Four Years Ago
I thrust steadily into Sarah—or is it Sadie? Who the fuck knows—until I bottom out. I chase the delicious spot that nestles the crown of my dick, giving it light butterfly kisses to the head with each measured stroke.
Coach kicked my ass at practice today after I mouthed off and hip-checked a fellow teammate. Two hundred suicide running drills later followed by violent puking in the locker room, I would say I am due for some relaxation. A blow job would have been better for my aching body, but I rationalize that some aggressive sex will satisfy my inner-control demon more today.
Instead of my usual, I picked up this chick, who is lying under me like a dead fish and totally killing my high.
I like my women vocal; I like some kink, and I definitely like it rough.
This girl is none of the above, but when she was begging to come home with me, she was all about “the best night of my life.” Yeah, right.
Pulling myself onto my knees, I grasp Sarah’s hips roughly and pound into her unclenching pussy. I want her to scream. I get off on screams.
Wait. Is that BO I smell? I shrug it off, picking up the pace, not really giving a fuck at the moment.
Sarah gasps at my forceful intrusion and quickly covers her eyes, sporting a small grimace. What the fuck? At this rate, I’m never going to come.
I’m seconds from deciding to just jerk off in the shower when a chiming tone chirps in my ear. I have a call coming in. Yes, I’m fucking with my Bluetooth in. Don’t judge me.
I rasp out a whiney, “Yeah.” Thrust. Lift her knee. Thrust.
“Theo. I need a favor,” Anniston’s sexy voice demands.
Another thrust. Lifting Sarah’s pelvis higher, I pound that sweet spot, finally hitting my mark.
“Theo? Theo, are you fucking?”
I grunt in response, focused on hitting my mark again so I can come and get this chick the hell out of my apartment.
“Oh my gosh, you are fucking! You are such a bastard,” Her half-ass scolding only makes me smile. I know she likes this “bastard” side of me. I know it turns her on, gets her wet. I grunt once more, never letting up my relentless pace.
I cannot get there. Fuck!
“Do the thing.” My voice is teetering between a whine and something too close to crying. On the cusp of a mediocre orgasm, I’m leaning toward the latter.
“What? No!”
Begging is not beneath me. “Please,” I plead. Silent Sarah has yet to make a fucking peep. Damn this girl and her vanilla sex. Never again. She is out of my contact list.
“Fine,” Ans relents. “But let me just say that you are a total douche and whatever whore you have up there is apparently as good in bed as your grandma.”
Thank you, Anniston. I really needed another image to prevent my impending orgasm. Squaring my shoulders, I start a steady pace, waiting for the music to my ears that will inevitably lead me to bliss.
“You want to come baby?” she croons in a deep, raspy, phone-sex kind of way.
Fuck yeah! I love this girl. I pick up speed, my body flushing with arousal.
“Yes,” I hiss out between breaths.
“You want me to scream, Theo?”
“Mmm. Fuck yes.” Grinding down on my molars, I push harder, deeper. Silent Sarah is quiet, with a pillow over her head. Whatever, I don’t encourage her to remove it.
“Then fuck me, Theo,” she moans in my ear. “Harder. Is that all you have?”
My orgasm tingles at the base, a pleasurable tightening is finally in my balls. On cue, I begin to fucking pound this girl.
She squeaks and brings her hands to the crease of my thighs, attempting to stop me from sinking too deep.
“Uh, huh. No honey, Daddy is owning this pussy. Scream. Scream for me.”
“More, Theo. Chase fucked me harder last Saturday.”
“What?” Chase fucked her last weekend? “Are you serious?” Chase and I are due for another chat. I thought I made it clear to him the last time he tried sniffing around Ans that she was off limits. Fuck!
My rhythm falters as visions of Chase plowing my girl taunt me. Well, she’s not technically mine but… it’s on my to-do list. Let’s just say everyone in our little hometown knows that Anniston McCallister is mine. No exceptions.
Guilt sits heavily on my chest as Sarah takes a punishing thrust. I imagine that she takes one for me because I’m an asshole and have to fuck my emotions for my best friend out on her. She takes one for Anniston, just in case she really did fuck Chase last weekend. And she takes one for Chase, because now, he’s a dead man.
I pound so hard into poor Sarah that she whimpers. I almost miss the sound as the bed frame crashes against the wall. Gripping the headboard for more leverage, the sound of wet, slapping skin joins the cacophony that is the melody of my sexy soundtrack. It’s music to my ears.
“Ahh!” Ans screams, then moans and whimpers.
And that, ladies, does it for me. My balls tighten, my head clouds, and my thighs tense. Holding my breath, I pause, feeling the cum travel from my balls to the head of my dick. And sweet, sweet Virgin Mary, my load shoots out, filling the condom to the rim. Damn, I needed that.
Exhausted, I collapse onto Sarah, breathing heavily. She immediately shifts out from under me, finding a better position at my side. I don’t usually flop down on my one-nighters but I’m exhausted and couldn’t care less about her comfort level at the moment.
“Okay. So now for the reason I called.” Without shame, Anniston continues with her conversation like she did not just get me off while I fucked another girl. If that’s any indication of how fucked up our relationship is, I don’t know what is.
“Give a guy some recovery time, shit.”
I look at my recent fuck. “I have to take this. I had a great time. I’ll see you around, okay Sarah? The bathroom is through there.” I point, indicating the general direction of the bathroom.
She stares at me blankly, like she isn’t sure if I am joking or not. I assure you, sweetheart, I am dead fucking serious. Her gaze shifts to my Bluetooth like she’s just noticing it.
“You are an asshole!” she shouts, snatching her clothes with one hand while trying to cover her tits with the other. It’s not like I wasn’t all up in that, but whatever makes her feel secure and get out quickly.
Looking back on her way to the hall, she flings, “It’s Sally!”
Damn. I was close.
“Anniston, you still there?”
She laughs. “You really are a dick.”
I shrug, tying up the condom and tossing it in the trash. After blowing my load I’m tired and my words come out harsher than I intend. “Do you need a favor or not? I’m ready for a big bowl of cereal and a nap, so spit it out.”
“Are you seriously snapping at me after I just got you off? You ungrateful bastard.”
“No, I’m sorry.” I exhale a deep breath. “I’m just hungry. You know how I am if I don’t get my sugar and nap after sex.”
She doesn’t speak, which could be a good sign or the calm before the storm. Trust me when I tell you the storm is more like a hurricane.
So I talk just to be talking. I’m not one for silence. It’s boring and I just don’t like it. “What favor do you need, Anniston, since apparently I owe you one?” I can’t lose the sarcasm but, hey, it’s talking.
She huffs, “Okay. So, you know I was going to Brad’s season-end party?”
“Yeah,” I respond, sniffing a shirt I find lying on the floor.
“Well, I was anticipating Brad stroking my kitty, if you know what I mean, but he is sloppy drunk and has only managed to find my asshole. Which wouldn’t be terrible if he wouldn’t rub it like he was trying to start a fire.”
I grimace. Brad is this AAA player Ans and I met during my stint in the minors. He took a liking to Anniston, and for some reason she still entertains his advances. He’s a grade A douche-canoe and an all-around idiot.
“I’m sure that’s the only hole he knows, Anniston. It surprises me that he invited you to the party and not me.”
Her deep belly laugh makes me smile. “You’re a liar. He is not gay and you know you were invited. Anyway… I am in his bathroom with the door locked and I need you to come get me.”
With a resigned sigh, I pull on a semi-clean shirt I find on the chair and grab the jeans next to it, pulling them over my hips sans underwear. I know what you’re thinking. Commando? Really? With jeans? Yes, they rub. No, they aren’t super comfortable but I’m tired and that’s how I roll when I am beat.
Searching for my keys, I ask absently, “Where’s Kelsey? Didn’t she go with you?”
Kelsey is as close to a girlfriend as Anniston is going to get. She and Anniston met at one of the Nationals team functions last year. Kelsey was Brody’s date and has been a regular in his bed ever since. He won’t admit she’s his girlfriend, but we all know the truth.
“She disappeared with Brody about an hour ago, I’m positive they have already left. Please, Theo.” Her sexy little whine is extremely cute and can get me to do things I normally wouldn’t. Like going to Brad’s party when all I want to do is crash.
I was invited, Ans even asked me to go, but I declined. I don’t enjoy watching her flirt and go home with other guys. She and I have rules to our fucked-up relationship. Mondays and Thursdays are the days we set aside for each other. All other days of the week are fair game. On a Friday, like tonight, she won’t hesitate to go home with someone just to make me crazy. It’s part of our game. Just like her getting me off while I’m fucking some other girl. We’re messed up, and everyone knows it.
“Is Brad passed out?” I ask, not really caring if he is or not. I’m already walking to my car. My Atlanta penthouse sits just outside the perimeter of the neighborhood where Brad lives. It shouldn’t take long to get there. I intend to pick her up, but I like to make her sweat a little. I also don’t want to give her the impression I’m available at her beck and call.
“I don’t think so. He knocked right before I called you and I told him I had beer shits.” Her tone tells me she’s completely straight-faced.
I belt out a laugh. “No shit? You really told him that?”
“Of course I did. Why not?”
“No reason.” I can’t keep from chuckling. “I just figured you would come up with something classier than beer shits.”
“Well, I didn’t. So, are you coming to get me or not?”
Smiling into the dark, I return, “I’m on the way. Be there in twenty.”
Except now I decide the BO was definitely me. A shower is in order before I pick up Anniston. I don’t want to listen to her bitching about the smell or have her stick her head out the car window like a dog. She has a flair for the dramatic. And, I also want to wash Sarah/Sadie off me. It may be thirty minutes, but I leave that out. No need to piss her off before I get there.
“Thank you, Theo,” she purrs, making my dick stir again.
I pull up to Brad’s piece of shit abode and straightaway I’m greeted with several losers puking on the sidewalk. For a second I reconsider parking on the curb. I’ll beat someone’s ass if there is puke on my rims.
I climb out of my Mustang and take note of the dilapidated building. The old house reminds me of the Forrest Gump plantation but about 200 years after the apocalypse. The paint is peeling, the porch missing boards, and trash is littered everywhere. When you play for a minor league team, the pay is decent but nothing compared to the MLB. Factor in traveling four days a week, and you get Brad’s.
My face screws up in a grimace as I take in the party scene before me. Dozens of players line the driveway, extinguishing any chance of getting Anniston—and me—out of here quickly. I’m not a partier. Everyone knows that. I would much rather enjoy my close circle of friends than spend any more time with fellow teammates than I already have to. Anniston, on the other hand, enjoys this shit. I think she does it on purpose just to irritate me.
At least this is her last year of med school. Next year, she’ll be with me. Hopefully. If all goes well. I have been doing my damnedest to convince her to do her residency with our team doc, Aaron. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited at the possibility of having her closer to me. A few days here and there sucks. I hate knowing she’s out here all alone, with these assholes.
Instead of walking through the parade of drunken stupor, I opt to go through the side door, paying close attention to where I step. The door is propped open, several pairs of underwear wedged underneath. Boxers, briefs, thongs, even some granny panties are stuffed under the pissed-stained door.
I look to the sky, taking in a deep breath and holding it, asking God to give me the fortitude to get through this rathole in one piece, as well as some kick-ass STD immunity. This place is literally crawling with sperm.
A Flo Rida song blasts through the door as I take a hesitant step into the chaos. With my hands in my pockets, I move through the throngs of sweaty bodies searching for someone who is semi-sober.
Anniston said she was in Brad’s bathroom but fuck if I know where that is in Forrest Gump’s manor. A super sweaty girl bumps into me, dampening the sleeve of my shirt. Breathe through your mouth. The smell is really rank in here, worse than the locker room after a doubleheader. Dammit! I am going to kill Anniston for this shit.
I pull out my phone to call her when I hear, “Von Bremen!”
Oh hell. Be calm. Male voice, doesn’t sound like a pissed off boyfriend. It may be okay to acknowledge.
Slowly, I turn, chanting to myself, “Please be normal, please be normal.” Lady Luck is on my side because the lanky, grinning idiot approaching me is none other than my former bat boy, Paul. Thank goodness for small miracles!
Paul maneuvers through the swarm of gyrating bodies with his red solo cup held high in the air, all the while apologizing for disrupting the dry humping going on. Good Lord. When he finally reaches hearing distance, he practically sings, “What’s up dude? I thought you were in Washington?”
Paul isn’t exactly what you’d call an attractive guy. He’s rocking that whole Star Wars-comic-book thing. Anniston says he’s “hot in a nerd kind of way.” She’s been after me to wear some black-rimmed glasses and fuck her in the library to live out this little nerd fantasy of hers. I haven’t jumped on board with the idea yet, but eventually I will do it whether I want to or not. In the meantime, I try to keep innocent Paul away from her just in case. I’m just looking after Paul. That’s all, it’s not jealousy, for sure.
“It’s the off-season. I’m back home,” I respond dryly. “I’m here to pick up Anniston. Have you seen her? She’s supposed to be in Brad’s bathroom but I have no idea where that is.”
“I haven’t seen her but Brad’s room is just up the stairs. Second door on the left,” he clarifies, lifting his pointer finger in the direction of the stairs.
“Thanks, man.” I clap him on the shoulder. “Enjoy your evening.” I don’t wait for any kind of response because I will be damned if I stay in this cesspool any longer than necessary.
The door to Brad’s room isn’t locked. Fucker. Was he hoping someone would walk in and see him fucking Anniston? His rep would definitely improve. Loser. Maybe he was too drunk to remember to lock it. Whatever. I am getting this pain in the ass girl and getting us the fuck out of here. This nightmare is ruining my otherwise perfectly shitty night.
All the lights are off in Brad’s room except for the bedside lamp. Hunched over on the bed, with his head in his hands, sits Brad. When he hears the door creak open, he raises his shaggy brown head to greet me. “Hey man,” he mutters, then drops his head back down.
I guess he was expecting me. A subtle chin jerk in his direction is all the greeting I can muster before my nostrils flare, disgusted with this whole encounter. “She in the bathroom?”
He nods, not bothering to look at me again. Farther into the room, I take in the relatively cleanish space. I envisioned something like a crack house—ripped sofa, no sheets on the mattress, you get the drift.
I don’t linger, moving quickly to what I assume to be the bathroom door and beat on it like I’m the SWAT team.
“Ans! Let’s go!”
She doesn’t answer immediately, which makes me uncomfortable. Did jerk-off do something to her? I’ve been to some terrible parties where girls were too drunk to give consent. Anniston didn’t sound drunk though…I’ll kill him. I beat on the door again, this time jiggling the handle.
“Open this damn door Ans, or I will break it down!” My voice sounds a bit panicked as I bang harder. I hear movement on the other side of the door, sending a burst of relief through my chest.
I lean closer, my ear to the crack, and catch her whisper, “Break it down. I dare you.” Goddamnit. This girl. A frustrated sigh escapes me as I try to keep calm.
In as even a tone as I can manage, I respond, “Open this fucking door, or I am going to leave you here. I’m in no mood for your games.”
Before I can say more, she throws open the door and snatches me inside. My back slams against the wall, nearly knocking the breath out of me. Anniston’s grip is tight, restraining me to the wall. She’s pretty strong for a girl. I could easily push her off, but I’ve stoked her flame with that phone call and she isn’t leaving without repayment. Brad didn’t give her what she needed so looks like it’s up to me. I’m gonna have to take one for the team. Not that I mind, I like playing her sick games.
“Are you threatening me, Teddy?” Her voice is eager with the thrill of what we’re about to do.
I cringe, hating that terrible nickname she gave me years ago. No one calls me Teddy but her. Anniston’s lips moisten in anticipation, tipping up at the corners, daring me to engage in our longstanding game. A few errant pieces of her long, golden hair fall loose from underneath one of my old baseball hats as she waits for my answer. The look gives her entirely too much sex appeal.
Here’s the thing about Anniston: She can hang with the boys in whatever we do. Sports? She can play them all. Drink? She can drink us under the table. Poker? Yep, great at that too. But no matter how much she can hang with the guys, she is one hundred percent woman. With her full breasts, C cups—yes, I fucking know how big they are—and with her lean body pressing up against me, I am reminded all too much why every dude in a fifty-mile radius pines for her attention.
She clears her throat and raises one eyebrow, those brilliant blue eyes contrasting against her naturally blushing cheeks. The side of my mouth cocks up in an arrogant smile. Freeing my hand from hers, I run it along the outside of her breast. “What if I am?”
Her tongue sneaks out, swiping her lips in a slow, seductive motion, knowing which buttons to push. My dick starts tingling. Please no, not in this disgusting bathroom.
“No. Not here,” I tell her sternly. Her lips purse for a moment.
“Yes. Here,” she counters, standing tall against my six-foot frame.
I pause, trying to come up with a plan to deescalate the situation but she doesn’t give me a second before she palms my crotch roughly, feeling for my erection.
Her cheek twitches, containing a knowing smile. “I know you want to. Silent Samantha didn’t do it for you, did she?”
I actually growl, unable to stop my dick from responding to her touch. Damn this girl.
She leans closer, and whispers in my ear. Her warm breath goes straight to my cock. “Come on, Teddy. You know you need it.” She unbuttons her frayed jean shorts and slides her hand into her underwear, careful to keep her eyes trained on me. “I need it, Theo. Please…” Her voice is a desperate plea as she begins to pleasure herself without me.
Seeing her on the cusp of begging is all I need to concede. We need this.
I stride forward, pushing her further into the room. Grasping her hips, I yank roughly at her shorts, freeing her pussy in one motion. She squeals in shock but quickly starts to undo my jeans. I walk her back to the bathroom counter and hoist her up. She grins at me like this is exactly what she wanted and I just played into her hands perfectly. Smiling back at her, I shake my head in amusement, aware that I gave in without much of a fight. Pissed that I’m such a pushover when it comes to this girl, I plunge in a finger without warning, eliciting the scream that I was dying to hear earlier. Oh, fuck me. This girl never loosens up.
It’s like trying to stick my dick in a roll of dimes. I pull back, searching her face for any signs of pain. When she pushes against my hand, encouraging me, I insert another finger, scissoring them out. She is dripping wet, obviously ready for me but she’s still too tight. Putting the tip in and coming wouldn’t help my reputation.
I reach up and palm her breast, pinching her pert little nipple through her shirt. Her head falls back as she gasps in pleasure. Powerful thighs tighten and pull me closer, locking us in a tight embrace.
“Put it in,” she begs.
“Not yet baby. You have to open up for me.”
She frowns but doesn’t argue. Chest to chest, she leans back enough to slide her hands under my shirt, caressing my abs.
“Play it,” she demands in a whisper.
And this is why I am a sucker for all things concerning her. I smile, watching myself in the mirror as I breathe my answer across the top of her ear. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her answering moan echoes loudly in the tiny bathroom.
“Now Ans, in order to play this little game of yours, you’re going to have to be quiet, or your boy toy will come in here and see that you are not on death’s door as you claimed.” She angles back and catches my eyes. I flash her a cheeky smile and nod toward the wall. “Lean back.”
She doesn’t, which is her typical M.O. I push at her chest a couple of times before she complies, leaning back against the mirror. She eases her legs from around my waist, plants her feet on the counter, straddling me.
Nodding my approval for finally doing what I asked, I smear her wetness around her clit using only my index finger. She arches at my touch, biting down on her lip to keep quiet. I increase the pressure, my finger gently circling her swollen nub.
“Von Bremen lines up the pitch, nods to Michaels, he winds, and a slider sinks…” I stop stroking her clit and force one finger inside, hitting her front wall. She jerks at my touch, her breaths coming in short spurts. “And delivers flawlessly into Michaels’ glove.”
Anniston is every guy’s wet dream. She’ll take dirty talk, but her favorite is baseball stats and plays. With my finger lodged deep inside her, I begin to stroke that rippled flesh than lines her front wall. My left hand applies pressure once again to the bundle of nerves that will have her compliant in a matter of seconds.
“He lines up, Von Bremen winds and delivers a sinker that some asshole hits…”
I shove a second finger in and continue the back and forth motion, her walls contracting and clamping down on my fingers. “Don’t you even think of coming,” I warn with a growl and thrust the third finger in, causing her to scream.
She grabs onto my shoulders and holds my eyes. Her bottom lip trembles in protest as she bites down hard to keep the screams at bay. When I hit her spot, her eyes glisten over and it looks like she is on the verge of crying. She’s not—I was really freaked out the first time it happened.
I continue stretching her walls from the inside while pushing down with my palm over her clit. She wiggles her bottom as she tries to shift out from under my onslaught but I readjust my hold to keep her still.
“You ready?”
She nods, her teeth sunk firmly into her lip, while her legs begin to shake around me. She’s close. I grasp behind her knee and lift to wrap her leg around my waist.
“Shh…” I remind her, holding my index finger to my lips and then taking a long, leisurely suck.
Her head falls back with the image of me sucking her juices just as I slam my dick bareback into her tight, hot pussy. “Fuck, that’s good.”
Anniston’s face burrows into my shoulder as she attempts to catch her breath. I pull back, only to thrust in deeper this time. Yanking on her legs, I slide her to the edge of the counter and thrust upwards into that space made just for me. The fucking space I was looking for with Sarah earlier.
“Oh, fuck,” I groan. It feels that fucking good, I can’t even use better vocabulary. Her fingernails dig deep into my shoulder as she smothers a scream in my shirt. More than likely she’s drawing blood. The vice grip she has on my dick is so tight I feel like it may cut off the blood flow. I’m going to come soon. Funny how that works. One girl can’t you get there, the other gets you there too fast.
“Stop clenching,” I hiss between gritted teeth.
“What’s the matter, Theo?” she gasps. “Leave all your stamina on the field today?”
That’s it—I thrust into her damn near violently, effectively shutting up that sarcastic mouth. She growls, biting down on my nipple through my shirt. “Dammit!” I scold.
“Make me come then!” she demands, clenching around me so hard this time it causes my knees to drop a little. I have to lean against the vanity for support while she grins victoriously, silently mocking me from her position. It takes me a minute to catch my breath and focus on not coming.
Control regained, I’m now pissed at her use of underhanded tactics. With an almost growl, I reach up and press down on her landing strip, right above the pelvic bone, increasing pressure. I lift her right leg over my shoulder, using the other one for leverage, and plow the fucking shit out of this little cocktease.
She squirms and writhes beneath me, grinds out, “It’s too much. Not here, Theo.”
Sweat is running down my back but I keep up the pace. “You can take it. You are going to come all over my dick. Do you understand me? You are going to fucking soak me!”
Her sweat-sheened face takes on a panicked look. She prefers not to have a G-spot orgasm anywhere but home. It can get downright messy but in this case, seeing her struggle, on the brink of a mind-blowing orgasm, it’s totally acceptable.
Grabbing everywhere her hands can take purchase, she screams breathlessly, “No Theo!”
I let her scream her objections. One, because I can’t move my hands, otherwise I will lose the pressure points and kill her momentum, and two, because I love the sound of her screams. Her knees are trembling in uncontrolled movements, her pussy pulsing in a rhythmic motion. If she doesn’t come soon, I will.
I kiss her mouth, speaking calmly. “Come on, baby. Let go. Let go for me.”
She grabs on to my head, keeping me from looking at her face. “It’s too much!”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “Let go.”
I add a little more pressure and she tightens so powerfully around my dick that I swear she might break it off.
“Let go, baby,” I pant.
She releases my head, still holding onto my ears as her blue eyes focus on mine. Back arched, her pussy squeezes me once more before she screams and gushes all over me. With her eyes screwed shut, she rides wave after wave of euphoric bliss.
As she comes down, her body feverish and soaked in sweat and juices, I pound into her faster and faster, rubbing her clit as I go. She thrashes about, taking hold of my forearms as she starts coming again. My body is a live wire, a countdown of detonation, then I spill my seed inside her perfect cunt. It’s sexy as fuck.
We both are spent as I gaze at her beautiful, sweat-soaked face. Her hair has come loose and my hat is now on the floor—guess that will be headed to the trash. With my dick still inside her, I bring my hand up to caress her cheek. “Silent Samantha was better.”
She barks out a laugh, punching me in the chest. “As was Chase.” She shrugs. “But I was desperate.”
See what she did there? Makes me bat-shit crazy. Makes me want to zip my pants and hunt Chase down and beat his fucking ass. But I know it’s a ploy. I know she does it just to get under my skin. It’s payback. Payback I deserve.
“Let’s get out of here.” She releases me from her legs and hops off the counter. Clapping me on the shoulder like I would one of my teammates, she grabs a hand towel from the rack and cleans herself up before tossing it to me.
I use it in silence, a heaviness suddenly clouding over our fun. Just friends, Theo. She only wants to be friends. I decide not to let our ball-busting comments ruin the night.
“Smells like sex and candy in here,” I joke, popping a piece of bubble gum in my mouth, a habit I picked up in the majors.
She snorts out a laugh. “You are such an idiot.” At least it breaks the tension between us.
I grab her hand and pull her toward the door. “Come on, I want Mexican, you’re buying for dragging me out here.” Lacing her fingers in mine, she pulls us out of Brad’s bathroom.
“Deal.”
We’re bundled up on my sofa, elbow deep in Mexican takeout. Game footage plays in the background as we see who can eat the most tacos.
“Oh. These are sooo good,” Ans moans as she waves her half-eaten taco in front of my face.
Her garbled moan is what spank bank material is made of. Not to mention the crazy sex appeal of her licking the taco juice off her fingers. Cocktease. If I hadn’t already finished four tacos, I would eat another one just to keep my mouth occupied. We may be friends with benefits but too much affection will cause her to freak the fuck out. She’s not forgiven me for the Vanessa stunt no matter what sweet lies spill from those seductive lips. I’ve been kept at arm’s length, her punishing me by drawing the line in our relationship to casual sex only. She’s not ready for me to make my move. Not yet. I lean forward, taking the biggest bite of her taco I possibly can, damn near biting her finger.
“Theo!” she scoffs, cramming the last little bit in her mouth so I can’t get to it.
She tries to insult me with her mouthful of food but instead of blasting me about being a pig, it sounds more like, “Woo fuunkin pug!”
I shrug. She knows this. It’s no surprise that I would eat her food, even while it’s still in her hand. I half chew the wad of beef taco and swallow it down whole. “I talked to Aaron. He said he would love to have you on his training staff.”
Anniston squints at me like she knows I’m up to no good. Truth is, I am. I have been wracking my brain to come up with ways to keep her close to me. My attempts so far have been unsuccessful. She argued me down when I tried to convince her to come to Washington and attend med school there. She has no family here anymore to keep her in this small town. It kills me to know she’s here alone, surrounded by memories, without me or my brother, Thad. I understand she wants to make it on her own, without my influence. I don’t want to interfere, I just want to keep her safe, watch over her.
“Why would he do that, Theo?” Her aggressive tone is meant to scare me. It doesn’t.
“Maybe it’s because you graduated at the top of your class for God’s sake! How many people can say they graduated a year early from med school, Ans?” I take a swig of my Corona before making eye contact again. “Ever think that someone may actually want you for your brilliant mind?” My words are coming out clipped. I’m getting frustrated with her stubbornness.
Her eyes stay narrowed. She doesn’t believe me but she sighs, ready to hear me out. “What would I be doing exactly?”
Oh, just working for me. Managing my day-to-day training. Exclusively. She’d be doing the residency program with Aaron, too, but would only be practicing on me. Those small hands I’ve held for countless hours would only be touching me. None of those other dickheads would get a piece of her.
“The residency program, of course. That’s what you want to do, right? Sports medicine?”
She shrugs, staring at the TV in a daze. “Yeah.”
“Yeah? All you’ve ever talked about is working for a ball club. I can’t believe you’re on the fence about it now.”
I grasp her knees and slide her forward so I can wrap my arms around her. “What’s going on, Ans?”
Her hair tickles my face as she burrows in, embarrassed about appearing weak. It’s all I can do not to push her back and kiss away the anxiety that’s plaguing her. But that’s not what a friend would do.
After a beat of silence, her body relaxes against me, linking her arms around my back. This fucking sucks. This friends with benefits thing we’ve got going on sucks donkey balls. But I’m the one who fucked it up. My inability to handle the situation after taking her virginity screwed us both. I saw the way her innocent eyes blinked up at me after we both came down from our amazing moment. Nothing, and I mean nothing, had ever felt that good. And nothing has since. I saw the way her eyes hardened when I agreed to meet Vanessa. Dumb move, I know, but I had a lot of emotions swirling around and I panicked. I’m a dude, we do stupid shit for no reason.
“I just… I don’t know. You’re right. It is what I want to do.” She squeezes me before pulling away. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
My heart stops for a second.
“You will? You’ll come back to Washington with me?”
Her sweet smile is all the confirmation I need. I tug her to me, our chips scattering to the floor. I could give a shit less. This girl, this fucking girl, has agreed to go back with me. I won’t let her get away this time.