29
Maeve
“Spill the tea.” Tatum leaned in on her elbows as if somehow I would whisper it. The three of us had all changed into our suits and were lounging in Gianna’s pool while Elio cleaned up from the party, and Julian and Christian walked the girls home.
“No tea,” I insisted.
“Come on,” Chels provoked me. “You are always the one asking to spill the tea, but now it's time for you to.”
“It’s different with the girls involved. I don’t know. He came home this morning and acted like everything was all fine and dandy.”
“Do you want to be something with him?” I didn’t know, honestly. I was pissed at him. Maybe it was just miscommunication, but I wanted him to prove he would be there for us.
“Do you trust him?” Gianna added.
“Of course.” There wasn’t even a question about that.
“When I was married to Tyler, I always felt second fiddle to his dreams, his goals, and his ambitions. He made me feel like I was dumb and didn’t have the answers. Even this whole taking me to court thing is making me feel ridiculous and second-guessing everything I’m doing.”
“You are an amazing mom,” Tatum chimed.
“You are an even more beautiful human,” Chels offered, and I leaned over to squeeze her hand. The water felt warm around us, leaning into the comfort my friends provided.
“Thank you, guys. I just think I need to feel it for myself, you know? When Christian just left for God knows what, it felt like I wasn’t part of a partnership. Not that we are together; we are just fake dating.”
“Oh right, fake dating.” Tatum laughed.
“Come on. This thing has an expiration date. Just a week ago, he couldn’t even go one day without going to another woman’s bed, and then he left again. We’re fake dating, and he’s just a really good friend.”
There was silence except for the lapping of waves. Chelsea was the one who broke the pregnant pause and started to laugh hysterically.
“Whatever makes you sleep at night, Maeve.” I rolled my eyes at them because it was true. I needed to get over it. We might have been attracted to each other at one point, but we needed to remain friends.
“I’ve gotta get home.” I got up from the pool and wrapped the towel around me.
“Would it be weird if I ran down the block with just this towel on? I don’t wanna put my whole outfit on again, but sitting in a wet swimsuit is like an automatic UTI for me.” The girls laughed.
“Nah, just run fast,” Chelsea encouraged.
“Elio’s inside, right?” Gianna laughed and nodded. I quickly slipped off my swimsuit and wrapped the towel tightly against my chest, then slipped on my shoes before heading out.
It was eight, so the sun was already starting to set, but when I tell you I sprinted toward my house, I mean I busted my ass as fast as I could to get home. I was in a bougie part of town, and I didn’t need any of the neighbors watching me run around their neighborhood in a freaking towel.
When I finally got home, I quickly entered the code on the door and the lock opened for me. Thank god for keyless entry.
“Hello?” I quietly whispered while checking the living room and kitchen. I looked down the hallway toward Christian’s office and noticed the light was on in there and saw the shape of a figure working on his computer. I didn’t want to interrupt him, so I quietly walked upstairs.
I checked on the girls tucked into bed and jumped into the shower before throwing on an oversized shirt.
I went to my room, where I lay down when I heard the bathroom door click open. I knew who it was before he even came in.
“Hey,” he whispered.
I looked up but didn’t bother to turn on a light. He was beautiful, especially in the dark, like he always belonged there. He was truly a shining light in the shadows.
“Hey,” I responded quietly, hoping that maybe if I feigned exhaustion, I wouldn’t have to have the conversation with him. Not tonight. I was tired of talking about my feelings tonight. I just wanted to be in them.
“Thanks for helping with Kelsie and Kinsley,” I offered quietly. He remained in the doorframe, basking in the darkness.
“Hey, Maeve?” he said after a few quiet moments.
“Yeah?”
“Why were you running around the front with just a towel on?” I burst out laughing, unable to keep it in. I looked up at the shadowy figure laughing along with me. I chucked a pillow toward him.
“Get out of here, perv. Stop watching.”
“You must know I have cameras in every corner of the house except your room, yeah?”
“Like even in your room?” Suddenly, I felt embarrassed, like I had just gotten caught.
“Yup,” he said, accentuating the word before chuckling and walking out of the room. “Good night.”
I giggled as I turned around in my bed when I heard the door click.
It had been hours. It must have been hours because I couldn’t sleep. My legs felt restless, my mind was racing, and not even the book I tried to read kept me occupied. I would need so much coffee tomorrow.
I just couldn’t help the thoughts swirling around my head.
I quickly slipped out of bed and walked downstairs. I was curious to see if Christian was still up. I had no idea what I would do if he was, but no one was in his office.
I went back upstairs and opened the door to our connecting bathroom. I didn’t know what I was doing. It was dark and cold in my room. I had only slept in there the other night because I thought I was over this with Christian, but then he came right back into my life like the tornado he was.
And I missed him. Dammit, I hated that I said it aloud, but I missed him. Tonight, he showed me he was trying. I didn’t want to talk. I just wanted to be. I took a deep breath while standing in the shared bathroom and slowly reached toward the doorknob to his room.
“It’s probably locked,” I attempted to convince myself as my hand hovered over it.
“Just a little comfort.” I needed to sleep if I was going to see Tyler tomorrow, too.
Fuck it. He wanted this as badly as I did. I didn’t know why I was even fighting it. We were just two friends, fake dating for the sake of keeping my family together…or were we?
I finally turned the handle very slowly before opening the door and looking over at him in his dark room. He had this thick comforter on and the most comfortable jersey sheets you could imagine. I felt like I was sleeping in a sweatshirt when I was in his bed. It was weird seeing his large body splayed out in his bed. The bed was so big when it was just me, but I felt like there was only a sliver of space on the very end with him in it.
He was turned away from the door and didn’t move when he heard me, so I figured he was sleeping. I walked into the room to where his bed was and slipped under the comforter just like I had this entire week. The bed creaked as if it acknowledged my presence, and I silently cursed under my breath.
I lay there with my back on the pillow, arms straight to my sides, staring at the ceiling. Aside from the gigantic ogre next to me who smelled like a summertime bonfire among the pines, I was still quite uncomfortable.
I tried to lean onto my side, but there was hardly any room for me on the stupid bed, so I lay there staring at the damn ceiling and tried to count sheep while forcing myself to go to sleep.
I was on fifty when I felt Christian adjusting, and instinctually, I held my breath.
“You look so uncomfortable,” the low growl came from next to me, and it scared me shitless.
“What the fuck? You could have said something,” I said, turning to my side so I could face him.
He laughed. The genuine happy laughter. “This was more fun. What were you doing anyway?”
My cheeks flushed. “Counting sheep.”
Through the warm glow of the light from the bathroom, I could see his smile spread cheek to cheek. “Counting sheep?”
“Ugh. If you must know, I’m in your bed because I cannot sleep. I got used to sleeping in here, and it’s…cold in my room.”
“I told you we can change it.”
“It’s not that,” I quietly whispered.
He inched closer to me, and I could see his tattooed skin. His biceps were so large, although they remained dutifully at his side. I could very well just reach out to trace the colorful swirls along him, but I kept my hands at my side too. We shared a few quiet breaths.
“I don’t want to talk tonight.” It was the last thing I wanted to do. “But I need you to know we are only friends, Christian. You are doing me a favor, like a really huge favor, but this has an end date to it. Six months.” His eyes went down to the oversized T-shirt I had thrown on after the shower, not bothering with bottoms because my intention was to spend the night in my own room.
“Just friends,” he whispered, inching closer to me. The tip of his nose touched mine now. That was how close we were to each other.
“Six months, Christian.” I repeated for him, but I was also trying to convince myself.
“Mm-hmm.” His eyes dropped down my shirt to where it had gapped open, and he had a direct shot all the way down my cleavage.
I could see the muscles in Christian’s arms twitching.
“Firecracker.” His low and deep tone was almost a grumble. “If you stay in this bed, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to contain my appetite.”
“Wha-What do you mean?” I could barely get out, my breath hitching with every inhale.
“I mean that if you don’t leave this bed right now, I won't be able to control what my body wants to do with yours. I want to taste every corner and crevice of your fucking curves. I want to lick you up and have you coming with my name on your lips.”
I had no self-control when it came to the mouth on this man. I loved the way he knew exactly what to say. I loved this carnal and animalistic side. If I was being truthful, I was just as desperate for him.
“But.” He moved his lower body closer to mine, and I could feel his length against my stomach. He wasn’t just hard. He was throbbing…for me. “We are just friends. It has to be this way.” A hot breath hit my cheeks as if he huffed at me. We were both lying on our sides, but he leaned in to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen out of the French braid I had quickly done. The moment his hands touched my skin, I could feel the electricity between us.
“Just friends…with benefits?” A slight upturn in his tone made it sound like a question, but it was a mixture between that and a statement.
“Don’t fucking ever leave me again like you did.” I dropped my hand down and grazed his hard throbbing cock underneath a very thin veil of cotton. He moaned so erotically the moment I laid my hands on him.
“Swear to me,” I demanded, knowing this was only the start of what we needed to talk about, but tonight, we needed to reconnect physically. There was a demand between us that we needed to uncover.
“I swear on everything, Maeve.” He grabbed my wrist from him momentarily while locking his eyes with mine. We were both swimming in deep blues for a moment. “I fucked up. I’m trying my best to make up for it. If you need me to be a gentleman, then I am warning you to leave. I want to rip your shirt off. I want to expose you raw, wet, and naked while I use my tongue to taste you.” I lost my voice. It was gone.
“But I promise you I will never leave you again. Please let me taste you.” It was mere seconds from when that sentence left his lips that my mouth was on his. No more thinking, not tonight. I was hungrily kissing him, my tongue thrusting inside his mouth in pure desperation.
"I guess if we are fake dating, and Tyler is coming tomorrow, we should probably enjoy the benefits of it,” I managed to get out. Christian immediately stopped. His face didn’t move far away from mine, but his breathing intensified.
“Maeve.” His voice barely above a grovel. “If you mention the name of any other man while I’m fucking your mouth, I will have to punish you.” I looked up at him and quickly nodded.
“Do you understand?” he demanded.
“Y-Yes.”
In an entirely slow and arousing way, he let his tongue slide up and down my cheek before his mouth came crashing down on mine. His mouth spoke against my lips, hovering over me.
“ Good girl.”
He was practically purring at me, and immediately, I hooked my arms around his neck and pulled myself atop his body. I must have looked tiny compared to him, but being on top gave me back the control he had taken away from me. My tiny legs wrapped around him as I dropped my hands down to the hem of my shirt.
“Lemme give you a show, big boy,” I whispered in a low, raspy voice. Christian grabbed my thighs and gave me a little squeeze.
“Big boy?” His tone was curious, so I continued to grab the hem of my oversized shirt as I looked down at him.
“Yeah, you give off big boy energy like you could easily lift me and fuck me standing up or throw me around on the bed.” I added a little wink for effect. He growled at me, and then just as I lifted the shirt off my shoulders, letting my entire vulnerable self be exposed to him, he grabbed my back and hoisted me off the bed. In a flash, he threw me against the wall, and I did my best to wrap my legs around his waist.
“Want to test that theory?” he asked.
“Absolutely.” My mouth was back on his, fucking him with my tongue.
He used one hand to leverage me against the wall as his other hand slipped right into the small opening between my core and his waist.
“Such a dirty little girl. You are so wet, just waiting to be fucked.”
“I have waited so long to feel your thick throbbing cock inside me. I’m done waiting. I NEED you now,” I heaved.
Christian emitted a low chuckle. “Don’t be a needy brat.” The corners of my mouth twisted in a dark smile as he slipped a finger along my entrance. I knew what he was feeling already. I was soaked.
Quickly, he swiped a finger and then suddenly dropped me, my knees almost giving out as I hit the floor.
My juices dripped from his finger as he lifted one hand to the wall and looked down at me as the other moved to his lips. His tongue came out as he slowly lifted his finger to his mouth. An incredibly low moan escaped as his tongue swirled around his finger, licking the taste of me off.
“You taste like your body was made for mine.” His eyes darkened, and at this point, if I didn’t get a taste of him, I would explode.
I pushed him toward the bed. We were working with a significant size difference, so I needed him sitting to do what I wanted with him.
“Sit,” I commanded in a throaty voice.
He fucking winked at me, and I knew I was totally fucked.
I pulled off his boxers, and his hard veiny cock came into view. I’d seen it before, but I guess this close and personal to my face I didn’t realize how girthy and large it was.
“You are so big,” I murmured, still in shock and questioning how it would fit…well, honestly, anywhere.
I was on my knees in front of this man, and all I wanted to do was taste him. He leaned down and cupped my jaw, pulling me toward him before pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“You are so fucking exquisite on your knees, willing to submit to me. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” I looked up at him through my thick lashes as he pulled away, moving toward the edge of the bed so I could get full permission to take him in.
“Then let me show you how perfect we are together,” I replied, dropping my mouth onto his cock.
“Open wide, firecracker,” he encouraged as beads of precum dripped off the tip. I licked it up hungrily as he emitted the deepest snarl.
I unclenched my jaw and used my hands to leverage myself on his knees. He grabbed and twisted my nipples, and with his cock in my mouth, I let out a small squeal.
“You have sensitive nipples, little one?” He did it again, and it made me slide even deeper onto his cock. My mouth was so full of him, and I very slowly opened as wide as I possibly could. I felt his entire length until he hit the back of my throat. I let him thrust his hips, fucking my face as I tightly gripped his thighs.
“You are doing such a good job.”
Thrust.
“Your mouth was made for me.”
Deeper.
“I could fuck your mouth all day.”
Thrust.
“Show me what a good little cock-sucking slut you are.” I gagged on him as he pushed deep into my mouth. I reached one hand down to cup his balls as I gave them a little squeeze. He wailed, which only made my mouth dip down and up quicker.
I licked and sucked him until my jaw felt slack. I could tell he was getting ready to come, so I quickly pulled away from him and slid up to his mouth. I pressed a kiss onto his lips.
“How do you taste on my lips, big boy?”
“Like the sweetest candy. You were created for me.” He stood and forced me to face him. I could feel myself dripping down my thighs.
“Tell me what you want,” he demanded.
“I want you to fill my pussy with that big cock, Daddy.”
“I fucking love your dirty little mouth.” He smacked my ass before lifting me in his arms.
“Testing out theory number two,” he murmured before throwing me onto the bed and crawling toward me from the foot of the bed. He was animalistic and looked like he was hunting for his prey as he languidly moved toward my body.
“Open your legs and show me how wet you are for me, firecracker.” I did as he demanded, and my knees went slack. His mouth pressed wet kisses along the inside of my thighs as he moved toward my core.
As soon as he got close to me, he used his tongue to lick from front to back, sending shivers down my spine. I had never been so turned on in my life. I was begging for him to either touch, fuck, or love me in some way right now. I had never been this pathetically desperate in my entire life for the D.
His tongue was both delicate and raw against me as he pressed his mouth to my core, using it to flick and suck my clit.
“I am…not going to last,” I practically purred as his tongue continued its assault on me.
God, if this was how good his mouth felt, I couldn’t imagine what his hard length would feel like inside me.
“I need you to fuck me. I will beg if you need me to.” He looked up from where his hands were hooked onto my thighs. The sight of my sweet Viking underneath me sucking my dampness made me go freaking feral.
His eyes were the colors of the dark shadows as he lifted his head toward mine and gave me one final flick of his tongue before moving to my mouth. He hovered above me.
“Now, how do you taste on me?” He dropped down to my lips, and my mouth parted for him, licking my juices from his mouth. God, it was erotic and ignited my deepest carnal desires.
“Firecracker.” His tone was more quiet but still laced with unadulterated lust. “Tell me who you want.”
“You,” I said in a breathy moan.
“I didn’t ask you that.” His tongue was all over my face, licking my cheek, and I could feel him pulsing against me. He wanted this as much as I did.
“I want you,” I begged.
“Try it again.” There was a very low chuckle from him, and the bastard knew what he was doing to me. He was fucking teasing me.
“Christian,” I practically screamed. “I want you and only you, Christian.” I didn’t know why I added the last part, but it just felt…truthful?
“What a good listener, my little brat.” He smiled again before I felt his warmth against my core. Within seconds, he pushed inside me as he groaned.
“Holy.” He thrust a little deeper. “Fucking god. You are so tight.”
“You were made for me,” he said before plunging into me. I sobbed from how tight it all felt.
“You must say that to everyone,” I simply responded. He paused and looked down at me.
“I told you I won't lie to you again. I’ve never told anyone that.” He pulled out only to thrust into me again. “It’s the truth.”
Then we were fucking. He was on top of me, and my arms reached around his back to hold him for support as he continued to thrust in and out. We were a symphony of moans and wails as both of us buried ourselves deep in our starved hunger. Our hands were all over each other as if we couldn’t get enough. Together, we were one.
Quickly, he turned me around so I sat on him.
“Come here,” he murmured. I bounced on top of him a few times before leaning down.
“When you first moved in, you asked me why I had a TV above my bed.” I nodded quickly, desperate for more of him, knowing I was so close to exploding. “Look up.” I arched back and looked up to see the erotic scene.
There I was with my nipples hard and bouncing, sitting on top of his cock as he splayed out underneath me. I felt powerful. I honestly don’t think I felt like I looked this beautiful in a long time. I looked strong, in control, and ravenous.
“I-I look beautiful,” I quickly added. “We look like we were always meant to be.” My voice was low and raspy.
“We do, my little firecracker,” he repeated in a soft, warm tone that filled my chest.
I turned down to look him in his eyes.
I gripped his chest, digging my nails into his skin and pulling his face closer to me. “Look at me,” I demanded. He happily obliged as I moved up and down on top of his thick length. In this position, I could feel every part of him. I was done. I could feel the buildup at the very brink of an explosion inside me.
With a few more thrusts, I arched above him once more, screaming in pleasure as my orgasm erupted throughout my entire body. Within seconds, he followed, filling me up with him. Sweat beading down my forehead and feeling utterly exhausted, I pulled off him and collapsed next to him.
There were a few long pauses where we both basked in whatever happened between us before anyone said anything.
“Holy shit.” His voice was harsh as if he had been screaming, which I guess he had.
“I would say the same.” I turned to face him.
“Come here.”
I curled up next to him while he wrapped his large, tattooed arms around me.
“Firecracker,” he murmured as he buried his head into my hair. “Let me run you a bath.”
“Mmm.” That was all I could get out. He got out of bed and gently lifted me to the bathtub in our bathroom, where he sat me down, then turned on the water.
“I'm coming in, too.”
“You won’t fit.” I laughed as I curled my legs up to see if I could make room for him.
“Bet.” He positioned himself on the other side of our freestanding tub and managed to get in as the water ran down my back. I had to lift my legs to rest on the tops of his.
“We didn’t use a condom,” I said aloud.
“I don’t have anything. I get tested every so often with the VA still.”
“Me too,” I responded, knowing I had just gone to the doctor for my annual.
“I’ve never done that before,” he whispered.
Once the tub was filled, I turned to shut the water off as he grabbed my now soapy toes and gave me a kiss.
“Ew, feet gross me out,” I responded, which only made him lick them. I wriggled them out of his touch. This felt fucking perfect. The atmosphere was a calmness I don’t think I have ever felt. It was the perfect thing after coming down from such a high.
“Christian.” I spoke, but the words stuck in my throat. Fuck, I was going to start crying again. I could feel my chest constricting as the tears formed in my eyes, for no other reason than just being so overwhelmed with an emotion that I couldn’t put a word to yet. It was how I felt when I was around him, though.
“Shh, I know, firecracker.” He motioned for me to turn around. “Come here.” I turned and leaned back so that he could wrap me up in a hug. Slowly, he began to pour water over my shoulders as his hands rubbed every aching muscle. I moaned again. Between the warmth of his skin and the water, I was in heaven all over again.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“That little noise when you're enjoying something. You’re going to make me hard again, and I cannot seem to control myself around you.” We stayed there, and I leaned all the way into the little crook of his neck, where I fit perfectly.
After a bit, I was exhausted, cleaned, and my earlier restlessness was completely gone.
I toweled off, and Christian stopped me when I turned around to grab pajamas from my room.
“Wait, I have something for you.” He went into his room and grabbed me one of his shirts, which would surely be a dress on me.
“Wear this.” I lifted it to me and pressed it to my nose. I inhaled the familiar scent of pine and summertime bonfires. I slipped the shirt over my head and wrapped myself up in a hug. Perfect was too cheesy of a word to describe how I felt right now. Serene, maybe?
I hesitated, my gaze shifting between the two rooms from the bathroom, feeling caught in a moment of indecision. Christian stood in the doorway of his room, an expression of longing mixed with a hint of desolation on his face. It was as if he couldn't bear the thought of me not following him.
"Are you coming?" he asked, giving me a choice. I could retreat to my own room, seek solace in the familiar routine of sleep, or I could take a leap and spend the rest of the night with him.
"I want you with me," he added, his words echoing my unspoken thoughts.
It was as if he could decipher the turmoil within me. I didn't want to make a choice that would only deepen the unease between us, making tomorrow morning even more awkward. Yet something inside me screamed to go with him. This felt right, so why fight it? Tomorrow would always come, and we would deal with it then. With a sense of surrender, I mustered a simple response, "Okay.” And obediently followed him into his room.
I settled into the spot where I had lain when I snuck in, but he had different plans. Christian slid in beside me, drawing me closer until my back was nestled against his chest. His embrace wrapped around me like a warm, comforting blanket, enveloping me in his entirety.
"Perfect," he murmured, the word seeping into my consciousness as I surrendered to the embrace of slumber. At that moment, everything felt perfect. Every aspect of him, even his imperfections, contributed to a sense of completeness I had never experienced before.