Chapter Five Girl Talk #2
“That’s true,” Mom grins. She reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I’ll miss you too, baby. But I’m excited for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” This is just what I needed. Alone time with Mom to center myself and just relax before venturing off to kick ass in Denver. There’s no place like home, and no one in the world like Jade.
Later that evening, I go to my room with my suitcase and Gizmo in tow to shower and get ready for bed.
The room still has the pink wallpaper from when I was a kid and is covered in posters and prints of famous photographs, like Dovima and the Elephants, The Pillow Fight, The Kick, and the photo of Brandi Chastain from the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
My full sized bed is covered in a t-shirt quilt and my old stuffed elephant Sir Trunks-A-Lot is propped up against the pillows.
I feel a little sad, missing how happy and carefree I was when this room was pretty much my whole world.
Life is so much more complicated now, in good and bad ways, but being here always reminds me of how totally safe and loved I felt when in this house.
After my dad and brother were gone, anyway.
I was only four when Dad left and Aiden was fourteen, and then I was ten when Aiden took off, so I don’t remember many details about living with them - but I remember how I felt.
The tension and the raised voices as Mom and Dad argued.
Aiden’s cold moodiness as he locked himself away in his room and ignoring me instead of trying to comfort me.
I try not to think about those days. I only want to think about when it was just Mom and I, after Dad left to start his new family and Aiden went to military school and never looked back.
As much as I missed both of them in the early days, there was so much more peace when Mom and I lived here alone.
Sighing, I drop onto the bed and grab my phone. Gizmo hops up next to me and heads over to pounce on Sir Trunks-A-Lot.
Ooph, I’m such a downer sometimes. I dial up Grace’s number and lay back on the bed, knowing talking to her will cheer me up.
“Hey girl,” she answers. “You’re on speaker! Skyler and Stacey are here too.”
“Hey, Rylee!” Skyler and Stacey say together.
I smile, even as I feel a pang of jealousy that they get to be all together like this whenever they want. It’s like they’re back in college again, when we were roomies and could hang out any time, and I’m stuck on the outside looking in.
“Hello lovelies,” I reply. “What are you all doing?”
“The boys just finished their first week of practice and are out having a boys’ night,” Grace explains. “So we’re hanging at Stacey’s for a girls’ night.”
“It’s only fair,” I declare.
“Oh! We should get Sutton in on this! Give me a second.” Grace puts me on hold before I can respond and as I wait, I play with Gizmo’s tail while he gnaws on my elephant’s trunk. A few moments later, Grace’s voice comes back through the line. “There! Now it’s a real girls’ night!”
“Hellllloooo ladies,” Sutton says and I chuckle.
“Well, this is perfect,” I declare. “I have some news that I wanted to share with you all anyway!”
“What is it?” Grace asks.
I pause for dramatic effect. “I found out today that the magazine is sending me to Denver to do two features on the Night Hawks!”
“Oh, my God! That’s amazing!” Grace says while the other two let out muted squeals of excitement.
“We’d scream louder but Millie’s sleeping,” Stacey explains while Skyler continues to squeal in the background.
“That’s awesome, Rylee!” Sutton chimes in. “Look at you! Kicking ass and taking names.”
“Ahhh, thanks guys,” I reply, grinning from ear to ear. “I was actually going to ask you, Grace, if you knew anywhere I could rent a furnished apartment while I’m there. Preferably some place that allows pets.”
“Oh! You can stay in my old place!” she replies. “No one’s living there now, and the lease is still good for a few months I think. Skyler stayed there when she first got here, right Sky?”
“I did, and it was great,” Skyler says. “It’s a cute place, Rylee. You’ll love it.”
“That sounds great!” I pause and flick Gizmo’s tail. “Can Gizmo stay there with me?”
“Yep,” Grace says. “The building is pet friendly, especially cats, so you’re good there.”
I release a long breath. “That’s a relief. Thank you, Grace! I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Yay!” Grace exclaims. “When are you getting here?”
“I’ll get in late Monday night.”
“Great, I’ll come pick you up,” Grace says matter-of-factly.
“You don’t have to do that… ”
“It’s no big deal,” she insists.
“I’d come too,” Skyler says. “But I’ve got a big project I’m working on that day and I’m not sure when I’ll be done.”
“And Millie has skating practice that evening,” Stacey adds. “Sorry, Rylee.”
“No worries! I’ll see you guys when I get there and settled.”
“And I’m Sutton!”
We all laugh at Sutton’s declaration.
“Man, it’ll be good to have you here,” Grace says. I grin because she talks more and more like Jensen, but I doubt she realizes it. “We haven’t seen you since the wedding.”
“I remember you were dancing with Jensen’s brother a lot that night,” Stacey adds.
“Oh, yeah! Whatever happened with you and Tyler?” Skyler asks.
I freeze, my mind flashing back to that night. I do remember Tyler, but he’s not the guy who rocked my world. I think of strong hands, emerald eyes, and a tongue so skilled it could’ve had me cumming all night long.
Kodiak. My perfect Kodiak. He was so big, almost bear-like.
The way I recall being handled, the scruff of his beard along my thighs…
plus, being with him filled me with the same excitement as when I got my very first camera.
It was a Kodak and I’ve had a special place in my heart for the brand ever since.
Too bad I drank so much I can’t remember who exactly he was, or what happened after he ate me out.
I hope it was at least a good fuck in the moment.
Not that it really matters, I suppose. When I woke up, he was gone - no note, nothing.
Took off like I was just another one night stand.
Abandoned me like Dad and Aiden. Like Miles.
I was so pissed and embarrassed that once I found out Tyler didn’t have green eyes, I didn’t ask anymore questions about any of the other guys there that night.
I’ve kept that little hook-up a secret from everyone because I am still pretty humiliated about the whole thing.
I’d just ended things with Miles for good before the wedding, was beyond stressed and pissed, and my confidence was at an all-time low, so I ended up drinking too much… again. And it made me stupid.
Clearing my throat, I quickly say, “It didn’t go anywhere, unfortunately. Anyway, I’m super excited to see everyone. Do you guys think you can keep it a secret that I’m coming? I want to surprise everyone, and hopefully the team will be excited to work with me since they know me already.”
“Sure thing,” Grace says.
“You got it,” Skyler and Stacey both agree.
“Who am I going to tell?” Sutton asks. “You know what? I’m going to tell everybody.”
I grin. “I love you guys.”
They all declare their undying love for me too, and a few minutes later, the call ends.
I drop my phone on the bed, scratch Gizmo’s head, then make my way into the bathroom to shower.
I turn the water on to heat up while I strip, and when I step under the steaming spray, my muscles melt like butter.
My mind wanders while I wash my hair, and thoughts of that night with Kodiak slither back to the forefront. In particular, that amazing orgasm he gave me. He was so good with his tongue… the way he licked and kissed me was downright sinful. My body starts to heat, but it’s not from the hot water.
I slowly slide my hand down my belly and slip my fingers between my legs.
His hands had been big and strong, pinning my thighs in place so I couldn’t move as he devoured my pussy.
I touch my clit and moan. I’ve never told anyone this, but I’ve always had trouble orgasming with another person.
One of my requirements for a man to keep myself from settling, as my mom always taught me, is to find someone who can keep me satisfied in and out of the bedroom.
Kodiak’s the first guy who made me orgasm so quickly and easily. I rub my clit harder, trying to remember all the ways he touched and pleasured me, filling in the gaps with a bit of imagination.
The feel of his tongue along my folds… his fingers digging into my thighs…
Fuck! It was so good!
I’m soaking wet and slip fingers inside my pussy. What if he’d kept going that night? Fucked me until I screamed? His hands were so big, I can only imagine his cock must have been huge too. As good as he was with his tongue, I can only imagine what he could do with his dick.
Oh, God… I add a second finger but I want more. I want something harder and thicker.
I want Kodiak to bend me over and fill me up. I move my fingers faster, pressing my thumb against my clit and reaching up to cup one breast with my free hand.
I’m getting close… so, so close.
I imagine those emerald eyes staring down at me as Kodiak pounds into me and I’m a goner.
My orgasm hits me fast and hard (I’ve never had problems getting there on my own) and I lean back against the tiled shower wall to keep from collapsing when my knees shake.
Ugh… that was good, but not as good as what Kodiak did to me. Too bad that whoever he was he took off like a total jerk right after.
A startling thought crosses my mind at that moment. One that has my heart racing and my blood running cold.
What if he was one of the Night Hawks? No… no, that’s impossible. That couldn’t be the case, because that would only spell trouble with a capital fucking T.