Love and Lies

by Duffey, Jennifer

  Mari and Logan hit it off well. Alec's move to leave triggered everyone else. I walked them to the door one by one. Eric stayed on the couch, and my heart fluttered. Would he stay? Did I want him to? Yeah, I did. Now to dredge up the confidence to ask for what I wanted.

  Eric's growl didn't go unheard when Logan leaned down to kiss me on the cheek.

  “Watch out for him,” he whispered in warning.

  I smacked Logan on the arm. Talk about troublemaker. “Take Mari home. I like her, be nice.”

  “Oh, he will. It was nice to meet you, Carissa.” Mari held her hand out to me, and I shook it one last time.

  “You, too. Maybe we'll see each other again at the concert on Saturday. Have a good evening.”

  I shut the door then slowly turned around to face Eric.

  He crooked his finger and motioned me over. “Do you want me to leave?”

  Unable to form actual words since my tongue stuck to the top of my mouth I shook my head.

  “Ask me then. I won't stay if you don't say the words. The last thing I want is a misunderstanding. Because, Carissa, if I don't leave right now I won't be leaving until the morning.”

  Earlier that night Annabelle had called to say she wouldn't be back until the next morning. Eric wanted to stay with me, and I wanted to curl up next to him in bed. Alec's words floated through my memories. Go with your heart. My heart said do it. My head said run.

  He pushed off the couch when I didn't ask him to stay. “Okay. I'll go then.”

  Eric took my face in his hands and lowered his lips to mine. The kiss was tentative—he held back. “Stay. Please, Eric. Just tonight.”

  “Okay. I'm okay with that. I love you, princess.”

  Those were his last words before he captured my mouth again. The kiss turned from tentative to possessive. He took control with a fierceness I'd never experienced, leaving no doubt which of us would lead tonight. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off the ground. Our height difference made it easy for him to center my weight and carry me back to my room. Our lips never parted, even as he laid me down on the bed.

  “Touch me, Eric.”

  He didn't speak, didn't hesitate, just did what I asked. He slipped his hands up my arms, over my collarbone and down the center of my chest, stopping for a moment as he neared the dip between my breasts. He massaged each nipple with his thumb, every swipe across the peaked center harder than the last. Eventually he resumed the slow trail down my stomach. When he reached the bottom of my T-shirt, his fingers slid across the sliver of skin bared when my shirt bunched up. He retraced the path he’d traveled, going under my shirt. I arched into his rough hands, wishing he’d do more, faster.

  “Eric,” I groaned.

  “Don't worry, princess. I'll take care of you. But I'm not going to rut you like an animal.”

  Of course he wouldn't. That would have scared me, and he knew it. I wasn't what one would call experienced, not a virgin, but definitely not well-versed beyond kissing. After the whole Igor ordeal, I tried to avoid most intimate situations until I knew I wouldn't end up hurt. Or worse, embarrassed because of some reaction I had to a guy while we were in bed.

  I laced my fingers behind his neck and tugged his head to mine. When he took control again, I didn't pull away. “Do something, please.”

  Eric straddled my thighs, took my shirt off, and gave my breasts some much-needed attention. His too-short massage from moments ago left me aching for more. Our kiss resumed; without pretense he thrust his tongue deep then retreated slowly. I imagined it would be the same way when we made love.

  Eric shifted his lips from my mouth along my jaw and chin. Once he reached my ear lobe, he took it between his teeth, the nip a reminder of the night I told him I loved him. He flicked the tip of his tongue over the spot, and the ache faded as quickly as it had come. The nips, licks, and kisses continued down the column of my neck. He stopped again to suck hard on the spot between my shoulder and neck.

  “You’re going to leave a mark,” I whispered.

  “That’s the point. You like it, though, don’t you?”

  My cheeks tingled with embarrassment.

  “Told ya.”

  I jumped when Eric reached for the button of my shorts. He chuckled but didn’t stop, progressing to the zipper and scooting to the foot of the bed so he could slide them off. They landed on the floor, and my panties quickly followed. Before climbing back on the bed, Eric undressed.

  For the first time, I took a moment to check him out, a thorough perusal of the body I’d touched, but not examined. Oh, it sounded clinical, but there was nothing clinical about the way the broad head of his erection bounced against his stomach. Or the way the muscles in his arm bunched when he stroked himself. I licked my lips, a sudden urge to taste him. I flipped around to my stomach with my head at the foot of the bed, in line with his dick, and grabbed his hips before tugging him closer.

  My mouth opened, and Eric took the liberty of guiding himself into it. The moan from his lips when I sucked urged me on. I dug my fingers into his skin and took him as far as I could, until the head touched the back of my throat and I pulled back.

  “Fuck me,” he rasped.

  I smiled then licked the underside of his shaft, twisting it around the head before diving back down. Eric rubbed his hand up and down my spine. I didn’t stop the gasp when he slipped his hand between my legs. His fingers pressed against my nether lips, going deeper with each swipe. I spread my legs, and he pushed into my core. My whole body bucked at the sudden invasion, shoving his cock all the way down until I buried my nose in the wiry hairs surrounding it.

  “Shit. You’re tight and wet, just like that sexy mouth of yours. I need in you, princess.”

  An immediate coolness overtook me when he pulled his fingers from between my folds, but I didn’t have to wait long. Eric grabbed his dick and eased it from my mouth, then flipped me over to my back. He grabbed a condom from his pants pocket and rolled it on. In one smooth move he thrust deep inside.

  I winced.

  “Damn it. I’m sorry. I can’t…you feel so good wrapped around me.”

  Eric started to ease back, but I shook my head. “No. I’m fine. Just surprised me that’s all. You’re so big.”

  We were both so on edge it only took a few thrusts and withdrawals before I felt him pulsing deep inside. My lower stomach tightened then quivered as my own climax built. Eric reached between us, found my clit, and rubbed his thumb over the sensitive button. As I drew closer to the edge, my breathing increased. Eric plunged in as deep as he could and held my hips still. Both of us tipped over into ecstasy at the same time, calling out each other’s names in unison.

  In the time it took Eric to clean up and turn out the light, I curled up under the covers, nearly lost to the bliss of the moment. My pulse slowed with my breathing, a smile spread over my face.

  “Thank you,” Eric whispered after curving around my back, his arm draped over my hips.

  “Mmm. For what?”

  “Asking me to stay.”

  I looked back, found his mouth in the dark room, and kissed him once more.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Eric and I parked outside of The Shop on Saturday night. Logan was playing and invited everyone to come see his band perform. I couldn't say no, but Alec did. He had plans with Sean. Eric came to be with me, even though he didn't really like alternative music.

  We walked into the club side by side, our hands clasped together. To my left, Mari caught my attention. She had her arm entwined through Monty's, and she was gorgeous in a jeans skirt that didn't begin to do justice to her long, naturally tan legs. The shirt she wore was a fitted Blue Monkeys T-shirt. Her hair was down and flowed effortlessly over her shoulders. I watched as her eyes darted around the club and paused at the wall of posters.

  The Shop reminded me of a Hard Rock Café. They collected music memorabilia from all over, but especially local artists. Being that they chose the center of the jazz district,
most of the posters were adorned with trumpets and saxophones along the edges. Bret, the owner, liked to add his own flare. He'd buy plain black frames then glue all kinds of crafty crap to them. I liked most of the posters, but some of them were too much and looked like a kindergartener had gotten a hold of them. I think Bret tried to increase his customer base by appealing to the tourists.

  Monty stopped at the bar and said something to the bartender, who nodded toward the back of the stage where I stood. Then he tugged on Mari's arm and gestured in our direction before leaving her alone. The path she took didn't cross in front of us, and her attention was directed to the curtain, rather than who had shown up for the show. She found a seat at one of the tables along the wall. It was one of those half-booth, half-table and chairs setup.

  I poked Eric in the side with my elbow. “Let's go sit with Mari.”

  “Okay, lead the way.”

  More fascinated with the decorating than anything else, Eric bumped into my back when I stopped in front of Mari's table.

  “You made it,” she said and wrapped me up in a hug.

  “I told Logan that we would.” Her enthusiasm wasn't unwanted, but it caught me off guard and my hug in return felt awkward.

  “Hey,” Eric mumbled.

  “Is your other friend coming? I mean should we save him a seat?”

  “No. Alec won't be able to make it. Something about a secret show at the theatre. I dunno.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Mari sipped her drink while Eric and I placed our orders with the waitress. I stole a glance at him. They way his eyes glazed over made me laugh. I looked over my shoulder to make sure Mari wasn’t showing signs of feeling left out. With her attention centered on the stage, I took advantage of the moment and slid my hand up and down Eric's thigh. “Be good, and I'll make it up to you tonight.”

  “Mmm.” He pressed his lips against the side of my neck. “Does that mean your request to slow down is no longer applicable?”

  “I’m pretty sure that was no longer applicable last night. Don’t you think? We kind of suck at slow.”

  “Just making sure. Not that it matters. I’ll go as fast or slow as you want. May be a little hard sometimes, but that’s my problem.” He smiled against my skin. “You being happy, on the other hand, is better than any night of sex.”

  Eric's words made my cheeks flush red, and I was grateful for the dark club.

  “So, tell me about yourself,” I said to Mari to take Eric's attention away from me.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Let's start with what you are doing here, really. I know you didn't just come to Luling to see Monty. He's not that interesting.”

  She laughed. “Nah, he's not. Actually, he's an overprotective pain the ass. Always has been. Not that he could do much protecting as scrawny as he is. I'm here to tour the university. A couple of weeks ago, I got my initial acceptance letter in the mail. So, I figured I'd come check it out. Monty's always raving about how awesome the people are and how nice New Orleans is. I wanted to know for myself before making my decision to actually enroll.”

  “And?” I peered over my glass, awaiting her response.

  “And, I like it. He's right—the people are awesome.”

  “What were you accepted for?”

  “Dance. Contemporary to be exact. I got provisional acceptance. They still want to see me dance in person; apparently the tape wasn't enough.”

  “Never is,” I murmured. “When's your audition?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Did you ask Logan or Monty to go with you?”

  “Nope. That's allowed?” She cocked her head to the side.

  I was about to answer, but she waved me off.

  “Never mind. I don't care if it's allowed or not. I do better when I'm alone. Not that I wouldn't mind having at least one of them there. I just, well, it makes me nervous to have others watch me in that kind of situation. Being on stage doesn't bother me. In fact, I love it. It's an adrenaline rush when I'm on stage in front of all those people, knowing that they find joy in watching the moves and understand a story being told through actions rather than words.” Mari closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “It's just so, I don't know, euphoric.”

  We finished our drinks in a comfortable silence. The passion in Mari's voice made my stomach flip flop with excitement. It was exactly the same way I'd begun to feel about drawing and media. Seeing the pure joy in her face gave me hope that one day I'd look the same way just by talking about my passion. Eric, Alec, and Logan demonstrated their passion already.

  Logan and his band came on for their set, and all three of us became entranced by their music. He played a couple of my favorites. Mari was more enthralled than anyone I'd ever seen. If I'd had any doubts that they were perfect for each other, those were wiped clean by the end of the night. Once Logan finally spotted her, his eyes never wavered from her face. Every song he sang for her. To her.

  “What's the deal with you and Logan?” Mari's question came out of nowhere.

  “With me and Logan?” I ignored the tightening of Eric’s hand on my shoulder. “We're friends. Why?”

  “I don't know. He talks about you like there's a past there or maybe just more than friends right now.”

  “Oh, no, not at all. We've been friends since I started here. Well, we both started at the same time. I met Logan at orientation, and we just kind of clicked. Once the guys formed their band, I started going to their practices to listen to him sing. Friends or not, I can't deny that his voice has a mesmerizing quality.”

  “That's the truth.” Mari laughed, and an ounce of tension fell away as she eased back against the bench.

  “You like him, huh?”

  “As crazy as it sounds, I do. We've only known each other for a few days, but I really feel like there's room to explore with us.”

  Logan was in trouble. Mari had it bad. But it was nice knowing that I was no longer the object of his affection. Our friendship would become stronger, and I could include Eric now that I knew they wouldn't get into a fight over me.

  At the end of the show, Logan rushed to our table and immediately pulled Mari into a bear hug. “Thank you all for coming. It means a lot to us.” He quickly shook Eric's hand before giving me a hug. The only time he left Mari's side was for the split second it took to greet me.

  “Anytime. You know I love your music.”

  “I do. And the guys do too. Monty was going to come out here with me, but he's helping load the equipment. We're all going out for some late night, greasy food. Do you guys want to come with us?”

  Eric shook his head no, the movement so subtle Logan and Mari would have missed it. I was watching for some indication of what he wanted to do, between that small motion and the heat in his eyes, there was no way we were going to dinner.

  “Sorry, but we're going to pass tonight. You guys have fun though.”

  “No problem at all. We will, and you have fun too.” Logan winked at me then pulled Mari with him to the back of the stage.

  I turned to Eric. “Are you hungry? I thought maybe we could—”

  He growled and yanked me into his chest. Our lips fused in a kiss that could have lasted forever, but we cut it short to avoid getting caught. That was fine with me. I had every intention of picking up exactly where we left off when we got back to his place.

  “Only thing I'm hungry for is you. Come on, let's get out of here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The sun blinded me as rays pushed through the curtains covering Eric’s lone window. I snuggled under my blanket and bumped into him. “Mmmm.” Waking up next to him in real life was much nicer than it was in my dreams.

  “Good morning.” I tilted my chin up and gave him a quick peck on the chin. “How did you sleep?”

  Eric pulled me closer to him. I fit perfectly against his side. “Better than I have in a while. You make a great blanket.”

  I laughed and pushed off his chest. We needed to get u
p and around, or I'd be late for my first class. Considering the professor locked the door at precisely nine a.m., I couldn't stay in bed too much longer.

  “Where are you going?” Eric grabbed my wrist to draw me back into bed next to him.

  “To the shower. I've got Ames this morning, and I can't afford to miss his class.”

  Professor Ames taught a mixed media class. At first I hated the class. It was too early in the morning, and Professor Ames was stricter than any other teacher I had. But over the last few months, I'd learned to like both his style and way of showing us new techniques. The class provided an opportunity to transform my sketches from plain to elaborate.

  “Have you ever skipped his class?”

  “No, and I don't want to today. Come on, Eric. I actually like this one. Let me go.”

  Eric didn't let go of my wrist. Instead, he pulled me underneath his body. The only thing that separated us was the thin material of my T-shirt. I needed to get ready, get out from underneath him. But it was so warm and safe. Not for the first time, I was amazed that I'd found a man like him.

  Except I hadn't found him. My parents had, or so they said. The devil on my shoulder was quick to remind me that meeting and getting to know might have all been a set up. That hurt.

  His fingers skated up and down my arms, across my chest, over my face. I closed my eyes to enjoy for a moment longer, if I was lucky I'd shut the devil up for a second or two. How could something so right have so many problems?

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing important.”

  “Princess, when your brow crinkles like it is now, I know whatever you're thinking is important. You don't concentrate like that on unimportant ideas.”

  I wished, at times, that Eric didn't know how to read me so well. It would have made it so much easier to process ideas and questions before I had to tell him about them. And I would have to tell him. I'd asked for honesty from Eric; it would be unfair to not return the request.