by Sam Crescent
“Are you sure you’re not going to pass out on me?”
“Have a little faith. I’m only doing this as a precaution for your sake. Strap in.” She buckled her seat belt before he pulled out of the restaurant. This time she kept her focus on him instead of looking out of the car window.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“Chris, you don’t have to say stuff like that to me.”
“I want to. You look amazing, and thank you for agreeing to go out with me tonight. I know it took a lot from you, and I appreciate it.”
What could she say to that?
“The way you asked didn’t leave me much choice.”
She heard him sigh. “This thing with Ben, do you think you’ll marry him?” Erica tucked her hair behind her ear. She would do anything to stop herself from answering his question.
“I should accept. He’s a great guy. He’s sweet, caring, and everything—”
“That I’m not,” he said, interrupting her.
Erica heard the sadness in his voice, and she couldn’t allow him to go on thinking that he meant nothing to her. “And he is everything you’re not.”
She felt his eyes on her body in the quiet assessment he had always used to make to her. She rubbed her hands over her dress, which lay along her thighs. He would be looking straight ahead, watching the road. When she thought it was safe enough to look at him, she did. His jaw was clenched. She saw the way he kept his gaze on the road rather than look at her.
For the rest of the journey, Erica kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to cause any other problems.
Chris parked close to the entrance to the emergency department. She followed him inside. He talked to the nurse on the desk and filled out some forms before they both took a seat waiting for a doctor. She clutched her hands in her lap, as hospitals always made her nervous. The number of people who entered and didn’t come back out again scared her. He grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers. She knew he was offering her his strength. Erica gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Their silent communication meant more to her than any words that could be spoken.
The doctor came out, and Chris pulled her into the waiting room.
“Sorry for the delay. We’ve had a lot of accidents today,” the doctor said.
“No problem. I just wanted to get this checked out to ease my lady’s mind.” Erica scowled at him. She stayed out of the way of the doctor. Chris gave her a wink, which made her smile even though she tried not to.
He explained what happened to the doctor, who then removed the towel. She saw there were a few cuts but nothing else. She’d been worrying for nothing.
The doctor cleaned up the cuts to make sure there was no glass. He advised for Chris not to shatter any more in his hand and handed over some papers before leaving them.
“See, I’m okay. A fuss for nothing,” he said.
“All right, but I’m still glad we made sure. I would have been worrying for the rest of the night.”
He took her hand once again, leading her out to the car.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“We’ve still got to eat. I’m taking you some place. Buckle up and relax.” He closed the door, going round the car to his own side. The excitement of the surprise made her giggle when he started the car. She hadn’t felt so carefree in a long time. “I missed that sound.”
He put the car into gear, and they were off, the town and the beach far behind them.
****
Chris knew a quaint little place with a water fountain and the most amazing view of the city. With it being a Friday, everywhere was busy, but he knew the fountain wouldn’t be. There were not many bars, clubs, or restaurant in the area for people to sit and eat. He found a parking lot with plenty of spaces. While Erica got out, he grabbed their food, taking her hand in the process, and he walked her to his destination.
There were a few people around the fountain but not enough to spoil their time together.
“Wow,” she said.
Chris stopped, giving her enough time to enjoy the view. “I know it’s not some landmark or anything. To me, this is beautiful.”
Lights surrounded the base of the fountain lighting the water up like a running glow. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. At least nothing as good as this in the city,” she said.
“Come. Sit and eat.” They took their seats on the edge. Erica ran her hand in the water. Chris pulled out a coin and handed it to her. “Make a wish and pay the toll.”
“I’m not a child,” she said, refusing to take the coin.
“I know. This is fun, and who can’t believe in wishes?” To show her, he closed his eyes, made a wish, and threw the coin in.
“You made a wish?”
“Yes.”
I wished for you to be happy.
He grabbed another coin and handed it to her. She took it, staring from him to the coin and back again.
“I don’t need to know your wish. Just once let go and believe in something that cannot be explained.”
She stared at the coin, before she held it close to her chest, whispered something he couldn’t hear, and then threw it into the water.
He held out her box of fried chicken. She gazed at him for several moments before taking the box from him.
“I’ve never done that before,” she said.
“Thrown coins into a fountain?”
She nodded her head. Chris didn’t ask any further questions. He knew she held a lot in about her past. When she was ready, she’d share with him.
“Thank you,” she said.
“What for?”
“For not asking. So many people want to know everyone’s past. I’m not ready to talk about it.”
He took out a burger, eating the few pieces of lettuce that had escaped. “Sometimes it gets easier if you talk with someone, but I also know keeping it in can be the best.”
Erica smiled, taking a bite of her fried chicken. Watching her eat was special to him. Most women picked at salads as if they had mold or something on them. Erica dug in, taking chunks of chicken and the coleslaw he handed to her.
“Wow, this tastes good,” she said.
“Burger is great. Take a bite.” He offered up his food, and she took some. Watching her teeth sink into the bun made him smile. His dick twitched with how open she was. Even after the crap he’d said to her all that time ago, she still kept herself open like a book.
“Okay, this food is too damn good. Have some chicken.” She pulled some off and fed it to him from her fingers. He licked her fingers that held the chicken. Her gasp filled the air, making his dick harden. Chris remembered that gasp. He knew her juice would be pooling in her panties, and her slit would be red and creamy.
“Tastes good.” He wasn’t referring to the chicken. The memory of her pussy was still clear in his mind. The years melted away, and the only people who remained were Erica and he. If he could go back in time he would do things differently. On the Monday he never would say the horrid words that had come out of his mouth. When he really thought about it, his actions were no different from his father’s to Molly.
She looked away first. He saw the blush on her cheeks. The rise and fall of her chest showed her rapid breathing. Gazing down her body, he saw her pointed nipples and farther down, the unmistakable tightening of her legs. His woman was turned on.
Putting the food down and out of the way, he moved closer to her. Her chicken was discarded. Chris cupped her cheek, turning her face to look at him. He ran his thumb along the bottom lip. Her tongue peeked out, stroking his thumb. What he wanted to do to her must be illegal in some countries. The need to take her now was a struggle to hold back.
“Chris, what are you doing?” Her voice held uncertainty but also lust. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but fear held her back.
“Don’t talk. I’m doing what I should have done on that Monday morning.” Before she could protest, he slammed his lips down on hers, taking away whatever pro
test she may have had.
She gave way to his touch. Her lips opened, giving him access inside her mouth. He plundered inside, tasting her. Her fingers dug into his shoulders where she gripped him. Chris wanted her to mark him. He tilted her head back, deepening the kiss, giving her no choice but to give into his touch. She melted in the same way she had done three years ago. Pushing the blonde strands off her face, he held her hair in his fist. Her little cries of pleasure made his cock pulse, leaking pre-cum out of the tip. He growled against her lips before moving down to her neck.
He kissed along her delicate neck, nibbling and biting. For a few seconds he thought about Ben, and he bit down, sucking on her flesh. He may be a well-respected businessman, but Ben was a challenge he wanted rid of. Seeing his love bite on her neck would make his intentions clear.
“Chris.” She spoke his name with a sigh on her lips. He smiled, kissed the red roughened area, then pulled away.
Her hand went to her neck where he’d given her the love bite. “You did that on purpose,” she said.
“I want you, Erica. This time I’m not going to screw up.” Chris moved her hand away and stroked the spot. “Give me a chance. Give us a chance, and I swear I’ll make it worth your while.”
Chapter Four
“I’ll see you soon,” Chris said. He turned and moved back towards his car. He’d dropped her off at her front door like a true gentleman. She watched him get inside his car before opening the door to the beach house, where she was staying with friends.
Erica looked back at Chris and gave him a wave. Her body hummed with excitement from his kiss. This was how she remembered her crush on him, the scalding heat of his touch on her lips and neck never failed to make her pant for more of him. She held her neck where he’d bitten her. The claiming from the touch could not be mistaken for anything other than a possessive man showing the world who she was. Erica closed the front door as his tail lights faded in the distance. She leaned against the closed door with a smile on her lips.
“So, you’re just going to give yourself to him again?” Ben asked. He sat at the counter with a beer in his hand. The sight of him sent the happiness away from her. In the moments with Chris, she’d forgotten about him. It was easy to do as Ben never made her feel wild with need. Chris was different.
“I don’t really think that’s any of your business,” she said.
“Not my business? For fuck’s sake, Erica. I asked you to marry me. I thought we had a thing going.”
He had a point, and the shame of her actions made her turn, pulling her hand away from her neck. Ben got up, shoving her hair off her shoulder. His were actions so rough and not like Chris. Why was she suddenly comparing him to Chris and finding Ben lacking?
“Ben, I care about you—”
“Bullshit. If you cared about me you wouldn’t have let that fucker mark you.” The anger was so unlike the Ben she knew.
“Bullshit?” She screamed the word at him. “Bullshit is what we’ve been doing for the last year. Can you really tell me you find me irresistible? What kind of man leaves a woman for a year without fucking her?” She saw the guilt on his face and knew she’d hit the mark. “What kind of man asks a woman to marry her when his best friend is the real guy he wants?” Erica had noticed the way he’d looked at Martin. At the time she hadn’t wanted to think about Ben being gay, but now looking at his red-stained face and knowing her own feelings about Chris, she no longer had a choice.
“Don’t, Erica. You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. He turned to look in the direction of his friend’s bedroom.
Erica knew she couldn’t let him hide anymore. If Chris ever found out about what she was about to do, he’d have a fit, but this was to prove a point to her friend. There was nothing sexual in what she was going to do.
“No?” She stood before him and pulled her dress off her body along with her bra. She stood in her panties and shoes with the front door at her back. Her body was full, but he’d complimented her on her curves in the past, even though he’d never gotten hard while looking at her.
She gave him a second to look his fill and then touched his cock. He lay flaccid in her hand. There was nothing to him. Erica knew she was being a bitch. She needed to end this now between her and Ben. In truth, she knew there had never been a chance for him and her. “Think about Martin, on his knees right now in front of you.” His cock started to thicken. “You’d love to feel his lips wrapped around your dick, sucking on you.”
He let her talk to him for several moments then his hand covered hers. “Enough.” She let him go. They stayed close together, staring at each other. Ben leaned down, grabbed her dress and helped her back into it. “You made your point.”
Erica took his hand and hugged him close. Her intention hadn’t been to hurt him. She wanted to show him why they never stood a chance together. He wrapped his arms around her. Wetness coated her shoulder, and she pulled back to see Ben crying. Movement distracted them. She took Ben back to her room. He sat down on the edge of her bed, a small smile on his face.
“I wondered what I’d do if you ever invited me back to bed. When we messed around I always thought about Martin.” He confessed to her. They’d messed around, and deep in her heart she had known he was looking at someone else. Time had changed the way she felt.
“I always thought about Chris. We’re great friends, and we’d probably make a kick-ass married couple, but we’d never be in love. Settling for second best is not what I want from my life.”
“The pain is what you want? Chris crushed your heart back then. Are you going to let him do it a second time?” he asked.
She shrugged, sitting down next to him. “People change. He could have changed. If I don’t give him a chance to prove it then I’m no better off. I don’t want to live a life of regrets.”
Ben took her hand in a gesture like so many times before. This time it felt right. They were friends with the truth in front of them. “Well, I’m going to be living a life constantly looking at my best friend and the women he dates. It is so fucking awful watching him with a different woman every day.”
“Have you thought about telling him?” she asked.
“No way. I would rather deal with watching him with different women than risk losing his friendship.”
She nodded her head.
“Are you going to give him a chance?”
Erica glanced down at their joined hands. “I’m going to try. This time will be different than last.”
“How will it?”
“I’m not going to wear my heart on my sleeve. The past between us is over, but it’s still there. I no longer have the freedom to love him openly.”
Ben gave her a look.
“What?” she asked.
“You’ve never fallen out of love. I know you, Erica Black. You love with your whole heart. Even the pain this guy has given you hasn’t stopped you from wanting a second chance.”
Tears blurred her vision. “I really wish I could have fallen in love with you.”
“You and me both. I don’t think Martin will be giving me a love bite like that any time soon.”
She burst out laughing, wiping the tears that fell to her cheeks.
“Can I stay with you tonight?” he asked.
“Yes.”
They got ready for bed. He wore a pair of boxers while she put on her nightshirt. She climbed in and stared at him. They held hands, talking.
“If he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass.”
“If he hurts me again, I’m hoping you won’t need to because I’ll kick his ass.” Ben leaned over, kissed her head and settled down. She thought it was strange having a man in her bed and still wanting a different one. The revelations she’d brought to the surface had made their friendship stronger. She hoped her relationship with Chris could prove to be stronger.
****
Chris let himself in at home. There was a light shining in the sitting room. It was past midnight, so he knew it couldn’t b
e Blaze or Cassie. The two love-birds would be spending as much time together in private. He put his dress shoes by the door and made his way into the room. His father, David, sat with a glass of something in his hand. Looking at the colour of the liquid, Chris guessed it was a really strong whiskey. His father stared at the fire in front of him, lost deep in thought.
“Hi, son.”
“Hi, dad.” The whole house was silent. “What are you doing in here?”
Chris’s father took a swig of the dark amber liquid. “I can’t stand to be in that room on my own. For twenty-five years, Molly has slept by my side. I never thought I’d be like this when she decided to leave my bed.”
Molly was his father’s second wife. She’d been a wife to his three sons and made two of her own.
“You didn’t expect her to be second best forever, did you?” Chris asked, taking the seat next to his father.
“I never expected to have a second wife. Let alone consider an empty bed.” David sighed. “I wish I could go back and do everything differently.”
“We can’t go back and rectify what we’ve done to the people we love.”
“Ain’t that shit the truth? I need another one. Do you want one?” Chris nodded, watching the fire while David made drinks. “How did your date go?”
“Fine. I think.” His lips tingled from where they’d kissed. He was sure he could still taste her in his mouth.
“I hope it works well for you, son.” David gave him his drink. “Molly is going to leave me when Luke and John leave home and are done with college.”
Chris knew she’d planned to eventually leave his father. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Of course I have a problem with it. Molly is my wife, and I don’t want her to go.”
Chris took a drink of his whiskey and winced at the taste. His father liked the stronger stuff. “You’ve spent most of your twenty-five years telling a woman she would never be good enough. What did you expect to happen?”
“I thought the crap I was saying all these years was the truth. How could I know my true feelings? I love her, Chris. The thought of living without her is fucking killing me inside.”