Entangled

by Annie Brewer

  She moves closer and I can smell her breath and feel her without even touching her. “Hold that thought.” She quickly leaves the room, leaving me staring after her. Did I do something? Is she coming back? I slump back onto the bed, trying to calm my hard-on. I shut my eyes. When the door opens and Maddy comes back in, I sit up and reach for her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I wanted to tell Spencer we’re okay and going to sleep. He’s going out, I think.” I drop my head and sigh in relief, wishing I wasn’t so paranoid.

  “Oh good; I thought I did something…the way you left so abruptly.” She shakes her head, with a sexy grin. Her body slowly moves onto the bed and she leans down over me and I can see her cleavage, making my mouth water and throat dry up. “Where were we?” I let her have control for a little while. There’s nothing sexier than a woman in control in the bedroom. She kneels in front of me, placing each leg over my hips. “I brought some sexy lingerie to wear for you.”

  “Right now, I just want all items of clothing off you.” I meet her half-way, both on our knees; I reach up and trace a path from her throat down to the top of her chest with my fingertip. “I want this,” I gesture to her shirt as I grab the hem and lift up, “Off.” She throws it on the floor. I stare at her pink lacy bra and get a glimpse of her breasts. “Well, I want this,” she yanks my shirt up and over my head. “Off.”

  “You’re so fucking sexy.” I whisper. She closes the gap between us and I wrap my arms around her back so her body is rubbing against mine, with no space or even air between us. I move back until I’m up against the headboard, bringing her with me. I take her face between my hands and tilt her head back while her arms wrap around my neck. Once our lips meet, it’s like electrical shocks coursing through every cell of my body going off and it intensifies. My mouth devours hers, hungrily. I can’t take the space between us so I reach around and unclasp her bra, slowly letting the strap fall off her shoulders. My mouth trails hot kisses over her bare skin. “Mmm, much better.” I whisper against her flesh. She’s so beautiful, bared, naked before me. I see passion in her eyes; just as I feel the erection in my pants painfully harden. But it’s not about me tonight. I want to make her every fantasy come to life. We’re both breathing heavy, while my tongue explores every inch of her. My hands drift up her thighs and back down, and I hear her moan. I smile, satisfied. I take her hand and place it over my heart so she can feel the quick rhythm she creates. “You make my heart race, every time I look at you or hear your voice. You do that.”

  She smiles as her eyes begin to water with unshed tears. “You do the same to me. I don’t want to fight, Noah. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

  “Hey,” I grab her hand and kiss it, suck it and kiss her so hard our teeth clash. “You’re not gonna lose me. I love you, and I won’t hurt you.” My lips kiss down the middle of her body, down to her belly button. My tongue sticks out and grazes the inside. I grab her by her hips and pull her toward me, underneath me and her legs wrap around my waist. I start to unbutton her jeans and unzip them, sliding my fingers inside to pull them down…shit!

  “I need a condom.” I quickly maneuver off her and search for one in my bag. When I find one, I remove my jeans leaving my boxers on. Then I climb back onto the bed, “Okay, let’s try this again.” She takes the condom from me and unwraps it. My hands reach around her backside and slide the remaining clothes off her…”Maddy,” I whisper. I notice her eyes are glossy with tears. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Sorry, my emotions are overwhelming me.”

  I brush her tears away, “We don’t have to do anything. We can just lie together, naked and sleep. I don’t care.” She shakes her head firmly.

  “No, I want to. I’ve just never been treated like this before you. I just sometime get overcome by my feelings. You make me feel so good about me, like a goddess and I fucking love you for it. I always just felt average. But you…you make me feel much more than that. I wish you could’ve met my father. He would love you, the way you treat me.”

  “I love every inch of you. And to me, you’re not just average. You’re much more than that, you’re my goddess. I love you, and I only hope to do right by you.” I lean down and kiss her sweetly on the mouth, not wanting to rush this moment with her but enjoy it. I stroke her cheekbone as her hands run up and down my chest. My mouth reclaims hers as we allow our bodies to become one..heart and soul. We get in rhythm, enjoying the pleasure each brings to the other. I squeeze her breasts and find her sensitive spots, making her moan my name. It’s perfect.

  We lie naked together, tangled and naked. “What do you love most about me?” She asks. I lightly run my hand up and down her arm, looking for a response. I have so many answers that come to mind but I say, “I know this sounds cliché, but I love your heart. In spite of everything, your heart is so kind and loving. You always put others first, instead of whining about your life and how you grew up, kind of like I did at first. You taught me there are more important things to think about than myself and my shitty upbringing. You taught me to open up, you broke my walls down, and no one has ever done that. I love your laugh, your smile, the way you bite your lower lip when you’re nervous. It’s adorable. I love how you took a chance on me and didn’t give up, even though I wasn’t nice to you that much in the beginning. I love how you believed in me, when I didn’t believe in myself. I can go on and on.” And on. I lean my head down and lightly brush my lips against hers. “Your turn.”

  “I love,” She runs her hands up and down my chest. “Your protective side, the way you love when you do love and your openness. You’re kind, a better person than you give yourself credit for. I also love how gentle and attentive you are in putting my needs and desires first.”

  “A woman deserves to be devoured, but she also deserves to be cherished. I cherish you, intimately and otherwise.” Something I never took into consideration before. I’m glad it was Maddy who opened my eyes.

  We eventually fall asleep.

  Chapter 52

  Noah

  It’s the first day of our trip, well the first full day. I plan to put together an itinerary so we can make sure Maddy gets to see everything she wants.

  I slipped out of the room quietly so she could sleep in a little. There’s so much to see here, yet we only have a few days. “What are you doing?” I look up as Spencer stalks into the kitchen and sits at the table.

  “I’m planning a schedule for our stay. I want her to see as much as possible.”

  “Have no fear, I did some research and put together a little guide that might help you decide where to go.” He pulls out a packet and sets it in front of me, “So here’s what’s gonna happen,” I look at it, stunned, “You should start tomorrow…go on the Big Apple Tour, you can view the sights from the bus and hop on and off whenever you want and walk around, there’s another bus that’ll pick you up. It takes you through 23 different sights and not all of them are that interesting. You want to get the good ones. But it’s perfect for you guys.” I glance at the attractions, underlining the ones I want to take her to see. “And then the second day, you go on a dinner cruise where it takes you to see the city at night. There’s also a night tour of New York City. It starts on 42nd Street and 7th Avenue and it’s two hours. I’m sure she’d love to see the city at night. It’s so romantic.” He gives a dreamy look.

  “Wow, you really took time to plan this shit. Thank you, so much. I lived here and saw everything a hundred times but when it comes time to show someone else, I suck at planning.”

  “Oh it’s cool I had fun doing it. But be sure to take her to Rockefeller Center so she could go ice skating. She’d love it.”

  “Ah, yes. I’d love it!” I look up when I hear Maddy’s voice. She’s got bedhead but she still makes my heart race. I smile at her, and kiss her when she sits beside me. “What are you guys doing?”

  “Planning the best trip of your life.” Spencer winks at her.

  “Oh my god let me see.” I show her the list of att
ractions and we decide together on the places we wanna go to.

  “Tonight I say we take her to our little hang out.” I ponder the idea and then nod in agreement. It’s just a bar, but we like it. And the people there know us.

  “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. We’ll finish planning when I get done.” She kisses me and leaves the kitchen, but turns to Spencer to ask for a towel.

  “I see you two made up last night.”

  “Yes, we uh…did.” Memories about our make-up sex come back and I try to hide my grin.

  “I’ll bet you did.” He smiles and then his face contorts into embarrassment. “Oh my god, my sheets.”

  “I’ll wash them before we leave.”

  He shrugs, “I’ll just burn them. It’s not like I live here anymore, anyway.” I look down at the different lists. I really wanna show her New York City at night, it’s amazing. “Okay, we’ll do a day tour, a night tour, and a dinner cruise. The rest of the time, we’ll just walk around and hit up downtown. But first, I need to make a call.

  Fully dressed in warm clothes, we catch a cab to Union Street, where we’re meeting my mother for lunch. I’m nervous as hell; I haven’t seen her in almost 6 months. I try to focus on Maddy to keep calm. “Does your mom know I’m coming too?”

  “I told her I was bringing a friend. For all she knows, you could be Spencer.” At first I wanted to take her by the house I grew up, but changed my mind. The last thing I need is to run into my father. It’s one thing if I happen to run into him on the streets, considering he works on Wall Street and we’ll probably be around there one of the days. It could happen. Besides, there aren’t happy childhood memories in that house, so it’s better to just grab a bite to eat and visit my mother for a bit so I can put my mind at ease with that problem. I want to enjoy the rest of our journey here. “I’m really nervous.”

  I whisper in her ear, “It’ll be fine. She’ll love you.” I kiss her temple.

  At our stop, I give the driver a tip and help Maddy out of the car. Her eyes widen when she takes in the sight of the busy streets of Brooklyn. “Wow, this is awesome. It looks so much like the streets on Friends. Wasn’t it filmed here?”

  “The apartment is in Greenwhich Village in downtown. We’ll be on a bus tour that will take us by there.” I take her hand and lead her into the café. “Oh my god, it looks like Central Perk too.” It does look similar to that coffee shop. Although it has the set up like Starbucks, but I think most small cafes and coffee shops are very similar in style. This place has 20 different seating arrangements. It has a large performance stage where they have poetry readings and live bands performing. It’s called the Tea Lounge. It’s really nice to come at night and hang out on the big comfy couches, listening to the performers. Spencer and I came here a lot.

  “This place is huge.”

  “Yep, they have bluegrass bands that perform and people read poetry on stage. Where you watch karaoke, we watch poetry and live bands. They have great local bands.”

  “Is that your mother?” I follow her line of sight and spot the same woman I left here months ago.

  “Yeah, that’s her. Come on.” I take her hand and when she sees us approaching, she gets up to greet us.

  “Noah.” She seems surprised to see me.

  “Hi.” I wait for her to make a move, but her eyes settle on Maddy. “Who’s this?” I glance between them and Maddy holds her hand out, “I’m Maddy.” My mom shakes her hand, smiling.

  “Hi Maddy, you must be the friend Noah brought here from Colorado.”

  “Yes, I’m sort of dating him.”

  “Yeah, mom this is my girlfriend. I brought her here to see the city, she’s never been.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you. You’re a pretty young lady.”

  “Thank you. You too, I can see where Noah gets his good looks from.” She smirks and I feel uncomfortable.

  “Let’s sit, shall we?”

  “This is such a nice place, very cozy.” Maddy looks over the menu. My mother watches me, probably trying to discern the changes; she doesn’t know me well to begin with. Maybe she can see clearer, not having alcohol to cloud her vision.

  We order food and drinks. I expect my mom to order a cocktail, but instead she gets an ice tea. Maybe she is trying to get her life back on the right track. “So what do you do Maddy?” She looks taken aback by her question, not expecting to be addressed. So am I.

  But she smiles, graciously. That’s my Maddy. “I work in a clinic, an animal clinic. I want to be a vet. I’ve worked there since I was 17.”

  My mother smiles, pleased. “Oh how nice. Your parents must be so proud of you.” Shit!

  “How are you doing in rehab or therapy, mom?” I intervene, flashing a sympathetic frown to Maddy. She dazzles a sincere smile. I was so consumed with how the meeting would go for me, I didn’t think to consider her asking Maddy questions about her life.

  “It’s fine. Some days are better than others. I just have to stay strong.” She says to me, and then turns her gaze back to Maddy, “What do your parents do?” Jesus.

  “Mom-“

  “Noah, it’s okay,” she touches my arm, and I take her hand, holding it in comfort on top of the table. She smiles at my mom, who’s glancing between us, confused. “My mother died when I was seven, my father didn’t take it well and I’ve been raised by my best friend’s family. When I was 17 I got a job at the clinic, and I’ve been trying to get through school to be a vet but it costs too much money, so I’m just working in my job for now. And when I was 18, I moved out on my own.” My mom’s face is filled with horror but Maddy handled it with grace and maturity. I squeeze her wrist, smiling at her. “I’m fine.” She stands up, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room.” Part of me wants to chase after her but maybe she needs a minute to herself.

  “I’m so sorry, Noah. I didn’t know.” She covers her face.

  “I know, I couldn’t expect you to know, neither did she.”

  “You look good, happy even.”

  “I am. It’s all thanks to that woman,” I gesture to the door Maddy walked through moments ago. “She helped me change a lot. And of course Aunt Linda and Derrick too.” I play with my straw from my drink to keep my mind busy.

  “Look like the move was a good thing for you.” She looks down, sad. “I’m sorry for all the things I didn’t do or didn’t say and should’ve. I lost sight of what was important.”

  “You can’t erase years of negligence and pain over one lunch. I needed you, mom. I needed a mom and you weren’t there.”

  “I know, believe me, I know. I see how much I screwed up. I let the divorce change me in the worst way.” We turn to see Maddy walk back to the table.

  She glances from me to my mom, “I’m sorry, I can give you two some time to talk. I’ll come back.” I stand and reach for her, “No, it’s okay. You don’t have to leave.”

  “Maddy, I’m so sorry for putting you on the spot. I had no idea-“

  “Mrs. Parker, it’s okay, you couldn’t have known. I’m not upset.”

  “Please call me Nancy.” She amends. She turns to me, holding my hand, “You need to talk to your mom. This is your chance. I’ll be outside and walk around, when you’re done.” She kisses me, I feel torn. It’s cold outside. I take off my coat and throw it over her shoulders. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive, I’ll be fine. I love you.”

  I let go of her hand and watch her step outside. “She’s really sweet. How’d you meet?” I hear my mom ask. I sit back down across from her.

  “Aunt Linda and Derrick. They’ve helped her through her rough life. She’s one of Derrick’s best friends. Aunt Linda adores her.”

  “She seems strong for all she’s been through.”

  “Enough about her mom. I need to know why you think I should trust you again. What if you relapse and go back to the way you were? What then?”

  “Noah, this isn’t going to be easy for either of us. I’ve had a lot
of time to reflect on life and how I let your father control me. I’m not as weak as I once was, but I’m not as strong as I wanna be yet, either. My best solution is we take it a day at a time.”

  “What about dad?”

  “What about him?” I find Maddy outside the window, pacing the street. I’m glad she has my jacket. “Don’t let him control you anymore.”

  “Believe me, I finally told him to go to hell. I’m looking for a smaller place to live. I don’t want any of his shit.” I do my best to reserve my smile for later, for now I just keep an open mind and a neutral expression. I believe one can change, but it takes time. Well, I believe it now. I didn’t used to believe it. “What about the other men?”

  “I don’t have any men in my life right now. There’s only one I really want back in my life. I’ll do what I can to make it up to you.”

  I tap on the window and nod my head for Maddy to come back inside. “It’s good to see you, Noah.”

  “Just don’t make me regret this. It’s bad enough I hate one parent. It would be nice to have a mother who’s conscience of her only son, once in a while.”

  We finish our lunch and part ways, making plans to meet up again before we leave. Maddy and I walk around the neighborhood.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “Mmm. Just taking in the sights. How was your talk with your mom?”

  We walk hand in hand, around a cluster of slow people talking on their phones. Cars pass by, honking their horns…a normal occurrence. “Better than I expected, yet I’m not holding my breath. What’s that saying, “a zebra doesn’t change its spots”.” Maddy looks at me sideways, trying not to giggle.