#1 Love

by T Gephart

  “You, you do?” I asked, sounding so vulnerable I winced. I didn’t want to cut myself open and bleed in front of him, but my heart hadn’t given me much choice.

  His lips brushed against mine. “Yes. I do. And I’m not taking the job in New York, I’m going to stay here with you.”

  “What?” The word got stuck in my throat, oxygen burning my lungs as I struggled to breathe. “You’re not going?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  His thumbs swiped the tops of my cheeks and I hadn’t realized my eyes had started to water. Tears of happiness and relief bled out of me as I hugged him close. “Please, just tell me that you didn’t decide because of me. Tell me you want to stay here because of you.”

  It wasn’t enough to know he wouldn’t leave; I needed to know that he wouldn’t hate me for it later. That me, and my refusal to follow him, wouldn’t be the sore that would fester. I loved him too much for that, too much to be the reason he was held back.

  “Maya.” He tilted my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I can’t tell you that.”

  And I knew, he was giving it all up for me.

  “But you can’t. What if this doesn’t work? What if you end up hating me? What if—”

  “What if you just let the future be the future’s problem? And no matter what happens, I could never hate you.”

  I had to trust him.

  Even if I didn’t trust myself.

  “Okay.” I nodded, agreeing because I didn’t have the energy to fight it. “We’ll leave it up to the future then.”

  His mouth spread into a cheeky grin. “Now should we explore if you’re wearing panties underneath this T-shirt or do you want to hear me tell you I love you again?”

  I wanted him.

  Selfishly I wanted him to touch me and make it feel more real. To hear him say those words to me, while he held me in his arms and both of us were naked.

  Bare.

  In every sense of the word.

  My hands ran along his sexy black shirt and played with the buttons, looking at him from under my lashes and I shot him a cheeky grin of my own.

  “I thought you said you could multitask.”

  SEX HAD FOILED MY INITIAL plans.

  Time allocated to outfits and obsessing was usurped by kissing and touching and sweet, sweet love.

  I didn’t even care, too full of sex endorphins to worry about whether I looked good in my dress or if Astrid was going to look hotter. Actually I didn’t care about anything to do with Astrid, or Mike, or Stefan, or the fact we were running late to the stupid date Alex and I had put together.

  Alex tossed the keys to the valet and kissed my hand as we walked in. The loud music and pink lights spilling onto the street as we walked up to the entrance. There was a line, but we didn’t wait in it, magically waved through as Alex whispered to the pretty hostess holding a clipboard at the front.

  It was a nightclub in Hollywood, but not the kind of place I’d have picked for myself. The inside was covered in candy pink walls, the glow of the matching pink LEDs floating over the crowd making sure everyone was color matched.

  “It’s like Barbie’s dream house for over 21’s,” I screamed over the music. “Let me guess, it was Astrid’s choice.”

  He nodded, guiding me through the crowd. “This is her favorite place to go. Figured letting her choose made the most sense.”

  I wasn’t sure I agreed—or if the pink radioactive glow wasn’t going to permanently damage my retinas—but I would try to not behave like a spoilt brat. After all, the man I loved had told me he loved me back, and we’d just had really awesome sex as well.

  “Alex.” Arms grabbed him and almost pushed me out of the way. “You’re here.”

  She was dressed predictively in a pink glittery dress that most women would have worn as a top. Her lean legs poked out the bottom, her pretty pink toes housed in a pair of sky high sparklingly peep-toe stilettos that I would twist an ankle just looking at. But as much as I wanted to throw shade, she looked freaking fabulous.

  “Yeah, sorry we’re late.” He deliberately tugged me to his side. “You remember Maya, don’t you?”

  “Ah, yes of course.” She held out her hand, her smile spreading wide. “The girl you grew up with. How nice.”

  Instinct told me she was being sarcastic but her tone suggested otherwise. While it wasn’t obvious English was her second language, her slight accent peppering words hinted that she’d grown up speaking something else.

  “Yes, very nice.” My cheeks heated as I looked up at Alex. “I’m very lucky.”

  Whatever her agenda, I wasn’t going to let my good mood be affected by the Glitteratti.

  Her eyes shone with excitement. “Well good, now let’s go sit down and get some drinks. They have the most amazing cocktails here called Tickled Pink, you simply must try.”

  She led us to one of the rounded booths that lined the back wall, a big burly security guard doing an ocular frisk of her body as she floated by.

  Mike and Stefan where already seated, both of them looking like kids that had eaten too much candy, standing as they saw us approach.

  “Maya. Alex.” Stefan put out his hand but had trouble making eye contact. Astrid had shuffled past, her butt grazing his crotch.

  “I’ve already made friends.” She smiled at Mike and then at Stefan. “They’ve generously been keeping me company.”

  “Great, glad to see we weren’t missed.” Alex shook hands with Stefan and then moved to Mike, all of us taking our seat as a waitress appeared.

  “Tickled Pinks for everyone,” Astrid announced not giving the waitress a chance to speak.

  “I’ll have a beer.” Alex pulled out his wallet and handed her some bills. “And whatever they want.”

  “Such a bore.” Astrid pouted. “You used to be more fun.”

  I was positive she meant before he slept with her, when he was charmed by her pink—probably glittery—vagina. But I knew Alex hated cocktails, and there wasn’t a chance he was drinking anything pink.

  “I’ll have one,” I volunteered, interested to see how tickled it made me feel.

  “Me too,” Stefan offered, gaining an appreciative squeeze from Astrid.

  Mike shook his head. “I’m team beer, guys, sorry.”

  Finalizing our orders the waitress disappeared, leaving us to make small talk over the blaring music.

  Alex curled his arm around me and leaned over towards Mike. “Thanks for driving Maya home.”

  “Don’t mention it, dude. Happy to do anything for Maya.” He shot me a wink.

  “You all work together?” Astrid asked, directing her question to Alex.

  “Maya works with Mike and Stefan, I’m not part of their awesome crew,” he answered casually.

  I beamed up at him, his firm one of the most formidable ones in the city. “Pretty sure you’re leading your own awesome crew, not like you need us.”

  The waitress brought our drinks, three martini glasses filled with light pink liquid, rimmed with colored—pink—coconut, with sparkling glitter floating inside. There was a theme in case anyone didn’t catch it.

  “Looks interesting.” Alex laughed, watching me bring the drink to my lips. It was sweet and fruity, but deceptive in its potency, the vodka hitting me like a truck.

  “WOW.” I swallowed, making a mental note to drink slowly.

  Astrid shimmied as she gulped hers like it was fruit juice. “I know, right? So good.”

  Stefan followed Astrid’s lead and drained half his glass while Mike and Alex enjoyed their beers. It was definitely a different dynamic from when we’d been at the sports bar, but no one seemed to mind.

  Alex asked Mike and Stefan about their work, and they reciprocated without mentioning his brother. They were careful to include Astrid, asking her about her work as another round of drinks arrived.

  I was intentionally quiet, doing my best to observe interactions and then interpret them every conceivable way. While I was sure Alex had no interest
in her, her lingering looks at him didn’t ease me, the urge to grab some of her hair just in case, fierce.

  “You okay?” Alex whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my skin.

  I nodded, laying my head against his shoulder. “Yep, all good.”

  A song came on that Astrid loved, making her squeal with delight. She demanded someone go dance with her and Stefan was only too willing to volunteer. The smile on his face was ridiculous as she led him onto the dance floor; he mouthed a silent thank you to Alex as he left.

  “You want to dance?” Alex kissed my neck, my skin burning from the heat of his lips.

  I looked over at Mike who had remained in the booth with us. “No, maybe later.”

  “Don’t stay on my account.” Mike raised his beer. “I’m hoping if you leave that hot waitress comes back. I’m not as flashy as Stefan, and working with an audience gives me performance anxiety.”

  Alex laughed. “So how do you do in a court room?”

  “Pretty good considering I’m not usually trying to get the judge or the jury to sleep with me.” He shrugged, taking another swig of his beer.

  “Well, on that note.” I stood, straightening out my tight black dress. “We’ll leave you to do your best.”

  Alex followed me out onto the dance floor, his hands on my hips as I walked in front of him. I let my ass graze across his crotch a couple of times, deliberately slowing my stride so he’d press into me. I could feel him hard in his pants, the tightening of his hands warning me.

  When we made it where other people were gyrating, he spun me around and pulled me flush against him. While my movements had been subtle, his had been deliberate, holding me against his hard-on as he bent down and kissed me.

  “You think you can tease me and I won’t react just because we’re in a public place?” he breathed into my ear.

  We were surrounded by bodies; the path we’d created to get to the dance floor filling with people the moment we’d past.

  “And risk a public indecency charge?” I laughed as I raised a leg onto his hip and dipped like a Salsa dancer. “My, my, what will the partners think?”

  His hands went to my ass, traveling up my back as he bent me back toward him. “I’ll get you off and then clear myself of the charge. Don’t doubt my ability in either of those things, Maya.”

  The way he rumbled my name gave me goosebumps, and if I weren’t so worried of my own ability to clear myself, I would have risked it. Instead we fucked with our clothes on, our movements on the blurry side of decent as he kissed me without apology while we moved.

  I wanted it to be perfect and in a lot of ways it was. I had not only fallen in love with one of the best men I’d ever known but I’d had the guts to tell him. And lucky for me he felt that way too. But I still worried about the job offer in New York he turned down for me. It ate at my happiness, trying to steal my joy as I lived in the moment, knowing that I could never just forget about it and let go.

  “What’s wrong?” He cradled my chin in his hands and he kissed me. “You went from smiling to that scowl you get when you’re thinking too hard. And right now the only hard thing on your mind should be my dick,” he chuckled.

  He always seemed to know what was on my mind; it was both amazing and frustrating. “Not now. We’ll talk about it later, after I’ve had your hard dick.”

  “Now this is something I can get behind.” He squeezed my ass.

  My hands ran down his strong arms. “Want to go back and see how Mike did with his waitress?”

  He rolled his eyes, giving me an adorable pout. “Not particularly but I guess we should try and be polite since we’re here with other people.”

  We wove back through the crowd to the booth at the back. Astrid and Stefan had returned—both wearing matching smiles—and Mike staring at his phone proudly.

  “I bet it’s not even hers,” Stefan teased.

  Mike shot him a sharp look. “It’s hers. I texted her so she would have mine and she already responded.”

  “Sounds like we missed all the fun.” I slipped into the booth, Alex shuffling in right behind me.

  Astrid’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I think the fun you were having on the dance floor was more enjoyable.” She fanned herself gently. “It was very hot.”

  “You saw us?” I asked, not allowing myself to feel embarrassed. We hadn’t seen either of them but to be fair, we weren’t looking either.

  Stefan coughed into his fist, hiding his grin. “Yeah, I think a lot of people saw you.”

  “Look how hot you are!” Astrid leaned across and angled her phone, the frame filled with a photo of me and Alex. He had one hand around my waist, while the other was holding my face, and his lips were on me in a way no one would be confused about what he was doing.

  It was weird seeing us like that, and even weirder that she felt the need to take our picture, but I did have to admit it was pretty hot.

  “You took a photo?” Alex asked, clearly annoyed.

  Astrid huffed, folding her arms across her chest. “You know I document everything, people want to know what’s going on in my life. I have three million followers on Instagram and six million on Twitter, this is how the world works these days.”

  “We’re more the not documenting type.” I tried to be diplomatic. “The world works a little differently for us.”

  While lawyers used social media as well, we had to be careful what we posted. There’d be no duck-lipped bikini shot on a beach in Cancun for me, or a bare chested, muscle flexing gym shot for Alex. At least not on anything public.

  She gave a half-hearted apology I was sure she didn’t really mean, making a show of deleting the pic before going ahead and taking a selfie she promptly posted for her hungry, waiting audience.

  “So you’re a model?” Mike asked, trying to change the subject.

  “I model yes, but I’m more a social media influencer. People pay to have me try things or advertise their products knowing that my followers will buy. I still have a long way to go. There are some people who have ten times the reach I have, but everyone has to start somewhere.”

  Astrid then told us about all the parties and events she’s paid to attend, her life sounding more and more exhausting the longer she spoke. There was a movie premiere she was invited to, not so subtly hinting she didn’t have a date. Stefan very kindly offered to take her, shamelessly mentioning that because he was relatively new to the city his calendar was wide open and would love to meet new people.

  Not sure if she agreed to because she didn’t want to go alone or she if she liked the idea of someone falling over themselves to impress her. But either way Stefan had earned himself a date, sadly it wouldn’t be just the two of them, Astrid’s millions of followers bound to tag along.

  Mike’s waitress was getting off early and asked him if he wanted to go somewhere else for a drink. He barely said goodbye before leaving us. Which prompted me to decide it was time for us to leave too. Stefan and Astrid seemed to be having a good time and didn’t need a chaperon which meant I could get Alex alone and hopefully naked.

  While Astrid continued to talk, I leaned my head on Alex’s chest and smiled up at him. “Take me to bed.”

  He leaned down and whispered, “I thought we agreed we wouldn’t tell each other what to do? How about I take you back to my house and fuck you on my couch instead?”

  I didn’t answer, pulling him with me with as I waved to the others. “We’re going to go, have a good night.”

  Alex laughed as we exited the club onto the street. “You’re usually more polite than that.”

  “Well, I’m trying something new, sue me.” My fingers moved in his as we waited for the valet to bring us his car.

  The drive home was a challenge, while we didn’t break any traffic laws, we bent them a lot. And when we finally got back to his house, we couldn’t lock that door fast enough.

  There was no sexy seduction, no slow and deliberate teasing as we kissed each other, stripping off clothes as we made
the blind journey to his couch.

  “I want you,” he growled, backing me up until my ass hit the soft cushion of the sofa.

  He followed me, falling to his knees, kissing me, as his hand roamed, filling the space between my legs. Every cell came awake on his command, the tingles traveled up my skin as little whimpers escaped my lips.

  Oh. My. God.

  It felt so good, so good, and I knew it was because it was him. Because it was us.

  There was no part of my body left untouched, my hands finding his hard cock and giving it a stroke.

  His fingers moved to my legs, pushing them out wider as he dropped his mouth to my center and licked. The change in position forced me to let go of him, my frustrated protest lasting only a second until he started to lap at me.

  “I want, I want.” I couldn’t finish, wanting what he was doing to me more than my next thought.

  His tongue swirled against my hot center, teasing me before he began sucking hard against me. Lick, suck, lick, suck—he alternated his movements as I rocked against his face. My toes curled against the floor as my back bowed, taking the pleasure while it slowly drove me insane.

  While his mouth continued to dominate, he added in two fingers, their firm and rhythmic pumps sending me spiraling out of control as my hands tangled in his hair. Rivulets of pleasure echoed through me as I panted in the dark.

  We hadn’t bothered to turn the lights on, too desperate for each other to worry about that. But with his lips gently kissing my thigh and his fingers teasing the very last tremor from me, I wanted to see his face.

  My hands fumbled to reach the lamp on an end table, knocking it over in the process. Alex lifted his head, chuckling. “You trying to trash my house?”

  “No, I was trying to turn on the light. I wanted to see you.”

  I felt him move, lifting away from me as the heat of his hands and mouth left me. There was a pop, the overhead light illuminating as he walked back, his very hard cock jutting out in front of him.

  My eyes rolled over his perfect body, my fingers curling around his length and stroking it. His eyes hooded, watching me as I moved his cock to my mouth and sucked.