Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
Ari
After Maddie goes to sleep, I find a bag with fresh clothes, a toothbrush, and my shower accessories.
“How did this get here?” I ask. Riley passes by on the way to the kitchen as I stand there with the door open.
“A little bird must have said something to Foster.”
I turn to my sister. “Did a little bird also give him a key?”
“Some birds collect shiny things. Who knows?”
I shower, brush my teeth, and then Riley assures me that she’s going to keep vigil at Maddie’s side until morning. Rowdy insists on driving me home.
We drive in silence in Riley’s car until we reach my neighborhood. The car idles at the end of the street. Turn left, and we'll head to my house. Turn right, and Foster’s house is on the next block.
“Which way am I going?” Rowdy asks.
I don’t have to think about it too long. Instead, I tell him to drive me to Foster’s house.
“I probably don’t need to tell you Foster’s my best friend, and as his best friend, I happen to know everything there is to know about the guy, including that he’s one million percent head over heels for you.”
“Next, are you going to tell me that I’d better not hurt him because his heart can’t take it?” I say.
Rowdy shakes his head. “Nah. I was just going to say that I’m happy he finally got his head out of his ass and admitted that he likes living here.”
I laugh dryly. “I’ve seen no evidence of that. But he treats me well, and he did a good thing tonight by helping my friend. He’s a stand-up guy, and I can’t ask for more than that.”
Rowdy nods and scrubs the scruff of his chin. “You should always ask for more. He’s a man who doesn’t show his feelings. Keep reminding him that he’s got to let it out sometimes.”
I think back to how he reacted when the decorations from the dance were completed, how moved he was. “I’ve seen it.”
My friend’s boyfriend pulls the car into Foster’s driveway and shifts into park. “You’d better get going before Foster sees us sitting alone together. He’s also kind of a jealous type.”
Honestly, so am I. If I saw Foster sitting alone in a car with another woman, I think I’d be pissed.
Rowdy waits until I knock on Foster’s door, and it opens.
He flashes his high beams as he backs away, a shirtless Foster blocking his eyes and flipping the bird at his friend.
Foster steps aside and holds the door open for me.
Thank god I don’t have to ask to come inside.
“Sorry to bother you so late.”
He grunts, “It’s 5 a.m., so technically it’s early now.”
“Fair point.”
“And you’re not sorry.”
“Once again, correct.”
Foster closes the door against the cold, and I look around the room.
One floor lamp lights up the main room of his small bungalow, with its mish mash of sofas, tables and chairs.
Above the fireplace is an enormous TV, and the built-in shelves have every game console and game that has ever existed, probably.
There’s no art on the walls, not so much as a diploma or a Live Laugh Love sign.
Though I don’t imagine Foster as a Live Laugh Love kind of person.
We’re so different. How is this going to work?
“Have a seat,” he says.
I sit on the sofa next to him and think about the night we just had. And about everything physical that we’ve done, and I still feel like I don’t know this man that well.
“You said something about being boyfriend material,” I say. “I just want to make sure you weren’t joking. Because I take that kind of thing seriously.”
“So do I. I don’t joke about that word. And I wouldn’t want to make jokes about relationships with you.”
“I’ve been with guys who don’t want to ‘define’ things in the past. And that’s not who I am. I come off as a fun, free spirit, but in actuality, I want it all.”
I wait for the shock to register. I wait for him to realize that what I want from him is so much more than sex.
“I thought I made it pretty clear what I want from you, Ari. I want everything. I don’t want to date you. I want to be your guy. I want to skip to that part.”
I shake my head as I grasp his hand. “I don’t just want a guy.
I want a man. And tonight, you showed me who you are.
I don’t expect rainbows and puppies and glitter kind of romance.
I want a man who shows up when things get hard and doesn’t bail.
That’s you. That’s what I want. I don’t care that we’re different, and I don’t care that you don’t always say pretty words. ”
Foster covers my hand with both of his. “Then can we skip over the dating part and just go to sleep? I’ve been lying awake since you sent me away.”
I let my knee nudge his. “You mean ever since you dropped off a change of clothes and my shower things. Thank you.”
“These are the things I do for my person.”
“You don’t have to say anything else, Foster.”
I don’t register what happens next until I’m over his shoulder and he’s carrying me to the bedroom.
He sets me on the bed, and I notice the lines in his face.
“You must be exhausted. We should just sleep first,” I say, watching Foster drop his pajama bottoms to reveal he’s not wearing any underwear, and his cock stands tall and firm and insistent.
“You can sleep if you want to. I’ll wait.”
I roll my eyes. “Get over here.”
Foster comes to me, and I pull him down onto the bed with me.
I’m so tired. He’s exhausted. I’m not in my right mind. I should eat something, sleep for a hundred hours, and we should talk more in the morning and worry about sex then. Neither of us is going to perform well tonight.
But that’s the thing. This is not a performance.
When I take Foster into my hands and watch him react, it’s so real.
Foster is pure and raw as he handles me, pushing me onto my side and entering me from behind.
It’s loving and sweet like a hug, but incredibly tight and exciting at the same time. I’ve never taken anyone in this big, this deep.
Holding on tight to his arms as I grip the headboard is a moment I’ll never forget.
The soft beard feathers against my back, but I want more. I crave all of him. I want him to mark me.
I exhale as he pulls out and thrusts back in. “You don’t have to be soft with me,” I whisper as I push back.
“Where have you been, Ari?”
“I’m here now. I’ll always be here.”
I let out a huge gasp as Foster drives into me, the bed frame slapping against the wall.
It’s rough, firm, and perfect. Foster’s body is a protective wall, but incredibly comforting as I use all my muscles to pull him in tighter, closer.
His big hand lets go of mine as he reaches down, caressing my ribs, my stomach, my lower belly, my thighs. I tremble as he drags his hand back up until he reaches the apex of my thighs. When his expert fingers find my aching clit, I close my eyes and let go.
I come apart with Foster spooning me so tightly, I almost can’t breathe. Behind my eyelids, lightning strikes.
Foster buries his face in my back as his release rocks through him. His body stiffens around me; he growls against my skin.
He is everywhere. My man is everywhere.
When he finishes, I don’t want to let him go.
“Stay,” I whisper.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here until you’re fucking sick of me, and even then I won’t be far away.”
Foster stays just like that, planted inside, as we soak each other in.
“I might fall asleep like this, Foster.”
“I’m good with that, sunshine.”