Chapter 16 Thayer
THAYER
“Another strike?” Shay groaned.
“We’re never gonna hear the end of this,” Giselle added.
Kason spun around with a smirk on his face. The guy was competitive at everything. He moved to the table and grabbed his beer before draping his arm around Shay’s shoulders. “That one was for you.”
Though she rolled her eyes, her giggle indicated she ate it up. The guy adored her, and she deserved his adoration.
Jesse got up to bowl, leaving Giselle and me alone on the outdated checkered seats. I moved my hand beside hers and brushed my pinky against hers. She didn’t look at me but smiled as Jesse threw a spare.
“Your turn, Giselle,” Kason called as if purposely moving his sister away from me.
She stood, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the way the jeans fit her ass so perfectly. She had the best body, and it was a damn good thing no one could read my mind. Because I couldn’t stop replaying what she looked like naked with me inside of her.
She sent her ball down the lane. It drifted left, rolling right into the gutter.
“Damn,” she said, turning to grab her second ball.
She moved back to the lane and changed her approach.
She bent all the way down with her ass in the air for all to see and bowled like a little kid between her legs.
The ball stayed in the center. And, as slowly as it moved, it hit the first pin then knocked down a few others with its minimal force.
Giselle spun around with a big smile.
Shay clapped. “That’s how a real girl bowls. She weighs her options and does the most practical move.”
“Enough science for tonight, my beautiful little brainiac,” Kason said before kissing the top of Shay’s head.
We laughed, but he wasn’t lying. Shay was super smart.
I stood and passed Giselle on the way to my ball, careful not to touch her in front of Kason, no matter how badly I wanted to. I grabbed my ball and threw my own strike.
“Uh oh. Someone’s got competition,” Shay teased Kason.
Kason scoffed. “Hardly.”
“Hey. Looks like we’ve got fans,” Jesse said, tipping his head toward the lane on our right. Four girls around our age were checking us out. “What do you say, Thayer?” Jesse said. “I think an introduction’s in order.”
“I’m good.”
“Dude,” he pressed. “Do not make me go over there alone.”
“Yeah, Thayer. What Maisie doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Kason chimed in.
Shay whacked his arm.
“What?” Kason asked. “I just meant—”
“Not good,” Shay assured him.
“Well, I’m not with Maisie,” I said, though I was only saying it for one person’s benefit.
“Then there’s no reason why you can’t go over there,” Kason said.
“True story. Let’s go,” Jesse said, already making his way over to the girls.
Fuck. I glanced at Giselle.
“Looks like Jesse needs a wingman, Thayer,” she urged.
I closed my eyes. Even though she tried to sound supportive, I could tell it hurt her to say it—and she was the last person I’d ever want to hurt. But I was in a no-win situation. Jesse was already on his way over—and in everyone else’s eyes, I had no reason not to go over there.
Dammit.
I dug my hands in my pockets and exhaled, walking over to greet the girls with him.
“We won’t wait up!” Kason called to us.
“Asshole,” I grumbled.
Giselle
The ride home was a quiet one. Maybe I was the only one who noticed. Maybe not. But two hours of Thayer being surrounded by other girls who thought he was single—wait. He technically was single. Regardless, it sucked. And I all but pushed him over there. So stupid.
I really had no right to be that shook. It wasn’t like I’d called it off with Gino for Thayer.
I didn’t even know if that’s what Thayer wanted.
If I broke up with Gino, would Thayer be freaked out?
Did he see this as something casual? Because he had to know, I’d never been a cheater.
I’d never even considered it. But with everything in my life being thrown into upheaval, and my feelings and emotions being so out of whack, I sought comfort in someone who I knew could give it to me.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t Gino. I’m not actually sure it ever had been.
Once we arrived back, security swept the house. I was the first one in, and I headed straight up to my room. I moved into the bathroom and shed my clothes, needing a shower to wash away the night. Did Thayer enjoy the girls’ attention? Did he want to hook up with one of them?
Gahhhhh.
I needed to get a grip and figure things out before I went and did something crazy like cut ties with Gino—the guy who’d done so much for me—for a guy who wanted no strings attached.
I washed my hair, scrubbing my scalp as if it would somehow clean away my conscience. But, it couldn’t. I wasn’t sure anything could.
A nearby rustling caused me to freeze.
“G?” Thayer whispered before the shower curtain pulled open, and a very naked Thayer climbed in behind me.
I hated to admit it, but relief whooshed out of me, and I could finally breathe easily again.
His arms slipped around my waist, and he pulled my back against his chest. “I’ve wanted to do this all night,” he murmured against my neck.
“With me or one of those girls?” I despised myself for even asking.
“Soooooo. You were jealous,” he said.
I shrugged.
He chuckled. “I like jealous G.”
“Do I have any right to be?”
He spun me around and swept my wet hair away from my face.
“I’d be sad if you weren’t.” His lips inched closer and closer to mine, and I wondered if he was waiting for me to make the first move.
He had to realize, after tonight, I had my guard up.
“Those girls meant nothing to me,” he said, before my lips collided with his.
They were wet and delicious. Our tongues tangled, jockeying for control that I shamelessly surrendered to him. He could take the lead.
Thayer
Giselle pulled out of the kiss way too soon. “I’m on the pill.”
She was definitely trying to kill me with that piece of information because it meant she was giving me free rein. “Will you do something for me?” I asked.
She chewed on her bottom lip and nodded.
I grasped her hips and twisted her away from me. “Place your hands on the wall.”
She did as I asked.
I slipped my hands up her body until my fingers splayed over her breasts.
I rolled her nipples between my fingers, and her breath caught in her throat.
I fucking loved that sound. I continued playing with her nipples as I pressed open-mouthed kisses over the wet skin on her neck.
She arched her back, and her ass pushed into me.
She was getting impatient. I thrust slowly, letting my cock glide between her legs.
She whimpered, needy for more, but I wanted to prolong this. I needed to.
“Thayer,” she begged.
“I’m right here.”
“Stop teasing me.”
“What do you want?” I asked, needing to hear her say it after I was forced to spend time with girls who weren’t her.
“I want you inside of me.”
Yup. She was definitely trying to kill me because reality was proving to be so much sweeter than my fantasies. I wasted no more time. I hooked one arm around her stomach and placed my other hand over hers on the wall. I aligned us and rolled my hips, thrusting inside of her.
“Gahhhhhh,” she groaned, her head falling against my shoulder as her back arched.
“Je-sus. You feel amazing,” I ground out as I found my rhythm driving in and out of her. She was so wet everywhere.
“Just. Like. That,” she insisted.
I lowered my mouth to her shoulder, sucking on her wet skin.
“Thayer,” she breathed.
“Still here.”
“Move your hand lower.”
“Show me where,” I said, needing her to do it.
She pressed her cheek to the wet tiles and lowered the hand I wasn’t covering. She slipped it down her stomach and gently brought my fingertips to her clit. “Please,” she said, keeping her hand over mine.
I flicked her clit, and her knees almost buckled.
“Gentle,” she breathed.
“I can do gentle,” I said, pressing more kisses to her wet skin as my finger traced circles over her clit.
“Oh fuck,” she cursed.
“Good?”
“Amazing,” she breathed.
I quickened my pace. As great as shower sex was, it was damn slippery. And nothing had more people rushing into a room than someone falling.
Giselle’s hand abandoned mine, and she grasped the wall with both hands, pushing her ass back.
Her arms began to shake, and her knees began to bend inward as her breathing became tiny gasps of air. She whimpered just before her body trembled.
That’s all it took to have me following right after her. I groaned into her shoulder as I came hard and fast, pumping a few more times to be sure I’d wrung every last drop out of me.
We stood connected for a long time, both of our chests heaving.
If I was dreaming all of this, I never wanted to wake up.
This week had been so much more than I expected it to be with Kincaid reaching out, me pulling off new tricks, and G finally giving me a chance.
But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t terrified by what tomorrow might bring.
Despite what I really wanted to do, I finally pulled out of her. Giselle twisted in my arms, twining her arms over my shoulders and kissing me as the shower rained over us. This girl had undoubtedly ruined me for all others.
Giselle
I awoke with my head on Thayer’s chest and his strong arms wrapped around me.
A blanket of clouds covered the sky, and snow flurried down onto the skylights.
Although it was a beautiful sight to wake up to, unexpected sadness crept in at the thought of leaving today.
I had no desire to face the reality that awaited me.
Not to mention, I had no idea what that looked like for Thayer and me.
“What are you thinking?” Thayer whispered.
“How’d you know I was awake?”
“I know you,” he said.
Warmth rushed to my chest. He did know me. And he had for a long time. Why had I been so blind? “Just sad we’re heading home.”
“Yeah,” he said, and I could hear in his voice that he was thinking the same thing. “Can I say something and you don’t have to respond?”
“Of course.”
“Things are about to get more complicated if we’re both not on the same page.”
And there it was. Reality.
“Because I know without a shadow of a doubt what I want. And I also know what Kason will do if he finds out. So, I guess, I just want us to be on the same page.”
I didn’t respond because one, he said I didn’t have to. And two, I had no clue what to say. All of this had happened so quickly. My brain and my heart were out of sync.
“I know I said you didn’t have to respond,” he continued, “But if you wanna say something…”
I lifted my head and rested my chin on his chest so I could see his eyes. “I agree.” I know he wanted more from me, but I couldn’t give that to him right now.
“To which thing?”
I closed my eyes, pained by the fact that I didn’t know.
He squeezed me to him, yet again letting me off the hook. “Okay then.”
Alarmed, my eyes sprang open. “What’s that mean?”
“It means at least we had this week.”
“Don’t do that,” I warned.
“Do what?”
“Act like this is over.”
“Isn’t it?” he asked.
“Do you want it to be?” I asked.
“I want it to be you and me. Only you and me.”
I closed my eyes, feeling happy that he said that. But reality still remained. “It’s complicated.”
“So, you’re gonna stay with him?” he asked, the pain evident in his voice.
“I told you. It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not. I’m willing to risk my friendship with Kason to be with you. If you’re not willing to get rid of your absent boyfriend, then I know where you stand.”
I couldn’t respond. I didn’t even know how to.
He was willing to throw away a lifelong friendship to be with me, but I knew that I wasn’t in a place to shut Gino out of my life just yet.
I wouldn’t lie and say it was because I was so in love with him.
But our lives were intertwined. My boutique.
My condo. I couldn’t just end things. There had to be a plan.
And right now, with the boutique in shambles and the money gone, I couldn’t just sever ties. “I’m sorry.”
“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath. “I didn’t think this was how it was gonna go.”
“It’s just bad timing,” I explained.
He sat up, and I moved away from him as he stood up, grabbing his clothes and quickly pulling them on.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. It’s my own fault for thinking…” He shook his head, not bothering to finish his thought.
I wanted to stop him from leaving. I wanted to tell him I felt the same way about him as he felt about me, but it wasn’t fair when I couldn’t give him all of me. I needed to do this right or risk ruining us forever.