Once I finish taming my hair, I walk out of my bathroom and into my adjoining bedroom. Harry lets out a meow as he darts out of my stuffy bathroom and into my dark bedroom as well. It’s still early enough in the morning that the sun hasn’t come up yet. I tiptoe around my darkened room when I hit my toe on something hard, and a sharp pain runs up my toe and foot. “Shit!” I hiss as I hop on the other foot. With a growl, I reach around until I find the light switch. I flip it on and hiss in another breath from the pain that still lingers. Turning to face my bed, I place my arms over my chest and stare at the man in it. Bradley—naked and still passed out cold. He stumbled in about three o’clock this morning. Three hours ago. Literally. His fist pounding on the door had my eyes springing open and me jumping out of bed. When I opened the front door, he fell right into my apartment. It didn’t take long to get his drunk ass to fall asleep; rather, he passed out. Once he was out, the snoring commenced, and I found myself wide awake and staring up at the ceiling. Fifteen minutes later, I threw on a pair of yoga pants, Nike’s, and a hoodie, then I went for an early morning run. When I got back to the apartment, he was in the same spot I had left him. Although the bed looked inviting, I went into the bathroom and jumped in the shower to get ready. My plane leaves at nine fifteen this morning for Panama City, so I didn’t have time to lay back down.
I look at him on his back, one hand placed on his large chest. My white comforter is on the floor, but my blue sheet is bunched low on his hips. I can see his other hand under it and centered over his cock. Poor thing thought he was gonna get laid this morning. On any other given night, I would have gone with it, but he had pissed me off. So no love for him.
I roll my eyes as I see my cat, Harry, now sleeping above his head. Harry is a sphynx. The hairless kind that looks like it’s an alien. He’s about three months old and already his pointy ears are too big for his head, and his dark green eyes are bigger than quarters. His skin is wrinkled like an old man, and his legs are really short; his large belly almost rubs on the floor when he walks.
Bradley snores once again as he breathes deeply, and I narrow my eyes on him. He shouldn’t get to enjoy sleep; he sure as hell didn’t let me when his drunk ass showed up unannounced. Bending down, I grab his black boot—the same one I just stubbed my toe on—and chunk it towards him. I smile in satisfaction when it hits him square in the chest.
“What the …?” he growls as he sits up quickly, looking around the room aimlessly and I’m sure still drunk. The boot hits the floor with a thud, and Harry hisses as he takes off running for my closet. I just stand there giving Bradley a few seconds to get his bearings. “Ashlyn?” he questions as his heavy brown eyes finally land on me. He rubs them and then blinks a few times. “Did you just hit me?” He rubs his bare chest where the boot made contact. “Or did I dream that?” he mumbles to himself.
“I did it,” I respond.
“Why?” He lifts his arm from his chest and starts to scratch his head. It causes his dark hair to stand straight up as if I spent all night running my hands through it. He then closes his eyes as he yawns.
“Did it hurt?” I ask, ignoring his question.
“Yeah,” he says slowly as he nods his head. “And so does my head.” He leans over placing his head in his hands as he groans.
I smile. “Good.”
His head snaps up, and his bloodshot brown eyes narrow on me. “What the fuck, Ash …?”
“I stubbed my toe on your stupid boot, so I threw it at you. You deserved payback,” I say simply.
His hands drop to his lap, and he looks up at me now, giving me a half-smile. The one he’s known for here in Seattle. “Why don’t you come here, and I’ll kiss it,” he offers, patting the empty space beside him.
I shake my head and turn away from him to walk back to my bathroom, careful not to trip over anything. I’m in the process of moving and also not the cleanest person when it comes to picking my shit up off the floor.
I yelp in surprise when an arm yanks me backwards. Before I can stop him, he has me on my back, pinning me down to my bed while I look up at him. “Let me change your mind,” he whispers as he leans down and runs the tip of his nose along my neck. My body automatically relaxes under the feel of his. I let out a sigh as I run my nails down his back. He grabs my arms and pushes them above my head, linking our fingers together.
Why was I up this early again? Right— “Brad, I can’t …”
His hands tighten around mine, and he leans down farther to whisper in my ear. “I bet if I flip you over and position you with your ass up in the air ...” My body softens even more at that thought. “Take a handful of your hair ...” He releases my hands and wraps both of his hands in my hair, pulling my head back to expose my neck. My lips part and I suck in a deep breath as I lift my hips to his body. “And bury your face in the pillow,” he growls as his now hard cock pushes against my sex over my shorts. “That would change your mind.” He pulls away from my ear and starts to kiss down my neck to my collarbone. My body breaks out in goose bumps, and I lift my hips with need as the thought of him burying himself inside me fills my mind. He chuckles. “See, Ash, you’re ready for me.”
His arrogant comment pulls me out of my trance. I push him back, and thankfully, he doesn’t fight me. As soon as he’s sitting up and straddling me, I punch him in the chest.
“Ow,” he cries as he places his hand over it. “What was that for?” He rubs it gently. “You’re very aggressive today.” A slow smile spreads across his face. “I like it,” he mumbles as his eyes fall on my chest.
I shove him off, and he falls down onto the bed. I stand quickly and stare down at him. My eyes can’t help but travel down his flat stomach and then to his hard cock. Bradley is a big guy. Six-foot-two and spends a lot of time in the gym. He has to, though, to work off all the alcohol he consumes on the weekends.
And all those hours at the gym pay off when it comes to stamina. I stare longingly at his cock. It stares back at me as if it’s calling to me. We could have a quickie. I mean what is another twenty minutes? I can be a little late. My plane doesn’t leave until nine thirty.
“No!” I say out loud.
“No what?” he asks confused. “I backed off.”
I shake my head; it’s been a few weeks since we’ve had the chance to hook up, and it’s messing with me. I’ve been busy with college finals, graduation, which was last night, and then the move next week. “No, I won’t have sex with you this morning. I’m mad at you,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
He chuckles as he runs a hand through his hair but asks, “Why? What did I do to piss off the princess?”
I narrow my eyes at him. That’s my nickname. He’s been calling me that since the night we met three years ago. “One. Your drunk ass woke me up at three o’clock this morning when you started banging on my door.” Now, normally that wouldn’t bother me. Bradley and I have the best kind of relationship two people can have. Not only are we best friends, but we also sleep together! See what I mean by the best? We give each other what we need with no strings attached.
“I told you yesterday that I was gonna come over after I left Jensen’s party,” he states. Last night, parties were everywhere due to graduation celebrations. I didn’t feel like going to any since I had to get up early this morning in order to make our flight.
“You did. But I told you not to,” I remind him. “I told you I had an early flight out this morning, and I wasn’t even done packing.” That is another reason my room looks like a tornado tore through it. I have clothes strewn all over the place, and I’m running out of time.
“You don’t leave until tomorrow.” He waves off my concern.
“I leave today!” I say, stomping my foot. My eyes narrow at him when he smiles at my little tantrum. “I told you that two weeks ago when we changed our flight.” Becca, my best girlfriend/roommate, and I decided we were going to Panama City for a little vacation. My parents had some frequent flyer miles and gave them to us for ou
r graduation present. My parents pretty much see Becca as their own. We weren’t supposed to leave until tomorrow, but two weeks ago, we decide to change it. Why not go a day earlier?
He makes his way to the end of the bed and stands. He takes a step towards me, and I take one back. “Brad, I told you. I don’t have time for sex.” The man has the power to go for a long time. And I mean that in the best of ways, but I’m running short on time as it is.
“I’m not gonna hump your leg.” He chuckles. “I’m just gonna tell you I’m sorry.” He pulls me in for a tight hug. “I guess I wasn’t listening yesterday, but I am now, and I’m sorry.” I hug him back and enjoy the feel of his warm body against mine. The man is my own personal oven. He has come over several times and slept in my bed just so I could cuddle with him. I sigh; it’s nice to have a friend like him. One you can tell all your secrets to and one you can lie in bed with. Naked. The man knows exactly what I like in and out of the bedroom, but that is as far as our friendship goes. And we are both very content with that. I could never actually date the guy. I know way too much about him. And he knows way too much about me.
I pull away and gesture to his dick, which is still hard. “Put some clothes on.”
He walks to my bathroom with a smug smile on his face as I start to grab his clothes off my floor. I hear the water in my sink start running, and he speaks. “Did we have sex last night?”
“No! You were not capable of sex. Plus, you would have remembered that,” I state.
I hear a muffled chuckle come from my bathroom. He must be brushing his teeth with my toothbrush. We literally share everything, even plaque. “True …” He pauses as I hear him spit. “But why am I naked?” he asks as he’s coming back out of my bathroom and plopping down on the side of the bed. “Did you try to get me in the mood?” He arches his eyebrow in question. “Was it whiskey dick? I hate when that bastard shows up.” He sighs.
I can’t help but laugh. “No. I guess you planned to get lucky, but you passed out as soon as your clothes were off. You barely made it to the bed,” I say, throwing his boxers and shirt at him. He catches them as they hit his chest. I then start picking up a few pairs of my shorts that I need to throw in my bag.
“You call this a bed?” he asks with a frown. And to be completely honest, it’s not. All I have is a metal bedframe and mattress. In two weeks, Becca and I are moving to New York to start our post-graduation life—where we get jobs and become adults, or so I’ve been told. She and I have spent the last month selling most of our stuff because the cost to move it was more than I wanted to pay. Plus, our new apartment in New York is fully furnished anyway. Which is a bonus, since it’s not like college kids have much to begin with.
“I could have left your ass in the hallway,” I say with a shrug.
He laughs as he runs his hand through his hair. I bend down and start to throw more clothes into a bag when my room becomes quiet.
“Ashlyn?” He breaks the silence after a few seconds.
I look up at him and smile. “Yes?”
“Thanks for taking care of me,” he says seriously.
I snort. “All I did was make sure you made it to the bed. The rest was all you.”
“What am I gonna do after you move?” he asks, looking up at me with those dark brown eyes. And he almost looks genuinely sad, but I know he’s not. He’ll miss me, yes, but he’ll be fine.
I toss his other boot from the floor over to the bed. “You’ll find someone to screw.” I tease.
He smiles up at me before placing the shirt up and over his head. “Well, yeah. But they won’t be as dirty as you allow me to be.”
I roll my eyes but agree with him. “Well, stop going for girls and find yourself a real woman.” I offer.
He laughs as he stands to pull his boxers on. “The real ones want to talk, and I have nothing to say.” He says truthfully. His boxers don’t do anything to hide the bulge behind them.
I go to speak, but the door to my room opens. Brad spins around, and I look up as the door hits the interior wall to see my roommate’s boyfriend standing in my doorway. Instead of turning around and leaving like a gentleman, he leans his shoulder up against the doorframe, crosses his arms over his chest, and smiles at us. “Well, don’t stop on my account. Please, carry on.” Of course, he thinks we just finished having sex. Brad is only half dressed, and so am I.
He looks me up and down, taking in my tank top and short shorts. I just threw them on after my shower. I have no bra or underwear on.
“Get out!” Brad orders, pointing at Conner.
“I didn’t expect you to be the private type, Bradley,” he muses. “Lord knows I’ve heard you guys fuck plenty of times. I sure would love a glimpse of what makes the ice queen melt.” He winks at me, and I pull my lips back in disgust. I hate how thin the walls are in our apartment, but I’ve never been one to be quiet in bed. And as much as I dislike Conner, I’m sure as hell not gonna tone down my sex life to accommodate him.
Brad lets out a growl and then takes off towards my door. For once in his miserable life, Conner actually looks scared. He pulls back from the doorframe, wide-eyed and fists raised as if he’s gonna fight Brad. I smile in satisfaction. Finally, someone is gonna put him in his freaking place. My excitement fades and I feel nothing but disappointment when Brad just slams the door in his face.
He spins around and fists his hands down by his sides. “I hate that guy,” he snaps.
“Don’t we all?” I mumble, spinning around and walking into my closet. I grab the hem of my tank top pulling it up and over my head. I toss it into the dirty clothes basket to my right and then grab my bra that’s hanging on a hook by my clothes rack. “That guy is a total douche. I don’t understand why Becca is with him!” I huff. My roommate is the sweetest and most caring person I have ever met. We were once on our way to class, and she made me stop in the middle of a packed intersection so she could get out of my car and help a turtle cross the street. She did it with a smile on her face while I flipped off the cars that honked and yelled at us to move. That’s just one of the many things she has done since I met her four years ago. She offers to work on holidays so others can take off and see their families. She stops at McDonald’s for breakfast and always orders more just in case she sees a homeless man or woman on the side of the road. She is exactly what this world needs. But it makes me sick to see people take advantage of her, which is exactly what that douchebag is doing!
Once I fasten my bra, I push my shorts down my legs. I’m still thinking about how much I hate Conner when two hands stop me. I look up to see Brad standing in front of me with a small smile tugging at his lips. “Oh, no,” I say, trying to back away from him, but his hands on my bare hips stop me. “I said I don’t have time …”
His lips come down on mine, stopping whatever protest I had. His tongue pushes its way past my lips, and I melt in his arms as I allow him to kiss me deeply. The taste of the mint toothpaste fills my mouth, and he swallows my moan as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. His still hard cock presses into my lower stomach, and I hate that I told him to put those boxers on now that I no longer have shorts on. I need him. It’s been three weeks since we last had sex. He could take me right here in the closet, for all I care.
A fist pounds on my bedroom door, which causes me to pull away, breathing heavy and my heart pounding. Bradley grips me tightly, shielding me in case Conner’s about to walk in again. “We’re leaving in ten,” I hear Becca’s soft voice call from the other side.
I sigh heavily as I look up at Brad’s big brown eyes. I lift my right hand and gently rub my lip-gloss off his lips from our kiss. “Can’t blame a man for trying,” he says softly.
I smile as I slap him on the chest playfully. He was about to succeed. “Stop it!”
“Seriously,” he says as he looks down at me. His dark eyes linger between my thighs, and my pussy tightens. “Anyone who wouldn’t try isn’t a man.” His fingertips run over the top of my breast
s that I just crammed into my bra. Then he trails a finger lower over my stomach. I take a deep breath as he runs it down over my belly button. Disappointment floods me when he takes his hands off me and steps back. At least one of us is being responsible now, and it sure as hell isn’t me. I can only say no so many times before I just jump him myself.
Placing his hands on my hips again, he spins me around. One arm wraps around my waist while the other comes up and wraps around my neck. I arch my back and suck in a deep breath before he cuts off my air. Closing my eyes, now wishing he wouldn’t have been so drunk last night. He lowers his lips down to my ear. “You’re mine when you get back.” He then releases me, and I yelp when he slaps my ass hard. The sound bounces off the walls in my rather small closet.
I spin around, totally turned on and wet because I know exactly what he means by mine. I smile up at him sweetly even though my heart is pounding and I’m wet as fuck. “Better be ready.” I gently smack his hard cock as I walk past him.
“Fuck,” he hisses, bending over and holding himself.
I laugh as I go to one of many suitcases and pull out a pair of panties, and then I run back to my closet for a pair of yoga pants. I’m dressing comfy if I have to be on a plane all day.
“God, I’m dreading this trip,” I say as I blow the hair out of my face.
“Why?” he asks as he puts on his jeans. “You’re gonna be sitting on a beach drinking margaritas like crazy. What’s not to love?”
“Conner,” I say simply.
“Don’t let him get to you. You have five whole days without him.” He looks up at me on the side of the bed and smiles.
I sigh heavily. That was the original plan. But remember when I said that Becca has a heart the size of Texas? “She invited him. He’s going to be sitting on that beach with me.” I state with dread.
“What the fuck?”
Selfish Page 2
