Sweetness, he said

by Starr, Jude

  Attached was a photo of Calvin and I from TMZ’s website, showing us kissing at Macy’s.

  “Crap.” I opened the second message.

  Rose: Calvin Banks?????? How come do I not know about this???

  “Double crap.”

  I got up from the couch, leaving Calvin alone. I needed a minute to think. Fucking paparazzi. I walked into the kitchen, leaned my backside against the counter. My phone was still in my hands, but I couldn't think of anything reasonable to tell Zach. I loved him a lot, but I loved him less than Calvin. He’d left me anyway, why did he care so much now? Anyway, he stood no chance, my heart and soul craved Calvin’s love.

  Iris: I'm so sorry, Zach.

  Iris: Don't tell mom or dad, okay, Rose? It all happened really fast. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

  My phone buzzed again, twice in quick succession.

  Zach: It’s just the same story repeating itself and besides, with his tongue down your throat, you didn’t really look all that sorry.

  Rose: I love secrets.

  Zach's messages left me angry and I just wanted to tell him how much I despised him. I dialled his number out of anger. This could take a turn for the worst and regrets could follow.

  “Sugar.”

  “No, you don't get to call me sugar. You disgust me, Zach. I can do whatever I want, you don't get to send me shitty messages if you don't agree. Calvin's nothing but sweet with me, so you better stop your jealousy here because it's only going to bring a bridge between us.”

  “Do you want me to meet you at the residence so we can talk this through like we used to.” Right there, he was making allusion to having sex with me. He infuriated me even more.

  “No, I'm not staying there for the holidays. I'll see you when school starts.”

  “You're staying with him?”

  “None of your business. Goodbye, Zachary.” My trembling finger pressed end. Fuck. I threw my phone on the marble counter and hid my face behind my hands. Small tears threatened to escape but I stopped. I couldn't let him ruin my day or Calvin's.

  When I removed my hands from my face, I discovered this tall man standing before me, concern haunting his eyes.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “The photos are out and I had to deal with some of the repercussions.” I didn’t know if I should tell him about Zach. He knew who Zach was and I knew he felt certain competitiveness with him. And he still didn’t know what had happened between Zach and I, the same night we’d gotten together.

  “Is everything okay?” He asked the question for a second time and I knew I had to give him some answers.

  “My sister saw the picture and she was asking why I hadn’t told her about you. And Zach saw a picture of us kissing at Macy’s and I guess he got …” I was trying to select the right word – irritated? Frustrated?

  “Jealous?”

  “Maybe just a little.”

  “What did he say to upset you?”

  “I said I was sorry because I chose to be with you, and he said I didn’t really look all that sorry with your tongue down my throat.”

  He furrowed his brow, looking irritated. “He’s just a jealous prick, Iris. Don’t mind him.”

  “I know, but I don’t want him to ruin our evening.” I broached the step separating us and encircled my arms around his neck. “Thank you for asking me to stay here with you. You have no idea how much I needed this.”

  “I do, actually.” I understood his words and all the meaning behind them. After all these years alone, he had finally let someone in and he’d chosen me.

  We spent the evening talking about our lives, while listening to some music on the stereo. Our lives were pretty different. We had a six years age difference between us, he was born in New York City and I was born in the south. He grew up as an only child, while I grew up with a sister. I skipped the detail about her being my twin, just to see his reaction when he eventually met her. Growing up with an identical twin had its perks but having the same questions asked about being identical twins, over and over again, got annoying after a while.

  “How did you get started in football?” I questioned.

  “In high school, I had a really difficult time dealing with my emotions. I was moody all the time and really, I didn’t know what to do with myself. One day, the football coach approached me, saying they were missing a player and he thought I had the body shape to fill in.” He paused. “Do you mind going to bed? The joints in my legs are hurting and I’d like to lie down for a while.”

  I nodded my agreement and we got to our feet, heading towards the bedroom. “Of course, I didn’t have money to afford the equipment; my father scared me too much to even think about asking him for money. The coach lent me the equipment and I started to play for the school team. From that moment on, I began feeling better about myself – I played well and it relieved some of the anger I was struggling with. Soon, I got noticed by recruiters and I received a full scholarship to college and then, well, you know the rest.”

  We’d reached the bedroom and Calvin undressed and laid down on the bed, opening his arms and inviting me to join him. I removed my ripped skirt and snuggled under the covers beside him.

  “Your coach gave you hope. Do you still talk to him?”

  “I do. Mrs. Lindell is his wife.” It all became clearer now. “Coach Lindell knew what I was dealing with at home, he wasn’t stupid, and he recognized the signs. He offered my mom some help, but she was too tied to my dad, too scared to leave. When my parents passed, I stayed with the Lindell’s for a while.”

  “What about Danielle?” I asked curiously, wondering how she fitted in with the picture.

  “Danielle has been my friend for a very long time, as you know, we dated and everything. She always supported me, helped me but there was a limit as to what she could do. We stayed friends throughout the years. She saw me at my worst and she also saw me at the apogee of my career and she never judged me for the decisions I made or the stupid things I did. She understands me and still protects me.”

  I laughed, remembering what she’d told me. “She does. She told me not to waste my time around you.” I gave him a peck on the chin. “She warned me about you.”

  Calvin laughed too, sounding embarrassed. “Did she, for real?”

  I nodded. “She didn’t know who I was to you, but when she realized we shared something, she said she was sorry. We’re all good now.”

  His laugh softened. “Like I said, she protects me.”

  Exhaustion caught up with us and we settled into sleep. With our legs intertwined and my head resting against his chest, I decided he was the best present I had ever received. A man who really cared for me.

  As the night went on, Calvin grew agitated in his sleep. He mumbled a few things, telling his father to stop. I comforted him the best I could, telling him I would protect him and that I was there now and he didn't have to worry any more; brushing his hair back from his face and speaking softly to try and soothe him. I didn't get much sleep, as he constantly woke me up, talking in his sleep or kicking his legs under the sheets as he tossed and turned restlessly. When the sun started to rise, I got up to prepare the turkey. Trying to cook in a foreign kitchen turned out to take a little longer than I’d expected. I figured by the time I got the turkey prepared, I must have opened every cabinet at least twenty times. Almost two hours later, the turkey was finally in the oven. Exhaustion caught up with me and I decided to go back to bed but before I did, I placed my gifts for Calvin under the tree. I couldn't wait for him to open them.

  Calvin was curled up in a ball in the bed. He said he didn’t want my pity, but watching him like this tore at my heart. As much as you can try to escape the past, it always finds you at some point and haunts you.

  “Calvin.” I whispered his name, wanting to distract him from his nightmares. He turned over without opening his eyes and wrapped his arms around me. His chest was pressed against my back and a few kisses tickled my neck as he snuggled against
me.

  “I love you,” he said in a soft voice.

  I wanted to hear it again, if only to be certain I'd heard him correctly. My heart blossomed at the sound of the words and I wanted to say it back. I should have said it back, but instead, I cuddled closer and enjoyed the moment.

  In my dreams, the echo of those words was relentless. Had I wished that badly for him to love me and tell me? He had been showing me his affection since the very beginning when we first met. His smile, his smirks and the winks he’d thrown me while I worked at the restaurant. We had dealt with a series of bad luck, I knew he had wanted to be served by me, and destiny had always directed him to another cashier. Until that night, not so long ago, when he came to me at a very bad moment and he’d made it all better. Iris is a beautiful flower, an even prettier woman and a name I won't forget.

  I believed life had a plan for us and that we were meant to cross paths.

  Chapter 9

  Soft lips brushed against mine, and sweet words drew me out of my dreams. “Wake up, beautiful girl. It looks like one of us worked hard this morning.” Two additional kisses landed on my mouth. “Good morning, sweetness.” I opened my eyes and saw this beautiful man – clean shaven, hair slicked back, and wearing a ridiculous Christmas sweater. I snorted loudly. “Do I get to wear a Christmas sweater, too?”

  “Of course, we’re celebrating together, aren’t we?” He laughed quietly.

  “What time is it now?”

  “It’s time for you to eat.” He turned around and grabbed a stainless steel tray, filled with food. From scrambled eggs to waffles, the smell of the food wafted through the room and had my mouth-watering.

  “It looks delicious.” I pushed myself up in the bed and Calvin placed the tray on my lap. “Are you eating too?”

  “Of course, if you ate all that on your own, you’ll be rolling out of the bed.” He sat opposite me with his legs crossed and he had a ridiculous happy smile on his face.

  “You’re going to have to stop smiling like that or I’m going to start thinking I have a booger under my nose or something,” I warned him.

  Calvin tried really hard to stop smiling, but the more he tried, the worse it got. “Let’s eat now. We have a lot to do today,” he announced.

  “What’s your plan?” I couldn’t remember him suggesting that we had ‘plans‘.

  He took a bite of his chocolate smothered waffle, deliberately not answering the question. Of course, Calvin was doing this in the hopes of teasing me, but I tried to look indifferent and took a bite of my eggs. Oh my god, these eggs had so many amazing flavors, including feta cheese, shallots and just a touch of salt and pepper. “This is delicious, delightful and something I could definitely eat, every day.”

  “Stay here and you will. It’s my own personal recipe.” I heard the unspoken promise in his comment. Calvin was proposing that I moved in with him, but I couldn’t agree to this yet. We had only just met and rushing into something so permanent would only hurt us in the long run. I ate the remainder of my eggs without responding to the comment.

  The smell of the turkey cooking slowly in the oven lingered throughout the apartment. I finished my fruit cup, kissed Calvin passionately and pushed away from him to go and check on the turkey. The instructions had said that we needed to baste the turkey every hour. The clock on the oven indicated it was already past noon. Damn, I’d overslept again. I tended to do that a lot with Calvin.

  “I think we’ll be fine. It looks great so far,” I announced, after closing the oven door.

  “Not as great as you.” His charming personality, and the sparkle in his eyes made me narrow my own eyes. I had just woken up, I probably looked like hell.

  “Liar. I need to shower if I’m going to spend the day here with you because you look absolutely fuckable and I can see from my reflection in the oven glass, I look like Cruella De Vil. It’s not good for my self-esteem.” I gave him a small peck on the corner of his mouth and walked back to the bedroom to take a shower in the ensuite bathroom. “What are all of these, Calvin?” I pointed at all the gifts which had appeared under the tree.

  He shrugged. “Maybe, I lost control with all the Christmas shopping.” He looked so innocent, as his eyes swept from me to the presents under the tree and back again.

  “You’re adorable, you know that, right?” We met halfway across the room. In no time he’d removed my t-shirt and started touching every part of my body.

  The sexual tension rose swiftly between us. He kept moving his hand lower and lower, and I could guess what he had in mind. I anticipated his touch, my body waited for his fingers to find the right spot. The more he waited to touch me, the higher the anticipation got. When his fingers finally found my swollen clit, my legs almost gave way. I clutched his arms and rested my head on his chest.

  “Calvin…” I murmured, panting.

  “Let go, baby, let go,” he urged me.

  He inserted a finger inside of me and pushed deep, making my knees grow weak. The sound of me moaning his name kept echoing through the room, as the pleasure and sensation grew stronger.

  “I need to sit down, because I can’t feel my legs anymore,” I muttered.

  Calvin snickered into the hollow of my neck and lifted me off the floor to lay me down on the couch. His thumb didn’t miss a beat and hit right on my swollen clit and I moaned loudly.

  Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the coming climax. A warm feeling spread through my body and an amazing sensation developed between my thighs. When I thought it couldn’t get any better, he pushed my legs apart and his mouth crashed down onto me. He swirled his tongue around my clit, applying just enough pressure to make me explode.

  “Calvin, I… never… in… my … life.” Only half of the words I was trying to say came out. My breathing was sporadic, my toes curled and my hands clenched into fists. I bit on my lip to try and quieten down my moans. Shit!

  “Iris.” He said my name with so much passion. Calvin nibbled softly on my clit with his teeth, just as his fingers reached that deep spot inside of me. I came undone. My body spiraled off into a wild tornado of pleasure, topping anything I’d ever experienced in my life. A rush of adrenaline flowed through my limbs. I wanted to scream my pleasure, but no sound came out. I didn’t even know my own body anymore and as everything slowed down and I became numb.

  I heard him giggling but I was too wrung out to look at him. The sound of the water running into the bath delighted me. A bath was exactly what I needed. Two strong arms slid under me and lifted me off the couch. I opened my eyes and discovered he still had that glorious smile on his face.

  “You’re going to have to stop doing that to me. Every time, it gets better. It’s like you know my body, better than I do.”

  “I only listen to what your body is silently asking me to do,” Calvin whispered.

  He put me down in the warm water and the scent of lilacs drifted up to my nostrils. “Thank you, Calvin.” I remembered the words he had spoken during his dream the night before. I loved him too.

  Music drifted into the bathroom from the stereo in the living room, a soft voice signing the lyrics and my heart melted. After spending ten minutes in the warm water, I decided to join him to spend the rest of our day together. I had wasted enough time, between falling asleep and then collapsing after the amazing climax he’d given me.

  When I got to his bedroom, Calvin had prepared my clothes for the day. He clearly had a picture perfect image in mind. A Christmas cardigan, with a reindeer on each side of my breasts was to be paired with a black tank top and my own red mini skirt. I laughed to myself and got dressed in the amusing outfit.

  “Baby, is my outfit alright?” The endearment slipped out of my mouth without thought. I blushed.

  Calvin grinned. “Baby? Humm, I think I like that. You look perfect, beautiful as always.”

  “What’s your plan for the rest of the day?” Curiosity had always been my worst character trait, and I couldn’t stand not knowing what he had planned
for the day.

  His grin was huge, giving me the impression he was definitely having the time of his life. “I don’t know. The turkey’s cooking, music is playing. We’ve got presents. I don’t really have a plan to be honest, apart from what happened this morning.”

  “That was incredible. Seriously, we have to do it again,” I said shyly. It surprised me that I had the guts to tell him I wanted it.

  “Anytime. But for now, I want you to come over here.” Calvin offered me his hand and drew me closer before he positioned his other arm around my waist. “Can I have this dance, Iris?”

  “Of course.” We improvised a formal dance, having no clue what we were doing, but it seemed right for us. I wasn’t much of a dancer, other than when I visited a club and that was completely different.

  I leaned my head against Calvin’s chest. “When I found out I didn’t have enough money to visit my parents, I thought I was destined to spend the worst Christmas ever on my own, but it turns out, you’ve made it all better. I’m so happy to be here with you. You’ve shown me the real you and I really like being in your company.”

  He glanced down, avoiding my eyes. “I really like being in your company too. You are an amazing young woman, Iris.”

  “Hey, look at me.” He gradually brought his gaze up to meet mine. “What’s the matter?” Something had suddenly changed in him and it worried me.

  For a long moment, he remained silent, and then he took a deep breath and spoke. “I’m— I’m falling in love with you, Iris. I might even be in love with you already.”

  It was like an out of body experience, as if I was watching the scene being played out before me in a movie. I saw him speaking to me, declaring his love and the smile on my face mixed with a heated blush. “I am, too,” I exhaled deeply, trying to calm my racing heart. “This is all happening so fast, but the way you make me feel, I don’t ever want to walk away from you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. I think I’m in love with you, too, Calvin.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet. I want to make you so happy, Iris. I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were something special. You tried to avoid me, but your eyes were drawn back to me right away and you turned three shade of red.”