by Terry Towers
Sitting up, I threw the blankets off me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Pushing myself from the bed, I made my way across the room to answer the door. I was wearing a pair of Snoopy pajama bottoms and black tank top, so there was no reason for modesty as I pulled back the security lock and opened the door wide.
I opened my mouth to give the person on the other side a piece of my mind, but suddenly lost my voice as I looked up and saw Carrington standing before me, with Misty on a leash on one side of him, a medium-sized suitcase on the other. He looked as handsome as ever, but tired. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair, which was normally in perfect place, was disheveled.
“Good morning, Connie.”
“Carrington… Wh- ” Frowning I stared up at him. Did he just call me…
“Would you prefer I continue to call you Felicity or should I just switch back to Connie for old times sake?” He cocked a brow at me, his expression unreadable.
Misty whined, giving her collar a little tug attempting to enter the room.
Stepping back, I allowed the dog and Carrington to enter, closing the door behind them. “How did you find out? Our mothers?”
“Yeah, that’s more or less how it went down.” Removing the leash from Misty’s collar, he placed it on the desk and placed his suitcase just inside the door. Walking over to the bed, he sat down and sighed. “I fucking hate flying overnight.”
“When did you leave?” Still confused as to why he was there and unsure of how to feel about it, I sat down next to him. I’d taken some extra time in L.A. to get my thoughts in order, yet the reason I needed time to think was sitting next to me.
“The first flight I could get that I could board Misty on was at 3am. Because it’s summer, the airline doesn’t like flying dogs in the daytime. I haven’t slept yet. The guy in the seat next to me stank, like reeked of sweat and booze. It was disgusting and surprisingly enough, the flight was full so I couldn’t swap seats.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Who fucking flies at 3am?!”
I shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin. “You do?”
He caught my gaze and grinned. “Fair enough.” With a sigh, he stood and stripped off his shirt and jeans.
“Whoa, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to get some sleep. We can fight this out when I wake up, I’m not mentally equipped to go over this whole thing with you while this tired.”
I turned my head as he took his thumbs into the waistband of his underwear and pulled them down, kicking them off to the side once they hit the floor and then he proceeded to crawl under the covers. He fell asleep and was snoring the moment his head hit the pillow.
Looking down at Misty, I shrugged. That could have gone a lot worse, though I was left with a lot more questions than answers. “Well, I guess we should get you some water.” Grabbing the empty plastic bowl that’d once held a salad and I just hadn’t thrown it out, I went into the bathroom, rinsed it out and filled it with water for her, leaving the bowl under the sink in the bathroom. Giving her a pat on the head as she began to drink, I left her to it as I re-entered the bedroom.
I yawned as I looked at the big bed. Screw it. I’d gotten to sleep late and was far from ready to get up yet, so I went to the other side of the bed and slipped under the covers. It took a while to get to sleep knowing he was next to me and unsure of where we stood, but eventually my tiredness got the better of me and I drifted off.
~*~ TT ~*~
The smell of food and the feel of my stomach grumbling woke me from a dream that made no sense whatsoever. Even as I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, the images had faded, all I could remember was that Carrington had been in the dream.
“Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken!”
My head turned to the left to see Carrington with a room service tray stacked with breakfast foods – pancakes, bacon, eggs, orange juice. “You’re here.”
And he looked fine as fuck with a t-shirt stretched across his broad chest and a pair of jeans slung low on his waist. I saw the hard lines of muscle under the cotton. Just the sight of him caused a stirring between my legs. It may have been only a few days, but it had been too long since I’d felt him in me.
“I am. Are you feeling okay?”
I quickly remembered him showing up this morning. Oh God, he knew I was actually Connie the Cow. I groaned inwardly. “I’m sorry.”
A frown knit his brows. “About what?”
“Lying to you.”
“You lied to me?” I could see a hint of a smile on his lips.
My eyes narrowed at him. What kind of game was he playing with me? “Come on, Carrington. You know who I am.”
“I do,” he confirmed with a nod. “You’re Connie Felicity Boyce. We grew up a few streets from each other.”
I nodded.
“I also know that I was a pretty fucking big dick to you and part of the reason you had a miserable time in high school.”
I nodded a second time.
He passed me a tray containing a glass of orange juice and rounded it with a plate of breakfast foods. “Did you know who I was when I moved in?”
“Not when you applied, I only had your first name, but the moment I saw you I knew. You were my very first boyfriend. Shit, you were the only boyfriend I had until college. You were the most popular kid in our high school, how could I not know who you were?”
“But you didn’t tell me.”
“Nope.” I shrugged. “I didn’t know what to think. When I saw you, all the anger and hurt came back. I was going to turn you down and find a different roommate...”
“Why didn’t you?” Grabbing a plate identical to mine he sat next to me.
“I don’t know. It happened so fast. I needed a roommate and all the applications up until you were duds. I was still bitter with you over everything, but at the same time, I was curious. Then next thing I know your boxes were in the bedroom and you were sleeping in the room across from me.”
He stabbed his hash browns and popped a forkful into his mouth. “You had tons of time to tell me the truth. We’ve been living together for nearly a month. We’ve spent so many hours together just talking and getting to know each other. There were so many times you could have told me the truth.”
“I could have. I just worked so hard at re-inventing myself I didn’t want to go back to being Connie the Cow again.”
He grimaced, the name visibly hurting him. “Don’t call yourself that.”
I huffed, rolling my eyes at him. “You didn’t mind me being called that when we were teenagers.”
“Dammit.” Dropping his fork on the plate he sighed, placing a hand at the back of his neck and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Look, Felicity, I was a kid. It wasn’t right. I was a prick for what I did to you. I wasn’t fully aware of all the teasing you had to endure, I had my own shit going on, but I should’ve made sure you were okay. We’d been friends as kids and it wouldn’t have killed me to be nicer to you as teenagers. I was a piece of shit teen. I have no justification for it. All I can say is that I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. It was a decade ago.”
“I’m not that person anymore. Neither one of us are those people. We’ve both grown up and become better versions of ourselves.”
“I’ve struggled with it since you moved it. My emotions have been all over the place. I’d tucked the pain away and not thought about it for years. You coming back into my life made all those feelings come back.”
A grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “I’d started to think you had multiple personalities.”
Laughing, I nudged his ribs with my elbow. “I guess I sort of do.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way.” He put up a hand to keep me from speaking. “But why all the changes? You literally look like a different person. I kept thinking that I knew you from somewhere, I just couldn’t put my finger on it. It’d been eating at me from the moment I moved in.”
“Growing up people loved you for who you
were. All the girls chased after you. All the guys admired you. Why would you want to be someone else? With me… Growing up was torture. Why would I want to be that person anymore? Why wouldn’t I want to distance myself as much as possible from the hurt that came with being Connie the Cow? After I lost the weight, I got rid of the hair color. I wear contacts that change the dull brown that my eyes are. The further my looks got from what I looked like back then, the stronger my confidence became. I motioned to the art on my arms and legs. “The tattoos just took the change a step further. When I look into the mirror, I don’t see that scared teenager anymore – at least I hadn’t until you moved in.”
“I see.”
“So where do we go from here?” I waited on bated breath for his reply, hoping now that he’d discovered the truth, it wouldn’t change how he felt about me. Wouldn’t it be ironic that he wouldn’t want to be with me, not because of who I was a decade ago, but because I kept who I’d been from him.
“How about we eat breakfast before it gets cold and then explore the city? I’ve always wanted to do one of those Hollywood tours. You can tell me how the meeting went while we’re out.”
“What about Misty?”
“Already taken care of. The hotel has a doggie daycare service, and as long as we’re back before 9pm, they’ll watch her for a small fee.”
“Guess there’s no reason to say no.”
Giving me a wink, he replied, “Nope, there isn’t,” before going back to consuming his breakfast.
As much as I wanted to sweep the unpleasantness under the carpet, I had to bring it back up. “What about us though?”
Reaching out to me, he ran his index finger along my jawline. “If you can forgive me for being a prick back then, I can forgive you for nearly turning me into an alcoholic from all the crazy this past month.”
Our gazes locked a moment before I burst out laughing, his laughter followed suit. “Okay, it’s a deal.”
Chapter 18
Carrington
I’d spent the flight to L.A. considering what I’d say to her when I was finally face to face with her. In the end, when it came right down to it, we’d both been in the wrong. Sure, she’d lied about who she was, but I understood. I’d been callus when we were younger and when I’d arrived on her doorstep, it hadn’t appeared that anything had changed. It was understandable she’d be hesitant to reveal the truth to me. I could linger on our past mistakes and make us both miserable in the process or I could move on and enjoy the day with her.
The right answer was pretty apparent.
The truth of the matter was, whether it was ten years ago or last week, we’d always had a connection and that never died despite the time and hurt. We’d both made mistakes along the way, but it was time to wipe clean the slate and start over.
“How long are you staying for?” Felicity asked as we walked down Hollywood Boulevard heading towards the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“I’m leaving on a flight tomorrow afternoon. I could only take a couple days off. Honestly, I shouldn’t have taken these off, but I wanted to get things straightened away with you. I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on my work until I did anyhow. Besides, it’s not like you’ve been easy to get hold of.”
Her cheeks flushed as she looked down at the sidewalk. “I’m sorry. I was in my head a lot. Trying to sort things out.”
“But it’s sorted out now?” I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“It is.” Looking up at me, she wiggled her eyebrows, making me laugh and filling my heart with love for her. “And just think, if we can get past this crazy and slew of misunderstandings, then I think we can get through just about anything.”
“Very true. So tell me, what happened with your book?” Even though I hadn’t read anything she wrote – fuck I hadn’t the foggiest on what it was even about, I had confidence in her. She’d always been smart and determined. That hadn’t changed over the years. If anything, it’d become an even more dominant trait in her.
~*~ TT ~*~
Felicity
A bolt of excitement shot through me as I remembered my meeting with the television executives. “I can’t believe I didn’t tell you! With everything going on between us, I’d completely forgotten. They’re going through the entire series. They think it may make a great TV mini-series.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shook my head. “If I’m lying, I’m dying. But it’s not for sure yet. Nothing is for sure until the filming begins. My agent feels that it’s still a fifty-fifty thing.”
“So if it does become a certainty, then how long before we’d get to see your work on the television?”
“Dunno. Couple years maybe.”
“Wow, whether it ends up being filmed or not, I’m proud of you baby.” Stopping, he pulled me into his arms. Placing his index finger under my chin, he tilted my head up while lowering his lips to meet mine. As our lips met, a wave of emotions waved over me. I leaned into him, pressing my body flush against his, while sliding my hands up and over his shoulders.
The sounds of the people on the street around us faded into the background. All that mattered was him and I and the feeling flowing back and forth between us.
Lifting his lips from mine, he opened his eyes and stared down at me. I saw in his eyes how he felt before he said the words. “I love you, Connie Felicity Boyce.” He spoke the words with such dedication and feeling that I didn’t even cringe at hearing my real first name. His words were like a warm blanket surrounding me, assuring me that everything would be okay from here on in.
“I love you too,” I whispered back. It had been on the tip of my tongue a number of times, but the moment had never been right. But at this moment in time, nothing could have felt more perfect.
When his lips lowered to mine a second time, there was a passion within his kiss that I’d never felt before from him – had never felt before ever. Clutching to him, I moaned against his lips, caught up in the ecstasy of the moment.
When we finally pulled apart, I was left breathing heavily with a deep flush warming my cheeks. “What now?”
“What now is that I take you back to the hotel and make love to you until I have to catch a plane back to New York.”
“That’s a long time, you’re not leaving until tomorrow morning.”
“Not long enough if you were to ask me.” Stepping back from me, he took my hand and we made our way back to the hotel.
It felt like an eternity before we got back to the hotel room. By the time we were in the room and Carrington had closed the door with the heel of his shoe, my entire body was on fire from the need.
“Do you think we should get Misty first?” I asked, wrapping my legs around his waist as he picked me up onto his hips and carried me over to the bed.
“I’ll get her later.” Dropping me onto the bed, he kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt up and over his head tossing it to the floor. “We have a few hours before the doggie daycare closes.”
“Even better.” I eyed him as he undid his belt, my gaze drinking in every inch of his magnificent body. Focusing on his leg, I grimaced seeing the bandage covering the tattoo. It looked – questionable at best.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s perfect.” Kicking his jeans to the side, he pushed me back onto the bed and came to kneel between my spread legs.
Chuckling, I shook my head. “It looks painful.”
“I’ll live. I owe you one when we get home.” Placing a hand on either side of my head, he lowered his mouth to the side of my neck, kissing and nibbling his way up from my collarbone to my earlobe, sending shivers of desire through me.
“Looking forward to it.” Wrapping my arms around his neck and legs around his waist, I pulled him down to me, my skirt hiking up and around my waist. His dick, still constrained by his boxer briefs, buried itself between my legs. I squirmed against him, eager to feel his cock sliding back and forth along my slit.
His lips continued their journey along my jawline and to
my lips. “You smell amazing, baby. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you.” He ghosted his lips across mine before biting my lower lip.
I moaned softly, the heat between my legs increasing. The thin fabric of my panties became increasingly wet. “Sure a tease.”
Chuckling, he moved back down to my collarbone. “I like to think of it as savoring the moment.”
I moaned again as his mouth moved across my collarbone to the center of my chest. Slowly, he began to undo the buttons holding the bodice of the pale blue dress together. With the buttons undone, the fabric fell away and my breasts covered in white lace sprang forward. Arching my back, I thrust my chest towards his face, aching to feel his mouth on me.
He undid the front clasp of my bra with a flick of his hand, leaving my breast bare to him. Dipping his head, he nipped at my left nipple. I inhaled sharply as a short burst of pleasure and pain shot through me. Gripping tighter to his shoulders, I moved against his dick, willing it to penetrate past the two layers of fabric.
As he swirled his tongue around my hardening nipple, I slipped my hand between us and under the waistband of his boxers to grasp his dick in my hand. He groaned as he released my nipple and placed a series of light kisses between my breasts to suck the other into his mouth. He repeated the process, nipping at my hardening nipple, sending jolt after jolt of delicious pain.
“Carrington, please,” I groaned, pushing his underwear down and springing his dick free. A dollop of pre-cum had formed at the tip which I used to lubricate the shaft, moving my hand up and down his length, feeling it become rock hard in my grasp.
“Soon,” he promised, releasing my nipple and capturing my lips again.
His tongue slipped between my parted lips, to duel with mine. As our tongues frolicked, he pulled at my delicate panties. The fabric ripped and the garment came free. “I’ll buy you new ones,” he promised as he slipped his dick from my hand and slipped it between my folds, rocking back and forth teasing me until I was nearly insane from the desire.