Chapter 9
That’s Not Sleepwalking
Jake
Not only did Marnee get a ridiculous amount of information from Raymond, she got his phone number without giving him hers, and he told her they’re planning to kill my sister during their visit next month and take over her operations in Meredith Falls.
None of which we will let come to pass.
We’ve been at our hotel bar ever since. Of course, it’s not even that late, and Marnee is now officially shitfaced.
She leans forward and asks our bartender, Carlos, for another round. I leveled up to beer, but I’m keeping myself relatively sober. In T minus one more drink, I’m going to have to carry Marnee to bed.
“Do you ever consider, I don’t know, doing a regular job? Something normal that doesn’t require lies and spying and weaponry?”
“No.”
“Never?” She leans forward. “You never think about being like a mechanic or an engineer or something?”
“I don’t really like cars that much.”
“That’s not my point.”
The strap of her dress falls off her shoulder, and I slip it back on her.
“What is your point, Delphine?”
“My point is, you’re very talented. You don’t have to be a goon.”
I can’t help the smile spreading across my face. “Did you just say goon?”
“I don’t mean goon. I mean gangster. Or whatever it is that you are. What are you?”
“Tired. We should go to bed. Can you put this on my room, Carlos?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Carlos doesn’t work for me. He’s just taken to calling me boss all night.
I leave a large cash tip on the bar, knock back the rest of my beer, and help Marnee off her stool.
Back at the room, the wind whips the palm fronds against the glass doors. I turn up the air conditioning to drown out the sounds of the storm.
When I turn back around, Marnee is already in bed. Her dress is on the floor.
I grab the pillow on the other side of the bed and head for the couch.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to sleep.”
“Sleep here.” She pats the bed next to her.
I narrow my eyes at her. “You don’t want to share a bed with me.”
“I do. I was just being an ass earlier. It’s been a long day. A lot has happened. We need to be refreshed tomorrow. Sleep in the bed. I know you’ll be a perfect gentleman.” She pats the bed again.
I shrug and climb under the covers, realizing Marnee isn’t wearing anything underneath them.
“Marnee. Are you naked?”
“Call me Delphine,” she says in a deliberately seductive voice.
“Marnee, we are not having sex.”
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t want to do this. It’ll change things.”
“No it won’t. This is our get-out-of-jail-free card. We are fake dating. Let’s fake fuck.”
“I don't think I can fake fuck.”
“Then let's for real fuck.” She reaches her hand under the covers and slides it over my dick, which hardens instantly.
“Marnee Belsworth.”
“Do not use my full name,” she pouts.
Damn it, why does she have to pout?
I groan as she doubles down under the covers, wrapping her hand around the outline of my cock which is desperately trying to break free of my boxers.
“Flapjack, don’t make me fight you right now.”
She huffs. “You’re no fun, Jake.”
“I’m fun.” I have no idea why I’m arguing that point. My brain has no blood left in it.
“Prove it.” She drapes one leg over mine.
“You’re taunting me into sex, and five hours ago you didn’t even want to share a bed.”
“Come on, Jake. I’m lonely.” She pouts again.
I take a deep breath.
Be a good guy. Be a good guy.
“You’re also drunk. I’m not doing this while you’re so drunk. But…”
She perks up and one of her tits pops out from behind the comforter.
Fuck. What am I doing?
“I’ll tell you what. If you roll over, I’ll play with your hair until you fall asleep.”
She stares at me. “Really?” she asks in the most genuine voice I’ve ever heard.
“Really.”
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
Refuse sex with an amazing, smart, beautiful woman like the biggest fucking idiot on the planet? I’m pretty sure it’s a curse.
“Say something that makes me love you more than I already do.”
She rolls over, and I play with her soft, long hair, dragging my fingers through it while I mentally roll around in the words she just said so casually.
Once I hear her breathing steadily and I’m sure she’s asleep, I lie on my back and put my hands behind my head.
I don’t trust them.
I’m not sure how long it is before I drift off, but it’s still dark out when I wake up with Marnee sitting on top of me, cowgirl style, her hands planted against my chest.
I'm not inside her, but I'm close. Very fucking close.
“Marnee,” I whisper, but it comes out rather sharply. She grinds her hips forward, her tits free and practically hanging over my face.
“What are you doing?”
She doesn’t answer me, just digs her hips down and rolls them forward again. My stomach muscles tense. I lick my lips. I wriggle my hips underneath her. I want it to go in. And yet….
“Marnee,” I say louder, and her whole body freezes and tenses.
“Oh my God.”
She rolls off me and dives under the covers, head and all, hiding from me.
“Marnee, what is going on? What the hell was that?”
“Um, that’s why I don’t share a bed.” She peeks her head out from under the covers. “Sometimes I sleepwalk.”
“Ah, that wasn’t sleepwalking.”
“I know, I know. It’s just, I do instinctual things. Make food. Clean. This. It’s like muscle memory. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Please don’t be embarrassed.”
“I am. I’m so embarrassed, and I’m so mortified and not tipsy enough anymore to not be mortified by what just happened.”
“Flapjack, listen to me. Is this really something that happens to you often? Because that might just be the coolest affliction I’ve ever heard of.”
“You’re making fun of me.” She dives under the covers again.
“A little,” I admit. But only because that’s how close we are.
You don’t have to be embarrassed. Because I love you too.
You’re my best friend. I’m not going to take advantage of you just because you try to sleepfuck me in the middle of the night.
And I’m not going to tell anyone about it. This stays here. Between us.”
I peel the covers back from her face. She sticks her bottom lip out.
I pinch it between my thumb and forefinger and crinkle my nose at her.
“What are we doing?” she asks.
“I have no idea. But I like the challenge of it. I like you.”
“I like you, too. I think that’s harder for me to admit than that I love you. Because I can love my friend, no problem. But admitting that I like him…”
I take a deep breath, my resolve melting. I place my hand on her stomach over the blanket.
“I just… I know I talk a lot and you don’t.
I know I’m just playing at things here, helping you do interesting criminal things, but I can’t help it.
I want you, Jake. Like, a lot. And I’m fighting against it, but tonight, I don’t want to anymore.
If I’m being a hundred percent honest, I want to reach my hand over and play with you.
I want to hear the sounds you make when I do. ”
Oh my God. She has no idea how hot that is. She wants to play with me. It makes me want to play with her. But I'm afraid of myself. My lack of restraint. Moving from my side, doing anything, it’s going to result in fucking my best friend.
“I cannot continue to be the voice of reason here.”
“I know.”
“So I’m not going to.”
I lean back and for the second time tonight, put my hands behind my head. “Play with me, Marnee.”
“Really?” she asks excitedly.
“Now,” I say forcefully.
She reaches over and trails her fingers lightly over my dick, over my boxers.
“Take it out.”
She sits up on her knees, pulls the covers down, and shimmies my boxers down. I lift my waist for her.
“Jesus Christ, Jake,” she says as she trails her fingers over my stomach muscles and down to my dick again. I like the rasp of her voice. I like the sound of my name in her mouth. I want more of me in her mouth.
“Put it in your mouth.”
She leans over me, her tits hanging and I cup one of them as she brings her mouth down, wraps her lips, and takes as much of me as she can.
I’m loud for her. Groaning into it. Her warm mouth feels so fucking good.
I roll over fast, push her onto her back, my hands on her arms, and stare down at her.
“Marnee…”
“Jake” she murmurs into my neck. "Please don't stop. Don't panic. It's just a little sex between friends."
I can feel my dick twitching. It’s taking everything in me not to have my way with her right this second. But we are not doing this quickly.
“Marnee. This is not just a little sex. If we are going to fuck, we are going to do it properly.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I’m going to show you.”