Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chelsea

“Knock, knock!”

Paris’ voice stirred me from the zoned out, halfway asleep, state of consciousness as I reclined back on my couch. My laptop was perched precariously on my legs. I’d only meant to close my eyes for a few minutes but judging by the scratchy feel of my eyes it had been a while longer than I’d intended. I set aside the computer. “It’s open!” I bellowed, my legs shot through with pins and needles, preventing me from making the trek to answer the front door.

Paris sashayed into the room but stopped short.

“Honey, you are a hot mess…” Paris’ eyes went wide as she took me in.

I nodded, miserably. “I know.”

Paris rounded the couch. She gingerly picked discarded take out boxes and power bar wrappers from one of the cushions before she sat down on the couch beside me. “What’s going on, babe?”

“I finished the game last night. Or, was it this morning? Either way…it’s done.” I tried to smile but I was too tired. All of my muscles had gone on strike.

“Congrats! But, damn girl. You’re going to kill yourself if you keep this up.” She scanned the mess in the room. At some point, I’d hit a wall working in my office, and decided that downstairs, near the fish tank, made more sense. So, that’s where I’d been camped out for the past three days and nights.

“I know.” I rubbed my eyes, hating the sandpaper feel. “Do you see my eye drops anywhere?”

Paris stood and fished through the cushions. “Here they are.”

I thanked her and applied a liberal amount to each burned out eye.

“Okay, so, is this an official intervention?”

Paris laughed. “Pretty much. Although, I might have underestimated my need for backup.”

I barked a hollow, scratchy laugh and then went hunting for my water bottle. “I promise I won’t get so down to the wire next time.”

Paris tapped a finger against her lips. “I’m not buying it, girl. Mostly because that’s what you told me last time. This is impressive though…”

I nodded, following her gaze around my trashed living room. Pizza boxes, Chinese takeout containers, plates, glasses, energy drink cans, and a small mountain of wadded up note paper that hadn’t made it through the shredder.

Paris hopped up. “Okay. Intervention starts now. You go shower, change into real clothes, put on some makeup. You know, get human again. I’ll tackle this mess. Then, I’m taking you out for a celebratory dinner!”

I smiled as she pulled me off the couch. “Thanks, Paris. What would I do without you?”

“Live in squalor, apparently.” She slapped my ass as I passed her.

Between the break-up with Cody and the last, frantic days of coding, designing, and testing the game, I felt like I’d been run over by a train. Paris was right, a shower, some good food, and a glass of bubbly was the perfect remedy. And damn it, I deserved it!

An hour later, both, me and my house had received a thorough cleaning and were both looking a helluva lot better for it. Paris took me downtown to the sushi restaurant where Cody and I had first met. It was at my request. It was still my favorite restaurant, despite the haunting memories it now held. I was determined to move past it.

Paris ordered us a pricey bottle of champagne and lifted up her glass for a toast. “To my beautiful best friend. You are the hardest working woman I know, and I wish you all the best success with your new game! Cheers, honey, you deserve it!”

I smiled and touched the side of my flute to hers. “Thank you.”

I sipped deeply, letting the sweetness wash over my tongue and the bubbles tickle my nose. “Perfect. So, you know what I’ve been doing all this time. Catch me up with you. Tell me all things Paris.”

Paris smiled. “Robby and I set a date.”

My mouth dropped open. “Really?”

“Uh huh. August twenty-third. We decided on Costa Rica.”

I sighed blissfully. “It sounds perfect. I can’t wait!”

“Me either.”

So that explained her perma-smile. She had finally run Robby into the ground and made him set a date. No wonder she was glowing. “I’m so happy for you, Paris. You will be the most beautiful bride ever.”

“Thanks. And you, my dear, will be the hottest maid of honor.”

I grinned. The invitation was expected but still got me misty. “Really?”

She nodded. “Of course, babe! No one else I’d rather have by my side. I promise not to go too bridezilla nuts on you.”

I laughed. “Are you willing to sign a notarized statement?”

We giggled together. We both knew Paris was going to be a lot to handle. I didn’t care. It was going to be amazing.

Paris glanced over my shoulder and I turned, wondering what she was looking at. The restaurant was busy, but nothing stood out. “Whatcha looking for? Is Robby joining us?”

She shook her head. “No…but…” She dropped her gaze to her hands. “Chels, please don’t be mad, but—”

It hit me upside the head. This was a trap. My heart shot to my throat. “Paris, you didn’t?”

She reached for my hand. “Honey, give me two minutes to explain before you bolt.”

I ripped my hand from her. “How could you? This was supposed to be my night. A celebration.”

I stood up and nearly ran right into Cody’s chest.

He reached out and set his large hands on my shoulders to steady me. Or, hold me in place before I could bolt from the restaurant. I shook out of his grasp and took a large stew backward. I shot a look at Paris. “How dare you. I thought we were friends? How could you sit here and bullshit with me about being best friends and then ask me to be your maid of honor? Fuck! And you knew he was on his way.”

Paris slid from the booth. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, Chels. But it’s what you need. I’m trying to help.”

“Help me how?”

She glanced over at Cody. “You owe me.”

My fists balled up and it was all I could do to keep from swinging. At both of them. “I’m out of here,” I said, reaching over to the seat I’d vacated and grabbing my purse. “Go to hell. Both of you.”

I stormed away from the table but I could feel Cody’s eyes on me. I pushed out the side door and started stalking through the parking lot. I made it half a dozen paces before I realized I didn’t have a car. Paris had driven both of us to the restaurant.

“Damn it!” I slammed my foot against the asphalt and whipped around, not surprised to see Cody standing there.

“I know you don’t want to see me, Chelsea. But I deserve a chance to explain.”

I glared at him. “It doesn’t matter what you think, Cody. You’re not going to change my mind on this. We’re done. You can go be with Summer Pratt or whatever other blonde bombshell, sorority sister for life, whatever. It’s not me. It’s never going to be me.”

His lip curled back. “I don’t want to be with Summer. That bitch just about cost me my career.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what you get.”

“Chels, please hear me out.”

“Why? What do you have to say that would interest me now? I’m not one of your side pieces—or groupies—or whatever the fuck you call them.”

Cody touched my forearm. I wanted to pull away but the look on his face was so helpless. My heart clenched tight and I looked up at him. “I know you’re pissed, but please...”

I arched a brow. “Ok, go. What are you talking about she almost cost you your career?”

“She accused me of making unwanted advances towards her. If Paris and Robby hadn’t come forward to help dig me out, I’d have been kicked off the team—or worse.”

I shook my head. “Paris didn’t say anything.”

“I know.”

I crossed my arms. “What do you want me to say, Cody? That I believe you when you say you didn’t know Summer was going to be stark naked in your hotel room? That you didn’t want her there? Fine, I believe you. It doesn’t change anything about how I feel. Walking in and seeing her there was just a wake-up call. The catalyst for my change of mind.”

Cody took a step toward me. “What is it then?”

“This lifestyle, Cody. If it’s not Summer, it will be some other girl. There will always be girls chasing you for your money, your fame, your connections—” I paused, unable to stop my eyes from raking over his broad shoulders. “Your looks. Your swagger. Whatever. I don’t want to be with someone who makes me feel like I’m always in a competition. I’m sorry, but I’m not strong enough for that long term.”

Cody closed the rest of the space between us and placed a hand on each of my arms. This time I didn’t back away. “Chelsea, I don’t want that for you either. Why can’t we have another option though? To hell with those other girls. I’m not paying attention to any of that noise.”

“Right,” I scoffed. “You’re a hot-blooded man, Cody. Tits and ass are always going to be a distraction. I’m not naive enough to think that I’m going to be enough to keep you entertained forever. I’m not a wild, alley cat, hang from the chandelier kind of girl and I never will be, no matter how much you might want that.”

“Damn it, Chelsea!” His eyes sparked with wild fury. “Listen to me, I deserve a fuckin’ chance! I haven’t done anything to break your trust. Yeah, I get it, the shit with Summer pissed you off and made me look bad. But I’ve cleared that all up. There’s no reason for you not to trust me. I’m not going through all of this to get you back just to screw you over a couple weeks or months down the line. What would be the fuckin’ point? If I wanted unlimited pussy or wild and crazy nights, I’d go do that. There would be nothing to stop me.”

“Then why don’t you?” My question was quiet, almost a whisper.

“Because I’m in love with you, Chelsea Brooks. I can’t think about anyone else. I don’t want anyone else.”

My heart skipped a few beats before sputtering back into action. Of all the things he could have said to shut me up, that was the one I hadn’t seen coming. My eyes darted wildly back and forth between his, searching for my next words. “Cody…”

“You don’t have to say anything back, Chels. That’s not what this is about. I’m not trotting out some fuckin’ I-love-you card to get you to give this a second chance. I’m in love with you and I want to be with you. No one else.”

“But what if I’m not enough? What happens when you get bored and want something that I can’t give to you? I’m not like Paris. I’m not the kind of girl who cheers her man on while he’s getting a lap dance or who wants to fuck in every public bathroom on the west side.”

Cody chuckled. “Who said I wanted that? Personally, I’ve never understood the whole fucking in a bathroom thing. Kind of makes me want to bathe in straight alcohol.”

I laughed and blinked away the tears from my eyes. “Well…Summer said—”

His eyes flashed at the sound of her name. “Summer’s a mean spirited deranged girl who doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You should know that.”

I nodded and then dropped my gaze to the asphalt between us. “Cody, I just don’t know…I don’t know what I would do if we tried and it didn’t work out.”

Cody took a step nearer, his eyes locked with mine, dark and intense. He reached out and tipped up my chin. I blinked back a wave of tears. “That’s never going to happen. I’ve never had something like this before, Chelsea, and I’m not going to fuck it up or throw it away.”

“I believe you, but Cody, sometimes things just don’t work. Staying away from you for this long has been a Herculean feat. I’ve thought about you every day, every minute, hell, every second. I’ve barely been able to breathe without wanting to cry because it hurts so much to have you and lose you. I don’t think I could do it again. I’m already too far gone.”

“Me too, baby.”

“Really?”

Cody smiled and placed his other hand on the other side of my face, framing it with both of his large palms. “I love you, baby girl. Real, crazy, can’t live or breathe without you kind of love. I’m talking some real fairy tale shit.”

I laughed, tears spilling from my eyes. “I love you too, Cody.”

He beamed down at me and brushed a soft kiss across my lips. When he parted, he kept his forehead pressed to mine, his eyes locked with mine. “Then I just need to know one more thing,” he whispered.

“What’s that?”

He grinned. “Your place or mine, gorgeous?”

* * * *

We crashed through the door of his penthouse minutes later, chosen based on proximity, and before the front door was closed behind us, our clothes were flying. My sundress went over my head and fell to the floor in a billowy cloud. Cody’s t-shirt ripped at the seams as I scrambled to pull it off, over his head. He chuckled and went to work on my bra. “Damn, gorgeous, I’m not going anywhere.”

I laughed but the sound dissolved as the bra fell away and the cold air conditioned air found my nipples and made them go rock hard. I pressed into Cody, my breasts pressed against the solid wall of muscles. I traced my fingers up the hard lines in his back, reveling in every line, ridge, and firm muscle.

“You really are a piece of man candy, aren’t you?” I giggled, pulled back long enough to look into his love-drunk eyes.

Cody grinned as he captured my lips with his, and his greedy tongue invaded my mouth unapologetically. “Damn, baby. I’ve never been so fuckin’ horny!”

“Whatcha gonna do about it?” I teased, running my fingers down the smooth, ridged sections of his abs, rapidly finding my way into the waistband of his boxer briefs.

He gasped as I pushed past the soft cotton and stroked down his hard shaft.

“I’m going to get you in my bedroom, bend you over, and fuck that tight little cunt until you’re screaming my name.”

I shuddered at the thrills flashing over my body.

Cody scooped me up and I locked my legs around him. He carried me all the way up to the master bedroom in the massive penthouse. He set me down and stripped my panties off, chucking them across the room. “You won’t be needing those for a couple of days. I’m keeping you right here.”

I laughed. “We’ll see about that. Eventually, I’ll have to go home and get some work done.”

Cody shook his head. “You won’t be able to walk.” He spun me around and traced his fingers down my spine. He kissed my shoulder, working in toward the back of my neck, and I shivered at the sensations dancing over my hot skin. “I’m not letting you get away again, baby.”

I arched back and shook my hair out of my ponytail holder. It felt luxurious and sultry on my bare back. Cody breathed deeply and buried his face in the long locks before scooping them to the side and continuing his tour of kisses down my back. He dropped to his knees behind me and I gasped as his hands parted my ass cheeks, forcing my legs apart. “Bend over, baby. I need to get a taste of this sweet pussy.”

My legs shook but I did as he asked and leaned over, bracing my forearms on the massive bed. Cody slipped a finger between my lips and stroked my clit until I was moaning his name and juices were running down the insides of my thighs. He would push me to the edge and then back away, letting me breathe and get a grip, before spinning me back up again. By the time he dropped his mouth to my pussy, I was ready to explode all over his face.

Cody sucked and teased my clit from behind and just when my legs were about to give out, he slipped his thumb around my tight asshole and I saw stars dancing in front of my eyes. I yelped and crashed violently over the edge when he inserted it just enough to make me come.

“That’s right, baby. Come for me hard. Say my name.”

“Cody!” I moaned, burying my face in the covers as my body rocked.

He stood and entered me before I even finished shuddering from the first orgasm and with sure, steady thrusts, he had me right back, teetering on the edge again.

“Fuck me! Cody, fuck me hard!”

“Yes, ma’am!” He growled, thrusting hard. He wove a hand through my hair and pulled gently to get my face out of the covers. “I want to hear you, baby. Moan, scream, say my name.

I moaned loudly as he thrust back in again, deep and hard. I’d never been entered from behind and it was a whole new sensation. I clawed and scraped at the bed like a wild, feral animal, and it made Cody go harder, as though seeing me come undone got him even more excited.

If this was the kind of wild that he was looking for, I could definitely get on board with it.

He waited for me to come again and then followed after.

“Fuck!” I gasped, still breathless when he lay down on the bed and dragged me over to rest my head on his chest. “That was insane.”

His own chest was rising and falling rapidly and the sound of his heart hammering made me smile. Good, it wasn’t just me. “That was hot is what it was. I’ve been dreaming about bending you over since we first met.”

“Why haven’t you before?” I asked, looking up at him.

He shrugged. “I guess I wanted to wait and save it for something special.”

I giggled. “Well, it was special all right. Can we go again?”

He laughed and stroked a hand over my hair as it fanned out on the bed behind me. “Five minutes, baby. I wanna give you the best.”

When we were both exhausted from round two, we lay together on the bed that was roughly the size of a small Caribbean island. Cody gathered me to him with a tug on my hips and our fronts melded together. He ran his fingers through my damp hair and then over my lips. I tasted the salt of the sweat as I kissed his finger.

“Mmm. Careful, baby. You’ll go filling my head with all kinds of ideas if you keep that up.”

I sucked the tip of his finger into my mouth, my eyes locked with him. “Like what?” I asked, feigning innocence as I let him go.

His eyes flashed and his cock went hard against my thigh. He pulled my leg over his hip and rolled us so that I was straddling him. I worked my way down his body, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down his slick chest.

I paused when I reached his navel and looked up at him.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about down there, gorgeous?”

I smiled at him. “We’re really doing this? We’re giving it a shot?”

Cody smiled and traced his fingers down the side of my face. “I’m game if you are, baby.”

“I’m game,” I replied, smiling one last time before ducking under the sheets.