Matzah Ball Surprise

by Laura Brown

  Gaby shifted in her sleep, the cover slipping further off her shoulder, nearly exposing a lush breast. His morning wood insisted it wasn’t just morning but this beauty beside him, and could they nudge her awake. He wasn’t the type to always listen to his dick, but he had a little experiment to conduct—was last night the real deal like he remembered?

  He needed to wake her. Or let her sleep and wake up on her own before initiating anything. As much as he wanted to wake her with lips, he had to tread carefully. For all he knew, she’d claim it was a one-time thing and leave him out in the cold.

  Fuck. That thought stung more than it should. Levi sat up, running his hands through his hair, trying to find some sense of purchase. He was better off letting this go and continuing out his mission here.

  As he planned to get out of bed and shower, a hand landed on his back. A simple touch, yet it seeped into his veins, fueling him for the day. Levi turned, and Gaby’s eyes appeared extra amber in the morning light. A slight smile graced her face, and he wanted to cover her body with his.

  “Good morning,” he signed, then followed up with the painstakingly slow finger-spelling she needed, adding a few extra beats due to the early morning.

  Her smile grew, and she copied his movements, albeit awkwardly and in bed, having to free an arm. He wanted more words but wasn’t ready to collect their phones, so he settled next to her and brushed her hair off her face. Gaby squirmed as though she needed to cover up her face. He couldn’t imagine why. She was so beautiful, the morning light hitting a few freckles on her nose, making her damn near impossible to resist.

  He leaned closer to her, holding himself inches from her lips, watching her amber eyes, waiting for acceptance. A light shined in her that had nothing to do with the sun peeking through the shades. She didn’t push back or roll away, so he closed the distance, fitting his lips to hers.

  The kiss remained closed—it was morning, after all—but that tantalizing mouth of hers was manna of the gods. He pressed into her, shifting closer, skin pressing against skin. Gaby gasped at the contact, and Levi figured screw it and tangled his tongue with hers, settling against her side, his erection pressing into her thigh.

  Gaby clutched at his back, meeting his strokes with her tongue. Wild, uninhibited. Free. Nothing held her back, and he’d somehow managed to bring that out in her. That turned him on even further, and he found her breast, cupping it in his hand, his thumb brushing her tightened peak.

  She squirmed against him, her hand finding his shaft and wrapping around him. He nearly hissed, his balls tightening at the action, ready to burst.

  No, not yet, not so soon. But Gaby moved until she lay under him, her legs parted, showing him all her glorious body. She was heart-stopping and sexy as hell, and he signed that to her, knowing damn well she wouldn’t understand him.

  She grasped his hips, tugging him toward her, and he could sink into her warmth so easily, so willingly. Protection. They hadn’t had that talk, and they really should, protection be damned, but he had another issue. He only kept one condom on him. Fuck.

  With great reluctance, he pulled away and collected his phone, grateful for the five percent battery life left.

  I don’t have any more condoms.

  Gaby read, and her lower lip popped out. There were other options besides intercourse, and he debated which one to start with when she held up a hand and scurried off the bed.

  He watched her bend over, digging his fingers into his palms to keep from sidling up behind her and pressing into that heart-shaped ass. It had never been like this for him, this mindless, incessant need, and he wanted to do anything he could to hold onto this feeling.

  Gaby turned around, breasts swinging, smile wide, and he was about to screw it all, literally, when she held up a small foil package.

  “I-love-you,” he signed, and didn’t care if she understood or not, or what she did with that expression of relief. She didn’t flinch, just crawled up the bed, tearing open the foil as she went. She stopped by his knees, and he lost his breath when she rolled the condom on. Then she settled over him, and he helped position her until she sank down, taking him into her.

  His eyes damn near rolled back into his head. Her tight heat surrounded him, and if he died in the next minute, he’d die one happy man. Then Gaby pressed a hand behind him and started moving, and he didn’t want to die, not yet, not ever, if it meant having her nearby.

  He met her pace, pushing up into her as she pushed down, everything about her and that smile on her face. He palmed a breast, and she moved quicker, faster, chasing her own release as he was determined to make her come.

  Her movements grew frantic, and he reached between them, finding that little nub. One press had her head falling back, her body tightening. He let go of her breast to hold her waist, continued thrusting into her, prolonging her enjoyment. Or trying to, but the sight of her, the feel of her had his own orgasm racing through him, pouring into her, until they lay in a boneless, heavy-breathing heap.

  He liked this side of her, liked bringing it out, liked just about everything about her. They barely knew each other, but he didn’t care. Some things didn’t take time, and he feared falling for Gaby was one of them.

  If his phone had any power, he’d come clean about Monica and the whole situation. He had to. If things went any further with Gaby, he’d be a dick and a half. But first, he’d hold her a moment longer.

  …

  Gaby lifted her head off Levi’s sweaty shoulder, wondering what the hell had gotten into them. Round two with Levi hadn’t been on her agenda, as damn good as it was.

  She shifted upward, the cool air making her aware of how naked she was, how naked they both were. She reached for his phone, but it wouldn’t spring to life. Not like its master, then, she thought.

  She slid off him and found her phone at twenty percent. Only she didn’t know what to type. The sex was mutual, but was he looking for more than that? No, she’d deal with that later—no sense making things uncomfortable before leaving her mother’s house. She gestured to herself, then pointed to the bathroom, then mimed washing her hair because she had a feeling if she put her hands on her body, they’d be back in bed, and there really were no condoms left now.

  Levi nodded, and she pulled on her clothes, doing her best to ignore his gaze tracking her every motion. Unlike Tom, he didn’t linger on her problem areas, but instead, had a look of pure appreciation for everything she had, even after she covered up. That left a fuzzy feeling surrounding her, but she kept to her course and collected her bathroom supplies. He covered himself up with the blanket, defined chest still on display, her personal model.

  Get your thoughts together, Gaby. She checked the hall, breathing in relief when she found the bathroom available and no one around. With a soft click, she closed her door behind her then tiptoed across, as if that was necessary. Once inside the bathroom, she dropped her bag on the counter then grabbed the edge for support. Her thighs trembled from the sex, yet Levi lay in her bed, naked, and if she headed back to her room, she could join him for round three. Or, since no one else was awake, she could pull him into the bathroom with her, into the shower, under the water, and rub the soap over his fit body, lick the water off him and then…

  No. Gaby shook those thoughts aside. She needed to get her head on straight and ready to be with her family. Levi, she’d deal with on the ride back home. When they were clothed and unable to do anything frisky.

  Shame.

  After showering, she returned to the room, feeling more awkward holding a towel around herself than when she was naked. Levi pointed in the direction of the bathroom, and she nodded. He collected his things and moved past her, not before planting a kiss on top of her damp-haired head. Like a real couple would. Her heart soared—maybe this was mutual. A kind, romantic act like that for no one’s benefit was not part of the plan, so it had to be them.

 
The smile grew over her face until she felt like her teenage self, in this room, talking to a boy she had a crush on. Foolish perhaps, but she didn’t let the smile fade. She felt too good to be reasonable.

  Once dressed, she made her way into the kitchen, where her mother made matzah brei. The egg-and-syrup-covered matzah pieces sizzled on the frying pan, making her mouth water. Bengi lay on the floor, head on his paws, hopeful eyes insisting he was a good boy and she should reward him. “The best damn part of Passover is right here,” Gaby said, filling her lungs with the sweet smell.

  Her mother laughed and flipped another piece. “And yet in two days, it will all be forgotten and everything non-matzah-related will be craved.”

  Gaby snatched a piece cooling on a plate, and her eyes nearly rolled back. Not quite as good as sex with Levi, but still happy-taste-bud-making. Bengi barked and placed his paws on her thighs. “I’ll worry about that in two days. Maybe you’ll make a big enough impression on Levi that I’ll be forced to make it for him.”

  Gaby slowed her chewing, not even pushing away the dog sniffing for more food. Not once in this whole farce had she said anything related to the future without being prompted, and yet this rolled off her tongue, laced with truth, when after today there was nothing definite.

  “You okay?” her mother asked.

  Gaby gave a slight shake of her head. She’d worry about that later. “I’m fine, just trying not to become sick of matzah prematurely.” She rubbed the dog, grateful for the distraction.

  Her mother laughed and turned back to the stove. “What time are you planning on leaving?”

  “Probably around lunchtime.” At least, that had been the plan. Get in, get out, shake hands, and part ways.

  Her stomach grumbled, and it had nothing to do with hunger or the smells in the air. The thought of shaking Levi’s hand and never seeing him again did not sit well, and yet that future careened toward them at full speed.

  At Gaby’s lack of scratching, Bengi moved to her mother and whined. “No more food for you.” Anne looked at her over her shoulder. “You know he stole an entire piece of matzah? Who does that?”

  Gaby pointed at the dog. “I don’t think he’s Jewish, Mom. Didn’t you ask the shelter for a Jewish one?”

  Her mother shook her head. “No, I don’t need another being moping around the house. Not after getting you and your sister out.”

  Gaby fake gasped, then joined the dog on the floor, copying his whining. Bengi didn’t get the hint, though, and started licking Gaby’s face. “Oh, stop,” she laughed. The dog’s tail wagged as he tried to collect boogers from her nose.

  “Bengi,” her mom’s stern voice called, and the dog scurried to her side, much like Gaby and Izzy had done as kids.

  “Wow, you’ve got him trained in the Mom Tone.”

  “Damn straight, I do. It was easy after you girls. Came out naturally the first time he tried to pee in the house. Didn’t make that mistake twice.”

  “Smart dog.”

  “We’ve gone from bad dog to smart dog?” Aunt Faith said, joining them in the kitchen, a bathrobe wrapped around her.

  Bengi barked and ran over to the newcomer. “I told you, dog, I’ve got no treats.” But she rubbed him up anyway.

  Gaby missed this. Sure, she needed her space and enjoyed being far enough away to gain her independence, but there was nothing like family—appreciated all the more in small, manageable doses.

  “So, Anne, what do you think of Levi?”

  Did she miss this? No, surely she didn’t. Either that, or the “small and manageable” part had come to an end.

  “I like him. He’s nice and not bad-looking, right, Gabrielle?”

  Gaby’s cheeks heated.

  “Of course she knows that. She’s dating him.” Aunt Faith gave her a wink, and Gaby relaxed.

  Since food wasn’t quite ready, Gaby headed back to her room to collect her phone in case she needed it. She plucked it from the charger, then thought to check on Levi’s phone. She leaned over the side of the bed, finding his cell plugged in. She’d begun to turn away when a text lit up his phone, words on the screen causing her to pause. The screen turned dark before she could process them, and she remained frozen as she tried to make sense of what she thought she saw.

  Don’t do it, Gaby, don’t touch the phone.

  She tapped the screen, just once, prepared to see a lock screen. There wasn’t one. She should have known that from all the typing back and forth they’d done. Then she tapped once more, and look at that, the text message she’d glimpsed before popped onto the screen.

  Monica: Dad refuses to discuss business without my fiancé present, so I need you to get your ass up here.

  Gaby blinked at the screen, read it again and again, but it still didn’t make sense. Monica. The over-dramatic friend. The woman from the gym. The name that Izzy had mentioned. A flicker hit her spine then rammed into it again, all her concerns, her thoughts of Levi lying, melding and molding together until her grip on the phone bordered on painful.

  Who the hell was Monica?

  She sucked in some air and scrolled up. Each word stabbed through her. Whatever the relationship Levi had with this woman, it didn’t sound pleasant, but it did sound complicated—and real. His words confirmed he was the fiancé the text mentioned.

  Her fake date was engaged. The relationship may be rocky, but Levi had kept it from her, probably looking for a fun time, an out, a fling. And there she stood, next to the bed where they’d had sex.

  Suddenly, throwing up became a distinct possibility. Gaby headed for her door, needing to get out of this room. And what? Confront him? Flee? She didn’t know yet.

  A soft noise came from behind as Gaby entered the hall, and she turned, finding Izzy a few feet away. Her sister’s gaze roamed over her face, taking her in, and her lips pursed.

  Gaby felt as though she stood on rocky soil, with the Red Sea about to stop being parted. She still hadn’t a clue which direction she wanted to go or who she needed to confront. All thoughts of blanking her face and pushing her little sister off hid deep below the surface, and before she could make a decision, any decision, Izzy saw too much.

  “What’s wrong?” Izzy asked.

  Gaby opened her mouth then closed it, like a fish caught unexpected in the great sea parting. Words wouldn’t come, and she shook her head. “You know what, it’s probably nothing, just an odd text.”

  Her sister bit her lip, then met Gaby’s eyes. “I knew I shouldn’t have kept this quiet. Okay, look, this is none of my business, and strange noises from your room last night aside, or perhaps because of those strange noises, I needed to check and make sure you really knew about Levi’s…” Izzy’s words trailed off, and her hands flailed, and Gaby’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Levi’s what?” Her brain was already more scrambled than the eggs used to make the brie. She couldn’t process a damn additional thing.

  Izzy pressed her lips together, then straightened her shoulders. “Don’t shoot me for not mentioning this earlier. I didn’t know what I’d been missing, and Levi said it wasn’t what it seemed, but it’s been bugging me all night and then the sounds last night and now you look a bit off and—”

  Gaby put a finger to Izzy’s lips. “Get to the point.”

  Izzy swallowed. When she spoke, her voice came out soft. “Last I heard, Levi was engaged.”

  Gaby tilted. She thought it to be her vision going wonky until Izzy reached out and straightened Gaby when her shoulder met the wall. “Engaged?” Like the texts suggested.

  Izzy nodded. “I’m so sorry. That lying bastard. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t let my sister get hurt.”

  Too late for that.

  Izzy’s word spun in Gaby’s head, twisting and turning, but no amount of alteration would change the damaging facts. She swallowed, but her throat had
turned dry as the desert. For the scheme, this wasn’t much of a problem. Levi’s personal life had nothing to do with hers. What did it matter if he lied? He was a prop, nothing more.

  But then last night. And this morning. She grasped the top of her shirt, lifting it higher and closer to her neck. They had moved beyond the scheme, or so she thought. Monica was supposed to be someone he needed to get away from, not someone she helped him cheat on.

  Her stomach rolled, and a tiny piece of her heart tore off. Foolish. It hadn’t been long enough to feel this hurt over him, but there her torn heart lay, the pieces that had almost healed from Tom now in shambles at her feet.

  “He hasn’t mentioned any of this, has he?” Izzy’s voice was soft, and she rubbed Gaby’s arm.

  Gaby shook her head, hating how she wanted to cry—hating it more because none of this should matter. He wasn’t supposed to be real.

  Last night had felt real, only to be an epic mistake.

  “Excuse me,” Gaby said, planning to march right into the bathroom—who cared if Levi was still in the shower—and question the hell out of him. Only he stood there, right there, clean clothes on and a toiletry bag in hand, smile on his handsome face as though he genuinely cared for her, and she suddenly didn’t know what was true anymore. If any of it was.

  She didn’t have her phone, but she did have her sister. Without taking her eyes off Levi, she said, “Do you know the sign for ‘lie’?”

  “Yeah.”

  Gaby turned to her sister. “Show me.”

  Izzy ran a flat horizontal hand across her chin, eyes darting back and forth between Gaby and Levi.

  “Thanks.” Gaby turned, catching the wariness in Levi’s gaze before pointing to him and copying Izzy’s signs.

  Confusion crossed his features, and she had no clue if she’d performed the sign wrong or if it was something else. Or maybe she’d landed an actor instead of a gym buff. He patted his pockets, but he clearly didn’t have a phone, either. Then his hands moved, and she caught two words: no lie.