Rock Bottom

by Emily Goodwin

  I laugh and dramatically toss my hair over my shoulder. “Being normal is boring.” I take a seat at the tall stool at the table and watch Dean throw the darts. He’s not bad, but I’m better.

  We take turns throwing the darts, talking and laughing the whole time. I have no idea how much time passes, but the bar seems to be thinning out a bit.

  Is it getting close to closing already?

  “You ready to head out of here?” Dean asks, putting the darts back.

  “Yeah. I am.”

  He takes my arm and leads me outside and into the parking lot. Snow and gravel crunch under my feet, and it feels like the temp dropped ten degrees in the hour or so I was in the bar. I clasp my hands on my elbows and my breath clouds around my face. I fall in step next to Dean, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his cologne mixed with the cold, fresh air.

  The wind blows my hair into my face, and when I shake my head to get it out of my eyes, sparkling stars catch my eye.

  “Look!” I call, pointing to the sky. “A shooting star!”

  Dean stops next to me, tipping his head up as well. “I think I missed it.”

  “Just wait. Sometimes there’s—oh, another!”

  “Wow,” he breathes as two more tiny golden lines streak across the sky. “There’s a meteor shower tonight. I’d forgotten about it.”

  “I didn’t even know we were supposed to have one.”

  He closes the distance between us and puts his arm around me. “You’re freezing.”

  “This helps.” I lean in as he envelopes me in his arms. I bring one hand up, resting it on his firm chest. We stand there, watching the sky, and it’s as if the whole world stands still. Dean slowly runs his hands up and down my arms, doing his best to keep me warm.

  “It’s so beautiful,” I whisper as another gust of wind blasts us. Dean tucks my hair behind my shoulder.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” I start, looking from the sky to Dean for a second before watching for another shooting star. “How far away space is? I mean, obviously it’s far, but when you think about it…it’s just crazy.”

  “And we’re on some big floating ball.”

  “Yes! It’s almost like a mind fuck,” I laugh.

  “It is. Do you believe in aliens?” His lips curve into a half smile.

  “I wish I didn’t because it kind of freaks me out, but I can’t deny that there isn’t life out there.” I sweep my hand out at the sky and shiver. I bring it back against my body, and Dean holds me closer. “And I don’t think they’re Independence Day aliens who are going to come and invade earth. Humans have kind of ruined this planet. Why come here, right?”

  “I actually think the same exact thing. It’s…it’s almost narcissistic in some ways to think we’re the only intelligent race in the whole universe.”

  “Yes! And you know something really trippy? If they are out there, do you think they’re looking at the same stars we are? Maybe there are two aliens doing the same thing we are, right now.”

  “That is trippy.”

  I’m shivering, and by now Dean has to be cold as well. The wind blows again, hitting us with a dusting of snow.

  “Your skin feels like ice.” Dean runs his hand up my arm before slipping it over my shoulder. His fingers sweep along the line of my spine, and he presses his palm into the small of my back.

  “It is cold,” I comment, turning my head to look at him, and the moment his blue eyes lock with mine, something passes through me. It’s not the pure lust-fueled heat that I felt before.

  No, this time it’s…different, and I cannot explain it to myself even if I wanted to.

  I left with the intentions of hooking up with a stranger, of having primal feel-good-while-it-lasts sex. Yet here I am, delicately pressed against Dean’s chest, watching stars fall around us. My heart skips a beat and my lips part, realizing that if we were in a romantic movie, this would be the part where Dean kisses me. Where we go back to his place and have said primal sex, but when the morning comes, we both know it’s something more.

  Only, it can’t be. Because I started this with a lie, and it has to end that way. I could come clean, tell him that I didn’t graduate top of my class from Cunt University and that my name is actually Rory. That I moved here after my life went to shit back in my home town and it’s actually been really nice being somewhere new where people don’t know me as the weird girl who got in trouble for bringing a wooden stake to school in the sixth grade because I thought the new janitor was really a vampire.

  Even if he didn’t run away screaming, it would ruin the mood, wouldn’t it? He wouldn’t be holding me like this, standing here in the bitter cold so I can look at the stars.

  “You’re trembling,” he says softly. “Do you want me to get my coat?”

  Not leave, but get his coat so I can keep watching the fucking sky. Stop being so irresistible, Dean.

  “No, I…I…I’m ready to get out of the cold.”

  “Are you sure?” He tucks my hair behind my ear again. “You didn’t have too much to drink, did you? I can drop you off at your place if that’s what you want.”

  Mother. Fucking. Hell.

  Leave it to me to find the perfect guy and completely screw it up.

  Chapter 10

  Dean

  “No,” she says, full lips parting. “I didn’t drink too much.” She’s shivering in my arms, and the cold is starting to get to me too. I have jeans and long sleeves on. That dress looks amazing on her, but she had to be cold the moment we stepped outside.

  I look into her green eyes and feel something I haven’t felt in years. Blinking, I look away and think about how hard her nipples must be right now since she’s cold. Even that visual isn’t doing it for me, and I can’t shake the feeling that this is the ending of a really good first date.

  What the fuck?

  “My car is right over here.” I dig my keys out of my pocket to hit the autostart and warm it up as we walk the rest of the way, which is what I should have done as soon as we stepped outside. But Blaire is a bit distracting.

  She watches the headlights come on and smiles. “You drove a Mustang in the snow?”

  “The roads are mostly clear.”

  “Mostly,” she laughs.

  “I have a truck, but it’s full of tile samples at the moment.”

  “Tile samples?”

  “I’m a contractor.”

  “Oh, cool.”

  I keep a hold on her as we walk, and when we get to the car, it’s hard to take my arm from her. There’s something about her that’s different.

  Refreshing.

  She’s not trying to impress me, and her confidence is sexy as hell. I open the car door for her, feeling something inside me tell me this is bad idea. That I should just take her home. Or back inside, buy her a burger, and make sure she’s good enough to drive before I leave and go home alone.

  I don’t want to feel more than physical longings to push my cock inside of her, feeling more than thinking. That’s the whole point of this no-strings thing I have going on.

  And I do want to fuck Blaire.

  But I wouldn’t mind hanging out and talking a bit more either.

  Dammit.

  “Do you live nearby?” she asks when I get into the car and turn down the music enough for us to talk over.

  “Not too far.” I pull my seatbelt over my lap and click it in place. “Two corn and one soybean fields away.”

  She laughs and tosses her head back. Her hair cascades in a wave over her slender shoulder, and her breasts rise and fall. The black dress she has on hugs her curves in the best way, and the deep V-neck leaves little to the imagination.

  “Right. That’s how you measure distance in a small town.”

  “Eastwood is actually big in terms of space,” I say as I pull out of the parking spot. “Since we have a lot of farmland.”

  “Do you have more cows than people or am I stereotyping?”

  “Y
ou are, but we do. The Langers have a large cattle farm. You might smell it as we drive by.”

  “I look forward to it.” She settles back in the seat and I turn on the seat warmers for her. “Thanks,” she says and reaches forward, turning the music back up. Free Falling is playing, and it’s one of my favorites. “I like this song.”

  “Me too.”

  “Obviously.” She turns, smiling at me, and I’m hit right in the middle of my chest by her beauty. “It’s your playlist.”

  “Hah. Valid point. You’re a Petty fan?”

  “I’m a fan of a lot of things, and it changes depending on my mood. Or what genre book I’m reading.”

  I laugh, not sure if she’s being serious. She is. “What’s on the current playlist then?”

  “Right now, lots of Billie Eilish, Ruelle, and Hidden Citizens.”

  We chat about music the rest of the way to my house, and this night is turning out very different than how I thought it would go.

  I rarely enjoy talking to the women I bring home. I think the same can be said for them, as it’s apparent we’re leaving together solely to hookup. And that’s all this is.

  A hookup.

  No strings.

  No feelings.

  No attachments.

  If I’m lucky, I’ll never see Blaire again. Though the chances of us running into each other in passing is likely in a small town.

  Dammit.

  I hit the garage door button and slow when I get to my driveway. “Should have taken the truck,” she says when the Mustang’s tires spin going up the slight incline of the driveway.

  “Shhh, Betty can handle it.” I pat the dash.

  “Betty? You named your sports car Betty?” She bursts out laughing. “I thought you’d give it a sexy name like Francesca or something.”

  “It’s a white car.” I put the Mustang in park.

  “Oh my God. Your car is named after—or in honor of—Betty White?”

  We both laugh. “It started as a joke,” I tell her and close the garage door, not wanting her to get hit with another blast of wind when she gets out of the car. “But it stuck.”

  “That is awesome. I always thought people naming their cars was kind of silly, but Betty White has swayed me in the other direction.” She makes a face. “And that is something I never thought I would say.”

  I go around the car to the door leading into the house and enter the password to unlock the motorized deadbolt. Running my hand up the wall, I flick the light on and step inside, going through the mud room and into the kitchen. I kick off my shoes, and Blaire follows.

  “Your house is really clean.” She slowly looks around the kitchen. “It’s impressive.”

  “Thanks. We have clients come here to look at some of the upgrades and custom options we’re able to build. It’s a pain, but I try to keep it clean in case they want to come over at a moment’s notice.”

  “How responsible of you.”

  “Not really. I just like things to be easy.”

  That coy little smile is back on her face, making my dick jump. “Do you now?” She takes her purse off her wrist and sets it on the island counter. “I would have taken you for the kind of man who’s always up for a challenge.”

  Goddamn this woman.

  She leans back against the counter and brings one hand up, playing with her necklace. My heart pounds in my chest and blood rushes to my cock. Slowly looking her over, I step forward, wanting nothing more than to unzip her dress, stripping her naked right here in the kitchen.

  And she’s looking at me like she wants the same.

  More than what I want, it’s what I need. I need to lay her down and fuck her hard, losing myself in how good it feels to have my cock buried inside her. I want to make her come, hear her scream my name, and leave her begging for more.

  Everything else will fade away, and for that time, everything is all right. For a short while, I won’t be alone.

  She shivers and drops the silver moon charm against her chest. It bounces off her skin before settling right above her breasts. Her eyes meet mine and she smiles, and I don’t know how it’s possible for someone to look so fucking adorable and sexy as sin at the same time.

  Her hair is messy from the wind, and I long to run my hands through it, moving it to the side so I can unzip that dress and watch it fall to a fabric puddle on the floor.

  Stepping forward, I suck in a breath and go to her, stopping just inches away. My hands settle on her waist and she hooks hers around my neck. It’s strange, how standing here with her like this feels almost…almost normal.

  Like we’ve done it before.

  Yet the thrill of not knowing what she tastes like, not knowing how her lips feel against mine sends a jolt through me, causing my cock to harden. She leans in, hips pressing into mine. She smiles again when she feels my hardening cock through my pants, tipping her head up.

  Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips, and suddenly, I’m aware of everything.

  The way her breasts rise and fall as she breathes. The warmth of her skin against my hands, coming through the thin material of her dress. She’s several inches shorter than me, even in her heels, and my cock is pressed up against her stomach. I lean closer, breathing in the subtle sweet smell of her perfume.

  The clock on the wall ticks, and my heart pounds right along with it. The wind blows again, blasting against the side of the house. Everything is moving in slow motion, yet time is passing too fast.

  I slide one hand to her back, trailing my fingers up the line of her spine. Her eyes flutter closed, and she tips her head back a bit, lips parting. I can’t help it anymore.

  I need to feel more of her.

  I want to get lost, not just in sex, but in her.

  My hand goes to the back of her head, balling her hair into my fist. She drags one hand down, resting it against my chest.

  And then I kiss her.

  It’s just a one kiss, yet it makes everything inside me come alive, fueling me with desperation. I bring my other hand to her ass, giving it a squeeze as I press her against me. I kiss her hard and then break away, moving my mouth to her neck.

  She moans softly as I nip and suck at her skin, and she runs her hands down my chest, letting them hover right over my belt. Just the thought of her slender fingers wrapping around my shaft is enough to do me in. I put my lips to hers again, kissing her harder than before.

  She kisses me back just as hard, and I put both hands on the curve of her hips as I slip my tongue into her mouth. She’s melting into me, breasts crushed up against my chest.

  Her heels click on the hardwood floor as she widens her legs, welcoming me in between. I bunch up her dress and step in, sweeping a hand down to her thigh. She sucks in a breath and wraps her arms around me, just as desperate as I am for more.

  Without warning, I pick her up and put her on the counter. Her legs fasten around my waist, dress riding up around her middle. I look down, admiring her in the dim light. She balls up the hem of my shirt, and I raise my arms up over my head, letting her strip me.

  Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, and she lets the shirt drop to the floor. I take her in my arms again, and my fingers dance over the zipper on the back of her dress.

  Blaire sucks in a breath, arching her back slightly as the zipper is pulled down half an inch. Then another. And another.

  But then I stop. I’m in no way prepared for this to be over anytime soon. It’s been a long fucking time since a woman got under my skin the way Blaire has, and the harder I try to ignore what’s in front of me, the more blatant it is.

  There’s something different about her, and it’s going to take effort to remind myself that this is a hookup. That I won’t see her again after tonight.

  One and done.

  It’s fun.

  It’s safe.

  Your heart can’t break if it’s not in someone else’s hands.

  We only have tonight, and I’m going to make it a night she’s never going to forget.
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  I jerk away from Blaire and push her back. She rests on her elbows and I drop to my knees, parting her legs and moving in between. Her lips part and a small gasp leaves them as I slowly trace the tips of my fingers up her thighs.

  Hooking my fingers around the back of her knees, I slide her forward, aligning her pussy with my mouth. Parting my lips, I turn my head and kiss the inside of her thigh, soft at first, teasing her with my touch.

  She’s propped up on her elbows, and I can feel her eyes on me. Moving slow on purpose, I kiss my way up her thigh, turning my head and letting my breath warm her pussy. Then I suck at the flesh on her other thigh. Her muscles tense, body anticipating what’s to come.

  Not taking my mouth off her thigh, I reach up and slip my fingers under the waist of her panties and start inching them off. She rocks back, letting me pull them off her. I stand and pull them off one leg at a time and watch them drop to the floor.

  Blaire looks at me, eyes wide and a slight flush covering her cheeks. She bites her lip and gives me a wicked smile. Unable to resist any longer, I dive back down, hard cock pressing against my jeans.

  Blaire’s hand lands on the top of my head, fingers tangling through my hair right as I put my mouth to her again, kissing my way up her thigh. I gently urge her back and hook one of her legs over my shoulder. And then I move in, tongue lashing against her clit without warning.

  She lets out a cry of pleasure and angles her hips up toward my face. I work my tongue, licking and sucking, and then move my head to the side, doing the same to the tender flesh inside her thigh.

  “Dean,” she moans, pushing herself up again. Her fingers grace my hair, but she falls back once I circle my tongue around her entrance. I work with fervor, reading her body and taking notes on what she likes. I slip a finger inside of her, and my cock aches to replace my damn finger.

  She wraps her other leg around my shoulders, moaning in pleasure and sounding so fucking hot. I flick my tongue over her clit in rhythm to rubbing her inner walls.

  “Holy…shit…” she pants and tightens her legs. She’s right there, so close to coming. She sucks in a sharp breath and then her body shudders with pleasure as the orgasm ripples through. Her pussy spasms around my finger, but I don’t stop. I add another finger, filling her more, and go right to her G-spot, lightly pressing against it as I continue to lick her pussy.