Chapter 8
Ryan
I’m such a dick. “Smith?” How lame. I couldn't even come up with something clever? If I told her my real last name, she would Google me or do a background check. The story of my life was a bit twisted and way too much of it could be found online. I wasn’t ready—hell, she wasn’t ready for that.
How could she be going on a date already? Would she have sex with him? The better question was why did I care? I already hated the thought of someone else touching her. This was supposed to be one night. Now I was going to fly all the way to Denver just so I could apologize for leaving in a hurry? Who was I kidding?
My life had been nothing but short casual flings. My loving wife had made sure of that.
I worried my attraction to Em was different. I actually cared what she thought, and I really did want to keep seeing her. If we ended up in bed again, would she be okay? Would I? I'd have to explain my situation.
The week passed at a snail's pace. It was finally Friday, and I couldn't wait to be Denver bound. Though I hadn't planned to meet Em until dinner, I arrived early in the morning and drove up the mountain to my house in Evergreen.
I loved the quiet little town of Evergreen. Nothing there reminded me of Lindsey except Melissa's room. Melissa was the one good thing that came out of my twisted marriage.
On the drive to Em's, I thought about what I knew about her. She was independent, vibrant, easy to be around, made me laugh, and blushed easily. I already liked her more than I should. And then there was her body. Damn, that body! Her small waist and round hips. So. Fucking. Sexy.
Yeah, this friendship-only thing was going to work.
Emma opened the door wearing a button-down blouse just tight enough to strain the fabric as her breasts pushed against it, a short skirt, and four-inch heels. Fuck, she looked hot!
"Oh shit." I inhaled as she opened the door.
"‘Oh shit’ is my line," she said, her mouth forming into an adorable, albeit fake, little pout. "Is something wrong?"
I stared at her, allowing my eyes to travel up and down her body, over her soft, full lips, her nipples hardening in response to my silent flirtation. My dick was starting to swell.
"Not if we are ignoring the friends without benefits rule. But you might need to change into some baggy ill-fitting clothes if you expect me to keep my end of that agreement." I laughed, although not joking.
Sierra came running down the hall and hurled herself at me, smattering my face with kisses like I was her long lost dad.
"Traitor!" Emma said, pointing her finger at her. Sierra looked confused for a second but then returned to expressing her happiness at seeing me.
"Well, that is more than I will receive from your momma." I glanced over at Emma.
"Did you want anything to drink?" she asked, ignoring my comment.
"No, we better leave before I forget I’m a gentleman and do the things to you that I've been fantasizing about." I wondered if she was wet and wished I could find out.
When we walked outside, Emma caught me off guard. "Hey, isn't this the same truck you had last week? Is it your truck? Did you drive from Chicago? I had assumed you rented it."
Crap, I had forgotten about the truck! It was my truck. I kept it at the airport so I wouldn’t have to hire a driver or rent a car every time I came to my house in Evergreen. I guess it wouldn’t make sense for me to keep driving the same truck if I didn’t live here.
"No, it belongs to a friend in Colorado Springs," I lied. "I had left it at the airport, and he is letting me borrow it."
At dinner, she ordered crab legs and a Bud Light. "I didn't picture you as a beer drinker."
Emma ran her finger around the rim of the bottle before taking a sip. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Mr. Smith."
Mr. Smith. The words jolted me back to reality. I hadn’t thought this through. She was going to start asking questions. I had never lied to the women I’d been with before. I was always upfront about who I was and always let them know it was casual, no commitment.
Sitting at the Dusty Boot with Em, it started with a small lie. I did keep an apartment in Chicago, but I wasn’t a consultant. She hadn’t asked me much else, and I didn’t volunteer. When she asked for my last name, I should have told her the truth, but something was different with Em. The physical shit between us was major, but I also liked her. I felt a connection that I wanted to explore, but was that fair to her?
"So then, tell me about Emma," I said.
She bit her bottom lip seductively. "I'm fearlessly loyal to my friends, love a good game of Scrabble, and as you know I love being outside. Running, swimming, hiking. I take Sierra to Boulder or Evergreen to hike two or three times a month. Are you familiar with either? They are both pretty and great places to spend a weekend."
I about spit out the beer I just took a sip of. Have I been to Evergreen? Yeah, I own a house there and was just thinking earlier today about how much I wish I could share it with you.
"I've hiked the foothills a few times." I smiled, thinking about how much fun it would be to spend weekends together in Evergreen.
Emma cracked open a crab leg, dipped it in butter, and started sucking the butter off. I swear if I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying to seduce me.
I shook my head and smiled. "Em, if you don't stop that, I am going to drag you under the table and do things to you that will make you beg for more! I agreed to just friends, but could you be a little less cute and seductive?”
Part of what drove me crazy about her was the way she looked at me: her Aztec blue eyes full of lust, eyelids lowering slightly, staring at me as if she needed me. Only me. I was starting to wonder if sex was back on the table.
Emma smiled, reached over and touched my hand, feigning innocence. "I'm sorry, Ryan, what was I doing?"
That was it. My dick was at full attention just from the touch of her hand. I was flustered. What was this girl doing to me?
"Em, you are figuratively and literally making this hard. If we continue as friends without benefits, you have to promise to wear baggy clothes and not eat crab legs. Although, until tonight, I’ve never watched anyone eat a crab leg and thought of it as sexy.”
Emma laughed. Her laughter was filled with lighthearted playfulness, and some of the sexual tension between us lightened.
We were both quiet on the drive back to Emma's. I was lost in my own thoughts. I didn't want the night to end. I liked Emma. She made me laugh and just being with her helped me relax. I pulled into her driveway and turned toward her.
"I think it is better if I don't walk you to your door. Honestly, I don't trust myself."
"I get it," she said. Leaning in, she placed her luscious full lips on mine. Before I knew what was happening, she had my pants unzipped and was heading south.
"Emma, are you sure?" I hoped to God she was.
She didn't answer me but somehow released my cock from the constraints of my boxers and started licking the tip. I groaned as her mouth slid over me, and she began sucking. She stopped, looking up at me with pure desire in her eyes.
"My house now!" she ordered.
I left my pants unzipped and hopped out of the truck. Emma was halfway to the door. Once in the house, she poured herself some wine and handed me a beer. Then she took my hand and walked me back to her bedroom.
"Em, we should talk first." If we were going to end up in bed together again, then I should try to explain my situation, even if it means she walks away.
"Shut up and take your pants off," she ordered.
“Em, we should …”
“Dammit, Ryan, take your pants off!” she demanded as she took her shirt off.
I gave up. I was a guy, not a superhero. Unable to resist, I did as I was told. She pushed me onto the edge of the bed then got on her knees and continued what she started in the truck. I couldn't believe it as I watched her take my whole cock in her mouth. I could feel the back of her throat as she sucked harder. I could come just watching her.
"Emma, baby, stop. I'm going to come."
She wrapped her lips tighter around me, working my shaft faster.
"Fuck! Oh shit!" I let go. She laid her head on my leg while my cock was still in her mouth. I stared at her, running my fingers through her hair. She seemed so content and satisfied, like I had just done something wonderful to her instead of the other way around.
"Emma, that was … you are amazing! So sweet and beautiful. What are you doing to me?"
She got up and took a sip of wine. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!"
"Yeah, like I could."
A few minutes later she walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of loose terrycloth shorts that didn't quite cover her beautiful ass and a baggy tank top. Her short blond hair framed her face in a wild array. God, she was hot!
She sat down in the middle of the bed and crisscrossed her legs. "Now we talk."
Now she wants to talk, and now I don’t. I’m not ready to lose her. Fuck! But I’m not going to lie.
I let her take the lead. I was going to play it by ear and see where we landed.
"I'm aware there are things you are not telling me," she began. "I'm also aware I haven’t asked. Our attraction is too strong to be friends without benefits. Maybe we can be friends with benefits, but I need to ask you a few things first."
"Are you living with a wife or girlfriend?"
Relieved that I didn't have to lie, I said, "No."
Her brow relaxed and relief registered on her face. "Have you lied to me?"
I lowered my eyes toward the floor and then looked at her. "Yes, yes I have."
"Are you lying to me about the wife/girlfriend question I just asked?"
"No."
"Even though we live in different states, are you willing to fuck monogamously?"
"Well, if you are the one I get to fuck monogamously, most definitely."
"So that was a yes on the monogamous thing?"
She was blushing. I was having a difficult time fighting back an erection just watching her expressions as she talked.
"Yes." I nodded.
"Are you lying to me now about agreeing to be monogamous?"
"No." Why would I want anyone else?
"I don't want to know what you lied to me about. Keep it to yourself and keep lying about it."
Is she for real?
"Just don't lie to me about anything else. Ever."
I sat there, staring at her in disbelief. "You do understand that if you don't know what I've lied about, then you won't know if I lie about something new?" I emphasized each word to make sure she understood.
"Yes," she said, "I do, but if you say you won't tell me any new lies, I am choosing to believe you."
"No new lies, I promise." A promise I intended to keep despite any consequences.
"Is what you do for a living legal?"
"What the hell? Yes, Emma, of course."
"Good." She finally exhaled and let herself breathe again. "That's it. That's all I'm going to ask. I would like to ride this thing out until it is no longer fun or we start hurting each other, deal?"
This night had taken a turn I hadn’t expected. I wanted to be honest, but I wasn’t ready to take a chance on losing her. I had no idea what happened in her life that made her commitment phobic. Why would she agree to keep seeing me when she knew I’d lied to her? She also had no idea how much my secrets could affect us.
I searched Emma's eyes and knew it didn't matter.
I should leave, she should leave, but neither one of us could. Whatever this was … it was pulling us both in. I guess she was right. All we could do was ride it out until it wasn't fun anymore.
"Deal,” I finally said.