by Naomi Penn
“Boyfriends, huh?”
“Yup,” she snipped.
“Well, if you ever get the urge to, you know, fuck around, just come find me,and I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”
“Yeah, I doubt it.”
He got up and bowed pathetically in front of her. The other guy kissed my hand before quietly following the first guy away from us.
“That was creepy.”
“Ya think?”
Alex and Brian joined us with a round of drinks and sat down on the other side of the table.
“Good timing,” I said, shivering the feel of the guy off me.
“You got guys hitting on you already?” Brian teased. “We can’t go anywhere can we?”
“Just stay close. We told them you were our better half.”
“We could be.” Alex raised and lowered his eyebrows several times.
“Not on a bet,” she said with a smirk.
“You wouldn’t know what to do with a cock like this.” He reached between his legs and grabbed a handful of his jeans, shaking it up and down.
“Neither would you,” she laughed.
Chapter 4
After a handful of margaritas and several dances later, Alex mentioned calling it a night.
“Oh, not yet. It’s still early. I’m having so much fun.” I pulled him toward me and draped my arms over his shoulders.
“Yeah, don’t be such a party pooper,” said Jennifer, leaning in and kissing my shoulder. “Brandi, here, is just getting the courage up to talk to Joel.”
“I am? No. I can’t. He’s working. I don’t want to bother him while he’s working.”
“Yes, you do.”
“You’re right,” I giggled. I turned and looked over at him but couldn’t see him through the crowd. “I do.” I sipped my drink and stood up to make it happen when the two creepy dudes from earlier reacquainted us with their presence.
“Hello again.” They tried joining us again, but Jennifer stood up and grabbed her drink and her purse.
“Sorry. We were just leaving. Where are our boyfriends?” she asked me.
Truth was, they hadn’t been around us much. Alex found a cute blond he was making out with in the corner and Brian had struck up a conversation with one of the lady bartenders about how good sex would be between them.
We grabbed each other's hands and giggled, walking away from the table, and leaving them standing by themselves.
“I’m going to find Joel,” I yelled to her.
“Okay. I have to pee. I’ll catch up to you in a bit.”
I made my way through the crowd toward the place I saw Joel last, setting my drink down on a random table. When I got to the wall, he was nowhere to be found. I looked around the crowded club but couldn’t see him anywhere. I made my way toward the bathrooms to find Jennifer when I felt an arm slide around my waist from behind me. I stopped and smiled, lowering my head. My hand slid along his arm,and I backed up into him.
“You found me,” I said, playfully. “I was just looking for you.”
His groin pushed into me,and I leaned my head back into his broad chest. But it wasn’t his chest. Joel was much taller than I was. I spun around and saw the same two guys that were creeping on Jennifer and me from the beginning of the night.
“Oh,” I said, trying to pull free. “I’m sorry. I though you were—my boyfriend.”
“I don’t think you did,” he said, pulling me toward him. “In fact, I don’t think that dude is your boyfriend.”
“How the hell would you know?”
“Because I saw him macking on some slut over in the corner. But you can keep doing what you’re doing.” He pulled me into a dark hallway and pressed himself against me, pinning me against the wall.
“Don’t,” I mumbled, trying to keep his mouth off mine.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” the other guy asked. “I want to have some fun too, but I think it’d be unfair if it were two against one.”
I started feeling a panic inside me as I pushed myself away from the wall. The guy pressed his face into the crook of my neck and bit at my skin. “You smell so fucking good.”
“Stop it!” I shrieked. “Get away from me!”
It was only another couple of seconds before he was ripped away from me and slammed to the floor in front of me. I took a big breath and looked up at Joel who was holding the other guy like he was a pawn in Joel’s game. His fist connected with the guy’s face sending him to the floor next to his buddy. A few of the patrons were looking our way by that time as one of them tried to get up and fight. He swung at Joel, completely missing him. Joel swung back, contacting the guy on the side of his head. He fell back to the floor and struggled to get up again. Joel reached down and hoisted them both up off the floor. He slammed their heads together in a comical Laurel and Hardy sort of way and walked them down the hallway. I heard a door open and close before Joel returned.
“You okay?” He towered over me. He was mesmerizing. He was my hero,and all I could do was nod. “Where’s your friend?”
“The bathroom.”
“You know you shouldn’t be here.”
“I know. I know to stay with friends but honestly, I was looking for you.”
He raised an eyebrow,and I saw the hint of a smile on his lips. “I meant, you aren’t supposed to be in this club. I know you’re nineteen.”
I lost my smile. “You haven’t kicked me out all night.”
“You aren’t causing any problems. I’m not a stickler for the rules. So, you were looking for me? Did you need something?”
“No.” I shook my head slightly, keeping my eyes on his. “But I wanted something.”
He didn’t ask what that was. He knew. I could see it in his face. I could feel it in my body.
I backed up to the wall and pressed my hands on the cold concrete, hoping he’d get the idea. And he did. He closed the gap between us. His hands pressed against the wall on each side of me and he leaned in toward me. He smothered his face in my hair, inhaling my scent before moving his mouth to mine. I felt the softness of his lip as it brushed against mine. My breath caught. His mouth covered mine and I melted. I opened my mouth slightly,and his tongue slid between my lips, barely touching my tongue. He teased me, his body so close to mine but barely touching.
“I have had my eye on you for quite sometime,” he said in a deeper tone. “I’m sure your friends told me I was asking about you.”
I nodded, wanting more of his lips and less talking. I moved toward him and indulged in a kiss so sensual I had forgotten where I was. His hands ran down my arms and around my waist. He pulled me away from the wall. I felt his body against mine,and it was rock hard — everything; his chest, his arms, his cock, everything.
His hand moved upward and cupped my breasts through my shirt,and my eyes sprang open. I looked up at him and saw the seduction in his eyes. He dropped his hands and backed up. He fed his hand through his hair and turned away from me.
“What?” I asked, panicked that he thought I was too young. “You don’t have to stop. I like this. I like you, Joel.”
“I get that. I can’t do this here, now.” He pinned me again and kissed me hard, his breathing getting heavier. “Everything out there in the club is on camera. Those guys made a scene with you, and they are going to ask questions. I have to get you out of here. If they know you were in here drinking underage, it’s my ass too.”
“Let me call my friends.”
“You can do that outside. For now, let me get you out of here.”
He took my hand and led me down the hallway. He escorted me outside and looked around the area to be sure the two guys were gone. I stayed close to the door and pulled my phone from my purse. I sent a text to Jennifer telling her where I was and that I’d explain when I saw her.
“I’ll stay with you until your friends come out.”
“Thank you.” I smiled warmly at him, stepping closer. I fed my arms up and around his neck when the door blasted open. I droppe
d my arms and stepped back, silently cursing Jennifer’s bad timing.
“Brandi? What’s up? Are you okay?” She threw a confused look toward Joel.
“She’s fine,” he reassured.
“I ran into those guys again.”
“The creepy ones?”
“Yeah. They thought it was okay to put their hands on me. Joel gently explained to them that they couldn’t,” I chuckled.
Alex and Brian appeared through the door,and Jennifer caught them up to what had happened. Joel took my hand and walked with me down the alleyway. He felt good brushing his arm up against me.
“I’d love to call you sometime.”
“You would?” I asked shyly.
He handed me his phone, and I punched my number in before handing it back. His hands cradled my face as he leaned down and kissed me. It was incredible.
Chapter 5
“It has been almost a week,” I said as Jennifer sat across from me at our favorite coffee shop. “Why do you think he hasn’t called me?”
“Maybe he’s busy. I know he works a lot.”
“Or, maybe he realized how young I really am and has decided not to call me.”
“I don’t think that’s the reason.”
I sighed and looked at my phone again before pocketing it.
Just as we finished our coffee and gathered our books to retreat back to our dorms my phone went off. I scrambled to get it and apparently the look on my face told Jennifer everything.
“Told ya,” she said with a smirk. She got up and walked away.
“Hello?”
“Brandi. It’s Joel.”
His voice sounded so good. I wanted it in my ear while he was lying close to me.
“I would have called sooner, but my schedule has been hectic.”
“I get it. Are things slowing down a bit now?”
“No, not really. But I didn’t want to go any longer without seeing you.”
I smiled feeling a warmth radiate through me.
“I’m working at The Underground tonight, but I have a friend covering for me for a couple of hours around ten. Do you think you could get away? Come see me there?”
“You sure it’s okay that I go back?”
“I can sneak you in the back. There is a lounge upstairs in the back of the club. We can hang there.”
“I’d love that.”
“Perfect. Come by the door around ten, the one I let you out of last time. Text me just before you get there. I’ll be there to let you in.”
A tingling sensation between my legs woke me up quickly, making me aware at just how attracted I was to Joel. I slid my phone slowly into my back pocket and realized what was happening. I bit my lip in anticipation of feeling his lips on mine again.
“Are you okay? Earth to Brandi.” Jennifer passed her hand in front of my face a few times before I realized I was staring off into space. “What could he have said to you?”
“He wants me to meet him tonight at The Underground. He wants to be with me, Jenn.”
“Oh, girl! We have to get you ready then!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door.
We spent the afternoon, skipping our last class and pampering me to perfection for my date with Joel. We went shopping for a new dress that was so form fitting, I wondered if it was the right size. “A new bra and panties? He’s not getting that far,” I said.
Jennifer only looked at me, her hand on her hip. “Oh, darling. The next time I see you if you are still a virgin I will pay for our next night out.”
“Get your cash ready then.” I only half believed it myself. I wanted Joel as bad as I hoped he wanted me. A shiver ran through me at the idea of him inside me.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you know me a little too well.”
Chapter 6
Alex pulled up next to the alley that led to the back door of The Underground and put the car in park. “Are you sure you don’t want us to go in just in case you need backup? We can hang at the bar.”
“No, Alex. I don’t need backup. I’ll be fine, really.” I pulled my phone and sent him a text,and he replied almost immediately that he was looking forward to seeing me. I smiled, a giddy feeling playing around in my stomach. “He’s waiting for me. You can go. I’ll text you later.”
“Okay, but if you need us, call. It doesn’t matter what time.”
“I know. Thank you guys for coming with me.” I opened the back door and climbed out. I smoothed the little black dress I wore and adjusted my purse on my shoulder before walking the alleyway toward the door. Alex didn’t drive away until I had rounded the corner out of his sight. I reached the door, a thousand butterflies fighting for room in my stomach. I knocked lightly,and the door opened, revealing Joel’s gorgeous self on the other side.
“Well, look at you.” His eyes took all of me in before he allowed me access to the club. I couldn’t stop smiling as he took my hand and led me along the hallway to a spiral staircase, much like the one my friends and I descended when we first got to the club. We climbed to the top to a private room. He opened the door and waited for me to enter. “I hope this is okay,” he said. The room had its own bar along the back wall, and a small light show displayed itself on the walls and floor as the music filled the room with a sultry number. The tables were small but illuminated a sexy deep blue from inside.
“This is incredible,” I said, walking in. Couches lined the other walls,and a large darkened window overlooked the entire city. I went to the window and looked out over the buildings and street lights. “It’s so beautiful.”
I glanced at him when he didn’t respond. “Yes, you are,” he said, staring at me. It gave me a funny feeling deep inside, and I liked it.
I looked back out toward the city to avoid the awkwardness I was feeling. Truth was, I wanted to jump at him and start kissing him, but I didn’t want to come off as too eager. He stood so close behind me, I could feel the warmth radiate from his body, which didn’t help me.
“Are you hungry?” he said softly. “I can order whatever you want.”
“I am,” I said, lowering my head. “Not for food though.” There. I did it. I put it out there.
I stared at one light on the ground below, very aware of his body behind me. His hands covered my hips and stayed there. Almost as if they had super powers, I felt the heat from them push into me from each side. I expelled all of the air in my lungs with a heavy breath and closed my eyes. I leaned back against him. His fingers moved my hair to the side; the backs of them brushing against me. Instant heat. I bent my head toward my shoulder exposing my neck for him,and he indulged. His lips were soft on my skin so sensitive. I inhaled deeply as I fed my arms behind me and into his hair. I stroked his head as he feasted on my neck, the heat building between us.
“You are intoxicating,” he mumbled between kisses.
I turned around and kissed his mouth, sliding my hands down his rock hard abs to his jeans. When my fingers traced what was inside, I gasped. My arousal lit a fire inside,and I didn’t want to hold back anymore. But something caused him to.
I leaned back and looked at him. “Is everything okay? Am I doing this wrong?” My heartbeat was hard against my chest. He was so sexy, and he was right in front of me.
“No, I just don’t want to move too fast. I like you, Brandi. I want to get to know you.”
I should have been happy he didn’t want what most guys wanted. I should have been elated that he wanted to know me before screwing me, but somehow I was disappointed.
“Okay.” I moved away from him and sat in the closest chair to me.
“This is a good thing.” He knelt in front of me and covered my bare knees with his hands.
“I know. I guess I was just—.” I forced a smile. “I know.”
“What did you mean, wrong?”
“What?”
“You asked me if you were doing this wrong.”
“It’s nothing. I just—I haven’t been with many
guys.”
“How many is not many?”
I bit at the inside of my cheek. Did I dare tell him? Would he think less of doing things to me that I was craving him to do? I had to stay honest with him. “None.”
He stood up and blew the air from his lungs in a long exhale. Turning his back to me, he fed his hand through his hair and went to the window.
I should have lied. I should have told him what? Two? Was that acceptable? Five? Did that make me a whore at nineteen? “Joel?” I barely heard myself. “Please don’t think—.”
“Stop talking,” he said, his back still to me.
I walked to him, my hand barely touching him. I felt alienated. “What did I do?” I asked softly.
He was breathing deeper, almost like he was trying to compose himself.
I wasn’t going to hold back. I slid my arms around his waist and pressed my face to his back. His hands wrapped around my wrists and I expected him to push me away, but he held me there.
“Damn it all!” He spun around and grabbed my face with his hands. He pulled me to him and kissed me hard. His tongue thrust into my mouth and ignited a fire inside me. He pulled my body into his and kissed me with an angry hunger he couldn’t control.
I felt my arousal slowly wrap around me like a vine and pull tight around me. He knelt in front of me and wrapped his arms around my waist, his cheek resting on my stomach.
“I’m weak, Brandi. I told myself I needed to take this slow. Everything about you entices me. And now you tell me you’re a virgin? Am I hearing that right?”
“Yes,” I whispered, swallowing hard.
“Something about knowing that strikes me to the core. I can’t keep away from you. If you want to keep that intact, you need to leave right now.” He dropped his arms to his sides and looked up at me.
I stepped back. I looked at him for a long time, then I picked up the sides of my dress and pulled it up over my head. My heart raced as his eyes ate me up.
“Are you sure?” he whispered.
