Sidequest for Love

by L.H. Cosway

  I was still holding her hand as I brushed the inside of her wrist with my thumb and watched a tremble go through her. I could sit gazing at her all day, but I still had to get the photocopies over to Trevor’s flat before I clocked off. I also had to talk with Callum and James and tell them I wouldn’t be joining them in their sportswear venture. Morally, I couldn’t continue working as their assistant, not after what I’d done. But personally, I felt like it was time to move on, go out there and see what I could achieve on my own. I had no interest in sportswear, and it wouldn’t be fair to Callum and James to take on a job I didn’t feel passionate about, even if it came with a significant pay rise.

  Don’t get me wrong, working on a TV show like Running on Air gave me experiences I’d cherish forever, and the friends I’d made along the way would be friends I kept for life, but I needed a change. I needed to take a risk. I’d been staid for far too long.

  “I know we’ve technically moved onto eighties romcoms,” I said, “but I discovered an older adaptation of Persuasion that we haven’t watched yet. It’s supposed to be better than the newer version.”

  “Persuasion was one of my favourites,” she said, eyes alight.

  I know, that’s why I searched for it. I cleared my throat. “Do you want to come over to mine later and watch it? We could order in?”

  “I’d love that,” she replied, and my immediate impulse was to blurt, And I love you, but I managed to reel it in. My chest was filled with so many feelings it was almost impossible to contain them all, but I knew for certain that I loved her. I just feared her reaction. What if she wasn’t there yet? What if the intensity of my feelings scared her away?

  “I have a few more work things to do, but I can walk you to the Tube if you like,” I said, and she nodded. We left the coffee shop, and all the way to the station, my throat felt tight, my tongue heavy. Despite my fears, there was a pent-up need in me to tell her how I truly felt. I was going to burst with it. That was probably why, just as she was stepping onto the train going in the direction of Brixton, I uttered a quiet, “Just in case you don’t already know, I’m in love with you.”

  The doors closed. Afric stood behind them, her eyebrows all the way up in her forehead, her blue eyes round with shock and surprise.

  I saw her mouth a stunned, “What?”

  And then the train was moving, and she was getting farther and farther away from me until she drifted completely from view.

  Well, that was one way to tell her without having to worry about a response.

  Great move, Neil. Played a blinder there.

  I expected my phone to light up with a call, or maybe a string of messages, but it remained silent. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or depressed.

  I didn’t have time to wallow, though, as I got back to work. It didn’t take long to drop the papers off at Trevor’s before I went to see Callum and James at the gym. The two of them had just finished a workout. Neither of them was happy with my news, but they also understood my need to go it alone. I’d spent years working in the shadow of their success, and now I had to prove to myself that I could build something on my own. I had some savings, plus a vast accumulation of knowledge and experience. Everything else, well, I could learn it as I went along.

  After our chat about the sportswear venture, Callum pulled me aside and filled me in on the Annabelle situation. She hadn’t posted anything online, nor had she tried to make contact, but he and Leanne had handed her details over to their security company so that they could keep an eye on her. If she made a move to try to mess with them, then the company would alert them. It was a relief to know they were taking pre-emptive action on that front.

  When I got back to my place, I hopped straight into the shower, needing to wash away the stress of the day. I must’ve sweated buckets during the few moments I declared my love to Afric and the train had taken her away at a steady pace, like she was on one of those travelators at the airport and I was just standing there, awkwardly watching her get farther away. Why did I have to be such a weirdo? Why couldn’t I express my love like a normal person?

  I still hadn’t had any calls or texts from her, and I wondered if she would still come over tonight to watch the movie. Maybe I’d messed everything up. I swallowed down a lump in my throat at the thought.

  I’d just gotten out of the shower, dried off, and changed into a T-shirt and some sweatpants when there was a knock at my door. My heart leapt.

  She was here.

  I stared at my front door a beat too long before I finally forced my legs to move. Opening it, I found Afric standing there, a smile on her face like everything was perfectly normal. She stretched up and kissed my cheek softly in greeting before stepping inside my flat.

  “Hey, so what type of food are you in the mood for?” she asked, walking by me and into my living room. “I was thinking Chinese, but if you have your heart set on something different, I’m open to suggestions.”

  I ran a hand through my damp hair. “Um, there are some menus in the cupboard. Let me grab them,” I said, going into the kitchen.

  When I returned, she was sitting on my couch. I sat next to her and placed the menus on her lap. She started to peruse them.

  “Ah, feck, now I have too many choices. What about Turkish kebabs? I love that garlic sauce they slather all over the kebab meat.”

  “A kebab sounds good.”

  “Hmm, but then I always get garlic burps after.”

  “Right, those aren’t pleasant.”

  “I love you, too, by the way,” she said, so casually that I didn’t register it at first. Her attention was still fixed on the menus. “Oh, and now I want Italian. I’m actually ridiculous.”

  “Afric,” I said, my pulse pounding.

  “Hmm?”

  “Can you repeat what you just said?”

  “What? That I want Italian? I know, I’m so greedy. Maybe we could order a selection.”

  I pushed the menus off her lap and grabbed both her hands in mine. “Stop talking about food for a second and look at me. Did you say you loved me?”

  She rolled her eyes, a grin tugging at her lips. “Since you decided to blindside me today as I was leaving on the Tube, I thought it was only fair that I return the favour.”

  “You love me?” I whispered, a happy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  “I think I started falling for you the day you sent me that adorable selfie of you standing in Central Park,” she said, and I huffed a laugh.

  “I think I started falling for you the day I sent you that selfie and you slagged me endlessly for it.”

  “I am quite fond of teasing you when you get embarrassed. This is true.”

  Without warning, I tugged her close, smashing my mouth to hers in a hungry, feral kiss. I felt a puff of air leave her. Then she reached up, her hands sinking into my hair. I groaned at the scrape of her nails on my scalp before she crawled into my lap. A rumble emanated from deep in my chest. I pulled back, my breathing ragged.

  “We should order food,” I said. Before I end up fucking you on this couch.

  Afric nodded, looking just as worked up as I felt.

  “Right. Good idea. Food. What were we going to order again?”

  I smiled and caressed her cheek. “How about we just go with your original plan and get Chinese? I feel like showing you all those menus was a bad idea.

  “Okay, Chinese it is. But we’re double carbing it. I want noodles and fried rice.”

  I went to grab my phone. “Your wish is my command.”

  “I like being your girlfriend,” she said, a contented smile on her face as she lay back on the couch. I had to resist staring at her lips and how puffy they were from my kisses.

  I like being your boyfriend.

  Once I’d placed our order, I returned to the couch and lined up the movie. Afric settled in beside me, her head resting on my shoulder. There was something peaceful about just being with her like this. I felt at ease for the first time in who knew how lo
ng.

  “Wow, I had no idea what a hunk Ciarán Hinds was in his youth,” Afric said a little while into the film.

  “Please don’t start thirsting after actors again. My ego couldn’t handle it,” I said, placing a kiss on her temple.

  She chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s just a bit of window shopping. You’re the only man I want to defile in real life.”

  I lifted my arm and threw it around her. She snuggled in close.

  “Defile is an interesting choice of word.”

  “You have no idea what’s in store for you,” she teased. “I’ve been having some serious thoughts. You may be a little traumatised by the time I’m done, just FYI.”

  The buzzer sounded, and I reluctantly went to collect our food. I really wanted to stay and have Afric explain these so-called thoughts of hers in greater detail. When I returned, we dug into the food and continued watching the movie. At one point, Afric sat forward and removed the baggy jumper she’d been wearing. I watched with rapt attention, no longer interested in what was happening on screen. She wore a white T-shirt underneath, and it was tight enough for me to appreciate the womanly curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts.

  It took all my willpower to finish the meal without dragging her into my bedroom.

  Finally, the movie was over, and the end credits rolled down the screen. Afric burrowed her face into my neck. “All that food has made me so sleepy. I don’t want to go home.”

  “Stay over then,” I suggested, lazily stroking her arm. She was practically lying on top of me; her breasts pressed flush to my chest.

  Her full lips curved into a grin. “I’ll stay over on one condition,” she said, stretching up so that her mouth was a hair’s breadth from mine.

  “And what’s that?” I asked, my voice raspy.

  “That you promise not to behave,” she replied right before she dragged her lips across mine, featherlight, and I felt it down in my groin.

  I struggled to form a coherent response. My hands went to her hips as I shifted her so that she was fully on top of me. Her tongue dipped out, delicately dancing with mine. We kissed, and things escalated fast. Before I knew it, I was picking her up and carrying her into my bedroom. I threw her down on my bed, and she giggled loudly, looking around.

  “Wow, it’s tidy in here.”

  I shot her a dark grin as I climbed between her legs. “It’s about to get messy.”

  She let out a delighted laugh. “Oh, my God, you’re so cheesy. I love it.”

  I pulled at the waistband of her leggings. “These must officially come off.”

  “Far be it from me to argue with official mandates,” she replied, her pupils large as she watched me. I pushed up the hem of her T-shirt and pressed my mouth to her bare stomach. A soft breath escaped her. I made sure to hold her gaze as I did away with her leggings and underwear. At the same time, she reached around and pulled her T-shirt off, swiftly followed by her bra. Now, she was completely naked, and I was … entranced.

  I literally couldn’t react. She was beautiful, magnificent, her long blonde hair hanging about her bare shoulders. She was the definition of sexiness, and I was … Well, I was still fully clothed and stiff as a board.

  “Neil Durant, are you speechless?” she asked, her voice flirtatious.

  “I’m having a moment, so just … give me a moment.”

  Her laughter filled my ears, and it was the sweetest sound.

  “Take a moment then. I’ll just lay here and get things started.”

  She reached for her breasts, and my moment passed. Milliseconds later, I was on her, pushing her hands away as I caught her nipple in my mouth. I swirled my tongue around it, and she moaned, her head falling back into the pillows.

  I palmed her other breast, and her hands went to my shoulders, clawing at my T-shirt. She dragged it up over my head, forcing me to release her nipple, and then she was touching me everywhere. Her soft hands slid across my shoulder blades and down my bare back before fully cupping my backside. A shiver of need tip-toed down my spine.

  “Finally, I get what I want,” she said triumphantly, and I groaned, lowering my mouth to her neck before returning to her breasts.

  “I’ll be with you shortly. These need more attention.”

  “Oh, God,” she gasped when I licked one nipple then the other. My hand drifted down over her silky, rounded stomach to the silky, wet heat between her legs. I stroked her there, and her moans increased. I continued moving down her body until my head was between her legs and I was tasting just how much she wanted me.

  The moment my tongue met her clit, she cried out, and I watched as her eyes fell shut and a look of sheer pleasure came over her. I ran my hand along the inside of her thigh before sinking a finger inside her, my mouth still on her clit.

  “Fuck, Neil. Yes. There. Keep doing that,” she urged breathlessly, back arching.

  A feeling of deep, possessive satisfaction took over me. I flicked my tongue over her clit then made fast circles that had her hands fisting my sheets. Her body drew taut, her moans quieting, and then, she shuddered against my tongue. The pleasure of making her come was like nothing else in this world. I was certain I’d never tire of it.

  Afric reached down to stroke my hair away from my face, her fingers caressing my jaw. “You are really very good at that.”

  “And you are really very sexy,” I shot back, massaging her thighs.

  She bit her lip. “Oh crap, this isn’t good.”

  “What isn’t good?”

  “I’m having an urge to lock us in this bedroom for the next two days so that you can go down on me for hours at a time.”

  A smirk tugged at my lips. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

  Afric

  I didn’t think Neil could ever look more appealing than he did right then, his hair askew, eyes adoring as he gazed up at me, his head resting between my thighs.

  I loved him so much.

  I’d never loved a man before. He’d literally stolen my heart.

  “Come here,” I whispered.

  A dark, seductive gleam entered his eyes as he climbed up my body and captured my mouth in a searing kiss. I tasted myself on him, and it sent an erotic shiver through me.

  “Neil,” I moaned into the kiss. “I need you now.”

  Together, we tugged down his pants, and then his hot, hard erection was against me, skin to skin. I shuddered. He reached over to his nightstand and quickly found a condom. I watched with rapt attention as he slid it down his length. Overcome with need, I grabbed him and flipped us so that I was straddling him. A grunted breath went out of him as I lifted my hips. I inhaled sharply, our gazes locked as I lowered myself down on his cock. He let out a low expletive as I rocked my hips gently, his hands roaming my stomach before coming up to cup my boobs.

  “You’re perfect,” he breathed.

  “And you’re mine,” I declared.

  His eyes lit up at this as he responded, “You’re mine, too.”

  I started to rock against him, and the hot, wet slide of his cock as he filled me had my eyes closing in rapture, my head falling back. Neil’s hands were on my hips now.

  I opened my eyes and found him looking between our bodies, a dark, erotic gleam in his eyes as he watched his cock go in and out of me. I rocked faster, and he groaned, gazing up at me now like I was a goddess and he was worshipping at my altar.

  I soaked up every detail of him, particularly obsessed with how the veins in his throat stood in relief and the masculine cut of his shoulders. I loved our bodies together. We were softness and hard edges.

  My inner muscles undulated, and he let out a sound of raw pleasure. I felt him grow even harder, thicker, inside me, and I knew he was close. I wanted to make him come while I rode him. I needed to see his face as he filled me.

  “Afric, I’m so close,” he grunted, one hand holding my hip as the other came up to massage my breast.

  I pumped my hips, holding his gaze as he strained beneath me.
Then, just like that, he flipped us, driving into me from above as he came. “Wow,” I breathed when he lowered himself next to me and pulled me into his warm arms.

  Neil’s breathing was ragged as he pressed a kiss to the hollow of my neck.

  “We’re going to need to do that again as soon as you’re ready,” I said, a fond note in my voice as Neil continued to try and catch his breath. I felt his teeth graze my shoulder.

  “Pretty sure I’ll be ready to go again in a minute or two.”

  “That’s impressive.”

  He reached for my chin, tugging my mouth to his. “When it comes to you, I always aim to impress,” he rasped before capturing my lips in a heated, languid kiss.

  ***

  All week, Neil and I grabbed every stolen moment we could to spend together. We were in a sexy lust haze, the two of us lost in our own little bubble. I could barely concentrate enough to work, and I knew I was coming across completely distracted on my livestreams, but there was nothing to be done.

  Every time I let my mind drift, it inevitably wandered to images of Neil and me tearing at each other’s clothes, desperate to get our hands on one another.

  Because of work, I didn’t get to see him all day on Saturday. Sunday was Michaela and James’ engagement party, and I’d gone all out and purchased a new outfit online for the occasion. I even paid for expedited shipping like the luxurious bitch that I was.

  What was the point in life if you couldn’t treat yourself from time to time?

  I’d certainly treated myself. The dress was from Alexander McQueen, and it cost the equivalent of two months’ rent. There wasn’t anything baggy or oversized about it, either. It was emerald green, sleeveless and backless, with thin straps and a sweetheart neckline. I’d purchased a studded belt to cinch it in at the waist. The skirt was calf-length and puffed out slightly. I was pairing it with some Louboutin flats I’d purchased second-hand last year.

  Sarita appeared in my doorway. “Wait, is it St. Patrick’s day, and no one told me?” she asked, eyeing me up and down with a grin.

  “Nope, green’s just a good colour on me,” I shot back, sticking out my tongue.