by Amy Brent
“I’ll bring that right over,” he promised me as he looked at me a beat longer with his dark brown eyes, making my thighs ache. The memory of Brett was too much for me to bear and I tried to push it out of my mind.
“Sorry, Mom. I’m foggy from studying and school stuff,” I apologized as I avoided looking at Brett. “This looks good. Tell me about the wedding.”
I learned that it was a whirlwind and something that Mom suggested. No surprise there. I knew from my night with him that Brett was CEO of one of the biggest mortgage companies in the United States. Anderson and Frank held the mortgages of some of the richest people in the world, including a few celebrities.
No, we didn’t talk that night. I’d kept it in mind and did some research after the fact. I knew that he was returning to Los Angeles soon and had no hopes of anything happening between us again, well, no expectations.
He was a stable future for Mom, and if and when she decided to slow down at Gail’s, she could settle down happily. Brett was also gorgeous and damn it if I didn’t know how good he was in bed. The idea of him with Mom made me look around to see where my wine was, smiling with relief when I saw the waiter approaching me with a smile on his face.
Thank fuck. I thanked him and took a long sip of it before I picked at the food. It was probably wonderful and something I’d tell my friends about if I were with anyone else. Tonight, though, I just wanted to drink myself away from the memory of Brett’s mouth and cock inside of me.
My food to wine ratio was getting pathetic as I tossed back another glass and nibbled on my dinner. I sensed my mom’s anger towards me but I just couldn’t bear with this.
When I left to go to the bathroom, I was buzzed, and I dropped onto the toilet and took a deep breath. God, I had to pee. I did and pulled my phone out of my clutch to text Cole that I needed to see him tonight. I needed my best friend to vent to and get this all off of my shoulders so I could move on.
Cole: Are you drunk, Ris?
Me: I’m drinking wine so probably so. Don’t worry, I am getting a cab home. Be there. I’ll text you when this hell is over with.
Cole: I’ll be waiting. Be safe, Ris.
I shoved the phone in my purse and stood to wash my hands and return to the table. Mom was kissing Brett, and I looked way as I walked to the table to join them. I slipped into my seat and glanced in their direction as they leaned against one another and took a breath. Their plates were empty, and mine was cold, so I didn’t want it anymore. “Are you feeling alright, Larisa?” Brett asked me as my mother looked at me with an irritated expression on her beautiful face.
“Just tired, as I said before. I think the wine is getting to me a little,” I stated with a small smile as I leaned back and took another sip.
“Maybe you should eat,” her voice was low and angry as I took a deep breath. “I’m done here, Brett. Can we leave? Hopefully, she’ll present herself a little better over Christmas.”
“How are you getting home?” Brett asked me as he leaned forward and looked into my face. Jesus, there was still an attraction there, and this was all kinds of fucked up.
“I have a friend coming to get me,” I lied as he nodded and looked at Mom.
“I look forward to seeing you at Christmas,” Brett told me as he paid the bill when she called the waiter over in a huff. He ushered her out, and I dropped back into the chair as I closed my eyes. I took out my phone and pulled up Uber to get a ride home, waiting the allotted time before I stepped out to the curb. It was cold, and I shivered as I looked for a car that didn’t seem to belong to anyone, finally noticing a blue SUV that was there for a few minutes. I walked over and the guy that was just a few years older than I was looked over and I recognized him from the picture.
I climbed into the back and closed my eyes as he pulled away and headed back to my apartment. My sanctuary. My peace. I texted Cole on the way, still needing company and he agreed to be there as soon as he could. Once I was home, I got out of the car and made my way to my door, closing it before I went to change into some more comfortable leggings and a flannel shirt. I heard the knock at the door and clumsily buttoned the shirt as I fell onto the floor. “Shit,” I mumbled as I heard Cole call out my name.
“Ris? Are you here?” His voice boomed through my small place, and he stepped into the room. “Are you okay?” He leaned down and lifted me up from the floor as I wrapped my arm around his shoulder.
“Mom…I can’t believe her,” I mumbled as he took me out to the living room and sat me on the couch. “She eloped with her new guy and sprung it on me tonight.” He looked at me as I shook my head and stared at him. “The worst part is that I slept with him a year ago. Remember when I broke up with Derek? I went out and got drunk that night.”
“You never told me that you slept with anyone, Ris. Did he hurt you?” Cole demanded as I smiled and shook my head.
“No, he was some of the best sex that I ever had.” I shivered and felt my nipples harden as I looked down to see that the shirt was barely covering my full breasts. “Look at me. I get turned on just thinking about it. Has anyone ever done that to you, Cole? What do I tell her?”
“Fuck, Larisa. You’re drunk,” he murmured as he moved a hand to cover me, brushing against my nipple instead as I moaned and arched my back., “You need to stop this.”
“Why? We’re best friends, and we can have sex, Cole. I know that you love me,” I told him as I moved into his lap and kissed his mouth eagerly. His lips were full, and they felt so good against mine as he moaned long and slow. I felt him tense up for a moment before he wrapped his arms around me and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. I felt his desire as his tongue brushed against mine and his hands slid up my bare back before he slid one into my hair. I whimpered as I pressed against him and wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and kissed him harder.
Cole’s lips on my neck made me cry out, and I dropped my head back to give him more room. He kissed my tender skin softly before he nipped at me and unbuttoned my shirt, sliding it down my back. “Are you sure about this?” Cole asked me as he raked his eyes over my half-naked body. “I’m not going to be able to stop soon. You’re fucking gorgeous.”
“I need you, Cole. I need you right now.” He kissed me again and one hand held me still by the hair while his other hand drifted down to grip my ass as I rocked against him. He kissed me senselessly before he moved down my neck again and then found my nipples with his mouth, lifting me up for better access as I dragged my hands through his hair. I heard my voice rise as he sucked harder and then drew the skin between his teeth as I felt my thighs aching. “Cole, Oh God. I can’t take it.” I felt his hand slide between my legs and slide over my heat as I felt myself swell against him.
“You’re so hot and wet,” Cole told me as he stroked me harder.
Somehow, I was naked and pressed onto my back in my next breath, and he was spreading me open as he took me in with hungry eyes. Cole murmured my name and things that he wanted to do to me as he fingered my clit and slid a finger inside of me, making me shiver as I bit down on my lip. He moved down against me with his mouth and his tongue found me swollen and ready as he teased me while he held my hips still with his strong arms. He sucked me between his lips and held tighter as I started to cry out his name as I felt my body edging closer to a release. “Cole, don’t stop.” He bit down, and I screamed as I came forcefully against his tongue, feeling him slide it inside of me as my heat washed over him.
I stared at him as he pulled away, glistening with my juices as he looked into my eyes. “Ris, I’m so hard. I need to be inside you.”
“Yes,” I whispered as he slipped off his shirt and threw it to the floor. Cole was muscular, and I ate away at his abs with my eyes as he stood up. Cole pulled out his wallet and slid something out before he dropped his jeans to the floor with his shirt and dropped the wallet on top of the pile. Cole held out his hand, and I took it, allowing him to lift me into his arms as our lips met in a long sensual kiss. I wrapped my
legs around him, and he started to carry me down the hallway, and I assume, my bedroom. My sweet and salty release was all over his face, and I ate away at him, not at all turned off by the idea like I thought I would be in previous thoughts. I loved the taste and the way that he kissed me back, passionately and with the same need that I was feeling for him.
I felt my body dropped on my bed gently as I tried to pull him down with me. “Cole,” I murmured as I sought to kiss him again. “Please.”
Chapter 25
I stared at him as he sheathed himself with the condom that he tore open with shaking hands. I was tipsy from the wine, bordering on sloppy drunk. However, I was primed and ready for this as he stared at me and stalked towards the bed. I’d never seen Cole in this way before, animalistic in his need. He knelt down before me and kissed me hard before he pressed me down to the pillows and parted my thighs. “Ris…I need you,” Cole told me as he positioned himself against my entrance and looked down as he slipped inside. “Fuck, you’re so tight.”
It had been a while since I’d slept with anybody and I cried out as he filled me with his thick cock. I rocked against him to bring him deeper inside of me as Cole drove himself inside of me, thrust after hard thrust. He rested against my chest as he kissed me clumsily in between thrusts and I moaned and whimpered as my body came close to releasing. “Oh, Cole. Don’t stop,” I begged him before I let out a keening sound and exploded all around him. I closed my eyes tightly as I held on tightly to him and breathed out as he jerked against me and stilled as he groaned out my name.
Heat flushed through my body, and I felt like I was flying for a moment before I felt his lips against mine. Cole was breathing heavily and his damp body heavy over mine before he rolled onto his back.
I drunkenly tried to compare the men, but I was caught up in Cole right now. I’d only experienced casual sex as well as a few relationships, some of which were scorching at the moment. I can’t say that I ever felt like I did right now. I moved to stumble to the bathroom and clean up before I crawled back into bed to wrap my arm around Cole. He had nuzzled his face against mine before he told me that he was going to use the restroom and be right back.
I was half-asleep when he returned, and Cole kissed me. “Want me to stay?” His voice was a soft whisper and I nodded sleepily as I snuggled against him again.
I dreamed about Cole as I slept restlessly, always feeling arms around me when I’d come to. I thought I was dreaming that as well until I woke up and looked around the room to see the sunlight peeking through the blinds. I ran my hands through my hair and felt a headache that could only come from too much wine.
I rolled over to feel a warm body beside me and fully opened my eyes to see Cole sleeping naked beside me. I gasped softly and curled up into a ball as I mentally checked over my body, feeling the aches and sore muscles from good sex as I blushed. I remembered some of the night before in vivid detail and frowned as I pictured dinner in my mind. Mom had married a guy that I’d slept with, which was so awkward. I didn’t even know how to deal with that so I dealt with the next issue on hand.
Cole…and the fact I’d thrown myself at him and slept with him.
I looked him over, admiring his muscles and toned planes for a moment. There was no denying that Cole was a gorgeous man, but he wasn’t necessarily mine to have. We were best friends and had been since we met two years ago. I could think of times that we might have flirted a little here and there, but it was never serious, and we always ended up with other people. That’s how it was supposed to be.
It was different, though, and I felt anxiety wash over me as I closed my eyes. Now I had two nights to regret, and I stood and grabbed my robe from the bathroom. This called for coffee and sobriety.
I made a pot of coffee in my pot that Mom and I bought when I got this apartment and checked the fridge. If it was any other morning and Cole crashed here after drinking or something, I’d make breakfast. We’d laugh and pig out, and it would be light and casual. I decided to go with that now and pulled out bacon and eggs, Cole’s favorite. I had no idea if he had practice today though I wasn’t ready to wake him up. I looked into the living room and saw his clothes in a heap along with mine as I blushed.
I cooked quietly, sipping coffee to wake myself up and bring back the unfortunate reality. My phone rang, and I glanced at the screen to see that it was Mom, a call that I ignored.
I looked down to flip the bacon when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I glanced over and saw Cole with a towel around his waist as he went to grab his clothes. “Hi,” I said as he gave me a long look and nodded. “Hungry?”
“Always. How are you feeling?” Cole asked as I frowned and thought about my answer.
“I think I’m better than last night. I was upset…I’m sorry for calling you over like that,” I said as I started piling the meat on a plate lined with paper towels. I couldn’t look at him, fearing that I’d fucked things up.
“I’d come running for you anytime you needed me, Larisa,” Cole assured me as pulled on his pants behind the door the separated the kitchen from the living room. “You know that.”
“I didn’t necessarily have what happened in mind,” I admitted as I saw his feet move in front of me.
“Do you regret it?” Cole asked as I reached for the eggs and started cracking them into the oiled pan. Cole loved his eggs in bacon grease, and I’d learned to eat them like that over the years.
“I…I’m not sure. Do you?” I asked as I watched the eggs sizzle in the pan.
“Ris, it was a great night. I’ve never felt anything like that before. I understand that you were drinking and upset, though, and I’m not sure if that’s what you wanted. You’re so beautiful, and I should have stopped it. But I didn’t, and I need to know if you are you okay with that?” Cole asked as I focused on turning the food over with my spatula. “Larisa?”
I turned them and looked up at him with a forced smile. “I’m okay with it. It was great, you know?” I grabbed some plates and slid two eggs on each one along with some bacon before sliding some bread into the toaster. “Coffee?”
“I’ll get it,” Cole told me as he poured a cup and added some cream. “Things are going to be weird now, aren’t they?”
“They don’t have to be. I mean, we’ve both had sex before with other people and moved past it, right?” I looked at him for affirmation, realizing that my feelings for Cole had officially crossed the line that I’d drawn in the sand. I’d had a crush on him for some time but always hid behind the fact that we were such good friends.
“I guess, yeah. That’s what you want to do?” His face looked disappointed, and I turned as the toast popped up, buttering the slices and putting one on each plate.
“It’s best, Cole. We’re not like that towards each other.” I stared at him as he walked heavily to the couch and sat down with his plate. I grabbed my breakfast and coffee and followed him, choosing to sit in the chair across from him. I couldn’t stop the memories from replaying through my mind of last night, and I took a quick drink of the coffee as I looked away, towards the television that Cole was changing channels on as he scowled.
He ate quickly and made some excuse about meeting the team before he left. Cole was cold and didn’t even look at me as he walked out, and I sighed. It had gone from bad to worse in a matter of hours. I went back and tore the sheets off of my bed, washing the scent of Cole and of us off of them as I allowed self-hatred to fill me.
God, I was just messing things up left and right. I spent the rest of the day miserable and studying, pretending that Cole wasn’t ignoring me. It wasn’t that he was always in touch with me, being busy with football and school anyway, but I knew that things were different now. I didn’t know what I would do without him since I didn’t click with a lot of girls and was usually shy with guys. Cole had always been different for me.
Mom called that evening to talk about the upcoming Thanksgiving week, which I had off from school. I agreed to come home even t
hough I dreaded spending any time with Brett. I hoped that I would get past this uncomfortable feeling at some point with him since he was my stepfather. Ugh, what an awful thought. My life should be a movie on the Lifetime channel.
I had two weeks until I went home and just decided to get through it the best that I could.
Chapter 26
Sadly, getting through that time meant a lot of drinking for me. Mom gave me a generous amount of money every month, and I bought a lot of wine and even a few bottles of sweet hard alcohol. I’d go to class and then home, where I’d drink, study and watch anything that I could on television.
Cole didn’t call me, and I saw him around school with a new blonde girl. He had his pick of ladies being athletic and handsome and it didn’t come as a shock to me at all. It just hurt a lot more than ever before. I’d see him look at me before turning his head away, punishing myself with the inner shame and hatred all over again. I used to be more important than his flings and even some of his football buddies, but now I was nothing.
I was just a fling to him. Ouch…that stung a lot.
I left my last class and drove back to my apartment to finish packing. My mom lived close by and it was an easy drive, but there were times that it felt like a separate country to me. I threw some clothes into my backpack and heard my phone chime from the kitchen counter. “Geez, Mom. I’m leaving soon.” I rolled my eyes as I grumbled out loud and walked across the room.
To my surprise, it was a text from Cole.
Cole: Are you headed home for the holiday?
Me: I am leaving now. How about you?
There was so much more that I wanted to ask him but I merely waited for his response.
Cole: I am going to see my dad over the weekend. He wants to fix things and have me meet his new wife.
I knew that Cole had been on the outs for years since his parents divorced when he was fifteen. I’d never met either parent and knew very little about them since he stayed quiet about the subject. Something big must’ve happened for him to go see him since Cole chose his mother’s side from the beginning. Maybe he was just tired of the distance.
