“Aren’t you glad you decided to come out with us?” Shelby teases, bumping me with her shoulder.
I am glad I decided to come rather than sit home. I’m having a lot of fun and over the last hour I haven’t let thoughts of Jake cross my mind even once. But on the other hand, it’s almost impossible for my mind to not acknowledge Vance beside me. Especially when he keeps draping his arm across my shoulder and teasing me about my crush on Jared Sterling. Each time he puts his arm around me my breathing speeds up and my heart dances in my chest. I find myself being thrown back into my dream from last night, remembering the immense orgasms he was giving me while his face was buried between my thighs.
Blush creeps up my cheeks as the image resurfaces, and I find myself biting my lip and trying to think of anything but that as Shelby begins rambling on in my ear about the game and the players. Which only gets the guys riled up, especially her fiancé, Charlie.
“Women are such hypocrites,” he chimes in from the other side of Shelby. “You call men pigs for loving the fact that cheerleaders wear scantily-clad uniforms so we can degrade them. Yet, you ladies sit right here alongside us doing the same exact thing, objectifying the players while you talk about how you’d love to spank their asses that look so good in their uniforms. Don’t think we don’t notice the half-naked men you all share on Facebook and Instagram. You ain’t fooling nobody. Women nowadays are just as big a perverts as us guys are. Maybe even more so…”
I raise an eye brow as Shelby and I stare in disbelief at Charlie and Tony who’s been like a fricking Yankees player bobble head sitting beside him obnoxiously nodding his head in agreement with everything he has to say.
“Oh, come on! You’re so full of shit, Charlie. Men are way worse than women!”
Throwing his hand out in our direction and yells, “Two words—Magic Mike! How many have they made now? Like three?! Do you see movies about female strippers topping box offices around the globe? Do you see men freely able to post all over social media how they’d love to have said actress who’s the lead in this stripper movie ride his face?”
Shelby and I both let out loud snorts as we burst into a fit of laughter. “Ohhhh my gosh! You did not just say that out loud?!” Shelby exclaims with horror mixed with utter shock and amusement as she laughs so hard tears roll down her cheeks as do I. We wipe at our eyes as Vance and Tony get a good laugh along with us.
“What’s so funny? I’m being serious right now,” Charlie says with frustration before giving up and sitting back in his seat.
Leaning across Shelby’s lap, I pat Charlie’s leg and give him a sympathetic smile. “I totally get you, Charlie, and I have to agree at least when it comes to my smut-sisters and I, we are pretty damn raunchy when it comes to hot ass models and actors, especially Channing Tatum. I, for one, cannot wait to see the next movie.”
“Don’t forget when Magic Mike in Vegas opens, we’re doing a girl’s weekend! I cannot wait!” As soon as Shelby’s words leave her lips, Charlie is whipping his head around toward her.
“Umm, say what now? You want to go to Vegas to see real male strippers? But you threatened to dig my eyes out with a rusty spoon if I allowed the guys to hire me strippers for my bachelor party? How the hell is that fair?”
I sit back in my chair and enjoy the show while we wait for the game to begin again. It’s hilarious being in public with this group of people because they make any dull moment suddenly comical.
As everyone’s chiming in on the difference between hired strippers at this new Magic Mike place which Channing Tatum is opening, and skanky strippers you hire to come to a party who may or may not have STDs, I suddenly notice the jumbo screen begin to do the kiss cam as AJ jogs back over to home plate.
I laugh at the screen as people in the crowd are caught off guard by the camera landing on them and watch as they smooch their significant other. The next person to show up on the screen, though, is not what I am expecting.
My mouth falls open and my heart begins to beat a million beats a second as I stare up at my face on the Jumbo-tron along with Vance’s.
“Oh my God!” Shelby squeals beside me as she points up at our faces staring back at us.
Oh my God is right, along with holy fucking shit and what the hell do I do?!
I barely hear the sound of the crowd chanting kiss, kiss, kiss, through the sound of my heart racing in my ears.
What do I do? Laugh it off and peck him on the cheek? Sit here like an idiot and let him kiss me on the cheek?
This has never happened to me before in the last five years I’ve been attending these games with him. Now, today of all days, after a certain X-rated dream this happens?
“Kiss her, you idiot!” Shelby hisses at Vance as I blink with a panicked look plastered across my face.
I feel Vance’s hand suddenly cupping my face as he forces my head to turn to face him. I blink nervously up at him as I dart my tongue out to wet my now dry lips. He mirrors my actions as his tongue slowly slips between his lips licking them before slipping back into his mouth. A sexy smirk curls up at the corner of his mouth as his head tilts slightly and begins to make its way down to mine.
I keep my hands locked together in a ball on my lap as I await his lips to finally reach mine.
At first I keep my eyes open as his warm, full lips connect with mine and melt against my lips. I watch as his eyes flutter shut and feel his fingers press firmly into my scalp as he begins to move his lips kissing me fully. Acting on their own accord, my hands leave my lap and one comes to rest on his cheek, while the other finds the front of his jersey. A low moan vibrates against my lips as his tongue unexpectedly dives into my mouth gently licking at mine, causing a few soft moans of my own to drift against his lips.
My head is spinning, and the sound of the crowd cheering around us causes my ears to ring. I find myself feeling dizzy and off center as vertigo hits me, and I sway slightly as he begins to slowly end our kiss and pull away from me.
I hear Shelby behind me mutter, “Whoa…” as I blink up at Vance through the hazy fog I’m completely lost in.
“Double, whoa,” I murmur as I lick my lips and taste Vance and Budweiser lingering from our panty-combusting kiss.
Vance’s tongue darts out and swipes across his bottom lip tasting me on them before allowing a lazy grin to spread across his lips. “I hope that’s a good whoa, because it sure as hell is for me. Damn, Christi, I think the entire stadium is wishing they were me right now.” He jokes as he nods politely to a few people around us sending catcalls our way. I’m still in too much shock to come up with a smart ass response, so instead I giggle like an idiot and shake my head side to side brushing off his comment.
He has to be joking around. Lord, I hope he’s joking around. It was just a kiss. This doesn’t change anything. He’s still Vance and I’m still Christi. The wild and crazy best friends and roommates who do not have feelings for each other.
Who the hell am I trying to kid. I so just fell in love with the guy after one slip of the tongue. The way that thing moved inside of my mouth… God only knows how amazing it would feel if it was really between my legs. Hell, in my dream it was fantastic. Imagining that in real life has me squeezing my legs together as I quickly cross them and shift nervously in my seat. For some reason I feel like Vance is staring straight into my damn head and reading my thoughts as they pop up sporadically into my head. Causing me to blush an even deeper shade of red.
“You’re blushing! I can’t believe you kissed my brother, Chris! I feel like we were just thrown into the freaking twilight zone. The heat pouring off of that kiss has me fanning myself,” she waves her hand in front of her face laughing, “Dammit why didn’t I Snap Chat it?! Ugh…I hope they got it on camera so we can look it up on YouTube later.”
YouTube. Viral? I’m going to throw up.
I think this moment tops all other moments in my entire adult life for best kiss ever. But I much rather would’ve preferred it
to happen anywhere else but here. The idea of this going viral and being all over the internet for the world to see is mortifying. I probably looked like a freaking weirdo frozen like a deer in headlights as Vance who looks far too sexy to be making out with me pulls me in for a kiss.
I probably look like an idiot. Knowing Shelby and all of my crazy ass friends, this moment will play on a loop for weeks as they all make me relive it over and over again.
This entire stadium just witnessed me kissing the one man I’ve fantasized about kissing for the last four years, and witnessed me freefalling from my safety net of oblivion and crashing down into the metaphorical concrete below.
There’s no way I’ll be able to go on in my fake little world where I was able to pretend that I had zero feelings for my best friend.
Especially if my friends decide to remind me every waking moment of my life.
Thanks to the damn Yankees and stupid kiss cams…my life has officially gone from simple to really, really freaking complicated.
About the author
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author who took a chance and wrote her first book in 2013. It was the beginning to a whirlwind journey into the world of a published author with now 24 books available on ebook retailers’ sites!
Danielle Jamie is a contemporary romance author who loves getting lost in a good book or writing a memorable love story. Her most popular works are her Bestselling Savannah Series, her heart wrenching standalone Tempt my Heart and her steamy taboo Stepbrother Series!
She lives in Upstate NY with her husband, two daughters and son. She loves traveling and seeing the world all the while meeting her fans along the way at Author Events.
Now What?!!
By Misha Elliott
This book is an original work of fiction by Misha Elliott.
Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is coincidental.
Copyright © 2016
All rights reserved
Digital Edition
Editing by Virginia Tesi Carey
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of thee trademark is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Now What?! An Empty Nester Novella
By Misha Elliott
Prologue
Oh, we haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Bill Swift. I'm married to Wanda, the most beautiful woman in the world. How many men can say that? We married young, our relationship started when we met in junior high. It didn't make sense that you could meet the person you were meant to spend your life with at age 13. It’s not like you could pledge your eternal love. Even though that’s what I wanted to do. Something deep down told me that she was the one, the other piece of my heart.
I made my way through the hormone induced phases of love. I was a mess. I clumsily made it through the bases, excited beyond belief when we finally hit the "time to do it" moment. We were each other’s firsts; what I lacked in experience I made up in ingenuity and Wanda was right there by my side as a willing participant.
I recall my best man made a speech about how perfect we were together and as he concluded it, he wished us a happily ever after. Over the years I lost touch with that son a bitch and it’s a good thing too. Because if he were here right now, I’d rip his damn nuts off. How young and naïve it was to believe in the lie. Everything around you- books, movies, music, etc. perpetuated the idea that after you’ve met your soul mate, you will ride off into the sunset of happily ever after.
Well happily ever after my ass; we spent our first two years in childless bliss much to the dismay of our mothers. My Wanda was a sexual vixen. I swore she had the libido of two teenage boys, which worked perfect for me.
Then it happened. Our first child wasn’t planned. I hadn’t given up hope that things would go back to normal once we settled into our roles as parents. Then she seduced me into the idea of having more kids, so we did.
Soon every topic of conversation concerned the kids. We went from man and wife to mom and dad. It wasn’t sexy. I hated to admit I was a jealous a time or two. Watching my wife feed our children with my breasts.
Her breasts grew in size with each pregnancy. Much to my dismay, it was always "Look but don’t touch". I remember sitting across the room watching my wife feed the baby. Go right ahead and enjoy it buddy. I remember when those tits used to be mine. When you’ve outgrown them, they will be mine again.
Never happened.
Soon I was making ‘daddy dates’. What’s a ‘daddy date’ you ask? It’s worse than any quickie. It's a planned sexual encounter with my wife. Yep, I was being penciled in for sex. The way you plan to go see the dentist or schedule to have your taxes done. Being on the schedule didn’t make sex a guarantee. Many a date got postponed or cancelled. The kids wouldn’t cooperate or someone was sick. We used to make love for hours. But after kids, when we secured time together it was more like five pumps and done.
I concluded that if people knew the truth about sex lives after marriage and kids, there would be less people on the earth.
As the years went on our years of putting the kids first put a toll on our love lives. The only shred of hope I had was knowing that someday they would learn to sleep in their own beds, graduate school and eventually move away for college.
Chapter 1- Bill
Tired after a long week of traveling, all I wanted was to be home sleeping in my own bed with my wife. I opened the door and came into the kitchen. Everything was quiet. There was never a quiet moment in this house. There was always muffled noises of kids and friends coming from one of the bedrooms. Between cheerleading and dance, we never had a weekend alone or a weekday where something wasn’t going on here. Wanda had volunteered to be the mom to support everything.
Could it really be?
I headed into the living room to find my beautiful wife sitting on the couch with her eyes glued to the screen of her kindle. The sight of her still stole my breath away after all of these years. She was a stunner with her dark brown hair, I loved the way her lips pursed a bit as she read.
“I wasn’t sure when you were coming home, so I didn’t fix anything for dinner. Do you want to go out? It’s just going to be us.”
“Really? We’re alone?’
“Yeah, Sarah is spending the night at a friend’s house. They left early this afternoon.”
“Is that so?” I pressed my palms together momentarily offering up a silent thanks for answered prayers.
It seemed that things were finally going to settle down. Now was as good a time as any to take advantage of this new found freedom. No more, "Shh, the kids might hear" or trying to get in a quickie before someone wakes up.
I’m a grown adult who’s going to have sex on the couch with my wife on a Thursday night because I can. I slid next to her on the sofa, sliding my legs under the blanket with her.
“Wanda, come here sweetheart.”
“Oh I know that look.” She says with a smile. Those tiny wrinkles in the corner of her eyes deepen. Immediately I see the pink flush that spreads from her chest up her neck. I move in for the kill. Leaning in I kissed the curve of her neck, her scent is sweet like fruit and flowers. Pure seduction. I’ve imagined many times that this is what paradise smells like. I nipped the skin on her earlobe before peppering more kisses around the back of her neck. She was still holding the tablet and I wanted her hands free for other uses.
I deftly slid
the kindle out of her hands and placed it on the coffee table.
She was powerless against my skills. I had memorized everything about her body. I knew exactly how to turn her on. Lifting her shirt, I palmed a breast in one hand and proceeded to tease a nipple with my tongue, grazing the sensitive skin across my teeth before tugging gently.
The zipper on my jeans was straining on my cock. She reached a hand down between us to fist it. Instantly time moved backwards to my teens, experiencing the first clumsy attempts at sex. She was my first, and last. I needed to do something before I lost it. I refused to waste the opportunity by coming too quickly.
My fingers reached down to stroke her pussy, she was fully aroused. I lingered for a moment alternating the pressure and motion of my fingers wanting to bring her pleasure. What I really wanted was to slide my wet fingers into my mouth so I could taste her. I heard her scream, “Shit!”.
I knew my finger tricks were talented but damn.
I looked up to see that Sarah and her friend just got an eyeful of our long overdue attempt at being amorous. I was so absorbed in the moment and my wife that I didn’t hear when she opened the door.
“Don’t you know how to knock?”
“Ew, get a room you two!” I cringed at her scolding.
“I don’t need to get a room. I have a whole damn house.” I was embarrassed and flustered at being caught by our daughter right before I stole home base.
“What do you need?”
“Mom, I can’t find my hoodie.”
What?!
“My blue hoodie. Have you seen my blue hoodie? We’re heading to the bonfire over at Shannon’s house and I realize I didn’t have it in my bag.” She huffed with her hands on her hips.
“Did you look in your closet?”
“I didn’t see it before I left, so I thought I already had it in my bag.”
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