The Pledge

by Laura Ward

  I grinned to myself as I imagined her hands sliding over my wet body as she licked the water off me. Even though my promise to her was still intact, her modesty had been shattered months ago. My hands and mouth had memorized her body so perfectly that I knew it as well as I knew my own. Not having sex was surprisingly satisfying. I was still looking forward to the day Taren was ready, but until then, I was happy to explore the alternatives.

  “Don’t tempt me. We’d never leave if I let your hands help.” I shut off the water.

  The shower curtain ripped open, and Taren stood on the other side of the tub with my towel in her hand. My eyes took in every inch of her, from her head to her... Shit. She was wearing my favorite boots, and her jeans were tight and hugged her body like a second skin.

  “You really don’t have a choice in the matter.” She leaned against the sink, allowing her eyes to travel across my naked skin. She sucked on her lower lip as she eyed me below the waist before bringing her gaze back to mine. “I’m early for a reason.”

  She handed me the towel, and I ran it over my body before wrapping it around my waist.

  “I love when you talk in riddles.” I hooked the neckline of her shirt with my finger and gently pulled her into me for a kiss. When her lips touched mine, I folded my arms around her, pressing her against me. I kissed her like I hadn’t seen her in days.

  Her hand went to the back of my neck deepening the kiss. When I pulled back and saw the way her shirt clung to her chest, almost transparent from my damp hug, I smiled.

  “You’re trying to make me lose control.” I gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and then grabbed her hand to lead her back into my room. I spun her around to look again at the damage my freshly showered body had done to her outfit. “I got you all wet. What a shame.” I cupped her breast in my hand and her nipple hardened under my palm.

  “You’re an expert at getting me wet.” She put her hands on her hips and looked down to watch me fondle her.

  “Good point.” I leaned in for another kiss, intending it to be innocent.

  Before I could pull away, Taren’s hands were at the edge of my towel, pulling it away from my waist.

  I groaned against her mouth. “You gonna help me get dressed, babe?”

  “I told you I was early for a reason.” Her fingers and voice were confident. “You always take care of me.” She let the backs of her fingers brush against my abs as she leaned in to kiss a water droplet off my shoulder. “Always putting my needs above yours. Everything you do makes me feel safe, or happy, or desired.” She looked up at me from where her lips hovered just above my chest. “Now it’s my turn.”

  She let the towel fall to the ground and then dropped to her knees. Our eyes were locked on to one another and she licked her lips. Her hands reached out for my thighs. “I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.” The longing in her confession was like an electrical current straight to my spine.

  Holy. Fuck. I took a deep breath. “You don’t have to do this, Taren. There’s no rush.”

  Her hands were on my hips, and her thumbs pressed into my skin with gentle circles. “I want to do this. I trust you with my body and my heart.”

  My chest swelled with emotion, and I had the desperate urge to pull her up into my arms and kiss her to make sure she was real. Even after everything she’d been through in high school because of me, she had faith in me to protect her. That kind of trust wasn’t something I took lightly. “I care about you, too.”

  She grinned and her hands moved across my thighs in an excruciating slow pace. “Just tell me what to do, to make it good for you.”

  My throat was dry, and I swallowed. “I promise you that whatever you do will be fucking brilliant.” My voice was low and laced with so much need I could barely get the words out.

  She smiled and her palms slid up my thighs. Her fingers spread wide as she pressed her hands up my sides, across my abs, and then down. Taren was always beautiful and brilliant, but seeing her exposed and vulnerable in front of me was almost enough to undo me.

  She wrapped her hand around me, licking her lips once more before her mouth drew me in. Hot. Wet. Tight. Perfect. I gripped the back of the chair behind me, holding on so tight the plastic dug into my palm. My hips wanted to thrust forward so I could plunge deeper inside her mouth, but I stayed still. I ran my fingertips underneath her jaw and slid my thumb across her cheek in adoration.

  Fuck. Taren’s mouth was heaven on earth. Her eyes cut up to me briefly as if asking for direction. I moved my hips in and out a bit. “If it’s tight and wet, babe, it’ll feel good.” I ran the back of my fingers down her hairline.

  She pulled back, dragging her hand and lips along me in a slick, sucking motion as she kept her eyes on me the entire time. I inhaled sharply, my breath hissing through my teeth in its rush to reach my chest. The movement of my hips urged her on, and she soon found a rhythm. Taking lead from the way my moans tumbled out of me, she sucked and stroked just the way I liked it.

  “So good.” I groaned. I couldn’t stop staring between us, where I disappeared into her fist and mouth over and over again. Reality was so much better than anything I’d imagined. The fact that she wanted to do this lit me like a fuse, and my body was on edge, ready to detonate.

  I moved my hands to the back of her head, and she closed her eyes, moaning when my fingertips slipped into her hair. Her tiny sounds vibrated along my bones, and sparks of lust and need shot through my body. Christ. Did she realize how much she was testing my willpower? I threaded my fingers into her hair, gripping it because I had to hold on to something so I wouldn’t lose control.

  Taren’s hands were on my hips again, sliding around to my ass. She pulled my hips in to meet the plunge of her lips, and my willpower crumbled as my hunger took over. I thrust into her mouth with as much restraint as I could muster. She groaned and when her eyelashes fluttered open and she looked at me, I was gone.

  Her fingers dug into my skin, holding on as our movements sped up. When I felt the wave of my release rushing up my spine, I pulled out and my hand replaced her mouth. “Fuck. Taren.” Her name left my throat in a groan. She watched, greedily, her lips still wet, as my body shuddered and jerked as I came in my hand. After a moment, I dropped down to my knees in front of her. She grabbed my discarded towel and gently cleaned me off while I pressed light kisses all over her face.

  She was smiling at me, and after she tossed the towel aside, I pulled her in for a deeper kiss.

  “Good?” she asked between kisses.

  “No. Not good. Fucking brilliant.”

  Her face brightened with mischief. “Maybe I should thank Julie for making me watch all those videos.” Her eyebrows arched up in question. “She was right. Research was a good idea.”

  I slid my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her forward until our mouths were almost touching. “Are you telling me that sweet Taren Richards studied porn so she could give her boyfriend a kickass blowjob?” Her lips pulled back in a sassy smile, and I kissed her. “I feel like I should be jealous. You were looking at another dude’s dick, but I’m still too turned on to care.”

  She laughed and ran her hands up my chest. “If it helps, I can tell you I never want to see those videos again.” She looked down between us and licked her lips. “I want to do that again soon, though.”

  My head dropped back, and I groaned. “You’re killing me, woman. What did I do to deserve this torture?”

  Taren giggled and pressed a kiss to my chest. “You make me so happy. Just like I always knew you would.”

  I lifted her chin and kissed her mouth, slow and sweet. Taren was my new addiction. We might be a long shot, but she was worth the gamble.

  ***

  Three days. That’s how long it had been since I’d seen Taren. I had so many part-time jobs I couldn’t remember where I was going half the time. The thought crossed my mind that I should probably head home and catch up on sleep or studying, but my need to see Taren was an itch that couldn’
t be denied. I pulled out my phone to text her.

  Me: I don’t have to work tonight. Want to hang out? We could get dinner.

  I stood outside the Student Union and leaned on a bike rack, waiting for her to respond. My phone pinged with a message a few seconds later.

  Taren: :( I wish I could. I have to study tonight. I have a huge exam tomorrow.

  Frustration and need clawed through my chest. I had class with her in the morning, but I didn’t want to wait that long. I wanted to see her tonight.

  Me: Come to my place. You can study there.

  Taren: Ha! We both know the only thing I’d be studying at your place is your naked ass.

  I smiled and chuckled to myself.

  Me: Perfect. I accept.

  The typing icon blinked and a few seconds later the screen was filled with sad emoticons.

  Taren: You don’t play fair. I really need to study. This exam is worth half my grade. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise.

  The typing icon blinked again.

  Taren: I miss you.

  I pushed off the bike rack and snatched my backpack off the ground, slinging it over my shoulder in frustration before typing my response.

  Me: Ditto.

  I started down Campus Drive toward my apartment and a Taren-free night. I shook my head in disappointment. Three nights had been too long. I understood that she needed to study and I respected how hard she worked for her grades. But three nights?

  Screw it. I made a sudden right hand turn to cross the street. She was too busy to come to me, but she never said I couldn’t come see her. I was a fucking genius. Problem solved. I’d pick up a pizza and bring her dinner. Pizza and a back massage while she studied, how could she say no to that?

  ***

  Jesus Christ. I’d never been to Taren’s sorority house before and I didn’t expect it to be so nice. Standing on her front porch, ringing the doorbell, I felt like a ratty ass pizza delivery guy. With huge columns and a classy brick front, her house looked like a mansion. I was still in my workout clothes, holding a greasy carryout box.

  The door opened, and I half expected to see a butler. Instead, a girl wearing a Tri-Gam shirt stood in the doorway. She was staring at the pizza box and had a horrified expression on her face.

  “Can I help you?” Her voice was hesitant like I was lost and needed directions. When she managed to stop staring at the pizza like it was going to bite her, she looked up at me. Her eyes widened in surprise. She did a quick scan of my body and then smiled, running her finger along the neckline of the low cut shirt she was wearing. “We didn’t order a pizza.”

  “I’m actually here to see Taren.” I looked through the open doorway and could see shiny hardwood floors and elegant furniture. The place looked like a five-star hotel.

  “Oh.” The girl pouted and sighed. “Let me get her for you. We’re just having a chapter meeting.” She opened the door wider and let me into the foyer. “I’ll be right back.”

  Chapter meeting? I thought Taren was studying. The girl walked around the corner into the next room where I could hear girls chattering.

  “Taren, you have a visitor.” The sound of voices died down.

  “Who is it?” Taren sounded confused.

  Why would she be confused? Who else would be visiting her? I clenched my jaw in annoyance.

  “Shoot. I forgot to ask his name. I think it’s a pizza delivery guy.” The girl’s answer came out like a question.

  “Pizza?” One of the other girls said the word like it was a curse. “Taren, that’s like contraband. You can’t bring that in here! I don’t care how stressful studying is.”

  Taren laughed. “I didn’t order a pizza, Jules. Let me go see what’s up. I’ll be right back. Go on without me, I’ll catch up later.”

  Footsteps echoed across the floor, and when Taren rounded the corner, the sight of her took my breath away. She was wearing a pink tank and shorts, and her hair was in a loose braid. She didn’t look like the girl you took out bar hopping; she looked like the girl you wrapped yourself around on a lazy Sunday morning.

  “Alec?” She stopped, and her hand reached for her neck, rubbing it nervously. “What are you doing here?” Her eyebrows pulled together, and she looked from the pizza box to my face. “And why do you have pizza?”

  “Since you couldn’t go out to dinner, I thought I’d bring it to you.” My eyes made a quick scan of my surroundings before settling back on Taren. The girls in this house probably ate gourmet meals. What was I thinking bringing a fucking pizza?

  Taren rubbed her arm, and her face twisted with apology as she slowly walked toward me. “We already ate. The chef serves dinner at six.”

  A fucking chef? Of course they had a fucking chef. This place was like the Ritz Carlton. I took a deep breath and rubbed the back of my neck, forcing out a laugh. “Yeah. I guess pizza was a bad idea.” I cleared my throat, hating that she looked so uncomfortable. My driving thought had been to see her, but now that I was there and she wasn’t jumping into my arms with happiness to see me, I didn’t know what to do. I felt so...out of place.

  As if coming to her senses, Taren grabbed my free hand and twisted her fingers between mine as she plastered a smile on her face. “No. It was really sweet.”

  “So, a chapter meeting?” I nodded toward the room.

  She looked over her shoulder, and her hand flew up to tuck her hair back. “Yeah. We have them once a week to go over house stuff. They’re really boring.” She squeezed my hand. “Hopefully it doesn’t last much longer because I really do need to study, and I’m starting to freak out a little.”

  “Is that your way of kindly telling me to get lost?” I grinned at her and pulled her hand up between us so I could kiss the backs of her fingers.

  Her eyes opened wide. “No! You know I’d really rather spend time with you.” Her thumb ran across the back of my hand, and her bottom lip pouted out. I wanted to suck on that lip. I wanted to push her up against the fancy ass wallpaper and kiss her until she forgot all about her meeting and studying.

  “Time with me, huh?” I slid the back of her hands across my lips, and her eyes drifted shut. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I took off work Friday night so I can take my girl on an actual date. Jon told me about this great restaurant in National Harbor.”

  Taren’s eyes flew open. “Friday night?” The words were almost panicked.

  I nipped her thumb between my teeth. “You can wait that long can’t you?”

  Her expression fell, and she bit the corner of her lip. “I can’t on Friday. I’m so sorry.” She shifted and took a deep breath, and her eyes couldn’t meet mine. “I already committed to going to a happy hour that night with my sisters.” She looked over her shoulder toward the room she’d come from.

  My arm dropped, and our hands hung between us as our fingers barely linked together. I felt like she’d punched me in the chest. She turned back to face me and I stared at the wall behind her.

  “Oh.” My voice caught in my throat, and my lungs burned with the need to take another breath. My response hung in the air between us, icy and distant. I knew that she attended social events with her sisters when I was working. Did I expect her to change her plans just because I didn’t have any?

  Yes. That’s exactly what I expected, and that irritated me.

  She tightened her grip on my fingers. “Can you get off another night? I’d love to go to the National Harbor with you. Having Alec Hart all to myself for a romantic date would be just the way to celebrate acing my test.” Her eyes begged me to forgive her, and my chest loosened.

  I forced myself to smile. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow at class, and we’ll pick another night.”

  I leaned in to give her a light kiss, and her hand wrapped around my neck. The heat of her mouth and the sweep of her tongue teased me. I almost threw her over my shoulder so I could go find the first empty room.

  Instead, I pulled back and ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “I better let you g
o so you can finish your meeting and get back to studying.” She pouted, and I gave her one more kiss. “Good luck on your test, babe.”

  Her smile was sad, and I turned to leave her house with the pizza box still in hand. “Alec.” The desperation in Taren’s voice forced me to turn. She was standing in the doorway with her arms hanging at her side like she wanted to reach out and beg me to stay. All she had to do was say so and I would. “Thank you for coming to surprise me. I...” She paused as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

  I nodded and flashed her a smile. I descended the steps and then as I made my way up the sidewalk, I heard the door close. I huffed out a breath and opened the box to pull out a slice of pizza.

  What a shitty way to end the night. On the bright side, though, I had an entire pizza to myself. That is, if I could finish it before I got back to my place and Caz found it. I followed the sidewalk away from the Graham Cracker, where Taren’s house was located, and made my way past Frat Row.

  I hadn’t gone far when a familiar voice yelled to me. “Yo! Bouncer boy. Where you heading?”

  Hell, this night just got better and better. I looked up to see Pickles and a few of his friends heading toward me, likely on their way to a party. I ignored him and moved to the side to walk around him.

  “I haven’t seen you at The Shell,” he taunted. “Are you a delivery boy now? Talk about a downgrade.” He laughed, and his friends joined in.

  “Fuck you, Pickles.” I said the words with indifference, but I wanted a fight.

  “No thanks. I’ll leave that to Taren.”

  Every muscle in my body tensed and the edge of the pizza box flattened where I crushed it in my fist. I turned around slowly to glare at him. “Shut up, asshole.” I took a step toward him. “Don’t talk to her. Don’t think about her. Don’t even look at her. She’s off limits to you.” My heart pounded against my ribs, begging my fists to shut him up permanently.

  Pickles chuckled and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Off limits? Pretty hard to do that when we’ll be partying together Friday. It’s always a happy hour when Taren’s around.”