CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CLARISSA
Roaming around the cottage in a haze, I’d lost count of how many times I’d entered my bedroom. I was facing two weeks without Aidan. Would he come and say goodbye? He’d already done that one hour earlier when dropping me off. Another good-bye was highly improbable, and it was ridiculous for me to even want that. This need I’d developed for Aidan was frightening. He’d become an addiction.
My swimsuit dangled in my hand. I was off for a swim to clear my head. Opting for my sensible one-piece, I left the red skimpy ones on the bed.
A knock came at the door just as I was about to change. Wrapping my sarong around me, I went to answer it.
Aidan stood before me, dressed in beige chinos and a linen shirt that was fluttering in the breeze. My eyes went to his shapely pectorals covered with a sprinkling of hair. With that panty-wetting smile, Aidan’s eyes darkened when he noticed the skimpy sarong covering my otherwise bare body.
I stepped away from the door and let him in. My heart was beating fast, which was crazy considering I’d only seen him one hour earlier.
“I’ve come to say farewell. I didn’t do it properly last time,” said Aidan, his lust-filled eyes moving up and down my body.
Before I could speak, Aidan took me into his arms. My sarong had come off. A growl vibrated off his chest as his hands ran up and down my body. “I wish I could take you with me.” His mouth was on mine, groaning as he cupped my heavy breasts. I heard his zipper, and my core clenched.
“I can’t leave you alone, Clarissa. Why aren’t you coming with me?” He pulled away. He looked fragile suddenly. Aidan was suffering as much as I was.
My heart was full. “I have to get the gala together.” I bent down to pick up my sarong.
He stopped me. “Don’t. Let me look at you.” His hands crept up my leg.
Oh, how I wanted him to take me again and again.
“Clarissa, my little angel, you’re so ready,” he rasped. His finger circled my clit, and I started to writhe against his hard body.
Aidan waltzed me to the wall, and draping my leg over his curvy, veiny bicep, he penetrated deeply into me. “This will be quick,” he said hoarsely. His large, hard cock stretched me so divinely I expelled a hungry moan.
It was wild and hot. His lips on mine, devouring me, making me lose control as fireballs mushroomed before me. I gasped, while Aidan shuddered and groaned through a jaw-clenching release.
When our breathing stilled, I unraveled from his tight hold. “Aidan, you really should go.”
Aidan combed back his hair with his hands. “I’ll call you.” He kissed me and left.
Just as I watched Aidan moving away in the distance, my phone buzzed. I pressed the button. “Hi, Tabs.”
“First you miss my birthday lunch. And now you don’t deliver on the breakfast you promised.”
“I’m so sorry.” I sighed wearily. “This thing with Aidan is intense. He’s off to Germany today. That’s why he wanted to spend the day with me. I’ll make it up to you.”
“It’s cool, Clary. I get it. You’re with the hottest guy in the universe. I would’ve done the same. You wouldn’t have seen me for dust.” She chuckled. “But listen, something’s happened. I really need to see you desperately.”
“What?”
“Can we meet?”
I looked at my watch. It was eleven. “I’ll meet you for lunch in an hour.”
By midday I was sitting at a vegetarian diner with Tabitha. I figured I needed something healthy after all the hamburgers and yummy junk food I’d eaten recently.
After we ordered, I faced Tabitha, who was quieter than usual. “So, what’s happened?”
“I’ve left Josh.” Tabitha’s eyes evaded my imploring gape.
“Why? I thought you were crazy about him. And he’s a really decent guy.”
“That’s the reason.” Tabitha bit into her nails.
“You’re not back with Steve, are you?” I was so perplexed I sounded like a scolding mother.
“No way. I’ll never go back to him.” She paused. “Josh was too gushy. You know me. I need tension.” Her eyes kindled playfully.
“You’re a fucking nut-job,” I said, sipping on my juice. “Why are you like this, Tabitha? Are you determined to be a masochist?”
“No, I’m not, and anyhow, I’ve met someone.” She peered up at me, a wicked smile forming on her lips.
“What? So soon!”
Tabitha raised a brow.
“Shit, Tabs. You met him and then dumped Josh?”
A glint of guilt coated her big green eyes. I could tell she’d had hot sex. Tabitha had a post-orgasmic glow about her.
“When did this happen? Because we were meant to have lunch together, Josh included. And that was only twenty-four hours ago.”
She laughed at my incredulous tone. “Oh, Clary.” She touched my hand. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Come on sister, cough up.” Our dynamic had shifted. I’d become the pushy one. Aidan had inspired me to be more confident. Or perhaps, I was finally growing up.
Unable to remove the smile from her face, Tabitha sipped on her coffee. I had to admit, it was the most excited I’d seen her ever over a guy. And I’d seen many come and go in her four years of boyfriends.
“You’re partly responsible,” said Tabitha.
“How? Stop being all mysterious.”
“God, Clary. You’re not yourself. You’re all fired up. What’s got into you?”
“You have,” I said, swallowing my food. “I really liked Josh. He was such a kind-hearted guy.”
“He just didn’t make me come,” Tabitha said dryly.
“Well, it’s not all about orgasms. There’s got to be other things that matter. A compatible love match can’t be predicated on how many orgasms your lover gives you.” My voice wavered. This wasn’t any easy argument.
“Says Miss Multiples can’t get enough of Mr. Nine Inch Penis.” Tabitha glared at me with a sardonic smirk.
“Point taken, but surely, we can’t measure love solely by orgasms?”
“We sure can. Or at least, I can, and Evan—oh my God, Mr. Nine Inch Penis too.”
Tabitha sighed and fanned her face at the same time.
I had to laugh. Tabitha had one of those expressive faces that cracked me up. “Okay, so the man is well-endowed. Goody for you.”
“And goody for you,” Tabitha said, tapping me on the nose.
“Is this, ‘If Clarissa can do it, so can I’?”
“Partly.” She played with her fingers.
Tabitha was competitive to a fault. I couldn’t hold that against her. She’d missed out on much as a child.
“But you said Josh gave amazing head, made you happy?”
“I made it up. He didn’t make me come once.” Tabitha’s voice was louder than it should’ve been. We noticed the women at the next table turning to stare.
Tabitha looked at me and giggled. She didn’t give a damn. That was what I loved about my friend, even if her behavior at times was cringe-worthy.
I lowered my voice. “What, not even with his tongue?” My face heated.
“No, he doesn’t eat pussy, Clarissa. He doesn’t like doing it.” Tabitha sniffed. “Now, can you imagine me with a guy that doesn’t like fellatio?”
The women at the table turned and looked again. Tabitha sent them a charming smile as though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. The women, looking mortified, directed their attention away quickly.
Aidan and his insatiable need to taste me entered my thoughts, which caused a sudden rush of desire, making my sex, still deliciously sore from his surprise visit, ache.
“So how was I responsible? And who’s Evan?”
“He runs Thornhill Holdings security. He’s Aidan’s right-hand man, a buddy from the army.”
I winced. “How the hell did you meet him?” I didn’t know if I liked the sound of this.
“He came knocking at our door yesterday morning. Just after you called in sick…” I was about to correct her. “Sick from love,” Tabitha added. “Anyway, I answered the door wearing my little kimono, you know the one.” She raised an eyebrow.
“Shit, Tabs, you didn’t there and then, did you?”
Tabitha chuckled. “No way… what do you take me for?”
“Rhetorical question, is it?”
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I mentioned it was my birthday, and he asked me out for dinner and I accepted.”
“But what about Josh? Did you go out to lunch with him? Is that when you dumped him?”
“I called him and told him it wasn’t working.”
“You broke it off before you’d been with Evan?”
Tabitha nodded.
“Were you, or I should say are you that confident this will go somewhere?”
Her eyes lit up. “I’m surer than anything. He couldn’t stop touching me, even after we’d fucked. And he’s already sent me a text. One gets a feeling about these things.”
I reminisced about my first time with Aidan on his yacht. Although I was generally a pessimist, Aidan’s unceasing affection made it hard to imagine he was faking it.
Tabitha cupped her chin. “Evan is so hot, Clarissa, I mean hot. I’ve never felt this way before, and four orgasms. He made me come while being penetrated. Something I’ve never experienced.” Her eyes glazed over. “To be fucked well adds up to falling in love, in my book. And let no one tell you otherwise,” Tabitha said loudly enough that the women at the next table had become engrossed in our conversation. Never one to shy away from the limelight, Tabitha was having a ball.
I was bewildered. “Hang on, your first orgasm being penetrated? Are you serious?”
“Yeah, and don’t you gloat just because you hit the jackpot.”
“I’m not gloating. But what about all those nights I heard you crying out while the bed sounded like it was launching off?”
Tabitha stared down at her hands ruefully.
“What, you were faking it?” My voice went up a decibel.
Our audience, having been listening closely, had schadenfreude etched on their heavily made-up faces. For some twisted reason, they were extracting joy from Tabitha’s deep shame.
Tabitha’s lips drew a tight line. “Not proud of it.” Her face brightened. “But… Evan.” She fanned her face with her hand. “Wow, I’m so in love. He’s hot.”
“This is too soon, Tabitha. You only got with him last night. Aren’t you being a little hasty?”
“Nope. He’s available. He’s super-hot. He makes me come by the bucket-loads.”
I winced at that image. “Please, Tabs, I’m trying to eat.”
She giggled.
“But what about Josh? He was practically living in the apartment and paying for your upkeep. You’ll definitely need a job now.”
“I’ve got that sorted. Evan needs a receptionist. He offered me the job.”
“You’ll be working together as well?”
“And how’s that different from your situation?”
Touché. I smiled faintly, conceding defeat.
As our audience was leaving, Tabitha smiled in their direction. They regarded her awkwardly and hurried off. I looked at Tabitha, and we giggled.
After I paid the bill, I asked, “Do you want to go shopping? Aidan has set up an account at Victoria’s Secret for me.”
I might as well have told a child she could have unlimited candy. Tabitha’s eyes boiled over with excitement. “God, yeah.” She took me by the arm. “Let’s go right now. An account, you say?”
“That’s right. After he put a pair of my panties in his pocket to take away with him to Germany, he mentioned it.”
Tabitha stopped and looked at me. “Fresh ones or worn ones?”
I reddened. In a little voice, I replied, “Worn.”
A wicked smile pushed away her frown. “Love it. Like a dog-owner who gives his pet a piece of clothing so that the creature doesn’t fret.” Tabitha’s eyes danced with amusement. “I hope you gave him the tiny ones I made you buy and not your white cotton spinster briefs.”
Still digesting the analogy of the dog owner, I spluttered, “There’s nothing wrong with cotton undies. They’re eminently more comfortable. I’ve even got a pair on now.” I stood defiantly with hands on hips.
Tabitha grimaced. “Ick.”
“You’re so shallow, Tabs.”
“Ha… and loving it,” she said, using her Maxwell Smart voice.