by Todd, E. L.
Ryan lowered his voice and told him the whole story.
I continued to look away from Sean, livid with him.
Sean placed his hand on my thigh but I pushed it away. He grabbed my hand and held it tightly, not letting me pull away. “Babe, please don’t be mad at me. I love you.”
I said nothing.
Mike turned to Sean when Ryan was done. “Dude, just get over it already. You guys weren’t even talking at the time.”
“Shut up or I’ll hit you in the face.”
He leaned back. “I’m just trying to help you out, bro.”
“No thanks.” He turned back to me. “Baby, you really don’t understand where I’m coming from?”
“I understand exactly where you’re coming from,” I whispered.
“Then just let it go.”
“But you understand exactly how I feel and what’s important to me. So, it just comes down to what’s more important to you. My feelings or yours?”
He said nothing for a long time. I heard him sigh and lean back in his chair. It was awkward between us. I knew I was being selfish but I didn’t care. This was something that I didn’t just want, but needed. Cortland was an important part of my life. I wanted him to be an uncle to my children, my husband’s close friend, and my best friend. I needed him in my life. Eventually, Sean’s hatred for him would push him away and I would lose him altogether. Ryan would lose his friend and we would never see him again. I had to fight for Cortland if I wanted to save him.
Sean leaned to me and cupped my cheek, turning my face toward him. “Babe?”
“What?”
“I’ll try.”
I felt my heart relax. “Really?”
“I’ll make an effort to forgive and forget. But I’m only doing this for you.”
I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
“Remember, I said I would try. That doesn’t guarantee anything.”
“Yes it does. I know you’ll do this for me.”
He ran his hand down my back and held me close. “It’s hard to say no to you when I hold you like this. I love it when I make you happy.”
“You make me very happy, Sean.”
“Now that I’ve lost you so many times I’m terrified of losing you again. I couldn’t handle it.”
“You’ll never lose me, Sean.”
“I hope so. I wouldn’t go on if I did.”
I snuggled into him and rested my head on his shoulder. “We are going to live happily ever after.”
He snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
21
After we got Mike settled in at the apartment we went to Ryan’s. We just spent a week with him but Cortland was coming over.
“Hey,” Cortland said as he walked inside. Monnique emerged behind him.
“Damn,” Mike said as he looked at her, his eyes wide.
“Ignore him,” I said quickly.
Cortland eyed him. “Sean’s brother?”
“Yeah,” he said as he extended his hand.
Cortland shook it. “You look a lot alike.”
“Yes, we are very handsome. And sorry about the comment. It’s a bad habit.”
“Well, you better break it.” He pulled Monnique to his side. “Baby, this is Mike, Sean’s brother.”
“Hello,” she said with smile.
“You got a sister?” he blurted.
“Not a single one.”
“That’s okay,” Mike said.
“Excuse my brother-in-law. He’s a total pig,” I said.
Mike looked at me. “And Sean isn’t?”
“He’s only a pig with me.”
Sean kissed me on the forehead. “You got that right.” He approached Monnique. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “It’s been a rough week.”
He patted her on the shoulder. “We’re all here for you.”
Cortland stood there awkwardly, not looking at Sean.
Sean turned to him. “Hey.”
Cortland looked over his shoulder, assuming he was talking to someone else. When he looked back at Sean he raised an eyebrow, still unsure if he was the person Sean was addressing. “Uh, hi.”
“Thanks for helping Ryan out with the shop.”
“Yeah,” he said hesitantly.
“Are you working this weekend?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Cortland was still incredibly confused.
“We are going to Vegas for my bachelor party. I want you to come.”
Cortland glanced at me and I nodded to him. He turned back to Sean. “Yeah. That sounds like fun.”
“Cool.”
“So, are we okay, then?”
Sean nodded. “Scarlet loves you so yeah.”
“Wow,” Ryan said. “Scarlet should be a fucking lawyer. How did she manage to pull that off?”
Sean smiled. “She means everything to me and I’ll give her whatever she wants. Even if that means I have to see your ugly face every day.”
“Thanks,” Cortland said with a nod. “I’m glad we worked this out.”
Monnique leaned toward Cortland. “Did you get into a fight or something?”
“Yeah,” Cortland said hesitantly. “We were playing basketball a while ago and we just took it too seriously.”
I leaned into Sean, pressing my chest against his arm. I knew the gentle touch would be understood. That he was going to have some good sex tonight for doing this for me. Sean looked at me, glanced down to my chest, then returned his gaze, obviously understanding exactly what I said.
“Thank you,” I whispered into his ear.
“Yeah.”
“We’ll do whatever you want tonight.”
His hand dug into my side, showing his excitement.
Ryan held out his hand. “Can I have the keys?”
Cortland dug in his pocket and withdrew them.
“Any problems?” Ryan asked.
“No. But a few people complained that you weren’t there. I just said you were in the hospital so they would be sympathetic and leave me alone. If anyone asks, your spleen ruptured and you almost died. So how was Janice’s family?”
“They loved him,” Janice said happily. “Like I said they would.”
“Really?” Cortland asked.
“Shut up,” Ryan snapped. “I can be pleasant company.”
“Yeah okay,” I said sarcastically.
“Now it’s my turn to be picked on?” Ryan asked incredulously.
“Payback’s a bitch, huh?” I said with a smile.
Cortland laughed. “Did you actually talk or just mumble incoherently like when you met Janice?”
Ryan’s cheeks reddened. “Fuck you.”
“Uh—hi Janice’s father—yeah—nice—meeting you,” Cortland teased.
“Leave my baby alone,” Janice said as she hugged him.
“Protect me, baby,” Ryan said. “Go get a bat. You are good with those.”
“A bat?” Cortland asked. “You do some weird shit in the bedroom.”
Everyone fell silent, knowing exactly what the bat was used for. If Janice’s hadn’t chased the hitman away with it, he may have killed us all. Our victory was a group effort, but Janice definitely stole the show.
Ryan sighed. “We have something to you.”
Cortland looked at everyone, picking up on the tension. “What’s up?”
Ryan told him the whole story, detailing every event until we finally boarded the plane. Cortland was speechless for a long time. Monnique was the first to speak.
“Oh my god,” she said as she gasped.
Cortland. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why would you keep that from me?”
Ryan shrugged. “Ask Scarlet.”
I felt Cortland glare at me. “Monnique’s mom just passed away. I couldn’t let you leave her.”
“Let me worry about my own relationship,” he snapped.
I
had never seen him angry before. I stepped back.
“This was serious, Scarlet. How could you keep that from me?”
“I didn’t want you to abandon Monnique.”
He shook his head. “How selfish do you think she is? She would have told me to go.”
“What? Her mom just passed away. How could I possibly let you come with me?”
Monnique touched Cortland on the arm. “Calm down, honeybunny.”
“No. I thought we were family. We tell each other everything.”
“I had your best interest at heart.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe this. Monnique has been miserable this past week, but there’s nothing she or I can do but he depressed. You are still alive, Scarlet. What’s more important? Monnique and I are a team and we both love you. She would have told me to go.”
She nodded. “I would have.”
“Scarlet, you need to stop being so selfless all the time.”
“I said that same thing,” Sean said.
Now I felt stupid. “I love you so much and I didn’t want you to ruin what you had with Monnique—that’s all. You are so happy and I didn’t want to jeopardize that by you risking your life. I’m sorry.”
He sighed. “It’s okay, Scar.”
“I really didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know.”
“Are we okay?”
“Yes, but only because you’re alive. If you died I would be pissed.”
I smiled. “Well, I’m glad that didn’t happen.”
He walked over to me and hugged me, holding me close.
Ryan rolled his eyes. “It’s like the Young and the Restless with them.”
Sean crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t smile but he didn’t seem upset. I hoped that his hatred toward Cortland was really gone. He made an effort to put everything in the past and that really meant something to me. I knew Sean would do anything for me. I always felt like he didn’t love me like he loved Penelope, but that was because he didn’t. He loved me more.
22
Sean
“You got a nice place,” Mike said as he walked in. He looked at the big screen television and nodded in approval. He opened the refrigerator and saw the beer sitting inside. “I like it.”
“I’m so glad you approve,” Sean said sarcastically. “You can have the spare room. Don’t bother us.”
“I guess I should have asked Ryan if I could stay at his place.”
“He would have been worse,” Scarlet said. “When anything comes between him and Janice, he gets pissed.”
“She’s a hot piece of ass. I’m not surprised,” Mike said.
I glared at him. “Come on, man. She’s going to be family someday.”
“I meant it as a compliment,” he said with a shrug.
Scarlet stared him down. “I see right through that act, Mike.”
He smiled at her then averted his gaze.
I wasn’t sure what she meant. It seemed it was something private between them. “Scarlet and I are off to bed. Night.”
“You guys skip to the good stuff, huh?” Mike said as he grabbed the remote and sat on the couch.
“I have to show him some special appreciation,” Scarlet said as she walked down the hall.
I stared at her ass then followed her like a hound on the scent. When I walked in the bedroom she was in the walk-in closet. I removed my clothes and sat on the bed, waiting for her. My cock was already hard so I started to rub myself while I waited.
When she stepped out, my heart accelerated in my chest. My cock twitched in my hand. She wore black garters with a matching teddy. Her heels were shiny and black, making her ass look nicer than it already was. She sauntered over to me and I stared at her body hungrily, never being more horny in my life. She was the sexist thing I’d ever seen. Every girl I screwed or every woman I fantasized about was nothing compared to Scarlet, my future wife. Everything about her excited me. Married men fantasized and jerked off to random chicks in videos or magazines because they were sick of their wives, but I knew that would never happen with Scarlet. She was my ultimate fantasy, my lover and my best friend. You knew you found the right person when you masturbated to your own partner when you were apart. In that case, I was madly, head over heels, irrevocably in love with the most amazing girl in the world.
She stopped when she reached me, placing her hands on my shoulders. Her hair reached my face, the smell of flowers evident in the scent. “My fiancé is such a wonderful man. How can I ever show my appreciation?” she whispered.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, suddenly at a loss of words.
She ran her hands down my chest then grabbed my cock. “Allow me.” She started to jerk me slowly, making me wet. “What do you want me to do to you, babe?” She jerked me harder.
“I wanted you to go down on me,” I said through heavy breaths. “But now I don’t know what I want.”
She kneeled before me, coming between my legs. “Why don’t we do both?”
My cock twitched.
She grabbed the base and licked the tip, swirling her tongue around. Her tongue ran down the vein in my shaft until she reached my balls. She licked them gently before she came back to the tip, sheathing me entirely into her mouth. I fisted her hair and watched her, mesmerized by the show. My hips slightly moved into her. She pulled me out then licked the tip before she shoved me into her mouth again. I gasped and moaned the entire time. Scarlet was a pro at this, the best I ever had.
When I felt my dick twitch before the orgasm, she pulled me out then stood up. I groaned at the loss of her, so close to coming.
“How do you want to fuck me, Sean?”
I grabbed her hips then moved my hands up her stomach. There were a million things I wanted to do to her.
“Come on. Tell me.”
I fingered the material of her thong. It was soft. “From behind,” I said.
“Excellent choice,” she said as she pulled down her panties. She kicked them off then wrapped them around my dick, jerking me. Her panties were wet so the friction was perfect. I gasped loudly as she moved up and down my shaft. Suddenly, she stopped and tossed them on the ground. She crawled onto the bed, her ass in the air and her heels still on. She looked back at me. “Come on. Don’t make me start without you.”
I moved behind her and stared at her ass for a long time. It was round and firm. Her waist was narrow and her shoulders petite. She was so small compared to me. I was always afraid I would break her if I was too rough. I pressed my chest against her back then grabbed her by the throat, wrapping my fingers around her windpipe. I felt her pussy then slid right in.
She moaned loudly for me, wanting me to fuck her as much as I did. I fucked her hard, crashing the headboard against the wall repeatedly. My brother could hear but I didn’t give a shit. The harder I went the louder she moaned so I kept up the pace. When she screamed my name I knew she was coming. The sound elicited the natural response for my body and I came inside her, coming harder than I had the day we were reunited. I kept pounded into her even though the threshold had been released. I kept coming, spilling everything I had. When I was done I took a deep breath, feeling winded from fucking her like a dog. I pulled out of her then lied beside her, closing my eyes.
She came to me and kissed my chest and my neck, running her tongue across my body. “I hope I expressed my appreciation,” she whispered into my ear.
“Oh yeah.”
“Turn over.”
“We aren’t done?”
“Come on.”
I turned on my stomach and she moved on top of me, giving me a back massage. She dug her nails into the muscle and it felt so good, so right. She made me relax and forget about the past week.
“And I’ll make you a nice breakfast tomorrow,” she whispered.
“You should piss me off more often.”
She chuckled. “Babe, you know I would do this for you anyway.”
I knew she was right.
&nb
sp; After a few minutes she lied down beside me, looking into my face. “Thank you for doing that for me.”
“You know I would do anything to make you happy.”
“But I know that was hard for you.”
“That’s how much I love you. You know how stubborn I am.”
“Very,” she said with a smile. “And I know you love me more than anything.”
“And anyone,” I added.
“I’m so glad I’m marrying you. It’s like we were never friends. I feel like we’ve always been together.”
“I think we have been. We were just too ignorant to realize it. Think about it, Penelope and you are really similar. I wonder if I was subconsciously searching for someone like you since I thought you were off limits.”
I am off limits—to everyone but you.”
“I like it that way.” I pulled her closer to me. “So, what happened with you and Mike?”
“That was random.”
“You guys had a weird moment in the living room.”
“Oh. That.”
“Tell me.”
“When I spent time with him I got to know him a lot better.”
“And what did you find out about that pervert?”
“You two are a lot alike.”
“Well, I am a pervert too.”
“Only for me.”
“And a really gross pervert.”
“I like it when you’re gross.”
“What else did you find out?”
“He basically gave up on love after you took his girl away. It wasn’t the fact that you slept with her that killed him. He forgave her and wanted her back, but she wanted to keep sleeping around. He was hurt and he hasn’t been in a relationship since. I think that’s why he’s such a wanderer. He’s heartbroken over it—still.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“I told him he would find the right girl if he tried.”
“Too bad you don’t have a sister.”
“Well, he can have Ryan if he’s really desperate.”
“I would pick Ryan over you any day.”
She hit me on the shoulder playfully.
“You seemed to be a lot closer to him, closer to him than I ever was.”
“He’s a really great guy. He told me how sorry he was for everything he did to you. I could tell he meant it. He has a picture of you and him during your little league days on his computer. How cute is that?”
