Chapter 10
Kelly
Ipeeked any eye open, moaning at the sunlight peeking through the blinds. I didn’t recall leaving them open, but it’s quite possible that I did.
Or maybe Josh did.
I rolled over, reaching over to touch his body, frowning as I felt nothing but a cold mattress.
I sat up, pushed my hair out of my face, and wrapped the sheet around my naked body.
My sore, marked up, naked body.
I glanced down, smiling at the marks all over, but knowing that I wouldn’t trade one single moment of it because he’s unlocked something inside of me.
“Wait,” I muttered, tapping my finger on my leg.
“No, don’t try to think, Kelly. It’s best to have some coffee.”
I grabbed his shirt lying on the floor and slipped it on, finally making my way to the kitchen and to the much-needed coffee pot.
I pressed the button to start brewing, smiling at the note next to the machine.
“I know you need this. Spoiled you for being a good girl,” I read out loud, my legs crossing to clench at nothing at that term.
“I’ve never had a praise kink before,” I muttered. But after last night and all the ways he used and abused my body, only to praise me, yeah, it was fair to say that shit turned me on.
I grabbed my coffee and my creamer, taking a sip as I sat down on the couch, curling my legs under me.
“Wait, wait, wait,” I told myself, tilting my head. “Wasn’t I the one who should have been teaching him things? Helping him to figure stuff out about himself and how to show those other stupid ass ladies how wrong they were.
“Why am I learning more stuff about me? Learning more about what I like and don’t like? Was this all a ploy to get me to do this stuff? Or to better understand me? Or to finally give me the chance to learn what could really drive me wild?”
I smiled as I took another sip, having to think that could just be the most romantic thing, in a twisted and bizarre way of course.
“You sly devil,” I muttered, taking another sip of my coffee.
He knew what he was doing, there was no doubt about that. And he knew the right lines to get me to open up. Now, I could be mad at him, but that was pointless. Because if I was being honest with myself, there really wasn’t anyone else I’d be wanting to do anything with.
Josh was my safe spot, my home, my comfort. We had been friends for ages and if there was anyone who knew me and wouldn’t judge, it would be him. Why I never thought to try anything like this before, I’m not sure. Or even better yet, why he didn’t.
Because if he was truly worried about pleasing a woman, he would have talked to me. I would have done exactly what he’s doing. Or, rather, what I did.
I checked the time on the wall, seeing that he probably had about two hours left of his morning shift, so I could easily bug him. Easily call him out on his shit, which would be funny, at least to me.
Not that I would. I knew he gelled well with his work family, and I would never want to jeopardize that.
I jumped up off the couch, turned the coffee maker off, dumped the rest of my cup, and hurried to get dressed.
I paused as I looked at a toy on the floor, one we hadn’t tried but one that I would admit was a secret pleasure.
Instead of grabbing the whole thing, I grabbed just the charger, thinking of a way to go out tonight and in a setting that he could use it.
Twenty-five minutes later, I’m walking into his coffee shop, smiling at the crowds of people all over.
The vibe here was always fun and open and the coffee was always amazing.
Not just because he was always playing around with flavors to create fun and new items, but because they picked some of the most unusual things to pair; not just coffee but in pastries.
I didn’t come often only because I’d be buying far too much and eating all of that, which isn’t a good thing.
“Hey,” Josh said, smiling as I walked up to the counter. “What brings you by?”
“I had to come to bug you,” I told him, smiling at the woman who was at the register. “I’ll have whatever drink of the day he’s making,” I told her.
“Liz, her order is on me. That’s my best friend,” Josh said.
“More like want to be girlfriend. When are you two just going to admit that you two are dating? It would make everything easier on all of us,” Josie, his boss and co-creator of the many amazing flavors, teased.
“Don’t you know, Josie? I’m too much of a nerd for her liking,”
“Oh, shut up, Josh!” I wadded up a napkin and threw it at him, causing both Josie and Liz to laugh. “We aren’t dating,” I told Liz.
“Yet,” both Josh and Josie said at the same time, making us all laugh.
“Do you not want to?” she whispered, glancing behind her at Josh and I grinned.
“I do. But we’ve been friends for ages. I don’t want to ruin that either. He really is my better half.”
“That’s so sweet,” she told me, dreamily. “Someday my prince charming will come. But until he’s comfortable with a two-year-old who is constantly into everything, I’m going to have to wait.”
“Liz has an adorable little girl, Chelsea. She tried to bring her to work one day,” Josh said, handing me my drink. “We told her to go home.”
“Because she was too much?” I asked, taking a sip of the drink, moaning at the flavors.
“Not even. Because she was so stinking cute that all we wanted to do was play with her. We got no work done. So, I sent her home with pay. I needed to make sure my customers were taken care of, not playing with a baby,” Josie said, shaking her head.
I wanted to laugh but I knew the woman, she was dead serious.
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Actually,” Liz piped up, a timid smile on her face. “Chelsea likes lights. I was going to go down Main Ave and join the carolers. She’ll love the singing and the colors. Would you all like to join us? She’ll love the company too.”
“Josh and I are in. We haven’t done that since when we were in high school! Oh, and to play with a little one, sounds fun to me.”
“Awesome. Oh, excuse me, customer.”
I turned to Josh, holding up my drink.
“Best one yet,” I told him. He walked over, kissing my cheek.
“What if I had plans?” he whispered. “We could have had a fun night, ya know.”
“Oh, don’t be so stingy, grinch. Give me your hand.”
He held it out and I dropped the controller into it. He turned it over, his eyes squinting for a moment before he smirked.
“Is this what I think it is?”
“Yup,” I told him, popping the P.
“Oh, it’s going to be a fun night for sure.”