by Hilary Storm
“Then Noah decided he wanted to stop fighting everything he’s felt for me over the years. I told you both I need time to think, which is why I walked away from you this morning. I care about you both, Levi, yet all I seem to do is bounce from one of you to the other. It’s not fair to you that I feel this way. Hell, it’s not fair to me. It’s gutting me inside to feel like this.” I swallow hard, knowing this next part is going to be bitter tasting as I say it.
“I slept with Noah today.” He sits up quickly and the instant hurt on his face is something I can’t miss and even though he tries to shake it off fast, he doesn’t succeed. “I went for a drive with him to talk and we stopped… and one thing led to another.”
“I don’t need the details, Kali.” His words come out in a bite as he stands to face me. “I don’t want to hear what happens with him.” He looks down when he gets close to me, avoiding my eyes completely. I can feel him hurting and I hate it.
“You wanted space to see what there was there, I knew that. You’ve been very straightforward with me. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long for you two to get to that point.” He finally looks at me in the eyes and I let out the breath I’ve been holding.
“I only care about what you feel about me. About what we have together. And if you being with him has made you realize what you want.” He slides his hands down both of my arms while we stand face to face. Chest to chest. Eye to eye.
“I can tell you I felt instantly guilty and worried about what I’d say to you. I can’t lose you, Levi. You’ve been a friend to me like no one else. You’ve managed to break through all the walls I put in place specifically to keep everyone out.” He turns away from me before he starts to talk.
“Friend, huh?”
“No we’ve been more than friends, but most importantly you’ve shown me what it’s like to have someone loyal on your side and I’ve done nothing to repay you. I’ve only hurt you and brought chaos into your life.”
“Don’t you think I knew this shit with Noah was coming? He always gets what he wants, to hell with anything else.” The look on his face is tearing me up again.
“I did this. I allowed this to happen. I don’t know what I’m doing from one second to another with you two. On one hand, I have the man I’ve wanted my entire life and the other is a man I never knew existed.” I walk closer to him, hoping he doesn’t turn away from me before I get to make my point. “A man I never knew could care for me like he does. Make me feel loved with a simple touch.” He doesn’t turn away. “It’s like you’re teaching me to love myself, Levi. And that’s confusing the shit out of me. It makes me realize maybe something I’ve wanted my entire life isn’t what I need at all.”
“Kali, I’ll let you have the space you need to decide what you want, but I won’t play games.”
“I won’t either. I’ll always give you honesty.”
“I can deal with that.” He moves away from me once again, and this time the look of disgust is no longer spread across his face.
“I’m sorry, Levi.” The lump is there the second I begin to say the words. I truly am sorry for the mess I’ve made.
“Just be honest like you said and I can handle everything else. I know you’re working through some stuff.” He doesn’t say anything else before he wraps his arms around me, squeezing me tightly. We stand still while the rest of the world continues to proceed. I can hear his heartbeat against my ear as I lean my head on his chest.
I lean forward to kiss him, only to have him pull back. “But I won’t be kissing your lips when you’ve just been with him. Take a shower. You’ll have to wash that fucker off of you if you want anything from me.”
Chapter Twenty
Levi
Things have been awkward at the house for the past few days to say the least. Kali stays to herself, rarely coming out of the guest bedroom when she’s there.
She’s been taking extra shifts at the club and seems to be extra focused on staying busy and unapproachable when I’m there. She’s no different at home and has pushed Noah even further away.
The club is closed today, so she can’t hide from me under the guise of work tonight. I don’t like this shit and I want to talk to her about how this all went down. I get it. She feels guilty for being caught in the middle of what I want and what Noah is trying to claim.
What she doesn’t understand is, I know it isn’t her fault. I knew going into this that she has loved Noah since they were young. She’s never even looked my way all these years. What started out as me trying to push Noah towards her, ended up with me falling for a girl I had no intentions of even liking. Now I’m caught up in this triangle of a disaster where it’s inevitable that one of us is going to get hurt, if not all three of us.
My best friend who irritates the fuck out of me, but none the less is my family, has finally decided to let Kali get to him. By the looks of him lately, I’d say she succeeded. It’s been days since I’ve acknowledged him, so to say shit is stressful here is an understatement. I’d feel better if I just knew where Kali’s head was.
I’m still in bed, after working most of the night. It’s nearly dark again, but I’m contemplating what I’ll do on my night off when the doorbell rings. I don’t move, knowing someone else will get it if I just ignore it. When it rings again, I throw off the covers and saunter downstairs, only to open the door to a pizza being held in my face.
“Pizza delivery for Kali.” I look surprised as the guy reaches into his pocket for a pen. “Please sign here.” I forge her signature and take the pizza to the bar. Opening the lid sends the scent of delicious greatness into my senses and I’m instantly tempted to tear into her pizza without even asking. I close the lid and take the pizza toward her room.
Her door is closed, but she must not hear my knock, leaving me with an easy decision to turn the knob and go in anyway. I’m not good with boundaries; I never have been. The fact that I’ve given her the space she’s needed so far has shocked even me. So, she’ll have to forgive me if pizza is my undoing.
I set the box at the foot of her bed and turn around when I hear something behind me. She’s standing in nothing but a towel, allowing her wet hair to dangle over her right shoulder while she runs a brush through it.
“Awesome. I’m starving.” Her eyes move straight for the box. “Do you want a piece?”
“Yeah. It smells amazing.” The mixture of clean and pizza swirl in the room as she passes me. Her smell is familiar and suddenly something I cherish. I miss her in my bed and wish I could snap her out of her indecisiveness so I can spend my time sweeping her off her feet knowing I’m not confusing the shit out of her in the process.
She asked for space and I’ve given her that, but that doesn’t seem to be getting any of us anywhere. She slips back into the bathroom before she steps out in a tank top and tiny shorts. Her tits move slightly as she walks toward the bed before she sits in the middle and crosses her legs. The giant piece of pizza she picks up doesn’t have a chance when she starts in on it. I stand watching her and realize this may be the sexiest I’ve ever seen her. Real looks hot as fuck on her.
“You gonna stare at me eating or join me?” She looks at me over the piece in her hand before she bites down once again. “Nice underwear by the way. Did you really answer the door like that?” I look down and see nothing wrong with the way I’m dressed.
“Yes, I answered the door like this. The guy is lucky I wasn’t lying naked when he rang.” She allows her eyes to slide down my chest and over my bulge before quickly taking her attention back to the pizza.
I sit beside her and sprawl out with my back against the headboard and my legs taking most of this side of the bed. She hands me a slice of pizza and follows my lead, leaning in almost the same position on her side.
It’s a few seconds before either of us say anything. “Is this what you have planned for your night off?”
“Pretty much,” she says with a full mouth.
“Sounds perfect to me.” Well, parti
ally perfect. I could think of a few things I’d like to add, but I won’t go there yet. She’s relaxing around me again and I’m not about to push her away when I have her like this. “Hit the remote and see if there’s a movie on or something.”
She finds a show and drops the remote between us before she grabs herself another piece of pizza. “You do realize this is like food porn to me.” I look over at her, completely distracted by the way she looks next to me.
“Levi, this is not food porn.”
“Oh really? Because I’m turned the fuck on right now and struggling to stay on my side of the bed.” Well, there goes that space I was trying to give her. I may not have dove on top of her like I wanted, but I definitely altered the mood as I consumed her imagination with that porn comment.
“I thought you were mad at me.” She sits up and shifts in the bed to face me.
“I’m not mad. Just giving you some space like you say you needed.” I take another bite before I continue. “But I’m done with that shit.” Her eyes challenge me as I speak. Playfully teasing as I can feel the effects of her watching me go straight through my body and into my dick.
“Thank you for the space.”
“Did you get anywhere with that space? Do you have everything planned out for the rest of your life?” She picks at the meat on a piece of pizza sitting in the box.
“I’m not any clearer than I was the last time we talked.” She dangles a pepperoni over her mouth before she uses her tongue to pull it in. Fucking with me even further and tempting me to lose my mind and the restraint allowing me to sit back to watch. I’m more of a do’er. She knows this.
“Well, I think this space shit is overrated. It hasn’t helped. Maybe we should do things my way.” She pops a piece of sausage in her mouth, chewing it slowly while she waits for me to finish what I’m saying.
“What’s your way?”
I toss the last few bites of my pizza back into the box and shove the entire thing to the floor. Her eyes watch it land perfectly next to the dresser then she quickly squints in my direction. Climbing over her, she falls to her back, her head at the foot of the bed while I blanket her with my body. I kiss her slowly as she follows my lead and returns the kiss.
“Mmmm. You taste like pizza and cherry Chapstick. It’s quite the combination.” She smiles under me while I wrap my legs around her and straddle her waist. I sit up and slide my hands down her chest and over her arms, causing a heavy silence between the two of us. The intensity is almost immediately suffocating me as I wait for one single sign that she’s fine with me attacking her like this. I’m trying to make a point, but of course if she says no, I’ll stop immediately.
“Don’t you think you should be between my legs for this to work out?”
“Oh. Is that what we’re doing? This is me giving you space.” I decide to tease her just a little, even though I want nothing more than to dive straight between her legs and take care of my sexual frustrations.
“Space may be overrated.” She’s not smiling anymore and I know I need to move quickly to keep her with me.
I slide her arms over her head as I lower my face to hers. “I think I have to agree. I like you much better up close.”
“You’re not so bad yourself like this, you know.”
“We could be even closer if you’d like.” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and still manages a smile before I kiss her and slide my own teeth over her lip instead.
“Mmmm. You’re always so tempting.” She moans and squirms beneath me, no doubt ready for me to slide between her legs and take this home. I adjust my body so that I’m between her legs.
She lifts them up, allowing me to slide her shorts off before she turns to her side. I slide in behind her and without another thought, I’m balls deep inside her, thrusting in and out. Rotating my hips and holding her against me feels perfect. She feels perfect against me. Her scent. Her touch. Even the sound she makes as I invade her without apology.
“Fuck, Kali,” I whisper into her neck and grip it with one hand, using it as leverage as I pull her towards me over and over again. I needed this. I needed her and I have no plans to let her go this long without spending time with her again.
I miss Kali. I miss laughing with her and the fun we have even when we’re being serious. If she still needs space, she’s going to have to figure out a way to get it around spending time with me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Noah
Things are different since our drive the other day. She’s been avoiding me, but to be fair she’s been keeping her distance from everyone. I’ve been in my own head trying to figure out what I’m doing and how I want things to be with her.
I’ve loved her my entire life. Actually, I loved the woman I thought she was. I had no idea who she was and what she was capable of until recently and I have to say I’m loving this Kali even more. I just wish I hadn’t waited until she fell for my best friend. This is ridiculous. I’m stuck thinking about her being with him possibly when he shouldn’t even be in the picture.
This is what happens when you don’t go after what’s yours. Someone else will. And you have to be prepared to deal with the consequences.
I’ve been gone all day, on purpose. I knew she was home from work today and instead of her trying to hide from me, I thought I’d make it easy on her. Easy on me.
It didn’t work. I’m more irritated now than I was to start with. I plan to talk to her tonight. She needs to know where I stand because I really haven’t taken the time to tell her. It’s hard to tell someone something when you’re not sure yourself.
It’s four in the morning by the time I pull into my driveway. The house is dark and I’m sure she’s sleeping, so I pull out the whiskey and sit by the pool to think. The moonlight shines bright and flickers across the pool, pulling my attention towards the water as I continue to drink.
She’s haunting me even as I sit here trying to understand her. How did it get to this? Kali has always been a weakness for me and now it seems she’s mastered that to its fullest.
I drop back the last of my drink and pour another one before I head back inside. The house is quiet. So quiet that I’m not even sure anyone is here. Levi’s truck is gone, so who knows.
Leaning on the bar I contemplate my next step with her. Do I continue to avoid any contact with her in hopes of her one day coming to her senses about us? Or do I get in her face about us and force her to pay attention to me now that she has my undivided focus.
I’ve never been one to skirt around shit, so why am I doing that now. Swallowing the last of my drink, I drop it in the sink and head straight for her room.
I push open the door and see her curled up on one side of the bed, with the covers kicked off her. Her tiny figure barely takes up any room and I’m instantly itching to move in next to her. I watch her sleep for a few seconds before I close the door.
As I move closer, I quickly decide it’s time to stop allowing her to ignore me and I’m sure as fuck about to do the opposite of avoiding her.
I pull my t-shirt over my head and drop it on the floor before I crawl up her bed from the bottom. She doesn’t budge as I roll her over and slide my face between her legs. The t-shirt and panties she’s wearing make it easy for me to get right into position.
I bite the lace covering her, causing her to startle. “You scared me.” I move her shirt and blow slowly across her stomach until she lifts her hips just slightly.
“Sorry.” Pulling her panties down her legs, I sit up and unbutton my pants. I waste no time pulling my dick out and there’s no need to do anything to get me hard. I’m already there.
“Noah. I have to tell you something.”
“No talking. Just let me take care of you.” I slide my hands up her smooth legs until I have her ass in my hands. Lifting her hips, I lick her pussy once before I suck her clit until she’s writhing against my face. She grips my hair and holds me in place while I work her over. Taking note of every sound she makes along
with every squirm, I begin to learn what makes my Kali tick in the bedroom. What makes her crazy and what leaves her indifferent.
I quickly find that she prefers my more aggressive tendencies and when I take things a little further than the basic. She likes it rough and that thrills the fuck out of me.
Her death grip on my hair forces me to pleasure her until she’s grinding herself through an orgasm from the efforts of my tongue. I move over her and take a handful of her hair, quickly noticing the dampness. She smells of shampoo and that makes me wish I would’ve made an appearance just a half an hour earlier. That shower could’ve been amazing.
“Have you been drinking.” She smells the whiskey on me.
“I had two drinks when I got home.” I move between her legs, my dick sinking in as she wraps her legs around my ass. “I was thinking about you.”
“Oh you were.” She lets out a breath when I thrust all the way in.
“Yes. I was trying to decide if I should leave you alone or remind you why we should be together.” I thrust hard and deep. Slow and precise.
I hold her in my arms as I move in and out of her, kissing her as I do.
“Thought you said no talking.” I bite her neck as I drive into her again. She moans and squeezes her legs the harder I bite. “Ahh. Fuckkkk.” She likes it. The way she says fuck proves it.
We continue for hours. The sun begins to shine through the curtains before I decide to stop giving her orgasm after orgasm. We’re both drenched in sweat as I begin to fuck her relentlessly allowing my own release to go over the edge. I roll us over and pull her against me, inhaling her scent again.
She wiggles against me, finding that perfect spot that we fit the best before she pulls my arm across her chest and holds it tight. “I love you Kali.” I’m whispering the words before I have the chance to think about them. “I’ve always loved you.”
