by Faith Starr
I yawned during my exit from the elevator on my floor. Surprised—rather shocked—to see Joey standing in the hallway next to my apartment door.
“Joey? What’re you doing here?”
He pushed off the wall, all studly, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. “I wanted to see you.”
Something was going on with him.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to see you.”
There was more to the story than he led on. I could feel it.
“How did you get inside the building?” I unlocked and opened the door.
“One of your neighbors recognized me and let me in after I agreed to take a picture with her.”
Such was the life of a celebrity.
“Did you knock? Maybe Lily’s home.”
Darkness greeted me which answered my question. I flipped a switch, and brightness filled the area. I set my bag down. That was when Joey noticed the bandage on my arm. He gently lifted my hand. “What happened?” Panic set in his beautiful blue eyes.
“When you work in a psychiatric ER, crazy shit can happen.”
I kicked off my shoes and went into the kitchen to wash my hands. He removed his as well.
“I can see that. What happened?” He stood in the doorway.
“I’ll fill you in in a sec. Can I offer you a drink?” Hospitality was a priority in my book.
“No, thanks.”
“Why don’t we go into the living room and sit down?”
He stepped aside, allowing me to take the lead.
We sat on the couch, facing each other, a small distance of space between us. The air felt different than usual. Not that we had spent much time together, but when we did, for the most part we touched each other in some form or another. He hadn’t even kissed me hello.
Shit. Maybe he’s here to say goodbye.
My palms became a bit clammy, but I kept my cool. I resumed the conversation about my injury, not making him privy to the insecurity wreaking havoc with my thoughts.
“A patient came into the ER today, clearly schizophrenic, off his meds, and having visual hallucinations. Unfortunately, I stood within his reach when he saw me as a threat. I called for security, but by the time they arrived, the patient had already pushed me aside to save himself from whatever he felt was ‘out to get him.’ I tripped and cut my arm on some equipment next to his bed.” I shrugged it off, pretending it was nothing. “It’s all part of the job.” The part I detested.
“Are you in pain?”
“It stings, but it’ll be fine. Luckily, I’m off tomorrow. My supervisor wanted to send me home early, but I didn’t see any reason to leave. I had my wits about me and could function perfectly. Besides, I didn’t want to lose hours.”
“Fuck, Teva. Your physical well-being should be your number-one priority.”
Yes, it should have, but I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I had chosen my profession, accepting the good, the bad, and the ugly that came along with it.
“So is paying my bills.”
He lips tightened, his brow drew together. I didn’t even want him thinking about lending me money, no way, Jose. I changed the subject. “How long were you waiting for me?”
He pulled his knee onto the couch, resting it flat. “I figured you worked a twelve-hour shift, so I didn’t wait long.”
“Well, it was a nice surprise.” I smiled. I prayed he wouldn’t make me cry and tell me he couldn’t see me anymore.
He took my hand and kissed it, his eyes meeting mine.
So far, so good.
Besides, if he had come by to dump me, he wouldn’t have been acting so worried about my well-being. Would he?
The next thing I knew he had me in his arms. It wasn’t a gesture of lust either, more one of comfort. He sat and held me for several long minutes.
I broke the connection first, our bodies still touching. “Joey, what’s going on? Are you sure everything’s okay?”
He took a deep breath and scrubbed his five-o’-clock shadow. “No. I’m not. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be dumping my shit on you. You’ve got enough on your plate as it is.” He carefully shifted me aside, rose from the couch, and headed toward the door.
Say what? I jumped up and rushed after him. I grabbed his forearm and stopped him in his tracks. “Where are you going?”
His eyes revealed sadness. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
“Do what? I’m so confused. What’s going on?”
So he had come to dump me. I held back the tears threatening to break free.
“Too much, too fucking much.”
“Talk to me.” I nudged his body in my direction.
“I want to, but I can’t.”
He looked so torn. I understood the feeling. Mine were more along the lines of baffled.
“Why not? Are you afraid I’m going to sell your story to the media or something?” My defensiveness took over. I couldn’t understand why he tried to put a barrier between us. He obviously wanted to talk to someone, and the fact he had come to my apartment and waited for me to come home meant he wanted that person to be me.
His expression was one of, “Are you crazy?”
“No, I would never think that.”
“Then why can’t you talk to me? Won’t talk to me, if I’m being totally honest?” It hurt me that he trusted me physically but not with the more important part of himself, his heart.
“We met what, like yesterday, and you’re upset because I won’t bare my soul to you.” His tone took a turn for the defensive as well.
“Joey, if I’m not mistaken, you’re the one who reached out. Not vice versa. I’ve been talking with patients and their families for the last twelve hours. I’m not going to force whatever it is you want to talk about out of you. If you want to share, please know I’m here for you, but I certainly won’t beg. I can tell you I’ve been known to be a pretty good listener, though.”
He pulled me into his arms. “Teva.” He exhaled the breath he’d obviously been holding against the side of my head. “Would you mind if we just chilled for a bit? Unless, of course you have other plans. I wouldn’t want to impose. I did show up unannounced.” He released me, his arms still draped around my waist.
Yay! He has no plans of dumping me right now.
“I’d love to chill out with you, especially after the day I’ve had. My plans were to come home and take a bath. But my wounded arm puts a bit of a damper on soaking my entire body in one.”
“Would you mind having company in that small tub of yours, sans your arm?”
No, but only if it involves the man currently holding on to my hips.
“I’d love for you to join me.” Relief flooded his features. “Come. A Lush bath bomb awaits us.”
I took hold of his hand and led him to my room.
“My sister loves using those smelly things.”
“What?” I gasped in a playful manner, grabbing hold of my chest in mock horror. “They’re not smelly. They’re wonderful and fill the air with their delightful aroma. Think about it. Now you’ll be able to tell Dani you’ve experienced a Lush bath too.”
“Try luscious because it’s with you.”
He said such kind words of praise. I had to stand on guard and be careful around him. He had the potential to destroy my protected heart.
His eyes glinted, a hint of seduction filling them. He pulled me close and gave me a tender kiss; again, not one of lust. Rather, more as a thoughtful gesture.
I felt much better about things, especially knowing I had been wrong about my initial fear of him wanting to end things between us when we’d only just begun.
The yummy scent of a Lush bomb filled the small space after I dropped it in the tub. Mmm.
“Shit, I’ll have to take a shower after this bath of ours. There’s no way in hell I can leave your apartment smelling like this crap.” He shook his head with disgust, but it didn’t stop him from undressing and climbing into the tub.
I waited t
o take my scrubs off, too enamored by his striptease. He had no clue as to the depth of his hotness. And if he did, he in no way put off a conceited vibe.
“You can tell whoever asks why you smell so good it’s because you shared a heavenly bubble bath with someone special.”
He watched me remove my clothes which put me somewhat on edge, self-conscious if you will. Vulnerability consumed me.
“Someone very special. Come here, beautiful girl.”
Again with the compliments. If he kept it up, I’d be the one with the ego problem. He sure as hell knew how to make a woman feel good about herself.
He assisted me into the tub. I stepped in between his legs where I sat down. I set my arm with the bandage over the edge so it wouldn’t get wet.
“I’ll have you know, I never kiss and tell.” He brushed my hair to the side and planted delicate kisses along my bare shoulder.
“That feels nice.” I angled my head to the side, giving him better access. His path continued up my neck, to my earlobe. He gently tugged on it with his teeth.
“You feel nice.” His voice sounded hushed.
His hardness pressing into my back also felt nice.
The consensus agrees. This bath does in fact feel nice.
My silly thought made me smile.
I draped my free arm around his neck and rested my head against his chest. I flipped around and leaned in for a kiss. His chest rose and fell beneath me, his tongue finding mine. Our kiss became dizzyingly hotter than the temperature of the bathwater. I’d say we had reached the scalding level.
He slipped his hand into the soapy water, making a beeline for the area between my thighs. I melted into his strong body, allowing it to support me.
Closing my eyes, I noticed how quickly my breath picked up speed.
He took hold of my hand and brought it next to his other one underneath the water, the one getting friendly between my legs.
“Touch yourself.”
Although he whispered, his words were almost commanding in their silence.
He placed my hand on top of his. With open eyes, I peered down into the water. I had never done such a thing in front of a man before.
“Relax.”
Again his words were soft, like mere feathers blowing in the wind. Had he noticed my body’s sudden retreat?
“It really turns me on.”
He made slow circles over my clit.
Wow.
My eyes drifted closed at the wonderful sensations taking place inside me. So wonderful, I said a mental “fuck it,” and decided to go for it.
I gave him full rein to do with my hand as he willed. He reversed their positions, placing his on top of mine, forcing me to stroke myself.
Shit, it turned me on too, and I had living proof he felt the same way. His cock literally stabbed into my lower back.
He curled a finger over one of mine and directed both to my opening. My breath hitched in response.
“Relax, Teva. Get out of your head.”
Ugh! How did he know crazy thoughts bounced back and forth inside it? My evil body kept betraying me, revealing all my deep, dark secrets when it came to Joey Fine.
Our joined fingers entered me, his then mine, his then mine, in a repetitive motion, his hand cupping mine throughout the entire process.
The thoughts about right from wrong became fuzzy. My body liquefied against his.
He kissed my neck. I wanted more of his kisses but on my lips instead. I straightened my neck to get closer to him. Our tongues danced to their own beat.
He removed his hand from mine and brought it up to my breast, where he pinched my nipple with a little more force than I was used to, but how exhilarating. He awakened parts of my libido I didn’t know existed.
The sensations filling me had a field day. I got lost in them. Lost in him.
My finger performed its role to perfection, driving me wild, bringing me to the highest of highs, to the point I screamed his name. Hey, he did star in the fantasy playing in my mind. He deserved some credit for it.
He continued to kiss me while I rode out my orgasm.
Breathing heavily, I broke our kiss, my lungs requiring more air, a lot more, to be specific.
“Joey.” So much said in one word.
“I know, baby. I find you so fucking hot.”
He continued to nibble on my neck while my body tried to settle down, a lost cause because he started riling me up all over again.
“I want you so bad.” He too became breathless.
I faced him, straddling my legs over his, being mindful to keep my wounded arm out of the tub.
Being we didn’t have protection on hand, I would have to be creative. I scooted forward on his lap so his cock rubbed against me. I reached down between us and wrapped my hand around him, stroking his shaft while he continued to use my body to his liking.
He leaned his head against the tile wall behind him and closed his eyes. The gyrating of my hips against his had me climbing the mountain again. I too closed my eyes, using his body for my own selfish needs.
The faster I circled myself over him, the more force he used to push his hardness into my hand until both of us exploded in unison, as if we could read each other’s signals and cues.
My head fell onto his shoulder, I tried to steady my breath. He did the same, his head still leaning against the wall.
He opened his eyes. “Wow.”
Who would have thought little old me could make a man feel so incredible?
“Spectacular.” I kissed his lips.
“Better than spectacular.”
He pulled me in for a hug, his breath settling along with mine.
18
Joey
That fun in the tub had been far better than spectacular, try superior. I had a difficult time comprehending why things felt so right with Teva.
“Are you hungry?” She stroked my hair. I leaned my head into her hand, closed my eyes, and relished having someone comfort me, an entirely new experience for me. I had taken on the role early to be Dani’s protector, the person she could come to for anything and everything. Nobody had ever watched over me other than the higher power I believed in. Sure the guys and I watched out for each other. Just not in this way.
“Hello?” She smiled at me, breaking me from my thoughts.
“Sorry. I zoned out for a minute. I’m not all that hungry. How about you? Did you eat dinner?” I played with her hair.
“No, not yet. I’m starving too.”
“Then let me feed you. Can I take you out for something to eat?”
“Sure. Besides, I’m too tired to cook and need to go food shopping.”
“I wouldn’t want you to cook right now, especially after the day you’ve had. How’s your arm feeling?”
We both cast our eyes on the bandage covering her arm.
“Now that you’ve mentioned it, it’s starting to hurt again. I’ll bring some Tylenol with me. It’s not time for my next dose yet.”
I assisted her out of the tub.
We had both finished drying off when a banging on her bathroom door startled us.
She shrugged with a knowing look. “It must be Lily.”
Teva opened the door. Her roommate stood outside the bathroom, giddy as shit for whatever reason. One would think she’d popped a few Adderall with the way she shuffled about.
“They posted my picture with Trevor on Steam’s website! He’s so frickin’ hot. Why couldn’t I have gotten lucky with him like you did with Joey?” She spoke a mile a minute, shoving her cell phone in front of Teva’s face so she could see the picture. She had no clue I stood in the background with a towel wrapped around my waist.
“Hi, Lily.” I came out of the woodwork.
She gave me a once-over, her cheeks crimson. Her smile took a downward spiral. She glared at Teva.
“You didn’t give me a chance to tell you.”
Lily rolled her eyes and flipped her hand. “Whatever.”
“The picture is
great.” Teva smiled.
I put on my shirt, wanting to head out to dinner. I’d have to wait with my jeans until Lily disappeared.
Her words didn’t affect me. Fans frequently spoke their minds about me and the guys. To be honest, the jibber-jabber started to sound the same after a while, which brought me back to thoughts about Teva. She was a woman completely unfazed by my celebrity status. She didn’t ask how much dough I had in the bank, didn’t say a word when I drove her around in my S-Class Mercedes, nor did she try to take advantage of my fame. She treated me like a regular guy. The only other two people who’d treated me as such were Logan and Trevor, which was why we were still best friends to this day.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted something. I didn’t realize you had company.” Lily withdrew her phone and closed the picture.
“Obviously.” I couldn’t help but bust her chops. She made herself such an easy target.
Lily smirked. “Very funny.”
Apparently Teva thought so because she giggled.
“We’re about to head out for a bite.” Teva checked the tightness of her towel locked around her to shield what hid underneath, then pulled her hair into a ponytail. I loved that she didn’t have to get all dolled up to leave the house, something else I wasn’t used to.
Lily eyed me. “I’m pretty hungry too. Why don’t you invite Trevor along, and the four of us can go together?”
She wished.
I knew Trevor almost as well as he knew himself. The guy wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole. He preferred the quiet, conservative type.
“Lily!” Teva reprimanded.
She put her hand out, acting all innocent. “What? All I said was I’m hungry too, and if Trevor’s available, maybe he’d want to join us for a bite. I don’t see why you’re getting yourself in such a huff over it.”
Teva fidgeted with her ponytail. I didn’t have the heart to put Trevor in a position of being on a double date with Lily and Teva, even if a part of me wanted to for shits and giggles. I’d let Teva decide.
“It’s up to you. We can either go alone, or I can see if the guys want to join us.”