Vindicated

by eliza_000

  “Have you ever cheated on someone?” she asked.

  “No, and I never would,” he replied.

  They turned back to the movie, watching without further comment, the silence occasionally broken by Randy’s hearty laughter. The sound filled her with warmth. To her surprise, she felt comfortable and relaxed around him, like they’d been doing this for years. About halfway through the movie, she forgot propriety, groaned, and propped her feet on top of the coffee table.

  "You okay?" he asked, casting a shy sideways glance at her, sharp features illuminated by the glow of the television.

  "Yeah, but my feet are killing me," she said. “They got a workout at Felony last night. I’m used to being on my feet but not moving around so much.”

  "Seems like I owe you a foot-rub, don't I?" He was already moving to her end of the couch, pushing aside throw pillows and an afghan.

  "I don’t think I can turn that offer down."

  The words barely left her lips when he took her legs by the calves and shifted them into his lap. He peeled off her socks and tossed them to the side. Thank goodness, she'd taken the time to paint her toes yesterday. His large hands were warm and gentle in their touch. He rubbed deep, languorous circles with his thumbs, paying special attention to the balls and arches of her feet.

  Tingles of pleasure meandered through the sore muscles, radiating up into her calves and farther north to places deep inside her core. Her head fell against the back of the couch. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the unfamiliar bliss. She moaned again. When his hands stopped their magic, her eyes flew open to find him staring at her with dangerous dark eyes.

  “Do you have to moan like that?” he asked, his voice a husky whisper.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “You’re really good at this, and it feels wonderful.”

  “It’s hard for me to concentrate when you’re making sex noises.” His cheeky grin caused the flush in her cheeks to ratchet up a notch, remembering her unbridled cries during their night of passion.

  “I’m not making sex noises,” she huffed and gave him a playful shove with her foot. His grip tightened around her toes, holding them prisoner on his lap.

  “I’ve heard your sex noises, remember?” He stroked a finger along her instep, and she bit her lower lip to stifle a squeak of delight. “And that was definitely a sex noise.”

  “You’re high.” She didn’t dare look at him. The tingles of pleasure in her feet had transferred to a much deeper, more intimate place. She wiggled her toes impatiently and closed her eyes to enjoy the sensations. “More. Please don’t stop.”

  “Yeah, I remember you saying that, too,” he said, following the words with a rasping chuckle. “Except it was more like, Oh, Randy, don’t stop!”

  Her eyes flew open. This time his face was much closer, close enough to show the occasional strands of red and gold in the stubble of his cheeks, and the heat in his eyes. She swallowed hard, unable to look away when his gaze dropped to her mouth. The tip of his tongue slid along his lower lip.

  “We’re missing the movie,” she said.

  “Fuck the movie.” His left hand traveled to her ankle and squeezed briefly before sliding over the length of thigh and hip, following the curve of her waist and coming to a stop below her breast. His gaze dragged from her mouth to the spot where his hand rested. Her nipple leaped to attention, its peak visible beneath the thin cotton of her T-shirt. A smile ghosted his lips as his eyes came back to hers. “We can always rewind it later.”

  “I’m down with that,” she whispered.

  Before she drew another breath, his lips were on hers, parting them so his tongue could capture hers in an erotic dance. With the easy grace of a powerful man, he slid her onto his lap, her legs straddling his thighs. His large hands gripped her hips, pushing her down against the hard ridge of his erection. The stubble of his beard tickled her chin. Their kiss deepened.

  The lazy caress of his hand elicited a shiver of delight. While his tongue played with hers, his fingers tickled the fine hairs on the nape of her neck, escaped from the ponytail holder. He tasted of beer and popcorn, his lips buttery and salty. She let her hands slide along the rounded swell of his shoulders, along the concavities of his chest, his nipples as hard and tight as her own.

  While they kissed, his hands explored her body. They traced the strip of skin above the waistband of her jeans but never ventured inside. She tangled her fingers in the silky curls at his collar while he trailed kisses up and down the column of her neck, licking and nipping at the tender flesh along his way. The dampness between her thighs increased. She rocked gently against his erection.

  They made out for a long time, lost in touching and tasting each other. From a very far distance, she heard the click of the DVD player shutting off. The noise of the romantic comedy ended, leaving them in silence but for the sound of their labored breathing. She sucked the tip of Randy’s tongue, and he moaned.

  “Now who’s making sex noises?” she whispered against this throat. He snorted in amusement and tugged her earlobe between his teeth, tickling her with his heated breath. “I’ve heard them before, you know.”

  “You’re going to hear them again if you don’t stop kissing my neck like that.” Even as he chastised her, he angled his head to give her lips better access.

  The feel of him beneath her hands, the taste of him, and his clean scent intoxicated all of her senses. She lost herself in the brush of his work-roughened palms and the steady beat of his heart against her chest. It felt good to be with someone who didn’t want anything from her, who didn’t demand more, or—even worse—take without asking.

  Beneath all the physical awareness lurked a kernel of emotion trying to take root in the ruins of her heart. More disturbing than the bewildering glut of feeling for this complicated man was the abrupt loss of his lips on hers. His fingers captured her wrists and pulled her hands away from him. He held them prisoner at her sides and pushed back from her, a look of harried introspection on his face. In an instant, all the euphoria and pleasure dissipated, replaced with the familiar sensations of shame and insecurity.

  “Did I miss something?” she asked, fighting to keep her voice even, determined to hide her eyes in case he saw the hurt inside her. Her worries were needless because he avoided her gaze and shifted her from his lap with a gentle shove.

  “No. We’re good. It’s just…it’s late, and we both have class in the morning, and I need to get going.” He rose to his feet and straightened his clothing. Before she could collect her thoughts, he was out the door, leaving her cold and alone on the sofa.

  Chapter 22

  Outside Karly’s apartment building, the bitter cold stung Randy’s cheeks and cleared the fog left in his brain by her sweet kisses. He passed a hand over his face and drew in a deep breath. Damn it, he was this close to storming back up those stairs, dragging her into the bedroom, and sinking himself into her heated depths until they both screamed with ecstasy. But did he really want to open himself up to more hurt? He might not have loved Pilar, but he cared for her. The loss of their relationship wounded him more than he admitted. After their breakup, he vowed never to open himself up to that kind of vulnerability again.

  He was angry with himself. While he looked the other direction, Karly had managed to capture not only his mind, but his body as well. Another few minutes in her arms, and he would’ve given her the keys to his truck, his bank account number, and the combination to the cash safe at Felony.

  The velvety softness of her skin still tingled beneath his fingertips. The memory had his cock straining against the fly of his jeans. He’d kissed quite a few girls in his lifetime. None of them ever invoked this kind of mindless desire. Yet, he’d been unable to go the distance with her. A puzzling turn of events considering they’d already had sex—make that great sex—once before. So why did he run from her like a virgin on prom night? He wasn’t sure until he pulled into the alley behind Felony. The realization stopped him cold.

 
Their one-night stand had been fueled by lust and circumstances. On that night, they’d sought mutual comfort without repercussions. When he’d left her the next morning, he thought he’d never see her again. No matter how much she denied it, he’d seen the hurt and confusion in her eyes over his abrupt departure. He never wanted to be the source of that look again. She deserved so much more than that. When—if—he ever spent the night again, he wouldn’t leave her in the cold.

  He scrubbed both hands through his hair and groaned. Who the fuck was he kidding? If he ever spent the night again, he’d never want to leave.

  Chapter 23

  A few days later, Karly met Ally at Joe’s Java Joint, a coffee shop near campus. The tiny place bustled with customers, eager to escape the bitter cold and snow with a hot beverage, smooth jazz, and good friends. Fresh coffee and cinnamon scented the air. Cups clanged against saucers. Espresso machines whirred. Outside the window, snowflakes danced on the breeze.

  "Nice hickey," Ally said as they stood in line to order.

  "What? Oh." Karly turned up the collar of her shirt and fought back the bloom of color rising in her cheeks.

  "Wanna tell me where you got that?" Ally raised an eyebrow.

  "I burned myself with the curling iron," Karly said. Under normal circumstances, she would've regaled Ally with the entire story in enough detail to make her conservative friend squirm. A vague feeling of unease kept her from spilling the truth.

  "You’re such a bad liar." Ally eyed her up and down, eyes narrowed.

  "I'll have a caramel cappuccino with eight sugars," Karly told the barista, grateful for the reprieve, and stepped aside so that Ally could order.

  "Eight sugars? Are you sure that's enough?" Ally asked.

  Karly tilted her head and looked at the ceiling for a second, contemplating. "Well, yeah, I think so. Although I’m not sure there is such a thing as enough." Ally chuckled, and Karly grinned back at her.

  "I swear. I’m amazed you still have all your teeth. And I don't know why you don't weigh a thousand pounds.” Always conscious of her weight, Ally ordered a non-fat skim milk latte with a double shot of espresso. She cast a disparaging glance at Karly's slim figure and bumped her shoulder affectionately. "You should be a humongous, toothless hag instead of the beautiful skinny bitch I adore."

  "Yeah, well, if you were as poor as I am, you'd be skinny too. I've been living on popcorn for weeks. When I do get to eat, I have to make it count." To emphasize her point, Karly took a sip of her cappuccino and hummed in approval over its thick richness.

  "In case you didn't know, coffee isn't a food group."

  Karly feigned a look of horror. "And I suppose you'll tell me next that a Bloody Mary doesn't count as a vegetable either."

  "No, I'm pretty sure it's a vegetable. Tomato, celery, olives. It's like a salad in a glass." They both chuckled. "I'll get this. Both of these together," Ally told the girl at the register, thrusting forward a debit card and waving away Karly's money.

  "I wasn't asking for a handout," Karly said. Outwardly, she frowned but breathed an inward sigh of relief. The five dollars in her hand was all she had for the rest of the week. "I can pay for my own coffee."

  "I know that. Just shut up and let me pay. You can buy next time. The way things are going right now, I'll be broke by then." Ally rarely showed any emotion, but upon closer inspection, Karly saw lines of strain around her friend's mouth and eyes.

  "That bad, is it?" They slid into a booth at the back of the café. “I thought business was good. You had a huge crowd the other night.”

  "That was just one night, and they’re getting fewer and farther between. We need a hundred nights like that one to dig us out," Ally said with a sigh. “We found out today that there’s a lien on the building for back taxes. David still owns the building, and I guess he forgot to share that little tidbit with us. And to make matters worse, one of our guys was hurt in a fight a few weeks ago. He went to the hospital so, of course, we had to pay for that, and the guy he bounced is suing us for emotional distress or some kind of bullshit."

  "I’m surprised Randy let things get out of control." Karly traced a finger in the brown sugar dusting the muffin. Ally raised an eyebrow at the mention of Randy. Karly blushed. "I mean, you're always telling me how Randy has a handle on things."

  "He’s been a little distracted lately. Problems with his ex and their kid, I think. I don’t know. He’s not very forthcoming most of the time." Ally's paused and quickly changed the subject. "So how, exactly, did you burn your neck with the curling iron? Because it looks like a love bite. And I noticed one very similar on Randy’s neck yesterday. Coincidence? I think not, Ms. Eriksson.”

  The heat in Karly’s cheeks ignited. “Okay, so maybe we got a little busy the other night. It was nothing.”

  “Let’s see. He towed your car to the garage and spent all day working on it, takes you to and from work, and makes out with you. Sounds like he really doesn’t like you at all.” A playful smile lit Ally’s features as she buttered a muffin and tore a piece off with her fingers before popping it into her mouth.

  Karly snorted and rolled her eyes. Her feelings were still a little raw. "Right. He likes me so much that he didn’t speak to me at all yesterday and avoided me after class.” She shook her head in denial. “He was only being nice.”

  “Randy’s a nice guy, but he’s not that kind of nice guy. He doesn’t do favors for just anyone.” It was Ally's turn to stare into her coffee. She set her coffee mug on the saucer and began to play with the edge of her napkin. “I’m sure it’s none of my business, but…" Ally's voice trailed off and she bit her lip as if unsure whether or not to continue.

  "But what? Spill it, Taylor."

  "Well, he had some girl over there yesterday. Blonde, leggy. I think her name’s Amber. He doesn’t really seem into her, and I don’t think he invited her, but she keeps coming around."

  At the mention of Amber, Karly's stomach took an unpleasant dip. Maybe Amber was the reason he’d left so abruptly the other night. He had feelings for someone else. For Amber. She scowled and took a drink of her coffee. He said there was nothing between him and Amber, but maybe he was playing them against each other. Working two girls at once and hedging his bets? The depth of her disappointment caught her by surprise. This kind of behavior made like all the other jerks in her life, and she wanted to think better of him.

  “I’m sorry,” Ally said. “I just thought you should know.

  “No, it’s fine. There’s nothing going on with us. We’re just friends.” Her words sounded sincere but tasted bitter on her tongue.

  Ally’s phone vibrated with an incoming text. She tapped the screen and frowned as she read it. “It’s Chelsea. I swear she’s going to turn my hair gray.” Ally rolled her eyes.

  “So what does Jack have to say about the baby and all?”

  “Jack is beyond pissed. He wants to walk away from her and never look back. I can’t say I blame him, either. Maybe she really did think it was his kid. I don’t know. But it doesn’t excuse the way she played him.” She paused to take a sip of her coffee before continuing. “I feel kind of sorry for her. She doesn’t have anyone. It’s only her and the baby. Whenever I think my life is a mess, I look at her and think I’ve got it pretty good. And believe it or not, I kind of like her.”

  “Shut the front door.” Karly slapped a hand on the table, unable to believe her ears. No one ever said anything positive about Chelsea. She never expected Ally to be the first. “Did I really hear that?”

  “I know. I can’t believe it either, but when she’s not being a pain in my ass, she’s kind of entertaining. She’s like a blender without a top, stuff spraying out all over the place. All this drama happening around her.”

  “Hey, ladies. Mind if we join you?” The deep, smooth baritone voice had them turning in unison. Jack stood next to their booth. A light dusting of snow covered the broad shoulders of his army jacket, melting into dark splotches on the drab green cloth. He jerked
his head in greeting to Karly.

  "Hi," Ally said. It was amazing how her face softened and her voice became breathless around him. "What are you doing here?"

  "We were at the hardware store next door and thought we'd crash your girl party. Is that okay?" Jack shot Karly a quick look of apology but directed the question to Ally.

  We? Karly’s heart skipped a beat. She dropped her eyes to the cappuccino and stirred the whipped cream with slow circles.

  "Of course it's okay," Ally said to Jack. “Sit down with us.”

  Jack bent to drop a kiss on the top of Ally's head. When he moved to slide into the booth, another person stepped forward. Randy stood beside the table, hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, a brown knit cap pulled low over his head. A shiver of pure unadulterated lust vibrated through her body, followed by a rush of heat to her cheeks. She glanced up at him with a polite smile. The handsome face gave nothing away, but the heat in his eyes warmed her. He stood awkwardly next to the table, waiting for an invitation to sit. An invitation she didn’t offer.

  Ally caught the exchange and quirked an eyebrow at Karly. She shrugged, begging for help, completely at a loss.

  "Have a seat, Randy," Ally said. "Are your ears burning? We were just talking about you."

  Karly kicked Ally beneath the table. She grunted and smirked. Karly scooted to the far side of the booth, and Randy slid in next to her. Not just next to her, but right up against her. The guy was big, the booth small, and he didn't even make a pretense of putting space between them. Instead, he wedged her into the corner, spread his legs, and pinned her against the wall with his thigh. The friction of his leg bumping hers caused her heart to stutter.