I frowned. “That’s true, Mom, but I’m not going to law school so I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
She looked stunned as I climbed out the car and kissed her cheek. Her usual blend of strong woody perfume and talcum powder clung to my face for seconds after I’d turned away. She hefted my suitcase out of the truck with surprising strength and leaned in for another perfunctory hug. Then, just as quickly as we’d pulled up, she was climbing in her car and staring at the road ahead.
Inside the airport, I was relieved to finally be alone. I bought a book and a giant bottle of water for the plane and settled in at my gate, after the long drudgery of security. The conversation with my mom had once again brought Leda to the front of my mind. It wasn’t fair; I didn’t want to continue dwelling on her like this. But now it seemed impossible not to think of her. Her creamy skin, her big gray eyes. I loved how Leda almost hated to be caught smiling, as if it was something she didn’t think she should be doing in public. It had been so delightfully surprising to see how she was in the bedroom – just the right amount of restrained and passionate. The night we’d made love, I’d looked forward to several nights of the same magic.
My heart hardened when I thought about her and her ex. It was painful to think about her playing me the whole time, not even realizing that I was beginning to develop feelings for her. The whole shy girl thing must have been an act. I felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. I groaned inwardly as I thought about how it would feel to run into her ex in the house. Matthew. Even his name sounded wrong. It reminded me of my ex, Miriam. From what Leda had told me, they were both manipulative in the same way.
The best thing about the summer was that I hadn’t seen Miriam. She wasn’t living in Germany anymore, even though her parents still lived in the same city as mine. Some of the friends I’d run into had brought her up, but it was looking like no one had seen her in almost a year. I crossed my fingers and prayed that she’d forgotten about me. The last time I’d seen her, well, it hadn’t exactly gone well.
“Stratton,” Miriam whispered as she put her face in her hands. “Why are you leaving me?”
“I’m not leaving you,” I responded. “We can take a break, but I need to go to school. This is important to me, for my future. If I’m important to you, you have to let me go. It’s what’s best for us. If you want me to be responsible and take care of a family, I’ll need a degree.”
Miriam glared up at me, her eyes wrapped in tears. “You don’t understand,” she spat. “It’s not like that for me. My family won’t let me go to school, they want me to find a job until I can find a husband.”
“So lie and say you’ll meet someone in school?” I suggested but the hint of a joke was lost. Miriam threw herself into my arms and I stroked her soft blonde hair out of habit. She was small and slight and warm, and she always fit perfectly with my frame. But between her pestering me for marriage and whining about a long distance relationship, I wasn’t sure it was going to work out.
“Don’t try to be funny, Stratton,” she said in a dark voice. “You know I’m going to be miserable when you leave. You know I’ll want to kill myself without you.”
“Whoa, whoa,” I said quietly, taking her by the shoulders and looking into her bright blue eyes. “Don’t talk like that, okay? I know you don’t mean it.”
She frowned at me defiantly. “That’s just how much you know,” she snipped. “If you really paid attention to me, you’d know how depressed I feel when we’re not together.”
That had been the theme of our last conversations. Every time I brought up leaving, she would threaten me like that. Eventually, I had to come to terms with the fact that she was manipulating me. Sure enough, after I broke things off, she was fine. I got some drunk emails during the first couple of months and then, nothing. It was almost hard to believe that she’d completely forgotten about me, but with a wince of guilt, I realized she was completely right to forget.
The plane began to board and I shook my head to clear myself of Miriam. She was in the past. Just like almost everything else from my life before. And, if I thought about it in a year, where Leda would be as well.
Chapter Three
Leda
“Sorry, can you hold on a second?” Megan was staring at me, holding up a handful of colorful dresses. “I just got this email from the landlord, I want to check it out.”
Megan rolled her eyes but obediently set the dresses down on a chair. She watched me intently as I pulled my phone out of my bag and clicked on the new message.
“Hello Ms. Leda,
Yes, yes, Stratton has signed on for another year. In the event you’re interested in breaking your part of the lease, I would need 50% of the total amount up front, which amounts to $2,600.
Derek Holmes”
“Ugh,” I groaned, flopping down in the chair on top of the gowns. Megan made a face and yanked me upright, saving the precious fabric from wrinkling.
“You’ll crush them!” She chastised me. “Bad news?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I mean, kind of, but I wasn’t expecting to hear anything worse.”
“Sorry,” Megan said as she scrunched up her face. “Do you like any of these?” I watched as she held up the dresses in a staggering feat of grace. I studied them carefully. They were all pretty much the same: floor-length halter gowns in different shades of blue and green.
“They’re all pretty,” I said unconvincingly. “Whatever you want me to wear is fine, honestly.”
Megan rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point, Leda, no one does matching bridesmaid dresses anymore! Everyone picks their own now.”
“Sorry, sorry,” I said through a wave of giggles. “I’m just so used to those movies from the 80s where everyone looks terrible.”
Megan shook her head. “Just try these on and see which one you like,” she said. “Or you can wear gold, if you’d prefer. I thought this color would be more….you, though.”
I blanched at the thought of wearing gold. “No, this is great,” I said. Megan dropped all of the dresses in my arms and the weight of them made me stoop over.
“I’ll be right here!” Megan sang, settling into a chair. “My appointment’s not until next week!”
I groaned as I stripped off my jeans and sweater. The first of the dresses was irritatingly difficult to wiggle into, and I had to suck in to pinch the fabric closed in order to zip it up.
Stomping out of the dressing room, I glanced at Megan. “How do I look?”
She burst out laughing. “Leda, that’s on backwards,” Megan said through a hale of giggles. One of the store attendants shot a glare in our direction. “Sorry,” Megan called. “My friend doesn’t know what she’s doing!”
I felt a hot blush spread over my cheeks. “Megan, shut up,” I hissed. “Help me!”
Megan followed me back into the dressing room and tugged the dress around until it was facing the front. She slid the zipper up my side with ease and stood back with her hands on her hips.
“You look great,” she saw. “I bet you can’t wait for Matthew to see you in that!”
“What are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes. “Why would he see me in this?”
Megan frowned. “Leda, I thought you guys were getting back together,” she said slowly. “That’s what he told me, at least. And didn’t you have lunch with him before you left for the summer?”
“I did, but it was so bad,” I said, yanking the zipper down and stepping out of the dress. “God, and we haven’t talked all summer so I didn’t tell you! He broke up with his fiancée and he wanted me back, but he was so arrogant that I couldn’t deal with him. He acted like it was my fault that he cheated on me in the first place.”
“Wow,” Megan breathed. “I’m so sorry, Leeds, I had no idea. That explains a lot, though.”
I frowned at her again. “What are you talking about? Did Matthew say something? Did he tell you that we’re back together? If he did, he’s totally lying and I’m going to kick hi
s ass.”
“Easy, tiger,” Megan said. She patted me on the head. “He didn’t exactly say that. I haven’t heard from him in months, don’t worry. Sorry I thought wrong. It did seem weird that you hadn’t started talking about him, though. I thought you were doing a good job of being coy!”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said flatly. “Did you say anything about this to anyone else?”
Megan tapped her manicured fingernails on her chin. “I don’t think so,” she said after a pause. “Maybe Tyler? But he and Matthew are friends, so I wouldn’t worry. Oh! You know, I did tell Stratton that you and Matthew had lunch before the end of the summer.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you kidding? You did?”
“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t know it was such a big deal,” Megan said flippantly. “You and Stratton don’t even like each other, why does it matter?”
I clapped my hand to my forehead. “Nothing,” I lied. “It’s fine.”
Megan changed the subject and I changed into another dress, thinking about Stratton the whole time. Everything made sense now. Before, I didn’t think he had a legitimate reason to be angry with me. But now I understood. No wonder he was icing me out: we had sex and then he thought I went running back to Matthew the next day. My heart was pounding, I couldn’t wait to talk to him! I knew it was going to be awkward, but better awkward than more of this bullshit.
Megan got the hint that I wasn’t having as much fun as she would have liked after I tried on the third or fourth dress. I left in a rush and sped all the way home, desperate to talk to Stratton. When I’d left that morning, he hadn’t gotten back yet. I tried to stop myself from panicking as bad thoughts ran through my mind. What if it was too late? What if he never wanted to talk to me again?
Stratton was unpacking a suitcase in his room when I ran down the hallway and knocked breathlessly on his open door. He glanced at me, then back down to the untidy clothes on his bed.
“Hi, Leda,” he said in his trademark even voice. “How was your summer?”
“I need to talk to you,” I said urgently. “Can I come in?”
Stratton looked up at me with a half smile. “You’re already in,” he pointed out. I looked down and saw that my feet were just over the threshold of his room. “But close the door if you like.”
Gratefully I nodded and stepped forward, closing the door behind me. “I have to tell you about Matthew,” I blurted out. “I think you got the wrong idea.”
Stratton straightened up and gave me a cool glance. “I’m not sure I did,” he said slowly. “But tell me anything you want, Leda.”
I frowned. “Look, I know Megan said something to you about it in the spring, but she didn’t know what she was talking about. I had lunch with him because he said he wanted to talk to me. That was it, Stratton. It never went anywhere. I don’t want him back”
Stratton narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his muscular chest. His room smelled woodsy and masculine and I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes. I’d missed his fragrance so unbearably much. I wished we could just get the fight over with and have things go back to normal.
“I understand,” he said finally. “I was hurt, Leda. I thought there was something special that had happened between us, and then heard from Megan about how excited you were to see your old boyfriend Matthew.”
I shook my head quickly. “That’s not true at all,” I said. “The last part, I mean,” I added when Stratton gave me a sharp look. “I didn’t miss him and I didn’t want to be with him.”
Stratton stared at me. “I believe you,” he said finally. “But I was pretty angry about it all summer, to be honest.”
I felt about two inches tall as I looked down at my feet. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t meant to hurt you, Stratton.”
His expression softened and he came closer and wrapped his arms around me. My skin jumped at his touch; it had been months since we’d been close, but it felt like no time at all had passed. Stratton’s grip on me tightened and I snuggled closer to his chest, inhaling deeply. Every nerve in my body was standing at attention and Stratton shifted as he leaned down and cupped my chin with one hand. Looking into his gorgeous eyes, I wondered how I ever could have wanted to be away from him. It was like as soon as we were together, all the weirdness faded. I forgot that we were married. It was just like we were a normal couple, snuggling and canoodling after being split up for the summer.
“Did you have a good summer?” I whispered. Stratton grinned and kissed me on the forehead. The feel of his dry lips against my skin made me shiver and he gently kissed his way down my face, stopping on my cheeks and jaw.
“This is better,” Stratton whispered in a husky voice. “I’ve missed you a lot, Leda.”
I shivered and wrapped my arms around him. Stratton’s skin radiated heat and I let my fingers glide over his muscular back. He stretched in my arms and his massive shoulder blades rippled under my touch.
“I’ve missed you too,” I said quietly, blushing furiously. I just wanted to close my eyes and stand in Stratton’s arms forever, but before I knew it, his mouth was on mine and we were kissing deeply. Stratton slid his tongue into my mouth and sucked and nibbled at my lower lip, making me moan quietly with pleasure. It had been so long since I’d felt his affectionate touch that I didn’t even know how much I’d truly missed him. Stratton groaned as I flicked my tongue against his and tangled my fingers in his luxurious mane of hair. He slid his hands down my back and squeezed my ass. I squirmed in pleasure and pushed my body against Stratton’s. There was already a bulge between his legs that was pressing into my body and I shivered, thinking of how it would feel when he slid inside of me again.
Stratton gently guided me over to the bed and pushed me down. I kept my grip firmly on him and pulled him down on top of me, so every inch of his toned body was covering my own. He nudged my head to the side and began to kiss my ear and neck. The exquisite sensation made me shiver and I dug my nails fiercely into his back through his shirt. Just then, Stratton pulled back.
“Are you sure this is okay?” His eyes flicked over my prone figure. “The last time we did this, things got a little crazy afterwards.”
I blushed hotly. “I know,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry. I can go if you want.”
Stratton shook his head and came closed. He gently kissed my collarbone and my neck. “That’s not what I want at all,” he whispered. “But we have to be a little nicer to each other this year, Leda.”
Shame flooded my body and I fought the urge to push him away. “I know,” I repeated quietly. “I really want to try this with you, Stratton. I want to make this work while we’re here.”
He gave me an odd look that turned into a dazzling smile and crushed my body close to his, pressing his lips firmly against mine. “I’m glad,” he whispered into my mouth. Then, his hands were at my slides, slipping my shirt up and over my head. When I was naked against his chest, I cuddled close again Stratton. The material of his shirt rubbed against my nipples and I squirmed and sucked in a gasp of breath. He chuckled and lightly dragged his fingernails down my bare skin. The sensation of being touched for the first time in months was really incredible, and I felt my whole body waking up in pleasure.
There was a ping from Stratton’s phone but neither of us looked up. I slipped my hands under his shirt and yanked it over his head, exposing the tattoos that I loved so much. I grinned; seeing him shirtless never lost its charm for me.
“What’s so funny?” Stratton teased quietly in my ear. He nipped the lobe with his teeth and I gasped and dug my nails into his shoulder. Stratton traced his hands to the front of my chest and took my nipples in both hands, pinching gently. Pleasure swirled through my body and between my legs was pulsing more than ever. I threw my head back and moaned loudly. Stratton chuckled low in his throat and dragged his nails across the swells of my breast. The sensation was both slightly painful and incredibly amazing and I started writhing around in his arms, desperate for more.
&nbs
p; “I know how much you like that,” he whispered in my ear. Stratton’s breath tickled my sensitive skin and made me squirm even move. He traced his hands down my bare belly and hooked them into my jeans, unfastening them and tugging them down my hips. Clad only in panties, I suddenly felt incredibly exposed. Stratton made a big show of looking my body up and down and grinning and I blushed. It had been so long since I’d felt his attention on me like this; I suddenly never wanted it to stop.
Keeping Stratton’s eyes locked with my own, I slid my hands down my own body and slipped my fingers into the front of my panties. His eyes widened and he grinned as I slowly pulled them down and kicked them off. With Stratton still watching, I spread my legs and traced my fingers up the insides of my thighs. I knew that I was blushing red all over but his attention made it worth it. Eventually, he growled and yanked my wrists away, shoving me back on the bed. Stratton gently slapped the inside of my thigh and I yelped. Then he dipped his head to my body and began to kiss my belly as he slid down. The feel of his warm, wet mouth on my skin was too much and I wriggled around on the bed. Stratton kept a firm grip on my wrists, preventing me from moving around too much, and crawled in between my legs. He gazed up at me and bit his lip and I felt little darts of anticipatory pleasure shoot through my body. Leaning closer to me still, he nuzzled the inside of my thighs and licked the delicate skin. I moaned loudly and arched my back. The slight bit of stubble on his chin was scratching against my most delicate areas and it was hard not to thrash around even more. I felt his tongue between my legs and pleasure blossomed in my lower belly. He began to lick and gently suck at me until I was howling and digging my hands in his hair. As his tongue swirled in circles over my clit, I felt my orgasm start to build and build. Stratton pulled back just as I felt myself close to the edge. Moaning loudly in frustration, I glared at him.
BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) Page 139