Just Friends

 

The studio apartment Romero rented was small but it was good enough for him. It beat living with his uncles. Sure, he missed the noise sometimes, and he still spent more time over there than he did at his own place, but he loved having his own space, especially at times like this. Even though his uncles had told him long ago he could bring girls home, some of the freaky things he did with them would’ve been too much, even behind his closed bedroom door.

He’d had plenty of girls over since he’d moved out years ago, but only a handful of them had ever spent the night. Those had only been because he’d been too wasted to drive them home. The awkward, sober morning after was always the pits, so he avoided it at all costs. When it did happen, he couldn’t get them out of there fast enough the next morning.

They walked in and he watched as her eyes pored over everything. Everything included a bed, his one nightstand, a sofa, the plasma T.V. on the wall and a few boxes on the floor. “Did you just move in?”

Romero laughed. “No, I’ve been here two years.” As usual, her eyes said it all. “I don’t need much. Besides, I’m hardly ever home.”

He walked to the kitchen, still holding her hand. He frowned when he opened the fridge. There wasn’t a whole lot to choose from. “I can order a pizza if you’re hungry.”

He’d told girls they were hot plenty of times, but he couldn’t remember ever using the word beautiful. There was no other word to describe Isabel, except maybe adorable with all her different expressions. Right now, right here, so close to making her his, she was blushing in his hands, utterly beautiful.

She brought her hand around his neck and kissed him back with the same eagerness as she always had. He’d been blown away by her willingness from the very beginning. He was so sure she’d be more hesitant. Instead, here she was practically swallowing his tongue. He moaned, picking her up and setting her on his kitchen counter. She never once unwrapped her arms from around his neck and continued kissing him even as he nudged her legs open and pulled her to the edge of the counter.

With her neck at eye level now, he dove in, kissing the soft skin just under her earlobe. He sucked the small gold stud on her ear, feeling her tremble just like she had at the theatre, just like she had every time in the past three weeks when he kissed her neck and wanted so fucking bad to do more. He could hardly contain himself now, and he didn’t even have to.

That was all he needed to hear. He lifted her off the counter and walked the few steps to his bed in his front room. He set her down then lifted her knit blouse over her head. Her black lacy bra barely held in her soft, pale breasts. She scooted back and unzipped her jeans. There’d been many women in his bed and he’d watched them do the very thing she was doing now, yet he didn’t remember ever feeling like this. His heart hammered away. Sex had never been emotional to him. The only feelings he ever had during sex, was insatiable hunger—if that even counted as a feeling.

All he did now was watch, and he could barely catch his breath. He worked the buttons on his own jeans and slipped them off. As he watched her slide her pants down his body went through the usual emotion he felt just before he was getting ready to satisfy his hunger, but something new accompanied it. Normally, he didn’t think past the act itself.

Like the anger that seared through his veins when he flew into a rage and he was helpless to stop it, he now felt something new. An emotion almost like a slow growing alarm, overtaking him by the second. Something in his heart was trying to warn him this was an experience he may not be ready for. A place from which he might never return. But deep inside he knew the truth. He was already too far gone. Still the alarm grew as he slowly crawled on his knees, his heart racing. From day one, he’d thought of having her beneath him like this.. Owning her, even it was only for a few hours. Now, he wanted more.

Kissing her belly as he passed it on his way up her body, he took the intoxicating scent, and taste of her warm skin. She’d removed her bra, and she lay there naked except for her black lace panties. She quivered as he traced gentle kisses up her torso then took her breast in his mouth, slowly sucking her nipple, feeling her shudder and her breathing hitch.

Even with her practically naked body beneath him, he yearned for her mouth. He’d come to love kissing her, something he couldn’t stand going a day without. From the moment he first kissed her at the ball game, he realized kissing Isabel was different. It was what he felt when he was that close to her that made it different. He needed that feeling.

Romero thrust his tongue in her mouth, mimicking what he’d soon be doing to her body. She squirmed beneath him, pulling her mouth away to catch her breath and he stared at her. That feeling again overwhelmed him. It scared the hell out of him, but in a strange way, he welcomed it.

He reached over to his nightstand and pulled out a condom. Isabel stroked his shoulders and arms. That alone did things to him he’d never felt before. This was crazy. “It’s been a while for me, Romero. Just so you know.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, chasing away any thoughts of his Izzy with someone else. “I’ll be gentle. I promise.”

He kissed her again, and continued to until the intensity of his kisses had her moaning. He could be doing anything to her at that moment but he couldn’t pull his lips away from hers. Each kiss was deeper and each kiss made that unfamiliar emotion grow stronger and even more beyond his control.

Finally, he let his hands travel lower, caressing her over her panties, loving the way she continued to moan into his mouth. Then he pushed the thin fabric aside and slipped a finger in. She was so ready.

“You ready, baby?”

“Yes,” she said willingly.

Romero had never felt the need to be so excessively gentle. Hell, he’d never cared enough to ask anyone if they were ready, and he’d had his share of virgins.

As she pulled down her panties he put on the condom, still incredulous of his nervousness. The only time he vaguely remembered being nervous before sex was way back when he’d done it for the first time, but the anxiety he felt now was unreal.

Nudging her legs apart gently he stared into her eyes as he positioned himself to enter her. She was tighter than he expected. He promised he’d be gentle but he suddenly wanted nothing more than to be in her completely—claim her.

She lifted her hips up against him, wrapping her legs around him, making him groan in delight.

He squeezed his eyes shut, driving himself in all the way and she cried out. He continued to do so again and again, slowing down when he felt she was getting close. Sex was usually simple. He knew exactly when to slow and when to move faster. As wild as things could get, he always managed to stay in control. But today, with Isabel, he couldn’t steady his responses.

He started up again slowly trying with all his might to hold back for her, but then she began to twitch and squeeze around him moaning even louder and then he felt her trembling explosion. He was done restraining himself. Burying himself deep inside her, the emotion he’d felt earlier now nearly suffocated him. He collapsed onto her, kissing her forehead, her cheeks and all around her mouth, barely able to catch his breath.

It was a struggle but he eased himself off of her and lay there, breathing hard. His heart felt like it could shoot out of chest any at second. He’d never even heard of anyone feeling all this. “That was…” He couldn’t think of the word to describe what he was feeling.

She turned to him. “Incredible.”

“More than that. It was the best.” For him it was and he could only hope it was as good for her. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so satisfied. Nothing had ever felt so perfect. She was perfect.

They lay there for a good while in a absolutely comfortable silence. Romero was content just listening to her breathe and feeling her heartbeat so close to his own. Even with everything he was feeling now, one thing gnawed at him. He didn’t want to ruin the moment or the night. but he’d never been one to hold back saying or asking about something the instant he wanted to, and he’d held this off this long.

He lifted himself onto his elbow and leaned into her. “Who made you laugh earlier, Izzy?” He kissed her eyebrow when it questioned him. “The text you got in the car?”

The look she’d given him when he asked her in the car was a strange one. Up until that moment in the car, he hadn’t put much thought into the possibility that Isabel might have other guys in her life—a thought that now had him grinding his teeth.

“Oh.” She lay there naked next to him, and the thought of that text made her blush? He tried not to frown. “Valerie was teasing me about my overnight bag. She can be so silly.”

The smile matched the one in the car and the irrepressible jealousy he’d begun to feel the moment he thought another guy was responsible for his Izzy’s silly mood, subsided. He exhaled, then kissed her. “You hungry?”

“Yeah, I think I worked up an appetite.”

Romero got out of bed, disposing of the condom, pulling on his briefs. “Growing up, I never learned to cook much of anything, but if there’s one thing Max taught me, it’s how to make a kick-ass grilled cheese sandwich.”

“Tell me about it. The good thing is I never have to do the math to cut down the recipes since most serve four. With Valerie it all goes.”

He frowned. Just about every time he’d been with her, one of her siblings or parents called. Obviously, she was real close to all of them. He’d thought about what it would be like when he finally met them. Something told him it wasn’t going to be pretty. He hadn’t even met her sister and already he couldn’t stand her.

 

***

 

Isabel began to worry about how sleeping with Romero would change their relationship. If things got more serious, she’d inevitably have to tell her family about him. If things stayed between them remained casual—well, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that either. She’d seen the box of condoms in his restroom. She hadn’t meant to snoop, but she’d forgotten her razor and was hoping to find a new one under his sink. The box was big and it was almost empty. Then there was the nightstand by his bed where he apparently kept more.

The idea of him having other women in his life was not a new one. She reasoned that there hadn’t been any promises. She slept with him knowing full well what she was getting herself into. Just a few days later, when she thought she’d heard a girls voice in the background during one of her conversations with him, she discovered with surprise that maybe it would bother her more than she’d anticipated.

For the most part, his interest hadn’t paled. He called her all the time and they’d slept together every chance they got. With a growing fear of getting in too deep, she decided to slow it down—at least until she knew for sure what she wanted. Until she knew if he even wanted anything more than to just hang out.

Valerie insisted that he seemed very serious, and even suggested Isabel just ask him straight out. Afraid of what his answer might be, she did the cowardly thing instead. She decided to tell him she was busy a few of the nights he normally would stop by to hang out. He’d asked her what she was busy doing, but she kept it vague.

For the first time since they started hanging out, she’d gone several days without seeing him. It scared her how much she missed him and how erratically her heart beat when her phone rang and she saw it was him. “Please tell me you’re not busy tonight.”

He picked her up in less than twenty minutes, and greeted her with a breathtaking kiss. Then said exactly what she was feeling. “God, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Her heart pounded. This was bad—or good. She couldn’t decide.

They went back to his place and barely made it through his door before they were all over each other. It was almost frantic, the way he kissed her and made love to her again, and again. It was frenzied but at the same time thrilling. They lay there afterwards trying to catch their breath. “You thirsty?” he asked.

She nodded, kissing his hard chest. After one more long kiss, Romero got up and pulled his pants on. She admired his chiseled chest and big arms. Then she heard her phone ring. She almost didn’t answer, but she remembered she was supposed to call Pat tonight and it had already rung several times during their time in bed. After Romero called, she’d forgotten all about Pat. She sat up grabbing her phone from the side of the bed. “Hey, Pat.”

“You were supposed to call me.”

“I know. I was about to. I just got out of the shower.”

She looked up and took the bottled water Romero held out for her. He walked back to the kitchen. “Oh good, so you’re home. I wanted to stop by.”

Shoot. “Well, I’m home now, but I was on my way out.”

“Uggh, never mind then. I just wanted to show you the gift I got Gina for her birthday. It’s a dress, but you know her taste better than I do so, I wanted to get your take on it.”

She took another slow drink to give herself a moment to think. “I dunno. I told you how she is. I figured it was the fastest way to get her off the phone.”

“Have you told anyone in your family?”

“Then enlighten me, Isabel. Because you’re on that fucking phone with them all the time. Telling them about your new boyfriend seems like something you might wanna share.”

“According to you ten seconds ago we aren’t exclusive.” His voice went up a notch and his nostrils flared. “Who were you with these last few days?”

“No one. I was home.”

His eyebrows pinched. “You said you were busy.”

He walked up to her and stood looking down into her eyes. “Look at me.” There was something desperate in his eyes now. “Do you wanna be with me?”

“Yes.”

“But you were slowing things down?” He searched her eyes. “I’ve been going fucking crazy wondering what you were so busy with? Can you just tell me why?”

“I wasn’t sure if this is what you wanted. I got scared.”

“Well, now you’re scaring me. I know what I want. I want this. To be with you and only you. What do you want?”

“I want this, too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said, putting her hands on his face. She’d never been so sure about anything in her life. She felt terrible now that she’d ever questioned it.

He put his hands over hers then kissed her. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely,” she smiled. “I should’ve just asked, but I was afraid of coming off as one of those girls.”

“You are nothing like any girl I’ve ever met.”

He pulled away from her, the panic in his eyes now replaced with a trace of that humor she loved to see so much in them. “No, you really owe me. I want Albondigas.”

 

 

She felt like such a spineless coward. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

Isabel had forgotten all about the date her sister had set up with her husband’s friend.

Thankfully, Romero was booked that evening working. This wasn’t worth the interrogation she’d have to deal with from her sister if she refused. Her brother-in-law’s friend would only be in town for a few days. She could knock this out and get her sister off her back without having to get into it about Romero just yet.

She told Romero she was having dinner with her sister, leaving out who else would be there. He was so caught up in his business for the evening, he didn’t ask much else.

As expected, Michael, the perfect guy her sister set her up with, wasn’t that perfect. For starters, he had no sense of humor. Isabel never considered herself to be a funny girl, but for some reason Romero thought she was fucking hilarious. Michael’s humor paled in comparison to Romero’s. He didn’t think half the things she knew she and Romero would be laughing at were at all funny. Including the guy showing off on the dance floor, who twisted his ankle. Romero so would have laughed with her instead of giving her the appalled look Michael did when she sniggered.

He did seem interested in her, but she noticed the more he drank, the cockier and more flirtatious he became. She did her best to fend off any advances, and he’d made plenty. She was just glad it was over now.

When Michael asked for her number, she gave him the number to the landline in her apartment which was used mainly for Valerie’s faxes. She didn’t want her brother-in-law to be offended that she’d snubbed his friend, even though that’s what she wanted to do.

She texted Romero as soon as she got home.

You still working?

He responded immediately.

If I wasn’t I’d be there with you.

She was so tempted to tell him she loved him, but she knew that was the wine talking. Though she’d thought of him the entire night…

Goodnight baby.

Goodnight Izzy…dream of us.

She smiled, her heart completely taken.

Always