Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
“Sloane!” I call to my friend as I get to the front of the restaurant. She’s standing next to Doug Moorey, the high school band director.
She glances up, and when she spots me, her eyes widen with something like relief.
I close the last few feet of distance between us. “Hi. What are you doing here?”
I briefly look to Doug, who lifts a hand in a small wave.
He’s tall and lanky with a big, booming voice that echoes down the hallway from the band room and across the football field during marching season.
He’s so opposite of Sloane that it’s odd to see them together.
It occurs to me only now that they’re together. Like, alone together. On a date.
“Hi, Whitney,” Doug says. “Good to see you.”
“Yeah, you too.” I smile at him.
“It’ll be about five minutes,” the hostess tells them. “Can I get a name?”
Doug steps forward to give her details, and I pull Sloane over to the side.
“You’re on a date with Doug?!” I ask as quietly as possible while still hoping to get across my shock.
“No.” She shakes her head. “Yes. I don’t know. He stopped by after school to use the laminator and we got to talking, and the next thing I knew I was agreeing to dinner.” She grimaces.
“He’s kind of cute,” I say, though when I look from him to Conrad there is no comparison.
“Wait. Who are you here with?” she asks, then her smile stretches higher. “Is it the hockey player you’ve been texting?”
I nod and kind of tip my head in that direction. “We’re sitting over at the bar with his friends. See the three guys at the table on the far side?”
She smiles as she looks past me, but when her gaze stops, she sucks in a breath, and her eyes widen like she’s seen a ghost.
“What?” I ask, whirling around. Conrad looks up at the same time and smiles at me.
When I glance back at Sloane, she’s ducking her head. “Which one is he?”
“The blond. Why?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re being weird. Do you know him or something?” I get a sinking feeling that she’s going to tell me something terrible about him that will change how I feel. And it turns out how I feel is . . . I really like him.
“No. I’ve never seen him before.” She shakes her head and smiles, and whatever initial reaction I thought I read in her expression is gone. “He’s cute. A real Prince Charming lookalike. And he can’t stop looking over at you.”
“Do you want to meet him?” I ask. “He’s really nice and his friends seem to be too. You and Doug could join us.”
“No,” she says, then smiles again. “We don’t want to impose. Besides, I’m hoping to make this quick.”
I let out a laugh. “Great sign at the beginning of your date.”
“It isn’t a date,” she insists, just as Doug returns.
“They’re cleaning off a table now,” he tells her.
“Well, I should get back,” I say to them, then look at Sloane. “Text me later?”
She nods, and I head back to the table. D-Low is standing as I get there. “Anyone need another round?” he asks.
I shake my head, so does Conrad.
“I’ll come with you,” Trav says as he gets to his feet.
“Was that your librarian friend?” Conrad asks as I take my seat next to him.
“Yeah, Sloane.” I squint at him. “You do look a little like Prince Charming.”
“What?” He cocks one brow.
“Nothing. I wanted to introduce you, but she’s on a bad first date.”
His mouth twitches. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“She’s a lot like you, actually.”
“Unable to talk to women?”
“You’re talking to me right now.”
“Yeah, it only took my friends tagging along,” he says dryly.
I chuckle and turn in my chair to face him. My knees brush against the side of his leg. “She’s sweet but shy. She doesn’t date much because of it.”
His mouth lifts higher on one side, then falls, and his brows crease. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks.” I glance down. “It feels weird to accept condolences when I barely knew her.”
“Seems like all the more reason,” he says.
My chest tightens. “Tell me about your parents.”
“They’re in Washington. Married for thirty years. Dad is a software engineer, and my mom is an event planner.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“Like weddings?”
“Yeah, and birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, retirements . . . you name it.”
“Did you have the coolest parties ever as a kid?”
“Yeah.” He chuckles softly. “I think my classmates came to my birthdays just for that reason.”
“You were always shy?”
“My mom says I was the life of the party at preschool, but as long as I can remember, I was quieter than my peers.” He dips his chin in a small nod. “I had a stutter and about a million other really uncool traits that didn’t make me very popular. Then middle school happened.”
Sympathy sweeps through me for young Conrad. Followed quickly by rage. I’ve seen firsthand how mean kids can be. Especially in groups. Individually, they’re generally decent humans, but together they can be real pricks. Not that adults are any better.
“Girls were mean to you?” I guess. If so, I bet they are regretting that decision today.
“Girls. Boys. Everyone.”
“Want me to track down all of your classmates and kick their asses?” I ask, batting my lashes sweetly.
Conrad barks out a laugh that makes my insides light up. “Maybe you’re more like your brother than I thought.”
“Your friends were funny,” I say as Conrad and I get back to my place. We both have early mornings, so I waste no time kicking off my shoes and undoing the button of my jeans. I walk backward down the hall, leading him to my room.
“They liked you too,” he says as he pulls his shirt over his head. All that lean, defined muscle makes my heart rate kick up another notch.
My phone rings from my back jean pocket as I’m unzipping. I pull it out and check the screen. Victor.
I freeze, like my brother can see me through the unanswered call.
“Do you need to get that?” Conrad asks.
“No.” I silence it and shake my head. “It’s just . . . my brother. I’ll call him back tomorrow.”
Conrad’s gaze darts to the wall where Victor’s jersey hangs. I really should have moved it out of view.
“Do we need to talk about it?” he asks as he kind of squints at the jersey like he hopes it disappears when he fully opens his eyes.
“No.” There’s nothing to say. He doesn’t like Victor and Victor doesn’t like him. What else is there?
He doesn’t look convinced. I’m not sure I am either, but I’m not ready for this to end yet. I’m just starting to really get to know him. And him hating my family feels like a deal-breaker if this thing goes from casual and fun to something more.
“I like you. I think you like me too.”
“I do,” he says without hesitation.
“Then maybe let’s just focus on that.” I reach for him, hooking a finger in the waistband of his jeans and tugging until he takes a step toward me. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing. We’re just . . . having fun.”
His blue eyes darken as I unbutton his jeans and slowly drag the zipper down. The muscles in his stomach tighten as I push them down with his boxers. Then I drop to my knees.
He looks at me like he can’t believe what’s happening or like he thinks he just won the blowjob jackpot. Either way, it makes me feel like a goddess.
“Have you done this before?”
He nods as his throat works with a swallow. “But I’ve never wanted it more.”
I bring my lips to the head of his dick. As I flick my tongue over the tip, I glance up. His eyes are hooded, and his lips part. He brings one hand up to cup my face, and his thumb glides over my cheek with a tenderness that makes heat pool low in my stomach.
“Fuck. Your mouth is perfect.” His grip on my face tightens just slightly. “I’m going to come fast again. It’s too good. You’re so fucking good.”
I had every intention of dragging this out and taking my time, savoring, but when Conrad starts talking, I can’t hold back. A talkative Conrad is my undoing.
I hollow my cheeks and suck hard. He brings his other hand up to the other side of my face and gently guides me over him at a faster pace. My core aches and my stomach flutters as he continues muttering my name, over and over, between groans.
When he comes, my pussy throbs so hard, it hurts. Conrad lifts me and pins me against the wall. While he kisses me, he gets my jeans down and then his fingers are there, exactly where I need them, easing the pain with white-hot pleasure. I come the same way he did, saying his name.
The world comes back into focus slowly. Conrad lowers me to the ground, holding on as I get my footing.
“Wow.” I blow out a long breath as I stare at his puffy lips and disheveled hair.
He grins like he’s aware that he just fucked all my thoughts right out of my head. “Yeah . . . wow.”