35. Ari #2
It’s not more than sex.
It’s so hard to get them to see that.
“It isn’t, though. We’re friends now, but that’s all.”
“And what about when we go back to New York? Is she still living with you?” Cole asks.
I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. “Um, yeah, she is. She’s not a bad roommate, and it makes more financial sense for her to stay.”
“Do you really think that’s all it is?” Knox shakes his head in disbelief.
“Of course,” I reply, but I’m not sure my tone is convincing.
“Well, that’s good then,” Josh smirks, “since some man is hitting on Lucia as we speak.”
I whip my head around, and my eyes narrow in on the guy she’s talking to.
Blond hair. Polo. Chino shorts. Tan skin. Leather flip flops.
Looks like the kinda guy who’s living off Daddy’s money.
Probably named Chad or some shit.
Lucia laughs at something Chad says, and I’m out of my chair and on my way over to the bar, ignoring the guys as they start laughing behind me.
“There you are,” I boom as she turns around to look at me while I act like I had no idea where she was.
She cocks her eyebrow at me. “I came over here to get our drinks, which I literally told you.”
“You were taking a while.” I rest my hand on her hip and tease my thumb under the hem of her top.
“Because I’m talking to somebody, which you can clearly see.”
“I was just grabbing her a drink,” Chad smiles.
I stare at him. “You were just leaving.”
“Ari, what the hell?”
“Your drinks are on me, Spitfire.” I keep my eyes locked on Chad. “She’s taken care of.”
He scoffs. “Why don’t you let her decide?”
Lucia rolls her eyes, seemingly at us both. “Look, I was accepting the drink to be nice. I’m not interested. Besides, I’m here with this one”— She jabs her thumb over her shoulder at me. —“and our other friends.”
“Whatever,” Chad chides before walking away.
Lucia turns on me now, and she has no right to look so goddamn sexy when she clearly wants to murder me. “You—”
I cut her off by grabbing her wrist and gently dragging her with me toward the hallway that leads to the bathrooms. She’s still scowling at me as we come to a stop, and she leans back against the wall with me standing in front of her.
“You’re a fucking caveman. You know that?”
“I didn’t like the look of him.” I cross my arms.
“So you marched over to the bar, practically beating your chest to show dominance over me?”
“I marched over there because Chad was getting a little too comfortable with you.”
“His name was Lucas, idiot.” She rolls her eyes at me, and I can’t really say I blame her.
“Well, Lucas” — His name rolls off my tongue with disdain. —“was just wanting to get into your pants.”
“And you don’t?” Lucia stares at me in disbelief. “That’s what our entire arrangement is, but you just marched over there like a jealous fucking boyfriend or something, Ari.”
“I was not jealous,” I huff. “I was sparing you a night of disappointing sex.”
She sighs at me. “Do you really think I was going to go home with him on your birthday? I know we’ve had our differences, but I’m not a shitty person.”
I groan and throw my head back. “I know you aren’t.”
“Then why did you go over there?” she demands.
“I don’t fucking know!” I practically shout before lowering my voice. “I don’t know.”
“Look, I know we haven’t talked about exclusivity or anything, but I’m not interested in sleeping with anyone else, Ari.”
“Neither am I,” I say lowly.
“That may be true, but don’t forget that I’m not yours. I don’t belong to anybody, even if I’m sleeping with them.”
“I know.”
“Are you done acting like a dumbass now?”
The answer should be an immediate yes, but I don’t even know why I was acting like a dumbass in the first place.
I shouldn’t care that someone was flirting with her. She’s hot as hell, so I fully understand why they’d want to.
Lucia isn’t mine, but clearly, I act like an idiot around her.
So, I give an honest response.
“No.”
She doesn’t have time to reply before my lips are on hers.
She’s surprised at first but gives in quickly. Thankfully, my actions seem to have been more of an annoyance to her than anything else.
I swipe my tongue against hers, and Lucia melts into me, kissing me back with equal fervor.
When we break apart, she gazes at me, eyes gleaming. “Ari…”
I reach into my pocket now and turn the vibrator on again. She lets out a soft sigh, and the sound travels straight to my dick.
“Come for me, Lucia,” I rasp, lips brushing against hers.
“I thought I wasn’t coming until I had your cock inside me,” she fires back, remembering what I told her earlier.
“Changed my mind,” I grunt, increasing the speed of the vibrations. “I want you to fall apart for me right now, sweetheart. Need to see you come.”
Lucia’s eyes flutter closed, and she focuses on maintaining her composure.
I up the speed again, and she lightly moans.
“You know you want to come,” I whisper to her. “You’re so fucking pretty when you do. Let me have this now, and I’ll fuck you so good when we get back.”
She nods quickly, and I take my hand and push it between her legs, pressing the vibrator into her clit.
“Shit,” she breathes, struggling to keep it together. “That feels so good, baby.”
“Are you close?”
“Y-yes…”
I take her mouth again to keep her quiet, and she immediately sweeps her tongue inside.
She’s trembling for me already, so I know she’s just about to fall apart.
I increase the speed one final time, and she shatters almost immediately, moaning into my mouth as she rides out the orgasm she’s been searching for all night.
I click it off again, and she breaks our kiss so she can catch her breath.
She’s still breathing heavily when she looks at me with lust-filled eyes. “Ari, what do you think about heading back to my room now?”
“Let’s fucking go.”