Friends With Benefits

by Alaina Marks

  The ride was about thirty minutes to Neal’s apartment. She called Neal from the cab to let him know that she was downstairs, and the movers were close behind. He came down to help her with the few bags she had carried with her. When he walked out, he immediately hugged and kissed her hello. Brandi smiled as she watched him get her bags out the trunk of the cab. Okay…that was a nice greeting.

  Brandi followed Neal into his building, his ass looked so firm in his basketball shorts. You could tell he worked out on a regular basis. Neal walked over to the visitor’s desk to introduce Brandi to the doorman. “Phil, this is Miss Brandi Montgomery the young lady I spoke to you about earlier this week. She’ll be staying with me for a while.”

  Brandi and Phil exchanged smiles and handshakes. “Brandi, I have already put your name on the resident’s list so you’ll have no problem coming and going, right Phil?”

  “Yes, ma’am, you’ll have no problems. I remember faces very well anyway.” He gave her a big grin. Phil looked like a great guy, someone that you would love to have as your father or grandpa.

  “Thanks Phil, it was a pleasure meeting you. Guess I’ll be seeing you around.” Phil tipped his hat to Brandi. She and Neal headed for the elevators.

  “This building is amazing, Neal. So beautiful.” Brandi looked around in amazement.

  “Yea, thanks. I love living here. We have an exercise room, laundry room in every apartment, a pool, roof deck, maid service, valet, which I don’t need since I don’t have a car.” They both laughed. He pushed the button to bring the elevator down. The elevator came within seconds. They both entered, Neal pushed the number four.

  “So are you excited?” Neal asked.

  “I am excited; I actually feel like I’m starting anew; and it feels good.” Brandi avoided direct eye contact. Her heart pounded rapidly, she hadn’t been this close to Neal since they met at Starbucks. He smelled delicious. And that kiss…she bit her bottom lip…was so soft, so right. She could feel his gaze examining her body, she kept her eyes on the floor.

  Just then the elevator doors opened. Brandi followed Neal to apartment 4S. As soon as you entered the apartment you were in the foyer, down the hall on your left was the laundry room, and beside that was a full bath. Directly across the hall from the bathroom was the master bedroom which had a full bathroom inside. Down the hall a little more, on the left, before you reached the common areas, was another bedroom.

  “This is your bedroom, Brandi.” Neal entered the bedroom and placed her bags on the floor.

  The room was very big with plush carpet on the floor. Brandi took off her shoes and rubbed her toes on the carpet. There was a mahogany full-sized platform bed, a large walk-in closet, a five drawer chest, and a mirrored dresser that matched the bed. It was so clean and welcoming. The bed was calling Brandi’s name. She was tired from moving even though she hadn’t lifted a box. Neal must have read her mind.

  “Come, I will show you the rest of the place, then if you want to take a nap or something, feel free.” Neal grabbed her by the hand.

  Brandi followed him into the common areas. It was an open layout and it housed the living room, dining room, and kitchen. There were high ceilings throughout the apartment, beautiful hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops in the kitchen. Whenever Brandi picked out an apartment to live in, she always judged it by the kitchen and the bathroom. If she felt comfortable enough to cook in the kitchen and bathe in the bathroom, then she was comfortable enough to call the place home. “Welcome home,” she whispered. She stood by the window in the living room admiring the view of the Hudson River.

  ~oOo~

  “So what do you think about the place?” Neal asked Brandi as they sat together on the couch.

  “Are you kidding me, it’s beautiful. I love it!!” Neal moved in closer to her. Brandi’s body stiffened a little. She could feel his breath on the side of her face.

  “You’re beautiful.” Neal turned Brandi’s face to his and softly placed a kiss on her lips. She looked into his passion filled eyes. She moved closer to his mouth, inviting him to kiss her again, he accepted. He sucked on her bottom lip. Brandi moaned with delight. They kissed passionately barely breaking for air. He slowly moved to her neck, biting gently then soothing the area with his tongue. Brandi encouraged him by lifting up her head, exposing more of her neck. She liked to be bitten; it reminded her of those vampire movies she loved to watch. Take me. As if Neal had read her mind, he bit her deeply on her neck, sucking harder this time. A whimper escaped Brandi’s mouth as her eyes rolled in pleasure.

  Heat rose between her legs. Lucky for her she had on a short skirt. She opened her legs, to let some air circulate between her thighs; Neal, however, saw this as an invitation for his hand to come play. He slowly moved his hand up her thighs as he kissed her lips. He reached his destination and gently massaged her clit through her panties. It didn’t take long for her panties to become wet. Drenched.

  Neal stood up, took off his shirt and his basketball shorts. Brandi never took her eyes off him. He wore Calvin Klein dark gray boxer briefs. Brandi loved the sight of his chiseled body. She reached up to massage the huge bulge in the front of his boxers. It had been awhile since she’d had a sexy man naked in front of her. A seductive smile spread across her face.

  She slowly took his cock out of its hiding place; she was ready to play. She pulled his underwear down so that he could step out of them. He stood over her as she took him into her mouth. Just the head at first, sucking gently, she then rolled the back of her tongue around the tip. Neal’s body shivered in response to her teasing. When Brandi put him back into her mouth, she tasted his sweet juices. She moaned. She used her mouth and hands to massage him, making sure to keep it nice and wet.

  Just when she was about to take him deeper into her mouth, Neal stepped back, pulled her to her feet, picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. He placed her down on his bed then reached into the nightstand and pulled out a condom. He ripped open the package with his teeth, and rolled the condom down onto his cock. He watched her watch him. He smiled at her as he climbed onto the bed. Brandi opened her legs wide to accept him in. He lifted her skirt, pulled her panties to the side, and rubbed the head of his cock between her legs until she was slippery again.

  Brandi exhaled when he finally entered her. Deep. Slow. Long. He filled her up. He fit perfectly inside her. It was like he was made for her. The missing piece to her puzzle. He went in and out, slowly. She took in all of him.

  “Neal….faster baby…faster!” Neal pushed Brandi’s legs back; her knees were against her chest. This gave Neal room to go deeper. He pounded against her, fast and hard. Brandi dug her nails into his back, mouth wide open but no sound escaped. When she found her voice again, all she could do was whisper his name. Neal rested his forehead on the pillow beside her head; Brandi sucked on his earlobe. Neal moaned. The more she sucked on his ear, the harder and faster his thrusts became.

  Brandi’s body responded to his thrusts in a way she had never experienced before. A deep pain slash pleasure burned inside of her vagina. She wanted to cry and smile all at the same time. For the first time, she was about to have a true orgasm.

  “Neal baby….I’m coming! I’m coming baby!” Neal moved even faster….faster…faster….they both howled to the ceiling…speaking in a language only lustful lovers could understand.

  “OH MY GOSH!!!” Brandi screamed into the air as they climaxed together. Brandi’s legs were weak, she could barely move. Neal rolled over onto his back. She looked over at him. They both laughed, breathlessly.

  ~oOo~

  Within in minutes Brandi fell into a deep sleep. Neal moved closer to her and covered their bodies with the sheet. He brushed, lightly, strands of hair from her face. For a few seconds, he took in her beauty; delicate flavors of Japanese blossoms floated in the air, he put his face closer to her and inhaled her scent. Mmmm. Her mouth was so sexy, the way her lips parted a little while she slept; those full, soft l
uscious lips that were just made for kissing. He was tempted to stroke her smooth, caramel skin; skin as soft as cotton, but was afraid to wake her. He just watched her. He wanted to hold her, to cuddle up beside her, to feel her breath on his eyelashes as he lay beneath her…he just wanted her.

  This wasn’t something new to Neal, but it was a forgotten feeling. He hadn’t allowed himself to like anyone in a long time; the truth of the matter was, until now, he hadn’t met a woman worth liking. Brandi changed that, she made him feel again. He knew Brandi had just gotten out of a relationship and she was not trying to get involved again, anytime soon; that was fine with Neal, because he had felt the same way. But now, he’s not so sure. He never felt this way with Yoanna. After just one night with Brandi, the ice started to melt from his heart. He was in big trouble. He wrote this game, he made the rules, and now he was about to break the number one rule: letting his emotions get involved.

  Chapter 7

  Brandi woke up to the wonderful aroma of bacon. She sat up on her elbows in the bed. She was alone in the dark room, still naked underneath the sheets. She looked behind her head and picked up the remote off one of the shelves on the headboard. She pressed the button to open the shades, the sunlight burst into the room. Brandi got out the bed and walked over to the window. The view still took her breath away. She wished this was her real home. She imagined inviting Chloe and some of her girlfriends over for Girl’s Night In, playing board games, drinking wine, and maybe even having one of those lingerie parties. Chloe would love this place.

  The grumbling of her stomach cut her daydreaming short. She picked up her clothing from the floor beside the bed, and tip-toed out of the room into her bathroom across the hall. She wanted to freshen up a little before heading into the kitchen where the delicious smell of a home cooked breakfast waited for her. A nice cashmere, white robe hung on the back of the bathroom door. Perfect.

  She washed her face and combed her hair. Should she rinse her mouth with mouthwash to get rid of her morning breath? But then that would taint the taste of her food that she was about to devour. She would just grab a glass of orange juice; the citrus flavor would mask any unpleasantness that may be lingering from the night before. Brandi headed to the kitchen. Neal stood over the stove, bare chested in pajama pants, scrambling eggs. Sexy.

  “Good morning, sir.” She smiled at him as she sat down on the bar stool behind him.

  “Good morning Sunshine! How did you sleep?” Neal placed the scrambled eggs onto two plates, both already adorned with strips of bacon, biscuits, and pieces of fresh pineapples, strawberries and kiwi.

  Brandi grabbed a piece of pineapple, one of her favorite fruits, and popped it into her mouth. “I slept well, thanks. I must have been tired from the move, because I don’t even remember going to sleep.”

  Neal handed her the plate of food that she had already picked fruit from. He walked over to the fridge, “You want orange juice, apple juice or water?” He held the door of the fridge open, with a glass in his hand.

  Even his back looked good. Brandi followed a trail of hair from the middle of his back down into his pants. She shook her head. Man…Brandi looked up to find Neal starting back at her. “Oh…umm, orange juice is fine. Thanks.” He smiled.

  Seconds later, they were both sitting at the kitchen island, devouring their breakfast. “Thanks Neal, you didn’t have to cook me breakfast, I may get used to this.”

  “Well, I normally don’t cook a girl breakfast after a night of passionate sex, she’s usually the one in the kitchen, but whew, girl….last night was amazing!”

  Brandi giggled into her glass of juice. It had been amazing, but to hear Neal actually say it, boosted her confidence level up to the roof. “Well, I’m glad that you were pleased, Mr. Calhoun. The pleasure was all mine.”

  Their playful banter was interrupted by a text that Brandi received on her cell phone. She picked it up as she shoved the last piece of bacon into her mouth. Jason.

  Hey Brandi, I know u r still mad. Can u please talk to me? I’m sorry baby. I love u. Please call me back.

  She sighed as she put down her phone.

  ~oOo~

  “What’s wrong?” Neal asked, as he gathered their plates and took them to the sink.

  “Oh, nothing. Just my ex texting me; trying to get me to call him. I hadn’t heard from him in like two weeks. I thought he was really getting over it. You know what they say, when a man senses another man coming to play in his sandbox, he starts paying attention again. Maybe he sensed your presence, Mr. Calhoun.” Brandi walked over to Neal.

  “Well, are you going to give him another chance?” Neal couldn’t believe he had asked that question, more surprisingly that he even cared to get an answer.

  Brandi took the kitchen towel out of Neal’s hand and placed it on the counter. She untied her robe, took Neal’s right hand and placed it between her legs. Warmth emanated from between her thighs. “Let’s not talk about my ex, I have more interesting things we can do in mind.”

  She kissed his chest, making small circles with her tongue around his nipples while he massaged her sweet spot. Within seconds it was like a slip-n-slide between her legs. Neal picked her up, placed her up on the counter, pulling her body close to the edge. Her legs spread wide like an eagle, he buried his face into her sweetness, licking her like an ice cream cone. He was determined to make this session all about Brandi. Although he wanted to go deep inside her, he wanted more to let her know that he’s not a selfish lover. She had mentioned how selfish her ex was when it came to sex, there was hardly any foreplay unless she was doing it to him.

  The last girl he was this intimate with was his ex, Tori. Neal looked up as Brandi’s head fell back against the cabinet; her legs trembled from excitement as Neal held them up with both hands. Every time her body shook, Neal got harder. He massaged her clit with his tongue, making love to her with his mouth.

  Brandi danced on Neal’s tongue until she reached climax. With a proud grin, Neal got up off his knees, mouth glistening, and kissed Brandi deeply.

  He held her face, looking into her sexy eyes, “This is my sandbox.” He pecked her on the lips and walked out the kitchen.

  Chapter 8

  Brandi stumbled into the condo, hands filled with grocery bags from Trader Joe’s. Neal rushed over to help her out.

  “Brandi, you should’ve called me so I could’ve helped you carry these bags, girl.” He carried a bag in each hand into the kitchen. “What’s this?” He peeked into each bag as he placed them on the counter.

  “I’m making you dinner since you made me breakfast. It’s just something light. My mom always made a really nice pasta salad for us on those summer days when she didn’t want to be in front of the stove too long. She normally makes it with thin spaghetti noodles, pan seared chicken strips, bell peppers, onions, and red wine vinaigrette dressing. You toss it all up, serve warm and there you go! I don’t eat wheat so I’m using black bean pasta instead. Hope that’s okay with you?”

  “Wow…yea, that’s fine. I love black beans, so I’m sure I’ll like the pasta. I’m just surprised you’re cooking. I can’t remember the last time I had a woman cook for me…even Yoanna never cooked for me.” He laughed.

  “Well, I’m not Yoanna,” Brandi said, matter-of-factly.

  “No, you are not, my dear. No. you. are. not.” He watched her as she took the groceries out of the bags. That was the thing that scared Neal the most; Brandi was not like Yoanna, in a lot of ways. That also made this “arrangement” more difficult than he thought it would be.

  “Okay, Neal, do you want wine or beer?”

  “You know I actually like when you call me Mr. Calhoun, it sounds so damn sexy coming from you.” He leaned over the island and placed a wet one on her lips.

  “Well, Mr. Calhoun, beer or wine?”

  “Whatever you’re having my dear.” Brandi poured them both a glass of wine, they toasted each other and she shooed Neal out of the kitchen so she could get started cooking.r />
  Neal looked for candles in his bedroom while Brandi prepared dinner. He wasn’t really the candle type but Yoanna had left some behind when she moved out. He pulled down the shoebox from his shelf in his closet; there were two medium sized red, cinnamon scented candles in the box, along with a long lighter with a handle and a few tea light candles.

  Neal took out the two cinnamon candles and the lighter. He walked into the dining room, and grabbed two small, glass saucers that Yoanna used to use as candle holders from his dining buffet. He placed the lit candles on the dining table then walked into the kitchen to check on Brandi.