Love Sick

by HJ Bellus

  “You are kidding me right now, Raylan!”

  I blush.

  “There was one flimsy piece of fabric between you and Wank all night? Are you fucking trying to make me commit murder?”

  I cross my arms, covering the majority of my boobs from his sight. “Someone had me pretty rattled earlier, and I forgot to put on a bra, barely remembered panties.”

  “Fuck,” he growls.

  “Can I borrow a shirt, please, since that dress was distressing you?”

  He shakes his head side-to-side, staring at my folded arms like he has x-ray vision. “I don't believe in shirts.”

  “Memphis, now.”

  He wraps his large palms around each one of my arms, trying to get his fingertips some boob action. “You need a breast exam. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

  “Oy vey. Sir Thinks With His Dick, I don’t need one. I need a shirt.”

  “Please,” he begs, the action adorable. “I didn’t get to meet them earlier. One suck.”

  “No, we are going to do this slow from here on out.”

  Memphis wholeheartedly disagrees with this statement. I’m up in the air in his arms, spun around, and tossed back on the bed. I manage to keep my arms covering the girls, but he’s on me. His massive frame between my legs is pressing into my center. Fuck, it feels good. My game plan of taking this slow and seeing where it leads is slowly flying out the window. It’s not like I thought long and hard about the idea. It came to me once Memphis announced he quit working for Iris.

  Speaking of long and hard. Jesus, he needs to stop moving into me like that.

  “I don’t know how to do slow, Raylan. One taste. Okay, maybe two tastes, one for each nipple. Please.”

  “You can look, but not touch.” I press my palms into his shoulders, pushing him back a hitch. “Slow. I need tomorrow to myself. I plan to explore the island and regroup. Brenna and Josi are pussy deep in their Latino lovers so that will give me time.”

  “Fuck, don’t say pussy right now.” Memphis stares at my tits.

  “You’re ridiculous.” I laugh at him.

  “Fuck, don’t laugh either. It makes them bounce.”

  “Stop!” I slap his shoulder. He looks up at me with a boyish grin on his face. I love him. No, I love the way he is. Carefree, kind, but so damn dedicated.

  “Give me tomorrow, and we can start out as friends.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  He bends down; I’m too hypnotized by his whiskey colored eyes to stop him. His lips are on mine, and I melt back into the bed. The swipes of his tongue start out light then become more demanding as he fucks my mouth. It's the complete opposite of a dead fish. And if he doesn’t stop grinding his cock into me, I’ll be screaming out my next big O. Memphis pulls back breathless, licking his lips.

  “You can keep telling yourself about this little game plan, but I’m not onboard with it. Consider me your opposition.”

  “Give me tomorrow.”

  “Until six p.m.,,” he counters.

  “Fine, Sir You’re A Dick.” I push on his shoulders again. “Now, get me a shirt.”

  He gets off of me this time, rifling through a dresser drawer. “Here you go, Madam Obsessed With My Cock.”

  “Okay, that’s enough. We’ve gone a bit far with that joke.” I catch the t-shirt he tosses my way. Then I feel something sticky on my back. I jump up, thinking the worst.

  “Memphis! Did you cum on your bed?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he asks, confused.

  I turn around, showing him my back. “Get it off now. It’s sticky.”

  There’s a crinkling sound before he whirls me back around.

  “If that’s a wrapper to a used condom we are done!” I come face-to-face with a Skittles wrapper and then slap my palms over my heart. I look back to the bed covered in candy wrappers.

  “Slob.”

  “I ate my feelings tonight. Don’t judge.”

  I shake out the t-shirt and toss it over my head. Memphis groans his displeasure, biting on his knuckles. I close the distance between us and am now safe in a t-shirt, wrapping my arms around his waist. Yeah, this friends thing is complete bullshit, but I do need a day to myself tomorrow on the sand and in the sunshine.

  He kisses the top of my head. “My dick just died. Can I bury it in you?”

  “You are too much.” I force myself to step back. It’s then I look down at his shirt I’m wearing. “Are you kidding me?”

  He grins like the devil himself. “Remember I’m the opposing team when it comes to this friends bullshit game plan of yours. I’m going to remind you about sex every chance I get.”

  The red shirt has a dog on it wearing sunglasses with Doggy Style under it. It’s hilarious, but I conceal my smile, not letting him know I find humor in it.

  “You know dogs call it style.” He steps up, kissing my forehead.

  I push away from him before I beg for a lesson in style.

  “Good Night, Memphis.”

  The door doesn’t shut behind me like I expect it to. Memphis stands out in the hallway with his leg, keeping his door open. I can’t focus on him long because it zaps all of my concentration. Fumbling, it takes me way longer than it should to get my door unlocked.

  I glance over to Memphis before escaping to the safety of my cabin. Big mistake. He’s ruthless in his efforts. His leg is jutted out, keeping his door open, hand cocked on a hip, and the other one down the front of his shorts. I stare a bit too long watching the movement.

  “Cock tease.” I raise my eyebrows.

  “You’ve got it wrong, baby. you're the cock tease.”

  “You know what I mean. You’re teasing me with your…” I point in the general direction of his hand in his shorts.

  “Do you raise chickens, Raylan?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  “Because you’re raising my cock.”

  I slap my face to mask my giggles. “You’re dumb.”

  “I'm gonna win you over with all those cheesy jokes and pick-up lines. Friend zoned will be shattered.” He keeps his hand in his shorts. “Go to bed, for now.”

  “Good luck with your efforts.” I force myself to step in and lock the door behind me.

  It's not for my safety, but more to keep me in my damn room. The temptation to run to his room is stronger than I’d like to admit. It would’ve been so damn easy to let go with him. Taking it slow and being friends is the dumbest idea I’ve ever had, but I’m not going from dancing with Roberto, Memphis reeling from what happened to Iris, and right into bed with him. God, I want to. When it does happen, because it will, I want it to be the two of us not giving anyone the power to threaten it.

  I wash my face and pull up my hair up that’s a complete mess. I need a shower like none other, but don’t have the energy and feel all too comfortable in this t-shirt. I look down at it and shake my head. Of course, he’d have a shirt about doggy style.

  Underneath the cold, crisp sheets and fluffy comforter, Memphis’s unique scent envelopes me, warming my skin and making me smile. This day is one for the record books. Holy shit, I couldn’t write a story this wild. I should be exhausted from the stress of it and sick from the amount of alcohol I’ve consumed. It's probably a good thing I didn’t have anything to drink after the bar with Roberto or I’d be in bad shape.

  I burrow my face down into the blankets, remembering why I was so obsessed with my phone when I crashed into Memphis. He wasn’t too far off base, claiming I was scrolling my spank bank. How damn ironic that I snapped those pics on the deck, thinking I’d not run into him again. The blue striped Speedo begged to be captured in an image forever. It’s marked as a favorite in my Flick Files. The female equivalent to a spank bank. Brenna calls her the Vag Vault and Josi’s is the Rub Reel.

  The Flick File on my phone consists of four photos of one man while my slutty friends have albums and albums on theirs. They’re Tumblr whores. My eyelids grow heavy with slumber.
Sleep is winning out with happy and dirty thoughts filling the gaps.

  Bzzzzzzzz. I peek out of the bedding, looking around. My phone is off and tucked in my bag. Bzzzzzzzz.

  “What in the hell?” I whisper, sitting up, and flipping on the lamp.

  The sound lasts longer this time. I’m about to panic, thinking a bomb or spy camera is in my room when I see what’s making the noise. I erupt in laughter. No, it’s a straight out cackle. A muffled laughter seeps through my wall.

  Memphis and the We-Vibe.

  The cabin phone next to the sex toy begins ringing. I don’t think twice about answering it.

  “Dirty boy.”

  “Hey, you, I was missing you.”

  I roll my eyes. “We were together ten minutes ago.”

  “Ten minutes too long.”

  The We-Vibe goes at it again, dancing across the nightstand.

  “How are you doing that?” I ask.

  “Remote control.”

  I pick up the device, letting it vibrate in my hand. God, this thing is magic. “Memphis.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why do you have a vibrator on this trip?” The answer is making me sick right away.

  He chuckles. “It's not what you’re thinking. I have a jackass friend who snuck it in my bag with a little note about not wanting my vagina to be lonely. He took it away from his wife. Scared it would replace his dick.”

  I melt back into the bed with the phone to my ear. “So, that’s a bit weird, but then what hasn’t been with us. I’m glad it was still in the shrink wrap now.”

  “Yeah, poor Darby didn’t get a chance to test it out.”

  “Okay, no more details on how I acquired Lenny.”

  “Lenny?” he asks.

  “Yes, I named him. He’s my new best friend and perfect boyfriend material.”

  “Really.” There’s amusement in his voice, not jealousy. “Let’s test him out then.”

  The vibration in my hand ceases.

  “You down for that, Raylan?”

  “Friends don’t do this.” My voice is unsteady.

  “We aren’t friends.” His husky voice comes back through the line.

  It’s the green light I need. “Okay.”

  The We-Vibe runs down my stomach like it did before until it’s nestled on the top of my folds. I can hear rustling on his end of the phone.

  “Are you joining me?” I ask him.

  He hisses into the phone. “I can’t believe a damn wall is separating us when our time is limited. My cock throbs for you.”

  I moan into the phone. There’s something so erotic about a man pleasuring himself. It’s my guilty pleasure when I do indulge in porn. The vibrations from the We-Vibe fire up, kicking off the most delicious, interactive phone sex in history.

  Seventeen

  Raylan

  You’d think a girl would sleep like a baby after the events of the day I had. Nope, not my luck. I ended up tossing and turning all night long. Memphis and the We-Vibe did their job making me squirm and holler out his name. I threw Lenny’s in there for good measure to keep the man on his toes.

  I drifted off to sleep with the phone to my ear. It felt like I had slept all night long the next time I opened my eyes. To my dismay, it was a three-hour rest, and then I was restless. The throb between my legs meagerly satisfied from earlier, hungry for so much more. I’m so screwed. The sun peeks over the horizon, streaming through the blinds is a gentle reminder that yesterday had to be a dream. I roll over one more time facing the alarm clock, groaning at the early hours of the morning.

  I come face-to-face with the We-Vibe. I smile because it’s the reminder that everything yesterday truly indeed happened. I breathe a sigh of relief and smile. It’s the first morning I can remember waking up with a bright smile and not one single worry rattling around. I study the door, recalling Iris standing there watching us. I grin like an evil bitch because that may be the highlight of my life to date. I’m not the type to gloat or brag, but in this case, I’m all about it. It’s looking like the good guys might win this time.

  I drag myself out of bed and turn on the hot shower waiting for the steam to billow out. I’m sticking to the promise I made myself. A day alone with fresh air, an island breeze, and lots of stiff drinks will clear my mind. It’s what I need.

  By the time I’m finished showering, have a light layer of makeup on, and a loose, messy bun on the top of my head, I’m surprised I haven’t heard from Brenna and Josi. They must’ve had a night to remember as well. It stings a bit they’re more obsessed with entertaining their vaginas than me. Then, on the other hand, it’s nice to have some time on my own. And maybe their absence is a blessing, giving me time to spend with Memphis.

  Okay, that right there is going to be the challenge of the day. Not thinking, obsessing, and daydreaming about Memphis all day long. I slip into the bikini I bought for this trip. It’s a simple Robin Egg Blue bikini bordering on being too skimpy. It hugs all my curves. I turn and peek over my shoulder to check out my backside. All the assets are covered. I throw on the black cover-up and stick my tongue out in the mirror, feeling light and giddy. I never thought I’d be thankful that I got a Brazilian wax before the cruise.

  I can’t think about it too long because it was that traumatizing. When the lady told me to get up on my hands and knees, I wanted to die but had already been assaulted enough to know there was no turning back. Walking through the mall with a sticky substance down in my panties was mortifying. My mind knew nobody else could tell what was going on underneath my shorts, but I swear there was a neon light blinking above my head shouting to the world I was a sticky mess.

  I’ll stick to shaving from now on. Once was enough for me. I grab my oversized beach bag double-checking to make sure I have everything I need. Notebook, pen, towel, a bottle of water, and a light breakfast I ordered from room service.

  “I’ll choose you, teal Sanuks,” I say to the shoes.

  They’re my obsession, and you bet your ass they’re high roller sandals. With my sunglasses on my head, I open the door to find a note that had been pushed halfway underneath the door.

  “Jesus, his writing is hot as hell,” I whisper to myself.

  It’s the same block lettering from his other gift. Bold and sexy, making me want to lick each letter.

  Raylan,

  Did you get that bikini on sale?

  Because in my room it’s one hundred percent off.

  See you at six tonight! You better be ready after the torture you put me through last night.

  Memphis Love

  My heart stutters when I don’t run into Memphis in the hallway. Part of me was hoping I would because I would crack and spend the entire day with him. I’m regretting the dumb decision now. I was trying to be brave and not fall into Memphis, but after today it’s on because the fact is our days are limited. We have so much to learn about each other, especially exploring each other’s bodies.

  The sun is shining bright, forcing me to pull down my aviators from the top of my head. People are already everywhere on the deck bustling around. This is my first cruise and today is the first time I have the cruisin’ vibe. It feels damn good. People from all different walks of life are enjoying family, friends, sun, and relaxation. It’s something I could get used to.

  “Watch where you’re going, baby.”

  I whip my head to the sound of the voice. Memphis. He’s leaning against a rail, two coffees, one in each hand. Loose board shorts, a tank, and those rich brown eyes covered by aviators. The sexiest part of the whole scene in front of me is how he has his ankles crossed and is so relaxed. I could climb him right now.

  “Stalker, much?” I grab the cup of coffee he holds out.

  “Just upping my game with this girl playing hard to get.” He pushes off the rail, pulling me into him with his free hand.

  The touch and the way he holds me is brightening my day.

  “Thanks for the coffee and the note.”

  Memphis leans
down, pressing his lips into mine. The combination of mint and hint of rich coffee assault my mouth. I open up to him hoping for more than a quick peck on the lips, and he delivers more than I could’ve ever expected. Using his tongue, Memphis takes his time exploring my mouth. It’s different from our other shared kisses. Those were frenzied, rushed, and fueled with passion, not to mention in private.

  The bustle of fellow cruise goers surrounds us, but it doesn’t make a difference. So cliché, but it does happen in real life, my knees go weak, and I wobble in his arms. Warm coffee from my cup topples over, running down my hand and arm. Memphis picks up on it and pulls back. His stare is as intense as the passionate kiss we shared. We remain silent for a long time studying each other’s face.

  It’s a brutal reminder of the limited time we have together. I can’t bring myself to think about what’s after the cruise. What happens to me after I give this man my body, heart, and time? We walk away from each other? There’s no way I can up and walk away from everything I’ve worked my ass off for. It’s more than the belongings; it’s a sign of me beating the system and my haven that quells of anxiety attacks. It’s my home. The options for the future are bleak. I guess that’s what they always are in a love fling. It’s a for now type deal. My mood and happiness morph from elated to zilch in a matter of seconds.

  Memphis’s thumb runs circles on the pad of my cheek. “Quit overthinking, Sunshine.”

  “How did you know?” I ask, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

  “The happiness dancing in your emerald green eyes vanished, and now all I see is worry.”

  “Where do you live?” I ask, kissing his jawline.

  “Preston, California, but I’m going to travel the world after this cruise,” he replies.

  “Marshalltown, Iowa.”

  I don’t miss the way his face falls. The first obstacle facing us dead on is making my reservations more relevant. It might not be that big of a deal if we didn’t have the Golden Girls already in our past. Shit, I still have to work through all that shit, too. Just because he broke it off and apologized for last night doesn’t mean it all gets erased. Was he with her yesterday before or after he was with me?