Alec

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  “In general. What is it that men want?”

  Gabe looked at the other guys, wide eyed and terrified. “Does she want a list?” He turned back to me and shrugged hesitantly. “I like pepperoni pizza.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? A woman asks you what men want and your answer is pepperoni pizza?”

  He shrugged again. “It’s good. It’s comfort food. I like to feel comforted.”

  “I’m partial to ice cream,” Sinner said.

  “We all know that,” I spat.

  He held up hands and backed up like I would attack. “Sorry, I thought we were sharing.”

  “I’m talking about what men want in general terms. What makes you tick? What makes you satisfied? What makes you want a woman?”

  I cringed as the last one came out. I hadn’t meant to say that, but I was on a roll.

  “Who is he?” Hunter asked. “Just tell me and I’ll kick his ass.”

  “I think I can do my own ass kicking.”

  “No. Whoever this asshole is, just tell us and we’ll take care of things. We’ll make sure you never see him again. If you know what I mean,” he continued.

  “I know exactly what you mean, and no, you don’t need to make him disappear.”

  “But, that’s what we do. We don’t know how to solve any other problems,” Gabe said, almost in confusion.

  Rocco groaned and held up a hand to ward off the guys. “I didn’t want to get involved, but it looks like I’m gonna have to. Why don’t you tell us about this guy. What’s he like?”

  “Smart, strong, capable…”

  “Sexy?”

  “Of course,” I huffed. “But he’s confusing. I thought that he was into me, but then nothing happened. Is it me? Am I not pretty enough?”

  “No,” Sinner said, shaking his head sharply.

  “Of course not-” Hunter snorted uncomfortably.

  “You’re beautiful,” Rocco said firmly, and the other guys joined in.

  “Sexy as hell.”

  “Nice rack.”

  “Good ass. Nice and firm.”

  “You have nice elbows,” Sinner said.

  “What?” I asked in confusion. Hunter smacked him upside the head.

  “I panicked,” Sinner said. “You all said nice rack, good ass. What else was left?”

  “You could have gone with beautiful eyes,” I snapped. “Or even nice legs, but nice elbows? Who the fuck says that?”

  “Obviously not this guy you’re seeing or he’d already be dead,” Rocco muttered.

  “Did you fuck him?” Hunter asked. “Guys always lose interest after you fuck them.”

  “No,” I sneered. “It’s not like I just spread my legs for any guy I come across.”

  “Did you come right out and tell him you like him?” Rocco asked. “Some guys are fucking stupid and can’t take a hint.”

  “Actually, I wrote him a note and told him that I really liked him and asked if he liked me too.”

  “Like in the song?” Sinner asked.

  “Yeah,” I snarked. “Just like in the song. I even drew boxes and asked him to check yes or no.”

  “Did he answer?”

  “No, you idiot! I didn’t actually do that. I’m not in second grade.”

  “Maybe you should,” Sinner shot back. “With all your sarcasm, he probably doesn’t know if you want to kiss him or kick him in the balls.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Don’t answer that,” Hunter coughed.

  “I’m saying that you can be a little abrasive,” Sinner said, not backing down.

  “So, you’re saying I should be sweet and gentle?” Gabe snorted and I glared at him. “I could be sweet and gentle.”

  “No offense, Florrie, but I can’t see you interrogating some asshole and being sweet. Remember, I’ve seen you string a guy up to a tree.”

  “That’s different. That’s work.”

  “That’s you,” Sinner pointed out. “And that’s okay, but not all guys are prepared to deal with all…” He waved his hand up and down my body, “that.”

  “All what? All of me?”

  “Well, I didn’t want to say that, but yeah. You’re a lot of woman to take. And not in the fat way,” he quickly clarified.

  “So, how do I approach this then? Do I try and be more feminine? I could wear more dresses and try not to drink so much beer.”

  “Is that really what you want?” Rocco asked. “You want to put on some fake face for a guy that doesn’t like you the way you are?”

  “See, that’s the thing. I think he does like me the way I am, but why isn’t he making a move?”

  “Maybe he doesn’t know what you like,” Rocco suggested.

  “Trust me, he knows exactly what I like.”

  “Okay, so maybe he wants to see your softer side. You can do that without turning into some…girl,” Sinner added.

  “I’m already a girl,” I bit out.

  “Right, right. We know that,” Sinner said placatingly. “We just have to help him see you that way instead of as a ninja warrior.”

  “Okay, so what kind of stuff?”

  “For instance,” Gabe said, clearing his throat, “Perhaps you could lose the combat boots. Not all the time,” he rushed on. “Just in more social settings. You seem to think they go with everything.”

  “Because they do. I look badass when I wear these with a dress.”

  “Right, but he might not be into Goth,” Sinner said.

  “And maybe try to wear your hair down a little more. You know, ponytails make you look a little too severe,” Gabe added.

  “And show off your tits more,” Rocco said, yanking my shirt down just enough that I looked like I had cleavage. “And don’t be afraid to shake that ass.”

  “Like, when I’m just standing here?”

  “When you walk.” Sinner started walking away from me, shaking his ass from side to side. “See? It’s all in the hips. You have to make that ass more appealing. Plus, if you wear heels, you accentuate the muscles in your calves and lift your ass.” He bent over, waving his hand over his calves.

  “Ooh.” Gabe snapped his fingers and grinned. “Maybe you should try and tell him what you like sexually. You know, things you like in the bedroom. Things you wish you could do to him. Guys love to hear about sexual explorations.”

  “But not with other dudes,” Sinner interjected. “Don’t start telling him about some guy’s dick and what you did with him.”

  “But be honest about what you want,” Rocco interjected. “Don’t say that you like shit you’ve never tried. If you don’t want to be tied to the bed, don’t tell him you like BDSM.”

  “But be adventurous,” Hunter added. “No guy likes a woman that just lays there.”

  “But don’t try to control everything either,” Sinner said. “I don’t mind Cara taking over from time to time, but I’m a guy. I want to have all the control and bring the pleasure.”

  “Yeah, and don’t be clingy. Some guys like a little snuggle-snuggle,” Rocco said, “but don’t act like you suddenly have bed rights.”

  “What the hell are bed rights?”

  Rocco chuckled and then his face turned serious and he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning in close. “This is important, so listen carefully. There are certain rights that a woman gets in a man’s bed. Now, at the beginning, those rights are very limited. We’re talking, you might be allowed to spend the night, but you’d better sleep on your own side. Now, after a couple of times in the sack, you might get snuggle rights, but there’s a time frame of about ten to twenty minutes. Thirty is really pushing it. And then there’s the whole cleaning up rights. Guys in general don’t like cleaning you up after sex. I know women have this fantasy that men will take care of their woman, but it’s all bullshit. That comes after some very extensive cock sucking.”

  “Is he serious?” I asked Hunter.

  “Deadly.”

  “Okay, so after a few dates, you might earn breakfast ri
ghts, but don’t expect anything fancy. I’m talking toast and burnt eggs. If you’re lucky and he’s already making breakfast for himself, he might think of you. Coffee is your best bet.”

  “What if I don’t drink coffee?”

  Gabe hissed in a breath. “Don’t turn it down. You turn coffee down, that’s like saying you don’t need anything for breakfast. Coffee is a man’s best friend first thing in the morning. That’s all he needs, so he assumes that’s what you need.”

  “What if I make breakfast?”

  “Noooo. Definitely not,” Sinner said. “At this point, you haven’t earned household rights. That falls into the category of making yourself at home in the living room and taking long showers. You just don’t have those rights at this point.”

  “How do you not know any of this?” Rocco asked. “You’ve been around.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t stick around,” I said. “I’ve never found a guy worth sticking around for. I always leave after sex. I didn’t know there was anything about rights.”

  “Shit, this is worse than I thought,” Rocco muttered. “Okay, as far as showering goes. You’re allotted about ten minutes in the shower. Anything longer than that when the guy isn’t in there fucking you is considered rude and intruding on his time.”

  He looked at me expectantly and I nodded. “Got it. Ten minutes.”

  “Good, then we have the whole morning kissing and cuddling rights. That doesn’t kick in until well into the second month, if you get that far. And only if the guy initiates. If you have bad morning breath, you’d better get your ass out of bed and into the bathroom to brush that shit out.”

  “What about him?”

  “It’s his place,” Hunter shrugged. “You don’t like it, move on.”

  “Now,” Rocco continued, “as for sex in the morning, most guys don’t mind if you initiate, but always start with a good blow job.”

  “And when you suck cock-” I cut Gabe off right there.

  “You know, I’m not sure this is exactly what I was getting at. In fact, I’m not sure saying anything to you guys was the wisest decision. How the hell do you guys get by on the advice from each other?”

  “We manage,” Hunter shrugged.

  “Seriously? With suggestions on bedroom rights and household rights? Is this what you really base a relationship on?”

  “Well, the pace of it. I mean, we could go on about dating rights, but I’m getting the feeling you don’t want to hear those,” Rocco said, eyeing me warily.

  “You know, I just came in here to beat the shit out of a bag. I wasn’t looking for dating advice or an advice column on sucking cock. I wasn’t even planning on getting myself into a relationship,” I said exasperatedly. ”I just wanted the guy to fucking notice me. Any advice on that?”

  The guys all looked at me warily, obviously not wanting to share anymore after my outburst. Fucking useless. I turned and walked away. I was going to have to figure this out for myself.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Alec

  Florrie followed me back to my house after poker night with the guys. I had been drinking and she insisted on driving me home. Except, I hadn’t really had that much to drink. Unless you count two beers over the course of four hours a lot to drink.

  “Florrie, I’m fine. I don’t need you to walk me inside.”

  I really didn’t need her to because she looked fucking sexy and I wanted nothing more than to stick my dick in her right now. I needed her to stop following me around all the time. She was much better about it than she had been after I was first released from the hospital. Those first few weeks, she barely left my sight. Even Craig noticed, but he chalked it up to Florrie being an emotional woman. I knew better. I knew that she had a shitload of feelings running through her that she didn’t understand. I didn’t want to put pressure on her, but I was running out of patience.

  “I’m just making sure that you get in okay. I promise I’ll leave as soon as I see that you’re okay.”

  I sighed and opened the door to my house. She walked ahead of me, flicking on the lights as she went. I watched her ass sway and groaned when my dick started pressing against my pants. Fuck, I needed her to leave so I could go jack off. I hadn’t been with anyone since Michelle, which wasn’t all that long ago, but still, a few months for a guy was a long time. I wanted to feel her strong legs wrapped around my waist and feel her heat pressed up against me.

  “Okay, I’m going to make something up for the morning for you and I’ll be over to make you some dinner tomorrow-”

  “Would you stop!”

  She looked at me like a deer in the headlights. “What’s wrong?”

  I chuckled as I stared at the ceiling. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong is I’m fucking horny and I haven’t gotten laid since Michelle. Now you’re strutting around my house in those tight pants and I just want to go fuck.”

  “Oh.” Her face filled with confusion for a moment and then cleared. “I thought…” She chewed on her lip for a moment and then looked at me quizzically. “Do you want me to leave so you can call Michelle? Or someone else,” she rushed out. “Sorry, I wasn’t really thinking about-”

  “I’m not fucking calling Michelle. I don’t want a fucking booty call. She was great in bed-”

  “Then why did you break things off with her?”

  I growled in frustration. This wasn’t the conversation I wanted to have right now. Everything was coming out all wrong and she was misinterpreting what I was saying. “It wasn’t going to work anyway. We’re too different. Besides…” She stared at me expectantly and I took a chance. I had a feeling it was now or never with Florrie. “There’s someone else.”

  Disappointment was clear on her face. I just didn’t know in what way she was disappointed.

  “Found someone else already to warm your bed?”

  “Fuck, woman. Would you just shut the fuck up and stop making assumptions?”

  “Excuse me, but-”

  “No, just fucking stop. It’s you and you fucking know it.” The look of shock on her face was so real that I began to wonder if she really did know. “You don’t know,” I said dumbly.

  “I didn’t know you felt that way. I mean, I knew that there was something between us, but I thought it was all one sided.”

  “Are you fucking serious? I jumped in front of a bullet for you,” I said incredulously.

  “Yeah, but that could have been because you’re a man and thought you had to protect me or something.”

  “Woman, are you fucking kidding me right now?” I yanked her closer to me, pulling her in by the back of her neck, leaving her nowhere to go. “I’ve been eye fucking you every day for years. I have to take cold showers to stop myself from mauling you every time I see you.”

  “Then why did you push me up against the wall and then pull away in the bar? I thought you wanted me then, but you just walked away like I meant nothing.”

  “Because I was already with Michelle. I’m not that big of an asshole to cheat on Michelle with you. And I would never do that to you. What kind of message does that send about me? Would you ever really trust me?”

  “I’m not sure I trust you now.”

  Ouch. I hadn’t been expecting that. I thought that I would tell her why I had backed off that night and she would understand and jump into my arms, ready to fuck me.

  “Well, I’m asking you to trust me. I only backed off so I didn’t hurt either of you. And I didn’t go jump you when I broke things off with Michelle because I knew that I had been an asshole before. I didn’t want you to think I was just using you.”

  “Then why didn’t you just tell me that?”

  “Because ever since I came home from the hospital, you looked like a scared kitten that would run away if I said anything to you. Besides, we work together.”

  “We still do,” she snapped, trying to pull back, but I pulled her closer, flush against my body. There was no way I was letting her get away anymore.

  “Yeah, but you know
what? In that basement, something happened. I felt…I felt something that was way beyond anything I felt before. It wasn’t lust,” I said, bringing my mouth just a breath away from hers. “It was so much more than just wanting to fuck you or feel you beneath me.”

  Her breath was heavy, mingling with mine in a frenzied pattern. “What was it?”

  “It was fucking need.” I crashed my lips into hers and shoved my tongue into her mouth just as she opened up to me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her fingers dug into my scalp. Fire exploded inside me, but it wasn’t from the way she was pushing against my healing wounds. It was from the burning need I felt deep inside me. She was mine and that wasn’t changing anytime soon.

  “You’re hurt,” she murmured against my lips.

  “My dick works just fine,” I said, tearing my mouth from hers and shoving her pants down to her ankles. I was fucking desperate.

  “Hurry,” she panted. “Get them off. I need you.”

  “Say you want me.” I needed to hear that she wanted me just as much, that it wasn’t all on me.

  “Of course, I want you, asshole. Haven’t you noticed that I haven’t left your fucking side in weeks.”

  “Months,” I corrected as I ripped open her shirt and pulled at the bra that was covering her small tits. I didn’t give a shit how small they were. She was fucking perfect to me. Her fingers fumbled for my jeans as I sucked on her nipples. She moaned and yanked the zipper down, reaching inside to pull me out.

  “You’d better not kick me out afterwards,” she panted.

  “I never would,” I gasped as her fingers wrapped around my cock.

  “Good, because I’m always the one to walk away.”

  “Not anymore,” I said as I plunged inside her. “You’re never fucking walking away from me.”

  She pulled me tight to her, wrapping herself around me desperately. “Just remember something, when we do this, you’re not my boss.”

  She rolled me over, putting herself on top as she ground her hips down on me. She started circling her hips and rubbing her clit against me so hard that my eyes crossed.

  “Right,” I bit out. “You can be in charge. Just as long as you don’t break my dick with your tight cunt.”