Jay

Tori bent down at the copier outside my office for what appeared to be another needless reason. Her tight, little ass was just begging for me to do dirty things to it. I sat back to weigh my options and what exactly I’d do first. Maybe I’d spank it until it was red and hot. Then maybe I’d fuck it until she came. And when it was my turn, I’d pull out and come all over her ass. Yeah, that would be a sight—my cum all over her pink, heart shaped ass.

“What the fuck, Jay?” Jerome’s curse broke me out of my thoughts.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been staring at Tori for the last… Oh, I don’t know…” He looked at his watch then back at me with raised eyebrows. “Five minutes? So I say to you, what the fuck?”

“Fuck you, man.”

“Maybe you should be fucking her. Then you’d be focused again. When we were in LA last week you were constantly texting instead of paying attention. You left us at night to make ‘phone calls’. And you are always watching her move around the office. It’s like you’re pussy whipped, only without access to the pussy.”

“Pussy whipped,” I scoffed. I was the furthest thing from whipped. I just enjoyed talking to her. She made me laugh and she always seemed to brighten the day. Besides, if he had ever tasted her pussy, he’d zone out watching her too. Not that he’d ever get a chance to. If he did, it would be over my dead body.

It wasn’t just the texting and phone calls. Tori had been in my space ever since I came back from California. It started with the giant framed photo of Yankee Stadium she had mounted in my office. I had to admit it was a kick ass picture. Then some of my awards started showing up on different shelves. After that came framed pictures of the boys and me from different events. And the best to date was the horse statue that she put on an end table by the couches in my office. Stallion, she joked. That bitch was crazy, but to be honest, I loved every bit of it.

The best part of all this was the fact that even though she had a printer and copier closer to her office, she always chose to use the one across from my doorway. Not only was she giving me great views of her legs in those short fucking skirts and shorts, but she was a nice distraction to my day. Most times she’d pop her head in to tell me a joke or just to say hi. It was cute, and it was sweet. I was beginning to look forward to it. Did that make me pussy whipped? I didn’t think so.

“Yes. Pussy whipped, Jay. Admit it man, you want in them pants hard. The question is why don’t you just man up and fuck her already?” Jerome semi-repeated his earlier comment.

My back went straight and I bit out, “I have fucked her, asshole.”

“No shit!” Jerome sat back in his chair with a shit eating grin on his face. “So what then? You two together now?”

“No. We came to a mutual decision to be friends.”

Jerome busted out laughing so hard he ended up bent over in his chair. I wasn’t even sure he was breathing towards the end there. I couldn’t hate on him for it though, because if he was in this predicament, I would have laughed at him too.

“Fuck, Jay! You’ve been friend zoned. That is fuckin’ hysterical. I can’t wait to tell the guys.”

“You say a word and I’ll kick your ass.” I crossed my arms and gave him my infamous glare.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Maybe you should pick up a piece and relax a little.”

His suggestion wasn’t all that bad actually. It had been a couple weeks since I had anything from the female sex. Not since being with Tori had I done anything with anyone other than my hand. Looked like I’d be calling one of the girls who I had on reserve to take the edge off.

“This will piss you off good. Trigger has been sayin’ words about getting Tori on her back. And did you hear Mark even has bets on how long before he hits her?”

My fists clenched, and my jaw tightened. Trigger was a piece of shit and a player who I knew Tori would steer clear from. She was so far out of his league that I knew Trigger didn’t stand a prayer when it came to her.

Mark was another story. A wild card if you will. He had decent looks and he came across as a golden boy. Just yesterday I had to yell at him to get back to work when he was hanging around Tori in the kitchen. I didn’t like the way he was looking at her. And now that I knew this shit, it seemed I was going to have to send a message. Tori was off limits.

“Make sure those two, and any other jackasses around here thinking he’s gonna get in her pants, know that she’s to be left alone. I find out anyone puts their hands on her, I’ll crush every single one of their fucking fingers. And that’s just where I’ll start.”

Jerome gave me a knowing look. This wasn’t typically how I would react. Most times I’d say good riddance and let a woman move on to the next one. I wasn’t about marking territory.

“How much longer you going to accept the friend zone, Jay? ‘Cause I might have to start my own bet on how long before you’re begging at her feet for another taste.” He began laughing again.

“I don’t beg. I take. And trust me, when I’m ready, she’ll be hooked. She won’t say no to me.”

* * *

Tori

Carrying all the grocery bags in from my car, I juggled my keys and the bags before unlocking the door. With a heave, I set them on the kitchen table along with my purse. I flopped down in the rickety chair at the table and blew a stray piece of hair out of my face.

I had just made a dent at Target. Prior to my dip towards the poverty line, I had never experienced anything like that place. The store would have been beneath my so-called friends. Now I wasn’t sure if me knowing it existed was a good thing or a bad thing. It seemed as though you went in for one item and came out with a million. Makeup, clothes, CD’s, more cool crafty decorations for my office, picture frames, a new yoga mat, and some food, all graced my table at the moment when all I wanted was a new yoga mat.

This was definitely not the most productive way to spend my Saturday morning— spending all the money from my paycheck I had just gotten the day before.

I dug my phone out of my purse. It had been chiming the whole way in from the parking lot. Swiping my finger, the screen came alive and several texts from Jay appeared.

Jay: Swimming today. Be here at one.

Jay: Wear that red bikini of yours. It’s my favorite.

Jay: And bring a change of clothes. We’ll go out to dinner.

I giggled at his mention of my red bikini and typed out a quick reply that I’d be there.

Last Sunday I invited myself over to his house, seeing as how it was as hot as Hades in Dallas. Having a pool at my disposal was one of the things I missed most about my old lifestyle. Jay’s didn’t disappoint though. It was perfect and relaxing, and it worked perfectly to cool my overheated body down. That was until Jay decided to join me. His chest glistening with water should be illegal. It only served to heat me back up and made me want to do bad things. So instead I did a few laps and tried to ignore him.

Looked like I was going to be torturing myself again today, watching him be all sexy. I wondered how long the reminder that we needed to stay friends was going to work with my over stimulated sex drive.

Even us working together was becoming foreplay. I’d stop by his office to flirt or use the copier in front of his door so I could see his beautiful face. I even took to sitting on the corner of his desk with crossed legs, loving the way his eyes went lazy as he took in my bare skin. I adored being close to him and smelling his cologne. And let’s not forget that remembering the way his hands felt on me and his lips on my skin was a sure way to get my blood pumping.

Yeah, I was in trouble.

I quickly put away my purchases and dug out my blue and white polka dot bikini. For as much as I didn’t want to subject myself to wanting what I couldn’t have, I was more than looking forward to spending more time with him. Such a double-edged sword.

* * *

“Come in! The water’s fine,” Jay shouted from where he treaded water at the other end of the pool.

I walked through the opened patio doors and set my bag on the table. I slipped my sandals off and lifted my cover-up over my head. The whole time I was acutely aware of Jay’s eyes on me. It felt like I was burning up, and it had nothing to do with the heat outside.

Slowly walking down the pool stairs into the cool water, I held his gaze with a smile I hoped came across as innocent. I could tell, even from behind his sunglasses, that he was enraptured by my tiny swimsuit. It was my most risqué bikini. The triangles covered just enough of my breasts to be decent, but still showed quite a bit of skin, and the bottoms were skimpy. My ass cheeks played peekaboo whenever I moved. It was the sole reason why I chose to wear it today, instead of the red one he requested.

“Playing with fire, T. You’re lucky I can’t grab you and fuck you right here, right now. And trust me, I would. As soon as you took that dress off, I was as hard as a fucking rock.”

I tilted my head and said sweetly, “I’m not doing anything. Maybe you should clue me in. I’m just here for a swim.”

He swam a little closer, only leaving a few feet between us, and I felt my heart rate start to pick up. “These games aren’t going to work much longer. You’re testing my patience and I’m warning you, you don’t want to do that with a man like me.”

“And what should I be doing with a man like you?” I knew I was digging myself a hole. Maybe I secretly wanted Jay’s restraint to snap and him to say fuck the friendship thing. I was still on the fence about the whole thing. For as much as my sensible side said to quit it, the brazen side of me wanted to up the ante and make him mine.

Before he could answer, a little girl screech came from behind me. I turned in time to see a girl, who I assumed was Jazzy, jump high and land with a huge splash just in front of me. I sputtered and wiped the water from my face.

“Hi! I’m Jazzy!” She yelled in my face. She had a huge smile that made her even more adorable than I thought possible. Floaties were wrapped around her arms and she kicked furiously under the water. I reached out to stabilize her, afraid that she would drown even with the floaties. No little girl should have to work that hard to stay upright.

“Hi! I’m Tori.” I smiled back at her. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Daddy says you’re his friend. Will you be my friend too?”

Warmth settled in my stomach when she asked me that. Not only was she adorable, but she was so sweet. It seemed as though none of the drama Jay alluded to with his ex had settled on her. “I’d love to be your friend, honey.”

“Jazzy, did you flush the toilet when you were done?” Jay asked and I fought the hysterical giggle that threatened to bubble out of me hearing him ask that question. It wasn’t anything I had ever expected to hear from him. It was so father-like.

“Yup. I did. Tori? Do you want to go on the slide with me?”

“Um, sure thing, honey. I’ll meet you over there.”

Jazzy’s little arms pumped quickly as she raced to the side of the pool and hefted herself out. She was a seasoned pro at it.

I turned to look at Jay with an inquisitive look on my face. He had blindsided me with his daughter.

“A little warning would have been nice. I would have worn a more appropriate bathing suit!” I hissed at him.

“Now why would I do that? I’m enjoying the view.” He gave me a devilish smirk and swam the few feet to where I was.

“Hurry, Tori!” Jazzy shouted from the steps of the ladder where she was dancing around. “I can’t go up the stairs without a grown up, Daddy said.”

“She’ll be right there, baby girl,” Jay called out. His hands grasped my waist, and I fought the urge to wrap myself around him like he was my own personal jungle gym. “Sorry, but after I invited you over Monica called. She wanted to go shopping so I got a shot at seeing my girl today. I didn’t think you’d mind that I had to babysit.”

“You don’t babysit your daughter, Jay. You own her.” I chastised him. Men were so dense sometimes.

“You know what I meant. So, does it bother you that she’s here? If you really want me to thoroughly show my appreciation for that bikini, we can do it after she leaves tonight. No worries baby.”

I put some distance between us and felt bereft for a moment when his hands dropped away from my body. The cool liquid touched my skin where he had warmed it and gave me shivers. To play off my reaction to him, I swatted at the water and watched as droplets sprayed him. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” I said in a haughty voice before swimming to the pool steps and joining a still jigging Jazzy at the slide.

I climbed up behind her and watched as she settled her rear end on the top of the slide. Her pink bathing suit with white hearts was absolutely adorable. I waited for her to go down, but she just looked at me expectantly. I was clearly out of my element here, not spending much time around little kids, and had no idea what she was waiting for.

“What is it?” I asked nervously. I desperately wanted her to like me for some odd reason, and I had a feeling, I was mucking it up.

“I want you to slide with me.” When I still didn’t move she patted the seat behind her. “Sit.”

I did as she instructed and sat behind her. My legs went on either side of her tiny, little body.

“Ready?” She shouted, and I murmured a yes. She grabbed my hands and started to inch her body forward. I followed suit and next thing I knew I was gripping her tightly as we wound down the curling slide and flew out of the bottom. We splashed into the deep end, and I let go of her once we resurfaced.

She was giggling in such an endearing way when she looked over at me, that I might have felt an ovary twitch. Is this what it felt like to have your biological clock tick?

The water dripping from her eyelashes had me mesmerized by how long and thick they were. The blue of her irises was amplified by the water. They were mirror images of her father’s eyes. She was breathtaking and my chest suddenly ached knowing that Jay didn’t get to experience this all the time.

“Want to do it again?” She asked with excitement.

“Sure, honey,” I replied and then we proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon chasing each other down the slide. I would have never thought I could have so much fun with a five year old, but there it was, proof positive that I could.

While we played, Jay went off and took a few phone calls and he even brought us out drinks. Other than that he spent the whole time watching us with an expression I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it looked an awful lot like awe. I chose not to focus on that though, but rather the spunky kid who was wearing me out faster than I thought possible.

Eventually Jazzy tired of running around and going down the slide and chose instead to play Marco-Polo with Jay. I took the opportunity to dry out my water wrinkled skin in the sun. I grabbed the sunglasses I had left on the side of the pool and put them on before settling across from the two-person lounger Jay and I first had sex on. I pressed my thighs together remembering our extremely hot and combustible time together. After replaying that night in my head numerous times, I decided Jay was right. The sexual tension had peaked that night and the resulting fireworks were no less wonderful than when he took his time with me the next morning.

Movement to my side had me opening my eyes and leaving my daydreams behind. I looked over to see a little girl wearing sunglasses and posing herself like me on the next lounger over. I bit my lip and smiled at how cute it was that she was mimicking me. Isn’t that the highest form of flattery?

“Daddy says when I get older, I can’t have a boyfriend,” she randomly announced.

“Oh yeah? How come?”

“He says I’m too good for boys. Are you too good for boys?” She asked with a cocked head. She waited intently for me to reply like it was imperative that she knew the answer.

“Well, I don’t have a boyfriend right now,” I answered carefully.

She looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, “My Daddy can be your boyfriend if you want.”

I coughed to hide my reaction and smiled once I had myself under control. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She nodded sagely and went back to sunning herself. Kids really did say the damnedest things.

“How does burgers and hot dogs sound?” Jay asked from across the pool. He was looking in the fridge located in the outdoor kitchen.

“Yippee!” Jazzy cried and clapped her hands.

“You’re staying for dinner. Right?” He asked me so I nodded. “I know I promised you we’d go out, but we need to adapt. You want to make a salad to go with the burgers, baby?”

“Okay,” I semi-shouted across the yard. I looked over at Jazzy and decided to bite the bullet. “You want to make a salad with me, Jazzy?”

“Yes!” She jumped up and raced into the kitchen. I couldn’t believe she was such a little helper. Or more to the point that she wanted to help me.

Jay gave me a knowing grin as I walked by him to the table where I left my bag. I slipped my cover-up on over my suit and blew him a kiss before following his daughter inside. I found her sitting on a stool at the island in the kitchen. I dug through the refrigerator and grabbed all the ingredients we would need. I wasn’t much of a cook. Most of the time it reminded me of my mom too much, so I shied away from it. Making a salad would be harmless enough, though.

Jazzy and I worked side by side as she babbled on about her friends in Kindergarten and a boy that kissed her on the playground. I chuckled softly, knowing Jay would have a shit fit if he knew that one. I promised her it would be our secret.

Feeling an intense gaze on me, I turned slightly to see Jay standing at the grill with his arms crossed over his bare chest. He was watching us with a serious look on his face. Once again, I wasn’t able to read his expression. I couldn’t tell if it was a good look or a bad look, so I quickly looked away and instructed Jazzy to get the salad dressing from the fridge.

We carried the dressing and the salad bowl out to the big table by the outdoor kitchen and then made another trip with some dishes and drinks. The whole time she chatted on, never giving me a chance to get a word in edgewise.

Until this point, Jay hadn’t said anything but I knew he was still watching. Everywhere I went his eyes were burning a hole through me. It was making me edgy and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

After Jazzy excused herself to go to the bathroom, Jay commanded, “Come here.”

I walked over to him nervously and gasped lightly when he grabbed me and pulled me into a tight embrace. My hands settled on his chest, and my fingers started running through his light chest hair. He rested his forehead on mine and held my gaze.

“Thank you,” he whispered softly before planting a swift kiss on my lips that was soft and sweet.

“What for?” I asked, reeling from the unexpected intimacy.

“For showing her beauty, baby. Her mom doesn’t take the time with her like you did today. So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I whispered back. “But it was no hardship. She really is a great little girl.”

“She is. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you out for dinner.”

“It’s fine, honey. I’m enjoying right where I am.” The double meaning behind my statement couldn’t be missed. Not only was I enjoying my time with both of them, but I was enjoying being in his arms. Maybe too much.

His eyes warmed at my use of that endearment, and I knew we were still good.

“There are some potato chips in the kitchen. Can you grab them for me?” He stepped away and turned back to the grill.

“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled and headed into the house. I was more confused than ever about my feelings for Jay. One minute he was a hot, sexy alpha that I just wanted to rub myself against. The next he was a sweet, doting father. And then he was “strip you bare and leave you breathless” endearing to me. It was doing a number on my will to stay away from him.