Cherishing Her During Adversity: A Friends to Lovers Romance

by Alexa McLean

  “When are you available to come in?”

  “I could come in this afternoon if that works for you,” I responded, trying to keep my voice calm and professional. I didn’t want them to think that I was desperate for the job. Instead, I needed them to believe that I was passionate about a career as a fireman and that I was dedicated to making it happen.

  “Three o’clock.”

  “Three o’clock,” I confirmed. “I can do that.”

  “Then we will see you today at three. Ask for Oliver.”

  “Oliver.” I made a mental note to myself before hanging up the phone.

  When I turned around, Lola was standing there, still wearing the pajamas that I liked so much. To my benefit, she wasn’t wearing a bra which meant that her nipples were poking through the thin fabric. It was almost like they were trying to say ‘hello!’

  “Who was that?” Lola asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She was so incredibly cute whenever she woke up. It made my desire to sleep with her harder to resist. I needed this ray of sunshine in my life and once I had this job in my grasp, then I would take her because there was no more waiting around for a golden opportunity. I’ve kept these feelings of mine dormant for way too long. It was time for me to unleash my emotions and cater to their needs.

  “The fire department. They want to bring me in for an interview.”

  “And...?”

  “I’m going in for the interview, of course.”

  “When?”

  “This afternoon at three o’clock.”

  “That’s awesome, Ivan. I’m really proud of you. And just between the two of us, I think you would make one heck of a fireman.”

  I grinned and stepped forward so she was pressed against the nearby wall. “But there is something that I need to know.” My voice had dropped to a husky whisper. I was laying on the charm in hopes of getting lucky that night. “Are you the kind of woman that likes to see a man in uniform?”

  “Um...” she gaped up at me like a fish out of water.

  “Oh, come on, I bet you’ve thought about it. Yourself as a damsel in distress rescued by a smoking hot fireman who sweeps you right off your feet.”

  Her cheeks were crimson in color and getting redder by the second. “I’ve thought about it,” she admitted at last. “But always with the same guy playing the hero.”

  “Oh?” I knitted my brows together. “And who might that be?”

  LOLA NEVER ANSWERED my question. I tried to pry it out of her but she was stubbornly persistent on weaseling away from me and doing other things. Why couldn’t she just do me instead?

  “I think you should wear something dark.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Dark colors are more professional.”

  With three o’clock approaching, Lola rummaged through my available clothing and pulled out a navy button-up shirt that had once been my go-to shirt when it came to meetings. She paired it with a thin tie highlighted with thin stripes of silver that would match my belt buckle. “When I say that you have good taste, it isn’t a lie.”

  “I know,” she smirked. “I had the opportunity be best friends with any knucklehead in town and I decided to pick you.”

  “And it was the best decision of your life,” I said as I bopped her nose with my finger. “And don’t even try to tell me otherwise.”

  “I won’t.” This time she smiled and it was the sort of smile that reached her eyes and made them sparkle.

  As I buttoned up my shirt, she tossed the tie over my neck and tightened it into place. It was an intimate gesture that made me feel like she was my wife.

  “I know you’ll do great today,” she said as I finished tidying up my look.

  “Thanks, I really appreciate having you say that. It means a lot to me to know that you believe in me.” Knowing that I didn’t want to be late, I shuffled toward the door. Lola had loaned me her car so I could get to the interview without taking the bus or walking there. Her key ring was obnoxious with way too many doodads. But that quirky nature was just one of the many reasons why I loved her.

  And yes, I loved her.

  And tonight, I would tell her.

  “Good luck.” As she spoke, she rose onto the tips of her feet. To my surprise, her lips crashed against mine.

  Instantly, we came together like a couple of magnets that refused to part. There wasn’t a single inch of space between our bodies as our lips danced and explored the unknown territory of the other.

  My head became weightless and the rest of my body quickly followed suit.

  I held her close. It felt like I was fusing together with my soulmate. I never wanted the magical moment to end.

  But just as things were starting to get good, she pushed me away. “You need to go.”

  “Do I get another kiss when I get back?”

  “It depends how well you do on the interview.”

  I chuckled and grinned in response. “Then I intend to blow them out of the water.”

  “I expect nothing less.”

  Unable to resist, I pecked her on the cheek. I was about to turn it into something more but Lola literally shoved me out the door. It was probably a good thing or I would have kissed her all day long.

  “SO, HOW DID IT GO?” Lola asked me the second I came through the door.

  Instead of answering her, I swept her off the ground and onto the nearby counter.

  “What are —” The rest of her question became a jumble of syllables as I kissed her. Somehow, her lips were even sweeter than I remembered them. My hunger for this woman grew to a level that was almost impossible to ignore. I wanted to devour her — to enjoy her every inch and then some.

  My lungs burned with that annoying need for oxygen. I did not want to but I broke away from the kiss. My lips tingled and begged for more but I gave Lola a moment to catch her breath. The night was young and there was still plenty of time for emotions to unravel.

  “I’m going to take a wild guess here and say that your interview went well.”

  “It was more than that — it was fantastic.”

  “Fantastic, huh?”

  “And it’s all thanks to that good luck kiss.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “No doubt about it,” I said. “They probably would have kicked me out after the first five minutes if it wasn’t for that magical kiss of yours.”

  “Magical, you say?” she giggled. “What about it was magical?”

  “Everything.” I brushed my fingertips across her cheeks and smiled. “As a thank you, I think it is only right that I cook us dinner tonight.”

  “You know, I’m perfectly content with Chinese food. I’m sure you’re tired.”

  “I don’t want to hear another word. I am doing this whether you want me to or not. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Crystal.”

  “Now get that cute little tush of yours on the couch while I whip us up a five-star meal.”

  Lola looked dubious but she did not utter another word as she made her way over to the couch. I swear she was trying to tempt me with the way she was walking. Her hips were swinging from side to side and her cheeks even had a certain bounce to them that had sprung with excitement.

  Maybe dinner can wait... I tried to convince myself. But the way to a woman’s heart is always to wine and dine them.

  So, that’s what I did. Dinner wasn’t perfect but it was something and that’s better than nothing.

  “You should cook more often,” Lola suggested as she took a sip from her wine. “I think you’d actually wind up being quite good at it.”

  “Think so?” I asked. “Or are you just saying that to make me feel better about this overcooked pasta?”

  “It’s really not that bad. You’ve impressed me. I didn’t think you were capable of all this domestic stuff. You’ve had maids all your life doing it for you.”

  “I didn’t want you to feel like you had to do everything. I wanted to prove to you that I could pull my own weight even if I didn’t
have a penny to my name.”

  “Well, you’ve certainly proven that you’re worth your weight in gold.”

  “You know how compliments go right to my head. Unless you want me going around with an overinflated ego, you could calm down with the praise.”

  “Why should I when you deserve it?”

  “I just want to know that you’re happy.”

  “Happy?”

  “Yes. Have you been happy having me around?”

  She placed her glass of wine back on the table and took my hand. “Spending all this time with you has made me happier than you could ever imagine. It is not the circumstances that I had hoped would bring us together but nonetheless, I am eternally grateful to know that I can call you my friend.”

  My mood seemed to shatter the second she said those words because I was being slammed into that dreaded friend-zone that very few men every crawl out of. Or, at least, that’s what I thought was happening.

  “Is that all we are?” I asked, my voice tense because I knew everything hinged on what she would say next. “Or can there be more? A spark? A relationship that involves us waking up together.”

  “Ivan... what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I love you, Lola, and that I’ve loved you for a long time. I’ve wanted to tell you but I didn’t want to jeopardize what we already had. Now I realize that I cannot keep this distance from you. I need you. I want you. And I’m hoping that you feel the same way.”

  Lola didn’t say anything verbally but she was nodding her head and that was enough for me.

  I abandoned the rest of my meal and plucked her right out of her chair. In one fluid motion, I got her into a piggyback position which made it possible for me to climb the ladder that led to the overhead loft.

  There, the bed was at my disposal and I aimed to make good use of it — all night long.

  Chapter 10: Lola

  MY HEAD WAS SPINNING because I really could not believe that this was happening. My childhood crush was taking me to bed and I could tell by the lust burning in his eyes that he intended to take me on one hell of a ride.

  It started off gently with Ivan laying me down. He treated me like I was his most prized possession — something to cherish and adore.

  “Let me make you feel good tonight,” he whispered against the side of my neck as he decorated every inch of my skin with kisses.

  A current of electricity pulsated through my nerves.

  “Mmm.”

  “Oh, baby, this is just the start.” He nibbled on my lobe and tugged on it with his teeth.

  It was enough to make my back arch. If this was the way he made me feel now, then I could only imagine what would happen once his member got involved because that was the real show stopper, I was sure.

  As his lips continued to explore my neck, he started to peel away my clothing. It started with my shorts. They were easy enough to get rid of because the adjustable waistband meant they could be loosened and slipped right off my body.

  Once my legs were fully exposed, his fingertips took the liberty of dancing across my silken skin. Thank Heavens I had shaved that morning.

  His fingers crept closer and closer until he reached my inner thighs.

  It really did not take much to get me to spread my legs apart because boy, I was ready to get this party started. I had waited way too long to share this moment with Ivan and now that it was finally here, I could only hope that it would turn out better than I could have ever imagined.

  Ivan surprised me by pressing his finger against the wet spot that had formed on the fabric of my panties. It was growing wetter by the second as Ivan continued his ministrations. His fingers pushed deeper so that the silken material teased the sensitive folds between my legs.

  “I wonder how much teasing I should put you through tonight. I’m thinking just enough to make you lose your mind.”

  “Ivan...” He silenced me with a kiss and rolled his body onto mine so I could feel the length of his erection. There was no denying the fact that Ivan was massive.

  Would he fit inside of me? I wasn’t sure. But I wanted to find out.

  I flipped us around and attacked the buttons of his shirt until most of them popped out of place. With his chest exposed, a frenzy settled into my bones and then into my very core. I knew that my only means of quenching this frenzy was to have my way with this man and to make him mine.

  With this thought on my mind, I started on his belt but had a bit of trouble with his buckle. No matter what I tried, it would not budge. I cursed under my breath but to no avail.

  “Here, let me,” said Ivan just before he took my wrists and pinned them above my head. His teeth found the fabric of my tank and pushed it aside in order to reveal my breasts.

  My nipples were already hard and ready for attention.

  And Ivan gave them exactly what they wanted.

  His tongue swirled all around the hardened nub until it became so sensitive that I wanted to scream. Then his teeth came into play, grazing against my most sensitive areas in a way that I hadn’t imagined possible. This man was rewriting the playbook on pleasure and taking it to a whole other level.

  My breathing was ragged as he released my wrists and used his hands instead to knead my breasts. He knew exactly what he was doing and already I was headed toward the brink of insanity.

  “Someone is enjoying herself,” he whispered against my ear. “Now just imagine when I’m between those folds, tasting that sweet, sweet nectar of yours.”

  A second later and that’s what he was doing. My panties were ripped from my body in the blink of an eye. I barely registered that they had disappeared. But that was made known the moment I felt Ivan’s tongue on my clit. He flicked it back and forth until I was engorged with excitement.

  Needing him to satisfy me with more than just his tongue, I pushed my hips into the air in a silent plea for more.

  He ignored that plea and instead continued his ceaseless teasing.

  His tongue swirled this way and that until the graininess of that surface had me shaking and my toes curling.

  I tugged at his hair as my body exploded with white-hot pleasure. I always knew that being with Ivan would bring me to new highs but I never imagined that it would be anything like this. I was already sitting pretty in Nirvana and we really hadn’t started.

  As he slurped up every drop that I had to offer him, his fingers dug into my backside. He shoved himself closer, pushing his tongue as deep as it would go. He was desperate for more and if he kept it up, he’d be hit with a second wave.

  Maybe that was what he was after.

  But just as fast, he switched to his fingers.

  It began as a mild experiment where his middle finger pumped in and out of my eager hole. With each passing minute, its pace would quicken. Then came another finger and yet another so that all three were working to stretch my walls.

  I knew what he was doing. He was getting me ready for the monster to come.

  His thumb skirted across my clit, adding to my pleasure.

  I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold back the flood gates that were threatening to collapse but there just wasn’t any stopping it. With Ivan playing me like a violin, I was at his complete and utter mercy. And let’s be real here, I really wasn’t going to complain if this man made me lose track of my number of orgasms. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing and if a lover ever accomplishes it, you better never let them go.

  Ivan’s fingers were like a couple of pistons. I had no idea how he was having them move so fast but trust me, they were fast.

  “Cum for me,” he whispered. His voice was deep and impossible to resist. It was like a drug that passed through my system. My eyes rolled into my skull as my mound exploded with that electric pop that comes with climbing over the edge.

  There was a puddle of my juices gathering on the bed. I didn’t even think it was possible to be this excited and yet, here I was as wet as the Mississippi River.

  I opened my ey
es and saw that Ivan was fumbling with his belt. As soon as he managed to unfasten the thing, it went flying across the room. It fell off the loft and probably ended up somewhere in the kitchen. I wasn’t about to go looking for it because I was much happier with it being off.

  Then came the good stuff.

  He pulled down his pants, revealing boxer briefs that were tight with a growing erection. I didn’t hesitate to reach forward and cop a feel, even through the thick fabric. Ivan was as hard as a rock — maybe even harder than that.

  “Ready for it?” he asked as he made a show of taking off his briefs.

  I smirked and fondled his balls. The look on his face was enough to keep me going all night long.

  There was so much that I wanted to say and do but Ivan took control and I decided just to follow along because when a guy gives you pleasure that explodes through your body like a firecracker, you’re confident that he knows what he’s doing.

  With his member in hand, he guided it toward my entrance so that the tip was rubbing against the wetness, getting slick with it.

  I groaned as he kept this up because it was definitely another one of his teasing tactics. “Ivan, please,” I begged, hoping that he would not torment me for long.

  He cupped my face with both his hands and kissed my forehead. It was then that he started to slide himself inside. I didn’t know whether I was exceptionally tight or whether he was exceptional big — maybe both — but he was having one heck of a time forcing his way into my depths. Every inch was a struggle but every time he managed to get deeper, it was another blast of bliss.

  By the time he was fully inside of me, I was clawing at his back, marking it with big red welts. He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I’d say he was enjoying it.

  “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment,” he said as a whisper as he lifted my chin and kissed me with such tenderness that it made my heart melt. The kiss continued until every part of my body was completely relaxed. Only then did he start pumping his hips and rocking my world.

  Ivan was so big that I feared he would rip me apart. He was animalistic, too. He aimed to please, calling to that deep, dark part of my soul I had kept dormant for so many years. He knew exactly what he was doing and he was doing it unbelievably well. He was bringing out the vixen in me.