by Jewel E. Ann
He kisses me again, and again, and again.
“Bye.” He smiles and kisses my forehead.
“Bye.” I wait until he closes the door, then I sit down on my bed hugging my knees to my chest. There’s nothing worse than being alone with my thoughts. I should be thrilled. Earlier today I planned on handing my virginity to Chance in the least romantic way possible: half clothed on his couch. Instead, I ended up with Oliver and he made me feel beautiful, sexy, and amazing. So why am I sad?
I look up as I hear my door open.
Oliver grins. “You could throw some clothes in an overnight bag and come take a bath at my house … with me.”
Once again, the world stops turning. It’s just us.
*
Oliver
Vivian insists on a bubble bath. I insist my non-SLS soap would not make very many bubbles. Nearly a full bottle of body wash later, we have a weak layer of bubbles floating around us, but Vivian seems nonetheless pleased.
After our bath, I’m equally as pleased to have her naked body next to mine in my California king-sized bed.
“I should have brought my pillow.”
I offer her my arm. She rests her head on it as I pull her close.
“Can I ask why you have such an aversion to pillows? Bad neck or something?”
“It’s something from my past to be shared in the future, just not now.”
She tilts her head up and kisses my jaw, a non-verbal acceptance of my vague explanation. I know that won’t always be the case. I can’t remember the last time I felt this content … maybe never.
Creatures of habit like my dad and I don’t need alarms. The sunrise calls to me, so I reluctantly leave the naked woman next to me to go out on my deck and welcome a new day. After I feel the official beginning, the end of another darkness, I run to Dunks and get doughnuts and coffee.
Vivian is still asleep by the time I return, and I can’t believe the way she’s managed to spread her long body diagonally across my bed. I assumed someone who slept in a twin every night would stay huddled on the edge. So much for that theory.
I set breakfast on the nightstand and remove my shirt and shorts before finding a small section of the bed in which to lie next to her. She’s sleeping on her stomach with her tangled hair hiding her face. I have an unobstructed view of her back. Of course I’m curious about her scars, but I won’t ask. That might be her past to be shared in the future, just not today. I lean over her and kiss one of the closed blossoms hiding a scar, then another, and another.
“Oli,” she says in a groggy voice.
I move lower and kiss the soft curve of her ass. “Did you just call me Oli?”
“Mmmhmm.” She draws in an audible breath then flips over and sits up. Her nipples are pebbled, and her raven hair is everywhere and so damn sexy. My already hard dick pulses. I tried to play it cool last night, like bathing with her and sleeping next to her naked wasn’t torturing me. How stupid am I?
“I smell doughnuts.” She whips her head around and grabs the box.
“Doughnuts? Only you would smell doughnuts in a box before steamy coffee.”
She flips open the lid and grins so big.
Thump, thump, thump … my dick pulses.
“Boston Kreme.” She swipes some chocolate frosting off the top and sucks it slowly off her finger. “Mmm …”
Thump, thump, thump.
I grab my coffee and take a sip, hoping the caffeine will counteract the effect she’s having on me.
She sticks her finger in the hole and moves it around before pulling out the creamy filling and sucking it off with a soft moan while she closes her eyes.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!
I choke on my coffee as it scorches my tongue and the roof of my mouth.
“You okay?”
I nod, setting the coffee back on the nightstand while clearing my throat. She sticks her finger back in that damn hole.
“Stop!”
Her eyes go wide and she sticks her coated finger in her mouth again. “Stop what?” she mumbles around it.
Her innocence in the matter only makes things worse. There’s nothing sexier than a woman who doesn’t know she’s sexy.
“This!” I pull her finger out of her mouth and stick it in mine then ease it out rolling my tongue around it. “Finger-fucking your doughnut. Stop. Finger-fucking. Your. Doughnut.”
She giggles. “That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Yes, that is what you’re doing and it’s …”
She takes a slow, seductive lick of the frosting off the top. “It’s what?” I swear she purrs the words.
“Nothing.” I shake my head.
Vivian cocks hers to the side. “Does watching me eat this doughnut turn you on, Oli?”
“What’s with the Oli? And what do you think?” I gesture to my erection straining against my briefs.
She wets her lips and grins while pushing me back on the bed. I see the mischief dancing in those alluring eyes as she frees me from my briefs. Straddling my legs, she sits up straight and swipes her tongue through the frosting on her doughnut again.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!
Then she sticks her finger in the hole and pulls out a glob of cream filling and wipes it on my dick.
“What? Ah, don’t do that—” I start to protest until she licks me and … oh God … sucks … it … off me. “Yes, oh … do that … please … do … that …”
*
We sit in bed and finish our coffee, and Vivian finishes her doughnut like she didn’t just lick and suck half of it off my dick. There must be some serious health code violation that just happened, but she left me with too big of a smile on my face to really give a damn.
“I fell into the smoldering embers of a campfire my senior year. It was an accident. I lost six inches of my hair and had third-degree burns.”
Um … okay. I guess we’re talking about this.
Speechless. I didn’t think she’d open up so soon. In a way relief washes over me. My mind had conjured up so many different scenarios, some of them involving abuse.
“Skin grafts were an option, but they weren’t needed to prevent infection so I chose not to have the procedure. The donor tissue would have been from my legs, leaving a whole new area of scaring.”
I take her cup and set it down next to mine then pull her between my legs so her back is to me. She gathers her hair and pulls it to one side in front of her shoulder, and I feel this whole new responsibility.
Trust.
Vivian has let me into her life and shown me a part of her that very few people have ever seen. She’s given me her trust and now she’s showing me everything because she trusts that I will accept her and protect the most vulnerable part of her.
I trace my fingers along the branches and over the blossoms, feeling the uneven terrain from her scars. She turns and looks at me. A hint of uncertainty still lingers in her tensed eyes. I smile and kiss her shoulder.
“No take backs,” I whisper.
*
Vivian freshens up in my bathroom while I clean up the pillow disaster and assess the damage to my phone. It’s amazing that she’s still here. My behavior yesterday had to be a little frightening to someone who hasn’t known me for long.
“You working today or buying a new phone?”
I look up to see her coming down the stairs in her very short shorts, a tank top, and her hair tied back into submission. “Both.” I hold up my shattered phone. “This isn’t me. What you saw yesterday … I’m not usually a violent person.”
She shrugs and hops up on the counter, grabbing my shirt while pulling me between her legs. “This morning, what I did…” she grins “…I don’t usually lick Boston Kreme filling off my neighbor’s cock.”
I devour the skin on her neck, working my way up to those lips, the same lips that, yes, were wrapped around my cock an hour earlier. My hands can’t resist cupping her breasts and when she moans and leans her head to the side inviting more of my touch, I rea
lize I’m starting something that I don’t have time to finish, and said cock is not going to be too happy with me.
“We should get going.” My words don’t sound very convincing.
She wraps her legs around my waist. “Are you sure?”
I grab her ankles and free myself from her suggestive proposition. “Unfortunately, yes, I’m sure.”
“Dinner later?” Her hopeful eyes widen.
“I have dinner with my parents later. Maybe you could come over after I get back.”
She purses her lips and nods once. “Actually, it slipped my mind. I have plans tonight.”
“You do?”
She hops off the counter. “Yep.”
“Okay, well I’ll be at the Boat Club with my dad in the morning, but we could do something in the afternoon.”
She stretches up on her toes and kisses me. “Sounds good. So I’ll see you tomorrow unless we run into each other before then.”
“You taking the T this morning?”
She opens the door. “I catch a ride with Alex on Saturdays.”
I nod, a little perplexed by her aloof attitude.
Chapter Nine
All in the Family
Vivian
Never underestimate a woman whose goal in life is to be the next Amazon. Oliver is smart and has the paper certificate from Harvard to prove it¸ but I’m driven and right now that trumps his law degree. The most successful people in life know there’s more than one way to get invited to the exclusive events. Today, that’s me.
“So my brain’s a little fuzzy. Let me just see if I have this straight.” Alex watches me water the fruit trees while she sips her drink and lounges in one of the display Adirondack chairs. “Oliver swooped in and took you away from Chance last night to take your virginity himself. And now you’re crazy about him, but he didn’t invite you to dinner at his parents’ tonight so you’re going with Chance since he did invite you?”
“Basically.”
“How did you get Chance to agree to still take you?”
“I baited him. I called and apologized for last night and as expected he said he’d see me tonight, naturally assuming Oliver would be bringing me. When I told him I hadn’t received an invite he reminded me that I had received one from him at dinner last night. I acted unsure about going, but he insisted and said Oliver sometimes needs a little nudge.”
“I’ve gotta say, I underestimated you, Flower.”
“Everyone does.” I throw her a sly grin.
“Do you think Oliver is going to be mad when he finds out?”
“Maybe, but I’ve got that covered.”
Alex rolls her eyes. “I expect a full report tomorrow.”
I spray the water at her and she squeals. “I expect you to get off your ass and help out today!”
“Okay, okay, okay!” She leaps out of the chair and scurries off.
*
Chance picks me up at the end of the street. Of course I am secretly thrilled he wants this to be a surprise to Oliver as much as I do.
“Hey, Viv, has my bonehead brother left yet?” Chance asks as I get in his truck.
“No, his car is still in the street. Did you two get along today?”
Chance laughs. “Yes. I didn’t even give him shit about cock blocking me last night, but you really should have told me about the two of you.”
I grimace. “I know, sorry. He’s just so …”
“Stubborn? Frustrating? Bullheaded?”
I giggle. “Yes, yes, and yes. Yet, I like him … a lot.”
Chance gives me a quick sideways glance and smiles. “He likes you too. The idiot looked like the Joker from Batman today with a stupid smirk plastered to his face.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
We arrive at their parents’ house and a bad case of nerves creeps up on me as Chance leads me up the cobblestone drive to their all brick two-story hidden by a forest of tall trees. My heart pulses in my throat and my palms are sweaty—great for first time introductions.
“Don’t be nervous. They’re going to love you, and when they find out you’re really with Oliver they’re going to love you even more.”
I squint at him. “Why would that be?”
“He needs you more than I do.” Chance opens the door and ushers me in before I get the opportunity to say anything else.
His parents are out back sipping wine and relaxing in an outdoor oasis that resembles something I’ve seen on Home and Garden TV—a jungle of flowers, ivy, bird feeders, and illuminated lanterns hanging from tree branches.
“Hey, this is my friend, Vivian. She works at The Green Pot where I get most of my supplies. She also lives across the street from Oliver.”
His mom greets me first as they both stand. “Vivian, lovely to meet you. I’m Jackie and this is my husband, Hugh.”
She curls her blond-highlighted chin-length hair behind her ear. Her tall, lean frame resembles mine, and her blue eyes match both her sons’. Hugh smiles down at me from his even taller stature. He has a completely bald head and hazel-gray eyes.
I shake both of their hands. “You too. You have a lovely home. Thanks for having me.”
Jackie waves off my comment. “We’re so glad Chance invited you. It can get a little boring around here with my three guys talking baseball and rowing. This place could use a little more estrogen.”
I laugh as the nervous tension evaporates.
“Can I offer you some wine?” Hugh holds out a glass of red wine.
I take it. “Yes, thank you.”
“Please have a seat, dinner will be ready soon.” Jackie gestures to the circle of floral pillowed chairs surrounding a stone-masoned fire pit.
“Ah, here he comes.” Hugh stands and walks into the house leaving the porch door open.
“Your brother brought a mutual friend, she’s out back.” I hear Hugh say to Oliver.
“Who’s that?” Oliver comes to an abrupt halt at the back door when his eyes meet mine.
I smile and try to read his face, but tonight it’s void, not a hint of emotion.
Chance hands him a bottle of beer and pats him on the back. “Yesterday I invited Viv to dinner. I assumed she was coming with you tonight, but when we chatted on the phone earlier she said you hadn’t mentioned it. I assured her it was an oversight on your part and insisted she come.”
I thought this was a good idea, but now Oliver’s brow tenses. He looks shocked and maybe … disappointed? My heart plummets into my stomach.
“Have a seat, sweetie,” Jackie says to Oliver. “I’m going to bring the salad out while Chance helps your dad with the grill.
Chance squeezes Oliver’s shoulder then walks over toward Hugh by the grill. Jackie leans up and kisses Oliver’s cheek as she passes him on her way back into the house.
He walks toward me where I now sit alone by the fire. I wish he’d smile or say something to let me know that last night happened and I’m not his dirty little secret. He takes a swig of his beer, sets it down, and holds out his hand to me. I take it and he pulls me to my feet, but then he whispers in my ear and my feet no longer touch the ground with his words taking me so far beyond the confinements of gravity.
“You look beautiful.” He kisses my ear. “I’m an ass. I should have invited you.” Then in a move that leaves me speechless, he kisses me. Not a quick kiss, a slow kiss that makes a statement. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
I smile and blink back the tears. This was my game and he’s turned the tables and taken control of the night. Fine with me.
I hear someone clear their throat and we both turn. His parents and Chance are all watching us.
“I didn’t tell Mom and Dad that Viv is more than just your friend, but I think they know now.” Chance grins and to my surprise, and relief, so do his parents.
Oliver pulls me into his arms and looks down at me with mischief playing across his lips. “Yes, we’re more than friends. We’re neighbors.” He winks at me.
; “Well, let’s eat,” Hugh says.
Oliver holds my hand and leads me to the table. Jackie stares at us both, and I swear I see tears in her eyes as she smiles. He is the perfect gentleman, pulling my chair out for me and refilling my glass of wine. I raise my eyebrow at him since I’m already feeling a buzz and one more glass could cause unnecessary embarrassment in front of his family.
“Are you originally from the Boston area?” Jackie asks as she passes around the serving dishes.
“No, I’m from Hartford. That’s where my parents still live.”
“What brought you to Cambridge?” Hugh asks.
I take a sip of my water. “I’ll be attending Harvard Business School in the fall.”
“Your first year?” he asks.
“Yes, I had some unexpected expenses come up so I wasn’t able to start right out of high school. My best friend is in Harvard Med and he introduced me to my roommate who then introduced me to her aunt who owns the nursery where I’ve been working over the past couple years. Sorry, I’m probably confusing you.” I realize my nerves are getting the best of me.
“No, not at all.” Hugh smiles.
I don’t look at Oliver because I’m afraid he’s giving me the you-left-out-the-part-about-your-parents-thinking-you’re-in-school-now look.
“Viv? How have I known you for two years but never knew you were waiting to be a Harvard snob too?” Chance says as his parents give him disapproving looks.
“You might have known if you’d have spent more time getting to know her instead of hitting on her.” Oliver shakes his head.
Chance shrugs and shoves in a mouthful of food. “You’re probably right,” he mumbles.
A perfectly relaxed dinner segues into more easy conversation around the fire pit. I’m envious of Oliver and Chance having their parents not only close but available. I have wonderful parents and when we’re together we have a lot of fun, but growing up, one or the other—and often times both—worked just to make ends meet. We didn’t have dinner parties and wine around a fire pit.
