I straddle his knee and Barry releases my shoulders, smoothing his hands down my back and up my neck. I bend so that my face is inches from his crotch and the thick outline of his cock makes me lick my lips.
It would be so easy…
I press my mouth against the fabric of his jeans and blow a hot breath into the area, bathing him in my breath. He groans and I pull back, casting him a playful smile.
“You like that, huh?” My voice is husky and tight with my arousal.
Barry pulls me back just a little and unbuttons his fly. The sound of the teeth of his zipper separating makes my whole body jerk. “You know that I like it.”
His cock springs away from his body and points at me. It is almost as if his dick has a mind of its own and it wants me just as badly as Barry does. I run my tongue over my bottom lip again, delighted by the evidence of his need for me.
“Do it, darlin’.” His big hand pushes against the back of my neck, bringing my face closer to his crotch. My heart pounds in my chest and I open my lips wide taking in his girth. This sweet taste of him explodes in the back of my throat, washing away the bitter harshness of the alcohol. I moan, momentarily forgetting where we are.
“That’s right, do it just like I taught you.” His hands fist in my hair even harder and I rock against his knee, trying to find relief for the ache between my legs. I bob my head expertly, twisting the all of the right places and he lets out a groan that tells me he doesn’t care who hears us.
Fear adds a dangerous edge to my arousal and I try to pull back and away from him. Immediately, he grabs one of my breasts, tweaking the nipple painfully. “I didn’t say you could stop.”
He whispers it, the hot reprimand sending shivers down my body. Even though he could have been loud, he wasn’t. He keeps his hold on me, preventing me from moving but he is gentle and respectful.
He is asking me to trust him.
For just a moment my mind blanks and I remember my time with Giulia. She accused me of not being able to open up to people once before. And earlier she had accused me of wasting my time with Barry. But I don’t want to do that. I want to trust him, to give him whatever he wants.
I let him have this power over me, closing my eyes and continuing to work his thick dick in my throat. I twist my head to the side when I come up, delighting in the way his balls tighten under my chin when I sink downward.
“Oh shit.” Barry hisses while he pumps his hips, fucking my mouth. “I’m going to come.”
At hearing that, I pick up my pace slamming my nose against his stomach in an effort to get him off. He tries to control my pace but I shake off his hand, wanting to enjoy the end of my conquest.
Hot ropes of cum slam into the back of my throat as Barry lets out a subdued pant-roar. His hand fists in my hair and he pulls me down as deep as I can go.
Surprise makes me open even farther when Barry reaches down with one of his hands and rips through the barrier of my panties. Those thick digits are stuffed into my pussy before I can even pull up from his cock. He keeps me wrapped around his dick while he pounds his fingers deep inside me. I’m so close that he doesn’t even need to touch my clit before I’m shaking.
The sounds of my moans are muffled by his cock. He keeps me pushed down even as his dick softens and slips across my tongue.
“Come for me. Hard. Fast. Do it now, coat my fingers in your sweet, sweet cream.”
His voice, the speed of his hands, the involuntary rock of my hips against his knee, it all drives me crazy. I can’t keep my body from going up in flames. The pleasure that laces my mind is dizzying. I come so hard I see stars. My legs kick out and I vaguely hear the splash of liquid hitting the surface of our table.
“Shh. Shh, good girl.” Barry strokes my hair as I come and after a few moments I come back to earth, taking deep breaths through my nose. Barry lets me up and I sit back on my cushion. I woodenly take another sip of my drink without tasting it. All I taste is Barry.
He laughs a little bit. “So. How about that food?”
Chapter Four
“Fallon, I need you. Excuse us, gentlemen.” A smooth, deep voice interrupts my conversation, effectively dismissing the wine mogul I’m talking to.
I spin around and find my friend Johnni standing behind me. He looks fantastic in a sleek black pinstripe suit and a magenta dress shirt. Hints of the bright pink color accent the ensemble through the stitching and his cufflinks. I grin at him. “Looking good, as always.”
He nods before taking my arm and turning, making a beeline for the double doors in the cozy room. This gathering is filled with the rich and famous. Dignitaries from New York’s highest echelons of power line each wall, and several of them are jockeying for my attention.
As we move through the crowd, I signal to Arianna, who is busy stuffing her face with hors d’oeuvres instead of mingling with the guests. When she sees me, she busily shoves a plate of crab cakes into her bag and gives me a thumbs up. It’s hard not to roll my eyes but I manage. Barely.
Johnni pulls me to the side in the crowded room, his dark skin gleaming in the low light. I had been smiling, happy to see him but the moment I hear that serious tone of his, the grin drops from my face.
“What’s going on?”
He doesn’t answer me immediately. We move through the expansive gardens and I congratulate myself again for a job well done on picking this venue. Parties like this are for networking and bragging. They aren’t what I’m used to and they’re decisively less fun, but from a business standpoint, they’re a great opportunity.
“Let me get right to the nit and grit of the situation…eventually.” Johnni sits me down next to the lavish pool. It’s mostly for show but right now it’s too cold to swim in even if the guests wanted to. Still, it would be a nice backdrop to some of the evening activities Arianna should be preparing for now.
The plastic furniture creaks as it adjusts to my weight. The sound grates against my eardrums, just as painfully as the silence that follows. I’ve known Johnni for years. He’s been with me through some of my darkest times. He is the one person I trust more than anyone.
“Look, honey. You know how I feel about this. We both benefit by these. But sometimes the things they say are true.”
I sit up a little straighter, patting his dark-skinned hand with mine. I get the feeling that whatever he’s trying to tell me is hurting him as much as it hurts me. In this moment, all I want to do with comfort my friend, who is obviously struggling with some kind of secret. “Whatever it is, whatever you’ve learned, don’t worry about the consequences. I trust you. I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted another person.”
Johnni runs his hands through his hair, letting out an exasperated breath. “I know you won’t lie to me or anything; we learned that lesson the hard way. It’s just…I know that this is going to be…difficult for you to hear.”
This time I roll my eyes. I’ve heard so many negative things throughout the years and had so much mud slung my way that I can’t really think of anything that would shatter me the way Johnni seems to think his news will. I flash him my brightest smile, really mean it this time. “Just give it to me straight. I’ll work it out once I know what’s what.”
Johnni looks down at his hand where mine is still resting on top of his. Some of the worry melts away from his face, but his dark eyes are still cloudy with concern. That’s one of my favorite things about Johnni. He’s always looking out for me, always worried about my well-being and mental state. It’s one of the reasons he is someone I can always count on.
“About a week ago, I heard through the grapevine that there was a biker guy hanging around my sets.”
At the mention of a biker, I perk up knowing he must be talking about Barry. Johnni is no great fan of Barry. He thinks Barry is beneath me. But unlike Giulia, he supports my decision to keep Barry around. “All right, and?”
“Rumor has it, he’s been hanging around trying to get some action.”
I feel a frown cre
ase my mouth involuntarily. At first I don’t understand. The way Johnni winced as he choked out the sentence him confuses me. “Are you talking about drugs? Because I know for a fact, Barry is not interested in things like that. I don’t date druggies, and I wouldn’t be with him if he were doing anything like that.”
Johnni’s face twists as if the next words are painful for him to say. “No, Fallon. I mean that he’s looking for action. Sex.”
I sit back against the chair and try to keep my breathing even, forcing myself to take the news gracefully. So there is a possibility that Barry is sleeping around on me. I let that news sink in and fight against the hurt that bubbles up in my chest. But rumors are not facts. Johnni must have something else to have come to me about it.
“Is there more to it?” I ask, unsure if I want the answer.
“I had him followed. It’s true, hon. He’s been sleeping with one of my models.”
Agony slams into my chest like a physical blow and I suck in a violent breath, trying to keep a whimper from escaping. Before I realize what is happening I’m shaking my head, trying to scramble up so that I can leave. Johnni puts a hand on my shoulder keeping me still. He knows I need to hear this, even though I don’t want to.
“Fallon, you need to hear it all.”
I shake my head even harder, trying to dislodge his hand from my shoulder. My vision blurs and it takes me a moment to realize that I can’t see because of the tears. “No, Johnni. Don’t. “
He pulls me tightly against his chest and wraps his arms around me. “I didn’t want to tell you. You know that. All I want is to protect you and make sure that you find your happy ending. When I told you to kiss a few frogs, I never thought that you would tongue wrestle a snake.”
I try to speak but the moment I open my mouth sobs roll across my tongue. It’s not that I am in love with Barry. Maybe I am but I haven’t had enough time to come to grips with it. Really, I feel hurt and betrayed. Someone I trusted threw that trust back in my face. I opened up to him and let him see the most vulnerable part of me. I put faith in him when everyone around me was telling me that he wasn’t right for me. For him to do this in the face of that… It’s more than I can take.
Johnni strokes my back for a few minutes, waiting for me to catch my breath before he continues. “Are you feeling a little better?”
I begin to calm again, reaching deep and finding strength in the words of my old cheer coach. “When you need a pity party, fully indulge for ten, and then you move on.”
It’s comforting to realize that not all of my past lessons are negative. My ten-minute pity party lasts for just that, and I wipe my tears away. “All right, tell me the rest.”
Johnni nods after giving me another hug. I can tell that he’s proud of the way I’m handling the situation, but he doesn’t let that stop him from telling me all that I need to know. “You know what kind of projects I work on in the fashion industry. Think about it, what kind of models do I use?”
I blink, trying to clear the rest of the tears from my eyes. Johnni is one of the top celebrity sales reps for Peroig Men’s Wear. I gasp, sucking in more air than I mean to and start coughing violently. “Wha-what? You can…mean…”
Johnni pounds my back, trying to get me to breathe easily again. “Yeah. Just…I don’t know what else to say. You know exactly what I mean.”
My stomach twists but I bite my tongue to keep from bursting into tears again. That won’t solve anything and I refuse to give Barry the satisfaction of making my day any worse. I will deal with him later. “Look, let’s talk about something else.”
Johnni pauses as if he’s unsure about my sudden change of subject. I see him peer into me, judging if it is wise to let me switch in the middle of something so emotional. I try to give him a sincere smile but I know it looks brittle and weak. Like the rest of me.
“Please. Tell me how it’s going with you and Kyle. Didn’t you say you had some news?”
“Yeah, but…”
“No buts. Spill. I could use some good news now and it’ll take my mind off things while I sort it out in my head.”
Johnni sighs again. He runs his hands through his hair and I smile. He is usually very careful about keeping his appearance immaculate. The fact that he has willingly messed up his hair twice in one sitting is a testament to his inner turmoil. Again the way he’s taking this news as if it personally hurts him as well only makes me feel a little better. Like he’s sharing some of the burden of my sadness. “Well, if you’re sure…”
I gesture for him to continue and he leans back, crossing his ankles. It takes him a few moments but when he begins talking again, it’s like nothing else bad has happened. He is his usual cheerful self and I appreciate the effort he is going through for me. “Things are going great. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am with this guy. I told you we met at a shoot, right? Well, he’s actually the head of photography for Peroig.”
I raise an eyebrow. Peroig is one of the key photo studios in the city. They have offices all over the world and anyone working there has to be better than good. They have to be genius. “Whoa. You really know how to land a big catch.”
Johnni laughs. “I wasn’t even fishing. In fact, he chased me. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
I groan in sympathy for the Kyle. When Johnni sets his mind to something, he can be pretty stubborn. And that includes when he says no to something. I realize that Johnni has been dating this guy for almost a year and I didn’t even know how they hooked up in the first place. Another frown creases my mouth.
I’ve been so busy setting up my businesses and shaking off the last of my old life that I’ve neglected my oldest and truest friend.
That’s unacceptable.
I brush my hair from my shoulder, sitting up so that I can give Johnni my entire focus. My drama can wait. I want to give all of my attention to this man. “So do you think you guys are ready for the next level?”
Johnni lets out a huff of air. “That’s just the thing. Kyle wants to do it the way he does everything—decisively.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we’ve been talking about moving in together for a while but he wants to do more than that.” He sucks in a deep breath as if bracing himself for what he is about to say. I immediately tense up, knowing that anything he has to fortify this much for will be mind-blowing.
“The suspense is killing me. Just spit it out!”
“He wants to get married and start the adoption process.”
“What?!” I jump out of my seat, nearly tackling Johnni in my excitement. Johnni has always wanted a big family and if he’s serious about this guy, this is huge news. I’m so happy for him I think my chest is going to burst. “That’s fantastic!”
“F-Fallon! I can’t breathe.” I release my strangle hold on my friend but only by a little bit. I give him a little room to breathe but make sure he realizes that I absolutely want every single detail.
“Breathing is optional, unless you’re going to use that precious time to tell me everything. And I mean everything.”
Johnni laughs and wraps me back up in his big arms. I feel like a kid when he squeezes me back. “Okay. I’m going to tell you all of it. But you better get comfortable, this may take a while.”
Several hours later I let myself back into my apartment and immediately collapse onto my sofa. The modern decor of my place is soothing in the same way as my office. Both of these places are built just for me to relax in. They’re my safe zones.
In the silence of this place, I can let my guard down. I can relax the walls I have built up to keep me safe.
I roll over onto my stomach, looking down at the hardwood floors. Tears burn in my eyes again but I fight them off this time. Rub some dirt in it, that’s what I always think when I get overwhelmed with pain. You combat emotional attacks with action and the only way I can get through this is by confronting what is causing me pain.
I’ve spent the last couple of hours talking to
Johnni about his plans and expectations with Kyle. I’m happy for him and not really jealous…but I want that. I want the kind of security and trust he has with Kyle. At the end of the day, that’s all that I’ve ever wanted. But I know I can’t get it with Barry. Not after what I had learned today.
I dig my cellphone out of my purse and gather my thoughts. I know exactly what I want to ask and if I don’t get the answers I want, I’m done.
I dial Barry’s number and my heart rate kicks up with every ring of the tone.
“Hey, sexy. Whatcha up to tonight?”
Barry’s voice strokes over my ears like a lullaby. In that moment I realize how much of my hopes I have placed on him. I wanted something that would last forever and I put myself out there, thinking that maybe he could be that for me. But he isn’t.
“Are you gay?” I blurt out the question and from the stunned silence on the other end of the line, I get my answer. Barry stammers for a moment and even though my heart is breaking, I wait for him to recover so that he can tell me whatever lie he’s got up his sleeve to explain this away. “W-what are you talking about? You know that I’m not.”
I roll onto my back and stare up at my ceiling. “Fine. Bi, then. Whatever. Are you sleeping with guys and then coming back to me?”
Pregnant silence. Barry’s sweating so much I can practically hear the droplets landing on the receiver. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Barry. I have friends at Peroig. You should have known better; this is a small town and I work in the industry.”
“I…Fallon, I’m so sorry. Look, sometimes I get a certain itch that can’t be scratched any other way. I’m not trying to hurt you, baby. I just wanted to spare you the truth.”
I close my eyes, trying to make sense of what he’s saying. “Do you like it in the ass?”
“What?” I can tell that’s not what he expected.
Did he think I would get hysterical and scream at him? What would that solve? How would that fix the situation? It wouldn’t and I know that. Even though it’s hard, I force myself to stay calm. To keep logical.
Love Through LimeLight Page 3
