We talked into the night, asking questions and teasing each other until we laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe. I didn’t ask about the no-kissing thing, and he didn’t bring it up again. But I stuck by it, even when he wanted to fuck me again this morning. He woke me at five a.m. with his fingers skating up my inner thighs and filthy whispers in my ear.
“Roll over,” he said. “Let me take you before I have to go to work.”
He did, slow and sensual, with one hand on my clit and the other wrapped around my body to hold me close. I tried to remind myself this was for the website. This was so we could get used to each other and the chemistry between us.
Alba and Jericho didn’t fuck.
Aurora and Kaleb did for money.
That’s it.
That’s all.
End of story.
Alba and Jericho didn’t even kiss.
So when he came hard inside me, his teeth deep in my shoulder, marking me and spurring my own climax, I told myself not to overthink it. And when we showered together, giggling and rubbing soap over each other’s bodies, it meant nothing. Just two colleagues getting ready for their main job.
He had a run for the MC, and I had a full day of editing.
We wouldn’t see each other until tomorrow, and that was okay. I’d upload what we had and we’d both make more money in a week than we ever did before. He’d charmed my mother the same way he had the first time, making her blush and roll her eyes with barely any effort.
“I’ll come over as soon as I can,” he said.
“Of course,” I said, handing him coffee and a bagel. “Be careful.”
“Always.” He kissed my cheek, winked, and left. But this time, I went to the front door to watch him climb on his bike and drive away.
“Look at you,” Mom said.
“What?” I turned to face her, my cheeks burning and my eyes wide like I was hiding a secret.
“You’re blushing.”
“No, I’m not.” I went back to the kitchen to make my own coffee.
“Yes, you are.” Mom slurped her vanilla protein mush. “Are you two a thing now?”
“No,” I snapped, perhaps a little too quickly. I cleared my throat and tried again. “No. We’re friends.”
Mom laughed at me like I was an idiot because I was. I thought of the way he’d come last night, how beautiful and powerful he looked, how much it had turned me on to see him like that. Fucking Jericho was life changing, and I thanked whatever fates were looking out for me that we’d run into each other at that party.
“Well, perhaps you and your just friend would like to go out next Friday instead of having movie night with me?”
I narrowed my eyes and peered around the corner at her. “What?”
“I’ve arranged to have my own supervision,” she said. “You can go on a date with Mr. Biker Blue Eyes.”
I rubbed at the space between my eyebrows, sighing at how much that was going to cost. “Mom, we can’t afford—”
“Let me worry about that,” she said.
That made me even more suspicious. “Who is this person? Do they know about your medicines? Do they know how to administer them?”
“Stop.” Mom reached out to grab my hand. “Can you pretend for a moment that I’m the mother and you’re the daughter and you’ve got twenty-two-year-old things to worry about?”
I took a deep breath and let it out through my nose. “I don’t like this.”
“I know,” Mom answered. “But I still have a few brain cells left. And a few friends, apparently.”
I swallowed down my guilt at trying to parent my parent. Maybe she was right. Maybe I needed to take a break. “Do I get to meet this mystery person?”
“Maybe.” She narrowed her eyes. “If I’m ready to introduce you.”
“Okay.” I dropped the argument and picked up the remote. “What do you want to watch?”
I put on her soap operas and grabbed my laptop and headphones. I had a long day of editing ahead of me. Not that I particularly minded staring at Jericho for hours on end, but I wasn’t good at this part. It took me longer than I thought it should, and I had no artistic vision.
After that, I set up a page for Kaleb Cox and put some filler on his profile until I could discuss the specifics with Jericho. I gave the video a snazzy title, “Stranger Comes On My Tits,” and pressed upload.
Then I waited.
This was the part I hated the most, the anticipation of the inevitable reaction. I mean, it was a sex video, not a summer blockbuster, but still. I wanted to please my fans. I wanted them to know I genuinely cared about the quality of their whack, and I’d heard their concerns loud and clear.
They’d wanted a penis. I brought them a penis.
And an impressive one at that.
Jericho’s cock was incredible, and resisting the urge to drag my tongue along it last night had taken an act of God. I deserved martyrdom.
Aurora Dawn, patron saint of big penises and horny nerd girls who liked sucking them.
I took off my headphones and closed the laptop before checking on Mom. She’d fallen asleep, so I went outside to catch a quick buzz.
Was I making a mistake with Jericho? I liked him a lot. But I needed this business to keep going, no matter what. He’d made it very clear this was a professional relationship. No strings attached.
Fuck it.
I didn’t know if I planned to do this once I didn’t have a reason for it anymore, and life was too short to worry about what might happen one day.
Sufficient unto the day is evil thereof.
I never considered myself religious, but the bible had a few nuggets of wisdom hidden in all that toxic misogyny. What would Jesus Christ think of me helping my mother at the expense of my chastity? He got down with the prostitutes and lowlifes, didn’t he? The thought made me snicker.
By the time I came back inside and checked, the video had already been viewed two thousand times with a ninety-eight percent approval rating. Comments like “Fuck yeah, lucky guy” and “God, that was fucking hot” appeared under it. Warmth spread through me, and I dug out my phone to take a picture and text it to Jericho.
Alba: You’re a hit, Kaleb.
I grinned to myself and ignored the pang that hit me square in the chest.
You better lock that down, Alba. There is no room for emotions here.