Katelynn nervously walks over, unsure of where she should look—at me or at Brandon. From their stunned faces, neither of them expected it to be them.
“Shit…” Katelynn finally says.
“Yeah…” Brandon says, brushing a tense hand through his hair.
“I-I really had no idea, Cecilia. If I had—”
“Stop it, you guys.” I smirk, looking back and forth between them. Their chemistry is palpable—obvious attraction between them. “I can’t think of two better people for each other. So don’t stop on my account,” I assure them both. “My ex-boyfriend and my old roommate. Who would’ve thought?” I smirk wide. They both relax, smiling back at each other.
Brandon hung out in our dorm room countless times during our sophomore year. Before Brandon and I were dating, he’d wait for me in my room with Katelynn until I got out of class so we could go study and work on our project. Now that I think back, they always got along great back then, too.
I excuse myself and reassure them both that I’m perfectly fine with whatever they decide to do. I chat with a few other friends, giving them their privacy, and then Katelynn texts me and says she’s hitching a ride home with Brandon.
Me: I want details later. Unless he ends up asking what paint color you want your master bedroom.
Katelynn: I always share the good deats with you.
I smile, thinking how happy I am that I know she’s found a good one.
Katelynn: Red.
Me: Huh?
Katelynn: Bedroom color ;-)
Me: Oh god. Of freaking course…
I shake my head and smile. Red.
Katelynn: Lol. Love you, Cecilia.
Me: Love you, too.
I was going to tell her not to hurt him because he’s already been hurt. But I don’t want him to hurt her either. So they just better make it work so I don’t have to hurt either of them.
I leave the party and head back to Bentley’s—or rather, my house. It’s still early, so I plan to surprise him with a little special surprise.
After I park in the garage, I strip off all my clothes before entering the house. I lay my clothes on the floor and tiptoe down the foyer to find Bentley.
He’s passed out on the couch, the remote still lingering in his hand. He looks stunning the way he’s laid out in his half un-buttoned shirt and dark, ripped jeans. His hair lays loosely on the pillow in a messy kind of way.
I slowly peel the remote out of his hand and set it on the floor. I brush a finger along his jaw, so strong and chiseled. I push his hair back off his face and admire all of him.
I lay next to him, wrapping my arm around his waist. I lean up and kiss his lips softly, not wanting to startle him. He stirs briefly before recognizing my lips and begins kissing me back. He brings a hand to my arm, pulling me on top of him. His hands brush down my body, his eyes popping open as he realizes I’m completely naked on top of him.
“Well, that’s the best fucking wake up call ever,” he growls.
I wiggle my hips against his growing erection. His hips buck to press into mine. I giggle against his mouth as he tries to keep me firm against him.
“Shh, baby. Let me take care of you.” I lower my body and torturously unbutton and unzip his jeans. I pull him out, hard and ready. I grip my fingers around him and stroke his long length.
“Mm…god, sweetheart,” he growls, digging his fingers into my hair. I love feeling his arousal grow deep inside me. I love knowing what I do to him. I love everything about this man.
I work effortlessly, sucking and licking every solid inch of him. I wrap my hand around his cock, stroking over his thick vein. My mouth and hand work him hard, faster until he can no longer take it.
“Fuck! Ceci…god, your mouth…” I accept everything he gives me, letting the heat shoot down my throat as he clenches his fists in my hair.
I continue licking him until he’s perfectly clean again. I tuck him neatly in his jeans
, zipping up and buttoning him back up.
“I could get addicted to that wake up call,” he taunts as I crawl back under his arm.
“I’d be happy to feed your fix,” I say smoothly, looking back up at him.
He smirks his eyes gazing down at me. “I think that’s called being an enabler.”
Chapter Twenty
Bentley
LIFE WITH CECI is natural. She brings out the young side of me. She brings out the playful side of me. Better yet, she brings out the loving side of me.
She’s helped me in so many ways. Learning how to forgive. Learning how to love unconditionally. Learning how to accept the things I can’t control.
Kickboxing first became an outlet for me to help me forget. I didn’t want to let go, I wanted to forget. Forget what Hannah did. Forget how badly I loved Ceci. Forget the career I so thoroughly fucked up.
But nothing could prepare me for this. Not today. Today is all about Ceci.
July 16th.
The day of her father’s death.
I can barely contain the emotions that are flooding through me. I can hardly imagine what’s going through Ceci’s mind. She’s strong though.
“Sweetheart, it’s all right to not be okay today,” I remind her for the fourth time. She’s putting a façade on, but I can see right through her.
“I don’t want to be sad.”
I grab the room key off the dresser and close the gap in between us.
“I know. But if you need to cry, you can. Let it go…if you need to.”
We stayed at a hotel last night since we had to travel to Iowa. She was up half the night tossing and turning.
“Thank you,” she says, looking up at me with a straight face.
I smile weakly down at her, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to thank me. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
“Not for that,” she says softly. “Thank you for everything—investigating it even when I had hurt you, supporting me when I let it consume me, coming with me. Always understanding. I know I come with a lot of baggage.”
“Sweetheart…” I lean down and brush her lips gently, closing a soft kiss on her mouth.
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