19. Lunch

CHAPTER 19

LUNCH

BILLIE EILISH

Two years ago, my best friend met a woman and fell in love in less than a week. I gave him so much shit for that. Within weeks, we were all piled in a car and headed to Vegas to watch the two of them get married. They’re still happy and going strong.

A few months ago, I saw the same thing happen to one of my other best friends, though not as fast. Steve and Ethan have their difficulties, but I pity anyone that ever tries to get between them. They’re talking about starting a family now.

Dani and Xander got together in high school, and those two are their own special mess. They’ve been experimenting with becoming a triad, and break up every six months. But when the dust settles, they’ve still got each other.

Which leaves me. There’s a pang of jealousy when I watch them, but over the last few months, that pang has grown into a pit in my stomach. Until I met her.

After I threw us both in the pool, the look she gave me shocked my brain into catching up with what my heart already knew. I get it now. How people fall so hard and so fast when they find their person. That’s what’s happening to me. Not as fast as Jamie and Lexi, but that’s alright, because we’re working at our own speed.

But what am I supposed to do now? What if she decides she doesn’t want me for anything but an occasional fuck? She doesn’t see a future between us; I’ve found heaven and possibility in her eyes. I’ve always been a little extra in relationships. What if my inability to let go caused these feelings? I just wish my brain would shut up for two seconds and let me enjoy this moment with her instead of overthinking it.

“Chase, I?—”

She’s going to leave me. She hates me. She’s going to break all of this off. She knows I’m only going to hurt her.

“JAMES GRAHAM BARTON, DON’T YOU FUCKIN—” Lexi doesn’t get the rest out before they’re in the pool with us. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much, and I’m understanding the ebbs and flow Doc told me about. Holding a little space for Cassie, but not drowning in her memories. Building something new and not letting my past become the foundation for it all.

Of course, I’ve just jumped into the pool with Ren, soI’m already trying to sabotage the entire thing. Part of me expected to be punched in the dick as soon as she came up for air. Instead, she’s looking at me and laughing that beautiful laugh. The kiss that follows would have knocked me off my feet if I were standing instead of floating.

There’s the tiniest hope she’s the one. It’s kind of fucked that it finally hits home on the anniversary of my fiancée’s death. Life has one fucked up sense of humor.

“Jerk!” Lexi yells with a laugh, splashing water at Jamie and me.

I’m about to swim over and dunk her under when I notice Lulu jump up and run inside. Devin must be home. There’s a loud crash inside the house, and our heads all turn to hear my brother yell out.

“FUUUUUUUCK! I’ll pay for that! OW! LULU!!”

I bolt out of the pool, running into the house with Jamie hot on my heels. We find Devin on the floor inside the front door with Lulu climbing all over him. His phone has shattered, there’s a hole in my wall, he’s sporting a nasty black eye.

“Oh, hey, man.” He’s got tears in his eyes, but his balled up fists say he’s ready to throw down.

“Hey, what happened? Who the fuck punched you?” I crouch down next to him, trying to get a better look at his eye.

“The guys and I went to a bar. I got in a fucking fight.”

“And you had to take that out on the wall?” Jamie asks, rubbing the back of his neck as he checks the damage.

“I said I’d pay for it!” He throws his arms up. “I didn’t know Xander would be there.”

“Where? At the bar?”

“Yeah! We went to see Dani’s show. We had a few too many and, well, one thing led to another and?—”

“Wait, our Dani?” I ask as my face twists up in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Seriously, Devin? Why don’t you just wear ‘Xander please deck my dumb ass’ on your shirt?” Jamie throws his hands up and shakes his head. I’m so lost.

Devin’s shoulders slump as my head pivots between him and Jamie. “She winked at me, and, fuck, I kind of kissed her and?—”

“You what?!” I yell.

“They hooked up last year.” Lexi shrugs as my jaw hits the floor. “Oh, you didn’t know? Shit, I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

“They’ll trade me if that fight made the news.”

“Dev, you’re the third highest ranking goalie in the league right now.” I try to reason with him. “You’ve been on fire—No, what the fuck does she mean you hooked up with Dani?”

A cold beer comes from out of nowhere, and when I follow the arm to the source, I find Ren, dripping wet. She’s shivering and makeup runs down her face, but fuck, she’s beautiful.

Devin looks up at her with his good eye and scrunches his face up. “Who the fuck are you?” I forgot they haven’t met yet. “What’s with the fancy swimsuit?”

“I’m Ren.” She crouches down next to us with a little wave. “I don’t know why I never put two and two together to realize you’re the Dev she talks about.”

“She talks about me?!”

“Calm down, lover boy.” Ren shrugs and gestures with her hand. “Do yourself a favor, don’t get messed up with a Silva. We’re crazy.”

“Wait… Ren? Dani’s sister? The teacher?” His eyebrows shoot up. “Chase’s teacher? That Ren?”

“Something like that, sure,” she laughs. “Trust me when I say Dani and Xander like to pretend they’re an open relationship. But they suck at it. Both of them are too jealous.” Her voice soothes Devin from a giant mess to his goofy self in no time at all. Dev and I aren’t used to someone being this warm and gentle with us.

He flashes her a lopsided grin. “You’re nice. I’m sorry I swore so much. That’s fucking rude. Did you fall in the pool?”

“Your brother put me through the pool party initiation ceremony,” she giggles and ruffles his hair.

Lulu pushes past Ren, knocking her into me, and we fall to the ground. When I stare up at the perfect woman in my arms, she’s beaming at me again, and my heart skips to a new beat. Hers. I pull her down and kiss her hard as a soaked Lulu smothers my brother in licks and pool water.

* * *

Devin has spent the last hour trying to teach Jamie the guitar while Lulu sleeps beside them, snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Lexi and Ren are talking, and I’m relaxing next to them in the hot tub. Pongo lays behind me, watching a family of bats flit around. We’ve gone through another case of beer and passed around another joint. I’m not sure if it’s the beer, the high, or the hot tub, but I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open. I pull Ren onto my lap and rest my head on her shoulder as I wrap my arms around her.

“Put your fingers here, you’ve got to finger it right or there’s no way you’re—” Devin’s head drops when he hears us all snickering at him.

“I’ve got the fingering down just fine, man,” Jamie teases back while Lexi turns every shade of red going from embarrassed to laughter. Jamie watches her climb out of the hot tub in her bra and underwear, which leaves little to the imagination, especially his. She wraps her steaming body around him and he kisses her cheek and hands her a towel.

“In fact, you know what, Dev? I’m going to take my wife to bed right now and prove it.”

“He’s going in there and falling asleep the second his head hits the pillow,” Lexi teases, wrapping the towel around herself and sitting next to Devin. Jamie scoffs, but doesn’t bother arguing since we all know she’s right. “Go ahead, big talker. I’ll be there soon so you can prove yourself, pretty boy.”

Jamie says goodnight and heads back into the house while Devin and Lexi chat, but I’m not interested in them. The second Lexi climbed out, Ren grabbed my hand and shoved it between her legs. Now her head has rocked back onto my shoulder, and she’s doing one hell of a job acting like my fingers aren’t inside her. Until my thumb brushes her clit.

“Shh, keep it down, Sunshine. You’ve got to be nice and quiet for me.”

She turns her head, and our mouths slot together, so I can swallow her moans. I’m tempted to pull my swim trunks off and let my cock slide right into her, but we can save that for another night when we’re out here alone. She’s clenching around me and I can feel she’s close, and I suck on her neck, leaving a trail of marks. Before she topples over the edge, she stands up and turns on shaky legs to stare at me.

She leans forward, shoving her tits against my chest and whispering in my ear, “Take me upstairs and bend me over the counter so you can ruin me the way you ruined my fucking dress.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I pick her up and toss her over my shoulder as she screams. Devin and Lexi both laugh as I carry her into the house. dripping water everywhere. The sharp slap of my hand on her round, wet ass echoes as we go up the stairs, and her laughter fills the hallway. Kissing her right now feels like she’s sucking out pieces of my soul. I’d let her have every bit, especially when she plays with my hair and teases the back of my neck with her nails.

I fish a condom out of a drawer, grab it between my teeth, and she reaches up and tears the package open. I tear the flimsy panties from her and drop my swim trunks to the floor in a wet splosh. Her mouth chases mine as she slips the condom on and lines me up. Our moans echo off the tiles when I push deep into her, holding myself inside her wet, greedy pussy.

My heart lodges in my throat as she clenches around me so hard I’m seeing stars. I never turned on the lights, leaving her bathed in the moon’s glow. There’s only one thought in my brain as she begs me to move, to fuck her.

“Mine,” I’m surprised by the deep growl in my voice. The immediate sting on my face does nothing to phase me as I refuse to move. She yanks my hair, pulling my head back until I can’t see her. Her teeth graze up my neck as her body rolls beneath me like waves.

“Try again, Puppy,” she snarls in my ear, her nails digging into my bicep.

“You’re mine.”

She slaps me again, and I swear I’m getting harder. I thrust hard and fast into her, pressing her against the mirror that’s already decorated with our handprints.

“I don’t belong to you,” she says between clenched teeth, defiance in her voice.

“Fine.” I thrust again, knocking the contents of the countertop to the floor. “But I am yours. You can’t deny that.”

“You’re getting a little too cocky, Mr. Cooper.”

“Maybe I am. Maybe you should punish me for that. But not until I’m done ruining you, just like you asked me to.”

I hold her hips so hard I’m leaving fingerprints, and she returns the favor with her hand around my neck. I’m slamming into her so hard she’ll feel me for a fucking week.”

“Fuck, right there, Chase! Make me come all over your whore cock!”

“You have such a dirty mouth. Never change.”

I grab the low-cut neckline of the dress and rip it down, forcing her breasts to literally pop out as she gasps. Fuck, I love her in tight clothes. I lean over and close my mouth over her breast through the bra, biting down and sucking. Her back arches, forcing me even deeper into her as she yells.

“Harder, baby! Oh, fuck.”

I pull back the lace and slide my tongue over her pebbled nipple, flicking it a few times before I bite again. She screams and clenches around me, grabbing my head and holding me to her chest.

“More!” she screams as her body shakes and her ankles lock behind my back. I force my way out of her hold and, in one fluid motion, I pull out and flip her onto her stomach. Her toes don’t even touch the floor, so I grab her legs and bring her knees up so I don’t hurt her.

I stare at her in the mirror, my eyes adjusting enough to make out the streaks of mascara, the smeared lipstick, the look in her eyes that dares me to go harder. She watches me in the reflection, waiting with anticipation for me to start fuckin her again.

“Oh, you wanna watch me destroy you, huh?” She smirks and I spit on her ass before pressing my thumb against her tight hole as her pussy clenches around nothing. Her head rocks back and she fucking sings for me and only me.

“Fuck, you feel so good, Ren.” I moan, watching my cock disappear inside her. “Your greedy little cunt wants every inch of me, huh, Sunshine? You like me fucking that sweet little pussy of yours until you scream?” I tease her asshole with my thumb again, making her claw at the mirror and scream my name. It sounds incredible.

“Don’t stop! Fuck me like you mean it! Like you wanted to fuck that bartender, you dirty fucking whore!”

I grab her hair and yank it back. She’s kneeling on the counter as I slam harder into her, holding her up with my arm across her chest. “Call me that again!”

“Is that what you are?”

“For you? Fuck yeah. Now remember, eyes on me, my queen. I want you coming all over my cock while you stare right at me.”

“I’m so close! Fuck me harder, slut!” We both race to the edge of the high and jump off, yelling and moaning, feeling the ecstasy ripple through our bodies as I hold her tight.

“Holy shit!” I gasp for air and drop my head to her shoulder, waiting for my vision to clear. I blink hard a few times, and she laughs, reaching up and playing with my hair. I help her turn back over so she can sit on the counter while I clean us up. I slip off the condom, tie it off, and toss it in the trash, but before I can grab a towel, she’s got my wrist.

“You’re not done.”

“I’m not?” I’m drooling over her smeared makeup, the way her tits hang out of the dress that’s bunched around her soft belly. I won’t be ready to go again for a while, but I’ll do whatever she wants. I kneel in front of her, the goddess on her makeshift throne, as she spreads her legs wide. I lean in and she grabs my hair, holding me back just out of reach of her glistening pussy.

“Don’t you dare be gentle, slut!”

I dive in like a man starving, hoisting her legs up on my shoulders and pulling her to the edge of the counter. I might be crazy, but there’s something about feeling a woman fall apart against my mouth that drives me wild. Given the choice, I’ll take eating her pussy over getting my dick wet every damn day of the week. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

She pushes my head down, fucking my face as she tightens her grip on my hair. Once again, I find myself at Ren’s mercy—right where I want to be. My tongue circles her clit while she rides my three fingers until she comes for me, and I keep going.

“FUCK! Oh god, just like that, Puppy!”

When she comes down from her third orgasm, she strokes my hair and calls me a good boy. It makes my cock jump and I want her to call me that again and again.

Good boy . Jesus, she’s got me by the dick.

I stand on shaky legs and undress her, carrying her to the shower. I hold her until she can stand on her own, washing her hair and body like she’s a queen, because she is. She’s my queen, even if she won’t admit it. After I dry her off, I carry her into the bedroom and sit her down on the edge of the bed. Once I make sure she has everything she needs—water, her phone on the charger, and a snack—I climb in behind her and comb out her long hair before we curl up together under the covers, stealing soft kisses as we doze off. We’ll save her toys for another time.