Safe With Me, Special Edition

by Shaina Richmond

  “Thanks.” I let out a sigh of relief. “Even if you get wasted?”

  “I was just gonna get happy, not wasted.” She smiled.

  “Even if they beg you for information?”

  “Nothing. You can trust me.”

  I looked in her eyes. I knew she meant it. There was no one in the world I could trust more than Ashley. But she really didn’t know what she was in for. “Well, you need to be prepared anyway. Because the one who’s the most curious about me is Corbie.” I shot a quick glance at the door and lowered my voice. “And he’s the one I’d pick, for sure.”

  “Why? Is he that good?”

  I shrugged. “I have no idea. But I expect a full report from you if it happens.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You’ve never--?”

  “Nope. Tried to, though. He’s the next sexiest thing to Tyler to me.”

  “Did I meet him already?”

  “No. He was at work. He’s a big guy, about Tyler’s height. He’s lost a lot of weight lately but I always thought he was hot. Short, sandy brown hair. Really cute.”

  “Hmm.” She nodded. “Corbie. Anyone else? Michael, perhaps?”

  “I don’t know. He had a girlfriend but they’ve been having trouble lately. I don’t know his situation at this very second. But he doesn’t cheat, that much I know. Oh, and Joan has a crush on him.” I rolled my eyes.

  She smirked. “Will she be here tonight?”

  “Probably. Unless she’s mad at me again for some reason. Oh!” I grabbed her wrist. “Jacinda. Tall, pretty brunette. You met her. If the mood strikes, just let it happen. You’ll thank me later.”

  “Okay. Anyone I should avoid?”

  “Let me think.” I wanted to tell her to avoid Caleb, but I felt bad about it. He was clean, as far as I knew, but what if I was wrong? Most people didn’t go to the doctor to get tested as much as I did.

  “What are you thinking about? Tell me,” she asked.

  “Well, I was thinking about telling you to steer clear of Caleb. He’s a slut.” I cleared my throat, thinking back to the night he told me we had a lot in common. And, of course, I felt horrible for calling him that. “I mean, not that I’m perfect or anything. But he likes to hook up with strangers all the time. I don’t do that.”

  “Aw.” Ashley puffed out her bottom lip. “Because you’ll fall in love, right?”

  I whined. “It only happened once. And we talked all day before I brought him back here. I mean it. I knew a lot about Tyler before--”

  “Shh.” She placed a hand on each of my shoulders. “It’s okay. So, you do everything backwards? You always have. It’s just how you were made.”

  I found myself misty-eyed at her words. “Yeah.”

  We shared a look telling me she understood. After all those years, we still had that bond. I had to admit, it was nice to have someone around who I’d known since birth. It was almost eerie how we’d picked up right where we left off. Ashley knew everything about me, including the fact that I didn’t appreciate lectures about never visiting my North Carolina relatives. She never mentioned my brother and sister, even though I knew she saw them on occasion. Ashley wanted me in her life because she enjoyed me as a person and she missed me. I wished there was a way to let her know how much that meant to me.

  I blinked a few times to get rid of the water in my eyes. “I wish you’d just let me help you. Early retirement is a beautiful thing.”

  She shook me by my shoulders. “Stop that!”

  “Fine. Drama queen.”

  Several minutes later we were both putting the finishing touches on our makeup when Tyler walked inside the room.

  “Yuck.” He stuck out his tongue and made a gagging sound as he came up behind me. “Why you puttin’ that shit all over your face? You know I hate that. It tastes bad.”

  I met his eyes in the mirror. “It’s only mascara and lip gloss.”

  He put his arms around my waist and bent down to kiss and lick my neck. I shuddered as a happy chill went down my spine. Tyler was only this forward in front of other people when he was drunk or high. Tonight, he was high, and that meant he was even hornier than usual.

  I saw Ashley smile and put down her makeup. She stepped back from the mirror and checked him out for a second, then she gave me a little nod of approval.

  I watched him in the mirror. His long, dark hair hung down my chest as he stood behind me, mauling my neck. He wore a short-sleeved black T-shirt with a gray long-sleeved thermal shirt underneath. And he smelled divine with his cologne: Polo Blue, a scent that smelled even better on him than it did in the bottle.

  Ashley watched for a few more seconds before she let out a bleak sigh. “I’m going downstairs.”

  Tyler stood up straight. “I’m sorry. I’m so rude.”

  “It’s okay.” She cleared her throat and gave me a little wink in the mirror. “I’ll go talk to Michael.” She walked out to the hall like a woman on a mission.

  Tyler’s mouth descended once again to my neck. We were still facing the mirror. I watched his hands slide around to my stomach as he simultaneously worked his tongue against my tender skin. Those strong, rough hands went directly to the bottom of my sweater then slid up to my breasts. He squeezed them through my bra, then pulled down the cups to expose my bare skin.

  Watching him fondle me in the mirror was a lot more fun than I expected. I bit my lip, but it did nothing to quiet the deep, eager moan that escaped my lips.

  He stopped everything he was doing and met my eyes in the mirror. Then he spun me around to face him, pressing his forehead against mine, breathing hard through his mouth. “Do you know how fuckin’ much I wish we were alone tonight?”

  “Not as much as I do.” I reached down between his thighs and slid my palm up his jeans until found that giant bulge.

  “Shit.” At once, his hand was under my skirt, pressing against my mound. “I gotta get in there.” He lifted the bottom of my skirt to my waist and pulled me over to Ashley’s bed. “Hope your cousin doesn’t mind…”

  I could tell he was just about to throw me down on top of the comforter when I stopped him.

  “Wait,” I said. “I have a better idea.”

  “Huh?” His eyebrows scrunched together, confused, or possibly horrified.

  “Come on. I have a surprise for you.” I took his hand and used my other one to pull my skirt down. “For your birthday.”

  “It better be my dick in your pussy.” He gave my ass a sharp slap as I led him out of the room.

  I lost my breath. I absolutely loved it when he bossed me around. I walked out to the hall in my bare feet with him trailing closely behind. We stopped at the first door. I reached inside the tiny pocket of my skirt for a small, non-descript metal key ring. It held the keys to six upstairs rooms.

  “Whoa,” Tyler said. “I get to see another room?”

  “Uh-huh.” I squinted, searching for the right key. Several nights earlier, Tyler was ecstatic to see the guest bedroom where Ashley would stay. If he was that enthusiastic about a bedroom, I couldn’t wait to see his reaction this time.

  Finally, I found the key and unlocked the door. “Hurry, in case someone comes up here. Go in as soon as I open it.”

  I pushed the door open and turned on the light as he ran inside. I walked in and closed the door behind us, pushing it shut until I heard the click of the lock.

  Tyler’s mouth fell open. He slowly moved his head from side to side, scanning the room. “You’re just now showing me this?”

  “Yeah. It’s your birthday. Happy birthday!”

  “What the… ?” He turned to me, glaring. “This has been over here across the hall from your bedroom this whole fuckin’ time?”

  I swallowed, hard. “Well, some of it’s new.”

  “Some of it?” His eyebrows rose. “Exactly how much of it’s been here the entire time I’ve known you?”

  Was he upset with me? “Umm…” I stammered and pointed off to the spanking horse. “See this? It’s new.
I just had it delivered for your birthday.”

  Tyler’s face was emotionless. He sucked in a breath and rubbed his forehead.

  “And this.” I walked past the spanking horse to a large, dark oak cabinet. “It’s brand new. There’s a lot of stuff inside I think you’re gonna like.”

  He walked toward me, shaking his head. “Fine. But what about that?” He pointed off to the corner. “A stripper pole? Mirrors all around it? Is that new?”

  I held my bottom lip between my teeth and gently shook my head.

  His arm moved to the right of the stripper pole corner. “What about the sex swing? Is that new?”

  Again, I shook my head.

  His arm moved once more, drawing my attention to a large, curvy piece of furniture on the opposite wall. “And that? What the fuck’s that?”

  I answered in a weak voice, “A Tantra chair.”

  “A Tantra chair.” He stared at the chair, nodding. “Looks like fun. Is it new?”

  “Tyler—“

  “And what about the rest of these cabinets?” He looked around the room at the cabinets lining various portions of the wall. “What else are you hiding?”

  That question made me nervous. The fateful day in January was less than a month away. “Why are you mad at me? I brought you in here because I wanted to share this with you. You can look through everything.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared down at the floor. “I’ve only known you for two months. This is a big deal to me. I just wanted you to have a nice birthday present.”

  He walked forward until he stood close enough put his hand under my chin, tilting my face up. His brown, bloodshot eyes peered down into mine. “I know it’s a big deal and I’m glad you showed it to me. But…” He took his hand from my chin and looked around the room again, fuming. “Fuck, Susie! All this time we’ve been across the hall in your bedroom with all this, like, twenty feet away. This whole time we could’ve been…” Gritting his teeth, he gave the sex swing a long, hard stare.

  “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”

  Tyler stepped back and put his hand on the back of his neck. “It’s okay. It’s your house. It’s not my right to get upset.” His eyes floated from cabinet to cabinet before settling on the Tantra chair.

  I saw pain flash across his eyes. I knew that look by now, and it always made my heart sink. “You wanna know who else has used that chair, don’t you? And the swing? And everything else?”

  He closed his eyes, exhaling with a raspy groan. “Actually, no. It’s better if I don’t let myself think about it.”

  “It hasn’t been that many people, really…”

  “Shh.” He held up his hand to quiet me. “Don’t tell me. I can’t let it get to me. You’re mine now.” A warm grin spread across his lips. “I should bring the ottoman over here.”

  I laughed. Cyrus gave Tyler the ottoman we used the night of Joe’s birthday party, but the springs were rusty and they got louder as the days passed. The last time we tried to use it, it woke up Caleb on the other side of Tyler’s wall. “So, you’re not mad at me?” I asked.

  With a slight shrug, he gave the room another glance. “It’s not anger, honey. It’s just… how would you feel if you were starving for days and you found out your best friend had this secret, massive stock pile of food? And it was behind a door you saw every day.”

  “Wait. No, no, no. You weren’t starving. Are you saying you’re bored? Has sex with me gotten boring to you? Already?”

  He laughed. “No, baby. That’s not what I meant. Let me think of another way to put it…” His voice trailed off. Something a few feet away on the ceiling caught his eye. He smiled. “A hook? Is that new?”

  “Yes.”

  “For me?” His hand went to his chest. “So I can hang you naked from the ceiling and have my way with you?”

  I inhaled, slowly, gazing at his sweet face. “Hopefully. Just be patient with me.”

  “Oh, I’ll be patient.” Tyler nodded, smiling bigger than ever, staring up at the hook. He sighed, wistfully. “She loves me.”

  I felt my cheeks flush bright red. “Shut up.”

  He laughed and took a step closer, reaching down to hold my face in his gentle hands. “Come on. It’s my birthday. Just say it. Just this once.”

  I looked up in his red, watery eyes. “I can’t, Tyler.”

  His voice was soft; his face, intense. “Please, baby. Pretty please. It’ll be our secret.”

  I forced a smile. Such a painful moment. It seemed almost silly to hold out on him anymore. But my chest felt tight. If only I could form the words. “I wish I could…” I took a deep breath. “Patience, please?”

  “Okay. I can work with that.”

  We shared a long, silent gaze. I could see it in his eyes: he knew I loved him. I fooled no one.

  Tyler bent down to kiss me. Our lips had just made contact when we heard boisterous people with loud feet stomping up the stairs.

  He pulled away. “You invited my roommates, didn’t you?”

  I cringed. “They sort of invited themselves. Didn’t they tell you?”

  His eyes rolled.

  We both remained silent with no response to the commotion in the hall.

  “Campbell! You up here?”

  “Come on, man. We got somethin’ for ya.”

  We heard them knocking on doors.

  “Shit, I hope I locked my bedroom door,” I whispered.

  Tyler brought a finger to his lips.

  We heard footsteps go to Ashley’s room. Then I heard Cyrus’ husky voice outside our door. “I see light under here.”

  The doorknob jiggled. Soon, they were all pounding on the door.

  I whispered, “They can’t come in here.”

  He shook his head, mouthing, “No,” and held his finger to his lips again.

  Caleb laughed. “Hey Campbell! What’s goin’ on? You gettin’ your dick wet for your birthday?”

  The three of them cackled like morons.

  Tyler grinned and whispered, “I hope so.”

  I put my hand against his jeans, where his bulge was now only semi-stiff by my estimation. I stood on my toes to kiss him.

  He put his arms around my back and gave me a warm, sensual kiss, like the boys outside the door weren’t even there. His cock was hard again almost immediately. When I felt it push against my hand, I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.

  His kiss became hungrier when I slipped my hand inside his boxer shorts, curling my fingers around his shaft. He smiled against my lips.

  Soon, the voices stopped and I heard his roommates laughing as they walked down the stairs.

  I kept my hand around his cock and pulled my mouth away from his. “So, what can I do for the birthday boy?”

  He moaned when I gave him a firm squeeze. “Make all these fuckin’ people go away so I can stay in here with you for the next… couple years.”

  I whispered, “I wish I could.”

  “Damn it, woman. Why’d you have to show me this room tonight?”

  “I’m sorry. It seemed like a good idea.” But now I could see—it only got him frustrated because we couldn’t stay here very long.

  He sighed. “Yeah. But at least now I know where I’m gonna cash in the rest of my hours. And I’m gonna add, like, twenty more to penalize you for waiting so long to show me all this.”

  “Oh really? How many do I owe you now?” I gently moved my hand up to the head of his cock and back down.

  “Ooh.” Tyler let out a deep moan and slowly rocked his hips against my hand. “I’d say you owe me… I don’t know. You might as well just plan to pack up and move after graduation. Because by then I’ll fuckin’ own you.” He winked.

  It was the third time since Thanksgiving that he’d found a way to joke about me moving after graduation. And it was also the third time I had to pretend it didn’t make me happy. “Ha ha. Now, what’s my birthday boy want?”

  He looked off at the spanking horse. “Can I tie your hand
s to those benches?”

  “Not tonight. Give me time.”

  “I will, baby. Get up there anyway. I’m gonna spank you.”

  I pulled my hand out of his boxers. “Oh. So it’s your birthday and I’m the one who gets spanked? That goes against tradition, doesn’t it?” I quickly reached behind him and gave his butt a firm swat over his jeans.

  His eyes instantly widened as he grabbed my wrist. “I don’t think so.”