Once Miranda waved goodnight, I hopped back at the wheel of my SUV and made the rounds to drop off the other drunken fools. The Dennisons have both given me an extra key to their mansions because I’m usually the sober one. Either I end up being the designated driver or I get the chauffeur of the limo we hire to take them home first so that I have the peace of mind of knowing they’re safe. But last night, I wasn’t in the mood to fiddle around with their complicated alarm system, so I decided they were going to sleep over at my place in one of the many empty guest rooms. The reason they didn’t stay at the beach house is because they had already rented it to a production studio for a two-week movie shoot starting Monday. There’s a cleanup crew scheduled to come in today and erase all traces of our partying before the cameras start rolling tomorrow.
I first woke up at seven, but since this is LA and not Fort Collins, I rolled over and fell back asleep. Two hours later I wake up at nine o’clock with a monstrous hard-on. Once again, Miranda is the object of my kinky fantasy. I just can’t explain what makes her so irresistible, but I find myself thinking about her throughout the day and lately, she’s always in my dreams. The time limit imposed by my pending departure is the only thing preventing me from worrying about my growing need to have more of her.
After a quick shower that involves me jerking off and coming like an animal, I run down the stairs for a much-needed cup of coffee and some breakfast. Given what bad shape they were in, I figure Collin and Shane won’t be up for another few hours and that gives me plenty of time to enjoy my Sunday morning. It’s a tradition by now to need a day to veg out after a Dennison party, and today is no different. I lounge by the pool in my swim trunks with my shades on for three hours reading the latest mystery novel I downloaded on my iPad. After I finish that book and realize it’s already one o’clock and there’s still no sign of Shane or Collin, I check up on the latest sports scores. I’m nearly caught up when a shadow blocks my intake of sun. I bring my hand up over my eyes, squint and smile when I recognize the culprits.
“You guys are finally up?”
“Don’t you mean good morning?” Of course, Collin is already whining.
“Collin, it’s well past morning.”
“What time is it?” he asks, playing with his messy hair and scratching his balls at the same time. Both brothers slept in their boxer briefs.
“It’s midday, champion,” I sneer.
“Oh, well.” He shrugs. “It’s not as if I have anything else planned for the day. Recovery is my number one priority today.” He grins mischievously.
I turn my attention to Shane. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah. My stomach is a little queasy, but I guess it’s to be expected considering how hard I partied last night.”
“Do you need anything? I might have something in the medicine cabinet upstairs. At the very least I have some Advil.”
“I’m okay, Hunter. Thanks. I’ll medicate with copious amounts of water. Don’t worry about me. It’ll take me a minute or two, but I can handle it.”
“What about you, Collin?”
“I’ll survive, buddy. Thanks.”
Honestly, I don’t know why I worry about these two. They consistently manage to scrape the bottom of the barrel and the next day they’re always able to function. I, on the other hand, have to stop at some point. I don’t like being out of control.
“Are you working?” Shane asks, pointing at my iPad.
“God, no. Catching up on my favorite teams.” My eyes shift from one brother to the other. “You guys want to hang out here for a few minutes? It’s another amazing day in Cali. Or—”
“I’m hungry,” Collin complains like a three-year-old. “You got anything to eat or do we have to go out? Is it too early to order takeout?”
Spoiled brat. “What the heck does this look like? A bed-and-breakfast?”
“No need to get so testy. I’m quite willing to go out for food if you don’t have anything.”
“Unlike you, Collin, I always have food in my fridge, even on weekends.”
Shane chuckles. “You guys have the best bromance I know of.”
“What are you talking about? Your brother drives me crazy half the time.”
“Yeah, that might be true, but every time you’re back in LA you hang out with him. I totally understand where you’re coming from. There’s a part of you that wants to strangle him and there’s another part of you that wants to hug the heck out of him.”
“Whatever.” I shake my head before turning my attention to Collin again. “So sleepyhead wants to eat? What do you want?” I ask in a mocking baby voice.
Collin rolls his eyes at me. “I don’t care. I’m easy. As long as I can digest it.”
“I’ve always admired your high standards,” I tease. I pull my shades over my head and slide out of my lounge chair. “Come on, you two. Let’s go see what my chef Lucinda prepared.” I invite the Dennisons to follow me as I make my way into the kitchen and head over to the fridge. Since I already scoped out options when I had breakfast this morning, I know exactly what I’m going to offer my two starved guests. “I can reheat the pecan French toast casserole and I’ll make a side of bacon and some eggs. How does that sound?”
“I’m salivating,” Collin says.
“He’s right, Hunter. That sounds delicious and I’m sure it’ll hit the spot nicely,” Shane concurs.
“Great. You guys sit at the island and it should be only a few minutes. Coffee?”
“Absolutely.”
I bounce my eyes to Shane. “Coffee or water?”
“I’ll have both, but I’ll be good and start with the water.”
“You guys must’ve been in really bad shape because you ended up spending the night here with me instead of fucking one of the many girls from your party.” I throw the comment over my shoulder as I start pulling out plates, cutlery and glasses before grabbing a couple of pans to fry the bacon and eggs.
“Most of those women last night were part of Collin’s entourage and most were as smashed as we were by the time the party ended. As lovely as they were—and some were incredibly attractive—none of them held my attention long enough for me to be interested in spending the night with her. They were a little too high-maintenance for me. When I came to that realization, I decided Jack Daniel and Johnnie Walker would be my friends for the rest of the evening.”
“Fair enough. What about you, Collin?” Without waiting for his answer, I bend over to place the French toast in the oven and turn on the heat.
“I fucked two girls,” he states boldly. I stand up straight like an arrow and turn to face him.
“At the same time?” I ask, surprised.
“Nah. I took it easy. I fucked one earlier in the day and the second one right before I started drinking hard. They were two out of the four girls walking around naked—one had the blue butterflies tattooed on her back and the other was the redhead with the giant fake tits. They were both okay. The redhead wanted me to fuck her in the ass, so I did. I kind of bent them over and released myself in them, so I can’t say it was the best sex of my life, but at least I was able to relieve my aching balls.” He shrugs, moving his eyes from mine to Shane’s. He says that as a matter of fact. Incredible.
“Was that in your bedroom?” Shane asks. From the way his eyebrows disappear under his hair, I’d say he’s as surprised as I am by Collin’s confession.
“No way. Something tells me those girls sucked a few dicks at the party. Think about it. They were fully naked. They had a clear mission. I wasn’t taking them in my bedroom. I fucked them in the bathroom.” That’s so blunt. That’s Collin for you.
“Wow.” I shake my head, still shocked. “I guess you got your fill and there was no point in taking a girl home or for you to end up at her place,” I tease.
“That’s a funny comment coming from the guy who was sober. Why isn't the delicious, curvy, petite woman you came with isn’t in your bed?” He smirks. I didn’t see that one coming.
I shake my head. I’ve known this guy long enough, I’m not sure why I’m even batting an eyelash at his unabashed frankness. “I wonder how long you’ve been waiting to ask me that question, Collin?”
“Can you blame me? I know you presented her as your ‘friend’ Miranda, but the vibe you were giving off definitely indicates there’s more between the two of you.”
“Collin has a good point. What’s up with you two? You’ve never been one to show up at a party with a girl. I’ll be honest with you, a lot of the guys wanted to hit on her, but it was fairly clear to everyone that you’d deck the poor sucker who dared to approach her.”
“Oh, come on, Shane. You’re making way too much out of it.”
“I saw you shooting daggers at Chris Johnson when he glanced at Miranda. Poor guy. What was he to do? That outfit she was wearing showcased all of her tempting curves. I mean, I don’t blame you for being a little possessive—”
“I’m not,” I interrupt. “We barely know each other,” I add too quickly.
“As I was saying.” Shane’s lips fold up. It’s not a smile. It’s his way of letting me know he doesn’t believe a word that’s coming out of my mouth. “Miranda is gorgeous, articulate, smart and she’s one hell of a cook. She’s got a lot more to offer than all the women who were at that party and a whole lot more than Brianna. We’re all buddies here. We go a long way back. Just ’fess up. She has to be more than a friend, Hunter.”
Wow. It’s that obvious? “There’s really nothing to admit to.” I’m doing a lousy job at covering up here.
“You’re full of shit, Evans. The way she looked at you… A blind man could see she has it bad for you.”
“Collin, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snap, irritated. “Why don’t I get some coffee for the two of you.” I walk to the pantry to get some coffee beans, hoping to put an end to this conversation. Since it’s the three of us, the Nespresso machine won’t do. I’ll have to struggle with the more sophisticated espresso machine.
Shit. These two are grilling me. I’m fully aware that’s a lame response and I’m skirting the issue, but I’m not sure if I should come out and tell Colin and Shane about my arrangement with Miranda. I walk back, stop near the sink, drop the cup full of beans I’m holding, pull out a spoon, turn around and lean against the granite counter before folding my arms over my chest.
The incredulous look Collin and Shane share doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Your avoidance is your answer, buddy.”
I open my mouth to rebut Shane’s comment, but Collin interrupts me.
“Were you with Miranda Friday night? Is that what you meant when you said you had plans when we talked on Thursday? I figured since you canceled your fuck session with Brianna you’d be interested in fresh pussy. I guess you already found it.”
That last part irritates me, but at the same time I realize there’s no point in pretending anymore.
I sigh. These two are more perceptive than I thought. “Yes. I was.”
“Are you dating?”
“Not really, Shane.”
“So you’re just fucking her, then?”
Leave it to Collin to ask such a raw question point blank.
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“It really isn’t, Evans. Either you’re inside her or you aren’t.” Collin is flashing me a ‘duh’ look I’d give anything to wipe off his face.
“Hunter, you’ve never been this reticent to talk about a woman before. Why this secrecy?”
I sigh again. “She wants to learn to be a better lover and she asked me to help.”
“What?” both Shane and Collin exclaim at the same time.
This is going to be a long lunch. “Why don’t I finish up with the food and I’ll tell you everything.”
“This I have to hear,” Collin snorts. I ignore him.
An hour later, we’ve polished off the big dish of French toast, the six eggs and the pile of crisp bacon I fried. We each had two cups of espresso as I spilled my guts. Shane and Collin kept nodding at me, exchanging glances and stuffing their faces with food. They didn’t say much, which is totally out of character. When it comes to the intimate details, I spoke in generalities because what happens between Miranda and I is private. It’s something I’d never reveal to anybody. I did, however, make it pretty clear that I hadn’t had sex with her yet, but we had explored all sorts of shades of naughtiness. When I finish, Shane and Collin are just staring at me. You could cut the silence with a butter knife. After a few long, excruciating minutes, I finally speak. “So now you guys don’t have anything to say?”
“I can’t believe a woman that gorgeous came up to you and asked you for that favor. Why is it that a woman has never asked me to teach her how to be a good lover? I’d totally be up for the challenge and I’d be a pretty darn good coach at that,” Collin says, looking smug.
“Miranda trusts me,” I quip.
“What are you saying?”
“Collin, you love bragging about your conquests and you usually leave no details out. Half the time, listening to you is like watching a Vivid Entertainment movie and I think you come off as a guy who would kiss and tell. Maybe that’s why no one has ever asked you to help them with something that personal. No offence.”
“None taken. I have another question for you.”
“Shoot.” I’m not sure I want to hear what Collin wants to ask, but the cat’s out of the bag now and what I share with Miranda is highly unusual.
“Since this started, have you been with another woman?”
“Are you a therapist now?”
“Are you going to avoid my question?”
I exhale. “No. I haven’t.”
“Let me get this straight. One, you’re not dating Miranda. Two, you’re not having sex with her—well, not yet anyways. Three, you’re fooling around with her. Four, you’re not seeing other women. Five, you’re not fucking your regular booty calls? Did I get that right?”
I nod. “I’m sure it was a big deal for Miranda to approach me with her proposal and I didn’t want to complicate things by jumping from one bed to another,” I offer as an explanation.
“It’s not as if you’ve never juggled more than a woman at a time.”
“Collin, it’s only for a few more weeks.” The touch of annoyance in my voice is unmistakable. “I’ll be going back to the ranch soon. I’m sure when I’m gone, she’ll move on to a guy her own age and she’ll forget all about me.”
That lie worked really well for me when I accepted Miranda’s proposal. Not so much now.
“I’m no expert when it comes to dating, but I do know the type of women we usually go after don’t expect a happy-ever-after ending.” He’s right. “Heck, many of them are riding a couple other cocks while they’re riding ours and I’m okay with that because we both know what we’re getting into,” Collin sneers. “There’s no chance my flavor of the day or the week will confuse our little quickie hookups for something long-term. Miranda doesn’t come off that way at all. She seems like the type of girl who wants it all. The beautiful ending. The prince. The fairytale romance…” Collin pauses. “I didn’t think you were in the market for that.”
“Since when did you become Dr. Phil?” I throw at him.
“I hate to agree with him, but Collin’s right, Hunter. Miranda doesn’t come across as the fuck-’em-and-leave-’em type.”
“You guys are ganging up on me.”
Shane shakes his head. “We’re not. We’re your friends. It’s our duty to look out for you.” He considers me with the same serious expression as Collin does.
“She’s been very clear about what she wants out of this and I’ve been very upfront with her. She knows I’m not a virgin or a monk and that I’ve never been celibate. She also knows I’m heading back to Colorado. That was one of the reasons why she approached me in the first place. She wanted something that was no strings attached. She never asked me to stop seeing other women. I made that
decision on my own. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be like this until I leave LA. Maybe I will call Brianna again. Who knows?” I don’t even sound convincing to myself.
“Does Riley know what’s going on between the two of you?”
“Absolutely not, Shane.”
He barely gives me time to answer his last question before launching in the next. “What about Jake?”
“He knows part of the story, but you two know pretty much everything.”
“Are you seeing her later today?”
I thought Collin was done being a hardass. “Jesus, you’re interrogating me as if I were a fucking criminal.”
“What? I just want to know if you’ll be kicking us out soon.”
“I can’t believe you’d say that.”
“Just checking,” Collin says, lifting his hands up in a truce gesture.
“Don’t be an asshole. I don’t dump my friends for a woman. No. I’m not seeing Miranda today. I dropped her off first last night because she had an early wake-up call to go hiking with her best friend. They’re going on this crazy climb that started at like five in the morning and ends at five or six tonight.”
There’s a part of me that’s happy she has other plans because I don’t want to send the wrong message and get things confused. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself anyways, and that’s exactly what I’d tell these two judges grilling me right now. There’s no way in hell I’ll admit this, but deep down inside, I would’ve loved to spend the day with Miranda.
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