by Kali Brixton
Taking a big bite of that crunchy piece of heaven, I can’t contain the groan that escapes me as salty pork seduces my taste buds. Sweet Jesus, is there a more perfect food on this planet than bacon?
He eats the rest of the piece and licks the grease from his fingers, which shouldn’t be sexy, but somehow is.
Maybe it’s because you know what that tongue can do now.
Something stirs within my core, low and simmering. Would he be open to a repeat of last night before I have to leave? Another thought crosses my mind as I realize I didn’t prepare myself for morning-after etiquette. Should I have left before he got up? I know guys do that a lot, but it doesn’t feel like he’s pushing me out. Maybe this was a one-and-done deal. Does he sleep with a girl more than once? The thought of him doing what we did last night turns the heat within to twinges of jealousy.
“Ev,” his voice beckons, snapping me from my thoughts. He works his fork through his slightly rubbery over-medium eggs before glancing at me. “Thank you for last night.”
I look at him through my lashes. “Shouldn’t I be thanking you?”
“Nope. I’m the lucky one here.”
I blush at his words. He feels lucky. Lucky. Wading into the uncharted waters, I try to assume some of the bravado that I usually have around him. “Who knows? Maybe you can get lucky again…” He squints his eyes, which steals a bit of my confidence. “If you want to, I mean.”
“I thought you’d be sore?” he asks, his gaze carefully examining my reaction.
“A little,” I admit, underplaying how much, but relishing in the fact that the pain from it all brought so much pleasure with it. Maybe he’s trying to figure out a way to let me down gently.
A warm hand closes over mine. “It’s not that I don’t want to…”
Did I just say my thoughts out loud a moment ago?
“I just don’t want to hurt you more.”
Damn these butterflies in my stomach. “There’s something I didn’t get to do last night that I’d…like to try.” My face has to be radioactive right now, thinking about me not getting to taste that glorious cock of his last night.
His fork clatters on his half-empty plate. Before I realize it, I spin around on the swivel stool until I’m face to face with him, his hazel eyes ablaze. “Don’t say things like that unless you mean it, Everleigh.”
“Who says I didn’t?” I challenge back, earning his scorching lips against mine. Our tongues battle for dominance as his hands find my waist, pulling me closer. I slip off the stool to seal the front of my body to his, letting him draw me into his web of temptation. Breaking the kiss, I gently clamp my teeth down on his bottom lip, slightly tugging. A low grumble emanates from his chest, stoking the fire hotter inside my core.
My legs wrap around his waist when he grabs my ass and lifts me from the ground. My head spins at how weightless I feel in his arms, causing a giggle—a motherfucking giggle—to escape. “What about breakfast?”
The hunger burning in his eyes promises so much more, making me wonder how different this time will be. “I’d rather eat something else right now.”
He presses his lips to mine once more as he walks us to his bedroom, his erection prodding at my open folds through his gym shorts.
We had almost reached the threshold of his bedroom when two voices, one all too familiar, loudly filter through their front door, halting us in our tracks.
Luca
“Oh, shit,” I grit out as I set Ev down, full panic sweeping over both of us as Kieran’s unmistakable—and from the sounds of it, pissed off—voice seeps through the apartment door.
Fuckfuckfuck! What are we going to do?
I look to Ev who glances between my bedroom door and the bathroom, choosing to bolt into the latter and close the door shut. Of those two, the shared bathroom was the worst choice of all, which means we’re fucked.
The key-into-keyhole grinding sound rings as an ominous warning. When Kieran finds his little sister in here with me, alone and half-naked, he’s going to grind my bones into dust.
Think, jackass, think!
The knob now twists as an argument creeps through the cracks of the opening door, making me instinctively bolt behind the island, hoping to hide this erection and to bide my time until I figure out a good explanation for why Ev’s here late Saturday morning.
My two roommates rush in, Kieran still fussing at Dreidan until he sees me standing in our kitchen. “Hey, man.” He throws his keys on the counter and takes in the spread I had laid out for me and Everleigh. “What’s all this?”
I scratch the back of my neck, trying to figure out how to tread these waters. “I, uh…thought you were going to be gone until Sunday night?”
He counts the two plates and noticing my lack of shirt, a huge grin settles into place. “You sly dog.” He sees my partially open bedroom door and gives me a knowing smirk. “We were supposed to, but someone left the tickets on his nightstand,” his expression morphing into one of annoyance, directed at Dreidan, who emerges from his room with four old-school paper tickets.
Thank God. Maybe they’ll leave.
“I told you, dude. I thought for sure I packed them in my bag,” Dreidan responds, blowing out a puff of air as he plops down on the couch.
Apparently not.
“Why didn’t you answer when I texted you?” Kieran probes.
My eyes wander to the coffee table, where my phone lay from when I checked it this morning. Shit. I forgot to put it on charge when I came and got that washcloth to help Ev clean up. My face flushes as I think about all the time I spent getting acquainted with her body. Turning to the sink to hide my redness, I run some water in the sink and rinse out a glass I had just washed before Ev emerged from the bedroom.
“Or were you busy doing other things?” Dreidan guffaws.
I try to buy some time with the glass, but Kieran’s next words nearly make me drop it. “Damn, Luca. What hellcat got a hold of you?”
I glance over my shoulder and see the two of them eyeing my back. Oh, fuck. I forgot about Ev leaving some scratch marks behind.
As my grave continues to dig itself halfway to China, I decide it’s best if I come clean. Kieran’s going to beat my face in, but hell. Last night with Ev was worth it. I exhale deeply before opening my mouth, ready to spill the beans, when another sound interrupts me.
The sound of a toilet flushing in our shared bathroom grabs the attention of everyone in the room. The guys look at each other while I’m pretty sure I’ve lost all the color in my face as my stomach twists up.
Well... I’ve lived a decent life.
Too bad it had to end at twenty-two.
The faucet runs for a few moments before switching off, prolonging my agony.
Dreidan and Kieran unashamedly watch the bathroom door, waiting for the identity of the unknown person to be revealed. As the door opens, I feel my heart sink, knowing my fate is officially sealed.
“Evergreen? What’re you doing here?” he quizzes her as she walks into the room, fresh-faced like she just washed off her makeup from last night, her hair in a high ponytail. The outfit she had on last night when she first came over is back to hugging those curves, her overnight bag tucked neatly under her arm—along with the shirt of mine she walked out in this morning.
Dreidan’s eyes are about to pop out of his head, obviously deducing what I don’t need to be deduced right now while Kieran waits for his sister’s answer.
“Can’t a person use the bathroom without getting the third degree?” His unwavering stare doesn’t budge, the wheels in his brain noticeably turning. “I was in the neighborhood and thought you might need this for class, bonehead.” Nonchalantly, she walks over to the table and picks up the book she laid there when she arrived yesterday evening. “You forgot it in my car.”
Kieran’s eyes knit in confusion. “Why do you have that?” He points to her bag.
For every bullet I’m sweating, she exudes little airs of serenity, calm masking any signs
of distress. “First, you’re welcome,” she smirks at him. “And second, I don’t stick my nose into your private business, so you are no longer allowed to interfere in mine.” Meeting my eyes for the first time since she walked out of the bathroom, she continues, “I’ve already given Luca here the rundown of how things are going to be from now on as well.”
Kieran, still with an odd look on his face, brings his gaze back to me. “I thought you had someone over?”
“Oh, she ran for the hills when I arrived,” Everleigh interrupts. “Caught them making out, and she bolted for the bathroom, then took outta here like her tail was on fire.” My shirt dangles from the tip of her finger. “Found this in here. Probably left her panties in your room since she was tugging her dress over her bare ass on the way out.” Dreidan belly-laughs, always a sucker for Ev’s animated storytelling in her deep Southern drawl. She tosses me the shirt as she walks toward the island, giving me a knowing look. “Did she touch this?” she asks, pointing to the plate I had made for her.
I clear my throat, tossing on the shirt to hide my back from any further exposure. “Didn’t get a chance. Someone interrupted us.” I volley a pointed stare at her, earning a proud smile from her.
“Well, I did both of you a favor by saving you more embarrassment from these two.” She grins at the guys before grabbing a clean fork from the countertop dish drainer. “More for me. I’m starving.”
Kieran shakes his head at his sister as he rubs his stomach, looking a little distressed.
She stuffs another bite of egg into her mouth, a victory smile spreading across her face. Until Dolores O’Riordan’s angelic voice breaks the moment, singing “Dreams.”
The Cranberries ringtone Ev uses for her mom Kyleigh.
A ringtone Kieran knows well because they both use the same one for her.
A ringtone that’s coming from my bedroom where I laid it on the bed so she could find it easily.
Ev’s eyes widen before she slams her fork down on the island. “Seriously, Luca?” She sasses, pointing to her left where the bathroom door sets slightly ajar. “I run to the bathroom for two minutes and you hide my phone in your den of iniquity,” she fusses, not a flaw in her performance.
Damn, this girl’s slick.
I internally make the sign of the cross as I pray that since she’s got us this far, I can help her through the rest of this ruse. “That’s what you get for barging in on a good time.”
Her hand comes up. “Spare us the details. Gentlemen aren’t supposed to kiss and tell. Now, how about you go fetch my phone so I can get outta here after I finish these eggs?”
I take my leave, rolling my eyes as I pass Kieran to get to my room, breathing a quick sigh of relief. That was too close for comfort.
“Don’t you two ever get tired of pranking me?” Everleigh grouses at Kieran.
“Why would we when it’s so much fun?” I can imagine the cocksure grin on his face. Teasing Ev has been one of his favorite pastimes since we were young.
Out of the view of everyone, I grab her phone, thinking back to her words. I saw her bra when I went to fetch that washcloth and took it with me to lay on top of on her duffle. But I didn’t take her white thong, which means it’s still somewhere in this room.
“So, you went to Florida and decided to come back in less than a day?” she asks, feigning ignorance.
“Someone forgot our tickets.”
“For that country music festival in Jacksonville?”
I pause my search at the sound of her question.
“Yeah. How d'you know?”
Oh, shit. Kieran didn’t tell her that. I did when I suggested that she give her virginity to me.
“Luca told me when I dropped your book by and asked where you were. I didn’t realize it was a government secret.” Quick save, Ev. “Why don’t y’all grab the tickets and head back? If it’s all weekend, you can at least make it to a few performances.”
Giving up on the search to avoid suspicion, I close the door behind me and produce her phone.
“She’s right, man. We can still catch most of today’s acts if we hurry. The girls can meet us there when we get back.” Dreidan’s girlfriend goes to school in Jacksonville, so I’d say he’s chomping at the bit to get back to her.
“I’m going to head out too,” Ev says as she swipes her phone from my hand, a spark left behind where she touched my hand. “Thanks for breakfast, Luca,” she smirks.
I return hers with one of my own. “Thanks for running my date off, Evergreen.”
She gathers her bag and heads for the door. “Anytime, jerk,” she follows up, no heat in her playful tone. “Dreidan, make sure my dumbass brother doesn’t get himself into too much trouble.”
Dreidan looks up from his phone with a smile, no doubt after firing off a text to Bryanna about the tickets. “That’s a tall order, little Greene.”
“I’m sure a big, strapping guy like you can handle it,” she muses at our roommate, whose frame is perfectly built for the linebacker position he filled the last four years until his last concussion in the fall. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
She struts out of my apartment like she owns the joint and closes the door on our time together.
Although I’m thankful she saved my ass with her brother, I’m more than a little disappointed that we didn’t get to finish our morning on our own time.
“Kieran, we’d better hit the road.”
“Let me go to the bathroom before we take off. That sausage biscuit from the gas station is hitting weird.” That doesn’t bode well. “Be out in a minute.”
As he heads into the bathroom, Dreidan swipes a stray piece of bacon off my now cold breakfast plate.
“Hey!”
He crunches on it thoughtfully, before dropping his voice to hushed tones. “So… You and little Greene.”
I school my face into a neutral expression, trying not to give anything away. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“We don’t have enough time for the bullshit, Luca.” He eyes the door Kieran just locked himself behind. Judging by the curses coming from the bathroom, maybe we had more time than he thought. We laugh quietly, understanding the misery of what Kieran is currently experiencing. “Look, I’m not gonna judge you. God knows you were understanding about the guest I had over before last semester ended.”
I came home to the apartment one day after a class was cancelled to find a naked Dreidan getting a blowjob by an equally naked Bryanna in our living room. Thankfully, he reacted quickly and pulled her behind him. But his hard dick and her round ass were still two sights I didn’t need to witness. The awkward scale of that encounter was notched up a few rungs since she had been introduced to Kieran and me as his stepsister years ago. Even though Dreidan and Bryanna have been together since we were freshmen in college, their parents had gotten married during Dreidan and Bree’s sophomore year of high school, making their feelings for each other complicated.
“I’m just saying to tread carefully,” he warns, finishing the last piece of bacon as I listen to him. “You and K have been best friends for a long time, and something like this could destroy all that. Especially if you don’t intend to do right by her.”
“It was just a one-time thing,” I shrug as I drink my now halfway-to-lukewarm orange juice.
The look on his face tells me he doesn’t buy it, but he says nothing.
“Dreidan?” I start, curiosity getting the better of me. “Is it worth all the sneaking around to be with her?”
“Every moment of every damn day,” he answers with zero hesitation. “I’ve already been told by the coaches that the open athletic trainer’s position is mine if I want it, so we’re gonna sneak away to Vegas to get married before I have to start.”
“That’s awesome, man! I’m thrilled for you two.” He nods his thanks, remaining quiet.
Braving the elephant in the room, I chance to ask him about their family. “I take it your parents a
ren’t happy?”
“If only,” he scoffs. “We got caught back last summer before the fall semester started. They hit the roof. Hard. Bree’s dad told her that if she continued to see me, he’d cut her off for good. She went and got a job waitressing the next day and told him he could keep his money—that she’d figure out a way to pay for school on her own.” He drops his head, shaking it. “A girl like that who’d willingly give up Daddy’s easy money to be with you deserves the world, so I’m gonna make damn sure I give it to her.”
Dreidan’s understandably been very hush-hush about this whole situation, so it’s nice to be given a few more pieces of the puzzle. “Did you and her dad not get along?”
“I’ve always liked and respected Harris. My mom and I had next to nothing when they met, but he treated her like a queen and me like a son. He even wanted me to come work for him at his company, but sports medicine was where my heart was. He was really cool about it,”—he pauses, taking a breath—“Until he found out I was sleeping with his daughter. Then I was ‘white trash who didn’t deserve his African princess,’” he adds, using air quotes.
“Well, that sucks,” I comment.
He waves it off. “I think he hoped that Bree would get with his partner’s kid, but the dude’s a spoiled asshole. He’s white as well, but an absolute dick, so I honestly don’t think it’s anything to do with race. I think it’s more to do with me not having the means to give Bree the life he can.”
I understand all too well about expectations and what it is to always feel you don’t measure up to a standard your parents set for you. “What’d your mom have to say about that?”
“I never told her what he said. She thinks it’s because of the whole stepsister thing, which they both frown upon, but they love each other, so I told her not to worry about it.” His tone is even, but I read the melancholy on his face. “I’m not a kid anymore and can stand on my own two feet. She worked hard to keep our heads above water while I was growing up, and I don’t want to drive a wedge in between them. I hate it though because Bree was always a daddy’s girl.” He laughs bitterly. “I told her we had to break up because I saw what it was doing to her and I wouldn’t make her choose between us anymore. That’s what made her come up from Jacksonville and stay with me…when you…you know, caught us.” He grins sheepishly, which is hilarious considering he’s built like a tank. “Deep down, he’s a good man. Maybe he’ll change his mind one day down the road.”
