Replace Me

by Jennifer Foor

  I wasn’t following. “I don’t understand how this naked picture has to do with culinary school.”

  He smiled. “It’s simple. One night we had a few drinks. Getting her to come back to my room was easier than I expected. Once I got her naked, I took the picture. The next morning she woke up and begged me not to tell anyone. I waited a week before I showed her the picture and told her if she ever crossed me again, I had leverage against her.”

  “You’re ruthless.”

  “I was determined to make my dream come true. No little two-timing bitch was going to fuck it up.”

  I pointed to the others. “What about these?”

  He pointed to two others. “For two months I worked in Baltimore. The first week there I met these two crazy chicks that just wanted to have fun. Tawny and Sheena were their names. Those two I took for fun. Then I decided that I wanted a collection, so every woman that I hooked up with I took a picture. You may think I’m an asshole. Some people write in journals. I kept photos to remember them by.”

  I grabbed all of the photos and put them back in his drawer, still not sure how I felt about them.

  “They’re yours to keep. Thank you for being honest.”

  “You think I take them out and look at them?”

  “I don’t want to know.”

  “Your picture ain’t goin’ in that drawer, Lace. Don’t even worry about it.”

  “I wasn’t.” I felt hurt. Like I wasn’t good enough to be something he reminisced about. “Am I not good enough to be in your collection?”

  He grabbed my hands and pulled me between his legs. “You’re different. I want you here, because I like being with you. Your picture belongs on nightstands and wallets, not hidden in drawers.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him on the lips. “I really shouldn’t like you this much.”

  He laughed and kissed me again. “I warned you.”

  “You did.”

  “I’m not the guy that everyone says I am, Lacey. I get that I did things that some people would frown upon, but I knew what I wanted and I went for it. Every woman that I’ve been with has understood that I couldn’t give them anything other than a good time.”

  “Stop explaining. I don’t even care.” To an extent, I didn’t care. Joey made all of my problems disappear. With every kiss and every touch I was consumed by pleasure, leaving me needing more.

  He said I was different. Whether that was a crock of shit, or really the truth, it was enough to make me come back. It was time for me to live in the day, instead of reaching for forever when it was too hard to grasp.

  “I don’t want you to leave.”

  I climbed on top of him, pinning him to the bed while holding on to his hands. Joey didn’t fight me. “If you want me to stay, then you need to lose the shorts. I want you naked.”

  He flipped us around and ran his hands up my t-shirt. “That goes for you, too. Take off this shirt and show me that pussy.”

  He sat up and I lifted the shirt to my abdomen, revealing my naked sex. Joey licked his lips and ran his hand over my smooth naked pussy. “I’m going to lick this pussy until you explode.”

  I gasped and watched him scooting down.

  It was going to be another long night.

  Chapter 17

  Shayne

  Twins.

  She was having fucking twins and I’d told my whole family they were mine.

  I didn’t sleep much that next night, or the one after it. It didn’t help that I could hear Ashley crying her eyes out constantly. What kind of support would I be to her if I walked away now?

  I woke the next morning with a pounding headache. I’d reach my limit of stress and I was about to explode. My emotions were through the roof and I hated myself for being such an idiot.

  In the back of my mind, I continued to remind myself that I was doing this for my brother; that his future was worth protecting.

  Still, hearing those heartbeats did something to me. They reiterated that these were two innocent children. I had to protect them.

  Ash was going through her own set of emotions. She was crying constantly and comforting her was uncomfortable, since we weren’t really that close. It was necessary for us to make peace and move forward, if not for ourselves and the fact that we were living together, but for the sake of the unborn children that I’d committed to help raise, temporary or not.

  I found Ashley in a ball on the couch. She had some movie playing, but her head was down against her knees. When I sat down beside her, she looked up with eyes full of tears. She sniffled through her words. “I’m fine.”

  I put my arm around her. “You’re not fine, Ash. I get it. I know you’re scared.”

  “It’s not just that. After hearing them, those heartbeats inside of me, it hit me. They’re little lives growing inside of me and I’ve been so awful. I don’t deserve to be a mother, Ford was right. How am I going to give them a good life?”

  “Don’t say that.” I kept comforting her, rubbing her back for support. “Ash, you may not have expected to get pregnant that night, and yes it changed your life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a better person. Sure, you went a little crazy when it came to gettin’ Ford back, but you were desperate.”

  “Don’t be nice to me about Joey, Shayne. I know you helped him get back with Lacey.”

  “I’m not denyin’ it. They belong together, as weird as it sounds. I’m not meanin’ to be a prick and hurt your feelin’s, but it’s true. Ford loves Sky and she loves him back. Think about how broken he’s been since Harley died. Can you imagine how hard it was for him to feel again? She brought him back to life, and whether you want to believe it or not, it’s the truth.”

  She got quiet and put her face down against her knees again. I pulled my hand away from her back and just sat there. She spoke without looking at me. “It hurts so much. I can’t stop lovin’ him. We were supposed to grow old together.”

  I sighed and thought back when we were younger and had our whole lives ahead of us, not that we still didn’t, but the game plans had changed before our eyes. “You’re not alone, Ash. I’m not Ford and I know we’re not a couple, but I’m not goin’ to walk away.”

  She finally sat back up and leaned her head against me. “Do you hate me?”

  I brushed her hair away from my face, since it was itching. “No. I may not agree with things you’ve done, though.”

  “I’m so scared.”

  “Ash, regardless whether me or my brother claim these children as ours, it won’t matter. They’re a part of my family and my parents will love them. We all will. That’s what family does. We have each other’s backs. That’s also why Ford’s so pissed at me. He thinks I had your back and not his. It doesn’t matter if everything worked out. He’ll never trust me again.”

  “Don’t remind me of the reasons we shouldn’t be friends. You must resent me, at least.”

  “I get it. Right now, I’d love to beat the shit out of Joey, so I get it. I can see how jealousy makes people say and do crazy things.” I felt stupid talking to Ash about Lacey. Since she was Sky’s friend, she couldn’t let herself be amicable towards her. Lacey was just as much the enemy as Sky.

  I don’t think Ash would have been rude if Lacey came over, but she certainly wouldn’t want to become her personal friend. Her heart ached for my cousin and I wondered if she’d ever be able to get past it.

  Since I’d never been in love before, not the kind where I felt like I couldn’t live without that person, I couldn’t fully understand why she was holding on. All I could hope was that one-day I’d feel that way about someone. I thought, in time, I could feel that way for Lacey and be the man that she wanted me to be. The truth was, I didn’t know if I could. Still, getting her away from Joey was my main goal. I didn’t care how or when, but I knew I wanted it to happen. He didn’t deserve her affections and neither did I.

  Lacey

  Running into Joey was becoming inevitable. If I wanted to see my bes
t friend, which I did, I knew there was a good chance he'd pop in, taunting me with his seductive voice and innuendos. Maybe I was glutton for punishment. Perhaps I was the one leading him on, giving him false hope that he could have me whenever he wanted. It wasn't like I was fighting him anymore. No. The moment Joey came on to me, in any way, I was his puppet.

  Every Friday night I found myself in this same predicament. I'd no sooner pull into the driveway and he was hunting me down, offering me another night of memories that I wouldn't soon forget. I couldn't say no, because as much as I wanted to hate it, our intimacy just kept getting better, to the point of exceeding any sort of expectation I could ever possibly have. Joey knew it too. His cocky demeanor drove me insane, so much that I began to get off on it. Tonight was no different. I made it to Sky's door before I heard his opening. He lit up a cigarette and finally looked up at me. "How was school this week?" I pulled my hand away from Sky and Ford's door. "Boring as usual. Why do you care?" A half smile formed in the corner of his mouth. "I was just wonderin' how many times you thought about me fuckin' you." His words turned a switch on inside of my body. No matter how dirty this man spoke to me, it fueled my fire for him. "I am there to learn, not to relive some mediocre sex." He laughed and took another drag. "Woman, you can say whatever you want, but I know what you're really thinkin'."

  "You don't know me. You just think you do."

  Joey leaned back against the gray siding. His eyes looked me up and down. "You're sexy as Hell when you're lyin'. Lacey, I bet you sat in those classrooms drawin' little hearts on your folders while thinkin' about me lappin' up that pretty pussy of yours."

  "Shut up! I don't do that." He was pissing me off insinuating that I spent every second of my days thinking of him. Sure, there were many moments spent replaying our hot sex together, but that was a secret he would never know. I opened the door and started to walk into Sky's apartment. "So, when should I expect you?" I peeked back out of the door. "Why don't you stand here and wait." I shut the door quickly, laughing and wondering how long he would stand there waiting for something that wasn't going to happen.

  One thing about spending my free time with the happiest couple in the world, was my inability to accept that I was always the third wheel. Each time they kissed or made out, I imagined kissing Joey. His evil bantering had gotten me so worked up that it was impossible to not imagine being with him. Add that to the fact that he was so good with those big, wandering hands. With one touch, he had my panties wet and my willpower gone. While sitting on the couch, hearing them whispering sweet nothings, I pictured it being me and Joey. Then my mind reverted back to being in his arms and in his bed. His perfect lips knew just how to caress my skin. His focused eyes guided him to his awaiting prize and when he undressed me and discovered my wet surprise, he dove right in, devouring my pussy and lapping up my juices. His lips would sparkle from my wetness. I craved this man and everything that he was able to make me feel. Realizing that Sky had been calling my name, I looked over to see her smiling at me. "Where were you just now, Lace? I said your name three times."

  I could feel my cheeks turning red. "You probably don't want to know." It was embarrassing that he was getting to me so much.

  Ford shook his head. "He's under her skin. I'm sure that's been his game this whole time."

  "He's not," I lied.

  "You little tramp. He is so. Just look at you over there, thinking about how you're going to sneak off again and accidentally end up in his bed." Sky knew I was full of shit. I could keep denying it, or just cop to what they already knew.

  "Fine. He's A-MAZING in bed. Like I can't even put it into words."

  Ford threw up his hands. "Spare us the details. There are some things that I never want to know about my cousin."

  "What should I do? Everyone keeps telling me he's bad news, but all he brings me is pleasure. When we're alone he's different. It's like no other woman exists. I know that's not the truth, but is it so wrong for me to just want to have some fun, to forget all of my problems and be carried away by him and his sexiness?"

  Sky reached over and grabbed my hand. "It's not wrong. We just don't want you getting hurt."

  "I told you before that Joey doesn't do girlfriends," Ford reiterated.

  I stood up and straightened out my clothes that had bunched from sitting. "Maybe I don't care anymore. Love is over-rated. No offense, but I'm sick of putting my heart on the line. I want passion and adventure and I know just where to go to get it." After grabbing my thing's, I walked towards the door and looked over at my shocked friends. " I'll see you in the morning."

  Sky whispered something in Ford's ear and he shook his head and smiled. "It's her choice."

  I didn't wait for my bestie to try and talk me out of it. She didn't understand what it was like seeing her so happy when my heart was crumbling. I wanted a distraction, no matter how temporary it was. Maybe if I didn't expect anything, I couldn't get hurt. Once I was standing in front of Joey's door, I felt all of my courage leave my body. My idea to go and offer myself wasn't as exciting as it had been in my head. Just as I turned around, ready to walk back into Sky's and hear them make fun of me, the door opened. Joey cleared his throat and waited for me to turn around. I was too embarrassed to speak. "Did you need somethin'?

  "Uhh, they're out of milk. Can I borrow a cup?" I felt like a moron. He held the door while I walked in, smelling the scent of his soap from a shower. I tried not to be obvious, knowing he was focused on my every move. When we got into the kitchen, he pulled out a glass and opened the fridge. I watched him pour the milk into the glass and hand it to me. Our hands touched and in an instant I felt the connection. He peered into my eyes, keeping the distance between us to a minimum. "I just thought about ya, while I was in the shower."

  I should have been repulsed, maybe offended even, but instead I was turned on. "Glad I could help. "I licked my lips and grabbed the milk.

  "Are you really, Lace? Are you glad that I busted a load while thinkin' about your fine ass bendin' over for me?" I felt the fire igniting between my legs and knew if I turned around to look at him, we'd end up in his bed.

  "It's flattering."

  I made it to the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Put the milk down, Lacey. I saw Ford carryin' in a gallon this mornin'."

  My mouth dropped. I was flabbergasted, at a loss for words. He knew I was lying the whole time. I dropped my shoulders and turned slowly. Joey surprised me by grabbing the glass and pulling me into his arms. "At some point you're going to have to start admittin' that you want me."

  I bit down on my lip and whispered, "never", while glaring into those light hazel-brown eyes.

  Joey leaned in, lightly touching his lips to mine. "Why is it so hard to admit that you like me touching you?" The back of his skin traced over my arm. "Fightin' me only makes me want you more, but you know my rules. If you want this, you have to ask."

  His skin was braising mine and I shivered as his hand lightly coursed over my lips. “You know why I’m here.”

  “I do, but you’re goin’ to need to follow my rules. I can’t have you screamin’ for me to stop halfway through. I mean, I’ve got needs, too.”

  “I won’t. You know that.” He was crazy if he thought I was going to beg him. I wasn’t desperate.

  He pulled away and dumped out the glass of milk. I stood there, waiting for him to come back, except he didn’t. He rinsed and dried the glass, then put it away in the cabinet above.

  When Joey walked by me, heading into the living room, I felt my adrenaline kicking in. I didn’t have to beg this man, because he enjoyed me just as much as I enjoyed him. That had never been a secret. So I did what every girl in my situation would have done.

  I took off all of my clothes and sat them on the kitchen chair. After a few deep breaths, I walked into the living room, past Joey who was sitting on the couch, and into his bedroom.

  After nearly ten seconds, he came in and jumped on his bed, pulling me on top of hi
m. “You never play fair, Lace.”

  We kissed, so deeply that the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I could feel myself getting wet. He hadn’t even touched anywhere sensitive. When his hands did start to explore my naked skin, my nipples hardened and I sat straight up so he could see the way my body responded to him. He smiled and suckled on my nipple, while looking into my eyes. I grabbed his chin and led it back up to my mouth, where our tongues played and teased. Our kisses became vigorous, sometimes clanking our teeth together during the intense moments. I tugged on his t-shirt and ripped it off of his head, just wanting to be able to feel his fiery skin against my palms. Joey’s nipples were hard and I pinched them at the same time, sending him squirming. I shoved him back on the bed and tantalized one of them with my tongue. Each time I got close enough to suck it into my mouth, I pulled away. He bit down on his lip as I repeated the same movements with the opposite side. Joey played with my hair, using his hand to direct my head from one nipple to the other, while one of my hands trekked below, to the elastic of his shorts. I could feel his erection pressing on my ass as I sat on top of him, so I knew it was in there waiting for attention. In a quick movement, I grabbed ahold of him, pushing my body down between his legs. He adjusted, getting comfortable for me to get to work. “I love this cock.” It wasn’t a lie. I loved what this man could do with it. It pleased me like no other before it.

  My lips surrounded his thick shaft, gliding down it with the help of my own saliva. I sucked him off hard, jerking him with the same tempo. He bucked and groaned each time my head bobbed, which only made me want to do it harder and faster.

  Swiftly, he grabbed a chunk of my hair and pulled me off of him. I licked my lips and tried to go for it, but he wouldn’t allow me to. “Hold on there, sweetness. I can’t spoil myself that fast. We’ve got all night to enjoy each other, don’t we?”