by Tay Marley
He didn’t say it out loud, but I had a feeling that he was thinking about the fact that I couldn’t afford concert tickets in most cases. That I might not get another chance anytime soon. He was right and it was disappointing. But it was out of his control.
“I heard all of my favorite songs before we got kicked out,” I offered, hoping to defuse his frustration. “At least it wasn’t at the beginning, right?”
He tried to smile but it was nothing more than a flinch in his lips. There and gone in the blink of an eye. It was sweet that he was so disappointed on my behalf—there was no denying how much my happiness meant to him—but I wanted to lift his spirits so that we could still salvage our evening together. Especially now that we were alone. For the remainder of the drive, we were quiet. Leroy held my hand, kissing my knuckles occasionally, but said nothing. I figured that he needed to process his thoughts and the argument with Noah, so I let him do so without interruption.
When we got back to the hotel room, Leroy switched on the lights and closed the curtains while I sat down on the edge of our bed and unlaced my combat boots.
“Mom and Dad do love Noah,” Leroy said suddenly, standing beside the benchtop where a little radio was tucked into the corner. He messed around with the buttons and tuning. “Just so we’re clear about that.”
“I know they do,” I said, leaning back on my palms. “When I went to Cass’s on Sunday, it was because your momma asked me to give you and Noah some time to hang out.”
Leroy looked at me, hand still on the dial as he chuckled. “I know. It was obvious.”
“Oh,” I laughed. “Well, maybe Noah is . . . I don’t know, jealous? Not of the attention but just . . . you and your accomplishments. He probably really admires you.”
“I think he was just dropped on his fucking head at birth,” Leroy muttered, settling on a station.
The song was “Sex And Candy” by Marcy Playground. I sang along, quiet and without a lot of thought. Leroy was watching me with adoration when I met his stare across the room. He leaned off the lip of the bench and sauntered toward me, offering me his hand when he stopped.
I took it. “What are we doing?”
“Dancing,” he wrapped his arm around my lower back and tugged me in close. “I have to admit, this is better than competing for space with a bunch of sweaty strangers.”
My head rested on his chest. “I agree.”
We moved together, our feet stepping in time to the beat. Leroy spun me out and then dipped me as if it was nothing, his large hand cradling my back. While suspended in air, he leaned in and pressed a kiss against my throat that was so soft it felt like a whisper. It sent a shot of chill right down my spine, and when he pulled me up to stand, I tiptoed to give him a kiss under his ear, right where I knew it would make him shiver. It had the desired effect.
“We should do this more often,” he said, his thumb making circles on my lower back, the sheer top so thin it didn’t block the sensation of his touch at all.
“Do what more often?”
“Be alone,” he said. “Time to ourselves. Quiet. It’s peaceful knowing that it’s just us.”
“I wonder what it’ll be like when we’re in Waco,” I thought aloud. “I wonder how it’ll change things.”
“It’ll be a good change,” Leroy said quickly. “I’ll have a dorm room and I’ll be getting a car. Noah gets the Benz. It’ll be just us. All the time.”
Fear crept forward and I leaned on his chest. “I’ll be at home, though. Momma has . . . old-school rules and values. I have a curfew and I can’t just do what I want, whenever I want. What if you—”
“Hey, hey,” Leroy pushed me back and cupped my face in his hands. “You sound worried. I know that things are different for us, I get it. That doesn’t matter to me. I’ll take what I can get, Els. And I’ll love you regardless of what time I have to drop you off at home.”
“It’s embarrassing, though. I’m not a child but I get treated like one.”
“Look, it doesn’t bother me—”
“It doesn’t right now—”
He held a finger to my lips. “Let me finish. But if it bothers you, talk to her. Your mom. Explain that you want the reins loosened. You’re a good woman, Ellie. You deserve to be trusted.”
“Girl,” I muttered.
“What?”
“How can I be a woman when I’m treated like a little girl?”
“I didn’t think it bothered you. The rules and all that.”
“I didn’t know it could be any different,” I said. “But I’ve seen how your family is, and I don’t want to keep being told I have to be home at ten. It’s barely dark at ten in the summer. Like, Noah has more freedom than I do, and he actually acts like a child.”
“You’re not wrong.”
“That was mean.” My hands ran over my face, causing Leroy’s to drop their hold. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He pushed my hair behind my ear. “You’re definitely not wrong. Like I said, talk to your mom. You have so much respect for her and I love that. But there’s nothing wrong with asking for the trust that you deserve.”
“Yeah, I should do that.” There was more determination in my tone. “Or, I’ll tell her that I’m sleeping over at a friend’s place and spend the night in your dorm.”
Leroy laughed, nodding his head. “Yeah or that. I wouldn’t argue.”
We continued swaying to the music, feet sinking into the carpet, the night lights of Colorado Springs outside of our window.
“What if you have a roommate, though?”
“Nope, no roommate. Spent a bit extra for the private life. I need it after sharing a roof with Noah for the last eighteen years.”
“You’ll miss him. You know it.”
He shrugged but he didn’t deny the claim either. “Enough about my brother. We finally have some peace and quiet.” He pulled me in at the waist so that I collided with his chest. “Hop on my feet.”
“What?”
“Stand on my feet.”
Puzzled, I did what he said and stifled a squeal when he started spinning around the room. He danced, holding me while I clasped my hands behind his neck. We both laughed and I felt the dizzies coming on when he spun me in circles. “Leroy,” I groaned, burying my head in his chest. If he wasn’t going to let me off this damn ride, I’d jump.
My feet slid off his and then he stood on my toe and we tripped over each other, landing in a heap on the floor, both of us out of breath with laughter. “I’m going to be sick,” I groaned, watching as Leroy crawled up and over me.
“For real? I’ll take you to the bathroom.”
“No. Not for real. But the world is spinning.”
“Yeah, it does that. Always has.”
“You’re hilarious.”
He winked and pulled me to my feet in one swift movement. The room was no longer orbiting around me. Slowly, he slid his hands around my waist, his fingertips just a slip from being tucked under the band of my skirt. He was being so soft and gentle, like he wanted to savor the moment as he admired me from head to toe. The atmosphere in the room changed in the space of a breath.
“This outfit has been driving me insane all night,” he murmured with a low voice. He pulled me into his front and my hands clasped themselves behind his neck.
I ran my fingers through his soft hair and sunk my teeth into my bottom lip as I gave his strands a subtle tug. He tipped his head back, a soft groan escaping his lips and I quivered, almost short circuiting at what I could do to him. It must have ignited something within him because when he brought his head back down, his expression was dark with lust and he wrapped a hand tightly around the back of my neck, forcing our mouths together in a fierce kiss.
I arched into his hold and our hands moved with erratic need. I was pulsating, moaning as our tongues moved together, and we walked backwards to our bed.
He lowered me down onto it, his hand keeping me secure at the lower of my back. All I could feel was him—his scent, his kiss, his touch were a drug that I hoped I’d never get enough of. Our kiss was broken just long enough that he could kneel above me and rip his shirt off before he collapsed on top of me again and I was able to sink my fingertips into the firm surface of his muscular back.
Leroy dragged his mouth down the length of my jaw, kissing and sucking as I tipped my head back and moaned. “Mmhmm, yes,” he groaned against me as he pushed my thighs apart with his knee. “I’ve been waiting to hear those sounds.”
He untucked the sheer top from my skirt and pulled it over my head, bringing his mouth back down to my neck as one hand cupped the curve of my chest, massaging it with so much precision that I was startled in the best way when he shifted my underwear to the side. I gasped at the sudden contact, but I was ready for him . . . more than ready.
Leroy leaned up, his free hand on the mattress beside my head and his knees on either side of my frame as he continued working me into a state of euphoria. My hands held on to his taut shoulders, and when I looked at him, he was watching me with a lustful haze, his eyes devouring me. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he rasped.
His hand sped up and I could barely breathe. I threw my head back, coming undone. Leroy discarded his pants, rolled on a condom, and stripped me before lowering himself on top of me again. He took my hands in his and put them above my head as he kissed me, rough and fierce in a way that had me begging for more. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him down.
“No more waiting?” he asked, sliding his tip inside of me.
“No more,” I gasped as I stretched to accommodate him. “Please just—”
My words turned into a loud gasp as he slammed his hips and filled me, hitting all the right places in an earth-shattering sensation that could be compared to nothing else. It was even better than the first time. Because this time, we knew each other more. We loved each other. And we had been waiting for what felt like a long time for this to happen again.
I swear that the passion between us, the feelings and desire could start a fire. Our bodies were made for each other—molded to match and fit like two pieces of a destined puzzle. Nothing had ever felt more perfect than when we moved together. Hearing him vocalize his pleasure, knowing that his deep moaning was because of me, sent me over the edge.
His ragged breathing against my neck caused me to shiver, goosebumps forming on my skin as we just lay with satisfaction afterwards. It was one hundred percent worth the wait. Something that I would never tire of was this—not with him. I was glad that I had waited for the right man. He made the entire experience what it was.
Leroy
Ellie was still sound asleep when I emerged from the bathroom in the morning. Cass and Noah were in the other bed, facedown in their pillows. They must have come back sometime after Els and I had fallen asleep last night, and I was glad that it hadn’t been earlier. Not when I thought about Ellie beneath me, writhing, moaning, fingernails dragging down the length of my back. Damn. I ran a hand across my face and exhaled. We were no longer alone, so there would be no morning sex. However, I did need to talk to Noah about last night. It made sense to get it over with before the drive home.
I stood beside his bed and gave his bare back a careless slap. He rolled onto his side and peered through half-closed lids. “What?”
“We need to talk,” I said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Later.”
“Now.”
“What the hell,” he threw the comforter back and stood up, scratching himself and stretching.
“You want to keep it down so the girls can sleep?”
“Shut up,” he grumbled and stormed off toward the bathroom. “I’ll be outside in a minute.”
I stood out in the hall and waited for him to get himself together. The hotel staff were pushing carts covered in room service or housekeeping products. Our checkout was in two hours but we didn’t have a lot to pack up so it wouldn’t be hard to be out on time. Noah appeared ten minutes later, clothed and hair ruffled into a tidier mess than it was before.
He glared at me as he closed the door with no damn care, banging it closed. I threw my arms open in exasperation. “Dude, shut up.”
“Why should they get to sleep in, and I’m dragged out of bed at eight in the damn morning?”
The conversation was already off to a terrible start. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“I dunno. We could go and get some breakfast.”
“Fine,” he walked beside me, hands in his pockets. “Start talking.”
“How are things going between you and Cass?”
“That’s what you dragged me out of bed for? To ask how my toxic relationship is going?”
It wasn’t that I regretted referring to his relationship as toxic. At the time, I meant what I said. But it could have been delivered gentler, I suppose. As hard as it was not to, belittling him wasn’t going to help. Neither was enablement. Ellie was right about that.
“No,” I said. “That’s not the only reason why I dragged you out of bed. But I am curious. Why did you change your mind and make things exclusive?”
He kept his head down, walking beside me. We stepped onto the elevator and he leaned against the wall. “I don’t know. I like her, I guess.”
It took all I had not to express disappointment in his answer. “You like her enough not to sleep with other girls?”
“I know what exclusive means, Leroy. Thanks for confirming.”
The droning tone of elevator music filled the silence while I stared at Noah and he stared at the floor. It was so hard to get a grasp on this kid. We didn’t understand each other at all, and it made me mourn the days when he’d been my best friend and we got each other like no one else did. That sort of bond seemed unbreakable back then. But people change with age. We’d clearly grown in different directions and I wondered if we’d ever get back to that place again. All I could do was try.
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped off, crossing the lobby and heading outside. There was no official plan, but I figured we’d walk until we found something.
“It’s always her,” Noah mumbled, my attention moving between him and the sidewalk in front of me. “She’s always there. She’s good to me. Your girl had some points, I guess. There was no point in not making it official. I didn’t want to let her go, but I guess I couldn’t keep screwing around. So . . . it made sense.”
His answer almost felt . . . cold. But Noah hadn’t opened up to me like that in a long time and I wasn’t about to make him feel like an idiot for it. He was obviously trying but something told me if Cass was the right girl for him, his answer would have felt warmer, more passionate. Maybe they wouldn’t work, but for now, he was doing his best for the girl that cared about him more than he knew.
“Ellie said Cass was happy about the whole thing,” I said. “Freaking out about it.”
Noah shrugged. We approached a café called Spring Bowl. It was small, not a lot of seating, but it wasn’t busy, and it smelled like hot food and coffee. I gave Noah a gentle backhand on the chest to follow me inside. The glass cabinets were full of sandwiches, pastries, and desserts. We ordered for ourselves and decided to get the girls something before we left.
We sat down at a two-person table, a framed photo of the store opening on the wall beside us and menus stacked between condiments. Noah tapped the tabletop and refused to look at me when he said, “Sorry about last night.”
Noah rarely apologized in actual words. He preferred to brush things aside or use a gesture of kindness to call a truce. But the word sorry rarely left his mouth. I tried not to seem stunned.
“For getting us kicked out,” he continued, mumbling as fast as he could. “I got heated when I saw Cass talking to that dude. Pissed me off. I didn�
�t mean to wig out, though.”
“You should know that she’s not shady, dude.”
“Yeah, I do,” he said and leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head. It was the first time that I’d had a good look at his face.
“Your eye okay?” I asked. There was a shade of bruising around his socket and a graze on his lip. It could have been worse, though.
“It’s fine.”
A thought came to me and I pointed at him, failing to hide my amusement. “That’s your karma for Nadia. I took the beating that night. What goes around, comes around.”
A quick breath of laughter came from his nose and he nodded. “I’ll take that.”
Our coffee and bacon breakfast was delivered, so we ordered the same for the girls and asked for it to go. We dug in and I thought about how to approach the next topic with Noah. So far, the conversation had been peaceful but all it took was the wrong tone to light a match under the ticking time bomb seated across from me.
“Can we talk about what else you said last night?” I asked. He stiffened and I worried that I’d screwed it. “Dude, Mom and Dad are proud of you, man. You don’t need to compete with me for that.”
His leg was bouncing under the table.
“I just don’t get it,” I said when he wouldn’t answer me. “Why do you think like that?”
“You have way more in common with them than I do,” he stabbed his fork into his food and inhaled a deep breath. “You always did. Football with Dad. Cooking and shit with Mom. I decided that I didn’t want to continue football and Dad stopped bothering. You and he practiced together all the time. Watched games and shit. If Mom was making dinner, she’d call for you to help her. You know, I asked her once why she never asked me and she said, ‘Leroy enjoys it, darling,’ as if I didn’t? She never even gave me the chance.”
I kept my mouth shut—this was clearly something that had been weighing on him, and if he needed to let it out, I didn’t want to interrupt. But I did need to tell him that he was wrong.
“I don’t think Mom meant to leave you out, but you preferred playing with your toys when we were little. Or reading picture books and that sort of thing. I think she wanted us to do what made us happy, and those things were different. And when we got older, you kept your interests private. You didn’t share them with Mom and Dad.”
