He climbed in behind me and pulled my back against his chest. His hands traced my arms until he brought them up across my chest. Joey kissed my shoulder and let his jaw sit there. “I hate hearin’ you cry.”
I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry. I feel like I’m drowning in pain.”
“I won’t ask what happened, but I’m not goin’ to let you cry anymore.” He turned me around and kissed the top of my head. Our eyes met and I couldn’t look anywhere else. He had me completely captivated again.
“I’m sorry I showed up without asking.”
He smiled. “You’re not sorry, Lace. You came to the one place where you knew you could make it all go away.”
Normally, when Joey said things like that, he was being cocky, except this time it was the absolute truth. “I’m not supposed to want you, Joey.”
He smiled and let his lips trace over mine. “I’m not supposed to do a lot of things that I do.”
“I liked it better when you were an asshole. At least then, I knew what to expect from you.”
“I’m still an asshole. Ask anyone.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I think we’re becoming friends.”
“That’s what this is?” He laughed and held me closer. “I’m kiddin’.”
“Just make me forget I ever left your bed this morning. That’s all I want from you.”
He raised his eyebrow. “So, you want to use me?”
“Isn’t that what you want from me? Isn’t it about being able to say you had me?” Even in the shower, I could feel the heat building between my legs again. “Havin’ you was never a question.” His wet hands ran down my arms as the conflicted look on his face remained.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
His face changed as he spun me around again. With my back to him, I couldn’t read him, which was exactly what he wanted. He picked up the bar of soap and ran it over my back, creating a lather, as he massaged it into my skin. As his hand made its way to my ass, I heard him groan. He put the soap down and kissed me on the shoulder, while the water rinsed off the remaining soaps suds. I was shocked when he began to climb back out of the shower, so shocked that I pulled the curtain and looked out at him.
“What just happened?”
He wrapped a towel around his waist, before I could look down at his package that I’d yet to see. “Nothin. Take your time, Lace. I’ll be out here when you’re done.”
I was puzzled and didn’t know what I could have done to make him want to get out and leave me hanging. One minute he had his hands all over me and the next he was walking away. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was something that I’d done wrong.
Still, I did as he said and let the water wash away my tears. Once Joey walked away, my mind went right to Shayne. I was so overwhelmed with sadness knowing that we’d never be together again. My mind had been made up and there was no way that I could allow him back into my life, when it was clear he couldn’t be honest, or even faithful.
When the water started to run cold, I knew I’d been in the shower too long. My skin was beginning to prune up and soften. I climbed out and wrapped myself in a towel, noticing that a clean folded t-shirt was sitting on the sink waiting for me.
I shook off a smile, knowing that Joey had come into the bathroom to give me something comfortable to wear, even though I had a bag of things that I’d brought with me.
Maybe he did it because he got off seeing a woman in his clothes. Either way, I pulled his shirt over my head and smelled the fabric. His cologne still lingered faintly and it gave me comfort knowing that I wasn’t going to be alone.
Even though I was still confused about his intentions, Joey was being nice to me. He wasn’t pushing me to do anything.
I found him on the couch with a plate of food on his lap. He was sucking up a noodle in his mouth as I walked into the room. “Do you like pasta?”
“I love it.” Even with my mind focused on so many other things, I knew I needed to force myself to eat. Besides, I knew it was going to taste fantastic.
“I made homemade sauce the other night. It’s sweeter than the jar.” He stood up and went into the kitchen, coming back out with a plate full of noodles and red sauce.
I sat down on the other side of him and wrapped a bunch of noodles around my fork. Joey watched as I took a bite. The sudden burst of flavor was like an orgasm in my mouth, and from the look on his face, he knew I was in love with his cooking.” Ain’t it good?”
“It’s delicious. I’m impressed. Did you always want to be a cook?”
He shrugged and took another bite before answering. “My mom has ran that diner my whole life. I guess it’s in my blood. I think I started working there when I was twelve. Since it was all I ever learned to do, she sent me to culinary school and the rest is history.”
“Sky made it seem like you and Ford bickered about everything. I couldn’t believe you moved in to this place.”
“He’s my cousin, but we like to compete, that’s no secret. Since we’ve gotten older it doesn’t happen so much. We have more in common than he likes to admit, like fast cars and sexy women.”
“Are you saying he isn’t faithful?” That was how his comment came out.
“No! He’s whipped. Ford won’t screw up what he’s got. He went too long in misery to let anything bad happen to him and Sky. She’s a great girl.”
I took another bite and answer with a full mouth. “Yeah, she’s awesome.”
“That is not ladylike.” He pointed to my full mouth.
I opened it, showing him my chewed up food. “Ahhhh.”
Joey took a large bite, chewed it up, and did the same thing. Then he looked down and let it fall back onto his plate.
I pretended to gag. “Sick!”
We both laughed.
He quickly changed the subject. “What about you? Do you have a job besides school?”
“Nope, I’m just in school full time. Eventually I’d like to have my own accounting firm, but that’s just wishful thinking.”
He looked shocked. “Wow, I never would have pegged you for a math nerd.”
I lifted up my foot and kicked him. “Shut up! I never would have pegged you for someone who was nice enough to be decent to me like you’ve been. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being smart.”
Joey sat his plate down on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch. “True. So, do you live on campus?”
“I did for a bit, but now I’m more like a nomad. I stay between here and my parent’s house. Since Sky’s back from her other school, we’ve been able to spend more time together. I really missed her being away.”
“Did you just call yourself a nomad?”
I smiled. “I did. It seems fitting. I don’t buy groceries or clean. My clothes are in duffle bags or laundry baskets.”
“You know I have an extra room, with a bed in it. You can stay here whenever you want. Shit, I don’t even care if you use the closet in there.”
He really threw me a loop by saying that. “Are you asking me to move in here? Do I look like live in pussy to you?”
Joey was taking a sip of a beer and it went flying out of his mouth. “Jesus Christ, woman. I didn’t say that at all. I said you could crash here , in my guest room. My mom brought over an old set. It ain’t much, but it’s a bed” Then he smiled. “Unless you’re offerin’ somethin’ else.”
I kicked him again. “I’m not!”
“I’m just sayin’. This is my first place. It’s great, but I’m not used to livin’ alone. Aside from you fightin’ me every ten seconds, we get along. I wouldn’t mind if you stayed every once in a while. Of course, if we had that kind of arrangement, we would have to discuss this new friendship.”
“You don’t get sex because I sleep in your guest room.”
“Nah, it would be the opposite. If you stayed here that much, we could only be friends; the kind that doesn’t sleep together.”
I was shocked. Joey had fought so hard to slee
p with me and now he was saying that he didn’t want to. I sat my plate down and scooted over toward him, grabbing the waist of his shorts and pulling them out. “You mean to tell me that even if I begged you to fuck me, you wouldn’t do it?”
He nodded. “Yep. Relationships complicate things. I like my life and don’t want drama. You’re fun to be around and if we took things there, it would change. If I slept with you last night, or today, I probably wouldn’t have offered for you to sleep here when you wanted to. In fact, I know I wouldn’t have. It’s a big boundary that I don’t like crossin’.”
I wasn’t willing to take that for an answer, so I climbed on top of him, straddling his legs. He kept his arms at his sides, not responding to my body. When he refused to react, I rocked my hips forward and then backward.
He still didn’t react.
The more Joey fought me, the more determined I was to be with him, which was ironic, since I’d fought him for so long. I climbed off of him and removed my panties, stepping out of them before climbing back on his lap. I ran the back of my hand up his bare chest and brought my lips to his ear. “This doesn’t make you want me?”
His hands remained flat on the sofa, but I could feel something hard protruding against me. I brought my lips to his and grazed over them. “What about kissing?”
He grumbled and tried to readjust without touching me. “You’re playin’ with fire.”
I grazed his lips again. “I know you want this to happen. Are you afraid you won’t be as good as you say you are?”
His hands immediately grabbed onto either side of my ass. “Trust me, that’s not what I’m worried about.”
I pulled back and looked right at him. “What then?”
He patted me and lifted my weight off of him. I felt rejected again, but in a concerned way this time. Something was off with Joey and I didn’t understand it. “We need to just be friends. If you sleep with me, right now, you’ll hate yourself in the mornin’. This ain’t about you wantin’ me, it’s about Shayne. If you were someone else, I’d already have you in bed, givin’ you all I have to offer, but I can’t do it with you.”
I hated that he’d brought up Shayne. “Why? What’s wrong with me? Why am I different? Am I all used up or something?”
Joey leaned back and wiped his face with his hands. “This is why I don’t get serious.” He finally turned to look at me and I couldn’t help notice that he seemed conflicted again. “You think we met for the first time in Ford’s apartment upstairs, don’t you?”
I nodded.
He shook his head. “That ain’t when I first noticed you. I saw you with Shayne several times and knew I wanted you even then, but also knew it was wrong. You were taken and seemingly happy.” He looked down, like he was ashamed to continue. “When I found out you’d broke up, I was happy, because I knew I could make a play at you. The more I got around you, the more I realized you were different. I’d never seen someone that made my dick hard with just a smile. Those deep dimples of yours make me fuckin’ crazy. When you’re sad, I find myself carin’ and wantin’ to make you forget. It scares the shit out of me knowin’ that I can’t fuck you, because I know I’d get lost in you, Lacey. I’m too damn stubborn to do it to myself. I’m happy where I am in life. I don’t want complicated.”
My body was shaking and I wasn’t sure what to say to his confession. He’d noticed me before I knew he existed. He’d wanted me even back then and the reason that we weren’t in his bed was because he actually cared about me and it scared him.
I was speechless.
“You need to put on them panties and stop messin’ with me, because we both know what’s goin’ to happen if you don’t.”
So, I did what my heart and my body told me to do.
I stood up and walked in front of him, lifted off the shirt I was wearing, and walked into his bedroom. When I turned around he was staring at me in shock. “This isn’t about Shayne anymore and you know it. You think I could leave this morning and not think about how it makes me feel to touch you. When you kiss me, my body reacts like it never has before. I should be crying about a failed relationship, but at the end of the day, being with you is all I can think about. I’m tired of fighting myself and lying to you. I won’t be in the guest room, although I appreciate that offer. I’ll be waiting in your bed. When you’re ready to face me and get lost in whatever this is going on between us, you know where to find me.”
I walked in his bedroom in shock from my plea to him. I didn’t know if he’d listen, but I was tired of the back and forth. Joey made me crazy, albeit I wanted him more every second. I’d lied when I said I just wanted him to forget about my problems. I wanted him because I knew he was going to be fantastic. I wanted him because when he looked into my eyes, no other woman existed and I’d never felt that type of connection with any man, ever before.
Chapter 12
Shayne
Peyton tried to call my phone six times before I finally answered. I was so pissed at her, but knew I only had myself to blame.
“It’s not a good time.”
“Shayne, I’m so sorry. She said you told her everything. I’m so stupid.”
“I shouldn’t have lied about it.”
“You must think I’m the worst sister in the world. Do you want me to talk to her? I’ll do anything to make things better.”
I thought about the possibility of Lacey listening to Peyton. As much as she liked my sister, I was pretty sure she was done with my bullshit. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just goin’ to move forward and let it go. Even if she forgave me, how long do you think she’s goin’ to stick around through everything else?”
“But you love her.”
“I care deeply for Lacey. As much as I feel like it could be love, I just don’t know. She deserves more than that.”
“Are you okay? Where are you going to crash?”
“I’m goin’ to drive to the beach and stay with some friends for a few days until Dad chills the fuck out.”
“Call me if you need anything. I won’t tell him where you went.”
“Thanks, sis. Talk to you later.”
I had a good drive to think about everything that had landed me in the situation I was in. The only person to blame was myself. I had a great girl and I let her slip through my fingertips. Like them all before her, I’d move on, because it was what I did best. My time with Lacey would be something I wouldn’t soon forget. She was special, more than any other before her. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, I had to move on.
My priority would be Parker and the baby. I’d get him through this mess and everything was going to work out.
It had to.
Lacey
I climbed in his bed expecting him to continue to be hardheaded. Instead, there he was standing shirtless in the doorway. His brows were creased as he watched me positioning myself.
I was petrified about being with him, not because I knew he was going to be amazing. Somehow that didn’t even matter. I was scared because as much as I should have been a miserable desperate mess from losing Shayne, it had all faded away. I trembled at the thought of giving myself to someone like Joey.
Sure, his body was amazing and he knew how to touch me in all the right places, but it was something else, something much deeper.
He slowly walked over to the bed and shook his head before climbing on it. “This is bad.”
I leaned up on my elbow and watched him. He mimicked me and we stared at each other. He took my hand, bringing it up to his lips, “We don’t have to do this. I can wait until you’re over him.”
I shook my head. “Shut up and kiss me.” While climbing on top of him, I felt his arms wrapping around my back. His lips met mine and that instant spark had ignited. Our tongues met and as they brushed together, my eyes closed, unable to stay open for another second as I became consumed with a burst of heat between my legs. I was so ready for this; for him. “I want you.” I opened my eyes as he pulled his lips from mine.
&nbs
p; His thumb rubbed over my lips and I leaned into him doing it. “I want you, too.”
I kissed his fingers as they moved against my mouth and eventually ran through my hair. He held it out of the way to lean in and pleasure my neck with his lips and tongue. When he reached my ears, I leaned in the opposite direction, giving him room to do whatever he wanted.
Joey’s hand reached down and grabbed onto mine. Our fingers laced together and he kept them tight as our tongues met again. As if it were in slow motion, He pulled me up to straddle him. We were both sitting up, me naked and him in a pair of loose shorts. He was hard and ready and I needed to finally discover what had been hiding from me this whole time.
With my free hand, I slid it up his shorts, letting my fingers glide over the smooth skin on the tip of his shaft. A low sound escaped his lips as my hand grasped ahold of the thickness. That fire between my legs intensified when I realized that his girth alone would send me straight into sexual bliss. Knowing it wasn’t always about size, and more of how a man knew how to work it, I felt confident Joey hadn’t been lying to me. In fact, everything he’d said thus far had been the truth.
Considering that I’d been with a liar for so long, I had to grasp the goodness in him, even when I knew how much of an asshole he could be when he wanted to.
Joey took my hand and pulled it out from inside of his shorts. He flipped me on my back and hovered over my naked body, looking at all of my assets while biting his lip. “You’re so God damn beautiful.” I could feel my cheeks heating up in reaction to his statement. He continued to look at every inch of me, like he was planning on eating me alive. Joey licked his lips before he leaned down and kissed me full on the mouth.
I dug my hand into his hair while our tongues mingled together. Like the times before, his mouth matched my movements. After removing my hand from his hair, I slid it down to his bicep. Since he was holding himself up with it, the muscle was hard and defined. I tickled his skin with my fingernails, while he used his free hand to cup and massage one of my breasts.
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