by Jane, Eliza
I place my hand over her heart and feel it thumping wildly. I love knowing I do that to her. Just me. I never would have thought having a girlfriend had so many perks. But Taylor’s showing me things I never realized I was missing. I work my hand under her shirt, caressing the soft curve of her stomach, but avoiding her hips where she’s ticklish, knowing she’ll swat me if I tickle her right now. I push her shirt up, and she squirms on the bed, helping me. “Can this come off?” I murmur against her mouth, not wanting to break the kiss even to talk. She nods.
I sit up with her, and quickly strip her of her shirt. My fingers hesitant for a second at the back clasp of her bra, then she nods again and I unhook it and toss it on the floor with my clothes.
I can tell she’s nervous being undressed around me, but I want her know how beautiful she is. I stop kissing her, and hold her face carefully a few inches from mine. “You’re amazing.” She looks down, blushing. “I love how soft you are.” I trail my fingers along her upper arms. “And I love the way you smell.” I press my nose and mouth to her neck, tasting as I go. “I want to kiss every part of you,” I say against her neck. She lets out a soft moan at my words. “And I can. Because you are mine.” She smiles up at me, relaxing just a bit. “So beautiful,” I murmur against her lips.
She crushes her mouth to mine, kissing me intensely. Our tongues meld together in pure heat and energy. She’s breathing hard and pinned underneath me. The contact of her skin against mine is heaven. She wraps her legs around my waist, drawing me even closer and groans when our hips meet and grind together. I find the button of her jeans and undo it. “Can these come off?”
She blinks up at me, hesitating as she considers it.
“I need to be closer to you, baby.”
She smiles at my words and nods, too eagerly. I take a break from kissing her for just a second, and remove her jeans. I leave her panties on. Those really need to stay on if I’m serious about her setting the pace. Even though I feel like I’m about to explode.
She wraps her legs around me again, and her bare legs skim against my back, coupled with the very little fabric now separating us nearly pushes me over the edge.
Chapter 9
Taylor
I’m dressed in just my panties, happily grinding against Colt, getting lost in his kisses, his caresses. I wrap my legs around him and he grips my hips, lifting me and pulling me closer. He lets out a groan. “Fuck, Taylor.”
His voice makes my insides go all molten. Despite loving that well placed swear word, I swat his chest, just to tease him. “Don’t curse.”
He groans kisses me again.
I know he said that I’d set the pace, but I feel anything but in control right now. My heart is pounding painfully in my chest. I don’t think I’ve ever been this turned on.
And that scares me. I don’t want to mess up what Colt and I have. Though I’m not still worried he’ll get bored of me after we have sex, it does still lurk somewhere in the back of my mind.
“Colt.” I push his shoulders back. “Colt, stop.”
He looks up at me with pain and confusion. He looks alarmed at the idea of having to stop. I feel bad. But not bad enough to make me do something I’m not ready to do.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice husky.
“I’m sorry. I thought I was ready. But I’m not.” I look down.
He rolls over and pulls in a deep lungful of air. “Okay. That’s fine. Sorry, I just got a little carried away.”
“Are you sure?” I mumble, feeling stupid.
He snuggles me securely to his side. “Of course, everything’s fine. Better than fine. You just do insane things to my body, but I promise I’m fine.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead, then gets off the bed to gather up my clothes.
Chapter 10
Colt
I’ve arranged all the details for our trip, and covered everything with Vera for while I’m away. Last month I sold the last of McAllister’s stock from his shady stock that skyrocketed thanks to orchestrating the oil spill. I donated the $1.9 million anonymously to the oil clean-up effort, just like Taylor wanted. It was the right thing to do, but the lack of income producing cases was starting to concern me. The sooner I could get this London deal secured, the better I would feel. I still had to deal with telling Taylor about Bria. I know I shouldn’t have put it off for so long, but it never seemed like the right time. Every time we were alone, my phone was going off with another girl calling. That shit had to stop.
I open the door and pull Taylor inside. Coming down here after lights out was quickly becoming our habit. One we’d have to break soon, because tonight was my last night in town for a little while. I had to tell her about Bria tonight. And I hope the gift I picked out would make up, at least in part, for how mad she was going to be.
“Come here. I got you something.”
I lead her to the bed, where I’ve wrapped a shoebox in silver paper.
“You got me a gift?” Her eyebrows dart up in surprise, and she smiles.
“Yep. It’s for both of us, actually.”
She tears into the paper, and lifts the lid from the box. Nestled inside are two identical smart phones. “Cell phones?”
She picks one up.
“One for you, and one for me. So we can keep in touch better while I’m away. I activated them both with international calling.”
She smiles.
“And the best part? I changed my number. I have like four contacts in there now. You, Reis, Mrs. Lee, and a few people from the school.”
She laughs, and throws her arms around my shoulders. “That was sweet of you. Thanks.”
She laughs it off, but we both know what it means: No more random calls for girls from my past.
Chapter 11
Taylor
Colt’s new phone is far more significant than just a new piece of technology. It means he’s giving up his past. He’s walking away from all of that. For me. I’ve thought a lot about our first time together over the last few weeks, and as we’ve continued to grow closer each day, I know I’m ready. I want to share everything with him. With him going away, our relationship will be tested sooner than I thought, but I know we’ll be fine. I want to take this step with him before he leaves, to show him that I trust him, and like he’s shown me with the new phone that I’m in this relationship completely.
After opening my gift, I lay across his bed, playing with my new phone. He seems distracted, probably at the thought of going away for several weeks. His suitcases are packed and placed near the door, reminding me of our limited time together.
He lays down next to me on the bed, and I tuck my head under his chin. His arms wrap around me, and our legs automatically intertwine as we both seek to get closer.
“How long will you be gone?”
He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Not sure yet. A few weeks.”
“I have something I wanted to tell you tonight.”
He leans back so he can see my face. “Okay. I have something I wanted to tell you too.”
I smile. “Me first.”
He nods.
“I’m ready,” I whisper near his ear.
His muscles tense at my touch. “No.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “I’m fine, baby.”
“Well you might be fine waiting, but I’m not. I want to, Colt. Don’t make me beg.”
He studies my eyes, checking for any signs of wavering. I stare back at him, sure of my decision. “I want this. Trust me, okay?” I kiss him quickly, pulling back to see his reaction.
“Are you sure?”
I nod, meeting his eyes.
His breathing goes shallow and he nuzzles into my neck, planting soft kisses all along my jaw. “You are amazing. I am the luckiest guy in the world.”
My stomach tightens in anticipation, waiting and wondering what’s going to happen next. Being with Colt is nothing like being with Wes. Where Wes was clumsy and nervous with sweat coated palms, Colt is confident and relaxed. “I guess there’s a
benefit to your history with other girls. You know what you’re doing,” I murmur at his touches.
“There’s never been any other girls but you.”
I pull back for a second, and smirk at him.
“I’m serious,” he says. “None of that mattered to me anyways. But this…this is important to me. I’ve never had sex with it meaning something more. So this will sort of be a first for me.”
I smile at his words, and lean down to kiss him again.
We kiss passionately for several minutes, until I’m panting at the anticipation of going farther. When Colt’s hands find my hips and pull me closer, I groan against his mouth.
He pulls back sharply. “It doesn’t have to be tonight.” At my frown, he continues. “We don’t have to stop yet, but we also don’t have to go any further. Okay?”
“Stop backing out. If you don’t want to sleep with me…”
He chuckles, low and deep in his throat. “Yeah, that’s it.” He shakes his head, kissing me again.
Sensing that Colt may still need more convincing, I take matters into my own hands. I want to show him that I am ready. I pull my shirt over my head and drop it on the floor. I’ve been shirtless in front of him before, but never without a bra. I reach back to undo it, fumbling with the clasp. Colt’s fingers find mine and the clasp springs free. I chuckle. Yes, he is good at this. He pulls his shirt off over his head, tossing it onto the floor, along with my bra. It doesn’t even occur to me to be self-conscious. I want this with him. He pulls me to him and the contact of our chests rising and falling together is amazing.
“Do you have protection?” I breathe.
“Shh. We don’t have to do this.”
I force his chin up to meet my eyes, glaring at him. “Don’t make me beg.”
He reaches into the nightstand beside the bed and removes a square package, setting in on the bed beside us.
My stomach is a ball of nerves. Seeing that package makes this all more real.
His hands roam up my back, starting at the base of my spine and massaging as he moves up. We continue kissing while I plot my next move, and push down the tingle of nerves in my stomach.
His cell phone buzzes loudly, vibrating on the night stand. At first annoyance flares inside me, then I remember, hardly anyone has his new phone number. “That’s your new phone. Should we see who it is?” I murmur against his mouth.
Instead of answering, his tongue caresses mine, coaxing my mouth open as he deepens the kiss.
The second time the phone buzzes, I reach for it with my free hand, wondering who has his new number. “Bria?” I read the screen.
He stops kissing me abruptly and reaches for the phone. I hold it tight and read the text.
Hey hotstuff. What should I pack for London?
What the hell? Colt reads the text over my shoulder and winces. He didn’t want me to see this. He didn’t want me to know she was going to London with him.
“Bria’s going?”
I wait for him to deny it, to explain it’s just a coincidence. But he says nothing.
“And you hid it from me?”
His face falls, knowing he’s fucked up big time.
My stomach drops.
I reach for my bra and shirt, grabbing them from the floor and struggle with getting my bra on correctly. I’m so angry my hands are shaking. And to think, I was going to sleep with him tonight. Once I finally have my bra clasped, I thrust my head through my shirt, it’s inside-out, but I don’t care.
“Taylor, wait,” he pleads.
I spin around and face him, challenging him to try and explain this.
“It’s not like that, baby.” He reaches for my hand.
I pull it back. “Don’t. Call. Me. That.”
He balls his hand into a fist. “I needed to bring another agent with me, and I needed her negotiation skills to I can secure this deal, Taylor. It’s critical for the school that I land this.”
“I know that, Colt. We’re not disputing that you need to go to London. Or even the fact that Bria is going with you. I know she works here. What I’m angry about is that you kept it from me.”
He drops his head, running his hands through his hair so it sticks up at a crazy angle in the back. “I was going to tell you tonight,” he whispers. “But you kind of distracted me.”
“That’s even worse, Colt. You were going to go through with my plan for tonight – with this hanging over us? This is a big deal for me. How can I trust you now?”
“I’m sorry, baby.”
His phone buzzes again with a new text from Bria. I realize I’m still gripping it in my hand.
You there? It says.
“Here. Your new phone.” I toss the phone at him, and leave the room.
Chapter 12
Colt
Bria is sitting on the bottom stair in the foyer, waiting for me with her head in her hands. I share her sentiment. It’s entirely too early to be up. But we have a six o’clock flight, and need to be to the airport extra early for the international flight.
“I want to say goodbye to Taylor. Wait here for me?”
She nods, barely looking up.
I jog up the stairs to the third floor dorms and peek inside. It’s dark and silent. I stride over to Taylor’s bed and watch her sleep for a few seconds. I don’t know what she’s dreaming about, but a little line creases her forehead, like she’s worried about something, even in her sleep. I smooth it out with my thumb. She blinks her eyes open at the contact. “Hey,” I whisper down at her.
“Hi,” she murmurs. For just a second she forgets she’s mad at me, and that I’m leaving today and she grins up at me, sleepily, happy. I can see the exact moment it dawns on her. Her happy little smile falls and that line etches in between her brows.
“I just wanted to say goodbye.” I bend down and touch my lips to her forehead, right over the crease. “I hate leaving when you’re mad at me.”
Someone in bed next to her turns over, rousing at my voice. Taylor gestures to the hall. I wait there while she gets up and puts on her robe. Then she joins me in the hall. “You didn’t have to get up.”
She yawns. “I just didn’t want you to wake everyone up with your groveling apology.”
“If that’s what you want, you got it, baby. I am sorry, you know that, honey.”
She stays quiet. I know I won’t get out of this one easy. “You want to walk me out?”
She nods. “Sure.”
We reach the bottom of the stairs and Bria is there, slinging a bag over her shoulder. She’s in bright pink sweatpants with the word sexy printed across her behind and her thong peeks from the waistband. I flick my eyes to Taylor. She noticed it too and her eyebrows pull together in frustration. Shit.
“Bria, wait in the car for me.”
She nods and leaves us alone in the foyer.
I take Taylor in my arms, giving her a squeeze. “Please don’t be mad at me. I know I constantly fuck up, and that my past sucks, and I’m not at all good at being a boyfriend, but I want to be. Give me another chance, baby.”
She steps back from my arms, looking up and studying my face. The words hang heavily between us, charged with the early morning hour and the fact that I’m leaving with Bria. She’s quiet. I don’t know if I expected her to forgive me so easily, but the fact that she doesn’t say anything stings more than I thought it would.
Then she presses a soft kiss to my lips. “We’ll talk when you get back.”
I attempt a smile, but it feels wrong. I hate that I fucked this up. I fish my new cell phone from my pocket. “I’ll call you every day. Okay?”
She nods.
“And we can email.” She offers a small, sad smile. I stuff the phone back in my pocket. And head out after Bria, feeling like a total jackass.
Chapter 13
Taylor
I transfer a scoop of scrambled eggs and two strips of bacon from the warming tray to my plate and follow MJ and Logan to our table.
I stab a forkful
of overcooked eggs and MJ and Logan exchange a look.
“What?” I grumble around the eggs.
MJ lifts her right eyebrow, which now sports a tiny barbell. “Now that Colt’s gone, you’re going to be bitchy?”
I swallow down the bite of eggs. “No.” Then stab another forkful. I’m going to make the best of it, but my lack of sleep last night after the Bria incident and then waking up at the crack of dawn when Colt said goodbye had left me drained.
Britt hovers near our table, laughing loudly into her cell phone. “You’re just getting to bed? Damn girl.”
Clearly her friends are just as classy as she is. Britt graduated last year and is now an associate agent. Her failed attempts at seducing Colt last year mean she and I do not see eye to eye. “Well good luck dislodging the stick from Colt’s ass.”
At the mention of his name, I lift my head. She must be talking to Bria.
Britt continues and my eyes follow her across the room. “The London Tower at sunset sounds so romantic! Aw, B, you are so lucky!”
I grip my can of Diet Coke, crinkling the aluminum in my grasp.
“Breathe, Taylor,” MJ reminds me. “You know those bitches are just doing it to get a reaction from you. Don’t play into their trap.”
I pull a deep breath into my lungs, fighting to clear my head. I know MJs right. Britt and Bria have little in the way of self-control or self-respect. They’re two years older than me, but conduct themselves like complete amateurs.
“Besides the London Tower was a prison, it’s not romantic,” MJ adds.
Britt saunters away, saying goodbye to Bria and my heart rate struggles to return to normal.
A look passes between MJ and Logan. They’re concerned about me. But I’m dead set on proving them wrong. I’m not one of those pathetic stalker girlfriends cataloging her boyfriends every move.
“So Reis has a soccer game this Friday. You guys want to come with me?”
“You mean Boyfriend Junior?” Logan laughs.
Because Reis looks so much like Colt, MJ and Logan have taken to calling him Boyfriend Junior.
