by Pamela Ann
“I thought you started noticing me after I dated Cooper. I didn’t realize it went far and beyond that.” I was beaming, pleased that he’d been suffering along with me.
“How could I not? After you made me cookies that got me sick all night?”
I remembered, heart swelling. Soaring. Hopeful. “I love you, Brody.”
“Oh, so you finally decide to tell me after a year of chasing you around?” he teased, eyes shining with love before he pressed his lips against mine for a crushing minute, unmoving, then he met my gaze again. “Wait—does that mean that you’re agreeing to be my girlfriend? I know that you’d be cruel enough to tell me that you love me, but still break my heart.”
Damn, I was a certifiable, cold bitch and everyone simply knew it. Not now, though, I thought bravely, slowly letting him in. “I am—but I’m scared, Brody. I don’t know how to do this. I suck at relationships. I’ll say and do things that will piss you off. I’ve never been in one before. What if I’m awful as a girlfriend?”
“Then, I guess, I’ll just have to be extra amazing at being your boyfriend and forgive you when you’re being awful. We’ll figure this out together, pookie. Don’t be scared. I’m right here…” Brody cupped my cheeks, making me feel so loved that I was trying not to cry. “I’ll always put you first, before anyone else, before my needs, just to make sure you’re happy.”
Dear God, what took me so long to get here? I wondered, feeling more idiotic by the second. For a brief second—a quick flash—Dimitris’s face popped into view before I blinked it away, hiding it, shutting it closed and never meaning to open it again. Dimitris was an experience that a bad girl had to feel—to live—even for the briefest amount of time, but those never last. This did.
“I know you’re probably past frustrated, but is it okay if we slow things down on the sex front? This might sound stupid after what we’ve been doing for the past year… but I want to do this right— I want us to enjoy each other without sex.” I watched him, peering to see his reaction, but his smiling face didn’t change, much to my relief.
Kissing me softly, he whispered in between kisses, “I’m at your command. As long as you’re with me, all the way, pookie, I won’t make it an issue.”
Linking my arms around his neck, I started to push-walk us towards my bed, wanting to drown and sink into the depths of his kisses. “I knew I loved you for a reason. Thank you for sticking it out with me even if I was the worst, unfathomably angriest freak of nature you’ve ever come across.”
“I love you—worst, unfathomable, freak of nature and all—so, don’t ever apologize for being yourself.”
How am I going to survive not having sex with him tonight if he kept saying these things? “Now you’re just being a suck-up! Still not getting laid tonight, Thompson,” I said as I inserted my hands inside the back of his jeans, inside his boxers, getting my hands full of his tight ass while my nails bit through his supple skin.
“FUCK!” Brody hissed, groaning in pleasure.
I was going to love teasing him, I thought wickedly before he got to the bed, tipping us down and kissing me savagely.
Oh my. Good luck to me.
Chapter 19
The next week, it was rather awkward to have that talk with Carter about getting serious with Brody. I expected an angry comment or something more dramatic, but I was surprised that he was acting all—well, brotherly and quite happy for me.
“Anything to make you smile like this, sis,” he voiced out, happy for me.
“Thank you,” I murmured, noting how he looked tired. He still looked like the same old Carter, but he looked exhausted and somewhat pale at the same time.
I took hold of his hand, showing him how concerned I was because I didn’t just hug or touch his hand when I didn’t care much. “Hey—you okay? You’re not practicing too much, are you? Or maybe you’re putting in too much overtime with partying and booze?”
Carter shrugged, uncaring, as he slid lower on the couch, resting his head and closing his eyes. Never did he look so sad than at this moment. Carter was self-reliant and didn’t care much about things, but I suppose the break-up with Emma really was messing with him far too much.
“Let her go… you’re killing yourself over something that’s not there anymore. You need to start seeing other girls. Hell, go back to being a manwhore, you have my blessing.” Hell, anything at all so he didn’t have to be like this. It was utterly troubling.
“What’s the point of fucking another woman if I imagine it to be her? Why should I even try moving on when I know my heart is not even in it?” He was desperately and hopelessly in love with my best friend. “Even if I start liking someone—maybe even love someone again—I don’t think it’ll ever be like Emma. I guess, I’ll just fucking live, pretending that I don’t love her.”
Why was he being such a pessimist? “You won’t know until you put yourself out there again. The rest is just a big ‘what if’ right now.”
“Guess I’ll just have to live with it.” Carter gave me a quick hug, kissing my cheek before getting up to leave.
Five minutes after he left, I was still on the couch, unmoving. Something about what my brother had said made me think of Dimitris. The need to search him on the Internet was a fight that I had to struggle with on a daily basis. I suppose I could only pin it down to my making sure that he was okay and happy with Claudine, but in truth, I knew I didn’t need to because they were great together. The last article I had read about engagement rumors took a long time for me to get over. Another chance to torture my loose imagination, I definitely didn’t need. Also, I shouldn’t even be thinking about him because I was with Brody.
Brody was all I needed.
~L~
It took a good two weeks for people we know to get used to us dating—my aunt and uncle included.
I was on my knees, rearranging my collection of shoes when I heard someone enter my room, slamming the door while they were at it. “Geez, take your anger somewhere else!” I yelled out, wondering who it might be.
It didn’t take long until Trista pouted her way into my closet, brows furrowing. I was about to say something snarky when she screeched like a banshee. “My mother is demanding that I attend my cousin’s christening next month! I told her I wasn’t interested, but she was being such a bitch again, saying that I should support my cousin and show her some love and support!”
From what I had gathered before, Trista hadn’t seen Harry—the said cousin’s husband—after what’d happened; adultery and the fallen pregnancy. “Honestly, Trista, did you think you could avoid seeing him? Hell, he and your cousin had a baby. If it bothers you that much, bring Taylor with you. Guess he could knock him out for the second time. Horrible Harry sure does deserve another.”
“What the fuck’s wrong with you, Lindsey? Why aren’t you hysterical like you usually are after you hear shit like this?” Trista kept on rambling. “I need that person back.”
Was I always that predictable? Guess so. “Nothing’s wrong—in fact, everything feels good. I suppose being in a relationship isn’t so bad. I’m really digging it.”
“I’m happy for you, babe—truly—even if I don’t look it at the moment,” Trista said. Then, she snapped her fingers, eyes popping out of her sockets as if a bright bulb had lit inside her head. “Dude! I need to convince Emma to take me with her!” she yelled, giddy and slapping at the same time.
“You’re going to tag along with her when she visits Bass on location? You’re just going to end up hearing and seeing them having sex all the time. Maybe you should join the fun so that you won’t be so bored, I guess,” I said, snorting as I resumed color-coordinating my treasured labels.
“As much as I love Emma, if I got to score with Bass like that, I’ll probably kick her off the bed!” Trista laughed, probably picturing it in her head. “On a serious note, I love my boyfriend very much and my major crushing for Badboy BC will certainly just stay in my imagination.”
I glanced at
her, smiling. “I second that! BC is darn hot—yummy eye candy.”
“Anyway, I gotta go and text Emma to see if she could bring me to see Jacques in Monza. I know it’s next month, but I need to prepare, you know? As I stated before—I’m head over heels for Taylor Montgomery—but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to enjoy all the Italian machismo.” She waved me a quick goodbye before slamming the door on her way out.
Emma was going to Monza to watch Jacques? Jacques—the Formula One star and a very good friend of Dimitris?
Shit.
I was about to get up and call Emma when a knock on my door made me halt a bit. “Yeah?”
“Where’s my girl?” Brody called out, looking for me.
I grinned, like I always did when he called me anything that had my in it. “In the closet.”
“Hey, hey,” Brody greeted me as he came into view, bending over to give me a lingering kiss, which evoked a low, deep moan from me. “Hello, love of my life,” he whispered, nipping my bottom lip.
“What have you been up to? Are we going anywhere tonight? Who’s having a house party this time?” I asked as he helped me get to my feet before we started to stride out of the closet.
My questions went unanswered because I ended up straddling him with his back against the headboard while he kissed me, hands cupping my butt cheeks, rolling them against his apparently aroused state. God, I’d been horny, so horny that I’d exhausted two vibrators in the past month.
“Brody,” I gasped, fired up and stimulated.
“I want to take you somewhere. Do you feel like going away with me for the weekend? I’m tired of going to parties and hanging out with strangers. I want to spend some time with you, just you and me. Say you’ll go?”
Blinking back a few times, I peered at him, weighing things. “Where do you propose we’ll go?” Spontaneity, I’m loving it.
He pulled my fingers to his lips, kissing each pad. “Wherever you want to go.”
Well, there’s this one place I’d been wanting to see, but I’d never gotten the chance to. “Feel like going to SeaWorld with me? In San Diego?”
Brody looked amused, probably thinking that I didn’t look like the type to be hanging out in an amusement park. “Can you be ready in an hour?”
“Heck yes!” I retorted back, jumping off his body, excited to spend the weekend with him.
Before he left, Brody decided to pat my ass before kissing me again. “Oh, by the way, I’m going to seduce you all weekend long. See through and skimpy lingerie’s are welcome.”
After a month of abstinence and seeing how The Greek had moved on from me, from us, I knew, it was time to take it to another level with Brody.
Hmmm. Some nookie for pookie. It’s definitely on!
Chapter 20
Since it was a Friday, the usual three hour drive to get to our destination spun into a good, almost five hour road trip. By the time we checked into our villa at the Four Seasons, we were both haggard and hungry, not to mention that we were in dire need of a shower.
Brody brought our bags in, placing them on the floor before grabbing me from behind, whispering against my ear. “Why don’t you shower first and I’ll go order some room service? I’ll go after you.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, smiling as he nipped on my neck.
“Good, ‘cause that’ll be the first and last shower you’ll have alone. Enjoy it while you can,” he stated, smug and ready to get the show started.
He’d been waiting for a month. I didn’t blame him for taking charge since he felt how wet I could get each time we dry humped each other. The only skin he’d been touching had been my face, legs, stomach and neck.
“You talk too much. You’ll probably end up being a one-minute man since you haven’t been getting any,” I teased, making him laugh.
“Then, I guess, I’ll jack-off first before I pounce on you. You won’t live it down if that ever happens—God forbid,” Brody huskily said and then big on my neck, making me squirm at the same time that I dripped with excitement.
I smirked, knowing quite well that I would do such a thing. “Choose my entrée for me—fish or chicken. Get a few bottles of bubblies, too,” I shot out my dinner order after I got out of his hold, striding towards the bathroom.
“Anything else? How about a good rub? Satisfaction guaranteed by yours truly.”
“Feed me good food first then we can talk business.” I blew him a kiss before I shut the door, feeling naughty. There was no way in hell we would be able to resist each other tonight. I could feel that we weren’t going to be getting much sleep. Even the sexual banter we’d been throwing at each other all night didn’t deter me. I was ready for the next step.
Fresh out of the shower, I strode out with my white terry robe on, towel-dried hair and in dire need of champagne. Brody was watching soccer on the television, waiting for our room service before he handed me my phone. “Emma called. I picked it up after she called for the third time. She said to call her back the second you get out of shower.”
It sounded like an emergency. “Did she sound okay?”
Brody glanced at me for a bit before shrugging. “She sounds like Emma to me. She wasn’t crying or anything, nothing like that.”
Okay, that’s a good sign. “Okay, I’m going inside the room to call her. Just knock on the door to let me know the room service is here.” I got up, kissing his nose. “Thank you for bringing me here. I love this.”
“I love you,” he said before pulling me against his lips, giving me a more thorough kissing.
Parting from his lips and chest, I got to my feet and went inside the bedroom, closing the door then turning the lock for good measure. It didn’t take long until I dialed her number and I wasn’t surprised a bit when she picked up my call the second it rang.
“What’s up, Hollywood?” I greeted her, trying to sound light even though I was worried inside.
“She’s here,” Emma hissed into the phone as if trying to hide that she was on the phone, or trying to keep her voice low so that no one could hear her.
“Who’s there? Aren’t you filming in Chicago with that new hunk? What’s his name again?” My mind could picture the actor, but his name had totally left me.
Emma groaned on the other end, pissed off at my slowness. “Nikki is here! I decided to surprise him in Vancouver since we haven’t seen each other in two weeks because our schedule’s been so crazy. Well, the bitch decided to show up an hour after I arrived, saying that she needed emotional support. She even tried to vent out, saying how depressed she is—to me! Fucking unbelievable.”
Bitch mole was back. I wonder how Bass was going to handle this without pissing Emma off. He could always send her packing. Hell, I’m even surprised that he hadn’t. “Tell her to get lost and put her on the next plane out.”
“Bass wanted to, but she started puking so we had to put her in the other room. It’s disgusting to watch her around Bass. She’s in love with him, it’s so sickeningly obvious.”
Nikki wasn’t a lucid woman, I wasn’t sure if it was the pregnancy hormones or if she was merely pretty wacked up beforehand. “She’s delusional. Make sure to put her in her place before you leave. Guess that means there’s no sexy time for you two love birds?”
“Well, Bass doesn’t seem to care that she’s in the other room. We just went at it, back to back.” I could hear her smile through her announcement.
Way to send the message loud and clear Bass Cole. I busted out laughing, thinking wickedly as to how Nikki might’ve looked when she could hear live porn coming out of Bass’s bedroom. “Please tell me you were loud, please, please.”
“Like I could hold it back! Bass and two weeks of no sex. Imagine a bear that just came out of hibernation—that was him.”
Goodness, Emma. I knew how Bass was—I saw him in action in Greece and I couldn’t help blushing at the thought of it again. Shit, darn Bass and his skills. “I haven’t had sex in a month. Stop making me jealous.” I had the po
wer to change that, soon…
“What the hell are you waiting for? Oh, by the way, I’m going to Italy next month, Trista and Amber are tagging along since they have been calling me non-stop about it.” Emma sounded pretty excited.
Then there’s that, too. I knew she was close to Jacques and I bet Amber as well as Trista were extra excited to be around top of the line bad boys of car racing—not to mention the hotness that was the Duque Andrès Franco or “The Rogue Duke” as they’d nicknamed him. “Sounds exciting.” It really did…
“Why don’t you come and join us? It should be fun. Your sense of humor with the guys will definitely click.”
Damn, I wanted to go so bad. Fick. Fack. Fuck. “Um, will he be there?” I didn’t need to emphasize who he was to Emma. She knew who I meant. There was no other he to me, other than him. The Greek.
Emma was pouring something before she took a big gulp and responded to my question. “I texted him. He said he’s busy and might even be in Asia then. His dad wants to retire soon, so he’s getting more responsibilities as the months progress.”
“You’re not lying to me, are you?” It was rude, but I had to double-check. I meant it when I vowed not to see him anytime soon.
“I wouldn’t lie to you about that. Think about it. Anyway, I got to go. Bass just came out of the shower and is asking about—” Emma gasped on the other end. “Bass!”
There were some weird sounds then Emma’s moans became clearer by the second. “Are you guys—Oh my God!” I screeched, cutting the call.
I was staring into space, shaking my head and trying to forget what I’d just heard when Brody gently knocked on the door. Automatically, I got up and opened the door, still deep in thought.