Real Deal

by Piper Rayne

  “But you are.”

  He chuckles. “Eat, Cat.”

  I open my mouth and take a giant bite.

  “There you go.” He finally removes the pizza from in front of me and takes a bite himself.

  I swallow down my bite and reach for my beer. “Are you always so commanding?” I take a gulp and place it back on the table.

  He shrugs. “I like control.” His expression turns serious. “Not as in you-can’t-do-anything-without-telling-me control. I’m not a dictator. When it comes to you, I just think I know what you want and I don’t want you to be afraid to ask for it and to be yourself around me.”

  “Like I’d put on some act.”

  He finishes the piece of pizza we’re obviously sharing now, but bends over and grabs another one, holding it up to my lips. “You know how it can be. You spend half the relationship with the fake version of someone until their true colors come out. People pretend to be something they think you want until they can’t anymore.”

  I bite the pizza and lean back, watching him take his own bite.

  “So, this,” I point to him, still no shirt, relaxed on my couch having us literally share each piece of pizza, “is the real you?”

  He shrugs again. “Other than the fact that I’m eating a pizza I don’t really like, yeah. But relationships are all about compromise, right?”

  We share a smile and he feeds me the pizza again.

  “Is that a hint that next time you want me to eat the meat lovers?”

  Again, with the damn shrug. When did this man become so indifferent? “I won’t tie you up and starve you until you eat it.”

  The idea of Marcus tying me up sends a thrill through me. I push it aside though since we’re getting to know each other better.

  “Funny fact,” I say. He turns in his seat, eating the rest of the slice he’s so deeply offended by. “I used to be a vegetarian.”

  He cringes. “Oh, that might be a deal breaker.” Placing the pizza down and grabbing his beer, he arranges himself in the corner of the couch, his leg casually bent and hanging off my couch.

  If someone would’ve told me six years ago that I’d be sharing a pizza and pleasant conversation with Marcus Kent, they would have a better chance of convincing me that the Kardashian show wasn’t scripted.

  “Deal breaker? Really?” I chuckle.

  “I love my meat. I’m from Oregon. I may not be a hunter like Garrett, but tofu and beans are about as tasty as a rice cake.”

  I shake my head. “You’ve eaten a rice cake?”

  He pats his perfectly flat stomach with ripples most men spend hours at the gym to form. “Do you think I get this by eating Doritos and Oreos?”

  We each laugh and I hope he isn’t one of those crazy health nuts who only drinks smoothies and eats quinoa and kale.

  He places his beer on the coffee table and leans forward.

  “I’m done talking about our diets. How about we have another get to know each other conversation after we expel some excess energy?”

  He inches closer and the less room that separates us, the more my heart rate picks up. He’s a hairbreadth away from kissing me when his phone rings in his pocket.

  “Saved by the bell?” I ask, and his head falls into my lap.

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbles against my thighs.

  He sits up straight, pulls his phone out of his pocket and his face transforms from easy going to worried and concerned.

  “Ashley?” he asks.

  I recall that was the babysitter’s name when I stopped by the house to drop off Lily’s bracelet.

  “Okay. Yeah. Put her on.” He holds his finger up in the air to me as though I’m going to get up and decide that now is the time to get a week’s worth of laundry done. “Lily, sweetie, how are you?” He waits a second, positioning his phone in the crook of his neck and reaches for his shirt.

  And…I guess the night is over.

  “Does it still hurt?” His voice is nothing but concerned and caring. “Okay, sweetie, I’m coming home now. I love you.”

  He hangs up the phone, throws his t-shirt over his head and looks over to me. “I’m sorry.”

  I wave his apology off. “Is Lily okay?”

  “Stomach ache. Ashley probably let her eat all her candy from the Memorial Day Parade.” He stands up and tucks his phone into his pocket then holds his hand out to me.

  I accept it and he pulls me up to a standing position. His hands wrap around my waist, pulling me into him. I hadn’t realized how much taller he was than me, but the top of my head only comes up to right under his chin.

  “Rain check?” he asks, placing a kiss on my forehead.

  “Of course.”

  I rise to my tiptoes and he plants a kiss on my lips—nothing too deep or long, but enough to know that he wishes he could stay.

  “Thanks for understanding. I’ll call you.”

  I walk him to the door and sag against it after it’s closed behind him. I can’t believe what just happened. I just fooled around with Marcus Kent, the man I tried to get to take my virginity all those years ago. And the reality even better than the dream was.

  18

  Marcus

  The ride home from Cat's is short, but it is long enough to contemplate what just happened. The start of a relationship, or at least an attempt at one.

  My only goal on the way over there was to relieve some of the sexual tension that acts like a third wheel every time we see each other. To be able to control one portion of my life. I might not be able to make Gretchen stop with her insane demands and I might not be able to stop Lily from growing up and wanting a relationship with her mom, but the one thing I could control tonight was getting Caterina Santora into bed.

  That might sound like a dick move and maybe it was, but I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her. It’s there in her eyes every time I see her, even if she’s spouting insults at me with her lips.

  The minute out tongues touched it was game over. The more we kissed, the more I wanted. The further my hands ventured, the further I wanted them to explore. It wasn't until those blue eyes stared back to me and I saw how scared she was that I'd hurt her.

  I'm not a bachelor-for-life kind of guy like Dane. I'm not the celibate type like Garrett either. I've never thought about finding a wife. I guess I figured once Lily grew up, I'd go from there. Until then, I’d enjoy the odd one-night stand and my fist and call it a day.

  Lily's been my number one priority since the day she was born and that will never change no matter how much I want another woman. But Cat. There's just something about her I can’t shake.

  By the time I pull into my garage and turn off my truck, I convince myself that it's summer. We'll date casually for a while and see what happens. It's a good test for Lily and myself. I'm secretly hoping whatever this magic is I feel when Cat is around me fades otherwise Lily and I might find ourselves heartbroken come the end of August because Cat has hopes and dreams that don't include a man ten years her senior with a five-year-old in tow.

  I walk in the door and Ashley's sitting on the breakfast stool, her phone in her hand.

  “Hey, Ashley,” I say, placing my keys and wallet on the counter. “How is she?”

  “She's asleep now in her bed. I put a bowl next to her and made sure she was on her side.” She stands and tucks her phone into her back pocket, already preparing to get out of here.

  Opening my wallet, I hand over her cash and she smiles. “Thank you. Hopefully, it was just something she ate.”

  “Yeah, no fever, I checked her right after I called you.” She walks toward the front door and I follow her, opening the door.

  “Thank you again.”

  “You're welcome. Sorry your night got messed up.”

  I wave her off. “Don't be. Lily comes first, always.”

  She smiles and nods. “Good night, Mr. Kent.”

  “Night, Ashley.”

  She walks out to her car and I watch to make sure she backs out of the
driveway before shutting the door and locking it. After setting the alarm, I walk up the stairs and into Lily's room.

  Lily's blonde hair is strewn across her pillow. Her cheeks are red and her body is half lying over the covers. I admire my angelic daughter and kneel next to her bed. When I brush my hand over her forehead I notice that she feels a little clammy, but not hot, so I tuck her back in and slide the bracelet off her wrist, putting it on the nightstand.

  That fucking bracelet. Maybe I should make her get rid of it like I did with her pacifiers at two, or her bottle at one. I understand the need for kids to have a comfort item, but this bracelet is becoming a problem. Her hand runs over it more and more as the days pass. I’m not convinced that it’s healthy for her to be so attached to something that she feels anxious when she doesn’t have it.

  I shut the door just enough to leave a stream of light from the hallway peeking in on the off chance she wakes up and then head to my bedroom.

  My king size bed never looked so empty.

  Even though I've been the only one who’s ever slept in it, tonight there’s a certain blonde I wouldn’t mind seeing lay naked under those sheets.

  I'm not even sure if I could perform with Lily in the house. What if she had a nightmare or just woke up?

  Stripping down to my boxer briefs, I brush my teeth then slide under my covers and reach for the television remote. But it's my phone that's calling my name.

  The conversation inside my head goes something like this…

  Horny Me: For Christ’s sake don’t be a pussy just call her.

  Practical Me: I literally just left there.

  Horny Me: Phone sex could get rid of this hard-on.

  Practical Me: You haven't even had real sex with her. Why would she have phone sex with you?

  Horny Me: She could relieve all that pressure that's been building since you first saw her in that parking lot at camp.

  Next thing I know, my thumb is hovering over the green call button.

  Horny Me: Press it.

  Practical Me: You're going to scare her off.

  Horny Me: You saw how much she wanted it and you only have the summer anyways.

  My thumb presses on the screen. Horny me wins. My heartbeat slams in my ears as the phone rings.

  “Hi,” she answers and her sweet voice puts my indecision about calling to rest. “How is she?”

  My heart shouldn't warm because the fact she asks me about Lily first, but it does anyway.

  “She's sleeping.”

  “Oh good.” I hear rumpling behind her.

  “Your roommates back yet?” I ask.

  “No. Charlie works late at Happy Daze and Ava's out with a friend. She’s pretty into this baking thing.”

  “What are you doing?” I prop up a pillow behind me and lean back against my headboard.

  I haven't talked to a woman on the phone just because in at least five years.

  “I just got into bed.”

  “What are you wearing?” The question escapes through my mouth without funneling through my brain first.

  “Why, Mr. Kent, how very kinky of you. I like it.” Her voice drops into a seductive tone that practically pumps my dick up into full salute. “I'm wearing a pair of boxers and a tank top.”

  “Where did your pajama pants go?” I ask because that's how I had been visualizing her.

  “I get hot at night.”

  “So does—” I stop myself before telling her that so does Lily. I’m sure there’s no better mood killer than bringing up my five-year-old daughter. I’m a jackass.

  “Who?” she asks.

  “Never mind. How tight is the tank top?” I ask, switching gears.

  She giggles. “Remember that lesson about SnapChat?”

  I roll my eyes, thinking back to that bride and groom shit Polly played. “Yeah.”

  “I'll send you a picture, but only SnapChat.”

  “Why?” There’s nothing I want less than a SnapChat lesson, but if it means I’ll get some racy pics of Caterina? I’m down.

  “Because it's only good for ten seconds. That way you won't be able to share it.”

  “Nor will I be able to beat off to it.” I can’t help the disappointment in my voice.

  “It's SnapChat or nothing,” she teases in a sing-song voice. I can tell that she already knows she’s got me.

  “All right, walk me through this thing.”

  “Okay, we’re going to have to use a landline. Do you have one at your place?” she asks.

  “I do.” I give her the number and a minute later she calls me from the landline in her apartment.

  “Put me on speaker,” she says.

  We go through the whole setup process and then her picture comes up as my friend. Immediately, ten other people ask me to be their friend.

  “How do these people know me?” I ask, seeing Dane's name pop up as the only one I recognize.

  “You must have chosen to have it inform your contacts that you’re now on SnapChat. Sometimes random people will friend you.”

  I accept the friend requests since it doesn’t matter one way or the other. After tonight I’m not going to be doing jack shit on here.

  “All right, I’m all set up. Now where's my reward?” I ask.

  She giggles again. That one that makes my entire body feel warm and at ease.

  My phone dings and I see a message from her. I click on it and the picture is of her shoulder with the tank top strap pushed over as though she's about to strip it off. I’m able to see the crest of her tit and her hard nipple poking through the thin fabric.

  “I think I like this SnapChat thing.” As I stare at the picture I move my hand down under the waistband of my boxer briefs and stroke my dick a few times.

  “The courteous thing is to send one back.” There's humor in her voice and for some reason, it only makes me harder.

  “All right.” I sit up straighter, holding my phone as far away from me as I possibly can while trying to keep my thumb on the button.

  “Anytime now.” She laughs and I imagine her hair falling forward in her face like I've seen it do so many times.

  “Beginner's curve, okay?”

  Snap.

  I send off the picture of my rippled stomach. The one women admire when I take Lily to the beach. The same set of abs that made Cat moan when her fingertips brushed down them.

  “Sent,” I say, proud of myself. Maybe you can teach this old dog new tricks after all.

  “Um.” She chuckles.

  My phone dings with a notification.

  “You already sent me another picture?” I ask. I’m eager to see what she's got for me.

  “No. I didn't.” She's full on laughing now and sounds like she’s having a hard time catching her breath.

  “Who did then?”

  “Um, Marcus.” She’s laughing again.

  I glance down at my phone and Dane's face comes into view, but it looks like he’s sent me a video. I press the button and the video starts. “What are you going to send me next? A dick pic? What the fuck man?” The video dies with him shaking his head.

  A sinking feeling weighs heavy in my stomach. “What happened? I don't understand.”

  “You sent it to all your contacts, not just me.” I can tell that Cat is trying to keep it together now.

  Relief washes over me like a wave. “Okay, that’s not that bad. The only person I’m friends with that I really know is Dane. Maybe technology isn't my thing.” God, those words leaving my mouth make me feel ancient compared to Caterina.

  “It's a learning curve. Let's try again and this time I'll walk you through it,” Cat offers.

  “I'm still wondering why you haven’t sent me another picture,” I say with mock disappointment.

  My phone dings and when I check it waiting for me is a picture of her chest without her tank top on. Her tits are displayed in full glory and I squeeze the tip of my engorged cock for a small piece of relief.

  “Now, how about that dick pic?” S
he’s challenging me and damn if I don’t want to live up to the challenge.

  “I'm not sure I want Dane to get that picture,” I joke.

  “He won't. Stay on this exchange and it's just me and you.”

  There's something about when ‘me and you’ leave her lips. I like her referring to us as a unit. Unbidden, I envision her in my bed after a day at the park or out on the water in the boat. Her putting lotion on as she makes her way to bed. The blonde strands sticking out of her small ponytail as she folds the comforter open to slide into bed next to me. Her hands raking my stomach as she snuggles into my side.

  Whoa, whoa, whoa. I just went from we’ll see what happens to side-by-side burial plots in ten seconds flat. This girl has dreams. Dreams that need to be fulfilled before she'd ever consider playing house with you and Lily. Even with all the red flags flapping in my mind, the invitation leaves my lips.

  “Would you like to come over for dinner next Friday?” I ask her.

  “I'd love to.” She accepts without hesitating.

  All those red flags just faded to white. I give up. I’m done trying to resist the hold this woman has on me.

  19

  Caterina

  After trying on ten outfits, pairing them with shoes and accessories, I decided on a yellow sundress and flats. Leaving my hair down, I throw some waves in it, but I still feel unsure about it. I chopped my hair off right before summer started. Long hair was nice to pull away from my face, especially when the humidity makes it a frizzy mess.

  As soon as I leave the confines of my bedroom, the heavenly scent of Ava's baking hits me. Come fall, I'm going to miss having the place I’m living smell like a bakery. Of course, I'll probably end up ten pounds lighter for it.

  A whistle echoes through the room before I clear the bottom step of the stairs. Charlie's sprawled out on the couch watching a marathon of Younger. It's her first Friday night off in two months and she plans on doing “fuck all.” Her words, not mine.

  “I'd totally bang you, Cat.” She winks and pops a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

  “Thanks.” I blush because I shaved every hair off my body with the hope that's exactly what will happen. I’m trying not to get my hopes up. I have to remember that he has a daughter at home and there's a chance the new vibrator my sister’s best friend sent me to test out will be the lucky bastard this evening. Caveat: she runs a sex toy company, so it’s not as weird as it sounds.