by Ava May
“Chad?” she called out quietly.
Something moved under the covers, then, “Claire?”
Claire didn’t answer; she just swung her leg up onto the bed and crawled until she found his arm. Lying on her side, she cuddled up next to him, squeezing her head between his neck and shoulder.
“Claire, what’re you doing?” he tried again, half-turning to wrap an arm around her. “What’s wrong?”
“I just…” she said miserably. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“Oh, Claire,” he said, and there was affection so soaked into his words that Claire couldn’t hold back the tears burning her eyes. “Claire,” Chad said after a moment, no doubt feeling the wet spots gathering on his arm. “Are you crying?”
“God,” she breathed shakily. “Can’t you just, I don’t know—comfort me, or something?”
“Of course,” Chad agreed softly, squeezing her close.
They stayed like that for a while. The only sound in the room was the fan on his bedside table blowing, and the steady beat of their hearts.
“Being cornered by him today,” Claire said, her mouth dry. “It was terrifying.”
“Oh, Claire,” Chad held her closer. “I’m so—”
“But,” she said. “I-it put things into perspective, you know?” When Chad didn’t say anything, she licked her lips. “I’m saying,” she said. “I’m willing to try again. To be us.”
Chad sighed from beside her. “You’re just saying that because you had a near death experience.”
“Of course!” Clair said, sitting up. “And it made me admit some things to myself! Like, yes, I would really like to date Chad again! He was the best relationship I ever had, up until he lied about me to his friends. But hey, I get it, I’m not pretty or—”
“What?” Now Chad was sitting up. “Why would you think that? Claire, you’re beautiful!”
“Yeah,” Claire scoffed. “Because fat can be beautiful,” she rolled her eyes.
“Hey,” Chad said, cupping her face. “You can call yourself ‘fat’ all you want, but all I see is a beautiful woman with a brain that could top all of the lawyers at my father’s firm—”
Claire moved before she could think, cutting him off with a kiss. He was rigid for a moment, obviously caught by surprise, but then he melted against her, moving his lips as he found places for his hands.
“Chad,” Claire murmured, pulling away to turn her head and kiss him again. He growled at the feel of it, slipping a hand into her hair to pull her close and grind his lips to hers, his tongue prodding until she opened wide. He urged her to move with his hands, and soon she found herself on her back with a hand down her panties.
“C-Chad!” she pulled away, her two hands on his muscular arm.
“Oh?” he asked cheekily. “Did I find your sweet spot?” Claire could only moan in response, his fingers hot against her opening as he found his way inside. When he rubbed against a certain bundle of nerves, she arched her back and gasped.
“Chad,” she gasped, yanking on his shirt. “I can’t...” Swallowing, she tried again, “Please, I need you in me.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Using his thumb to pull down his briefs, Claire watched his dick spring free. It was just as she’d remembered it, though she could tell that he’d taken up manscaping at some point.
A scrape of wood and she could barely make out that he was opening a drawer in the darkness, though the little square of plastic he took from it was much more recognizable. Ripping it open with his teeth, Chad put the condom on while he continued to rub circles around her opening. It wasn’t as intense as the feeling of his fingers inside of her, but it was a warm, buzzing sensation that made her stomach melt.
Chad pulled her underwear down her pale legs, kissing her meaty thighs as he went. By the time he had come back up to her face, she was a blushing mess.
He stared into her eyes as he moved his hips over hers, and kissed her when he entered.
Claire gasped at the sensation. Chad stilled, but she shook her head. “Keep going,” she moaned, scraping her nails down his back. He kissed her forehead, and pulled out just to thrust back in.
It was like college all over again—Claire couldn’t keep her voice down, while Chad simply breathed deeper and kissed her neck. He even remembered to do that little thing she liked, the slow grind as he entered her, and she couldn’t help but tense up at the feeling. She was close.
“C-Chad,” she moaned, clenching up as she felt it coming. Chad moved faster, perfectly aware of what was happening, and she gasped through her release. Chad kissed her cheek before speeding up, his own orgasm seconds away.
“Claire!” he hissed, and she ran her hands over his back, holding him to her. Chad only nuzzled against her and breathed as his orgasm rocked him.
“So,” he said, finally rolling to his side while keeping a warm hand on her stomach. “I’m thinking about tearing down that connector wall and just making this one big bedroom.”
Claire laughed to herself. “Do whatever you’d like, I don’t live here.”
“You could,” he said. “You can.” Holding her closer, he asked, “Would you?”
Claire was too tired to respond, so instead she just kissed him goodnight and cuddled close for sleep.
THE END
Bad Boy to the Rescue
Bad Boy to the Rescue
Chapter 1
“So what's been going on at work? Your boss still giving you a hard time?” Danny asked, taking a long sip of whiskey and wiping the drops off his scratchy stubble. He leaned on the bar and his dark hair drooped over his forehead, looking all broody and mysterious. As they passed, women were drawn to him and when they caught his eyes their hearts fluttered with desire as they imagined what a night with him would be like. He had an edge to him, a roughness that meant he was unpredictable and wild, and this was exuded from him in a way that seemed to pull people towards him. He couldn't explain it, and neither could the women that fell for him, some of whom were already married or in relationships, and yet when they came across this fine specimen they were helpless and slaves to their base desires.
The only one immune to this affect was the woman sitting beside him, his best friend, Carrie. The two of them were enjoying their bi-weekly late night drink together. She had a glass of white wine and her fingers were resting on the gold edge of the bar.
“Yeah, but that's just the way he is. He's such a jerk but what can I do? I have to just put up with it.”
“I don't know how you do it every day, go into that office with all those people. Does it not drive you crazy?”
“Gotta make a living, right? And I'm done struggling. You know I spent far too long trying to make my dreams come true. It's better this way, I get to put food on the table, I'm much less stressed, and I don't have to worry about things anymore.”
“But do you actually enjoy your job?” he asked pointedly. Carrie's eyes darted down and she raised the glass to her lips in order to avoid answering the question.
“I thought so,” he said smugly.
“Well, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. It's not ideal, but you have to pay your dues in this business. I'll keep my head down and work hard, then hopefully next year I'll get a promotion and I won't have to deal with that jackass anymore, and then eventually I'll be the one barking out orders.”
“You really think you'll be with the company for that long?”
Carrie shrugged, “I don't see why not. It feels nice to have some solid foundations for the future. Makes a change to the last few years of my life.”
“It feels weird, seeing you like this.”
“What, happy?”
“No,” he said, laughing, “Just, well, okay, don't take this the wrong way, but having your shit together.”
“Thanks.”
“You know what I mean, you were always the dreamer, the one that just floated through life and did whatever she wanted. I actually liked that about you. It's kind of
a shame to see that part of you die, if I'm honest.”
“You've never had a problem with being honest before. And that part of me isn't dead it's just...taking a break. I have to be pragmatic, you know? Life isn't going to wait for me to get up on my feet and I don't want to be one of those people that held onto a dream for too long, only to turn around when they're forty and realize that they missed out on all of the fun stuff.”
“I still think you could have made a go of it, you were so close, I mean you had that story published in that magazine right, you could have gone on from there.”
“I think that magazine had a readership of about fifty people. I mean, look, okay, yeah, if I had my way then I'd be a bestselling author and I'd be able to make a living from writing but sometimes these things just don't work out. At least this way I can still write for fun but I can do other things as well. I know this is the best thing for me in the long run,” she said, trying to sound convincing but she wasn't sure if she pulled it off, especially not in front of Danny, who knew her better than anyone, even herself.
“Sounds like Martin talking, not you,” he said, narrowing his eyes and swallowing the remaining golden liquid in his glass. When he set it down, the ice that was left clinked softly, and he immediately signaled to the bartender to pour him another.
“And what's wrong with that?” Carrie said, bristling, knowing that another argument was coming. Danny inclined his head and exhaled deeply, unable to prevent himself for speaking the blunt truth.
“You know there's something wrong about that guy. He's trying to change who you are. I mean, look how much different your life is to what it was just a few months ago.”
“Yeah, instead of worrying about where the next meal is coming from I'm actually able to treat myself to things, and instead of crashing on my best friend's dirty couch I have a comfortable bed. The only changes I can see are positive ones.”
“I'm just saying be careful, that's all, there's still a lot you don't know about him and there's just something that makes my spider sense tingle.”
“You're just being your usual over-protective self. I'm not a kid anymore, I don't need you fighting my battles for me,” she said, and the words came out more bitter than she wanted. She was perhaps the only person that could speak to Danny in that way without him yelling back, although more often than not they did have very loud arguments.
“I'm not trying to fight your battles, I'm just expressing my concerns. You always told me that it's bad to bottle my feelings in so I'm just trying to be honest with you.”
“Well Martin is here to stay so there's no use you getting all upset about it.”
“Isn't it weird that you work with him as well though, don't you feel like he's just keeping tabs on you?”
“No, he's not here, is he? Anyway, I appreciate him getting me the job. And we're not really working together. He's got his own office. We only go into work together and then come home together. Sometimes we see each other for lunch. It's nice. It's homely. It's something that I've never had before and it's something that I really value so I don't need my best friend giving me hassle for it.”
“I'm not trying to give you hassle,” Danny said, putting his hand in his head, “I'm just...god, I don't want to argue about this. Let's just forget I said anything.”
“Yeah,” she said. Then her phone buzzed. She opened it and a smile curled on her face. Speak of the devil. Danny scowled and finished off his drink, and immediately ordered another.
“I have to get going soon.”
“Ordered you back did he?”
“I'm in a relationship, we like to spend time together. It's called being courteous, something that you would know little about. Adult relationships are a lot different to the one night stands that you're used to Danny, so don't go judging me for something that you don't understand,” she said, and followed it up by draining her glass of wine and sending it back down to the table with a loud crash. Danny shifted his body so that he was looking away from her. She hung her head.
“Why do we always end up like this lately?” she asked.
Danny knew what he wanted to say but he thought better of it, and remained silent. Interrupting them was a group of three men that came up behind Carrie and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to face their smirks.
“Hey, I've always heard that fat chicks are better in bed because they try more, you want to try and prove that right?” Carrie flushed crimson and found her arms folding across her body, trying to hide it, just as she had done when she was younger. Danny stood up and flung his glass on the floor. It smashed and everyone turned to face them.
“What did you say?” he growled, stepping in between Carrie and the men.
“Are you her boyfriend?” the leader asked. Each of the men tensed and raised themselves to their full height but Danny was not intimidated by anyone. He stared back at each of them in turn, sizing them up and thinking about how he was going to hurt them.
“No.”
“Then it's not really your fight, is it, I was talking to the lady.”
“You're done talking,” Danny said, pushing the man's shoulder.
“Danny leave it, it's not worth it,” Carrie said, trying to pull him away, but once Danny felt the heat of anger rush through his blood he went into a red haze and there was little that could shake him from it. The bartender tried to calm them down but his words just echoed around them. It just so happened that on that night a cop had stopped into the bar for a drink after his shift, and he walked up to them.
“Is there a problem here fellas?” he asked, with a tone of voice that let them know they'd better not do anything stupid. Danny snarled.
“No, there's not officer, we were just leaving,” Carrie said, having to use all her strength to drag Danny away.
“I'm not bailing you out of jail again,” she said as they walked out of the bar. As they left Danny continued to look back at the men, glaring at them.
Chapter 2
When Carrie got home she kissed Martin on the cheek and smiled at the idyllic life they had built together in just a short few months. Things had changed dramatically ever since she had met Martin, and sometimes it scared her to think of how quickly her life was moving forward, but she reminded herself that it was what life was supposed to be like, and it was what she had wanted ever since she was little, or at least that's how she remembered it.
“Did you get those files sent off today? Jodie was on at me about them,” Martin said without looking up from the TV.
“Yeah, it was the last thing I did before I left,” Carrie said, dumping off her stuff and grabbing a yogurt from the fridge before settling down beside Martin, dragging his arm so that it rested around her curves. “What are you watching?”
“Oh, I don't know really, just some cop show. I'm not really paying attention. How were drinks?”
“Yeah, they were good, had a bit of trouble at the end though.”
“Oh, what's up?”
“Just some stupid guys making stupid comments. Danny was ready to blow up at them.”
“But you're okay?”
“Oh yeah, there was a cop there so he came and defused the situation, which was great because it's hard to stop Danny when he feels like he wants to be a hero.”
“Well, I'm just thankful that he was there. I hate the thought that anything could happen to you.”
“I was fine. They weren't the first stupid guys I've had to deal with and I don't need people to fight my battles for me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of things myself.”
“No, but it's always nice to have someone in your corner, especially someone as strong as Danny,” he said. Then, after a few moments of silence he added, “But don't you think it's a little strange that the two of you are so close?”
“Not this again, Martin. We're just friends. There's never been anything between us, okay?”
“I know, and I'm not saying there ever was, but are you sure he doesn't have any designs on yo
u? Usually in my experience when there has been a close friendship between two people of the opposite sex there's usually one who feels a greater affection for the other. I just think it'll be awkward, especially in the future when we're married and have a family, do you really want him hanging around all the time?”
“You want to get married?”
“Not right away, but it's in the plan, and then after that there are kids to think about as well. We've got to have the future in mind Carrie, even if it is a long way away. And I'm just not sure that I see a place for Danny in it. I appreciate that he's your friend and that you've known each other for a long time but it doesn't seem to me that there's going to be a place for him in your life. And really, is a grimy mechanic someone you want your kids to be hanging around? I don't think he's the greatest role model.”
“Danny is a great a guy and if you got to know him properly then you'd see that as well. He's my best friend and nothing is going to change that, and yeah if we have kids I will want them around him because I know that they'd always be safe with him and that he'd never let anything bad happen to them.”
“Okay, but I still think you're making a rash judgment there based on your life so far. Just think about it, okay? When you get a promotion you'll be working a lot, when you have kids you can make friends with other new moms and you'll be going to nursery, etcetera... All I'm saying is that do you really think Danny is going to fit into that life? I just think that at some point you're going to outgrow him, I mean, the man is basically a relic from the 80s, he doesn't strike me as the type that's going to change and there's nothing sadder than seeing a man being stuck in the past.”
Carrie rested her head on Martin's shoulder, too tired to argue. She watched the TV as two cops shot their way into a building and apprehended the criminals. The good guys won and everyone went home happy, all the beautiful people got together and had beautiful sex in their beautiful beds but while her eyes were seeing those images her mind traveled back to the past, when she was a teenager, in the first days of her and Danny's friendship.