Crew

Time passes. Not quickly but at a snail's pace. I hold her tightly, wishing I could take her to my bed and keep her there, away from whatever or whoever caused this.

I got home hours ago, but she was already shuttered away in her room. I listened by the door, tempted to knock but there was no noise behind it. I took a walk outside around the property and looked in the direction of her bedroom. The curtains were drawn and the lights off so I ignored the urge to text her and I went to my room with a bottle of scotch.

I've seen her cry before but not like this.

This sliced me in two. I heard her call out as I went over projection numbers for the Matiz location in Phoenix. I took another sip of my drink to numb the pain I've been feeling since this afternoon when she told me that she needs me as a friend; just a friend, nothing more.

When I got out here she was on the floor. Broken.

"I've got you," I whisper again, for the third time.

I can't tell if my words are comforting or pissing her off. She hasn't responded. She hasn't moved. Her arms are wrapped around me, her head resting against my chest.

"Whatever it is, I can help." I can. Whatever the fuck happened, I can fix it.

Her legs move slightly, but she's as silent as she's been since I got on this cold, hard floor.

I press a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm going to pick you up. All you need to do is hold on."

"No," she whispers faintly. I barely hear it.

I'll stay on this fucking floor all night if what's what she wants, but I want her comfortable. "Let me put you on the sofa."

"I can get up," she hiccups out as her tears stop. "I can do it."

I know she can. She can do anything she puts her mind to, other than deal with whatever the fuck has gouged its way into her so deep that it's dragging her down.

I roll back and bounce to my feet, holding out a hand to help her.

She looks up, her face a swollen mess of despair. "I thought you were still out."

I nudge her up by her elbow, wrapping my arm around her waist. The skin on skin contact does my cock a favor. I'm dressed in pajama bottoms and nothing else. I can't mask what I'm feeling. I don't want to.

I might have agreed, in principle, to be the best friend forever, but that doesn't quiet my body's need for her.

She looks down at my obvious erection, straining against the soft black silk.

"I should go back to bed." Her eyes lock on mine. "Did I wake you?"

I shove both hands through my hair and exhale. I need to cool down. It suddenly feels hot as hell in here. "I was up."

"When did you get back?"

"Earlier," I offer without any explanation.

My reason for taking off this evening was simple. I needed air. Fresh air that didn't smell like her or taste like her. I couldn't look at her in that red bikini after I was friend-zoned.

I stood on that beach, with my eyes cast to the sand as she dipped her toes in the Atlantic for the first time. Then I returned the call of a woman I only see twice a year. When she proposed a drink, I suggested a place. 

"What's eating you up?" I ask because she sure as hell isn't going to offer.

She keeps her emotions in a safe locked as tightly as my own.

"Nothing," she spits out the expected answer with a pout of her pink lips. "I had a bad dream."

"About what?" I push because I can smell bullshit a mile away and her response reeks.

She searches the air around us with her eyes for an answer. "I can't remember."

"What is eating you up?" I repeat my initial question. "Don't bullshit me, Adley."

She fidgets on her feet, her tits bouncing under the thin fabric of the tank top she has on. "I can't remember."

I inch forward, closing the space between us. "As we established, yet again this afternoon, we are friends. I'm the type of guy who doesn't like to see his friends all torn up, so if you want me to repeat the question again, I will and if you continue to offer me answers I don't believe, I'll keep asking."

Her hands lace together in front of her. "Maybe I was worried that you'd been in an accident. It's not like you drive all the time."

True, I don't, but when I do, I own the road. I step closer. "Try again."

She scowls. "Crew."

"Adley."

"What do you want me to say?" Her hands dart to her hips and those breasts, those sweet, round breasts of hers bounce yet again.

I'm not a tit man. I'm not a leg man either. A pretty cunt will make me hard as a bag of nails, but a perfect, heart shaped ass is what brings me to my knees.

With Adley, it's all of it. I want it all. I still want it all.

"Why were you so torn up?" I take that last step that separates us.

Her eyes travel over my chest, my biceps, my shoulders and then finally my face. I'm in no hurry. I'll wait all fucking night if she wants to take her time to visually inspect the goods.

"I'm going to bed," she says the words but she doesn't move an inch.

I do. I run the tip of my index finger over her forearm. "I'll go with you."

"What? Why?"

My finger travels up her shoulder before I bring it to her chin. "I want an answer to my question. Tell me what the hell happened before I walked in and found you on the floor."

Her bottom lip trembles just ever so slightly but she bites it to a halt. "You must be tired. You had a long day. Why don't we just call it a night and talk about this in the morning?"

I cock both brows. "Because we're going to talk about it tonight."

Her hands move to her stomach. She inches up her shirt. It's a habit she has that she's completely unaware of it. She doesn't show much skin, but it's enough to tempt me yet again. "I need you to trust me to talk about this when I'm ready."

I grab her hand. I hold it against the warm skin of her stomach. "I want to help you."

She shudders. "You can’t."

Like hell I can't.

"I have to figure this out on my own." Her hand grips mine tighter, sliding it up a quarter of an inch.

I stare down into her face.  I want to kiss her. Fuck, do I want to kiss her.

"I'm here if you need me." I close my eyes because her skin is so soft and my dick isn't. I need another cold shower.

I had one when I got home and that had nothing to do with the woman I was with earlier. She wanted to introduce me to the friend she'd brought along to surprise me with. I wanted to come back here and stare at Adley.

The guy on the bar stool next to me hit the threesome lottery.

I hit the bitter edge of frustration when I got back and she was already fast asleep.

It felt like needles of ice were piercing my back as I stood in the shower, my cock in my palm, while I thought about the petite blonde I'm looking at now.

"I'm going to bed," she announces like the inquisition has ground to a complete halt.

It has, for now.

With that she turns. I stand in silence watching the most perfect heart shaped ass covered in white lace, leave the room taking the most incredible woman in the world with it.