Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Istand there like a goof, not sure what I’m supposed to be doing, so I undress like I was earlier, down to my boxer briefs and socks because my feet are cold.
We change places—she crawls under the covers in her sweatpants and Resistance T-shirt and I go to the bathroom.
Before the door closes, she says, “I set out a toothbrush for you.”
“Thanks.”
The blue brush is fully loaded with striped paste, so I wet it and go to town. I can only imagine how my breath is after shoving a wiener down my throat. Wait, what? Hot dog. Dirty birds.
While I scrub my pearly whites, I do what any guest would do—dig through the medicine cabinet and the one under the sink.
There’s nothing too interesting other than everything.
It’s like a mecca for nosy people who like to go the extra mile and snoop through people’s stuff.
Cough drops, Vick’s VapoRub, Advil, Emergen-C packets, toothbrush and paste, an out of date prescription for Amoxicillin, tampons, and what do we have here—a box of extra large condoms in ribbed for her pleasure vanilla flavored.
Damn, that’s got a lot going on. Whatever happened to it being used for protection?
I like that she’s prepared. I now must torture-tease her about it.
I spit, rinse, and wrap up my business before taking the black box with neon yellow writing to bed with me. The overhead light is off and the room is dim except for the lamp on her nightstand. I climb under the fluffy blanket and toss the box on the bed between us.
Virginia’s gaze lands on it and her eyebrows shoot up. So to push this a bit further than I should for entertainment purposes only, I ask, “Do you have a vibrator?”
“Hardy,” she cautions, warning, or more like wanting, to end this already.
“Do you?”
She grabs her pillow and drags it flat down and flops back, then pulls the awesomely soft blanket over her head. “Yes.”
“Show me.”
The blanket is flapped down with authority. “No.”
“Yes.” I move down and rest on my elbow.
“No.” The firmness of her tone seconds earlier is teetering on giving in.
Reaching over, I rub my hand over her stomach.
And even though I’m damn jealous that rock band gets to hang out on her chest, I get the pleasure of sliding it up and getting the real thing.
I lean down and kiss her stomach while dipping my fingertips under the waistband of her sweatpants.
“I want to watch you pleasure yourself.”
The scoff comes out stuck in the middle of a belly laugh. “No way.”
“Why? Do you know how hot that is?” I lie back and close my eyes. “Thinking about you touching yourself like that, getting off.” I grab more than a handful of my dick. “It turns me on just thinking about it.”
Her voice is lower, the hint of debate heard. “I can’t, Hardy.”
Turning to look at her, I keep stroking my cock.
“You can. Remember, with us, there is no judgment. No negativity. Just us. Just pleasure.” I lean over and kiss the side of her mouth while rubbing her hip.
Pressing my erection against her leg, a slow gyrate begins.
“You smell so good, and feel even better. Do you know how much you turn me on?”
An exhale of breath is heard from her nose before she gives in and opens her mouth for more air. “I can feel you, but when I do, I want you more than lesson three.”
I roll to my back. Putting my arms over my eyes, I release my own hard breath. “God. Me too. So much.”
“Maybe we—”
I look at her. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because the first time should matter and if we have sex right now it won’t be about you, but me.”
“I don’t care.” Now she moves to her side and rubs over my stomach and begins going lower. “I want to be with you.”
Grabbing her wrist, I stop her hand from reaching its intended destination.
“I want to be with you so much. This is not just hard for me, it’s almost impossible, but I won’t treat you like every other guy out there.
This is important to me. You’ve respected yourself enough to hold off.
I’m just asking you to hold on a little longer. ”
She lies back and as much as I hate that her hands aren’t on me, it’s not the right time, but I know when is. “What are you doing next Saturday?”
A slow smiles slides into place, just how I like her—happy. “That’s my birthday.”
“I know.”
When her eyes meet mine, she asks, “I was hoping to spend it with you. I didn’t know if you’d be able to get off work two Saturdays in a row.”
Hoarding in on her real estate, I make myself more comfortable and rest my head on her pillow. “Have you forgotten I’m the boss?”
“It’s hard to forget how bossy you are when you’re always reminding me,” she teases.
I pull her close and wrap my arm around her and spank her playfully on that fine ass of hers, then get a solid grab. Because I can.
She snuggles against me and closes her eyes. Then I whisper, “Can I take you out for your birthday, V?”
Her body is relaxed and molded to mine. You know those feelings I’ve been walking around with on my sleeve that I can’t seem to shake?
Yeah, they crawl up into my chest making the beats bounce around my ribcage wildly.
Holding her is just what I needed. She’s not just warming my arms. She’s setting my soul on fire.
“I’d love that. Thank you.”
I stroke her hair and kiss her head. “Thank you, sweet girl.” Closing my eyes, I whisper, “Sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams.”
The woman needs blackout curtains. This blinding light is ridiculous. “Fuck,” I groan, rolling away from the window. “Who the fuck is shining a spotlight in here?”
Her laugh is light and the bed shakes a little. She leans her forehead against mine and says, “That’s called the sun. I know you work nights, but this is what morning looks like.”
Grabbing a pillow, I cover my head. “Morning is overrated. Let’s go back to sleep until a more sociable time. I’m partial to two.”
She slinks under the pillow and kisses my nose. “I can’t sleep anymore. I’m going to make coffee. Can I bring you a cup?”
“What time is it?”
“Seven thirty.”
“Yes, I’d like a cup . . . in about five hours.”
Laughing again, the bed moves when she starts to leave. I grab her wrist, and then her leg, and drag her back under the covers. “Stay.”
Without protest, she shifts and wraps her arms around me. I rest my head on her chest, letting the steady beat of her heart lull me back to sleep.
The next time I open my eyes, I’m alone in bed.
Which is wrong on so many levels.
I hear Christmas music playing softly in the other room. I flip the covers off and pad across the floor ignoring the massive boner I’m sporting. He can be handled in a moment. I peek into the living room and see Virginia sitting on the floor with wrapping paper and presents all around her.
Visions of a fast forward future: fire burning in a fireplace, music playing, her sitting surrounded by toys and a plate of cookies and milk comes to mind, completely freaking me out.
Boner. Gone. Just like that.
I duck back and get dressed. After a quick visit to the bathroom, I come out to find her standing in the doorway with a pink cup of coffee outstretched. “Good morning. I thought you might like this.”
“A travel mug?”
“Coffee to go. I figured you’d be ready to bolt when you got up,” she says with a smile that would devastate me if I weren’t already freaked out from the future that flashed before my eyes.
“Yeah.” I shift under her analyzing gaze.
I take the pink cup. “I’m supposed to open the bar.”
“It’s okay, Hardy. We don’t have to make this awkward.” Standing there looking at me like I’m a problem she’s trying to solve—the numbers out of whack and making no sense until she finds the missing factor, she adds, “I never expected you to stay.”
Well that made it awkward. Moving closer, I touch her cheek, hating that I don’t just hear the disappointment in her voice, but I see it in her eyes.
“I’ll see you Saturday.” She nods, her words not coming when she moves closer and rests her cheek against my chest. I hug her.
Tight. For her. For me. “Saturday, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Look at me,” I say, leaning back. When she does, I smile. “I’m glad I stayed.”
Her smile grows and she tightens her hold around my middle. “Me too.” Lifting up, she kisses my lips gently and instead of dropping down, she stays. I close my eyes and savor the taste of her sweet lips. Then I kiss her back.
There’s no tongue and our hands stay above the waist, which is hard because she’s wearing these little shorts that hug her hips and barely cover that ass of hers. Why she wasn’t wearing these last night in bed, I have no idea, but the sweatpants are getting burned next time I stay over.
I weave my fingers into her hair and hold her there, realizing I wish I didn’t have to go.
Her lips are soft and caressing. This just might be my favorite kiss of all time—easy, uncomplicated, simple.
So good that I start to think maybe we don’t have to end badly after all. Maybe we don’t have to end at all.
She steps back, our hands still clasped. That look that’s starting to become a regular fixture in the green of her eyes is there, the corners at the top rounded and the bottom in a point. I don’t say anything because I’m not so sure that my brown eyes are doing the same.
Walking me to the door, she says, “I’ll see you next Saturday.”
“I’ll text you.”
The door is opened and she leans against it watching me walk through. I turn and catch her eyes on my ass. I wink, and say, “My eyes are up here, sweetheart.”
Just as cocky, she raises an eyebrow at me. “My eyes are up here but that didn’t stop you from getting a parting eyeful of my tits.”
Shrugging, I laugh. “Can’t wait to see those perky girls again.”
“Maybe you’ll get lucky next weekend. We still have one lesson left.”
Walking backward to the elevator, I let my gaze graze over her toned legs. I look up and smile while raising my arms out wide. “I’m a sure thing, honey, so you’re definitely getting lucky next weekend.” I punch the elevator button.
When the elevator arrives, I wave and say, “See you, Virginia.”
“See you, Hardy.”
I step on and am smiling like a loon. The lady already on the elevator pulls her little daughter under her arm and covers her ears. I can’t stop from laughing, but I give them their space. I’m tempted to spew a slew of curses just to make the hand-muffs worth the effort, but I behave.
When we get to the lobby, she scurries off, but the little girl says, “Goodbye.”
Smiling, I reply “Goodbye.”
They leave quickly. The doorman continues holding the door for me. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
Just as I step outside, he adds, “Ms. Ryan sure is a lovely woman.”
“She sure is.” I smile and look back, thinking he has more on his mind than just a nice comment about V.
“She never has guests over.” I nod, wondering where this is going. He continues, “It’s good to see she had company.”
Standing under the awning, I look at him, digesting the information he’s sharing.
She never has any company? I smile too big to let him in on why.
I’ll just look like an asshole. I’ll leave that role to the asshole himself at her work, but I can’t not say something, so I do, “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me. ” Claim. Staked.
He nods, his own smile in place. “Good to hear.”
I shake the doorman’s hand. “I’m Hardy Richard, by the way.”
“Barry Rusk.”
“Good to meet you, Barry.”
“You too. Have a good day, Mr. Richard.”
“Thank you. I plan on having a great day.”He tips his cap to me and I tip my imaginary one to him.
Great indeed. With three lessons down and one left that I’ve been saving for her birthday, the best is yet to come.
Do I really have to say it?
Fine. You win.
The best is yet to come. Literally and figuratively.