Morgan
I sat on the edge of my bed, now dressed, listening to the water running in the shower.
I thought after the shock of Xavier’s morning I could at least offer him a shower.
I found my mind kept wandering back to last night, or should I say, early this morning.
It was amazing, for me at least.
The way he moved, you’d never guess he was so trashed he’d been unaware. I wished he remembered, but maybe it was best he didn’t.
I had never felt that alive. Never felt that much pleasure wrapped up in only a few hours. Xavier was unbelievable and giving.
I jumped when I heard the sound of his voice from the doorway.
“Do you happen to know where my things are?”
There he stood, with a towel held secure around his waist. Hanging very low. Beaded water still glistening on his chest.
And those nipple rings. He may not have had them long, but I liked them. They looked good on him.
“I, um…” I cleared my throat and looked away from him. “I laid what I could find over there.”
I pointed toward the chair in the corner and watched him move that direction.
He began sifting through and I tried not to laugh when he held up a shirt that was missing a sleeve. Well it wasn’t completely missing, just hanging halfway off. And his boxers—I was puzzled myself how the whole side of them got ripped out.
He looked over at me with a boyish grin and I couldn’t keep a straight face. “You have claws or something?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I guess you’ll never know,” I said and then wished I hadn’t.
“Listen, I was wasted, and I’m sorry that I…” he began to explain but I waved it off.
“I knew what I was getting into when I asked you to come home with me. I expected nothing more than last night. I think we both just needed a free night.” I stood up and moved toward the dresser to grab my keys.
“If you want to meet me in the kitchen I’ll give you a ride home,” I added, then moved toward the door. “I could only find one of your shoes, but I’m thinking maybe the other is in the car.”
I tried not to laugh when he looked down at the single shoe that sat on the floor by the chair. He just shook his head as if he was confused and ran his hand through his hair.
Poor guy was really lost.
“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” I told him as I opened the door and found Marcus just on the other side. He looked over my shoulder and grinned wide at Xavier.
I pushed against him, placing my hands on his chest and moving him out of the way.
“Will you please just leave him alone?” I said as I closed the door behind me and walked toward the kitchen. Marcus was hot on my heels.
“You like him, don’t you?” he asked.
“No, I feel awful that he can’t remember a damn thing,” I said in correction. Marcus didn’t need to know that I wished he could.
“Okay, Morgan, if you say so.” Marcus proceeded to pour both him and me a cup of coffee, placing a third on the countertop next to mine.
I was just about to argue with him and tell him he was being ridiculous, but jumped in surprise when a strong hand pressed against the small of my back.
“Is this for me?” Xavier asked as he reached around me with the other arm and picked up the coffee cup.
I watched with a little too much concentration as he brought it to his lips and took a sip. His throat bobbed as he swallowed and his eyes closed as if it was the best thing ever.
“All I’ve tasted since I woke up is pineapple,” he added as he slowly opened his eyes and locked on mine.
I felt my face heat and immediately looked down toward my hands.
I’d received that stuff as a gag gift, but Xavier insisted we give it a try. And I went for it, along with a few other things that I’d never tried.
But I figured if I was going for this one night-of-the-best-sex thing, I may as well go all out.
I could still feel the ache in all the places he’d explored. And it felt exquisite.
“Xavier,” Marcus said, gaining his attention and my own. “I found your shoe in the hallway when I went out this morning to get donuts.”
He solved the missing shoe puzzle.
“But I hate to tell you that it didn’t survive Rosco,” Marcus added, and I immediately covered my mouth with my hand.
“Rosco?” Xavier asked, his eyebrows crinkled in confusion.
“Yeah.” Marcus took a seat on the opposite side of the snack bar. “Rosco is our neighbor’s pit bull. And it would appear he quite enjoys himself a Nike.”
Laughter fell from my lips, because I could no longer contain it.
This poor guy had been through hell in one night, and he couldn’t even remember any of it.
***
The drive back to his place was a bit awkward. He tried to carry on a conversation and I could tell he felt bad about not remembering much. I honestly just wanted it all to be over with.
He thought he owed me an explanation.
I didn’t want one.
It was, like I said, awkward.
I was thankful when I pulled up in front of his house and he opened the passenger door to get out.
“Listen.” He turned back to look at me. “Maybe we can hang out sometime. Catch a movie, or even dinner.”
A distraction—he could be a great one. One that I’d doubt I would tire of. And that was dangerous.
So making a clean break now was a definite necessity.
“I had a lot of fun last night, regardless of your inability to remember much.” His shoulders sagged a little. “Honestly, I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. I needed a night like that. But Xavier, you don’t owe me a thing. And I don’t have time for a relationship or dating.”
He nodded but I could tell he wanted to say something in return.
“I work a lot and though I’m a college student, I don’t live that typical college life. It wouldn’t work out,” I told him and he just looked at me for a moment before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
He paused, his lips lightly skimming over my jaw line. “I may not remember everything from last night, but there is one sound that keeps running through my mind. A soft whimper, a needy moan.”
I closed my eyes, trying to keep from making that very sound right then.
“A light whisper of someone telling me not to stop,” he said, kissing my jaw. “It keeps playing on repeat in my head. I’d give anything to hear those sounds again.”
He pulled back, and without saying another word, he crawled out of my car and left me staring after him as he jogged across his front lawn.
And in that moment I realized forgetting about the guy who gave me one hell of a ride would be much harder than I thought.