Julian
A third first date.
One final chance to convince Leticia I’m the one she should be with. Batter up. If I don’t put my all into this, there’s no world in which I get another shot like this. One more strike, and you’re out. I’m not letting that happen a third time.
I refuse.
“I get why you believe we wouldn’t work,” I explain. “You’ve never trusted Andrew a day in your life, so why would you willingly attach yourself to his best friend? It’d be like asking for this relationship to blow up in our faces like it did last night, only worse. Much worse.”
Don’t you see what a mess this is?
The last relationship I had nearly upended my entire family and resorted in my father seeing himself out of my life for good. Leti and Andrew were on bad terms long before I entered the picture, but I can’t let what happened to my family happen to theirs. Not because of me. Not again.
“Well, yeah.” She shrugs. “Do I really need to present you with the evidence again?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Like I said, I get it. You’re not ready for more. But can you be ready for a chance at more?”
“A chance at more.” The words are spoken under her breath, like she’s testing them out. “And how exactly does this fix the Andrew of it all?”
“It buys us some time, for one,” I tell her. “To figure out a way for you to coexist in peace.”
“Yeah, not likely.”
“We’ll see about that,” I say. “What are you thinking?”
“How would this even work? We date other people non-exclusively while we’re physically exclusive with each other? How is that not asking for more of a mess than we’re already making?”
“We’ll put a limit on this to mitigate the possibility of hurting someone’s feelings in the process. How does one date for each of us sound?”
“Fair enough,” she says, “as long as you’re doing this too.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to correct her when Leti said she knew there was someone else, until the conversation veered so far left it spun out of my control.
Even if there wasn’t someone else you were into before me, I’m not so sure we’d work anyway.
The last thing I want to do is lie to her, but I have to tread carefully here.
“If that’s what you want.” My eyes scan her face for any hint at what she’s thinking, but aside from the slight purse to her lips, she gives away nothing.
“It is,” she says. “Think you can get this mystery person to agree to go out with you?”
I’m halfway there already.
“Let me worry about that,” I say. “After each date, we’ll debrief here at the end of the night and give our final rankings once we’ve gone out with everyone.”
“What happens after we choose?”
“If we choose each other, we date,” I say. “Exclusively, until we’re ready to commit to a real relationship.”
“What does dating exclusively mean to you?” Her brow rises. “We’re not keeping this chaste, are we?”
“It means we get to know each other.” I smirk. “Biblically, and otherwise.”
“If we’re exclusively dating and having sex, how is that any different from committing to a real relationship?”
“Committing means we’re in this through thick and thin. No walking away the minute things get hard. We work through it together,” I say. “Dating exclusively gives us a chance to make sure that’s what we want from each other.”
“That’s what you mean by a chance at more,” she says, and I nod. “What happens if I choose someone else?”
Yeah, that’s not a possibility I’m willing to entertain.
I shrug. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
“What if you choose someone else?”
“That won’t happen.” I trace the path of one furrowed brow with a finger, and she shivers beneath my touch. “What else?”
“What if I’m not ready to choose after one date?” she asks. “What if I need more time?”
“Another bridge we’ll cross later,” I say. “Are you in?”
“All right.” Finally, she smiles. “I’m in.”
“Good. Text Nathaniel.”
Her mouth drops open.
“Come on. It’s not settled until it’s settled, woman.”
She takes out her phone but stares over her shoulder at me when I scooch in closer and place a hand on her back. “Do you really plan on hovering over my shoulder the entire time?”
“No.” I kiss her neck. “I plan on distracting you while you text him.”
“Not fair.” Her breath hitches as I pull down the sleeve of her shirt, sucking the skin below her neck. “Julian, I can’t concentrate when you’re doing that.”
“Keep typing, woman.”
A moan leaves her lips as my hand slips up her shirt. I keep my eyes on her screen as my teeth graze her skin. After making a frustrated noise, she quickly types out something I can’t make out before throwing her phone to the other end of the couch.
“There.” She whips the glasses off my face before her mouth closes on mine, hard and fast. I kiss her back with the same fervor, crawling on top of her until her back hits the cushion. When her phone chimes with a message, neither of us bothers stopping.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” Her nose wrinkles in that adorable way of hers, but it doesn’t last long when I start unbuttoning her jeans. “You don’t want to keep him waiting.”
“We’re a little busy right now,” she says, lifting her hips to help me slide the fabric down her legs. “I’ll answer it later.”
“Now, Leticia.” I kiss my way up her thighs, never breaking eye contact. Her cheeks are flushed again, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. “Unless you want me to stop.”
“No,” she says, far too quickly, and a grin inches its way up my lips as I stare down at her. “No, I don’t want you to stop.”
“Good,” I tell her. “Tell me what he said back.”
“He said he was hoping he’d hear from me again,” she says after finding her phone lodged between the cushion beside her head.
Jealousy heats my bloodstream as she continues to stare at her screen.
“Oh no. I sent him complete gibberish and didn’t see until now.”
“I bet he didn’t even notice.” I watch that flush spread down her neck as I smooth my hands up her bare thighs. A shiver racks her body, goose bumps erupting across her skin. “In fact, I bet he’s been waiting for you to text him all day.”
“No, seriously. What I sent didn’t make any sense.” She covers her face with a hand. “And he said, ‘I have no idea what any of that means, but I was hoping I’d hear from you again. Should I call you an ambulance?’”
“Damn. He’s smooth.” I let out a low growl, determined to do better. “Leti, I’m going to dictate the next message you send him. Will that help?”
Her nod is desperate, face beet red, and she’s so fucking sweet it dispels the envy tightening my chest.
“Are you ready?”
She nods again.
“So sorry about that. I meant to ask if you’re free next Saturday.”
I wait until she starts typing to hook a finger beneath her panties. She lets out a gasp as I push away the fabric, her eyes shutting tight as that same finger drags a slow path up her slit. She’s already wet.
“Julian.”
God, the way this woman says my name. Half moan, half admonishment. The sound of it goes straight to my dick, which is really no surprise. I always knew Leticia would turn me into a masochist. “This guy already thinks I’m having a stroke. Please don’t make this any worse for me.”
“Not sorry,” I tell her. “Do you need me to say it again?”
“Yes, please.”
But as my fingers spread her open, it sounds like she’s begging me for something else entirely. She’s practically panting by the time I reach her clit.
“So sorry about that,” I repeat, my thumb working her in tight circles. “I meant to ask if you’re free next Saturday.”
She repeats the phrase under her breath, my eyes momentarily caught on the way her lips move over the words, before she returns to typing.
“That’s it. That’s a good girl.”
She cuts me with a glare. “You did not just say that to me.”
“Oh, but I did.” I kiss the side of her bended knee, dragging my lips across her inner thigh. “And you got wetter.”
“Julian, please,” she begs. “I sent the message. Can we please get back to business before he texts back?” When her phone dings, the groan she lets loose is rife with impatience. “No, god, why does he have to be the fastest person to text back I’ve ever known?”
“I resent that statement.” I narrow my eyes on her. “I’m much faster than him.” She raises a brow as I consider what I just said. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Pick up your damn phone.”
“Okay, fine.” She huffs as my fingers resume moving against her. “He says he’s free. And he’s typing something else.”
“Keep that message open,” I tell her, lowering to my stomach. Her eyes widen in something akin to panic. “What’s wrong?”
“I mean, I’ve never done—” Her phone dings again and she screams, “God fucking dammit, Nathaniel, READ THE ROOM!”
“I really hope your voice to text isn’t on.”
“This is not the time for jokes,” she grumbles. “I’ve never been so horny and angry in my entire life. This can’t possibly be good for my blood pressure.”
“Hmm, if only someone could help with that.” I fall to my knees on the floor and look up at her. “Tell me what that panic on your face was all about.”
“I’m not sure now is the time for new sexual positions.
Not that I wouldn’t love for you to eat my pussy.
” Her cheeks heat at the dirty words. “But if you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of having a meltdown over here.
I’d like to end the severe sexual frustration you’ve caused me sooner rather than later. ”
“Fair enough,” I tell her. “Put the phone down. Nathaniel can wait.”
Her chest deflates with a sigh of relief.
“Thank you thank you thank you— Oh,” she yelps as I bring one of her legs over my shoulder, and I finally get my first taste of her.
Her hand covers the nape of my neck, urging me on, as if I don’t already have plans of devouring her.
We both ignore when her phone dings again, but that spike of jealousy returns with the need to prove there’s no one else for her but me.
“Julian, my god.” She breathes. “What the hell are you doing to me?”
I don’t answer her. That would require stopping, which is the last thing I plan on doing.
By the way she’s tensing her thighs, I can tell she’s close.
When I suck her clit into my mouth, she nearly keens.
She’s exquisite like this, head thrown back against the couch cushion, face twisted in agony and ecstasy, her skin glistening like she ran a marathon.
Meanwhile, I’m in an agony all of my own making, desperate for any form of relief for the erection tenting my jeans.
As she cries out, legs shaking all around me, I use the palm of my hand to rub my cock through the material covering it.
It’s only once her body has calmed down that I find relief in the form of coming in my pants.
I’m stupid with lust at this point, which is why I don’t think twice before biting down on her lush inner thigh as I ride out the orgasm.
“Julian.” Her grip on my neck tightens, her voice high and whiny and pleasure-filled as I release my mouth from her thigh. The sight of my teeth marks nearly has me growing hard all over again. “Oh my god, how the hell did that feel even better than the orgasm?”
“Maybe I didn’t do it right.” It’s not a serious suggestion, not when her eyes are locked on me and hazy from desire.
“Not possible.” She lets out a long breath before pulling her leg back from my shoulder. “My turn to return the favor?”
“Um, that won’t be necessary.” Heat crawls up my cheeks at the admission. It’s hard to tell in my dark-wash jeans, so at least that saves me some level of embarrassment. “I kind of already…”
“What?” Her eyes fall to my crotch before it dawns on her. “Oh. Oh.”
“I’m sorry.” I blow out a breath. “I tried to hold back for as long as I could, but you make it so fucking hard to do that. Those little sounds you make alone—”
“I get it.” Her blush returns full force, reddening her cheeks. “That’s both hot and endearing at the same time.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She bites down on her bottom lip. “I’m still trying to catch my breath.”
“Then I guess I am doing something right after all.” I grin. After spotting my glasses at the end of the couch, I reach for them, placing them back over my eyes as I rise from the floor. “What did Nathaniel say?”
She blinks up at me, expression blank. “You want to talk about that now?”
I give her my best no-nonsense look, and she sighs as she picks up her phone. “He suggested a restaurant on the river walk and ice cream. Are you happy?”
“Ecstatic.” I force my teeth to ungrit. “Need any help with your other two dates?”
“Not tonight.” She stands and picks up her jeans, shimmying back into them in a way that makes her breasts bounce. I’m so captivated, I don’t notice she’s been trying to catch my attention for several seconds. “Julian?”
“What?” I tear my eyes from her chest and look back up at her.
“I said it’s your turn now.” When my brows furrow in question, she clarifies, “This mystery person you’re in love with?”
“Oh. Right.” I pull my phone from my back pocket and then hesitate. The last thing I want to do is lie to her, but it’s looking like this is going to keep being a problem. “I’ll ask them tonight.”
Now isn’t the right time to tell her the truth, but I don’t like lying to her by omission either.
I can’t let her believe the wrong assumption for long, and I won’t.
I need a little more time to get her used to the idea of us, that there can be an us despite what she believes. Then I’ll tell her everything.
As long as she’s not right, and we crash and burn before I get the chance to.