by Kristy Marie
“I was hungry?” I give her a little shrug and a smile. She knows I’m an asshole. There is no reason for this. She knows that I hate Cade and would do anything to drive him the fuck away from here.
Her eyes roll before she pinches my arm.
“Oww!” I flinch away, rubbing the angry mark.
“You did that just to upset him.” Her accusation is laced with something I haven’t seen before. Real anger. I don’t think I have ever seen her furious at me like this. Sure, we have fights but this… this is different. She cares about him. My stomach roils with the thought that this man is going to take my girl. I am going to be forever friend-zoned while Cade rides away into the sunset with her.
I sit up, fighting off the effects of the sleeping pill, knowing this is going to get serious, fast.
“You’re right. I don’t want him here. You know that.” I smooth my palm against her bare arm. “Please let me find him a place to go. It’s not safe for you to be alone with him.”
She’s shaking her head, stubborn as usual. “He won’t hurt me.”
That’s it. I spring from the bed, fuming at her denial of the situation. “Yes, he will, Ans! You don’t know what he’s been through, what he’s capable of.”
“He wouldn’t hurt me.” Tears have started to collect in her eyes, a rarity for her. I move closer. I want to comfort her but I need for her to understand this is not a stray dog she adopted.
“You don’t know that.” My voice is quieter as I try to let reason soak into that pretty head of hers. “I can get him the help he needs. A therapist. A place to stay. You name it and I will make it happen.”
She’s quiet for minute, deliberating my words. I’m starting to feel anxious, and out of habit bring my finger to my mouth, ready to bite my nails down to nubs.
But before I can even slip the first one in she swats it down with a glare. “No.”
No, what? No to my nail biting, or no to the whole moving Cade out? I cock my head to the side, encouraging her to elaborate.
“I’m happy here. With him.”
My heart fucking sinks straight down to my toes. I feel dizzy like I might just collapse right here. Fucking sleeping pills!
She must’ve caught on because she hurriedly says, “No, it’s not like that. I just mean… fuck! This is hard.”
You’re telling me. I feel like I am one word away from a meltdown.
She scoots closer, wrapping her arms around me. I don’t return her embrace. Call me petty but my damn feelings have just been stomped and spit on.
“For so long, I felt like I had no one except you.”
I nod, confirming that it has always been us for years. I don’t see the problem there.
“And, Theo, I just… I put everything I had into us. Now that we have been apart I’ve just been thinking.”
Oh, shit. This is not going at all how I had planned.
“I don’t really know who I am. You, know?” She looks at me like I’m supposed to agree or something.
I don’t. I don’t understand at all where she’s coming from. She doesn’t know who she is? That’s a surprise. Anniston has always had goals and aspirations. I don’t ever recall a time that she has been confused about what she wanted in life.
She frowns, tugging at her hair. “This isn’t coming out right.”
“I agree. This is a terrible nightcap.”
“I love you.”
That pops my head up. She’s shy after the revelation, glancing down at her pink-painted toes.
I cup her chin with my fingers and lift her head until she has no choice but to look at me. “I love you, too.”
I do. I really, fucking do.
She smiles, running her thumb across my lip. I open, sucking it in before she can move it. It gets a chuckle out of her, lightening the conversation.
“I’m not saying I want to be with Cade. I’m just saying I like helping him. He has no one and I remember when that was me and then you were there, pulling me up, dusting me off, and kicking my ass in gear when I wanted to quit. I wanted to be just like you.”
I smile at that confession, a warm feeling creeping into my chest.
“You were always so strong. So carefree. The world was your oyster, everyone else be damned.”
Funny, I thought the same about her. I stay quiet, though, and let her finish.
“I need to do this. I need to see who I am without Theo Von Bremen.”
Remember how I said a warm feeling was creeping up? Yeah, it turned ice-cold in an instant.
“What do you mean, Ans. Do you want me to stay away?”
“No! No, nothing like that. I just want to find myself. Somewhere where I don’t have a job because of you, or friends that are your friends.”
I’m shaking my head, eyes going wide with her revelation. How long has she been harboring these feelings? I never meant for her to feel like she isn’t anyone without me.
She squeezes tighter. “I’m messing this all up. I love you, Teddy. And I don’t want anything to change between us. I still want to work for you. I still want my Mondays and Thursdays. I just… want to do this with Cade. I need to do this. Let me help him. Let me do it for Hines.”
Well fuck. What am I supposed to say when she throws Hines, her beloved grandfather, into the mix? I know the guilt and demons that haunted her family. And I guess I never really thought about her doing this for him. Doing something that he was never able to. Save his son. He never knew the pain he was going through and it cost him everything.
Finally, I return her embrace, feeling like a total shit. I didn’t want to run her life or prevent her from making amends for the past. I just want her with me all the time. It’s hard to separate business from pleasure after all this time. It doesn’t help that we both carry around these feelings for each other that we never act on. I plant a light kiss on the top of her hair, inhaling her coconut shampoo. She smells so good. Like the beach.
“Okay,” I breathe. “You can keep him, but only on one condition.”
Her watery eyes find mine with a hesitant smile.
“I stay with you. Here. On all my off days. We do this together.”
Her face lights up with a smile. “I knew you would see it my way!”
I laugh. This damn girl. I pull her closer. “In all seriousness, though, if he steps out of line, even once, I will fucking kill him.”
She nods, knowing not to push me on this.
I can’t believe I am agreeing to this shit. It’s crazy! He’s a bum.
Pussy. Pussy is what controls my brain. “But my acceptance of this little project does not mean I have to like him or be nice to him.”
Her brows crease together. Too bad. Can’t have your bum and my good behavior, too. It’s one or the other.
“Can you just promise to try?” Her eyes are tired. She’s had a long day. This conversation needs to wrap up so we can both get some sleep.
“I’ll try,” I relent. I will, just not hard. “Now, can we go to bed? I’m about to pass out thanks to the sleeping pill you shoved down my throat. Now it’s kicked in too much for me to be able to perform properly.” I send her a hate glare and she giggles. Fucking sleeping pills make my dick limp as shit. Her fucking heart-to-heart lasted so long that now I will go to bed without my reward, and after this bullshit conversation I am owed a certain wet dessert.
She rubs my arm soothingly. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
I move out of her embrace, creating some distance between us. I need some milk and a little breathing room to digest what the fuck I just agreed to. “Damn right you will.”
“Where you going?”
“To get some milk.”
She scrunches her face with a sour look. It drives her crazy that I have to have milk every night before bed. She thinks it’s so gross, but she’s not a milk drinker. I don’t hear her complaining too bad when she’s suspended against the wall getting her brains fucked out. Protein, baby. Protein is what makes that happen.
> “Want anything?” I ask, just as she’s snuggling under the covers, nestled in the indention I just left.
“No, thank you. Hurry back.”
I nod and leave, happy to have some space.
I agreed to this. This fucked up arrangement. I agreed to let another man live with my girl. To nurture him. I am a fucking idiot. What the hell voodoo did she just pull on me?
The kitchen is dark when I open the fridge, searching for my coveted milk. Anniston switched to organic a few months ago. I can’t tell the difference and don’t really care how many antibiotics I’m consuming but she does, so I drink the organic shit without comment.
I move my Mountain Dew to the side, something we keep on hand when I’m agitated. Anniston read that it can calm an ADHD person. I didn’t believe it at first, but one night when I couldn’t seem to calm down we tried it, and it worked. She now keeps a few stocked just in case. I don’t drink them any other time for fear they may not work if my body gets used to them.
Grabbing the milk, I pour myself a glass and start to chug right there in the light of the refrigerator. I know, I’m wasting resources, but it will only take me a minute. I’m midway when I hear a scratching noise. The fuck? Does she have rats? I hate rats. I need to call an exterminator.
This old plantation house draws in all kinds of animals. Once, we found a family of chipmunks in the dryer vent. Now, I have a guy on standby to make sure he keeps the creatures away. I am no farmer. I may have been raised in the south but a country boy, I am not. I do not do animals or… strays.
Speaking of strays. Cade’s body comes into view in the narrow beam of light, sitting in a chair at the table. His eyes are droopy, it’s obvious his sleeping pill has kicked in too. I shut the fridge and silently move past him. I’m not sure how long he’s been there but I don’t care to be in his presence any longer than I have to be.
“She loves you.” I stop at his confession.
“I know that.”
“You don’t deserve her.”
“I know that, too.” What’s his deal? Why tell me this? This is not a secret.
He smirks. Fucker. It gets a rise out of me just like he intended.
“Let’s get one thing straight, stray. Just because I am allowing this little project does not mean I approve of it. You keep your fucking hands to yourself and eyes off my girl. Get your shit together. Let her think she helped you and get the fuck out of here.”
The chair scrapes against the tile as he stands, coming chest to chest with me. “You better watch your fucking mouth, asshole. She may let you talk to her that way but I have no problem fucking up that pretty face for some damn peace around here. Apart from what she may tell you, you are not as charming as you think you are.”
I practically growl. “Stay away from my girl.”
He smiles, pushing me back with his chest, and whispers, “Make me.”
“Theo!”
Anniston. I look down the hall, but she hasn’t come down.
“Run along, little bitch.” He gives my chest a final tap with his.
I snap back around, ready to whoop Cade’s ass here and now on the kitchen floor. Fuck him! But for once in my life I take the high road and turn away, leaving Cade chuckling in the dark. He may have gotten the last laugh, but he won’t get the girl. It’s time to stop running. It’s time to stop playing. It’s time to claim what’s mine.
Brace yourself, Anniston, I am about to blow this friendship to hell.
Both boys slept through the night. Meaning, I slept through the night. The two of them together is utterly exhausting, the fighting and bickering starting to take a toll.
Damn Theo and his macho bullshit. It makes me so fucking horny, and he knows it. I’m getting tired of our little game—well, I guess it’s my little game. I’m the one holding on to the past.
Theo is spread out across the bed, leaving me two inches of mattress to sleep on. Lazily, my hands roam over the naked body sprawled out next to me. I sigh. Why do I love this man so much? He looks so peaceful lying against the white sheets, his mouth slightly parted, his dark hair wild, going in ten different directions across the pillow. It’s incredibly sexy.
Unable to help myself, I press my lips to his parted ones.
“Keep it up and you’ll make us late,” he mumbles sleepily.
“I knew you were awake.” I ease my hand lower, breaching his waistband.
He snags my hips quickly, pinning me beneath him. “You need something this morning, Dr. McCallister?”
He buries his face in my hair, inhaling my scent. I grip his firm ass in my hands, kneading the muscles there.
“Maybe,” I say coyly.
A light, feathery touch moves down my abdomen. His hand marching to my center.
“Hmm… maybe I’m too tired,” he yawns, then his long finger intrudes my center abruptly.
Oh, shit that feels good. I wiggle down farther, attempting to line him up with my body to get what I need.
“Nuh-uh,” he chastises, pulling me back up the mattress. “It’s Thursday, love.”
Damn. Sure is. Even though we haven’t done a Theo’s Thursday and McCallister’s Monday in a while, it’s never been off the table. I guess this game of control has been reinstated. I exhale and run my hands through his hair. “Do your worst, Teddy.”
His face pulls into a scowl. He hates for me to call him Teddy. He pulls out his finger, my panties snapping my overheated skin.
“What the h—” Before I can finish, he flips me over onto my stomach, pulling my hips up. My panties are yanked down my legs, but instead of pulling them all the way off he leaves them at my ankles. Yanking me down farther, my hips widen on their own, readying for the intrusion.
“Let’s help you remember who the boss is. Shall we?”
I feel his velvet tip press into me and I smile. Someone has taken all the orders he can. I knew forcing that sleeping pill on him and making him swim laps would do it. I’m surprised it took him this long. Although, he was probably exhausted yesterday. Now that he’s had a full night of sleep he’s back to his pushy self.
He shoves into me hard, causing me to face-plant into the mattress. I stay down, trying to catch my breath. The stretching is a welcome pain.
“Fuck!” he growls, lost in the ecstasy of the first push. “You feel that, babe?”
He doesn’t expect an answer. It’s his way of showing me who’s controlling the situation. Dominance.
I keep silent as he pulls back, thrusting once more.
“Damn it.” His voice is gravelly, making it obvious he’s straining to hold back.
A groan escapes me as I feel that magical spot come to life. I shift as the pleasure becomes too much. Theo notices and pulls me down onto him, thrusting harder.
“Where’re you going, princess?” he taunts, biting softly down my neck.
His breath is hot, his body hard against mine. Fighting the urge to move away, I give in and try to relax my muscles as he’s instructed before. It’s hard, my body naturally tightens up with the intrusion.
“That’s my girl. Relax. Let it happen.” He praises me as his thumb presses down on my clit. I jerk in his arms. “Shhh… just relax,” he keeps encouraging, his finger not letting up.
My entire body is tingling. I’m going to come. “T-Theo…I’m…” My brain malfunctions and I can’t form a complete sentence.
“I know,” he rasps out. “Almost there, babe.” His breathing is labored. He’s almost there, too. He can act like he is all in control, but he isn’t. He’s about to blow his load like a teenager on his first date.
Without warning, he pulls out and hops off the bed. Flipping me over, he drags my body to the edge, plunging back in without a word. Shocked, I scream, my back arching in response. He grasps my legs and places them on his broad shoulders, my underwear nowhere in sight. The angle forces my ass in the air.
Theo smirks. “Ready?” Oh fuck.
I nod hesitantly as one of his hands creeps to my clit, the
other grips my hip. He drives into me harshly, the position creating incredible pressure. I start to flush, the feverish effect gliding over every nerve ending.
He can work my body just like he can work a baseball. I’m the batter. He reads me. He knows what I will chase. He knows what I like to hit.
His palm presses down on my pelvis. I scream just like he wants me to. Reveling in the sounds of our grunts and the slaps of our sweaty skin, he throws his head back.
“You’re there. Let it go, baby,” he growls.
How does he know I’m there? I feel like I’m on the edge but can’t tip over. Is my vagina emitting a sound wave or something that tells him it’s go time?
“I… I can’t.” It’s too much. Seriously.
He stops, adjusting my legs. My knees are now bent, the backs of them resting on his strong shoulders. He leans over, crowding me. My knees touch my chest with his added weight. He kisses me hard and starts pushing in and out slowly. The pleasure is unbearable. He holds my knees together, his cock pressing the swollen spot within me. “Just let go,” he encourages softly.
The pressure mounts and I start flailing, trying to get away. He holds me tight, forcing me to absorb everything he’s giving me. The urge to bear down becomes too much. My skin is slick with sweat, my feverish body shaking uncontrollably. I know he feels it. It’s almost embarrassing how well he can reduce me to a hot, shaking mess of hormones.
I cry out, giving into the sensation and bear down on his cock just like he demanded. Sweet release washes over my body as the evidence of our orgasms flow down our legs. I’m not sure if it’s his or mine or a combination but I think it’s safe to say these sheets will need to be laundered.
Theo collapses on his back next to me, intertwining our fingers. “I fucking love Thursdays,” he says with a proud smirk.
I laugh, enjoying the simplicity of our morning. I know in a couple hours it will end. Cade and I will be on a plane with Theo on our way to the wonderful realm of Major League Baseball. It will be chaotic and stressful. But Theo needs my support and I plan on being there for him.
