In one swift move, I turned to the side and sat against the headboard with a stack of pillows supporting my back, pulling her body with me. It was all so fast I doubted she had a second to contemplate my motivation. And once I had her straddling my lap, I guided her closer with a firm hold on her hips until her heat taunted my dick. She was hesitant at first, though I refused to let her uncertainty win. I trapped her in my gaze, urging her with my eyes to take control, practically begging her to see the truth on my face.
And then she wrapped her hand around my sheathed erection and lined us up a split second before impaling herself on my cock. We both released a tangled chorus of satisfaction. I wasn’t sure if being on top was something she didn’t typically enjoy, or if she simply didn’t have much practice with it, because I had to guide her body, my fingertips digging into her ass cheeks with each push, each pull I directed.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Jay . . .” She was breathless as she tried to offer me insight. “But I can’t get off this way. So if that’s your goal here, you should know you’re wasting your time.” Then her eyes widened just a hair, and her brow furrowed slightly. “Don’t let that stop you from getting yours, though.”
My cheeks burned from the strain of my grin. This woman . . . she went from not saying anything to having a conversation while I sat balls deep in her. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll get mine. After I make you scream my name.”
Her hands stilled on my shoulders, and she narrowed her gaze, while I continued to roll her hips. Never in my life had I been in this situation—fucking a woman, going through the motions, yet both of us acting as if we were discussing our likes and dislikes over a cup of coffee. Ironically, it was sexy as hell, and it didn’t once threaten to ruin the mood.
“I’m not going to scream your name, Jay,” she promised, her tone full of seriousness.
I hadn’t meant it in the literal sense, but now that she’d put it on the table, it became a challenge. A challenge I wouldn’t lose. After watching her come undone beneath me, I wouldn’t give up until I witnessed it again while she rode my dick . . .
She began to move on her own, now only needing a little guidance from me, so I slipped one hand to her lower back and threaded the other into her hair. Her shaky breaths were sucked into a heady gasp as I gently tugged on the loose knot of silky strands that twisted through my fingers, exposing her neck. With her spine now arched, her chin tipped up and throat elongated, she steadied herself with her hands on my shoulders, nails digging into my skin. Her breasts heaved closer to my face due to her curved posture, and I salivated at the sight of her pink, beaded nipples.
I flicked one with the tip of my tongue and waited for her sudden rigidness to subside. Then I closed my mouth around it and lightly sucked. Her strangled moan rumbled through her, practically vibrating my lips. Though nothing compared to the way she frantically rotated her hips against me when I pinched the hardened ball with ease between my front teeth.
“Jay . . . ,” she pleaded. “Jason.”
I released that nipple and licked my way to the other, repeating the same action. Her core clenched, her movements uncoordinated, and I knew she was close. That realization alone was enough to finish me off, but I needed to get her there first, so I dropped my hand from her hair.
Her forehead fell to mine, her eyes closed and breaths erratically hitting my face. I’d never been more desperate to make a woman come than I was right now. I cupped her breast with one hand and palmed it roughly, unable to control my strength. Every muscle in my body had coiled so tightly I didn’t think they’d ever relax again. And as soon as I had her nipple rolling between my thumb and forefinger, a whimper escaped her lips.
“Tatum,” I grunted while lifting my hips to meet hers. “Baby, come on.”
“Jason.” It was breathless, it was almost unheard, but it was my name, followed by a gasp and then the most incredible whimper to have ever hit my ears. “Jay . . .”
I tightened my arm around her, holding her impossibly close while I buried myself as deep as her body would allow. My skin was on fire as bursts of relief shot through me. My heated exhales billowed along her neck, where I grazed the salty skin with my teeth, tasting her against my tongue.
It took us both a few moments to calm down and slow our racing hearts. And while I fought to control my breathing, I realized it was over. We would enjoy this time, wrapped up in each other, but in a couple of minutes, she’d slide off my lap, and I’d no longer be inside her. I’d no longer be connected to her this way.
Never in my life had I dreaded this moment.
It was easy to think, Next time . . . but considering this time shouldn’t have happened, anything beyond this wasn’t guaranteed. She was supposed to be off limits. Her best friend had warned her to stay away from me. And it wasn’t until right now that I remembered why.
Breaking things off with Jen had been difficult enough with the relationship she and Marlena had built over the last few years. Except they weren’t best friends, nor had they ever lived together. Marlena hadn’t thought twice before coming to my defense, but this wasn’t the same situation. I couldn’t even compare the two. Kelsey and Tatum were like sisters—the repercussions of our actions had the potential to be devastating.
“Stay the night, Tatum.” It wasn’t a question; it also wasn’t a command. It was a plea, a desperate request, a wish on a shooting star to keep her for a little while longer. I couldn’t take back what we’d done—not that I wanted to—so there was no point in putting an immediate end to it if we didn’t have to, especially since this would more than likely never happen again.
She lifted her head until our eyes met. “I can’t. Kelsey will wonder where I am.”
Just the sound of my cousin’s name pained me. “So?”
“She can’t find out, Jason.” Her tone wasn’t filled with anxiety but rather was stern with fact.
“She doesn’t have to. Are you not allowed to stay over at someone else’s house? Why would she automatically assume you were here?”
“I hate the idea of lying to her. When I don’t come home, she’ll ask where I’ve been. If I tell her the truth, she’ll be pissed. And it’s not like I can just avoid giving her an answer. Anything other than saying I stayed here would mean I’d have to lie to my best friend’s face. I can’t do that.”
I dropped my forehead to her shoulder and tried to accept her answer. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t done with her yet, and the thought of her leaving left me on the verge of insanity. “Okay. Tell her you had too much to drink so you slept on my couch. She’ll be pissed at me. Not you.” I brought my head back and found her eyes again. “Stay. Please.”
“And why did I come here in the first place?”
“Cooking lesson. It’s not a lie. You can tell her everything without betraying her—taking the pasta machine to my aunt’s house, running into me, following me back to help me cook. She was here when I first brought it up, so it’s not like she’d even question it.”
Her eyes glistened, and a smirk tugged at one side of her mouth. “I don’t know, Jay.”
“Stay the night.” I’d say it a hundred times until she agreed.
Her body relaxed against me. “Give me one good reason.”
“I’ve lived with someone for the better part of the last five years. I haven’t gotten used to the constant silence yet, and by you staying, you’ll spare me one night of loneliness.”
The way she stared intently into my eyes, I could tell she questioned my sincerity. Little did she know, but every single bit of that had been painfully true, though I’d never admitted it to anyone, and I had no desire to repeat myself.
She nodded once and whispered, “Okay.”
And just like that, the weight threatening to crush me vanished. I pulled her lips to mine and silently thanked her. And with her hands on either side of my face, she accepted my gratitude.
Oddly enough, once we were both dressed and the sex haze had mostly dissipated, w
e moved to the couch and watched a movie like two friends who hadn’t just fucked like it was our last opportunity. Her guard was down, and it didn’t return for the rest of the night. Things were just easy between us, and I spent the majority of the film wondering how long this would last.
But for now, I wanted to enjoy whatever this was.
There was no need to complicate it.
12
Tatum
My eyes blinked open, the faint morning sun filling an unfamiliar room. It took a few seconds to realize it was Jason’s, then a few more to recall why I was in his bed. When the memories of last night caught me up to speed, I took a deep breath and allowed myself one more minute of satisfaction.
I rolled onto my back and glanced to the side, taking in the sight of Jason. He was asleep on his stomach with his arms tucked beneath his pillow. He had his face turned toward me with his eyes closed, softly breathing through his mouth. A light shadow of scruff lined his jaw, and I couldn’t ignore how innocent he looked. Yet I knew differently. The things he’d done to me last night had not been innocent. They hadn’t been learned from a textbook nor picked up from locker-room talk.
Even without having known Jason when he was younger, I wholeheartedly believed the rumors. There was no way he could’ve made my body sing like he had without years of diligent practice, so I was in no position to pass judgment. After all, I was the one who’d reaped the benefits this time.
I slipped out from beneath the covers and tiptoed to the desk in the far corner, where he’d neatly set my folded clothes. The burn in my thighs was enough to remind me of him for a little while longer. It also made it that much more difficult to change out of his T-shirt and into my own clothes to leave. Regardless, I couldn’t stay. Hell, I shouldn’t have stayed overnight, but I’d found myself powerless to say no to him—especially while he was still inside me.
Ironically, after the movie had ended, we’d climbed into bed and fallen asleep. Sure, there had been a little touching, some kissing, a few strokes here and there, but eventually, we’d succumbed to the exhaustion only sex could provide while wrapped in each other’s arms. At some point during the night, I’d moved to one side and curled up, facing the edge of the bed, and it seemed he’d shifted into a more natural position as well.
We had managed to move past the uncomfortable, awkward boundaries of my personality and just existed. Like two people—two friends. Not only that, but we’d also managed to get naked and each take advantage of what the other had to offer. That was completely out of character for me, yet with him, it didn’t freak me out. If anything, it gave my confidence a boost. It was like a shot of assurance to my ego. Then again, it was difficult to lose myself in my head when I was so busy losing myself in his touch.
I stalled in the doorway of his room and took one last look at him before sneaking out as if I were his mistress. One thing was for sure, though . . . that was not the last time I’d let him have his way with me. I wasn’t sure how we’d make it work without Kelsey finding out, but if there was a will, there was a way.
And by God, there was definitely a will.
I drove from Jason’s house to Samson with my mind lost in blissful thoughts of his skilled hands. And mouth. And the glorious package the schlong gods had bestowed upon him. But as soon as I made the turn down Oasis Boulevard toward my apartment complex, reality set in. I would have to face my best friend with the image of her very naked cousin on my mind. She’d sniff out the betrayal seeping from my pores before I even opened the door.
I’d taken one step inside when she popped out of her room, eyes narrowed and forehead taut with suspicion. She pursed her lips and watched as I closed the door behind me.
“Where have you been?”
I froze. I didn’t just clam up or stare blankly at her while quickly forming a lie in my head. Every muscle locked up. I literally stopped moving, quit breathing, and . . . froze. My brain even shut down, and all its functions—such as remembering the excuse Jason had told me to use—vacated my head. I was utterly useless.
At least I never had to worry about anyone asking me to falsify an alibi for them.
Her expression relaxed into a goofy, pleased grin and soft eyes, complete with excited, jumping brows. “You’re totally doing the walk of shame, aren’t you?”
I shook my head, but that was about all I could do.
“Yes . . . yes you are, you little hussy. It’s seven on a Friday morning, and you’re in jean shorts and a wrinkled shirt.”
I glanced down at my attire and pulled on the hem of my top, stretching out the front. “My clothes are always wrinkled.” That was true. I basically lived out of a hamper—I would’ve lived out of the dryer if Kelsey hadn’t constantly stuffed the clean laundry into a basket and put it in my room.
“Oh, yeah? Were they wrinkled when you put them on yesterday?”
“As a matter of fact, they were.” My tone practically screamed “told ya so,” which mirrored her obnoxious, gloating smirk. It confused me for a second until my brain returned and replayed what had just happened. Holy smoked salmon. “I grabbed them off the floor this morning and put them back on. I didn’t have time to find anything else to wear.”
“I don’t doubt that one bit. Except we both know you didn’t grab them off your floor.”
“So what?” I shrugged, giving up on denial and hoping that admitting it would make this end. “I had sex. Great sex. It was so amazing I just might do it again.”
“If you’re lying to me, we’re going to have issues.”
“Nope. I’m telling the truth. You’re the one who told me to go out there and have a little fun. So I did.”
“I’m so proud of you. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see the day.” Her cheeks had to hurt from how hard she fought against her evil, satisfied smile. “Who was it? Is he hot? Oh!” Her eyes grew wide. “Is he a random? I won’t lie . . . I’m a little conflicted about that. Sure, there are certain risk factors when introducing yourself to a stranger by shaking his dick with your hoo-ha. But let’s be real, if it got you to spread ’em for someone other than Michael, then hallelujah.”
I propped my hand on my side and cocked my head at her. “Being with only one person isn’t a bad thing, Kels.”
“You’re twenty-five, Tater. One day, you’ll be married, which means no more swimming in the pool. Do you really want to wake up one morning and realize you’ve wasted your life on the sidelines with water wings?”
“Better that than herpes.” I gave up and headed for my room.
Apparently, that wasn’t a clear enough hint for her, so she followed. “Come on, Tatum. Who was he? I need to know . . . it’s imperative that you tell me.”
“Trust me, Kelsey . . . you don’t. Let’s just leave it at that.”
She was silent for a minute, probably running through the options in her head. A second later, her posture slumped, and she gave me the most pathetic pity eyes I’d ever witnessed. She didn’t need to say anything—her reaction made it clear enough that she’d figured it out—yet that didn’t stop her from voicing her opinion anyway. “Really? Please tell me you’re kidding. Or lying. Better yet, tell me you’re delusional and made it all up in your head, that it didn’t happen but you think it did because you’re so hard up.”
I dropped to the edge of my bed and stared at her, hoping she could feel the remorse rolling off me in waves rather than the gratification I felt when my sore muscles refused to let me forget last night. This was the worst situation to be in. The last thing I wanted to do was upset her, yet at the same time, I didn’t believe I’d done anything wrong . . . other than sleep with her cousin after she’d adamantly begged me not to.
“Why, Tatum? You’re so much smarter than this. Why would you do it?”
“I don’t know. It just happened.”
“Sex doesn’t just happen. Okay . . . sometimes it does, but never for you.”
“Well, it did. One minute we were laughing and having a good time, and the n
ext thing I knew, my top was off and my hand was down his pants. Can we please go back to like ten seconds ago when you were excited for me?”
“Absolutely not. Just promise it won’t happen again.”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t make me.”
“Fine, but can you at least promise to be smart about this?”
“It meant nothing—you taught me well. So yes, I can promise that if it happens again, I’ll be smart about it. Things might be a little awkward at first, but you’ll see . . . you have nothing to worry about.”
Kelsey sighed and rolled her eyes. “Doubtful, but whatever. I just hope you know what you’re doing. Now get some rest. The last thing you need is to burn the restaurant down because you fell asleep at the stove. Good luck explaining to everyone why you were so tired.”
“Yeah, so . . . I forgot to tell you. I was suspended until Monday.”
She turned her head and blinked rapidly. “Wait, what? From the restaurant?”
“Yeah. I found out yesterday morning when I showed up for my lunch shift.”
“And then you went out and celebrated by having sex?”
“Uh, not exactly. I came home and took a nap first. Then I dropped off the pasta machine at your mom’s house.”
“You slept with him after you left my mom’s house?”
“No. After I left, I made dinner. Then I, uh . . . cleaned the kitchen.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Tatum. You cleaned his kitchen? And then you slept with him?”
“Something like that. Yeah.” I didn’t understand how the sequence of events was important, but if she needed to know every step I’d made that led me to her cousin’s bed, then so be it.
The (Half) Truth Page 15