by E. L. Todd
“You don’t have to work there. You could just help me do all the wine related stuff. We’ll split everything down the middle.”
“I can’t believe you’re offering this to me.”
“Why?” he asked. “We’re friends and we’re both in the same business. I know how to run a bar and you know wine. You could even supply the wine at a dirt-cheap cost and we can maximize our profits. We both know charging by the glass is more profitable than charging by the bottle.”
“Sorry…you just dropped this on me.”
He gripped my shoulders with his hands. “Hey, if you don’t want to do it that’s totally fine. I’m not going to ask you again. It’s just an idea I had. I can find another wine aficionado easily. There’s no pressure.” He raised his hands in the air then kept walking. “Just think about it.”
I walked beside him again. “I’m just surprised you’re asking me.”
“How hard is that skull?” He playfully rapped his knuckles against it. “I told you why.”
“I know I annoy you—that’s what I meant.”
He stopped walking again. “You don’t annoy me.”
“I don’t?” I asked in surprise.
“All those jokes I make about you being prissy and stiff are just jokes.” A guilty look came over his face. “Okay…they are a little true. But you don’t annoy me. I like you the way you are. Honestly…” He shifted his weight like he was uncomfortable. “You’ve become my closest friend. You know exactly who I am and you don’t judge me for it. There’s no one else I’d rather do this with.”
His words moved me and I immediately stared at the dirt below my feet. Jared and I spent a lot of time together, and it dawned on me that we really were friends. When we started hanging out I wasn’t sure what we were. But now I knew.
It was nice having a friend. I hadn’t had a real one in a long time. He made me feel good about myself, even when I did and said ugly things. It was difficult for me to trust people, particularly men, but I realized I was starting to trust him—if I didn’t trust him completely already. “You’re my closest friend too.”
“I’m your only friend,” he teased.
“Hey.” I hit his arm playfully.
“So, you’ll think about it?”
“No. I’m on board.”
“Yeah?” he asked with a smile. “Awesome.” He extended his hand to shake mine.
I took it. “Business partners.”
“No,” he said. “Friends.”
***
When we returned to the lobby of the winery, David approached us. “Whatcha think?”
“It’s beautiful,” Jared blurted. “I can’t believe you guys get to look at that every day—and drink at the same time.”
David chuckled. “It’s definitely not something we complain about.”
Jared extended his hand to shake my brother’s. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“You too,” David said as he shook it. “My wife is making dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?”
What?
Jared seemed caught off guard. “Uh…”
I shot my brother a look that said, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Come on,” David said. “She makes amazing chicken and waffles. It’s Beatrice’s favorite.”
“Well, I can’t say no to that,” Jared said politely. “I’d love to join you.”
“Excellent,” David said. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Jared turned to me, slightly awkward. “I should get going.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Thanks for showing me around,” Jared said.
“Of course,” I said.
He gave my arm a gentle squeeze before he walked away and left the building.
I turned my gaze on my brother once Jared was gone. “Why are you inviting him to dinner?”
“He’s a nice guy,” David said without preamble. “Who is he?”
“Jared—he introduced himself.”
“Don’t be a smartass,” he said. “What is he to you?”
“A friend—and only a friend.”
“You guys seem close.”
“Well, we hang out…”
“Just as friends?” he asked doubtfully.
“Yes. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Well, don’t let your ego get too big but you’re a very pretty girl. And I’m sure Jared notices that.”
“That doesn’t mean he wants to date me. And I definitely don’t want to date him.”
“Why not?” he asked. “He’s nice and polite. He’s a good-looking lad. He’s tall—girls like tall guys.”
“I just…don’t.” I couldn’t think of a reason anymore. Jared had his baggage but he really was a nice guy despite his mistakes. “I’m not over Conrad and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be.”
“Well, it would speed things a long if you gave someone new a chance.”
“He’s not into me.” I could tell.
David continued the argument. “How about—”
“We’re just friends and it’s never going to happen. Drop it. I mean it.”
My brother finally backed off. “Okay. Even if he’s just your friend I’d like to get to know him.”
“And that’s totally fine. We’re opening a business together.”
“You’re what?” he blurted.
“Jared owns a bar in Manhattan, and now he wants to open a wine bar. He asked for my help. We’re going to split all the profits down the middle.”
“That’s a big commitment,” he said. “You should really think about it before you agree.”
“I will,” I said. “But I’m sure it’ll be fine. He’s investing his money into it so the overhead is on him. He mainly needs me for experience and knowledge. Besides, it’d be fun to have a wine bar. Plus, it’s free advertising for the winery.”
“True.” He tucked his clipboard under his arm. “I guess I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Okay.”
My brother walked off.
I stayed in the center of the room and pondered how dinner would go. My brother always liked Conrad and hoped we would get back together. But it was clear he didn’t have that belief anymore.
Maybe I shouldn’t either.
Chapter Fourteen
Conrad
Lexie didn’t want me to meet her parents.
I had no idea why. Were we not serious enough for that? Was she embarrassed of me? Was she embarrassed of them? We’d been together for almost a year, so I assumed it was the appropriate time to meet her family. She knew mine well. Shit, she played tennis with my dad during the week.
I wanted a relationship with her parents too.
I didn’t know where our relationship was going and I tried not to think about it. When I thought about committing my life to her it made me excited but it also terrified me. What if she left me when we got married? That would be a million times more painful. It was better to not think about it and just live in the moment.
And every moment I had with her was beautiful.
I loved her more than I ever thought possible. Every time I did something for her, she got this emotional look on her face. She didn’t need to say thank you because she made her gratitude clear in her reaction.
And she always gave me that look that told me how in love she was. She stared at me like she wanted me, but she also gave me that look that told me she needed me—forever.
I was in love.
And I really liked it.
I’d never been this happy before, not even with Beatrice. My relationship with her was pure work. When I thought about it in retrospect, I was grateful it didn’t work out. It wasn’t right to compare the two women in my life, but Lexie completed me in a way Beatrice never did. I hoped she and Jared could work it out. And I hoped she would find what I found in Lexie.
But that brought me back to the issue with Lexie’s parents. Why was she hiding me from them? Did they even know I existed? Why would she be ashamed
of me? I went to Harvard for college, I had a great job and I would eventually take over the company, and I was a good guy. More importantly, I loved her so fucking much. That made me perfect, in my book.
After I showered I put on my running shorts and t-shirt and sat on the couch. I’d been particularly horny all day at work for no reason at all. Lexie kept coming to my mind, and I had the strong urge to kiss the area between her legs. My hormones were running my mind, and that’s what my body wanted. I loved her taste and her smell. Her pussy belonged to me and I loved it.
I texted her. When are you coming?
When you make me.
I understood her double meaning. It made me grin. Get your ass over here and I will.
I’m about to leave.
I’ve been hard all day from thinking about you. Hurry the hell up.
She sent a picture. Here’s something to get you by until I get there. In the image she was lying on her bed and the camera was pointed down her body. Her tits were pressed together in her push-up bra, and one hand was deep in her panties.
Holy shit. My cock immediately twitched. That just made it worse. You better fly here.
Maybe I’ll go slower then.
Then I’ll start without you.
Ooh…I wouldn’t mind seeing a picture of that.
I grinned again. Lexie was spontaneous and sexy. She was open with her sexuality and told me exactly what she wanted. She wasn’t ashamed of it, and that was such a turn on.
After I grabbed a bottle of Vaseline I stripped my clothes away and lathered my dick in the lubrication. Then I started to jerk myself, thinking about that picture Lexie sent me. Then I snapped a picture of myself beating my dick. I sent it to her. Like what you see?
I pulled up the picture she sent me and stared at it while I rubbed one out. My hand moved slowly because I didn’t want to blow my load until I was with Lexie. But it felt so good that I wanted to constrict my hand as tightly as possible and bring me to the end. I’m not sure how I managed to restrain myself.
She texted me back. I want your cock.
Then get over here.
Flying.
I chuckled slightly then continued to jerk off.
A minute later, the door opened and Lexie came inside. She tossed her purse on the ground and stripped her clothes away, not wasting any time.
I rose to my feet then swept her off the floor. I pulled her to my chest as I carried her to the bedroom. My dick was hard and wet and I wanted to be inside her. My hand felt good but her pussy felt so much better.
I threw her on the bed then pulled her hips to the edge. My face immediately went to the area between her legs and I inhaled her scent and enjoyed her taste. She tasted sweet, like fruit.
“Oh god.” Lexie arched her back and dug her fingers into my hair.
I loved eating her pussy. I couldn’t get enough of it. I sucked and licked the area then I inserted two fingers inside her as I continued to enjoy her.
“Conrad, stop.”
What? I pulled away and stared at her, wondering what I was doing wrong.
“Turn around.”
“What do you mean?” I was sex crazed at the moment and I didn’t feel like talking.
She growled then viciously threw me on the bed. Then she moved on top of me and turned her body around, her pussy right in my face. Her lips moved around my dick and she started to suck me off.
I released a loud moan when I realized what she wanted. I’d sixty-nined with a girl before but never a girlfriend. It was usually an easy girl at a party. My hands gripped her ass and I devoured her folds again, loving the taste of her. Feeling her suck my dick while licking her clitoris was the hottest thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to come and I was unable to stop.
When I tensed and came I circled her clitoris with my tongue as hard as I could. I heard her breathe hard and deep-throat me as I came into the back of her throat. I could tell when she came because she was suddenly soaked.
We both finished and reached our satisfaction. Then she moved off of me and lay on my bed, exhausted and happy.
I was warm and sweaty but I wanted to cuddle with her anyway. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me, needing to feel her body next to mine. With Lexie, love and lust was the same thing. I never thought that was possible. There were certain things you did with your girlfriend, and there were certain things you did when you hooked up. Lexie was the bridge between the two worlds.
I buried my face in her neck and closed my eyes. I was exhausted and ready to sleep. When I felt her small chest rise and expand at an even rate, I knew she was already dreaming.
***
I woke up and stared at her like usual. Only an hour had passed, but it was a long nap. After I had a strong orgasm I usually passed out and went to sleep. Lexie must have had a powerful one too because she was knocked out.
She finally stirred in bed then opened her eyes. When she took in my face, she relaxed and smiled. “I like seeing your face when I wake up.”
“Me too.” I pulled her close to me then kissed her shoulder. I sucked the skin gently then kissed her neck. My hand moved between her legs and I massage the sensitive area. “Are you sure?”
“Not at all.” She moved into my chest and closed her eyes again.
“Tired?”
“I just don’t want to leave this bed. It’s too comfy.”
“You mean my chest is too comfy?” A smile was in my voice.
“No, your chest is a slab of concrete. It’s not comfy.”
I chuckled then kissed the shell of her ear. “Want to order a pizza?”
“Pizza sounds good.”
“And maybe you can make a pie…”
She rubbed her hand against my chest. “This isn’t going to stay that way if I keep baking for you.”
“I’ll just work harder at the gym.”
“Or you can fuck me a few more times.”
I pressed my lips to her ear. “I like that idea.”
She moved out of my embrace and pulled a t-shirt out of my drawer. Then she pulled it on. It trailed past her knees like usual. I was twice her size and three times her weight. Seeing her in my clothes made her appear even more petite—and sexy. “So, what kind of pizza should we get?”
“The usual?”
“Okay.” She crawled back into bed.
I placed the order on my phone then tossed it back on the nightstand. “So, what did your parents say?”
She tensed noticeably in my arms. “About what…?”
“About meeting me.” She really didn’t want this to happen. I could tell.
“Uh…I haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet.”
My heart was starting to throb. “Lexie, we’re always honest with each other. Please be honest with me.”
She looked into my eyes with guilt on her face.
“Are you embarrassed of me?”
“God, no,” she blurted. “Not at all.”
I felt better. “Then why are you avoiding this? Do they even know I exist?”
She pressed her lips tightly together before she spoke. “No…”
I felt the pain in my heart again. “Do you not want me to meet them because you don’t see this going anywhere?” I hoped her answer was no. It had to be no. Because if it weren’t, I would die.
“Of course not.” She rubbed my shoulder as she spoke. “It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s just…” This was hard for her to get out.
“You can tell me, baby. Come on, it’s me.” I gave her a look of encouragement.
“Jared made a fool out of me. He embarrassed me in front of my whole family. I just don’t want to go through that again.”
“I would never cheat on you,” I snapped.
“That’s not what I meant…I meant with them.”
I didn’t understand her meaning.
“They obviously think I have very terrible taste when it comes to men. I’m worried that they�
�ll make me feel bad about what happened. I’m worried that they’ll treat you wrong. I’m worried that they’ll never take this relationship seriously.”
That didn’t make any sense to me. “Your parents should be supportive. They should be happy that you found someone else.”
“I know…this is probably just my own insecurity. I was the talk of the family for a long time. People would whisper behind my back like I couldn’t hear them. They always said I was an idiot for not realizing it. I was an idiot for trying to make my relationship work. I’m afraid they’ll say more things when I bring you around.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Like…you’re way out of my league. You’re too good looking for me. That you’re too wealthy for me.”
My eyes narrowed on her face. “Your parents actually think less of you because of what Jared did?” That was terrible. He was the piece of shit, not her.
“I think so…I can’t really blame them. I was stupid for sticking around as long as I did.”
“No, you were brave. You still loved Jared and you were willing to do anything to make it work.”
She shook her head. “I appreciate the support but I know you don’t think that. I should have left after he cheated the first time. I was stupid for thinking he would ever change.”
“Well…I do think you should have left. But I certainly don’t think you’re stupid. And your parents better not either.”
“Bringing you around will just stir up everything again…I want it to disappear.”
“I understand.” I ran my fingers through her hair. “But we’ll get through it. I’ll be by your side the entire time. The second they see us together, they’ll know that what we have is special—powerful.”
The usual look of love came into her eyes.
“They’ll know we love each other—just by looking at us.”
Chapter Fifteen
Slade
I was sitting at the front counter and playing a game on my phone when a pretty blonde walked up. She twisted her hair in her fingers and batted her eyelashes at me. I’d been hit on enough times to know where this was going. Clean girls took one look at my tattoos and assumed I was a bad boy who would rock their world. “I’m married.” I didn’t look at her as I spoke. “Now leave.”
