I’ve closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, when Hailey says she needs to go to the bathroom and so does Walker. The waitress places the beers in front of me.
“Well, isn’t that convenient?” I say as I down one beer.
Walker pushes my shoulder when he walks by.
“Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself.” I lean over, extending my hand. “I’m Gabe. Walker’s cousin and Crystal’s—”
“Boss,” Crystal finishes. “He’s my boss.”
“Nice to meet you.” Blake shakes my hand, smiling. When the waitress comes back, we order a shit ton of food.
“Gabe has lived here his whole life,” Crystal starts. “Dated a lot also.” She looks at me. “Isn’t that right?”
The meal runs smoothly till the bill comes and everyone fights for it. Well, everyone but me. I sit here glaring at Crystal while she smiles at me. I make a list in my head of how I’m going to torture her.
“Too late,” I say. “I already paid the bill.” I get up, looking at Crystal. “Let’s go.”
This doesn’t bode well with her as she folds her arms over her chest. “I’m not driving you home.”
I shake my head and think how pissed she would be if I just threw her over my shoulder. “Let’s go.” Then I hiss out, “Please.”
“Fine.” She throws her napkin on the table. “This is the last time.” She grabs her purse, saying bye to everyone as we walk out.
“I was giving you till the count of ten and then I was fucking yanking you up and we were leaving,” I tell her when I get in the car.
“Is that so?” she asks with a side look as she pulls into my driveway. “Get out,” she says.
I lean over and turn the car off, taking the keys out of the ignition. “Not so fast. We need to talk.”
I get out of the car, and she yells in frustration as she stomps up the steps. I walk straight to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water.
“Give me my keys.” She stands there with her hand outstretched. “Now.”
“It was half a date,” I say, crossing my ankles and leaning back against the counter. “Three hours, and it was a double date.”
“I don’t care,” she says, not looking at me. “I want to go home.”
“You care,” I tell her, walking to her as she backs up until her back is pushed to the counter. “It’s pissing you off how much you care.” I push her hair from her face. “Because the thought of you with Alan or anyone else has my blood boiling.”
I lean down to kiss her neck, where I know her heart beats. “I’d break his fucking kneecaps.” I kiss the other side of her neck.
Her hands go from my chest to my neck. “Can you explain to me why one minute I want to run you over frontward and backward, and then the next, I want to kiss you till I have no more air left?”
“If I could explain that, you wouldn’t have any use for me.” I kiss her smile. “Now, I believe I owe your ass some attention.”
“Is that so?” She arches to me.
“Fucking right.” I pick her up, tossing her over my shoulder, and my palm connects with her ass, making even my palm sting.
I wake up the next morning to her alarm blaring, but she’s nowhere to be found. I get up, calling her name. “Crys,” I yell and then hear the shower turn on. I turn off her alarm and walk into the bathroom.
The shower doors are steamed from the heat of the water. I open the door, stepping in with her, and she looks over her shoulder. “Don’t,” she tells me, but I’m too far gone. I smile, grabbing the bar of soap. Rubbing it between my hands, I then rub my hands on her breasts, lathering them with soap. Caressing them round and round as the water cascades over them. My cock aches for me to bend my knees and enter her. I kiss her neck when she grabs the soap from me and then reaches around to lather my dick.
“Fuck,” I hiss, and by the time we get out of the shower, we have two minutes to leave the house. When we pull up together, I thank god no one is outside to see us, so we don’t have to explain anything. The appointments are nonstop till I look up and see that it’s seven thirty. I walk out and see that everyone has gone home. I take out my phone to call Crystal.
“Hello?” she says.
“Where are you?”
“I’m home getting dressed, why?”
“Because I’m going home, and I’m exhausted, and I don’t feel like going out.”
“Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow,” she tells me.
“You are going to go out without me?” I ask her, shocked but not really.
“Well, I made plans, so I guess that would be a yes.”
“Fine, whatever.” I hang up the phone. “Why the fuck can’t I find a woman who doesn’t fucking piss me off half the time?”
I ask my truck as if the truck is going to answer.
I pull up to my house and walk inside, going straight for the shower. I get out, shaving and putting on my boxers, then head downstairs to grab something to eat. Grabbing some leftover pizza, I sit at the island eating it while I scroll Facebook. I haven’t been on in forever, and I see that Ava posted pictures of our retreat. Some are funny, the ones of me scowling especially, because fuck, did I hate that weekend. I find a good one of me and Crystal. Seeing that she is tagged in it, I go to her Facebook page. Her profile picture is of her looking at the camera and laughing, and she looks so, so happy. She also looks so beautiful. She is, without a doubt, hands down the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen inside and out. I save the picture to my camera roll and see a text come in from Brody.
I open it up and see it’s a picture, my mouth opening at the picture he sent me. It’s the back of Crystal, that is for sure. I would know that ass anywhere, but her fucking bare back is more than I can take. Another picture comes in, this time of the front with her laughing while she holds up a shot. I drop my phone when I see her fucking outfit.
She’s standing in the tightest pair of fucking jeans ever made to mankind; it’s almost like they are painted on. I mean tight,
which isn’t the problem. It’s the sheer black shirt she has on that is. It’s obvious she isn’t wearing a bra as it ties around her neck. Her breasts are covered by what looks like decals all sheer in the middle, tying around her neck. All ending with black strappy heels that make her legs look so much longer.
Another picture comes in, this time of Darla, Crystal, and Hailey dancing in the middle of the fucking bar. I roll my lips together, running upstairs two steps at a time. “I’m going to cut that top right down the middle,” I say as I wrestle into a pair of dark jeans, grabbing a white button-down shirt and buttoning it while I grab a jacket, slide on my boots, and run to my truck. I think I make it there in record time. I open the door to the bar and see Brody’s big smile when he spots me. “Asshole,” I mutter. I walk toward them and try to keep my anger in check, but with this one, who the fuck can.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” I hiss, standing next to Walker while Brody laughs. Crystal turns around, putting a hand on her hip.
“An outfit.” She glares at me.
“Is that right?” I ask, putting my hands in my back pockets, my eyes boring into her. My eyes roam up and down her, taking her in; my cock really fucking glad she is here.
“I think I need another shot,” she says when she takes in my look.
“I’m so happy I didn’t miss tonight,” Darla says as they take another shot.
“I’m going to go to the bathroom,” Hailey says, grabbing Crystal, and Darla follows them. Brody puts a beer bottle in my hand while my eyes never leave Crystal’s back. Totally fucking see-through. Scissors are the only thing that comes to mind. That, or fucking ripping it in half. Either way, that shirt won’t fucking survive.
I look around to see some people nod at me as I smile and take a pull of the beer. Walker’s receptionist comes over, and I swear I see heart emojis in her eyes directed right at him. I laugh because he hasn’t been with anyone since his wife took off on him, and he’s finally let Hailey in. It�
�s safe to say he isn’t letting that one go.
I watch the exchange between them. When Hailey returns, I see her realization that he’s off limits. I don’t care; my eyes go to Crystal who makes sure not to get too close to me.
“You want to dance?” I hear Walker ask Hailey, and I put my beer down and walk around them to Crystal.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to come out tonight?”
she asks me as she looks around.
“You done?” I ask her as she looks up at me.
“I just got here,” she says, smiling, then looking back at me. “But it’s safe to say, I’m ready to leave.” She winks at me. “I mean, that’s if you can give a girl a lift.” I shake my head, laughing at her. See, one minute I want to throttle her, and the next, I want to kiss her face till she melts in my arms. Crystal walks past me swinging her hips, and I make sure to follow right behind her so no one sees. I make it outside and look over my shoulder to see Walker watching me. I salute him while I point at where my truck is parked.
She gets in, buckling in, then turns her back to the door to look at me. “You’re hot when you’re all mad and irritated.”
“Is that why you make me mad?” I ask her, pulling off and making my way to my house.
“No, I make you mad because it’s easy to do.” She laughs, leaning over to kiss my neck. I get out of the truck once I pull up to my house. Walking over to her side, I catch her right as she closes the door. I push her back against the truck door. Gripping her hips, I lean down and kiss her lips, tasting the tequila. She lunges forward to bite my lower lip, and I open my mouth, crushing down on hers. I pick her up, her legs wrapping around my waist, my cock perfectly aligned with her pussy as she rubs herself up and down on it. Her hands in my hair, around my neck, I feel her everywhere. I walk to the kitchen. She lets me go to moan, my mouth kissing her neck as I suck my way from right to left. I put her on the white marble island in the middle of the kitchen. Turning around, I open the drawer and grab exactly what I’m looking for.
“I was sitting here tonight”—I point at the stool I sat on—“going through Facebook.” Her legs dangle while she leans back on one arm. “Found a picture of the two of us, and I sat there and thought fuck, is she beautiful, more than anyone I’ve ever met in my whole life.” She looks at me smiling, my hand going on her leg as I trace my fingers up and down her thigh. “But then I got the fucking picture of your ass.” I shake my head while she sits up, taking her forefinger to rub my cheek. “I knew it was your ass even before I knew it was you,” I say. Grabbing one leg, I straighten it and then place the scissors under the hem, dragging them all the way up her thigh. I push her back down on the island and cut right through her waist. She looks at me with her mouth hanging open as I do the same to the other leg.
“You have lost your mind,” she tells me when I pull her pants off her, and she sits on my island in nothing but that bodysuit. She points at me. “If you touch this top, I swear, you will not get any blow jobs for a month.”
I laugh at her. She enjoys sucking my cock as much as I do. “Where did you get it from?” I ask her, leaning in to kiss her. With her lips on mine, I push her down on the island and then stand. She groans, and I look down at her, her eyes half glazed over. I run my finger down the middle of her top, my finger going over the mesh. “I like this top,” I tell her while I unsnap it between her legs, leaving her pink pussy open and wet for me. I lean down, sucking on her clit. Her moans fill the room, then I stand back up and cut it right up the middle. “Now, I love it even more.”
“You owe me two hundred dollars.” She sits up as her top gapes open, her tits out for me to see. “And that is only for the top.” She shakes her head when she grabs the shredded top.
“I’ll give you fucking double,” I tell her, tossing the scissors back into the drawer.
“You know this means no blow jobs for a month, right?” She crosses her arms, squeezing her tits together.
“Really?” I say, leaning down and taking a nipple into my mouth.
“I’m serious, Gabe.” She starts out strong and then whispers, “One month.”
“Okay,” I tell her, grabbing her and bringing her to my room where I set her on my face, and she falls forward. Her mouth lands right on top of my cock, and she takes me down her throat. I smile against her pussy. “That was the fastest month of my life.”
She doesn’t answer; she just takes me deeper into her mouth over and over again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Crystal
“I can’t move,” I say, lying on the bed on my stomach. We have just finished our longest marathon sex session. Holy shit, I keep waiting for the day when I don’t crave him or it isn’t as good, but it’s been over three months now, and I still get butterflies when he grabs my hand. My stomach still speeds up when he kisses me.
“Then don’t move,” he says, getting up to set the alarm.
“I’m not leaving. You don’t have to keep setting it.” I laugh, thinking back to the day I tried to sneak out, and the alarm that blared so loud he came running out naked.
“It’s not for you,” he says. “I’m tired of fucking buying new tires, and I’ve replaced the back window five times now.”
I roll over. “Well, ever since you put the cameras up, it’s been quiet, so maybe the scorned woman found another victim.”
“There is no scorned woman; I dated maybe five girls my whole life,” he says, coming back to bed. “My last girlfriend fled town at the thought of spending her life with me. I’m the scorned one.”
My stomach falls when he says that as I think of him making vows to someone else. “Well, if she hadn’t, you wouldn’t have gotten the ‘best blow job of your life.’”
He grabs my waist, bringing me closer to him and kissing my lips. “This is true; this is very true.”
“See, so maybe her leaving wasn’t so bad,” I say, resting my head on his shoulder. “Would you do it again?”
“Yes,” he says as he plays with my hand in his hand. “I want a wife and maybe a couple of kids.”
My heart stops, my throat goes dry, and my hand on his stomach gets cold all of a sudden. “What about you?”
I breathe out. “Nope.” I get up on my elbow. “No to both.”
“Really?” he says, and his hand playing with my hair stops. “Why?”
“I’ve never wanted kids,” I say nonchalantly as the words burn my mouth. “So getting married isn’t that much of a goal.”
“You’ll change your mind,” he says. “You’ll get the itch,” he says, laughing.
“No itch,” I say and then turn over on my side, looking at my bag on his chair in his bedroom, blinking away the lurking tears. “What time is the dinner tomorrow?” I ask him about the team dinner we are having.
“We have to be there at seven,” he says, turning to hug me and kiss my shoulder. “You brought clothes, right?”
“Yup,” I say, faking a yawn. “Goodnight.”
“Night, doll face,” he says, kissing my neck as I listen to him drift off to sleep. My eyes watch the stars blinking in the sky. He’s going to get married one day, I think to myself. My stomach feels as if someone just kicked me. He’s going to lie in this bed with another woman and make babies. I get out of bed, going to the bathroom. Closing the door, I allow the tears to fall. “Next week,” I tell myself. “Next week, I’ll let him go.”
I walk back to the bed, getting back under the covers. Placing my head on his chest, I feel his arm coming around to hug me. “You okay?” he mumbles.
“Yeah, fine,” I answer when he kisses my forehead. I close my eyes and listen to his heartbeat, falling into a rough night’s sleep.
“Are you almost ready?” I hear Gabe yell from downstairs.
“Yes,” I yell, pulling on my white jeans, the waist tighter than usual. “Fuck, I need to start working out,” I say, grabbing the light peach shirt that matches. I slip it over my head, pulling it down on my shoulders. Thank god, th
e shirt flows around so I can leave the jeans unbuttoned. I slip on the brown heels and head downstairs. “My pants don’t fit me,” I say once I get into the living room. I lift my shirt to show him that I can’t button my jeans.
“Where is the rest of your shirt?” he asks while I look at him. He’s wearing tight blue slacks with a white button-down shirt with blue lines and a gray thin sweater on top, which molds to his chest. His sleeves pushed up.
“What’s wrong with my shirt?” I say, looking down.
“Your shoulders are all out,” he says, leaning down and kissing one. “You should become a nun, so I won’t have to glare at anyone when they look at you.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Let’s go before you cut this shirt, too.” I walk to the door with him grabbing my ass. “You need to stop that. We are going out in public.”
He groans. “I fucking hate this shit. We really need to negotiate that rule.”
I walk down the stairs still laughing. “It’s the only rule we have.”
He opens his door and gets in. “No, we also have the no sleepovers on a work night.”
I lean over to kiss him. “Okay, fine. We can throw out the sleepover rule.”
“Really?” he asks all happy.
“No, but we could think about it,” I say while he grabs my hand. “Are we picking up anyone else?”
“Nope,” he says, turning down the street and reaching to turn on the radio. I look out the window at the water crashing into the shore.
When we get to the restaurant, I make sure not to walk too close to him, especially once we make it to the table where Ava and Corrine are waiting for us. “Hey,” I say while they both look at us. “You guys the only ones here?”
“Yes, Emma just texted that she and Mia are carpooling together, and Alan is going to be picking up Olivia.”
“Perfect,” I say, sitting down in the chair facing them. Gabe pulls out the chair next to me and sits down.
“This place is supposed to be good,” he says, grabbing the menu. “Brody brought Darla here for their anniversary.”
Unexpected Love Story Page 15