Chapter 46

Anthony

“Damn it!” I hiss as the coffee overfills the cup and burns my hand.

I have no patience, my nerves are shot to hell, and Joey hasn’t reached out to me in days. As expected, Dave wasn’t at work the rest of the week after the cruise, and here we are on Saturday morning, and I haven’t heard a peep.

Wondering if I’ve been ousted from the group, I grab more paper towels than I need and begin to clean the mess on the counter. I can’t focus on a damn thing, and how I made it through the last three days without being shit-canned at work or shoved down to the first floor is unexplainable.

Giving up on the coffee, I swing the refrigerator door open and opt for a bottle of water.

Pacing.

It’s all I’ve been doing every waking hour while I’m at home. It’s what keeps me from jumping in my truck and heading straight to Joey’s house.

Give me a few days.

When he’d told me that as I climbed out of the limo I thought two days max, but those two days came and went without so much a quick text. He could easily get my phone number from Dave. Just how easy it would be is what has my gut filling with dread. He didn’t want trouble for the group. He told me that early before things got serious between us. He harped on it all during the cruise, and even though I’m not the one responsible for Jon finding out about us, I can’t help but feel like I’m the one being punished for it.

He’s changed his mind, and fuck if that doesn’t make the backs of my eyes sting with tears that I refuse to let fall.

“Perfect,” I mutter when someone begins to bang on my front door.

Planning to take my anger out on whoever is standing there, I’m struck dumb at the gorgeous sight of Joey standing on my porch. Nervous tension fills his body as his hands wring together and he looks up at me with a sheepish smile.

“Hey,” he says

“Hey,” I answer back.

“Dave gave me your address.” He looks over my shoulder as if trying to figure out if I’m alone. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind?” I snap, still unable to let go of the anger that’s been building since I left him with his brother in the limo. “It’s not like I’ve been here for days wondering what the hell is actually going on.”

At least he has the decency to look a little ashamed.

Stepping closer to him, I lift his chin with the crook of my finger. “I thought you’d changed your mind about me.”

He doesn’t contradict me or tell me I’m crazy for feeling this way. Instead, the pain in his own eyes says it all.

“Baby?” I’m panting, struggling to take even breaths and failing on each inhale.

“May I come in?”

Jesus. He’s resolved and going to break up with me. Are we even together? I’m pretty sure exchanging I Love You’s means that we are. Were?

Trembling begins in my hands and works its way up my arms by the time he sits on my sofa.

“Nice place you have here,” he says as he looks around.

“Can we just get this over with?” I refuse to sit. There’s too much energy in my body to be calm.

“When I got home,” he begins. “I reevaluated this entire thing.”

Trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat, I turn back to the kitchen counter for my bottle of water.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

He frowns at my interruption and shakes his head no. I’ve got nothing else, no other way to distract him or postpone my heartbreak. All I can think about as I watch him try to work up the courage to crush me is that I’m glad he’s doing this on a Saturday. I’m grateful that we’re not doing this during the week, and how fucking stupid is that? As if by Monday I will be okay losing the love of my life.

I chuckle at the ridiculousness of it.

“I haven’t seen Jon since the limo dropped me off at my house. Andi won’t take my calls.” His words come out in a wild rush. “My entire family is falling apart, all because I fell in love with you.”

The plastic of my water bottle crinkles in my hand as my fist clenches in anger. Stalking across the open plan floor, I make my way to him, but before I can counter what he’s saying or plead my case, his hand shoots up indicating he isn’t finished.

“That’s what I thought at first, anyway.” His eyes meet mine, and that beautiful little twitch of his nose almost makes me lose it.

There’s no damn way I’m going to survive this man.

“I stewed on it. For days, I processed my thoughts, feelings, and the fallout, but the thing I kept coming back to is that anyone who is mad at me for falling in love with a great man isn’t someone who truly cares for me.”

“Y-you st-still love me?”

His head tilts, and I want to sweep him into my arms and suck and lick the expanse of his neck. “Always.”

“You’re sure?” I verify.

“Yes,” he whispers, and it lights a fire under my ass.

I’m on him a nanosecond later, wrapping my arms around him and dragging him into my chest.

“Why the fuck did you show up and act like you came here to end things?”

“I’m ashamed that it took me so long to figure shit out. I was worried you’d already given up on me. You didn’t call or come to the house.”

Pushing him away from my chest, I look down into his ice-blue eyes. “You told me to give you a few days.”

“It’s been more than a few,” he qualifies.

“Don’t I fucking know it,” I mutter before sweeping my lips over his. “I don’t have your phone number.”

“You could’ve gotten it from Dave,” he says softly.

“So could you,” I counter.

“Are we going to fight now?” he asks into my chest.

“I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Everyone is mad at me,” he confesses on a whisper.

As much as I want to lay him on his back and have my wicked way with him, including a couple smacks to the ass for staying away so long, I also know that he’s in turmoil over his friends and brother.

“Tell me what happened with Jon,” I insist.

He settles back on the couch, legs on top of mine. I refuse to let go of his hands, so he’ll just have to tell his story with words instead of his normal wild gesticulations.

“We argued. I told him how much I care for you, but he was so angry, I don’t know if he was listening.”

“And he just left and hasn’t been back?”

He nods.

“Is this normal for him?”

“He’s taken off a couple times before. The last time was after my dad’s funeral. He ended up at Pedernales Falls, camping for a week.”

Releasing his hands, I stroke his leg. It begins as a means to comfort him, but when his breathing shifts, hitching each time I stroke up, things morph from comfort into the sexual desire we can never seem to turn off around each other.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he confesses on a whisper.

“Same,” I respond, not taking my eyes off the front of his jeans.

“I want you,” he continues.

“Same,” I repeat.

“I want inside of you,” he clarifies.

My fingers dig into his thigh, cock pounding in my sweats at his demand.

“Is that okay?” he asks with caution.

My eyes meet his once again, and I’m burning with lust for this man.

“I can’t wait,” I confess and run my hand over his cock.

“I’m going to blow the second I push into you.” His dark promise makes me leak in my sweats, but it won’t do for today.

“Then I’ll have to suck you off beforehand because I want it to last.”

“Oh, God,” he mutters as I reposition us so I can get to the pull of his zipper.