by Geri Glenn
Coiling my fingers into her silky soft hair, I tilt my head and crush my lips against hers. Since the moment I first saw her, I’d wanted this, but I’d told myself over and over again that she wasn’t for me. Now she’s here, coiled around me like a tiny little spider monkey, needing and wanting me just as much as I do her.
Our bodies fit together as if we were made for this, to fall into one another. To be one.
Carrying her to the bed, I release her, letting her fall to the mattress with a soft bounce, her playful giggle music to my ears. Through the dim light, we lock eyes for just a moment, and in them I see her need burning there, bright and unmistakable.
I fit my body along hers, careful not to crush her beneath my weight, and all of my doubts and fears just disappear. Her skin is like smooth porcelain, her hands grasping at me, pulling me closer.
Before I know it, we’re both naked and I’m wearing a condom. Flipping me onto my back, I watch her silhouette as she hovers above me, her long hair cascading down in front of her as she positions my cock at her entrance.
Our groans of pleasure fill the air, and I almost forget the need to be quiet as she begins to move. Her pussy is tight, warm, and oh-so silky as glides up and down, riding me to a rhythm that makes my toes curl.
With one hand, I reach up and cup her breast, pinching her nipple until she gasps, her hips swinging faster and deeper as she takes every inch of me inside her. It’s embarrassing how quickly my release begins to build low in my gut. I know that at this rate, I’m not going to last much longer.
Shooting up, I press one hand into the mattress and the other on her hip, forcing her to move faster, our choppy breaths mingling in the air between us. “Tripp!” she cries.
I squeeze my eyes closed as she begins to tremble on top of me, but it’s no use. The soft moans of her release, mixed with the vise-like grip her pussy has on my cock, sends me over the edge.
Her lips capture mine as we move, our hips thrusting slowly and out of sync as we ride the wave of pleasure we’d just found. As our orgasms fade, our kiss slows, turning from one of passion to one of connection. A kiss that I’ve never shared with anyone else in my life. It’s tender, soft, and filled with something that could maybe even be love.
Exhausted, Georgia drops to the bed beside me, her head resting on my chest while her hand draws tiny shapes and circles across my abdomen. Neither of us say a word, but that’s okay, because right now, I think both of us are trying to comprehend just how we got to this moment.
I could lay like this forever with Georgia in my arms, nobody else around to see us and wonder how we could fit together. Suddenly, we’re not North Side and South Side. We’re Tripp and Georgia. We’re inevitable.
Fourteen
Georgia
Last night with Tripp had been hands down the most incredible night of my life. Not only had I gained my long-awaited independence, but I’d had the courage to tell Tripp how I felt about him. This is all happening so fast—maybe too fast. But it all just feels so right. It’s like finally learning to swim after years of only being able to tread water. I’m finally making the decisions that are going to lead me to a place in my life where I’m happier than I’ve ever been. So yes, it’s moving fast, but is that really such a bad thing?
I can’t celebrate my new life until I sever that one last string that’s been weighing me down my entire life, though. It’s time to move out of my parent’s home. I’d called Janet just this morning, asking if she would be willing to take on a roommate. She had been so excited, she’d told me to get my butt over there today, so that’s what I’m working on right now.
The bedroom I’ve lived in since childhood looks like a completely different room with everything packed into a few boxes and suitcases. The only thing left is the furniture that I plan to leave, as well as the hideous porcelain dolls my mother had always insisted I loved collecting. Truth be told, they creep me out, and there’s no way in hell I’m taking them with me.
“Georgia,” my mother calls out, her knock short and loud before entering. “I just got off the phone with Ben—What on earth are you doing?”
Maybe it’s the coward’s way out, but I’d really hoped I could pack and get this stuff out of here before my mother realized what was happening. But it’s too late now.
“I’m moving in with a friend from work,” I tell her, folding the flaps of the last cardboard box until it’s closed. “It’s less of a commute, and—”
“Like hell you are!” She storms the rest of the way into my room, grabbing one of my suitcases off the floor and tossing it onto the bed. “You put all this stuff back where you got it, young lady. And when you’re finished with that, you can call Benjamin and apologize to him for the way you spoke to him the other night.”
Of course Benjamin called mother, and I’m not the least bit surprised that she’s taken his side before even bothering to speak with me about it. She’s never asked how I stand on anything. I search back through my memories, trying to think of a single time she didn’t look at me the way she is right now, like I’m a disappointment.
I can’t.
I watch as she reaches for the zipper on the suitcase, ready to fling it open and begin unpacking my stuff. “Enough!” I yell so loud, I’m sure my father can likely hear me in his study downstairs. I ignore my mother’s gasp, and it takes every ounce of self-control I possess not to roll my eyes when her hand flutters to her chest in horror. “I’m twenty-two years old, Mother. You can’t order me around, and you can’t force me to work things out with Benjamin just because you say I have to. Now, back away from that suitcase and listen to me for once.”
“Georgia Rose—”
“I said listen!” She’s so damn infuriating. “Do you ever stop and listen to other people? I’m moving out of this house because I’m an adult now. I can’t live with my parents forever, and I will not work things out with Benjamin because I don’t love him.”
Mother bristles, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Don’t be ridiculous. Love is a farce. Benjamin can provide for you. He can give you the life your father has worked so hard to give you since the day you were born.”
I gape at her. “A farce? You think love is a farce?” Of course she does. Closing my eyes, I suck in a deep breath and try again. “I’m sad that you feel that way. I’m sad that you won’t ever know what love is. You were lucky you got Daddy.” I pull back the sleeves of my shirt, revealing my bruised wrists and forearm. “Benjamin is no Daddy.”
Mother stares down at my bruises for just a moment before her gaze lifts to meet mine. “You must have done something to make him very angry,” she huffs, her nose lifting higher in the air.
“You’re unbelievable,” I say sadly as I reach around her and grab my suitcase off the bed. “You want to know the worst part, Mother?”
She tilts her head and raises her brows, daring me to say what I have every intention of saying.
“You have spent so many years in this fancy house and your fancy clothes, and you literally have nobody. Daddy can’t stand to spend more than a few minutes with you each day. The friends you do have are only friends with you because of the balance in your bank account. You call that a good life? I sure don’t.”
“How dare you?” she seethes through clenched teeth.
“I’ve been working on the other side of town for just over a week, and already I have more people in my life than you do. What does that tell you?”
Mother’s lip curls in disgust. “That you’re hanging around with trash, and I don’t want trash in my home.”
“I have a friend that’s accepting me into her home. I’ve met a man that’s fierce and loyal, and would never hurt me the way that Benjamin did. I have kids at the center who look up to me. And the best part? None of them have ever looked at me the way you’re looking at me right now.”
Without taking my eyes off of her, I reach down and pop up the handle on my suitcase. “I’ll be back for the rest tomorrow when you’re out,�
�� I say. “Goodbye, mother.”
TRIPP
“Don’t you even think about leaving this fucking house, Carter. I told you school, program, home. That’s it.”
Carter gives me a look I can only describe is hatred. “Fuck you, Tripp. You can’t tell me what to do.”
I glance into the living room where Hailey is trying to keep Max from watching the latest episode that Carter’s putting out there. As soon as he opens the door, I rush toward it, ready to yank his scrawny ass back inside. “Get back here, you little—”
The man on the front step is dressed like he’s the goddamn prince of some far-off country. His back is to me as he watches Carter storm down the steps and out onto the sidewalk. I glare at Carter’s back as he moves farther away. His pants are hanging far too low, and his shoulders are hunched in a way that can only mean he’s pissed and looking for trouble.
When the man on the step turns, I shift my gaze to him and raise a brow as he stands there, assessing me. “I’m looking for Georgia Addington,” he says.
I fucking hate guys like this. Perfect clothes, perfect grammar, and not a single hair out of place. “And who exactly are you?”
The man’s head jerks back in surprise, but he doesn’t take long in regaining his air of superiority. “I’m her fiancé, Benjamin.”
Georgia was engaged to this douche?
“Funny,” I scoff, standing a little taller. “She told me last night that she dumped your ass.”
Benjamin’s jaw ticks as he glares back at me. “Is she here or not?”
She’s not here, but that doesn’t mean this dickhead needs to know that. I don’t like the fact that he’s looking for her at all, and if he finds out she’s not here, he’ll just keep looking for her. There’s something about the man that sets my nerves on edge. “Didn’t get enough rejection last night, so now you’re here looking for more?”
I’ll admit, the satisfaction I feel when his fists clench at his sides is amazing. I’d love for this stupid fucker to take a swing at me. After the shit going on in my life lately, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Can you just call her to the door, please?” he grinds out through clenched teeth, and it’s clear how hard it was for him to tack that ‘please’ at the end of his demand.
“Not happening.”
Benjamin’s entire body goes rigid. “You’re refusing to call her to the door?”
I take a step closer to him. He’s shorter than me, and I easily have thirty pounds of solid muscle on him. He might be wearing a designer suit, but me and my ripped jeans could kick his ass in a heartbeat. “Yep. Got a problem with that?”
His eyes flash with anger, but he quickly tamps it down. “She’s my fiancée,” he says again, as if I hadn’t understood him the first time.
This guy isn’t going to leave Georgia alone, that much is clear from the defiant way he’s ready to take me on just to get to her. “Well, buddy, she doesn’t seem to think so. Especially since she was riding my cock last night and moaning like she’s never had an orgasm before in her life.”
Benjamin’s jaw drops open, and he takes a step forward.
“I gave her a few, though, don’t worry. She was thoroughly pleased by the time she passed out in my bed beside me.”
I watch with amusement as Benjamin’s face goes white. “You’re disgusting.”
“She didn’t think so,” I reply.
He tears his angry glare from me and leans to the side, looking past me and into the house. “Georgia!” he yells. “Georgia, I need to talk to you. Now!”
I take a step toward him, placing myself just inches away from him. “You need to leave.”
He doesn’t budge. “Not until I talk to my fiancée.”
This guy is fucking batshit crazy if he thinks I won’t kick his ass. “One.”
His head jerks back in disbelief. “Are you counting?”
I lean in closer. “Two.”
“You’re a white trash thug. What the hell does she see in you?”
I open my mouth to say the final number, but Benjamin spins on his heel and jogs down the steps. “This isn’t over,” he calls out from the sidewalk. “You can’t be with her every minute.”
I feint forward, as if I’m going to bolt down the stairs after him. Yelping, he darts for his car and closes himself inside.
“Who was that?” Hailey asks from behind me, leaning to the right to see onto the street.
“Some douche looking for Georgia.”
“He sounded mean,” she says. “And angry. Do you think he’ll find her?”
I turn and stride back into the house as soon as Benjamin’s car disappears around the corner. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Fifteen
Georgia
I’m just putting the last of my clothes into the dresser Janet already had waiting for me in the spare room when my phone rings. When I see my mother’s name flashing on the screen, I almost ignore it, but I know it’s best to stand my ground now. It shows her I’m strong, and that she’s not going to wear me down.
“Hello, Mother,” I answer.
“All your stuff is gone!” she cries.
I roll my eyes and plop my butt down on the edge of the bed. “Yes, I moved out. You knew that.”
“Your car is here!”
“I didn’t take my car. And technically, it’s Daddy’s car, not mine.”
Mother takes a deep breath and attempts to lower her voice. “Georgia, you’re being ridiculous.”
“No, I’m not. I moved out. It’s time I start taking care of myself. This is a good thing. Why can’t you just be happy for me?” The question in itself is a joke. Mother would never be happy for me.
She huffs out a humorless laugh, and all sense of calm vanishes. “You think you can make it on your own? You think you won’t be crawling back here in less than a week, begging me to let you come home?”
“Yes, that’s what I think.”
“You’re a fool,” she seethes. “You think wandering out into the South Side armed with your father’s credit cards is making it on your own? You are clueless, Georgia.”
I know the bible states that you must honor thy mother and thy father. I’m not religious, but I’ve always tried to follow that rule. She’s making it very hard to do that right now, though.
“My credit cards are on the dresser. Do with them what you will.”
I don’t give her a chance to argue. It’s obvious this conversation is going nowhere, and it’s seriously killing the thrill of moving into my new place. “Look, I’m really busy. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
Her protest barely begins before I disconnect the call and toss my phone onto the bed beside me.
Placing my hands on my knees, I look around the room, and can’t help but smile. Sure, it’s not as big as the room I’d had at my parent’s place, and the furniture is cheap pressboard that didn’t come from some high-priced furniture store, but it’s mine.
Janet has a pretty sweet setup here. Her building is far enough from the downtown core of the South Side to be considered a different neighborhood entirely. The apartment itself isn’t huge, just a basic two bedroom with one bath, a kitchen and a living room/dining room combo. But it’s clean and furnished, and tastefully decorated. And now it’s half mine, and I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of anything in my life.
There’s a soft knock on my bedroom door.
“Come in!”
The door opens just enough for Janet to stick her head inside. “Hey. You need help with anything?”
I grin back at her and fling my arms out to the sides. “All done. How does it look?”
Janet glances around at the room, taking in the addition of my books and photos, and trinkets I’d collected over the years. “It looks fantastic. But the more important question is, do you think you’ll be happy here? It’s not exactly the palace I’m sure you’re used to.”
I stand from my bed and grin. “No, it’s not, but I don’t ne
ed that palace. All I need is this room and my new best friend.”
Janet smiles, y and then glances down the hall. “And Tripp Fletcher?”
I frown. “Uh…yeah, I guess. Why would you say that?”
“Because he’s in our living room right now, waiting to talk to you.”
A tornado of butterflies takes off inside my belly. I’d spoken to Tripp earlier today when I gave him the address to Janet’s apartment, but I hadn’t expected him to stop by so soon.
“Should I send him in?”
I stare at her with wide eyes and nod. I don’t know why I’m so nervous all of a sudden, but as Janet disappears back down the hall, all I can think about is Tripp’s mouth on mine, and the way his hands seared my skin as he ran them over every curve of my body the night before.
“Hey,” he says, suddenly standing in the open doorway, taking a look around the room. “Looks like you got settled in okay.”
I have to give my head a shake to clear the thoughts from my mind. “I did. All moved in now.”
Tripp steps inside. “I, uh…I had a visitor at the house a while ago looking for you.”
I frown. “Who was it?”
“Your fiancé.”
“Ex,” I say quickly. “Ex-fiancé. But how did he know to look for me at your house? What did he want?”
Tripp closes the door behind him and moves to stand in front of me. I stare up at him as his head drops down, and before I know it, his warm, soft lips are on mine, and all thoughts of Benjamin are gone. All I can think about is Tripp, and how right this feels.
My hands grip the back of his shirt, and I revel in the feel of his muscles straining in his back. His kiss is long, hot, and possessive. I’ve never been kissed this way before in my life.