My Heart Skips a Beat

by E. L. Todd

  Trinity rested her head on Slade’s shoulder with her eyes closed.

  “She’s the lamest partier I’ve ever known,” Slade said. “She’s usually in bed by ten.”

  “She was always a loser as a kid,” Conrad said. “Always the first one asleep and the first one awake.” His hand rested on Beatrice’s thigh.

  “Um, you’re usually in bed by ten,” Beatrice said.

  “Well, I’m sleeping with you. That’s why.”

  “Oh really?” she said.

  “But I don’t mind,” he said quickly. “I like to watch you sleep.”

  “Awe,” Alex said. “How sweet.”

  Theo turned to her. “I watch you sleep all night long,” he blurted.

  “That came out kinda creepy…” Cayson said.

  “You’re creepy,” Theo snapped.

  Skye sighed then ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m going to head home. I have to work in a few hours.”

  “You need a ride?” I asked.

  “No, I’ll walk.”

  “At three in the morning?” I asked incredulously. “That’s not safe.”

  “Since when did you start caring?” She gave me a pointed stare.

  “Let me take you,” I said firmly.

  She grabbed her purse and stood up. “No.” She rested her hand on my shoulder. “I’m proud of you, bro.” She gave me a gentle smile then walked out.

  I watched her go, wondering if I should go after her and walk her home anyway. But I was beat to the punch by Cayson.

  He stood up and went after her.

  Chapter Ten

  Cayson

  When I reached the sidewalk, I turned and saw Skye walking. She wore a black dress with heels, and her hair cascaded over her shoulders. Men who passed by gawked at her openly, not trying to be discreet about it.

  I tried to fight myself to sit still. But not walking her home went against everything I believed in. The idea of her walking home at this hour practically gave me a panic attack.

  I jogged up the street until I joined her.

  When she heard the sound of my feet, she turned around with keys in her hand. They were pointed like daggers.

  “It’s me,” I said quickly.

  She relaxed and put them away.

  “But I’m glad that was how you greeted me.”

  Now that the danger had passed, she turned to me with affection in her eyes. “It was something my mom taught me a long time ago.”

  “Smart woman.”

  “She said stab the biggest key in their eye. I hope she’s never actually done it.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her.” I put my hands in my pockets and walked beside her. “I hope you don’t mind me walking you home.” I was going to do it anyway whether she liked it or not.

  “No,” she said. “I’m not surprised.” She walked with grace despite the sky-high heels. “I’m happy for my brother.”

  “Me too,” he said. “It’s nice to see him doing something he enjoys.” Being with Skye didn’t feel tense like I thought it would be. The last time we spoke in private, I made her cry on my doorstep. I remembered how my warm tears felt on my cheeks.

  “So, how’s work?” she asked.

  “Good. How’s it for you?” I immediately thought of Ward, that handsome Brit she was spending time with.

  “It’s a little stressful but I’ll get through it.”

  Slade told me what Trinity said. Skye wasn’t into Ward and there was nothing going on between them. If there was, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I knew my body would be rocked with unbelievable pain. I couldn’t be with her again, but I couldn’t handle her being with someone else even though she had every right to. I wasn’t over her, and I didn’t think I ever would be. The idea of dating someone new disturbed me. I couldn’t picture myself with anyone but Skye.

  I wish I could just forgive her. My life would be a lot easier.

  “Heath seems cool,” I said, pulling at a conversation.

  “He’s very nice. I like him a lot.”

  “It’s hard to meet nice people in the city, especially someone who would help someone else get ahead.”

  “I know. It’s true.”

  The nighttime air was chilly, and I felt the damp cold prickle my skin. If I was cold, I knew she must be too. She wore a thin blazer over her dress, but I knew that wasn’t keeping her warm. I took off my jacket then put it over her.

  When my arms were around her, she stopped walking. My touch seemed to have shocked her. I pulled the jacket tighter around her, using any excuse to feel her, and then stepped back.

  She looked at me, longing in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Yeah…” When I looked into those beautiful blue eyes, words left me.

  Skye started walking again.

  I moved beside her.

  “It’ll be nice not having to worry if Slade is using your place as a brothel,” she noted.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s true. Every day I come home, I knock—even though it’s my place.”

  She laughed. “He forever tainted that place.”

  “I never sit on that spot on the couch. I always stick to my corner—far away.”

  “I don’t blame you,” she said with a chuckle. She tightened the jacket around her, and trying to be discreet about it, she smelled it.

  I acted like I hadn’t noticed.

  When we reached her street, she turned to me. “I can make it the rest of the way.”

  “I insist.” I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I knew she made it there safely.

  “Okay.” She didn’t argue.

  A doorman opened the door for us to enter, and then she slid her keycard through the slot in the elevator so it would come to the lobby. She lived in a fancy place, and every dime her father spent was worth it. With security cameras everywhere and officers, it would be a difficult place to rob.

  The doors opened and we got inside. It was substantially warmer inside the elevator, and Skye sighed in happiness.

  “My fingers are starting to thaw,” she whispered.

  “Your feet must be cold too.”

  “I’m putting on two pairs of socks before I get into bed.”

  “Daredevil,” I said with a smirk.

  We reached her floor then walked to her door. She searched for her keys inside her purse then finally found them. “Thank you for walking me home.”

  “Sure, I didn’t mind.”

  She flashed me a smile before she got the door unlocked. “Good night.” She walked inside.

  “Skye, wait.”

  She turned back to me, her eyes immediately moving to my lips.

  I stared back at her, wanting my instinct to take over. I wanted to pick her up then hold her against the wall. I wanted to kiss her like I never had. I wanted to forgive her for everything she did to me. But the pain was too transparent. It hovered over me like a congestive cloud. It smothered me, making it difficult to breathe. I wanted to hold her and say I just needed more time, but I couldn’t lead her on when I felt like this. I’d never been so confused in my life.

  She stared at me expectantly.

  “I…it was nice seeing you.” It was the only thing I could manage to get out.

  “You too,” she whispered. Her eyes filled with sadness and she looked like she was on the verge of tears again.

  Ugh, why did I have to say anything?

  “Good night.” She averted her gaze and closed the door gently.

  When I heard it lock, I leaned against it and sighed, hating myself like I never had before.

  Chapter Eleven

  Conrad

  Having Beatrice in my life was like being reborn. The sky was never so beautiful, the air was soothing on my skin, and my heart felt lighter than it ever had. When she was with me, I was happy. It was like having my life back.

  She kissed me with passionate fervor, never satisfied even when the sun almost broke the horizon. She touched my chest and ran her nails over my body, exploring me
like she hadn’t before. A quiet moan escaped her lips, and her longing was evident. Even though she didn’t have an indicator of arousal like I did, I could tell she wanted me.

  To say I was sexually frustrated was the biggest and most hilarious understatement of the year. Every time Beatrice and I had our make out sessions like teenagers, my cock was about to blow. But I never found any release.

  The easiest solution to this problem was jerking off. I’d done it my whole life, even when I was having sex on a regular basis, but I couldn’t do it when I had a serious girlfriend. It felt wrong on so many levels. I usually watched porn when I touched myself. How would Beatrice feel if I fantasized about other women while I rubbed one out? And would she feel worse if I thought about her when she clearly wasn’t ready to have sex at all? I refrained from doing it because I couldn’t ease the guilt. It crossed my mind often, and sometimes I was so horny with Beatrice I wanted to make a move, but I kept my promise to her and never did. When I imagined waiting until marriage, I wanted to crawl into a ball and die. If she were any other girl, I wouldn’t wait. I wouldn’t have gotten serious and just found someone else. But she gave me a lot more than meaningless sex could never fill. That reason alone was why I stuck around.

  She and I had dinner at a Mediterranean place. She wore skintight dark jeans and a yellow blouse. Her curves were outlined, and her perfect face stood out in comparison to the average looking people inside the restaurant. She was the most beautiful woman in every room we walked into.

  And she was mine.

  Having a gorgeous woman on my arm as my wife was my fantasy, I admit it. I told myself if I ever settled down, my wife would have to be a perfect ten. It was shallow, and I knew that. But I knew only someone who could sexually satisfy me would be able to tame me.

  However, I never imagined how her personality would be. That never crossed my mind. She could be anybody, it really didn’t matter. But I realized how wrong I was when I met Beatrice.

  Without seeing her face, I knew she was someone I wanted to keep around. She was the person I wanted to spend time with, to spend Sunday morning with after the fun had been had the night before. She was someone who pushed me to be better without making me feel bad about it. I looked up to her, idolized her, and respected her. In the process of falling in love with her, I realized how insignificant her beauty was to whom she was inside. Now I didn’t care how she looked.

  My sexual attraction to her was derived from love. It wasn’t just lustful. I’d never felt that way for a girl before. I never needed an emotional connection to have passionate sex and get off. But now that’s all I wanted to have with her. I didn’t care about rounding the bases and hitting a home run. I just wanted to play the game forever.

  She sipped her champagne then picked at her food.

  I watched her, trying to be discreet about it.

  “Do you like your food?” she asked.

  “It’s good,” I said. “How about yours, baby?”

  “It’s delicious.” She finished all her rice pilaf then moved onto the next thing.

  I kept eating but kept looking at her at the same time. “How’s school?”

  “It’s hard,” she said with a sigh. “There’s no way I can work at the same time. I’ll have to take out a loan.”

  “I can give you—”

  She silenced me with just a look.

  I looked down at my food and said nothing.

  “I hate borrowing money, but I’ll pay it back eventually.”

  If she worked for the DA, she’d be paying back loans for the rest of her life. If we got married, I could eradicate that for her. But then I remembered, I didn’t have a job. I always thought I was rich because of my family. In reality, I was pretty much penniless. I needed to figure out what to do with my life instead of living off my savings. Beatrice was so motivated and ambitious. It made me live in her shadow sometimes. But that didn’t bother me. The fact she was so intelligent and independent was a huge turn-on.

  “So, Skye and Cayson are really done?” she asked.

  I sighed, feeling the twinge of pain. “It seems so.”

  “I’ve never seen them together, but they look like they fit, you know?”

  “I do know,” I said. “They were the most stable couple in the world. It’s weird to think that Slade and Trinity have not only replaced them, but exceeded them.”

  “I admit Slade and Trinity are different, but I think they are really cute together. Whenever they are together, or even apart, there’s no doubt how much they love each other. Even if you were blind, you would notice it.”

  “I guess I’ll always feel weird about him dating my sister.”

  She shot me a grin. “It sounds like you care about her…”

  “No,” I said immediately. “I just don’t want her to get hurt.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Which means you care about her…”

  “No, that’s not what it means,” I said firmly.

  “I don’t think you do know what it means,” she said with a laugh.

  “Slade has always been a one-night stand kind of guy. He’s had threesomes, foursomes, and he’s always sworn to a life of a bachelor. I just find it hard to believe he’s changed his ways.”

  “Like you?” She gave me a pointed look.

  I guess Slade and I weren’t that different.

  “I don’t think there’s any question that you’re different with me.”

  “But I’ve never had a foursome,” I blurted.

  “But a threesome?” she asked with a disgusted look.

  “How’s your champagne?” I said to change the subject.

  She had the grace to smile. “It’s crisp and bubbly.”

  My plate was clean and I was full.

  “I think Slade is a great guy,” she said. “I really like him.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I already told you why.”

  “But what direct interaction have you ever had with him?”

  “Well, every time I see him with her, he makes her feel like she’s the only woman in the room. I never see him check out other girls, and even though some of the things he says are harsh, it’s obvious he loves her even though he goes about it in a rough way.”

  “I make sure you feel like you’re the only woman in the room.” I couldn’t believe I was comparing myself to Slade. Did she want me to act like him?

  “I know, babe. I’ve never felt otherwise.”

  The waiter brought the tab and I immediately threw the cash inside.

  Beatrice was still weird about me paying for things, but she was getting better at it. I let her pay for things once in awhile even though it went against everything I believed in. If my dad knew I let her pay for things, he’d punch me in the arm.

  “Thank you for dinner,” she said.

  “Thank you for being my date.” I meant it. I knew every guy looked at her and wondered what she was doing with me. I knew I was good-looking and easy on the eyes, judging the looks I constantly received from women, but my handsomeness could never compare to Beatrice’s natural beauty. I’d never met someone so gorgeous in my life.

  She and I left the restaurant hand-in-hand.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to do?” I asked. “Some ice cream?”

  She touched her stomach. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”

  “You can barely eat a bite.”

  “Don’t tease me,” she said with a smile.

  “Want to head to my place?” I asked.

  “Actually, can we go to mine?”

  I didn’t care where we went as long as we were together. “Sure.”

  “It’s a little cramped in there with all four of us.”

  “But if we didn’t have women around, that place would be a mess. It’s a good thing Alex picks up after us.”

  “I’m sure she only does it because she can’t stand the smell,” she said.

  Her apartment was small. The kitchen was practically a closet, her living
room could only fit a couch, and her bedroom was cramped. But it was cheap and in a fairly good area. “Make yourself comfortable.” She walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

  I sat on the couch and waited for her to change. She usually wore one of my t-shirts that stretched to her knees. I loved seeing her in my clothes. It was the sexiest thing in the world. Despite the fact is covered all of her curves, knowing I claimed her in the most innate way got me hot. I’d take it over lingerie any day.

  She opened the door and stepped out.

  I looked at her then did a double take.

  She was wearing a black see-through dress that showed a red bra made of lace. It barely covered her skin, leaving most of it naked to the eye. Only her nipples were covered. Her stomach was visible, the hourglass shape prominent. Her wide hips were covered in a black lacy thong. I couldn’t see her ass to confirm it, but I’d seen enough thongs to know that’s what it was. Then she wore black stockings and shiny black sky-high heels.

  “Uh…um…” My eyes were so wide they hurt. I gripped the couch because I thought I might fall off. Never in a million years did I expect her to surprise me like this. She was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. My cock was hard instantly, and if I moved in just the right way, I’d blow my load. “Uh…” I wish I had something smarter to say.

  She ran her fingers through her hair and retained her confidence. “Do you like it?” she whispered.

  I breathed hard while I gawked at her. “Oh boy…”

  She smirked playfully.

  Why did I have to sound like a guy from the fifties?

  “I’ll be in here whenever you’re ready.” She turned around.

  And then I fell off the couch and onto the floor. Her ass was perky and round. The black lingerie contrasted against her fair skin. I’d never seen a hotter piece of ass in my life.

  She returned and peered around the corner. “You okay?”

  I nodded. “Uh…”

  She gave me another playful smirk before she walked into her bedroom.

  I tried to get up so quickly I tripped. Then I had to pull myself up and ignore the pain in my knee. My cock was so hard it hurt. It was pressing against my jeans in an uncomfortable way. I headed into the bedroom, my palms sweaty and my body excited.