If I Never Knew You (If I Never Knew You Series)

by Aubrey Bailey

  "I wonder who it was about," Damian said from behind me.

  I cringed at his voice. It was like hearing nails on a chalk board after hearing Orion's beautiful song. Part of me wanted to go home, but another part of me wanted to stay and hear what else Orion was supposed to tell me. I felt so trapped with Damian sitting behind me, his arms around me. Had he seen me watching Orion? Had he seen Orion watching me? I hoped not. Oh God, what was I going to do? Why did I even start dating this guy?

  "Hey!" I stiffened considerably when Orion made his way through the crowd. He glanced at Damian and then looked at me. "You're Andy's sister, right?"

  "Depends on which Andy you're talking about," I said, relaxing just a bit.

  "Andy Summers," Orion replied.

  "Yeah, I'm his sister." I glanced down at Orion's hands to find them in his pockets and, more than likely, in fists.

  "Thought so. I'm Orion."

  "Oh yes, Andy's friend." I looked at Damian. "This is the guy Andy's always talking about."

  "Really now?" Damian asked, his eyes narrowing.

  "Oh, right," I said. "You don't really listen to Andy." Orion moved away somewhat and I saw an irritated expression on his face.

  "Well, I just came over to ask that if you see him, tell him to give me a call, please," Orion said, looking me directly in the eye. I nodded, and he nodded back, giving Damian one last look, then he disappeared back into the crowd.

  "Can we go home now?" I asked, sounding bored.

  "Sure, I'll drop you off," Damian said. I don't know if it way my imagination or not, but he sounded eager. But why should I have worried about it? If he was as eager to get away from me as I was to get away from him, then I should have been thrilled, because it would have made things much easier.

  Half an hour later, I sat in my living room in my night wear and debated whether I should call or text Orion. I decided to send him a text message inviting him over and turned on the TV. I couldn't believe how long it'd been since I'd had the house to myself (my mom was visiting my aunt, who was in the hospital). I could just lounge around and watch TV without being disturbed. It was such an incredible feeling.

  There was a knock on the door ten minutes later and I got up to answer it. I smiled when I saw Orion still in the clothing he sang my song in at the bar.

  "You rang?" Orion asked.

  I motioned for him to come in, and closed the door before locking it. That would keep Damian away, since he didn't have a key. I definitely did not want to see him again tonight, tomorrow, or any time.

  When I turned to face Orion, I was in a long night shirt with thin straps instead of sleeves and a matching pair of boxer-style shorts. "They're easy to put on and take off, so I love wearing them," I explained to Orion, who said that I looked sexy in an adorable way.

  "Now are you flirting with me, Miss Summers?" Orion asked, "Because if you are..."

  "Maybe just a little," I answered, holding up my thumb and finger a few inches apart. We went into the living room and sat down. "So what else did you want to talk to me about?"

  "Oh, Andy says that if it's fine with you and your mom, then maybe I should move in. I could help with bills and such," Orion said.

  "Yeah, you could." I said, nodding again. I realized that Mom was often in great pain doing her cleaning job and she would be able to stay home if Orion were helping to support us.

  "You have no objections?" Orion asked quietly.

  I tilted my head slightly and thought for a moment. "

  No, I don't." I said. "If it'll make Andy happy and make things easier for Mom, then I'm all for it. Of course, I'll have to speak with Mom before I can give you the go-ahead." I also thought of Damian and how I was going to handle that situation.

  Orion smiled broadly and closed the gap between us to kiss me. I groaned and wrapped my arms around his neck. It took only a few seconds for him to get me on my back on the couch. I had gotten the rest of his buttons undone before he pulled away and looked at me.

  "Are you afraid, babe?" Orion asked, softly. I looked at him. He wasn't asking if I was afraid of him, or of what we were leading ourselves into. It was more like he was asking if I was scared of Damian and what living here with Orion would mean in this whole crazy situation.

  I could answer that question in a second.

  "No, I'm not," I said defiantly.

  We made it to my room with only Orion's shirt falling off. Thank God, too, because if Andy came home and there were clothes everywhere, I so did not want to explain it to him. Once in my room, Orion lifted me up and kissed me the same way he did in his office. He slowly made his way from my mouth to my neck before moving us backwards and laying me down on my bed. Once my shirt was off, he resumed his attack on my neck.

  His hands were now running lightly over my chest. It wasn't what I was used to, but damn, it felt good! Orion lifted his head from my neck and his eyes scanned the part of my body that was revealed to him.

  "Did I ever tell you how absolutely, stunningly beautiful you are?" Orion asked, awestruck.

  "Well, you never said it that way." I kissed him.

  God, this man was so sweet. He gave me all of his attention, which was something that I never experienced before. I loved it! He made me feel like I was his whole world; like some goddess. And that was before he finally listened to me, and slid into me.

  I took in a deep breath as his cock slipped deeper into me. His hips started pumping rhythmically, and then began thrusting harder. I moaned louder with each pump as my nails grazed over his neck. His mouth found my nipples and he sucked lightly on them while he continued fucking me roughly. Soon, his fists balled up clumps of my hair and he whispered dirty nothings in my ear. I began to hurt a little bit, but I wasn't about to give up then. The sex turned to pain, and the pain only fed my pleasure.

  "You like that?" Orion grunted in my ear.

  "Yeah...don't you dare stop."

  He took my advice and shoved his cock even deeper inside me. It became even more swollen as I whined with pleasure. I felt as if the world could end right then and I would die happy. I rubbed my clit each time he inserted the full length of his dick. The seconds turned to minutes and soon the minutes turned to an hour. I asked him to finish inside me, and with one last thrust, his hot cum exploded deep inside me. I almost laughed with the pleasure and simply kissed his neck. We lay there for a few moments before he fell off the top of me with a sigh.

  I couldn't really say which part was my favorite. What I liked was that he was making sensual moves for my pleasure, instead of only for his pleasure, like Damian always did.

  At four in the morning, I was still awake with Orion's body pressed against mine, his arm securely around my waist and his handsome face only inches from mine. I really had no reason to still be awake, but I just couldn't sleep. So what did I do? I slowly and carefully got out of Orion's hold, threw on my robe and went out of the room, down the stairs and out the back door to stand on the deck, where I looked up at the sky for quite a while.

  "So this is where you ran off to." I turned slowly, lowering my head to look at Orion standing in his boxers and leaning against the doorway.

  "I couldn't sleep," I said, shrugging.

  "I can see that," Orion said, yawning. He stood next to me and followed my gaze toward the star-filled sky, where the Big Dipper shone clearly. "Nice night."

  "Cold deck, though," I complained, looking down and shuffling my feet.

  "We should go inside to keep your feet from getting too cold," Orion said. I looked at him and smiled. He leaned down slowly, and kissed me softly. I think I surprised him by responding instantly. "Right then, let's go back to the warmth and comfort of that nice bed of yours," Orion implored me. I laughed and allowed him to lead me back into the house.

  I did sleep after another round of mind blowing sex and didn't wake up until we heard Andy banging around at noon. I looked at my alarm clock and grumbled, as I had to be at work in a little less than three hours. I rolled over and buri
ed my head into Orion's chest.

  "As much as I love this, Mad, we do have to get up," Orion said. I giggled as I felt his chest rumble from the words. "Don't Andy to catch us." My head shot up instantly when I remembered that. I tried to get out of bed, but the blanket got tangled around my legs and I wound up falling to the floor, pulling the blanket with me and leaving Orion bare for me to see.

  "Are you alright?" Andy called through the door.

  "Fine!" Orion and I said together, just as we heard the doorknob turn.

  "Orion?" Andy asked. The next second there was a thud and some laughing from the other side of the door. "Aw man, that is just...God, I didn't think it would happen already!"

  "Get lost, Andy," I shouted and got up after untangling myself. Then I pulled on a pair of panties and a bra. We heard Andy laugh all the way down the stairs. "God, he can be annoying sometimes!"

  "What did you expect?" Orion asked. I looked at him. He was sitting on the bed with the blanket bunched up between his waist and knees, leaving everything else bare. He was also looking at me in a 'come hither' way, so when I climbed onto the bed, I straddled his waist and kissed him hard.

  "I have to take a shower," I said, after reluctantly pulling away.

  "So why did you put your clothes on?" Orion asked.

  "In case my brother made a not-so-welcome entrance," I said.

  "I get it," Orion said. "I'll go and make lunch for us and leave a sandwich for Andy and your mom, who will probably be home soon.

  "Mind reader," I said, kissing him again. I got off him before we were tempted to do what we did last night. I smiled at him before grabbing my towels and leaving the bedroom.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I WENT TO work, leaving Andy and Orion to do as they pleased. Mom was due to arrive home at one that afternoon. I figured she would be tired after her vigil at the hospital and would probably want to take a rest after lunch. Poor Aunt Cheryl had cancer and the prognosis was not good, so Mom would be making many more visits to her in the near future since our grandparents had passed and there were few other siblings.

  I think my mood surprised everyone at work. Usually I hated the afternoon shift, but today I was cheerful, not even having to force a smile as I took orders. Jen picked up on it and I told her what had happened.

  "It's about time," she said. I blinked and stared at her. "Oh please-all that tension between the two of you and the way you acted around each other here. Lord only knows how you acted away from work." I went red, and she laughed. "Just be careful with what you do."

  By the time the boys arrived at the restaurant in my last hour of work, my excitement had settled down quite a bit. By now, everyone at the Wayside was getting to know Orion as well as they knew Andy. Jen was even beginning to know what Orion preferred eating: a club sandwich at lunchtime and meatloaf at dinner. I was a little on edge because I hadn't heard from Damian the whole day-I usually have to suffer through at least one phone call.

  Jen had gone home after preparing Andy and Orion's orders, so there was no one to talk to between tables. I couldn't just stand up front and talk with my brother and his friend. That put another thought in my mind. What were Orion and I? We couldn't be boyfriend and girlfriend until the issue with Damian was solved. I really wanted to break up with Damian, but I was afraid of what he might do.

  I was still thinking that over when I clocked out nearly half an hour late because of some people who just wouldn't leave. Finally, I was able to join the guys up front, where they were just hanging out, waiting for me to finish.

  "So what were you doing?" I asked.

  "Thinking of the easiest, cheapest way of moving all my shit to your place," Orion said. "Your mom gave me the okay today when I spoke to her about moving in."

  I nodded. I was not surprised that Mom agreed, because she was so easygoing about everything. She would also welcome the extra income that Orion could provide, which would enable her to stop working.

  "Well, Madison," Andy said, yawning. "Are you done finally?"

  I said yes and we all stood up and left. Since he had to be at work early tomorrow, Orion dropped us off at home and later went to his own place. Then it happened: Just as I was about to fall asleep, the phone rang. I picked it up and lay back down, before answering, "Hello?"

  "Did you just get home?" Damian asked. My eyes shot wide open and I sat up.

  "Um, yeah," I said. "I had to stay later because some people wouldn't leave."

  He made a noise and then started on a dreadfully long story about something to do with work. I made the appropriate sounds when needed, but otherwise didn't listen. The only thing I distinctly heard was him saying that he wouldn't be able to see me much. That gave me a great sense of relief.

  Finally, after over an hour, he hung up and I snuggled gratefully into my bed. I wondered if I would be able to wait until Damian broke up with me, rather than the other way around. Based on our most recent conversation, it seemed to be a possibility. It sure would have made things a lot easier if I got dumped and not the other way around.

  That weekend, Orion and I went to the mall to help him find a present for Andy. Also, previously unbeknownst to me, we would be helping Orion buy some new clothes.

  "You know, I'm really not the right female for this," I admitted, leaning against the wall next to the dressing room stall with my arms crossed and one foot jiggling impatiently. "I thought we were here for my brother."

  "Yeah, but I need stuff too," Orion called through the door. "And what do you mean, 'you're not the right female'?"

  "Have you seen what I wear?" I asked. "I basically just grab things from my closet and if they look good together after three seconds, I wear them."

  "So?" Orion asked. I rolled my eyes, but with a smile. "Madison, would you please help me?"

  "Sure," I answered, not really thinking. The door opened more and I walked in. Orion closed the door and relocked it. "What do you need help with?" I barely got the last word out, because Orion had suddenly swooped down and kissed me, right out of nowhere.

  I moaned softly and wrapped my arms around his neck as he backed me into the wall. He pulled away after a second only to descend upon my neck like he had the habit of doing. I bit my lip to keep from moaning too loudly.

  "You know, we're gonna get in trouble," I warned him.

  "Oh well," Orion said.

  I think we were at it for a good ten minutes before someone knocked on the door. Orion made up some bullshit excuse that he was just getting my opinion on things. The sales clerk simply smiled, but we could tell he wasn't buying it. At least Orion purchased everything he had brought into the changing room, so the sales staff was happy, rather than annoyed, about our romantic interlude.

  We walked around the mall for a while before finally finding a gift for Andy. Actually, there were two parts to the gift. Orion wouldn't tell me the second part, but the first part was a game for Andy's Game Boy.

  "Come on, just tell me!" I begged Orion. "Please!"

  "It's for both of you, so I can't." After a few attempts to get him to tell me, I gave up as we walked outside to the parking lot. Orion grabbed my arm to stop me from going around to the passenger side.

  "What?" I asked. He held out his keys to me. "Are you kidding?"

  "Not at all," Orion said. "I've been showing you how it drives. And I'm pretty sure you've had enough driving experience to be able to handle it." I just nodded. He jingled the keys in front of me. "Come on, Mad. I trust you."

  I couldn't help but smile as I grabbed the keys and got into the driver's seat. Orion got into the passenger side-it was funny seeing our roles switched.

  "Oh, boy!" I muttered.

  "Just take it easy," Orion advised.

  "That's easy for you to say! The only thing I've driven is Damian's car, and that car is nothing compared to this."

  "Well, just be glad that you know the back roads to your place, so there's little chance of traffic to freak you out," Orion said. I sighed and finally started th
e car.

  By the time I pulled into my driveway, I was surprised that Orion was so relaxed. He told me that I did really well and I believe he meant it. Then Andy and Mom came out. During this time, Orion went and hid the one gift that I knew about. It was a weird day, to say the least. Orion ordered pizza for us to have for dinner and then there was some discussion of when he should move in and how he was going to get it done.

  That day was the first day in a very long time that Damian didn't call, which didn't surprise me, as he had said he would be busy for a while. Apart from the time that I mentioned driving his car, I pretty much forgot he existed that day.

  That was a bad move on my behalf.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  AFTER STUFFING OURSELVES on Hawaiian pizza, I was so full that I was about to crash on the sofa, or at least I would have if the doorbell hadn't rang.

  "Who could that be?" I asked, getting up.

  "Um, probably Warren," Andy said, popping up quickly to get the door.

  I was happy Andy was inviting his other friends over, too. Andy opened the door and we said our greetings to Warren, before they started playing video games.

  I went out front and sat on the steps, thinking about my life and my situation with Orion and Damian. I hadn't actually seen or talked to Damian for a week now. I did see Orion a lot, but when talk turned to his help and moving in, I changed the subject, so the topic hadn't really been spoken about for the last two days. The truth was that if I didn't do something soon, there would be a big mess.

  "God...I am so screwed," I muttered.

  "You can say that again!" I looked up at the sound of my boyfriend's voice.

  "What the hell?" I said, staring up at Damian.

  "I have a question for you, Madison," he said, standing with one foot on the lowest step.

  "Okay," I said, carefully.

  "What does your brother's friend really mean to you?" Damian asked me. "He's here an awful lot." He leaned down and grabbed my chin. "And, my dear, I see him with you quite a bit-like at the mall last week."