by Ali Parker
"I don't like it." He stopped behind me and slid his hands onto my shoulders. "Just get some stuff. I'm ten minutes away."
"We're barely more than strangers, Kendal." I walked into the dark apartment as a shiver ran through me. Was I safe? Of course I was. Shit, he'd left me. I didn't leave him.
"We're friends, and we'd be lovers if you'd stop turning me down." He laughed and I couldn't help but smile.
"All right, but I'm not sleeping with you tonight." I walked to the back bedroom, hating myself for saying no again.
"Can we at least make out a little more? I haven't even gotten to-"
"Don't say it, please. I'm already on the fence about saying yes to you."
"That was the wrong thing to say." He stopped in the doorway to my bedroom and flipped on the light.
"Oh yeah? Don't like the truth?" I pulled out a duffel bag and quickly filled it with a few pairs of scrubs and some pajamas before gathering up my bathroom stuff. "Do you think I can get the lock fixed quickly?"
"Oh yeah. That shouldn't be a problem at all. We'll call someone tomorrow." He moved back as I walked past him. "Are you working at the hospital this weekend?"
"Yeah. I only have Sundays off every other week."
"Shit. That's a lot, Dana." He moved into the living room and stopped behind me again, his fingers brushing down the back of my arms.
"You sure this chick at work isn't rubbing off on you?"
"She definitely wants to rub something on me, but it's nothing I want." He shivered and walked to the door. "You ready?"
"I guess." I walked back out into the humid night's air and tried to logically think through if I was making a huge ass mistake. Yes, I was insanely attracted to him and not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. I could see something great happening between us, but he had a lot of baggage, and obviously I did too.
"I'll behave as long as you want me to." He wrapped his strong arm around my shoulders and gave me a cocky grin that could melt panties.
"That's part of the problem. I'm not sure I want you to."
"Well, then. All bets are off."
"The kitchen is right over here. Help yourself to anything you want." He pointed to the various rooms as he gave me a tour of his large four-bedroom house. I couldn't help but wonder why he would have such a big place all to himself.
I dropped my bag off in one of the spare rooms and walked down the hall, stopping to look at all the pictures of him and Amanda. Several had an older woman in them as well, whom I assumed was his mother.
"There isn't much I wouldn't do to save her." He crossed his arms over his chest and pressed his shoulder against the wall. "I'd give up my house, my money, my nice car, my job that I've worked so damn hard for..."
"Your life?" I whispered and turned to walk toward him. I hated his pain, and yet I understood it all too well. Losing my father gave me far more experience with pain than I would have ever wanted.
"Absolutely." He reached for me, gripping my hip and pulling me flush against him. "Why are you here?"
"Because you said I wasn't safe in my apartment. Did you lie?" I ran my hands up his chest and leaned against him, loving how hard he was already. I didn't have plans to sleep with him, but knowing that he wanted me to was more than enough to drag my tattered ego from the dark depths where it lay shattered.
"I never lie." He brushed his hand down the side of my hair. "Why do you take such good care of Amanda? She has to be more than you're used to handling as an intern."
"She needs me." I lifted my gaze up to his and cupped his sides as my stomach tightened and warmth pooled between my thighs. He was going to have anything he wanted from me... I had no doubt as to the lack of sticking power I had over my decision to walk away from his offer for a long night with him.
"What if I need you?" He leaned down and licked at my mouth as he dragged the back of his fingers over my breast, brushing by my nipple as I moaned loudly. "What if you need me?"
"I don't," I whispered and lifted to my toes to press my lips against his.
"Doesn't taste like you don’t." He smiled against my lips before picking me up and forcing my legs around his waist. He pressed me tightly to the wall behind us and ground into me as pleasure raged through the center of my body.
"And what does need taste like?" I panted softly as he rolled his hips and massaged my softness with his body.
"Like you, Dana." He gripped my ass and turned to walk me toward his bed. "How about you just let me taste you tonight? No strings attached to letting me drink you."
"Fuck," I mumbled and buried my face against his neck. A million thoughts drove through my mind, each more useless than the last.
"We can do that too, if you're up for it." He laid me down on the bed and ran his hands over my breasts, squeezing softly as he rocked against me.
"I'm not like these girls you keep talking about, Kendal." I pushed at his chest, far more scared of being judged by him than losing the chance at being taken violently by him.
"I agree." He leaned down and ran his teeth over my nipples, tugging softly as I arched my back and cried out. Maybe I was just like them.
"Why do you agree?" I whimpered as he pushed my skirt up over my legs and petted my sex rhythmically over my panties.
"Because I came after you, Dana. You didn't come after me."
"I wanted to." I spread my legs wider, wanting to release myself to the fact that I was a whore if it meant being with him for the night. The strong independent woman in me was long gone as he continued to hover over me.
"But you didn't. That makes all the difference in the world." He moved down my body, kissing here and there as he pushed my skirt up to my belly button.
I glanced down as he slid his finger under the covering of my panties and dragged his finger through my wetness.
"I don't know if I can do this," I cried out and gripped the sheets.
"If you don't want me down here... close your legs, baby. I'm a grown man. I know how to take no for an answer."
I reached down and brushed two fingers by his lips, letting him suck both of them into his mouth.
"I'm just scared." I pulled my hand away from him and tried to catch my breath.
"Don't be. Just lay back and relax. I just wanna taste you tonight."
A soft yelp left me as he tugged my panties to the side and pressed his mouth to the center of me. A deep grunt left him and slid across my wet skin, leaving my heart racing and pleasure dancing along my pleasure points.
"So fucking delicious, Dana. Come for me as many times as you can, okay, pretty girl?"
I glanced down and moaned loudly as he sunk two fingers into me and lapped at me with an expression of ecstasy on his face. Between the sounds and smells of our sex, my body buckled within minutes, the cry leaving me far too loud and guttural for the little bit of work he'd done.
"Mmmmm... Again, baby." He pressed his mouth back to my center and drove his strong fingers deep inside of me until I came again, and again.
Chapter 15
Kendal
A huge part of me wanted to crawl on top of her and make love to her until she couldn't stand, but it wasn't right to do it. I'd just berated Heather and Terri for being whores, and here I was wanting to be one. Besides that, a one-night stand wasn't in the cards either. I was ready to try again, and Dana was the woman I was hoping to try with.
I left her a note the next morning on the night stand closest to her and changed into a pair of oxfords and a golf shirt. I had forgotten about scheduling a golf game with Damon and Matt, but thanks to the reminder going off on my phone at five that morning, I was on my way to see them both.
The taste of Dana lingered on my lips, and I couldn't seem to get the sound of her moans out of my head. It was like getting access to something new and exciting and having to play with it later. It was less than couth to think of her that way, but the old parts of me would forever be lingering around in the dark, hoping to come out and stretch from time to time.
"What are you smiling about?" Damon called to me as I walked up to the country club.
"A girl I took to my bed last night." I popped him in the chest and extended my hand to Matt. "Hey man. Long time no see. How are you?"
"I've been better." Matt gave me a big brotherly hug and opened the door for us. "I have another girl you can take to your bed too."
I laughed and walked into the country club. "Erica still have you?"
"I swear, I'm going to wake up one day and find out that she's swallowed my dick whole." He shook his head and shivered as Damon chuckled.
"You're so damn dramatic. You'd be lucky to have a woman as hot as Erica Hall get near your dick."
"True." I shrugged and pulled out my phone to see if Dana texted. The note for her asked her to let me know when she was up. I didn't want to leave her alone too long.
She's got a shift at the hospital. Stop being so damn protective.
"So who is this hot piece of ass that has you checking your phone every two minutes?" Damon tossed me the score card and the pencil.
I jerked forward to catch them and growled at him. "Don't call her that. She's a great girl, a real sweetheart."
"What's she doing with a chump like you, Tarrington?" Matt pushed the door open to the cart rental area and gave me a knowing look over his shoulder.
"I'm praying I've finally turned a new leaf. After two years of celibacy, I've earned another shot at a relationship, wouldn't you think?"
"I do." Matt got on the back of the cart.
"I think you deserve far more than you give yourself credit for." Damon got in the driver's seat and patted the seat beside him. "Tell me all about her."
"She looks a lot like Ana, but more curvy. She's twenty-four or so and is a nurse at the hospital."
"Is this the intern?" Damon turned and pulled his sunglasses off his face.
"Yeah, why?"
"Kendal. If she's an intern, then she's a student at UT, man. Aren't you banned from dating all students, or is it just yours?"
Sickness pulsed through my stomach, but I tried to not overreact. "She doesn't go to UT, dude. There is a nursing school here too. Lots of them, actually."
"Have you asked her?" Matt turned around as Damon pressed the gas and the cart lurched forward.
"No." I let out a long sigh.
"Good. Don't." Damon patted my chest and drove down the cart path as Matt hummed something in the back. I needed to change the subject. I was going to talk myself out of something with Dana before it really started.
It has started.
"What's going on with Beth? Any news on that front that you wanna share?" I turned to face Damon as Matt bounded off the back of the cart. He was always first in line no matter what we were doing. Damon and I had gotten used to just giving him his way, especially when the fucker got bigger than us somewhere along the way.
"She's going to dinner with me sometime next week. That's all she'll give me." He ran his fingers through his hair and reached down to grab a beer from the cooler between us.
"You're drinking at seven in the morning? That's the sign of an alcoholic."
"Right. You want one?" He offered me one and I took it.
"Of course. I'd not let you go down a dark path alone. What kind of friend would I be?"
"A shitty one." He took one more drink and got off the cart. "I sent her flowers and told her after a meeting the other day that I missed her."
"And? How did she respond?" I cringed at the thought of what happened. By the scowl on his face, it wasn't good.
"She said 'that's nice' and walked off. She's not interested anymore." He grabbed a club and shrugged. "She's got a few more weeks and I'm going to move on."
"What? You're not moving on. You're in love with her. How many women have you ever been in love with?" Panic raced through me. I cared about Damon and Beth. They were too good together to let the newness of the relationship and all the extra bull shit that society wanted to sling at them fuck it up for them.
"One, Kendal. I've been in love with one woman. I've told several a lie, but this time I meant it." He shrugged and turned to walk toward the tee box. Damn. I was going to have to pull her aside and see what the hell was going on. After talking with her the week before, she seems to still be in love with Damon, but now... who the fuck knew. Women were so far beyond complicated at times.
As if we weren't.
"So how was the art show thingie?" I took Matt's club as he offered it to me.
"It was a private showing, and it went really well. Jonathan wants to pick up all that I've done and has a few ideas for some pieces that some of his clients are looking for."
"That's great news. Are you moving up there or staying down here?" I pulled my phone out as it buzzed.
"I'm not sure yet. I know Erica wants me up there, but something tells me that if I do go that we'll end up together."
"Because she'll force you into submission?" I lifted my eyebrow as I tried to imagine Matt Bryant being forced to do anything. He'd somehow circumvented his father from pulling him into the Bryant Empire and not fooled a damn person in the process. His childish act was an epic fail and we all knew it.
"No, because she'll tease me until I force her into it." He rolled his shoulders and stretched as Damon walked back. "You guys think I'm sweet and fruity because I love art. You don't know shit."
"He's a beast in the bedroom. Puts us to shame." Damon patted me on the back as he moved toward the cart.
"Do I wanna know how you know this?" I mumbled and pulled my phone out to read Dana's text. She was on her way to the hospital and would get the new locks done hopefully that day. The beautiful girl was already trying to run out of my life and we'd not even gotten to really know each other yet.
I didn't wanna overreact, so I didn't. After hitting the ball past both of my friends’ balls, I got back in the cart and took a long drink of my beer.
"So what the fuck is up with Heather Turner?" Matt turned around and pressed his forearms to the back of our seat.
"She has a job at the college and is promising to ruin my life if I don't give her blow jobs from time to time." I smiled over at Damon. We'd spent four years jacking around with Heather in college and had agreed more than once that the woman had far bigger balls than we ever would. She was insatiable.
"So do it," Matt huffed. "Or have Damon do it. He's fucked up things with Sis and needs a bit of a release."
"Fuck you too." Damon jerked the cart to a stop and waited until Matt was in the tee box to turn toward me. "You need to get rid of Heather, Kendal. You know that bitch is nothing but trouble. Where you might call her bluff, she's not going to call yours. She's mean and when she wants something-"
"Did she come see you?" Realization rolled over me. He wasn't nearly as shocked about her being back in town as he should have been. Granted, I mentioned her being at the college to him when she first showed up, but even still...
"Yeah. You know she was close to Christa and Delilah."
"Speaking of the twins." I made sure to show my disgust on my face. "Why the hell would you hire Delilah to work for you? I swear you look for trouble, invite it in and fucking knit it a bed for it to sleep on."
"I didn't hire her, you dick." He got off the cart. "My father did, not thinking anything about it."
"Oh. Shit." I contemplated calling Bethany and decided against it. I could talk to her on Tuesday when she came in for her TA duties. "Why didn't you tell Beth that?"
"Because, matchmaker, she should have already known that. I asked her to marry me, remember? I'm not a complete asshole."
"True, but you mostly are." I lifted my beer to him as he sneered at me and walked toward the tee box.
Matt jumped onto the back of the cart and bounced on it, shaking the shit out of the rickety thing.
"Damn, man. Chill out." I swatted at him and caught him in the nuts, hitting home.
He groaned and dropped down into the seat behind me as he swatted me in the back of the
head.
"What are we going to do about Damon and Beth? I can't handle this fucking tension at the house much longer." Matt groaned again and cupped his crotch.
I got off the cart and shook my head as I walked around to the back. "I don't know. They're just both being stubborn."
"I get that, but one of them is going to have to bend a little or the whole damn relationship is going to break. That's not acceptable." Matt sat up and pressed his hands to his knees. "We gotta fix this."
"We're grown men, and we're not fixing this. We're not in high school anymore or college. Life is what you make it, and if we patch this shit up for them, they'll just find a new way to tear it down." I was almost surprised by the words coming out of my mouth, but damn if they weren't true. Damon didn't need me riding in to save the day. I'd done that and hurt Bethany's trust and left Damon without his woman anyway.
"Maybe you're right," Matt mumbled as Damon walked up.
"Right about what?" He handed me the club.
"About you needing to get cock enlargement. I saw something on TV the other day." I pushed at his shoulder as Matt laughed loudly.
"That sounds like you, Kendal. Watching the home shopping network during porn hour."
"That wasn't even funny," I called over my shoulder and positioned myself to smack the ball one more time. I didn't need to play like a pro. I just needed to beat the two knuckleheads I was spending my Saturday morning with.
"What ever happened to old what's her face?" Matt asked as I walked back to the cart and got on.
"Which what's her face are we referring to? I've been with a lot of women over the last few years, Matt."
"That's a damn lie." Damon gave me a sideways glance. "You've been with one woman since college. What's her face?"
"Oh. You're talking about Ana."
"That's the one!" Matt bounced on the back of the cart as Damon growled and tried to keep it on the cart path.
"I have no clue where she is, and I don't want to." I rubbed my chest absently as thoughts of her resurrected in my mind. I wanted to push Dana into her place, but it wasn't the same, not in the slightest. It could be over time. I could see my relationship with Dana growing into something far better than what Ana and I had, but time was a cruel bitch who took far more than she gave.