Swirl

  I could call it a night and throw in the towel right now, but I know we were nowhere near through. He sat up, pulled off his shirt, and shimmied out of the lava-lava and shorts. I sat up too as my hands found their way to his chest and gently caressed the bulging muscles. I felt each one contract underneath the gentle glide of my hands. I reached down and attempted to wrap my palm around the length of him. Both hands ended up circled around him as I slowly moved them up and down. He moaned and I glanced up to see his head tossed back with his eyes closed. I stroked all the way up to the mushroomed head and back down again, smiling at the series of moans and groans coming from him.

  It’s now or never.

  I licked my lips and brought my mouth down to return the favor.

  “Bri,” he moaned.

  The sound of my name coming out as a muffled whisper excited me. My mouth slid down as far as my throat would allow, and even then I forced myself to take in more of him. I created a waving motion with my tongue and he really seemed to enjoy it based on the way he grabbed the back of my head. One of my hands tapped his thigh to get his attention. He dropped his head and looked down just as I lifted my eyes to meet his. I rolled my tongue again just so I could see the look on his face. He inhaled sharply and cursed under his breath.

  “Lay down,” I ordered, releasing him long enough for him to get comfortable.

  As soon as he was flat on his back, I captured him with my mouth again. This time when I reached the end, I circled around the tip with my tongue and enlisted my hands to help. With both my mouth and hands at work, I knew it wouldn’t be long before he finished. Just when I thought he was ready to explode, he quickly pushed me away. My jaw was tired, but I was not ready to stop yet.

  “I’m not ready to finish,” he whispered, pushing me down onto the bed. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a condom. Once he was ready, he positioned himself between my legs. He found my slippery opening with ease, but took his time pushing inside.

  I inhaled just at the pressure of him bearing down on me. There was no way he was going to slide inside without it hurting. I dropped my knees down to open up my hips a little, but that didn’t help. Jayce pushed forward and a pained sigh escaped my lips. I clearly underestimated his size, and I was having second thoughts about taking this any further.

  “You’re so wet,” he murmured. “You’re tight too, and I’m trying not to hurt you.”

  “Don’t stop,” I whispered.

  What the fuck am I thinking? This is going to hurt like hell.

  He slowly brought our hips together. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing through the pain. I refused to stop him … not now. We were too close, and I needed to have him every way I possibly could before shit hit the fan. Once he couldn’t go in any further, he moved his hips in a slow motion in and out. The more he stroked the more I loosened up enough to accept the girth of him. The pain was over and quickly replaced with pleasure. He was able to touch and caress every part inside of my body. My hips arched off of the bed to match his rhythm.

  “Yes … yes … yes. Don’t stop,” I moaned into the side of his neck.

  Our breathing was synced and I could tell we were about to reach our breaking point together. A few more deep thrusts helped pitch me over the edge.

  “Fuck,” he barked as I bit down on his shoulder. He maintained our connection and rode the waves of the orgasm with me. I shuddered as the electric pulses mellowed out to subtle blips on the sex radar.

  I’m not sure how much time passed, but we both eventually passed out from exhaustion.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I woke up a couple of hours later, trapped in the bed under the weight of Jayce’s arm. My mind raced to put the last few hours of my life in order. What time was it anyway? I craned my head up to look around the room and spotted the alarm clock on the table.

  Three o’clock? Shit, where’s Kirsten?

  I glanced over at Jayce and faked a few coughs as I eased out of bed. My feet barely touched the floor before I had to reach out and steady myself against the wall. Sore didn’t quite describe the sensation I was feeling between my thighs. My legs were weak, and threatened to give out on me.

  I’m going to have to soak in the tub for a week, and where the hell are my clothes?

  The room was too dark to see much of anything, so I felt around the floor for my pants. A sense of dread covered me as I remembered where my bra and shirt were.

  Maybe I can borrow his T-shirt to cover up with while I find the rest of my clothes?

  I threw on his oversized shirt, which fit more like a dress, and tip toed to the door. Before my hand reached the knob, the lamp clicked on.

  Busted.

  “Going somewhere?”

  “Umm … yeah,” I stammered. “It’s late and I need to get some rest.”

  “Well get back into bed then,” he said.

  Damn … strike one.

  “No, I’m okay. Kirsten is probably pissed off, thinking I forgot about her,” I explained nervously.

  “I checked on her a couple of hours after you fell asleep, just to make sure Keon wasn’t bothering her too bad. They are cuddling in each other’s arms fast asleep,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

  Strike two … one more strike and I’ll be out of excuses.

  I sighed and dropped my hand away from the door. “Listen, I don’t want to make things more awkward than they already are.”

  “Awkward?” he repeated. “Things weren’t awkward for me until just now. Come have a seat and tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Strike three … time to come clean.

  I inched over to the bed and gingerly sat down. Jayce reached over and pulled me into his lap.

  “Thanks, Santa,” I teased, attempting to cut the tension in the air.

  Well, well, well … Santa has a hard on and it’s stabbing me in the leg.

  “What’s going on, Bri? Your whole body is tense,” he murmured into the side of my neck.

  “Jayce, I don’t want this to get weirder than it already is. We work together and you just broke up with Vivianne. I know I’m the rebound chick, and I’m not mad at you or anything. We were drinking and things got a little out of hand. It is what it is,” I said in a rush.

  He leaned back and loosened his hold around my waist. “What the hell do you mean rebound chick? Don’t go there with me, Bri, we’re adults and we had sex because we wanted to. I don’t look at you like a rebound chick or a friend with benefits. This is only weird because you’re making it that way,” he said.

  “I’m not asking you to define what this is, I’m just letting you know I’m aware of what it’s not,” I replied.

  Did that come out right? I think I’m still a little drunk.

  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve noticed you since the first time you walked into the shop, long before you started coming in without a bra,” he grinned. “But I was in a relationship, and there wasn’t a reason for me to cast a line and draw you into a messy situation. I’m not in a relationship anymore, and I don’t want to waste any time getting with you. Please don’t shut me out.”

  “It’s too soon,” I said. “Vivianne is still a new wound for you and I don’t want to get pulled into any drama.”

  “We don’t have to make any final decisions about anything right now,” he said, wrapping his arms back around me. “I’m just asking you to stay open to the possibilities. What do you have to lose?”

  Ugh … everything. My heart could end up broken, and I could find myself without a job … again. I’ve wanted this for so long, now I’m not sure what to do with it.

  “Okay, I’ll stay open,” I muttered.

  “Good,” he said, planting soft kisses along my neck. “Now get back into bed.”

  He pulled me over to the other side of the bed and yanked his shirt over my head. “I need to feel your skin against mine.”

  The light clicked off and he settled in with his arms around me
and not an inch of space between us.

  Hours later a firm knock on the door jolted me awake. I yanked the sheet up to cover my body just in case someone came in.

  Jayce slipped his shorts on and cracked the door just enough to see who it was, and I rolled over to check the time. It was well past nine and I was late for work. I waited until Jayce closed the door before I reached for my clothes.

  “I’m late,” I muttered, pulling my pants on. I clutched my still damp panties in my hand not sure what to do with them.

  “Don’t worry about it. There’s somebody at the shop,” he said. “You don’t have to rush.”

  “Damn, I need my bra and shirt.”

  Jayce’s eyes dipped low as he bit his bottom lip. “I don’t know … I like the way you look without them. He sat down on the bed and kissed me on the mouth before venturing lower. He suckled at one breast and then the other.

  “Stop,” I whispered. “I can’t walk out the room with a wet spot in the crotch of these pants.”

  “Take them off then,” he growled, reaching for my buttons.

  “I can’t. I really need to go home so I can shower and get started on the account statements,” I said.

  He sat back pouting just a bit. “I’ll get you later then. I already brought the rest of your stuff in here. It’s on your side of the bed.”

  My side? We have sides now? When the hell did that happen?

  We walked down the hall together and saw Keon and Kirsten sitting on the couch. Her hair was a tousled mess and she was wearing a too big T-shirt. “Hey, Bri,” she greeted with a big smile. “Good morning, Jayce.”

  “Morning. Are you ready to go?” I asked. I was a little embarrassed to do the walk of shame, but I was glad I was not alone.

  I tried to make a beeline for the door, but Jayce pulled me back. The kiss he planted on me nearly made me forget Keon and Kirsten were still in the room. He let me go and I expected to hear a bunch of teasing, but I saw my friend in a similar position. Keon released her with a playful smile. My eyes automatically zeroed in on his protruding erection and I forced myself to quickly look around the room as if I didn’t see it.

  The men in this family give new meaning to the phrase “hung like a horse.”

  Kirsten smiled and wiggled her eyebrows at me as she stepped out the door. She linked our arms and leaned her head on my shoulder until we got to the car. Before I was able to successfully round the corner, she was already asking me a million questions.

  “Did you have fun last night? I know you did … the whole neighborhood heard you,” she teased.

  “Me?” I asked, feigning shock. “What about you? You’re wearing Keon’s shirt as a dress. I thought you didn’t like him.”

  “I’m only wearing his shirt because it’s more comfortable than what I had on. We didn’t have sex last night, just cuddled, kissed, and talked. We’ll get to me later, I want all the details on what went on after you bolted from the table,” she ordered. “And don’t say nothing happened, because like I said, the whole neighborhood heard you.”

  I cut my eyes over at her and tried to stop the smile from spreading. “Let’s just say he’s skilled, and did a very good job,” I said.

  Kirsten squealed and clapped her hands together. “This is just like high school all over again. Remember when we were dating the Robinson brothers? Now we can go on double dates and everything,” she gushed.

  “I remember you dating the cute brother and I was left with the one covered in acne. And who said anything about dating?”

  She rolled her eyes at me. “Really, Bri? You’ve done nothing but drool over Jayce since day one and now he’s ripe for the picking. I know you don’t expect me to believe you don’t want to date him,” she said.

  My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I searched for the right words to say. “I guess you can say we’re just going with the flow. He just broke up with Vivianne, and I don’t want to put myself out there just for him to get right back with her,” I explained.

  “That’s understandable,” she said. “Well, Keon and I are doing the same. He was still being a jerk last night after you disappeared to Pleasure Island, but he opened up a little. We talked about his stint in the military, his family, and his plans for the future. I didn’t expect to hit it off with him, but I did. We’re planning to go out later.”

  She was giddy like a school girl and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Look at you! You’re so excited about this huh?” I asked.

  “Very excited,” she beamed. “I’m going to grab my things from your house and head on home.”

  I was glad to see Mom’s car parked in the driveway. We had so much catching up to do, but I needed to get ready to head to the shop.

  “Hello, girls!” Mom yelled from the kitchen.

  I closed the door behind us and followed Kirsten. “Wild night?” she asked with a suspicious gleam in her eye.

  “Very wild,” said Kirsten.

  “So anyway,” I said, trying to steer the conversation somewhere else, “how was your trip? Did you bring me something back?”

  “It was wonderful. And no, I didn’t bring you anything. You’re lucky I even came back,” she said.

  “I hate to just grab my stuff and leave, but I need to head home and run some errands,” said Kirsten, heading up the stairs.

  “Mom, we’ll catch up later. I have to get showered and get ready for work,” I said.

  “That’s fine,” she replied, taking a sip of her coffee. “I’m leaving soon to go visit Gram-Gram anyway.”

  I walked over for a quick hug before running up the stairs two at a time.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I headed straight for the office as soon as I got to the coffee shop. I hated taking care of the time sheets and other accounts at the last minute. My eyes strained to focus on the spreadsheets. The numbers were running together and my back was stiff. I tapped my head on the desk a few times, trying to pull myself together. My mind wandered over to last night’s events and put them on instant replay. A chill raced over my skin, I shuddered and sighed loudly. My memory was so vivid and real, I could actually smell Jayce’s cologne. I pictured myself leaning closer to him just to bury my face into his chest.

  “You smell so good,” I whispered.

  “Thank you.”

  The sound of his voice made me jump out of the chair. I clutched my chest and waited for my heart to stop pounding.

  “You scared the hell out of me,” I gasped.

  “I’m sorry, babe. I thought you knew I was behind you and that’s why you said something,” he said.

  I shook my head and dropped down into the chair. “What are you doing here?”

  Jayce pushed the door closed behind him and came toward me. He dropped down on his knees and cupped my face. Our lips touched with a subtle hint of familiarity. He had the softest lips ever and he knew what to do with them. I didn’t want to let go yet, so I moved my mouth to suck gently on his bottom lip.

  He moaned and pulled me in closer to him before jerking his head back. “If you keep it up I’m going to have you bent over this desk,” he growled.

  I smiled and sat back in the chair. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”

  “I’m supposed to be helping unload a truck. The delivery slipped my mind, but now you have me thinking of slipping inside of you,” he murmured.

  Who is this? This isn’t the same Jayce at all. This version is making me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling.

  “Maybe later,” I teased. My eyes caught the growing erection in his pants and if he didn’t leave right now, I knew he would make good on his threat, and the time sheets would never get done.

  “Go on and get the truck unloaded,” I urged.

  “Okay,” he said, getting to his feet. “Keon will be gone later, and we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

  “Does that mean you want me to come over?” I asked, wanting to be sure we were on the same page.


  “Of course that’s what it means,” he laughed.

  “All right, that’s fine,” I replied.

  He walked out the door and gave me a sideways glance before he left. I tried to make myself finish my work, but the playful teasing had my blood pumping and my nerves standing on end.

  My back started to hurt again from sitting in the same position for so long, so I decided to stretch my legs and grab a cup of coffee. It was not quite lunchtime, so we were nearly empty. I sipped the steaming hot liquid slowly and leaned against the counter.

  I guess I can help restock and wipe down the tables before anybody comes in here.

  I grabbed the cleaning supplies and got started. Leani was home from school and was manning the register. There was very little noise inside the shop, nothing other than the soft rustling of Mr. Jacobs’ newspaper as he turned the pages. My brain teamed with questions and I found it hard to focus.

  Am I better in bed than Vivianne? Does Jayce think I’m easy … especially since it’s not like he had to try very hard to get me to sleep with him. Should I ask?

  Kirsten would probably tell me to keep my questions to myself, but I really wanted to know. The door opened and it took me a few seconds to register the chime in my head.

  “Hello, welcome to Drip … ”

  “Where the hell is Jayce?” growled Vivianne.

  My stomach dropped down to my knees. The Queen Bitch of all things sparkly and evil stood before me with her hands planted on her hips and a scowl across her face.

  The tight dress painted on her body was cut low enough to reveal her new prized possessions. Those things looked like two overly inflated basketballs.

  I know her back is hurting from carrying those things around all day.