Cherished by You

by Steph Nuss

  “I can’t wait to get you home and show you just how proud I am,” he said, in a seductive tone that made my cheeks blush.

  Leaning into him, I kissed my way to his ear, so only he could hear me when I asked, “How do you plan to show me?”

  “Mmm,” he hummed, pondering the idea. “I’d like to strip you out of these tight-as-hell jeans and the rest of your clothes, and then get you on all fours and take you from behind.”

  God, I loved his mouth and his words, and the way they riled me up. Knowing how he talked during sex only made me eager to keep him talking about it. “Would you pull my hair?”

  With a brow cocked in amusement, he wrapped my hair in his fist and angled my head up to him. “Would you want me to?”

  Hearing his words in that deep, confident voice of his stirred a fire inside me that had me clenching my thighs together to simmer it. He could recite his lectures in that voice, and I’d get just as turned on as I was now.

  “Maybe,” I replied, my lips curling up into a devious smile. “I guess you’ll have to find out later.”

  “I’m ready to leave whenever you are,” he gritted, adjusting himself in his jeans.

  “One drink,” I said, threading my fingers through his. “That’s all I want, and then we can go.”

  “Okay.” He gave me another quick peck on the cheek. “I’m going to go congratulate Carter and Elly.”

  I let him go, but watched his sexy, laid-back stride as he walked toward the food table where Elly and Carter were standing. In his jeans, boots and flannel shirt untucked over a white tee, he looked so brawny and bronze. When his hair was down and framing his beautiful face, he was a lean cut of handsome that did silly things to my insides. I felt like the luckiest girl in the room even without him by my side.

  Turning back to the bar, I took the seat next to Paige, waved down the bartender and ordered a margarita.

  “The Olympics idea was great, Tessa,” Paige offered with a weak grin. “Everyone seemed to really enjoy it.”

  I glared at her with my brows furrowed. “No thanks to you.”

  The smile disappeared from her face as she looked down at her drink.

  For weeks, I’d been feeling angry with her, but she wouldn’t know that because she hardly spent time with us anymore, always claiming she was busy with work. “You know, when I came up with the idea, you were the first person I wanted to tell because I thought you might want to help, but you ignored my calls and texts. You’ve been avoiding all of us lately, and I really don’t understand why. I get you have some weird phobia of pregnancy and babies, but two of our best friends are expecting their first child together, and all you can think about is yourself or work.” I shook my head and reached for my margarita. “You could at least pretend to care like you did for Harper’s baby shower. You think I haven’t noticed how you haven’t moved from that seat all night? I have, which means I’m sure others have, too.” I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm down and continue without making a scene. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Paige, but you haven’t been that great of a friend lately.”

  She glanced up at me with tears glistening in her eyes that she attempted to blink away before she whispered, “I know.”

  The hurt I saw in her eyes punched me right in the gut. She was the one out of all of us who always seemed so together—Paige could handle anything and everything—but tonight, she looked like an emotional mess and I had no idea why. That’s what worried me the most, that I didn’t know what was wrong with one of my best friends.

  Taking her hand in mine, I leaned my head against her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I just … I’ve been angry with you for avoiding Carter and Elly and the rest of us. I’ve missed you at our lunch dates. The only time I ever see you anymore is for our Saturday morning yoga sessions. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, I want you to know that I’m here for you. We all are. You don’t have to push us away to deal with whatever you’ve been dealt.”

  “Thanks, Tessa,” she said, patting me on the arm.

  “We don’t have to sit around and talk about baby stuff all the time now just because our friends are having them.” I took a sip of my drink and smiled at her. “We can talk about other things, like how talkative Justin is during sex.”

  Paige laughed in disbelief. “Really?”

  “Oh yeah,” I said, wiggling my brows excitedly.

  We both turned to gaze at him, and the smile on her face widened. “Wow, I never would’ve taken him for a talker.”

  “Right?” I mused, nodding. “It’s the best thing ever. He talks, and I’m instantly on the train to orgasm town!”

  Laughter bubbled out of her, and I caught a glimpse of the woman I recognized as we clinked our glasses together. Once our giggles ceased, she traced the rim of her glass with her finger and sighed. “I’m sorry for being such a terrible friend. I’ve missed so much lately. I mean, Seghen’s practically grown out of her newborn clothes already, and you and Justin are doing it like bunnies.”

  “What have you been so busy with at work?”

  “There’s a promotion up for grabs, so I’ve been pulling extra hours and giving my clients extra attention.” She knocked back the rest of her drink. “But I’ve also been using the extra time to avoid Elly.”

  “Why? What is it that bothers you so much?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at Elly holding Seghen.

  “I can’t explain it,” she said irritably, as she ran a shaky hand through her blond bob. “I mean, I can; I know what it is. I’m just not ready to talk about it.”

  “Well,” I stated calmly, consoling her with a hug. “When you are, know that I’m here for you.”

  “Thanks.” Paige pulled out my grasp and grabbed her purse. “I’m going to make the rounds real quick, and then head home. It’s been a long week, and I’m tired.”

  “Promise to answer my calls and texts?” I asked, as she hopped off her barstool.

  “I promise.” With that, she moved away from the bar and started to walk toward the stage where Cash and Justin were conversing.

  Despite her promise, I still didn’t feel any better after my conversation with her. Something was going on with her, and her demeanor tonight—her unshed tears and the sad tone in her voice—watered the seed of worry planted in my mind.

  Then Justin caught my eye and started toward me, so I put my worry to the side, grabbed my margarita and hopped off my seat to meet him and socialize with our friends.

  ***

  Later that night, after Justin and I found out just how much I enjoyed having my hair pulled, we laid in bed together, completely exhausted from the night’s activities. As our heartbeats slowed from their racing pace and our lungs retreated back to normal, my mind immediately went back to Paige and replayed our conversation from the bar.

  She could explain it, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it. What was it? Did Elly know what it was, and that’s why she was avoiding her more so than when Harper was pregnant? She barely avoided Harper when she was pregnant with Seghen. And what was that she said about Seghen? That she looked like she’d grown out her newborn clothes? Paige did love fashion, so maybe she was just making small talk about Seghen? In the only way she knew how to talk about babies?

  Fuck, this is going to drive me crazy.

  “What is going on in there?” Justin asked, caressing his thumb over my cheek. “I can practically feel the wheels turning in there with your head on my shoulder.”

  I sighed audibly and shook my head. “It’s Paige. I’m worried about her. Did you talk to her tonight?”

  “No,” he said, furrowing his brows. “Now that I think about it, she was relatively quiet most of the night. She barely spoke to any of us while we were all sitting at the bar.”

  “See,” I said, leaning up on my elbow. “That’s just not like her, especially on a night like tonight. The Paige we know would’ve been walking around, socializing with everyone and networking. She
’s a publicist, a workaholic; she knows how to handle herself and the public well. She did say she’s been working hard for a promotion at work, so maybe tonight she just didn’t feel like working, but that’s not like her at all. Tonight, she just seemed so …”

  “Depressed,” Justin said, finishing my sentence.

  I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. “That’s it. But what could she be depressed about? When I asked her what bothered her so much about pregnancies and babies, she said she wasn’t ready to talk about it. There’s something she hasn’t told us, and it’s bothering her. I just wish I knew what it was so I could help her, so she wouldn’t feel like she has to avoid all of us. That’s what she’s been doing for weeks now, and when I called her out on it, she had tears in her eyes! Real, sad tears, Justin. I’ve seen her cry happy tears, like at Carter and Elly’s wedding, but I’ve never seen her eyes fill with sad tears. Something’s going on with her.”

  “There’s lots of things that could trigger depression, but a loss of interest in normal activities is a sign of it.” He held me closer in an effort to comfort me. “As are feelings of sadness, fatigue, irritability …”

  “I did seem to upset her when I asked what was bothering her,” I added. “I just wish she wouldn’t push us away. I mean, she’s got two friends with doctorate degrees in psychology. She doesn’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but she could at least try talking to you or Elly.”

  “Tessa, have you met Paige?” he quipped sarcastically. “She’s not going to ask for our help because she thinks she’s strong enough to handle whatever it is on her own.”

  “I know, but that’s not going to stop me from worrying about her.”

  He kissed my temple. “Do you think she’d harm herself or others?”

  I shook my head adamantly. “No, of course not.”

  “Then, right now, I’m okay with letting her think she’s strong enough.”

  “Okay.” I ran my hands up and down his back in an attempt to relax my mind. “I’m sorry I brought her into bed with us.”

  “Don’t apologize.” He pulled the covers away from us, crawled on top of me and moved in between my legs as he reached for a condom. “One of your best qualities is that you have a great heart. You’re always thinking about others instead of yourself, and I love that about you. But I obviously didn’t work you over enough if you still have the ability to think right now.”

  I hummed a pleasurable moan as my legs curled around his waist and I felt the weight of his sheathed cock pressing against my pussy. “You do have a way of shutting up my mind.”

  And he did just that the second time around.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was the last day of finals before winter break. I spotted Trey talking to a blond chick near the exit of the Psychology building. I’d just finished administering the final to my General Psych class, the one Trey’s in, and I figured he must have done well. There wasn’t a question that stumped him while taking the test, unlike some of the students who stared off into space thinking the answer would come to them. Now, he seemed relaxed as he flirted with the girl. Typical Trey Wilder. Despite acting like he wasn’t a great student, he really was, when he applied himself. Still, he often pretended like he didn’t care about school.

  He noticed me, and surprisingly, he walked away from the girl to catch up with me.

  “Hey, Dr. J.!” he exclaimed, patting me on the shoulder. “Can I call you that?”

  Shrugging him off, I shook my head. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it sounds like Dr. Dre,” I stated, rolling my eyes. “I’m a professor, not a rapper.”

  He laughed. “True.”

  We walked out of the building and onto Washington Square toward the park. I zipped up my coat, and Trey pulled a beanie over his head. The sidewalks were packed with snow now, the chilly air cut through us, but the city bustled nonetheless like it always did. Christmas decorations lined every inch of the city too, with the holiday quickly approaching in just two weeks. I’d already gotten Tessa’s Christmas present, but I was having a hell of a time trying to keep it out of her sight in the apartment.

  The struggles of living with a girlfriend.

  “So, I think I did pretty well on the final,” Trey stated, rubbing his hands together for warmth. “I actually took the time to study for this one. I’m feeling really good about it.”

  “You should feel good about it,” I said, nodding appreciatively. “We’ve only spent the last five months studying the material.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he quipped nonchalantly. “So, what’d you get Tessa for Christmas? I still can’t figure out what to get her.”

  “I’m not telling you.”

  “What?” he exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. “Why not? It’s not like I’m going to tell her. I need some ideas. She’s so hard to buy for because she doesn’t want anything. Trust me, I’ve asked. She’s all, ‘Save your money for expenses and rent.’ It’s fucking Christmas! I know she got me something, so I have to get her something. That’s how this sibling thing works.”

  I laughed. “Is that so?”

  He fell back in step with me as we headed into Washington Square Park. Carter and I had made plans to meet up in the park before heading to Elly’s office for lunch since he was also giving a final in one of the nearby buildings.

  “You really won’t help a brother out? What kind of boyfriend are you? I’d help you out if the situation were reversed. Which reminds me, you should tell me what you got her so I can approve it. She might not like your gift.”

  “She’ll like it,” I replied, mainly to reassure myself. I’d been worrying about her reaction ever since I bought it. “I mean, she might not at first, but she will. I think.”

  “Please tell me you didn’t get her a dog, or even worse, a cat! The last thing Tessa wants is to shovel shit out of a litter box for the next ten years.”

  “Actually, the average lifespan of a domesticated cat is fifteen years.”

  “Excuse me, Dr. Know-It-All. The next fifteen years,” he said, sarcastically correcting himself. “So, what’d you get her? You didn’t get her sex stuff, did you? Because that’s something I’d rather not know.”

  “No sex stuff.” I sighed, turning to face him. Suddenly I heard a woman scream and my body went on high alert. “What the—”

  A series of gunshots stopped me mid-sentence as all hell broke loose in the park. Around us, people screamed and scrambled to take cover, and more shots were fired. I couldn’t tell where they were coming from, but I grabbed Trey and dragged him down to the ground with me. “GET DOWN!”

  “Holy fucking shit!” His eyes were wide with fear, quickly moving back and forth, taking in our surroundings. “Where the hell is the shooter?”

  “I-I don’t …” A piercing pain traveled down my arm, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt as it hemorrhaged through my system at a damaging pace. On my stomach, I took in the scene before me. A few people were lying on the ground in Washington Square Park while others were running away from the scene. Campus security swarmed the area with their guns drawn, cautiously pointing them at a kid in a black coat.

  I closed my eyes and rolled to my left, holding my shoulder with my hand as I settled onto my back, silently cursing the discomfort in my arm.

  Two more shots were fired, and then all I heard were the sounds of people’s cries and sirens wailing in the distance.

  “They got him,” Trey said discreetly, concern still quivering in his voice. “The one they were closing in on. They shot him.”

  “That’s … a relief.” Smelling the scent of blood, I opened my eyes. Fuck.

  Trey crawled to his knees and ripped off his beanie, and then he noticed the blood. “Justin, you’re bleeding!”

  “I got hit but …” I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. “I need you to call Carter Jennings. His number is in there. I was supposed to meet him here to go to lunch. I need you to make sure he’s okay.”<
br />
  “I will in a minute. We need to stop the bleeding. At least until help arrives.” He quickly shrugged out of his coat, not giving one damn about how cold it was, then slipped off his button-down and began tying it around my shoulder and upper arm. Turning me on my side for a minute, he studied my back. “It wasn’t through and through. At least I don’t see an exit.”

  “With this much blood, it must’ve hit an artery.”

  Hovering above me, he kept peering back at the bloodstained snow around my body. He tightened the shirt around my arm one last time to make a tourniquet. Then he grabbed my phone and dialed Carter. While he waited for an answer, his face turned almost as white as the snow. He covered my right side with his coat as if it was a blanket. “I’m sorry. I can’t handle the sight of blood.”

  “It’s okay,” I offered, understandingly. Lying there, I recalled what Tessa had said about the night she was stabbed, how scared he was then. So, I tried my best to stay extra calm for his sake. “I’m going to be all right, Trey.”

  “You fucking better be.” He tore the phone away from his ear and shook his head. “He’s not answering. Who should I call? 9-1-1?”

  Worry crept into my mind. “No, try him again.”

  He tapped the screen, but then my phone started ringing so he answered. “Carter, this is Trey, Tessa’s brother. Yeah, I’m with him. Are you okay?”

  He nodded and then held the phone up to my ear so I could talk to him. “Carter.”

  “Where the hell are you guys? It’s fucking chaos around here.”

  “We’re on the …” I swallowed the sting down and caught my breath before continuing, “We’re on the northeast side of the park. We’d just left the Psych building before walking into the park.”

  “Okay, I’m headed your way.”

  “Carter, bring an EMT with you.”

  “You were hit?” he asked in disbelief.

  “I think it nicked an artery because I’ve lost a lot of blood all ready.”

  “Fuck!” His breathing picked up over the line, and I could tell he was full on sprinting now. “Okay, just hang in there. I’ll be there as soon as I can flag down an ambulance.”