Dirty

by R. L. Kenderson

  “Works for me,” Joe said as he raised his arm to catch their waitress’s attention. “I’m going to enjoy having a DD for as long as I can.”

  “Uh…I’m not sure I should drink anymore,” Elise said.

  “Why not?” Rachel asked. “Tomorrow is Saturday, and this is the first time you’ve come out with us since you moved back. We should be celebrating.”

  Elise didn’t answer because she couldn’t tell the whole table her lame reason for wanting to cut herself off.

  “Yeah, Elise, why not?” Luke joined in.

  She couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or not, but she didn’t want to disappoint Rachel. Elise was certain she could stop thinking about Luke sexually, so she said, “Okay, order me another beer.”

  “Woohoo!” Rachel said. “That’s the girl I remember from college.”

  Elise laughed as their waitress approached.

  “Refills for everyone,” Sean said. “And five shots of Jägermeister,” he added, wiggling his eyebrows.

  Elise groaned. “Oh God. Jäger was my go-to shot in college. I used to get so drunk off that stuff.”

  “And that is why I ordered it.”

  “Your fiancé is evil,” Elise told her friend.

  Rachel laughed. “Nah, we just want you to have fun with some reminiscing on the side.”

  Their server brought back their five shots along with one shot of Coke. “I didn’t want you to feel left out,” she told Shelly.

  “Aw, that’s so sweet,” Shelly said. After their waitress walked away, she added, “Someone’s getting a big tip.” She picked up her shot, and everyone else followed. “What are we toasting to?”

  “Good friends.”

  “Healthy babies.”

  “Getting laid.”

  “Sean,” Rachel chided.

  “What? I’ve been gone all week on business. You know you’re going to be giving it to me later.”

  Rachel set her full shot glass on the table. “Yeah, but you don’t have to tell everyone. I work with Shelly. I don’t want her thinking you’re a pervert.”

  Joe laughed. “Babe, you wouldn’t think that about Sean, would you?”

  Shelly shook her head. “Never.” She put her free hand on Rachel’s arm. “And, if it makes you feel any better, this baby was conceived in the back of Joe’s SUV at his brother’s wedding.”

  Everyone laughed, except for Joe, his face serious.

  “Baby, we promised to never talk about that. If my mom ever finds out that I had sex in the church parking lot, she’s going to make sure this baby is baptized the minute it comes out, and she’ll make me attend confession every day for a year. At least.”

  Shelly stopped laughing. “You’re right. She already thinks her Protestant daughter-in-law corrupted her Catholic son.” She pointed her finger around the table. “Not a word to anyone. I can’t even use the I-was-drunk-when-I-said-that, it’s-not-true excuse.”

  Elise understood where Joe and Shelly were coming from. She hadn’t grown up Catholic, but her parents were religious.

  “Don’t worry; we won’t say anything,” Rachel promised. She picked up her shot again. “Okay, where were we?”

  “To good friends, healthy babies, and getting laid,” Elise said.

  Everyone repeated the words, and they all clinked their glasses together and downed their shots.

  “Who wants to play pool? There’s one table open,” Sean asked after they all deposited their shot glasses on the table.

  “I’m in,” Joe answered.

  “I’ll take winner,” Luke said.

  The guys got up and headed toward the pool tables. Since their table was in the back of the room, the girls would have a clear view of the game without leaving their seats.

  “How did Sean and Luke start hanging out again? I haven’t seen him since, like, junior year or something, and I haven’t heard you talk about him in forever,” Elise asked.

  Luke and Sean were two years older in school than Elise and Rachel. The girls had met the guys their freshman year, but Rachel hadn’t started dating Sean until she was a sophomore. Sean and Luke had been roommates, and since Elise and Rachel were good friends, the four of them had seen a lot of each other. Both guys had finished their bachelor’s degrees and stayed on for graduate school, but by that time, Elise had started dating Tyler. She was ashamed now by how much she’d thrown herself into that relationship. She’d barely even seen Rachel their senior year because she was so caught up with her boyfriend.

  After Elise and Rachel had finished their undergraduate degrees, they’d both stayed at U of M for graduate school. Elise had been going to school full-time, working as many hours as possible, and moved in with Tyler, so she still hadn’t seen Rachel that much although they both tried.

  From what she remembered, the same thing had kind of happened with Luke and Sean. They had both gotten busy, seeing each other less and less, especially since Rachel and Sean lived together, until the two guys no longer hung out and then lost touch. Thankfully, that had never quite happened to Elise and Rachel, and they had remained friends, even when Elise moved to Colorado. It probably helped that Rachel was the shoulder that Elise had needed to cry on when she and Tyler broke up right before her move to Denver.

  “I know. It’s kind of crazy. Sean ran into Luke at our local Home Depot, of all places. Did you know that Luke works at Southdale? I was kind of surprised when I found out.”

  Elise knew Sean had gone to school for his MBA and worked for a big-box store. It wasn’t hard to believe that Luke had graduated with a master’s, too, and gotten a job at somewhere like Southdale Center, the mall in Edina. He was a womanizer, not an idiot.

  She was just about to ask what Luke’s role was when Rachel continued with her story, “Anyway, that’s how we found out we only lived a few blocks away from him. Go figure. We’d practically been neighbors for about two years. After that, it was almost like the two of them had never been separated.”

  “Good for them,” Elise said. “It doesn’t seem like Luke has changed all that much.”

  Rachel laughed. “You mean, because he’s a flirt and a half? Yeah, he’s still kind of a man-ho. I swear, he dates a different girl every weekend. That’s probably the only thing I don’t like about Sean being friends with him. But Luke has never tried to push his singleness on Sean, and Luke seems genuinely happy that the two of us are getting married.”

  “Joe and I have gone out with him only a few times,” Shelly said. “He is totally a flirt, and the women are always eyeing him.” She nodded her head toward the guys. “Like now.”

  Elise looked over and saw a beautiful woman sliding up to Luke and getting as close as possible to him.

  “But, to give him credit,” Shelly continued, “he doesn’t dog on women when he comes out with us. When he spends time with us, he spends time with us. I can’t even blame all the girls who hit on him. He’s hot. If I were single…”

  The woman hitting on him put her hand on his arm. While Luke smiled politely at her, he was standing with his feet spread apart, and his hand on his pool cue, his body facing the pool table. Elise got the distinct impression that he wasn’t interested. The woman slipped a piece of paper in his back pocket and walked away. As soon as she turned, Luke took the paper out and chucked it into the trash can in the corner of the room.

  Elise was impressed again because the Luke she’d known in college probably would have ditched them all and walked out the door with the woman without a backward glance.

  Luke looked up from the garbage, his eyes colliding with Elise’s so swiftly that she turned back to the girls and took a couple of sips of her drink. She hoped he didn’t think she’d been staring at him.

  “I guess it’s true that men can change,” she said, almost forgetting what they had been talking about.

  “Nah, we don’t change that much,” a deep voice said in her ear.

  She jumped in her seat and turned. “Shit, you scared me.” She hadn’t heard Luke com
e up behind her.

  He was way too close for her liking. He smelled wonderful, a natural muskiness with a hint of aftershave that was utterly male. She wanted to bury her nose in his neck and breathe him in.

  Had she mentioned that she missed sex?

  She tried not to lean too far away because she didn’t want him to know that he affected her or how confused she felt when she was near him.

  He tugged on a piece of her hair. “Another table opened up. Come play pool with me?”

  She welcomed the distraction. Now, pool, she could definitely manage.

  She raised her brow at him. “Are you sure you want to play against me?” she asked sweetly.

  “Sure. You can’t be that bad.”

  Elise just laughed.

  “You kicked my ass.” Luke sighed, surprise showing on his face. “And here I thought, I was good with my stick and balls.”

  Elise ignored his sexual innuendo and smiled. “I asked you if you wanted to play against me,” she said in a singsong voice.

  Luke narrowed his eyes. “That was when I thought you were bad at pool.”

  She shrugged innocently. “That’ll teach you to assume things about women.”

  He snorted. “I didn’t assume you were a bad player because you were a woman.”

  She put one hand on her hip. “Then, why did you think I was bad?”

  “Because I remember you being kind of a fuddy-duddy.”

  “What? I was not. Just because I didn’t fall into bed with you like every other chick does not mean I was a fuddy-duddy.” She swept her hair over her shoulder and stepped closer to him, looking him in the eye. “I’ll have you know, I had plenty of sexual conquests in college. You just didn’t happen to be one of them.”

  He grinned down at her. “See, I know you’re trying to make me feel inadequate because we didn’t have sex, but all you’re doing is making me hard.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless.”

  “Nah. Wanna play again?”

  “Sure.”

  She was actually having fun with Luke. She liked playing pool, and Luke was a good opponent.

  “Do you want another beer first?”

  She looked into her almost-empty glass. “That’d be great.” After all, she was drinking for the pregnant lady, and she’d managed to keep her hormones in check so far.

  “You set up, and I’ll go get us drinks.”

  Elise grabbed the triangle and began racking the balls, putting them in their proper place. She grabbed the one ball and put it at the apex when Rachel walked over and leaned against the side of the pool table.

  “Are you having a good time?” her friend asked.

  “Yeah. I’m glad you asked me to come. I totally kicked Luke’s ass.”

  Rachel smiled, but it was hesitant.

  Elise stopped what she was doing. “What’s wrong?”

  Rachel stood up straight. “I think we’re going to take off. I don’t feel well. Shelly and Joe are leaving, too. Shelly’s tired, and she wants to go home and put her swollen feet up.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” Rachel said, putting her hand over her stomach. “I think it was something I ate.”

  Elise narrowed her eyes and studied her friend. “Liar. You just want to go home and get laid.”

  Rachel blushed. “Guilty. I haven’t seen Sean for a week.” She stuck her bottom lip out.

  Elise laughed. “I understand. Go have fun with your man.”

  Rachel looked around the room, as if she was calculating the situation.

  “What is it?” Elise asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Rachel, just spit it out. What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t want to leave you here with Luke.”

  Elise shook her head. “I’ll be fine. We’re having fun. I’m not ready to go home yet.”

  Her friend looked over her shoulder to where Luke stood at the bar, talking to Sean. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. She looked back at Elise. “I just want you to be careful.”

  Elise tilted her head. “How do you mean?”

  “It’s been over six months since you and Jason broke up. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

  Elise shook her head in confusion. “I still don’t get it. Why would I get hurt?”

  Rachel sighed. “Just don’t sleep with Luke, okay? He’s grown up quite a bit, but he’s still Luke. I’ve never seen him get serious with anyone, and I don’t want your heart to get broken.”

  Elise threw her head back and laughed. “We are just playing pool. Nothing’s going to happen.”

  Rachel didn’t laugh. “I know you haven’t slept with anyone since before you and Jason broke up.” She leaned in close and lowered her voice. “And I know how horny you get when you’ve been drinking. I also know that sex with Jason was mediocre, at best, so you’re probably really jonesing for sex now. And let’s face it; we both know that Luke probably fucks like a rock star.”

  Elise laughed again and shook her head. “Trust me, Rach, you have nothing to worry about. I am never going to sleep with Luke Long.”

  The next morning, Elise woke, flat on her stomach, disoriented, with a piercing headache that only came from a hangover. While she’d been living with her parents for about a month now, she’d often still wake up in confusion from forgetting where she was at first. It’d sometimes take her a minute to realize she wasn’t in her house in Denver anymore. She opened one eye to check the time, but the alarm clock wasn’t hers or the one in her parents’ guest room.

  She sat up, jarring her already-sore head, and let out a moan. Thankfully, dark shades were covering the windows, casting the room in shadows and hiding the evil sun.

  What happened last night? Her memory was fuzzy, and it hurt to think.

  She realized she was naked and pulled the sheet up to cover herself as she slowly looked around the room, recognizing nothing. Nothing but the sleeping naked male lying on the bed next to her.

  Oh God. No! Panic raced through her body, and memories rose to taunt her.

  She’d slept with Luke Long. She’d slept with. Luke. Long.

  She whimpered and closed her eyes. She had managed to escape college without screwing the guy, only to have dirty, dirty sex with him last night. And that was only the stuff she could remember.

  She was never drinking again.

  If Rachel ever found out, she was going to give Elise so much shit—after she quizzed Elise on whether the whole fucks-like-a-rock-star thing was true.

  Elise couldn’t recall everything from last night after the rest of their friends had left the restaurant, and Luke and she had decided it would be fun to take a bunch of shots. But, now, she did know that, yes, Luke Long did indeed fuck like a rock star. Her sore vagina could attest to that.

  I hate you, alcohol.

  Luke shifted beside her, but the arm he had over his eyes remained where it was, and his breathing regulated and deepened again.

  She really should get out of there before he woke up, but instead, she found herself staring at his beautiful body. Why does he have to be so gorgeous?

  She moved her gaze from his face to his muscular chest and stomach and noticed a blemish of some kind. She leaned closer to look at the red mark directly above his hip.

  Are those teeth marks?

  A memory surfaced. She’d bitten him so hard that she bruised him…after she went down on him…again. She dropped her head in her hand. She was such a slut.

  She looked again at the wound, and her gaze moved to the thin white sheet that was covering one leg and only part of his penis. God, even flaccid, it was thick and long. She remembered thinking it was perfect. She might have even told him that she wanted to mold his dick, so she could use it on herself when she was alone. She moaned softly with embarrassment.

  “Jesus, would you stop thinking? You’re making my hangover ten times worse.”

  Elise jumped. “Would you stop scaring me?”

  Luk
e chuckled and moved his arm from his face. His brown eyes glittered with amusement. “Sorry,” he said, but his tone indicated that he wasn’t the least bit remorseful.

  And, now, she was regretting not getting the hell out of there right away. She looked at the floor next to the bed and only saw a few items of clothing and nothing that looked like the shirt or skirt she’d been wearing last night. Nothing to cover her up so that she could make her escape. Then, she spotted them by the door on the other side of the room and winced.

  She looked at Luke, hoping maybe he’d shut his eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep, but luck was not on her side this morning, and she found him watching her. It was making her self-conscious, knowing all the naughty things she’d done with him and to him last night.

  “Can you please close your eyes, so I can get dressed?”

  This made Luke laugh, but she didn’t find it the least bit funny. She needed to get up and out of there before Rachel called her or her parents called Rachel. She really didn’t need a lecture about sleeping with Luke right now—from her parents or Rachel. Especially after she’d told her friend it was never going to happen.

  “I think that ship has sailed, Lise. I already saw everything last night, babe.” He looked down at her crotch. “Everything.”

  She fidgeted on the bed. First, she didn’t know if she liked him shortening her name like they were close now or something, and second, she suddenly pictured him kneeling between her legs as he parted her and blew on her nether lips right before he—

  Luke threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed, giving her a clear view of his back. Even his back was sexy. Except for the red claw marks there.

  Holy shit. Had she possessed any restraint last night?

  Luke stood and walked to the door to retrieve her clothes. He didn’t seem to care that he was naked because he didn’t bother dressing. Of course, he had a world-class butt. Elise tried hard, but when he turned around, she couldn’t help staring at his morning wood, and she grew wet between her legs.

  “Can you put on some clothes, please?” Her tone was bitchier than she had meant it to be, but she really needed him to get dressed before she threw back the bedsheet and spread her legs for him, begging him to fuck her again.