by S. L. Scott
Looking at her sitting naked beside me, she’s so comfortable in herself and her surroundings— so comfortable with me as I stroke her cheek. Sliding my hands around her, I pull her onto my lap, leaving nothing between us. “I don’t feel pressured. I’m saying what I feel.”
I shift and my hand reaches up to find the comfort zone of my hair, but her hand catches mine and she brings it to her mouth to kiss my palm. Her eyes don’t leave mine as her tongue slips out to press a wetter kiss against my skin.
She’s mesmerizing and stunning, breathtaking. I think I momentarily stop breathing, but I’m not sure. My heart beats heavily waiting to hear what she says next.
“There will never be anyone else,” she states, firm and confident.
“No one, Mallory. You own my every thought, my heart, and my soul,” I respond without letting my own insecurities stand in the way of telling her everything I feel. The confession almost makes me want to drop down on bended knee or something. “Shit, this is intense. I might need a cigarette.”
“No cigarette will change what we feel. It’s intense because we’re admitting our deepest thoughts and fears, babe. This will make us stronger when we’re apart.”
“After this semester, nothing will ever come between us again. I promise you that,” I say, assured in every one of my words.
Her voice is low, a bit husky, and completely fucking sexy when she says, “You once told me you only believed in the ‘right now’ kind of girl.
Flipping her onto her back while holding my weight above her, I lightly tickle her ribs, and say, “I just hadn’t met the right girl yet.”
She’s giggling when she asks, “So you think you’ve found her, do you?”
I grin, knowing she’s fishing for more. After a sweet kiss to the forehead, I press my lips against her ear and whisper, “I don’t think. I know I have.”
CHAPTER 2
~ Evan ~
She’s quiet in contemplation. I can tell by the creases formed between her eyebrows. They give her away every time. “How long can you stay?” Mallory asks, slipping out from under the covers and standing at the end of the bed. The low light in the room accentuates her soft curves and my body stirs in response.
Resting my arms behind my head, I keep my voice low like the moment seems to call for. “Tell me how you feel.”
She glances beside me and I know she’s looking at the clock. “I’m a little tired, but feel good.”
“About what I said. About marrying me one day.”
The bed dips where she sits and she pulls her robe onto her lap, keeping her bare back exposed to me. Looking back at me over her shoulder, she says, “I like what you said.”
“You like what I said,” I repeat, trying to figure out if that’s enough of an answer to tide me over. It’s not, so I sit up and move closer, kissing her back several times. “I meant it, Mallory. It’s been a month and I’ve been going crazy without you. I’ve never cared about anyone the way I do about you. This is real for me.”
She turns with an intensity in her eyes, and says, “You don’t seem to understand how easily you can destroy my heart and yet I’ve handed it over to you on a silver platter. I feel nuts sometimes, like I should protect myself, but I can’t because I love you too much, so don’t doubt my sincerity or my feelings for you.”
“It’s not too much if I feel the same for you. C’mere.” I take her hand in mine and bring it to my lips, kissing it three times. “We’re young, but we’re not dumb. We know what we’re getting into. I want this with you. I want everything with you. I’m not talking about tomorrow. I’m talking about a commitment that I can make right now.”
Her hand settles on my cheek and a soft smile appears. “My sweet surfer. What a change a month makes.”
“It’s not the month that changed me. It’s the girl.” I turn and kiss her palm. “You make me want more than I feel I deserve.”
“You deserve everything your heart desires.”
“My heart only desires you.”
“Then I’m yours. All yours. Always.” She kisses my cheek then stands up, slipping the robe back on.
“Don’t bother getting dressed because I plan on having you naked until I leave on Sunday.”
“Three nights? Sounds like the perfect birthday present to me,” she says, walking into the bathroom all sassy and sexy.
“You’re perfect.” When she returns, she drops the robe carelessly to the floor and climbs back in, snuggling against me. “Are you hungry?”
A sly grin graces her lips. “I’m starved, but I want to stay in bed with you. We can order something or I can make you eggs, or cereal, or a sandwich? We haven’t stocked up on groceries.”
“Let’s order food and then I want the grand tour.”
“A tour of this apartment will take about thirty seconds.”
I maneuver on top of her, look her in the eyes, and smirk. “I meant of your body.”
She giggles and says, “You, sir, are a very naughty boy and I like it.”
“I’ve really missed you, baby.”
“I’ve missed you, hot stuff.”
I grab her, dragging her further down the mattress and flip the sheet over our heads. She squeals in delight and I get busy making her squeal in other ways.
An hour later, I’m sitting across from her at the table eating pizza. Her smile fades and she takes another bite. Worry invades her thoughts and those pesky lines reappear. “I’m supposed to go home for my birthday. I promised my parents.”
“You still can if you want.” I’m trying to be supportive, but I want her all to myself.
“No. You’re here and I want to spend time with you. I’ll call and cancel. They’ll understand.”
I don’t know what I’m thinking, but I blurt a thought out that I question the moment I say it. “We can go see them together if you like? I mean if you think you’re ready for me to meet your parents.” Deep down I’m hoping she doesn’t pick this option because that will put the kibosh on everything I plan to do for her and to her this weekend.
“We won’t be relaxed or be able to… you know… sleep together or anything if we stay at their house.”
That’s my girl.
“I’ll just call them,” she says, picking up her cell.
I move to the couch and watch as she fidgets with her phone while waiting for them to pick up.
“Mom, hi.” She pauses. “It’s been a good day. A very good day. I know I said I’d come home in the morning, but…”
Looking around the small apartment, I see a new side to the girl I thought I knew in Hawaii. There she was surrounded by Sunny’s belongings. Here, I wonder what is hers and what stuff is Sarah’s. As she talks with her mother, I start analyzing. There’s a short bookcase in the corner filled with books, some stacked on the floor in front of it too. A four seat dinette set is in the small space by the kitchen which is also pretty damn small. I look at the couch and it’s a loveseat. Everything is so… small.
I don’t know the housing market here, but I’ve had bigger places in Manhattan and the rent there is outrageous. Taking in her standard of living makes me curious if this is by choice or because she has to budget? And I didn’t have to have sex with her to tell she’s lost weight. Can she afford to eat? Shit, maybe I should buy this girl some groceries before I leave.
“It’s all settled,” she says, her eyes sparkling with joy. “They’re gonna drive up tomorrow and take us out for dinner. And they’re really excited about meeting you. We just need to figure out where we want to eat.” She takes a large breath and then exclaims, “I know where I want to go! Palace Arms I’ve always wanted to eat there…oh, but that will probably be too expensive. I hear it’s quite pricey.” She angles her head down in thought, gnawing the inside of her cheek. “No, we shouldn’t go there. It will definitely be too pricey. I don’t want them to spend that much money on me just because it’s my birthday.”
“If cost wasn’t an issue, is that where you’d want to eat?
” I watch her reaction carefully. She may say no to spare her parents shelling out that kind of money, but I can never say no to her.
“Yes.”
“That’s where we’re going then. I’ll buy dinner.”
“No, Evan. It’s really expensive, like $30 an entrée or maybe more.” Her tone gets all hushed like she’s telling me a secret. “I don’t even think that includes a side.”
I chuckle because she’s cute, but also because she really seems to be clueless to how much money my family has even though she’s been to my parent’s house and seen my car in Hawaii. Actually, I don’t even know how much money my family has, but I know I don’t ever have to worry about it either. “I think I can manage. If that’s where you want to celebrate your birthday, that’s where we’ll go.”
“Really?”
“If you want to eat at the Palace Arms then we’ll eat at the Palace Arms. I’ll do anything to make you happy.”
“I know you will and I will for you. I just wish I knew how I could do that.” I love the way she speaks from the heart.
After we finish our dinner, I go to the fridge where Sarah hid a cake I ordered from a local bakery. I set the box on the counter and open the lid. The candle they packed is there and I stick it in the top. I take the cake from the box and with my lighter, light the candle. “Turn out the light and close your eyes,” I call to her in the living room.
“What are you up to?” I can hear the happiness through her words.
I sing her Happy Birthday as I walk in and crouch in front of her. Her eyelids pop open and she gasps, covering her mouth. After setting the cake on the table in front of her, I say, “And I hope you have many more. Make a wish, baby.”
“It already came true.”
“I think you stole that line.”
She smirks. “A Sixteen Candles fan? Ya learn something new every day.”
“Eh, I know the girls get all mushy over that movie. Figured I should investigate.”
“Investigate, huh? Kind of like how you and Zach watched Titanic together?” She levels her eyes on me. “Don’t even try to lie. Kate told me all about it.”
I sit down next to her. “Fine. I watched Titanic. So has most of the world. As for Sixteen Candles, it was on TV one time when I was sick. I blame the fever for making me watch it.”
“The real question is,” she says with her hand on my knee, “did you like it?”
“I’ll never confess.”
She laughs then leans forward and blows out the candle. Falling back on the couch, she says, “You didn’t have to do that, you know?”
“A cake? Pfft. Of course, I did. What’s a birthday without cake?”
“Good point.” She swipes her finger through the frosting and brings it to her mouth, savoring the chocolate.
Irresistible. She’s completely irresistible.
Just as my tongue tastes the frosting on her lips, there’s a knock at the door. I get more comfortable on the couch, irritated by the interruption, knowing that one taste was going to lead to so much more before that knock . “You expecting company?”
“No.” She stands and walks to the door.
“Mallory? You in there?” some guy shouts from outside the door. “Sarah said you stayed home.”
“Let me guess… ummmm Ryan?” My sarcasm is not lost on her. Smart girl.
“He’s just a friend,” she whispers, grabbing her robe and tightening the belt. “I promise.” Before she opens the door, she looks back at me and I can see her nerves developing in her expression. “I’m sure he just wants to talk about our project or something. I’ll get rid of him and we can pick up from where we left off.”
As much as I’d love to open that door and come face-to-face with this guy, I remain on the couch, sitting in only my black boxer briefs, the ones I know she likes on me. I’m not worried about this creep seeing me. It’ll be good for him to see me like this in Mallory’s apartment. I gulp down the jealousy I have toward this guy who is spending more time with my girlfriend than I am these days, and try to play it cool.
As soon as Mallory opens the door, this Ryan guy presents her with a cupcake and a candle sticking out the top. “Like I said on campus today, everyone should have cake on their—” he says, Mr. Smiling Smooth until he sees me staring back at him. He shakes his head, putting two and two together as he looks between us. I think the lack of attire clued him in. I inwardly laugh as he scrambles to play off that he showed up at his current obsession’s place to find that she’s just had sex with her boyfriend. “Hey man,” he says, “you must be Evan?”
My chest heats inside, feeling a lot like heartburn, but I know the difference these days. This jerk-off actually believes I’m not onto him. What is he expecting? Are we supposed to be besties because we both surprised my girlfriend with cake? Yeah, right, fucker. I stand up when Ryan strides across the living room with an outstretched arm, offering a handshake.
“Yeah, and you are?” I play dumb.
“I’m Ryan. I brought Mallory a cupcake. I thought she might be down since she didn’t come to the party. You know how that is,” he says as if that justifies his presence in my girlfriends’ apartment.
I take his hand because it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not happy about it. “How do you know Mallory?” It’s best for him to think she’s never mentioned him before, ultimately showing his unimportance in her life. But then another thought occurs and I get pissed wondering if this guy is important to her.
“I’m one of Mallory’s friends from school,” he explains, a little too flagrantly for my liking.
“We’re assigned to the same group in English class. Yeah…” he says not finishing whatever he was going to say and shoves his hands into his pant pockets. I think I make him nervous, which is good. He should be nervous.
“We’re working on a project together,” Mallory says, interrupting, obviously hoping to water down their relationship and the situation.
It’s not working because I saw the disappointment in his eyes as soon as he saw me sitting here. We stand in silence, an uncomfortable tension filling in the room and I begin to gloat because I’m back. The boyfriend is back in the picture and he’ll have to try to fuck someone else’s girlfriend. But something he said stands out and I call him on it. “You said, ‘You know how that is.’ How what is?”
“You know. No one should be alone on their birthday. I thought maybe she was sad or something and I wanted to cheer her up.” He shrugs as if this conversation is mere chitchat.
“Why would you assume she’s sad?” I ask, tilting my head and crossing my arms over my chest, so I don’t punch him right the fuck out for acting like he knows my Mallory on such an intimate level.
“I guess I’ve interrupted,” he says with his hands momentarily in surrender before he drops them and faces Mallory, fishing for an invitation out of this situation. Yeah, you scurry along and fuck off now.
He turns back to me and I say, not mincing words, “Yes, I have lots of big plans for my girlfriend tonight and they really don’t include anyone else… You know how that is.” I throw his words back at him. He gets the message loud and clear and walks back to the door that was never closed—another good hint for him to take-off. “Good meeting you, Ryan,” I add just to mess with him a little more because I’m immature like that.
I sit down while Mallory walks him to the doorway, thanking him for stopping by and for the cupcake. I don’t hear it all because I’m too caught in my own swirling emotions regarding his presence in my girlfriend’s life. But then I swear I hear a whispered apology though I don’t know what she would be apologizing for.
As soon as she closes the door, I can tell she’s pissed. Majorly pissed. She turns to face me, hands on hips, looking incredibly sexy, and demands, “What was that all about?”
And she says I’m the one who gets all protective and shit. “Need I remind you of your own jealous nature, Mrs. Ashford?” Yeah, it’s a low blow, reminding her of her jealous antics in
Kauai, but she’s cute as hell when she’s like this and I just like calling her that.
She huffs. “Fine! I get it.”
“I thought you’d see it my way, baby. Now, come over here.”
Two deadbolts are locked and then she turns, narrowing her eyes at me. She may be pissed at my behavior, but I know she’ll forgive me or I have other ways of distracting her and making her forget. Which reminds me of what I tucked into the cushion earlier… “You want your birthday present?”
She straddles my lap, with her arms around my neck and a big smile on her face. “You already bought me the laptop and then flew out here. There’s nothing more I want.”
Slipping my arms around her waist, I say, “I wanted to buy it for you.”
“Was it expensive?”
I know what she’s doing. She going to justify not accepting it based on money like she always does. A gold-digger—she is not. “It doesn’t matter if it was expensive or not, I bought you what I wanted to give you. Everything else is irrelevant.”
“Because you’re being evasive about it, I can tell you spent too much. You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t, but I like to. And if you’re so against pricey presents, I’ll just add it to my collection instead.”
“Wait! Collection?” she asks as if it all dawns on her all at once. “Is this a book, Evan?”
“Yes,” I say, nodding.
She takes the present and carefully opens the wrapping. While she stares at the spine, stunned, I clarify, “It’s only a 3rd edition. I couldn’t find a first or second edition in my price range.”
“Your price range? A third edition shouldn’t be in your price range either, babe. You spent too much,” she says, handing the book back to me.
“You love ‘Great Expectations’ and I wanted to give you something you love,” I state, pushing the book toward her.
She runs her fingertips over the leather embossed cover and spine, appreciating the artistry in the detail. “How’d you know I love this book so much?”
