I found a glittery rainbow dress to wear to the party. It was backless, brilliant, and the perfect festive outfit to wear for a surprise birthday party. My hair was pulled back, and I found the cutest pair of black heels to wear with it.
I decorated the private back room of the restaurant with balloons, streamers, and a big banner that said Happy Birthday on it. The place was bigger than the living room of their apartment, and having someone else take care of the food would make our lives a million times easier.
Kyle came to my side, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. “I just gave the cake to the waiter. They’ll put it in the fridge.”
“Perfect. Thanks so much.” When I finally finished my preparations, I grabbed my glass of champagne and took a drink.
He watched me drink every last drop, slightly amused. “Anything else I can help you with?”
Stacy’s friends were chatting together in the room, holding drinks in their hands and laughing as they waited for the guest of honor to arrive. Vic was supposed to get her here for a birthday dinner, and then when she walked inside, she would be totally surprised. “No, I think we’re set. All we have to do is surprise her. Then I can finally chill out.”
He slid his hands into his pockets then looked down at my dress. “That looks good on you. You can pull off all the colors.”
“Thanks. I got a crazy good deal on it. That’s the only way I would be able to afford something like this.” I made good money at the lab, but I was a single person who had to afford everything on my own. That meant I didn’t split the cost of any of my bills, not the way I used to. It really added up over time and made me pinch my pennies.
Neil walked inside a second later, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. His pants fit low around his hips, and his shirt showed how tight his stomach was. He had the perfect triangle shape, the ideal look for a man. Wide shoulders and narrow hips. His handsome smile and pretty eyes just made him more perfect.
Naturally, all the women looked at him like he was eye candy.
Kyle followed my gaze. “Is that the Neil guy I keep hearing about?”
“Yes. How do you know?”
“Because you keep staring at him.” He grabbed his beer off the table and took a drink.
I pulled my gaze away from Neil and looked at Kyle. “I wasn’t staring.”
“You only stopped because I called you out on it,” he said with a slight grin. “I’m not judging you. I haven’t really seen you look at anyone that way since your divorce.”
Most of my dates had been…blah. There was never any long-lasting chemistry. The sex was decent but nothing to write home about. And there was never any substantial connection. Maybe I hadn’t truly been ready to meet someone new, so I never really tried to make a relationship happen. It’d only been six months since I signed those papers, so it wasn’t like I needed to rush. “Do you see anyone you like? Lots of cute girls here.”
He scanned the room and shrugged. “There’re a few cute girls here, but nothing too exciting.”
“You’re a picky guy.”
“No. I just don’t chase unless there’s something worth chasing.” Kyle was a tall and handsome man. At work, my coworkers always asked me about his situation. He’d been single since I’d met him, having hookups here and there but never anything serious. When we’d slept together, I’d just wanted sex and he delivered. The sex was good, but I ended things to preserve our friendship. I needed rebound sex and he was happy to provide it, but I didn’t want to keep using him.
I looked up and saw Neil engaged in conversation with a couple of girls. A beer was in his hand and he smiled as he listened to whatever they said, but then his eyes trailed away and looked at me. His grin didn’t change, but his eyes noticeably lightened in affection. He turned his attention back to the girl and kept listening to whatever she was saying.
“He’s into you.” Kyle held his beer near his chest and continued to watch Neil. “But Vic does have a point, about him never being in one place too long. There’s no possibility it will ever go anywhere.”
“Who said I wanted it to go anywhere?” After getting divorced, my faith in marriage had declined significantly. Vic and Stacy gave me some hope that love could last forever, but sometimes I wondered if they were just special. Maybe Vic really loved her…but Cameron never truly loved me. “I haven’t been divorced very long. I’m not looking for anything serious. It’s hard to imagine being in a serious relationship for a very long time…”
“You will one day. When it’s the right time and the right guy.” He drank his beer again then looked at his watch. “When will they be here?”
“Any minute. He’s supposed to text me when they get to the parking lot.”
Even though Neil didn’t know anybody, he made his way through the crowd and engaged in small talk. He created a throng of admirers instantly, women who looked at his ass as he passed. He finally made his way over to me, drink in hand. “The woman of the hour.”
“That’s Stacy, and she’s not here yet.”
“You’re the one who threw this together—so it’s you.” He tapped his beer against my glass. “It looks great in here. Stacy will be thrilled.”
“Yeah, I think she will be.” I forced myself to keep my confidence and not lose my nerve. This man intimidated me because he was so classically handsome but also wildly successful. He was super smart and super sexy…how often did that happen? But I tried not to think about it and spoke to him like he was a regular person. “Introduced yourself to everyone?”
“Yeah. I didn’t make it to the wedding, so I’d never met her friends before.”
“Well, I’m the only friend who matters so…”
He chuckled. “I guess that’s true.” He turned his attention to Kyle, who stood beside me. They were close in height, so their eyes were level with each other. He extended his hand. “Another friend of Stacy’s?”
Kyle shook his hand. “Yes. But I met her through Char.”
He nodded slowly, his kindness not as bright as it was before.
“Kyle and I work together,” I explained. “We started at the same time and have been friends ever since.”
Neil turned his gaze back on me, nodding slowly again. “Cool. So, when is the birthday girl going to be here?”
“Whenever Vic can get her out of the house,” I said. “She takes forever to get ready, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she was an hour late.”
Neil chuckled. “She and I are one and the same in that regard.”
Kyle excused himself to get another drink. “I’m gonna get another beer. You want anything, Char?”
“The same. Thanks.” I handed him my empty glass, and he left the private room to return to the bar.
Neil watched him go before he turned back to me. “I really like that dress.”
“Thanks, I really like it too. It’s every color, so I can wear whatever heels I want.”
“And it matches your personality.”
“My personality has a color?” I asked.
“Yes. All the colors.” He glanced at the people in the room before he turned back to me. “It’s nice of you to do this for Stacy.”
“Well, it was actually Vic’s idea. He loves her so much… It’s sweet.”
“Yeah, he does. I remember when he told me things were getting serious.”
“Aww, what did he say?” Even though I wasn’t a fan of romance anymore, I loved hearing romantic stories. It gave me hope that love really existed…somewhere out there.
“That’s confidential.” He brushed off my question, but he smiled like he would give up the details anyway.
“Come on, they ended up together, so it’s okay. I’m not asking about a random piece of ass.”
“Well, Stacy is his favorite piece of ass…I’ll say that.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled at the same time, finding that dirty comment very sweet. Vic wasn’t the romantic type, not the kind of guy to get a girl flowers or write a poem. He was quiet and direct. But that made his endearments even better.
“He told me Stacy was the one and he was going to marry her…someday.”
“He said that?” I asked in surprise. “When was this?”
“Shortly after they met, actually. But he played it cool for a while.”
“Aww…I’m gonna tease him so hard.”
“And throw me under the bus?” he asked.
“You’re his brother. You’ll recover.”
He chuckled. “Alright, I guess that’s true.” He took a drink of his beer then set it on the table beside him. A plain black watch was on his wrist, and the color of his t-shirt contrasted against his tanned skin. He hadn’t been home very long, but he seemed to be in the sun often enough to get a little darker every time I saw him. “So, are you and Kyle on a date?”
The question came out of left field—and I didn’t have a glove to catch the ball. “Kyle? No, we’re just really good friends. Besides Stacy, he’s probably the closest friend I have. We have a lot in common, things that Stacy doesn’t have an interest in.”
“Such as?”
“Our softball league, playing poker, hiking, stuff like that. Stacy cares more about having a spa day, going shopping, and trying every new sushi place that opens up. That’s totally fine because I like doing that stuff too.”
Neil stared at me like he hadn’t heard a word I said. His eyes lingered, directed on my gaze. He was over a foot taller than me and he had to tilt his chin down to look at me, so it was obvious when I was the only thing he wanted to look at. His gaze held, the silence stretching out as people continued talking around us.
My phone vibrated in my clutch, so I pulled it out, thankful a distraction had interrupted the heated moment. It was a message from Vic. Just pulled into the parking lot. “Everyone, get into place. She’s here!”
Stacy was drunk by the end of the night.
“I love you.” Stacy kept hugging me, like she forgot she’d hugged me a second ago, so she did it again. “Like, really love you.” She hugged me into her chest, squeezing my face against her big tits.
“I love you too…” I patted her on the back, getting more boobage than I needed.
Stacy pulled away, her eyes drooping because she was so drunk, she was exhausted. “You are a catch. If I were a man…”
Vic stepped toward us, standing at attention. “Yes?”
“I would be all over you,” Stacy continued. “You’re so hot, girl. You’ve got the whole package.”
I rubbed Stacy’s back. “Thank you, girl. I appreciate it.”
“Seriously.” Stacy hugged me again. “Cameron is a stupid piece-of-shit asshole that will regret the day he left. Trust me, he’ll hate himself someday. I promise you.”
She’d just embarrassed me in front of everyone in the room, including Neil. But I knew she meant well, so I brushed it off. “I know, girl. Now, let Vic take you home. He’s been wanting to take that dress off you all night.”
“I’m way too drunk for sex,” she said as she wobbled.
“Nope, I don’t think so.” Vic circled his arm around her waist and supported her. “It’s happening.” He inserted his arm behind her knees then lifted her into the air. He cradled her close then carried her out of the restaurant.
“You’d have sex with Charlotte, right?” Stacy asked as she was carried away. “She’s so hot…”
Vic kept walking. “I’m not answering that.”
When they were gone, along with the crowd, I grabbed the bill and opened the folder. No one had offered to chip in, so I would put the total on a credit card. It felt weird taking money from Vic since it was Stacy’s party, so I wouldn’t ask for help.
Neil grabbed the folder and placed his card inside. “I’m not letting you pay for this on your own.”
“You’re a guest, so I’m not letting you pay for it either.”
He snatched it back. “Let’s split it, then. A fair compromise.”
“No…you don’t have to do that.” It was a sweet gesture, totally unexpected. This party wasn’t his idea, so he shouldn’t have to pay for it. His only responsibility was to come and have a good time.
“I want to.” He shut the leather sleeve and handed it to the approaching waiter.
When we were alone together, my fingers ran through the hair hanging from my slick ponytail. “Well…thank you. That was sweet of you.”
“You can thank me by buying me a Slurpee.”
I couldn’t keep my smile away. “Don’t you still owe me one?”
“Technically. So, you owe me one, and I owe you one. How about we go now?”
“And buy each other Slurpees?” I’d spent the evening drinking beers and cosmos, so my belly was already full of liquids. In my nice dress and heels, I wasn’t exactly dressed to stop by a 7-Eleven and get a frozen treat, but I couldn’t turn it down either.
“Yeah. How about it, Slurpee?”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s my nickname now?”
“It fits.”
The waiter returned with the sleeve and the receipts. We both signed the bottoms and then returned our cards to our wallets.
Kyle came back from the bathroom. “Hey, you ready to go?”
I forgot that Kyle had given me a ride. My truck was still in the parking lot outside my apartment.
Neil dropped his playfulness once Kyle joined us again.
“Actually, Neil and I were going to grab a drink,” I said. “I’m sure he can give me a ride home afterward.”
“Of course,” Neil said. “After all the rides you’ve given me, I think that’s fair.”
“Alright.” Kyle gave me a one-arm hug before he walked out.
Neil and I left the restaurant then headed to his Range Rover a few feet away. Stunning white with a black top, it reminded me of the sleekness of an astronaut suit. It fit him perfectly, better than any other vehicle could have possibly complemented him.
The vehicle automatically unlocked once we approached, and then we left for the 7-Eleven a few miles away. The darkness inside was only interrupted by the subtle lights coming from the center console, all the flat screens that showed the radio and the temperature.
Neil turned up the radio slightly.
“You like Radiohead?”
“I like anything.”
“Really? Gangsta rap?”
He shrugged. “If it’s got a good beat, I’ll give it a chance.”
“Country?”
“Come on, this is Texas. Of course I like a little country. But my favorite genre is classic rock. What do you like?”
“I’ve been listening to Lorde lately.”
He nodded. “She’s good. Not too many musicians peak so early in their careers. Must be stressful.”
“It seems like you peaked before you even turned thirty.” The guy had already served in the military, graduated from one of the most respected universities in the nation, and was a commander in the space program. He had the resume of a sixty-year-old—but at half the age.
With one hand on the wheel, he kept his eyes on the road and pretended my comment had never been said. Most men would brag about their accomplishments nonstop, but Neil preferred to let his success speak for itself. It almost seemed like he didn’t even care. “I’m young. I still have a lot of accomplishments to achieve.”
“I learned how to write a check a few days ago.” That was an embarrassing admission, but I never tried to impress Neil. Instead, I chose to be funny. How could you impress someone so brilliant?
He glanced at me, his eyebrow raised.
“Who uses checks for anything?” I questioned. “I pay all my bills online, but I got an old bill from a company that would only accept checks, so I had to figure it out. It was totally archaic. But at least I have a whole stack of them in my drawer for the next check I write…in two years.”
He chuckled and kept driving. “Stacy seemed to have a good time.”
“Yeah…when she gets shit-faced, she’s pretty happy.”
“And Vic seemed happy since he’s about to get laid.”
“He always gets laid.” Stacy told me they had a strong physical relationship. Whenever they started to fight, they ended it by screwing instead. It’d always been that way, and being married hadn’t dampened their desire.
He smiled as he turned left onto the road. “Yeah…he mentioned Stacy is a horndog.”
“She’s just a horndog for Vic. She never had a good lay before she met him.”
“I’m proud of my brother,” he said with a laugh. He pulled into the 7-Eleven then we walked inside to get our treats.
This time, I went for the red color, even though blue was my favorite. I didn’t want blue-stained teeth for the night. I looked my best in this dress, and I didn’t want to diminish my appearance by looking like a dork.
Neil went for red.
We paid for our drinks and then got back in the car.
“So, where to?”
“I live in the Lakeview Apartments. It’s right next to Dunkin’ Donuts.”
He pulled onto the road and drove through the streetlights. “I know exactly where you’re talking about. You like Dunkin’ Donuts?”
“Who doesn’t like donuts?” I sipped my drink with my legs crossed, the cool temperature of his car making me a little chilly. At first, the skin of my thighs had stuck to the leather, but his AC system was so efficient that it felt cold instantly.
“You think Torpedo is on the couch?”
“Definitely…that little shit.”
After a short drive, he pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine. He didn’t take off his safety belt like he intended to come inside, but he stopped the vehicle like he didn’t plan to take off anytime soon.
Maybe he wanted me to invite him in.
Did I want to invite him in?
There was chemistry between us. That much was obvious. I found this man ridiculously handsome, on the inside as well as the outside. But a one-night stand might be stupid since he was Stacy’s brother-in-law. If it ever got awkward, it would affect everyone around us…unless our fling never meant anything. If that was all it ever was, then it wouldn’t matter. That was all I was looking for anyway. Like I could ever fall in love again…
“Can I walk you to your door?”
“No.” I gripped the handle and popped the door open.
He hid his disappointment, but he stared at me in surprise.
“But you can come inside and enjoy your drink with me.”
His face turned sexy again once his eyes filled with playfulness. He got out of the car then walked with me into the lobby. After taking the stairs to the third floor, we approached my front door. I fished my keys out of my clutch then pressed my forefinger to my lips. “I’m gonna catch Torpedo in the act…shh.” I slipped the key inside, gently turned the lock, and then pushed the door in.
Sitting on the couch like a lazy little jerk was Torpedo, snoring away.
“I knew it!”
His ears perked up, and his eyes snapped open. Then he hopped off the couch and lowered his tail between his legs, looking guilty as hell. He lowered his snout to the ground, displaying those puppy-dog eyes.
Neil walked inside, grinning with his cup in hand. “You were right.”
“Yep, I knew I was right.” I stood with my hand on my hip, staring down at my dog with disappointment.
Torpedo grabbed his favorite stuffed animal from the floor and walked up to me, wagging his tail and doing his best to seem apologetic. He looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes, whining quietly under his breath.
“Kinda hard to stay mad at him…” Neil drank from his cup.
I tried to stay angry, but the longer I stared at him, the more I felt like the jerk. All I could think about was the way he barked in his sleep when he was dreaming, the way he got so happy when I walked in the door after work, the way he turned protective when I brought a guy over. He was my best friend in the world. He wasn’t supposed to sleep on the couch unless it was on his blanket…but I couldn’t stay angry at something that made me so happy. “Alright…I forgive you.” I kneeled down to pet him.
He dropped his toy and wagged his tail harder, moving close to me and giving me a swipe with his tongue.
I chuckled and dug my fingers into his fur before I hugged him. “You’re too cute. You can get away with anything.”
Neil joined me and squatted down so he could give Torpedo some attention. “Remember me?”
“He gets a little protective when men come to the apartment—”
Torpedo moved in and licked Neil’s cheek. He dragged his paw down his knee then turned around so he could sit right between Neil’s open thighs. He looked up, his tongue hanging out as if he expected the massage to continue.
Just like me, Neil’s eyes lit up with affection as he rubbed him behind the ears. “This guy knows how to play us.”
“He’s manipulative…” I rose to my feet then washed my hands in the sink. I was halfway done with my Slurpee and my lips were starting to turn a darker shade of red, but it was still a better look than the bright blue. I leaned against the counter as I watched Neil interact with my dog, watched him fall in love with my companion just like I did every day.
After giving Torpedo a good pat, Neil got to his feet and met me at the counter. He washed his hands in the sink then took another big drink of his Slurpee. He sucked the liquids down much more rapidly than I did, so his was practically empty. “So, this is your place?”
“I’d give you a tour, but this is pretty much it.” I had a decent-sized living room, a full kitchen, a hall bathroom, and a bedroom with a master bath. It was smaller than what I was used to, but for one person, it was perfect.
“It’s nice.” He had a lovely house with a beautiful yard, so my place was far below his standard of living, but he wasn’t a jerk about it. “I can tell Torpedo loves it.”
“He loves my couch.”
“Does he sleep with you in bed?”
“Of course.”
“I’m sure he loves that too.” He finished his drink then poured the rest in the sink. “Do you recycle?”
“Yeah. There’s a bag under the sink.”
He leaned down and tossed his plastic cup away. He straightened once more then leaned against the counter, his muscled frame stretching the fabric of his shirt. He gripped the edge of the counter with his hands and watched me for a while.
I kept sucking my straw, aware that a really gorgeous man was in my apartment. He was the sexiest man to have set foot in the place. The other men I brought around were cute, but nothing compared to this guy. He made me nervous from my fingers to my toes, made me tremble slightly in my fingertips. There was an innately comfortable feeling whenever I was around him, like I could be myself without judgment, but there was also this jolt of electricity that constantly rippled in my veins.
Did he feel it too?
He probably got more ass offered to him than he could handle. I was just another pretty girl in a sea of beautiful women. I didn’t know him well enough to understand what kind of man he was, if he was a manwhore like every other beautiful man, or if he was more restrained in his sexual conquests.
I really didn’t know him at all.
All I knew was he was a hot astronaut who liked Slurpees.
“I think there’s still a game on if you want to watch it.” If we continued to stare at each other like this, one of us was bound to explode—and that person would probably be me.
“Sure.”
I moved to the couch first and slipped off my heels because there was no point in wearing them anymore. Torpedo jumped on the couch right away, taking the spot between us.
Cockblock.
I turned on the TV with my knees folded toward my chest.
Neil stayed on his side of the couch, his arm over the back and his knees spread apart. His gaze was focused on the TV, but he carried himself with such masculine sexiness that it was hard not to jump on him.
I was at a point in my life where I just wanted good sex without heartbreak, to dive deep into a man without any regard for my emotions. After the roller coaster of pain I’d experienced, the last thing I wanted was to feel something.
Except sex.
If Neil could pilot a spacecraft and survive in the most dangerous situations known to man, then he could probably own a headboard like a king. He was clearly confident, clearly built for fucking.
But I still didn’t make a move. Maybe it would be better if Neil and I were only friends. We had two other people to think about. I could just go out and find some other guy to share my bed.
But none of those guys was Neil Crimson.
He turned his gaze toward me and ignored the game. “Vic mentioned you were divorced.”
And Stacy told everyone at the party—if they didn’t already know. “Yeah…it’s been six months.” My broken marriage came up pretty often. Whenever I went on a date with a guy, they always asked about it. It seemed like my divorce papers were a scarlet letter. People assumed there was something wrong with me because I got divorced before I even turned thirty. Well…there was something wrong with me. My former husband couldn’t handle it.
Neil didn’t seem turned off by the knowledge of my divorce. If he were, he wouldn’t be sitting on my couch at that very moment. He wouldn’t have even mentioned it if he didn’t want to talk about it. “That must have been hard.”
Oh, you have no idea. “Divorce is never easy. I’ve never heard of a pleasant separation.”
“Vic told me to stay away from you.”
Just like that, my heart started to beat so hard. The pulse was loud in my ears, thrumming all over my body. He held my gaze like his words were of no consequence. Only a man with real confidence could pull off something like that. I held his gaze and forced my own confidence to show through, even though my fingertips were a bit numb. I tried to be strong, to be the woman with all the power in the world. “Are you going to listen to him?”
Neil straightened slightly against the couch, his eyes narrowing just a bit. He clearly hadn’t been expecting that reaction because he didn’t know how to process it. He kept looking at me, my fat dog in between us.
I was shocked those words came out of my own mouth. I hardly knew this guy, but my hormones were doing the talking for me. I turned into a different person when I was with him. He was a man who dedicated his life to space, so there was no possibility we would ever be more than sex. And that was such a relief to me, a weight off my shoulders. I could never expect anything from him because it wouldn’t make sense to do so. There was no way to get hurt, no way to feel anything.
“I never listen to anyone.”
“Good.” I slipped off the couch and walked toward my bedroom without turning around. Since I knew his eyes were on me, I carried myself with perfect posture. With my shoulders back and my chest perked out, I strutted into the open doorway of my bedroom. My fingers moved to the zipper at the back of my dress, and I slowly pulled it down, letting the bottom half of my dress come loose until my ass was exposed. I’d skipped the bra and taped down my nipples, so I ripped off the tape and let them come free. My dress fell to the floor with an audible thud.
I knew he was watching.
I’d feel like an idiot if he weren’t.
His footsteps sounded, slowly approaching my open bedroom. The door shut a second later, and then his hands gripped the backs of my arms. His mouth came down on my exposed neck, giving me a hungry kiss that reminded me of a starving wolf. He pulled me hard against him, my back slamming into his bare chest, and he kissed me so hard that it seemed like he hadn’t been with a woman in years.
My head tilted back, and I closed my eyes as I enjoyed his feasting.
His large hands moved over my tits, and he gripped them both as he brought me close to him, as he used them as leverage to cradle me. His soft mouth still ravished me, still devoured me like his favorite meal. His warm breaths fell across my skin, his moans exploding in my ears.
I hadn’t even kissed him yet, and it was the best I’d ever had.
I let him feel me everywhere, let his hands roam over my body and grope my tits and my ass. His powerful palms squeezed a woman the way they should, groped me in places that made me wince in pleasure.
I could feel his bare skin against me, feel the hard muscles of his chest and stomach. Every time we bumped into each other, I could feel just how hard he was, that he was all muscle and skin. He was ripped to the extreme, so strong that he would sink even without gravity.
His fingers moved around my ass then found my entrance. His arms were long, and his fingers were the perfect length to slip past my entrance and dive deep into my arousal. With one arm across my chest and his finger inside me, he moaned against my ear.
It was the sexiest sound I’d ever heard.
He breathed against my ear as he kept fingering me, as he became lost in the slickness that surprised us both.
When I was married, I had good sex every night. Even sex when we were half asleep was still good. But then all of that changed when he coldly left, when he abandoned me at my worst. Now this man was awakening me once more, bringing me to life with a vigor I’d forgotten about.
His fingers pulsed inside me, becoming coated in the slickness that escaped me. His hand squeezed my right tit, and he moaned against my ear again, as if paralyzed by how good all of this felt.
After a long pause, he turned me toward him and finally faced me head on. His expression was unlike any of the looks I’d seen from him before. Now he was focused, so concentrated there was a tint to his skin. Deeply aroused and possessive, he had such a sexy face. His bedroom eyes turned my legs into melted butter, made my lips quiver in desire.
I couldn’t wait to fuck this man.
My hands moved to his jeans and got them loose so I could see him the way he saw me. Our eyes were locked on each other, our lips anxious for the kiss we hadn’t shared. My hand pushed down his jeans and boxers, slowly unveiling a cock that could win a beauty contest. He had it all, length, girth, and a beautiful crown.
This man had better fuck me more than once.
With his fingers still deep inside me, he pressed his forehead to mine, torturing me by restraining his kiss. “My dick should have been in this pussy the moment we met.” I remembered the first time I saw him. He walked into that bar looking like a superstar, with his good looks and his NASA jacket. I wasn’t the only woman in there who wanted to fuck him. But here I was, his fingers deep inside me and pulsing.
“What about here?” I brought my fingers to my bottom lip and lightly tapped it.
He sucked his breath through his teeth, his fingers digging deeper into me.
I rose on my tiptoes and planted my palms against his chest as I kissed him, as I finally took the embrace I’d been fantasizing about. My lips collided with his like a car wreck, like two explosive engines that combusted on impact. Everything was so hot, so fiery. It was beautiful but borderline violent, like we’d both been waiting for this moment for too long.
One hand moved into my hair while his fingers still throbbed inside my cunt. He kissed my mouth with the same passion as he had my neck, taking the lead and sucking my soul. His lips moved with precision, caressing me perfectly before he felt me in a new way. We moved together, broke apart, and then came back together once more.
It was a beautiful dance.
He sucked my bottom lip and gave me a playful bite as he drove his fingers farther inside me, drenched in the arousal I couldn’t hide from him. The longer he felt me, the more labored my breathing became. I liked his large fingers inside me, liked the way he touched me with such manly skills.
My fingers cherished his strong chest. It was like a slab of stone, just not cold to the touch. I could feel his warm muscles, feel the blood pounding through his system. My fingers dragged down as I moved past his nipples and felt his tight stomach. He was the strongest man I’d ever touched, with so many hard grooves of muscle that I bit his lip a little harder than I meant to. I couldn’t wait to fuck this man, to feel that powerful frame on mine as he pushed me into my mattress. I pictured him taking over, pounding me into the bed with my legs spread apart until he made me come.
It’d been so long since a man had made me come.
I could kiss him forever. I could touch him forever. But I was so anxious that I couldn’t keep my patience. “Fuck me.” I spoke between our kisses, too aroused to stop kissing him just to get the words out. I wanted to be satisfied that very instant. I wanted to feel my thighs grip his hips as I bucked and came all over his big dick. All I wanted was to feel like a woman—no strings attached.
His fingers left my pussy with a gentle pull then he scooped me into the air. My legs hugged his torso, and he carried me to the bed even though it was just a few feet away. He held on to me as we both rolled onto my bed.
When he was on top of me, he kissed me everywhere, starting at the valley between my tits and migrating to my stomach. Down and down he went, moving to my hips and kissing the skin just above my most sensitive area. Then he moved to my inner thighs.
I knew this was going to be good…so good.
He pulled his lips away and moved off the bed.
“I have some in my nightstand.” I opened the drawer and grabbed a pile sitting on top. They were a variety of colors, but their sizes were the same, only their flavors were different. I’d ordered a big box from Amazon because I was too embarrassed to pick up a box at the store like a normal woman.
His skin was still tinted with arousal, but a slight smile overcame his mouth as he grabbed one off the nightstand. He balanced on the balls of his feet and started to roll it on, getting the latex over his thick crown and rolling it all the way to his base.
It was fascinating. My thighs squeezed together because watching him sheathe himself was as good as porn. That man could handle himself well, take care of that big package with the utmost care. My thighs started to spread open because I could already imagine how he would fuck me, how he would fulfill me and make up for all the time I’d lost.
When he was secured, he moved on top of me once more, his chest pressing against mine as his legs hooked behind my knees. He spread me wide and maneuvered his hips between my quivering thighs.
Then he slid inside me.
Oh fuck.
It took him seconds to sink in because he was a big man and I was a little woman. But with every stretch, every slight wince in pain, it felt so damn good. I felt like a young girl giving myself to a man for the first time. My arousal was so strong that it overcame the pain of his intrusion.
My fingers dug into his hair, and I breathed against his mouth. “Yes…”
When he was positioned all the way inside me, he locked eyes with me and moaned. “Even a condom can’t mask how good this pussy feels.”
My hands snaked up his back, and I dug my nails into his skin. Once he started to move, I held on harder, already moaning uncontrollably like I’d never been fucked in my entire life. I used his body as an anchor to pull myself into him, to meet his thrusts with my own. Within minutes, our bodies were drenched in sweat and we fucked like rabbits. He probably got laid all the time, but he was still just as enthused as I was. He made me feel beautiful, made me feel like there was no other woman he would want to be with right now. The sex was purely physical and meaningless.
But he made it mean something.
I was surprised Neil was still there in the morning.
Dead asleep and so sexy with that messy hair, he was a living dream. With the blankets bunched around his waist, his perfect chest and sexy abs were visible. He had fair skin with a hint of a tan, the color reminding me of black coffee mixed with a ton of cream.
I got ready for work and walked out the door with a smile on my face.
That lay was exactly what I needed.
It rejuvenated me, reset my clock. It reminded me that men were still good after all—even if it was just for fucking. That man didn’t just make me come once—but twice. Too bad I couldn’t find men like Neil every night at the bars, but that only made him special. Vic said he never had serious girlfriends which boded well for me. Neil could be my fuck buddy as long as he was on Earth. It was the perfect remedy to a long drought, to a lonely night. I had a friend on speed dial who could make all my troubles go away.
It was perfect.
When I got to the lab, I put on my white coat and looked at the stacks of samples I had to get through. The night shift must have been slammed, and the previous technician became inundated. After I washed my hands and put on my gloves, I got to work.
Kyle emerged minutes later, wearing a collared shirt underneath his white jacket. “Morning.”
“Morning.” I finished my first set of test tubes and typed in the data for the patient charts. Once I was finished, I would dispose of the samples in the biohazard container and start the next batch. My most common lab was testing for white blood cells in patients with infections, but working in a hospital meant I tested anything you could think of. There was always work to do, and sometimes I didn’t even take lunch.
He sat across from me and got to work. “How’d it go last night?”
“Good.” I kept adding the information to the computer.
“Must be better than good if you’re smiling like that.”
“Smiling like what?” I looked up, feeling my cheeks pull on either side as I grinned.
Kyle rolled his eyes. “Like that.”
“I smile all the time.”
“Yes, but never like a lunatic.”
After a few hours of work, Kyle and I both took our lunch and went to the cafeteria. The food was usually bland, but it was always dirt cheap. We both got tuna sandwiches and split a bag of chips.
Kyle was a handsome guy who had offers left and right. Sometimes people assumed I was his girlfriend, and I had to quickly tell them that wasn’t the case. The last thing I wanted was to be a cockblock.
“It was just a one-time thing, right?” He opened his bottle of iced tea and took a drink.
“I hope not.” Sex with Neil was better than any shag I’d had with my husband. I wasn’t going to let that go without a fight. “Sex that good doesn’t just fall off trees. If he’s down, I’m down.”
He ate a couple of chips while his eyes were glued to mine. There seemed to be a million thoughts going on in his head, but he didn’t voice any of them. “I thought the sex we had was pretty good.”
It was the first time he’d ever mentioned it. We’d slept together a couple of times, but when I felt guilty about using him for the wrong reasons, I ended it. He never tried to start anything again, agreeing we should just be friends. It was such an awkward thing to say that I didn’t even know how to respond. “Yeah…but I wasn’t in the right place to enjoy it at the time.” Sex right after my divorce was painful. All I could think about was the way Cameron left me, the way he turned his back on me when things got rough. I thought fucking someone would help me forget about him, but it only reminded me how much I missed him…even after the terrible thing he did.
“And you are now?”
“Well…I’ve been divorced for a long time.”
“As in, you’re ready for a relationship?”
“No,” I said with a laugh. “God, no. I just want good sex. I can’t picture myself ever being in a relationship again. They seem so pointless to me now. The only lasting relationships that exist are friendships. Love and passion fade away…just like time and everything else.”
“I’ve never been in a serious relationship, but I can tell you that’s just not true. If you don’t believe me, look at Stacy and Vic.”
“They haven’t been married long… Things can change.”
“But do you think they will?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No…” I knew they loved each other so much. Vic would never hurt Stacy…never ever.
“It’ll happen for you, Char. Just with the right guy. Cameron was not the right guy.”
He’d seemed like the right guy…until everything changed. “I’m still not interested right now. I’m in a good place, and I just want to be happy. Being in a relationship is the last thing that would make me happy right now.”
“Neil isn’t the guy you want to be in a relationship with anyway.”
I noticed Kyle never said anything bad about anyone, so for him to say this was odd. “Why? You don’t even know him.”
“Have you Googled the guy?”
“Um…no.” I felt weird doing that, getting to know him through someone else’s opinion. All that stuff might not even be true. “Have you?”
He shrugged. “I’ve heard bits and pieces.”
“He seems like a stand-up guy to me.” We’d never had a serious conversation. The times we were alone together, we got Slurpees and talked about inconsequential matters. But my gut always told me he was a good guy…but my gut had been wrong in the past.
“I’m sure he is. I was referring to his ambition. The guy is one of the most famous astronauts ever. This guy takes badass to a whole new level. He has been the commander for the International Space Station and the Lunar Labs on the moon.”
“Then what’s your problem with him?”
“I never said I had a problem. The guy just isn’t boyfriend material. He’s not husband material. You will never be the most important thing in his life, always second. And Char, you deserve to be the sun of a man’s universe. The only sun in Neil’s universe…is the sun. That’s all I’m saying.”
I didn’t expect anything from Neil because I’d already made all those assumptions. He had his calling, and nothing would ever change his path in life, not that I expected us to ever have a deep relationship. “Like I said, I just want to have fun. And I think Neil is a lot of fun.”
“Oh my god, I’m still hungover.” Stacy sat across from me at the bar, bags under her eyes like she didn’t get any sleep. Her makeup was perfect like usual, but it couldn’t hide the exhaustion that had crept into her skin. She propped her chin on her closed knuckles and shut her eyes for a few seconds. “I had a meeting today and zoned out the entire time. My job is so damn boring. Sometimes I really consider becoming a stay-at-home mom.”
“It’s not as easy as it seems, just to warn you.”
She winced like she regretted the words she’d spat out. She lowered her hand then gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking, and it just came out…”
“Don’t apologize. I know you would never say anything to hurt me on purpose. You can’t walk on eggshells around me all the time.” I got the waiter’s attention and ordered a margarita. “I think she’ll have a water—”
“Gin and tonic,” she blurted. “And make it quick.”
The waiter walked away and left us alone again.
Stacy straightened in her chair. “And Vic would not let me go to sleep. He was all over me, and it didn’t matter how many times I kicked him away, he was not having it.”
I smiled. “But you loved it.”
“I did not.”
I gave her a knowing look.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay…I liked it a little bit.”
“Your husband is in love with you and wants to fuck you. Be happy. Not all women have that.”
“I know…” She looked apologetic again, like she realized she was being insensitive.
“Don’t apologize again,” I said with a laugh. “We’ll never move on if you keep looking at me like a victim.”
“But you are a victim,” she said. “What happened was entirely his fault, not yours. He’s a son of a bitch.”
Yes, Cameron was every bad word in the book. “I don’t want to waste any more of my time talking about him. He’s not in my life anymore, so we need to stop acknowledging his ghost.” I was finally in a place where he wasn’t on my mind often. I spent my time thinking about friends, work, and now Neil.
“That’s a great idea,” she said. “So, what should we talk about? Other than my horny husband.”
“How about who I slept with last night.”
Her face started to light up and hide her drunk expression. She was genuinely happy for me, basking in my accomplishments when I was winning, and bitching in my corner when I was losing. “Ooh…was it Kyle?”
“No, we’re just friends,” I said dismissively.
“But he’s hot and thinks you’re hot.”
“I already slept with him, and that didn’t go anywhere.”
“You’d been divorced for, like, a week. You were just in a bad place—”
“Anyway, it wasn’t him.” The waiter brought our drinks, so I waited until he walked away before I continued. “It was someone tall, handsome, and who has been to the moon.”
Her jaw dropped, and the giddiness in her eyes died away. “Neil?”
“Yep,” I said proudly. “I got that D and loved every second of it.”
“I can’t believe you went for it. You aren’t worried about things getting awkward?”
“Come on, we’re both adults. I just wanted one thing from him, and he only wanted one thing from me. We can still be friends. We can still keep fucking. Whatever happens, I’m fine with it. I promise you, it won’t get weird.”
“As long as you don’t fall in love with him like all the other girls…”
It wasn’t hard to imagine a line of beautiful women falling in love with Neil Crimson. Not only was he the dreamiest guy in the galaxy, but he was also the best in bed. Who wouldn’t want to spend the rest of their life with someone like that? But they were all stupid, assuming a man like that would ever settle down. I’d been abandoned before and understood Neil would do the exact same thing. My divorce gave me a sense of wisdom that would guide me in the right direction for the rest of my life. “We don’t have to worry about that. Now that I’m in a good place, I never want things to change. I just want to be happy, be by myself with my dog and my friends.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, but you don’t need to feel that way forever. Not all relationships last forever…but some do.”
Yes, Stacy was lucky that she found a man who worshiped her. Not all of us were so lucky. There were a lot of jackasses in the world, and unfortunately, I married one of them. He wasn’t a jackass when we met. Once we hit a bump in the road, it was activated. When things got tough, he didn’t see it through. He left me to take care of myself, to find an easier way out. “Anyway, I’m just looking for something fun. Neil is the same way, so it’s perfect.”
“It wasn’t a one-night stand?”
“Oh, I hope not. I finally found a man who’s amazing in bed. I’m not gonna let that slip through my fingertips.”
“Even if he’s sleeping with other people?”
I shrugged. “What he does on his own time is none of my business.” I would settle for a tiny piece of that man if I couldn’t have the whole thing. Besides, it was a major ego booster knowing I was bedding such an incredible man. I’d like to think Cameron would be jealous…but he probably wouldn’t care.
“So, what’s he like?”
I felt like I needed to protect his privacy. That was the unspoken code of lovers, and since I respected him, I wanted to keep it. He seemed like a guy who wouldn’t share the details of my body with a group of friends. He probably wouldn’t mention it at all. “Amazing.”
“Big? Medium? Average?”
I drank from my glass and shrugged.
“Oh, come on. You’re not a prude, so don’t start being one now.”
“I’m not gonna tell you about his junk. He’s your brother-in-law.”
“You tell me about all the other guys.”
“But that’s different…”
“How is Kyle any different? You told me about his awesome wang.”
“Yeah…and I should have kept my mouth shut.” I had been in a dark place and only thinking about myself.
“Besides, I think I already know the answer. If Neil is anything like his brother…I’d say he’s pretty blessed downstairs.”
He was very blessed.
“So, he was good?”
“Very good.” When I remembered how amazing the sex was, I wanted to march to his house and storm inside in the sluttiest lingerie I could find. Lock the doors and close out the outside world so we could enjoy each other until we were satisfied. “Best I’ve ever had.”
“Whoa…that’s a bold statement.”
Sex with Cameron had always been good, but since we’d ended on bad terms, all those memories had been erased. I was too busy thinking about Cameron when I was with Kyle that I didn’t really give that a chance either. But with Neil…it just felt right.
“So, you woke up this morning, said goodbye, and then continued with your lives?”
“He was still asleep when I woke up, so I just left.”
She smiled. “You just left him there?”
“He knows the way out. He’s an astronaut…he can figure out rocket science.”
“Vic will be annoyed, but he’ll get over it.”
“There’s nothing to get over.”
“You know he’s just protective of you. He loves you.”
“Yes, I know…” Vic’s affection was very sweet. He took me under his wing and became the brother I never had. He always had my back, especially when I needed it the most. Stacy was always in my corner, but Vic was there too, and not just because he had to be. Ever since we met, we just clicked.
“He said he’s always wanted a little sister, so I think he’s adopted you.”
“That’s fine with me. I’ve always wanted a brother. But he needs to understand I’m a woman with needs—and his brother fulfills those needs.”
Stacy chuckled. “Gotcha. So, what do you and Neil talk about?”
“Um…” We didn’t talk about his job, and we rarely talked about mine. We hadn’t discussed important issues about politics or events around the globe. We were both educated people, but we hadn’t had a single deep conversation. “Just you guys and Slurpees, basically. We’ve never really talked before.”
“You’re sleeping with an astronaut, and you’ve never asked him about space?” she asked incredulously.
I shrugged. “I’m sure he gets asked about it a million times. The last thing he wants to do is talk about it.”
“He’s always been pretty withdrawn about it, but since you’re sleeping together, it might be different.”
“I don’t know…I don’t want to pester him about it. He doesn’t ask me a million questions about my divorce.”
“Asking about someone’s divorce is totally different.” She rubbed her temple like she was fighting off a migraine. Then she brought her glass to her lips and took a deep drink.
“Did you tell him what happened…?” Neil mentioned my divorce, but he didn’t ask any questions. Maybe he already knew exactly what happened.
“No. He’s never asked.”
“Has he asked Vic?”
“I don’t know…but I don’t think so. Vic would never tell him anyway. He’ll take your secrets to the grave.”
I wasn’t embarrassed about what happened. It was just a sensitive subject with me, and I didn’t want to discuss it with anyone. It was an old wound that had never really healed. Anytime I scratched at it, the thin skin would tear, and I’d start bleeding all over again. “I know he will.”