Young Love (Bloomfield #4)

by Janelle Stalder

  I stood to the side, my back against the mirrored wall, my eyes never leaving her. Everything else in the building was silent and empty, except for this room. The light strings of music barely registered with me over the sound of her steps, and the swooshing of her ballet shoes against the wood floors.

  It felt as though she were dancing just for me.

  Her eyes never looked in my direction, but I knew she was still aware of me. My body was more than aware of hers. I felt connected to her with every move she made.

  As much as I wanted to touch her, I also wanted to just sit back and watch. She was beauty and grace personified.

  Memories of us together hadn’t left me all week. They tortured me. Now that I’d had a taste of Honor, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop.

  I’d tried my best to stay away from her so I wouldn’t tempt either of us from going down that road again while I was with Kelly. On Thursday I’d had to attend the funeral for Kelly’s mother, and the entire time I’d been standing by her side, all I could think of was how wrong it was.

  She deserved better than me. Better than someone who was with her out of some sort of sense of guilt.

  There had been some looks she’d given me that made me think she could sense my distance. But she hadn’t said anything. Instead, she’d gripped my hand tighter, as if that alone could make me stay.

  Friday and Saturday I’d worked late and told Kelly I was too tired to see her. It wasn’t a lie, I really had been wiped. But I also didn’t want her over when Honor might see her again. Especially not after what had happened between Honor and I Tuesday night.

  I’d wanted to see her so badly, but I’d kept my resolve. Until I got that phone call.

  Honor’s mother had found my number in her phone and told me they needed me to pick up Honor from her house. She’d rattled off the address before I could say yes or no. Not that I would have said no anyway. I’d been up and out of my apartment before she’d even hung up.

  I’d wondered why they would have thought to call me of all people, but I wasn’t going to press it. I was happy she’d called me.

  And then I arrived and saw the state Honor was in, and I knew she was drunk because of me. Suddenly my idea of staying away for both our sakes seemed like the dumbest idea I’d had yet. Guilt had eaten at me as I’d laid her in my bed, watching her as she mumbled incoherently in her drunken sleep.

  Now as I watched her dance, it just confirmed that staying away from Honor was useless. I couldn’t do it. Not if it was just going to hurt both of us. Especially not if it was going to hurt her. That was the last thing I wanted to do.

  Honor was mine. Everything in my body and mind knew it.

  She stood in the middle of the room, her brows scrunched together as she tried a move again and again, critiquing herself in the mirror. It looked perfect to me each time, but I could tell she wasn’t happy with it. I loved the concentration and passion in her eyes as she worked to be perfect.

  I couldn’t stand there anymore.

  Crossing the short distance, unnoticed by her, I drew up behind her just has she’d lifted her leg, the pad of her foot resting against her opposite leg, her knee pointed toward the wall.

  I slid a hand around her waist, just as I slid the other along the inside of her thigh. Her breath caught in surprise. Tilting my head forward, I kissed and nipped a path along the delicate curve of her neck as I pressed against her back.

  “What are you doing?” She said on a breath.

  “Helping,” I replied.

  Her eyes met mine in the mirror before dropping to follow the path of my hand as it slid closer to her center.

  “Rise up on your toes,” I said in her ear.

  She rose up on her pointes without protest, still watching us in the mirror.

  Gripping her waist with both hands, I gently spun her around, hooking a hand beneath her knee to keep the one leg higher. She met my eyes now, her breath coming out in tiny gasps.

  I hooked her leg snuggly around my waist, pressing my hardness against her. Then I lifted her completely off the floor, wrapping the other leg around me.

  Honor clung to me, our mouths now aligned as we breathed one another in.

  I walked forward until her back hit the mirror. My mouth crashed into hers, our tongues instantly meeting. She moaned, swirling her hips against me. I growled against her lips, whatever restraint I may have had, snapping. I rested her ass against the barre as our kiss deepened.

  Reaching between us, I unbuckled my pants pushing them down far enough to release me.

  “Are you on birth control?” I asked, breaking our kiss.

  She nodded, licking her lips. The girl drove me crazy.

  “I’m clean,” I said, my body about ready to snap if I waited any longer. “I’ve never had sex without a condom.” Fuck, did I want to with her though.

  “I’m clean too,” she said. “We’re good.”

  Thank the fuck.

  Without another word, I kissed her again, my heart racing. Reaching between us again, I tugged her bodysuit to the side and tore at the leggings she wore. I’d owe her a new pair.

  She gasped against my mouth, but I didn’t stop until I was completely sheathed inside her. She felt incredible this way, nothing between us to dull the sensation. I’d never felt anything like it. Nails scraped down my back as I pumped into her, never tearing our lips apart even as we both climaxed.

  Our bodies shook together. Afterward I turned with her in my arms, and slid slowly down the wall until we sat on the floor, her snuggled against me on my lap.

  “That was amazing,” she said as we both tried to calm our breathing down.

  “I think I like ballet,” I said, leaning my head back.

  She laughed, sitting up to look at me. I sent her a sly smirk, winking.

  “I don’t think my teacher would approve.”

  “Good thing she’s not here then.”

  She looked down, her face scrunching up. “You ruined my tights.”

  I chuckled. “I’d say I’m sorry, but that would be a lie.”

  She slapped my chest. “I guess this practice is over,” she said, standing.

  “Should we go get some breakfast?” I suggested.

  Her eyes lit up. “Grey Anderson, you may be perfect after all.”

  “Don’t I know it.”

  ***

  I’d put the inevitable off long enough. Honor and I had gone out for breakfast at the diner where Perrie worked. The look on her cousin’s face when we’d walked in together told me Honor hadn’t said anything about us to her.

  If Perrie wanted to drill Honor with questions, she wasn’t going to do it in front of me. Acting as though everything was normal, she’d taken our order and left.

  We’d eaten, talking about my work and her plans to get her teaching degree. It was as though everything was normal.

  But it wasn’t.

  My relationship with Kelly hung over us like a dark cloud. I needed to finally set things right. So when we’d returned to our apartment building, Honor had gone into her place to take a shower, and I’d gone into mine to make a call I’d been dreading since last night when I’d picked Honor up.

  I sat on my couch, staring at my phone like the coward that I was. Taking a deep breath, I pressed Kelly’s contact and waited for the other end to pick up.

  “Hey, babe,” she said when she answered.

  “Hey, Kelly,” I said, sitting back in the couch.

  “I was just thinking about you,” she said. “We should get together tonight and go to that Italian restaurant by your place. I have a craving for lasagna.”

  Shit, this was harder than I thought. Scrubbing a hand over my face, I sat forward, my body feeling antsy now that I had her on the phone.

  “Kel, we need to talk,” I said.

  She was silent for a moment. The quiet spoke volumes. “What about?”

  “Us,” I said simply.

  I heard her breath whoosh out.

  “I
guess I knew this was coming,” she said softly.

  “I’m sorry, Kel. You know you mean a lot to me, but this thing between us isn’t working for me.”

  “I see,” she said. “Was it ever working for you?”

  I laughed humorlessly. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

  “Is there someone else?”

  I paused. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I also didn’t want her to think Honor was why this was happening. Even if I hadn’t fallen for Honor, I’d always known this thing between Kelly and I wasn’t right.

  “She’s not the reason I’m ending things,” I replied. “Not the only reason at least.”

  “Right,” she said.

  We sat on the phone in a tense silence. I had no idea what else to say.

  “Well I guess I should be grateful you gave us a shot.”

  I rubbed at my eyes. “I did try, Kel. I did.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  “I’d like to still be friends,” I said, cringing at how that sounded in this situation.

  “Sure, Grey,” she said. “We can still be friends.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Me too.”

  We hung up after an awkward goodbye and I sat back, staring unseeingly at the wall. As much as that had royally sucked, I felt a million times lighter.

  Standing, I walked out of my place and headed straight for Honor’s. I knocked this time, waiting anxiously to see her even though we’d only been apart for less than half an hour.

  The door behind me opened and Briggs walked out, his eyebrows shooting up when he saw me standing at Honor’s door.

  “Hey,” he said with a head nod.

  “What’s up?”

  “Not much,” he said, eyeing over my shoulder. “What’s up with you?”

  I shrugged. “Not much.”

  He nodded. “Well, I’ll see you at the shop tomorrow.”

  “Yup, see you.”

  He started to walk down the hall, but stopped to look back at me, one side of his mouth tipped up in a smirk. “It’s always something to do with a girl, huh?”

  I snorted. “I always said I was wise.”

  He chuckled. “Right. See ya,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “Later, boss man.”

  I knocked on the door again, wanting to just say screw it and walk in, but I kept my patience. Finally the knob turned and Honor opened the door, a pleased smile instantly spreading across her face.

  “Hey, what ar -”

  I cut her off, pulling her into a searing kiss. She smelled like shampoo and soap. My mouth watered to taste more of her.

  She pulled back, blinking up at me. “What was that for?”

  I grinned, walking her backwards inside so I could shut the door. “That was just to take the edge off. I think it’s time for a shower.”

  “I just took a shower,” she said with a laugh.

  “You can never be too clean,” I said darkly, swooping her up into my arms and heading straight for her bathroom.

  Chapter 21

  Honor

  I took the 1A to the South East station, my mood just as sunny as the afternoon outside. I sat, watching the city pass by the bus window, and couldn’t help but smile as I thought back on my week.

  Dating Grey Anderson was extremely...interesting. I didn’t know how to really describe it. He was both as intense and demanding as he was laid back and easy going.

  When he’d followed me into the shower last Sunday, he’d told me that things with him and Kelly were done. There wasn’t just one word to describe how that made me feel. Relieved was definitely one of them. When we’d...done what we’d done, in the studio, I’d had mixed feelings as soon as I’d returned to my place alone.

  It was easy to get caught up in what existed between us when Grey and I were together, but alone I couldn’t help but hate myself for liking a guy that was taken.

  So when he’d broken up with Kelly, all that guilt had vanished. Well, maybe not quite all of it. I still felt bad for even getting together while they’d been dating. And I hated to think I caused their break-up. But it was easy to push that feeling to the back of my mind when I was filled with giddy happiness whenever I was with him.

  I didn’t know what his breaking up with Kelly technically meant for us, so in the beginning of the week I had tread carefully. Just because they weren’t together didn’t necessarily mean we were.

  Except that was exactly how Grey acted all week, much to my pleasure. Every night he either came to my place or I went to his, and we would cook dinner and watch TV. Or he would just skip TV and food and blow my mind in the bedroom - or the couch, or the counter, or against the wall - wherever he seemed to decide.

  I’d never felt so satisfied both physically and emotionally in my life. We’d never said we were officially dating, but he kept calling me “his girl” so I figured it was one of those things that just goes without saying.

  Now I was on my way to have brunch with Mom and Aunt Grace. I was sure, after last weekend, they were going to have a million questions for me. I still had to give them shit for even calling Grey in the first place.

  I guess that’s what I got for putting my birthdate as the passcode to my phone. Next time I planned to get wasted at their house, I was going to have to change it ahead of time.

  The bacon was sizzling when I walked into the house, the smell hitting my nose the second I stepped inside. I loved that smell. I called out a hello as I made my way to the kitchen.

  “Morning, baby,” Mom said, coming over to give me a kiss. Her pale hair was up in rollers. Mix that with the pink housecoat, and my mother was quite the vision. I shook my head, quickly giving my aunt a kiss before taking my mom’s place at the counter to mix the eggs. She always salted them too much.

  “So, you’re looking better than the last time we saw you,” Auntie Grace said with a sly smile.

  I gave them both a stern look. “That was not funny you two,” I said, pointing a finger at them.

  My mother’s eyes widened in innocence. Pffft.

  “What wasn’t? What did we do?”

  “What did you do?” I muttered, shaking my head. “I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that you two let me get wasted, probably on purpose knowing you. Or the fact that you actually called Grey of all people to come and get me. What is wrong with you? Don’t you have enough drama in those stupid soap operas you two watch?”

  “Absolutely not,” Grace said simply.

  Why was I not surprised?

  “And didn’t it work?” she continued. “I can tell just from the way you walked in here that everything is exactly as it should be. Sometimes, you young kids just need a little push in the right direction.”

  “I’d say your push was more like a shove,” I argued.

  She shrugged. “If it works, it works. Don’t complain.”

  I shook my head again, whisking the eggs.

  “So?” Mom said.

  I looked up at her with raised brows. “So, what?”

  “Goodness, Honor. Don’t make us beg. Are you and Grey an item now, or what?”

  I sighed. “Yes, we’re dating now.” I think. I was pretty sure.

  They both squealed like only my mother and aunt could, and wrapped me in a group hug that had me laughing in spite myself.

  “What did I miss?” Perrie asked as she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

  “Only our mothers being as insane as usual,” I replied as they let me go.

  “At least that hasn’t changed,” she muttered.

  “Your cousin is dating a very fine looking man,” Auntie Grace said.

  “Ew,” I murmured. I did not want to know what either of them thought of Grey, because I could only imagine what they would say. The two of them were worse than men.

  “She is?” Perrie said, looking at me shrewdly. “You are? Would this happen to be someone I saw you eating breakfast with? And why am I only hearing about it now? From them of all people?”

>   I sighed. “It’s still pretty new, I just haven’t gotten around to telling you.”

  “There is this thing called a phone, you know?” she said.

  “I know, I’m sorry.”

  “So?”

  “His name is Grey,” my mom said, stretching out his name and giggling like a child.

  “You’re dating Grey? Like, for real?”

  I nodded.

  Perrie let out a loud whoop. “Get the fuck out!”

  “Language!” our mom’s scolded together.

  Perrie ignored them, coming around the counter to throw her arm around me. “I don’t think there’s ever been a moment in our lives where I’ve been as proud of you as I am now.”

  “That’s…not very nice,” I said.

  “I can’t believe you landed Grey Anderson,” she said, as if I hadn’t just spoken. “I totally knew it was going to happen too.”

  I rolled my eyes at her when she walked back around so she stood across from me.

  “No you didn’t,” I argued. “You always say you know things after they’ve already happened. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “I did so! I swear. There was so much sexual tension between you two at the shop that night, you’d have to be blind not to have seen it.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me. “Actually,” she said, raising a finger, “I think even the blind would have picked up on it.”

  I gave her the most serious look I could muster. “I think living with these two is starting to affect your mental stability. Run. Run away fast. Before you turn into one of them.”

  “She already is leaving us,” Aunt Grace said with a frown.

  Now it was my turn to look at her in surprise. “Oh? How come I’m just hearing about this now, from her?”

  Perrie waved me off. “It’s not official yet. I’m just looking around for a place closer to law school. I’m going to be so busy with school and the internship that I don’t want to have to travel all the way back here every night from downtown.”

  “You can always stay with me if you want,” I offered.

  “You live in a one bedroom apartment,” she said.

  I shrugged. “We can get a pull-out couch or something,” I suggested.