Chapter Twenty-Four #2
My eyes roll in the back of my head as the orgasm takes over, and only then does Bodhi’s mouth cover mine to swallow the sounds I make as I burst into millions of little pieces.
“That’s it, honey,” he coaxes, pecking me again as my body comes down from the high. “If I thought you were beautiful before, it’s nothing compared to watching you come.”
It isn’t until a few moments later when I realize that he just got me off from dry humping. I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to do that before. When was the last time I came without using my hand or a toy?
“I’ve never… It’s been…” There are no words to describe what I’m feeling right now. Buzzed. Happy. Sated. Horny.
He caresses my bottom lip. “It’s okay. I’ve got you from now on.”
His words are gentle. Warm. Welcoming.
“What about you?” I ask, reaching down to brush my hand against him.
He moves my palm over a damp spot on his shorts. “You took care of it already.”
Oh my God. He came in his underwear.
“It’s been a long time,” he admits, almost sheepishly when I make no effort to say something. “And you were so fucking gorgeous coming undone. The thought of coming inside you… Yeah. I can’t fucking wait to do that.”
In this moment, I wish Gemma was with her grandparents so I could get a chance to feel what that’s like. “You should know that I’m not very…” I swallow down my embarrassment. “I don’t have a lot of experience, Bodhi. And I want it to be good for you. For when we…”
His eyes are full of lust. “Baby girl, anything we do is going to be perfect.”
I suck in a breath before his lips are back on mine. It’s slow and sure and confident. Sexy. He doesn’t use teeth or tongue. Just explores my lips and soaks me in.
And just as I’m about to deepen it, the door swings open and Gemma walks in saying, “Can we have waffles today? With extra whipped cream?”
*
Later that night, I show up at Mila’s Bistro only for my best friend to stop me by the hostess stand and say, “You had an orgasm. And it looks like it was a good one.”
My eyes widen as the group of women in the booth next to us get quiet, interest peeking in their expressions as all four of them turn toward me. “Mila!” I hiss, grabbing her with a flaming face and dragging her to an unoccupied part of the restaurant. “Seriously?”
She giggles, swatting my hand away. “What? I’m right, aren’t I? I know the glow when I see it.”
I frown in confusion. “I thought the glow was for pregnant people.”
She shrugs. “There are a lot of different glows. Unless you’re suddenly craving pickles. Are you? Because then it could be a pregnancy glow.”
When her eyebrows rise skeptically, I glare at her. “Unless I’m carrying the next Jesus Christ, I don’t think that’s what’s happening.”
Mila stares at me thoughtfully. “I’m pretty sure you’d have to be a virgin to be the next Mary.” She shakes it off. “It doesn’t matter. It isn’t like you’re a virgin anyway. That ship sailed a loooong time ago.”
I scoff. “Way to make me sound like a ho.”
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. Out of the two of us, I’m definitely the ho, even if your initials would indicate otherwise.”
All I do is glare at her.
Which she ignores. “I want all the dirty details. I haven’t had an orgasm in way too long.”
“Are you and GiGi okay?” Genuine concern threads through my words. “I thought you guys just celebrated your anniversary by going to Cape Cod. You told me you were discussing cat names.”
She still doesn’t seem enthused about the cat thing based on the pinch of her nose. “We’re fine. But our periods sync which means no sexy time and bad cramps. Your girl is both horny and in pain.”
More than I needed to know, but okay. I glance over my shoulder at the girls in the booth who have already lost interest in whatever is going on over here. When I turn back to Mila, I’m biting my bottom lip. “I slept over at Bodhi’s house last night.”
The squeal she makes causes more than the girls to turn in our direction. She ignores their stares and takes my hands. “You finally dusted off the cobwebs! I’m so happy for you. Was it good? Is he big? Does he know what he’s doing? He seems like he knows how to throw a girl around the room.”
I wince. “Do people want to be thrown?”
“Babe, I would let that man flip me like a pancake and crush me like an anvil. The things I have imagined…” Her words trail off, and I don’t want to know what she’s thinking. “If he made you come, he’s better than half the male population. I love a man who knows what clit stimulation is.”
“Oh my God.” I rub a hand down my face, trying to fight off the redness. “We didn’t have sex,” I murmur.
Mile gapes at me. “What? Why? Did you do other stuff? Please tell me you did other stuff or I’m going to be mad at you.”
She’s so dramatic. “You don’t need to be mad,” I murmur, staring down at Puck.
Another happy noise rises from her throat. “Is that all I get? Come on, girl. After seeing the pictures of you two, I knew it was only a matter of time before you guys came to your senses.”
I blink. “The pictures?”
Both of her eyebrows shoot up her forehead in surprise. “Have you not opened any social media app today? Oh, who am I kidding. You never go online anymore. Here.”
She pulls out her phone and types something in before turning the screen to me. On it is a blown up picture of me and Bodhi in a very intimate embrace outside the locker room.
I forgot people were taking pictures that day.
The longer I study the image of us, the more it makes my skin heat. We look close. Really close. Like we’ve done way more than we have.
“Wow,” I breathe. The way he’s staring down at me, holding me, makes us look completely lost in one another. Then I see the number of likes, comments and shares it has. “This has over sixty-thousand likes. And over four thousand comments. Holy shit. Why do people care so much?”
She takes her phone back, turning the screen off and sliding it into her pocket.
“Because Bodhi Hoffman hasn’t been seen out with anyone these days.
Nobody besides his daughter, and the media has the decency to cover her face per his request when they do get images of them together.
Ever since his thing with Olive Henderson last year, there’s been nobody linked to him. ”
How could I forget Olive? Has she reached out to him about these pictures? Has my father said anything about them? He hasn’t said a word whenever we’ve had dinner together. It’s like he doesn’t care. And maybe…maybe he doesn’t.
“Huh” is the only thing I can think to say.
Mila smacks my arm, making me whine. “Is that all you have to say? Come on, girl. You’ve got a professional hockey player wrapped around your finger. That picture has gone viral. And, honestly, the comments are pretty good overall.”
I flinch, not wanting to think about what the keyboard warriors have to say. I saw what they had to say on the photo he shared with Olive and her brother last year. They weren’t pretty. I’m not about to go down the dark abyss of opinions from jealous women and dickhead men online.
Taking a deep breath, I admit, “I told him.”
She doesn’t need to elaborate. “You did?”
I nod.
“And what did he say?” I can tell there’s pride in her tone, but also curiosity.
She knows I planned on taking my crush to the grave and burying it along with the shame I felt for putting myself in that position to begin with.
No matter how often she told me I was beating myself up way too much, I refused to believe it.
I let out a breath and tell her everything.
And it feels…good.
Great, even.
To feel this way.
Lighter than air.
Desired.
Wanted.
Special.
I’ve never felt the way I do with Bodhi.
Mila’s happiness is bright and genuine. “So what do you do now?” she asks me, holding onto both of my hands.
I take a deep breath and examine our hands, thinking about it. A warmth spreads through me as I realize something.
The weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
The guilt.
The embarrassment.
I look at my friend. “I’m going to go out on a date with Bodhi Hoffman,” I tell her.
Her smile spreads so wide it splits half her face.
“I like the sound of that, H. I really do. You need a man who will treat you right. Who will scare off dipshits like Max.” She spits his name the same way she did when I told her about my encounter with him and my mother at The Plaza during our weekly rant session.
She’d been ready to track them down and shank them. Her words, of course.
“Do a favor for me, babe,” Mila adds, squeezing my palms. “Don’t push him away. Don’t fight it. Don’t let the past impact what your future could be. Okay? Can you do that?”
My swallow is thick. “I think so.”
She pulls me in for a hug. “Good.” When she pulls away, there’s mischief in her eyes. “Think of all the orgasms you can have in the span of forever.”
I glare. “Don’t start.”
She sticks her tongue out at me.
I return the favor.
Mila drops down to Puck’s height and scratches his sides. “What do you think, Pucky Boy? Do you want a daddy?”
I swear he nods.
When my best friend looks up at me, we have matching smiles on our faces.
Because suddenly, I’m excited for whatever the future holds.