Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
JOE
J ane rocks her hips against my fingers, coating them with her arousal, and I can’t believe this is happening. She’s a constant surprise; a mystery.
She opens her eyes and glances down at my length, then wets her lip. She acts so completely different around me now, as if she’s freed from her rules and boundaries.
I take control of my hand and slip my fingers deep inside her, swirling my thumb around her clit as she lies back. I lie down, wedging my hand between her body and mine, the warmth of her skin making mine hum with electricity.
The moment I kiss her and taste her tongue, I lose all focus. Time blurs and a strange, peaceful feeling takes over. I’m overwhelmed by her newfound confidence.
In the past, when I’ve hooked up with women, my focus was pleasure. What I told Jane is true; I always go in intending to make them happy. But I’ve never known those women on any other level than a mundane, superficial one. Their names, their jobs. I’ve never seen a future with them. The end goal was always the same—I come, they come. Pretty simple. And they’ve always been okay with that, as have I.
But this feels worlds apart.
I live with Jane and see her every morning. I know how she takes her coffee and what her favorite movie is. I know she likes to sort her laundry into four piles—darks, whites, colors and socks—and that she won’t eat meat on Mondays.
But above all that, I like her. She’s sweet, kind. She’s become a friend. And if I don’t make her happy tonight, if having sex with me lets her down, it’s not like I can leave and forget all about her. I can’t walk out with a “this was fun”. This time means something beyond what I’ve been doing so far. I don’t even think I ever felt this way with Suzanna.
“Joe?” Jane snaps her fingers in front of my face.
“Yeah?” I reply, coming back to the present.
“Get off of me.”
“What?” Confused, I look down, wondering where the hell my mind just went, but she’s laughing and her phone is ringing somewhere in the room.
“My phone.”
“Let it ring.” I kiss her neck, but she shoves me away.
“No, it hasn’t stopped ringing. It must be serious.”
With a sigh, I roll off of her and lay on my back while she rushes to get her phone on the dresser. Strange, but I can’t remember hearing it ring.
“Hello? Hey,” she says, fighting to get her bathrobe on. “Oh, no. Shh, it’s okay.” She smothers the mouthpiece against her robe and whispers, “It’s Gaby. She broke up with Zach.”
“So? Tell her you’ll call her back. You’re busy.” I point to my dick, which is getting softer by the second. She rolls her eyes with a laugh.
“Hang on.” She mutes her phone. “Joe, do you mind if we take a rain check? She sounds in bad shape.”
Beyond disappointed, I suck on my teeth, but nod. “Sure. Whatever.”
I gather my clothes as she returns to her conversation. On my way out, I kiss her exposed shoulder, earning her sharp glare.
“Nothing, it’s the TV.” Her eyes are wide like saucers, but I laugh, dodging the pillow she throws at my head.
In my room, I pull some sweats on and drop onto my bed, listening to the muffled conversation through our shared bedroom wall. It’s mainly one-sided, with Jane uttering some yeahs and sures every once in a while, so I grab my phone and text Will.
Me: Almost slept with Jane.
Will: NO FUCKING WAY! Wait, what do you mean almost ?
Me: Your sister called. She broke up with Zeus.
Will: Fucking Zeus. So, when are you going in again?
I laugh and think about it. To quote Jane, maybe this was a sign and what we did in the laundry room should be the end of it all.
Will: You are going in again, right?
Me: I don’t know.
I drop my hand, still clutching my phone, and sigh. For once, I genuinely have no clue what my next move will be.
JANE
Joe’s soft lips kiss my shoulder with such tenderness that if I didn’t have my best friend on the other end of the line, I’d throw him down on the bed and pick up where we left off.
“Who’s there with you?” Gaby asks.
“Nothing, it’s the TV.” I glare at Joe as he leaves my room. The pillow I throw at him narrowly misses his head. “Okay, what happened?”
“We were going out for lunch,” Gaby begins with a deep breath. “Then Zach texted me an hour before asking where we should go.”
She stops speaking, so I wait a second before making sure the call hasn’t dropped. “Gaby, are you still there?”
She sniffles. “Yes.”
“Okay, so he texted you and…?”
“That’s it.”
I frown, sitting on my bed and tuck my legs under my blanket. “What’s it?”
“He asked me where we should eat.”
“I’m sorry. What am I not getting?”
“Jane. He should have made the plans. He should have picked a place.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” I snap, annoyed and short because, hey, Joe was about to rail me good and hard, and Gaby interrupts it for this nonsense?
“No, I’m not kidding. If someone asks you out to eat, they should be in charge of everything.”
“Gaby, I love you, but you’re being ridiculous.”
“How so?”
“Because the guy was asking your opinion, letting you choose where to eat, and you got mad at him? Please tell me you didn’t break up because of that?”
“No. Not for that.”
“Okay, so there’s more?”
“Yeah. I yelled at him. Told him how offended I was that he didn’t have reservations. And then… I called him something.”
“What did you call him?”
“Something Greeks don’t particularly like.”
“Gaby…”
“What do you want me to say? I was pissed off.”
“I get that, but don’t you think you overreacted?”
“No, I don’t, and here’s why.” She goes on a tangent, explaining the reasons she’s offended, and why Zach was entirely in the wrong, but I quit listening.
I flip onto my side, running my fingers over my sheets. Joe’s scent lingers, and I shut my eyes, inhaling deeply. I slide my hand over the bed where he had been, thinking about what just happened and what more was about to. My thighs are still slick, and I have to cross my legs together when thoughts of Joe’s expert touch fill my mind.
I turn over, staring at our shared bedroom wall, wondering what he’s doing. Wondering if he’s thinking the same thing. Does he hate the interruption or is he relieved he got off easy?
The memory of his distant gaze when my phone rang burns in my mind. He was so serious, distracted by something big enough to tear him away from what was happening.
If Gaby hadn’t called, would he have stopped things from going further? Is he reconsidering his offer?
“And he doesn’t have to pay, but he should make reservations, right?” Gaby asks, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yeah. Sure,” I half-heartedly agree, barely listening. Gaby isn’t done, so I let her go on.
What am I supposed to do now about Joe? Do I try to reignite the fizzled flame between us? Has the window closed?
“You’re right, I overreacted,” Gaby agrees minutes later, bringing me back to our one-sided conversation. “Crap. I messed it up.”
“It might not be too late. If he really wants to be with you, I’m sure he’ll give you another chance,” I reply, realizing I could be talking about me and Joe.
“I guess you’re right. I’m sorry I dumped all this on you.”
“It’s okay.”
“We’re you busy? Did I interrupt some?—”
“What? No,” I reply far too quickly. “I was just reading.”
“Okay…” She doesn’t seem to notice my reaction, or if she does, she’s not mentioning it. “And how are you and Joe getting along? Is he still getting under your skin?”
My skin. Joe’s hands on it. His fingers inside me. His tongue…
I clear my throat. “Things are… better now.”
“Good. I’m glad. I told you he was a good guy. He’s not bringing over too many dates, is he?” I hear the smile in her tone.
“No. He isn’t.” My throat is so tight, the words come out squeaky. “Gaby, I love you, but I’m completely worn out. Is it okay if we chat tomorrow?”
“Oh, yes, totally. I always forget about the time difference. Night-night.”
I wish her a goodnight, then hang up. Tapping my phone to my chin, I stare at Joe’s wall.
Now filled with such tension, the last thing I am is tired. Wound tight, my muscles ache for release, and I consider giving in.
He’s right there, on the other side of the wall. I don’t need to do this alone. Joe wants it this way. He wants me to be more direct, to voice my needs.
I throw the blanket off and walk to his door, but I’m met with darkness and silence on the other side. I realize that he’s probably asleep by now and my shoulders drop as I return to bed, alone and annoyed.