Chapter 4 #2
“Last weekend, I did something I regret.” His eyes bored into mine. “And something happened that made me realize that it was time for me to grow up.”
“Last weekend, you did something you regret?” I repeated, my face flushing. “Do you mean me?” I glared at him as my stomach sank.
He regretted sleeping with me? I felt gutted at his words.
“I did do you last weekend, yes.” He grinned. “But that’s not what I’m talking about.” He leaned forward and licked his lips. “That day is nothing I will ever regret.”
“You’re a pig.”
I shook my head, mesmerized by the movement of his tongue, so pink and pointy.
I shivered, just remembering it between my legs.
I groaned inwardly as I recalled the feeling of it slipping inside of me.
I know; I was horrible. I should have been shouting at him or slapping him, but instead, I was remembering every vivid detail of how rough and gentle his tongue had been.
I was growing wet, just remembering how much pleasure his seemingly innocent tongue had given me.
I hoped that the moisture would cool me down in hell because those fiery flames were exactly where I was headed.
“I don’t oink,” he teased, and for a second, I thought he was about to kiss me.
“You sure about that?” I licked my dry lips and took a step back.
“Nervous, Liv?” He raised an eyebrow at me and took another step toward me.
“Stop saying my name like that.”
“Like what, Liv?”
“Like you’re some sort of Spanish conquistador and I’m the conquest you’re after.”
“But I’ve already had you.” He grinned. “The conquest is over. Done. Complete.” He stepped back and looked around the room. “Nice.” He nodded to the poster of the Backstreet Boys above my bed.
“Everyone I know has a poster of the Backstreet Boys,” I muttered.
“Really?” He looked at me in surprise. “Everyone you know still has a poster of a boy band on their wall?”
He wiggled his eyebrows, and I made a face at him.
“Of course, not now. This is my childhood room. This is where I slept as a teenager. I don’t live here anymore. I have my own apartment, and I don’t have posters of the Backstreet Boys up there,” I said defensively.
“I think you’re protesting a bit too much.” He laughed. “Are you sure about that?”
“Of course I’m sure about that. I’m very sure I know what’s hanging in my bedroom.”
I turned away from him, hoping he couldn’t see the red in my face.
I did have some photos of Matthew McConaughey in a scrapbook in my bedroom that I’d cut out from celebrity magazines.
And those weren’t from my teenage years.
They were from the future husband scrapbooks Alice and I had made in college.
Matthew McConaughey was my dream man. He was perfect—rough, handsome, had a sexy country drawl, and loved his mama.
If he wasn’t married, I’d be on a plane to Texas or California, doing whatever I could to meet him.
“Liv?” Xander’s voice was hesitant. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Why?” I turned to look at him, and his eyes were curious as he stared at me.
“You seemed to drift away just now, and I was wondering what had occupied your thoughts so deeply. Surely, you’re not having daydreams about Justin Timberlake?”
“Justin Timberlake was in *NSYNC, not the Backstreet Boys.”
I rolled my eyes at him, and he laughed.
“Ask me if I care.”
“I didn’t say you cared. I was just correcting you because what you said was wrong. Ugh.” I shook my head in frustration. “What do you want, Xander? You’re annoying me.”
“You. Again. In your bed. Under your Backstreet Boys poster, crying out my name and singing ‘Quit Playing Games (with My Heart).’ ”
“Oh.” My jaw dropped at his presumptuousness and at the fact that he knew the name of a boy-band song.
“Cat got your tongue?”
“You have five seconds to tell me what you really want, and then I suggest you leave my room. I’m this close to telling my sister about you, you dirty pig.”
“Telling your sister what about me?” He laughed. “That you met me at a wedding last weekend and then proceeded to have sex with me at the church?”
“We didn’t have sex at the church,” I protested. “We-we …” I sputtered out at him, not sure what to say. “You’re a pig.”
“You said that before.” He grinned. “And I stand corrected. We didn’t have sex at the church. Well, not technically. Not if you mean my cock in your—”
“Xander,” I cut him off, my face officially the color fire-engine red.
I could be in one of those picture books that they made for toddlers to learn the colors. When everyone thought of bright red, they would think of the color on my face during this conversation with Xander, miracle tongue worker and jerk.
“Yes?” He laughed. “I was just agreeing with you. Technically, my tongue inside of you doesn’t qualify as fornication.
Though what we did in the church is a type of sex, right?
If we’re being absolutely correct, I believe that oral sex is still sex, but I don’t know how technical we’re being.
” His eyes mocked me as he continued, “So, yes, you’re correct; we didn’t have sex at the church.
Not the full we could be in a porn movie type of sex.
However, we did have my mouth between your legs made you come quasi-sex, and then we did have full-on porno sex in my hotel room later that night.
” He paused. “Does that make you feel better?”
“No, that does not make me feel better.” I grabbed his arms and pulled him away from the door and closer to the bed. “And keep your voice down. What if someone hears you?”
“Would that be a problem?” He cocked his head.
“What do you think?”
“We’re not back on that again, are we?” He grabbed my hands and pulled them up to his face. “Your nails need cutting.”
He studied them for a few seconds, and I pulled my hands away from him.
“What?” I frowned, distracted by his comment. “What are you talking about?”
“I was just saying, you need a manicure.” He shrugged. “Your fingernails are long, and the nail polish is chipping off.”
“Are you fucking joking with me right now?” My jaw dropped. “You’re the most insufferable—”
“Pig—I know.” He finished my sentence for me.
“No. I was going to say asshole.” My eyes narrowed as I stared at the nonchalant smile on his face. “You’re an asshole.”
“That gives me an idea.” He grinned, and he grabbed my waist and pulled me toward him.
“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting reacquainted with you.” He laughed as he looked down into my face, his lips dangerously close to mine as his fingers slipped to my ass.
“Hey.” I jumped back. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Well, I was touching your ass because you gave me an idea.” His voice suddenly became seductively low.
“What idea?” I swallowed hard, and then my jaw dropped. “Do you think I’m going to have anal sex with you? The day I find out you’re engaged to my sister? Are you out of your mind? Did you really think I was going to let you—”
“Liv,” he cut me off, his lips trembling.
“What?”
“I just wanted to feel your ass to see if it was as juicy and pert as I remembered.” He winked at me. “I wasn’t asking to take your anal cherry.”
“You—wait, what?” I sputtered out, my heart racing.
How had the conversation gone to sex again? Why, oh why, was he teasing me and making me feel so hot and bothered? He was the worst kind of man possible, and yet I was incredibly turned on.
“Anyway, let’s not get sidetracked.” He shook his head at me. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t come to your room for sex.”
“Say what?” I looked at him in confusion. “I never said—”
“I came because I wanted to explain to you that this was a delicate situation. I wasn’t engaged when we made love.
And I wasn’t planning on becoming engaged either.
However, your sister and I have decided to get married.
” He studied my face for a few seconds. “I didn’t expect to see you again.
” He shook his head, and his face softened as he looked at me. “You’ve made this all very difficult.”
“What have I made difficult?”
“This arrangement between your sister and me …” He paused. “It’s delicate. It’s not a love match.”
“Then what is it?”
Bang, bang.
“Liv?” Gabby’s voice was soft. “Can I come in?”
“Just a second,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t show how panicked I felt.
“Get under the bed.” I pushed Xander down. “Now.”
“Okay.” He frowned as he got down on his knees and slithered under the bed.
“Liv?” Gabby’s voice was louder. “Can I come in?”
“Just a second,” I shouted and looked to make sure Xander’s legs and feet were hidden. I walked to the door and opened it with a big smile. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Can I come in?”
Gabby seemed hesitant, and I stared at her in surprise. My sister was never hesitant. She was beautiful, confident, and always got what she wanted. Like my Mr. Miracle Tongue.
“Uh, what do you want?”
Oh God, I couldn’t look her in the face. I needed to make eye contact with her, but I couldn’t. I was too ashamed of myself. What, oh what, was I going to do?
“Can I come in? I don’t want anyone to hear.” She pushed into the room and closed the door behind her. “What do you think of Xander?”
“Huh?” My face was hot. “Why do you ask?” Please do not ask me if his tongue has been anywhere near me. Please do not ask me if I’m jealous. Please do not ask me if I’m the worst sister on the planet. Because it turned out that I was.
“I just want your opinion.” She sighed. “I know you can read guys well.”
“I, uh, I guess.” I stared at her in shock.
Since when did she think I could read guys well?
Since when did Gabby ever want my opinion?
I’m not trying to be suspicious. She is my sister and I love her, but she’s never really given me the time of day and I’m surprised that she’d come to me now.
However, I am the one in the wrong here, so I am not going to question her motivations.
“I haven’t known Xander long,” she said as she plays with her hair.
She looks thoughtful as she studies my face and there’s something in her eyes that I can’t read.
An emotion I’m not familiar with. She looks vulnerable, but also hard at the same time.
She looks like she’s trying to figure something out and I still.
“Oh?” I bit my lower lip, wanting to ask her more, but I didn’t because I didn’t want Xander to think I cared to know about their relationship.
“I know it’s rash, but when he proposed, I couldn’t say no,” she said breathlessly. She blinks like she’s trying not to cry. She looks overwhelmed and excited. Her lower lip trembled and for a moment I think she’s going to cry or reach for me.
“How long have you known him?” I asked softly. I do not want to know. But I do want to know. Why is this so complicated.
“I … that doesn’t matter.” She sighed. “The point is, we’re getting married.”
“I mean, if you love him,” I said and shrugged, “follow your heart.” I want to tell her to run, but I can’t.
“I’m pregnant, Liv,” she burst out, and the color drained from my face.
“We’re getting married because I’m pregnant.
” If I could make time stand still, I would have done so in that matter.
In fact, I would have jumped into a UFO with aliens and let them take me wherever they wanted to take me in that moment.
I’m not sure how I didn’t fall to the ground.
ET or whoever else is out there, call me, I think to myself. Call me and take me to your planet.
Because right now, I’d rather be anywhere but here.